Which way to go?

During the Thanksgiving holidays, I had an opportunity to talk with our two grandkids who are in college—the oldest in her fourth year, the youngest in his first. I asked the oldest if she felt what she was majoring in (chemistry and biology) had become more to her than just "subjects and grades". She said it had, and she was excited about what she was learning. She added she often sits around her apartment talking informally with her friends about things as as "genetics". Such never would have happened during her prior years in college, except just before an exam. I thus concluded she has found her direction in life academically, even if it did take her three years to do so.

The youngest was not so confident, and he has apparently realized that being in college is not at all like it was in high school. An "A" in a high school subject, for example, does not necessarily translate to a good grade in college. His first college barrage of final exams awaits him over the next three weeks, and I suspect that fact is weighing heavily on him. The reason for that I think is that "A's" came too easily for him through high school, and he never had to study very hard. The situation is completely different for him now, and that fact has slapped him up side his head—unfortunately just a few weeks before his finals.

Age and maturity have a lot to do with a person's ability to manage challenges such as those faced daily by young people in college. It's how they react to those challenges that guides them later in life. It may take a few of ups and downs before they finally figure out "which way to go", but eventually they will.

Who washed the dishes?

Carrying over from my last entry where I asked the question, "Who will wash the dishes?" after T-Day dinner.

Well, the chores were split. Me and my grandson (19) cleared the table, and our daughter and my wife (the cook) did the dishes. Granddaughters (21 and 17) shouted their support from the background during all these activities. But, task was completed in fine form and we had a great day together. In fact, we ALL sat at the table until almost 10PM just talking. That was the first time we've ever done that with our grandkids. Them getting older and being in college helps a lot in that regard. Lots of interesting topics to share.

Be back here on Monday. Enjoy the FB games this weekend

Who will wash the dishes?

Tomorrow, being that special day where many of us will sit down somewhere, hopefully with friends and family to give thanks for what we have, and then to stuff as much food into ourselves as we can, followed by leaning back in our chairs, and enjoying our surroundings. But wait, there's one more thing. Getting all the cluttered mess off the table, and into the kitchen where the dreaded task of "washing the dishes" begins.

And just who, pray tell, will lead the charge into the kitchen to take on this responsibility? Will it be the cook who did all the hard work to make the meal so enjoyable? Will it be some dutiful family member who feels it's time to show they too can contribute? Will it be a friend who wishes to show their gratitude for being invited to share the family fellowship? Or, will everyone simply sit there at the table, staring down, fumbling with their napkins, moving uneaten bits of food into strange designs on an otherwise empty plate, waiting for someone else to get up first.

Ah yes, this will be the sort of intrigue that novelists everywhere dream to capture in writing, and to answer that age old question bantered about on every Thanksgiving Day: "Who will wash the dishes?"

Congratulations are in order

To Hendricks Motor Sports drivers Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon for taking the top three spots in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. More so, a big "well done" to Jimmie Johnson and his team for winning the cup FOUR years in a row, an achievement never done before. 2009 was indeed a historical year for NASCAR. I enjoyed it very much, and will continue to be proud when wearing the hat you see here, one I've been wearing for almost a year.

When it's nice to be "retired military"

While at our family doctor today for my annual "preventative maintenance" session, I asked one of the nurses hooking up my EKG how she felt personally about the on-going health care debate in Congress and elsewhere. Her quick and emotional response was simply, "It needs to get fixed and fast!"

She told me the health care program she was under (Anthem) was costing her family over $1000 a month, and that "stinks" (her words). She knew I was retired military, and said, "We just want something like you have." She was referring to Medicare + Tricare for Life. She added, "People keep complaining about the government getting too involved in health care, what do they think Medicare is if not "government" already?"

I asked her about the other nurses in the office and she said they all pretty much agreed with her assessment. She said she felt my Doctor felt the same way, but admitted his partner did not. By the way, my Doctor NEVER discusses his personal opinions about anything, so I did not ask his views on the matter. When I came home afterwards I started thinking.

First, I suppose those of us "retired military" ought to be grateful for the military health care we've received in the past, and also happy with post-65 Medicare + Tricare for Life. These are benefits we earned and were entitled to by our service.

Second, the folks working in my doctor's office (and my family doctor himself) are "down home" people I have grown to know pretty well over the past seven years. They do their jobs well and professionally. As such, I respect their views very much. When they say "We ain't happy with the present health care system", then I have to take their views seriously.

Weekend Chores

This weekend I completed taking care of a chore I do not like—removing fallen leaves. I don't rake, I use my John Deere lawn tractor to "mow them in" the lawn. Some say leaves so mulched create problems, but not for me. Saves physical effort and that's my objective. Anyway, my JD has been serviced and placed in temporary storage for the Winter. Any leaves that enter my territory will have to be removed by prevailing winds or not at all.

After I completed my work, I grabbed my camera and wandered about the yard. Spotted this little patch of "color" and shot a close-up view. Nice way to finish work for the day.

You talking to me?

Recently I saw this rather blunt sign on the door of a now-closed bar in Martinsville. I wondered to myself, exactly what is 'neat' dress. Perhaps the owners wanted people about to enter to ask the same question, and then make a self assessment. Anyway, you don't see these kinds of signs around much anymore. "Neat" no longer means the same as it once did.

The Big Chair

Martinsville and Henry County, Virginia was once a major hub for the American furniture industry, including Bassett, Stanley, American,and Hooker. Elements of these furniture manufacturing giants remain today, but no where near what they once were. To quote a September, 2009 article in the Martinsville Bulletin:

"To commemorate this history, the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. moved a 20-foot tall big chair made by Bassett Furniture Industries into uptown Martinsville to honor the area’s furniture heritage. The chair is made of solid ash with a boat-like finish. Each of the back two legs has 56 pieces of wood, and the seat is made of fiberglass with a decal replicating the actual fabric on the Grove Park Mission chair. Grove Park was Bassett’s best-selling style at the time. It weighs 4900 pounds."

I took the photo above during a recent visit to Uptown Martinsville. It is indeed BIG when you stand next to it looking up. The detail in the chair is also impressive. Definitely worth a visit.

Mementoes from the past

Years ago my wife bought an old "printers tray" that once held individual pieces of lead type, used when they were "set" as separate characters in a layout before being printed (say) as a newspaper. She got the tray because at the time many people were using them to hold small mementoes that might be displayed on a wall. The above photo is the largest we have, and it's hanging in our kitchen. It holds many things from our past, that remind us daily of lots of our favorite things.

Our high school class rings are there, as are Girl Scout rings worn by our daughters. The Vietnam War MIA bracelet given to me by a POW that was held captive for six years is there. The cork from a $100 bottle of champagne my wife bought to celebrate my promotion to Colonel is there, as are many items we collected while assigned to West Germany.

The ones usually getting the most attention from visitors are the Nazi-cookie cutter she found in West Germany, and the USSR Army officer's belt buckle she got on a trip she took with several of her "lady friends" to the Soviet Union. There are teeth from a wolf and a moose I found half buried in Canada. And, some of my favorites, decorative lapel pins that designate the wearer as a graduate of an AFRC week-long ski school in West Germany. We still add things to the box when we find something appropriate, and you can see that by the line of stuff on top. The small plastic M16 rifle I found laying on the ground at a tourist site in North Carolina.

We never get tired of looking at the box, and I suppose that's the main reason why we started it in the first place. Our oldest (21) granddaughter has already announced she gets it when we're gone. So, our past will live on through her, and that's good.

Standards

Over the past several years, as more and more demands were being placed on the Army, I have grown increasingly concerned about maintaining "standards".

To put my view in perspective, note that for the last four years of my military service I was engaged totally in training engineer Soldiers during their initial entry training period at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Thus, "standards" were at the heart of what I was then doing (1988-1992). Since then, I've been no stranger to training developments in the Army, and in fact have written numerous first-hand, on site articles about what's going on.

So, today when I read the following comment online, my "concern meter" was raised again. “The Army is caught in a perfect storm,” says Larry Korb, the Pentagon's top manpower official during the Reagan administration. “It's had to lower standards to keep people coming in — and it's made changes to keep people from getting out.”

I agree with this assessment. HOWEVER, let me be clear that I am not implying the Army's initial entry and other training programs are not being executed at the highest level. They are, in my view. The problem is, the Army has had to adapt the best it could, given manpower force constraints, placed on top of constant and unrelenting demands to effectively fight two very difficult wars.

I suppose I am still very much a creature of my Vietnam War service, and thus do not want to see the Army again experience what it did in the late 1970's. On the other hand, I am also reminded that during the last half of my career, we transformed from our sad post-Vietnam days, to an Army that was perhaps the best trained and equipped ever. Looking at challenges today such as those cited by Korb, does not necessarily mean there are dark days are ahead.

Where have all the Superheroes gone?

Too much bad news lately, so I decided to start listening (again) to my old college radio station at Michigan Tech (WMTU) way up north in the UP of Michigan. I like the music they play (mostly) and I especially like the youth-oriented and sometimes totally lame humor the DJ’s broadcast from time to time.

For example, last night as I was listening, a few students in the studio with the DJ were discussing some interesting topics. Like would the comic book superhero Aquaman eat fish? If so, how far would he go when consuming his fishy buddies? Would he eat pizza, for example, with whale meat on it? Endless possibilities for Aquaman.

That got me thinking of some other comic-superhero oriented questions based on today’s environment. Such as: Could Superman find Bin Laden, lurking in some dark cave in Pakistan, simply by using his x-ray vision? Could the Lone Ranger get past TSA airport inspectors when going through security, while wearing his black mask? Would the Incredible Hulk become a contestant on Dancing With The Stars? Given that Batman and millionaire Bruce Wayne are one in the same, could he resist getting involved in all the wall street investment schemes today? And lastly, would Wonder Woman run for President and pick Hillary as her VP candidate?

Ah yes, wasn’t it great back when we were kids, and could grab a glass of milk and a handful of Oreo cookies, and then hide under the covers of our beds late at night, reading about the lives and challenges of our favorite comic book heroes. Fast forward to today when our kids waste hours texting their friends late at night, and in fact for many, ALL night. I suppose our parents felt the same way about our comic book habits back then, as we do about cell phone texting today.

Rambling Thursday

Here are a few thoughts on this dreary day in SW Virginia:

Been raining here for the past two days solid. Almost five inches. Our so-called mild drought is definitely over for 2009 and that's a good thing.

Veterans Day has come and gone and in my mind this year's was one of the most emotional in my memory. Fort Hood shooting had a lot to do with that, but so does the fact we have so many military men and women deployed away from home, and so many recently returned, training and re-fitting to possibly go back. Tough times for sure, but the resiliency of our military is superb.

I tend to stay away from politics on this Blog, but I want to say that in my view it's a good thing the President is taking time before making a decision regarding the way ahead in Afghanistan. We've been there almost ten years now, and any future plans HAVE to be right. Lots of arguments on both sides of the issue, but I ain't takin' sides here.

Remembering ...

Essayons to Army Engineers who are now serving and to all who have served. Veteran's Day 2009.

Hot Dog Stand

According to the sign on this hot dog stand in Reidsville, NC, it serves the best hot dogs in Rockingham County. I couldn't confirm that advertisement because the day I passed by (Sunday) it was closed. The painted colors on the building were really bright, so I wanted to mess with my photo in Photoshop to make it look, well, sort of cartoon-ish.

Is this the best you got for a Blog today, you ask? Yup, that's it.

Fall Ritual

I like this time of year (generally) and look forward to cool temps gradually taking us to Winter. But, there is one thing about the Fall season I do not like—LEAVES, LEAVES, LEAVES.

I no longer rake them, I simply mow them into the grass using my trusty JD Green lawn tractor. My experience is that this makes a nice mulch over the winter to fertilize naturally. One thing I do not do is burn them. Unfortunately for my nose, my neighbors do—profusely, day after day. They do it when it's dry and when it wet. The latter causing so much smoke the neighborhood resembles a WWII battlefield.

But, soon this will be over and then I'll only have to deal with cold and often freezing rain, and maybe snow, which looks great at first but ultimately causes work for me just like my enemy "the leaves".

Senseless

That's all I can say about the tragic event yesterday at Fort Hood.

Wall Mural

Today I took the afternoon away from working on the next Army Engineer magazine, in order to go shoot some pictures with a smaller, hand-size camera I just bought (Canon Powershot G11) which I plan to use to supplement my larger Nikon DSLR. Always nice to have more than one camera, or as many as one can afford.

Anyway, I went to Uptown Martinsville (that's what it's called here, not "downtown" as is the usual terminology elsewhere). I was surprised when I saw a new and very large hand painted brick wall mural that spanned almost one block. The theme was an old circus parade that used to come to town back in the early 20th Century. I got just one of several elephants in a long line.

Thought I'd post one image here. Camera did a great job for me by the way.

Lets call it what it is

Fat. And apparently that often ill-used word describes a large percentage of American youth today. For example, Army Times article included this: "According to the latest Pentagon figures, a full 35 percent, or more than one-third, of the roughly 31.2 million Americans aged 17 to 24 are unqualified for military service because of physical and medical issues. And, said Curt Gilroy, the Pentagon’s director of accessions, “the major component of this is obesity. We have an obesity crisis in the country. There’s no question about it.”

I can attest to this at least where we live, because as I look around town I see an awful lot of people, especially young people, who look, well, fat. Sorry to have to use that word, but it is what it is.

Same Combat Uniform for All?

Read an article today at Army Times online that briefly addressed past moves by Congress to have all services wear the same combat uniform, citing a need to reduce the possibility of friendly fire incidents. According to the article lawmakers have dropped that idea, suggesting services need to "coordinate" better when fielding combat uniforms. Messy prospect in my view.

I agree with Congress thinking in part, however, when the Air Force and Navy come up with combat uniforms that seem to me to be way off mark in relation to what Soldiers and Marines wear, that some sort of mandated standards might be a good idea.

Fall Colors

Not wanting to be one of those few who (assuming they have cameras that work) have not shown off some "fall color" photos. Here's my contribution and it sort of has an engineering relationship, noting the old Civil War era stone bridge pier at Harpers Ferry, WV.