Now Look What I've Started

I Should Know Better
In my last post, I casually mentioned that the P-51 Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire might be contenders for the title of "Best Fighter Plane of WWII." What a monster I created! So far, I have received telephone calls from five different "friends" who vociferously questioned the "quality" of my research. So, let's set the record straight!

I Know Nothing! (Courtesy of Sgt. Hans Shultz)
First, I didn't do any research on WWII Fighter Planes. My only source of information on them is incidental at best. Regarding the P-38, however, I can honestly say I have performed a ton of research and consider myself "informed" but hardly an "expert." (Those who know me are well aware of my aversion to anyone who is billed as an "expert" unless he or she holds advanced degrees and is at least 75 years old.)

So What Now?
I'm going back to chili recipes and wait patiently for seven more years when I will become an "expert" at something. I not sure what the discipline will be but I'm leaning toward psychotropic medicines.

Annual Tradition

In The Beginning
I started this blog in November, 2005 with two goals in mind:
1.) to create an online journal of my leisure activities and,
2.) to indulge my passion for things mechanical.

This post falls in the latter category. My interest the Lockheed P-38 Lightning was piqued at a very young age when my Dad built a model and hung it from my bedroom ceiling. I spent more nights than I can count staring at it until I finally fell asleep. In my mind, that was how airplanes were supposed to look. It wasn't until many years later I discovered what a truly unique design it was. Additionally, the man who headed the design team at Lockheed, Clarence Kelly, was from my home town! How cool is that?

True Confessions

I'll confess that the P-38 had its shortcomings, and will even admit it was not the greatest fighter plane ever made during WWII. Probably the P-51 Mustang and British Spitfire vie for that honor. But as something that could stir the soul of a young mechanically inclined boy, it was nonpareil. Maybe Santa will bring me one this year.

Wow! First December Post

Busy, busy, busy

This has been an interesting month. Lots of family related activities and very little time for blogging. Believe it or not, the rest of the month, including the impending Holidays, looks relatively tame compared to the past 30 days.

Premature Celebrating
The combination of my youngest son's graduation, visits by guests from out-of-town, plus an early Holiday open house, all contributed to massive To Do list revisions. With those activities behind me, everything else looks positively passive by comparison.

So, what's my plan for survival?
Daily naps friends. The seniors' Fountain of Youth!

I, (hand on copy of Woodworking Magazine) hearby swear to post highly important facts and fiction that will probably be shining examples of my fuzzy December focus.

And you can take that to the credit union!

Father Time Saith

In The Beginning

There were self-important bloggers who felt their posts contained life-changing content and would eventually lead their readers to "The Ultimate Truth."

And Then There Was Father Time's Place

Disclosure: I'm in a weird post-Thanksgiving mode right now and procrastinating on my responsibilities as lead Christmas-light-putter-upper. Therefore I am merely trying to look like I'm catching up on my e-mail. So far it's working!

Regarding my earlier thoughts under "In The Beginning", I hope like heck NOT to follow the "self-important" model. This post alone should be proof of my intentions.

Roger out.

Thanksgiving

Seems like I used this same picture last year........oh well.

Here's wishing all of Father Time's extended family a wonderful family-oriented Thanksgiving. (If you're reading this, you're extended family but not in the will!)

If you are spending the holiday alone, I know from experience what you must be feeling. Don't worry though. The Friday shopping bargains will make you feel better. On the other hand, I don't know squat about shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I shop on December 24th. The stress is exquisite!

Father Time's Condensed Sports Page

Chapter 1
My team, Michigan, has a reputation for driving its fans crazy. It finds exciting new ways to get blown out against lesser teams, then in close games, comes through when the chips are down.

This year, Mrs. Time's alma mater, Oregon, started out by running over Michigan, went on to achieve national recognition, and was in the running for the BCS Championship Game.

Chapter 2
On Thursday November 15, 2007, Oregon played Arizona at Tucson. If you watched it on TV you'll know why our household is in mourning today. It was ugly. So much for a BCS Championship. Tsk, tsk, tsk. (Spell checker hates that word!)

Chapter 3
Now, if Michigan beats Ohio State this weekend, the Wolverines will go to the Rose Bowl. If Oregon wins its next two games, it will go to the Rose Bowl. And where does that leave things? Right back at the beginning of the season again, except for one small fact. Father Time flew to Michigan to witness the collapse against Oregon. If they meet again, Mrs. Time will fly to Pasadena to watch the rematch.

And The Winner Is?
The airlines.

Son's Adventures In Space

Objective
My youngest son decided to explore space without using a "manned space vehicle." His transportation of choice - rubber bands. (He clearly takes after his Dad.)

Preparation
Finding a launch site in Oregon is easy - just look for a bridge over a deep canyon. This is actually the easiest part of the mission.
Launch
This part even included a count-down. It was 5-4-3-2-1... Ahhh "one" son. ONE SON!!! Somebody push him!

Flight
When the rocket engine finally fired, he was catapulted into.....well, "dropped" into space, and was out of sight in seconds. Totally amazing except for the blood curdling scream. Father Time handled it well, other than being unable to stop my head from shaking side-to-side when I'm awake. Hope Medicare handles it.
Perfect Form
Notice how calm and controlled my son is in the last picture. Especially note the perfect form of a man who is convinced he's going to die. What grace. What form. What composure!

Will Father Time Do This Soon?
Not on your life!

A Rare (for Father Time) Foray Into World Affairs

Editorial Comment
It's rare for this site to comment about anything political or to state personal opinions about world affairs. However, this headline caught my eye, especially since the situation in this part of the world is dealt with extensively on Richard Silverstein's blog.

What Prompted This Deviation From Tongue-In-Cheek?
My previous post about kayak's led me to a photograph on Richard's site. I wanted to use it for this blog, so I wrote to him requesting permission to use it here. He graciously agreed, so my post now includes a gorgeous picture of a cedar strip kayak in Seattle, Washington. While I was waiting for a response, I spent some time reading Richard's recent blog posts, and found him to be not only an educated man, but an eloquent one as well. Hence my foray - this one time - into a situation that the entire world has grappled with for centuries.

Thanks Richard, for staying the course for a negotiated, peaceful, non-militant settlement between Israel and Palestine.

Other Distractions

Photo by Richard Silverstein*

More Reasons For Sporadic Blogging
Continuing the list of activities that consume too much of my time, we have this goody - finding the best set of plans for a home-built wooden kayak.

The criteria are:
1.) It must be wood since I have zero plastic-working skills;
2.) It must be somewhat simple in design so that someone with intermediate woodworking skills can complete it without investing in major league power tools;
3.) It must be out of the workshop in time for Spring hiking and trout fishing.

Have I found one? Not yet, but the research is delicious!
This particular design intrigues me because a close friend is thinking of taking a kayak trip down the Willamette river from Corvallis to Oregon City, Oregon. That gives me plenty of time to build one, increase my daily workout to focus on stamina and take my self-imposed lessons on surviving a rollover incident.

That will put a crimp in my blogging but increase my inventory of nature photos. Not a bad trade off!

*See www.richardsilverstein.com. It's a great site!

NASCAR Sister Flogs The Blogger

Where Does The Time Go?

NASCAR Sister tactfully reminded me today that once again this site is in remission. Gentle reminders like, "What are doing with all of your time bro?" and. "Why don't you post more often?"

She's right. When my life is on a roll, my priorities take a hit, and lately blogging has been DOA. So, let's correct the situation and bring everyone up-to-date on what was so darned important that Father Time couldn't spend five minutes on the laptop!


Here's One Distraction

Yes it's a dog. Son and SigO's Dog. He's also a fan of an Oregon university whose football team is nationally ranked. To clarify, any dog who is NOT a football fan is merely - a dog. Nothing else. Just a dog.

But as you can see, this is not just a dog. This is a Duck Dog. And, as the second photo shows, he's happy with or without his "uniform." Why we do this to our pets is a mystery to me. The worst part, however, is the dog doesn't even know the team's fight song!

I can handle that!


Family and Tailgating

Now, here's another time-consumer in the fall. Tailgating! We get together in a parking lot and set up an organic juice bar. Every conceivable fruit juice is available. Notice how happy it makes the participants. The happy couple pictured here includes my daughter - the one wearing the Duck hat.

Tomorrow we'll review some other meaningful social activities that happen around The Place. Maybe!

Finally!

Father Time has been looking for a Shaker-inspired end table design. The idea started with the traditional long legged Shaker side table, but needed to be lower to fit into today's more relaxed interior designs.

My obvious non-original idea showed up in an advertisement for "particle board" furniture featured at a local store. So, the only thing original about my version will be the fact that it's 100% solid cherry.

"Better late than inexpensive" is my new motto.

Did You Know?

Little Known Fact - Maybe

Did you know that you can see an enlarged version of the pictures posted here by clicking on the picture? (The photo on the previous post really comes to life when expanded; however, if you try that with my profile picture, you just see the winner of the Freddy Krueger look-alike contest!)

OK, So It's My Time Of Year

Declaration Of Bias
I'm a "seasons" fan. My outlook and energy levels are never higher than during the equinoxes and solstices. If we had eight distinct seasons rather than four, I would be in Nirvana. However, overwhelming my senses, an acknowledged character flaw, (along with sniffing a good Pinot Noir well beyond the requisite 15 seconds), to the best of my knowledge, is neither harmful nor addictive.

Hidden Agenda
So, this picture of the Columbia Gorge not only lets me indulge myself, but concurrently performs a semi-public service. If you happen to be reading The Good Rain by Timothy Egan, this picture can help you attain some great mental images.

Enjoy! Envy is OK too.

Special Request

Here's another reason to leave civilization behind and see what nature has to offer. There are no sirens, dogs barking, or hammers pounding away building new homes. Instead, it offers a glimpse of where we were before we decided that seeing inside our neighbor's kitchen was more important than seeing wilderness. Sorry for the cynicism. Not like me at all. I'm from the "live and let live" school of tribalism; must need more coffee!

And what about the "Special Request?"
It's for a good friend in the Midwest whom, I'm sure, has scenery to rival this. Enjoy!

Some Benefits Of Maturity

Hijacked "Thoughts For The Day"

Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman:
"And what do you think is the best thing
about being 104?" the reporter asked.
She simply replied, "No peer pressure."
-Author Unknown

I'm not tired. I'm just more relaxed.
-Father Time

And that's the truth!

Backpacking Weather Turns Wet

Hobby Or Obsession?
If you have followed this blog in the past, you know one of my passions is getting out in the woods for a few days of solitude. Since this summer was a blur of unexpected activities that controlled me rather than vice versa, my secret affair with Mother Nature is now limited to the few remaining days of semi-temperate, but continuously changing weather. So, when I get wet, I get really wet! And why do I torture myself like this?

The answer is evident in this picture, as well as literally hundreds of other breathtaking back-country scenes that keep me coming back for more. There's plenty of time to be dry when I get home, so this method of recharging of my inner being is worth every moment of discomfort.

Thus endeth the sermon for today. Drip, drip.

New Look Means Means I'm Back

Where Has Father Time Been?
No posts in September. No explanations or prior warnings. Was it just plain old American negligence?

"Yes."

The prosecution rests.

Making Amends
OK, I confess - I was dogging it and just having too much fun. But, there is an upside if you are one of the few who has ever followed this blog. Things look different but the posts will follow the same format; my overarching guidelines are still chaos, randomness, and the exercise of free will - my free will. Maybe.

I'm back and will be just as serious or goofy, philosophically heavy or sardonic, satirical or whimsical, and just plain off the wall as ever.

Is This Good News?
It is for me because now my conscience is clear, my soul is relieved, and my feelings of guilt are in high gear! Life is good.

Thought For The Day
"It's scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker."

No joke!

Communications

I used to love the convenience of having a cell phone. That is, until my current iteration decided to die unexpectedly. Back to the store; phone replaced under warranty. Less than 24 hours later, new phone dies. Repeat steps 1 and 2.

Guess what? This morning new phone #3 is dead.

I am by nature a happy person. This is merely a test to see if I have character flaws that have been unknown until know.

They may be on to something.

Another Failed Attempt At Wisdom.

Did you ever notice that when life becomes hectic, everything that can happen does happen? Conversely,when a crisis is over, an abundance of spare time that is out of proportion to the time spent in crisis, emerges from nowhere?

This undoubtedly will go down as one of my strangest posts ever!

August 16 -NASCAR Sister's Birthday Is Today

In keeping with a long-held tradition, the celebration of NASCAR Sister's birthday will again feature another installment of her biography, much to the delight of her children and especially, her co-workers!
This is not made up. It's the straight scoop! (Truth is hallmark of this blog!)

NASCAR Is Aging Gracefully


Believe your eyes! Yes, NASCAR Sister has not changed one bit in the past 40 years. Notice how slight the difference is between her 5th grade picture and a current portrait. This is truly a testament to her strict regime of intensive physical training coupled with a healthy diet of Fritos dipped in warm butter and Budweiser. Oh, how I admire her awesome willpower!

NASCAR Sister Is A Leader In Environmental Education!

NASCAR sister's current job involves taking knowledge starved young students for walks in the forest. Look closely at the picture on the left and you will see one of the many wild animals indigenous to her region. She routinely confronts these vicious beasts, debilitates them with her perfume, then drags them back to her office for all to see. On the right we see a bright young student who has recently returned from one of Sister's pilgrimages, expressing her appreciation for an exciting day spent increasing her knowledge of the great outdoors.

Remember Cool Dude?
Well, NASCAR Sister's better half (sexism intentional), also known as Cool Dude has retired after an illustrious career as a PortaPotty Drag Racing Engineer. As you see, has turned his considerable talents to motorcycle design. Clearly, his experience in PortaPotty design is reflected in this masterpiece. Way to go Cool Dude!
NASCAR Sister Finally Buys A House
After searching the country far and wide, she finally found her dream home. It was a fixer-upper, but now, after almost a solid year of hard work, we see the finished estate. Once again, I am so envious of Sister's success in everything she does, I can only respond like this!

So THERE NASCAR Sister!
Out of spite, I'm forced to include a picture of NASCAR Sister's first boy friend. When she sees this picture she is typically overcome with lust and lascivious thoughts. The last time I did this, she begged me to destroy the picture, but I didn't! BWAHAHAHA!