30th Anniversary of Release of "Animal House"

It is hard to believe it has been thirty years now since Animal House was in moviehouses around the country creating hilarious laughter everywhere and inspiring roadtrips and toga parties. The film is timeless and a classic and always worth watching. It was and continues to be a significant cultural influence. There were lots of lines in the movie that are still remembered to this day. The music in the film was fantastic. And who can ever forget the awesome Shelly Dubinsky...
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http://www.acmewebpages.com/animal/trivia.htm
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077975/quotes
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Lampoon
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http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/animalhouse/index.html
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http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077975/
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8psQi7ScQQ
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*****

Wonderful Sports Series

I have truly enjoyed the privilege of watching throughout the summer a regular one - half hour series on Fox Sports Net entitled "Baseball's Golden Age". The series started on Sunday 6 July and runs for thirteen weeks through 26 October. It's been an outstanding series with lots of history, exceptional photography and videography, and heartwarming stories. It really is a great show and does an outstanding job of taking one back to when baseball was a big part of America collectively and a pastime that touched lives in little and small ways every year before it became a big business, television rose as an entertainment alternative, and the National Football League took over center stage. I sincerely hope the series gets plenty of reruns in the coming years for many more people to take it in to appreciate and that it becomes available for purchase on DVD. This show has been followed by another exceptional program entitled "Amazing Sports Stories" which more often than not is as good as Baseball's Golden Age.
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http://msn.foxsports.com/other/story/8261514/FSN-revisits-

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http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/07/fsns-great-summer-schedule-adds.html

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http://www.davidpietrusza.com/baseballs-golden-age.html

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http://www.strike3forums.com/forums/major-league-baseball-discussion/29444-baseball-s-golden-age-fsn.html

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http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6571787.html

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http://www.star-telegram.com/319/story/727092.html

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*****

New Years' First Weekend

The week after Labor Day really is the start of the New Year for all intents and purposes. Autumn arrives in at least some of the nation in a small way, football gets going, everybody that is going to go to school is enrolled and attending classes, and the days have become noticeably shorter. The weather in September and October (and in many places November) is the best of the entire year. Here in Cheyenne, autumn is here. This last week it was in the low to mid 60s (or less) for highs and nights are quite cool requiring the wearing of a coat after dark. Thankfully we get a little warmer week coming up with forecast highs in the low to mid 70s for most of the week ahead. The 90s are for sure done with and it is strongly doubtful we will even see an 80 degree day again for the remaining 115 days in 2008. Although I have yet to see any trees with their leaves changing colors, it can be expected to start in the next week to ten days and be in full force before the equinox. And snow is probably on the horizon within the next week to two weeks or so. But Indian summer along the Front Range is among the most splendid times of the year and truly worth experiencing and enjoying as much as possible such as going to parks or just sitting on the porch.

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I had a largely relaxing weekend. I did make it out Saturday to Advance Auto Parts to get a new gascap and air filter. Both those items should help out in improving the gas mileage in the White Knight. I popped into Walgreens but did not see anything that could be beneficial for my hands and wrists. I then got three of the 99 cents Arby Q sandwiches for supper. I watched some college football throughout the day and night while at home and some of the games were good.

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Sunday was a repeat of Saturday but by dusk the cloud ceiling had dropped and we were engulfed in thick fog with a light rain mist and temperatures around 40 degrees. Around 3pm Todd stopped by with his menagerie of dogs that he had been out walking. He stayed for about one - half hour. I then went out to do the tasks of checking my post office box, getting gasoline (we are down to less than $ 3.50 per gallon now), picking up the Sunday newspapers, and having a meal at Village Inn. I had a chicken fried steak skillet with scrambled eggs and a small stack of pancakes with grapefruit juice. I had not eaten at VI in about two years or so when I used to go to the one on East Hampden in SE Denver. Their menu has gotten quite pricey and most of the other diners were geezers. I won't be back anytime soon as Perkins and other restaurants seem to be a better value. Earlier I watched some of the Astros / Rockies and Angels / White Sox games. I watched hardly any of the opening Sunday of NFL games as the matchups we got on TV were less than compelling: SEA / BUF; NYJ / MIA; KC / NENG; and the Dallass Cocaineboys / CLE. As the season goes along, I will make it over to Shadows Sports Bar downtown to catch games not on local TV. Next Saturday I will watch college football at Todd's new home as he has his HDTV home theatre set up and he is fully moved in after getting out of his old home about a month ago.

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I am taking Monday off from work partially as a break and also to be able to watch the two Monday Night football games. I also have to get out and get a haircut; stop at the newsstand; and perhaps even get an oil change at Walmart if time permits. Meanwhile tonight I will do some chores and tasks around the place including paperwork cleanup and filing and installing my shelves.

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With Monday off this will be another short week at work thankfully which will help in continuing the long slow reduction of pain in my fingers, hands, and wrists. They are improving and most days I wake up with little stiffness and atrophication. The job I am doing of handling the windows and wrapping them in a film wrap - applying piece of equipment is less stressful on the hands, wrists, fingers as most of the strength used to handle the products comes from in the arms, shoulders, backs, legs, hips, and elsewhere which results in soreness and stiffness there instead, but being that those are muscle strains and injuries results in them being able to be treated successfully with substances like Ben-gay and Icy Hot. Ah, the price of aging...

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*****

Don Haskins, 1930 - 2008

The world lost a giant of a man literally with the passing of legendary and history making college basketball coach Don "The Bear" Haskins, who won over 700 games in a 39 season career at the University of Texas-El Paso. Haskins is a Hall of Fame honoree for his contributions to the sport and world particularly in integrating the college basketball game and winning a national title in 1966 when the school was called Texas Western College, an accomplishment captured in the bestselling book and great recent film Glory Road. I remember Haskins for over a generation as a scowling bear of a coach prowling the sidelines whenever I would watch a game in which UTEP was a participant. His teams were always prepared, well coached, disciplined, and fundamentally sound. UTEP did not always have the best talent, but that did not stop Haskins from coaching numerous championship teams in the WAC and regularly having his teams in the NCAA tournament. Haskins' strategy and tactics of coaching always worked to the strengths and plusses possessed by his teams - some years they played a slow methodical style and other years they ran - but UTEP was always known for playing solid defense at both ends of the court.
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I was fortunate enough to witness many UTEP games in person: once on occasion at the Special Events Center in El Paso; on a number of occasions at University Arena (The Pit) in Albuquerque and the Arena - Auditorium in Laramie; and once each at Moby Arena in Fort Collins, the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, and McNichols Arena in Denver. Although Haskins had a drop off in his energy level and intensity in his later years on the bench, he was always capable of giving an errant referree an earful and staring down officials like Irv Brown who got on his bad side. He is survived by his lifelong wife Mary and three of his four sons.
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http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_10405771
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http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10431648
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Haskins
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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3574739
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*****

2008 College Football Outlook

College Football is been underway since last Thursday, 29 August. Here is a slightly belated look at what could and should happen across the nation. Most of the serious contenders are programs swimming in money with a long tradition of winning for the most part. Until college football institutes a playoff with 16 teams sometime in the future ( after 2019) , there is little hope for wunderkinds, underdogs, and Cinderellas to contend seriously for a championship nationally and only slightly more so on the conference level.
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Here is my outlook for the '08-09 season:
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ACC: Atlantic Division - Boston College; Coastal Division: Virginia Tech; Hokies win conference championship game.
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SEC: East - Florida; West - Auburn; Gators win conference championship game.
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BIG XII: South - Oklahoma; North - Missouri; Tigers win conference championship game.
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Big Ten: Ohio St edges Wisconsin for league title.
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Big East: West Virginia takes title again.
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Pacific Ten: Southern California wins again as they are nation's best team.
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MWC: BYU edges Utah to earn BCS slot.
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WAC: Fresno St finally wins a WAC title outright.
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CUSA: East Carolina edges Tulsa to win conference championship game.
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MAC: Bowling Green beats Central Michigan to win conference championship game.
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SBC: Florida Atlantic edges Arkansas St to win conference.
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Bowl Championship Series representatives (10 teams)
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Ohio St, Wisconsin, Florida, Auburn, Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Southern California, West Virginia, and Brigham Young.
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National Champs: Southern Cal over Missouri
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This season, due to time limitations for myself, will not have any weekly predictions and picks for college football games as I have done in past years.
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*****

2008-09 National Football League Outlook

The National Football League is back for its 89th season as the kickoff game occurred earlier Thursday 4 September between the defending champions New York Giants and the Washington Redskins to get things going. The National Football League has done the best job of all the four major sports in getting close to parity with the opportunity for every club to move into playoff contention in only a few years with the optimum management of personnel and coaching (Unless one is talking about the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals). There will probably be at least 3-4 different clubs in the playoffs as compared to last season, and it would not be surprising at all to see a Super Bowl winner that is a first timer or one that has not been there in many, many years.

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My outlook on the divisions of both conferences:

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AFC EAST

1) New England: solid, could make it a fifth SB appearance in eight years.

2) New York: Favre not enough but they will be better with around 7 victories.
3) Buffalo: a possible sleeper team to make playoffs but still much to prove.

4) Miami: the Fish (actually mammals) are rotten and will still stink.

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AFC SOUTH

1) Indianapolis: Colts hang on to division barely in their swan song.
2) Jacksonville: Solid everywhere, just need to put and keep it all together.

3) Houston: Solid dark horse that could go deep into the playoffs.

4) Tennessee: Vince Young sucks and the Titans will be down this year.

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AFC NORTH

1) Pittsburgh: Steelers win playing tough and hard and look superb again.

2) Cleveland: Can they take the next step ? Close but no cigar again.

3) Cincinnati: Not a team but a collection of hot dog individuals dooms the Bengals

4) Baltimore: Rebuilding and will stuggle.

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AFC WEST

1) San Diego: The best team in the AFC and a favorite to win it all.

2) Denver: Will all the young players deliver ? Sometimes, yes; sometimes, no...

3) Oakland: Mediocrity and haplessness the order of the season for the East Bay.

4) Kansas City: The worst team in the AFC, may only win one game.

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NFC WEST:

1) Seattle: Best of a so-so bunch in the league's worst division top to bottom.

2) Arizona: If things go right, Cardinals win division and more.

3) San Francisco: Another long year for the Niners as the glorious past seems far away.

4) St Louis: Rams will be better but nowhere near playoff contention.

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NFC NORTH:

1) Minnesota: Vikings have it all except top notch QB which may come through the season.

2) Green Bay: Rodgers will keep the Pack playing winning football all season.

3) Chicago: Bears a sleeper team to make playoffs depending on QB play.

4) Detroit: Another woeful year for the eternally hapless Lions.

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NFC SOUTH:

1) New Orleans: Best team on paper in the NFC; has all the weapons to go all the way.

2) Tampa Bay: Decent team that will contend for playoff slot.

3) Carolina: Another sleeper team that could emerge and make the playoffs.

4) Atlanta: Worst team in the league and may win only one game all season.

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NFC EAST:

1) Philadelphia: Andy Reid is the best coach in NFL and Eagles soar again this year.

2) New York: Giants drop a notch but still solid and in contention.

3) Dallas: A step down this year with 'boys set to underachieve under egomaniacal Jones.

4) Washington: Not nearly good enough in probably the best division in the league.

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Wild cards: Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Jacksonville, Houston

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Super Bowl: Minnesota defeats Jacksonville.

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This season, due to time limitations for myself, will not have any weekly predictions and picks for NFL football games as I have done in past years.

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*****

Labor Day 2008

While this holiday has all but lost its real meaning for Americans across the nation, the news about the state of the workplace and the labor movement has never been more grim. Negative developments of the last 30 years and more due to an ineffective and corrupt government as well as merciless, soulless, and greedy corporations has left the American workforce in tatters with serious social issues and vast community problems. This report sums up pretty well the situation as it stands. I consider myself among the unfortunate; I may have a good paying job relative to my recent experiences, but it is totally inappropriate and wrong for me with my education, intellect, experiences, and wisdom. Doing painful hard physical labor at age 50 is not where I wanted to be; I should have been employed in the public sector as an administrator, manager, or some kind of bureaucrat long ago, but it appears those dreams and opportunities have passed. I simply was never given an opportunity to do just that and I was often in survival mode most months and years just to make ends meet which kept me from completely focusing on securing such employment. I am unsure what my occupational future holds as physical labor of any sort for me must end within the next few years and I am totally not cut out to be any kind of a sales person or representative, hustling products or services for cash from others for a soulless immoral greedy corporation that cares nothing for its workers -- been there, done that. Hopefully some alternative emerges that turns out to be a godsend that will compensate me more than adequately and also fills my self esteem and intellectual needs. Obviously the same holds true for millions of others like me across the nation -- what a striking indictment about the inefficiency, immorality, and ineptitude of our nation and economy.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26485812
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http://www.stateofworkingamerica.org/
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http://www.opednews.com/articles/Labor-Pains-The-Mass-medi-by-Brasch-080901-906.html
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http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/97489/
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*****

September List of Holidays

Here is the monthly list of eccentric and unusual holidays for the month of September. The days I am looking forward to are the 5th, 7th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 19th, and 20th. Days that are a little troubling or disturbing possibly are the 2nd, 5th, 11th, 13th, 19th, 23rd, 27th, 28th, and 30th.

For the Month of September:
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Classical Music Month
Hispanic Heritage Month
Fall Hat Month
International Square Dancing Month
National Blueberry Popsicle Month
National Courtesy Month
National Piano Month
Chicken Month
Baby Safety Month
Little League Month
Honey Month
Self Improvement Month
Better Breakfast Month
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1 Emma M. Nutt Day, the first woman telephone operator
1 Labor Day - first Monday of month
2 VJ Day - Surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri formally ends WWII
2 National Beheading Day
3 Skyscraper Day
4 Newspaper Carrier Day
5 Be Late for Something Day
5 Cheese Pizza Day
6 Fight Procrastination Day
6 Read a Book Day
7 Grandparent's Day - first Sunday after Labor Day
7 Neither Rain nor Snow Day
8 International Literacy Day
8 National Date Nut Bread Day - or December 22!?
8 Pardon Day
9 Teddy Bear Day
10 Sewing Machine Day
10 Swap Ideas Day
11 Make Your Bed Day
11 No News is Good News Day
12 Chocolate Milk Shake Day
12 National Video Games Day - also see Video Games Day in July
13 Chinese Moon Festival 15th day of 8th Lunar month
13 Defy Superstition Day
13 Fortune Cookie Day
13 National Peanut Day
13 Positive Thinking Day
13 Uncle Sam Day - his image was first used in 1813
14 National Cream-Filled Donut Day
14 National Pet Memorial Day -second Sunday in September
15 Make a Hat Day
15 Felt Hat Day - On this day, men traditionally put away their felt hats.
16 Collect Rocks Day
16 Step Family Day
16 Mayflower Day
16 Mexican Independence Day
16 National Play Doh Day
16 Working Parents Day
17 National Apple Dumpling Day
17 Citizenship Day
17 Constitution Day
18 National Cheeseburger Day
19 International Talk Like A Pirate Day
19 National Butterscotch Pudding Day
19 POW/MIA Recognition Day - Third Friday of September
20 National Punch Day
20 Oktoberfest, begins, date varies
21 International Peace Day
21 Miniature Golf Day
21 National Women's Friendship Day - third Sunday in September
21 World Gratitude Day
22 Business Women's Day
22 Elephant Appreciation Day
23 Checkers Day
23 Dog in Politics Day
24 National Cherries Jubilee Day
25 National Comic Book Day
26 Johnny Appleseed Day
26 Native American Day - fourth Friday of the month
27 Crush a Can Day
27 International Rabbit Day - Fourth Saturday in September
28 Ask a Stupid Question Day (one of my favorite days)
28 National Good Neighbor Day - Always September 28, previously the 4th Sunday in month
29 Confucius Day - Try your luck. Get a Fortune Cookie.
30 National Mud Pack Day
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*****

Major League Baseball at the Labor Day Pole

We have reached the final month and final four weeks of the Major League Baseball regular season. Virtually all the pretenders have been pared from the ranks of the contenders and some key results await in these closing weeks. The biggest surprises have been the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, and St Louis Cardinals, while the biggest disappointments are the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Colorado Rockies. Here is my outlook for each division going down the stretch.

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AL EAST

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Tampa Bay is enjoying a fantastic season and it does not look as if it will end in the regular season. The young Rays are clicking on all cylinders despite some injuries and are headed to an AL East title. They do have six games remaining with Boston that will be the final determination on who wins it. The Redsox could still overcome Tampa, but it appears the Rays are too much particularly when it comes to starting pitching. New York is a significant underachiever and is doomed to miss the postseason for the first time since 1993. Toronto is playing much better as of late, but it is not anywhere near enough. Baltimore will play spoiler down the stretch as the Orioles will finish a much better record than what was anticipated at the beginning of the season.

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AL CENTRAL

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Chicago and Minnesota have been in a tight race for the AL Central flag for much of the season, but it looks like the remaining schedule favors the Twins to win it. Minnesota has been much better than expected with unanticipated improved pitching and a full team contribution day in and day out all season. The quiet professional experienced leadership of Manager Ron Gardenhire is also an important key to the Twins' success. Chicago has the firepower and fire with testy manager Ozzie Guillen, but the Chisox are up against a tough schedule down the stretch and are a step behind the Twins in the pithcing department. Detroit has been a major letdown with poor pitching and key underperformances by offensive players. Cleveland has had a season long hangover from blowing their 3-1 lead in the '07 ALCS to Boston and never got it going. Kansas City has been painfully encumbered by an anemic offense which doomed them to yet another losing season in the cellar.

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AL WEST

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The Anaheim Angels have played well and consistent all season and have ran away with the AL West pennant since before the All - Star break. On paper and on the field, the Angels are baseball's best team and have plenty of veteran experience and leadership which should be enough to carry them to the World Series. Texas has played about as expected with all their pitching deficiencies. Early on a contender with the Angels, Oakland collapsed after the Blanton and Hardin trades and spiraled down towards a sub-.450 season. Seattle, an expected contender, was nowhere as good on the field as on paper and may yet lose 100 games, although the Mariners are starting to play better with more young players getting playing time in recent weeks.

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NL EAST

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The managerial change the Mets made going with Jerry Manuel has paid dividends as New York has asserted itself into the race after early dalliances. New York has significant relief pitching problems which will be their ultimate undoing. Philadelphia will win the East in spite of their poor starting pitching and inconsistent offense. Florida has surprisingly stayed close in the race until the last ten days as the heat and fatigue has finally done in the young Marlins. Atlanta was expected to contend but suffered several major injuries especially with their starting pitching and never was able to establish any consistency. Washington has been in the tank all year with an atrocious offense and pitching that leaves much to be desired.

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NL CENTRAL

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Chicago has been the class of the division for almost the entire season, but as September arrives, cracks can be seen in the Cubs machine and concern is legitimate on whether the Northsiders can hang on to win and outlast the streaking Brewers. Chicago is all but a postseason certainty at this time unless spoilers Houston and St Louis do lethal damage to the Chicagoans' hopes. Milwaukee has been a team on fire the last few weeks and have the momentum to overcome the Cubs and take the NL Central flag. The Brewers have the easier schedule in the last month and play Chicago six times which may get them their winning margin. St Louis has stayed close for most of the season but is fading. The Cardinals ondoing is an inept bullpen and flagging starting pitching. Houston has been inconsistent with long periods both good and bad but may have reached a level where they may overcome St Louis and finish third in the division with 85 wins. Cincinnati was viewed as a dark horse at the beginning of the season, but the Reds have played poorly in all aspects of the game for much of the season. And, sadly, Pittsburgh is headed for yet another last place finish and their record breaking 16th consecutive losing season as the Pirates' pitching has been an unmitigated disaster throughout the season and through the roster.

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NL WEST

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This is clearly baseball's worst division by a long mark, as all five clubs have played poorly most of the season and underperformed with the possible exception of the Giants. Arizona got off to a 28-16 start and has limped through the rest of the season barely above .500 with serious offensive shortcomings and bullpen deficiencies. But they will hang on to take the NL West flag again. Los Angeles on paper should be the best team in the league, but the Dodgers have played poorly in most every aspect of the game for long stretches of the season and have clearly underperformed and failed to meet even the minimum of expectations as injuries have exacerabated the circumstances. Colorado has had its fair spell of injuries as well, and Rockies' pitching has been largely inconsistent and poor much of the year with poor clutch hitting a serious negative factor as well. San Francisco has played about as what was expected, but the Giants have failed to take advantage of the downfall of their four division rivals as the Giant offense has been often pathetic and pitching has been erratic. San Diego is the NL version of Cleveland as the Padres have been a season long funk after blowing a certain postseason appearance the last weekend of the '07 season. The Padres have lots of injuries, but they have clearly stunk it up with pitching, offense, and defense for long stretches throughout the season.

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With four weeks to go, my AL picks are Tampa Bay, Minnesota, and Anaheim, with Boston as the wild card. In the NL, I am going with Philadelphia, Milwaukee, and Arizona, with Chicago as the wild card. The Brewers play the Phillies in the NLCS and the Rays take on the Angels in the ALCS. I am going with a Milwaukee and Anaheim World Series with the Angels winning it all.

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*****

Labor Day Weekend 2008

The traditional end of summer arrived with the Labor Day Holiday weekend. I wrapped a very long week of work by having to work on Saturday 29 August for about four hours which added to the overtime total for the week. Thus the day was completely unproductive although I was surprised to have a call from youngest sister LAC that was much too short as I had to get ready for work. I got home around 7:45 pm and, after a nice soothing hot shower, had a pizza delivered from Papa John's. I spent the evening halfheartedly watching some college football ( Missouri - Illinois; Oregon -Washington ) while surfing the 'net. I got drowsy around 10:30 or so and took a nap for about an hour and half on the recliner. When I awoke, I caught up on the scores and watched an episode of Gunsmoke and Bonanza before heading off to bed for the night around 2:30am.
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Sunday was another day largely of rest. I watched the end of the Rockies / Padres game before going out to run some errands. I checked the post office box and mailed the rent check; went over to Lowes and left disappointed as I could not find a replacement light bulb socket for my clamp lamp; went to KMart to buy some bottled diet ice green tea for my supper meals at work; picked up the Denver Post at the convenience store; and finally I went over to Albertsons and got a refund for that nasty bad watermelon that I bought last Sunday while picking up some Orange Crush, an apple pie, a gallon of milk, and some ice cream bars. I returned home by around 7:15 and watched the second half of the Colorado / Colorado St game. I had some chicken sandwiches for supper and later took out the trash.
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Today was a warm day with temps in the low to mid 80s. I believe its probable we have seen the last of the 90 degrees days and Cheyenne may not see 85 degrees anymore this year. The forecast ahead is for a cooler week with highs staying in the upper 60s and less for the most part. I also see the first significant thrust of winter weather is occurring into western Montana in the few days with the snow level down to around 6000 ' and some snow being observed in Butte. I predict our first snow here in Cheyenne will be sometime in the last ten days of September and I would not be surprised to see a snow event even earlier across the Front Range region. Earlier I talked to Matt and learned he had spent a few days in Columbia ! We will not be going to any more baseball games this season with the Rockies out of contention, but a hockey or football game may be in our future. I have Monday 1 September off, so I may endeavor over to Home Depot, Advance Auto Parts, the dollar stores, and Walgreens to see if they have anything I cannot live without. I still need to get that lamp socket and four shelves with brackets to mount above doorways for additional storage. I also need a new air filter for the White Knight and a replacement locking gasoline cap as I think the old one on there now is allowing gasoline to evaporate and escape reducing my fuel economy. One day I really need to clean the truck both externally and organize it internally and in the bed toolbox as those are tasks I have not done since 2004. As for the remainder of tonight, I will work on cleaning up and filing the piles of papers, articles, coupons, and other miscellania cluttering various places in the unit as they have taken over a fair amount of space. This should kill about an hour and a half and then maybe I will watch a movie before calling it a night around 2am.

Monday was a day that saw a clear change from summer to autumn in the afternoon. I slept good until around 12:30 and then watched the Rockies / Giants game. After a reaching a high of 80 degrees in early afternoon, a sharp cold front roared in with strong cold driving rain that dropped the temperature into the mid 40s by dark. I went out to run some errands though. I stopped by Baskin-Robbins and got myself one of those delicious iced capacinos. Then it was on to Home Depot where I found the lamp socket for my long broken clamp lamp and also picked up some pinewood shelves for above the doorways. I went on to Wal-mart for the monthly major grocery run. Among the treats I got for myself was some canned chile from Campbells and some sloppy joe mix. I returned home by around 7pm and then watched the remainder of the Tennessee / UCLA game. I then went to work on getting the clamp fixed and rewired. It took longer than I expected but I was successful, although I discovered I am missing part of the clamp which I will have to look for in the boxes in the garage. It was cold enough outside wth the wind and the rain that I had to close all the windows and the front door sealing the place up for the first time since late May. I closed the evening out surfing the 'net and watching Star Trek: DS9 before retiring around 2:30am. This week ahead is only a four day week which will be nice for a change.
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*****

Remembering the Passing of My Father 27 Years Later

Today, 28 August, marks 27 years since the death of my father, Leonard Joseph Lacey. He was born into a world of difficulty and hardship, and lived his life often in the shadow of tragedy and heartbreak. Yet he accomplished much and lived a full life with many adventures, opportunities, and successes. The challenges he faced and struggled to overcome often compelled him to make poor choices in lifestyle habits, many of which were socially acceptable but with health consequences not well known a quarter and a half century ago and more. I would like to think that I learned at least a few lessons from him and took his example and became a better and more responsible healthy individual personally. I never smoked tobacco; used liquor in a substantially smaller quantity, particularly after age 30; stopped drinking coffee in 1996; have tried to eat more fruits and vegetables; not let stress get to me; and keep my circumstances in perspective ( but I am nowhere near perfect).

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It would have a great help for me and my siblings and their families to have had him in their lives these last 27 years, but his spirit carries on in many ways that we are not even aware of on a regular basis. He did good in spite of all the obstacles and challenges in his way and his legacy is six offspring with nine grandchildren who are wonderful and beautiful people with years of continued success, achievement, contentment, and happiness ahead.

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I miss you, Dad, and I love you. I have never been or ever will be the man you were and are.

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*****

Yoda the Kitty: the Highly Unusual Kitty in Just Two Ways...

Thankfully some wonderful people found this cat at a bar being exploited and offered to provide a good loving home. This Illinois kitty has an extra set of ears but they appear to be of no function according to veternarians that have examined the critter. This cat is probably like most every other one: inquisitive, curious, loving, and always ready to eat, cuddle, and purr.
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http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2380649,00.html

*****

A Weekend of Rest

I had a particularly long week at work as the workload was of a size to merit 14 hours of overtime. Most nights I did not get home until after 4am and did not fall asleep until around 6:30am. Thus I accomplished nothing outside of work and rest over the five weekdays. My truck is still giving me trouble as the battery will not hold a charge. I had to use the juicer to get it going most everytime I started it after it sat for more than ten hours. I will have to get a solution to this issue this week. I may take the battery out on Sunday evening and put it on the charger overnight into Monday to see if that solves the issue. I hope my workshifts are a little shorter this upcoming week so I can do some constructive things on the weekdays like getting the truck into the shop for some maintenance. I will have to rent a car for the one to three days I will be without the truck, and may keep it over next weekend if I go to Denver next Sunday, 31 August, overnight into Monday 1 September, Labor Day. I am still uncommitted to this plan at the moment, but it is probably my last chance to get to Denver in the coming few months. I have thought about going to one last Rockies game on that Monday but I am undecided. It would be a nice overnight break from Cheyenne and the last one until Thanksgiving. I still hope to make it to Albuquerque for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with my sisters and their families, but I do not believe I will be able to get to Castle Rock for nearly the next four months minimally as my youngest brother has embarked on his new teaching career under challenging and trying circumstances in a failing inner city school that will keep him extremely busy and stressed even beyond where he was prior. I still hope to come into Denver a couple of time in the next few months to catch a Broncos game, an Avalanche game or two, and perhaps even a Pioneer hockey game.
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Saturday 23 August was one that I largely rested. I slept okay for many hours and did not finally arise until 5pm. My hands were somewhat stiff but no worse than they have been any of the last several days when I awoke. The pain did awaken me on occasion through the morning. The weather was largely sunny and mild with temps in the upper 70s. After a breakfast of toasted frozen waffles with syrup, I just relaxed, watching the Steelers / Vikings game and the Reds / Rockies tilt. I filled up my bucket with hot water and soaked my hands and wrists which always feels great and helps alot. I seem to have a higher tolerance to hot water temperatures than I have in the past which leads me to believe that my sensitivity in my hands and wrists has diminished due to age and this painful numbing period I am in. Around 9:15 I walked over to Dairy Queen and got myself a Blizzard with Snickers flavoring. I then spent the remainder of the evening and deep into the night watching some movies and football while surfing the 'net and just resting.
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Sunday I watched (more accurately listened to) parts of the two afternoon baseball games which both went into extra innings while I drifted in and out of sleep. The weather was partly to mostly cloudy with some light sprinkles of rain and temps in the mid 70s which was considerably better than what I saw on the news happening in Castle Rock as a small tornado was imperiling that area and throwing up a lot of dust and debris for some time. I finally left the house about 5:30 and went over to McDonalds for a free chicken sandwich and some Powerade while I read the Sunday papers. Around 7:30 I moved on to Albertsons to get some groceries: a gallon of milk, a jug of iced tea, a watermelon, some bananas, a blueberry pie, a bag of salad mix, and some hamburger buns. I got home around 8:15 and it was already fully dark. I got the battery out of the truck and put it on the charger hoping that will solve the problem I have been enduring the last two weeks. The remainder of the evening was spent relaxing catching the end of the Dodgers / Phillies game; a rebroadcast of the Bills / Colts game in the debut game at the new Taj Mahal of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis; and a rebroadcast of the first Spiderman movie. I later had a salmon filet and some mashed potatoes for a late supper. Overall, my hands and wrists hurt less than they did on Saturday although there was the largely consistent presence of stiffness, numbness, and tingling. I may have a lead on finding some moist wet beading therapy gloves that may provide the best option for overall relief that I have yet to discover. A medical supply store here in town may stock such a product as the drug stores and pharmacies like Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and the grocery stores do not carry such products.
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This week wraps up the eight week stretch of five day work weeks. Next Monday, 1 September, is Labor Day which is a day off. I will also be taking Monday 8 September off. One of those two days will finally see me make it to Lowes and Home Depot. I also need to hit up the dollar stores to see if there is any fantastic bargains that are worthwhile to take advantage of. Tomorrow, Monday 25 August, marks my 64th day at my work. I am not optimistic that I will see another full 64 days ahead being there as from what I am hearing from my colleagues and through the grapevine are that layoffs are inevitable at some point perhaps as soon as early October. I will just have to see...
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*****

Another Quiet Weekend

I spent a largely quiet weekend mostly at home. After working about 43 hours the past week I was glad to have a little time down. Saturday was a cold cloudy mostly rainy day well into the evening. I had to wear sweats to stay warm as the temperature in the apartment was in the mid sixties which was nice. After sleeping in, I watched some baseball and football. I had some homemade beef stew for my supper with carrots, potatoes, celery, and stew meat in a rich thick gravy. I spent the remainder of the evening watching halfheartedly some movies on TV. I did go out momentarily to empty the trash; I also cleaned up my big living room table. I finally retired around 4am.

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Sunday saw an improvement in the weather with mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 60s. I watched some baseball before going out around 4pm. I checked my mail; and then went to Checker to see if there was a problem with my truck. The last three days when I came out to start the vehicle the battery was dead. I was thinking the battery was going bad but the tech at Checker determined the problem was due to a loose alternator belt which I tightened. I then went over to Barnes & Noble and did some browsing and reading for about an hour. I never get to spend as much time in there as I would like. I then went over to have some four for a $ 1 tacos at Taco Bell and read my Sunday newspapers. Walmart was up next for some grocery shopping. While I was there Todd called and we conversed for about 10 minutes while I worked on completing the shopping list. I bumped into Brant's wife Sara and we had a conversation for about 10 minutes as well. As a result I did not get back home until after 9pm. About the only item I failed to find was vacuum cleaner belts for my little Dust Devil that I have had for about 20 years. The remainder of night was spent relaxing and taking in some movies halfheartedly while surfing and doing some research on the 'net. I called it quits around 4:30am.

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My hands did hurt some over the weekend and woke me several times both nights with sharp pain, numbness, and stiff tingling. But while I was awake and active, they did not give me any extraordinary discomfort.

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*****

Record Breaking Cold Wet Respite from Summer

After nearly two months of regular summer dry heat and then some, a big change occurred with the weather across the Front Range region in the last two to three days. When I got off work late Thursday night/Friday morning, a unseasonably powerful front had passed through and we were experiencing a strong driving cold rain. The rain continued largely unabated until into Saturday evening. Friday saw a record rainfall of over two inches and temperatures that stayed in the upper 40s all day and night. Saturday saw much the same with close to another inch of rain and temperatures that never got above 53 degrees. Both day's highs were record low high temperatures and more typical of November. With the record setting rainfall from last week, these past two days of rain put the area on track for its wettest August ever. We are within a quarter inch of breaking the record of 6.73 " of precipitation set in 1930. With over two weeks left in the month the breaking of the record is a certainty. We are also ahead of the curve on annual precipitation for the first time this year with the latest flurry of rain. It been enough to even turn the prairie back to more of a green color which is unusual for mid-August

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The mountains in Colorado and Wyoming to the east and south got a decent dusting of snow with a couple of inches being observed at elevations down to 12,000'.

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Strange how things can change so markedly. After a blistering hot July that tied the record for the driest July ever, August has seen quite the turnaround as it has rained for 11 of the 16 days so far. The forecast for the next several days, however, is for more dryer conditions and a return to near normal temperatures. While the heat seen in the first two days of August is done for this year, we might still have a few days left where it can near 90 degrees for about another month. But the trend is towards less hot for the rest of the month as temperatures will probably rise at most to the mid eighties with quite a few days less than that for the most part.

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RECORD EVENT REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY

0923 PM MDT FRI AUG 15 2008

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...RECORD LOW HIGH SET AT CHEYENNE WY...

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THE RECORD LOW HIGH WAS BROKEN AT CHEYENNE TODAY. FRIDAY'S HIGH WAS 49 DEGREES. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD LOW HIGH OF 60 DEGREES SET IN 1888.

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RECORD EVENT REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY

143 AM MDT SAT AUG 16 2008

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...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET AT CHEYENNE WY...

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A RECORD RAINFALL OF 2.07 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT CHEYENNE WY YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.1" SET IN 1931.

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RECORD EVENT REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY

931 PM MDT SAT AUG 16 2008

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...RECORD LOW HIGH SET AT CHEYENNE WY...

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THE RECORD LOW HIGH WAS BROKEN AT CHEYENNE TODAY. SATURDAY'S HIGH WAS 53 DEGREES. THIS BROKE THE OLD RECORD LOW HIGH OF 62 DEGREES SET IN1875.

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http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=cys&storyid=17415&source=0

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http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/16/colorado-sees-flood-warnings-snow/

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*****

A Largely Lost Weekend

This weekend that is about to wrap up was one that brought little if any productivity for me. I did not get home from work until after 4am early on Saturday morning and, after showering and having some watermelon, was unable to fall asleep until around 7am. I awoke about 3:30pm and discovered both my hands were once again atrophied and fully stiffened. I spent the rest of the day and night at home often doing some therapy on my hands which consisted of soaking the hands in a bucket of hot water for extended periods of time. This moist wet heat therapy seems to bring the most effective amount of relief, but once I go more than about hour or two without the therapy, the hands stiffen up again and there are regular varying episodes of numbness, tingling, and pain. I watched some preseason NFL football games as there were three games that were on I could watch portions of. For dinner I had some pizza that I ordered for delivery from Blackjack. I also did some surfing and posting on the blogs and continued to relax and enjoy some movies on tv until well into the night.

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Sunday was about the same as I had trouble getting to sleep and woke a few times due to the numbness and pain in the hands. After I awoke for good around 1pm I watched some baseball. Later I did the dishes, picked up some items, and enjoyed the solitude. This weekend brought some very saddening news with the passings of the eminent comedian and actor Bernie Mac and the extraordinary musician Isaac Hayes. Both were individuals whose work I truly enjoyed. A good rainstorm roared through in midafternoon knocking the temperatures down into the upper 50s to lower 60s for most of the rest of the day. This resulted in the apartment being about the most comfortable in late afternoon and on into the evening in nearly two months. Around 7pm I did get out and went out over to Albertsons to get some milk, bananas, vegetables, and a cherry pie. I then went over to Wendy's to read my newspapers while having some chili, a burger, and a caesar salad while I listened to Sunday Night Baseball on my headphones radio as Chicago defeated St Louis.

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I returned home around 9:30pm and did some more hot water therapy on my hands. It is still likely that I have either carpal tunnel syndrome or repetitive stress injury. But further research on the internet indicates there is a strong possibility that my condition could also be osteoarthritis. I cannot even rule out that I have the beginnings of multiple schlerosis. I am unsure exactly what is wrong with me but it definitely is going to be a significant lifechanging condition for both the longterm and shortterm. If it is an acute case of arthritis I have to dismiss any plans of moving to the Northwest with its more damp climate as conditions such as that exacerabate arthritis pain. I may yet have to return to the hot desert as many other older people have and continue to as the dry heat is better for arthritic conditions.

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As Mick Jagger once sang, "What a Drag it is Getting Old" -- that sure is the truth.

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I wrapped Sunday evening watching some science - oriented programs on the Science Channel about the future of computing with Dr. Michio Kaku, a noted quantum physicist that I enjoy listening to and learning from; and a program on future renewable energy prospects.

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This upcoming week will take us into the heart of August and the end of the Dog Days of Summer as the length of days starts to become even more noticeably shorter. Sunrises are already past 6am and this week takes sunsets to before 8pm. In the next 35 to 40 days we lose over 120 minutes of daylight, more than three minutes per day. The normal temperatures have already started their decline from their peaks in the last week of July of 83 and 56. We have already slipped to 81 and 54 and by months end we will have dipped to 78 and 50. 90 degrees highs are still possible for more than another month, but morning lows can now be seen around or below 40 degrees. Within a few weeks it will become necessary to wear a light jacket, sweatshirt, or sweater a few hours before and shortly after dawn. The annual decline of summer is underway and here in Wyoming where I reside it is more noticeable in early to mid August than most any other place I have ever lived. Not that this is such a negative thing.

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This week I may get over to the mechanic and make arrangements to get some work done on the White Knight. This part of the project will include replacing the kingpins in the front suspension system; getting a tuneup and oil change; performing an alignment; and doing some other small jobs like a coolant flush. By the time it is also said and done it will probably be around $800 for this work. Part two will come in September with the complete replacement and repair of the exhaust system which will also cost about that much. I hope to get my 36" television also repaired in September which should cost less than $200 I hope. I also have to spend about $300 on the repair of my two desktop computers. I hope to get that done in October.

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With the start of football I stay pretty busy into January so it is nice to be filled with a list of projects and activities to keep me focused and in a small sense purposeful for the shortterm. With my lack of energy and troubles with my hands, I failed to get my projects done of going to Lowes, Walmart, Walgreens, Big Lots, and Barnes & Noble. I will have to get a few of these done during this week if possible.

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Before going to bed, I had some more watermelon. This is the fourth watermelon I have eaten this summer which has to be doing something good for me !

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBIT_ISAAC_HAYES?SITE=MTBIL&SECTION=NATIONAL&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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*****

Perseid Meteor Showers 2008

The annual Perseid Meteor Showers are underway with a peak on early Tuesday 12 August pre-dawn morning. One needs to be in a place with limited if any light pollution to fully observe the spectacle. The show is best off at start in the northeast direction where the constellation Perseus, rises above the horizon. The shower slowly moves more towards the east as time elapses before AM twilight commences. About one to two meteors per minute are anticipated at times. The position of the moon being below the horizon after 2am on Tuesday will make this the best times to observe. The Perseid Meteor shower is always among the best as the angle in which the meteors enter the atmosphere make it most favorable for observation as well as the potential for some spectacular sights.
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http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/22jul_perseiddawn.htm
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*****

A Great View of Wyomingans

This week's preconvention analysis of the type of delegates heading to Denver for the Democratic National Convention in less than three weeks in Westword wraps up with an article about those coming down from Wyoming. As usual, cartoonist Kenny B is dead on with his cartoon and the accompanying essay largely rings true. Unfortunately, the ones whom are not even Republican are quite a bit worse; and believe me, its possible and does exist in relatively sizeable numbers...
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http://blogs.westword.com/demver/2008/08/delegating_denver_56_of_56_wyo.php
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*****

From Record Heat to Record Rainfall

Just a few days the Front Range was sweltering from a record long heat wave with the two hottest days ever recorded in August here in Cheyenne. How quickly things can change. Tuesday brought the end of the heat wave with quite a bang. A powerful two hours long thunderstorm with powerful winds, driving rain, and quarter sized hail pounded the area early Tuesday evening causing widespread localized flooding and some property damage. I was at work throughout the storm and the pounding rainfall sounded like millions of loud drumbeats on the metal roof at the factory to the extent it was deafening, but also refreshing with a moist cool breeze blowing into the facility. When it was all said and done, a record 2.02 " of moisture was recorded, making it easily the rainiest 6 August ever, but also the 11th greatest rainstorm in Cheyenne history. Wednesday saw a repeat but with much less rain -- only about a 1/2 inch. The two days of good strong rain bring the annual rainfall deficit in Cheyenne down to less than an inch and a half. The forecast is for thunderstorms and rain for the rest of this week and into next week. We have got to get it now, because once we get late into August, rainfall pretty much ends for the rest of the calendar year and what snow falls in the next four months will largely be dry and with only a limited moisture content. Even with all this rain here in Cheyenne and across the Front Range region, it pales in comparison to the rains that Tropical Storm Edouard pounded Houston Intercontinental with as a record 2.81 " fell there by comparison.

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RECORD EVENT REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHEYENNE WY

0133 AM MDT WED AUG 06 2008

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...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET AT THE CHEYENNE AIRPORT...

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A RECORD RAINFALL FOR AUGUST 5TH OF 2.02 INCHES WAS SET AT CHEYENNE

AIRPORT TUESDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD FOR AUGUST 5TH OF 0.96

INCH SET IN 1954. 1.91 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION WAS RECORDED AUGUST

5TH AT THE NEARBY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN CHEYENNE.

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RECORD EVENT REPORT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HOUSTON/GALVESTON TX

231 AM CDT WED AUG 06 2008

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...RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL SET AT HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT...

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A RECORD RAINFALL OF 2.81 INCHES WAS SET AT HOUSTON INTERCONTINENTAL AIRPORT YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 2.65 SET IN 1994.

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http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=cys&storyid=17215&source=0

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*****

Green Mountain Could Be Renamed Black Mountain

As I sit at home relaxing before my night's work, I have been following the big fire on Green Mountain in Lakewood, CO that started around 1:30pm on Monday 4 August. Most of the eastside of the mountain has been burned in a massive grass and brush fire. Several hundred acres have been torched, but it looks as if the efforts of professional firefighters saved any houses and structures from a fiery demise. The fire blew down the eastside of the mountain towards homes just south of the 6th Avenue freeway near the Indiana Avenue exit. As I post, some light rain is beginning there which may slow the thrust of the fire. It is quite windy in that area. The vast slope is visible throughout most of Central metro Denver and is a quite attractive and nice area that is among the places I would like to reside when and if I return to the Denver area in the next year or two. When the fire was finally fully controlled, West Metro Fire and Rescue estimated that around 900 acres had burned.

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http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_10098034

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http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=97065&catid=339

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*****