Merde!

While I usually have the news or some kind of talk radio playing in the car on my way home, for some reason I decided to flip through the music stations when I got in the car after work on Friday night. As Talking Heads fed their unique rhythm through my speakers the song cut out as a text message came through the speakers from a brother from the lodge. The first part of the message was making sure that we were prepared for the following week which was immediately followed by a simple phrase that caught me by surprise, “Check out FOX news terrorist attack in Paris”.

I didn’t even reply to his message before tuning the radio to FOX News. While there were grandiose statements and tenuous links trying to be made by the commentators to other attacks from the past, namely 9/11, this was completely different. However, I couldn’t help but think about that moment when I watched the second plane plunge into the tower. That is immediately where my mind went so I could understand the desire that the host had to make the connection.

These events are certainly linked by the fact that they are heinous acts by terrorists but there is little else that can be said that they have in common. While the magnitude of 9/11 is far greater than that which has just transpired in Europe there is also a part of me that looks at these calculated events as something possibly more sinister. The hijackers on 9/11 only saw the faces of the people on the plane while many of the evil doers in Paris could see the people that they killed. In some instances they probably looked them straight in the eye. I honestly don’t know which is worse or if either could be considered worse. These animals are evil. That is basically all I can say.   

In the days since it has been a different reality in France. Their perspective on the world and of the terrorist element that taints society has certainly changed. This is one of those events that changes how people view the world in general and the capacity of evil that certain individuals possess in particular. For many, this is a conflict from which they are no longer removed. It is a time for change. I don’t know what that change will be exactly but there are certain aspects of life that will never be the same for some people.

However, for now, all we can do is hope for some peace in Paris, France, Europe, Western Civilization, and the world as a whole. After all, while evil will always exist and these visceral events will surely happen again, those who ascribe to this immorality are the minority. We are stronger than evil and we will prevail both in France and throughout the world.

Last Minute Notice

Sometimes we all forget about things until the last minute and we have to rush to get them done. It happens to all of us at one point or another. This was the case when I was finishing up some work on my computer late on Friday night when I realized that we had not finalized the lodge notice for the month. With all of the end of the year things that we have been working on is simply slipped our minds and was in limbo for much of the holiday season.

Thankfully the stated meeting was postponed for a week due to the holiday so we still had a little bit of time to get it done. We had both dropped the ball on this one but, fortunately, there was still enough time to pick it up and make the play. By 8am the following morning, we had a rough draft in place and I was able to edit and update the content that I needed to add. This was with no help from my lodge email which decided not to allow attachments during the process. By noon, everything had been finalized and the notices were being printed.

Of course, now that we had gotten it done and had arranged for a time to meet at the lodge to get all the mailings put together, the next bumps in the road presented themselves. On my way to Ardmore I had to take a quick detour to Staples to pick up stamps and envelopes as I have been unable to find the time to get the stamped and addresses envelopes from the post office. I guess a couple more steps won’t hurt us.

We got to the lodge in the mid afternoon and shortly after arrival I pulled out the address labels and noticed another step that we would have to take this month. Normally I go through the list beforehand and cross off all the brothers that get the notice emailed to them… when I looked at the labels it was clear that this had not been done and so I had to go by memory crossing off names that I was certain would receive the electronic version.

Even with all the extra steps we came together and got all the mailing done in under an hour. Not too bad and still faster than when I have to do it myself. Not a great way to start the New Year but at least it got done and it will make the rest of the year seem that much smoother. At least that is the hope.

Firearms Friday: We All Need A Good Work Bench

For the last few years, while my wife were living in an apartment packed from end to end, top to bottom, I had to have my desk serve double duty as my work bench as well. It was always a process and a project just to get things started as everything needed to be cleaned off from the usual work day so that I could pull out the work mat and attach the vice to the side. Once that was all done, it didn’t really leave much time to get things done. Of course, having the office next to the bedroom didn’t allow for any work getting done beyond cleaning at night either.

Now, in our spacious new place, for the first time I am able to set up a dedicated work bench (from Home Depot) in the basement, two floors away from the bedrooms. In a different part of the space I have my desk set up solely dedicated to writing, filing, emailing, and other work on the computer. Finally, each of my passions have areas designated for each. While I will maintain an organized space, there is no more clearing off and hiding away electronics, papers, tools, parts, and cleaning supplies. Everything can be left out, set in their designated spaces.

Just having each of these areas divided in the basement, I feel as though I have more time to do what I enjoy and the small projects that I want to get done are accomplished much faster leaving me with more time to spend with my wife. Everything is easily accessible. Still locked away but a simple matter of security that is still much faster than the previously lengthy process of shifting purposes for a single work space.

This new workbench will also impact my work as it will allow me to bring new content to this blog. Reviews of firearms, equipment, and parts can now be achieved now that I have a work area dedicated to those projects. I can also now take on minor cleaning, repairing, and upgrading projects that will not only provide additional content but will allow me to better educate myself on different processes and systems. So look for some different content every Firearms Friday as I continue to organize and get my work bench outfitted to fit my needs. It should be fun and provide a much needed respite both now and in the future!

Banking, Internet, And A Couch

For a day that was only supposed to consist of a half day of working from home. This Friday had been on the calendar for months but, like many days, my schedule didn’t hold. While I did get the required amount of billable time in for the office over the course of the holiday week, there were other things that came up and consumed blocks of time during the day.

So I woke up early in the morning and instead of opening my computer and taking care of some writing for work, I got in the car and headed to the bank. Even this simple commute had its moments of frustration as my E-Z Pass was being difficult and required that I stop and discuss the matter with a toll collector. I got to the bank before any other brother rounded the corner to park their car.

I was hoping that this was going to be a quick stop but we are dealing with a bank here so I wasn’t able to get back on the road for over an hour. However, during that time I was able to talk to one of my brothers who was kind enough to agree to help me pick up a couch from Ollie’s that I had purchased a couple weeks prior during a heck of a sale. So back on the road, the back roads actually given my issues with E-Z Pass, and into the townhouse where my wife and I waited for Verizon to knock on the door.

While it was unpleasant at time, it was also kind of nice being untethered from the internet for the past week but it is a necessity and we were quite happy to see the truck pull into the parking lot (especially my wife). The technician wasted no time updating the box outside and within an hour we were configuring the internet and updating the Wi-Fi on our numerous devices. Two hours after that and the cable was up and running as well. These things never get done in the 1-2 hours that they say it will take.

At this point it was time for a quick dinner, picking up a few more things for the house, and finishing up my work for the long day. It was originally going to be a nice relaxing half day but I should know better than to expect those to come to fruition anymore. But things got done and our house is becoming more like a home with every small item checked off the to-do list.

Three Men, A Truck, And A Fast Move

I woke up on Friday morning a little earlier than I usually do during the week despite not falling asleep until well after 2am that morning. It wasn’t because I had a meeting, call, or had to get something done for the office but because I had movers which were scheduled to arrive sometime between 8 and 9. Unfortunately, there was still a lot that I had to get done before they arrived so I rolled out of bed, sore and half asleep, picked up a box and continued packing until I heard a truck pull into the parking lot.

After negotiating with a resident to move their car out of the way (they have a bad habit of shuffling their cars in the morning so that they perpetually occupy a space in front of our apartment), I blocked off the spot just as the truck was turning the corner. Shortly after 8 a truck pulled in, parked along the side of the entrance across from the apartment, opened the doors, and walked through the apartment to see what needed to be moved into the truck and off to the townhouse.

Within a few minutes of their arrival, the three movers from Two Men And A Truck, were already grabbing boxes and stacking them neatly into the truck. They wasted little time and had me scrambling to finish up the few things that I needed to get done and ready for the move. A little over two hours later and they had wrapped, packed, and cleared out the space which we had occupied for a little over three years (including the last minute boxes that I had thrown together).

So off we went to the new place about 45 minutes away. While I waited for the truck to pull in, I started unpacking the contents of my car (I cleaned it out at the office the day before to make more room). About halfway through the truck backed into the parking spot in front of the townhouse. After walking through and letting them know where everything goes, they didn’t wait a second before beginning the offload.

About an hour and a half later and everything was moved in! 4.5 hours after they arrived at the apartment, the move was done and we went over the bill in which they only charged us for 4 hours rather than the 5-6 that they originally estimated over the phone the week prior (they also deducted a 30 minute break during their travel). This was, by far, the fastest and easiest move that I have ever experienced and it was about the same price as U-Haul. I am glad that my boss recommended this moving company and that everything (well, almost everything) is now done.

My wife was able to leave for work from the apartment and drive the 50 minutes to work and come home to the townhouse about 5 minutes away. Now all we have to do is unpack everything. What a fun experience that is going to be!

Sometimes I Have To Work To Relax…

I have a huge problem… don’t all chime in at once… in that I can’t seem to turn off my mind during my days off. For the first time in a long time, I took a day off today with nothing on the calendar. I didn’t have a specific place that I had to be or event that I had to attend. It was a bit of an odd feeling.

Without something to keep me occupied, I found myself getting up early, a little later than usual due to my not wanting to get out of bed, and almost immediately getting on the computer and sending emails. While there are a few things that had to be taken care of that carried over from the work week, there wasn’t too much that was pressing. However, while there is no doubt that I was working, it didn’t feel like work. I was in a completely different headspace while my fingers scurried across the keyboard.

Thankfully, I did have a general idea of a few things that I wanted to do so by the early afternoon I was out the door and on my way to the range. I can’t just sit back and dwell in the apartment, I need to be social and one of my social hobbies was calling me. Heck, it is a great way for me to relax as well.

By the time my wife called me after work, I was feeling much more relaxed. Usually by the end of the day, especially at the end of the week, I am wiped out but with the laid back but productive kind of day that I had, I still had plenty of energy to drive over to the mall and get a few errands taken care of before we sat down for a fancy food court dinner. Now, we have one less trip that we have to make this weekend which frees up a few hours to get some other things done in the apartment. After all, we still have three days left in the weekend.

With an easy day leading into the night, I find myself with a little extra energy and focus to check a few other items off my weekend list a little early. While I can’t say, by most people’s definition, that this is going to be a relaxing weekend, it is just what I need to get back on track with just enough down time so that I can go into the three day week reenergized. I know, sometimes I am pretty good at scheduling.

Perfect Weather For An Open House

Yes, I know, this is an old stock photo. I keep forgetting to take a picture.

Friday night, just like I did on Thursday evening, I headed over to the lodge as soon as my work day came to an end. It was a much more relaxed drive as I didn’t feel as though I had to rush to make before any given time. Despite our big clean out having yet to happen, it was Open House time when we swung the doors open, put and Alex’s Lemonade Stand on the corner, and chatted with every person with whom we crossed paths. This is the first time that I have done this with the lodge and it was a great experience socializing with the brethren and those from the community, greeting new petitioners, and generally getting to know each person a little bit better.

Of course, during the slow moments during the night I was able to get a few things done and discuss a few potential projects with the Worshipful Master. Might as well, we had the time and it saved us from having to circle up over the weekend. Every now and again, a few new faces would round the corner with a few old faces sporadically walking up the front steps as well. We gave a few tours, accommodating everyone that asked to see the building, and made sure to promote the two businesses in the basement owned by brothers from the lodge.

Up on the corner where better foot traffic prevailed, a few other brothers (of various experience and degrees) ran an Alex’s Lemonade Stand. While the weather was beautiful with calm and cool temperatures and a bright blue sky slowly fading to star speckled black, there wasn’t much of a crowd out on the streets of Ardmore that night. Maybe we were too early, maybe we were too late, maybe the fact that it was the last day of school had something to do with it. Regardless of the crowd, or lack thereof, it was a great night for us all to get out, open the lodge up, and bond as brothers.   
Of course, the night would have been a little nicer had we raised more than $200 selling lemonade. However, we do have the opportunity to rewrite memory. Our generosity does not have to be confined to one evening selling lemonade along Lancaster Avenue as there are still a couple of ways that we can contribute to the cause. You can visit the lodge’s Alex’s Lemonade Stand event webpage and contribute by clicking the donate button near the top right of the page. The other option available for those who would like to contribute is to text “Lemonade E1113739” to 85944 (this will be recorded as a $10 charge and will be listed on your bill from your wireless carrier). Obviously, please feel free to share this information with any friends or family that would like to donate.

So, that was my exciting Friday night at the lodge. While it was slow this first time around I am sure that we will improve upon this experience in the fall when we will, once again, open up the lodge doors and welcome you all to the lodge. I hope to see you this fall!

I Ain’t No Spartan!

Hard to believe but we have already reached 300 blogs. Whether there has been 300 things to write about is a different story but somehow we managed to get through it. It is almost like an odd curiosity this blog. There are times when the posts reflect the things that happened during the day while there are other times when I just rant.

Writing every day has not been the easiest thing to do at times (just ask my wife) but it has kept me writing which was the whole objective of this endeavor. While there has been a lot of posts put up that I really wouldn’t miss if they happened to disappear, there are a few articles that I am glad that I took the time to record the day, my thoughts, stories from my family, or pictures from our numerous trips throughout the past 300 days. All of these things pretty much sum up me. The good and the bad. The interesting and the boring (boring is kind of tipping the scales at this point though).

Knowing that I will be recording my daily life has made me focus on what is going on around me and has motivated to do more rather than let the days just pass by unceremoniously. While that doesn’t always guarantee that I will be out and about going from one place or event to another, it has at least required me to stop and think. And while it may not be evident in some of the ramblings that you have encountered over the past 300 days, I have had to organize my thoughts on a daily basis in order to move on to the activities of the following day.

So what am I planning to write about for the next 65 posts? I have no idea. Like many of the previous posts, and this one, I don’t know what I will be posting. I don’t even know if I will continue posting on a daily basis once I have his the one year mark. Although I am pretty sure that my creative OCD won’t let me take a day off. Maybe there is something that you want to read about, maybe you are curious about my thoughts on a subject or places that you would like to see pictures of (keep it local people). Well, I have just over two months of guaranteed content that I have to fill so don’t pass up the chance.

And now, because it’s Friday and I can, I leave you with a drunk monkey!

 

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Office Questionnaire

At the end of this past week in the office I got an interesting email from one of my fellow new colleagues. It was an email that many have received in the workplace over the years but, until now, I had never gotten one. It was a simple questionnaire to get to know each other a little better.

Here were the email questions along with my answers (some information has been removed but the questions remain the same):

·         Type of car you drive: Chevrolet Malibu [the 2012 is not very exciting but definitely practical]

·         Top five movies you could watch over and over: National Treasure, Gettysburg, Super Troopers / Beerfest [any Broken Lizard movie except Club Dread – that movie suuuucked], Talented Mr. Ripley, The Chosen, RED, Holy Land Hardball, You’ve Got Mail, Fargo, Hitler’s Children (let me know if this is not diverse enough) [I can never think of the movies that I stop and watch but these were the ones that came to mind]

·         Favorite TV show (currently or must watch re-runs): Who Do You Think You Are? (and other genealogy related shows). Close second is anything firearms related (i.e. Sons of Guns, American Guns, etc.). [also of note are Northern Exposure, The West Wing, Deadwood, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bargain Hunt, Big Bang Theory, NCIS, MacGyver, and many others]

·         Drink of choice (alcohol or non-alcohol): Coffee is my friend (and, by extension, yours too). [Dark beer is good too; the darker the better. And Scotch is right there with it].

·         Favorite superhero: Punisher or Batman (no super powers need apply).

·         Dream vacation destination: Always enjoy going to Jerusalem. Would also like to go to Ireland and Germany to explore my heritage. [of course I am up for traveling just about anywhere as you may have surmised by my numerous posts about my travels in the Commonwealth]

·         Music preference – genre or artist(s): I like a mix of most genres. However, I am finding that my ears don’t agree with much of the sounds produced today. [Metallica to 10,000 Maniacs; Verdi to Clint Black; Buddy Holly to Eminem; you get the idea]

·         Favorite app on your smartphone/tablet: Blogger (essential when you post every day). Close second is Ancestry.com. [too many apps makes me long for a green screen app].

·         Target or Wal-Mart: Wal-Mart (have you been to the Target on City Avenue? That will make you switch). [ironically, you can’t get ammo at Target. But if I had to pick between the two I would go with Amazon.com]

·         Must have snack: beef jerky. [mmmmm, jerky]

I would add:

·         What was your first car: 1998 Ford Mustang

·         Hobbies: Writing, Genealogy, Rotary, Masons, Firearms, Travel

·         Major in College: English/Creative Writing

·         First Job: Shipping books for an antiquarian book store in Wayne.

So, that was the simple questionnaire that I received on Friday. What would your answers be to those questions? Is there anything you would like me to write more about in a future post? Let me know and I will do my best to accommodate. In the meantime, have a great night and a wonderful week!