þÿ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> <meta name="generator" content="RapidWeaver" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../styles.css" /><style type="text/css" media="all"></style><script type="text/javascript" src="../javascript.js"></script><script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"></script> <title>Up Chucks</title> </head> <body class="blog-archive-background"> <div class="blog-archive-headings-wrapper"> <div class="blog-archive-month">Up Chucks</div> <div class="blog-archive-link"><a href="../index.html">Thoughtpukes </a></div> </div> <div class="blog-archive-entries-wrapper"> <div id="unique-entry-id-291" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Irish Up</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/25/08 06:40 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="88dbe4c55bad7d95f574521524ba95d1-291.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><p style="text-align:center;" ><img class="imageStyle" alt="CP_RachelS" width="422" height="342" src="page11_blog_entry291_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#387a5c;"><em>Saturday Night with Rachel Shirley at Irish Fest '08</em></span><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="drink_up" width="162" height="237" src="page11_blog_entry291_2.jpg"/></div>Time is an amazing thing. I may have mentioned time before. It is hard to believe that it was a week ago tomorrow when a three day pass was the way to fun and entertainment. Indy's Irish fest has come and gone again. It was a packed weekend, that wasn't a three day weekend. I worked on Friday, then Rich and I went to the Irish fest at Military park. We met up with compatriot and coworker Michael Wallace Wilson. This is nothing new, we've been doing this for four years straight. Friday night we acquainted ourselves with the layout and locations of the vendors and the all important beer trucks. Friday night was over almost before it began, and other than food and a glass or two of Guinness the only purchase I made was a Black Sheep tie. Being thoughtful citizens and wise beyond our years (even Wilson's) we reserved an Embassy Suite for our Saturday night party and partiers. <br /><br /></p><p><img class="imageStyle" alt="Keith_Roberts_CP" width="521" height="390" src="page11_blog_entry291_3.jpg"/><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#276245;"><em><br />Me with Keith Roberts , Front man for the Young Dubliners, <br /></em></span><span style="color:#276245;"><em>photo: Rachel Shirley &copy; 2008</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#276245;"><em><br /></em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#276245;"><em>Saturday:</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#276245;"><em> </em></span> We didn't arrive at the festive site until around 5:30, since we stopped at the Suite on the 14th floor and dropped of all non-essential items and affects. Then a short walk got us to the gates of the park. Soon enough we found Mike Wilson diligently working away at Beer Truck #5 (I think). See, Mike volunteers to work the Irish Fest's every year, and Rich and I volunteer to attend. Mel Shoffner arrived not long before we completed our first pass around the grounds with Jenni, who (like Mel) was not in the Friday evening fest festivities. One of our favorite venders this year was artist/painter T. W. Williams of the 317 area code. We all liked several of his pieces (I think Rebecca even liked one or two but it is so hard to tell with the hard drinkers!) and in a surprise move rich bought one of his favorites before we left for the Embassy Suites and our hired room for the evening. Jenni, who's bursa bereaved knee which she had a cortisone shot in a few day earlier, left before the final acts of the fest crew were acted out. The remainders of our crew all wandered over to the Claddagh Stage and watched The Young Dubliners live while finishing off our food/beverages tickets. Rachel Shirley one of my Roberts camera customers who Rich, Mike and I hung with on Friday night returned form a Wedding shoot in St. Louis to finish the night with our group again. Rachel and I bought Young Dubs merch and got the autographs of the entire band after the encore song.<br /> <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Mel_Pete_Rach" width="218" height="177" src="page11_blog_entry291_4.jpg"/></div>Then for most of us the last stop of the evening was Sneaky Pete's Irish Peat Bog cooking concession, I've blogged about Pete in the past. Another great Irish fest was in the bag and our core, short Jenni who had already left and Wilson who decided to head out instead, marched to the Suite of a different drunk. No, that was an illusionary phrase I was not to far into my cups on this evening. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#34684c;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008&nbsp;</em></span><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('09258');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('09258');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('09258');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('09258'); </script></a><img class="imageStyle" alt="shamrockborder" width="259" height="47" src="page11_blog_entry291_5.jpg"/><br /></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-287" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Dream Weaver</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/08/08 08:54 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="193f06c7b0e9df78d458a6b54d336e82-287.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="color:#2e0307;">So Bob at work has been having some weird dreams because of the acid reflux medicine he has been taking. Occasionally he shares one of his bizarre nocturnal admissions with his coworkers. <br />This is not the case with me, I dream (I'm sure) but I usually don't remember the episodes, add to that the waking and sleeping problems I perpetually have and it is rare that I have a dream of memory or substance. Saturday morning I woke up with the creepies at 4:09 AM. I wasn't overly horrified or some such, but I did wake up. I did remember.<br />My Father-in-law Bill and I were in South America (I would guess Venezuela) for a wedding, (I don't know who's though). We flew into a small airport, then rode in a dusty truck to a community building. I decided to take a shower to get ready for the ceremony, I don't know where Bill went while I was washing up, but when I came out with a towel around me my suitcase was gone, with all my clothes. The room was fairly large, and there were some boxes and crates against one wall. I saw a piece of fabric through an opening in one of the crates so </span><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="spider-1" width="259" height="272" src="page11_blog_entry287_1.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#2e0307;">I walked over and put my hand into the crate. Immediately hundreds of black shiny spiders about the size of dimes were covering my right hand. I tried to brush them off with my left and knocked several off, but they were secreting fluids onto my hand which was making my flesh liquify. As is hurriedly used my left hand to squeegee more arachnids away my fingers were fusing together with the melting skin, and spiders were getting inside my hand and were moving under the skin towards my wrist. I tightened the left hand and squeegeed some of the nasty devils back out through fingers that where like flaps of wet rubber over tendons and bones. I could hear and feel spiders being crushed under the skin and it seemed like I was barely getting ahead of the battle. <br /></span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="spider_2" width="244" height="218" src="page11_blog_entry287_2.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#2e0307;">I woke up with my heart beating a little harder than usual and took a deep breath and thought about how intense that was. I held my hand up in front of my face and spread my fingers just to be sure, then I fluffed my pillow and sought to reenter sleep in a different dreamscape. After we got up to start our day off from work Saturday I told Jenni a synopsis of the dream, she being an arachnophobe was more shaken than I. I came into the World HQ and sketched the offensive creatures and took it in to show to Jenni. The drawings were later taken into photoshop and cleaned up but are basically the same as I saw them in my dream. <br /><br />Now that you have seen them will you be able to ward them off in your sleep? I hope so.</span> <br /><p style="text-align:center;" ><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#a6210f;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008&nbsp;</em></span><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('0988');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('0988');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('0988');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('0988'); </script></a></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-286" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Sunday Drive on Monday</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/02/08 07:05 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="5f8e8f188ee9fdc0c0b293c333fa0642-286.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="CB_2687" width="532" height="302" src="page11_blog_entry286_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Rolling Stone Bridge 1915 </em></span><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="RSCB_2685" width="259" height="187" src="page11_blog_entry286_2.jpg"/></div>Due to the recent Day of Labor federal holiday, my weekend gave me an additional day of slumber. Jenni and I are not accustomed to a lot of slumber, so we hit the highways and byways and even the graveled country ways of Putnam and Parke County in search of a few of the Worlds Greatest concentration of Covered Bridges. With well over 30 to choose from, but not nearly as many hours to seek them out, we hit eleven of those nearest to Indianapolis. The first four were actually in Putnam County. The first two near Bainbridge Indiana were the Rolling Stone (pictured above on the right) and Bakers Camp Bridges built in 1915 and 1901 respectively. Then two more further south on either side of Greencastle were the Dunbar and the Oakalla Bridges. We left home at 10:00 am and by the time we had knocked the first four off our list of musty must sees it was already quarter after one. All four were in use and in good shape and not at all musty that was just an illusionary tactic I took to further the dialog. <br />With the weather cooperating to its fullest and the sun bringing a cloudless 90&deg; to terra firma we enjoyed a thirty minute drive to the next water crossing, the Big Rocky Fork Bridge (not pictured), built in 1900 by J.J. Daniels. Big Rocky Fork's condition was not as good and it was by passed by a new bridge and no longer open to anything but foot traffic. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="dunbarCB_" width="532" height="286" src="page11_blog_entry286_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The 173 ft long Dunbar Bridge built 1880 North of Greencastle</em></span>.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; color:#714c2e;"><em>Read the historical marker below at the end of today's post.</em></span> <br />From there it was a trek to the Conleys Ford Bridge built in 1907. Heading North and East just a spit and whistle we came to the Mansfield area which looks like a place Stephen King might have envisioned. It was in full tourist trappings, and appeared to be deserted, except for a half dozen bikers who were overheard saying that in the second week of October you couldn't move because of the crowds. I believe I will avoid this "place" in October. The bridge itself is a wonder, extremely long and the second oldest (1867) on our labor day tour. <br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="crooksCB_2764" width="259" height="242" src="page11_blog_entry286_4.jpg"/></div>Our next mission was to get into Rockville for a dinner break. Even though the bridges them selves were free for the viewing the Sun was exacting a toll. By the bank sign in Rockville we learned that it was now 94&deg; and we decided to cut short our tour and just hit three or four more bridges on the way back. The next three on the list are the Crooks, the McAllister (where I spotted a giant Sunflower field), and the Neet Bridge which has a neat little mall around it and is also closed to all but foot traffic. The Crooks Bridge (1856) has a bit of a lean to it and is cabled to a giant tree. I drove through as Jenni stood outside and captured it on video. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="sunflr_2773" width="530" height="317" src="page11_blog_entry286_5.jpg"/><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="brgtnCB_2792" width="532" height="398" src="page11_blog_entry286_6.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Bridgeton Bridge, built 2006 Bridgeton Indiana. </em></span><strong><br /></strong><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Dunbar_sign" width="259" height="354" src="page11_blog_entry286_7.jpg"/></div>The very last bridge was Bridgeton's Bridge. A new construction bridge in a town not unlike Mansfield (except that there is a population of corporeal cohabitants). The Bridgeton bridge was built in 2006 (150 years after Crooks') and is very nice. Then it was a quest for speed and we hit major highways and eventually an interstate to make it back to the World Headquarters by 6:45. <br />This is our first trek west to the Covered Bridge Capital of the World. Parke County is home to some 31 or so covered bridges, and at least 6 of the 11 bridges we encountered are east and south of Parke County, so we have our our road tripping future ahead of us for some time to come. We also have to head south again and check out the Moscow Bridge in Shelby County Bridge which was taken away by tornadoes on June 2nd of this year but is being rebuilt even as I write. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#a6210f;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008&nbsp;</em></span><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('0928');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('0928');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('0928');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('0928'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-284" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Air Game and the Ground Game</div><div class="blog-entry-date">08/25/08 06:45 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="c298bc564e65d4de104c4262f661ab71-284.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="raptor top" width="526" height="286" src="page11_blog_entry284_1.jpg"/><br />F-22A Raptor<br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="raptor bombay" width="182" height="150" src="page11_blog_entry284_2.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#000f39;">Sunday's Indianapolis Air Show at Mt. Comfort was another stunning success. The F-22A Raptor is more than amazing, it is the most technically advanced war bird ever. Seeing the maneuverability and raw power is awe inspiring. Then when I heard the show announcer say that it weighs 68 thousand pounds my jaw dropped. This beast weighs 34 tons? This brick that can troll at 80 knots, and can turn completely around and go the other direction in about the space of a city block has the same weight as 100 new BMW 330i's.<br /></span><span style="color:#000f39;"><br /></span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="2_birds" width="189" height="265" src="page11_blog_entry284_3.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#000f39;">The Lucas Oil biplane was impressive, as were the Fagen Ethanol biplane and the wing walker and the historic War-Birds. Now I only have to wait another 12 month to see the next air show, the lucky 13th. <br /></span><span style="color:#000f39;">Too bad the other Lucas Oil happening was not as lucky. The Colts were in the New Stadium facing a real opponent last night. Lucky for all concerned that it was a pre-season game, one that does not effect the season or the run for another record breaking AFC South Championship and Post season appearance. Peyton, who is still recovering from off season knee surgery was in the house in civilian apparel, so was his back-up Jim Sorgi. Back-up back-ups Quinn Gray and Jared Lorenzen had themselves a dismal night. Between the two back-ups there were 4 interceptions, 210 yards passing and only 1 touchdown. My inability to be in more than one place at any given moment placed me in front of a TV for the Colts non-dome home debacle. <br />Quantum Physics (and a previous channel remote button) did allow me to watch events from Beijing and Lucas Oil Stadium at more or less the same time though, so who's complaining? <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="lucas" width="526" height="276" src="page11_blog_entry284_4.jpg"/><span style="color:#000f39;"><br /></span><span style="color:#000f39;">I eagerly await the regular season opener against the Bears of Chicago Illinois, and gladly accept the close of the Olympics. I'm sure I will still be missing sleep for other (as yet unknown) reasons once again, now that I don't have to stay up watching the medal counts (USA110, China 101).<br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#091f68;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008&nbsp;</em></span><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('08258');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('08258');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('08258');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('08258'); </script></a> <span style="color:#000f39;"><br /></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-283" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Fieldtrip and Cake</div><div class="blog-entry-date">08/18/08 06:43 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="a9fb7ff46c5d06238ee48cebbd208c91-283.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Lucas_SEnd" width="531" height="400" src="page11_blog_entry283_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#002077;"><em>South End of the Colts New Home. Chuck Pace &copy; 2008</em></span><br /><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="face_lucas" width="175" height="203" src="page11_blog_entry283_2.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#000f39;">Saturday was a busy, busy day. There was time off to be observed, there were presents for presentation, there was scrambling and there were cues to be taken and stood in and stadiums to tour with wife and the Novak's.&nbsp; Barb and Mike Novak procured a couple of extra tour the new facility tickets for Jenni and I and Rich and JD.&nbsp; The place is really nice inside and so much more roomy. I can't wait until I can se it with a more modest crowd on a game day. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color:#000f39;">Having recently been to Lambeau field in Green Bay Jenni and I could not help but make comparisons. The two structures are very similar under he seats and in the concourse areas. Of course Green Bay's Lambeau is topless, because the fans there know how to dress themselves.&nbsp; Here in Weenieapolis we will probably have three games where the sky is the unlimited.&nbsp; Still and all the place is awe inspiring.&nbsp;</span><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="birthday lineup" width="531" height="399" src="page11_blog_entry283_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="color:#000f39;"><br />After the tour (where Jenni blew out her left knee and there wasn't a trainer in the house to help) we hobbled back to the car and made our way to the Chatterbox to join Rich, JD and Mel already in progress. &nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color:#000f39;">Saturday was Mel's birthing reunion, but none of the people from the original big event were there except Mel. As surrogate medical staff&nbsp; the afore mentioned Rich & JD wee joined by Jenni and I, miss Kay and Maddie and Guy Tucker to help Missy usher in another cycle of the sun as it relates to her first presence beneath it extra-uteri.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="color:#000f39;">Sadly we had to truncate our visit as Jenni football field days ended and she was swelling from pride in all her fingerless extremities.</span><br /><span style="color:#000f39;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#091f68;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008&nbsp;</em></span><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('08188');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('08188');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('08188');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('08188'); </script></a><br /><span style="color:#000f39;">&nbsp;</span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-279" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">I'm Beginning to Wonder</div><div class="blog-entry-date">08/12/08 09:52 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="45818fc3e4c98cd57eb361768a744c43-279.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="color:#010000;">I asked you all to wish me luck, I know that 'you all' isn't as many as it used to be, that's my fault I know. I haven't been posting nearly as much as I should be. I've let you down, so maybe this is payback, maybe I had it coming. <br />Well the bowling experience is over for a bistle (I don't know how many bistles it takes to make a bit, but it is a lot), but the bowling experience may never be over. Tom; so impressed with Rich and I's mediocrity has asked us to join the fun (and failure) in his fall league (as alternates). Then there is the next Chatterbowling experience. David Andrichick, kegler aficionado and all around sport of sports has talked to the Smiths (not the ultra depressed British fab-rockers) the All-Star Bowl managers about making beer and pizza league. The seemed receptive to a whole new revenue stream, surprise. For our final performance on the uneven parallel lanes we all stumbled a bit. For the second straight week I had a higher series than our anchor Tom. We managed to take the last game but dropped two spots from 15th back to 17th where we have been spending a lot of our time. Next Monday we go for our paltry pay-out. Wish me lunch money? No I dare not ask again until I have reestablished your trust and confidence. <br />It was another long and mostly sleep deprived night thanks to the Olympics. Sadly our Women's Gymnastic team had some falters in their last two rotations but still the solidly captured the Silver medal. Michael Phelps is now the greatest Olympian with two more Golds (and 5 so far these games). <br />Well it is another day and another day requires me to make the best of it. I must finish getting ready for work. <br /><br /></span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="page11_blog_entry279_1" width="168" height="172" src="page11_blog_entry279_1.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#010000;">Now the sad news. Just a few minutes before my alarm went off this morning, a sad missive made it 's way into my text message roll. It said "Brighid is gone" and it was from Melissa (Mel) about her beloved Boxer and companion. It is always awful to lose a loved one and and my heart goes out to those who survive her, Mel and Benton. I searched in vain this morning to find any of the photos I have of Brighid to post here but short notice and long day ahead have thwarted my efforts. <br /></span><span style="color:#010000;">The photo is of Benton, all of us here at the World HQ wish him well.</span><span style="font-size:13px; color:#030000;"> <br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#565656;"><em><br />Chuck Pace &copy;2008 </em></span><br /><span style="color:#030000;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('08138');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('08138');</script></a><a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('08138');"target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('08138'); </script></a></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-276" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Been a Long Lonely, Lonely, Lonely Time</div><div class="blog-entry-date">08/08/08 06:49 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="04e405bcf50b77f93e78cfe64777fb86-276.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">What can I say? I got complacent. I settled then I settled in. So much has happened since I last sent thought into the troposphere and beyond. Too much to adequately do any one thing justice here in afterthought land I am sad to say. <br />There was the worst race in Brickyard history and a tire company that can't make tires nearly as wall as they make excuses. <br />There were a couple evenings at the bowling lanes that failed to have their stories told and are feeling pretty low because of my rejection. <br />There was the lovely evening at Jake and Vanessa's to send our pal Nick off to Tempe to become even more than those that remain behind to honor and remember. <br />There is Tweek the pus drooling cat and his subsequent oral surgery, which came with the bonus "20 flying exacto blade claws" and the oral antibiotics. <br />Also, Pool version 2.0. New book tech editing well under way, and a new book by Bill Fitzhugh from Kay, personally signed by the author hisownself. <br />Since my inconsiderate absence there was also two seasons of Angel optically absorbed. The Dark Knight, and the long days at work. <br />The invasion from the Thromians from the Gamalon sector of the 8th dimension, the carnage, and the memory purge of the unworthy. I don't think that should go unmentioned. <br />So much time, so little mind. I can only make a weak commitment to do better, to get the words out of my head and to relieve the oppressive pressure!<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#6f1101;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008 </em></span><br /><span style="color:#030000;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('0888');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('0888');</script></a><a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('0888');"target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('0888'); </script></a></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-268" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Old In and Out</div><div class="blog-entry-date">06/29/08 12:30 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="ee75c4e06294d6a1df6531b77c40fed8-268.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="vantastic" width="143" height="108" src="page11_blog_entry268_1.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#030000;">Well there was one between, but hopefully this is my last Comcast barrage. Scott, the fabled Sunday Cable Tech Guy got here at about noon and just now left. Of all the cable gurus before, he is the first to ask to see my hardware. I was a little embarrassed to say the least. We went out into the garage I strung some lights for more than just mood and he climbed my latter to new heights. Once he was half way in the attic he could get his hands on my connectors. That is when I left him to his own devices and took a couple of pictures. The sky was </span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="cable guy" width="143" height="174" src="page11_blog_entry268_2.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#030000;">getting a threatening look again and I was hoping that a "look what happens to Digital Cable when it rains at the World HQ" was in order. <br />The signal splitters in the attic are as old as the cable and the house, approximately 17 years old to be exact. He replaced them and hopefully solved our Digital Cable problems. Ultimately I would like to replace the cables themselves with the newer higher capacity/lower resistance RG 6 cable that is used in construction these days. </span><span style="font:12px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#030000;"><em>Through the access panel and into another world. </em></span><span style="font:12px Verdana, serif; color:#030000;">Note the hand painted BMW Roundel that I put on the wall of my garage this spring, isn't it lovely? </span><span style="color:#030000;"><br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="digital artifact2" width="537" height="311" src="page11_blog_entry268_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#7d1715;"><em>Storm created Technical Difficulties, Chuck Pace &copy; 2008</em></span><br /><span style="color:#030000;">As if on cue, while Scott was here there came a freakish pop-up rain storm and what he thought was job over done-with and gone became lock-up and image scramble. The above image is what prompted him to replace more splitters and (hopefully) run down my viewing problems. Now I have to finish and upload this to the www and get back to the TV where we were watching the Spiderwick Chronicles on DVD since we didn't know how the cable visit might turn out. <br />Chuck Out!<br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#6f1101;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008 </em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#030000;"><em><br /></em></span><span style="color:#030000;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('06292');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('06292');</script></a><br /> <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('06292');"target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('06292'); </script></a></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-267" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">A Sad and Sorry Testimonial</div><div class="blog-entry-date">06/29/08 01:03 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="d0fdebfba99a816a55e575755b70e91c-267.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="color:#030000;">Jenni and I go to lunch together nearly every day. We work within a few blocks of each other, we ride in together most of the time and we deal with each other adequately most times. We know the things that annoy each other the most and play those cards when necessary. We know what pleases the other too, and withhold that as long as possible or until a need of some sort or another arises. Of course we would never say that or admit it to ourselves or to each other because we are actually like most couples that have seasoned together like fine food. We go together even if the ingredients don't always make sense. We play the subconscious chess game as wall as most couples. <br />Recently we both surprised each other. Knowing each other so well we were both just knocked for a loop. <br />Is age creeping up on us. Are we both slipping. Is this a case of cosmic coincidence? Worry is just around the corner. I think we are still too young for senility to start staking it's claims on our mental faculties. I think. <br />I get three weeks of vacation a year, that is how it works for a chap or chippy who works at Roberts for over 15 years. Now, once I finish this coming August and the first week of September I get four weeks from then on until the vague and indiscernible future. That is if I remember it. <br />Because there is very little sales floor employee turn over at the Roberts Rodeo the camera cowboys are all getting up in their vacation days. Being a smart wrangler like I am with a lot of experience at not getting the time off I really wanted I got me an idear this year. I moseyed into Evie's office on the third of January third and staked my claims on the calendar. There is a long standing rule in place that nobody gets to take two weeks in a row. I picked my weeks, and I confirmed them with Jenni via fax and telephone call. She in turn turned in her requests for sanity recovery times. <br />Tuesday last, when Jenni and I went to lunch she shared an amusing circumstance at her work-place. Lori, her "Lead" person sent an e-mail saying that because Jenni was going to be on vacation this coming week that they would taper off her work-load so that she (Jenni)could concentrate on closing all the work that was out there before the requested time out of the corporate mind. She told Rebecca, her long time friend and at work superior that she wasn't on vacation this week and that she would tell Lori not to limit her incoming appeals since the department was short handed (non-overlapping vacations were taking place there as well). I listened to her amusing recital with amusement (see, it was amusing as I have already stated). The next day Rebecca told Jenni not to tell Lori, that way her (Jenni's) work load would be a little lax for a bit, Jenni again took the high road because of the work-load /staffing deficiencies and went ahead and sent Lori the e-mail. <br />That same day, Wednesday. Evie handed out the upcoming month's schedule to the Roberts staff, there in black and white was my vacation this upcoming week June 30th through Tuesday July 8th. Humph, I said. Later I told Evie I had considered taking that week off with the possibility of visiting Washington DC for the 4th. She said you did schedule it off. I called Jenni and reminded her of the DC possibility plans and that she and I were indeed off this coming week. <br />Until that moment neither of us remembered the actual act of scheduling the time. <br />Now I'm a little confused and concerned. <br />I think Jenni might be losing her mind. <br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#6f1101;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008 </em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#030000;"><em><br /></em></span><span style="color:#030000;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('0629');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('0629');</script></a><br /> <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('0629');"target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('0629'); </script></a><br /><br />I HAVEN'T LOST MY MIND, I JUST HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHERE I LEFT IT, IT'S HERE SOMEWHERE. </span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-264" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Last Night Standing</div><div class="blog-entry-date">06/21/08 12:51 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="20498b19f0be9fdea73080e7617a5403-264.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="color:#080808;">Friday came and went with even more car concerns and costly costs, but I think that may be the last major non elective auto-rehab for a spell. At least that is the optimistic hope.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:13px; color:#080808;"><br /></span><span style="color:#080808;">My friday morning post with the lizard was a bit vague on the workings of that old black magic "Pace Luck!" Here is a bit more detail.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:13px; color:#080808;"><br /></span><span style="color:#080808;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#080808;"><em>It started on Tuesday</em></span><span style="color:#080808;">, the day (way early in the morning) that Meredith and Michael arrived. I got just enough sleep to be punchy all day at work, and looked forward to a nice collapse. Instead after sleeping the majority of the sunshine hours off for "road-cuperation" Meredith and Michael decided to come downtown. They picked Jenni up from work and we caravanned from the parking lot to the Chatterbox. I introduced Meredith and Michael to LeAnne L-Train bailey, Kristofer Bowman and Chris West, we made short work of a couple grain-barley concoctions and then hopped into Luna to see Maggie H. for a split second. Just long enough for me to purchase the latest Portis Head CD for the loving and lovely daughter. Home and discussions of eat. Eat was to be accomplished in the convertible with a jaunt to New Palestine's Frosty Boy drive-in. Packed it was with moms, dads and little leaguers from half pint to quart sizes, and one truly great great dane. Consumption happened to the food stuffs and a ride back was in order. I chose Gem road out of New Pal towards U.S.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:13px; color:#080808;"><br /></span><span style="color:#080808;">40 and the roads namesake berg, Gem. Not three miles out of New Pal the car decided to jump into 2nd gear from a full on trot, and we experienced what is known in automotive parlance as "limp-mode." I got us home at 40 MPH the rest of the 7 miles and parked the car in the drive. A dark cloud had positioned itself over my reunion with daughter and a 'glorious only' week of happiness. No little blue pill solution would bring the White stallion Sebring out of limp mode. Jenni did what all super hero geek-types do in a time of crises. Searched message boards for failures like ours. Darkness followed the dark in the form of night.&nbsp;<br />Jessica and Alex joined Meredith and Michael in the gardens with copious amounts of "The Captain" and I Jenni and I took our leave of the day in slumber. <br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#080808;"><em>Wednesday</em></span><span style="color:#080808;"> I drove the Bimmer. I sulked and moped at work until lunch time when Meredith and Michael again joined us (the Wife and I) for lunch at the Claddagh. Jenni had more news on the probable problem that limp-ered the Sebring. A solution part might exist for under $30.00. After work ended I drove Jen and I home, stopping briefly at O'Reilly Auto to find that the note from lunch was now vapor ware and that the remembered name of said solution was an error, and no such thing existed. I dropped the maiden off at the World HQ where she reproduced the information and item by merely placing hands beside the keyboard of her computer. I then hopped back into the Bimmer again to try an procure part. It was there under its real name and under $20.00 then it was not (for it was now in my possession, my precious). Apparently in the under-construction to and from drives I damaged my rear drivers side tire. It failed to do its primary design function, hold air, and I had brought another dark cloud to bear on my world.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:13px; color:#080808;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#080808;"><em>Thursday</em></span><span style="color:#080808;"> the long awaited day off. Thursday I was ordered to be up and cogent at 7:00 AM. A cruel thing to do to a man's day off. But it was for the arrival of the cable company commandos that the order was so given. They arrived at 7:11 (and didn't bring slushies or hot dogs) determined that which I already knew. My in-house cable receiving equipment was tip top and the signal strength was aces. I, like my wife before me (even though she was on her way to work and not at all before me) recommended a look in the junction box outside where twice in our digital storied past comcastic commandos had put some sort of signal filter in for denizens of the cul-de-sac further down the road. Twice before this filter or filters disrupted our signal and caused us untold grief (can you say Colts Playoffs 2006?). Twice before a technician had danced with my A/V equipment and found it a worthy dance companion and then found the culprit to be lurking inside the junction box outside. I said such to the dynamic duo. Yes they sent two on to subdue the angry customer who was lacking digital cable for a fortnight, and one to repair the problem I suspect. As I proposed the box solution and filter tampering they looked on with curious and circumspective gaze. They must have thought the consumer of a querulous nature but after about twenty minutes they came back in to announce, "Well there is a problem with that box (junction) and someone will be out later today or tomorrow to look at it, you do not have to be home and they don't need to come in." I took note of the us of look at it instead of fix it, and signed their silly paperwork.&nbsp;<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#080808;"><em>To Be Continued...</em></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-263" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Cable Guy pt 2</div><div class="blog-entry-date">06/20/08 07:28 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="fdaf086a5511b456e0ebed1675d23b6e-263.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="color:#030000;">Goodness what a busy week. A week in which cable finally got fixed (and other things broke). <br />Meredith and Michael arrived on Tuesday morning at 4:32AM. I got to sleep that morning for about two and a half hours before heading off to the retail factory. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="liz_zoo" width="538" height="479" src="page11_blog_entry263_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>A no Frills day off. I have the scales under my eyes!</em></span><strong><br /></strong><span style="color:#030000;">Cars. Travels, travails and a bit of honey in the shape of my only child.<br />Yesterday was like half a week just in itself. One car to the tire barn for new tires on the front. (An unexpected flat going to get a part for the other car which had its own unexpected surprise for the family). Another car to the shop to put on the (parenthetical) part, a trip to the zoo, and movie and, and. <br />Oh I'm out of time here I will relate when I won't have to be late. <br /></span><span style="font-size:16px; font-weight:bold; color:#3b1723;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008</em></span><span style="font:14px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#a0502a;"><br /></span><span style="color:#030000;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('06208');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('06208');</script></a><br /> <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('06208');"target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('06208'); </script></a></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-261" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">A Bridge Too Far Gone</div><div class="blog-entry-date">06/04/08 01:12 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="2d1b3a808da906c8b50c8b362b33d33e-261.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="page11_blog_entry261_1" width="538" height="238" src="page11_blog_entry261_1.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> <br /></span><span style="font:14px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#a1542c;">The Moscow Bridge in Rush County 10/20/2007 , Chuck Pace &copy;2007, 2008</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> <br /></span><span style="font:14px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#010000;">I got this e-mail from Kay last night:</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#010000;"><br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page11_blog_entry261_2" width="533" height="285" src="page11_blog_entry261_2.jpg"/><span style="color:#141414;"> <br /></span><span style="color:#141414;">To which I replied, "Yes I got a couple of dozen photos of the Moscow Bridge last fall"; <br />The date was 10/20/07 and we, Jenni and I arrived at the Moscow Bridge at around 3:08 in the afternoon, I did take a plethora of pics of this most astounding bridge marvel. One of the longest standing Burr Arch style bridges in existence. Built in 1886 by Emmet L. Kennedy it was over 347 feet long (over the length of a Football Field) it had two internal arches and spanned the Big Flatrock River, and a feeder creek. Here are a fews of my shots from that day. I too am sorry about the loss of this historical monument to the past. This bridge was put on the National Register of by the U.S. Department of Interior, and its loss is another disconnect to our past and the ingenuity of the people of Indiana and America. <br />Here are some of my shots: </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page11_blog_entry261_3" width="538" height="348" src="page11_blog_entry261_3.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> <br /></span><span style="font:13px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">Above: The Entrance. Below: One of the Giant Arch spans.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><br /></span><strong><img class="imageStyle" alt="page11_blog_entry261_4" width="538" height="404" src="page11_blog_entry261_4.jpg"/></strong><img class="imageStyle" alt="page11_blog_entry261_5" width="538" height="295" src="page11_blog_entry261_5.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page11_blog_entry261_6" width="538" height="528" src="page11_blog_entry261_6.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> <br /></span><span style="font:14px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#141414;">Each side seen from the bank.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#141414;"> <br /></span><span style="color:#141414;">May she always be remembered for her 122 years of service.</span><span style="color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font:14px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#a0502a;">Chuck Pace &copy;2008<br /></span><span style="color:#030000;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('0638');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('0638');</script></a><br /> <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('0638');"target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('0638'); </script></a></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-259" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Loss: Storms and Damages</div><div class="blog-entry-date">06/01/08 11:46 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="5d8b07f46353478a58924d03be2ca5c8-259.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="color:#030000;">Before we left Geneva for the second time on Wednesday night, I suggested that we get a room in Portland 11 miles to the south and take up the search again in the morning, it was around 11:15 PM then instead we headed back to Matthews and the Cumberland bridge which was the last place that we had gotten out of the car that had to be retraced. From there it was the interstate and home as quick as possible. Thursday I was in no mood to retrace the route and had resigned to the fact that the iPhone was gone, besides I had much more home-work to attend to and didn't really feel like another day on the road. Like I mentioned in the Mad Scramble Post I purchased a "cheaper" phone which had taken just about all the patience I had left. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="1913 school" width="532" height="451" src="page11_blog_entry259_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>One Room School from 1913 in a Jay County field on a Friday Afternoon.</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#030000;"><em>Friday Morning:</em></span><span style="color:#030000;"> I ought to have my head examined. Well I am actually going to have my eyes examined at 9:40 roughly 20 minutes after Jenni goes in to have hers examined. By the time I get out of my optical observation and examination Jenni is already ready to get her glasses started in the about an hour process, We look at the 5 or so pairs of frames she has winnowed down to and I pick two that I like the best then she and I and Eve our optical consultant land on the pair that will be gracing her face from now on. In a similar process I narrow the ranks of ocular enhancement holding devices from four to one and we are off to the lab. They say about two hours total and we go home. Jenni is on a crusade to find a metal detector so we can storm the wooded path near the Ceylon Covered Bridge which is where I added my last notes on the iPhones note pad, and the last place I could place having the phone. At home Jenni calls our Wal-Mart and then the one in Portland Indiana too, then after none of them have a detector she tries Dicks and they say the have them. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="rnd_barn" width="532" height="284" src="page11_blog_entry259_2.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>A fine Round Barn in Jay County.</em></span><br /><span style="color:#030000;">We pack up the car and cooler with waters and sodas again, but no cheeses or wines this time. This time it's not for leisure,and we high-tail it up to the Marion exit on I-69 and we're at the picnic area in just about 2 hours. No luck there so it's the Water tower spot and the Gene Stratton Porter home again and a call to the Geneva Marshall, who offers to write a letter for insurance purposes, but with a deductible there is no point. I decide that the trip to Matthews should be an experience at least now that the other three spots have failed to pan out. So it's small roads and bergs and missing towns like Corkwell, Center, Pony and Dunkirk which is a very nice little town. Just past where Pony should have been on Jay County CR 800 W a 1/4 mile south of Division Road was a nice Round Barn, and a mile and a quarter further south of that just off on CR 200 S was a dilapidated 1913 one room school house in a field. Matthews was a bust too as I had already expected, although we did uncover a copper belt buckle or a hair pin or something and two pennies with the metal detector. South out of Matthews we hit Gaston, Cammack, Yorktown, MIddletown and Markleville. Going south out of Markleville we found a farm selling brown eggs for $1.50 a dozen and relieved them of two dozen. Another couple of miles and we hit SR 234 which goes into McCordsville, then it was South to Mt Comfort, and bing, bang. boom we are home. <br /></span><span style="color:#030000;"><em>Friday Night: </em></span><span style="color:#030000;"> Just a couple miles north of us tornadoes touch down at 42nd St. and Mitthoeffer, then they continue due east through, Mt. Comfort RV and down a route I like to take to Greenfield, CR 200N which turns into New Rd in Greenfield. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="road closed_dolly" width="532" height="342" src="page11_blog_entry259_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>No place for baby-dolls, straight line winds or Tornado, it was devastating. </em></span><span style="color:#030000;"><br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="power_down" width="532" height="259" src="page11_blog_entry259_4.jpg"/><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="power_down_too" width="532" height="259" src="page11_blog_entry259_5.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Power Towers look on at fallen comrades on either side of CR 200 N, you can almost see the sorrow in their drooping arms and slumped shoulders.</em></span><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="dry_canoe" width="249" height="335" src="page11_blog_entry259_6.jpg"/></div><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#030000;"><em>Saturday Morning:</em></span><span style="color:#030000;"> Up at the crack of early-enough we head to the LensCrafters and pick up our specs, then East on the National Road to Greenfield for breakfast at the Cracker Barrel there. We saw a few trees uprooted in Greenfield and some other storm related damage as we headed up SR 9 towards New road and the Breakfast. After eats I suggested we go home the way I like, and a couple of miles before Mt. Comfort Rd (CR 600 W) we encountered a road closed sign. We went on anyway until we were stopped by power lines down in the road , there was a lot of damage to trees and barns and a few torn up roofs on the area. We saw miracles like a huge tree broken off four feet from the ground not 25 feet from a small house without a scratch on it, or a canoe in the middle of a field, or a top of a pine tree a good half mile from any pine trees. <br />We had a few small branches broken and a couple of bushing plants looked as if a hippo had sat on them but other than that we suffered no real ill effects from the storms. During the downpour of rains and heavy winds we noticed that our downspouts and gutter were clogged, so Saturday after getting home from Greenfield I took my handy ladder and cleaned out the gutters, I also got up on the roof and looked around. There are a few shingles damaged up there. </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="pineing4barns" width="532" height="387" src="page11_blog_entry259_7.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Parting Shot: Pine Tree where is thy Home?<br /></em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#1b7619;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2008 </em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#030000;"><em><br /></em></span><span style="color:#030000;"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('0628');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('0628');</script></a><br /> <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('0628');"target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('0628'); </script></a></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-258" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Amble and Mad Scramble</div><div class="blog-entry-date">06/01/08 11:33 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink"> | <a href="b8350f930d38405b670fd06c93527e07-258.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="yin-yang" width="74" height="74" src="page11_blog_entry258_1.jpg"/></div><span style="font-size:15px; color:#030000;">....You will think this strange. When in reality it is a balance achieved. Yin and Yang are served. There is a part of each in the other and they cannot be separated. Good cannot exist without bad. Bad has no meaning without the knowledge of good.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:15px; font-weight:bold; color:#030000;"><em>Wednesday: </em></span><span style="color:#030000;">The National Road, US 40 which cuts through the center of Indianapolis goes West as far as St. Louis MO (originally only to Vandalia Illinois) and East all the way to Maryland. Wednesday morning I proposed to my wife a trip that would take us as far as Richmond to the east and then North to Ceylon. Now the most brilliant of you will sparkle like Rubies and Sapphires from exotic Ceylon just of the southern coast of India, but I do not mean Sri Lanka which was know as Ceylon until 1972. I mean Ceylon Indiana (see; adding the extra na after India moves you thousands of miles closer to Indianapolis --at a considerable savings in gas too). <br />Gas in the car, crackers, cheeses, wine and sodas coolered and in the trunk, top down boot in place for added aero and the Garmin on the dash, we headed out at 1:18PM. A leisurely pace set (for two leisurely Pace's) we stopped at several of the Historic National Road Yard Sale stops. This is the 5th year that the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois have held this event, and it will continue yearly until at least 2012 on the first Wednesday after Memorial day thru the following Sunday. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="Lewisville" width="538" height="224" src="page11_blog_entry258_2.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#b2201f;"><em>Downtown Lewisville and a Public Works. Chuck Pace &copy; 2008</em></span><span style="color:#030000;"><br /></span><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Richmond_gummit" width="168" height="131" src="page11_blog_entry258_3.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#030000;">The trip east took us through Cumberland, Gem, Philadelphia, Greenfield, Riley, Charlottesville, Knightstown, Dunreith, Dublin, Lewisville, Straughn, Cambridge City, East Germantown, Pennville, Hiser, Centerville and into Richmond. Without a few stops the trip should have taken about an hour. We were in no hurry. I took a few photos in quaint Lewisville. In Richmond I stopped long enough to get a shot of their very impressive City Center building. Then ambling through a lovely downtown area we grabbed US 27 and started north towards Ceylon and its bridge on the Wabash River. <br />During the northward leg of the days adventure we drove through the towns of Chester, Fountain City, Lynn , Winchester, Randolph, Deerfield, Bluff Point, College Corner, Portland, Pleasant Ridge, Antiville, Bryant, Geneva and Ceylon. All during the trip from our leaving Indy to our destination I would use the iPhones "notes" feature to record times and places and oddities. The trip from Cumberland to Ceylon's Bridge took us 112 miles and 4 hours 20 minutes. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="ceylon_side" width="532" height="310" src="page11_blog_entry258_4.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#b21c1e;"><em>Looking SE at the Ceylon Bridge over the Wabash. Chuck Pace &copy;2008</em></span><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="ceylon_mir" width="160" height="203" src="page11_blog_entry258_5.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#030000;">At the Covered Bridge in Ceylon there is a rather nice park with a "covered" picnic area and a "covered" hand pump for fresh mineral water, a stand of tall prairie grasses and a woods with paths that lead back to Wabash River. We took dozens of photos, picnicked each having just one glass of Blue River Riesling from Sam's Club. With the food and Spirits back in the cooler I darted down the path to get a far away shot of the Ceylon Bridge before we gat in the car and went far away again ourselves. I didn't figure to se this bridge again or at least not for some time so document, document, document. <br />Since I had gone to Matthews alone and taken photos of the Cumberland Bridge on the Mississenewa River in the late fall of '07 on one of my Thursdays off, I thought Jenni might like to see it in all its splendor with her own eyes. Besides it was on the route I chose to head back to Indy, on a day of wander-lost. she readily agreed and we headed back down US 27 to SR 18 which goes East and West from Ohio to Illinois. Our trip would only use 20 of its approximately 150 or miles, and we joined it already in progress at Bryant leaving it again at Roll after having driven through Fiat, Matamoras and Montpelier. South on SR 1 to Hartford City then West again on SR's 26/22 until SR 26 it splits with SR 22 and heads south 2.5 miles before again turning West. At that turn point there is a road that takes you into Matthews and becomes of all things Massachusetts Avenue a 1/2 mile strip of road at a 45&deg; angle to the N/S-E/W grid that is Indiana. Having been there once before I drove straight to the bridge and we de-verted and stretched and photographed and marveled. Then back on the road back up to SR 26 and to the Interstate for a short jaunt.<br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="cumberland-in" width="537" height="421" src="page11_blog_entry258_6.jpg"/><br /><span style="color:#030000;">We exited I-69 at the Muncie/Alexandria exit SR 28/US 35. The Petros truck stop allowed us to fill the cars tank and empty our internal tanks. Alexandria and then Elwood where I stopped to put the top up since sunburned arms were getting cold and dusk was upon us. At the southern tip of Elwood IN 13 joins up with SR 37 for about 7 miles until SR 13 continues nearly due South and SR 37 goes S/SE to Noblesville and then Indy. We stayed on 13 through Perkinsville, Fishersberg, Lapel and Hardscrabble. A mile south of Hardscrabble, less than twenty miles from Fortville I reached down to adjust my belt and seat-belt. That's when it happened. That's when I noticed. <br /><br /></span><span style="font:15px Georgia, serif; font-weight:bold; color:#030000;">"WHERE THE HELL IS MY iPHONE!!" </span><span style="color:#030000;"> I pulled over at the next crossroads, got the car out of the road and then the mad scramble and panic. Under the Seats, the armrest and glovebox, the trunk, pockets, door pockets. The trunk again all the other spots again under the spare tire in the trunk in the cooler the bags again and again. <br />After a 10 minute repetitive search with a full barrage of expletives a minute to compose thoughts, mentally retrace steps, plan a course of futility or recovery. <br />Places out of the car. McClure station at SR 28 and SR 37 to put top up. Petros fuel station and restroom SR 28 @ I-69. Matthews Bridge and park. Turn of the last century Indiana author Gene Stratton Porter house in Geneva. Geneva water tower photo opp. Ceylon Bridge, woods, park and picnic area. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="Geneva" width="539" height="239" src="page11_blog_entry258_7.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#ab2321;"><em>The Water-tower photo and the Gene Stratton Porter domicile, CDP &copy; 5/28/08</em></span><br /><span style="color:#030000;">WE turned around and went back, at McClure I asked and got the nopes from two station employees. Then I spent $7.00 on a shitty flashlight and two re-packaged Duracell D batteries. Petros. Nope-os. Now it is dark, we take 69 North to Marion exit then 18 east all the way back to Bryant and up to Geneva. Not in Stratton Porter parking or areas outside I visited. Spot from which I photographed Geneva tower. Nada. Ceylon Bridge in the dark, headlights , fog lights and intermittent flashlight to no avail. Back on SR 18 then to Matthews and the Cumberland bridge. Then depression set in. We were home at 1:30 AM Thursday morning for a nights sleep. 10 am Thursday at ATT to see what, and if and now what. A new iPhone is coming in a few months with newer, better and more features. so the Idea is to wait. The clerk suggests an upgrade which is in reality a downgrade and almost a torture device by comparison. <br />Any device designed and based on a illogical and counter intuitive Windows system is going to be difficult to use. Nothing is as easy and intuitive as the iPhone which since day one I never had to refer to a manual or even looked up anything on the computer with the iPhone. Like they say. It just works. <br />I spent the rest of Thursday cussing the damnable Blackberry Pearl II, and adding insulation to the garage doors. Gardening and Watching "The Good Shepherd." <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="cumberland_grass" width="538" height="365" src="page11_blog_entry258_8.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#b12320;"><em>The Cumberland Bridge re-revisited. Chuck Pace &copy; 2008<br /></em></span><span style="color:#030000;">Friday we went to Dick's Sporting Goods and bought a metal detector (if Travis was not on vacation too, I would have borrowed his. I have run afoul of my Luck-Dragon I guess) and went back to the 'out of car' sites again in daylight. </span><span style="font-size:14px; color:#030000;">Guess what?</span><span style="color:#030000;"> We found out that I still had the Phone on my hip when we left the Ceylon Bridge from photos Jenni downloaded after we got back from Fridays re-occuring day-mare. <br />At least I added more photos to my growing Cumberland Bridge library. More about Friday's trip in the next post; I am here for 4 1/2 hours doing this one with photos and research and I now have to go make 'eat on fire outside'. Ugg!<br /></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#ab1d