Showing posts with label Stroms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stroms. Show all posts

December 11, 2018

This Blog Is Going To Get Real

Hang on to your hats boys and girls. Be sure to buckle up because there is going to be a major change to the tone of this blog from here on out. Yes ... the hounds will still play a major roll role and it will have just as many photos as before. That rambling I use to do on the Hounds and Other Adventures blog will be a little more intense, more honest and eye opening. As you have heard some people say, "the shit is going to hit the fan."
So grab your popcorn because I think you will enjoy it.

What brought this on?

Well long time readers will remember that I have a tendency to go off the rails a little when the weather turns really cold. Not just colder but really cold. In the past that has moved me to think about selling out and moving west, an area where I lived for twenty years. That urge to sell and move isn't there this year.

It's something else and it's not just a spur of the moment thing.

It's actually something that started many years ago when I had this screaming voice inside me telling me I needed to write what was going through my mind, even in those dark periods I sometimes found myself in. Do 'the neighbors need to know though" ???

That old upbringing from growing up in the '60s where you kept everything private hit me up the side of the head. So in 2014 I chickened out and made that blog a private blog, where I could say anything I wanted and on any topic. I still write in it today. Keep that blog in mind during this story.

A few years later in one of my paranoid states of mind, I was sure that Blogger was going to screw me and my blog by either shutting it down, delete it or lock me out. So I made another private blog on Blogger as a backup and transferred every file and every photo from the Hounds and Other Stuff blog to that blog.

It didn't stop there.

During those times when I didn't feel like blogging publicly and even deleted that blog a few times, I was still blogging on my private blog about everything. Including photos of house problems, routine car maintenance, that tick on the back of my head that I could barely reach to remove it. You get the idea. It wasn't just about RVs and Hounds I was writing about privately.

There is actually some humor in that blog ... something I thought I was getting away from in the current public blog.

So there are THREE active blogs. In one of them I could be HONEST in those blogs, say anything that was on my mind, cuss if I wanted to or write down and publish privately my weirdest insane thoughts -- for my eyes only.

Why?

I never been like that in real life. I've always been opinionated as far back as high school while writing required essays but pissing off my English teacher by my opinions. That's a hard thing to get away with when your dad is a co-teacher of hers. Anyway that's a whole different story.

What I wanted to say was HONESTY. On this blog and on Hounds and Other Adventures blog I have tried to be too political correct, mild mannered, and even a little scared with "what would they think" if I wrote like that? I became too concerned about putting it all out there for all to read. I curled back into a corner of a recluse, trying to be private as possible. What fun is there in that.

I know for a fact I have quit reading blogs that were too boring. I've said a few times in the past that I felt the blog had become too boring, the photos were too boring and I'd stop writing for a while. I like to write. I like to ramble from my scrambled brain cells and put it down on paper. I also love taking photos of my hounds and catching their personalities. I can look at them years from now after they are gone, remembering what great hounds they were.

So for a long time when I would read a blog like I did this morning over at The Wild Heart of Life I use to tell myself "I wish I could write openly like that on my public blog." But no, I hid in the corner and wrote all the good stuff in private where no one was going to see it except me and those that get into my computer after I die.

Over the past two months I cannot tell you how many blogs I set up with a new email account tied just to that blog, with plans of breaking through to the other side as Jim Morrison sang once, where I would blog honestly and out in the open for all to read. I'd include those crazy and insane thoughts I have or those that might make you leave and never come back.

My problem is this ... my mind gets restless sometimes. This next photo is about the only way I can explain it.
All of those points apply to me without a doubt. That #10 had disastrous results.


It is not the first time I have mentioned my life seems to go from one extreme to the other, nothing in between. Just like many people I have mood swings, wild range of thoughts and ideas to the point that sometimes I seriously wonder what is wrong with me. Was I dropped as a young child and wasn't told about it? Did I get into my mother's meds as a young child but fail to remember it? Why do I feel that way?


Yet I've taken great pride at times knowing that most likely I am not "wired right", that I am really not like everyone else. You are talking to someone that use to be the 'life of the party'. For example during a night of drinking with co-workers in February 1989 I bet $100 they could not drop me from riding on top of a speeding rental van on Hwy 50 in Nevada. I hung onto the roof rails on each side. I was told the next day at work we were up to a 110mph. I would have never felt a thing if I had fallen off, plus I would have lost the bet.

I have enough stories like that to write a book. Friends have suggested for years that I do just that. Instead I will write about one or two of them on this blog in the future .. maybe three.

So where were we .... ah yes, a little different blog from now on.

You'll see how the hounds Heidi and Stella keep me in line, within the boundaries of sanity. The hounds past and present have always been my #1 priority.

Speaking of extremes, take this as an example. I eat a pretty healthy diet but there are times I have to fall off that wagon and have one of these 12" Stroms at Nick's in Bloomington Indiana. More than one bartender has told me that I am one of the few they have seen that can eat it all in one setting.

By the time I drive the 25 miles home, I am headed for a nice afternoon siesta.

There is a salad in back so that would make it healthy lunch, wouldn't it? My other weakness is a burger at 5Guys'. They are so good that I usually buy a regular size plus a 'junior' cheeseburger as my second sandwich. How could anyone resist those two sandwiches? I don't eat those often but when I do I have no doubt that my chlorestoral increases a short time afterward.

Those extremes have also played in where I live or have lived in the past. Why can't I be just normal and live a quiet conservative life, I ask myself sometimes. Well I have, on the blog called Hounds and Other Stuff.

I have gone from living in these two places ---

 

To here ---


See what I mean?

As usual before I can finish a long post that started with good intentions, I have lost my train of thought. I can't remember where I was in this post nor what I was going to say. Give me a second.

What was blog #4?  In November 2017 I hopped over here on Wordpress and started a blog with an idea that I would spend less time on the computer and still furnish photos of the hounds. I did a one paragraph introduction and 7-10 photos. Nobody came and after a year I had one follower with better quality photos. That blog is now this blog. Get it??

Blog #5 I just started December 2nd as a way to put that screaming voice of mine on stage. That's what I'd do ... I'd write anonymously, under a different name ... THEN I could be honest, outspoken and write about the thoughts of a retiree in today's world. How chickenshit is that??

I know that I spend way too much time in front of this keyboard but it's not like I can go out and mow the lawn when it's 21° So what else can I do besides blog. That's what I wanted to say .... I want to go from FIVE blogs to ONE blog !!!!!
I know this might be dangerous to do, to make this big of a change. After all I can hear the whispers in the background saying "all I ever wanted was just to stop by and see the photos of the hounds" ... believe me I understand, it's just that I have to do more. I want to write more and I don't want to hold back, then sneak off to my other blog in the darkness of my mind to write what I really want to write about.

I know you will not be the only one shocked at the changes, so will the hounds.

Will I talk about politics, the news or what I think of each? About all I can say right now is this ---

Yes ... I might toss out an opinion here and there about what's going on in the world today. For example I see both sides of the argument about immigration but one thing that irritates the hell out of me is the fact that 70% of illegal immigrants are living on welfare payments paid for by you and me.

As far as my thoughts about the world "going to hell in a hand basket" .... check this book out from your local library. You'll feel better after you read it and understand this isn't the first time we as people have screwed up mother earth, but it might be our last time.


 In the meantime while I gather my thoughts for future blog posts ideas .... I suggest you kick back and follow the rules of any basset hound worldwide. Relax and look forward to more honesty in my writing, even some humor and discover a demented mind.  :)

 

Because that is exactly the plan that Heidi and Stella have with these blog changes.



Because really in the end, even with all the crap going on in the world today ... each of us just wants to be happy. Here is a good start for that but I find a few of those are really hard to make the change. I'm trying my best.


I guess I got to the point of just not caring anymore what people may think of my blog writing. Not that I want to you to feel sorry for me because believe me I KNOW many people have had it worse or HAVE it worse than I do today ... but December is a month that my mom, whom I wasn't close to, died in December 2015, my all-time favorite basset hound Winston was put down less than a month later in January 2016.

Due to my relationship with the family I have left (brother and sister) I had to find out in March of 2018 that my dad, whom I loved very much, had died. Due to our 8 year estranged relationship I found that out in the local newspaper after the fact. Then this past September I lost my bloodhound Sadie which I still am trying to get over the pain of it.

So basically in a way I just don't care what responses my posts may get anymore. I'll write for me, I'll write what I want in a way I want and be like some of the other bloggers I follow that have the guts to lay it out on the line no matter what.

A friend of mind told me this a few hours ago when I broke the story to him.

"Writing openly is not "for others" but only for "ourselves". Personally it is my therapy ... and the bottom line is who gives a shit what others might think??? If you feel the slightest bit, the "you" will feel better, just do it and be proud and content with it ... Traffic does not matter ... what matters is "you" not me, not the readers but again "just you" as we are just passing through this life and trying the best we can."

With that I will close but I will tell you I do feel better with this announcement even a little excited again about blogging. At least it's another great day here in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana.

August 07, 2016

Hounds Relax On Sunday

The "cold front" that moved through on Friday night has made a world of difference this weekend. With temps in the mid to high 80's and the heat index not much higher ... outside is once again tolerable.

Not much was planned for the day. The hounds would sleep, a drive through the country for me with the top down, and possibly some ice cream later in the afternoon. The mood to drag out lawn care tools wasn't there ... the trimming of the yews sounded like a good idea for Monday.


Once again earlier in the morning, Sadie and Stella went into the field long enough to dump their tanks and didn't have much interest to roam or explore. Both of them came back running to the house shortly after they were finished. I am beginning to think they like the air conditioning as much as I do.


Since they had breakfast around 9:30am, their lunch was not served until almost 1:30pm. It didn't matter to them. Anytime kibble is in front of them, or baked chicken breasts, they are always interested in eating.


Heidi decided to take a trip to the backyard for the first time in weeks. She didn't move more than a foot into the yard where she found her spot to lie down and soak up some sunshine.


I think you might notice that a lot of hair has grown back on her legs and paws. It's not the normal thickness but does cover them. Also no redness like she has had in the past a lot of times.


Sadie of course cannot find it relaxing just to lie down like Stella and Heidi, she is always on the hunt for something.



Whether it be on grass, hay or gravel, Stella always enjoys taking a nap in the sunshine. She was so sound asleep that she did not hear my camera beep when the autofocus locked in. Normally that beep would have woke her up.



The day progressed kinda slow the rest of the day. I watched a little Reds baseball, surfed the internet, read my book and by late afternoon we decided it was time for the trip to Dairy Queen to pick up one of those large blizzards that had our name on it.

With the first NLF pre-season game tonight at 8pm local time, I decided it was time to fit in the pregame walk ... but they were not interested!!!!


Stella only wanted to chew grass. Sadie wanted to track the mole traffic. I took all of these photos with the 55mm-200mm zoom lens.


Sadie found out that sometimes that dirt from the mole tracks doesn't taste as good as it looks.


Stella is more than happy to eat grass rather than walking today.


I always like it when I catch Sadie staring off into space. I wonder what she is thinking about?



I stood up right after I snapped this photo sitting down. I thought they might beg to go for their walk but both of them sprinted to the house, came inside and were asleep within minutes in the cold air.


Ed had a comment on my post yesterday, a little confused on what a "strom" was, thinking it was some kind of local language. I looked through my blog via the search box and for some odd reason nothing showed up after using 3 or 4 different search terms. I could have swore I posted a photo of a strom in the past. The word strom is a shorten version of the word stromboli. Although they are made different, depending on where you order them. Here is a photo of one that I took last fall, another one of my addictions.


Inside that italian bread is pizza sauce, a lot of cheese, Italian sausage, mushrooms, some chopped tomato and toasted in the oven. I'm told by the bartender I am one of the few he has seen that can finish the 12" strom. Usually by the time I drive the 25 or so miles home, a siesta takes place soon after my arrival. For years I have always finished the whole sandwich.

Life is good in 'the tropics' of Southern Indiana ... the Colts first NFL preseason game is on tonight.

July 04, 2014

Smooth Blog Merger

The merging of the two blogs went pretty smoothly until I made a major mistake and didn't back up my old blog. It was simple to transfer the newer blog posts and comments, by exporting them and importing that file into the old blog. It even sorted them by date without changing any formats of the older blog. I chose the option of posting the new blog posts automatically.

The mistake was made when I didn't back up my old blog, then tried something different for the blogs I follow on the left side. I thought I would have 'traveling bloggers' and a separate section for 'retirement bloggers' that I had moved from my new blog. It looked ok but I decided to even merge them into one section because it would be hard to see both sections due to the amount of blogs I have added.

With a quick glance I thought I had the correct section that I wanted to delete but I didn't see that the newest section 'retirement bloggers' was at the top when I added the gadget. So without a blog backup, I deleted all of the blogs I have been following for 2+ years, of people RVing. It took a while but with the help of other blogs I follow and using their blog lists I remembered most of them I think. Other's I found by typing their blog names and having my browser memory bring them up automatically.

I think this is a good move getting back to one blog. It will be easier for the readers, myself and will follow what I said I was going to do last month ... blogging about the three subjects in the title. Which you will notice I did a slight change to the blog title.

One post that you may not have seen on my other blog, will show why I have had a hard time trying to decide over the years to move, sell out, stay part of the year, etc. This blog post and photos will give you a good idea what at times I have a hard time deciding what to do.

You can read about it here: Some things that keep me here.

I will say I have not looked at any RV sites recently nor Craig's List for something to buy ... but I have thought about traveling off and on. With only 2 hands available and the DNA of the hound breed, I still feel it would be too hard to travel with 3 hounds.

Tonight on the daily walk was a good example as 3 deer hopped out of the woods that border the field we walk through, totally unexpected, while Sadie and Heidi came close of pulling both leashes out of my hands as they were taking off to catch the deer. Even when I held them, I could almost feel the retractable leash break with the strength that Sadie was pulling. The leash held up but it was a struggle to keep 2 of the hounds from breaking away. Winston in the mean time was walking his slow pace and with eye allergies I don't believe he saw the deer.

Still, some short trips will be made locally with the hounds.


June 22, 2014

Thoughts on a Saturday

Some of you may have witnessed my blog was changing its template and format about every 15 minutes Friday night. I went to bed with the template I thought I liked but changed it the first thing Saturday morning. It now looks just like that RV and Hounds blog that I stopped writing on. I am still undecided about the two column format on this blog but I believe this template will stay around. I like the colors and the feel it has while I'm reading it. Feel free to send any suggestions.

I went to bed last night with major plans this morning. So far at 10:38am local time I have not started anything except the usual. That usual is two cups of Starbuck's coffee as I read online, maybe do a blog post and read what little email I get. I am not really happy with that start because it is becoming more and more routine. Like a daily routine. No worries, my plan of weed eating the rest of the hay around my rope anchor will get done but it will cost me because the temperature will be much higher when I am doing it ... unless I push it to Sunday morning.

One of the things I notice in retirement, I usually don't know what day of the week it is and if I do, it's very rare. It's only an observation, doesn't really matter but a change when you have lived a pretty structured life for 40+ years. At times I wonder if I am bored or am I just content with my life? After all, I have never lived anywhere as long as I have in this house. That seems very strange because I use to like to move and in the past that use to be costly not only in starting over but the funds used to get there. So for me being here in this house since 1997 is hard to believe at times.

Still, I find there is plenty to do around here but it only happens when I get out of this desk chair and get outside or down the highway. I see myself falling into a rut that I don't want to happen and at times find I don't have the motivation to make the change. That concerns me a little. It's something that I thought might happen during those days off in a 3-day weekend when I had a job.

Like last night I completely forgot it was Friday. I woke up dreaming, trying to figure out why I was at work and why I needed to work 14 hours to get caught up. I was thrilled to open my eyes and see Sadie standing next to the bed giving me a look "I need to go outside". It was nice to know I was no longer working a job.

I'm usually a late starter anyway. I am much more of a night person than a morning person but the hounds have their routine and that has not changed since I retired. They still get up around 6:30 for their first of many trips (depending on weather) outside. This morning I could not believe it was June after seeing this horizon. I had to take a photo of it.

2014 June 21
Then after waking up to a very confusing dream and glad it was only a dream, the hounds go back outside for a 2nd time. I wonder if they do this because the want to go outside or that they know once they come back inside they get their "milk bone", that I buy at Costco where they are hand packed into a 15# box. I am beginning to think they like that 2nd bone of the day.

Speaking of Costco, I usually make the 90 mile trek to the north side of Indianapolis for dog food, milk bones, some groceries and that also puts me in the vicinity of Trader Joe's. I use to buy Costco's brand of Nature Domain dog food. It is made by Diamond Foods. They also manufacture Taste of the Wild along with their dog food under the Diamond Name. The Nature Domain food at Costco has the same ingredients as the much more expensive and smaller bag Taste of the Wild. Here is my typical trip to Costco.

Dog Food & Dog Bones
That's a lot of miles to drive just for that but it's nice to wander around Costco at times as long as I keep the billfold closed. After one of my infamous spreadsheet analysis on dog food costs, including gas to travel, I decided it was best to buy at my local Bloomfield Feed Store. I buy the Diamond Natural for Large Breeds. Dog Food Review ranks that food as a 4-Star and it's $33 for a 40# bag ... Your credit or debit card is not good there, it's either cash or check.


Another thing I like to do in Indianapolis is not going to the Indy500 race but I like going to Indy500 practice. No traffic problems, usually plenty of sun, good food and a lot of loud laps. No, I am a fan of the other races at Indy, just the Indy500.

During practice you can get a little closer to the cars. I like seeing the designs that will change from year to year. A drastic change was made from standard body design for many years to this design in 2013.

This is a 2002 Model

2002 Red Bull Team - Tomas Scheckner
This is a 2012 model which was the most drastic change in decades, with the body wrapped around the rear wheel. Just for towing purposes, the nose is not attached on the car below.

Body Behind Rear Wheels

Besides racing and basketball, Indianapolis has a professional baseball team, currently the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. A new stadium was built in the past 14 years by the same company that designed Coors Field in Denver. This stadium is easy to get in and out of located a few blocks north of I-70. Tickets are much much cheaper than the MLB prices and you can get better seats. It's a nice way to spend a night watching baseball, if you are a baseball fan.

Indianapolis Indians

One of my favorite towns of all time is Bloomington Indiana. It was one of the reasons I moved back to Indiana in 1994, besides the employment reasons. I attended college here in 1970, just after all the anti-war protests in the 60's. During my time on campus they had great concerts by big time 60's bands, have a highly ranked School of Music, Business School and of course all IU sports are in the BigTen Conference. I've attended IU Football and IU Basketball games since I was I a kid growing up. I was born my dad's senior year on campus and spent my first year of life on campus, maybe that is why I "bleed", IU.

Assembly Hall
Memorial Stadium
Even thought I am a graduate of Indiana University, I attended many games in Seattle watching the University of Washington Huskies while living on Whidbey Island. I still think the most beautiful surrounding area to watch a college football game has to be the UW stadium on Lake Washington.

University of Washington Stadium
In a rare IU appearance in Seattle, I was able to fly out in 2003 and watch the Huskies pound the Hoosiers in football. It was nice to see that the surrounding Husky fans understood and told us Indiana was a "basketball school" and not known for football, they understood who their opponent was that day. They were more interested in beating Oregon that fall, as many of the cheers during the IU - Washington game were about beating the Ducks of Oregon.

IU vs UDub 2003
I've talked about my change in diet since I retired in April 2014 and most of my meals look like this with no limit in amounts of veggies or fruits. This is a typical lunch or dinner.

Daily Salad
Yet in Bloomington is one the 'all-time' favorite places for IU fans and alumni that has been located here since the 1940's. They keep expanding the building by adding floors. On the wall going to the 3rd floor are autographs of the 1984 Olympic Basketball team, who trained in Bloomington that summer since Bob Knight was the Olympic Coach for that year. Just a few of the names are Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. No doubt a few drunk patrons have tried to get that piece of wall out of there and into their collection.

Just called Nick's and people from IU know nationwide what you are talking about.

Nick's English Pub
That is not what Nick's English Hut is noted for, the autographed wall. What they are noted for nationwide by any IU alumnus is what I eat about every 3-4 months just to keep my cholesterol up.  lol It is their world famous strom. I've been told by the bartenders I am one of the few that orders the 12" strom and finishes the 12" strom. I usually make it home 25 miles away just in time for an afternoon siesta after eating one of these. It is full of provolone cheese, Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, and pizza sauce. It has been slightly changed by new ownership in the amount of ingredients they fill the Italian bread with, just like most restaurants in today's economy.

"The" Strom
It doesn't matter where I am in Bloomington nor what I'm doing, if it isn't the strom I buy ... I will drive out of the way to the SE corner of Bloomington to 5Guys to have one of these. The last time I visited, I decided to change up on the order and buy my normal cheese burger (standard is double) and a "Jr's Cheeseburger" which turned out to be a single cheeseburger. No fear, I ate them both and never felt full. They tasted great!!

5Guys

I realize for the purist in good diets NEITHER of those are good for me ... but I like the word I see most people say ... MODERATION! I guess I'll keep eating them with possibly a longer period of time between meals.

So as you see, I don't do a lot around here but there is enough to do once I make an effort to get in the car. I think that since I have all kinds of time on my hands now, I don't feel as rushed doing different things because I am not trying to fit everything into a weekend between the work weeks. I like doing all of these things during the work day now ... less crowds, less traffic.

The thing is, these are all fun things to do, but I've been doing them for a very very long time. At times it feels like it's time to move on to other NEW things, NEW places. I want to see the stars at night where is absolutely no traffic sounds, unlike here. I want to wake up in places that have no one around for miles. I want to sit out in the early morning heating water up for a cup of coffee or tea.

So we will see what happens.

Still, as my other blog Hounds and RV's shows a 2+ year history, I have had a very strong urge to travel these past couple of years. I can't decide how to go or where to go, but the options have always changed. The hounds have played a role in those decisions or lack thereof. I believe they deserve to be considered when I am thinking of traveling and/or making major decisions.

That's about all I have for today. One good thing about retirement, if you don't get your next item on your 'to do' list finished as planned, there is always tomorrow.

BTW ... I finished what I had planned this morning. No photos but I did cut all the hay the farmer chose to leave around Sadie's rope anchor. Of course for the 3rd year in a row, I got so close with my metal blade on the weed eater that I caught her rope. It's been shortened enough from my previous two mistakes that I cannot tie it back together and have it long enough to reach the house. The length was based on two things, short enough to keep her out of the trees and long enough that it would reach the house so I can hook the rope to her collar without me going out into the yard in bad weather.  :)