Friday, May 29, 2009

Mein Hous

Just thought I'd give you all a look at my little place here in Florida and a look at the current RT Mobile... Today, after four months waiting for the phone company to actually transfer my service and DSL, I'm finally back on line. What a clusterfuck that was. Somehow my order for a transfer of service from my old place to the new one was lost... And even after weeks of calling I finally got it straightened out. An actual DSL line, phone service, a HUGE apology and over a $500 credit to my bill, giving me well over 5 months of free service. My air conditioner also took a shit this weekend, and as it's getting into the really hot season, high 90's during the day and low 80's at night with humidity high into the 80% range I was going to start to melt, but my landlord, true to his word, had his guy out here first thing this morning fixing it.
One last thing to get fixed... My satellite TV dish was knocked out of alignment last week by a big storm... And for reasons that can't be repeated in writing, I was unable to contact the local TV provider... So I've resorted to this makeshift prop to hold my dish in alignment until my buddy John comes over tomorrow with a ladder, compass and power tools...

Just thought you guys would like to see the RT Abode... Where I do all my deep thinking, or was that deep drinking?

I forget...

Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

In Summer Mode

So now it's officially summer, and to celebrate, last night I went into Summer Mode at the Tiki Bar. It's a great place to hang out and if you're ever in Clewiston, FL check out Roland & Maryann Martin's Resort, Marina, Motel & Tiki Bar. Great food, (the best in Clewiston) great people and generally a fun place to hang out and unwind.
Got there early to stakeout my spot at the bar with my favorite frosty & ice cold tasty adult beverage. You can tell the locals (I'm officially a local now) by the personalized beer coozies. The servers and bartenders take them when you aren't looking and write things on them... I have it turned so that some of the more colorful aren't showing!

Storm brewing to the south... Forget about lighting the Tiki Torches tonight!




Hey Chocha, aren't you a little young to be hanging out in bars?

Two of the girls quite happy with a fruity tropical drink (complete with the paper umbrella) they've made for a Sheriff's SWAT team that was partying in the corner... Me, I'll just stick with beer.


And who could forget "Frenchfry", a 4 foot alligator that inhabits the lagoon next to the bar. They call him Frenchfry because everyone throws him fries and he gobbles them up. I think he's the only gator in Florida with high cholesterol...
Like I had mentioned before, I'm now officially a "Local"... Not only a Local, but a "Damn Yankee". A Damn Yankee is a Yankee who came down to Florida and decided to stay. Hell, I've been called a lot worse!
So, if you're in south Florida this summer, look me up and we'll bend an elbow at the Tiki!
Photos and senseless drivel Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Memorial Day

This weekend, when you're having your BBQ's, cook-outs and picnics remember what this weekend really means. Mary McHugh above, mourning her fiance, Sgt. James Regan at Arlington Nation Cemetery won't forget.
And as the New York Times degraded Sp4 Zachary Boyd for rushing to his post in pink boxers I salute him... I'd gladly serve with him as he is a true soldier in the spirit of the Minutemen.

Remember,

Freedom isn't free.

Lest We Forget.

Photos pinched from various websites, text copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Friday, May 22, 2009

Arrg!

Those of you who've wondered where I've been... I've been right here, but have had limited of no connectivity for the last week. On top of that a pretty big thunderstorm rolled through Monday and in the process knocked my satellite dish out of alignment and I've just now gotten that straightened out.
And as they say, it comes in threes... My central air took a shit yesterday. I'm waiting on the guy to show up today to fix that. At least my landlord here is on top of things and when I call about a problem he gets it fixed, unlike my old landlord.
So the rumors of my death and/or incarceration have been greatly exaggerated!
Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Just some random crap...

Right before the launch on Monday a group of kayakers paddled by on the river... That did look like a lot of fun! One woman had her cooler bungee corded down to the front of her boat. Must take care of the frosty cold adult beverages! I had no idea where they were going, but they paddled east towards the Space Center and disappeared out of sight well before the launch.
And speaking of the launch... I had to get out early to secure a good vantage point along the seawall and fence. I toted my own cooler down from my room and had my adult beverages liberally iced down for a long wait at around 9 AM. I had on shorts and a T-Shirt but took off my sandals early... Around 11:30 I was baking in the sun. Again and again I slathered on 30 SPF but apparently this stuff was defective... I didn't feel it happening at the time because I figured if I was going to bake, I'd might as well get stewed too and began to rehydrate the Irish way...

By 1:30 I was well on my way to Happy Land. My buddy Vern from work showed up with his son and the three of us got to watch a fantastic launch. He'd lived in Florida all his life and had never made the trip up to watch one in person, so this was a treat for all three of us. After the launch we retired to the hotel's lounge to get a few more cold and refreshing adult beverages. Soon after he departed to head back to Orlando, leaving me looking like a drunk Irish lobster. At around 4:30 I wasn't feeling all that great (I wonder why?) so I decided to take a nap... I woke up from my "nap" at 4 AM the next morning, not hung over, but definitely not feeling all that great.
With all the people around from all over I must have caught the cruds from someone there. I had a fever and my head was so clogged I couldn't breath out of my nose and my whole body ached, especially my feel and legs... Duh. I went to the local 24~hour Walgreen's and got some Sudafed and Solarcane.
Well medicated, I checked out at 7:30 to make the drive back south and got home at around 10:30 where I promptly took a huge swig of NyQuil and crawled into bed.
I'm still not feeling all that great, but I think I'm through the worst of it.
But of course I didn't get happy mail when I got home... Apparently my telephone company, who shall remain nameless for right now (unless shit gets really ugly) sent me a shut off notice for failure to pay the bill for my phone and interweb... Something I haven't had from them in over four months!
Here's that story, in a nutshell. When I moved into my new place here on the first of February, I had the phone company transfer my service... One week passed, then two. Still no phone or interweb service. What the fuck, over? I called and they gushingly apologized... Looked my new address up and said there was no phone service to my new home.
Heh?
It's right in the middle of town. I can see the phone lines running from the pole in the back yard to my house. That's total and utter bullshit. Someone was going to have to come out and look into it they said. A week later I get a door hanger saying they'll have to dig a trench and lay new cable to my house. The work was promised in "14 days or less". That was over three months ago. Nothing ever happened. I called and got a run-around. Now they're going to cut off non-existent service for an unpaid bill? Good. They've gotten from me in payments exactly what was provided to me in services for the last four months.
Zero.
When they decide to hook up my phone and interweb, I'll gladly write them a check, but not until then.
Oh, I do have the interweb, but like Ol' Bubba Clinton asked the military to do back in the 90's, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is my policy on that!
OK, I'm done ranting about that garbage...
I'm going bass fishing next week on Lake Okeechobee with a good friend of mine, Captain Ed. It's his slow time for guided fishing trips and he's invited me out for a day of fishing. All I have to do is pay for the bait and gas in his boat.
It pays to make good friends instead of life~long enemies like some people I know.
Photos and senseless drivel Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

STS-125

I left Clewiston for Titusville on Sunday morning... Everything went well except for when I was pulling out of my driveway I realized I'd forgotten my camera... That would have sucked. Anyway, the drive up was uneventful and the traffic was light. Got to the hotel, checked in and went out to see the shuttle. From the back of the hotel was the Indian River, and right across that was the launch complex.

About a half hour before the lift-off clouds moved in, and somehow the zoom feature on my camera decided not to work, so these are the best pictures I could get.
They really don't do it justice... To actually be there when it goes up is a sight to see. I'd really recommend watching at least one before they retire the program.



The most amazing thing was it took almost a full minute for the sound to get to us standing on the shore of the river... loud as it was you could still feel the ground shake at five miles!


I did take a bunch more pictures but these were the best of the bunch, thanks to my malfunctioning zoom lens. There's a few more launches this year but I'll watch them from Hoover Dike here in Clewiston. Next year after the sugar crop is over I'll go up for another one and I should have a new camera by then.
Photos & senseless drivel Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Friday, May 08, 2009

If my mom were alive...

She'd say I was nuts!
For years I've wanted one. There was a time, several years ago when I could afford one I wasn't "allowed" to have one, then, after my divorce I could finally have one and couldn't afford one...
I've always wanted a Harley Davidson Electra Glide...

Now that's a bike!



I'll probably not get the HD Electra Glide Classic...



But it will be an Electra Glide!



Like this Electra Glide Standard.. I'll probably go with HD Vivid Black. It'll be a pain in the ass keeping clean, But man will it look great! As a friend's wife told me recently, there's nothing like a 800 pound vibrator!
Anyway, I have several friends here in Florida that have them and especially now, in the summer I feel left out. My buddies and their wives and girlfriends are forever going on bike runs. They have all the fun... I know, I've seen the pictures and heard the stories!

So now I know what you're all thinking... Tommy's gone off and is having a mid-life crisis. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I'm extremely happy with where I'm at in my life right now. I'm happier now than I've been in a long, long time. With myself I mean. I'm not happy with other things, like the country, but I'm not going there in this post.
What I mean I'm not hitting some point in my life where I'm afraid of losing my youth. Hell, I did that years ago. I'm happier now than I ever was in my 20's and especially in my 30's. I'm just now learning to like myself again and am sick of seeing all my friends having fun.
I want some fun for a change DAMMIT!
So probably by the end of the year the new RT~Mobile is going to be an Electra Glide in Black!


Photos pinched from various Harley Davidson sites
Other mindless drivel Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Wednesday, May 06, 2009

I've done an Arlen...

As in Arlen Specter.

Sort of.

For over 25 years I've been a registered Republican. But the last few years and this past Presidential election have completely soured me on The Grand Old Party. To me, not only have they gone completely against what I feel are the issues... That they've done in spades. What's worse is they've gone completely against the Constitution. We've got a base in the Republican Party that has no clue what we, The People want. They've forgotten it's We The People who are the boss.
I'm completely baffled by the last few years. I had no clue where we were going as a country and it was getting more and more Orwellian every time I watched the news. I did not, nor do I dig what the Patriot Act is doing to our country. Of course I feel that terrorism is a clear and present danger to our Republic, but I refuse to give up one iota of my personal freedoms for even a little safety.
So we have one party who has no clue what the people want, and a second party, the Democratic Party, who feel we're too stupid to think for ourselves and feel it's up to the Government to lead us from cradle to grave with their idea of what's good for us. Who are blaming the Republicans for the financial crisis in this country forgetting it was they're liberal policies in the 90's regarding loans and mortgages... "What" You can't afford that house? Don't worry! I'll get you that mortgage anyway!"
I'm so sick of it. The political correctness. What ever happened to personal responsibility and integrity? Ask Carrie Prejean. I salute her for standing up for what she believed was right. Whether I agree with her or not isn't the point. I have so much respect for her for doing what so many of us are so afraid to do these days. Actually stand up for what she believes in! You know what? If she had said she believed that all people should be able to marry trees in the forest, was serious and truly believed that, I'd still respect that whether I agreed with her or not. People who just quote party lines and say what's politically correct as to not offend someone my respect would have gone out the window.
You know what? Fuck Perez Hilton!
We're facing now what I believe is a Great Turning Point in our Republic. We are on the cusp of turning so Socialist that even the French are worried that we're turning to socialist... The fucking French for Christ's sake!
But yet, we have leaders, or should I say alleged leaders, who are sworn to not only uphold and defend the Constitution, but to serve we The People. Who do and say anything to get re-elected that they've sold out and sold they're souls years ago.
That's exactly what Arlen Specter has done in my understanding. He didn't change parties because he's had a change of heart and really believes in the Democratic party, but to get re-elected!
He doesn't give a rat's ass about what his constituency feels or wants.
He just wants to stay in power.
Fucking toad.
I've got all the right to say that even though I live in Florida. I lived in Philadelphia. I was born and raised there. I actually voted for this Troglodyte several times!
I tell you what. Back in 1983 I was so Proud when I registered the first time as a Republican. I was beaming with pride the first time I voted for Ronald Reagan.
Ronald Reagan is spinning in his grave right now.
With his leadership, I helped win the Cold War.
Defeated the Evil Empire.
Now we've become the Evil Empire... Socialism and enslavement are only a heartbeat away.
I refuse to be a sheep.
I refuse to give up.
I'll never give up the oath I took as a soldier so many years ago... To protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
So today I did the unthinkable.
I went to the courthouse today and changed my voter's registration from Republican to Libertarian.
I was saddened, but then again what choice do I have?
It's the ONLY party in this country that stands for everything I still believe in and hold dear.
So I'm a Turncoat. A Benedict Arnold. An Arlen Specter.
But at least a Benedict Arnold had a few principles, unlike Arlen Specter, and the rest of the politicians in this country today.
Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Makes you think...

"Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness."
"I would rather die on my feet, than live on my knees"
"Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth"
~George Washington
Found maxims from our first President while going through some quotes tonight. Apt, the way the country is going theses days I think. I like all three, but the third really strikes home. I wonder if Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi understand it.
Doubt it.
Makes you wonder what he was thinking over two hundred years ago, doesn't it?
I love quotes.
Especially from great men, greater men than I.
Quotes George Washington, circa 1780
Other bullshit text Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden

Friday, May 01, 2009

Sometimes illiteracy

Can be a good thing...
But not when I'm trying to write the Great American Novel! I'm already on my third rewrite, and I've been making plenty more mistakes than normal. Thank God for spellcheck in MS Word.
I think what's happening is my mind is going faster than my fingers on the keyboard. I have the whole story up in my gray matter and just trying to get it all out in print is giving me fits. I'm going to take a day off from writing, let it digest and go back to it Saturday.
Maybe then I'll be able to make sense of the garbage I've written the last few days.
Picture pinched from Google photo search for "illiteracy"
Copyright 2009 Thomas J Wolfenden