• For the past few years I have been planning my move to the mountains. I have been saying that in 3 years, in 2 years and now next year I will be selling my house and building a new one in the mountains. Next year will come sooner than I think so I have put together a list of things that need to be done before I try to sell my house. The kitchen counter will need to be replaced because one time when my #1 son was at home ill he moved my grow lamp out of his way. When he did this he put it bulb side down and burned a perfect round hole in the counter. I could not get mad the kid was very sick I was just glad the house did not catch fire. I have to replace one of the inside doors. One day when I was not at home my #2 son started bugging my #3 son and a fight ensued, they have my fiery Irish blood, #2 son ran into my room and #3 son hit it with his fist the fight ended right there and then but the hole remains. There are other little reminders of the kids like the piece of door trim that marks the kid’s height as they grew, that will be removed and come with me. I long ago got rid of the “bath tub” ring that seemed to form along the stair walls and doors but the walls will still need to be painted and just about every light switch plate will need to be replaced. The switches themselves will need to be cleaned with a tooth brush. There are a lot of little things that need to be done, a piece of trim replaced here updating a light fixture there. Any little thing I can get out of the way now will help reduce the stress when the big things get done next year.

• I have one attribute that I am happy with. I like learning new things and I’m willing to try anything as long as it does not cause harm to others or their property. I’m not always successful but what the hell I’m game I’ll give it a go. Well I am learning how to back a trailer and it aint easy. I know that the folks in the office down at the club house must be shaking their heads as I pull my trailer forward and then back it up again trying to remember that I must turn the wheel right to turn the trailer left. I am trying to figure out if it is it easier to look at the side view mirrors or should I use the rear view mirror.?Do I put my hands at the top of the steering wheel or should I try placing them at the bottom? I have done research on how to back a trailer. I have had people explain the mechanics and I understand what has to be done but it is not a natural action for me. It took me a while to learn how to use a rudder on a sail boat even though I knew what had to be done it was hard to do it. I will get this trailer backing down; today I was able to back it in, two days ago I had to disconnect it and push the trailer in by hand. I have 25 bags of leaves to take to the maintenance yard tomorrow and I will be backing this trailer in one way or the other.

Yesterday was a good day on the Outer Banks. I spent the first half sleeping (I worked the night before) and had planned on spending the second half getting all the indoor stuff done thus freeing up today. When I got up yesterday afternoon it was just too good a day to stay inside. My #1 son came over and took the girl dog for a run so I decided to take the boy dog for a walk on the beach. It was a bit busier on the beach than I thought it would be so the boy had to stay on the leash but he still had a good time. I will say it’s hard to snap pictures while holding a leash.

I saw this this morning an thought it was great I could see my mother doing this; Wii game console bowling over U.S. retirees - Yahoo! News

It’s been a week since I took possession of my Jeep and what have I done with it except to go back and forth to work and run errands? Nothing. Last week I asked my #1 son to go with me to the beach, he said it was too cold for him and suggested I wait until “it was worth it”. I have tried hard to raise my kids to be reasonable, to think before they acted but damn it I wanted to take my jeep on the beach! I did not care that it was cloudy and windy last weekend but the #1 son just kept pointing out why it was not a good time to go. I guess what convinced me was when he reminded me that if I took the Jeep on the beach I would have to clean it. Humph….. I hate it when the kids are right.

If all goes well this weekend the boys and I will be off to the beach in south Nags Head this coming Sunday. Remember you need a permit to drive on Nags Head Beaches.

It’s a great day here on the Outer Banks. I have had some of the windows and doors open. I have taken all the plants outside and placed them in a sheltered warm place, soon I will be able to put them in their more permanent summer places. I love this time of year.

In 1915 my grandparents boarded a ship and came to the US with their 4 children, leaving Ireland behind. I am an American but I salute my Irish roots.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day

· Well it’s hard to believe how fast time is passing. I have been told that as one grows older time passes faster. I have asked my sons about this. My youngest son just says “go to school every day, time will slow down” my oldest says “get a Monday to Friday job, the week will take forever and the weekend will fly by”. Most kids I talk to that are dependant on others to get where they want to go say some times time is so slow that an hour can seem like a day. When I talk to older folks I have found that for them it really depends on how mobile they are. Those that are dependent on others say the day goes by very slowly. They look forward to meals on wheels and the occasional visit from any one, the Avon lady, the home health nurse a family member even a visit to the doctor becomes something to look forward to. Older folks who are blessed with good health a close family and/or wheels will say that time seems to fly. So it seems that if a person is able to come and go as they please, has relatively good health and some type of activity they like time should seem to pass quickly.

· I have had my jeep since Wednesday afternoon and I will say I like it. There was no doubt that I would. The jeep is one of those things that will be fun and useful especially when I get to the mountains. I had a tow hitch put on so it will be able to work and it’s a Wrangler so it will be fun. Riding on the beach or the back woods and fields in the mountains will be fun. Of course I was raised Catholic so there is a big cloud of guilt over my Jeep (I love the sound of that “my Jeep”) it only gets 15 to 20 miles to the gallon and I have not had a vehicle that was not fuel efficient since I had the Delta 88 in 1978. I’ll have to come up with some way to “make up for it”. Switch to energy efficient light bulbs, recycle, and use less non-recycled products. Just be more conservative in other ways. Yea that’s it I’ll do penitence.

I have also learned a few things that should have been obvious: when riding in a Jeep with the windows down and if you have long hair don’t forget your hair tie or your comb. The wind blown look is not pretty. There is no trunk so you can’t put as much stuff in the back. That’s it I can live with those disadvantages.

I have not been able to get out on the beach yet. I had hoped to go out today but the weather may not cooperate. I would like my oldest to go with me. I have not driven on the beach in awhile and I think it would be wise to go with an “expert” the first time.

· I was skimming through the news on Yahoo, it’s the same-ol same-ol but I did find this one interesting article: Droid R2-D2 to collect mail - Yahoo! News

Well I did it. For years I’ve wanted to. It’s been my mid-life crises dream but I could never “justify” it, but last Friday I did it. I bought a Jeep. My #2 son crashed into my Focus last month then the brakes had to be replaced and I have this feeling that it won’t be long before the clutch needs replacing and besides I was going to buy a Jeep next year anyway, and it will be soooo much more fun going to the mountains in a jeep and I do live at the beach and if you live a the beach you should reeeeally have a 4 wheel drive vehicle…………….

Photos when I take possession of the thing, it’s at the dealership waiting on its tow package.

I cant believe I did this........

It’s hard to believe how coooooool it is outside. As you see from these photos it is a bright day but the wind is kickin out of the northeast at a good clip. The surf report says that the surf Nazis to wear at least 5mm gloves and booties, after all the water temperature is in the 40s and so is the air. Personally I would not even think of entering that water but then I’m not young any more and I don’t surf. My #2 son and a few of his friends are on their way to Florida surf boards in tow. The boys of summer are looking forward to the “waves and babes”. I hope they have a good time but I pray they stay out of trouble.

Spring has sprung among the chickweed in my pots

The calm after the storm.

This morning started out with torrential rain and wind. The girl dog would not go out until I got the umbrella and went with her. The weather has changed much since this morning we are looking at 70 degree temps and clearing skies. Nice day to be outside!! See Ya!

Yesterday was a good day. I spent more than 5 hours in the yard raking and burning leaves and cutting and trimming tree branches. It was hard work but there is something to be said for hard physical labor. There is a feeling of quiet and peace that comes over me after a day of hard physical labor. Food tastes better and sleep comes easier.

I have neglected my back yard the last few years and it shows. There are a lot of little things I have not done inside my house either. Calking and painting, a loose piece of trim here an old “needs to be replaced” fixture there, little things that get put off. This year I will be doing a lot of “up keep” both inside and out in preparation for next year when I put my house on the market. This has been a good house for me. When my X and I separated I found this house. It was not perfect but it was new and in my price range, later I found out it was built by someone I knew personally. I was guided by whoever or whatever it is that guides fools and idiots to this house. A well built energy efficient home within walking distance to my old home, allowing the kids to easily go back and forth, but in such a location that my X and I rarely cross paths. I have been fortunate when I need something fate often steps in and offers me a choice and for the most part I choose well. I have everything I need and lot that I don’t.

Yesterday I also watched 2 good movies, “Gone With the Wind” and “Casablanca”. TCM had its annual “31 days of Oscar” and yesterday they had these two back to back. I don’t think I have ever seen the beginning of “Gone With the Wind” I always come in during the part when Ashley (said with a thick southern draw) tells Scarlet that he will be marring Olivia and Ret Butler pops up from behind the sofa. It’s a great movie. I pointed out to my son that the little girl that played Ret and Scarlet’s daughter is in her 70’s now. “Casablanca” is a good movie I don’t call it great I think Humphrey Bogart has done better but I like it. Humphrey Bogart was a good actor he played the sullen, conflicted man very well. As a kid whenever one of his movies came on TV I did my best to watch it. He was not a “good Looking” man but he could act.

Well I’m off to the vet for mom’s cat’s recheck. Of course before I can get to the cat to the vet I will have to get the cat. She runs and hides as soon as I step in my mother’s house, she still seems to have some animosity towards me. I guess it has something to do with 2 weeks of stuffing a pill and a dropper full of medicine down her throat and ear drops in her ears. Go figure…..

It’s a cool day here on the outer banks. The temperature is around 40 degrees with a light north wind. From my vantage point here at the computer it looks like a there will be a fight between sun and cloud but no rain is called for today. If you look at the calendar spring is a little over a month away but I feel as thought I have spring fever already. Its hard to get on task today, I have to study for ACLS, but Radio Paradise is playing some very mellow music that tied with my hot coffee and relaxing view does not lead me in the study direction, so as I watch the sun light up the houses around me I’ll think about studying , maybe.

Well it’s been an uneventful couple of weeks for me here on the Outer Banks. Weather has been cool to cold but the winds have been light and for me it’s the winds that make the cold hard to take. Sunrises and sunsets have been very pretty check out this site OBX Connection - Weblog he take's a daily trip to the beach and almost always has a sunrise shot, what I miss is the pounding of the waves on the shore there just has not been much of that this year

Things at home have been same old, same old. The boys have been doing fine; me I’ve been working quite a bit but that has started to slack off, thank god! I have also been, I’m sorry to say, wasting a lot of time on a Zelda game. I’m not as good at the puzzles as I use to be but damn it I will finish the game and I’m not going to use the cheats (much). In between work, the Zelda game and moms cat (from Colington to Manteo every day to give a cat a pill oh joy joy) I have been working on learning how to use 3D design software. I going to be building a small home up in the mountains with in the next 18 months and I have my floor plan the way I want it but I would like to have a 3D walkthrough just to have an ideal of how it will “look” & “feel”, so I found a free 3D program Artifice DesignWorkshop Lite and I’m trying it out. Now I bet there are some more user friendly programs out there but this is free and what else do I have to do, its winter. This will open my minds learning center’s a little. So far it’s not been all that hard but it has taken me a BIT longer to get through the tutorials. The brain has not had to work on this kind of stuff in quite a while but it is nice to use the computer for something creative, something other than surfing the net and as a photo and music storage device. Well its off to the 3D tutorial!

Well a lot can change in a day. Gas went up 15 cents a gallon, the temperature went up almost 20 degrees and I was FORCED to change over to the NEW blogger. Oh well . I think I will go back to working on my taxes. I took a break from them to relax on the computer and found I had to open another NEW account just to access my blog. Now I know I should not complain after all I don't pay anything to use this service but damn it I was perfectly happy with the way things were!!

One week ago we had a dusting of snow and the coldest temperatures of the season

You can’t tell from these photos but today is even colder and unlike last week there is no warm weather reprieve coming tomorrow.

Brrrrrrr rabbit!

Speaking of rabbits (guinea pigs & mice) what was my favorite super bowel moment last night? http://www.ifilm.com/video/2819648

• It’s been awhile since I have written but my goodness it has been a busy January and with the weather we have had no need to stay inside. We finally have a touch of winter on the Outer Banks. It’s a little bit cool but the wind is staying low and the sunshine is out so it doesn’t feel bad. I have had spring fever as of late. I went out and bought herb seed I’ll plant then in a few weeks, ah fresh basil.
  

• My boys and I aren’t big sports fans. I follow the Worlds Series and keep the TV on for the Super Bowl but I could not tell you the names of any of the players or any of the game stats still from time to time like to watch a game. I like to see form and order made from what appears to be chaos. The speed and accuracy that ball players can throw a baseball or a football is amazing. Even though I don’t follow any sport I feel that sports can teach young people a lot about life and I always encouraged my sons to participate. I loved watching my older boys play baseball and soccer but these are team sports and unlike my older boys my youngest had no interest what so ever in any team sport and believe me I tried all that were available in the area. My last option for him was the martial arts. Dare County offered TaeKwonDo at the rec-center so I asked him to try it out that was 3 years ago; this week he went to his first competition. He had been unwilling to attend a competition in the past, there are two a year, but I think he will be one of the first to sign up the next time. He had a blast and I must say I was impressed. There was a lot of power at that competition I saw a 12 year old female black belt that I would not want mad at me. The kids ages 3 to 17 were in total control of themselves while having a blast. There were adults competing and they were impressive but it is something to see a kid do the things these kids can do.

I can’t believe it’s the 14^th of January already. Here on the outer banks we like most of the eastern United States are in the mist of a very mild winter. Working in the yard the other day I noticed that some of my bulbs had started to grow. I commented to one of the guys at work that the ocean was very flat this year and he told me el-ninio was to blame “elninio brings warm weather but it also makes for no waves and no snow so that means no surfing and no snow boarding at least within driving range from here.”

Time has flown this past two weeks. January 3^rd saw the addition of a bouncing baby boy to the family. My niece and her husband had a son so I spent a little time with them. This good weather has brought out the “gotta do yard work” side of me so I’ve been out side a bit. Work has been steady all this good weather has brought a lot of folks to the Outer Banks. But I have definitely wasted a bit of time this past 2 weeks you see my #3 son bought a new Zelda game and I’m addicted to it.

I don’t usually play video games because if I get into one I find it hard to put it down until I finish the game. I have always had an affection for the Zelda games, and the Sonic games and the Mario games and the Jak and Daxter games…… oh well I like cartoons, speed and puzzles so shoot me, anyway these games are my weakness but if it were a normal winter sitting under a lap blanket with a controller (wireless yea!) would not be all that bad after all who wants to go outside in 40 degree temps with cloudy sky’s and 30 mph NE winds. Under those circumstances there is no guilt to playing the games but when the winds are calm, sky is clear and temperatures are nearing 70 sitting in a chair playing games for hours on end is not good. Oh well, today I am going to get the basement cleaned, rake the side yard and do a few loads of laundry then I know it will be back to Zelda but hay its winter right!

Sunrise New Years Day 2006
Kill Devil Hills NC

Happy New Year
YouTube - sunrise 01-01-07 Kill Devil Hills NC

In with new out with the old, Happy New Year

The first of the year is a time when tradition says one should reflect on the year past and prepare for the year ahead. The nice thing about a blogg or any type of journal is that they provide a glimpse of how the writer felt and maybe what was important to the writer right then and there at that time not later after other opinions and views are introduced that may sway the writer in a different direction. I keep two “journals” one is my blogg the other is my day calendar. The blogg is less personal than the calendar and I keep it as positive as possible. The very nature of a blogg is to be open to all. Any who want to read it can, so to me the most personal of things are not voiced there. The calendar on the other hand list’s when I worked, doctor appointments, accidents, deaths, visits and vacations. It is where I staple movie stubs and right little cryptic notes to myself. I can review what gifts I gave to whom and what was given to me (I would not want to re-gift to the wrong person;-)) I like looking back in my calendars, I have a box full of them, I find old letters and photos in them. They are my diaries. My blogg is a diary of sorts I also I review it from time to time, looking back on what I have written noticing the spelling and grammar mistakes cringing sometimes at what I said but I don’t change anything. I like the photos I share on the blogg. I like trying to express to others what it is like to live where I am and how I feel. The difference is that you can’t touch the blogg. You can’t look at the hand writing and tell what emotion was being felt at the time it was written. Bloggs are great things but the hand written word is much more expressive.

After reviewing the above calendar and blogg I can see that this past year, except for a one very major tragedy, has been the same as most. I have had a quiet year, kinda, my main focus being getting my youngest son through the next year and a half of school and preparing for my relocation to the mountains. My family is the most important thing to me and except for my youngest sister things are good. My boys are healthy, my mom well she’s my mom; as aggravating as ever. My brother and his wife who live outside New Orleans are back in their home. My niece and her family were relocated to Norfolk so I have had the absolute privilege of getting to really know her and her family, not just know about them. This move has also allowed my niece’s mother, my older sister, and I to have something more in common to talk about and may bring us closer together.

I have to say that I have been lucky this past year. I have a job, a home and good health. I have not agreed with the way the world is going and I am not happy with the political environment. The wars invoked in the name of “good”, “god” and “democracy” angers me. Global warming worries me. I do not watch the news because it is so negative. To me this is a dark time BUT I see hope for the future. We are a resilient species. We will progress beyond this weather we want to or not. Either human will and the use of technology or natures wrath will cause the species to switch directions and become more planet friendly. I believe in humanity. I believe we are all family and there is nothing more important to me than family. I believe the future hold much for us all.

For me personally I am hoping for another “normal” uneventful year. I hope my work stays steady. I hope my garden does better this year. I hope I can get up to the mountains a few times and maybe make it to the family reunion (it’s an Irish theme this year). I hope my boys stay well and that my #2 son is able to move out (again). A normal mundane life is fine with me.

Happy New Year

As I sit here with stopped up ears and a stuffy nose, going through my third box of Puffs, unable to do more than 15 minutes of work at a time and totally bored out of my skin, I have been reading the news and surfing the internet. Today I found this interesting article about people realizing how wide open personal information on the net can be. Some rethink posting of private info - Yahoo! News I will be emailing it to my kids

Well I’m off to disinfect everything I have touched. My #3 son is back at my house today and I don’t want him to get what I have. This is ridiculous. I’m in the medical field and my immune system is supposed to be top notch. I hate colds!!! (Just a little venting)

It’s the day after Christmas and I’m feeling the effects of the kid that cough and sneezed all over me last week. I have spent the dayjust watching TV and thinking that when I feel better I’m going to diet and exercise BUT! I think I have changed my mind. While I was watching Paula Poundstone it occurred to me that today, the day after Christmas and 6 days from the new year, that just about EVERY commercial is a about weight loss. Normally commercials are not the big of a deal to me I don’t watch that much TV but I’m not feeling well today; My head is way too stuffy to read and I just don’t feel like getting into a movie so I’m channel surfing and these commercials are sooo bothersome to me that I think I’m not going to diet. Right now I think I will keep these ten pounds I have gained and buy bigger pants. There have been no paints commercials at all today. Now I may change my mind about the ten pounds tomorrow but today, at this very moment in time, diets be dammed I’m buying new paints.

I was watching one of my favorite Christmas shows NL "Christmas Vacation". I just love the animated intro so I went looking for it on the net. No luck finding it but I did find these sites that I thought were cute

YouTube - Christmas Vacation

YouTube - x-mas lights

YouTube - Next Door Xmas Vacation 2004