I'm back on the blog.

I just thought I'd be posting back on this blog. I've been posting elsewhere but wanted to dust this one off again for craps and giggles. The other one's a bit too "political" I guess. Facebook didn't like me, twice. So, I thought I'd come back here and throw some pictures up that I took when I was sitting in my old office.

It's been awhile...

It's been awhile since I've posted to this blog other than copy/pastes.
I thought I'd just drop a line and toss around some thoughts I have regarding life in general.

I'm still out there plugging along in the "puzzle solving" industry but there's definitely a different tone in the immediate workplace. I'm not complaining, just saying...what good would it do to complain anyways. Besides, I look at complaints as a distraction when working. I'll post to the blog or chat about things "after the fact" if I feel compelled to do so but I'm not keen to criticizing and complaining while working.

So, with that in mind I still get out and about quite a bit these days. Not as much as used to but hey, I still have some interesting times out there.

(About the pic... East of Yakima, WA. A homestead that saw better days.)

I'm a bit concerned about the way things are going around here, in this county, in this state, in this country, this world as we see it. We have definitely seen better days and I'm not seeing any real end in sight when it comes to even getting close to seeing them again.

Maybe it's just me but I can't help myself. As I write this the U-6 unemployment rate is at a solid 15%... up from 14.9% last month. The U-6 doesn't take into account those persons who've simply given up looking for work, have fallen off of the unemployment rosters or otherwise can't afford to go out and look for a job.

We have a very sour, very hostile, volatile political climate out "there"... the ugliest I've seen in my lifetime and I don't see it getting any better before November. All I can say is I hope and pray the right choices are made by the majority of the "registered, legal" living, voting citizens of this mighty fine nation.

I didn't want to get political on the blog here but I did. See there, want in one hand and crap in the other... I know which one will fill up first.

RE: Life. We're still living the dream day by day out here in the grand Pacific Northwest. We moved into our new home a year ago (July). We lost our 15+yrs. old Chihuahua (Rookie) to blindness, congestive heart failure and arthritis in June of 2011. Our other buddy, Chief... the miniature Schnauzer somehow got the animal version of AIDS and went from healthy to dead in a scant four months in December, 2011.

After over four years of constant, incessant, increasingly difficult life altering, near intolerable pain I got my back operated on in December, 2011 (Thank you! Dr. Chong Lee!!!) I now feel like a whole new man. We're far more health conscious around here and though we have our "fall off" moments we're reasonably maintaining our weight, combining other activities that keep us active and trying to enjoy life like we used to.

I mean, we're only human.

Okay, I just thought I'd drop a line and let you know we're still out here... just being a bit pre-occupied with life so the posts are few (very few) and far between.

Hopefully I'll find more time in the future to post more upbeat stuff.

Stay safe and take care!

Dennis

A trip East...

(About the pic: The Belt Mountains and the Missouri River between Cascade, MT and Great Falls. East of I-15. April 26, 2009. DEH)

... to Montana.

To drop some personal effects of Dad's off to two of my brothers, to "clear the air" so to speak on some things, to find time to think, to think, to regroup.

...to try to get new, fresh, crisp views of what lies ahead in the future... good, bad and indifferent.

It was a trip that had to be made. If for no other reason then to simply make it!

I've regrouped over the past several weeks. I've stepped back and taken a look at things from different perspectives and have realized once again that life has so many variables to it.

So many challenges!

Life's not meant to be fair as we know it. Life's meant to be real, memorable, educational and if all goes well... rewarding.

Life's meant to challenge, to test, to affect...

Such is life.

(About the pic: Two Bighorn Sheep engaged in one of life's challenges at the base of the Little Belt Mountains, and the Missouri River between Cascade, MT and Great Falls. East of I-15. April 26, 2009. DEH)

I'm not sure what I got out of the simple four day, whirlwind trip east to Montana but I do know I had a lot of time to reflect, think and review where I've been, where I'm at and what's the possibilities ahead.

It's an odd and almost out of body, surreal feeling.

There's a lot of "things" going on in this world, this country, this state, this family that can be and are influenced by things, happenings beyond our control.

(About the pic: If those walls could talk. An abandoned homestead by Cascade, MT. East of I-15. April 26, 2009. DEH)

Sometimes life seems simpler without all of the amenities of today. Sometimes I find myself longing for memories of my past, those memories clouded by life as I know it now.

I long for the hot summer days in Thompson Place in the late 50's, Mud Lake, the Satellite Bubble Gum machine from "Pete and Gay's" diner...

I long for those things I left behind in my rush to get here! Those memories I buried, those friends I've lost, those experiences I've forgotten.

I guess I needed that little trip east.

If for nothing else but for a bit of "renewal"... realizing that in the end, some things will never change.

I rambled but it's my blog, my right. If you've read this far you must be really bored.

Take care and enjoy it while it's here. Each and every "it" you can.

Points to ponder...

Life's Rules... Think about them!

1. There are two sides to every divorce: Yours and S___head's.

2. The closest I ever got to a 4.0 in college was my blood alcohol
content.

3. I live in my own little world but it's OK, everyone knows me
here.

4. I saw a rather large woman wearing a sweatshirt with 'Guess' on
it. I said, 'thyroid problem?'

5. I don't do drugs 'cause I find I get the same effect just by
standing up really fast.

6. A sign in a Chinese Pet Store: 'Buy one dog, get one flea.'

7. Money can't buy happiness but it sure makes misery easier to live
with.

8. I got a sweater for Christmas. I really wanted a screamer or a
moaner.

9. If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport a 'terminal?'

10. I don't approve of political jokes. I've seen too many of them
get elected.

11. The most precious thing we have is life, yet it has absolutely
no trade-in value.

12. If life deals you lemons, make lemonade. If life deals you
tomatoes, make Bloody Mary.

13. I love being married. It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of your life.

14. Shopping tip: You can get shoes for a buck at bowling alleys.

15. I am a nobody; nobody is perfect, and therefore I am perfect.

16. Everyday I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive
days I've stayed alive.

17. Claudia Schiffer must be a genius because I told a friend my
plan to attain world peace, and he told me I have 'Schiffer Brains.'

18. No one ever says, 'It's only a game!' when their team is winning.

19. Ever notice that people who spend money on beer, cigarettes, casinos and
lottery tickets, are always complaining about being broke and not
feeling well?

20. How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door
you're on.

21. Isn't having a smoking section in a restaurant like having a peeing section in a swimming pool?

22. Marriage changes passion... suddenly you're in bed with a
relative.

23. Why is it that most nudists are people you don't want to see naked?

24. Snowmen fall from Heaven unassembled.

25. Every time I walk into a singles bar I can hear Mom's wise
words: Don't pick that up, you don't know where it's been.

-Now, in spite of all of your challenges go out and enjoy your day... the rest of your life!

Life moves forward from here...

An interesting test...

Now, I'm not a Dungeon and Dragon player though I admit the game's always intrigued me a bit...

Anyways, someone sent me a link to a quiz on a Dungeon and Dragon website. I caved and took the quiz. In the end my answers were used to generate a Dungeon and Dragon character.

Here's the results:

I Am A: Lawful Good Dwarf Ranger (7th Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-16

Dexterity-15

Constitution-16

Intelligence-15

Wisdom-17

Charisma-16


Alignment:
Lawful Good A lawful good character acts as a good person is expected or required to act. He combines a commitment to oppose evil with the discipline to fight relentlessly. He tells the truth, keeps his word, helps those in need, and speaks out against injustice. A lawful good character hates to see the guilty go unpunished. Lawful good is the best alignment you can be because it combines honor and compassion. However, lawful good can be a dangerous alignment because it restricts freedom and criminalizes self-interest.


Race:
Dwarves are known for their skill in warfare, their ability to withstand physical and magical punishment, their hard work, and their capacity for drinking ale. Dwarves are slow to jest and suspicious of strangers, but they are generous to those who earn their trust. They stand just 4 to 4.5 feet tall, but are broad and compactly built, almost as wide as they are tall. Dwarven men value their beards highly.


Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)



Now I have no idea what any of this stuff means. It's gibberish to me. However, those of you who might be players of the game, well you might just want to give it a try yourself. If you get the urge, jump on over there and take the test. If you feel even bolder post the results on your blog.

Everyone, take care and have a safe and merry Christmas and New Year.

It's not the same around here but we're regrouping.

One foggy morning...

...in Olympia, Washington.

This little port is the southernmost port of Puget Sound. Although it gets some commercial traffic it's normally a pretty quiet, uneventful berthing spot for pleasure crafts, live aboards and some fishing vessels.

Any commercial traffic that's going to use Olympia's port facilities has to pass by Everett, Seattle and Tacoma on the way. Once the skippers of those southbound vessels see what those port facilities have to offer and compare them to what Olympia has they normally opt to do business with the others in the future... unless, of course the cargo is truly "Olympia" bound.

Either way, I thought I'd take a little drive the other day just to slow things down a bit. I've had a heckuva lot on my mind and I just wanted to relax the brain.

I bumped around Swan Town, Priest Point Park and eventually dropped down to the West Bay Drive area.

One of my brother's, the next one up in age from me, used to work at a lumber mill along that road back in the 70's and early 80's. The mill has since burned, leaving nothing but a few pilings and a couple of dilapidated docks as a silent memorial to the once bustling business.

He pulled a lot of paychecks out of that place while it was up and running though... good, hard earned money. Blue collar greenbacks, for sure.

It was a bit of an odd, almost eerie feeling I had standing there looking at the pilings, docks and water where the mill used to be.

I remember I would drop by and visit him at night when he was on his break. We'd talk about the day, about getting a beer or two when he "got off" work... simple chat.

Empty headed, no clutter, unassuming...

...mindless.

Two brothers in their late teens, early twenties at the beginning of their adult lives...

willing to take on all challengers... fearless and anxious.

Afraid of no one, nothing... simply anxious to move forward.

Knowing that if all else fails we'll always be brothers, always be family. From the eldest to the youngest, me... always brothers, always family!

Shouldn't that be the family way?

Growing up together. Brothers, sisters, mother, father.

Each supporting the other... sharing, living, helping, protecting, providing... understanding?

We didn't have any "sisters" in our family... all boys, all brothers. Five of us altogether... and Mom and Dad.

We stood back to back on many an occasion and will do it again, I'm sure.

My eldest brother seemed to be that "protector". That person who was there to watch over me when I never knew it... never realized it... during those impressionable years. He never hesitated to intervene on my behalf... NEVER.

And now we have our "own" families, our "own" children, our "own" grandchildren yet, we're still bound by that familial bond. That brotherhood of sorts we've come to realize over the years as we "grew up".

That bond of bonds.

We know we have to fight our own personal battles, live our own lives... slay our own demons!

We realize life is truly like a "box of chocolates" yet, no matter what the odds, what the issues at hand, whatever the situation may be we know we're not alone... if we don't want to be. After all, isn't that what family should be all about?

And life moves on.

Opening it up a bit...

Over the years I've come to enjoy blogging. I enjoy blogging very, very much.

Blogs are like bridges. They span gaps, breaks in life.

They provide vessels, passages, avenues for all kinds of people to communicate to others everyday information that would normally not be communicated. Making seemingly simple, mundane activities parts of everyone's lives. Opening portions of our own private little worlds to others.

An exposure...

...a cleansing of sorts.

I've opened the blog up a bit.

This morning I sent invitations to Dad, brother Bill, sister in law Denise, daughter Kerri, son Justin, daughter in law Andrea and the wife to make posts to the blog whenever they get the "urge".

It's a great way to get other perspectives on things rather than to get it straight from me every time.

It's become obvious to me that this communication... it should be a "shared" process. It should involve others and their refreshing, impressive, overall view of what is happening in their own world as they see it.

Not just mine.

I almost blew it though... I almost lost everything I've had to date because of this "Google" blog takeover thingy. Wow. Now that would have been a bit irritating, at least.

I've had this blog up and running for over two years and almost had everything slip away. Slide off to cyberspace somewhere never to be seen again.

Instead, I had the blog revert back to the "old format". Watch out for that Google conversion thing.

So Dad, Bill, Denise, Jacob, Justin, Andrea, Kerri, Jackie... come on over, cross that bridge and post your thoughts. Have some fun with the blog.

I'm challenging you to post your thoughts, have some fun...

...share what you can with those who like to read and want to know.

Take us with you wherever you go and most of all...

...Have fun!