I'm starting to feel the effects of 46 and a half years. I have lots of little annoying problems with my corporeal shell, aches, pains, blemishes and (dare I say it? slight) imperfections. After two days of "long hours" at Roberts and not even getting out for lunch, I was hardly in any shape to perform at the bowling alley last night.
The first two warm up balls I bowled slipped off my hand (causing trauma to my thumb) and I was unable to bend far enough to "place" the ball on the lanes. After a couple more, I did manage to bend (without breaking: like a reed in the wind) and start getting a bead on my aim and game. Since I'm currently reading "Born To Kvetch" I complained a lot about my day, which clarified and purified me. I then turned to a long standing and proven recovery system, Beer therapy.
I had a really good entry game and the highest single effort on the team for the evening; 197. The opposition, aptly titled "Damn 10 Pin" shadowed us every step of the way, with their anchor and the President of the Friday Night League, Charles Sallee retaliating with a 204 primary performance. By the time the dust settled we had won the first and third games, but lost the second game by enough to lose total pin count to the upstart youths of our opposition, three of the four bowlers on their team are 82. Any one of their bowlers has more experience than our entire core team. How do you fight that kind of opponent? You bring in your secret weapon, match experience with experience. Scott Proctor was not able to attend the evenings enterprise so we got Will Andrichik to sub. Will made the difference, we would have been hard pressed to match the Damn 10 Pin bowlers with our regular line-up, but with Will, there was a way. He came in with a 158 average, and bowled a 186, 179 and 179 for a 544 scratch series before 99 pins of handicap. We won game 1 by 29 pins, lost game two by 56, and rallied back in the third to win by 18, still falling 9 pins short of series. I dipped below my average by 11 pins in the second game, but also rallied back to have a 175 average for the night (on an already season high 162 league average). Rich started the night with his best effort, a 164 (one pin below his average) and dipped not only his shoulder but his scores further down each game. Jeff Moore had his best effort in game one as well, 165 (11 over his average) bottomed out in the second and crested again just below his established mark in the third to have exactly his league average for the three, a 462 (462/3=154). As is our team mission in bowling we like to have least one opponent have the game of their life or become a superstar every week, well that is hard to do against the overwhelming amount of experience we were up against this week, still, we were able to see Charles have his season high series with a 571; 11 over his seasons previous benchmark. Having accomplished this we saw our work done at the Sport Bowl and headed home to our wives or lives (Will, Jeff and I have wives, Rich has a...). What? You were expecting jokes? Grand mirth? You work 10 hours without a break or even getting a lunch, bowl against the Ubër Elders and then be funny, Mr. Ha, ha pants, or Miss Happy slacks!
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Another Shot from 12/8, John Plasterer on Bongos, Dickinson Jazztet; Chuck Pace ©2006
I got the plates. I ordered the vanity plate that Mel suggested. Then I worked. I came home to Jenni who is still struggling to achieve a condition of wellness that will allow her to work again. She was going to try to work today, but just a few minutes ago she said she is going to call the Doctor today, so I don't know if there is labor in her employment immediacy.
Today is our Nikon Day at Roberts, and we have some real deals on some great cameras. We've been honoring the prices for over a week, but the tech rep and sales rep will be in attendance as well to answer any questions, or make suggestions. The Nikon guys, Greg, Jeff and Jason were in the store last night and called an impromptu Jillian's get together for whoever wanted to attend, I was exhausted yesterday and Jenni was/is still under the weather so I just headed home to see what trouble I could avoid. It turned out to be a quiet night, and I got to see the Smallville episode I missed the night the shift linkage broke on the older BMW (the one that looked like it escaped from a prison camp), so I'm caught up on that score finally. After Smallville I took a long therapeutic soak with cold and sinus mineral salts and started reading the Michael Wex book, Born to Kvetch. Then off to bed to try to regenerate enough for today and tonight at the bowling alley. At 1:16 AM the power went off in half of the neighborhood, Jenni and I both woke up, but don't know why (I had only been asleep for about half an hour anyway, but snorzilla?). The power came back on at 1:30, and all is well (now that we have reprogramed all the clocks). That enough for now my friends and family. See you in the near future, The Great Exhausto out!
Chuck Pace © 2006 |

Well, I enter the long nights of retail. The Dash to the Holidays. We add an extra hour per day and Sundays for the next two weeks, and I have the next Sunday off and the final Thursday before Christmas day. We even work until 3:00 on Christmas Eve. The overtime is good, the bonuses and vendor spiffs too, but the fatigue factor is usually overwhelming. Speaking of overwhelming, how about those Colts, rarely will you see a team go into total collapse so completely. They allowed the second most single game rushing yards in NFL history with 377 (though there were two merciful kneel downs at the end that should erase at least 2 of those) with their defense that is porous on its best days. Yesterday was not porous, it was a like laying out a row of sand bags to stop a tsunami. They are the first team since 1984 to allow 100 yard rushing from every opponent in a single season, I don't remember who the auspicious team was in '84, but I can almost guarantee that they didn't win their division or 11 games or make the post season.
In other news I should be picking up my car from the repair station later today sometime before 5:30, and if you were expecting a christmas present from me, well it is going to be the joy of seeing me driving my own car that I will be spreading to my friends this season, since the repair has tapped all my reserves, until next payday which hits on the 23rd. Joyous joy.
Sunday Night: I had my bowling rotation again last night, and every game over average. I had a team high (at the time) of 188 in the second game and finished the evening with a 173 per game average, 15 per over my league average. However Rich managed to grab team high score with a 210 in the final game. We won two and series taking 6 points, but the real story here is that we created another superstar on the other team Christina Drabic who had never had a 500 series, had her career night. She bested her highest score by 6 pins, and finished with a 517, congrats glad we were there to make the difference.
See you all soon my friends, and I'll be seeing all my family soon too, if only in my dreams.
Chuck Pace © 2006
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I will be getting to the mention meter as soon as I get two hours of uninterrupted computer time, and the prizes from the last one are coming too, I promise.

On a day where I was too sick to go to the Chatterbox after work I still got a mini-fix, and mention meter fodder (yes I have the mainframe back so I will be doing the tedious update to der mentionous meterous very soon, and you will find among those mentioned). While I was toiling away, slaving as it were, working very hard and giving it my all (and I'm just talking about breathing and standing upright so far) at the store today I saw Joan Green standing about 18 yards away in the aisle near the printer inks. She was wearing a mostly tan colored knit cap with ear-flaps and under-chin tie-downs, and when she saw she had my attention, she said "Hey Chuck! I'm Vince (Young, of the Titans)," as she did a little broken field running up to the bull-pin counter. "Was he unbelievable yesterday, or what?" she said referring to Young's 78 yards on 9 attempts from the QB position.
My first thought was that Joan looked like a miniature Sid Luckman in an old leather football helmet running out of 80 years of NFL history just to chide me on a stupid Colts loss. But I know better, Jack and Joan are real Colts fans, which explains why she knew (and I understood) who Vince Young was in the first place, and how he looked as he ran.
In my very best , yeah but voice I said, "What was unbelievable was that they (the Colts) couldn't tackle anybody yesterday, they just looked awful."
"Boy he sure could run!" Said Joan, taking the universal female approach to anything I have to say, which is only listening to about one tenth of it. She scurried off for another series of downs, and I returned my attention to the customer I was helping. A few minutes later Jack trundled by, and we gave each other the thumbs up sign that we were both still pretty much o.k. Jack went on to Rich's office (which is about the size of a Quality Inn's bathroom), and I again turned my attentions to my customer. The Greens concluded whatever business they had with Rich and Roberts and went their merry ways.
At least twenty minutes later, while I'm still struggling with the same customer, Connie Ziegler shows up to follow up on a conversation we had Friday at the Flux Gallery. Scott Proctor starts her in the direction of the Sony's I had been telling her about, and I ring up my hour-long sale and take over. In a much shorter time Connie decides on one of my favorite choices, and I get her a memory card and we settle up. I then tell her that I will be skipping the Box to... Scott steps up and says, "Die at home!" So I explain that I was ill all weekend, and still not much better but at work today. She wishes me better health, says she is not Boxing either, and rushes home to begin enjoying her new, wonderful digital image capturing device. The work day ends and Jenni and I ride home in the Truck, where she warms not only my heart, but left-overs as well while I sit down to start this recount. Now, you tell me what could have possibly happened at the Chatterbox that could be more entertaining than Joan Green's instant replay?
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Wake. Work. Flux. Bowl. Flux. Sleep. I've mapped out my day.
Last Night? Earl. Office. Scrubs. Bed.
Tomorrow? Scheduled off. Chores. Winterizing. Possibly working 1/2 day.
Sunday. Football.
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Brrr!

Thursday evening, after our triumphant return from the stuffing stuffing, I went into the kitchen to make coffee before an evening of Deal or No Deal. We filter all of our (hard) drinking and cooking water in a Brita pitcher. Since there wasn't enough to make a full pot, I took the less than full pitcher to the sink and lifted the joystick all-in-one style faucet lever to refill it. Then, like the prehistoric ape-man scene in 2001: A Space Odyssey, I was holding the lever assembly in my hand over my head like a bone. Before looking around for a smooth sided black monolith to signal another jump in evolution, I tried to see if the levered handle would rejoin it's counterparts in corporation to bring forth the burbling waters. Ugh, no! Listening to ''Also Sprach Zarathrustra (2001: A Space Odyssey)", by Johann Strauss (Play Count: 4). The result of 16 years of hard water and a miniscule leak when the tap was tapped for tap water was the deterioration of the soft metals which in conjunction with the stress of a fulcrum/lever style delivery system caused irreparable fatigue (I got tired just typing it, so you can just imagine). I decided the best course of action was to sit and create today's post before attempting to get my fat body into the small opening under the sink to do this type of operation, primarily because I am afraid that this type of exercise will most likely use up a lot of my vocabulary, and probably all of my swear words in single and multiple combinations, so best to use what words I have at my disposal (No I don't have to replace the disposal, just the standard faucet assembly, pay attention!) for the site first so as not to go over quota.
Other than that: Friday night the Mahoggoff Brothers; Jeff Moore, Rich Culy and I (minus C.Scott) faced an even smaller team US and Him (a man and a woman, I'm very confused by the name, I'll tell ya), and got the ---- kicked out of us. (Use the available words I reserved earlier to fill the blanks), they totally ------ us, and it was one ---- of a ---ing night, and I couldn't wait for it to ------- end!
Saturday: Work, and then going to find plumbing release and a lamp for beside the bed on Jenni's side (no Jenni doesn't have a bed attached to her side, I got lazy in my sentence structure, and now I'm paying for it. O.k. laugh it up you----!)
Have a good weekend, enjoy he Flexed Colts and Eagles game, and those of you who bowl tonight in Mel and Them, kick some ----!
Chuck out, and under the sink. That's the new Moen set I'll be defaming there on the left. I bought it for life, but I also bought it for looks!
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Here is the list of words I blanked out, in order, score yourself against these (potty mouth!): wind, killed, bear, bowl(ing), finally, guys, team.

Vacation is over and time is back on its greased pole. The last two months flew by so fast that I'm surprised my calendar wasn't scorched. I commented before at how much faster time goes by as you get older. It's amazing to me how much the perception of time even during a single day can fluctuate, if you are hungry it seems like an eternity before lunch, if you are busy time can be fleeting, if you are at a doctor's office or a auto repair shop, time almost comes to a stop. My first day back after 8 in a row was actually a fairly quick one, the whole thing seems like a distant memory already. The routine of the accelerating season has already begun to chip away at the ice block of the time /space continuum.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto playing Blackjack:
"OK Tonto, with the 3 you have 15 now, what do you want to do?" "Mmh! Continuum"
"Blackjack!"
"Where?! Me getum Scout and Silver, you putum back on chaps!"
I'm back. Mental vacation. I guess my vacation time is not quite over.
Cato (Caito?), Brigid and Darwin; nipped, whipped and tripped: Chuck Pace © 2006
So I promised a photo from the Rich nascar party of the animals, and last night as I was previewing the available shots with Mel, Rebecca and Jenni at the box Mel asked if pets get their owners a "mention." After consulting with the judges, forming an independent panel, and weighing the possible ramifications to both the ASPCA and the Mention Whoring community at large I came to the inevitable conclusion, not without considerable deliberation from all parties involved (in my head). "No, they have no practical use for prizes." I uttered about a nano-second after the question was posed. (There's that tricky time flux thing again).
Did someone say FLUX? Only ten more days until DeAnne takes pity on her 'artless friends and opens her new show, Gov'na!

The Promotional postcard for DeAnne Roth "a forgetting" photography / mixed media;
Dec. 1-23, 2006: DeAnne Roth ©2006

In a 'week' I will wake up burnt out needing a vacation again, and it we be January 7th and Colts will be on the playoff bye, I'll be trying to remember, the last six weeks and I'll think of Tonto. Weird huh?
Rebecca and her very clever daughter Mary were discussing wordplay and double entendre, and Mary said, "Oh I get it, like Chuck does on his website." This made Rebecca very proud and happy with her daughter, somebody had explained finally double entendre to the great math wizard. Mary said she was going to scour the previous 10 posts (10 is a very popular number in the 'digital' age) -Thoughtpukes- to find more examples to illustrate double entendre, sadly, no pun in the did.
Finis, "So's your face!" says the Comeback Kid!
Chuck Pace © 2006
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"I think this double entendre thing has a whole different meaning, " says Rebecca.

Hey, it's Chris Schoch hard at wor.. Hey, look It's Phil, Randy and Ivan (the lab guys) & Matt and Lightning. Chuck Pace © 2006
Yesterday after work the various branches and arms of Roberts convened at Bahama Breeze on 96th St. The reason? Mark Stephan and his boss Joanna from Canon were buying dinner and drinks for the employees. We were represented by Bloomington, Carmel and the Downtown store with it's mail-order, ebay, amazon, sales floor, and management departments. With well over 30 people in attendance it was necessary for a microphone to be passed around so that we could all be introduced to each other. When the mic got to Mike Wilson he stood and said, "I'm Mike from downtown, I think you all know what I do." Well I may never find out what he does now. Then the mic as put into Ed Sipes hand, he didn't stand or say his name, he said, "Thank you, I need another drink over here, in the back corner please, another drink." Then the mic continued around, it got to Chris Schoch who said, "Hi, I'm Chris and I work at the North store and the Downtown store" which I think was news to everybody who works at the North and Downtown stores. That microphone came from Greg Anderson, the one man band who played keyboards and steel drums, with digital background accompaniment, who's business card reads Greggae and his Florida Keys. I think Bruce was seriously considering hiring Greggae to play in the lighting area at the main store at our upcoming winter demo. It was a great time and the food at Bahama Breeze is terrific, as are the Bahama Breeze Mojitos, I will be going back I'm sure.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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Hello. Excuse me, Ed needs another Mojito over here, Hello!

So I hope to be able to share some good news about being mobile again soon, I'm working a deal which is far from cast in stone so I have to be hopeful, but not get the cart in front of the horse. By Saturday or Sunday I should have something to report.
So I got a partial post from Mondays recap to show up, but there is still no explanation for the part that crashes the upload. I must have had some bad voodoo, or something in the last part of that post because it will not upload.

I tore into the BMW on Sunday, when the weather was nice and the sun was out. The shifter and center console are are all in the back seat, the actual shift mechanism is still in the vehicle, but that is where my problems lie. The lever on the bottom of the shifter is snapped off, and I could not find the connection point to the tranny, but I wouldn't be able to do anything with it even if I had. I'm going to have to call Edwards and have them put on a new one. or a used one or something. Maybe I can find one at Brothers and put it on myself, maybe pigs can fly. Maybe tomorrow, maybe someday.

The black mist is back on Lost, and it killed Mr. Ecko. I thought Ecko had a greater purpose, and am confused by this turn of events, and next week is the last one until January... ...bastards!

Keep your fingers crossed for me on the Good News about my mobility. I need a little good Karma thrown my way, and My Name is Not Earl.
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Travis, Cheryl, Liz, Peg and Will, so only the audiences are young I guess. Chuck Pace © 2006
After unfulfiling extra innings at the camera coral I headed to Luna Music, where Maggie was supposed to have sat back a CD for me. Wayne couldn't find it so I didn't get it.
Jenni called me as I was in the Luna pick asylum, and I went to the window to talk to her, there was the Cabriolet of one Travis DiNicola right in front of me so I went into the Box to see what was up with TD. The Box was rockin' as I walked in. There was the Young Audiences crowd there to congratulate and well wish Travis off to his new job. I recognized a few faces, but not the majority of the crew, yet I was still able to converse and be sociable among them. There was Wil Gould, the man of a thousand voices, Cheryl Strain, Bill Brooks, Jack and Joan David Andrichik keeping bar and many others. I met Peg and Sara; Liz arrived and I got to talk to her, and get more friendly with some of the YAINDY's. There was Beth with a funny story about the refurbished phone she got from Nextel that has a Direct Connect to somebody she doesn't know, and who now hates her for numerous accidental direct connections.
One Beanblossom among the DiNicola harvest. Chuck Pace © 2006
Alysha was by now tending the very same bar that David was when I arrived, and she was there with her friend Megan Mills, listening intently to some tale so I went out and talked to Kris Bowman on the awning side of the patio for a bit, then made my way home in time to watch all but the first 4 minutes of Smallville.
This morning Jenni woke up to another bounce-back on her 8 day old Migraine, she's going to talk to a neurologist today if she can. She and I are frustrated by the length and severity of her recent barrage of brain pain. Tonight is yet another bowling extravaganza, and we will see if the lanes are as frustrating as last Sunday, if so expect Rich to be very frustrated as well. My work here is done. Today Travis' work is removing 10 years of accumulated ambience from is office at Young Audiences. Good luck to Travis whom David said is between Jobs, if you see him on the street with a styrofoam cup drop in a couple of shillings, brother. I got to look down on Brooks (like we don't already do that) with my camera held over my head. It just felt right.
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Oversleeping has forced an abbreviated posting. I shall rectify this at a later time. There is so much to tell, and Mentions out the wazoo. So Mel, Mike Rich Scott and even Doris McQuain, should not feel sad that their stories and or actions are going to go unheralded there is just not time this morning. I wish to give proper time and weight to all the above. Not to mention Pam or Eddie, and what about 'Lightning" Scott Churchill? In due time people, in due time.
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Executive Material? NO, I think it's Suede. Chuck Pace © 2006
With the work day gearing down, I shifted from Wholesale district to Mass. Ave. and the Chatterbox. Around 5:30 the party started pulling in, and parked itself around my table. Brooks was there in shades, if not spades, Kay was at the end of the Bar (the Walton end) with some of her former Track Fan Fest coworkers, Six Foot Sue Hobbs and Brad Griffith, Jenni was pretty sure that Brad was a former driver and asked for an autograph. Ericka and Pam were there, as was Ed Sipes (today's Birthday Boy), Mike Wilson, Rich Culy and David Andrichik playing taps. Alysha Griffith (no relation to Brad), arrived to assist in the distribution of and raising of spirits, and eventually the city's newest Executive director wandered into the fray, and spotlight. Travis DiNicola will step up to the head guy spot at Indy Reads, The Adult Literacy program formerly ran out of the Library (now under construction, um, the library and the program). Congrats to Travis, a man who has had a goal of owning his own Book Store in more than the virtual world , is gaining access to future clientele and doing some good for the community at large. To celebrate this move I forced two Guiness' on Travis at the Box, Ericka forced a few car-bombs on the willing witless in honor of Ed's Birthday, and I was able to persuade Mike to have another Guiness on me. At just before 8:00 I jumped into the Bimmer, for a ride to remember, as I got to the interstate I noticed the car would not go into 5th gear, so I drove home in 4th, at my exit at Post I down shifted, or at least tried to, that's when the shifter disengaged from any mechanical relationship to the transmission, and became a flippy floppy knob on an aluminum stick, Joy, Joy! I will take that frustration to the bowling alley tonight and try to smash some of the pins.

The Guiness Crowd, Kay Niedenthal © 2006
Happy Friday the 13th friends, Mine arrived 4 hours early. Happy Birthday to Ed Sipes and Andrew Moore.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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Snap-Dragon Bone-yard, Medieval Seed pods. Chuck Pace ©2006
My alarm on my cell phone goes off at 5:23 AM. I reach for it and immediately realize that something is terribly wrong. The back of my head and the junction between neck and head are in agony. I'm feeling nauseous, and it hurts to move. I get up to go to the bathroom and before I can start my business I have to expel a minor amount of my stomach's contents from the previous evening, I'm trembling and starting to break a sweat. I get back to bed and lay there with what feels like a broken neck, the snooze goes off and I turn it off, Jenni's alarm goes off again in a few minutes and she starts to wake up. I tell her I'm in no condition to go to work, about the nausea and the pain. She gets up and gets ready, I give her the numbers to call for Bruce and Phil, then I asked her to bring me some medicine. Next thing I know I'm waking to the phone ringing. It's Bob and he's wanting to know if I overslept, it's 9:10 AM, I tell Bob that Jenni called and left word on Bruce's voicemail. He says Bruce is not there, I remember Jenni saying that Phil's never picked up, that it rang about 15 times before she gave up. I tell Bob about my head and my morning then go back to sleep. 1:30 I wake up feeling a little better and a little punchy, I call Jenni she says just sleep all day. I can't just sleep all day. I get up and drink a glass of water and eat some applesauce, then lay back down until 2:00. I get back up and Charlie wants to go outside, so we go outside, its drizzling, he goes.
I notice the snapdragons have started to turn into dragon skulls, so I bring some in. Next thing I'm at the computer, with the camera in macro, and checking e-mail and zoning. I slept some more, maybe and hour, then Jenni got home after 6:00, she doesn't feel too good, she lays down, then it' s almost time for LOST, and we watch that. After LOST I sit down to edit the pictures and start a post that I will put up before going to work, maybe even tonight. I'm supposed to have Thursday off, but I figure I should go in now, I got an e-mail from Wilson that James left early, and Jeff Moore didn't come in at all, so...
Enjoy the Skulls. They are cool, and very small, I just took one more shot with the seeds and standard tweezers, for scale.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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A hard start this morning. Trying to reboot the system. Get the peripherals to communicate with the main frame. The system came up slow, had a little trouble communicating with the hardware, but eventually connections were made wirelessly, electrical impulses up and down the invisible net or web got where they were supposed to be, and I crawled out of bed. A cool fall morning, the only thing better than staying in under the comforter and sheets for a few more minutes would be to stay in until noon. Well I'm up now that's a given, I don't compose my thoughtpukes by just wishing it in my dreams. Obviously I'm vertical now and in front of the bluetooth keyboard in the world HQ!
Last night I stopped off at the Chatterbox to toast Mike Wilson on his recent birthday, I offered to purchase a Guiness, but he settled for the Sam on draft, the Chatterbox and the lovely DeAnne bought him his second, and Ed Sipes bought his soft pretzels, so Mike got off scott free. Scott got off scott free also, at least as far as Mike's tab is concerned. Scott and Jeff 'Skippy' Barber were at the box for a couple, then just vanished. Jenni had two, and half of a pizza, then she too made herself first diaphanous then transparent. I didn't take any pictures, I still have some left over from the Flux that I wanted to share.
Perfect Portrait: Connie waiting for a House Chair to fall on her, There's no place like home,
no Place...
When I got to the Chatterbox, the first table had a horseshoe arrangement of characters at it, not being a round table the head was at the rail, while at the butt was the butt, of course I mean Brooks, flanked by Heather and David on the left, and Jack Green and Tom Woody on the right a lively discourse was in fool bloom, I'm sure. Kay joined us at our table, and as usual Kay's entry meant Brooks' exit, it just times out that way. Joan Green moved over to fill the void that Brooks left behind (she could fit roughly where Brooks left behind was, such is the spatial difference between their physical mass). DeAnne looking and sounding exhausted from the whole Fluxing weekend just put behind her, sat and shared a few precious moments with me, then scurried off again like the worker bee, rebuilding the hive, Heather went off to rent a video, David went back to the pounding headache construction/distruction of the storage room, C. Scott reappeared with the new Beck:The Information CD after a lengthy visit to Luna and Maggie. I dismissed everybody, meeting adjourned, ordered a coffee from Dee then stepped next door and purchased the self-same CD for my own bad self. I came back with the CD in my powerful, manly hands only to find Nicci quickly under them with her knotted and cabled back kneading worked on, DeAnne had warned her to be pleasant or all hell would break loose in Girl-Town, so she needed lividity in her muscles and my hands complied, at least until my coffee was consumed, then out the door jack! Heroes and Studio 60, then off to bed. Now you have come the fool circle with me, so I'm off to work.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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Playing the game.
At daybreak move token one space to the right. If you are already in the seventh square roll the die. Look at number, and reset token to first square. Remember the number, is it different from last week? Is it the same? This is the random variety. Enjoy your game, the average player will roll the die 3900 times before the die rolls him.


Chuck Pace © 2006
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Yesterday was an at work Saturday, I usually work every other Saturday and that was an other. It was a pretty slow day sales wise, but that's not to say that it wasn't still full of drama. Somewhere around 10:00 I went upstairs to see Evie and schedule my last week of vacation (which has to be taken before Thanksgiving), then back downstairs to await more customers. About half an hour later one of our regular customers and his wife were leaving, he came right back in to tell us that someone had broken out the side window and shattered the back window of one of the cars on our store lot. Bruce and I went out and saw that it Evie's Impala that was victimized. Henry, (the customer) told us that he saw a person walk into the parking structure next door, and described what he wearing. I checked the employee cars on the north lot, and saw a person matching the vague description about a block away, but though I'd better check our cars first. Then Vince and I took a drive to see if we could spot the posi-perp. No such luck. I called Jenni to tell here the news, and to see if she was coming to go to lunch with me, she was supposed to log some time in a work too. She said that she was on her way but started to get a bad headache, so she was going home lay down. I went to lunch alone, then after work to the Sport Bowl to see if my bluetooth headset was in my bowling locker. It wasn't and I remembered putting it in the locker when I got there, so it was lost after Bowling at either Wirty's, or the Lenny's, or somewhere between there and home.

The Seat of Power! Chuck Pace ©2006
I went home after taking a few photo's in the parking lot and in the alley, only to find Jenni in bed. She lay there in total darkness with an eye pillow head wrap on and the covers all the way to her ears. I stopped in at the World HQ, and seeing the chair that had tried to kill me, decided to run to Office Depot for a new one. Before I left for Connie Z's dream shopping trip, I called Maddie and Sue Reilly to tell them both that I would not be attending the card party due to spousal migraine, I may look stupid, but I not so stupid that I'd got to a party while Jenni's at home with a nasty migraine headache. I picked one out, then ran over to the Sprint store to get a new bluetooth adapter, while there I picked up a new phone for Jenni, since her current one is on a pay as you go T•Mobile plan. I got home and built the chair (photos above). Jenni charged her phone, and today she spent a great deal of time inputting phone numbers, and adding ring tones and such. The Colts continue to win ugly, and Tony Stewart was able to coast across the finish line in Kansas City with the car out of gas to win another Nascar race. So congrats to all the victors, Colts Win! Colts Win!
Chuck Pace © 2006
- 0 COLTS!
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Already tired and fatigued from a crazy final four hours at work, I headed to the Chatterbox, for a very special night and reason. Maddie Tucker was coming out. She's been giving her parents a lot of assistance lately, and usually goes straight from work to their place to take care of them. Her mother had two shuts recently, and her father is all but totally wheelchair bound . So it was a special occasion to get maddie out of the Grove. Once again the place was adorned with the usual trinkets and baubles. David and Brooks were braving the chill air on the patio, inside (where the slightly more sane ones were) from back to front, Nicci, Peter (both wearing cool hats), DeAnne, Rich and the me. Soon Maddie, Eddie, Kay, Mel and Jenni arrived and we started to take over and out number the employees, then Brooks left and David came in and did the universal brrrr, on the stage. Jody Frick was next, then a Surprise Lisa DeMumbrum visit, a not so surprising Jack Green visit a rare Hal Daniels sighting. Hal sat with me for a bit and we talked of many glorious yarden projects, he is paving his entire yard too and got a pretty good jump on me. Then I went back to the jukebox and the restroom, and before I could get away the knotted back of Nicci Herrin had "roped " me in and I been trying to work through the rigging and get to the mainsails, arrr! (yesterday was International talk like a pirate day) Avast, it was like wrestling in a cabinet o' angry snakes. Mary Daniels showed up and started telling me about the grand baby Olivia, I started regaling the Daniels with stories of my brilliant daughter who is to this day Being Have (long A as in save). Jenni had long since given up and gone home, Mel and Maddie were all but caught up, and I was ready for rest, I said my hello's and goodbyes at the same time to John David, Darryl Spurlock and Jane, and a few other later arrivals, then I was out and on the way home, to import a few more CD's then hit the sack. (We don't sleep in sacks either like the "hay" this is another Phil and Madge Pace colloquialism).

Check Out the Big Brains on Jenni, Bruce, Kelli and Mike!
Jenni Pace & Bruce Fletcher ©2006
I didn't take a single photo during the 19th day of September 2006, but I think Jenni has bailed me out. She and her coworkers, during the course of a very busy and serious day found a micromoment to unwind (right after Rebecca left, I think it was). Using a Monitor Screen Magnifier they turned themselves into "Bobble Heads", and Jenni was able (with Bruce Fletcher's help), during this micromoment, to document some of this. I'm reminded of the Smallville finale, and these people are stranded in the phantom zone with Clark now I think!
Tonight, straight home from work.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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Writer's Block? No this sub division is not really laid out that way. It is not a grid or square at all. Not an old fashioned neighborhood. In fact I don't know much about my neighbors. We've been on this street, had this house built in fact in 1991, just before Meredith started 1st Grade. In that time only two other residents of this Cul-de sac, sweeping left-hander of a dogleg have remained here. Three if you count the residents to our right looking from the front of our house, but their house was built a full year and a half after ours. The house to our left has been a turnstile affair. I can't even tell you the name of the current residents, but they have been there for two years now, (about the average since it was built right after ours). We don't run them off, we are good and quiet neighbors, the only complaints about us were when Meredith was here and all of her friends would park in front of the house in the street because the drives were only 25 feet long. Well, that and the 19 inch deep inflatable pool which I need to remove by tomorrow night, because the covenants say no above ground pools. "No Above Ground Pools!" I don't imagine that that was intended to cover kiddie and wading pools. I think that was meant to be a permanent structure clause, but since the original neighborhood association was sold to a property management concern in the mid 90's, and none of them live here it has gone to a broader interpretation. The Management company? R&G. I can't remember if that stands for Röhm and Göring Management, or Rommel and Goebbels Management but since the "Verbindungsmann" have reported my 19 inch deep 9 foot diameter to the current reichführer at R&G I am obliged to remove it tomorrow evening. I plan on cooperating, but Jenni wants to make an issue out of it. I discovered 8 other "above ground pools" in the neighborhood on a drive thru last Thursday, the day the directive came ordering the removal of the liquid release from the oppressive July and August heat. Jenni sent Tracy at R&G a e-mail asking how many people in the neighborhood had received the removal letter, was told that they were aware of 3 "above ground pools." Tracy then asked us to provide information on any others in the area. Hmmm. Nein, say I. We will not join the SA or the verbindungsmann and rat out others who have "kiddie" pools, do your own drive thru, Ass!
Now I must get into der BMW und drive to zee vorkers place. See you volks later.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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The Once an Future Ruler of the Garden Deluxe. Chuck Pace © 2006

First the good news. The Monarch's are coming. Wednesday morning on my way out the door I caught an odd something out the side of my eye with my newly reestablished peripheral vision. It was a larval Monarch, a caterpillar, I went back after putting my stuff in the car and took three shots (all amazingly good, I might add). I planned on putting them up on yesterday's post, but yesterday's post never came. I had too many day off only type of tasks to do. There was no Scott, Mel and Ed photo, or the excursion to the Old point with Mel for some Chili, or any other falderal about Wednesday. I can tell you that Wilson, for one was quite put off by this absence. First there was changing the oil in der truckenstein, the old oil came out black and smelly, definitely scorched, bad Jenni! Then there was the passengers side mirror, a flop ever since I got the ruck. So I bought a replacement mirror for that, and put it on (physically, I didn't make a joke or anything at it's expense, the expense was all mine.), halfway through the install in the driveway the heavens opened up. After the mirror, and a t-shirt change, I dashed to the License Branch on Pendleton Pike right there in the same strip mall as Bando's Korean Restaurant (you should eat there sometime SEE 5/31 post "Karaoke to Kerasotes" for more on Bando's ). In and out in under 6 minutes (Jenni's complaint? I think not) I got the renewal stickers for both the Bimmer and the Truck, and Jenni did not have to step into the License Branch at all, why would either of us complain? I switched vehicles, grabbed the mail (Jenni was waiting for one piece and I had another "surprise" piece to show her also), and headed to Flux Gallery in Fountain Square. From there I stopped at Anthem and retrieved the wife, saw her distinctly Jenni cubicle (no red Swingline stapler, I'm looking for my stapler), and Rebecca's doublewide with the patented "Amuse-A-Phone" feature. How do you keep a moron in suspense?
In yesterday's mail I learned the visual tale of Travis and Liz and the hidden treasure at the bottom of Lake Gitchy Goomey. I will expound on that this weekend, as well as launch a new Caption Contest photo that has been thoughtfully provided by Meredith Garber (this time there will be fewer restrictions on who may answer). Time grows short (not unlike Travis) and I must go to the great reward in the Wholesale District to earn my pay.

Enjoy.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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I wonder what the next Caption Contest photo is going to be? And...
How do you keep a moron in suspense?
I'll have to tell you in a future post.

A Robber Fly (diogmites neoternatus) with Honey Bee lunch plans.
Chuck Pace ©2006
So I did some photographing' Saturday and again yesterday before the racin'. I discovered this giant mosquito looking bug and took several shots of him. He had cartoon like extra long legs, and was interesting looking. I followed as he flew around, but could rarely get close enough to get another shot, before he flitted away. I watched as he landed over a bee working on a flower and saw how he edged three of his legs nearer in a tripod fashion until the barbs on his legs had ensnared the bee. Next he flew away like a giant helicopter delivering a truck or heavy equipment to a work site. I was able to follow him as he landed and get another shot, In the haste most of the others were poorly out of focus and these were the two best shots. I had never seen one of these before and have no idea what it is, but it is a ruthless and efficient hunter.

Yesterday I spoke of The Cicada Rhythm Section (CRS) playing the background music from my migraine dazed catatonia. Well that's fine but last night and this morning I found out it's like a Phish show, they come in and climb the fences and hang from the trees, make a bunch of noise, they all know the song and sing along, but when they leave they leave their empties behind. The place looks like a bone yard. Well actually it looks like a nitrogenous polysaccharide chitinous exoskeleton yard!
I called this mornings post the Obligatory Post, because I thought I'd sleep in and not post today. Boy was I mistaken. I mentioned this to Jenni, and was chided into action. She said that Pam and Travis and Kay and all the rest need me. That they don't care what useless drivel I expound upon, they are there to read it. Like Kelli LaFara and the rest of the Mention Whores they are reading, praying I mention them. Well, Jenni, fat lot of chance they are going to be mentioned after a stuporous weekend in the migraine fog and garden, duh! Maybe Kay, because she is a gardener, but the rest? Not likely. I might mention Mike Wilson, because he won the Fantasy Nascar league, but Mike is not one of the Mention Whores. So after being scolded, admonished, berated, rebuked and vilified I chose to write a post about what I know about from the fog. Jenni's censure has spurred me into action, for better or worse. Don't bug me Jenni.
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Hey! It's a camera (MUG), I need a camera! Chuck Pace ©2006
Sometimes the cure can kill you. This is a simple and so often truism, not a damning appraisal of Robert Smith's music, which I happen to love. No, I'm talking about the lawn mower, which I wrestled with the other day. There was the initial problem on Sunday, after refilling the tank when it ran out of gas it would not restart. I did the obvious fixes then, the spark plug, the fuel filter but still it would start, fire a couple times and die. Sunday I cleaned out the fuel filter quickly, without draining the tank of the gas I'd just added, last night I did a thorough job, put the thing at waist level on it sides, drained the fuel into a bucket, and disassembled the entire respiration system. Two things became instantly apparent. One there was water or some other contaminant in the gas. Two, the throttle linkage was sticking and needed lubing. Those things handled, I went to Speedway and bought two gallons of fuel (after dumping the rest of the contaminated load into the same bucket). Back home I got the cursed beast to start, but it would only barely idle, no zoom, zoom. I adjusted the throttle settings through the one inch wide access opening behind the air cleaner and covers, still nothing. Back up on the bench, drain the "pure" gasoline and re-dissasemble the respiration/carburation area. I had knocked the spring from the throttle to the butterfly off in my previous attempt, a quick re-springing and a slow reassembly later the mower was now a mower again, and 45 minutes later I was putting it away, mow complete. Nyuk, Nyuk. Hey Moe!

That was all after a full day of work, which started out great and ended up like a full day of work, the highlight turned out to be going to lunch with Jenni and her coworker Kelli LaFara at the Slippery Noodle. The talk was of work and since I sell cameras, of cameras, Kelli said, "Say I wanted to buy a new camera?" Jenni and I piped up, in unison, "I wanted to buy a new camera." Soon I had picked out the camera for Kelli, showed her mine (yep, right in front of Jenni, Yank Rochelle, God and everybody), told here that hers was even nicer, though smaller (I would hope to tell ya) and upon returning to Roberts from the "Noodle" consummated the deal. I think she was more excited by the camera than by her Jem and the Holograms t-shirt, and Kraft Mac and Cheese is no longer the Cheesiest, just look at the photo proof.
"How can I ever repay you?"
"All in a days work miss, I'm a camera salesman, it's what I do!" (cue music, fade out)
Chuck Pace © 2006
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I want to thank the French for hosting their 93rd Bicycle endurance event so that an American could once again excel (I'm sure that if riding away from the fray were the competition, then the Frenchies would be undefeated). That is 8 years in a row that an American cyclist has gone to a host country and beaten the best that the hosts have to offer where they can train on all the courses for nearly a year before the next event. I'm sure that once again there will be some fal-da-ral about drug tests for the victor. I can almost guarantee that this years winner, Floyd Landis will have at least twice the testosterone levels as the last American winner. I heard on the "International" broadcast that Landis is the third American to win The Tour De France, let's see, eight American wins in a row, spanning two decades and two riders. Yep, that's a pretty good way to wag that frog, er dog. If Landis is as successful at the last American to win (Lance 'somebody') then an American should be wearing a yellow vest until the 99th running of the event, if he only as successful as the 1st American to win, Greg LeMond (1986,1989 & 1990) then he will still be one of the greatest success stories in American, nay, world cycling history. If he never wins another tour or event, Americans will still have won 55% of the the Tour de France events in the last two decades. In fact in the last 40 years France had 12 wins, the USA 11 (France's last in 1985, USA's last, Sunday) , Spain 7, Belgium 5, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy and The Netherlands and each with 1.
There was the traditional visit to the Chatterbox last night. All the traditionalists were there, of the Mens' club I was the first arrival, and so got to choose the seating arrangements. Scott Proctor, a regular now that Annie has dusted her broom, was next. Then came Ed Sipes, Rich and the ladies, Jenni, Rebecca and Mel. The hot topic was state government interference in a 16 year olds decision not to go through "chemo" again, but to choose an alternative solution and program. DeAnne came out and told us to go harass David on the roof of the storage area in back of the box. Kay arrived and told Rich to "Slam Ya Mamy" wif some cookin' spices from the Big Easy. Jokes and fun and stories were told, a call was placed to Liz to see if she and Travis would be making the Hagarstown tour for intestinal fulfillment. Then home to take a (free 1 day trial) Ambien at 9:36, an hour later I was starting to notice my eyes drying out, the I drifted off, Jenni said I snored, I didn't not wake easily. The caption for this shot could be, "Hey Get away from that Wheelchair Ya Bumbz!"
Nor am I in morning mode now, I'm ricocheting off door frames can remember nothing that I've done without a concentrated effort, (I forgot how much water to add to the concentrated effort, I don't want too strong) sweating in a cool house, mmm drugs gotta getcha' some more. To show how bad my mind and efforts are off track I will reprint that previous sentence, as it appeared on the screen, pre-edited and spell checked.
"Nor am I in mornign for now, I'm richocheting o door framesber nothig th'doen withaotrated effosewating in a cool hoummm drugsott getcha' moe more." I'm either effected by the ambien, or I'm channeling a Gaelic retard. The drive in should be worth the price of admission. Well, I'll have my coffee when I get there, just like I did Yesterday, using a piece of trash to dispose of my grounds. Ground Peat? No Ground Coffee.

Chuck"the Zombie"Pace © 2006

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I don't have very much time. I've got to turn of the TV. That isn't usually a problem, but yesterday we bought a new LCD Phillips TV, so we are finally HD ready. A new TV means an end of an Era. We've had the old one since we've lived here, it's as old as the house. Getting a new enetertainment item means re-wiring and sorting out all the old equipment. Hundreds of feet of cables, plugs and wires. Something I've needed to dig into anyway. A real nightmare, and there are bugs to be dealt with also. Lots of bugs. System upgrades. Cable and wiring upgrades. Movie upgrades. Etc. So a good deal on a TV is just the tip of the iceberg. I have to come straight home from work tonight and get back to the debugging process again. Some stuff just doesn't work right., but it will. Oh, it will.

Chuck Pace © 2006

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This is not VietNam, there are rules. Now mark it as zero, Smoke!

I finished the Northern beds and the trellis work on the Arbor yesterday. I planted some quick Annuals in the new bed, but Jenni will be ordering some climbing Roses and Wisteria to be "permanent" members of the garden club, through one of the catalogs we recently received.

About a month ago David Andrichik was going through some old Chatterbox photos and came across one of Brian Frick, Jody Grober and Ed Sanders. I asked if I could copy it and he said keep it. I don't know how old this photo is but I don't see the grey and white haired old man Jody that I work with now, so I'd say at least 12 years ago. This is probably older than his garden pond, where he and Mary Jane are having a party soon. If you didn't get an invitation I'm sure its just an oversight.

Yesterday's Nascar Fantasy league race hurt me real bad, I finished tied for 24th with Kay and only ahead of Travis' team. Jody's team the yahudiebootie, finished 10th just ahead of Wilson's Clown Cars team (where did he come up with a name like that?). I bet I lost the two places I gained last week with a 2nd place finish, I know that Pam Walker (numberfourpam) got back in front of me. We won't know this until much later in the afternoon.

Well that is enough of that, I've got a lot of stuff to get to before I can leave this morning, and work promises to be interesting again today. Phil is on vacation so we will be short handed all week. Today's short post is a make-up for yesterday's longish one. I started with a view looking in from the side yard, and close with one looking back from the vegetable bed. I still need to dig out and set the bricks in place, but that's another week's job, I'm dog tired.

Enjoy the 7/10 split , tomorrow is a Full moon. Beware the night people (one of them was out playing basketball last night just down the street from my at 12:20 AM this morning)!
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Well if you are not a stranger to my website of late you already know that I have been spending an inordinate amount of time in my garden this year. Well I've been spending an inordinate amount of time telling you about the amount of time I spend in my garden anyway. When I first started my website I had no idea what or where it was going to take me. I just wanted to have a place to put up some of my observations and commentary on everyday simple Hoosier life. As the name implies web log or blog for short is a journal of sorts, a dairy of the peaks. I don't share my failures with the world too often, who would have the time to read that? Who would want to? But I digress.

I have been on a mission since last Saturday, the Arbor mission, last night (after Jenni's post comment yesterday) I finally got to the beginning of the trellis side(s)m of said gargantuan structure. Coming home last night I stopped off at the Home Depot for some more deck screws. I ran out of screws the night before, so my first objective was to climb on top of the arbor and anchor the rest of the vertical elements down. I finished at 9:00, and since I had already done a layout of what I want the trellis sides to look like, began that while there was still a little light in the sky. I only worked until 10:20, then did my clean-up procedures. That is the least fun, clean-up. So here are a few looks at the beginnings of a trellis on the south side of the Arbor. I also picked some of my peppers this morning from my new, but not newest garden. Tonight I have to set up the second season Nascar league, and then apologize to all my co-fryers for not getting it together earlier. Garden projects, don't cha know. I wasn't intending to feature any lyric content today but as I got ready to prep my photos this occured to me.

R.E.M. "Gardening at Night"

I see your money on the floor, I felt the pocket change.
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didnt seem to be too real.
The yard is nothing but a fence, the sun just hurts my eyes.
Somewhere it must be time for penitence. gardening at night is never where.
Gardening at night. gardening at night. gardening at night.

The neighbors go to bed at ten.
Call the prayer line for a change.
The charge is changing every month.
They said it couldnt be arranged.

We ankled up the garbage sound, but they were busy in the rows.
We fell up, not to see the sun, gardening at night just didnt grow.
I see your money on the floor, I felt the pocket change.
Though all the feelings that broke through that door
Just didnt seem to be too real.
Gardening at night. gardening at night. gardening at night

Chuck Pace © 2006
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The view from Wednesday Morning 6:25 AM: Chuck Pace©2006

Tuesday's Gone. It was a mixed bag sort of day. Work was interesting, the Euro's have started coming in for the F1 race and those with British accents are rather free with their money, Rather. Still I was happy to be done with work at 5:30.
My work was far from done at 5:30 though, I drove home through graying and darkening skies with a mission. It's been raining a lot since Sunday and I have been dying to get back to work on the Arbor project. I get home and am walking the yarden just as the next bit of precip begins in ernest (and in Cumberland), I just say "damn" and go back in. By 6:20 that bit has passed and I excitedly go to the garage and bring my father's day present from my wife, still in it's box, around to the patio. Before to long I have assembled my Ryobi 10" portable table saw, replaced the 24 "bite" Ryobi blade with a 40 "bite" Oldham blade (as recommended by Rich the wood-shop guy). I quickly put my new saw to work, cutting my braces for the arbor's cross members. By 7:30 PM I had the end cross member pieces in place just as a short, hard rain began pounding the East-side again. Twenty minutes later I was back out in the drizzle with power tools. You may be shocked to learn that I wasn't. By 10 PM I had only one more cross member to screw into the braces, and that last piece went up under illumination from a mega-flashlight (I still have to buy 4 more 2x6's and a bunch of other wood for the Trellis' I designed on the computer on rainy Monday). I hope to get this well toward completion using the available evenings, weather permitting, before this weekend. I have a family reunion to attend in Marion on Saturday. I still have tonight, Thursday and Friday, but Tuesday is gone.
Todays heading is a Lynyrd Skynyrd lyric from the 1973 debut album Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, which is all but a greatest hit package.
"Tuesday's Gone", Allen Collins & Ronnie Van Zant
Train roll on, on down the line,
Won't you please take me far away?
Now I feel the wind blow outside my door,
Means I'm leaving my woman behind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
My woman's gone with the wind.

And I don't know where I'm going.
I just want to be left alone.
Well, when this train ends I'll try again,
But I'm leaving my woman at home.

(chorus)
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
Tuesday's gone with the wind.
My woman's gone with the wind.

Train roll on many miles from my home,
See, I'm riding my blues away.
Tuesday, you see, she had to be free
But somehow I've got to carry on.

(chorus)

Chuck Pace © 2006
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The Grand Garden Entry, during a rain stoppage.

Another project, well under way. The Arbor frame is set. The posts are set and in concrete (which needs to set up for a little longer before I continue) and the load bearing end caps are in place. Tonight weather permitting I plan on putting the 2"x6" PT cross members on, after a quick stop at the Chatterbox to catch up with the crew there, of course. Dad and I worked from about 10:30 until it started raining just before the Nascar race at Infineon. Somehow I finished ahead of Kay (Sweet Treat), who was in the top three almost all day. I nodded off in "the chair" as did the folks on the love seat and couch during the middle of the race, and missed "Mr. Grudge/Battering Ram" Robby Gordon getting multiple laps down (and that would have been worth watching). Kay had Robby and P.J. Jones so that probably explains how I finished one position over her in the Turkey Fryers league, although only one of my ringers, Boris Said finished i the top 10 (9th), Ron Fellows my other ringer finished 36 laps down. Another amazing outcome, Kevin "Old Man davispc" Davis, who almost assuredly had a hangover and never changed his drivers for the race was missing Travis Kvapil, in the Tide ride. Kevin was in last place for almost the entire race, but finished seven places out of that basement in 19th due to the strength of his remaining racers who all finished on the lead lap.

I will be glad to get back to work, where I can rest the manual labor physical parts and used my wits instead. Later today, of course tonight I will be back up on rickety ladders to further assemble the arboreal retreat and get it to "look like something," unless it's raining canines and felines that is.
Speaking of canines, Bejo, the excitable boy, will be heading North with my folks to stay with Dennis and Cathy, (my brother and sister in law) and their four dogs, Luke, Bailey, Sadie and Molly for the rest of this week. This should test his resolve as the biggest little dog in the world.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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Opening Shot, Pre-dusk, pre-labor Arbor Site, and materials.

First let me make my public apologies to Mr. Kevin Lee Davis, who still managed to turn Forty Years old on Saturday without my presence at this celebratory party.
I had planned to be there with Jenni and to usher in the first day of his fifth decade with Kevin and friends at the palatial VanDenBerg estates, but as many may know but didn't care, or even didn't know and didn't care, or possibly do care, my parents are up from Florida for about a week, so I had to take advantage of their presence.
First I don't get to see them much, and second with my busy "social butterfly" obligations I don't get to talk with them over Al G. Bell's tele-phone device much either, and they have yet to embrace the other Al G's internet. My mother Madge is a well read and very intelligent person, who can talk to you on almost any subject while my father is an accomplished "jack of all trades." Right now I need his help with some of my projects in the World HQ.
Today father and son are planning on fixing a plumbing problem in the public restroom of the primary facility at www.chuckpace.com and last night we began an undertaking that I have been visualizing for about 10 years on the greenspaces outside the Indianapolis home offices. Not that I have been procrastinating or anything, I have been doing other projects and enrolling in self-enrichment programs to bring you a better "thoughtpuke!"

Yesterday after I got home from work, there was considerable talk of both dining and the creation of a trellis/arbor entry into the back yard from the northern side yard. I have been making mental notes and preparations for this next garden element for a few weeks, and Phil Pace, my dad, agreed to assist me in the raising of the primary elements of this structure which we will complete later today. I will add elements for climbing plants, seating, lighting, acoustics, etc. later, but for now the basic frame is in need of completion. The photos show the materials being brought in, the ground broken and the beginnings of the Arbor. It looks like all it needs is a cross-member and a noose, but trust me it will soon be a functional arbor, entry , not a gallows pole. Well, I best be off to get some of these things done. Again happy 40 + one day to Kevin, I'll get down to drink in your honor soon, promise.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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New section viewed from the "Mini-Patio"
So, the last two evenings when I get home from work I've been going right outside and working in the garden again. I moved part of my firewood a few days ago, and laid out some landscape timbers in a "trial fit." Monday night I dug out the space and cut the first 6 pieces. Last night I finished the flower bed and put in the top soil and garden soil. It was dark by the time I was done, so this morning I grabbed a few shots.A few days ago I also got a photo of a bee on one of the mystery plants Jenni bought last year. Most of the Morning I've been trying to get the CD burner in my computer to... well, burn, don't you think?
I may be hitting the Mac Experience to have a tune-up on the old iMac soon. Then there's that pesky Sharon Stone. I may have to get a restraining order or something. She just keeps calling me and telling me she wants my clothes (or something , this is a pg-14 site, so...), she calls two or three times in a row every couple of months. I feel like I'm being interrogated or something, I'm having a hard time keeping it together. I'm getting tired of your pick-up lines and promises. Sharon.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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I prefer my Travis and Liz lightly Toasted, Please. Rich Culy © 2006

So it looks like I have several things to add to todays post, just general house keeping and maintenance. First there is a overdue Birthday greeting to the Princess of Avon, who had her 10th birthday last week, unheralded in the local papers. Happy belated decade achievement day to Miss Mary Martin, ten is an important number, if you are as good with math as your mother you will now have to start adding your toes to the mix to continue to track your yearly anniversaries on Terra Firma.
Second, on to bigger people (in radius if not stature in Travis' case). Mister M.Travis and his betrothed (The Lovely Elizabeth Garber, the Chanteuse of Chocolat, for she makes the taste buds form a choir, eh?) were on the Patio at the Chatterbox last night for a myriad of reasons. One being Travis' birthday anniversary as well. Yesterday Travis was 3.7 decades old. Or 444 months old as his mother would be quick to point out! A primary reason was to receive a early wedding present from THE Bill Brooks. A toilet brush decoy was implemented to throw the gift hounds off the scent and the recipients plunged into the silver wrapped, silver box fully expecting to find the seat of Travis future empire! Nay, verily. The surprise was typical Brooksian misdirection. The commodious Urban Timesmith had supplied the loving couple with something they never expected from him, a truly thoughtful gift. A Twelve Inch Everyday Pan, from Bed, Bath and Beyond! Not a diminutive mythological flutist, nay, instead a cooking implement. The two were flushed with excitement, swirling and spiraling with emotional discharge and relieved to a point where you couldn't wipe the grins off their feces, er ...faces. Good show Bill (the clerk at the BB&Beyond said Brooks' heart grew three times it's size the day he bought it, dammu voray)!

Thirdly! Yesterday yet another one of my adoring readers implored me to be photographed with her, and begged a mention for her unending fealty (she also wanted a free hat, silly, preposterous, deluded girl). So yesterday at the Slippery Noodle I dained to grant two of her three wishes (buy your own hat! When Jeremy returns your credit worthiness status, that is), so here without further adieu I present Kelli LaFara and the egoist his own self.
Lastly, I want to thank Jenni's abductor(s) for safely returning her to her vehicle unscathed (I thoroughly checked her for scathes last night, and there was nary a one). I could barley, I mean barely bring myself to order another round after I heard her pleas for assistance from an undisclosed speeding grey coupe, last evening, such was my distress and torment. I asked myself, Shouldn't Rebecca have been looking after my beloved? Where was Rebecca at the time of the abduction?

Enough foolishness, maintenance complete for the time being. I now return you to your regularly scheduled boring life.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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Layout, beginning stone placement, and the home stretch.

That was hard work. You might have noticed that yesterdays post went up at 3:08 AM. Another being up way too long late night. I didn't stop seeing the light filtered through my eyelids until after 4:15 AM, yet I got up before 10:00 AM. Not exactly raring to go, but ready too. Upon walking Charlie I decided to undergo a project I had been thinking about doing for a couple of weeks. A patio of pavers under the tree in the backyard. The bench we had under that tree was leaning too much, and getting out of shape because the ground was unlevel there, so a solution. Build a level patio for that area (then square up the oak bench). Lowe-pro paid for most of the materials, or to put it another way, I paid for them because of my propensity to add Lowe-pro bags and accessories to the sells of camera equipment. The ground breaking was at 1:00 PM, the final touch and completion was announced to Jenni at 5:13 PM. The funny thing about this was I had only one project I "planned" on doing for memorial day when I went to bed Sunday, that was taking out some dead limbs in the middle of the tree I built the patio under. I didn't get to that, it will have to be another days project.
Well, I Hope I don't get brained by a falling limb while enjoying my new bench-mark project!

Patio with first layer of sand in the cracks. 5:30 PM
By 6:30 I was grilling burgers, chicken breasts and pork chops on the Weber. While slow cooking was taking place, I sat reading Erik Larson's "Devil in the White City" on the new patio. Shortly before 8:00 PM Rich Culy came walking up the side yard, I said you are just in time and pointed to the last plate of meat just taken off the grill. Rich did not partake, because he had just come from Hagerstown and a Culy family rib-fest, we had Corona's, talked about the animals, and the days activities and Sunday's amazing Races. Just before dark Rich headed home and Jenni and I inside (for the first time for me since 1:00).

Our Peony blooms for the first time every year on Memorial Day.
Chuck Pace © 2006
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I drank an entire gallon of Ice Water while building the patio, I didn't pee once until after 9:00 PM.

So it was a great day off. I slept in, I updated my web-site, I worked in the yard, accomplishing a lot of "ground-breaking, grass-roots" renovations to an old, neglected, yet once glorious flowering space (if any of you were thinking I was eluding to Jenni, shame on you!). The weather was just right for my mission, not too hot, not too windy, not to wet, but a baby bear sort of day all the way around. I was able to burn all the scrap and refuse from the night before's breakneck cleaning binge, remove the grass root-bound soil and manually filter out the roots (creating a root ball about the size, shape and weight of a large watermelon) and transplant some of the existing plants into a more pleasant visual array. The bed in question was the first one I ever "built," some fourteen years ago, right after our house was built. It is eight feet long, and 32 inches deep, constructed from landscape timbers and about two hundred forty pounds of topsoil. The first few years it housed beautiful Iris' Lily's, and Glads, as well as an armada of Annuals. Then about five years after being "commissioned" a horrible grub season destroyed my beloved Iris' and most of the lily's, the next year I "baked" the soil. The next year and for years since then a few pretty things have lived and died there, but I always miss the Iris' and have been reluctant to replant a vigorous garden here until this year (hence the grass and weed's got a strong-hold) . Among the pretty survivors are my Star-gazer Lily's which are nearing their sixth blooming season, they were the re-arranged along with four old Gladiola's which I doubt will bloom, they have company with ten new cousins that were interred after Jenni got home.
The only thing I forgot to do yesterday was eat. At least until around four, when I decided to hit Hardee's for a Grilled Sourdough Thick-burger. Thick-Burger should be the nickname of all three of the employee's at the particular Hardee's I visited. I went inside. Read my menu options in front of the "counter thick-burger," and placed my order for the aforementioned #6. "Would you like to upsize that?" "No." "What size would you like?" "The standard size." "Medium?" "No, not upsized at all, the normal, #6, with a diet soft-drink, normal size and normal sized fries." "O.K. here's your cup."
Bear in mind I had been working in soil and sunshine for four hours, I was tired and hungry, and thirsty, but I never lost my temper or raised my voice, I was just happy to be getting thirsty and hungry off the docket, eventually. As I stood there, sipping my soda, I watched the counter "TB" tell the food-prep "TB" to drop some curly fries, and make two regular thick-burgers. There were no customers at the counter when I came in, and no drive through customers since my arrival either, so I assumed these were his "food break" order, especially since the "system " puts the regular orders on TV screens front and rear for all food prep and counter peoples in/out "reason for employment" information. About five minutes later the prep person calls out "curlies, and two thick burgers." Front counter guy says, "Oh, those aren't supposed to have catsup." "What aren't?" "Those two thick-burgers." Now I get to see TB #3, the shift manager, who walks out from the drive through cupola and calmly says to Front counter guy. "Tell your customer that we have to re-do these, without catsup." Front counter guy, walks out from behind the counter, to two elderly people near the windows, and explains the re-do procedure. I hadn't noticed them because they had been sitting there behind me the entire time I was in the store, shrinking from osteoporosis and hunger. I see a different color box slide onto the food ramp and think to myself, "Ahhh." Just then the manager says through to ramp hole, "How's that Grilled Sourdough coming?" " What Grilled Sourdough?" says prep TB? Manager TB, steps to the box under the TV and scrolls through the list of orders without uttering another word (not a very long list, but the manager has taken a drive through order since the Re-do drama.) Looking up at the screen the prep person says exactly, "Oh." The front counter guy goes back to assist in the rush! and I go get a refill on my diet coke. After another four minutes two boxes slide down the ramp, the prep person choruses to nobody in particular, "Two thick-burgers, plain" The front counter guy, from behind her, putting mayo on a sourdough bun says, "Oh, the lady wanted mustard on hers." The manager calmly walks up and hands one of the boxes back through to the prep person, and she disassembles it and adds mustard, he takes the different colored box to the drive through window. The front counter guy walks around from the back, gets the two boxes, puts curly fries into their cardboard homes and carries them out to the old folks, who's hair and fingernails have begun to "grow" as their skin starts to pull back. The prep TB looks at me through the hole and says, "Did I get it right this time?" I sort of raise my hands in a 'wrong guy' shrug and she goes back to the rubick's cube that is a Grilled Sourdough sandwich. When counter guy returns, he glances at me then the TV monitor, and calmly addresses the prep person again, "Hey, you need to drop some fires." I have an amused thought that everyone talks calmly to the prep person, and wonder if she used to work at a post office. Fear and terror can sharpen ones manners. A few more minutes, I go and refresh my drink again, adding a little Dr. Pepper to make it Cherry Coke-ish, I see the manager putting fries in a bag, and the prep person says "Grilled Sourdough." I think, "Ahhh" and say to the manager, "how about three catsup packs too" He looks at the front counter guy and says, "Why don't you go to the storeroom and bring out some catsup packs?" Front counter trundles off, and soon is putting a couple of handfuls of packs on the roof of the burger slide, the manager retrieves my bag, drops some in and politely says, "Here you go." And I'm off in just under 25 minutes, glad that they waited 15 minutes to drop my fries, so they wouldn't be cold. Yum, to a guy who forgot to eat, it was worth the wait, but I don't think I'll hurry in if I am ever in a crunch for time. When I got home there are 9 packets of catsup in the bag. Everyone was so polite and friendly, I'm still in a great mood. I thought about calling Jenni and telling her the story, but she'll have to read it just like you my dear readers.
NOTE: the preceding was written for a 7:15 post. The internet, and my computer conspired to make that impossible. When I got home I relaunched everything and retried so here it is almost 12 hours late.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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All in all it was just another brick in the wall.
So yesterday I was scheduled off. The sacred day off for rest. Well, I must be one of the wicked, because there's no rest for them. Doris McQuain from "the store" is letting us borrow (possibly buy) her Sears Craftsman II Roto-tiller. I didn't have a sparkplug or a gas cap when Jenni picked it up. I went to my local sears and they were clueless about what it would take to get this thing operational, suggested the Sears Service/Parts center on English Ave. and gave me a phone number. so on Wednesday every chance I had free of customers or tasks at hand I tried the number. After Three "We are unavailable right now" auto disconnects, and one ringing through for 10 rings without an answer I was given a "direct number" by the lady who had been transferring me each time. That number never was picked up, but the guy at my local Sears who gave me the original number said they are there until 8:00 PM, so I decided to stop on my way home Wednesday. They close every day at 5:00, except Saturday and Sunday, which is 4:00. So yesterday, my cherished day off, I got up fairly early, did some simple chores, walked the dog in the drizzle, and got ready to take the English Ave. excursion. I got there at 11:10, got waited on about five minutes later, I had model number for Tiller, and a list of parts needed (w/o numbers). The ladies helping me complained that their computer system was "slow" it took 15 minutes for the Tiler model number (133202) to come up, then she had to launch the specific parts search, tick, tock, tick, tock. I found a gas cap that looked correct (a flanged affair, with to extended tines that match the tank top, and quarter turn sort of like a radiator cap) and was holding it when she finally found the Spark plug number, luckily it was a $1.99 part, she then hit the search for the cap tick, tock, tick, tock, bingo it was the one i had found, in the interim I had also found replacement batteries for my Sears brand garage door opener, so I was good to go at 11:56. And I had expected it to take a while. Ha. I called Jenni and asked if she had eaten yet, drove to Anthem and took her to Dunaway's Palazzo Ossinegio Restaurant for lunch. Then home. I placed the cap, found the right size plug socket and placed that, set the Tiller in the "Start-up" settings as listed on the motor, and about dislocated my shoulder trying to yank the starter cord. Several more tries convinced me that the beast was indeed dead. The motor is locked up, and I suspect the cylinder is rusted in place from when the plug was purloined, even though a tarp was kept over the machine. The weather was still bizarre, drizzle, then windy then partially sunny. Then at time combinations of the three. I decided to go to Home depot, buy the remaining 6 Wall blocks I need to finish the wall, and some more plants. The softer moistened ground made the final five holes I had to dig easier, and I was spreading the eight 40 pound bags of top soil in no time. Twenty two Marigolds went in as a border next then some California
Wonder green bell peppers, and some Jalapeño plants. Without the use of a tiller I could not plant anymore of the plants I intend to put in the new bed, so I had to stop there. This was about 5:15, and Jenni was still at work. So I cleaned up and waited for her return. We watched Smallville, and I taped the Earl/Office extended season finales to watch later. We went to bed at 11:30, and I only got about 2 hours of intermittent sleep, prior to my alarm going off at 5:30 AM, so I must have done something wicked that I don't remember because I got no rest on my day off or the subsequent evening.

Chuck Pace © 2006

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A Star is Born; Chuck Pace © 2006
Now I have to walk the yard every night when I get home and every morning before I leave. Not just so that Charlie can have some relief, but because the changes are coming rapidly now, and some are just, I mean woah. My Hostas (taking no hostages) doubled in size since yesterday morning, one eight inch section of vining roses has 14 buds on it, the apples will start appearing soon, the dragons are still snapping, the first dragon head columbine is about ready to open, and the little ground cover plants I bought last summer with the leaves that look like watermelon skin are sprouting gorgeous blue flowers with a star in the throat. Pam said I would have an Eden in my yard soon, well I've eaten the apples every year, and one peach last year too. Sound the trumpets, ring the bells, the trumpet vines have gone from scary craggy fingers of mystery to shiny leaves in two days as well and the Lilly of the Valley are ringing a chorus to the bees. The Blade leaf thing I shot yesterday has also grown by about 4 inches overnight.


Today after work I will be making a brief appearance at the Box. I have Joe George's bowling equipment from before his move to Florida, and he is coming to reclaim it on his way down to Louisville and the Derby with his mama (she looks good in a derby, I know).

Chuck Pace © 2006
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I added more transition to grass dirt and redid the bed.

The easiest to do and most interesting thing yesterday was watching a very disturbing Lost what an ending!
Prior to that I came home after work and mowed the yard. Then I moved three more wheel-barrels full of dirt to the new paver and paths areas, and shade grass seeded them. I also planted some Heliotropes, Convolvulus, Columbine and Basil in the re-deux bed next to the path. Jenni planted some Columbine there as well. Either I will be the most frustrated gardener in the world, or I'm going to have some great looking stuff sometime. Right now there are a lot of small greening things happening, but no blooming or climbing or ground covering things happening yet. Yes I'm getting impatience. Maybe I should buy some impatiens. When the last frost of the season was a memory I went seeding happy. I've distributed so many different things in the seed beds around the house I'm afraid to weed. I have no idea what this blade shaped plant to the left is for example. But I know I planted it, or a bulb or a seed. Well that's it in a nut-job, er.. nut shell.

The rest is purely conjecture, confabulation and convoluted contradiction. So I'll not go into it and I don't have to get myself out of it.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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The Crapper Caper, the Men's Room Mystery, The Case of the Air Unapparent, twists and turns. Yesterday I drove into work, as usual, did the normal behind the scenes actions and activities to open the store and let in nearly all of the staff. Then a little before 9:00 AM, after most of my coworkers had been let in, I came through the department, and was asked by someone. "Did you write it?" I'm sure I had a confused look on my face. Before I could ask write what, James says, "I know, Chuck wrote it, that's how he writes." "Wrote what?" I finally said. "The note down there." "What note, down where?" "In the men's room," came the collective answer. Well, I made my micro-pot of decaf, and inventoried the 'wall of inks' (the two birds, one stone scenario) before I made the trek downstairs, I pulled the inks and then on the way back upstairs I stopped at the facility, expecting to see a handwritten note. Instead there sat a can of Lysol™ Neutra
The Toilet Treatise, Or Fresh Air Manifesto: Author unknown, 2006

Air™, and taped to the wall a computer printed "Fresh Air Manifesto." I took a moment to read it. Sat down the basket of inks, and took a couple of photos for the purpose now being served.
I definitely am not the engine behind this change, but can now understand its impetus. I have theories. Too many actually. My first thought was Randy Cox, it would be his style to explain the motivations, and to bring about the change. Another very plausible perp (in my humble opinion) is Mike Novak, while a powerful polluter of the very air (that someone) is trying to purify, I can see him drafting this letter, and taking action for the common good. I came up and "faced" the ink department, then I went to Phil, Jody and Rich with my Randy theory, Phil said he thought it was an O'Brien thing to do, then Jody said he had complained about the very things mentioned in the "Manifesto" to those who purchased the purloined purifier/disinfectant. Hmmmm, more suspects instead of less. It occurred to me later that Vince had asked me on Monday who wrote the song that had the lyric, "Ooh, Have Another Hit, of Fresh Air," which after a few minutes of scanning the mental storage unit I came back with, (the correct answer of course) Quicksilver Messenger Service, early 1970's. Now you might say, Vince is the one who brought to light the "cadging of the can" in the first place, to which an obvious answer presents itself. Misdirection! Oldest trick in the book, -Hey, look over there! - add another suspect. How can we get to the bottom of our foul air folly, when there is no end in sight (thankfully)!
Chuck Pace (except for the Treatise) © 2006
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Micro Plants in the front bed greeted me home from work. Chuck Pace © 2006

First days back are just plain hard. Getting over a vacation mentality, and back into a work flow. It helped a little that we have and awesome sale going on right now. The ad was in Sunday's Star. Killer prices on popular products. So I hit the ground running, had a eleven hundred dollar sale before I took lunch at 11:50 with Jenni. I get back from lunch and James Willis is up next, he asks me to take over his customer so he can go. I do and it's one of those customers too. The ones that make you work for it, the pains in the neck. I take over, James goes to lunch, James comes back, the next guy goes to lunch, I'm still trying to convince my customer and his wife that he "needs" to have a back-up if he's going to shoot weddings, they are both shooting the weddings together, so really there should be two systems, with critical backups. Finally, two hours after I start we finish, $9200.00 give or take a $1.19. In the meantime while Mr. and Mrs. Hemhaw are deciding to make up their minds to come to a conclusion that borders on a decision, I have been taking phone calls, and stuffing notes in my pocket to follow up. Plus I am billing out our Bloomington store's transfer merchandise while Mike Wilson is away. I followed up the big sale doing a bunch of follow up calls and sales. Sounds like a perfect Chatterbox after work scenario doesn't it? It was, and could not be. The latin community was having this big rally at St. Mary's Cathedral Church on Vermont and New Jersey, you couldn't drive up New Jersey, it was barricaded as was Mass Ave, Michigan St, and the whole enchilada.
No Box. Home. And with the saved time and it's daylight implications, a lot of yard work with Jenni. We planted a Hortensia Hydrangea and two Rhododendrons, and trimmed a couple of trees back and generally got our clothes dirty. We dug up a Joe Pye weed that was the size of a small tree, I even took a photo of Jenni holding the base of it with "growth" rings on it. Then in a reward we cleaned up a little, and went to the Long Horn Steak house for steaks. I actually had a hankerin' fer a Rib eye, order the varmit and sat back with Jenni and waited, I was half way through my refreshing drink when Ashley the waitress comes back all apologetic like and says they have no more medium rare or medium rib eye left. So I get a small Renegade (which is a menu item, not a quirky sidekick) and all is well. O.K. not really. Just before we left for them vittles, my Lil' darlin' of a wife tells me that Mel called, a little upset because she struggled to get to the "Box" only to find out that Rich, Eddie, Jenni and I had deigned to distain due to the sudden overpopulation in the neighborhood. None of us called her, and I had not remembered to take my phone off of silent mode (required at work) so I missed her eight or nine incoming calls. Sorry Mel. Tonight the Spare Parts bowl in the next to last game of the 10 for 10 league. That's Mel, Jenni, (vapor-Dave) and Me. Next week we will be bowling the Chatterbowlers for position (most likely). Well off to work. "Until we meet again, Happy Trails to you."
Chuck Pace © 2006
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Well the move went pretty well. We got All of Travis' lamps, and toys and pictures into the new house, we got the book cases and drafting tables and guitars and such that the 'real' movers didn't and we got to watch the race and have a couple of 'zas too. The place is very nice and they should fit and conform to it nicely. I'm not sure what (if any) of the stuff from Travis' old apartment was Liz's, other than Travis and one guitar that is. It was a good day, the sun was out and the bird parade started in their new backyard after we all settled down. There were just enough people to help, not too many or too few, Brooks, Richard, Glen Bucy and Theresa, Josh and Emily, Connie and several people I don't know, all pitching in and loading the trucks, vans, and more than a couple of cars too. I took a photo of Liz and her little friend Sasha, the smash of the moving party, before I left, I was looking for that small window of oppurtunity, and it knocked (hard). Liz also provided us with some amazing candy coated popcorn after the major moving was done. Wow! The joke was that Sasha was a "gift" from a Commie Candy Cartel, trying to put Liz out of biz , of course that is purley a joke. The truth of the matter is the new house is haunted, and required a blood offering from Liz before they could move in. There may even be a body or two buried in the back yard. Ahh, sweet home ownership. To top the day off, Travis won the Nascar Fantasy League! Rich and I came to my house, for a while then headed to the Chatterbox to see Cathy Morris and her Band, and once again a good time was had by all.
Today I have to go back to work, after a week off to do a bunch of manual labor, hard work chores and the Move. It will be good to get back to a paying pace, where they will be paying a Pace.

Chuck Pace © 2006
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The view from section 205 Row 2, lucky seat 13; Chuck Pace ©2006

Just three more work days off, then Sunday the Race day, the Travis and Liz move day, the Pizza, Beer and Chocolate day. As the pinky finger once said to the window sash, "Smashing idea, eh wot?" In these three remaining days I have to paint, paint, and paint. A final yellow coat in the bathroom, a primer coat in the hallway, so as not to repeat the calamity of the yellow, then an orange coat in the hallway, and lastly four doors and a funeral. No, four doors and seven years... wait for it. Four doors and the baseboards, yeah that's it. I've run out of time and money for the shelving project, maybe next Thursday, which I will have off -because it's the first day of passover?- Well no, because it's my regularly scheduled day off, alternating Thursday and Saturdays, you ninny, how long have you been reading my posts? What does this have to do with painting or shelves? No, I refuse to get into a second person argument with myself. Chuck sat there at his wits end trying to juggle too many projects and his need to write a daily post even when his mind was a vacant as a pork butcher's shop in Tikrit. As his vacation time dwindled away he wrestled with himself over what to do next when all of a sudden.. Hey! When did the third person step in? What the heck is going on here? I refuse to be a part of this any longer, -and you're the ninny- I'm putting our foot down! Done. Over, now back to the post (am not).


The Pacemates "Sealing" off the perimeter in the 4th quarter. Chuck Pace ©2006
David Andrichik took Rich and I to the Pacers vs. the (purple deprived) Raptors of Toronto last evening where we all watched as the home town boys took care of business, never trailed and ended with a eight point victory. The place was at about one quarter capacity for some reason, the wind damaged buildings downtown, or the 5 game losing streak or something. Too bad it was a fun game, not overly exciting all the time but a good effort for Rick's boys, none the less. When we returned to the Box, Dick Dickinson was on the drums again with the Jazztet for an entire set. It was good to see Dick behind the skins and cymbals, just like old times. I had a couple of Corona's and paid my tab, shot a picture of a marionette behind the bar I don't remember seeing before and drove home to be with my lovely wife, who taped Lost for me. Now, just when do you think I -we- "they" will have time to watch that?

Well, I won't have time for any of my projects if I keep sitting here with these voices inside my head, Echoes, things that you said. Great, that Stings. Now the Police have been called in, I'm out of here. "Chop, Chop!" Like they said in October of 1980, Bomb's away, because when the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around. You don't have to be driven to tears like a man in a suitcase, or live your life like a canary in a coalmine to see that. Well, now I'm definitely behind my camel, looking for shadows in the rain, hey camel, don't stand so close to me! De do do do, de da da da looks like I found the other way of stopping. Zenyattá Mondatta everybody.
Chuck signed of with his usual Chuck Pace ©2006 closer, and steeled himself to the task of painting again.
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Brother Can You Spare a Dime, or $4600.00 Bucks For a Cup of Telephoto Lens?
Chuck Pace ©2006


Yesterday was customer appreciation day at the store. Not officially but, man I really appreciated having customers in the store! Again. It can be a very lonely time waiting for your next lens cap, or battery sale, time often spent in useless self deprecation and introspection, (if I were a little better person, could I maybe sell a camera bag to a deserving guest? should I join Kay on the South Beach diet? Is a manwich "really" a meal?) but yesterday the flood gates opened for a little while. We had "film" guys, former "film" guys, and reluctant digital, "I wish I could still be a 'film' guy", guys crowd in and, well look. O.K. some bought, some talked about finances, and the next big purchase, some just talked. Speaking of speaking, the black hole of labor, Darryl Jones was in looking, considering, cogitating, contemplating, examining, pondering, meditating, and weighing his next purchase. He had to make two trips, because the first time in he forgot to reflect, regard or seriously deliberate. I took his photo during a pensive moment. I could of filled the memory card with Darryl's pensive moments, but one was enough for me. I kid because I care Darryl, please don't sue me. I asked if I need a model release, he just laughed it off (that's for the laywers). Another "film" guy, Rich Phelan was bragging about picking up some old enlargers and darkroom equipment for a song. Well keep singin' Rich, maybe they'll start making darkroom paper again at Kod... the yellow father, Nah! You don't sing that well, nobody does, know what I mean? Then there was Greg Pappagiannis, a great guy, personable as all heck, with just a little Darryl Jones disorder at times. He's still talking up his next big purchase, and he does make BIG purchases from time to time. To help get to that financial big purchase state again I noticed him playing doorman up front for tips. How many quarters does it take to buy a 400 2.8?

So after the busy, running waiting on two customers at a time and fielding phone calls kind of day I of course had to stop at the Chatterbox to unwind. (note: if there has been no business, or phone calls and the day had been a complete washout, I would have had to stop at the Chatterbox to unwind). Rebecca and Jenni were there already, parked at the table in the back, looking fined. Rebecca put a handful of money on the table for the jukebox, instead of metering it out through the night. It pays to get to the Chatterbox early, I'll tell you that, there is usually a parking spot to be had near the door before 5:00. Easy parking before 5, yep, that's the ticket! That will never change.

Travis was there also, as were Brooks, Jody F., Kay, Kevin McConaughey, Dick 'two screwdrivers' Walton, and Rich Culy, with Deanne masterfully at the helm. Scott Proctor rode in with me, since his ride is also "parked" for an indeterminate amount of time.
I arranged for Scott to bowl with us tonight in the place of the Luna Moth who has a sudden affectation with bright lights and bug zappers. Ed arrived and took a seat away from the core (me) of the crew and observed. Mel arrived with a chip on, or should I say as her shoulder. No, not a chip a slab. Her back was as hard as marble and I worked on it. I used my with my powerful and skillful hands until they were cramping. Then I massaged my hands and worked some more on her forearms and her hands as well. She melted like Ice Cream when I massaged the sides of her forehead and neck. Nicci arrived and I was all massaged out so I had to take a powder, but not before I showed her the Nicci Sky photos in my camera. I left just before Pam arrived to keep Ed company. Pam called later and gloated appropriately enough about her Nascar Fantasy Victory.
"What do you mean my time is up? I put two dollars in the meter! Crap, O.K., bye for now all. Gotta' go or pay a hefty fine!"

Chuck Pace ©2006
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The overturned utters of the brew cow await another pull. Chuck Pace ©2006

I ate at the Claddagh three (work) days in a row. Saturday through Tuesday. Saturday I had the a(new to me) book that everyone has been recommending, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay", by Michael Chabon, but as I have stated in the past I am not a rapid reader. I didn't get too many opportunities to read over the rest of the weekend, and these work days don't afford a lot of time either. Monday and Tuesday I dined at the Claddagh again with wife and co-worker Rita respectively, so no time for literature. I am 70 pages in and holding. But liking it very much.

Tonight is week 3 of the 10 for 10 bowling league, and the USE of "Foul Language" has been approved. Hopefully the Chatterbowlers can all bring our A games tonight, If not we will probably resort to the unapproved language use. I am wearing my Lebowski Fest T tonight. How can I fail? I say, no way. DUDE. This Aggression Will Not Stand!

Work of late has been very quiet for me, very stressful for Jenni. She was near tears when I got home last night (and no, not because I got home last night), so I gave her a very long arm, neck and back rub, so little did this consul poor Spunky. She is not even taking lunch with me today, for fear that the harpies and magpies will once again have nothing better to do that time her every move from the telephone lines of our fair metropolis.



??????? Chuck Pace ©2006

I close with this uncaptioned photo of a gesturing Mike Novak, a moving Jeep, a customer with a pink scarf and a spotting scope. I will entertain the best captions on my site, so, put on your thinking caps kiddies. (not open to residents of Scranton, NJ, Tempe, AZ, or residents of Ohio, sorry, I've got to draw the line somewhere).
Chuck Pace ©2006
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An abandoned Buick overlooking Ashland City Tennessee: Chuck Pace ©2005

This is a day to dread. The day that many return to work for the first time since Thursday. I've found that a lot of people forget how to drive if they haven't done so for a few days. I expect bumper to bumper on the interstate, and phantom brake jamming, so I'm not taking the interstate (I'm leaving it where it is) today, at least not on the way in.

Driving back from Tennesee on Christmas day was an enjoyable drive, even though it was raining all the way there was almost no traffic, and we only had to stop twice. There were two 90 plus minute peroids where I didn't touch the brakes or gas, and just left the car in cruise and talked to Jenni and listened to music on CD's. We also called Meredith and got to talk to her until the 'blasted' hills of middle Kentucky dropped our cell phone signals.

Yesterday was a mixed bag at work, really quiet until about 11:00, then periods of extreme business and more quiet. We didn't have a lot of problems or returns, but did see a lot of people buying memory cards and accessories for the digital cameras they recieved from loved ones. It is a relief to be back to regular hours and a normal routine, leaving an hour earlier there is still a little light in the sky and the days are already starting to get longer just a week after the Winter Solstice. Five days from 2006, seven days until the next mention meter. I can almost see Travis getting into the starting blocks.

On your Marks! Get ready...

I have good news. The Chatterbox Juke Box is still alive, though there were some weird sounds emmanating from it at times yesterday, this is probably a reprieve not a pardon. The end is coming. But for now the tunes are still rolling out of Ami. I know Brock will be relieved to hear it, and hope he gets to Hear it again before it dies.

Chuck Pace ©2005
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Sometimes it just too hard to come up with something interesting to post here. I'm over taxed and stressed by the holiday and the retail concerns, and I had a migraine yesterday, which means I have a bad headache today.

Union Station Sunset, cross now. Chuck Pace ©2005

Tonight I'm supposed to bowl again. We bowl at 6:00, I could work until 6:30, or I can leave between 5:00 and 6:00 so I can get ready for bowling. I need the money and the sells. I need the time off. Tomorrow is Christmas eve and I've been given the day off. This is a 18 year first. I have worked every Christmas Eve since 1988. So Jenni and I are driving to Chapmansboro Tennessee for her parents 50th wedding anniversary, I don't think we'll be looking for any covered bridges on this trip. This time the destination has to be more important than the journey. I won't be seeing my daughter and son in law again this Christmas, that's two in a row. I won't be "Home for Christmas" with my parents (but Jenni will be), and I don't forsee a "White Christmas" this year. I don't know if I'll be posting tomorrow or Sunday, I'll try. if not, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
Be Love, Comfort and Joy, not Greed and Glutony, I'll see you all soon.

Chuck Pace ©2005
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Well, I'm going to be serious here for a few minutes. I get asked a lot of digital camera questions outside of work and here are some of my thoughts.

My wife reads InstaPundit and Glenn Reynolds every day (yet, I sometimes have to remind her to read my Thoughtpukes... only kidding, honey) and she had me check out the carnival of the digital cameras post. Say's it's right up my alley. I should link to him on Tuesday evening (that's my assignment). I have to agree, I have worked in a camera store since 1988, was there with my flashlight and pill-box hat to usher in the digital revolution. Have shot nearly all brands at one time or another and have owned four point and shoot models myself. I also taught introduction to digital photography courses for a year for IUPUI (Indiana University, Purdue University at Indianapolis). All of the photos on my site were shot with my point and shoot digital cameras (unless otherwise credited and noted). So, to it then.

I agree that both Nikon's and Canon's DSLR's are great cameras. As the big dogs they have the complete systems and most accessories available for any desired use. Which would you chose? Generally I recommend that if you already own Nikon lenses you should stay with Nikon. The same is true for Canon users, if you own Canon stay with Canon, the hit you will take in trade-in is generally not worth the loss of good lenses and equipment, and both companies have DSLR's at every level of proficiency.

I was surprised that Glen has had problems with his D70s a usually highly reliable product (and my next purchase). The Canons are more popular with sports shooters, but Nikon has been winning back their loyals with the D2X's and second generation D2H's. Later this week the new D200 with its 10.5 megapixel chip will start falling into the hands of those who were wise enough to pre-order them, I've handled this camera and am very impressed (sadly, I can not afford one now, even at less than $1700.00). Konica-Minolta and Pentax also have very competent DSLR's that use their Film counterparts AF lenses (Pentax's *ist's will actually use any K-mount lens) while Olympus designed their DSLR's from the ground up with lenses and flashes specifically, instead of modifying earlier systems for a new photographic future. Olympus' newest DSLR the 8 megapixel Evolt E-500 comes in a two lens kit (14-45mm and 40-150mm) for around $850.00 (if you want an exceptional system and don't own another systems lenses this is an inexpensive way to get started).

Point and Shoots: That's tough, there are literally hundreds of choices out there, something for every use, need and niche. It's just impossible to counsel a perspective buyer without learning their individual uses and requirements.
The older photos on my site were from a Nikon Coolpix 950 (no longer available, but it was a great 2 megapixel camera with macro to 3/4 of an inch and a swivel body that allowed flexible shooting and viewing like in a macro setting).

The more recent site shots are from my 7.2 megapixel Sony Cybershot DSC-P150, which was replaced in the spring by the newer (nearly identical except for color and asthetics) DSC-P200. I can't praise this camera enough, I carry it in a cell-phone case and have it on me at nearly every waking moment. The Movie mode is phenomenal and the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens is as sharp and crisp as any I've used in my 25+ years of photography experience. The DSC-P200 sells for $339.00.
Nikon has reintroduced the swivel design I mentioned above in a 6 megapixel, 10x optical zoom model, the Coolpix S4, which runs on two AA's and is half the size of my dinosaur Coolpix 950, but every bit as capable in the macro realms. Also from Nikon are two WiFi models that transmit images directly to your computer as you shoot. The P1 and P2 are small but pack a large LCD and high pixel counts (8 megapixel and 5.1 megapixel respectively) along with a 3.5x zoom (36-126mm, 35mm equiv.).
Canon's Digital Elph series continue to be among the favorites for size, durability and overall value. Pentax's Optio WP performs well in nearly all weather conditions, Konica-Minolta's X1 and X60 models respond and recover very quickly and hide well in a pocket or palm.

Yes, there are hundreds of Point and Shoot digital choices. It would take weeks to list them all, and is impossible to compare and contrast with so may variations out there. My recommendations. Visit a camera store, not a mass merchandiser or on-line store, talk to a qualified camera sales person, let them know your needs, hobbies and/or uses for your next camera purchase to narrow the field to a few models. Hold the cameras, take a shot or two, ask questions, try the features. Get what you want. Not what some overstock house or on-line product liquidator says is the buy of a lifetime. It's your lifetime, capture it with your camera.

Chuck Pace ©2005
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Well, I did about half of the want to do list on Thursday. Today I did get out of the driveway and to work. Only to find out that yesterdays list only need one item on it. ✔ Go to work. I really was supposed to work on Thursday and have Saturday off. Now I am working on Sunday so Jenni and I have decided I will take my scheduled day off this week even though I took off Thursday by accident. I'm losing my mind. Getting senile or getting Alzhiemers or some stuff. I have serious CRS now. Or..I just need a day off to be off, screw the list of 26 goals. Just take a day and rest. We'll see. Sleep will improve my mental faculties, help me remember.

Check that off the list, sparky! ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔✔

Opps! I forgot to post a photo.
I've also been meaning to write to the CRS Foundation and send a donation. I thought I had already, but I was wrong.

Chuck Pace ©2005

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The Piggy. Chuck Pace ©2005

Well, being in retail this is supposed to be the big one. But it never really is at Roberts. We do all right on "black friday" but not being attached to a mall or strip center, and not doing a big doorbuster thing we have a more purpose driven customer instead of just the run of the mill, insane, spend-frenzied, after thanksgiving, garbage gift goblins that infest the retail superstores. The kind of nut jobs that would have Target give them a 4:30 wake-up call usually avoid us until zero-hour approches, then they come in and buy whatever we are overloaded on, discontinued models or cheap afterthoughts, the "I made an effort" purchases. We have very little returns from our primary customer base, they usually come in after a little research, it's the garbage gift goblins thet give us the most grief. I thought of quoting "Black Friday" by Steely Dan here but it just would take too much effort, I'll get you a discount song reference on Dec. 23rd. No we are a destination shop, not a hey, they're close to Jimmy's Junk Jubilee, let's see if they got anything cheap! If you need a good digital camera and the right accessories, come see me, call me or e-mail me. If you want to want to last-minute purchase a thoughtful gift, I'll put as much effort in it as you do.

Have fun shoppers, don't get parking-lot rage, remember the reason you are gift buying now, it is love and friendship that drives the season, right? Act like the gift is important, not the savings. See you soon. With apologies to the Jimmy's Junk Jubilee outlets, doing business under different names, Chuck Out.

Chuck Pace

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Hump day, pivot day, Wednesday, winds day, wins day! A day that has almost as mystic as the weekend. The summit, if we can make it through this the rest is downhill. This one comes in like freight train, yesterdays storms and todays gail force winds, one thing is for sure Indiana weather is never boring.

Today lyrics:

You're fantastic, you're terrific your excellence is almost scientific. You took the words out of my mouth, you put the tongue into my cheek, but I'd better lose my memory by Wednesday week. -Elvis Costello, "Wednesday Week" from Taking Liberties ©
1980

Stay back 500 feet. Chuck Pace ©2005

Last night we started a 10 for 10 bowling league at the Sport Bowl. My team is the Chatterbowlers and is comprised by Rich Culy, David Andrichik, Wilbur Andrichik and myself. The 10 for 10 format is a good for the casual bowler, 10 weeks $10.00 per person per week, along with the bowling each team is given a 12" pizza with toppings of their choice and 100 ounces of their beverage of choice. Such a bargain! Plus the top two teams in each 10 for 10 league compete for a $1000.00 bowl-off purse in April. Hey, it could happen (it will for one team)!

Well that's my mid-week update. Tomorrow is my day off so in my reality (what else is there) Tuesday was a mini hump day for me.

Chuck Pace

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This Andorian's picture was taken in the store On Tuesday. His name is
Schoch (that's not a human name I can tell you!) Photo: Jeff Barber ©2005

I have every other Thursday off from work, today is one of the off Thurdsay's. It didn't start out as a party mode Thurdsday I can tell you that. I had my teeth cleaned at the dentists office. So my gums are a litlte sore. Teeth a little sensitive. I get home and sit down to do this update. And the computer crashed. I was trying to burn a CD and that kept failing. So I put a lens cleaning CD in and that crashed the computer. I had to Hard Start the thing after it wouldn't respond for 15 minutes, ejected the CD, reset my I-Tunes preferences and finally got the CD to burn. Whew.

I griped about the cold weather yesterday morning, and by Noon it was shirt sleeve weather again. So I'm hoping this gripe makes my computer work better. Maybe the Aliens who abducted me gave me control over these sorts of things. We'll see. There was one in the store on Tuesday trying to teach us about some his hi-tech devices.

Chuck Pace ©2005

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Self Portrait Painting circa 1980.

It's funny. The week before I left on vacation I picked up the mail-order flu at work. A severe bronchial, upper-respiratory congestion that just doesn't quit. It's in it's third week and evolving. The first week it hit very hard, more sneezing and head stuff, I missed two days of work, which were followed by a scheduled day off where I felt no better and stayed in bed. But I was dutifully back on station the last two days before my scheduled departure, by then it had moved into my chest, and I do mean moved in. This stain of mail-order flu started about five weeks ago with the entire mail-order department at work, all six of them, getting this junk in varying levels of severity. Christy and Ed both missed days. Ed still has some remnants of this now and he was the first to miss work, and Christy is still suffering from bronchial problems as well. So I don't look forward to an awfully quick recovery. During those two weeks, the flu beginning and vacation, Indiana went from mid 70's weather to downright cold. Short-sleeve weather to jacket weather with no long sleeve stage in between? Or to put another way, patio weather to jukebox weather at the Chatterbox in two moves, checkmate. Last week 250 hundred miles south of Indy in Tennessee it was upper 80's all three days we were there. Tell me that a body doesn't get confused going from that; tank top and shorts to thermal undies in ten hours. I may never recover!

(What a big whinner!)
"Til next time, stay healthy, now hand me a kleenex.

Chuck Pace ©2005


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As a creature of habit, a man used to a routine, it is always good to get back from a satisfying vacation into just that, a routine. I know there have been some changes at the store. So the routine will vary at first, then it will become, well the routine. Tonight after work I plan to visit The Chatterbox so I can begin recounting the adventures I had on my vacation. Living vicariously through myself? Is that possible? Living in the past. It's not just for Jethro Tull anymore. (That's a song reference, I'm full of them, I have over 5000 CD's, and I'll be darned if every one doesn't contain at least one song, most have eight or ten)! I have written entire letters and e-mails just quoting song titles from one particular artist before, and they made just as much sense as this rambling I'm doing now.

Above is some of the big game I hunted in Tennessee last week. Some kind of moth I guess. Well I'v fulfilled my obligation to write sumpin' (Hint: it was all that between here and the picture up there.)

Peace Out.
Chuck Pace ©2005


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Well, after being off for three days I happily rush back to the old mill stone today. I'm surrounded by good people and close friends there. I have a job that I enjoy doing and I'm good at. That's more than a lot of people can say, right? When I woke up this morning it was only 40º F outside. Three days ago it was mid 60's, and mid 70's by afternoon. Somebody told the weather to start acting like its Fall. I don't know who that was but if they'd just kept their fool mouth shut for another week or so. Well the Flu has not migrated, but expanded to my lungs. I have an irritated and raw throat to augment the nasal drip and occasional projectile phlegm purge sinus symptoms. Who wouldn't want to buy a digital camera outfit from me right now?

I also have to tell Randy the Photo-lab Gnome about the new Neil Young album Prairie Wind that came out on Tuesday. It's reminiscent of After the Gold Rush or the even mellower Hawks and Doves that finally came out on CD last year. All Great albums if you Like Neil (who doesn't like Neil?). Well that time rapidly approaches when I must egress from my domicile to seek remuneration for verbal persuasion. Sales. That is.

Chuck Pace© 2005

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