My imaginary house-guests

     We don't have any imaginary house-guests currently, but there were times in our lives that the house seemed chock full of them. All of my children created imaginary playmates when they were younger and these guests varied in age, occupations, and their lengths of stay on our premises.  

     I never had imaginary friends when I was a kid (except for imaginary girlfriends in high school, but those don't count), but my daughter Molly had 3; Iggy, Map and Sally.  They appeared when she was 3 or 4 and a lot of the details on them have been lost to the ages, but some things I do remember, like with Map.  He had a map for a face.  You remember that kind of thing about people, even imaginary ones.  I never did know what

the map was of, and it seemed rude to ask, cuz when your kids have imaginary friends you just have to play along.  Be warned, this leads to a loss of space in your house when, inevitably, the imaginary friends sit in your favorite spot at the table, or in front of the TV or on the front porch.  By the way, that's where Iggy, Map and Sally lived, on our front porch.  As house-guests go, imaginary or not, that's a great place for them to stay.  I've had family stay here a few times over the years and never once did any of them offer to stay on the front porch.  I miss Iggy, Map and Sally.  I don't remember any of their adventures, but I do remember Molly going out to the front porch to talk with them. They were allowed into the house, but they preferred to stay on the porch a lot.  When Molly got real friends, this never happened, nor did it with Danny or Nolan's friends either.  I miss Iggy, Map and Sally.  They didn't eat much, especially Map.  They would be satisfied with the fallen

Map, is that you?

berries from a weeping cherry in our backyard, sometimes soaked in water like a good herbal tea.  It was during one of those backyard outings that Molly likely met the neighbor girl looking through our hedge in the yard and quickly thereafter the appearances by Iggy, Map or Sally got less frequent and were replaced by the appearances of Stacy, the neighbor girl.  I think they disappeared one at a time with Sally going last, and Stacy was probably introduced to Sally at one point or another.  As said previously, as imaginary friends go, Iggy, Map and Sally were the best.  I think of them often, especially Map, especially while driving.

     It was a few years later before we got our next imaginary house-guest when Danny mentioned his friend Sam, from Alabama.  We had never been to Alabama, so that's how we knew Danny's friend was imaginary.  The first time that he was mentioned we were driving somewhere and I was asked to slow down so that Sam (from Alabama) could catch up. I complied for a little while but eventually we had to teach Sam to keep up.   That might have been when Sam (from Alabama) got a zebra to ride on.  He kept pace after that.  If you wondered why he rode a zebra instead of a horse, I never asked.  I just figured it was what you did,

when you were from Alabama.  I'll never know where Danny got the inspiration for Sam (from Alabama) from, but for the Alabama part, I blame Map.  Sam appeared almost every time that we were driving but I don't actually remember seeing him around the house that much (Well, of course I didn't see him, he was IMAGINARY).  I suspect that because Danny had an older sister at home, he had less of a need for imaginary friends there,as was the case when I grew up.  I never remember having imaginary friends.  I had 11 siblings and a dog, and that seemed to be enough. Dan had Molly except when we were in the car.  The specific details on Sam were sparse. To this day I don't know whether Sam was a boy or girl.  I only know that her/his state of origin, and the fact that he/she owned or leased a zebra. 
    
     It was 6 years or so before our next visit by an imaginary friend, and coincidentally Nolan's friend was named Sam.  He wasn't from Alabama, we know because we asked.  Even though he was the most recent imaginary friend I don't remember a lot about this Sam (not from Alabama) except for the fire.  I could never forget the fire.  Sam had been visiting with us for a few months by then, and I had started traveling for work.  I came home one day, from a trip, to hear of the tragedy.  Sam's family had lost their house in a fire and had come to live with us.  No imaginary friends had perished in the blaze but there was simply no saving the imaginary house.   I don't blame the imaginary firemen, some times they do

Sam's new home, we couldn't compete with this

their best, but their best isn't enough.  I'll leave it to the imaginary lawyers and imaginary judges to sort it out.  I will frankly admit that imaginary insurance companies are no faster at compensating for home loss than the real ones, because that family was with us for months.  They ate at our crowded table, they slept in our crowded house, and we had to fill extra imaginary grocery carts up just for them.  The imaginary Red Cross could do nothing for us, so one day while traveling, I took matters into my own hands.  I was traveling with my boss and told him of my predicament.  He, coincidentally, knew an imaginary real estate agent who had just gotten an imaginary listing on a beautiful new imaginary house.  He was kind enough to call and talk with Nolan a few days later and share the good news with him.  After the imaginary closing date, Sam's family moved out and shortly thereafter Sam stopped appearing at the house too.  To my knowledge, that Sam (not from Alabama) was the last imaginary house-guest that we had.  As said previously, I miss them all, especially Map, especially while driving. 

On Lobster

     While it's true that my Mother's love of lobster was legendary, I'd like to point out that my Dad was no slacker when it came to lobster either, and this blog starts with some of his adventures.....

     I strongly suspect that my Mom introduced my Dad to lobster.  He was from an Upstate NY hamlet and worked on a farm, that did not plant lobsters, and she was from the East Coast and had relatives that were in the business, so it's likely that she taught Dad about lobsters.  She loved them so much that my Dad became somewhat of an expert over the years on cooking them and carting them back to NY.  A good husband will do

The lobster that was as big as Danny

that, you know, try and learn about the things that your wife loves, it's good for the soul and your marriage and my Dad jumped in feet first.  Every trip that we took as kids to Boston to visit Mom's urban relatives always included a side trip up to rural Maine for a quick visit to that side of the family and of course for a lobster fix.  It started small with us staying in tents or campers on my cousin's property and having some lobster with them, but it grew after that, with pre-arranged orders and traveling back with them, the lobsters, not the relatives.  They made some money (the relatives, not the lobsters) and we got wholesale pricing on lobster, so it was a win-win.  The first time I remember doing a lobster run, we were actually camping in Vermont.

     We had found a small family run campground near Crystal Lake State Park and were settled in there for the week.  A few days into the vacation my Dad arranged an overnight trip up and back to Maine to get some lobster.  You would have thought that providing lobster for his family of 12 would have been enough, but you probably didn't know my Dad then, as he tested the limits of "the more the merrier" on countless occasions.  He walked around the campground for the better part of a day, introducing himself to complete strangers and taking orders for their lobsters, as if they were kin.  If they were uncomfortable cooking them, he offered to show them how, and at least in one case, cooked the lobsters for some folks.  He hadn't planned on buying so many, so he cleaned out a large rectangular box that we kept pots and pans in, and used that to transport the 60 or so lobsters back from Maine.  On later trips, he lined it with a hard foam and made it more watertight. The evening that he returned, the sounds of crackling campfires

Lobster fisherman

and the smell of boiling and steaming fresh lobsters abounded in that small campground, thanks to my Dad.  There was a large contingent of Canadians at this particular campground that were seasonal campers and they jumped in with the others and tried their hands at cooking live lobsters.  I've often wondered if the lobster run at that campground became an annual tradition with those folks, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did, my Dad could do that sort of thing, and that was just the first time I remember traveling with them.  We used that blue camping box numerous times over the years after that, gradually stretching the limits of how many it could hold, and when we got over a 100, we had to adapt.  That's when we built the lobster trailer.

     A lobster trailer, you say?  Well, kind of.  Dad had modified an existing camping trailer to hold 12 people and we had stenciled it "The Dirty Dozen".  It had 3 pull out bunks and 3 lowers, so that we could sleep a dozen people in it.  We used it for many a family camping trip, but coincidentally when the need for that number of

My niece Adriana showing Molly a lobster while camping

people decreased, our need to transport more lobsters grew (and the trailer bunks had seen their share of wear and tear) inevitably the points collided and my Dad hollowed out the trailer, lined it with foam and started to haul lobsters in it.  I don't remember the early trips, but I remember Dad talking to his Knights of Columbus buddies and taking orders, and I'm blatantly making it up that they announced it in church one Sunday, but it must have been close to the truth, because how else could we have sold 800 lobsters on a sunny Sunday morning?  That's right 8 hundred lobsters.  If memory holds true, we sold them out of our driveway one Sunday morning at $3.50 a lb, so a $5.00 bill would get you a nice lobster.  It was around 1981.  We sold out in a few short hours.  Like I said before, Dad could do that sort of thing, but he did pass on some of his mad lobster skills.

    I actually had the opportunity to go out on the lobster boat with my cousins once.  The only instruction was to not touch the smokestack that came up the middle of the boat, as it was red hot.  I made it out and almost all the way back into the harbor through pitching seas without touching it, that was, until I got bored on the last

stretch and actually leaned against it with the tender underside of my arm.  The scar healed and it was a lesson that I didn't have to learn twice, and it did nothing to temper my lobster enthusiasm.  I did my share of lobster cooking at camp outs and at home but the most memorable lobster story I have came after a successful night at poker.  I had a good (some say lucky) night at poker and the next day I was looking for a way to splurge with my winnings.  I'm a firm believer in frivolously spending found money, so I soon was standing at the lobster tank at Wegmans.  I like a 2lb or better for myself and that's what I had asked for, but they had mostly small lobsters, that is, except for "Ol George", or at least that's what the fish guy said to me.  When I inquired what an "Ol George" was, he directed me to look into the back of the tank and hunkered down in the corner of the tank was an 8lb lobster with claws that looked like Popeye's arms.  It cost me all of my winnings but soon "Ol George" was headed home to have dinner with the Yargers.  Buying only one deprived my kids of the lobster races that we normally had, but I'll never forget the look on the kids faces, well the picture that follows, helps.  When we stretched it out, it was as tall as my son Dan and he was probably 4 or so at the time.  We had to borrow a large pot from the fire company and even then one of the giant claws stuck out of the pot until "Ol George" softened enough to tuck it in.  You would think that a lobster that old would have


Is it any wonder that Molly became a vegetarian?

been tough, but you would be wrong.  It was delicious.  I'll finish this lobster blog now, and before anyone else says it, I'll freely admit that my lobster exploits pale in comparison to those of my Father, buy hey, there's still time and plenty of lobster left to trap.

A story worth repeating, please share this one.....

     It's not often that I repeat my blogs, repeat myself, yes, but repeat my blogs, no.  This morning's blog is not only a repeat, but it comes with a plea for everyone to share it, Tweet it, e-mail it, or tell others about it and to ask them to share it too.   We are creating a Facebook page today, so feel free to "like" it.   The

nerve.  We hold the 15th Yarger Memorial Scramble on June 9th at Victor Hills and we can use some golfers and sponsors.  It's a great value at $110 per golfer, $100 to sponsor or $500 for a foursome and sponsorship.  Golfers get 18 holes with cart, unlimited lunch, tee gift, all beverages and cigars free on the course delivered by our smiling beer wenches, steak dinner and Meyer and McGuire concert.  The family has voted to end the tournament at year 20, so there are only 6 years left to be part of this awesome event.  It was our wish to end strong, so please help if you can.  We are fortunate to get enough volunteers to more than cover this event, but you can help by spreading the word.  See the details below, and not much has changed since I posted this a year ago. 

It's hard to argue that this blog, on a regular basis, is not self-promoting, because after all, it is all about me, my life experiences and travels, and my family, but this is the first time I'll admit it right 

off the bat. This blog is a shameless self promotion about my family's charity golf tournament, but tell you what, at least I'll give you a little history and story with it to make it more entertaining....

     Not all my family's ideas start by conversing around a beer keg, but some of the best ones do. This was the case 15 years ago at the end of our family reunion at Ontario County Park. I had made my rounds talking with the relatives that I don't interact with regularly and had circled back to hang with some of the fun ones that I do.  For some reason, in my recollection of it, I put a keg in there, though we don't normally have a keg at the reunions, but you can be sure of one thing, that there was beer involved.

The Kays at an early tournament.

  I was having a conversation with my cousin George Kay (Grumpy), and he mentioned that he had just started golfing.  (George's dad was my uncle and a step-brother to my father.  That family never separated themselves with the word step, they just were brothers and sisters.  Since my grandfather took them in, they all considered themselves to be Yargers.  My cousin George felt the same way, and when we launched the first tournament he insisted that it simply be named the Yarger Memorial, not the Kay-Yarger Memorial, and this tradition has been carried on since.  I think it is fitting since the tournament honors that generation that considered themselves one family.  To this day, the Kay side of our family continues to have an impressive turnout at the Yarger Family reunion, as was the case the year the tournament was founded.  I had just started golfing as well, and George and I suggested we should golf the next year before the reunion.  As the beer flowed, we expanded the idea to include more people, then to have a tournament, and then to have a charity tournament.  George had just been through the Cardiac Rehab Department at Thompson Health and he thought a donation there could do a lot of good.  I readily agreed as I had lost many Aunts and Uncles to cardiac disease, and my father had passed at 58 due to it too.  Thus the Yarger Memorial Scramble benefiting the Cardiac Rehab Center at Thompson Health in Cdga, was born.

     The following spring we formed a family committee and approached the hospital with our idea.  They were excited to have a tournament benefit them and pledged all of their support.  The original tournament was held at Parkview Fairways and the date was the second Saturday in August, the day before our family reunion. 

Year 1, dinner under the pavilion

We had 50 golfers participate the first year, and although it didn't run entirely smoothly, we all had fun and we were able to make $5,000 for the C.R.D.  We ate big steaks and roasted corn that we had cooked, and the raffles ran so late that we need flashlights to read the numbers at the end.  It's amazing that we get so many of those original golfers back each year, and yet we do.  That evening, some of us had to go from the tournament, to Ontario County Park to cook the pig for the following day's reunion.  We were exhausted by the end of the 2nd day, so we decided to move the date away from the reunion after that. A smart idea.

     This blog could run too long if I don't start talking about the specifics of the tournament, so let me break it down, starting with the sponsors and golfers. Our major underwriter to the tournament has been Pactiv in Cdga since year 3.  They approached us, looking for a way to support the hospital, and an event that their employees could participate in. Each year we have 6-10 teams made up of current and former Pactiv employees. They had been a great partner, and we hope, even with the changes there this year, that they will be able to continue as our major sponsor. 

Pactiv Group, early on

Our tournament has been a blue collar or hacker's tournament since it's inception.  Some of our players get out just a few times a year to golf, and we are happy that they choose our tournament to do it. That being said we do attract a few good golfers and more professional folk. I suspect that they come for the fun.  The majority of the rest of our sponsors are all small businesses in the surrounding area, that pay $100 to post a sign on the course that day.  About 30-40 % of our sponsors have teams that play in the tournament each year.  The remaining sponsors are special sponsors that pay for the banquet and music.  Just a few years ago, we added a Meyer and McGuire concert at the banquet as part of the tournament, and that was one of the best decisions that we have ever made.  For the last several years, Crosman Corporation and HEP Sales/North Main Lumber have sponsored these and their investment is appreciated by the golfers, and the family. 

     When the golfers check in, they run a gauntlet of sorts, to make it through registration.  We first give them their tee gift and assign them carts.  Each year we logo an item and each golfer receives one.  We have done shirts, hats, umbrellas, coolers, camp stools, blankets, water bottles, and even pullover jackets.

Registration year 2 or 3?

If you want to see what we have given out for the last 13 years, you need only to attend, to see the players, wearing the shirts and jackets, tucking umbrellas in their bags (unused, we have never been rained out in the history of the tournament), donning the hats on their heads, and placing the coolers on their carts. 
     The next stop is where we sell Mulligans.  Each golfer can purchase 2 for $5 each and take a do-over when needed.  Even with the hackers we attract, and in a tournament that doesn't have a Skins competition, most golfers buy 2.  This contributes about $1,000 to the total each year.
     The last stop is the merchandise raffle.  We aim to collect $20 from each golfer for this station.  It may seem like a lot, but in actuality it is a bargain for the golfers. My family spends many months approaching local businesses and collecting merchandise donations.  We are so grateful for the hundreds of donors that choose to contribute to this raffle each year. 

Our first wenches

We raffle over $5,000 worth of merchandise each time, so on average, a $20 donation nets you a $35 prize. That's not to say everyone is a winner though, I have a friend who golfs each year and swears he had never won, and I have a nephew who golfed and brought home big ticket gifts in consecutive years.  The merchandise raffle nets around $2,500 each year, the second biggest fundraiser of the tournament.

      Now for the math majors out there, you've noticed that we are short about $1,500 for our $10,000 goal.  The last part of the tournament is a Cash Raffle. The tickets are distributed amongst family members months before the tournament and pre-sold to friends and acquaintances for $5 each.  We finish the selling on the day of the tournament to the golfers and draw the winners at the end of the tournament.  This generally makes up the last $1,500 of our $10,000 goal each year.  In it's 13 year history the tournament has been able to donate over $120,000 to the CRD at Thompson Health, no small feat, but all due to the amazing loyalty of our golfers, donors, sponsors and workers.

     I have to brag up on our workers a little. Since early on, the tournament has run pretty self sufficient from the hospital.  They help with the initial mailings and some PR, but the tournament itself is staffed fully by family and friends.  I'm proud that all of my family contributes in some way to the tournament, so I've taken care not to single out any individuals, in this blog.  My siblings staff the registration tables, write the program, sell cash raffle tickets, golf, serve on the committee, collect merchandise, attract sponsors, babysit the day of the event for family members, take pictures of the teams each year, and even served as Beer Wenches. Non family members contribute too, we have a family friend who custom designs and carves the trophies each year, and that is one more unique thing about the tournament.

Wenches, maybe year 7 or 8?

 I'm proud that each and every one of them chooses to contribute each year.  My nieces, nephews and cousins have continued to step up as well, selling tickets, golfing or attending the dinner.  Our tournament gets a lot of praise for it's organization and for how much fun it is.  These are both attributable to the volunteers that give so much of their time.  On the subject of beer wenches, (one of my favorite subjects), I think they add a dimension to the tournament that is unlike any other.  We have 8 volunteers, in teams of 2, run each side of the course back to front, and then front to back.  Their job is not only to help deliver the beverages, but to hand out free cigars and to interact playfully with the golf teams (If you don't take the golf too seriously, you can do this.) Each team makes this job their own, and it all the years we have run, I don't recall a bad team.  There are 2 stories, that I love to tell about our beer wenches, the first is one of our girls met her future husband the night of the tournament, and the second is, we had a girl accidentally break her hand one year at the tournament, and even though it cost her weeks of actual work, she was the first to volunteer again the next year.  I told you we have the best volunteers.  We actually don't have enough spots for the volunteers we get each year. It sounds like a good position to be in, but I have trouble saying no to people that want to be a part of the tournament so badly.

     A blog about the tournament wouldn't be complete without a mention of our new permanent location, Victor Hills Golf course.  While the first course had it's charm, the folks are Victor Hills have been great partners for this fundraiser since year 2.

Crowd at Victor Hills

 The date has changed a few times in the past, but now is always the 2nd Saturday in June.  Victor Hills makes sure the course is in shape, the food is hot and plentiful, and that everything they are responsible for runs smoothly, and they fire on all cylinders each year.  We get a lot of compliments on the hard work they do, and I'd like to acknowledge Jay Dianetti, his family, and his staff for all of their efforts.  The tournament wouldn't be nearly as successful without them. 



Grumpy and I with the staff at the CRD.

      As I close out this blog, it is only fitting that I finish by talking about our charity, the Cardiac Rehab Department at Thompson Health.  From the very first year, they have been good stewards of the funds we provide to them.
 They have expanded their space 2 times, purchased exercise and monitoring equipment for the center, given training to their staff and most importantly, given scholarships to use the facility to those who could not have afforded to attend their programs otherwise.  The work they do is incredible and if you live or work in Canandaigua NY, you likely have contact with someone that they have helped.  I know, I certainly have.  Well after we started the tournament I found out that my Uncle Charlie was the longest surviving patient that they had of the original people to go through the program, "The Magnificent Seven".  I cannot think of a more deserving charity for our family's tournament.

     So if you see this blog and have an interest in participating in any of the aspects of the Yarger Memorial, please feel free to contact us.  We can be reached at PO Box 23 Hall NY 14463 or e-mailed at wyarger@rochester.rr.com  We are continually looking for sponsors, donors, raffle ticket buyers, and golfers.  I personally keep my eyes open for good beer wenches in my travels, although I am not longer allowed to interview them.  When we started the tournament we had 3 goals.  They were, to have fun, to make some money for the CRD, and to honor the memory of our relatives that had passed due to heart disease.  I think in the 14 year run, we have kept our promise on  all 3. Fore.

I'm a little depressed about my debt right now.

     Debt is not inherently bad, and in fact some would argue that it is a necessary evil, but most people will also admit that your debt has to have a realistic ratio to your income.  Lately I've been more worried about mine, but even more so about the debts that my kids have and where it will fall against their incomes. 

     You've probably guessed already that I'm not talking about personal debt, but about our portion of the National Debt.  I think we've done a good job of showing our kids how to live within their means, how to be frugal and to look for deals, to save money for a rainy day and to put off purchases until you can truly afford them.  If you know either of our 2 adult children, you've more than likely seen evidence of this.  I'm proud that we did this, but we have also taught

them to be patriotic and how great of a country the U.S. is, and in some respects, we may have done them a disservice on the latter point.  You see, if they choose to stay in this country, they will inherit a soul crushing National Debt and it's getting worse all the time.  See the chart on the right that illustrates what the National Debt is as a percentage of our GDP.  Would you have thought this was twice as bad now than during the Great Depression?  It's a sobering thought.  This morning, according to US Debt Clock
my portion of our National Debt is $50,015.  I say sobering thought because I must have been really drunk because I don't even remember borrowing that money, and yet I owe it.  It actually gets about 3 times worse than that, if I consider that that figure is my debt as a citizen, but not my debt as a taxpayer in the U.S.

     If I look at my debt as an income taxpayer, I owe $138, 187.   What ?  How in God's name did my debt go up almost three times in the space of one paragraph?  Because the U.S. income taxpayer is a dying breed

that I, unfortunately, am a part of.  Currently non-taxpayers outnumber us at a ratio of almost 2 to 1. There are approximately 313,000,000 people living in the US currently, and of those approximately 113,000,000 pay Federal Income tax.  I can see how little babies can't really contribute, I'd give them a year or two, but what about the rest of those guys, how come they are not paying something at least?  I'm sorry to say it, but it's the tax breaks that we hear so much about.  Both President Bush and President Obama have enacted legislation that have taken more and more people off the Federal income tax rolls.  Just a scant decade or so ago, only 27% of households were exempt from Federal Income taxes, and now it's 47%. mainly due to tax breaks.  Scared yet?  It gets even worse for my poor kids.

     You see they live in the US, but they also live in NY state and are subject to NY State tax laws too.  If we look at the State debt, their portion adds another $15,000 a piece to their debt, and that is as a citizen, not as

a taxpayer.  Figures weren't readily available for how many New Yorkers were State taxpayers, but I'm scared to know considering we have over 3 million food stamp recipients out of a total population of 19 million people.  My best guess puts my children's debt load now at $180,000 each right now.  Take a breath, it's not all bad, they will probably get great jobs since they both plan on finishing college, but wait, that actually is a whole new problem in itself. The student loan debt in the US has risen over 500% in the last decade.  See the chart on the left for an illustration.  What is really scary is that the blue line below it is for all other debt during that time, and it's not like a lot of folks were socking away money while the housing bubble burst.  My family has done a good job of keeping our college loan debt down, but I hear scary figures from folks all the time that make me shudder and no one seems to be keeping their eye on the ball. 

     This blog could go on all day talking about the money that my kids do get to keep and how much less it buys.  Need a quick lesson?  Go to a grocery store where some of the staples have doubled in price in the

last 10 years and will do so again in under 5.  $3 loaves of bread, $5 ground beef, $4 gallons of milk, all coming and coming quickly.  It will cost you more if you have to actually drive there.  With gas pricing at $4 a gallon and rising, the impact of the this on my kid's expendable income will be staggering.  I'm betting that they will stay home a lot.  A lot of factors go into these increases, but our support of ethanol rates right up there.  It's pricy, it's bad, it hurts our engines, and is not better for the environment, just more expensive.  Oh, and it makes all of our food cost more, but sure let's make more of that too.   I've only talked taxes in this blog, but I could write a whole other blog on the fees we pay now and their record increases.  The costs of obtaining and keeping a license have increased exorbitantly and that's just the first example.  I'd tell my kids to hunt for their food, but that's far from free now too and increasing more each year.  Drink to relax, and you'll pay more taxes, Smoke to relax and you'll pay even more.  I really need to stop before I stress myself out.  I'd highly recommend that each of you take a look at the debt clock that I attached earlier, but be quick, my debt went up $10 since I started to write this blog.  I'm sorry kids. 

Not to be an alarmist, but.....

     I set my alarm clock for 3:00 this morning, but I actually never heard it go off.  I've got a great sense of time and an internal clock that is pretty clued in, so I went years before I ever heard what my alarm sounded like.  I only have to think of the time I want to get up and I generally will wake up a few minutes prior to that time, and I

turn off the alarm before it rings, and then get up.  I do the same with wake up calls, but I'll sometimes not wake up prior to those coming.  I think it has something to do with the physical act of setting the alarm, and then my brain records it as the time I need to get up too.  I'm not sure how common a thing this is, and I'd love to hear from you all as to your morning routines.   I do try and maintain some type of schedule at home and this does help.  I'll generally go to bed around 10 and read for 15-30 minutes.  I don't have trouble falling asleep so I'm out a few minutes after I put my book down.  I'm a firm believer in the 90 minute REM cycle, so I'll try and set the alarm to approximate that.  So it's a fair statement to say that I've rarely heard my alarm, but I can't say the same about my wife's.

     Now, don't get the impression that my wife sleeps through her alarm or anything of that sort.  As a matter of fact the reason I started rising at 4:30 am was that it suited her work schedule at that time, and I kind of liked getting less sleep.  I find little value in it, and I am able to accomplish a lot more by adding a few extra

Yup, I sleep through this.

hours each week to my day.  She, on the other hand, likes her sleep, so it was a sacrifice that she made for the family to rise each morning, that early, and go right to work.  She generally got up shortly after her alarm went off, and I've never known her to hit the snooze and go back to bed.  I often wonder when the snooze button was added to alarm clocks?  When did we start having to give 2nd chances just for getting up in the am?  Her work schedule had changed now, so there isn't the need to get up so early, so we've both compromised and now get up around 5, but the funny thing is, when she sets the alarm, I never get up before I hear it go off, and actually have been known to sleep through it.  I find that so odd.  I'm a disciplined person, but somehow letting my wife set the alarm apparently relieves me of all responsibilities associated with it.  Weird huh?  When I was an active volunteer fireman in town, I'd awake when my pager went off and before the big siren in town did.  Now, however, I'm not on the active rolls and I've actually

Mmmm, Corn Pops.....

slept through the siren, and it's only 4 backyards away from me. It's probably not a whole lot different than when we had babies in the house.  If I knew I wasn't on the late night feeding duty, I'd never hear the baby crying.  A lot of ladies probably think that we do that kind of thing on purpose and just pretend to be sleeping, but speaking for me only, I don't.  I can't tell you the number of times I've gotten up in the am only to find out my wife had been up with a sick child.  "Really"?, I'll say, "4 times, you got up with him?" slurping my Corn Pops, "I never heard a thing".

     This weekend I went to Buffalo NY with my Scout Troop and slept on the USS Little Rock with about 17 others crammed into a small berth. As you can imagine we had the constant squeaks from the metal frames, some snoring from a few adults, whispers between the Scouts and of course, I slept through it all.  We had reveille at 06:00 and while they were wiping the sleep tears from their eyes, I decided to go down and volunteer to serve in the chow line.  If you are not a happy

The Little Rock, I highly recommend an overnight encampment

morning person, we should probably never rent a vacation house together.  I normally snap awake and start some activity pretty soon afterwards, and yes, I've been known to even whistle while doing it.  I wonder how many people reading this blog early Tuesday morning with their first cup of coffee, just groaned "Oh God !".  That's me, bringing people back to religion since 2010, you're welcome. I'm got to start to finish now and head to the airport (Well why did you think I was up at 3?, I'm not a nut you know).  It's a short flight but maybe I'll catch a cap nap during it, cuz I can sleep on planes too. Just a few weeks ago, I awoke mid-drool on a flight, I was that sound asleep (I wonder when I'll lose that ability, to awake before the drool hits my shirt?).  I'll be back in a few days, but don't bother setting an alarm, I've got that covered.

Travel Log - Getting to know Halifax Nova Scotia

     I get to Nova Scotia a few times a year, so I've had the pleasure of spending time in Halifax about half a dozen times or so now.  That's probably enough to give you an idea of what the place is like and of a few places you should go if you ever get there.

     If you fly into Halifax and have to go through an airport the first thing you are going to notice are the smiles. Our TSA manual must come with instructions on scowling and grunting, but Canadian Security doesn't feel that surliness has to go hand in hand with airport security.  It makes a big difference and people are nicer about having to have their privacy limited, if approached with a smile.  Pay attention next time you are in an airport in the U.S.  and think about how much smoother it would go, if only security acted civilly towards the flyers.  You'll notice if for sure when you go through a Canadian airport.When I make this trip I generally drive over the border and fly in country, to avoid the customs hold up at the end.  I like WestJet better than Air Canada, but they both have good service records.  The drive from the airport takes about a half hour, so the town is pretty convenient to the airport.

     If you are going to stay over, I'd recommend getting a hotel by the harbor (Canadians would spell this

The Five Fisherman

harbour).  The hotels down there tend to be higher end, like full service Marriott's and Westin's, but it's worth it for the proximity to everything.  Find the best deal you can but be prepared to spend about $200 per night.  If you stay down there most of the hot spots are walkable then.  I know my favorite restaurant is, it's called the Five Fisherman.  They have great fresh seafood, a varied menu and an unlimited mussel bar where you can enjoy fresh mussels with butter, garlic butter, marinara, or roasted red pepper sauce. I've never gone to Halifax without a stop at the Five Fisherman.  This last time they were running a menu from the original Titanic, which was pretty cool, and I learned that the building had been a funeral home 100 years ago when the Titanic sank and they helped prep the bodies for burial.  The Five Fisherman is a little pricey but I think it is worth it, I had oysters last time that were as fresh as if you dug them yourself.  They know how to cook seafood, so save up your money for a trip here. 

The Mussel bar 

     If you want a less expensive option, there are a lot of other good choices, and they are all right in the neighborhood.  The best street for these is Argyle Street which is about 2 blocks up from Upper and Lower Water Streets and runs parallel with the harbor.  There is a really unique place up there called "The Economy Shoe Shop".  The Shoe Shop is an eclectic place that is actually about 4 places in one.  The menu is simpler and be prepared for slow service, but if you want to chill for a while in a cool place, this is the spot.  It's not unusual to have celebrity sitings here, and there is always something going on.  Try a couple of the rooms out as they all have a different feel. One has cubbyholes cut into the wall and another opens up to in indoor atrium.  I always have a drink at least at this place just to see what is happening there that night.  Another happening spot is on Spring Garden Road and it's called "Your Father's Mustache" The food is decent there, and they have a rooftop bar that can be pretty fun.  I have also had drinks

The Economy Shoe Shop

and fun at the Lower Deck which is on the waterfront.  They have live music often and it's a nice spot to have a beer and relax by the water.  There probably is a bad restaurant in Halifax, but I've never found it.  You'll notice that the portions in Canada are about a third smaller than the US, which is probably why they don't have obesity issues.  Once you get used to these "right-sized" portions, you'll probably enjoy them more, but it's a little shock to get served in Canada after coming from the U.S. 

     There is a casino called Casino Nova Scotia right on the water and you can spend some time there.  There are plenty of unique shops to look through and browse.  There are parks and a Maritime museum that are all walkable from the downtown area.  I like to try the local food items and in Halifax fresh fish is king, but there is also a menu item called a Donair that is unique to the Maritimes.  It's a lot like a gyro, but it's made from beef and it is served with a sweet white sauce that I've only ever seen in Halifax.  I'm not a fan of the sauce, but try it and you may be.  The locals put the sauce on fries and other things, but I can't get over the sugar.  They carve it off the spit and then re-heat it a little and serve it on a pita, flat-bread or tortilla.  The guy that invented 
it opened up his shop and fittingly called it "The King of Donairs"  Try to get there, you might as well taste it from the original. 

My Titanic dinner, salmon, fingerling potatoes, stuffed squash

I should finish the blog now and you are probably saying, "Does this guy do anything but eat?"  Well, I really don't.  I like to check out the local culinary scenes and since I travel for work, it really doesn't leave a lot of time for sightseeing. If you go, you'll see more during the day than I ever do, but at least you know where to go now at night.  Who knows, you might even catch me out on one of my trips.  I'll buy a round if you do. 

It's a short one (That's what she said)

     No apologies for the length, that's not my style.  I'll just give you the best I've got this week, like always, and hope you come away satisfied... 

     It's a labor of love this blog, but as you are aware, if you are a regular reader, once I've made a commitment, I don't generally shirk from it.  I've never missed a Tuesday deadline in the almost 2 year history of this blog, and I'm not going to start now, however, this one might be shorter than the usual posts, just not a lot of time on my plate this week.  I had to start this week by traveling to Ottawa on Sunday, so that I could fly into Halifax.  I take the 4 hour drive so that I can take a direct flight and avoid customs after landing, plus it eliminates the 2 hour pre-

flight requirement for traveling internationally, well because I'm not.  I'm driving internationally and flying in country.  Unfortunately that meant I missed church on Sunday.  I don't like that. I mean, I like that they serve snacks and drinks on the plane, mid-flight, church could use that, but I don't like to miss church.   Like I said earlier, once I've made a commitment, I don't generally shirk from it, and church is both a commitment and something that I need and enjoy. Worse yet, when I went to leave I had accidentally left my lights on in the car and consequently had to leave my wife with a car with a dead battery and I took hers (Thanks Honey!).   I actually drove to Ottawa Ontario, flew to Halifax, Nova Scotia and drove to Moncton New Brunswick, so technically in a few hours I was in one US State and 3 Canadian Provinces and I missed church. Do you ever get the feeling that you are traveling, but either not going anywhere, or surely headed in the wrong direction?  Yeah, me too, but nevertheless that was Sunday the start to my week.

     I'd love to tell you about the beautiful city of Moncton, but by the time I got done traveling there, I had enough time to work out at the Hampton, and then eat at a local chain restaurant. Sometimes traveling is like that, some of the best cities look like the inside of an exercise room to me.   I saw signs for moose on the way there, but no actual ones (my two friends Daphne and Andrea just said, "Big Deal, we see them all the time").  I do know that

the city lies near the geographic center of the Maritimes in Canada so they nicknamed it "The Hub City".  Before I traveled there I had only heard of it once and that was while watching an episode of the Twilight Zone entitled "The Odyssey of Flight 33" where a plane goes back in time and Moncton is one of the airports that they try to repeatedly contact.  I've also heard the story of how they named the city after a British Colonel who took over the fort there, but due to a clerical error mis-named the city (His name was Monckton).  For future reference, if you are ever thinking of naming a city after me, it's spelled "OnGion", and I'd appreciate it if you get it right.  I worked a food show the next day there and drove the 2.5 hours back to Halifax that night.  Next time I'll spend more time there.  While at the show, I discovered that I had customers in a Province that I didn't even know on Prince Edward Island.  They finished a bridge over to there about 15 years ago, which makes it a lot easier to get products there.  They were nice folks that I met and it's no wonder that PEI is nicknamed "The Gentle Island".

     This am I am working in Halifax NS, and hope to see some more of this city. I've been here a half dozen times now and it is very pretty, although, if you've been to Northern Maine, it looks a lot like that.  The area is known for a historical event from WWI especially, and that was, it had the largest explosion in it's harbour, on the planet up until the first A-bomb was detonated.  A munitions ship ran into an aid ship in the narrow part of the harbour

The 1100 lb anchor shaft from the Mont Blanc

and the explosion that followed blew up the northern part of the town and killed 2000 residents.  An anchor shaft from the munitions ship, the Mont Blanc, was found almost 2.5 miles away from the explosion and is still there today.  It weighs over 1100 lbs.  The next day they had a blizzard and surrounding cities rushed to their aid.  The city of Boston MA helped so much, that to this day, Halifax still sends a Christmas tree to the Boston Commons each year to say thanks.  They repaid the favor on 9-11 by taking in 40 planes that had nowhere to go after we locked the country down.   Nice folks up here too. I'm not going to say anything more on this city as it's cool enough to rate it's own future blog, but that is where I'll be today.

     I'll finish this week with a simple thank you for your continued readership.  Last week's blog had 548 views, but interestingly enough not a single comment (on the blog itself).  Sometimes that function gets wonky, so I never truly know how folks feel about a particular blog or whether all the hits are accidental.    I went out Friday night in Canandaigua and was approached by 2 faithful readers (Thanks Val and Deb!), and they mentioned that week's blog and their appreciation for my efforts each week.  That answered my burning question of that week, and put a little spring in my step for the rest of the night.  Keep reading please, even if I do phone it in once in a while.