scootertown

2006-11-19T15:32:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody, It's been a long time, but not much is new. My brother and his wife came here for a visit a couple of weeks ago, hope they had fun but also hope they remember why they left in the first place. New York is a beautiful state, but also a very frustrating one also. The idiotic masses just elected a democratic Governor, I guess everyone forgot about the Italian, Mafia puppet, scum-ball, cuomo, and all his lovely taxation. Just a word of advice, on Jan. 1st don't get caught in the path of the mass evacuation when the new guy takes over. Tolls will cost a second mortgage, and gas prices will double, I can hardly wait. Oh, but we will be safe from ourselves! No child will be left behind, and nobody will ever die. If they do, we will all have a right to sue because we weren't warned with pictograph labels that an embrio could understand. I think we should get rid of child seats, bring back lead based paint, abolish driving while intoxicated, make cigarettes free, do away with bottle deposit, and most of all rip every last dam seat belt out of every last dam car. My point being, if we get rid of most of the toothless, nascar-pro wrestling watching, country music listening "people" out there we won't have to send half of our paychecks to the welfare office to support these morons! If there is lead paint, and no car seats, the ones that are stupid enough to stick around, won't be able to reproduce, and drag our economy (a.k.a. my paycheck) into the ground!

O.k, sorry about that, but as you can tell, I'm just a little upset with this tree-hugging state. Can't wait to run out of here like I have Ben-Gay on my privates, and Arizona has the antidote-soaked wet rag!!

Have fun out there, and remember, vote republican or get off my planet!

Jeb Bush in 08 two terms, then one of the twins, then bring back Ronnie!

The sky is falling!!!

2006-08-30T02:12:00.000-07:00

Aww the poor weather channel! Ernesto is only a tropical storm.. I am getting really sick of every time there is a little upper level rotation of the cloud cover, we've got people in full gorton's fisherman type rain gear, standing in 80 degree sunshine telling us to run for the hills!!

Don't even get me started on Katrina! If I hear about that crap one more time.... So what you got a little rain and some wind! Pick up a goddam shovel and a hammer and fix it! Just sitting there waiting for the government to wave their wand and make it go away, lazy-drain on society-idiots! If there were a god, don't you think he would be telling you something? Get off my planet!

Oh well, I had better go, I think I see a cloud. Time to get out the sand bags, and wait for the government to save me.

"Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?"

2006-08-20T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hi all you crazy people! I just have to share this little tidbit of my humdrum life. Over the course of this past weekend, I have had the opportunity to visit with my uncle who is in the hospital, and go to a wedding reception on the same day. Talk about diversity! Oh the joy of single fatherhood! Man, do I need a girlfriend to keep me from all this excitement! Just kidding, anyway, whilst visiting my uncle, an old teacher of my brothers stopped by also, and in trying to remember who I was, confused me with my brother. A very common occurrence around here, for some infuriating reason. But in telling her that in fact I was NOT my younger brother, I explained to her that my brother is now retired and living in AZ.. And her response, like EVERY other person I have told was.. " So what is he doing now" What part of RETIRED do you not understand? I have had lengthy conversations with some people, trying to tell them what the definition of retired is. I have gone so far in one instance to say "he does not work" and that person replied, " yea, but what does he do for a living?"

This is the point in my life when I wish I owned a pistol, or at least a pointed stick. How in the world can we rid the world of these ignorant people? Of course if we did, we wouldn't have much to entertain us. Like the news programs, or the democratic party, or Christianity!

Anyway, the wedding reception was fun, it was for a couple of friends of my mothers, who happen to work at the local school where both my brother and I attended, as well as my son. This is where things get fun! The principal of said school was introducing my daughter and I to the new social studies teacher. Where she did a great job! Except in getting any of our names right! She called me by my brothers name, she called my daughter by some other name that only shared two letters, and got my sons name completely wrong. Wow, I knew I didn't like her from the beginning, when she started working at the school as the PE instructor. We once caught her in the office with one of my friends, doing things that nowadays would get her flogged! Now she makes, 95,000 a year! (I'm always in the wrong line of work).

Oh well, I'm done for now, but if you ever meet me just say "Hey, you" don't try to remember my name, I'm obviously not memorable.

Still running (on empty)

2006-07-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

Hi gang, just a quick update, I ran in, and completed, the boilermaker last weekend! I still can't believe it. The boilermaker, for those of you who don't know, is a 15k (9.3 mile) race through Utica. I ran the race in 1hr 34min, not bad for this old guy. I think the most fun of it all was watching all the people! there were 11,000 runners and just about as many spectators. They just shut the city down and have a really good time cheering on the runners, what a great time! I didn't even notice that I was in a race until about the 6th mile! I was just another red neck running down the streets of the big city, what a great time.
Thanks to my little brother for the pic, I looked in several places with no luck. Talk about technology, we were all wearing small chips on our sneakers to keep track of our real time. There were so many people, that after the starting gun (cannon, cool!) went off, we just stood there for 4 min. before we even began to even move! So the little chip was scanned when you crossed the start and finish line, fantastic. I can't wait to do it again next year!

Hi race fans!

2006-06-11T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hello gentle readers! I did it! I have been trying to take up running in the past month or so, and yesterday I competed in my first 10k race. I've done 2 other races, but only 5k races so far. For those of you (like me) who don't know, 5k is about 3.2 miles and 10k is of course, double.. Well I ran the 10 in 58 min. 35 seconds! Not bad for the first time running that distance in 25 years! I'm so happy I made it, I've had so many health problems in the past 6 or 7 years, I didn't think that this was remotely possible. Oh well, I feel better, I'm finaly thinner, and I can still walk. All in all, not a bad weekend.

2006-06-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hi gentle readers! It sure has been a long time. Much has happened in the past couple of months. My new job is great! I've lost about 25 lbs. My daughter was voted local fire queen, (and no that's not a guy in drag with a flame thrower!) thanks uncle Mark for that one... My son is almost as big as I am and he is only 12! ( please send donations for my grocery fund) holly crap teenagers can EAT! good thing I was NEVER like that.. sorry mom and dad.

I do have to say one thing about work, I fix most of the electronic equipment in the local hospital. Most of the aforementioned equipment is left in a pre-determined area for us to pick up. Now, as with anything that is not working properly, it is good to have some type of description of the problem. Now bear in mind I work with educated professionals, some with 7+ years of college under their belts, and the most descriptive explanation we get is a piece of tape on a smoldering piece of electronics which states "broke" ! Really?! I sure as hell know this piece of hospital grade equipment didn't combust because you were in such a hurry to put it to use! And for the love of Mark, use the english language properly, or get off my planet! at least add - en to "broke" and make your one word explanation of the non-workings of a complex piece of equipment correct grammaticaly! O.k. sorry about that. I feel better. take care out there, and please send money to my teenage grocery fund.

Hooray

2006-02-28T02:20:00.000-08:00

Greetings all, I'm proud to announce that I'm changing professions once again. I now have a good position at a local hospital, which I will start next monday. The best part about the new position is, I'm not in charge of anyone but myself!! I cannot wait to be one of the people that want to change my hours, take time off just because " I don't feel like comming in today" all of these things I have dealt with in the past week! I can't believe grown people act like children. I have to do two to three different stations at work, because the company is trying to save money, so I don't get much time to do anything extra. Like go to the bathroom or lunch, little things like that. But it sure is funny, since I've given my notice, I've heard some nice comments from my friends, but the best reactions have come from the people that I'm making lots of money for, the best one is " wow, we are going to save lots of money now, by not having to pay you!" gee, thanks. When I do get time to go to the bathroom, it is funny to pass people that are going out for their 5th smoke break of the morning, or are playing cards on the computer, or getting paid to read the newspaper, or trying to figure out what to order for lunch at 9 in the morning! I'm glad they are going to save money by my absence. Wow, I've never seen anything like it, I keep waiting for Alan Fundt to pop out of a corner and say "smile, you're on candid idiot" my own version, of a popular show which I have starred in for 40 plus years.

Have fun out there, and for gods sake, GO ON BREAK! you will make your company millions........

depressing

2006-02-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

What a depressing place in which I live. The scenery is beautiful, but the people are angry, beaten-down, ignorant, or just drunk. Bad time of the year around here, not much to do with all the bad weather, either eat at the new fast food place that just opened, or go to the nearest pub. All in all, this isn't the same place I grew up, I don't know if it is me, fighting a mid life crisis, or if it realy has changed. Oh well, just hard to come to terms with the fact that I don't think I will accomplish the things I dreamed of just a few short 20 years ago. Where I work, people are so driven to put down their fellow human being that they will stop at just about nothing to humiliate. One of our co-owners has been in the business for about as long as I've been alive, that's long to be sure, but he has actually lived at this place at times so it would remain a viable business. now that this company has merged with another, the other co-owner issued a press release not even mentioning him. All of his efforts are for nothing! the other owner is so into self promotion, he all but took credit for the creation of the internet, ala Al Gore.. Needless to say a hard put down for a very hard working individual. It makes me want to not even try anymore. But I was raised much differently than that, as long as I wake up in the morning, I will go to work and stay untill it is all done, and all done properly. Even if it isn't noticed, I will know. thanks for listening.

Grumpy 'ol Mayberry

2005-10-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Mayberry! first fo all, let me apologize for not posting for a while. First of all, I would like to talk about the lovely attitudes here in my fair hometown. How utterly depressing! The anger that is prevelent here is unbelievable! I work with people that will gladly tell you that you are wasting you time, or are just a flat out idiot, before you get both feet in the door in the morning! Oh joy!! I get to go to work now? Haza! I have found that my chest pains start earlier and earlier every morning. It must be the changing seasons. Talk about changing, it was in the 70's last week, now it is a balmy 45, with our 4th day of drizzle.. Now if that doesn't add to your already sunny disposition, I don't know what will..

Enough of that. I have been enjoying my sons last year of football. He is doing very well. It's fun to see how he has progressed. It is also funny to see how much bigger he is than everyone else. But what is more disturbing, is that some of these 11 year olds are listed as 5ft 10. 185lbs!! Wholy crap! I wasn't that big in high school! Thank god for miracle grow!

'Tis the season

2005-09-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hello again. With the end of summer, comes the abrupt change of season. last night on my digital thermometer, it read a balmy 36! Time to go to the woods and get heat for the next 6 months.... so here we go, three generations of maclachlans with chainsaws!! If that isn't the basis for a horror movie, I don't know what is. Many things impressed me today, my son for one, who is all of a sudden a not so small version of me! (scarey to say the least). He is getting big! I know my brother questions why people procreate, I saw one small reason today. I'm flat out proud of him, today he used a chain saw for the first time. it was a small one that came with a cordless drill set my father recently got. He did very well with it, despite his father and grandfather watching over him like he was handling plutonium.. Matt is also driving the tractor with the bucket on front, moving the wood into place. Like I said, I'm very proud of him, he's become a great help.

The other thing that continues to impress me is my father. I was watching him work with my son, showing him the way things work. If I could be half the parent he still is, I will be father of the decade. He has a patientce, and understanding that can only come from years of putting up with my debacle of a life. Today was a mental picture that I will keep forever. I still can't keep up with my dad, he just keeps moving! I'm in so much pain whenever I try to do something it almost brings tears, I can't imagine what he feels like, and he just continues to go on and on! He's like a very thin version of the energizer bunny. (sans ears).

Enough gushing, all in all we got out about 5 trees, I broke my 700.00 chainsaw, and we got about 2 week worth of wood out... It's going to be a long year. Still cheaper than having the fuel truck come up the driveway..

Six flags- 11 people..

2005-09-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings all. Yessterday Rebecca Matt and I went to Six flags with some of my friends from work and their children.. Madness you say? gas prices out of control? Pah, I say, I live for off the wall crazy stuff like this.. If people say, "don't do that," (whatever a bad thing is at the time) and that's the first thing I want to do... anyway, with the current price of gas, the tickets for the last weekend of the year, which should be their busiest, were very cheap, less than half price. well worth the gas to get there. Plus with a large group of us, 11 in all, we only took two cars, pooled our money for food, and had a fantastic time! I am not usually one for crowds, just ask my brother, I like the way he put it best, "If I'm not choking, you had better not be within 3 feet of me." So for me to have a good time is saying alot. the lines were very short, and we all got along fantastic. All in all a great end to a great summer.

Home at last.

2005-08-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back. whoop-de-do. The fun is over, it's good to be back, I guess. I missed all my friends, didn't miss work, but that's where my friends are... We had a very long trip back! There was a thunder storm in Atlanta, so we couldn't land for about 2 hours. we had to land in Alabama to get fuel and then off to Atlanta, wherer we just barely made our connection. Our luggage on the other hand didn't make the connection... We didn't find that out until midnight in Albany. Of course nobody's luggage did make it. I think that we had another planes stuff, because we were all standing around watching this stuff go around on the carousel, and nobody is picking anything up... I will say one thing about Delta, they handeled this snafu very well. I live out in the middle of nowhere, then take a left.. that's home. well the luggage dude found our house with a minimal ammount of effort. I am impressed! Any way, here we are safely back in mayberry... circa 1954.. with my red hot dail up connection, it only takes about half an hour to get my e-mail.. I'd post pictures, but by the time they downloaded I would be much older. that's it from here, time to get opie and aunt bea and go down to the box social.

onward and upward...

2005-08-22T23:22:00.000-07:00

Wow!! the views keep getting better and the service does too... We had a waitress today that wouldn't let me even set my drink on the table before she whisked it away to refill it! Mark and I feel that she was a cross of a transsexual and a drill sergent... who cares! this chick can fill a drink, and fill it fast. Now to the real business, today we let the car do the climbing. 9,000ft to be exact. what views! and the road we were on just hugged the side of the mountain range all the way up. I've never seen anything like it. I would like to spend another day here too. Just to walk on all the trails. I feel fantastic, what a great relaxing vacation. I owe Deb and Mark my sanity. Thank you guys so much for the past week. You are great.

Spectacular views.. (cool too)

2005-08-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

By far the best trip of the vacation!! Today we went to a great national park. I will get the name in a min. anyway, what fun! The views alone were fantastic! But we also got to climb! That seems to be our new favorite pastime.. I need the excerise anyway.. The rock formations were great! Just to think that this has all been here for millions of years is astounding! I would have loved to spend much more time there, but sunset (another beautiful one at that) made us head for home. Just let me say, the national park system got it right here, $5.00 per person, and it is good for 7 days!! So cool! There are miles of trails or you can just take off eh. And wander. I could definitely spend 7 days there no problem. Once again, with tourist season winding down, we felt like we have Arizona to ourselves. The people that we do meet are very friendly. It's funny, you can tell the tourists from the locals just by their attitude... Oh well, one more day in paradise, then back to the 1970's... I'm depressed already.

Look at dem butterflies

2005-08-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Another great day here in the desert. This afternoon we went to the Arizona-Sonora desert museum. In a word, fantastic. Just the setting alone is worth the trip. You are actually out in the habitat with the animals, with not much separating you from them, only some very thin chicken wire. All the time you realize that you are in their world. Very cool, I think that I am going to re-name this trip to the "that's cool" trip, because that's all that I keep saying while I'm out here. Anyhoo, the whole time we are out walking in the "museum" you could look out and see for miles! All the way across a huge valley, very cool. (see what I mean?) So here we are walking through this fantastic display, and getting towards the end, and we are at a little alcove with some beautiful flowers all there for butterflies. With a sign and all, when lo and behold comes a very heavy accented new yorker proclaiming Look vinnie, (or whatever, I can't remember the name) look at all these freakn' butterflies! There must be hundreds of them! I looked at my brother and lost it! I pitty the fools that commit social fau pau in our presence! So here we are with vinnie the mook proclaiming the painfully obvious for all the desert to hear, I just couldn't take it... Lets just say, the expounding that went on during the ride home was funny!!

Old Tucson, old me

2005-08-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Old Tucson, which I can only describe as part amusement park part wild west show. It was very cool. I began to realize about half way through our visit, that this place looks familiar in some way, fearing an out of body experience, or worse yet some sirley mclain past life thing, I looked at some pictures on one of the buildings. And lo and behold, some of my favorite John Wayne movies were filmed here. Rio Lobo, McLintok, Rio Bravo, just to name a few.. That little tidbit just made it all the more fasinating. I also have to share, before we went to Old Tucson, we had lunch at a local place that was fantastic. Once again, the wait staff here is very impressive. For those of you who don't know, my brother and I are legendary soda drinkers when we eat. I'm talking about 2 or 3 before the meal arrives. Our waitress was practicaly telekenetic, she was refilling our drinks before they were empty! Many kudos to all the service industry people here, it is so refreshing to find people happy to do their jobs. Also, many thanks to Deb and Mark for opening their home to us and driving us around the area, showing us the sights. You guys made my year. Thank you so much.

The good, the bad and the me

2005-08-18T19:05:00.000-07:00

Hey, I'm getting to like this desert stuff.. Today was fantastic, yet again! We went out to sanguaro park and went for a walk in the mountains of the desert. How cool, I can't believe I'm here. It was so cool climbing with my son, I felt 10 years younger. Did I mention that I can breath here, despite all my recent bouts with pneumonia, and my joints don't hurt anymore. They still crack, but there is no more pain... It must be those special cookies that deb made... ha ha.I feel able to leap tall cacti in a single motivated leap! That about sums it up, great weather, great family and just loads of relaxation. I haven't felt this good in a very long time.

Tombstone

2005-08-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

Wow what a great day! We went to Tombstone today, one of my things on my list to do before I die. what a great time we had, the trip out there from Tucson was full of great views. Just to be out in the desert finally is such a great treat, I still can't believe I'm here. It was so cool to be driving along in the desert for miles, then all of a sudden civilization! Just a group of trailers, homes, and double-wides just grouped together like a giant tornado deposited them there. Then we would go along for a little while longer and all of a sudden, grass, tall trees and ponds! What a diverse landscape.

Then the town of tombstone, what else can I say, but cool! Being from the cooperstown area, I can appreciate the need to keep the town "in the period" but these people did a great job! The people are genuinely friendly, dressed the part and just plain happy that you stopped by. Not pissed that you are making them work, but happy to have you. We spent hours there, but it only felt like minutes. I cannot thank Deb and Mark enough for making this trip so enjoyable!

AZ baby..

2005-08-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings all! this is my first post, welcome to the 21st century, scooter. I am visiting my brother and his wife in Tuscon. This is our first time out here. I am here with my son, who just had his first airplane flight. We had good luck, on time and such, but on our first flight from Albany to Atlanta, I was suprised to see all the parents just dropping their kids off in the economy section,and them proceeding to first class... I'm not talking about teenage kids mind you, I'm talking about two and three year olds!! So, is anyone in the market for a couple fresh 2and 3 year olds? just kidding, but being a father myself, I couldn't fathom the thought of my 11 and 14 year olds out of my sight in the grocery store, let alone 32,000 feet in the air, in a tin can!! Oh well, hope you all like my new foray into the future of blogging. talk at you soon