It was a beautiful day, and I was finally able to get in a round of golf. My back is feeling better, the weather was nice, only my golf game was bad. I hit way too many bad shots to shoot a respectable score, but I hit a lot of good shots that made me feel confident that my game hasn't gone completely. I shot a 43 - 43 = 86 today. I wasn't the low man in my foursome, so I know I can't win any money this week. It would have been a good week to win. There were a lot of people playing today. I tried counting them while we were playing and I came up with 18. I know that's gotta be close. So $18 each to the winners of front nine, back nine, and total 18 score. Manage to grab two of those and it's $36! That's a pretty good haul in our league!
I was very glad to play today and not have my back hurt. It was a little stiff, but it didn't hurt me. I don't know if being stiff or just laying off for awhile caused me to top a few 3 woods, that's what I did. Plus a terrible shot thrown in every now and then, led to the 86. Maybe Thursday, with the practice today, will be better.
"It's morally wrong to allow a sucker to keeps his money."..............................W. C. Fields
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Time for another "Blast from the Past"
I ran across these old pictures so I thought I'd share them.
This is just a couple of blocks from the house. Looking east on Ellison and Schiller. St. Michael's Cemetery is on the right. Barret Ave is at the top of the hill.
Just thought I'd put in places you'd recognize. This is 3rd and Eastern Pkwy, circa 1946.
Bardstown Road and Douglas. The Twig and Leaf would be on the near corner today, and a PNC Bank where the Shell station is.
The Steiden Grocery at the Corner of Clarks Lane and Preston Hwy. Located on the northeast corner, circa 1946.
And, back in the day, the East Drive-In Theatre. This is Shelbyville Road, across from what is now the Shelbyville Road Mall. Circa 1949
I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. I remember going to the East Drive-In.
This is just a couple of blocks from the house. Looking east on Ellison and Schiller. St. Michael's Cemetery is on the right. Barret Ave is at the top of the hill.
Just thought I'd put in places you'd recognize. This is 3rd and Eastern Pkwy, circa 1946.
Bardstown Road and Douglas. The Twig and Leaf would be on the near corner today, and a PNC Bank where the Shell station is.
The Steiden Grocery at the Corner of Clarks Lane and Preston Hwy. Located on the northeast corner, circa 1946.
And, back in the day, the East Drive-In Theatre. This is Shelbyville Road, across from what is now the Shelbyville Road Mall. Circa 1949
I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. I remember going to the East Drive-In.
Snowball...well....he just wasn't feeling well!
Snowball hasn't been feeling well. One of Erin and Jill's pet rats. Sharkie and Snowball are two brothers they got for pets just after Christmas. Lately, Snowball hasn't been feeling well. Mark took off work today to take him to the Vet. Well, SURPRISE! When Mark got home from work to take HIM, he found out HE was a SHE, and why she hadn't been feeling well.
So, now Erin and Jill have a litter of baby rats to deal with. I haven't gotten an official update on exactly how many, but the estimate is around 12-15. Anybody out there need a pet rat?
So, now Erin and Jill have a litter of baby rats to deal with. I haven't gotten an official update on exactly how many, but the estimate is around 12-15. Anybody out there need a pet rat?
Sunday, February 26, 2012
OK, who's armrest is it?.
When you go to the movies, a play, or ballgame, and you have seats as shown, who's armrest is it? I mean, a seat shares an armrest? Two people can't 'share' an armrest. One of the two people have to dominate it. Are you supposed to sit with your hands in your lap and nobody use it? Why don't they make two armrests between seats? Maybe it's first come, first served.
Oh well, this is just one of those little quirks I've always wondered about. What do you do?
Oh well, this is just one of those little quirks I've always wondered about. What do you do?
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Herman Dettlinger
Several weeks ago, January 27th, a good friend of mine, Herman Dettlinger, passed away. I was a pall bearer at his funeral. I went to work at Coca-Cola right out of High School, and Herman was my boss. I was 18 years old. So, I've been friends with Herman close to 50 years. I've played poker with him for 30 years, regularly the last 20 years. At Coca-Cola, he was the Manager of the Cooler Department. The Cooler Department was responsible for installing and maintaining all the Coca-Cola vending and fountain machines in the Louisville Area. This area ranged from Seymour, Ind. to the north, Carrollton, KY to the East, English, IN to the west and Shepherdsville, KY to the south. I just wanted you to know, not just Louisville. The area was pretty large.
As Manager, he was responsible for ordering new equipment, parts, tools, etc. for the Department, and this budget was several hundred thousand dollars a year. So, he would deal with many Salesmen and the orders he placed were worth a lot of money. But, Herman was the kind of guy who refused to take anything from anybody. No incentives or kick-backs. When a salesman took him to lunch, Herman bought. He didn't want to owe anything to anyone he had dealings with. This was the way he operated. If you got his business, it was because you had the best price or the best merchandise. Period. He never, ever, received anything without paying for it.
Why do I write this now, 4 weeks after he died? Yesterday, in the mail, I received a check for $100 from Diana, his daughter. Herman bequeathed $100 to each of his pall bearers in his funeral. Herman Dettlinger. He wouldn't even let you carry him to his grave as a favor. He had to pay you. I'll miss him.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
New store in Mid-City Mall parking lot.
We noticed several months ago that they were putting up a new building where the Bank was on the Bardstown Road side of the Mid-City Mall. We wondered what it was going to be until several weeks ago we saw a sign saying it was going to be a Dunkin' Donuts! It looks like it's getting close to opening. Can't say a lot for Dunkin' Donut's donuts, I'd rather go to one of the local bakeries. But, I would guess they'd do a good business at that location. I'm sure a lot of people pass by there on their way in to work, and either can stop for a couple of donuts or pick up a dozen or two to take in to work.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
The Dinosaurs are coming, the Dinosaurs are coming ! ! !
The Louisville Zoo once again will have the Dinosaurs this summer, April 1 thru July. I'm going to give you a Sneak preview of which Dinosaurs will be here.
Meet Alioramus. This dinosaur is about 11 feet tall and weighs about 1500 pounds. This was one of the last Tyrannosaurus species to have lived. He was a little smaller than some of his cousins, and therefore hunted smaller prey. He lived in the late Cretaceous period, about 73 million years ago.
Meet Amargasaurus. This guy was about 12 feet tall and would weigh between 2-4 tons. He was a herbivore and lived in the early Cretaceous period, about 130 million years
This is Coelolphysis. He is one of the earliest known Dinosaurs. About 4 feet tall and 100 pounds, for their size they were vicious pack hunters. He lived in the late Triassic period, about 200 million years ago.
And Compsognathus. This little guys was about 2 feet tall and weighed about 8 pounds. He had a large brain compared to his size and was speedy. He was about the size of a large chicken or small Turkey. He lived in the late Jurassic period, about 155 million years ago.
Deltadromeus. He as about 8 feet tall and weighed 3 tons. There is still much that needs to be found out about this guy, having just been discovered in 1995. As with many dinosaurs, only small bone fragments or teeth have been discovered and the experts build a complete dinosaur out of these fragments. The shape of the skull is only a guess from the teeth that have been found. He lived in the late Cretaceous period, around 73 million years ago.
Edmontosaurus. As you can see from the illustration, he's pretty good size. He was about 20 feet tall and weighed in nearly 4 tons. He mostly walked on all fours, but raising up on hind legs for burst of speed to avoid predators. He as a herbivore and lived in the late Cretaceous period, about 65 million years ago.
Megalosaurus. As this name 'Mega' indicates, he was pretty big. He as about 12 feet tall and weighed about 1 ton. A carnivore with dagger-like teeth, he was an opportunistic hunter that also scavenged for food. He lived in the Jurassic period, about 180 million years ago.
The Ornithomimus. The name means 'bird like', and he does resemble the modern ostrich. He as about 10 feet tall and could weigh up to 350 pounds. He was an omnivore, and used his tail as a counterbalance as his speed kept him out of danger. Had no teeth in his beak like mouth, and probably fed on plants, small animals, or raided other dinosaur nest's. Lived in the late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago.
The Pachycephalosaurus. He as about 10 feet tall and weighed 2 tons. His most prominent characteristic is his domed shaped, 10 inch thick skull. This was thought to be used for courting or combat, much like the mountain sheep butting heads today. Or, possibly against predators. He lived in the late Cretaceous period, about 66-68 million years ago.
The Suchomimus. Thought to be about 16 feet tall but weight is unknown. The shape of the jaw suggests catching of slippery prey, such as fish. Teeth are more adapted to catching prey than killing it. He lived in the Cretaceous period, about 120 million years ago.
The Triceratops. Probably one of the most recognizable dinosaurs. Very large, about 10 feet tall but weighing around 7 tons. This dinosaur was believed to have moved around in large herds, much like the buffalo of the western plains, and migrated over long distances. He lived in the late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago.
And, who could have Dinosaurs without the Tyrannosaurus, the T-Rex! He was 20-23 feet tall and weighed in at over 8 tons. Long, sharp teeth, strong jaws, could run at speed up to 30 mph. The ultimate predator. It is believed most of his kills came from ambush. He lived in the late Cretaceous period, about 70 million years ago.
The only record of these creatures that lived in the past are what is found in the ground as fossils. It's estimated that fossils found of dinosaurs species is less than 1 percent of those that actually lived millions of years ago. We have no way of knowing if they lived unless we find a fossil. Also, as I mentioned earlier, often only a tooth or fragment of bone is found, and from this they build an entire dinosaur. At least, what they would think it looked like. Also, the skin coverings, especially the color, they have no idea. Only educated guesses.
Come to the Zoo this summer and see the Dinosaurs. I was told most of them will be actual size.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Back on the Course, Back Pain and All....
My back pain just won't go away. I decided to play golf today, anyway. After a couple of holes I dropped out of our team competition because I could tell I couldn't swing a normal swing and I didn't think it was fair that I drag the rest of the team down with me. If' I'd have just been playing for myself I wouldn't mind losing. But, I didn't think it was fair to the rest of the guys to count my score on our team. I ended up being able to play the complete round, but shot a 48 - 46 = 94. I managed to sink a couple of nice putts to keep it that low. I will play, but I'm not going to put up my money for competition until I feel like I'm ready to make my normal swing.
I do feel like playing today helped me. I think my back feels better now than it did this morning. I think getting out, stretching, moving, walking, has probably helped. So that's why I'll continue to play. I took a little extra medication to play, so I hope I'm not feeling a little better because of that. But, we'll see. It felt good to get out and play, even being with a limited swing. It's been several weeks now. It was a lot colder today than I thought it would be, too. The temperature wasn't bad, but the cloudy, windy conditions made it feel a lot colder than you would think. Plus, I think today the course was the wettest, sloppiest, I've played on this year. It was really bad. Even many of the greens had standing water that we had to try to putt around. But, it was fun. I enjoyed it. So, I look forward to the next decent day to get out and play a little.
I do feel like playing today helped me. I think my back feels better now than it did this morning. I think getting out, stretching, moving, walking, has probably helped. So that's why I'll continue to play. I took a little extra medication to play, so I hope I'm not feeling a little better because of that. But, we'll see. It felt good to get out and play, even being with a limited swing. It's been several weeks now. It was a lot colder today than I thought it would be, too. The temperature wasn't bad, but the cloudy, windy conditions made it feel a lot colder than you would think. Plus, I think today the course was the wettest, sloppiest, I've played on this year. It was really bad. Even many of the greens had standing water that we had to try to putt around. But, it was fun. I enjoyed it. So, I look forward to the next decent day to get out and play a little.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Trying to get back into the routine of Civilian Life.....
Several months ago, back in November, I stopped by Veterans Hospital to apply for a Veterans ID. I've never used Veterans Hospital or their services before, but because I am eligible I thought it would be a good idea to get an ID card and be registered with them in case I ever wanted to take advantage of their services. Plus, just having an ID card that identifies me as a veteran I thought may come in handy as my plans are to buried, when the time comes, in Zachary Taylor National Cemetery. Well, the procedure has opened up a whole can of worms.
First of all, my discharge papers, known affectionately by all Veterans as a DD-214, does not list several of the medals I'd received. I've always known this but didn't really care. I'm sure this was caused by the fact that my last year in the military, my year in Vietnam, was spent in a Joint Service Outfit, detached from the U. S. Navy. Therefore, the records keeping wasn't done very well. Then, when I was discharged in Memphis, TN, I didn't bother to check my discharge papers to see that everything was in order. I was just happy to get the heck out of there and get home to see my lovely bride I'd been away from for a year. So these problems with my records are now starting to show up. But my Veterans ID I received has me listed as a different 'priority' than I should be as a Purple Heart Recipient. Therein lies the rub. So, I've submitted forms to get my 'DD-214' altered to have my medals listed. How this will turn out, we may never know. I submitted a form back in November and haven't heard anything. I re-submitted a week ago, I think this was a different form, and am waiting to hear about that.
My hopes of getting anything done is not very high. I mean, just two days ago I received a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs thanking me for my service and hoping my transition back into Civilian Life goes smoothly. So, I'm not real sure they are on top of the situation.
The big problem is, the DD-214 (Department of Defense form 214), is my official record of my military career. And, even though I have the medal, the certificate, the letter of presentation, pictures of Colonel McCorkle pinning the medal on me while in Vietnam, and a copy of the message sent to our headquarters in Saigon informing them that my next of kin NOT be notified of my injury as a result of hostile fire, the U. S. Navy doesn't seem to think that I officially have a Purple Heart. So, the Saga continues.....
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Artistic Ability passed from Father to Daughter
We had the family over for dinner yesterday. We hadn't done that since before Christmas and we felt like it was about time. We always enjoy it. Of course, Erin and Jill were all over the house doing their own thing. Pretending to be horses, dogs, cats,daughters; drawing on the computer, cutting up paper and drawing pictures.
They are both very creative and talented. I love that Mark and Kim instill creativity in them teaching them all their crafts and encouraging them to be creative on their own. Erin and Jill both show tremendous talent.
Jillian sat down at the desk and said she was going to draw a bird and Erin said "Jill draws great birds!". And, she was right. Jill drew this bird flying to her nest in the tree. Notice the detail. Worm in mouth, hole in tree, branches with nest, and the grass at bottom of page snipped with scissors to look like blades of grass. I'm not so sure about the "Jade" name, I'm thinking maybe it's a Blue Jay. But the 'bird naming' in parenthesis and the whole scene seems to me to be pretty darn good for a 6 year old Kindergartner! Of course, I'm a little biased.
They are both very creative and talented. I love that Mark and Kim instill creativity in them teaching them all their crafts and encouraging them to be creative on their own. Erin and Jill both show tremendous talent.
Jillian sat down at the desk and said she was going to draw a bird and Erin said "Jill draws great birds!". And, she was right. Jill drew this bird flying to her nest in the tree. Notice the detail. Worm in mouth, hole in tree, branches with nest, and the grass at bottom of page snipped with scissors to look like blades of grass. I'm not so sure about the "Jade" name, I'm thinking maybe it's a Blue Jay. But the 'bird naming' in parenthesis and the whole scene seems to me to be pretty darn good for a 6 year old Kindergartner! Of course, I'm a little biased.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Thursday, but no golf this week
I've had to call 'time-out' for a little while on my golf. I know the followers of my blog live to read about all my rounds of golf and can't wait for the next report. But, for several weeks my back has been bothering me and it's gotten worse in the past week. So, yesterday I went to the doctor. I've had this same pain before, and actually, quite often. But it doesn't get this bad or last this long very often. The last time was about 4 years ago. I'm hoping the Rx he gave me will get rid of the pain and I'll be back in action next week.
Like I said, it's been bothering me for several weeks, even playing earlier rounds, so I planned to play golf today. But when I started getting my clubs out of the basement this morning I decided I'd better take a couple of practice swings to see how it was going to feel. Well, instant pain. So I decided I'd better skip the round.I appreciate all the cards and well wishes I've received and will receive. I've been applying heat and ice, taking my medication, and hope to back out on the course next week. So, to all my faithful readers, hang in there.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Class at the Zoo
I helped with a class at the Zoo today. This was a much better behaved group of 4th graders than I had a couple of weeks ago. Sure, they were rowdy at times, but they were controllable, and quieted down when instructed to do so, unlike the other class.
I handled a box turtle and a Tegu. The picture at left is one I got off the computer and is not anyone at the Zoo, but I wanted a picture with people in it so that you can see the size of this creature. The one I handled today was a little smaller, but the Tegu is one of the world's largest lizards. It is from South America and 'tegu' is an Argentine word for 'lizard'. He was a hand full at times, but stayed fairly still when I took him around for the kids to touch.
I wanted to show this picture because I think one of the most fascinating things about this lizard is the tongue. He has a very large, long forked pink tongue that he is constantly sticking out to 'smell around'. And, this close-up gives you a good look at how colorful he is and how his scaled skin looks like it's beaded. I haven't researched this, but I would imagine because of his pretty skin he was used for many purses, shoes, and belts.
I can't believe I've already gotten close to 60 hours volunteer time in since I became an official Docent the first of December. And this is the slow time of year. I don't think I'll sign up for much coming up. I'm already signed up for an outreach this month and one in March. With the class I'm attending in a couple of weeks on the Dinosaurs that we'll have again this summer and those two outreaches I'll be close to 70 hours by the end of March.
I handled a box turtle and a Tegu. The picture at left is one I got off the computer and is not anyone at the Zoo, but I wanted a picture with people in it so that you can see the size of this creature. The one I handled today was a little smaller, but the Tegu is one of the world's largest lizards. It is from South America and 'tegu' is an Argentine word for 'lizard'. He was a hand full at times, but stayed fairly still when I took him around for the kids to touch.
I wanted to show this picture because I think one of the most fascinating things about this lizard is the tongue. He has a very large, long forked pink tongue that he is constantly sticking out to 'smell around'. And, this close-up gives you a good look at how colorful he is and how his scaled skin looks like it's beaded. I haven't researched this, but I would imagine because of his pretty skin he was used for many purses, shoes, and belts.
I can't believe I've already gotten close to 60 hours volunteer time in since I became an official Docent the first of December. And this is the slow time of year. I don't think I'll sign up for much coming up. I'm already signed up for an outreach this month and one in March. With the class I'm attending in a couple of weeks on the Dinosaurs that we'll have again this summer and those two outreaches I'll be close to 70 hours by the end of March.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Line Dancing Lessons
Mary Lynn and I noticed in the Highland Community Ministries Newsletter last week that they offer Line Dancing each Monday at St Paul United Methodist Church. That's located at the corner of Douglas and Bardstown Road. We thought we'd give it a try. So, today was our first day.
Mary Lynn had some Line Dancing a couple of years ago, but I've never done any of it, so it was new to me. The Lane Dancing was from noon to 2 pm. When Mary Lynn and I walked out of that place today at the end of the session you'd of thought we just ran a marathon! 2 hours of line dancing is hard work! It was a lot of fun, and we plan to go back next week. It's set up so that if you're a beginner, you can learn some of the dances, but if you've been doing this awhile, a lot of time isn't spent on teaching. You get to do a lot of dancing. About half the songs the instructor will go over the steps before it starts, but other songs she just plays and the people dance. You can watch and try to catch on to those, or just sit and watch. Every week we go we'll pick up more and more of the moves and, after awhile, be able to keep up. I thought we did pretty good for the first week. It seems like each dance has 4 separate sets of moves that you repeat over and over. I get the first couple of sets, but get confused on the last part. I'm sure it'll get easier. It's amazing how tired I was after 2 hours!
Mary Lynn had some Line Dancing a couple of years ago, but I've never done any of it, so it was new to me. The Lane Dancing was from noon to 2 pm. When Mary Lynn and I walked out of that place today at the end of the session you'd of thought we just ran a marathon! 2 hours of line dancing is hard work! It was a lot of fun, and we plan to go back next week. It's set up so that if you're a beginner, you can learn some of the dances, but if you've been doing this awhile, a lot of time isn't spent on teaching. You get to do a lot of dancing. About half the songs the instructor will go over the steps before it starts, but other songs she just plays and the people dance. You can watch and try to catch on to those, or just sit and watch. Every week we go we'll pick up more and more of the moves and, after awhile, be able to keep up. I thought we did pretty good for the first week. It seems like each dance has 4 separate sets of moves that you repeat over and over. I get the first couple of sets, but get confused on the last part. I'm sure it'll get easier. It's amazing how tired I was after 2 hours!
Friday, February 3, 2012
Golf on a warm but muddy Thursday
It was a good day to play golf. Warm weather, light breeze, sunshine. The course was pretty muddy, but that's to be expected this time of year if it isn't frozen. The only thing that wasn't nice was the way I played.
I usually put some type of golf picture with my post, but I found this 2nd grade school picture of me and couldn't think of any other reason to post it, so I'll put it with my golf entry. I was the same age Erin is now.
I can't count this round because I didn't play my own ball the whole round. We played a 'Shamble' on the back nine. I didn't know we were going to do that and I was a little disappointed. I played terrible on the front nine and my only consolation was that at least it would raise my handicap. Then I found out we were playing the back nine a Shamble, so they don't count the round towards our handicap. I shot a 45 - 40 - 85. Our foursome came in last in the team competition. I played bad and was the lowest score in our group! I think I've said this before, but I just never seem to play well in muddy conditions. Just not a mudder!
I usually put some type of golf picture with my post, but I found this 2nd grade school picture of me and couldn't think of any other reason to post it, so I'll put it with my golf entry. I was the same age Erin is now.
I can't count this round because I didn't play my own ball the whole round. We played a 'Shamble' on the back nine. I didn't know we were going to do that and I was a little disappointed. I played terrible on the front nine and my only consolation was that at least it would raise my handicap. Then I found out we were playing the back nine a Shamble, so they don't count the round towards our handicap. I shot a 45 - 40 - 85. Our foursome came in last in the team competition. I played bad and was the lowest score in our group! I think I've said this before, but I just never seem to play well in muddy conditions. Just not a mudder!
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