Welcome to another installment of Bushman shares his boredom.
Just in case you didn't have enough boredom of your own I can share some of mine.
Last post we watched as I walked around and acted like I knew something about something and guess what? Here is some more of that! LOL
Today marks the official yet unofficial last week of my lockdown. I have orders to return to work in one week. Our Governor has extended the lock down yet another two weeks and I for one mostly believe it is to cover her own butt because I still believe that most of this was unneeded.
I won't get into details nor will I go all political on this blog but I'll leave it as is...unsettling.
I spent a big portion of my time cleaning up bee hives and frames this weekend. It was fun and definitely out of the ordinary which made it even more enjoyable.
I scraped propolis and old wax off of all the frames. Pulled the plastic foundations out of them and cleaned all the grooves and then fired them with a torch to essentially sanitize them of any hidden bugs I may not have seen with my naked eye. Better safe than sorry.
It took a long time and a ton of scraping but I wanted to start with a clean slate.
I have ordered fresh beeswax to re-coat the frames and they should be ready to go as soon as the supplies arrive.
There are a few areas in the lawn that have been re-seeded. One was the last remnants of my old wood stack. I finally got that all cleaned up and put down some grass seed and straw.
The other was an elm tree that was dead at the top and was unsightly so I cut that down and seeded the old mulch area under it.
The apiary is all set for the bees to arrive. I needed to make sure I finished that as any work after the new tenants arrive would most likely irritate them enough to sting me as I would have to be right next to the hive working.
If all the seed germinates that I put in around the apiary it is going to be spectacular!
Morning glories, Nasturtium, Four O' Clocks, Sunflowers, Purple Coneflower,
Candytuft, Siberian Wallflower, Zinnias, Single China Aster, Cosmos, Sweet Williams Pinks, Coreopsis, Sweet Basil, Larkspur, Corn Poppy, Blanketflower, Lacy Phacelia.
I am hoping that some of these perennials like the coneflower, coreopsis and blanketflower will do well enough that maybe next year I can divide them up and spread them throughout some of my other planting beds.
I lost my beautiful Moonbeam Coreopsis last season because a Trumpet Vine had invaded it and the only way to eliminate the vine was to spray roundup all over everything. :(
10 day forecast looks promising for getting the plants in the garden I'm dragging my feet as much as I can but my tomatoes are getting huge.
Ok enough for now. Below is a link to the video I took last night. Enjoy and I'll see you soon!
Secondly is I am bringing honeybees back to the acre!
I am super excited about this. I love honeybees and honey too!
I was watching some youtube gardening videos the other day when a beekeeping video popped up on my feed so I watched it. I was entranced and more than a little inspired to try my own hand at bee keeping.
An old friend of mine used to keep bees on our acre a few years back but he did all the work and I just reaped the rewards. I want to do this on my own now. I think I can do it.
So I called him up and we agreed on a hive lease (sort of). Instead of outright buying the hive from him he agreed to let me use it for a season and I will help him out whenever I can with his hives.
A little labor trade and I get the benefit of working with someone who has been raising bees for quite awhile.
I picked up the hive on Thursday night and last night I began doing some maintenece on it.
I'll let the video explain that part.
I also created a nook in the corner of the yard where the apiary will be. I built a "bench" to sit the hive on and cleared out a bunch of debris. I will be installing fence/trellis in the back of it and planting things like morning glories and four o clocks that will climb all over the fence and provide a beautiful backdrop as well as loads of flowers for the little bees.
In the foreground and on the sides will be a mix of lovely flowers like dahlias, astors, echinacea, daisies and such. There will be a little mulch path leading around to the back of the hive so I can access it for maintenance.
Im sitting at the table, having coffee and gazing out the window.
There is a light dusting of snow and it is snowing still but it is snowing so softly that I am transfixed by it.
I watch a snowflake twist and turn and flutter its way down and I can't pull my eyes off it. When it lands I look up and watch another.
As I'm staring dumbfoundedly out the window a deer and her two fawns emerge from the wood edge and the doe begins to feed in the alfalfa field while the two young ones frolic and chase each other all over the field. It is very funny watching them run and skip about.
They were out the other day and the ran around for the longest time. Eventually I thought I should get a video to share the spectacle and 5 seconds after I began recording they ran into the woods.
I thought about it today but I decided I was keeping that one for myself. Selfish as it may sound, this one is mine.
I had a brief moment where I pretended the world had ended and there were a few of us survivors and this was what it was going to be like.
Soft snowflakes
Carefree deer
Silence
We have one more day of cold snowy weather and then we take a turn for the warmth at least as far as the ten day forecast goes.
I have so much more work to do to get the garden ready. So much time on my hands to read and learn and now everyday I have something new I want to try.
I have only a few more fence panels to build and then I will be installing a trellis system in each of the raised beds. This new system will be mainly for tomatoes but can also be used for other veggies that like to climb.
I will update with pictures but essentially each bed will have a ropes/strings that hang down vertically from a center point about 7 foot above the bed. These strings or ropes will be anchored to the soil within the bed and as the plant grows you simply tie it or clamp it to the rope.
No more tomato cages for this guy!
Couple that with proper pruning techniques and I should be able to achieve 6-7 foot tall tomato plants.
I also need to install the arched trellis for the cucumbers, squash and gourds.
After that I will be installing 2 panels of lattice in each back corner of the garden for climbing flowers like morning glories and such. Just to add a little color as well as attracting the pollinators.
I looked into bringing the bees back onto the property but as of right now the cost and the availability of new colonies is out of my reach. I may call up my old friend beekeeper and ask him if he has any he would like to or needs to relocate.
I had him move them out last time as Corabella had just been born and I knew she would be out wandering the yard as a toddler and did not want the two to mix. She is 4 now and she understands what bees do and what they can do if aggravated so that's a good thing.
Plus I really love having honey bees around as well as the honey.
It looks like Saturday I will be sowing some seeds in the garden. Yes, I just said it was snowing but contrary to popular belief and what all the keyboard warriors on FB will tell you is that there are a lot of veggies you can plant that like the cold and will survive a freeze or frost.
Here are just a few of the most popular:
Radishes
Lettuce
Carrots
Peas
Cabbage
There has been a lot of controversy over Michigan's governor shutting down the plant and seed industry and people are upset that they can't get to gardening.
The other side says that you can't garden right now it is too cold.
Well...I hate to tell you all that you don't know jack sh!% because right now is the time we gardeners are gearing up and putting down.
I was lucky enough to plan way ahead before the Covid Crap (CC) hit and I had almost all of my seed and starting supplies in hand.
There were a few things that I had planned on picking up at the nursery because I didn't have the room in the greenhouse to get them started. Paste tomatoes were one of them.
Folks are also saying it's too cold to fish and boat but do you really think it's too cold to fish?
I mean come on, people drill holes through the ice to fish!
This is prime time for fishing. Fish are coming out of their wintertime slowdown and are hungry.
I don't want to dwell too much on that. To each their own and however you deal with the CC is up to you.
I for one am doing my best to stay home but if I find a loophole to get a truck full of mulch somehow without any human contact you better believe your pitchforks I'm going to do it!
Anywho, Check back later for updates. I'm sure by the end of the week I'll have some new posts and pics.
If you had to describe the events of the last month with one word what word would you choose?
Think long and hard, dig deep. Pretend that no one on Facebook or Instagram or the little birdie is going to see what your word is.
Let's face it that's where it would end up anyways, right?
Justification by social acceptance. It is our code nowadays. What we live by, for and crave.
I find myself reading all of it. Watching the news and then checking my phone to see how people are reacting to things.
After I've consumed enough of the national/state opinions and ideas I then form my own and most likely those are based solely on a conglomeration of what everyone else is thinking.
Because that's what we do. We are so far beyond having our own rational thoughts and our own ideas. Everything is pushed. Everything is disseminated through the little flat device in your hand.
EVERYTHING...is not your own.
Let that sink in for a moment and let us get back to that one word you were supposed to be thinking about.
Got it?
I do....Ashamed.
Why, you ask?
Did I not see the people helping others?
Did I not see the donations and huge tips left by celebrities?
Did I not see the singing from the balconies?
Yeah, I saw it. I think it's great that .000001% of the population did something good.
But wait...didn't I see all of the nurses and doctors risking their lives to save people?
Yes, I saw that. I see that every day. They are a special type of people who save people's lives everyday. They are heroes all of the time.
Why does it take a viral crisis to see that?
There are many examples and I could go on all day but what it really boils down to is what we all do as a collective group. We are Americans right?
The most patriotic group of folks to ever assemble on the planet?
You're damn right we are. So what did we do?
We sat on our social media and bitched about everything. When I say everything, I mean everything.
Myself included and that's why I chose the word above.
When did we as a society switch from caring and doing our part to who could create the best meme on Facebook.
Why are we so encumbered with our phones that we race to be the one to share a derogatory post?
Why do we bash our friends and neighbors and our place of employment?
So many things taken for granted. So many keyboard warriors.
It's sad. Another good word to choose. It's sad and I'm ashamed.
I don't know where to go from here. I have been able to really simplify my life the last month but not in a way I should have. My idea of simplify was to be lazy.
I mean we had a basket full of excuses, right?
I don't want to go back. I don't mean back to work either. We have to work to make a living. I just want to be sure I'm not living to make work.
Call this what you want. A rant, a bitch or me just running off at the keys but I'll tell you there is a sense of foreboding in me right now that has got me really thinking about what I need out of life.
Not what I want but what I need.
It is week 3 of our stay at home order here in Michigan. After the Governor's press conference yesterday it sounds as though it may get extended.
I don't have much to say about it. Covid 19 that is.
What I can do is offer up a little more of what we have been working on around here.
We had a few gloomy days in which nothing was accomplished except for melancholy grumpiness.
The weather turned over the weekend and we were back outside once again.
We started building the fence for the garden. Yesterday I amended the soil in the beds and finally finished splitting the one large pile of wood.
Today we celebrate Corabella's 4th birthday. My how the time has flown by.
Waking up this morning after all the hard work in the garden yesterday is a sure reminder of how fast my time is flying too.
I'm slowing down. It is a grim reality but it is true. While it may not be a drastic change I can feel it for sure.
I have included 2 short videos for your viewing. There is two because for some reason my video editor is not functioning correctly and I could not combine the two videos I took yesterday into one.
Sorry for that.
Today we ate the last can of baked beans. I ventured out from the bunker to fill our water jugs but found a pile of human corpses floating in our water supply.
We are doomed.
The days and weeks we have spent down here in the dank and musty bunker are taking their toll on us. The wife is developing lesions and the babies hair is beginning to fall out. She keeps grabbing her pacifier and whispering, "My Precious."
LOL!
OK it's not that bad.
However, I will admit that I am a little concerned. The numbers are rising and I still see and hear of a lot of people out and about when they are not supposed to be.
Many folks have to be out there without a choice.
We have plenty of supplies for awhile. Our county only has 4 confirmed cases of Covid so I was thinking of making a run today to fill the gaps on a few things like bread and eggs.
My thought train was to get out now before it escalates locally.
Anywho.....
Yesterday we spent way too much time on the trampoline (that's what my legs are telling me today!)
I finished off half of the garden prep and made a final grade to allow for proper drainage.
There was an old chain link fence panel that I use as a trellis for peas and morning glories that was, after the garden remodel, was off center so I dug that up and re-centered it according to the new layout. Same goes for the arbor and entrance gate to the garden.
On the northeast side of my yard I had an old pile of logs and bark from a previous firewood storage/cutting spot. I burned all of the large pieces that were left and then raked up all of the mostly rotten bark. It was 75% of the way to making some fine compost. I wheelbarrowed that into my asparagus bed to serve as mulch and eventually a nice soil additive as it finishes breaking down.
I will re-seed that area and make it into lawn once again.
Today we will bounce some more, that I am sure of and hopefully I will be able to build the rest of my raised beds.
I love waking up and having coffee and watching the sun come up. No rush to get to work. No sense of disdain for the work day ahead.
Life just got a whole lot more simple.
Yes, we can go to the store and take care of "essential" business but I have yet to leave this little happy acre. I am completely happy right where I am at.
Corabella and I are starting to develop a routine. She wakes up between 7:30 and 8 which gives me ample time to enjoy my early mornings.
We have chocolate milk and good morning hugs. A few cartoons then breakfast and usually by 9am we are headed outside. The goal is multipurpose. First and foremost is to have fun, second is to make some sort of progress on our current projects and third is to burn up some of her endless energy which coincidentally makes it easier for her to take a nap.
Lunch time is around 12-12:30 and then nap time from 1 till whenever she wakes up.
Momma is working from home and after nap time she is done working and then the two of them get to do arts and crafts and we try and sneak in some educational things.
Yesterday we had an early birthday party for her. I figured we might as well get the good stuff in her hands so we can play with them over the next couple weeks.
Here are some pics of the projects we have been working on and one of Corabella's favorite birthday present.
We are working on a new garden layout with all new raised beds, trellises and fences
My woodshed is full so I had to make some additional storage racks for the firewood I have been cutting.
It is quiet. No...not really.
The fridge hums endlessly and my yellow lab snores softly under my feet.
The clock, impervious to all, ticks its ominous reminder that time is expiring and I have yet to make an impression on the world.
I have this feeling of foreboding hanging over me. Do you remember when you misbehaved as a child? One of those warm summer days when kids will be kids but Mom has had enough and she threatens you with one of the most powerful phrases known to a kid? Yeah, that one.
"You wait till your father gets home young man!"
Then, if whatever you had done was bad enough and you knew you were in for it, you would sulk around the rest of the day with a heavy chest just knowing the end is near.
That's how I feel right now. I understand I am not alone in this but it's nice to just air out once in awhile.
As I sit amidst a tangled menagerie of construction paper, glue, stickers, beads and those funny serrated kids scissors I can only wonder what the next three weeks will be like.
While it seems as though it should be an epic great time I can't seem to make it to that level yet.
I spent last week working part time from home as our daycare was shut down thanks to the China Virus. Yes, I said that...sue me.
I would start at 5am and work until 10am. Race home and then my wife would head to work and return home around 6:30 pm.
It was me and little Corabella for 8 hours straight. She is 3 and will be turning 4 in 2 weeks.
She is the love of my life but she is also a toddler and toddlers have more energy than Richard Simmons on meth.
Our great state of Michigan has announced a 3 week shutdown of all non-essential services.
My job falls into that category along with a million others.
We are stocked up on fun stuff, apple juice and chocolate milk, movies and popcorn.
I have started the garden project. After a couple year hiatus it is time to start it up again.
I also have a mountain of firewood to split and stack along with that there is plenty more in the woods to cut and bring home.
So there is no shortage of things to do.
Not really sure what I'm getting at here so bear with me. I'm a little rusty at this writing thing.
Perhaps when it is all said and done this may be a good thing. I think we all need a little grounding and most definitely more family time.
Hello and welcome to the High Cost of This Low living.
I have been on leave for awhile and hopefully I stick around like the good old days again.
A lot has happened in my time off. I won't bore you with the details but when I stopped blogging steadily my new daughter was just born. She will be two this Saturday.
Yes it's been awhile. I have dropped by a few times but never held steady.
It's funny how things can change so drastically. I look back on the last two years and I see a whirlwind of activity and emotions. Death and birth alike.
It has taken a toll on me. I confess. I'm not the big strong guy that I like to portray but someone has to put on the strong face, right?
The gray and white in my hair is much more prevalent as is the growing midsection with the addition of 37 pounds. Can you say stress weight? Beer helps - NOT!
I think things are back to somewhat normal now.
I stepped on to the elliptical machine in our "new" exercise room downstairs a bit ago.
I was running 2 miles every morning before work 2 years ago. I was down to 200 pounds and I felt great. Today I felt like a gigantic slug humping a piece of machinery.
Holy smokes did I ever let myself go.
I forced my way through a 1/2 mile on the elip and than slid over to the treadmill and did another half.
Sweating like a whore on nickel night and panting like a dog I slowed the pace and reduced my heart rate from 3243 beats per minute to about 70. I almost didn't make it back up the stairs!
Why now you ask?
#1 reason - If I don't I'll most likely die of a heart attack.
#2 reason - I have a two year old that really loves me and I really love her. I can't imagine my life without her and I don't want her to be without her DaDa.
#3 reason - I have another adventure planned and I really need to be in shape for this one.
I won't give it away today. This is fodder to keep me coming back and writing more.
Did I just say writing?
Yep.
I am writing again. Just a little but it is so nice. I forgot how much I enjoy it.
I won't go into detail yet (more fodder) but I will soon enough.
So until next time I leave you with this...my inspiration.
I once had a dream.
It shone bright and clear.
I followed it
if only briefly.
Some days I remember,
what it was like.
To dream...
To wonder as a child does.
Those dreams,
they push
and they prod
and they also itch.
A dream has patience.
It knows when to sleep
and when to wake.
It also knows when to scream.
The itch never goes away.
It only masks itself,
under layers of confusion.
A wet, woolen blanket of self doubt.
Do you hear the screams?
Do you feel them itching?
------------------------------------------------
The room is dark, the scent of cinnamon and pine linger in the air and tickle my nose. I can't help but think of Norman Rockwell paintings when I smell the aroma.
Darting in between these is the strong smell of fresh brewed coffee. Its sharp contrast makes a welcome addition to the Rockwell.
I sit here thinking, "Can I do this again?" It has been so long. I miss it dearly. Baby steps, ironically.
I think I have to. I believe I have lost my way. Such grand and important things stole my attention, or so I thought they were.
Who am I now?
I know what happened and I watched it as it strolled down the sidewalk and I even apologized as it tripped me on the way by. So gullible.
So here is to the new and upcoming year. May it be promising and fruitful. May all of your dreams come true and if they do not let us hope that they at least keep itching.
-------------------------------------------------
Here, Kitty Kitty
A short story by J.W. Bushman
I first heard it when I was going down the stairs. I was six beers into a 12 beer night and so I dismissed it as nothing.
The next day, head hurting and mouth dry as a cotton patch in Georgia, I trundled down the stairs and again, I heard the noise. I stopped and my pulse quickened, if only just slightly, which made the blood in my head pound even more at my temples.
"What the heck was that?"
The cat, had to have been the cat.
Later that day I awoke form a much needed nap and I couldn't stop thinking about the noise I heard coming form under the stairs. After 6 years of living in this house I had never heard anything like it before. What I had dismissed as the cat, I knew, was not true.
This house and its staircases. All linked together and zig-zagging their way up and down. Ugh! I've been up and down them a million times I think. I swear I'll buy a Ranch if we ever move again.
All that wasted space under them too.
I remembered the day we moved in and I opened the door that leads under the stairs. It's just one of those cheap wooden louvered bi-fold closet doors. The ones that are always coming off the track and are awful to paint. A quick glance under the stairs revealed just open space. A few wires and TV cables were strewn haphazardly across the top and down one of the adjacent interior walls. I could see the back side of the drywall and the lumber studs. I distinctly remember laughing at the nails sticking through where the builders had missed the stud when they installed the drywall.
Funny how your mind remembers little things like that.
In the very far back of the closet there was a half full box of leftover laminate flooring. A mental note was made. Beyond that the closet made a left turn and went under the first set of the zig zag stairs. Another mental note was made. I could shove the stuff we never use back there.
I never did though. Shove stuff back there. Maybe I should have. I don't even know what is back there. That is where the sound is coming from though.
It was easy to dismiss it as the cat. His litter box is under those stairs. It was my attempt to quell the unmistakable smell of kitty litter. I have an unmistakable hatred for kitty litter and sometimes for the cat who uses it.
We make it know quite well that we hate each other. I kick him every chance I get and he bites me when I least expect it. It seems as though every time the litter gets changed he purposely dumps on the floor just to spite me. I hate him. I'm pretty sure he hates me too. He is a foul smelling wretched beast who belongs in a pit of demons, which I'm pretty sure is where he came from anyways.
It is for just that reason I have never been back under those stairs. That is his lair. His dumping grounds and I refuse to enter into the feline outhouse.
But that sound. I can't get it out of my head. I've heard it a few more times since then.
Mostly at night. I awaken, drenched in sweat and I hear it. A sound that resembles someone or something screaming and chewing at the same time. My wife does not hear it. She says I'm crazy and I drink too much. Sometimes it's the only way I can sleep. 12 beers and a few shots of whiskey keeps the chewing at bay for almost an entire night.
It's getting worse. I am going to have to look. Today is the day. The wife is taking the baby to her Mothers for a visit. I'll do it then. That way if I scream, no one will hear it.
It stinks in here. Not just like kitty litter but like rot. The nasty rot you smell when the potatoes are left in the cupboard too long and you walk around the house for days trying to figure out where the smell is coming from. That kind of rot, with meat.
I shove the litter box to the side, I can hear the spilled litter grinding under my slippers. I should have worn my shoes. A few year's worth of old coats block the entrance to the back of the closet. We should have donated them to Goodwill but they smell like litter now. "I'll burn em," I think to myself.
Beyond the coats and the piled up Christmas ornaments and old photo albums I spy the leftover laminate flooring. Still sitting in the exact same spot. Dust bunnies have taken up residence and reside there in all there cobwebbed glory.
The smell is getting worse. I pull my shirt up over my mouth and nose. I can almost taste it.
I have to get down on my knees at this point. I didn't think to grab a flash light so I use the dim light on the face of my phone. Crawling across the box of flooring I begin to wiggle my way back into the recess of the first staircase. The dreaded left turn. I see a dark shape on the floor. It looks like a wet spot. If that damn cat is peeing back here I swear I'll ki........
That's when I saw it. Before I could even think the last word. A red glow began to appear in the middle of the wet looking spot and as it got brighter I could see that it wasn't a wet spot but a hole.
Judging by the looks of the ragged edges it seemed to have been chewed through the floor.
Impossible I thought. That floor is concrete but all the same I was sure it was chewed.
I crawled closer and the closer I got, the brighter the spot became and it began to open.
I can hardly describe it but it was like a mouth. With those chewed concrete lips and red throat.
It grew ever slightly bigger with each little wiggle as I edged closer and closer.
I began to sweat and as it trickled down my face it began to itch. I swiped at the drops and my shirt fell down from around my mouth and nose. The smell was more than I could bear and I could hear the faint screams and chewing coming from the hole. I vomited. Right into it.
I don't remember much after that. The hole seemed to be chewing at my vomit as it slid down into its depths and the screaming and chewing grew so loud I thought my ears would bleed.
The last thing I remember is that God forsaken cat clawing its way up and out of that hole. Its limbs were stretched in disproportionate configurations and the skin was pulling away form his face. The hole wasn't quite big enough for him to climb out of yet but it was growing fast and he wasn't waiting.
I scrambled back fast and in doing so I smashed my head into the staircase above me. I saw a flash and stars and I knew if I blacked out I was a goner. He would drag me down into that hole and he would chew on me until I began to smell like the rotten potatoes with meat.
It was the laminate flooring that saved me. In my mad scramble to get out of there I kicked the half full box and it slid right into the hole. Effectively plugging it up long enough for me to get out of the closet.
I blamed it on the Christmas tree lights. When the wife arrived home the Fire trucks were just getting there. The house was a mad blaze of fury. You could hear the pop and sizzle of the wood and the plastic as it burned.
I watched until the last flame was out. A smile on my face.
If you listened closely and knew what to listen for you could hear the screams...and the chewing.
Well, what can I say?
2016 was quite the year. It's over and while I can't say it was a bad year it most certainly had its ups and downs.
For starters if you were a follower of mine and actually read this blog on a routine basis, you must have noticed that my last post was back in July.
Life has changed for me. It's that simple. What was once important has taken a back seat, more like third row back seat. My days of waking up with a hot cup of coffee and hitting the blog are all but gone, for now- and that's OK with me...for now.
I'll give you a quick run-down on my year of 2016. Perhaps you will understand a bit better.
I'll just hit the big topics, I think that should suffice.
Dad had a major heart attack in March. It was his life changer for sure. He recovered, slowly but surely and while I don't think he is a 100% he has done well. I was very afraid he would not get to meet his unborn granddaughter. I was more afraid that I would lose my best friend and Father!
Corabella was born on April 7th. She was early by a few weeks and was a bit small at 5lbs 8 oz but she was healthy and I was the happiest person in the world!
In May I was offered a management position at work and I accepted. I began to work many, many hours. It was pretty stressful at first but soon thing fell into place.
In June we lost my Father In Law, Roger. That was very difficult and our family was crushed.
Roger was a great man and I still miss him very much.
Things began to muddle together at this point in the year. Between the new job and the new baby everything changed. All of the things I used to do were set aside to take care of my new responsibilities.
Between June and December we lost more family members than anyone should in a year.
My Grandmother Margaret passed away the day after her 70th wedding anniversary.
My wife lost two Uncles and an Aunt.
My mother Kathleen passed away in September.
My wife left her job for a job she has always wanted. Her persistence paid off and while she took a pay cut to get her foot in the door it won't be long before she climbs up the ladder once again. She is happy so I am happy.
In October my new job took a turn and I was moved to a different plant to manage it. The current contract I was working on was winding down and another plant needed a new manager so I was elected to take over that one.
It was a very hard adjustment as the product was completely different, all new people and all new hours. It is a fast paced, high production assembly line which turns out a vehicle every 13 minutes. We worked a split week. I work Wednesday, Thursday, Friday for 12 hour shifts and then I work every other Saturday for 8 hour shifts in addition to the 3-12's. So it is 36 hours one week and 44 the next. While it may sound nice it took a brutal toll on me and it took awhile for me to get up to speed.
Dad and I had to cancel our Canadian fly in fishing trip scheduled in August. Deer camp was also cancelled as his health was still not justifiable. So for me the summer and fall was a blend of work, funerals and taking care of my baby. Not much else was done.
I'm not bitter I'm just tired.
Winter is here now and things are settling down a bit.
My amazing little Corabella is the shining star in my life right now. I love waking up to her smile as she is a morning person just like me. We both get up around 5AM on my days off and we watch Mickey Mouse and talk. Her smile is amazing, her laugh is contagious and I spend most of my time thinking of her when I am not with her.
So in a nutshell that was my 2016.
Life can be tough but it can also give you some of the most beautiful things you will ever see. It is how you deal with it, how you adapt and overcome and most importantly how you choose to spend every minute of it that makes you who you are.
There will be some changes coming in 2017. I'm not a resolution type of guy so no need to bother with that. Just some changes within that need to be made, some habits that need to be altered.
I wish all of you the best in the new year. Live it like it was your last!
So I see once again you have decided to subject yourself to the decidedly abhorrent ramblings of a self-diagnosed lunatic. Well, lunatic might be a little harsh...I'll go with, madman, instead.
So last time we met I divulged all of my going on's for the months of June and July, which I'll admit, were pretty good months. I did forget, however, to include the dossier on the moose.
You remember the moose, don't you? Here I'll refresh your memory. The Moose
So anyways, a guy walks into a bar and sits down next to a moose. The moose looks him over, lights a cigarette and goes back to his single malt scotch. The guy notices the cigarette is a Camel, no filter.
He gives the moose a questioning look on his choice of tobacco.
The moose, with beady, desperate eyes, gives out the most ear piercing bellow the man has ever heard.
Startled the man looks at the bartender. The bartender shakes his head a bit and says to the man,"It's a moose, did you expect him to talk?"
"I wasn't sure, I've never seen a smoking moose before," the guy responds.
"Oh, he's been hooked on those things for years," he says, as he polishes another glass and hangs it on the wooden rack behind the bar. "Ever since the old nag passed away he just sits in here and smokes, one after the other. Never moves, never even drinks that drink...just smokes."
The man, apparently taken aback slowly exits the bar without so much as a drink or a punch line.
Were you expecting a joke? Oh, sorry, it was more of a real tv story. Like the ones you see on the Bravo network.
OK, I'll fill you in.
We meet the realtor or is it realtress? She is late, we are early. Introductions are made and we make our way up the drive to the little cottage on the lake.
As I crest the hill I check out the lake. It is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen. pristine waters, fish jumping as a bald eagle soars overhead. Whitetail deer prance on the distant shore and a rainbow emerges out of nowhere on the far western end of the lake. My heart stops as I drink in the serenity of the scene.
NOT! It's a damn swamp! Nothing but cattails, weeds and algae covered brackish water. What is not covered in lily pads looks like the wastewater treatment ponds in Detroit.
Lake my ass!
So I calm myself a bit and I think...well maybe it's because were in a drought. Yeah, that must be it, a drought. Let's just take a look at the inside.
The realtor/realtress knocks and opens the door. A wave of smoke billows out as we step inside.
I immediately set the baby down on the floor to keep her from the noxious fumes rising through the dust mote streaked air inside.
As my eyes adjust to the stained yellow light inside the dwelling I notice a small withered looking women sitting on the couch. She sits there neatly with her hands on her knees. She doesn't move much except for her eyes. Her sad, beady, desperate little black eyes. They dart back and forth across the breadth of the small confines almost as if she is watching a very tiny tennis match.
I looked at my wife, giving her one of "those" looks.
The realtress introduces us and I'm a bit taken aback that the little, shriveled lady with the yellow tipped fingers doesn't move. I've looked at a lot of houses for sale and in every one of them, the owners are not present. It was weird.
The cottage was very small at one bedroom even though the listing states two. The second bedroom was only big enough for a futon but you couldn't open it up into a bed, that's how small it was. Off the back of the cottage was a screened in porch. The porch was wide enough for a small, skinny couch but you wouldn't be able to sit on it without your knees touching the screens.
The screened in porch had a door to the backyard and the wonderful views of the lake swamp. In fact , if you opened the door and took three steps outside of it, you would be knee-deep in black ichor like mud.
We took two steps backwards into the main living area of the cottage. I looked up at the enormous moose head that dwarfed the entire room. His nostrils were stained yellow and the hair that made up his once great coat was coated in tar and nicotine. I thought if I touched it my hand would stick to it like one of those hanging fly traps.
I politely thanked the lady and asked her a few questions about the water levels of the swamp. She said it is usually full of water in the winter time. Great, I thought to myself, I could ice fish for some mud puppies.
I turned to leave, walking by the oversize box TV that was covered in large bags of loose tobacco. The bag had a picture of a lady happily rolling her own cigarettes while a caption rose above her head with dollar signs floating in it. At the top of the picture, it said, "Roll Yer Own and Save".
I wasn't sure why it was spelled YER, perhaps it was another savings I don't know but I hoped she had enough money left to afford a lung transplant, if not for her, then at least for the moose.
So needless to say it was a no go situation for us.
I wondered as we drove away if that moose would ever get loose and if he did I would expect him to head for the nearest bar and most likely light one up.
So now you know the story of the moose.
On a better note, I will leave you with a short video of my most beautiful daughter on her 15th week birthday!
You know that old saying, 'Stop and smell the roses' ?
It's true. I'm amazed at what has happened in the last few months and I want it to slow down a bit...just so I can enjoy it a little more.
Where shall I start...
June zipped by so fast I didn't even get a chance to say hi.
Our daughter Kate turned 20
Our son Joe turned 23
No birthday pic available, as he is never around, but here is what he does. Lucky kid! That's his GF Tess.
When your kids turn those ages you start to feel old!
Ammy and Pops came from Florida over the Father's day weekend and got to spend time with us. They even took a drive over to visit the Great Aunties!
I worked a lot in June. So much so, that I don't remember much of the month. I think I had maybe 4 days off last month.
Work is going well. I like the new job and the hours should be taming down in the next two weeks or so, barring any unfortunate issues.
July found us "Up North" to visit with family and friends for a couple days. We stayed at my folk's cottage at Houghton Lake.
We visited with my brother and sister in law and hung out at Higgins Lake with them for awhile. Corabella got to wear her first swimsuit, dipped her toes in the first lake, sat on her first boat and even got to hang out with her cousin Zach again.
She also got to meet her Aunt Kiley for the first time!
After that, we headed even further north for the annual fireworks event that my friend and neighbor put on every year at his cabin.
Angel and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary on July 6th.
Most importantly, little Corabella turned 14 weeks and she is so precious. I love her so much. I can't wait to get home from work every day just to see her smile at me.
She got to see her Uncle Bill for the first time
It's been busy and mostly fast but with a face like that who really cares what happens as long as I get to see this every day!
Well geez, Louise, look who decided to show up to the party!
Yes, it's me...again. (damn guy won't go away)
I decided to take a few minutes and visit my dusty little writing room. I haven't been in here much. It's kind of sad but when you're working 70 hours a week then what little time you have left is devoted to little babies and yard work and cooking and grocery shopping and if you're lucky you get a few hours of sleep each night.
But seriously, who really cares about all that. You didn't really come here to hear me whine did you? Thought so.
Baby Corabella is doing well. A bit colicky but she's a baby and that is what they do...I guess. I'm a first timer for colic. It's pretty frustrating. I never know what is going to soothe her, if anything.
I've tried bouncing and rolling and butt patting. Thrown her over my shoulder and swayed back and forth. Sometimes the weirdest positions offer a brief bit of respite.
Why just the other day she was crying so we both had a beer and a shot and that kind of helped some.
(above line intended for humor only, no babies were harmed in the making of this blog)
I think sometimes it's just who is holding her. This morning she didn't want anything to do with me and when I tucked her back into bed with Momma she fell asleep. Tah Dah!
That is my go to move now. I call it the football. Hand-off and run!!
Which is why I am here. I have about 15 minutes of free time.
I thought about sitting on the deck and having coffee but decided to head here instead.
My only day off and I sit inside in front of a computer.
Work is going swell. Long days, 70 plus hours but in the end, it's worth it. Momma and I are working on a plan that just might have us in an "up north cottage on a lake" by the end of this year.
We are going up next weekend to look at two potentials. One looks really nice and includes a giant stuffed moose head. Nothing says "up north" like a giant stuffed moose head!
Of course, she says it would not stay and I was already looking at a life-sized stuffed bear to put next to it. This particular cabin/cottage (not sure what the difference is) is located on the backwaters of a larger lake and looking at the satellite view it looks as if you could access the main lake through the channels of the backwater lake. I'm curious to find out.
It is a cute little log sided cottage, painted yellow with a little screened in porch. For an association fee of $50/yr. you can use the boat launch down the street to access the main lake directly.
It's roughly a 2-2.5 hour drive so not too far away. Quick drive after work on a Friday and Tah Dah!
Other than that not much going on. My folks dropped in from Florida last weekend for a short stay. They spent two days with the baby while Momma and I were at work. They needed their "fix" and I got to spend my first "real" father's day with my dad and my daughter.
Not that I was a fake father before but the kids always spent father's' day with their dad and while they still wished me a happy day and I usually got cards or a gift it was still sad in a way but not anymore!
I'm a pretty happy guy right now. I'm very thankful.
The weather has been hot and dry. The lawn is all fried up, which is actually a blessing because I don't have to spend precious time mowing. I do need to finish staining the deck but not sure when I'll get time for that. I need to just do a little bit every weekend and eventually it will get done.
I did plant a garden, just a small one. We will see how that goes.
I suppose that's all for now. Think I'll take myself up on that offer of coffee on the deck. The hummingbirds are pretty active in the morning and I like to watch them.
It has been awhile, I know. I've been a bit pre-occupied.
Everything is going swimmingly, though, in case you were wondering?
I don't have much time so I will make this quick.
Baby is doing great. Not just great but Tony the Tiger Greeeat!!!!
The new job is going well. Very long days and weeks. This week alone I worked 80 hours.
So as you can imagine, it doesn't leave much time for other things. I spend some time with the baby in the evening, have supper, do a few chores and then off to bed. Blogging has not been in the top of my priorities as of late. I hope you understand.
So without further delay, I present you with a baby timeline!
Enjoy.
And then just some of my favorites. Week 5 and 6 must be on Momma's phone and she is still sleeping.
