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="../page0.html">Archive 05-06</a></div> </div> <div class="blog-archive-entries-wrapper"> <div id="unique-entry-id-970" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Hardly Routine</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/23/2007 06:02 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="766222591e7eefa2c9b47e14aace6f65-970.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="traveriklizkay" width="264" height="242" src="page0_blog_entry970_1.jpg"/></div> Being Monday, the day required that I stop in at the Chatterbox. It was a pretty good day and a pretty good night too. Will and Dorothy were there when I arrived, they were waiting for David and together they all went to Conseco Fieldhouse to see the Bulls from Chicago (where Will and Dot lived almost forever) and the Pacers. It was a different looking Pacers team after dumping a few of our Players in Oakland and taking some of the Golden State players in trade last week (a sports story slightly overshadowed by the Colts). Before Rich and I headed off to the Chatterbox we had a treasure hunt at the Mall to find the AFC Conference Championship hat, Rich had to buy two and so did I I'm taking one back<div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Meredith" width="192" height="192" src="page0_blog_entry970_2.jpg"/></div> to my dad in Florida when we head down at the end of February with Meredith. So back to the box: Nick was at the back tables with Mel and Wilson, Rich and Ed when I got there, and I walked in with Kay, I was quickly asked by DeAnne if I had been up too lat the night before watching the Colts coverage because my post failed to upload. I said no, but when it crashed I didn't have time to try again so I just left. <br />I went to the car to get my camera before Meredith and Jenni arrived, and walked back in with Erica Embrey this time, then Steve Singleton came in on his own (I'm not responsible for <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Hush you muskie" width="264" height="147" src="page0_blog_entry970_3.jpg"/></div>that one). Travis and even Liz (much later) showed up and joined the group, then a rare visit from Jeff Jeffries. Ed called Pam and told here to hurry from her classes if she wanted to see Meredith (we had to get home in time to see Heroes) Pam got there after I had tabbed out, but we stayed for a few minutes, when I got home (before the girls) I got the TV on and the channel tuned, and just as it started they walked in.<br />It was another good day and not really too cold, Meredith will disagree, but she's been in Florida for two years. Travis will disagree too, but he's been a big weenie for well over two years so...<br /><p style="text-align:center;" ><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#002bed;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01237');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01237');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01237');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01237'); </script></a><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Champhat" width="264" height="355" src="page0_blog_entry970_4.jpg"/></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-967" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">A Pretty Good Day.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/22/2007 06:12 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="9de5fc575a42209f1fef0de4b3f338db-967.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">I had to wait a long time for a day like that. We got three inches of snow overnight. We had pre-Bowling for the evenings league (so that we could watch the Colts game from start to end), and I had to run the greatest errand a dad can run. Oh yeah, and the Game itself. I don't think I have to tell anyone in the state of Indiana (or anywhere else) what happened in the game. <br />Saturday I got a call from Meredith in Florida, she was homesick, and decided the only way to get back to a healthy frame of mind was to get back home for a while. Also on Saturday I got a call from Rich that instead of bowling at 7:00 on AFC Championship Sunday we would be pre-bowling at 1:00 (which turned out a double blessing for me, since I would later find out that I would be picking Meredith up from the airport at 4:30). <br />Preparing for the visit, Jenni and I had to run to the store and pick up a winter coat for the Southern Florida visitor. So I had to clean off the car buried in snow. That's when I slipped on the slick and did a big crash on the curb at the end of the driveway, I landed with all my weight on my rear-end and am still super-sensitive there (I may have cracked it in another place). That has slowed me down and is very painful, but I was able to bowl and pick-up Meredith, and sit in a recliner, and watch the game. I was not able to jump up and down like an insane idiot but I still have two weeks to do that (if not the rest of 2007!).<br /><br />As you may have guessed, I was up a little too late last night, and have not really prepared a post, I didn't even take my camera to the Airport when I picked Meredith up, and I never got it out after we got home. We had a late christmas, and early dinner and an amazing come-back to watch, then all the coverage I could watch before crashing into bed around at 1:00. My phone was bling-ing for hours from all the text message coming and going, and my head was ringing and eventually I fell asleep to hear the alarm clock just a few minutes later (or so it seems right now). Have a great day. The Colts are 15-4 with one more game to play in February! Woo Hooo!<br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#002bed;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('AFCC');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('AFCC');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('AFCC');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('AFCC'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-966" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Run-Around</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/20/2007 06:12 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="3711769db65f08a5f839fa8ca1bd10b9-966.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Thats how you make truffle magic" width="557" height="564" src="page0_blog_entry966_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>...and then they gladly just turn over their hard earned... Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><br /><span style="color:#1a1a1a;">Yesterday I rode in to work with Jenni since I didn't have the keys to the rental car I drove to the bowling alley on Thursday. If you read Fridays post you already know that someone stole my leather jacket from the bowling alley along with my prescription Ray-ban Wayfarer Sunglasses, checkbook, leather Wilson driving gloves and the keys to a rental Kia Optima (a surprisingly spry and very quiet ride), thus the ride in. We did not drive in the usual way, instead we took the 14.4 miles around 465 like we would if we were going to the bowling alley, because we </span><span style="color:#1a1a1a;"><em>were</em></span><span style="color:#1a1a1a;"> going to drive by the bowling alley to see that the rental was still there. Then I went to work ( 4 miles) and Jenni took the truck to her work. Once at work I called the bank to put a stop payment on any checks submitted after the last one I had written, then called Enterprise to secure a replacement set of keys (I would have to pick them up at their offices behind Tom Wood Jaguar) . Then I got a call from Mike at BMW that my car was ready to pick up. <br /></span><span style="color:#1a1a1a;">I talked to Bruce, told him about my evenings excitement and my impending errands, then asked Mike Wilson if I could borrow his CR-V to drive to Enterprise (13 miles) and collect the spare keys to the Optima still at the Sportbowl. He agreed, and I was off. On the way back from Enterprise I picked up Jenni (12.4 miles) and we went back to Sportbowl (4.3 miles) to drive the two vehicles back. On the way to Sportbowl I stopped and gave Mikes CR-V a Mike's Carwash bath (as a token of my appreciation), then it was back to Roberts to give Mike his car back (4 miles) and from there back to Enterprise (12.7 miles) to return the rental car. Enterprise dropped me off at the BMW dealership, I paid for the repairs, and it was back downtown to drop Jenni off at Anthem (12.4 miles) again. Then me back to Roberts (.3 miles). After work I had to run up to "The Best Chocolate in Town" 880 E. Massachusetts Ave. (1.6 miles), Liz DiNicola's confections shop that officially opens today, but she and Travis were hosting a Pre-</span><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Hilliards Choco Sys" width="264" height="190" src="page0_blog_entry966_2.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#1a1a1a;">opening party for their friends and family. After 10 minutes and ten dollars (two purchases) I had to get to the bowling alley (5.4 miles) for my Friday humbling session, then from there back home ( 14.7 miles) to finish my run around kind of day. When I sat down to write this recount, I launched Google maps and got the distances, I knew I put a lot of miles on three different vehicles but was surprised to see that it was just .8 miles shy of an even 100 miles. <br />The photos are of Liz explaining to Eric how to make money in confections, and the Hilliards Chocolate System machine (I thought it was all done by Oompa Loompas by a river of chocolate, man was I mistaken. <br />Regards to all, now I have to drive to work (13.5 miles). <br /></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#002bed;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('miles');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('miles');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('miles');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('miles'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-965" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Blue Friday, Not Exactly as Planned</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/19/2007 06:16 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="04bb4ace6b7a5b44eb8833da6e8eb066-965.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#1a1a1a;">Yesterday was a day off, a scheduled day off from work that is. I had plenty of errands to run, principally dropping off the BMW for a windshield replacement (there were pits and small cracks in the old one and the trim that held it in place had cracked and was not doing its job. I also had to pick up a new cable box with a working DVR in it, and do some other general running around. All this before going to the bowling alley to begin our 10 for 12 Beer and Pizza league. Dreyer and Reinbold kept my girl overnight so the seals can properly cure and the windshield height can be perfectly set. They got me an Enterprise rental for the duration that I would be away from my car. A pretty impressive 2007 Kia Optima with only 307 miles on it. Well last night after bowling I went to retrieve my leather coat to drive the rental home and viol&aacute;, the coat she is gone along with the my prescription sunglasses, my driving gloves and of course the keys to the rental. Hopefully someone just walked off with my coat thinking it was theirs, but...<br />I'm supposed to pick up the Bimmer today after my service guy Mike calls me, I'll have to call Nick at Enterprise and tell him o' the woes of the keys, and call my bank and figure out the last check I wrote and, and, and...<br /></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#002bed;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01197');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01197');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01197');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01197'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#2d03d3;"><em> </em></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-964" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Enthusiastically Putting it Together</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/17/2007 06:26 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="40e3b05602179b146fcb0a5373edfbaa-964.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="pins_closer" width="509" height="232" src="page0_blog_entry964_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>They look so nice, but I still want to knock 'em down! Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><br />The responsible party is looking for a few good bowlers. David Andrichik is the responsible party. He is responsible for my bowling habit. But I can quit any time I want. I don't need it, but I enjoy it and it's not hurting anybody else, besides I only do it in the designated areas, or in the alleys. People should avoid those areas if they don't want to get second hand effects, like high fives or camaraderie, or worse waking up with beer and pizza breath. Thursday night at 8:30 a select few kegling renegades are taking to the alleys again at Sportbowl on East St. We have enough keglers for a couple to three teams, but we want more people to join us. Because it's cheap fun and $12 dollars gets three games, your share of 100 ounces of soda or beer and 1/4th of a handmade alley pizza with teams choice of toppings. Last year we did a couple of these b&p leagues and qualified for the tournament at the end, which was free and offered a big cash prize for the winning team. My team with Jenni and Mel came in 2nd. So this is an open invitation to all you would be ballers out there to do something productive with them. Like they say in Hollywood, "Roll 'em!" If you are interested be there Thursday at 8:15 for registration purposes (getting your rolling papers) and three games, then the next 9 Thursdays at 8:30 just for rolling. If you don't have shoes and balls you can still do it, the alley 'rents' the shoes for free to 10 for 12'ers, or you can roll your own right there with your friends. <br />And now for something completely different...<br />Last night Rich had to stop into the Chatterbox to pick up his DeAnne Photo/Artwork he purchased from the Flux Gallery's last show. Normally Rich would have been there with us on Monday, and DeAnne had it there then, but he was a bit under the weather, thus the special Tuesday trip. I went along just because I'm a friend, and I didn't want Rich to feel lonely. As it turns out, there were other people in the Chatterbox and Rich was just fine. Cathy Morris came in and we talked for over an hour, she is excited about a new direction she is taking some of her energies with the Local Musicians Union, and I was glad to hear and share her enthusiasm. Then Nicci came in and I learned that she got her truck timed and it is running better than ever, this was indeed good news. I was worried about her walking again, and I was glad to hear and share her enthusiasm as well. After that I went home to Jenni, enthusiastically shared some of my day's news (as I do now with the world) and played toss with Charlie for few throws. He was bouncing and trembling when I got home he was so pleased to see me and I was glad to see and share his enthusiasm. <br />My apologies to all the inhabitants of Girl Land, whom may have been offended when I inadvertently renamed the area Girl Town in my erroneous enthusiasm on yesterday's post. I thank Kay and her keen eyes for finding the offensive error, and commenting on it yesterday. <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="alleysigns" width="221" height="220" src="page0_blog_entry964_2.jpg"/></div> She should be very glad to see that I have corrected it in yesterdays offering, and I will be glad to hear and share in her enthusiasm. My goodness I'm feeling all happy, positive and upbeat right now, I know there is a word for it, but for the moment I can't seem to be able to put a finger on it. Well I'll try to come up with it as I get ready for work, gotta run now and stay with this feeling and its positive, thingy. You know the, um, whatever it is, that word, deal... <br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#002bed;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01177');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01177');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01177');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01177'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#2d03d3;"><em> </em></span><br /><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-962" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Life is Good in Row G</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/15/2007 05:46 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="f7b23997204e12a96ca3310f983b6722-962.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">After waiting for it for three months the night went by so fast. No I'm not talking about the Colts or football right now. Last night I went to Clowes Hall at Butler for an amazing and wonderful evening with my friends. In alphabetical order: Angela, Ed, Jenni, Kay, Mel, Mike, Pam, Phil and Rich all went to see Guy Clark, Joe Ely, John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett perform an unscripted evenings work on stage. Two tall cups of tea, three tables, four chairs, four guitars, four microphones, eight bottles of water and all the creative and wonderfully diverse music added up to two hours and twenty minutes of an amazing evening of humor and entertainment. Each artist played five or six of their songs plus to ensemble pieces, one before the encore and one after. At the beginning of the encore Guy Clark said, "Ain't this a funny little game we play with each other," and someone yelled back from the audience, you have to play some more. "I don't gotta do nothin'," came his reply along with a warm, crooked smile and he eased into <strong><em>The Randall Knife</em></strong>, a song about his father, and the most important thing he wanted after his passing, The thing that he loved, "The thing he haunted." All four artists where genuine, and funny and I wished the evening would never end. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="dip-bowl" width="576" height="384" src="page0_blog_entry962_1.jpg"/><br />Last night Indianapolis got what it wanted. While we were at the concert, the New England Patriots were in San Diego battling the AFC's #1 seed in the post season. When the Chargers missed their final FG attempt, New England advanced to the AFC Championship game, to be held right here in Indianapolis next Sunday. The old adage be careful what you wish for comes to mind frequently, but the Colts have beaten the Patriots this year, and are a 3 point favorite in Vegas odds making. I will have to come up with something for Jenni to make for game time dining again, she has made two wonderful dishes so far, and we have won both games in post season. The photo above is of the taco-dip dish that we enjoyed almost as much as the Colts victory on Saturday. Even though I spent a major part of Sunday in bed or on the couch with back spasms, and cramps I will never forget this weekend, it was one of the best I've had in a long time. One Game at a Time for the Colts, and time for Peyton to get back to Peyton form. Stay defense, Go Colts!<br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#002bed;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01157');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01157');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01157');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01157'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#2d03d3;"><em> </em></span><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-958" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Another Day, It's gonna be a long one</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/11/2007 06:47 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="2db8d95c00072f53470bf15ff76bc421-958.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Mr. Intenso" width="264" height="276" src="page0_blog_entry958_1.jpg"/></div>Since I was out on Monday, and Tuesday was the Pacer's evening I passed on Wednesday Men's club activities last night, I think everyone did. I even got a call from John David and still I passed. I bet Travis was there with a thousand stories that I would have been compelled to post, and Kay was there with an 8 course Mediterranean dinner, and Mel showed up with Kara and there was surprise musical guest George Benson with the Dickinson Jazztet, nah, that's just crazy talk. Still, that would be my luck. <br />No last night Jenni and I opted to have a quiet evening at home. Just she and I, a bottle of Oliver Riesling, a movie, Charlie, Tweek and Bela, oh and the fire-trucks 5 houses down on our street. It was a lovely evening and after the movie I wanted to ask Jenni something, but never did, but she will see this post later today, so I'll go ahead now. to Jenni, the love of my life, the mother of my child, the yang to my yin. "So do you think Yanni and Jack's father had Marion killed? Did they get Bella fired (since the "cheater" was in on it too, and saw Jack leave with her in the mini?) what was with the phone call to the casino? Was it a set up job from the beginning, since Jack's father got him the job? There are no coincidences in the world of fiction, they don fit." <br />Well back to all of you. It has to be a short post since it is the long day, and I leave you with the lovely portraits of Jenni and I (the one of me was taken in the store by Robert Henderson one of my regular customers. The other at Ike's at lunch yesterday. Salute! Opah! <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Chik'n Hauk" width="557" height="629" src="page0_blog_entry958_2.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#981c1b;"><em>I'm</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#981c1b;"><em> </em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#981c1b;"><em>a Chick'n Hawk! Your a Chick'n, so get in the bag! </em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007<br /></em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01117');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01117');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01117');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01117'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#2d03d3;"><em> </em></span><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-956" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Something other than a cup of coffee</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/09/2007 06:51 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="62872a7c97bc9920507ae1cd951a86d1-956.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="pacemate triangle" width="542" height="333" src="page0_blog_entry956_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>And It Goes Something Like.. Chuck Pace &copy; 2007 </em></span><br />Tonight Rich and I join David Andrichik for our first Pacers game of 2007. With everything else going on I have kind of lost track of the team (I have not lost track of Coach Carlisle, tough he is a frequent visitor to the store) so it will be good to get back to the fieldhouse for something other than a cup of coffee. <br />Something other than a cup of coffee was what Florida State had over <em>The Ohio State</em> last night. I had o stop watching at half-time, it was like watching Norwegian furriers bash seal pups. So when do they make the ruling that Boise State is actually the BCS Champion? About the same time that they mandate that all flying pigs have to have on depends to keep our highways clean and accident free would be my guess.<br />Last night was a quiet night for the crew at the Chatterbox. Kay brought some 'feeding frenzy" cookies that were so good my eyes actually rolled back into my head for a half cookie or so. Mel, Rich, Jenni, Mike Wilson and I all took advantage of Kay's baking skills and enjoyed <span style="color:#333333;">two pecan</span> and white chocolate treats a piece. <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Vines,Berries.Flags" width="264" height="324" src="page0_blog_entry956_2.jpg"/></div>I talked to Tony Shaw at the store earlier in the day and half expected a visit from him at the box as well, but if he showed up it was after a mass Mass exodus from the crew. I stopped into Luna for a brief moment to say to Chris Overpeck and Maggie Hilt to tell them that a new 10 for 12 mini-bowling league is starting on Thursday the 18th. Then it was home, deal or no deal and the virtual trip to the arctic circle with the Norse. <br />Game over Dude, Game over! They mostly come out at night, mostly. (Wilson would probably say that there were no decent segue's in todays post, not like yesterdays which even featured the word segue.) Mox Nix. <br /><span style="font-size:15px; font-weight:bold; color:#4135a3;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#240fd3;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01097');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01097');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01097');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01097'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-955" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Fun with a Purpose</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/08/2007 06:56 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="513dfa95d225ec4a511d87209881164d-955.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Chatterbowlerz" width="557" height="372" src="page0_blog_entry955_1.jpg"/><br /><strong><em>Chatterbowlers aftermath (no, after bowling, silly): Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></strong><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="ChatterbowlerDeb" width="264" height="206" src="page0_blog_entry955_2.jpg"/></div>So we did the Chatterbowl thing, there was a good crowd too. 20 people bowled, and a few more spectated. The biggest excitement was Travis' second game, where he started with four strikes before getting an ugly split. He didn't end with the highest score, but still there was the drama of only being 8 strikes away from a 300 game (for a brief moment). The bowling segued nicely to dining and fellowship at Kay's and of course the food was terrific. Then there was the 'grudge match with team "Mel and Them" taking on "H--l I don't know." On Friday two of the principles characters of the HIDK were egging me on that they were going to kick my rear end on Sunday night's contest, well I got to tell them that I was not bowling on Sunday. Since Mel came to the alley to spectate on Friday, Rich asked here if she would allow me to bowl in her place, to try to deflate these wind bags of overconfidence. She reluctantly said yes at first, then warmed to the idea. So it was just in the doing then. <br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#2ea014;">Game 1:</span> Rich struggled, but Will and David were both well over averages, I rolled a 222, and we won by 91 pins (plus I won the singles side-pot with my handicap yielding a 257 net). <br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#b70a0d;">Game 2:</span> I rolled a 184, Rich a 185, but David and Will struggled, and HIDK won and were within 7 of taking series. (I was still in the Average Strike pot, but could miss no more).<br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#30a017;">Game 3: </span>Rich<span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#30a017;"> </span>rolled a 222, Will and David both got back up over their averages and I knocked down a 167 to end with a all bowlers high 573 Series. And we took 2 and series with a 104 margin for safety. (I dropped out of the strike pot on the second frame of the final game, but we accomplished our goal.<br /><span style="font-size:15px; font-weight:bold; color:#379c2b;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#240fd3;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01087');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01087');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01087');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01087'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-952" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Mention Accomplished</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/03/2007 06:06 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="dc8dee8319ab70d1072177e01c231565-952.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="1st,2nd, 3rd" width="557" height="425" src="page0_blog_entry952_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Clockwise from "12" Kay, Rich and Mel the 123 Mention crowd! Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Kay Looks away" width="264" height="337" src="page0_blog_entry952_2.jpg"/></div>I had the distinct pleasure of telling Miss Kay in person that she was the Winner of the 4th Quarter Mention Meter, She had not seen the blog all day, or heard my phone message that I needed to take her picture for the post as the reigning Champion. So it was a coincidence that she showed up at the Chatterbox and I got to fulfill both needs at the same time. She was there to talk to her friend Brad Griffith, who is threatening to blog me! Hmm. A Blog-off? I'd kick his apps!<br />My first visit 2007 to the Chatterbox was an overwhelming success. I got to hear more of Rich's cruise stories, I got to tell Kay that she is the beeg weeener, and I got to pay DeAnne more on my Flux Flex account. Life is grandiose. Mel, Jenni and Jody Frick rounded out our little circle, but others were in the area as well, Like Daryl Spurlock, and Jane, Lisa DeMumbrum and the ACT up crowd (Jerry, Jeff and Mary Lou), Brooks and David left shortly after I arrived (their choice? or duties called? I'm not paranoid, who said I was paranoid? Who? Who! I want names you all know I need names). Also in attendance last eve was Rudy Gonzales, and Peter park up to his old tricks too. Well work calls, or duty or nature or something (my internal caller ID is on the fritz), so I am off like a dirty shirt. Chao. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#240fd3;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007 </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('01037');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('01037');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('01037');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('01037'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-950" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">I never thought it would end!</div><div class="blog-entry-date">01/01/2007 12:01 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="930bd686d59838a96174a38a86ce51e5-950.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Thank goodness</em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> that's over, I know it's a paradox, the year went by so fast and yet I thought it would never end. There were some highlights; Travis and Liz's wedding, the Garden Arbor, the New German Girl, parts of the partsunknown vacation, the night race at Bristol, Irish Fest and a few Kay party's to be sure. There were also the low points; Not seeing Meredith for an entire calendar year, Ben Lawrence, Mpozi Tolbert and Ed Sanders funerals, the reason I had to get a new car, bowling humiliations, work strife, life strife, migraines, day to day dissapointments, missing a few of the parties and events of my friends. All in all it was another year, and I don't expect his one to be much different. There will be another wedding of two of my good friends, and a Florida vacation (barring chuksidence), more wins and losses at all of lifes endeavors, more of the same, but you gotta' be there. <br /></span><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>My apologies</em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> to Travis and Liz for my failure to assist in the relocation of Liz's company the Best Chocolate in Town (it's still the best chocolate, it's just in a new town now, the right town). Jenni and Mel were my proxies and they had the truck for futon and incidental item transport. Jenni said that Glen Bucy was a machine and if we ever move we need to hire him to cooridinate it, then there was David, Kay, Theresa, Mike Wilson, THE Bill Brooks, Mike and Meredith Garber and James and Jennifer (and a few others Jenni could not name; I told her that was o.k. their parents should have done that, and it's just not her fault if they didn't), so the Move went off well I am told. <br /></span><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>2007:</em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> Last night Jenni and I drank a cheap bottle of Spumante, and toasted each other at 0:00.03, 2007 and so far it's been one of the best years ever. I hope you are having as good a year as I am, without a hangover, a headache or a summons to appear in front of a judge. Here's to an even better year. More happiness, joy, friends and emotional and financial successes to you all. Here's to a </span><span style="font-size:11px; color:#3419d3;"><em>Colts </em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">victory over the </span><span style="font-size:11px; color:#c31a1a;"><em>Chef's </em></span><span style="font-size:11px; color:#333333;"><em>(great mooglie wooglie) </em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">on January 6th!<br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#240fd3;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2007</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('0117');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('0117');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('0117');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('0117'); </script></a><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_1" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_1.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_2" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_2.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_3" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_3.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_4" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_4.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_5" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_5.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_6" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_6.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_7" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_7.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_8" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_8.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_9" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_9.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_10" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_10.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_11" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_11.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry950_12" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry950_12.jpg"/><span style="font:35px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#250cd3;">- 4 </span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-948" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">IT Is Alive, and Bitchin'.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/31/2006 09:31 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="6167be39622bd80af8161bbdb099f024-948.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">Over saturation point met on Friday. One of those days where absolutely nothing goes right. I got out of bed and stepped into a bear trap. Well, to put it more accurately, there was a bear waiting for me when I woke up. It said I have to say something that will ruin your whole day. (a poetic bear is still a bear, mon frere). I assured the bear that it snarls and growls didn't scare, that I was fine and I didn't care. (Zeus! I've got to kill this right now Dr. Seuss!) I didn't feel I had anything to contribute to the ether-world so I passed on post. I showered, and made pretty for the coming day, happy that it was a 5:30 end instead of a 6:30. Holiday hours and overtime were finally done with and we returned to regular store hours and day off rotations on Tuesday the 26th. Well, technically everybody else got back to the regular day off rotations. I arrived at the store early, around 8:10 like I usually do and have since Meredith started 4th grade, and went to the door to be let in with Mike Novak, and Jo. Bruce's car was not there, which we took as a sign the he found a way to Colorado for his scheduled ski trip (being slower after the holiday He was taking much needed r & r; <em>that</em> was on the schedule.) With Bruce gone the duty fell to Jody and Rob to let the employees in. After a few taps on the door glass (each of us taking turns) Rita walked up and joined us outside the portal to employ. Mike called Jody's phone, which rang several times then went to voice mail, he tried again. Same result. I said Rob's truck was in the lot try him (Rob got to take the 26th, 27th and 28th off to be with his family, an exception to the no vacations after Thanksgiving rule, <em>gooses and ganders, and </em><strong><em>that too</em></strong><em> was on the schedule, </em>admittedly a rule that does not apply to Bruce or Jody, or Rob I guess, but a rule none the less, right?) Rob's phone (still on DND )goes straight to voicemail, in a moment of inspiration I try Jody's cell, to no avail, it was on his desk next to his regular phone. The time now is 8:22 and we've been tapping, and knocking and banging since 8:10, eager we are to be inside and doing the tasks and duties assigned to us. So I walk down to the metal door that is adjacent to the stairs up to privilege land, and soundly open hand whack it four times. In less than a minute Jody opens that door, surprised that people want to work. Then as a manner of explanation comments that ,"We (he and Rob) were having a great conversation (pesky, trivial employees)." Something I didn't need to hear. Boiling point. Now every little thing is compounding, and I can't ignore or dismiss, I'm trying to be calm outside but still boiling inside, I stock the areas that are my responsibility, notice several short falls in inventory, which I had attempted to set straight a few times, but we have a system in place now to assure that once it's off whack it will always stay off whack and are out of some of the crucial things I am in charge of. Two hours after my first outburst, I snap again, tell Phil I'm leaving, and I'm taking my Saturday off too! If I was singled out, I 'm not putting up with it. If I was overlooked or an oversight, I'm not putting up with that either. After 19 years, and hundreds of oversights and overlooks, I'm not going to just take it this time. I went home. With the anger energy coursing through me I decided to put up the new lights I got for Jenni and the house for Christmas. I did kitchen first, then the bedroom as well, and after three hours on ladders working and wiring overhead the place was illuminated and I was having back cramps and spasms. Anger and energy partially excised, I sat and just scowled for the rest of the evening, until Jenni and I watched <strong><em>"My Super ex-Girlfriend"</em></strong> which lightened my mood enough to sleep. <br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#a6150a;">Chuck &copy; 2006</span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#168f12;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1231');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1231');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1231');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1231'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-947" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Meter Repaired, Day Salvaged</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/28/2006 06:38 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="776579e712102a7141a37d0a1ead798a-947.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Jazztet5" width="557" height="373" src="page0_blog_entry947_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Dickinson Jazztet </em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; ">Swings</span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em> into Action; Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="deeindenim" width="264" height="384" src="page0_blog_entry947_2.jpg"/></div>Yesterday's tally faux-pas is now repaired and resurrected. When I calculated the totals before I forgot to apply my own "chase" format. When I had done the redeux I was surprised and pleased to see Kay tied with Rich for the #1 spot. Kay had previously said that she had no chance to beat him because of the bowling league recaps I do. Well Kay, Rich did not throw the biggesest and bestest Christ-fest feast now did he? I think this was the first time DeAnne made the Top ten as well, so she gets a geek magnet for her fridge too (when I get around to making them), I still owe prizes for last quarters finalists too. Time and effort have both eluded me. Speaking of DeAnne, last night she told me that I need to pick up my photos from her now finished gallery show, and there are bonus caged balls in my package, yea! Last night at the Chatterbox, a Wednesday tradition. Jenni, Mel, Rebecca and I were about all of the attendees until about 8 o'clock, when drifters and Dickinson Jazzteters finally started to make a night of the day. <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="smilinMel" width="264" height="245" src="page0_blog_entry947_3.jpg"/></div>Vanessa was our hostess until just around 8:30, when DeAnne arrived and I told her <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="rebec-reclin" width="264" height="334" src="page0_blog_entry947_4.jpg"/></div>she made the finals and she told me about the caged, wax orbs. Rebecca (also a finalist) and Jenni had started with a business meeting at the Point along with Kathy Harrer (who had the good sense to go home) and after business was finis, moved down to the Box with me and Mel. Mel and I stopped over to the Starbucks to spend some of our holiday bux-card bucks, the it was off to the missus, who left when the getting got good earlier. <br /><p style="text-align:center;" ><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#36892a;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#168f12;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1228');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1228');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1228');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1228'); </script></a><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="cig-heil" width="120" height="122" src="page0_blog_entry947_5.jpg"/></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-945" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Package's Checked</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/26/2006 06:08 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="ec65bf1bdb16c9d3838a675ad25a5bde-945.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="World HQ" width="557" height="136" src="page0_blog_entry945_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Official World HQ plaque has arrived. Thanks to Mrs. .com, Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span> <br /><p style="text-align:center;" >Was it really only one day off? Was it really Christmas? With such a long string of days on, it seemed like more than one off. I still got up at before 7:30 yesterday. I should have slept in, Jenni did. I thought there was a lot for me to do. As it turns out, the first project I started became an all consuming one. One of the gifts I received from Jenni was the Engraved plaque above. Well when I got up the World HQ was a mess. So I started by throwing away a trash bag full of papers and magazines and just genera detritus. I made a pot of coffee, and kept at it most of the day. We talked our families on the phone, and Jenni heated up a spiral cut ham, which was a hit with the quadrapeds as well as the bipeds. Among the gifts that Jenni got were some new lighting solutions for the house, a couple of months ago Jenni saw some ads from <img class="imageStyle" alt="lights & ornament" width="530" height="177" src="page0_blog_entry945_2.jpg"/><br /><strong>The festive Lights, Beads and Ornaments at the World HQ parking lot.</strong><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="dia-sphire" width="264" height="359" src="page0_blog_entry945_3.jpg"/></div> the home improvement stores for hanging lights, and asked me if I thought we should finally get rid of the ugly ones that came with the house. So I will be wiring and hanging those over the New Years break. There is also a new ceiling fan lamp assembly with hand blown blue tulip globes for the bedroom. While I'm talking of hanging there is also the sapphire blue pendent that will be seen around Jenni's neck that Santa snuck into the house on Christmas eve, before Jenni and I went to the Chatterbox for Kay's birthday and the unofficial sing a long directed by Jane Pozek. I also wanted to share the lights and ornaments photos that I took early on Christmas morning. I got a couple of CD's I've been missing since David and Meredith went to Florida, a great stadium seat that will come in handy at the nascar races, health and beauty items to make me even more handsome, and the cat in a bag that I ordered for the past few Christmas' but usually got the cat in a box. <br /></p><p><img class="imageStyle" alt="cat-in-a bag" width="545" height="445" src="page0_blog_entry945_4.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#36892a;"><em>The Cat in a Bag was terrific, thanks Santy Claws.</em></span><span style="color:#36892a;"><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;">I hope you all had a happy December 25th, I will see you all soon, but if not before next Monday have a</span><span style="color:#36892a;"> </span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#36892a;"><em>Happy New year!</em></span><span style="color:#36892a;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align:center;" ><img class="imageStyle" alt="25th" width="264" height="242" src="page0_blog_entry945_5.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#36892a;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#168f12;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1226');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1226');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1226');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1226'); </script></a></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-944" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Weak Start, Weekend</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/24/2006 03:30 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="501e399fb5fc11e2115d9ca478f215f1-944.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">Saturday and Sunday at the store were both anti-climatic. Most of your last minute customers are dicks anyway, and thankfully the internet has taken much of the <em>"I guess I better buy something or I'll look like a dick,"</em> dick contingent away. Still not every dick has the savvy to surf, or the intellect to intel, but when there is no guaranteed overnight or 'before Christmas' delivery available they do surface. Still, from a retailer viewpoint though a few showed up, the 'choice items' were already sold so it's the "buy a whatever was left to avoid looking like a dick scenario, which inevitably has the recipient saying, "You know the Dick just bought what ever was left, or what ever they had to much of so he wouldn't look like a complete dick. That Dick!" From a retailer viewpoint this is actually the best scenario (except for dealing with the dicks) because you can get rid of whatever you had too much of or what ever you feel like selling, as long as the 'premium' items are gone. And trust me it feels <strong><em>so</em></strong> good to tell a last minute buyer, 10 minutes before closing, <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="sm-clause" width="163" height="165" src="page0_blog_entry944_1.jpg"/></div>that you sold the last one two hours ago, or better yet two days ago at 10% below cost. When being in retail strips the last semblance of Christmas spirit from you, the 'you get what you deserve factor' at least lets you feel like at least some things are as they should be. <br />Merry Christmas to you all, and to all a good night. <br />Chuck Claus.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#168f12;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1224');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1224');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1224');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1224'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-943" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">From Coma toes, to Missile toes.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/22/2006 06:54 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="e5c96f91615b73a42bcc34bbf7f6b59b-943.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Pozek practices" width="545" height="376" src="page0_blog_entry943_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#d00a20;"><em>Jane practices her sheet music, 'lean and read' form (there is a lot to playing a piano). Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br />Did I mention that I get Monday off? The whole day. I work tonight until 6:30, tomorrow until 5:30, Sunday until 3:00, but have the whole day off on Monday (just when I thought I wasn't getting anything for Christmas*). I'll be back downtown at the Chatterbox for the unofficial sing-a-long on Sunday night. There I expect toe see Travis and Liz. you know liz right? She's the one who Married her job, as the best chocolate in town girlie, then she married Travis. She is incredibly busy tis time of year, but then again she's incredibly busy all the time. Brock and Jess are supposed to be in or the holiday as well, and joining the fun at the US-A-L as well. It should be an interesting evening. Jane Pozek will be the person in charge of causing spasmodic movement and laughter at the ivories. Tickle my dear friends, tickle, she is a pianist, and she will be there to bring great joy and amusement to the Christofori's keys for Christmas, not just the same ol' song and dance, my friend. <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="jane & friend" width="264" height="198" src="page0_blog_entry943_2.jpg"/></div>The photo is of Jane and a friend at Wednesday event. If you've only seen Jane on the bench at the piano from inside the Chatterbox Box, then this is a whole other side of Jane. If you are there I'll see you, if not maybe I'll see you, either way I will be on my long Christmas vacation when I'm there, so wish me well (drinks).<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#168f12;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1222');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1222');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1222');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1222'); </script></a><br />* I should mention that I already got a <strong><em>"sno-baller"</em></strong> from Travis, and a nifty <strong><em>Serge Storms</em></strong> tee and some flower seeds from Kay, lest I appear unappreciative here. </div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-942" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Caroling, Caroling We Go</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/21/2006 06:38 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="c963bb61778d75c26f7b7b9481c7c2d7-942.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Park Place" width="576" height="231" src="page0_blog_entry942_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#629361;"><em>Was Somebody in a hurry to get to the 5 Golden rings table?</em></span><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Leslie M" width="264" height="384" src="page0_blog_entry942_2.jpg"/></div>Last night over one hundred close friends got together to wish Leslie Mastin happy birthday at the Chatterbox. There was singing, and fellowship, and good company but we never got around to singing the birthday song. It seems like a lot of the people were only there for the Christmas Sing-A-Long, in fact there were people there I've only seen there on Chatterbox sing-a-longs and the place was packed. After the singing was done and Dick Dickinson was setting up for the live jazz portion of the evening several people noticed the Travis had once again gotten one of the choice parking spots right in front. In fact he had two of the choice parking spots, it seems he had a little trouble getting right between the "lines" and made it a little tough to park next to him. Thanks to Daryl Spurlock for the extra muscle. Inside the 'box I got a shot of Cathy Morris chastising Travis for his inconsiderate parking practices. Our host for the evening, and every evening was David Andrichik, who was decked 'like the halls' with Heather <img class="imageStyle" alt="tuxedo junction" width="586" height="411" src="page0_blog_entry942_3.jpg"/><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Cathy chastises" width="264" height="210" src="page0_blog_entry942_4.jpg"/></div>(instead of holly) and Mel. Rich received his annual blessing from Mel, and, thanks to her efforts will be able to walk and sit in a chair again real soon. Kay was seen standing on the bar, with her new Nikon camera that the Roberts Gang (past & present) pitched in to provide for her at her Christmas party, she seems<div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="handsome JD" width="264" height="306" src="page0_blog_entry942_5.jpg"/></div> to be getting the hang of it pretty quickly. She was wearing the other present i got for her, an apron the reads "Many Have Eaten Here, Few Have Died" I think she should wear it for the sorority gals, they will love it. Along with Travis, and Mel John David was one of the first "G-Ring singers" there and I got a photo of him doing his I can swallow my own teeth trick. When Rich saw this photo he started laughing so hard he fell off his chair, and we had to get Mel to bless him, as seen in the Tuxedo photo, just to sit and walk again. Now, there are just 4 shopping days before I get a day off. Woo, hoo.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#ffbf23;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1221');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1221');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1221');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1221'); </script></a><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-940" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Hangin' 10 in the Yule Tide</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/19/2006 06:35 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="e9a93b6bcfc2a4467a7820e1908df8a4-940.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="shrimps boil" width="545" height="289" src="page0_blog_entry940_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#c03523;"><em>Momma Mia, That's a spicey Shrimp Boil! Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="polar song" width="264" height="213" src="page0_blog_entry940_2.jpg"/></div>Well, Kay never ceases to amaze. There was probably over forty people in the Niedenthal home last night for warm Christmas Cheer. Connie was not the only person to want for a chair a time or two, but nobody was unhappy or uncomfortable. All were welcome, and fed, and filled with joy. Outside the polar bear (that Kay's mother made from paper machete) sang to the copper frogs (You dirty frog, you'll never take me alive, copper! See!) like James Cagney in "Yankee Doodle Dandy." On the driveway Mark Niedenthal was making a spicy shrimp boil. At the front of the house there was a bonfire, and on the deck deck and at the back stoop were the smokers. Inside and out everybody was happy, inside and out. Quotes were quoted from Monty Python and Mel Brooks. Hugs were hugged, stories of past glories were embellished, and all was warm and wonderful. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Kay spotlight" width="545" height="645" src="page0_blog_entry940_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#c42d5b;"><em>Spot Light Dance!</em></span><span style="color:#c42d5b;"><em> </em></span><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#c42d5b;"><em>(You can almost hear the cheesy organ version of Dizzy fro Tommy Roe)</em></span><span style="color:#c42d5b;"><em>. </em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#c42d5b;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><br />Even before Kay called a spotlight dance, (which, judging from the photo was a can,can) she was the star of the night, like a ray of welcoming sunlight warming us all with her glowing presence. The Roberts Gang; Ed & Pam, Rich, Mel, Mike, Jenni and I all got together to buy Kay a better digital camera for her garden and macro photo exploits come spring and greening time. Kay retaliated with <strong><em>Serge</em></strong> wear and stories from one of our (collective group) favorite authors, <a href="../../page8/page7/interests.html" rel="self">Tim Dorsey</a> from sunny Florida. <strong><em>Serge Storms</em></strong> is the principle character of Tim's books, and apparently has his own web site now, which Tim administers, which including the on-line store and merchandise. Kay bought both Rich and I t-shirts and also a <strong><em>Coleman</em></strong> hip-flask for Rich to take on his cruise, so he will never have to be too far from his <em>Orange Crush</em>. I also got more beauty from Kay, some flower seeds to put in my garden, so I can have a little (more) of the growing paradise of Kay's yard in mine. Then it was home to watch the Colts busting Bengal butt's and dreams from the 2nd Quarter on, on Monday Night Football. <br />The next partial update had been done on the <a href="../../page12/newmention.html" rel="self">mention meter</a>. We're two thirds of the way through November!<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1219');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1219');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1219');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1219'); </script></a><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_1" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_4.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_2" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_5.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_3" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_6.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_4" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_7.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_5" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_8.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_6" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_9.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_7" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_10.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_7" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_11.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_8" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_12.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_8" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_13.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_8" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry940_14.jpg"/><span style="font:35px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#0f398f;">- 3 !</span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-939" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Banquet</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/18/2006 07:23 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="e87106a0c2ccc35333b9bde0664a9267-939.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="gravity feed" width="545" height="396" src="page0_blog_entry939_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Gravity Feeder, and you thought Gravity never gets hungry. Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><strong><br /><br /></strong>Well since Jenni's been sick for about a hundred years, I thought I was bowling last night. She was in her pajamas all day and we were tottering around the house. At one point she gave me a list of stuff to pick up at the store for her contribution to the "Nothing Better To Do" bowling leagues annual x-mas banquet. While I was out doing that she was in the shower, I took a long way home to get some seat time in the BMW, and found the photo op above, unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, so after I delivered the goods for velveeta-peanut butter fudge I grabbed my camera and told her I would be back. When I got home she had the fudge ready to go in the fridge for a bit. I went into the den, downloaded the photos in question and watched some football. At about 6:18 I was wrapping up to go and do my bowl and eat thing, when she stepped into the frame of the door (that had to hurt) and asked if I was going too? This is the first time I have seen her in regular cloths since Thursday when she dressed, and made like to go to work, and ten minutes later was in her 'jammies again and not going to work. So I was ready, pumped, psyched to bowl, and instead sat in the middle of everybody's path, in the way, a total third wheel, with no purpose on earth except to apologize four hundred times and move out of one persons path and into anothers. Jenni did have her best single game, and highest series, so it was good that she came back from the dead to bowl (and it's not even easter) I had too much to eat, and played chauffeur. Tonight is Miss Kays annual Christmas party (it seems like its been a year...) so there is more over eating in my immediate future. Yesterday was the David the Son-in-laws birthing anniversary. Jenni had sent him a care package and talked to the kids several times during her convalescence period. I worked, ate and slept poorly during the same period of time. We all have our roles, pass the rolls. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1218');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1218');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1218');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1218'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-935" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Much Anticipated (Viel nahm vorweg)</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/14/2006 06:19 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="6ea5d3dbe464d86dbafefea2ddeaa720-935.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="birtday goil" width="545" height="436" src="page0_blog_entry935_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Pam ogling the Camera instead of holding her licker! I sure he held her later; Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Mike contemplative" width="264" height="319" src="page0_blog_entry935_2.jpg"/></div>Last night a select few of us celebrated Pam's birthday at the Chatterbox, it was a belated birthday celebration, since it was actually one solar rotation and one terrestrial rotation combined since her previous birthing anniversary. I had three beers and one car-bomb (which I ordered for Mike Wilson, Eddie, Pam and myself, but which Mike took the liberty of paying for, the scoundrel), played a bit of music on the Jukebox, visited with Pam, Ed, Mel, Kay, Mike, Travis, Glen Bucy, Maggie at Luna, Jon Harmon and Catherine Woods (and Skippy for just a moment on my way out), before heading home to the ailing spouse. That was all good. the much anticipated event was my actually getting the title to the BMW. So this morning I head off to the License branch to make my kleines deutsches M&auml;dchen (little German girl)a legal resident of Indiana and our motorways. It was suggested that I get a personalized <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="cat,skippy,john" width="264" height="204" src="page0_blog_entry935_3.jpg"/></div>plate for the beloved ride, and Jenni and i have been weighing a few possibilities. In fact. Die h&auml;rteste Sache, die ich gestern Abend tat, war der Versuch, zum der rechten personifizierten Lizenzplatte f&uuml;r BMW zu finden. But I have a few choices to check the availability of, so just maybe. <br /> <br />Dich auf den Autobahnen von meinem geliebten BMW sehen. Einen guten Tag haben. <br />Chuck heraus.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1214');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1214');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1214');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1214'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-934" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">A Quickie</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/13/2006 07:15 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="38bc779403def08f167f1be26e0e52dd-934.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">So I really should have my title to the car today, 9 days after my temp plate expired. The problem here is that the license branch closes at 5:00, so it looks like I'll be heading that way first ting tomorrow morning, which means I'll be a little tardy in my arrival at casa de camera. At least I will be legal in every sense of the word (automotively speaking). <br />Jenni's flu took a turn for the worse a couple of days ago, and now she has an inner ear infection to go with the other problems, this causes blondness, and makes her nauseous whenever she shrugs her shoulders and throws her head back an forth at the same time; I'm <em>sorrry</em> I meant to say this causes dizziness. The Dr. forbade her from working today (apparently as long as we pay our co-pays, so <em>he</em> has income incoming, it really doesn't matter to him if we eat, have christmas or pay our other bills). <br />12/12/2006 was Pam Walkers birthday, and I feel confident that it will be Pam Walkers last birthday. I will be meeting her at the Chatterbox tonight and I will be seeing to it that she is car bombed before the evening is out! It should be a short evening for me then I'm home to my sick-o. That's the plan, but I am in those awkward years where I do just about everything wrong, no matter how much I try. You know that period in a mans' life where he is more prone to misjudgment and mistake. It has a specific name. I might have to google this one or check wikipedia. Well there's not time for that now, but I think its called the <em>married years?</em> or <em>male spouse syndrome</em>, or something like that, maybe it's just husband? Well I'm probably wrong about this too. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em><br />Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1213');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1213');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1213');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1213'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-933" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Back In the Saddle Again...</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/12/2006 06:54 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="fa4b48f306ccc8a794dda921b61d1e2c-933.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="cathy's neck" width="264" height="337" src="page0_blog_entry933_1.jpg"/></div>I got the BMW back from Black Forrest Motors just after 3:30 then went back to work, she's happy now that she has a new water-pump and thermostat to regulate her hot flashes. I have not been feeling too good for the last couple of days carrying a retrograde fever, and taking over the counter cold and flu medicines. I've had a fever headache since Friday, but have tried not to let it get in the way of everything. Then yesterday it got worse, but I had to get out in the BMW just because I could. So even with a blistering fever, I stopped at the Chatterbox for a while last night. Brooks, Rich and Mel were there with Ed Sipes when I arrived, Kay made her usual Monday appearance as did Maryann Beuke and Jody F. After David took the crew (Rich, Mel, Ed, Brooks and myself) to the storage room in renovation Rich scheduled the bowling rotation for David, Jenni and I through the rest of the Sunday league. Travis popped <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Kienle" width="264" height="196" src="page0_blog_entry933_2.jpg"/></div>in and we all enjoyed a quite evening (crowd wise), Rich Travis and Ed had the good sense to go home, and Mel and I stayed, shared some pretzels and talked to DeAnne and Nicci, and Cathy Morris who was there to meet up with Jane and Derry. I took some shots of Peter Kienle which I have already e-mailed to him this morning. Mauvene popped in on her way to Madame Butterfly in full kabuki makeup. Soon it was time to leave, so I left. <br />At home after a recount of the evenings enterprise with Jenni I headed o bed. An hour later I awoke with a 102&deg; <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Muavene Butterfly" width="264" height="281" src="page0_blog_entry933_3.jpg"/></div>fever and a splitting fever headache. I took two Midrin, and two rapid release capsules, got a baggy full of shaved ice and slept on the couch with the ice bag on my head. <br />So that's my story, and I'm sticking to it (like the sheets when you have a 102&deg; fever). So it's off to work again with a fever and headache, and I should be getting the title for the BMW today, so all is right with the world, 47&deg; outside, 100+ inside (me). Have a good day, fight the good fight, and get home safely to your loved ones, and I'll see you later. Deal?<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em><br />Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1212');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1212');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1212');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1212'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-930" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Waiting Is The Hardest Part</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/08/2006 05:48 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="e3f779231037b1c04cc2fce788a6424c-930.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Snowday & Bathed" width="545" height="192" src="page0_blog_entry930_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Baby's first Snow day, and then clean from Bath afterwards: Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br />Taking full advantage of one of my last scheduled days off, I ran multiple errands yesterday. I thought <br />I would have time to put up my post, but the demands of the day thought otherwise. <br /><strong><em>Snow day for my little girl.</em></strong> The new BMW, which was a Florida car had probably never seen a snow day before. So one of my first tasks was to get a couple of photos of her in that. I had to run to the bank for some banking (what else?), and take a trip up to Black Forest Motors on Shadeland to see about the cooling system. (she never saw extreme cold temperatures below freezing before either, and she had some issues). Then I noticed how badly she needed a bath, so I took her to Mikes for a wash. Then downtown for another task, and to take Jenni to lunch at Berringer's on S. Meridian St. From there it was back home to grab a book , he back to Black Forrest Motors for her check-up ( I wanted her to keep a cool head, while still warming my heart). Then there was the $25 Best Buy gift card one of y Credit Card companies sent me, so I ran in there and bought the new <strong>Yusuf/Cat Stevens</strong><strong><em>, An Other Cup CD</em></strong>, which is fabulous, and the <strong><em>Neil Young and Crazy Horse at the Filmore, 1970 Live</em></strong> CD that was equally amazing. Finally home after 4:00 I started to upload the photos from Wednesday night at the Box, and formatting them for the post, and reading my e-mail (which had gone two days without my attention) and listening to the new CD's (I also bought <strong><em>Mr. A-Z </em></strong>by<strong> Jason Mraz</strong>) and I get a text message from Jenni that she's leaving work. Then there's dinner, playing the CD's for Jenni and Smallville and Scrubs, and before you know it, it is pointless to start the post because it is bedtime. <br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Michelle O'Keefe" width="269" height="353" src="page0_blog_entry930_2.jpg"/></div><strong>Wednesday at the Box:</strong> Mike Wilson and I stopped in for a quick refreshment before heading home. I asked for a Guiness but the nitrogen was out, so it was flat and I instead went to another foine beverage from the same brewmasters, Harp. Dick Dickinson was there as was a piano tuner, and Dick told me to stick around because there was going to be a special guest with him later. They left and it was just Vanessa at the bar, Mike, Kay and two fellows I didn't know (who left soon enough). Kay had made some Monkey Roll ups (interpolating the Monkey Bread recipe which was such a hit at Rich's), then Peter Park arrived, then Jeff, Jerry and Mary Lou from ACT, and I put in some tunes on the Juke. Before you know it the place is filling up, and Travis arrives with Michelle O'Keefe the 'PR Barbie' who is also on the board of Directors for Indy Reads. Kay and Wilson, their nights fulfilled take off and I move over to talk to Travis and Michelle. Cathy Morris and <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Dickinson & Bunch" width="264" height="200" src="page0_blog_entry930_3.jpg"/></div>Darrel Spurlock arrive, then the Band with Dick's special guest John Bunch. Then I have to wait for the end of the first set to take the photo Dick asked me to take. Travis and Michelle surrender their seats to the next wave, which included Judy Grimes, Darlene Delbecq, Steve Singleton and his date (again), Glen Bucy and Toni Smith, plus DeAnne and Nicci pre-shifting. John Bunch took the stage, with Gary Meyers on the skins, and Dick on a barstool, and they played a couple of songs, finally around 9:40 Dick comes to get me and I take a couple of shots with his camera and one with mine, that done I get my tab settled and I hit the <strong><em>Road to Ensenada</em></strong> (but I only made it as far as home with its warm bed and hot wife (fever in the morning, fever all through the night , you give me fever). So there is the missing info, the introduction to Ms. O'Keefe, and of course more baby pictures.<br /> <img class="imageStyle" alt="John, Gary & Dick" width="545" height="366" src="page0_blog_entry930_4.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>John Bunch, Gary Meyers and Dick Dickinson, part of the Jazztet on Wednesday.</em></span><strong><br /><br />Tonight Bowling:</strong> and I hope a 600 series, since I got so much rest on Thursday I should be ready to roll, Dude. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1208');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1208');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1208');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1208'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-928" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Charted Territory</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/04/2006 06:52 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="b1f92f43d99200daf637d04be6cdda2d-928.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">I sound like Lurch, I've coughed myself through an entire sleep cycle, the Colts are 10-2 after starting 9-0, and I have no drive or will. There are several things I need to do to get ready for work, they will be and I will be. At work who can say? This promises to be a long and rough day. I will take as many medications as I can to make it through, p to the prescribed daily maximum doses i suspect. Tis done I head to the other tasks. Fight the good fight, stay of good cheer, and sell a lot of the necessities of life (digital toys and memory). Plagued Ship out.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1204');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1204');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1204');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1204'); </script></a><span style="font-size:11px; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:19px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Brrr! Cough, cough, b-b-brrrr!</em></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-927" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Two Forward, One Back</div><div class="blog-entry-date">12/03/2006 12:54 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="1899a5ce9411983344c09fdc66436cf9-927.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="ethereal_fluxation" width="545" height="363" src="page0_blog_entry927_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Rich on the left, and DeAnne on the Right explaining the Process; <br />Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><br /><span style="color:#0e0e0e;">Before I elaborate on all the great things that were Friday, I have to explain some of my sad Saturday. I awoke with the flu and a fever. I had been sneezing at work on Friday, which was a precursor to the accessory package. I was suddenly ill equipped. I had the dual climate regions (feet that will not warm up, upperbody that is on fire), the enhanced sound system (the one that crackles and pops every time you yawn or swallow), the self cleaning viewing (with intermittent wash/blinkers set to medium high) and the horn upgrade (which requires a kleenex in front to get the full effect). I spent a lot of time in bed under the covers and dozing. I spent some time on the computer reading e-mails or playing Solitaire. I was only outside once to walk to the mailbox. I spent a little time wondering where the big time went (no, I'm not going to have another go about the nature of time, not this time, there are other things to discourse, so that will be reserved for another more timely time.) Then Jenni and I watched Ridley Scott's "Kingdom of Heaven" about the second Crusades and Saladin and Balian, it was riveting, hard to believe it was 148 minutes long. Then I went to bed. I awoke to a house full of Sunday, every corner, nook and cranny. I wondered how it had gotten in, but had to accept that since it was here I might as well make the best of it. Jenni and I have invited Mel to bring her Blackberry wine and to watch the Colts/Titans game in HD (CBS willing) before she and Jenni are dutifully called to Kegling Night at the Sport Bowl. There, we're are all present together in the present, so allow me to present the Friday presentation, that I failed to present on Saturday, as my present to you all! <br /></span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="discussing the merits" width="264" height="216" src="page0_blog_entry927_2.jpg"/></div><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#0e0e0e;">Friday: </span><span style="color:#0e0e0e;"> The day started out cold and rainy, the ride into work taken on the inside lanes of US 40 to avoid flooding in some of the neighborhoods. Work itself was slower than I expected for day one of December. Rich left a little early to go register for scuba classes, so he can be pre-certified when he goes on the family cruise just before Christmas and returns just after New Years. This put a little more strain on my already cluttered hour before bowling. I was to meet Jenni at Flux for DeAnne's opening (we actually met in 1979, but you get the idea, right?), and then drive to Sportbowl, shoe-up and be there to represent the team, in case Rich</span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Saturday 11to4" width="264" height="159" src="page0_blog_entry927_3.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#0e0e0e;"> was late. As it turns out there was just enough time, I arrived at Flux eight minutes after clocking out, had a grand tour of the selection with the missus at my side, discussed finances with my former fiance&eacute;, then fetched my cheques, to facilitate a Photo foursome purchase featuring the Flux Flex formula. I chose three small in stature, big in substance images which made me joyous inside myself, and the larger image that has already adorned my site twice, the postcard piece, </span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="The Saygers, Rich and Invisi-Mel" width="264" height="352" src="page0_blog_entry927_4.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#0e0e0e;">(even before I found out that it was Missy's wedding, and that Mamma Roth can identify each alien shape as a friend or family member). <br />Then I dashed off to the bowling alley and bowled liked a man who had just dashed from an art opening after making a few choice choices his own. Which is to say the joy of my conquest, translated into a good evening of Kegling for yours truly, a high of 214, and a 542 series all on a 159 league average. We won the first game respectably with Mike Wilson leading the charge with 180, C Scott having a 28 over average game, and me nabbing 163. Rich struggled to keep his head above water the entire night (it's a good thing he had his scuba manuals there, I can tell ya). Game two: Scott and I both had scores with 1, 2 and 4 in them (his in that order, still above his average by 9) Rich had his best attempt (still 15 below that watermark) and Wilson had his correction game (equaling Scott's average) and we took game 2 too. Then came game three. Copies Plus (who trounced us three weeks earlier) relived past glory as C Scott tried and successfully defended his average by bowling an astonishing 83 (a boost of 3 for the night but not enough to goose the running average). Me, 165. Rich submerges another 4 and Wilson rebounded to 161 and grabbed a 456 series; his highest since his 459 week one showing. So we took two steps forward, and one step back, gaining exactly 1 point. <br />What to do now? What to do next? Why, close Flux of course! Rich and I headed back up to the Gallery, where we were warmly met by Mel Shoffner with Kara and Katelyn Sayger who all came to the gallery together. I was gladly welcomed back by DeAnne, Nicci and Connie, and cooly welcomed by Mike Lamm. Dan Hook grabbed my hand and greeted me like family as I looked around to see of Kay, who made a stunning Bundt Fudge, was still there. Sadly, Kay had already retired from the evenings festivities. I learned from DeAnne that Travis was wanting to buy the "one" piece that I nabbed earlier and it was Nicci who informed them both that it was mine, all mine! De oily boid gets da woim, my friend of Italian descent! Capisce! I took some photos through the glass, steamed inside and rained on outside and showed them to Dee. She liked a few of them, and I said that they resembled her stuff a little, and so I feature them here. After that I was on my way home to hold the love of my life. Wow! Some Good Friday, Eh? Told ya. <br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1203');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1203');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1203');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1203'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-922" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Winter? Is that you?</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/30/2006 06:24 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="6e3cd588133a5ff7463cd7477403f087-922.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Wednesday Morning" width="545" height="418" src="page0_blog_entry922_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>One last look back at warm and dry? Wednesday's Sunrise. Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><strong><br /></strong><span style="color:#0e0e0e;">The warm and fuzzy November weather is all but a memory after today. As I sit here at 6:30 AM it is 63&deg; degrees outside, by the tim I leave work this afternoon it is supposed to be in the mid 40's. That's a drop of about 60 years, er 20&deg; and we are looking at possibly 2 inches of rain by then. This is all kind of a surprise to me, I missed a lot of the end of yesterday as I was trying to stay of ahead of a headache. I left work at 3:30 and got home in time to take a Midrin, then I slept until 8:00. This morning I have a dull headache, and will be taking another Midrin before I head out into the sheets of rain. I have no photos other than a sunrise shot from yesterday or clever commentary about anything that happened yesterday, since nothing happened for me but restorative and preemptive sleep. Today is the long day at Roberts, and we are entering the sprint to the holidays phase so hopefully it will go by quickly even though it's a long one. <br /></span><span style="color:#0e0e0e;">Welcome to Ricky Proehl, who came out to retirement to fill in for Brandon Stokely at the Wide Receiver position, just 5 more regular season games remain, then hopefully a successful post season campaign for the Colts. The next Manning TD pass to Marvin Harrison will be the 100th TD hook-up for the prolific duo. Hopefully that will come in the Clash with the Titans on Sunday 12 3.<br />Have a good Thursday. <br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1130');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1130');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1130');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1130'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-921" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Flux Approaches, It Does. Yes.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/29/2006 05:58 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="414c0b7194b3aba429af8f9266297738-921.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><p style="text-align:center;" ><img class="imageStyle" alt="DeAnne Drilling Balls" width="320" height="240" src="page0_blog_entry921_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Working Overhead, not working Capital; Nicci Herren &copy; 2006 (used by permission)</em></span><br /></p><p> Friday the 1st is just around the corner (obviously this is another clever turn of a phrase, since I have several times in the past tired to impress upon my readers the fact that time is linear and constant, and unless there is a breakthrough in theoretical quantum physics, or you are Hiro Nakamura folding time and space, then there are no corners). This means that another year has almost gotten away from us. Our existence is more and more fleeting, and Deanne Roth has only two more days to complete her installation, and finish her prep for her Gallery opening on Friday at 5:00. <br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="DeAnne Card-o" width="264" height="177" src="page0_blog_entry921_2.jpg"/></div>When I was at the Chatterbox on Monday (signified by planetary rotations and light and dark cycles of sunshine as an attempt to measure and understand 'time' and break it down into segments known as days) Deanne had two fairly good size boxes of her hanging physical art pieces on the end bar stool. See yesterday's post for a photo. She still has to finish suspending them and I have no doubt that she will be ready when she opens the doors to the public on Friday. I have no doubt that she will be exhausted as well, or that her shoulders will be in knots. That is a lot of working overhead. Nicci Herren took a photo last weekend with DeAnne's Sony camera (purchased from a very thoughtful camera salesperson last winter) of the very activity I mention.<br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="caged orbs" width="545" height="95" src="page0_blog_entry921_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>You think these are cool, wait until you see her Photographs!</em></span><br />Friday the 1st is also my Bowling night, but I plan on making two visits to Flux Gallery (1046 Woodlawn Ave., Fountain Square area), one before Kegling and one after with my 'crew' in tow. I expect to see a large crowd at Flux both times. I know I'll see you there. <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="sign off" width="165" height="78" src="page0_blog_entry921_4.jpg"/></div>Well I have much to do myself if I'm going to be presentable at work today, so I have to sign off. <br /><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1129');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1129');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1129');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1129'); </script></a><br /><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">(above) Promotional postcard for </span><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>"a forgetting"</em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> <br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">photography / mixed media; </span><span style="font:13px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">DeAnne Roth &copy;2006</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-920" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Many Grout, but Futile</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/28/2006 06:41 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="fd679e3d73ef6ab9a4681b198f94cb64-920.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Kara-unaimed photo" width="545" height="395" src="page0_blog_entry920_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Well, Kara. I guess I should have aimed the camera, instead of just extending it past Eddie. Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br />New (old) computer in the world HQ, day one. I took the old 'mainframe' Mac to the guys at Mac Experience over a week ago, and have been using the portable fro my posts and such in the interim. Well yesterday I got the old, diagnosed machine back, and the refurbished twin of that machine as well. To be honest and accurate, Jenni picked that up for me I was still at work at 5:00 which is when the Mac Experience closes. <br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Heather Tucks" width="264" height="209" src="page0_blog_entry920_2.jpg"/></div>Last night I met Jenni at the Chatterbox after she had successfully ran that errand and many others for me and herself. I was also able to give the Brigid photo I took at Rich's Turkey Fryers event to Mel. When I got there in the 'royal' parking spot was reserved for my German Girl and in front of it stood Jenni, Mel and Kara (Afriendamine) Sayger. I futzed around trying to find the photo I mentioned, then went inside and to the back table, by the Juke Box, where Mel and Kara, Rich and Eddie were already in their places and Kay fresh from Florida was at barstool on the end, I took mine and started chucking quarters into the music delivery system. Down at the other end of the bar being a general nuisance sat LeAnne Bailey, Kris Bowman, Heather E. from N.J., Yvonne French and their ring leader Ericka Embrey, who unlike Heather, is not in the witless protection program. (I'm being unduly mean here because of Heather complaining that I used her last name last time she was there, well Heather, maybe I was trying to pass myself off as somebody else). Yesterday while <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="wounded Bec." width="264" height="210" src="page0_blog_entry920_3.jpg"/></div>Jenni was doing her errands, Meredith and David were moving all their possessions into a new apartment down in Sunny Florida. Meredith confided that the holiday was killing her then had a very <em>'Office Space'</em> comment for her mother, "I'm really slacking off at work... I think they're gonna promote me." Jenni shared this with the group. Speaking of Office's Jenni called Rebecca and told her to come from the Noodle to the Box(sounds like a Tai Chi Ch'uan move) with Kathy Harrer in tow, so that we could all stop talking about them, and start talking to them instead. So<div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="waxed Balls" width="264" height="188" src="page0_blog_entry920_4.jpg"/></div> eventually they showed up. Rebecca had a smart and youthful hair cut and I complimented her on it, Rich being the a-hole he sometimes is said she looked like a boy and undid my compliment. Well actually he said she looked like a boy with big boobs!<br />Deanne was tending bar, and trying to put the finishing touches on some of her physical artwork for her show opening at the Flux Gallery on Dec. 1. This answered a burning question for me. "What do you do with your balls after you have waxed them twice?" Put them in cages and suspend them from the ceiling is the answer DeAnne provided. Ah-ha! Time runs me into a point of stoppage, so I do. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1128');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1128');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1128');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1128'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-919" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Out with the Old...</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/27/2006 06:35 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="c1aa8187025da6defa2f3467c1c7e95a-919.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Moen faucet" width="542" height="441" src="page0_blog_entry919_1.jpg"/><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br />The New Water Delivery System, Up and Running: Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br />...In with the new. That means I got the Moen faucet installed. It was tough getting the old Price/Pfister unit after 16 years in place, in fact it was impossible to remove the lock nuts and washers in the tight spacing between the sink and the cut out counter without the dremel tool, which I used to slice through the rusted in place nuts. But its in place now, doesn't leak and works so smooth compared to the "in the house" unit that was always a little hard to regulate. So that is out with the old...<br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="405288" width="60" height="80" src="page0_blog_entry919_2.jpg"/></div>The Joseph Addai Show was on last night. The Colts rookie running back tied Lydell Mitchell and Eric Dickerson for the all time NFL rookie record of 4 TD's in a game, he also tied another rushing record held by Eric Dickerson of 3 10+ yard TD's in a half of football. Not to mention his first 100 yard rushing night with 171, and 37 receiving yards for 208 total yards. Way to go Joseph, way to go colts 10-1 and the best record in the league. Joseph led all rushers for yards on Sunday, and all players with 24 points. Joseph has 789 rushing yards in 11 games, 7 Rushing TDs and 1 fumble averaging about 5 yards per carry. I checked Edgerrin James' stats to find that in 11 games as a Cardinal he has 695 yards and 3 TD's and 3 fumbles, averaging about 3 yards per carry. Even more out with the old. <br />Today's post had to be brief, because I have an errand to run before my 8:30 work start. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_1" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_3.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_2" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_4.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_3" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_5.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_4" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_6.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_5" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_7.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_6" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_8.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_7" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_9.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_7" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_10.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_8" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_11.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_8" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry919_12.jpg"/><span style="font:35px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#0f398f;">- 1<br /></span><span style="font:40px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#13488f;">COLTS!</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1127');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1127');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1127');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1127'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-916" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">It's Wafer Thin!</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/24/2006 06:08 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="7641ae43bbcbed8fe87c63fa4de3deb9-916.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Moon, trees and sunset" width="542" height="312" src="page0_blog_entry916_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Sunset from the farm in Morristown: Chuck Pace &copy;2006"</em></span><br />I couldn't possibly eat another bite." It was almost a Mr. Creosote event for me after the second massive dining event of the day. I started to feel sorry for the decimated turkey population. I guess I should have taken some kind of omen from the live turkey (with a scatter of feathers around it) standing in the middle of US 40 that I had to change lanes to avoid just west of Straughn. <br />The day started like any normal Sunday, with me waking up to my alarm, alarmed. "What day is this!?" I said to the darkened arena of somnambulism. I knew I didn't have to work, or was afraid I did, as time and awareness of my place in it were confused by the sudden reemergence from REM sleep. Jenni, sheepishly and sleepishly said, "Ou know what day is, don't ou?" Before I could totally get my grasp on the fact that I wasn't playing beach volley ball with Kristi Brinkley and Heidi Klum, Jenni was already sliding back into the dream realm. I said aloud to the room, "Oh, it's Thanksgiving Thursday." I heard a "yeah," then a small snore. I reset the snooze on my cellphonalarmnightlite and took another 25 minutes. Then it was going off again. 6:00 AM, well a couple more snoozes should do the trick, after two I got up and made coffee, wandered around aimlessly scratching my b... rubbing my eyes. By 7:30 I had gotten Jenni's images from her camera and downloaded them to the portable command center, for yesterday's Miraculous post. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Dessert Storm" width="542" height="328" src="page0_blog_entry916_2.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Preparing for the Dessert Storm Campaign/Hagerstown: Chuck Pace &copy; 2006.</em></span> <br />Driving to Hagerstown a few hours later on a beautiful sunny Thanksgiving day I was indeed thankful. I had my best girl at my navigators position, sound asleep on a scrunched up pillow, six disks shuffling in the trunk to provide an audio ambiance inside the cocoon of luxury, and friendship and food ahead of me. The food at Dick and Martha Culy's was unbelievable, I even ate a helping of cranberry sauce (it had apples and sugar and oranges and sugar and was not tart or bitter, who wants a bitter tart?) to Jenni's amazement. I said, "Make it like this and I'll eat it." Jenni and I were there with Rich, his folks and two of his mothers brothers Glen and Merl and their wives. After an hour and a half of prep to consumption, we sat and talked and had coffee. Then Jenni took about an hour tryptophan trip in the car (I cracked the windows and sunroof to keep the ASPCA off my back), and after another 45 minutes of thanking the Culy's and conversation we headed down to US 40 to gather our reserves and head to Morristown for round two with Jenni's cousins and Uncle Bobby. On the way we passed a very stunned but very alive Tom Turkey standing in the fast lane waiting for a truckload of dressing to come along. I said I should turn around and get a picture, and try to get him off the road but the next crossover was about a half mile up, so... traffic was thin and he didn't appear wounded, hopefully he'll make it to so he can get shot as the Good Lord intended before Christmas dinner. We made it to Suzie's and visited with Becky, Betsy, Joe, Bobby and their families for a bit, then ate some hame and deviled eggs and just a little more Turkey, and before you know it it's 7:20, and we finally headed out and back home completing a journey of 119 miles and stomach capacity discovery.Thanks to all the providers and enablers who made our Thanksgiving memorable and calorie rich.<br /> <img class="imageStyle" alt="fat and happy" width="168" height="190" src="page0_blog_entry916_3.jpg"/>Fat and Happy Holidays from Fat and Happy Chuck. Photo by Betsy Seifert.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#09266d;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1124');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1124');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1124');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1124'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#09266d;"><em> </em></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-912" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Weekend, Vacation Over</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/20/2006 06:13 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="762949c5237c2414659f4d65a2679726-912.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Carcus trimming" width="542" height="309" src="page0_blog_entry912_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Rich removing meat from the Carcass' Eddie and Pam watching for opportunities. <br />Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><strong><br /></strong>I went too long without posting. The week went by too fast. The relaxed tempo of the vacation ends. The sports fortunes went South, and fizzled. <br /><strong>Colts:</strong> A tale of Turnovers. Mercifully, I didn't get to see the final Dallas score, I was arriving at the bowling alley to share their fortune of getting tromped. <br /><strong>Bowling II:</strong> 'Patti and the Others' beat our team 'Mel and Them' every game. The lanes we were on had hosted a tournament prior to our league use, and were not redressed. I know, both teams had to use the same lanes, so how can that be an excuse? Well, two of their bowlers were left handed, using lanes with that were used up on the right side approaches, plus all the Mel and Then bowlers were filled to popping with the afternoon's fare at Rich's annual End of Nascar event. <br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Mel & Jen" width="259" height="206" src="page0_blog_entry912_2.jpg"/></div><strong>End of Nascar Party:</strong> Congrats to Lightnin' for backing his boy Jimmie Johnson all the way to his first Nextel Cup. The race was on on the big screen in the basement of Casa de Culy, and the Colts game was on up stairs (after 4:15) Jenni and I split our attention between the two sports events, and the feasting on deep fried Turkey, monkey bread, banana pudding, mushroom and brie soup, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, deviled eggs, potato salad, 7 layer salad and so much other great food that it was a miracle that we were even able to roll into the car to roll out on the lanes. <br />The disappointing Colts showing was slightly tempered by two Vanderjagt FG misses, the Nascar finale by a decent showing by the #9 team (but no 7th win), and seeing the "Bug Eyed Idiot" back in victory lane. <br /><strong>Saturday: </strong>My most industrious day of vacation, I rearranged the front room a little, did some much needed decorating for the upcoming hollow days (I won't be seeing Meredith and David, or my folks this year for Festivus either, just like last year end). Jenni and I donated some old and unused furniture and electronics to Goodwill on Friday, and the cleaning and re-org were a natural part of the progression afterwards. <br /><strong>Bowling I:</strong> Friday night the Mahoggoff Bros. faced another bowling opponent and staunchly defended our last place position, we did win two of the three games, but were abused so soundly in the middle game that we could not take series, Jeff Moore had his second 200 plus game, this time a 221 and we took 4 points out of 7. It was an old spice ship that sank in lthe aqua velva sea that had my eyes burning all night and kept me fro performing at my optimal range. I book endied a 125 game with a 180, and a 190. Still it felt good to win a couple games. <br /><strong>Work:</strong> Now I have to brace myself for the upcoming 'push' through the holidays, which usually comes and goes in a blur until about January 11th. Time flies, and here we are again on the event horizon that is the black hole 'retail,' hope to see you on the other side. <br /><strong>Computin: </strong>I won't have my 'mainframe' back for a couple more days, so I can't update the mention meter until I do. Here's One apiece for the assembled Nascar gorgers. In the order Jenni and I remember seeing them. Pam, Joe Bula, Eddie, Mel, Rich, John David and Cyn, Kay, Maddie and Guy, Mike Wilson, David Gansert and his wife, Jody and Mary Jane, Travis and Liz and John Qualkenbush. I couldn't get a group photo because these people were spilled all in different areas of the house, but I got a few shots of Rich's cats Cato, Darwin and Mel's pooch Brigid. But I'm not sharing those at this time. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#09266d;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1120');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1120');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1120');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1120'); </script></a><br /><strong><em>Have a Great Florida Vacation Kay!</em></strong></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-911" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Ties that Blind</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/17/2006 11:49 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="7491a1e3804e3cf2f4026ab3cd37ae09-911.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="BLEU DJANGO" width="542" height="349" src="page0_blog_entry911_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#09266d;"><em>Bleu Django playing Live on the Stage at the Box: Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="JD-Mel_strip" width="259" height="379" src="page0_blog_entry911_2.jpg"/></div>Le Beaujolais Nouveau '06 Est Arriv&eacute;! So said the table pop piece last night at the Chatterbox, and as usual it was quite the party. Of course the usual suspects were in attendance. Brooks and Travis were wearing The Ties, Rich won the other one during the drawings for fun and fabulous prizes. I was the grand prize winner, and took home a bottle of the very same poison we were all there to celebrate. Jenni and I also won a T-shirt, which I believe was left behind in the carnage of the grape. Pam and Eddie were there, according to Eddie it is Pam's favorite annual event at the Box. Other attendees, John David, Mel, Mike Wilson, Ericka, Connie Z (who needed a neck rub in the worst way), Kay, Meredith and Michael Garber, Melissa Gallant and the person most responsible for the Wine's arrival Jodi H. from Olinger. The 30's style acoustic jazz from Blue Django was delightful, and caused me to come home and relive some of the similar style pieces that I have in my vast musical repertoire. <br /><strong><em>Listening to ''Amelie Poulain'', by Yann Tiersen (Play Count: 8)</em></strong><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="the ties that blind" width="542" height="389" src="page0_blog_entry911_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>T</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#0b2b6d;"><em>hose boys are gaudy, you can take 'em out but you can't dress 'em up. </em></span><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Pam_Eddie toasted" width="259" height="185" src="page0_blog_entry911_4.jpg"/></div>Last night was also the anniversary of the Travis and Liz engagement/Beaujolais Nouveau evening. But they didn't have any shenanigans for the assembled crowd this time. The most recently engaged, and the very engaging Pam and Ed were quiet and respectful, unlike the explosive Ericka Embrey who is so full of joy and life that it often spills over the top, she danced with Ed after Wilson head faked her and went the other way, then a little later she dragged me (neither kicking or screaming) out to the aisle for a little more hoofing, after the <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="help me!" width="168" height="138" src="page0_blog_entry911_5.jpg"/></div>dance I went down to the other end of the establishment to avail myself of the facilities, then I spoke with Nicci and Jodi for a bit, when I returned to my assembled party there was an extra part, Jeff Barber was there, but I saw nothing of Rachel so either I was already loosing my peripheral viewing abilities as only a Beaujolais can provide or Jeff was alone for the moment. He asked me to be on the look-out for the perp who has been leaving business cards all over the DiNicola's house since he is attempting to purchase the adjacent abode directly north of the aforementioned <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="JodiHendricks" width="168" height="216" src="page0_blog_entry911_6.jpg"/></div>hacienda. I wasn't aware that there was such a fiend lurking in that neighborhood. Hmmmm.<br />Well the vacation nears an end. I still have my bowling leagues to attend, one tonight and one on Sunday with Jenni. I've been up for three hours and working on this post and playing music and recuperating from the abuses sponsored by the Stinkin' Frenchies. Still it was a good evening, and one I'll never completely forget or remember. Such is Life. Such is Beaujolais Noveau noir. <br /><strong><em>"C'est la vie" (who knows, who cares for me) </em></strong>Greg Lake/Peter Sinfield 1977, <strong>Emerson Lake and Palmer </strong>from <strong><em>Works: Volume 1</em></strong>. Adieu. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#09266d;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1117');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1117');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1117');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1117'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-910" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Live Music! Live Music.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/15/2006 10:08 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="0fa9221a054cf256a4c9c9385ba4b810-910.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">Today the vacation ellipse reaches it apogee and begins it's parabolic descent, the proverbial hump (there is a lot of reference to humps in the proverbs, being a region closely associated with camels, and wanton women of the oldest profession) day, the mid-week crisis. I would go right out and buy a fast, expensive, shiny black, sports car to combat this mid-week crisis if I hadn't already done that twelve days hence. But by now I'm off point. What I was intending to illustrate through a collection of commonly used english language words presented through phosphors of CRT or electrically enervated transparent crystals (when inert, or uncharged) suspended in a liquid state between thin layers of glass with undetectable (to the unassisted eye) printed circuitry for electron activation, was that my vacation is half done. Like I said I got off point. Besides I still have over an hour before said apogee occurs (EST). <br />Last Night: Jenni and I were joined by (not with or to) Annie Hood and C Scott Proctor at the Chatterbox for brief respite and repast before being rejoined at the Murat Theatre some thirty minutes later and thirty minutes before (talk of your equilibrium) the opening act for the much anticipated Death Cab For Cutie concert. That opening act was Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, who while extremely energetic and bombastic at times were difficult to hear vocally, such was the sound board settings. I commented to my darling bride that this is (was) like the music we frequented live some 25 years ago when we were young and that it made me nostalgic for early new wave/punk fare. Today (another aside but necessary to illustrate the correctness of that statement uttered in utter confidence during a 98 decibel sonic barrage on row W balcony center, and all other seats as well) I downloaded some Ted Leo/Pharmicists from iTunes only to find some of the early 80's fair I was commenting about to the lovely missus covered on the <strong><em>Shark Bites</em></strong> EP/CD.<br /><strong><em>-Listening to ''Six Months In a Leaky Boat'', by Ted Leo/Pharmacists (Play Count: 1)</em></strong><em>-</em><strong><em> </em></strong><em>Originally by</em><strong><em> Split Enz (Neil and Tim Finn, Eddie Raynor and co. l</em></strong><em>ong before</em><strong><em> </em></strong><strong>Crowded House</strong><strong><em>, "{Hey Now, Hey Now }Don't dream it's over" fame) </em></strong><em>from the album</em><strong><em> </em></strong><strong>Time and Tide, 1982. </strong>I downloaded the Ted Leo & the Pharmacists because I liked what I could almost hear, and wanted to hear more (some). The real reason for being at the Murat of course was Benjamin Gibbard and his band <strong><em>Death Cab for Cutie. </em></strong>They were terrific and filled one hour and forty minutes with a mix of new material from <strong><em>Plans</em></strong> and a nice collection of their earlier successes (I hesitate to say hits since most people here don't realize that they <em>have</em> heard at least some Death Cab, and probably haven't taken a plunge into their musical pool as deep as a music collector like myself (as I type this there are 7 Death Cab CD's in front of me for inspiration). I would have a visual record of the evening as well if I had known that Digital cameras were allowed in the venue for the evening, allowing some 2000+ barely pubescent girls to get their Gibbard on. It was a good evening and a great way to spend a vacation day. <br />With the "mainframe" in the shop I am without the Photoshop I so desperately need to make nice, nice the look, look. Hopefully my writing has maintained its usual ----- level, and you enjoyed me pith-ing all over your display again today. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#7ab843;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1115');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1115');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1115');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1115'); </script></a><br /><strong>My advice:</strong> Read More, Listen More, Pay attention to the world you inhabit. Watch less meaningless input and never follow blindly. <br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-909" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Notes Danced in the Air</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/14/2006 10:01 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="5e9e25aeb8607c3b91ca53ecfb0ac4ca-909.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Dancing Notes" width="500" height="319" src="page0_blog_entry909_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Music was palpable, drifting from the stage. Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><strong><br /></strong><span style="font-size:11px; color:#333333;">Yesterday, while Jenni was at work on our vacation, I moved the world HQ over to the laptop. One of the reasons was to take the "mainframe" to service at the Mac Experience. I got a call from Jeff Goshert around 11:00 (shortly after I got up) and found out that he was going to Mac Experience between 3:30 and 4:00, so I futzed around and stuff until it was time to go closer to Jeff's designated arrival time. I got the Mainframe in to Tom and Doug where they mocked me because of the condition of the machine (it hasn't been into service since I got it 6 years ago from Mike McDaniels). Jeff was late getting there so I went around the corner to talk to long time customer and friend Ross McMahon who is in the same strip as the Mac Experience. Jeff showed up, I called Jenni to see if she was on her way home, she wasn't and it was 4:45 so I invited Goshert and Jenni to the Chatterbox, Jeff had to check into the Homewood Suites first, Jenni had to finish her vacation canceling tasks. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="Denise,Clif& Carl" width="499" height="355" src="page0_blog_entry909_2.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Denise, Clifford and Carl putting the Muse in music. Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br /> <span style="font-size:11px; color:#333333;">I arrived as a band was setting up, Denise Griffith was having an impromptu (of sorts) birthday party and wanted to sing for her supper with her friends. Joining her on stage were Clifford Ratliff on Trumpet and friend of the thoughtpukes Carl Hines on keys. Joining me at the tables was Jenni and Jeff Goshert. Then Rich, Eddie, Mel and Travis trickled in in that order. Brooks was there when I arrived but was in a solitary manner and writing, so I considered that a </span><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Staring Contest" width="249" height="157" src="page0_blog_entry909_3.jpg"/></div><span style="font-size:11px; color:#333333;">small blessing. DeAnne was serving, David was hauling bricks without straw and Peter Park, David Beuke and Jody Frick were watching the two microwaves like they were televisions. Travis tried to get involved in a staring contest with mixed results (the real staring contest was behind him, duh!), Kay and Rich tried to take advantage of the mentionable moment and posed pretty for the bright light too. Denise played for about two hours, and we cleared out just after she finished. Jenni</span><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Kay & Rich" width="250" height="187" src="page0_blog_entry909_4.jpg"/></div><span style="font-size:11px; color:#333333;"> and I had to watch Deal and Heros, Goshert had to set up his base of operations at Homewood before going to get two of his THK cronies at the airport. Mel, Rich, Travis and Eddie? They just had to go and seek lives outside of the cocoon of friendship. <br />I awoke this morning thinking that it was Sunday because I had had two days off in a row, and I was jazzed to watch the football preview shows...oops, see what a different schedule can do to you, it;s like somebody changed the wheel on my habit-trail and I have to readjust.<br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1114');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1114');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1114');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1114'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-908" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Vacation Blues</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/13/2006 03:06 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="8ae4736ea7edf973b0f78150f9fbe3a2-908.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">The Day, The Wife.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br />So here on the first day of our vacation Jenni is at work. Does that sound like vacation to you? It sure as heck doesn't to me. In fact the only thing vacationy about today is the fact that I am at home, alone instead of at work. That's one of us. I'm switching all the chuckpace.com world HQ stuff over to the laptop, so if I do get out of , let's say Marion county this week I might just take the show with me, sort of like I did when we went to Branson. I'm taking the "mainframe" into Mac Experience for some much needed diagnostic, and cleanup. We did Jenni's last week, and it was just over $300, but they did replace the HD. Now it's my turn. So this is just an update to the lack of any vacationing being done here so far. <br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">The Colts. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br />9-0 and the only team in NFL history to post consecutive 9-0 starts. Ever (thus the only team thingy). Sweet. Last night I did the Sunday night league thing. And we were trounced. Bad. <br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">The Life.<br /></span><strong><img class="imageStyle" alt="Books2" width="520" height="250" src="page0_blog_entry908_1.jpg"/></strong><br /><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">I finished</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"> J Milligan's </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">book</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"> "Jack Fish", </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">which was recommended to me by none other than the missing Brock Kingsley before he went to Ohio, and then went missing. It was an amusing read, and the premise could be the cornerstone for a Sci-Fi Channel series very easily, the ending left plenty of room for sequels. <br />I'm reading two other books right now also, </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">"Descartes' Secret Notebook"</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> by</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"> Amir D. Acze</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">l, and </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">"The Shroud of the Thwacker"</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> by </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">Chris Elliott</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">, I'm 3/4 of the way through the </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">Descarte</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> book and have just started </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">Thwacker</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">. Talk about completely divergent interests. Well it's almost time for me to cart the "Mainframe to Joel, Doug, Tom and co. at the Mac Experience, so chowder for now kiddies.<br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_1" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_2.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_2" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_3.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_3" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_4.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_4" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_5.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_5" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_6.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_6" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_7.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_7" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_8.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_7" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_9.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry903_8" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry908_10.jpg"/><span style="font:35px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#0f398f;">- 0</span><span style="font:69px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#13488f;"> </span><span style="font:40px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#13488f;">COLTS!</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1113');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1113');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1113');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1113'); </script></a><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-907" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Forty Four You Say.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/10/2006 06:05 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="8c4cdbf4f6e5ce99c548a2254debe94f-907.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry907_1" width="264" height="222" src="page0_blog_entry907_1.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">I had Thursday off, and took it. I have been working a lot of my days off due to coworker vacations and other reasons, but I needed Thursday off to run a myriad of errands. There was the 10:00 Doctor's appointment for my adopted girl for an oil change and recall part, an O2 sensor, and to get the driver's died power seat working and to meet Mike G. my personal service advisor, it tuns out Mike had a '92 </span><span style="font-size:11px; color:#333333;"><em>525i</em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> so we are somewhat kindred spirits. After that check-up my girl (still to be named) and I drove downtown to get Jenni and take trip to the Greek Islands. I don't mind the long drives now hat I have a nice ride to get me there, we didn't get to visit Samothraki or Mykonos or even Rhodes on our trip to the Greek Islands, just the 700 block of S. Meridian, but the food was good. I called John David to wish him a happy 44th birthday, and he said he wisely took Friday off from United Refrigeration so he could get as polluted as he possibly could without hang-over regrets. I called Rich and told him to bring all of JD's friends from work that could get out. <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry907_2" width="264" height="137" src="page0_blog_entry907_2.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">It was a beautiful night at the box when I got there at 5:20. Bill Brooks was sitting at his usual spot talking to Richard Plath. to the NE was Meredith Garber, Jeff Barkis and a couple more people I don't know (still, weird huh?), I asked about Meredith Sister in law and her husband , oh, what's his name, anyway she said that they would not be joining because the brother in law guy (it's right on the tip of my tongue) had<br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry907_3" width="264" height="220" src="page0_blog_entry907_3.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">volunteered to receive an award that nobody else wanted or something. Jenni showed up next and talked to David for a few minutes, then Rich arrived too. DAvid acme out with Rich's (automatic) Sam Adams then looked at Jenni and touched his forehead and gestured a regretful forgetful gesture and went back in for Jenni's (and my) forgotten Corona. I said to Jenni, "He Vanessa-ed us." Kay showed up, I called Pam 'n' Eddies, and Mike McDaniels arrived to fill out our table. Almost one hour to the second after my arrival JD finally showed up, this was Jenni's cue to get up and give up her spot at the table, the spot of honor. She was done and didn't think it proper to take the chair home with her, she's just considerate like that. As JD showed up so did Alysha to relieve David, who came over for a quick tour of my new wheels, Maggie popped over and said "Whoo hoo, look at you!" and then back to the more important task of getting JD slammed. Cyn arrived as Mon&eacute;t and Rich decided to do the Jenni thing and give up his seat for chivalry (he had already proclaimed at a level of doneness), conversation and beers flowed like... wine? And finally as I was nearing leaving velocity the Pam 'N' Eddies arrived it was 10 'til eight <br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry907_4" width="218" height="245" src="page0_blog_entry907_4.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">and I was sure to miss Smallville so I stayed another hour drinking coffee's and left at 10 'til nine. At home Jenni was hugging and caressing the G4 iMac that I had picked up from service at the Mac Experience, her second love was home and need attention. <br />Believe it or not I took no pictures of the birthday boy, there was just too much going on and I missed it. Wha..? Duh. So instead there are more photos of my car, an acceptable substitute I think. Meredith G. says hi and bye to those, ...ohh who are they, you know the in-laws, the guy... that guy with the new job, and the truffle chick... Terence? Eloise? No. Oh, well it'll come to me. <br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1110');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1110');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1110');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1110'); </script></a><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Hello. Excuse me, Ed needs another Guiness or a Mojito over here, Hello!</em></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-904" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Votes Are In</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/07/2006 06:49 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="a9e1c6a8e2cc8720af58430ea3cbde5a-904.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="font:24px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#1e77d3;">The Votes Are In</span><span style="font:24px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">11/07/2006 06:49 AM Chummin'</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#0080ff;">Up Chucks</a></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Chummin'</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#0080ff;">Permalink</a></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Back to work after two whole days off, it was like waking from a coma or a dream, the place looked completely different, faces only faintly familiar, I had been in the car most of Saturday, and in front of a computer that wouldn't access my server to do a post. At the store Mary Jane came in to show off her new filing technique, something she calls a "Stepped-Approach" to records management. I think she may be on to something here. Aerobic accessing ? Cardio-colating?</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry904_1" width="542" height="178" src="page0_blog_entry904_1.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>File Management ala MJ. Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /><br /></em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Making every vote count last night I stopped by the Chatterbox to show off the new baby, and to take a "net worth" test from Jody Frick. No surprise to most of us the new Director of Indy reads, Travis DiNicola had the highest "net worth", while Nicci and Kathy Harrer were both at the lowest end of the scale (Uncle Ernie) Travis popped in and got a little seat time, as did Pam who cooed, oohed and ahh-ed, even though her fi-antz Ed weren't there to enjoy the moment. Deanna took a fine photo of the assembled ragalers. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry904_2" width="542" height="271" src="page0_blog_entry904_2.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Mel, Me, Travis, Kay, Rich, Pam and Jenni, meeting adjourned. DeAnne Roth &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Not shown in this photo is Rebecca and Kathy, who stopped by to scare the hell out of the regulars. Rebecca was doing her best Jackie Nicholson impersonation and told DeAnne that all work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl. She was close to Travis and Rich on the 'net worth' test, also no surprise.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry904_3" width="192" height="249" src="page0_blog_entry904_3.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; ">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.<br />All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.<br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#030303;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#070707;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#0e0d0d;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#191817;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333130;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#494645;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#5c5958;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#6c6968;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#827f7c;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#9f9a97;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#c6c0bd;">All work and no Play makes Bec a dull girl. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#0075c5;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1107');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1107');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1107');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1107'); </script></a><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; "><br /></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-902" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Blessed Day Arrives</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/04/2006 09:33 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="47ce2178d16677c6949db18661fbe480-902.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="proud papa" width="547" height="374" src="page0_blog_entry902_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Proud Pappa standing with his new baby. Jenni Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="525strip" width="258" height="691" src="page0_blog_entry902_2.jpg"/></div>The adoption went through yesterday around 4:20 PM. After running around to banks, and computer stores and such, meeting Jenni at the house, and driving out together we finally got to meet our little German Girl. We adopted from a Florida foster home and got to bring her home last night. <br />Then right after that I had to rush back to the bowling alley to get my butt handed to me twice by the Pins on deck girls, at least I got to take the baby with me. Congrats to Jeff Moore, who had his first league 200+ and his first 500+ series (202;524) he was high man for the team and night. <br /><strong>Baby Pictures:</strong> The baby in question is a 1993 BMW 525i (w/ M series designation). Brought up from Florida earlier in the week after and estate sale, she had been well maintained, has a tan leather interior, 6 Disc CD changer, 10 speaker system, 5 speed manual Transmission, new speed rated tires, cruise, power everything, and likes to play with horses (over 210 of them). Unlike her older sister who's ill and in the driveway right now awaiting a little surgery, she purrs like a kitten instead of roaring like a charging bull elephant, she still runs like a Cheetah though, an all black one. I'm sure I'll be putting lots more pictures of my Girl up on the site over the next few months , as any proud pappa would do. I have to rush out now, Jenni and I have a few errands to run again today. <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="lil' German Girl" width="204" height="113" src="page0_blog_entry902_3.jpg"/></div><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#000000;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1104');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1104');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1104');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1104'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-901" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Hanging on...</div><div class="blog-entry-date">11/03/2006 06:19 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="6a80f0a39d8927e1cc8e6c538e2d1cb2-901.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">There is no other way to describe the anticipation of a new member to the family. I'm as nervous as when Meredith was about to arrive. Up to now I've only seen pictures, I haven't seen the baby yet. The adoption process is totally different from the natural one. The baby was brought over from Germany and housed in a couple of loving homes in Florida, waiting for me to come along and make it welcome and as happy as it is going to make me. Jenni and I were laying in bed last night talking about fixing up a room, coming up with names, how this new family member has never played in the snow before. I am a ball of nervous energy waiting for the first meeting. I have most of my papers in order but we still have to wait for some of Jenni's to get here, which could be today or tomorrow. I tied to see it last night but it was already put down for the evening, so I get to see it today, if we get along o.k. I will continue the adoption process. If not? Well I'll be a very depressed boy for a while. But I'll make it somehow. Sorry for the short post. I will hopefully have lots of pictures and stuff real soon. <br /><br />Thanks to Travis and Liz for Tuesday night, I 'trick or treated' their domicile that evening, and got three yummy candy bars and a very fresh fruit drink to boot. I was a bit worried when Travis came at me with a sword, but I parried, and we were thrust into conversation and the aggression was foiled. <br /><br />The word of the day?<br />Dirigible, (like the Hindenburg) not a blimp an Airship. <br /><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#000000;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1103');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1103');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1103');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1103'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-899" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Re-Creating a Monster</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/31/2006 07:13 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="d73511f1bef41927ac805afacacadb42-899.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="color:#3f7f9e;"><em>What follows is part of <br />the post that wouldn't post yesterday. I tried for nearly an hour to get this to upload, but kept getting a funky exception error about getting the code to web ready joy for all the little girls and boys out there. I completely scrapped yesterday's post, then rebuilt it nearly word for word. Such is the depth of my devotion to you my following...</em></span><br /><br /><br />It looked like a bad one yesterday. A rough start from the rough. Putting with a pitching wedge at the tee's so to speak. But most of that is self-indulgent, self induced introspective crap. We make our own beds (I used a few yards of fabric, 25 pounds of spring, a steel frame, foam and lots of thread) why not lie in them? Well I continually find that my friends are some of the most amazing, caring and compassionate people, they get me out of my doldrums and my metaphorical bed. I have really good friends, and should be of good cheer. To that end I went to the Chatterbox last night, and just about everybody there well wished me into better spirits, Travis and Liz had a bag of bail money to give back to the bonfire donors, Mike McDaniels brought a couple of his girlfriends to meet us (fortunately he didn't have the lung power to inflate them so they stayed in his trunk). Even without baked-goods Kay filled me up with with a warmth that only a true friend can (poppy seed cake can give a close approximation, but the hugs are always more spiritually filling). Mel and Rich gave me more than ample shoulder room to lean on, (Bill Withers offered same from his little window at the back of the bar) DeAnne told amusing and wonderful stories and brought me pretzels along with a mind numbing invitation, which I wrestled with before postponing if not declining straight out. Brooks spent his time with Jack, Joan, Tom Woody and his signif-other Jeanie as well as Heather and Dave. Maggie from Luna brought me a bonus live 5.1 MMJ DVD, and Ed Sipes provided an Ed perspective that is so hard to get just anywhere else. Mike Lamm in wolf's clothing did his braying laugh heard 'round the block, and Nicci came in and warmed the crowd with her very special brand of care and kindness. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="pushing eyebrows" width="538" height="380" src="page0_blog_entry899_1.jpg"/><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-886" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Tuesday, Two Thumbs Up</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/25/2006 06:44 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="b6f6e92f80c403c3d1722761fc172370-886.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">The Rich and Maddie show has been renewed for another year. Looks like the co-birthday celebrants had a pretty knarly time last night, but I bet this morning is a whole different sensation. Wilson and I drove in after work, Scott and Annie were at the back table with Maddie and Rich, and they were already feeling no pain. All sorts of stories were in the air, and everybody was having a great time. Mel arrived with two ice-cream cakes which facilitated a minor Chatterbox miracle. The cake that Kay made for the occasion (say that three times fast), was completely un-consumed. Because ice cream has a very short shelf live it was imperative that we eat that first, as we were all thwarting the thawing with bowls and forks, DeAnne said she would start compiling a list of birthdays for Mel's ice creamy goodness, goodness. Let's see there has to be at least one person each week, hmmm say on Monday, Reese's cakes on even Mondays, Oreo cakes on odd. I will count on DeAnne to compile that list, and SOON! <br />Mike McDaniel made a guest appearance, but Travis was a no-show. Pam was there when I arrived, but poor Eddie, suffering from a bronchial infection would not have lasted a wheeze in the oft times smoky digs of the 'Box,' therefore we were sparred his coughing fits it was either Edless or hoarseman. We went Edless. John David was called, and told me that he was on his way, apparently he called Heather or she called him and he was suddenly not on his was, so I don't know the story there. DeAnne was playing with her Sony <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="david chimps" width="259" height="203" src="page0_blog_entry886_1.jpg"/></div>camera that is just like the one I sank playing commode Commodore. So I gave her some tips, showed some menu tricks and zoom treats and she shared the wisdom with Mike Lamm and David Andrichik. Time passed, beverages disappeared at an alarming rate. Nick was there manning the barley hops delivery, and DeAnne was off, Nicci came in but did not get a single rub on her back. I was by then all rubbed out, and DeAnne was the reason. Her back was full of leek shaped tension knots, unlike Nicci's which is usually more like washboard hard. Guy Tucker Maddie's hubby arrived and had a couple before the Tucker twosome took themselves back to Beech Grove, Kay was there by then and in good spirits. Rich and I had decided that was enough. We tabbed out (which is to say I tabbed out, Rich had a zero sum balance <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="thumbin" width="163" height="341" src="page0_blog_entry886_2.jpg"/></div>thanks to the many well wishers willing wheat sodas on him from the seemingly bottomless well). With coat on and hat in hand, it was decided that I would take Rich home in his car, then take his car home for a few days loaner program called the 'gotnoride' initiative That is when Travis arrived, and said he had a good story, I said, "Is it the one about buying a Mets Jacket too small to button up?" It wasn't and he went Mets blue proving that he could button it up, he didn't keep it buttoned up long enough to prove he could inhale, but that's another story. It seems someone frauded his e-bay by cloning his account information, so he was working with the "it" police in cyber city precinct, crushing crime. Travis was e-bait. O.K., that last bit was too much fun to conceive and commit to web, but I have to end, I have to go to work. At least today I have a ride so I don't have to thumb. Unlike a well known Tom Robbins character, that DeAnne tried to emulate in the waning hours of the birthday celebration event. Why so blue cowgirl?<br />Thanks to Mel, Kay , Pam and all the others that helped make Rich and Maddie's Birthday an unforgettable event (now can somebody tell me what happened?)<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#0075c5;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1025');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1025');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1025');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1025'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-884" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">What a Difference a Half can Make</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/23/2006 06:44 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="8c0e9724fb8afd2b3c4783c2768c16ae-884.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">So when Jenni and I left the house at 6:15 to head off to our league bowling night the Colts were already in the lead in the second half. We listened on the radio on the way in, we watched without sound on a alley scoring monitor turned TV just two lanes over, and we ducked into the bar a few times to see and hear on real TV's. These guys looked a lot like the Colts of the past couple of years. They looked pretty good. Sure special teams allowed a Randel-El runback for a score, but he is lightning fast and had done it 6 or 7 times already in the NFL, so maybe he's just that good (no maybe about it really). 6-0 again. <br /><br /><strong>Bowling:</strong> The lanes were ridiculous last night, no one on our team could do much with them, Jenni established her league average and handicap under those conditions, with the added bonus of not having done much bowling in last six months, she did break 100 twice (both 103's) and establish her handicap and average for future bowling. Still, we were able to win the last game, and take series due to that score differential.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><strong><img class="imageStyle" alt="helmet-tiny" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry884_1.jpg"/></strong><img class="imageStyle" alt="helmet-tiny" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry884_2.jpg"/> <img class="imageStyle" alt="helmet-tiny" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry884_3.jpg"/> <img class="imageStyle" alt="helmet-tiny" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry884_4.jpg"/> <img class="imageStyle" alt="helmet-tiny" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry884_5.jpg"/><img class="imageStyle" alt="helmet-tiny" width="36" height="27" src="page0_blog_entry884_6.jpg"/><span style="font-size:35px; font-weight:bold; color:#0f398f;">- 0</span><span style="font:69px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#13488f;"> </span><span style="font:40px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#13488f;">COLTS!<br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#0075c5;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1023');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1023');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1023');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1023'); </script></a> <span style="font:40px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#13488f;"><br /></span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-882" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">...Loves Company</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/21/2006 06:06 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="fe2247ff1337bd134a2eea23f97c4415-882.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Alley" width="264" height="191" src="page0_blog_entry882_1.jpg"/></div>Well, there is the bowling update to get to, but there is more than that. There is my luck rubbing off on my friends. Apparently Rich's Jeep has an electrical problem. Today is the first day of Rich's vacation. So what better/worse time for a automotive frustration. Yesterday on the way into work Rich noticed that he had no reflection of his headlamps on the cars in front of him in the post dawn drive. Last night before heading to Sport Bowl, with me the flightless Dodo in tow, he stopped at Autozone to see if there was a relay or something that he could replace to bring his darkness into the light. Not. HIs headlamps, expensive Sylvania ones, burned out with much less than 20 hours of use. With no relay to be had we drove across the street and bowled. <br />Scott Proctor, showing continual improvement as he starts to embrace the teaching of Master Rich had another "highest " league game ever. 158, and an average for the evening of 127, Jeff Moore had a good night too, with an average of 162, bettering his league average by 17. I had a 158 average (right on track with my 156 league avg.), and team high game of 173. Rich, who owned the wood lanes at Sport Bowl last year before the resurfacing, a evenings average of 150, 18 below his current league standing. None of this matters much, since we were trounced by team "Duck This" who's worse showing was a 13 point victory over us in the final game, after a 147 pin decision second game and a 15 pin first. Trounced! <br />Miss Kay arrived in good cheer, as only a bag of cookies and friends to share them with can provide, and stayed to watch our glorious first defeat, before beating a retreat, sweet, Sweet Treat. Thanks Kay for the edibles. Not long after Kay left, Maddie Tucker arrived, she was there to watch the last two wallops we took as we continue to fortify our last place position in the 14 team league, now one quarter over. Still, other than the pin fall, we were having a great time against our opponents, and really other than position humiliation, isn't this what life is all about?<br />That bit of kegeling mastery narrowly averted, Rich and I returned to the parking lot and game planned our night drive, there had been no lights since his morning dreve, he had a thought, and flipped over to brights, which worked perfectly and very brightly too to those who were unfortunate enough to be in our path. Just before the Brookville exit, the high beamed headlights both gave out as well, leading us into darkness' temptation, and the conclusion that there is problem with the voltage regulator, which is sending far to much juice to the headlamps (here juice is used as a colorful metaphor for electrical current, not actually the byproduct produced by extracting the liquids from various fruits and or vegetables. Clarifications like this are for Lightnin' at the stores back counter, and a few others I could mention.)<br />We drove the Jeep into the Gas America parking lot on Brookville Road, then I called Jenni, who was home all day nursing a migraine headache. She got out and picked us up, and before you know it Rich and I are watching HDTV here at the Cyber-Clampett Manse. After an hour of moving LCD TV I headed off to bed and Rich moved over from the love seat to the couch, where he is now, snoring away, even as I put these words to web. I suppose I should wake him up, and take us to Lenny's or something for sustenance and await the rising sun to allow him to drive in the light once again. I am working at the store today (on my scheduled day off), and will detour up to Gas America to see Rich safely off before the joy of employ makes me once again giddy as a little school girl. Happy, Happy! Joy, Joy! Still I get to drive again today, not the Bimmer, but the truck. Lets see if it can complete a circuit from home to Jeep to work to home without some major malicious mechanical malfeasance moment, for I am the still king of good fortune. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#0075c5;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1021');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1021');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1021');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1021'); </script></a> <br /><strong><em>Now Kelli LaFara is really going to have to 'ho' up, to even dream of competing with Rich or Travis, Wilson, Mel or Kay!</em></strong></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-881" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Re-Entry</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/20/2006 05:41 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="a0a4eba98a68e5aa1a231cbb1ff115c3-881.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="font:12px Trebuchet, Verdana, serif; font-weight:bold; "><em>Listening to ''Wintertime Blues'', by John Hiatt (Play Count: 3)</em></span><br />My first alarm goes off at 5:05 AM. The first depressing of the snooze goes into effect at 5:05.01. Jenni's alarm goes off 8 minutes later, on a radio station, not! Her choice of wake up assist is high velocity static, with just a hint of de-tuned station noise, related to but not necessarily actually earthbound transmissions. (Oh, don't let's get started on about transmissions). My mind as quick coming out of repose, I think this is possibly a shuttlecraft breeching the ionosphere, as I jerk awake and tell jenni in a wake-up voice, "Do Something with THAT!" I have to be stern, because I'm on the far right edge of our queen-size bed, with space and the Queen between me and the left side night-stand and the 200 decibel "Staticmaster 9000, <em>"kkkkkkkk..sss kkk ..ston we...kkkkk ssss ..ve a probl...kkkkkkkk" </em>She rolls over and adroitly hits her snooze button and returns to her original position only missing one snore cycle, before she is fully back to sleepy bye dream-land and the entire moment will not have registered on her memory-map of the morning when at last her next radio hissy cycle wakes her. My second alarm goes off, I jerk awake like I'm in the electric char, kill the alarm and roll out of edge, scratching my ba..., yawning, stretching and hit the bathroom, then wander out of the rest chamber down the hallway and into the WorldHQ. Enervating the chuckpace.com main-frame takes a few minutes, then I fire up the "Thoughtpuke " recording software, and sit and wait for the moment to start typing, and start my iTunes, while fully realizing I have absolutely nothing to say today, I decide to recount the re-entry radio and Jenni's ability to sleep and rest, which far eclipses my ability to skim the nether-world of relaxation. <br /><br /><span style="font:12px Trebuchet, Verdana, serif; font-weight:bold; "><em>Listening to ''A Benediction'', by Winterpills (Play Count: 1)<br /><br /></em></span>I have to apologize to my regular readers for my morose self-absorption and moody demeanor of late, but the death of the ability to relocate myself without another person's assistance has added another straw to the already swaying back of camel de chuckles. <br />Now where were we. <br /><strong>Corrections, additions and omissions. </strong><br />I have to apologize to the lovely Miss Kay, for failing to mention her presence at the Jack and Joan event last Sunday, she was there in a lovely color coordinated key-lime colored outfit. I even had to body guard her two limed flute of beer while she was outside with "the others" on a smog break, which took so long I feared she had been dragged down the hatch, and then I was pretty sure I would have to dispose of her flute of golden and greened-up goodness, just to preserve the decorum and festive nature of the Green's soir&eacute;e. <span style="font:12px Trebuchet, Verdana, serif; font-weight:bold; "><em>Listening to ''Almost Gothic'', by Steely Dan (Play Count: 1</em></span>) Musical coincidence #???, Kay gave me this music..<br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Pacers a'blur" width="534" height="397" src="page0_blog_entry881_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#2a3abe;"><em>This is the Best they looked all night! Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><strong><em><br /></em></strong><strong>Monday night: </strong> Rich, Mike and I went to the pre-season Pacers debacle against, no more like schooled by the Timberwolves of the Minnesota, the crowd was so lethargic and small that at times you could barely hear the continual booing of Stephen Jackson, but 'tis still only the pre-season, I'm sure the addition of another 8,000 voices at their regular season attempts will boost the boos up to respectable decibel levels (like Jenni's bed-side alarm). After the game Mike, Rich and I walked back to the box in the pouring rain, where we were delighted to see Monika Herzig and Cathy Morris on the stage and dreaming our atmosphere for us. Soon after our arrival, all the Indy Andrichik's arrived (David, Will and Dorothy), as did 5 Vodka Tonic Liz, <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Keleen,Bill & Cathy" width="264" height="175" src="page0_blog_entry881_2.jpg"/></div>Travis and Melissa Gallant, they had been to some high 'falutin' event where some semblance of class was required (certainly not a Pacer's Game), on their heels came Bill Meyers (bass man, manager and all around good guy) and Kellen. Of course Daryl Spurlock was lurking at the back of the bar, being a general nuisance and pain in the box while Cathy was on stage, but what can you do they're family, they didn't get the choice either. <br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="JD lives small" width="108" height="144" src="page0_blog_entry881_3.jpg"/></div>Well there's an hour plus of re-capping the misplaced, not gone Monday. I'll bring Wednesday on-line soon, so Kay and Mel need not worry that their presence was not noticed or appreciated, even a guest appearance by John-David, so that's still in the future of my recovery to normal Chuckness (yes, far from normal I know, Brooks, I know). Now my re-entry is complete.<span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#0075c5;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1020');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1020');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1020');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1020'); </script></a> <br />Hey Rebecca, does everything still smell like Iced Tea?</div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-879" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">A Celebration, Finally </div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/16/2006 06:32 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="6f95c328435ed4e37301a5335f6ad547-879.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Jack & Joan" width="534" height="399" src="page0_blog_entry879_1.jpg"/><br /><strong><em>The youngsters were forced to sit and hear the birthday song,<br />(Jack may have turned off his hearing aids) Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></strong><br />It took until Sunday Night, at Scholar's Inn to find out for sure. The party for Jack and Joan was a big affair. The meatballs and chicken salad yummy. The musicians that have played most of Jack and Joan's openings, made a special trip down from Michigan to play the soir&eacute;e. Everybody had a great time. It was a Mention Meter Who's Who. Rich, Mike Wilson, Mike and Barb Novak, Richard Plath. Bill Brooks and Jeanie Kiley, David Andrichik and Heather Basile, Travis and Liz DiNicola, Jody Grober and MaryJane Olinger, even Bruce Pallman there with his mother, the Roberts Matriarch Rose. Let's se am I missing anybody? Jim and Cheryl Strain, artists and photographers Dave Kadlec and Gary Chillufo, lots of Jack and Joan's family. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Pam & Ed-gagement" width="534" height="311" src="page0_blog_entry879_2.jpg"/><br /><span style="color:#ec160d;"><em>Of Course She said Yes! The engaging pair (and ED too). Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><br />Oh yeah, the Talk of Roberts, Ed Sipes and his fianc&eacute; Pam Walker <span style="font:11px Times, Georgia, Courier, serif; font-weight:bold; ">(</span><span style="font:12px Times, Georgia, Courier, serif; font-weight:bold; ">fi:&aacute;nsei) n. a woman in relation to the man to whom she is engaged to be married [F.] -</span><span style="font:12px Times, Georgia, Courier, serif; font-weight:bold; "><em>*Websters Dictionary</em></span><span style="font:12px Times, Georgia, Courier, serif; font-weight:bold; ">.</span> They were <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="PamTravPlath" width="264" height="182" src="page0_blog_entry879_3.jpg"/></div>there, and drawing a bit of interest. Friday morning at the store, Ed bought his engagement ring, and by quitting time everybody at the store was excited, and hopeful for Ed. At the bowling alley later that night, Doris arrived and asked if we had heard from Eddie, Saturday Mel texted me asking of any news from Pam or Eddie, I sent to text messages to Ed's old phone number, not realizing he had a new one with his new phone, doh! My messages were, <strong><em>"Well... " </em></strong>sent Friday night at midnight, and <strong><em>"....and?"</em></strong> sent at 10:04 Saturday morning. Pam said that <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="hands&rings" width="264" height="202" src="page0_blog_entry879_4.jpg"/></div>she was expecting a call from me, to go something like this, "Pam, hi it's Chuck, is Ed there I need to talk to him." But, I was just not sure I should call, just in case the timing was off, or he decided to wait, for one reason or another. It turns out the timing was off, Pam was in the throws of a painful medical flare-up when Ed got to her home to see her, and was popping Advil's, then there was Ed birthday party, and Ed's sister and brother in-laws, with Pam's mom and three little ones and cake, there had better be cake! Before Ed could pop the question the future sister in law, <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Being 'ho'sed" width="264" height="224" src="page0_blog_entry879_5.jpg"/></div>headed up and off to bed (them three little ones were the cause of her exhaustion, and the cake sugar!)_, so Ed had to wait until they go to his house just before midnight on Friday he asked the question. (too bad I didn't have the right phone number, the timing would have been classic, if not an interruption...). So finally a celebration. Jack and Joan who have no idea how long they've been married, and Ed and Pam who have yet to nail down a late spring early summer 2007 date. Yea, Love is Grand. All of us who know them have been smiling all week-end (both couples). <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#ff180e;"><em><br /></em></span><p style="text-align:center;" ><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#ff180e;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1016');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1016<br />');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1016');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1016'); </script></a> <br /></p><p>Pammy, I photoshoped the chicken salad out of your sweater in all the shots, that's the depth of my affection. </p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-878" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">The Breakdown and Aftermath</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/15/2006 09:48 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="a210ddeb202cbb18b9562d79a42c86a7-878.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">As ominous as that sounds, it's just an accurate title to todays post. Breaking down what I did not have time to recount on Saturday morning before Jenni took me downtown to work. <br />Friday the 13th. Ed Sipes Birthday, work day, bowling night, John Hiatt, Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark & Joe Ely concert ticket 'on-sale" day. It was an interesting day, busy in spurts at the store, enough to make the day go by fairly quick. At 10:00 O'clock The concert tickets went on sale for a January 14th show at Clowes Hall at Butler University, I got 6 in the 7th row, I'll be joined by Rich, Mel, Jenni Rebecca Martin and Mike Wilson.<br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="zoomin' Kahne" width="534" height="361" src="page0_blog_entry878_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#ac0a24;"><em>Nascar's King of the intermediate Track, #9, Kasey Kahne Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><br />As I sit here at this exact moment writing this, I have my I-Tunes playing a Smartlist I created called "forgotten classics", the criteria for this list is songs with a 3 or higher "Star" rating, that haven been played in at least 3 months. The only reason I mention this is because there are 408 songs in the list, and they are being played randomly, and the song that started after I started the ticket line above was... <span style="font:12px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; "><em>Listening to ''Tip Of My Tongue'', by John Hiatt (Play Count: 2)<br /></em></span>Friday was also Jeff Moore's oldest son Andrew's birthday (#11 I believe), so Jeff was out for the second week in a row as far as bowling is concerned. Mike Wilson was in for the second straight, and third time in 6 weeks, so we had a full team. I had to grab a ride with Rich sin e I am ride-less on my own until I can repair or replace the BMW and once again be going mobile. As I prepare to recount and elaborate on the bowling Friday the next coincidence song is now playing on the smartlist; <span style="font:12px Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; "><em>Listening to ''Black Friday'', by Steely Dan (Play Count: 2</em></span>) now I know this song is about the stock market crash of 1929, but I still think the title is so apropos. Part of the appropriateness of the song was the fact that we were playing team #13 (Team Sandbag), with an artificial handicap so ridiculous as it a sham, we still manages to stay close in game two, and win game three (after they had been doing shots, and drinking like it was shore-leave in Acapulco), I also have to give credit to out bonus Cheerleaders, Mel and Doris both showed up on their own accord, and encouraged us to prevail, which we of course did not, Doris actually left before the third game was even underway, so maybe her cheer remained, or maybe there's something else at play here. I once again carried the team, well on average and total pins, only Scott Proctor had a decent first game (155, and his new high league game), Rich Mike and I were woefully below our averages game one. In the second, which we lost by 6, Rich edged me by three pins for a team evening high 179, and in the third (which we won by 11) I had the high mark with 178. Mike struggled again and missed his new average by 1 pin in his highest game, so there will be a new, lower 132 average for Mike to build from next time he's there. After the fabulous bowling exercise, we (minus Mike) went to Wirty's World to shoot some pool. Scott, Rich and I did the shooting, Mel once again 'cheered' and provided moral support which is a good thing, with morals being so little in demand anymore, even a little bolstering of those that are around st. . I was once again the star, winning the first 5 matches, before rotating, out every other game, I finished with 8 K's, followed by Rich with 5 and Scott with 4. By now it's 12:40 and Saturday, and Rich doesn't want to take me home yet, he want's to get food, and some caffeine in his system before the drop-of, and I could use a little dining myself anyway, so off to Lenny's. Once again our party diminishes by one, as Scott Proctor thinks just because he has to be at work in 7 hours and 50 minutes, he could benefit from a sleep type thing. This was Rich and I's second Lenny's visit after Wirty's and Bowling in as many weeks, and we got the same waitress, Catie, who now worship's us. The nearing 1:00 AM crowd was large and unruly, and it was kind of a jungle at the Lenny's and Rich, Mel and I were actually an island of sanity for poor Catie, and we tip well, too. <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="blue-nine" width="240" height="178" src="page0_blog_entry878_2.jpg"/></div>Home, sleep, wake, work with a ride in from Jenni, who closed 8 cases in appeals before coming to lunch with me at 12:30. We asked Becky if she could give me a ride home, since she's a far eastern person too (Marion County wise), so I got to ride in the burgundy Buick Behemoth with Dynaride and fadio-radio. Once home, I made my Nascar Fantasy picks, which got me a #10 finish in the red league, and a 120 points victory over the second place Mr. & Mrs. DiNicola team in the Blue league. Best though is that Kasey Kahne won again, that's 6 (so far) this year, and more than any other driver.<br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="top-side Kahne" width="534" height="348" src="page0_blog_entry878_3.jpg"/><br />Today? Sunday, Jack & Joan's celebrate 168 years together. You say, that can't be right can it? It is they are celebrating 168 years together today at the Scholar's Inn on Mass Ave. With both having Birthdays near, they are celebrating both at once, Jack 88 of 'em, Joan another (overlapping, I admit) 80.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#0075c5;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('1015');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('1015');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('1015');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('1015'); </script></a> </div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-871" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Fluxing Ed Sanders</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/08/2006 08:01 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="72b4868e099c4930f3f0c83a85303fc0-871.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><p style="text-align:center;" ><img class="imageStyle" alt="ES_Self Portrait" width="384" height="424" src="page0_blog_entry871_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>"Self Portrait", Ed Sanders 2006</em></span><br /></p><p>I heard it said more than once, and I agreed. This was a great collection of work, this was Ed Sanders at his best. His wit, and humor, his dark medium with so much color, his quiet persona still demanding to be listened to when he spoke, this really was Ed representing Ed. <br />DeAnne Roth and her Flux Gallery were working with Ed for months to bring us this show in November, his illness and decline, prompted a rush ahead one month, hoping but not really expecting Ed to be there for at least the beginning. Ed was adamant that the show go on as planned, I think he knew the strength of this collection of pieces. It certainly was powerful, and telling in many ways. I interpret the super-hero stuff with Ed's failing health, especially the <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="w:Kryptonite & Superhero" width="384" height="241" src="page0_blog_entry871_2.jpg"/>"</div><strong><em>Sleeping w/ Your Kryptonite" </em></strong>and <strong><em>"Superhero"</em></strong>, as well as "<em>Superhero in Distress</em>" shown below. You can read what ever you want into the works, that's the beauty of good art. You might search, decide, discard and search some more for the motivations or reasons; then you're interacting with the artist. Ed certainly interacted with his audience on Friday night. When I stopped in before going to the bowling alley I noticed how many pieces were already sold, I called Jenni and told her about the few remaining, and how much I wished I could get one. When I returned with Mike, Scott and Rich after our disappointing bowling evening I found only three pieces remained un-purchased, and a couple I was interested were taken, one remained but was just beyond my purchasing power. <br /></p><p style="text-align:center;" ><img class="imageStyle" alt="Superhero In Distress" width="384" height="500" src="page0_blog_entry871_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>"Superhero In Distress" Ed Sanders 2006</em></span><br /></p><p>It was a good night full of sad and happy recollections. I shared some of these with some of my friends there. Of course DeAnne and Nicci were there, so were Connie and Kay, with Kay bringing cakes, and treats for the opening feast. Brian Meyers, Phil Smith and Andi Short were still there after the "posted" quiting time when the bowlers arrived, Marti, Ed's significant other and many of his friends were there throughout the day. I'll miss Ed, but I got my memories and my own stories, plus a few photos over the years, so I'll always have a little Ed with me. <br /></p><p style="text-align:center;" ><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#af4454;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('108');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('108');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('108');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('108'); </script></a> </p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-870" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Other Than Ed.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/08/2006 09:55 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="5ef3ae3b23b43e15a029d5f622440791-870.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">Well it turns out this was harder than I thought it would be. I sat down in front of the computer yesterday, prepared to write all about the Friday I had. Work, in its best, ever-so work like wardrobe; bowling, and the struggles and travails of my co-bowlers while I was masterful and precise (hey, it's my fantasy, and my website, and my history to revision) and of course my pre and post bowling visits to Flux Gallery and the show of my recently departed friend and Herron classmate Ed Sanders. Then there it was, so of course it became difficult.<br />So the bowling then, Mike Wilson was in for the not so in Jeff Moore. Mike bowled the first week while I was at Branson with Jenni, for the surprise vacation of a week-time, and he established a decent average (too decent it seems), so two days before adorning the sectagenarian mantle, Mike assaulted and assassinated his average far better than the pins at the other end of the lane. With an evenings average of 118, Mike's new league average to 135 (same numbers as week 1, just rearranging the 5 and 3). Scott Proctor, you say? His games and average. I'll just say his new league average is around 110. Rich's average dropped 5 pins to 171 (still better than the rest of us on most nights) while mine goes from 149 to 155. We lost all seven points, because of the aforementioned collective performance, and the fact that the other team's anchor, with a 176 average had three 200 plus games for an evenings average of 219! Me now? My night's average 176 included a 184 high game, leaving in the dust, crushing, eclipsing my previous league high (this league) of 183! B-Bam! Boom! Ka-Pow! O.K. I know that's only one pin better, hey, I was being dramatic for cryin' out loud.<br /><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-869" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Mood Improvement and an Auto-Miracle</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/06/2006 06:16 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="188913a3f16936617043702edc3273b1-869.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="89_lebaron_sm" width="288" height="144" src="page0_blog_entry869_1.jpg"/></div>On March 6th 2005, on my first day back to work after vacation, my LeBaron Convertible burst into flames and died a horrible death. On March 14th, I inherited the 1986 BMW 535i that David the son-in-law left behind when he and Meredith moved to Florida. I could have it if I could get it running. Rich and I went to Auto-zone and bought the special BMW battery that powers the beast, and two gallons of gas in a gas can (plastic but some names don't die with progress), then we met Jamie Baker at David's fathers house where the Bimmer lay dormant waiting for the right person to bring it back to life. With no live battery, and no owners manuel it was a challenge to get the gas into the car, and to bring it up from its driveway grave. We couldn't figure out how to open the gas door, and didn't know that the fuel door was released when the car was unlocked (electrically), and we unlocked the car without a live battery, so the process was yet to be achieved. Eventually we got the fuel door jimmied open from the inside of the trunk, gassed the car and started it, if only we'd known the we could have locked and then unlocked the doors and the fuel door would have been released after the battery was in place we could have saved ourselves about an hour of aggravation. <br />Over the next few weeks I learned some of the other foibles of the car. The wipers worked but the windshield squirters never did. The AM radio never worked but the FM and CD player were fine, the blowers for the defrost and heat were full of leaves (and probably mouse nests) and it smelled of burning when they were turned on for quite some time. The low setting on the fan never worked, the medium and high raised a din that could wake the dead. The old key would not always disengage the steering lock and eventually broke off in the ignition facilitating a locksmith visit to the house to remove the shard, and a new set made from the serial numbers by Dreyer and Rheinbold BMW. Annoying problems but none dangerous or life threatening, and not unexpected for a car 20 years old with over 285000 miles on it when I got it. <br />I learned to accept the things I could not change about the Bimmer. <br />Flash forward in time 18 months to the present. It's October 5th 2006, I'm running late, I've been in a funk for a few days, nothing has really gone my way for about a week or so, and I'm tired of it. After getting my site to upload, I hit the road for work, it's already 8:05, and I should be half way there instead of just leaving the world HQ. A quarter mile from my neighborhood, as I near the Warren Central School zone, I decelerate to the posted 25 MPH, and set the cruise, (one of the best things the BMW engineers did was to allow the cruise to be engaged at any speed). Directly in front of me is a Ray's trash Truck, doing about 20 MPH, I catch up to him and slow, the cars behind me not wanting to play safety zone are right on my bumper. Before long I see what looks like milk covering my windshield, the trash truck is leaking something, and I am loosing visibility. Through the school zone, and all the way to Post, the truck never tops 30 (in a posted 40 MPH zone), and I am running late. I eventually get past the Trash Fountain where the road widens into turn lanes, turn onto Post and head for the interstate and work. Next I did what anybody would have done, I turned on the wipers. The smearing was not helping visibility. So, for the 100th time since I've owned the car I pulled the wiper lever to me and held it, fully expecting nothing to happen. Instead, for the first time <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="front end Bimmer" width="259" height="192" src="page0_blog_entry869_2.jpg"/></div>ever, twin streams of beautiful blue washer fluid fire up from both nozzles. I held it for fully 30 seconds as the fluid worked on the grime. I know I must have looked like I had overdosed The Joker's Smelnick's Gas to the other travelers, such was the grin on my astonished face. I released the lever, the wipers completed a couple more wipes and ended their cycle. I pulled back again, the wipers sprung into action again, and two tiny dribbles issued forth from the nozzles, dwindled away and were once again dead. I tried again several times to the same negative result, but my gloom had washed away with the garbage grime, I could see and I knew I was going to be alright. My funk ended officially at 8:11 AM, one minute before I got on the interstate. <br />I still had to skip my daily Starbucks visit in order to make work on time and I walked in right at 8:30 with three other co-workers. After the first positive karma moment in awhile my work day started. It was a going to be a good day, I got through it without negative incident, made it safely home to Jenni and we watched Smallville and enjoyed our evening together. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#af4454;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('106');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('106');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('106');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('106'); </script></a> </div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-866" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">One Cup To Rule Them All</div><div class="blog-entry-date">10/03/2006 05:29 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="b0e47648cdfd6ebcbb3ceadde769c36e-866.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="no way sucka" width="528" height="199" src="page0_blog_entry866_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="color:#800628;"><em>"So Travis how'd you do in the Mention Meter?</em></span><span style="color:#800628;">"</span> <span style="color:#153aad;"><em>"Stinkin' Fourth."</em></span> <span style="color:#800628;"><em>"No Way Sukka! Get Back!"</em></span><br />So begins the arduous task of producing the prizes (again) but for the first time ever there is a tie for 2nd place Congrats to Mel and Kay for putting up the good fight. They were only 5 points from making it onto a cup. As I write this a terrible storm nears, this is not a metaphor for anything, a terrible storm approaches. I fear a power outage may be in the offing.<br />Yesterday was the first official day of the new contest; the forth quarter challenge. The terminal mention meter of the year 2006. It was also the Nick Lachey bimbo circus to the Mur&acirc;t. From the Chatterbox I made the observation that nearly all the real concert goers were female from 19 to 29. With nearly each couple comprised of a Meerkat sized bimbo and a Rhino sized escort, both wearing the same black stiletto heals, and the same sausage casing designer jeans (in the same size in too many cases). Two exceptions were the occasional pair of pipe cleaners dressed to be seen and so two dimensionally "hot" that if Nick saw either one of them (that is the challenge ) he'd be sure to drop his millionaire "blond of the week" to be with them! The other exception was the Caucasian family robinson backing in their Rendezvous to take their 'ho'ed up coeds to the Nick show, with dad dreaming he is the white "Tiger" and momma pretty sure she can still catch Nicky's eye in her 'ho's-been outfit. <br />With me and Jenni on the patio or in the 'Box for the parade de estrogen lachey were, Rich, Eddie, Travis, Wilson, DeAnne, Mel, Kay, Kris Bowman, Peter Park and David clawing nails out of scraps of the former back room. After the street lights came on and the show time neared the parade dwindled. I went in to see Maggie and Wayne at Luna, bought the new Shawn Colvin and had a laugh with Wayne about them singin' queers (his quote). Jack and Joan left as I arrived. Jenni left, Liz arrived and joined the party, then Steve Singleton arrived to meet up with a date. I clocked out, tabbed out and made it home 50 minutes before <strong><em>Heroes</em></strong> and <strong><em>Studio 60</em></strong>, which it looks like I am watching now. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#2f9eb3;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('103');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('103');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('103');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('103'); </script></a> </div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-862" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Wasted Day?</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/29/2006 06:34 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="7a8984291ba5d759dbb7633749dc1d14-862.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="equipment malfunction" width="528" height="246" src="page0_blog_entry862_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Equipment Malfunction, I got dumped. Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br />I slept until 9:30, got up and made myself a pot of coffee and breakfast, washed three loads of clothes, installed the Vonage (VoIP) Phone system, programed in a bunch of phone numbers, started to mow the yard just as a violent but short lived storm hit, read two chapters in <strong>Bill Fitzhugh's </strong><strong><em>Fender Benders </em></strong>and after several hours of driving wind helped dry the yard enough, finally mowed the yard. I had just finished when Jenni got home and asked what I had done today, to which I said "Nothing." Then there were a couple of hours where I actually did, umm nothing, except play in iTunes, and update my Paypal account (which still won't except an external payment from my link for some reason), pay some bills online and wait for the Smallville season opener. <br />I had planned to go shopping for a new desk chair since my current one dumped me the other night and did some real damage to my side and right shoulder. The base (and internal metal framework) of my current chair broke as I was leaning back to file some important worldHQ documents, and crashed me (in slow motion) into the pickle barrel I use as a trash can. I jammed my shoulder trying to find a way to stop the unexplainable journey to the floor, and racked my ribs on the lip of the trash barrel, which has me a little worried about bowlingtonight. Wednesday I attempted a few push ups and couldn't get up if I went down as far as usual, so it remains to be seen how the arm will perform. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#67b2ff;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><p style="text-align:center;" ><a href="javascript:HaloScan('929');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('929');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('929');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('929'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-861" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Milestone</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/27/2006 05:51 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="6e32611f3fdc8591652632712a97347e-861.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Evelyn Adams" width="236" height="297" src="page0_blog_entry861_1.jpg"/></div>Yesterday, in the land of camera sales we indeed observed a milestone, our bookkeeper and office manager, Evelyn Adams' 30th anniversary at Roberts. Bruce honored the event by having a party catered in the "classroom" upstairs. Bodacious bar-b-cue and friends, sales reps and former employees all came in to honor Evie, and wish her well. In fact the reps, and well wishers probably outnumbered the buying public. After work what was supposed to be a medium contingent of Chatterboxers, dwindled to a smaller contingent. Just two of us made the arduous trek from the 300 block south of Washington north and east to the Mass ave. recovery station. As the day wore on and more people dropped out of the afterwork rendezvous, I started to have abandonment issues, luckily Mike Wilson was still game, and we knocked back a couple apiece, and some pretzels too. Mario Samaro, after closing the Urban Lilly at promptly 6:00 traded a couple of jokes with Jack Green and I threw in another just for good measure. Brooks left as I arrived, or I'm sure he could have added to the humor fire, he carries around as many remembered jokes as I do, at least one for any occasion, and <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Liz some'gin" width="192" height="267" src="page0_blog_entry861_2.jpg"/></div>usually a barrage, once the flood gates are opened. Liz arrived with a Guiness Truffle delivery, and we found out that Little Buddy Travis has been under the weather while the rest of us have been languishing in it. Mike and I caught up with Jim and Cheryl Strain, and at about 7:00 the festivities were over. I was up until about 3 o'clock the night before, so when I got home, the fatigue of two days, and the mellowing of two beers (o.k. three) toppled me like a north woods oak, and I crashed until 4:00 this morning, when I started waking and drifting ever 15 minutes or so until I finally surrendered to wakefulness. When I stepped out into the hallway, heading toward the World HQ I found a package left for me by Charlie (who usually waits to do his business in the bushes outdoors), then about an hour later when Jenni saw me, with arms crossed staring at the computer and web authoring software (which are just crawling this morning) and declared me in a bad mood, which is a great way to ensure the emotional state. Luckily I get to go to work, where nobody cares what kind of mood I'm in most of the time, and it doesn't matter anyway. The time is now 7:23, and it has taken an hour and a half to write this piece, and format the photos, now i get to experience the joy of the work-a -day. <br />Congrats to Evie, on day 1 of her 31st year at Roberts.<br /><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#979797;">Chuck Pace &copy;2006</span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('927');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('927');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('927');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('927'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-859" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Foggy Morning Breakdown</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/25/2006 06:27 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="571653145be73392563aa56aa03bb626-859.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="ugly split" width="235" height="163" src="page0_blog_entry859_1.jpg"/></div><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colts</span> are 3-0 due to our pass defense and two great "unexpected" plays. Terrance Wilkins, the former and current <span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colt</span> kick return specialist broke one for a big 82 yard TD that fired the defense and got the <span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colts</span> on track. The return was on the <span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colts</span> third possession of only four in the first half, Jacksonville came with a very good game plan. The second half started to look like a more familiar <span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colts</span> team with a 3 minute drive ending in a Manning to Dallas Clark TD pass. Both teams traded series and punts for the next four possessions until Jags kicker Josh Scobee missed a FG, hitting the left upright and sending the ball careening off to the right with just 49 seconds remaining n the third quarter. The forth quarter started with two more traded punts, then on the second <span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colts</span> possession of the quarter from the two yard line, after a -1 yard carry from Joseph Addai, coach Dungee called in a repeat of the play that just failed, with one wrinkle; Manning was to keep the ball and do a right side "naked" bootleg. Jax 7-<strong>Ind. 21</strong> Leftwich and the Jags countered with an almost 5 minute long drive that ended in a 7 yard TD pass to Jones-Drew, <strong>Jax 14</strong>- Ind 21. The Jags tried to counter again after another <span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colts</span> punt, and were driving on a 2 minute drill when <span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Colts</span> DB Mike Doss intercepted Leftwich pass intended for Reggie Williams, and sealed the Colts 3rd victory in as many outings. <br />That was what I was watching from the World HQ yesterday, Then I switched to the final thirty laps of the Nascar wreckfest in Dover, I had been tracking the Fantasy league on the chuckpace.com mobil command unit (laptop) during the Game while pursuing other activities on the mainframe unit in the revamped HQ. Earlier in the day I had gone to BestBuy to acquire more freedom from the phone company, picking up a Vonage two phone and cable system router which we will be switching over to soon, retaining the same phone numbers. At about 5:45 PM I wondered if I was supposed to bowl on the Sunday league with Rich, Mel and Will Andrichik, a flurry of phone calls to Rich's phone, David's phone, Dorothy and Will's phones confirmed nothing, and I started on my way to the alley just in case, when Rich called. We all struggled on lanes that had hosted a tournament and hadn't been redressed but managed to win all the points for team Mel N Them. <br />Congratulations to Mel for her first victory in the Red Nascar Fantasy League, and to me for my first Victory in the Blue league, and staying ahead of Pam Walker in the Red league. <br />Cyber Jed out from the world HQ. <br />Happy anniversary to Meredith and David, (let us know when the stitches come out David). <br /><span style="font-size:15px; font-weight:bold; color:#3752cf;">3-0 GO COLTS!<br /></span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#3752cf;"><br />Chuck Pace &copy;2005</span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('925');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('925');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('925');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('925'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-857" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Early to Rise</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/23/2006 07:30 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="f00ddf93f50de141bdca691cc0ee2fee-857.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">Well the Cyber-Clampetts are at it again. Yesterday after Jenni and I went to lunch, Jenni (who normally only works 4 hours on Fridays) went to BestBuy and best bought a 15" Magnavox LCD HDTV for the world headquarters. The World HQ is in complete disarray right now and in need of a facelift, what better time to do some living space improvements than while (or before) wall mounting a HDTV? Plus this LCDTV also acts as a computer monitor, is that cool or what? So I got up at 6:30, as though it was a work day, which it is not. Well except for the demands of the chuckpace.com audience and the rejuvenation efforts at the World HQ, o.k. and the mention meter updates, that are coming I swear they are man.<br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="compu_worldhq2" width="528" height="388" src="page0_blog_entry857_1.jpg"/><br />The photo shows the pre-juvenation work area. That is mostly just clutter, and a few CD's . So I'll get to it and update again later with progress and such.<br />Building a Better chuckpace.com World Headquarters for all of us. <br /><p style="text-align:center;" ><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#67b2ff;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('9231');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('9231');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('9231');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('9231'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-852" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Smash Mouth or Gummed Up?</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/19/2006 05:53 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="aac397500ded37318d3ff143f6e27d87-852.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry852_1" width="192" height="440" src="page0_blog_entry852_1.jpg"/></div><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; ">I'm no sports analyst, but that seemed like true mastery last night! The Jags took the game, the Steelers and the nation by surprise. I'm worried that the Colts are not ready for them next week, their defense was amazing. I know Ben Rothlisberger, even without a fever would have struggled against the constant barrage they put down. The Defending Superbowl Champs' O line could not keep the Jags out of the backfield. Indy has a really good O line, but come on!</span><span style="font:13px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "> <br /></span><span style="font:13px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; ">"</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">I catt bedeeve da schooperbow chamch god schud out!" Said Jenni who had a smash mouth experience of her own yesterday (no, I didn't hit her!) at the dentist, and oral surgeon consultation. She's been having some problems with her gums, apparently she has a conjoined twin in the roof of her mouth trying to take possession of the rest. She was a little down in the mouth yesterday, and I wasn't even here to to hear about it for the immediate afterwork commiseration consideration. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">I was at the box (boggz, as Jenni said). Jack Green, Mel, Rich, C Scott, Kay, DeAnne and David Adrichick were at the box too, as was Peter Park, fresh from his first ever shift on Saturday. Travis showed up and we downed a couple of pints of Guinness Goodness, in honor the dearly departed Irish Fest, everybody left me but Mel and we talked until just before MNF Kickoff. With the game about to start we both paid off DeAnne before Nicci came on shift and headed out.</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> </span><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry852_2" width="168" height="148" src="page0_blog_entry852_2.jpg"/></div><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">I was parked in front of Luna and stopped in to see Maggie Lynn and buy some much needed music, including </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">John Hiatt's, </span><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>Master of Disaster</em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> and </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;">Yo Lo Tengo's, </span><span style="font-size:11px; font-weight:bold; color:#333333;"><em>I'm No Afraid Of You and I Will Beat Your Ass.</em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> Then home for the surprise Football shutout. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Not only were Steelers fans howling all night from agony and pain, so was Jenni and the Howler Monkey in the bedroom. Somewhere around 4:00 AM the cute little stuffed toy monkey with the not so cute big voice-box inside started chorusing us every minute or two,</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry852_3" width="235" height="146" src="page0_blog_entry852_3.jpg"/></div><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;"> and hasn't stopped yet. Jenni got up and stuffed him between some towels in the master bath and shut the door, but I could still hear his song throughout the early morning hours until 5:42 when I got up to start the day and the post. As I was preparing the artwork for this post he sang again, and is sure to do so all morning. That's all the time there is. At least for this post. Chowder, kiddies. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Chuck Off. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /><br /></span><p style="text-align:center;" ><img class="imageStyle" alt="page0_blog_entry852_4" width="235" height="195" src="page0_blog_entry852_4.jpg"/><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#257623;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('919');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('919');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('919');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('919'); </script></a><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-851" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Games, Storms, Kilts and 5 tickets Please</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/17/2006 11:34 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="5659c69027d7bd9296844d24a9cb0039-851.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="gaelic storm #2" width="523" height="276" src="page0_blog_entry851_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#266a22;"><em>11:15 PM Saturday Night Gaelic Storm Finale. Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br /><strong><em>11:23 AM</em></strong> Another great Irish Fest winds down today. I took some great shots last night and on Friday as well. <br />Saturday night we had quite a crew with us. Scott Proctor, Rich Culy, Pam Walker, Ed Sipes, Jenni and I all parked at the Chatterbox and walked to Military park, crossing the canal at Vermont through somebody's wedding at the fountains and crossover bridge. Once at the Park, we hooked up with Wilson, Jami Day and Kel Renae (Kelli LaFara). <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="jami_day-kel_renae" width="235" height="189" src="page0_blog_entry851_2.jpg"/></div>We also tracked down Travis, Liz and Ma & Pa DiNicola (Bob and Pam). On our way to hear <strong>The Searson's</strong> I got a call from Mel, and soon she too was in the fine company of our fine company. Kelli and Jami left, so Mike hung with the rest of our crew , at 8:00 we headed over to the Guiness toasting finals, hosted by our own Travis, that's when Travis bought his Utilikilt between draughts of Guiness. Rich had purchased his earlier, and Travis was afraid I would mention Rich more than him, so... The core of us headed to hear <strong>Gaelic Storm</strong> on the Claddagh Stage for the evening's finale, then at 11:30 those of us who had to walk to the Box did so. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="off kilters" width="523" height="746" src="page0_blog_entry851_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#266a22;"><em>No, I didn't purchase Kilt, Just these two daring denizens of the Box.</em></span> <br /> <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="a boy a kilt a dream" width="235" height="354" src="page0_blog_entry851_4.jpg"/></div><strong><em>1:12 PM</em></strong> I am home watching Racin' and Football. I desperately need to mow my yard, but I'm watching Racin' and Football. There were other chores and duties first thing this morning so I didn't get to any of that, or even finish this post and now I'm watching Racin' and Football. <br /><strong><em>10:13 PM </em></strong>That was hours ago, the race is over the Colts won, and I've mowed my yard. I've been to the bowling alley, as a rostered member of "Mel & Them" establishing my average and handicap for the Sunday night league. I am captain consistency I've got to tell you. On the Friday night league I have a 155 average, on the Sunday night league I have a 155 average. On both leagues I started with my lowest game, then bowled a 180+ game, and finished right about my average, weird eh? Both nights 465 pins exactly. Now it's time to import the images and hit the hay (we don't really sleep on hay, that's an old expression that my folks have used since I was., well since before I was). Sorry that I didn't really have a Sunday Post. This is Saturday and Sunday combined, so deal with it!<br /> <br /><p style="text-align:center;" ><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#257623;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('918');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('918');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('918');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('918'); </script></a><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#266a22;"><em>Enough kissin' the Blarney Stone.</em></span></p></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-850" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Celtic Conclusion</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/16/2006 05:41 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="fe88ea5308766ea352444cddd3f969a1-850.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">So the lanes are different. The shoes were being worn for the first time ever and the very first time I ever rolled the new ball was in a tentative pre-bowl practice session. I got one strike in the first game on the last possible chance to get one, the third ball of the 10th frame. So game #1 of the 2006-207 Fall-Winter league was in the books: 124 (big whup). There is room for improvement. So, on to the second game. X / XXX etc.. for a 183, said improvement hath arrived milord! Game three, 158 and my established average is- 155, just a tick below where I finished last season. I'm happy with that. I have left room for general improvement anyway. While I was establishing my average and handicap, Rich was ruining his from last week. There was a spike in the Bell curb. His series? 247, 195, 168 or 610 w/o handicap (well, Mr. Duck this is water, let's see how you take to it). Rich's first game Seven in a row to start then an open frame, then back on the horse. Last week, while I was in Branson, Rich was only knee high in the kiddie pool, establishing a 139 average and a high game of 148. That was last week, his new average? 171. Team 10 was completed by Jeff Moore and Will Andrichick both establishing their Averages and Handicaps; 153 and 160 respectively and good enough for the team (new and improved team name to arrive on your CPU shelves by next week!) to win 5 of the 7 points. Mel came out and watched games two and three then we dispersed to our various evenings activities. So that's that see you tomorrow. <span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#257623;"><em>Chu..</em></span>hmmm?<br />That wasn't enough from me? Where did I go? You mean you want to know more? Oh, O.K. <br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Festers Four" width="523" height="296" src="page0_blog_entry850_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#287524;"><em>Four Fine Irish Festers, Day 1: Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><span style="color:#287524;"><em><br /></em></span><span style="color:#000000;"><em>Right to Left (but lets leave politics out of it) W.Michael, Chuck , Rich and M. Travis.</em></span><strong><em> </em></strong><br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="beer_teats" width="235" height="381" src="page0_blog_entry850_2.jpg"/></div><span style="color:#1b5019;">Rich and I went to the 11th annual Irish fest (as advertised in a previously seen post on this very channel). There we hooked up with another of our rostered bowlers W. Mike Wilson, who was there at the pipes and baffles of Beer Truck #2, relieving the pressure and keeping the Festers safe from a horrible brew explosion! There was also Seamus O'Blarney, er I mean M Travis DiNicola (with an Irish heart and an Italian attitude) working as a mouthpiece over at one of the stages, introducing the bands and taking no prisoners. What was missing was Sneaky Peat. Perhaps he will be rolling in this morning, since he is listed as a presenter/merchant at the wee festival, boy-o. Well, I'll be there to check this evening with an even larger crew, and once again I feel I'll be compelled to recap this days events tomorrow, much as I've done here before. Have a Bonnie good time 'til then Lasses and Laddies, and stay away from me Lucky Charms!<br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#257623;"><em><br />Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('916');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('916');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('916');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('916'); </script></a><br /><span style="color:#1c501a;"><em>Gorry, Michael at the teats of the aluma-brewcow</em></span>.</div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-849" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Get Your Irish Up!</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/15/2006 06:17 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="41fc38f0970730e508e50c78d2b382b3-849.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="franknclaude" width="518" height="355" src="page0_blog_entry849_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#267523;"><em>Frank'n'Claude, and before Halloween too. Chuck Pace&copy;2006</em></span><br />The 11th Annual Irish Fest begins today and runs through Sunday. Last year Jenni, Rich, Rebecca, Travis, Liz and I had a blast. We will be looking for Sneaky Peat again, probably hear a Shanty or a Jig (or maybe even two), and try some more Potato Cuisine. But before any o' that can take place there's tonight's wee bit o' keggling. Last week was the first week of Fall league bowling, and I of course was in Missouri, so there you have it. Yesterday, gettin' a jump on the old recreation, I went to Sport Bowl and purchased a new ball, and some new Dexter foot enclosures as well, from there I headed to the Chatterbox to purchase the last two salty, cheesy, pretzels from one Mr. David A., eh? Jenni, Rich, Rebecca and I consumed those, and after Alysha Griffith arrived David dashed off to GFS fer s'more don't cha'know. Jack and Joan were inside when I got there talking with Heather Basile and after David's return he and Heather graced<div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Joe&Heidi" width="235" height="177" src="page0_blog_entry849_2.jpg"/></div> the patio and I showed him my orphaned car show photo's, then we all started talking about rides and rods and waxed poetic about wheeled wonderment. Well not all of us, Heather and Rebecca were on the fringes looking in with disinterest. Scott Proctor showed up, and it became apparent that C Scott likes to drink, imagine that. We also ran into Heidi Herbst whom I haven't seen in at least a year and her friend Joe Anglin, who is owed a beer from C Scott, next time he's in. I talked to Claude Siferlin and Frank Glover for a few minutes, then headed down to the end to say my hello's and eventual <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Sloth_4" width="235" height="226" src="page0_blog_entry849_3.jpg"/></div>goodbyes to another bowling enigma, Emily Sterger the final Sloth is about to fall out of the Indy tree and move to the Big Apple (a sloth in an apple tree should be a mighty happy sloth!)<br />So after the bowling, Rich and I head to Irish Fest. Mike Wilson is going to be there working and Rich has been berating him about free Black and Tan's. I very much doubt that there are going to be any free Black and Tan's, but... Moderation is the key tonight. Before during and after Bowling, Tomorrow Jenni, Rebecca, Rich, Mel and I along with Mr. Proctor is seems are once again Festing with the Irish. I'll might be even takin' a photo or two. But no pin or hat for Brock this year, that ingrate! <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#257523;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('915');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('915');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('915');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('915'); </script></a><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-848" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Poor Pluto, Wicked Eris</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/14/2006 12:03 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="1f7a41314f93cf128439907fc5d546dd-848.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">Still a slave to the new iTunes 7, I've been scanning artwork, importing and creating smart playlists like a maniac (o.k. I'll concede that AS a maniac, I do most things like a manic, still) to the point that I didn't even start this post until noon, there are mitigating circumstances your honor, shall I continue? This being my scheduled day off from work this week, I chose to sleep in until 8:00, after getting up, and easing into the flow of a day without expectations, I eventually made my way into the world headquarters. There on the computer once it woke up was the last CD I imported waiting for me to scan the artwork and make it complete. The scanner wil allow two CD jackets to be scanned at one time, and since I have hundreds of CD's to import or add artwork to, I couldn't see the efficiency of not finding another jacket to scan at the same time. With over 300 CD's in arms reach, I didn't even have to get up and go to the shelves. That decided, I found one I wanted to add, scanned the two jackets, started the import, etc... Nearing 10:00 I decided to go out and get something for breakfast, The <strong>Steely Dan </strong><strong><em>Decades</em></strong> having finished importing, I threw in the <strong><em>Original Masters,</em></strong> <strong>Brian Eno</strong> then headed out. <br />I chose the new Qdoba across from the Cherry Tree Plaza, and had a gigantic Chicken Breakfast Burrito. I ate it there, watching CNN Headline news as i did so. That's where I learned that the "new baby" in the system of Sol the star was named today. The 9th Planet, now that Pluto has been demoted to cosmic turd (much like Gary Indiana) is now officially named. Eris, in tribute to the Greek Goddess of Chaos and Strife. I wonder if the ACLU will ask them to change the name, you know separation of Church and State all that mumbo-jumbo, we shouldn't be naming planets after Gods or Goddess' either. I think a nice, non-secular, non-denominational, non-offensive moniker is in order, say... Planet Goofy, or Mickey (especially after the blow Pluto has taken). To substantiate my info Here is the July 29, 05 NASA page with the info on the yet unnamed "Planet", and before Pluto was sent to the the principle's office. And the Wickipedia page reference to ERIS. "Bad dog, Pluto. Speak (Goofy does)!"<br /><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; "> 07.29.05 : Tenth Planet Discovered<br /></span><strong><img class="imageStyle" alt="123932main_newplanet-516" width="516" height="171" src="page0_blog_entry848_1.jpg"/></strong><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; "><br />Image above:</span><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; "> These time-lapse images of a newfound planet in our solar system, called 2003UB313, were taken on Oct. 21, 2003, using the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, Calif. The planet, circled in white, is seen moving across a field of stars. The three images were taken about 90 minutes apart. <br /><br /> Scientists did not discover that the object in these pictures was a planet until Jan. 8, 2005. Image credit: Samuel Oschin Telescope, Palomar Observatory <br /></span><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; color:#006699;">+ Highest resolution image available</a></span><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; "> <br /><br /></span><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; ">Newest Member of Our Solar System<br /></span><strong><img class="imageStyle" alt="123938main_newplanet-concept516-387" width="516" height="387" src="page0_blog_entry848_2.jpg"/></strong><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; ">Image above:</span><span style="font:11px Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; "> This artist's concept shows the planet catalogued as 2003UB313 at the lonely outer fringes of our solar system. Our Sun can be seen in the distance. The new planet, which is yet to be formally named, is at least as big as Pluto and about three times farther away from the Sun than Pluto. It is very cold and dark. The planet was discovered by the Samuel Oschin Telescope at the Palomar Observatory near San Diego, Calif., on Jan. 8, 2005. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech<br /></span><span style="font-size:13px; "> </span><span style="font:13px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; ">%ª</span><span style="font-size:13px; "> </span><span style="font-size:13px; color:#002bb8;">136199 Eris</a></span><span style="font-size:13px; ">, the solar system's largest dwarf planet, orbiting beyond Neptune and previously known as 2003 UB</span><span style="font-size:11px; ">313</span><span style="font-size:13px; ">.<br /><br />Oh boy, dwarf planets, what's next Hobbit Worlds? Maybe instead of Eris, Tolkien? Frodo? Gandalf?<br />So after breakfast I wandered across the street to BestBuy, where it became painfully obvious that I still didn't have enough music. I added a Jazz CD (</span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Harry Connick Jr., </span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>30</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; ">), a New Age one (</span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Cusco, </span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Apurimac III</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; ">), a Classical (</span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Jascha Heifetz</span><span style="font-size:13px; ">, </span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Concertos</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; "> {SACD}), a Comedy (</span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">Dane Cook, </span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Harmful if Swallowed</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; ">) and a Classic Rock (</span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; ">David Bowie, </span><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Station to Station</em></span><span style="font-size:13px; ">, 1976). Mr. crosscut of the genre's eh? Sorry no Country, Rap, Hip-Hop or Musica Latina today, but there's always tomorrow. <br />Gotta run more stuff to stuff into iTunes, see there 5 more, where does the time go. <br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#683829;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('914');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('914');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('914');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('914'); </script></a><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-847" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Recollection</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/13/2006 06:34 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="1595433ca9735465b8d10668d60e1ca3-847.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">So the new iTunes 7 came out yesterday. what a cool upgrade; the view options, sort options the whole rigamarole. I sat down at the computer with the intention of doing some quick photoshop to the images I present today, and the promised "real story" that I didn't get posted yesterday due to technical difficulties. Well at 10:37 Jenni says "I'm going to lay down." I says right back, "Damn, it's 10:30!" Other than a Marsh sandwich spread on wheat sandwich before Jenni got home, and a couple of handfuls of cashews, I didn't' even eat, we never turned the T.V. on and zoom, boom. Bedtime. But I did add artwork to at least a dozen imported albums, plus added a few more albums as well to the <em>new look</em>, more powerful iTunes! Way to Go MAC. <br /><strong>Recap.</strong> The missing post...<br /><span style="font:24px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#1e77d3;">Monday, wha' happen?<br /></span><img class="imageStyle" alt="police line-up?" width="513" height="217" src="page0_blog_entry847_1.jpg"/><br /><strong><em>'Ho's, I have no idea how Kay missed this moment: Chuck Pace &copy; 2006 </em></strong><br />When you are on your last day of vacation, and haven't seen your friends in that entire period of time, plus you have a gift for the awesome Miss Kay, why, you gotta go Boxing. Am I right or am I right? I'm right, right? Jenni is having a dental emergency, one of the excised teeth is having phantom pains, this started as we started home from Sou'western Missouri, so while I putter around on Monday afternoon she goes to the Dentist, then the Doctor's office. There is a root that remained behind when the tooth was yanked, and the root, finally getting the hint that he is a casualty of war starts making a little collateral damage himself. So the oral surgeons are going in in a week to do a little shadow opps and then, root? What root? So to make a non-story shorter, Jenni stayed home with her pain killers and antibiotics. I went to Mass ave. to get mine, and some probiotoic action as well. <br /><span style="color:#3c89d8;"><em>[Cue BIG radio voice]:</em></span><strong><em> </em></strong><strong>Return with us now to those thrilling days of yester</strong><s>year</s><strong>, day...</strong><br />The sky was greying and threatening as I pulled in across the street from the Tavern where I go when the big bad world is beatin' a path to my door. Jack Green, greying but non-threatening, was on the patio here with a glass of red. Kat Johns was in the traditional "big guy" seat with a book, and a tablet and a mission, but I get ahead of myself, I didn't know Kat then. I looked across the patio and sidewalk to the portal, thought what I need to see right now is DeAnne walking through that door with a Corona and lime in her right hand, and a huge smile on her face. Jack was lagging on to me and David A. about the Jet lag from his recent return to Indy from Paris (this ain't Texas we're talking about here kids). I looked up and there was DeAnne walking through the door with a Corona and lime, a smiling face and a platoon of rubber-bands on her left arm. "I don't know why I just brought this out, I usually give you an option, but..." <br /><div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="rubberband girl" width="225" height="171" src="page0_blog_entry847_2.jpg"/></div>"No it's perfect, " I interrupt smiling and knowing my secret, "Thanks." Welcome back she says, then the usual how was your vaca...<br />The sky darkens even as my mood lightens, I look over at the yet seen but unknown Kat and say, "Your tablet is about to get wet." Two minutes later the very first drops of rain starting straifing the patio bricks, tables, patrons and of course the tablet. Another knowing smile, then Jack an I go inside, Kat to the under-awning seating and the only open table there, (I had created "extras for this scene, and they were appropriately occupying the stage right area).<br />Inside, the crew started arriving, first Rich then Wilson, Eddie, Travis and Liz and Kay. John David arrived, Proctor was there and then, just not. I said "where's Scott," after a riveting tale about my vacation and the Show, No-show events, Mel arrived and I recapped. Wilson said Proctor was out on <img class="imageStyle" alt="Katzenjammer" width="513" height="394" src="page0_blog_entry847_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Kat Johns and her '88 "5" Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br />the patio talking to some girl with a tablet. , oh, I said and made my way out. I was introduced to Kat, who is driving a '88 Bimmer 5 series with the same body style as my '86. Rich left, pointing out to Kat that my Bimmer looked like free-form barb-wire art in comparison to hers before he drove off. She was compelled to show me the bumps and bruises on her baby to soften the blow a bit I think, (I showed you mine, so ....) I talked to Maggie at Luna, then back to the 12 oz. curls. Earlier David had introduced the next big thing at the Box , another taste treat, and using Steely Dan as a guidepost applied Pretzel Logic to the need for eats. Large, soft Pretzels and Cheese dip. Yum. Rich noticed that John David must have been the model for the pop displays foretelling of the salty pretzel goodness in all of our futures. I have to say <div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Say Cheese JD" width="225" height="180" src="page0_blog_entry847_4.jpg"/></div>at least JD's latest head gear is an uncanny resemblance to the promo materials. <br />People came, people went, and music poured over us all from the bandstand, once again we were immersed in the silky moisture of Peter Kienle's guitar and his bass accompaniment. Luna closed, Maggie joined us and soon I paid and made my way home to the love of my life. I would tell more, but frankly I don't remember much more. Duuuude. Time ago, time to go. <br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#31c2cc;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('913');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('913');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('913');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('913'); </script></a><br /></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-846" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Rough Start</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/12/2006 07:20 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="391a685ab95c4c1d887dce85127f7855-846.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">Trouble with the computer this morning kept me from getting the post about my triumphant return to the box up. But after a couple of restarts I was able to get on, but just look at the time. Gotta go, don't want to be late my first day back. I will get this info out as soon as I return this evening. Deal? Seizures later. </span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#333333;">BTW yesterdays post should upload now too. Later .</span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; "><br /></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#31c2cc;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; "><em><br /></em></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; color:#7e7e7e;">Comments</a></span><span style="font:11px 'Lucida Grande', LucidaGrande, Verdana, sans-serif; font-weight:bold; color:#7e7e7e;"> | Trackback</span></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-843" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Shock, Incredulity & the Zen of Me-ism</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/10/2006 03:37 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="3031567eb83659f03e3b37f366a81564-843.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">Kasey Kahne made it, he raced himself in, finishing in the top 4 in the last 5 races after two DNF's dropped him to 11th. Last weeks win was just a precursor to things to come. But that's not the shock here. The shock is that last years Champ will not defend his title, Tony Stewart did not make the Chase. The announcers said that last years first, second and third place finishers (Tony, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards) in the Chase all failed to make this year's chase. Stranger yet is that only three "Chasers" are returning from last year. Remember that Junior and Jeff Gordon both failed to make the chase last year, both are in this time. Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the only drivers to make all three Chases since the format change in 2004. This is the first time since moving to NASCAR's elite Cup Series that Tony has not finished in the top 10.<br /><br />I don't know if Rich had his Richmond get together last night or not, he was going to reschedule it if he didn't get his driveway sealed last weekend, but I never heard one way or the other, then of course there was my vacationing away from home, so... O called Rich's cell twice yesterday, one to find out about the 1st night of Bowling and wether or not we beat Brad Abner and Co. (Damn 10 Pin), Wilson sent me an e-mail saying that he might sub for me, but I have yet to hear anything from the crew. <br /><br />Tonight: The Manning Bowl, yippee! It's pro Football Time again! <br />Tomorrow: I'm still on vacation, Tuesday is return to work for Me and Jenni. But I will be go to the Chatterbox, to re-invent it and the downtown and Mass Ave., so Kay and DeAnne and the rest of the Boxxers can also re-exist in my Quantum Reality and the Zen Universe as well. I will be glad to re-experience them as they become once again actual, they will then be free to fill in their (theoretical) histories during time which I was not realizing them in the physical. Of course with the internet and e-mail I did get to recreate Mike Wilson and Kay (and through Kay, DeAnne and the Chatterbox and for a brief period of time), but once I turned from the computer and thought of other things they again ceased except as memory nodes, until the aforementioned recreation. So I got that going for me... which is nice. <br /><br />The very actual Chuck Pace (you are experiencing me right now , are you not?) 'til we once again collapse each others wave functions; out.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#30c2cb;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('910');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('910');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('910');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('910'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-842" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Before you go go...</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/09/2006 10:50 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="167de10689c9c9e3dde3ad8ad07fd024-842.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="54K_Manhatten" width="534" height="400" src="page0_blog_entry842_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#254a3c;"><em>1954 Kaiser Manhattan Sedan, all Original: Chuck Pace &copy;2006</em></span><br />Thursday afternoon in Branson we met a very nice man from Oklahoma. I'm kind of a car nut, and he was driving his daily driver, so I had to stop and talk with him a bit. He's retired so he had to sell off some of his old cars a few years back, but he's kept a few of his favorites. A few years back (before he sold off a bunch) he bought a gymnasium and filled it with his collection. He was driving his 1954 Kaiser Manhattan (on of 24 he still owns), and he gladly pulled out some pictures of some of the cars and trucks that he still has. There were three Studebaker pickups, and several sedans and coupes, but still his favorite is the Kaiser, he showed me photos of two of his Henry J's, then I told him I needed to be heading as his wife and sister came out of the shopping center. Before he left he said, "Stop on by at the Quality Inn tomorrow, cause there's gonna' be a bunch of these old orphaned cars there." One thing I've found in all my years, including the 4 years where I was a Falcon and Falcon Ranchero owner (collector of sorts, I had 2 Ranchero's and three Falcons), is that car people are super friendly, and want to share the joy of their passion with you if you are willing to learn. So on Friday,<br /> before the drive to Camp Littlepaws to retrieve the pooch and then head back to Indy, Jenni and I stopped at the Quality Inn as invited.<div class="image-right"><img class="imageStyle" alt="51 Willys Custom" width="120" height="74" src="page0_blog_entry842_2.jpg"/></div> Wow! What cool collection of cars that have no future. There were Ramblers, Studebakers, Fasers, Nashs, Hudsons, Plymouths (yes the Plymouth is now an orphan), a 1935 Hupmobile, Avanti's and Willy's. The Willys was not a jeep, it was a 1951 Custom Sedan, Pewter over white (see smaller photo). <br /><br /><img class="imageStyle" alt="Nash Airflight" width="534" height="400" src="page0_blog_entry842_3.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; color:#2b432e;"><em>1950 Nash Ambassador Airflight, Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><strong><br /></strong>Jenni's favorite of the show was the 1 owner, 1950 Nash Ambassador Airflight, with all the <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Invoice" width="233" height="229" src="page0_blog_entry842_4.jpg"/></div>options (see original invoice in the window $ 2,815.00 including $ 475 in accessories/upgrades) including such luxuries as rear window wiper,electric locking gas cap, reclining seats (which made two twin beds, and came with roll up mattresses with a carry case), screens to put over the windows for camping and sleeping comfort, electric curb feelers, long range 3 tube radio with vacuum actuated antenna and fog lights. There was also a vary rare Hudson Pick-up in beige and cream. All in all a very cool collection of Annie Mudges and Oliver Twists on wheels (Oh to be Daddy Warbucks with a gymnasium).<br /><br />So then we left; drove interstates home taking just under 10 hours. We arrived home at 12:15AM in the rental car : A nice enough car, a 2006 Cobalt, destined to be another rubber stamp conveyance, not a <strong>Wow Car! </strong>like the dozens we saw on Yesterday, but...<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#3a9135;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('909');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('909');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('909');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('909'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-841" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">No Show, Pool Go.</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/08/2006 08:47 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="d977f658a757e55b1aef20081c571d22-841.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Henry J Cab" width="534" height="268" src="page0_blog_entry841_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>Awsome 50's Henry J Kaiser Corsair at the Uptown Cafe: Chuck Pace &copy; 2006<br /></em></span><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Uptown_Cafe" width="220" height="221" src="page0_blog_entry841_2.jpg"/></div>Not everything works out even on a dream Vacation. When I booked the Jim Stafford Tickets several weeks ago on the Branson entertainment website the info said that Jim plays two shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays in September. When I got to the Peach Tree Inn I asked if my show tickets were there, they said that they would have to be delivered by the booking people. Yesterday I asked if there were tickets or messages for me, they said no. After talking to the desk clerk here at the "Tree", Jenni and I went on a fun filled day of adventure and vacationing and dining. Courious about the lack of tickets I stopped at the Jim Stafford theatre only to find out that Thursday evening shows start on September 12th. <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Pool or Chair" width="230" height="306" src="page0_blog_entry841_3.jpg"/></div>Here's the catch, I paid extra to upgrade my seats two weeks ago, why didn't they know then? They, of course had no idea about the tickets I ordered from the booking people. The next show is not until Saturday, by then I'll be back home. So...<br /> We went to the Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum (no really we did), and the Uptown Cafe, which has a 50's theme; then an outlet mall and just drove around and familiarized ourselves with Branson, then we came back to the "Tree" and got some Pool Towels, what else? <br />Now I'm not from The Show Me State, Missouri, so I don't know that seeing is believing. Still, I think I know the difference between a chair and a pool, regardless of the signs. <br /><br />Today, we pick Charlie up from Camp, and drive back to Indianapolis, but that is not until 2:00. There is still more time, and more fun to be had, so we're off to that. <br /><br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#3a9135;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('908');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('908');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('908');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('908'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-840" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Please, No Pictures Please!</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/07/2006 11:17 AM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="014b35a0be25d5614801222c696a3db3-840.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body">I got a very nice e-mail from Kay about Wednesday at the Box. <br /><em>"My computer is denying me access to HaloScan. I was going to post a<br /></em><em>comment saying that we missed you and Jenni on the patio last night. It<br />rained, but we were under the awning. DeAnne said it's like the<br />Chatterbox doesn't exist when you're not here to chronicle the goings on.<br /> Sounds like you're having fun!"</em> Kay<br /> Jenni says, "The Chatterbox is hypothetical without either herself or I collapsing its wave function." So on a Quantum Physics level, she and DeAnne agree.<br />We are now in Branson, MO (the unknown in Partsunknown is a known, noun now.) Charlie is at CampLittlePaws and we are at the Peach Tree Inn (I'm not decided yet as to who has the better accommodations). Today we are supposed to see Jim Stafford. But to paraphrase a very real friend at a very real Chatterbox, Sounds like we ARE having fun. Therefore the posting both short and sweet.<br /><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#d71926;"><em>Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><span style="font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#721825;"><em> </em></span><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.haloscan.com/load/chuckpace"> </script><br /><a href="javascript:HaloScan('907');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCount('907');</script></a> | <a href="javascript:HaloScanTB('907');" target="_self"><script type="text/javascript">postCountTB('907'); </script></a></div></div><div id="unique-entry-id-839" class="blog-entry"><div class="blog-entry-title">Half-Way Point</div><div class="blog-entry-date">09/05/2006 10:42 PM <span class="blog-entry-permalink">Chummin'<a href="54d7f0831b3b4e1e969462c419ae23b1-839.html">Permalink</a></span></div><div class="blog-entry-body"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Embarass" width="534" height="400" src="page0_blog_entry839_1.jpg"/><br /><span style="font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; "><em>The Covered Bridge over the Embarras River: Chuck Pace &copy; 2006</em></span><br /> We left Indy at 1:15PM. With Charlie in tow (well in the back seat actually), the entire journey to Collinsville, IL took about 6 hours. It would have only been about 4 if we had taken the interstate, but the only way to travel is to go where you can really see things. Make the journey as important as the destination, and it will be a good trip. We drove the entire way from Cumberland IN to Collinsville IL on The National Highway, US 40. Approximately 227 miles, which is almost exactly the halfway point to Partsunknown MO. (St. Louis is only 15 miles away, and is exactly half way). On the way we were lucky enough to find two covered <div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Clark Center#1" width="230" height="172" src="page0_blog_entry839_2.jpg"/></div>bridges in Illinois, the first in Clark Center, the second just outside Greenup at the Embarass River. The Clark Center bridge has a reproduction of the rates fees charged when it was a toll bridge. After the bridges there was along distance until the next "chuck" point of interest, Montrose IL. (titled "Rock-N-Roll on my map)which is small enough to fit under the flag on the AUL tower in INDY, really. I was compelled to stop and photograph the Fire Department, which had a 1940's fire-engine stuffed into the department that was to scale with the town. <br /><div class="image-left"><img class="imageStyle" alt="Clark Center_sign" width="230"