Here is the partial post (not parcel post) that I started and never finished on Feb. 26th......

Sunrise February 25th. Dumpling Clouds and a bird in flight.
Chuck Pace © 2009
On the sunny Sunday morning that ushered in the last week of February 2009 I got up just like it was a work day, this was not a day that the snooze button would be employed. After the mornings essentials, I dressed. Thermal long-johns, cargo pants, a tee shirt ,over-shirt and wool socks. I loaded up camera gear, doffed sunglasses and placed cameras and batteries on my belt. All of that out of the way I sat in front of the computers I now sit in front of again. At my left shoulder the G4 Titanium laptop which I use to do my posts, house my massive music collection (and off of, on two external hard drives) and iPhoto and Photoshop imaging libraries and programs. At my right shoulder my (second) 1st gen iMac with Facebook as it's home-page, shared library for music (from Jenni's second gen iMac, the laptop and it's own sparse iTunes library), internet connection and wireless router hub. Slightly off center above those two computers the LCD TV/computer monitor fed additional images and screen savers from the laptop. With this menagerie I post my Things are Indeed Looking Up post, while I wait for the clock to tell me it's time to head downtown to meet up with the Chicago Auto Show bound Chatterboxers.
The drive in on I-70 westbound from Cumberland was fast and uneventful. The sky was clear and blue and for the last 5 miles of the inbound run I was able to watch helicopters placing large house-sized HVAC boxes on top of the AUL Tower. I arrived on Mass ave. without unpleasant incident, stopped at the Fireman's CU money machine for some cash. With a bit of time to kill I stopped in at the Starbucks for Java and waited fro David Andrichik to arrive in the Chariot that would wisk us away to the Windy City.
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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Listening to ''Sand Castles In The Snow'', by Public Image Ltd. (Play Count: 1)
Today, in a matter of hours actually I am northbound therefore I will be looking up. The Interstate and the Chattervan are taking me to The final day of this years Chicago Auto-Show. I have attended a few of the Indy Auto-show but have never been to the regions premier event until later today.
Listening to ''Mr No'', by John Foxx (Play Count: 1)
I have to tell you I'm excited. As I sit here trying to think of things to say I realize that, while I always have something to say, I will have much more to report after the show. Also as I type I listen to extensive iTunes Library on shuffle.
Listening to ''Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat Major for Horn and Orchestra, K. 447: III. Rondo: Allegro vivace'', by Vienna Volksoper Orchestra (Play Count: 2)
My 13462 songs that would take slightly over 302 days to play from one end to the other form an unbelievably eclectic mix of styles, so I've decide to list the songs as they come up.
Listening to ''Is There Something I Should Know?'', by Duran Duran (Play Count: 1) from Arena the Live album.
In other news, the RSS feed I tried to attach through my web publishing software does not seem to have taken effect.
Listening to ''Black & Gold (Marcussen Album Version)'', by Sam Sparro (Play Count: 1)
I have to do a full website upload to get it to show I think, that usually take hours to perform, I'll have to wait until I have a couple of hours to sit and baby sit the world HQ mainframe to make sure it doesn't fall asleep in process.
Listening to ''Codeine'', by Love Spit Love (Play Count: 2)
It' been 24 minutes since I started this post, the songs are starting to stack up and I'm betting most of my readers are lost already. Yesterday Jenni and I went to Greenfield for breakfast (it makes more sense than you think) and to change to change things up we listened to her iPod Touch through the interface in the 'Vert.
Listening to ''Faithless'', by Altered Images (Play Count: 1)
I gave her a hard time about all the songs being from 1974 to mid 1980's, she has a paltry collection of songs compared to the audio-filer but then again who doesn't?
Listening to ''Dreamville'', by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (Play Count: 1)
If you questions about any of the songs I have faithfully listed (regardless of what Clare, our pixie voiced lead singer of Altered Images says) send me an e-mail or ask me in person. You will be answered to the best of my abilities.
Listening to ''Freslin (original mix)'', by TechScaper (Play Count: 1)
Well I've rambles all over this canvas of light and not painted to many connecting images, so I guess I better get my gear in gear ad any gear-head would, and get to Mass Ave. to meet up with Mister A, Mister B and Mister B's father. It should be a fun trip, filled will all sorts of conversational avenues and automotive insights.
Listening to ''Two Doors Down'', by Dwight Yoakam (Play Count: 3)
You will of course be privy to at least some portions of this dialog and insight as I embellish on the inter-webs in the near future. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed that not one of the songs played here was about cars, or by The Cars.
Listening to ''Ecstasy'', by Rusted Root (Play Count: 0)
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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Listening to ''Somebody To Love'', by Queen (Play Count: 0)

I have mentioned that I might be changing and updating my look here at the "old" web-site. Well, I'm not doing that just yet. Mainly because I don't even remember exactly how I "built" the current template, and secondly I really need to stay with the whole, posting more often. To that end I have (attempted to) provide a service for my disenfranchised or reluctant readers.
If I was successful I think I have added an RSS feed which you can subscribe too which will let you know when I have updated the blog, and provide a bit of the latest entries. That way you could just check the feed link and see if I have gone another week without posting. You may have to ask your browser's help menu to learn more about RSS, how to set yours, and how to be alerted by it to new entries. Mine should say Thoughtpukes in the title somewhere. Remember this is a learning curve deal for me too. Feel free to contact me with suggestions or problems. I will try (anything) to resolve them for a better blogging experience. Who knows, maybe videos or next, or podcasts or...
O.K. baby steps again, I have grown complacent, but I don't want to over reach my new goals. Ve shall zee vhat ve shall zee!
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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What does it take to make you happy? No really where does your happiness spring from? I don't know either, but I thought you might. Are we all that different? Again, I don't know. I have a quick wit and a analytical/syncopated/musical mind, but I'm not all that great of follow through. I have a set of conditions I like to adhere too, and I judge myself against those at all times. You might see it as a competitive nature, but I'm not necessarily trying to beat you, I may not even be aware that you are competing with me, I have to perform within my set guidelines for myself, when I fail me, I can't imagine that I haven't failed you too. If you are on my team, or depend on me , I take that responsibility serious too. I may not have the same expectations for you, I may not judge your performance against mine (or your median performance), I judge myself against my expectations of my abilities. I rarely have a good time when I fail myself. It's hard to get away with anything when the judge, jury and executioner all live under the same roof. Having passed this judgement, and condemned myself in the process, I will say that if I am in a situation where I am with good friends, I will take a few liberties with my punishment. I might even forgive an forget my own shortcomings, for the sake of the core. It's been known to happen.

Well for the first time in an long time there is not a Hendrick Motorsports driver in the top ten in Nascar. Not to say what would be the top 43 lineup if the weather had cooperated little longer, still it was an exciting race, and a good party at Rich's too.
Congrats to Matt Kenseth, and Roush Racing for the one lap pass that became the wet flag lap as the heavens opened up and said, ENOUGH! Congrats to Junior for the unexplainable media bias, and the re-writing of the event seen by millions right before our eyes. If Junior says he was bumped down under the yellows (contrary to the 20 camera angles, super slow motion and aerial evidence, and other drivers involved), and he didn't lift (despite the rules) or take out the number one competitor for the "lucky dog," then that accident weren't his fault. No need to fret about it, the golden boy still has his golden ticket birthright. Sell some jeans and energy juice Juney, the commercialized american media fool has your back. Again. We have the potential to see this same story 35 more times, and not just with one Hendrick driver but several. The beat goes on, na neh na neh naaa.
This was the umptenth Turkey Fry event at Rich's, and he has the oil boiled bird down to a science. This year there were some first timers to the event. Notably a gaggle of Chatterbowlers: Christian Brown, Bec Hutton, John Suenram, Kristofer Bowman and Patrick Schutte. Then came a line-up of next timers, "the occasional suspects": Jeff Barber, David Andrichik, Jamie, Barb and Mike Novak. An finally the reoccurring regulars, Guy and Maddie Tucker, J.D. (who had a first-time guest Erin), Mike Wilson, Joe Bula, Kay Niedenthal, Melissa Shoffner, John Qualkenbush, Jenni Pace and myself. There were a few notable absence's as well, Richard Plath was expected, Ed and Pam were a couple of sniveling no shows (literally they were both suffering from head colds and discomforts), and The DiNicolas. Jenni postulated that Liz was all but dead after a valentine day chocolate and truffle event the day before.
Time is my enemy again. I could sit here for another hour and spew conjecture and invective, recap and recount other moments, but there is a job and a day tugging on my sleeve.
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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Who remembers the movie Matinee? John Goodman as the huckster film promoter, during the bay of pigs nuclear attack scare? Remember the Film that he was promoting? MANT! The mutant Man-Ant created in the genre of real nuclear scare era movies? Like that movie inside the movie, it has very little to do with the story line. Well only the title of this post has any relevance to that movie or the use of any memories created by it. Like the movie promoter in the film, using Mant was just a vehicle to get me into the real post which now follows:

What is Romance? Is it a love affair,a fanciful story or whimsical narrative? Is it a diversionary adventure or a flight of fancy? Perhaps it is an intimate sexual relationship between two people? More like a strong or enthusiastic like for something? You might think it is an attempt to win the affection of someone?  The answer is of course, Yes.
According to a dictionary it is any or all of those things. Now that I have your attention I have to ask, what does it have to do with the Feast of St. Valentine, or FTD or Sweetest day?
Is Love more important one day of the year than any other day? Is a person’s romantic worth to be graded by impersonal paper sentiments distributed in grade schools? Is it more necessary to be linked to another as a romantic interest on the 45th day of each year than the 8th or 300th? Is it important to be happy on valentine’s day? Do we know why St. Valentine was martyred? Does the date of his interment make you want to feast or drink wine and eat chocolates? Are you loveless, heartless or callous if you have a bad valentines day?  Is your self esteem linked to a batter of sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, gums, coloring and flavoring pressed and baked into a pencil eraser sized heart with the words “be mine” on it?  Will you forever be a hermit or spinster if you don't recognize the power of February 14th? Do you need a hug? Do you only need or receive hugs on this very special median day of the second month? Could commercialism have played a part in the perceived popularity of this "any other day" day? Are you lonesome tonight? Would you dare play it on the jukebox at the Chatterbox on February 14th? Would you be incensed if you heard it played on Valentines day? Can you believe that I was threatened by 4 lonely hearts in that very bar, on that very day about 6 years ago because I did that very thing? How about if I mentioned that I play that song, #123 every other time I'm in there playing tunes, that I'm a huge Elvis Presely fan and I really like that song? I don't deserve LOVE or my choice of musical entertainment on the termination of the second week of February if I drop two quarters into a music machine an play a song that should be in no way offensive? I'm politically incorrect if you are lonesome tonight and I play a song that reminds you? Maybe if your panties were not in a bunch you would have been on a friggin date, and out of my face. I'm just sayin.
Happy Valentines day, Love Ya, Be Mine, how about a Hug?
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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Thursday I did some chores and worked my rump off, I slept in late because I could but when I got up it was Johnny bar the door. I wrote 3 stanzas that explains. it.

Yesterday I got a little sore
I was higher than the ceiling
I was flat down on the floor
I fished inside my walls
I fished without a shore

Yesterday I realized a sonic delight
I climbed outside the walls
I reached a satellite
and got a call from deepest space
Yesterday turned out all right

Yesterday I won a drywall fight
and knocked a hole into the heavens
that won't let in any light
But the sound it made was perfect
So I listened to it throughout the night

Thursday I made 7 trips into the attic, two trips to Home depot and ran 75 feet of specialized antenna cable diagonally from one corner of my attic to the wall of my home entertainment area, then down that wall 7 feet to a custom made (by me) gang box that carried the TV cable, the XM cable and on wall speaker cords out to their respective components and back up through the attic. Friday I was so sore in my upper-body from hauling myself through the access panel in the garage that even shrugging made me wince. I never realized how often I shrug, oh well (ouch) I learned something.
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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The night sky was dark, angry clouds raced over barren leafless trees. An obscured moon lent just enough reflection to make clashing, overlapping clouds look like grey puzzle pieces floating on swiftly moving black water. The wind howled and pushed against the house. Inside curtains moved as if from a gentle breeze even though the windows were closed and locked. Ceiling rafters tapped morse code cadences and inside doors and walls creaked like the decks of old sailing ships.
I lay in bed not about to fall asleep, covers thrown off, wearing Corona lounge pants and no shirt. I lay listening to the night. The night had a lot to say. A half minute long barrage on the windows less than two feet from my supine form made me think that the storm glass and window pane just might be shattering soon and slicing those lounge pants and flesh to ribbons.  After the sound, like an out of balance clothes dryer drum abated I sat up on the edge of bed facing the curtains. Watching the curtains undulating like seaweed in low tide.
“You know, I’m not really sleepy yet,” I confided to myself. A quick look at an iPhone app told me what I already knew, Windy. The details revealed steady 27 mph winds gusting up to 50, with bursts up to 65 mph. I though it unfair that wind could go faster than the cars heading west on the on the Interstate tonight. I got up, using just the iPhone screen to negotiate to the bedroom door, leaving Jenni to sleep since she has to work Thursday and I have it off.
I walked the darkened house still listening to the wind and the night. Earlier I had brought in a few pieces of a garden table that had been grabbed by a gust and dashed into the side of the house, I remembered where it was in the darkened theatre of my creaking house and avoided sharp edges. Amazed that the power had not even flickered I decided to head to the chuckpace.com World Headquarters and begin a post. For about a minute I sat in front of the LCD laptop screen and thought “what should I write about?” Electrical concerns put visions of “Reddy Kilowatt” in my head and that led to “Speedy Alka-Seltzer” that and earlier I had to take an antacid due the pizza I had brought home after work. When I sat down to put this together I launched my iTunes, (of course) and started playing Tchaikovsky's "The Tempest, Op. 18", Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1985), Conducted by Claudio Abbado , one of the greatist building-storm songs ever written. Its been 2 hours since I got out of that bed and wandered and wondered, and started this post. The memory lane trip with company logo-mascots got a bit out of hand when I remembered "Mr. Zip," the post office's effort to get us all to use the new postal zip codes to get our mail to its destination quicker.

The wind is still whipping and ripping around outside and I'm going to finish this and go lay on the couch, far from any windows. The rafter creaking is worse out here in the World HQ and the front room. I would swear that there was an upstairs on this house and that some very large people were up there dancing in their stocking feet if the front room didn't have a cathedral ceiling. Looks like its headphones on and the iPod/iPhone playing loud upbeat music.
Remember,
MAIL moves the country,
ZIP CODE moves the mail!
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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Boomer reminds a house with a 50% Cleveland audience where they are!
Last night Mike Wilson and I were treated to a spectacle at Conseco, when David Andrichik took us to the Cleveland
Cavaliers vs. The Pacers match. (Technically speaking Kay Niedenthal took Mike and I to the game, David had obligations which precluded his joining us until right before the festivities actually got under way). Billed as Danny Granger -Indiana's solo All-Star- vs. LeBron James, that aspect of the game was clearly lopsided in LeBron's favor. Throughout the contest the game was close, Indiana and Cleveland swapping leads all through the 2nd half.
Roy Hibbert, Troy Murphy , Jarrett Jack and Travis Diener were the unsung heros of the contest keeping the Pacers in the game. Mr. James knocked down 45 points including two questionable free throws with .4 seconds on the clock to tie the game at 95. The final opportunity for the pacers came after a "45" which let them inbound from the front court, the ball was passed to Granger who was able to get close to the basket and was 'bumped' in the air as he tried to complete an alley-oop from inbounder Jarrett Jack.

LeBron James drops in his 45th point and ties the game with 00.4 on the clock.
LeBron brought the contact and Granger brought the first free throw, which pushed Danny's point's total to a meek 16 (normally closer to a half-time tally for Indy's number 33). With 00.1 on the clock a miracle would be needed for Cleveland to get the "W," Granger took the final free-throw off the side of the the rim and Cavalier Anderson Varejao rebounded and from the Pacers paint under the basket rocketed the ball to and of the rim on the other end of the court. Time had expired and the Pacers were a 1 point victor in a very fan fun night's contest.
The sidebar shots were from our time out entertainments, the high flying hijinx of the Powerpack at the end of the 3rd quarter, and the Pacemates barely containing themselves after a rousing (if not arousing)dance routine.
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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Nature, It is amazing. One day you are getting 6 or 7 inches of snow,the then next it's too cold to snow then days after that it's 50 degrees and the melting begins. About a week ago I was worried by the screech the convertible starter was making in the sub zero morning as I was trying to pre-warm the car for a morning drive to work. Sunday afternoon I put the top down on that same convertible and drove to the bowling alley with a hoodie on but unzipped. That is Indiana weather. That's the weather I have grown up with and expect to be unpredictable. The rest of the week is supposed to be warm and Tuesday we are expected to see the mercury rise north of 62 degrees. temperature reading.
This photo was taken on January 28th after the next big snow. The neighborhood association conveniently pushed the street snow up into our driveway.
This was 11 days later the big thaw . February 8th. Since then it's been warm, windy and getting wetter. The good news is that the weekend is back to snow capable weather.
Due to circumstances beyond my control this post was not postable for three days, therefore its a little less timely.
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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This day of thawing out in central Indiana is a somber one for the Jackson, Mason, Seifert and Pace families. Funeral services for Robert "Bobby" Jackson of New Palestine Indiana are today from 3 to 8. Bobby was Jenni's Uncle, a perpetually pleasant man who loved family greatly and was always charitable and fun to be around. Bobby was a snow bird and was staying in Florida where his Niece Susie Siefert was visiting when he started complaining of severe internal pains. He went over a week in the hospital there before it was decided he should be brought to Indianapolis for treatment. He arrived the day of the big snow the 12+ inch snow. I took over two hours for the ambulance to get him from the airport to Community North Hospital, and he was in very bad shape before that. The Prognosis was bad, two or three days, and he passed before the second day back in his home state. Jenni's mother Peggy Mason is the only surviving Jackson sibling, Sandy her older sister passed from cancer a few years ago. Sandy lived in Morristown Southeast of New Palestine and the services were held at the same funeral home as Uncle Bobby's will be today. Jenni and I miss both of them, Bobby's deep caring voice and sense of humor and both of their charitable giving natures. It is a sadder world without them and they will be remembered with joy.
Chuck Pace ©2009 
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