Back on line

     Thanksgiving has come and gone.  I have been off line for four days.  I did not dare to go over to Best Buy on Black Friday.  On Tuesday my wireless card stopped working.  It is astounding how much internet access has become so integral to our lives.  Today I decided to take a chance and found the service desk idle.  The fellow that helped me had a physical appearance that was the antithesis of the prototypical geek.  Six-two, black, cornrows, and looked as if he had been a middle linebacker in a previous life.  He spent an hour with me decluttering my laptop, resolving by deletion some competing anti-virus programs, and uninstalling and re-installing drivers.  When he was done, I was back in business.  He declined an offer to pay AND declined a cash tip, saying, "A handshake will be just fine."So, I am back on line.  
     I mentioned that I was going to be grilling the Thanksgiving turkey.  Below is a picture.

     You can see the temperature probe that goes to a transmitter that sends the temperature to a remote receiver.  It was cooked over pecan pellets.  My new Treager grill operates like a auger-driven/thermostatic pellet stove and is the best grill I have ever had.  
     We only had Cindy with us for the meal, but it was a classic New England Thanksgiving dinner.  There were no yams or turnip greens or collard greens...mostly because I haven't yet learned how to cook 'em.
     I'm glad to be back on line and hope you had a great holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving

     There's nothing new to report on the burglary, or on my big toe for that matter.  But, as you have probably heard me say, "I haven't been in a hurry in fourteen years".  I am including a picture I took in the back yard this morning.

     As you know Ben Franklin made disparaging remarks about the moral character of the eagle and thought that the industrious, practical turkey would be a better national symbol.  I like it better this way.  Can  you picture huge eagle farms butchering 70 million eagles for Thanksgiving?
     I hope your bird of choice is done to a turn tomorrow and that you have a wonderful meal with family.  This year I am not going to fry the turkey.  I'll be roasting it on my new Treager grill using pecan pellets for fuel...Thanks, Tim and Wendy.

Burglary

     The motorhome lifestyle can be exciting even when you are not on the road.  We got a call this morning from ProTech, Inc.  They are the local RV maintenance folks whom we have depended on for several years.  It seems that last night a professional crew came through their lot and burglarized seven Class A motorhomes including ours.  Entry was gained by taking a tire iron or equivalent to the driver's side window.  They ripped out the main TV and satellite receiver and generally ransacked the place looking for anything else they could fence.  A bunch of trim molding was destroyed in the process.

     The next picture shows my spare parts container dumped out on the couch.

     The last picture shows the broken glass outside the driver's window.  Please note that the rig is nice and shiny from ProTech's recent wash and wax!

     Ironically, they had finished the repair of the slideout and cleaned the rig and called last week to tell us it was done.  I was going to pick it up and put it in storage at Charleston AFB.  We were then going to make our annual pilgrimage to Red Bay, AL after the holidays.  This time we were going to upgrade from the the combination washer/drier to a stacked pair of units.  Since that was now the only reason to go to Red Bay, I asked Wayne McCoy, the owner of Protech, if they could handle the job.  They could, so we left it for them to do some research and come up with an estimate.  Oh, Well!
     Now the matter is in the hands of USAA, the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office and ProTech's insurance.  We had no immediate travel plans so I guess the inconvenience will not be a major one.  I'm sure there will be some out of pocket expenses, however.

11/11/11

     It has been two weeks since I have posted, so I thought it was time to let you know that I am alive and well.  The foot surgery is now a couple of weeks past, and the PT has started.  Do you know the difference between a terrorist and a therapist?  You can negotiate with a terrorist.  Seriously the fine folks I am dealing with are doing a great job.
     Cindy asked me yesterday if I would join her at the the local (Hanahan) Veteran's Day memorial activities.  I, of course, accepted.  There is a nice courtyard and memorial site in front of city hall.  It was your typical small town festivity...small, unpretentious, and intimate.  There were probably less than a hundred people there, but it was done professionally.  I am glad I went.  The three flagpoles shown below carry the flags of the country, the state, and the city.

     As you can see, the weather was ideal.  The colors were presented by the high school JROTC color guard.  They stood at attention behind the podium for an hour.  It must have seemed like an eternity for them.  I have seen many color guards, but these four high school guys were excellent.  The program was well organized and limited to an hour.  It contained the usual elements including a few words from the mayor, a legally blind, retired schoolteacher named Minnie Blackwell.

     There were a couple of other speakers who were brief but effective.  The main speaker was an 88 year old, long time resident of Hanahan who told us about the at sea capture of a German submarine on 4 Jun 1944 off the west coast of Africa.  It was the first such capture of a man of war on the open seas since 1815 and resulted in a crucial capture of German submarine codes.  His five kids and several grandkids and greatgrands were there.  We should all be so active and positive as he is at 88.

     The conclusion of the ceremonies involved a Charleston Police Officer with a bagpipe.  I can assure you that no one made any disparaging remarks about his "skirt".  The guy is at least 6'2" and looks as tender as a roll of barbed wire.

     After the ceremonies, Cindy said, "Can I take a veteran to lunch?"  I, of course, accepted again.  We went to a local Greek place and had a nice lunch.  
     As a non-combat type, I have some difficulty sharing in the good will being extended to veterans these days.  Still, I know I have done my part and that I have made a difference.
     Happy Veterans Day