Rainy Day Blues

Well, I am back in NH. My time with the boys from Mass is now on hold until 2ND class school in next July/August. I must say, last week's course in 'Basic Electricity' pretty much sucked. I think we were all in agreement that it was a complete and total waste of time. The material was lacking and the instructors....well, can you say WALL-EYE?


So, today I am back with the local boys...it is raining and we are struggling to keep the blood flowing. This is what happens on weather days when there are no outages. Like watching paint dry. I can't wait for the weather to clear so I can do more of this:



Bapple & I got a foliage ride in this weekend. Her first time hitting 90MPH on her bike...... All I can say is that she was trying to keep up. Oh well, I need to go do something, my days of getting paid to be on a computer are long gone.

“I think we should take Iraq and Iran and combine them into one country and call it Irate. All the pissed off people live in one place and get it over with.”---Denis Leary

10/8/2007...2:01PM

A long break....again

So,I am back for a minute. I get real busy, then I am side tracked.....Adult on-set ADD. Oh well, when I was a kid ADD was called just being a brat.

So, I am back to Mass, daily hangin' with my buddies from the "flat land". We spent 2 weeks in 3RD Class Lineman school, and now we are all in "Basic Electricity"....pretty boring when we were all electricians and have been through this all before.






This is coming directly of a weekend that was the semi-annual "Guy's fishin' trip". This is where we go into the White Mtns for 4 days and damage or livers. Pretty fun! My buddy Father Time brought his new smoker/cooker he built, that is mounted to a trailer. You could say we ate like kings for 4 days!!!




Ok, I have to do my football picks for week 7, I am having a really bad season thus far!!

"I feel sorry for people who don't drink. They wake up in the morning and that's the best they're going to feel all day."
Dean Martin.



10/2/2007...6:20PM

I am back....

span style="font-family:arial;">Ok, so it has been a few weeks and I know I have a boat load of things to talk about, so here it goes:



1. When I came back from Lineman School a few weeks ago, I asked Bapple to marry me. For those of you that have known me for a long time, you will know that a few years ago, I was as far from ever wanting to get married as possible. Ahhh, how the seasons have changed. I am a very happy person (for the most part, I am still an a-hole on certain, stubborn issues) and it is largely due to Bapple in my life.





2. Father Time had his annual pig roast. Always a good time. I get to see alot of people I have not seen in a years time.









3. The Justin Rollins Memorial Ride was a great time and a huge success for the scholarship fund in his honor. I would say around 200-250 motorcycles were on this ride. It was great to see so many to turn out in honor of those who give their lives for our freedom.



5. Stormy weather..... for 2 weekends in a row we were hit by nasty weather. High winds & lightning that wreaked havoc with the power lines. Weekend 1 we worked from 8PM Thursday night to 9PM Saturday night for initial storm restoration. The following week consisted of 10-12 hour days cleaning up loose ends. THEN this past Saturday night, a nasty lightning storm blew through around 6PM....(mind you I had put on around 250 miles on the Harley, in the blazing heat during the day) so at 8PM, I was called into work and worked straight through until 2:30PM Sunday. I am ready for some rest.....for real! Oh yeah, did I mention that somewhere in all these days that I managed to get bit by a frigin dog while working....WTF?



I have also been fortunate enough to stay in touch with a buddy from lineman school. The guy made me laugh on a daily basis at school, so it is nice to be able to talk to someone who is in the same occupational level that I am currently on!! In 2 weeks I will be back at school for 2 weeks, and I am hoping that I get a chance to go out and smash back a few drinks with these guys!!





Ok, I have typed way more than I can usually stand, so.......



Remember to put the seat up, especially after 3 cocktails... 5:30PM 8/28/07

Coming to a close....

Well, after 2 months of hot, exhausting training here in Mass, my time here is over tomorrow. I am very excited and saddened at the same time. I have made some good friends down here as we all had to go through a very challenging regiment to see if we were capable of being linemen. If it wasn't for being away from Bapple & having to live in a hotel, this would be a great thing to have to do every day. I get to come back in a few weeks for 2 more weeks of 3RD Class lineman school, after that...2 years.

Oh well. It will be nice to get to the Harley on a daily basis again. Bapple will now be riding next to me instead of behind me now that she has bought her own bike. Let's see how she does, if she can run with the big dogs.

---8/10/2007 2:45PM

Hurricane Hudsons.....

My second Family....the Hudsons....were all in the area for the celebration of 'Big R's' life and what a wonderful person he was. Naturally, we celebrated like it was 1990 all over again. I had the privilege of socializing with all them all. I got to see Jen & Mike with their 2 sons TJ & Dylan, Darrell & Tina with their daughter LA, Gladys (who when seeing me gave me a great big bear hug!), of course Dad & Mom (Big D & Chris), and the Austin family in it's entirety...4 generations worth!! I was even privileged enough to meet some new faces, like cousin Zippy. This guy was right up my alley....biker, tattoos, warped sense of humor....he was great!
It was a good time to talk about the old days and the present days AND drink many beers. It is always nice to see how people have changed, and how they can be the same. It is too bad that it sometimes takes a tragedy to get us all together. I need to work on being in touch with all theses people a little more so than I do. Especially Gladys, she is such a sweet heart! I also got the chance to introduce all these people to Bapple (Angie). That was of utmost importance to me, that the people I grew up with and care about meet the one I care for now.
Ok, enough of this, too sappy.
Gotta run.

--smell ya later 4:44PM 8/2/2007

My friend "Big R"

This past Friday I was sad to learn that a person who was part of my second family growing up, passed away. Ray Hudson, aka 'Big R', was a father and grandfather to a family I spent most of my teen years with. I looked at Big R like my own Grandpa at times and I'll be damned if he did not try at times to keep Little D & I in line when we were in our wild and crazy days. I can't count the number of times we would roll into Ray & Glady's at all hours of the night and commence to munchie time, or awaken Grandpa for a ride back to Goshen, or a myriad of other things we would do. God, we were a major pain in the ass. Big R never held a grudge about it either. Once in awhile we would get a talking to from Big D or Chris about not bothering the grandparents with our all hours habits we used to have. We would chill for a day or two, then all would be well. I can't recall a time when you were not welcome in Ray & Gladys, and for that, I was extremely grateful.

Ray is now in a better place where life's physical sufferings are no more. Good bye Big R, and God bless you.

You thought last week was rare...

I am now on the hotel PC because I left Bapple's lap top with her. After all, I did buy it for her.

Had a great weekend. Went for a ride with Chris aka.."Dogga"... on Saturday, and then with Bapple on Sunday. About 400miles on the Harley this weekend. My Arse was a little sore. I need to order up a better seat.

Talked with my old high school chum Darrell on Friday afternoon on my 2HR commute home. He is coming back to the area on from 8/6-8/10 and unfortunately my fat ass will still be down here in Taxachussetts

for the week. That pretty much sucks ass.

I found a house I really like back home in Lebanon. I am doing my best to try and sell Bapple on it, at least to take a look. I found one in Grantham I like too, but she was none to apprehensive on that either. Oh well.

Anyway, I am typing fast and probably making a thousand mistakes that my Baps can correct. I really want out of this little room. So, for now....

Nanoo, nanooo.........shazbut. 5:23PM 7/23/2007

WHHHHEEEEW......

Fast forward to Monday.

What a fast weekend!!! I swear it was like 5 minutes long. I got my CD player replaced in my car Friday while typing my last post, then I hauled ass up to Newport to pick up Brent & go to my place where he, Bapple & I waited for Kara to go out for a beer & a bite. We had fun, ending the evening with watching RENO 911: the Uncut Movie. Pretty funny flick, and pretty tasteless....I loved it. Brent & Kara spent the night because she had to work in the morning and she works less than a minute from our house.

This lead to Saturday, where Bapple & I had to baby sit Brent until Kara got out of work at 1PM. When they left it was HARLEY time. A quick wash & buff to my car & my bike and we were off. We ended up stopping in South Sutton to visit with my old friends....the Gallaghers. I had not seen Jean or Scott in 4 years. Scott also bought a Harley this year....another riding buddy.

We then headed up to Sunapee & drove by my family's old house on Bradford RD. The guy who bought finally put some effort into it and fixed up the entire property. The last time I saw it, it was a complete shambles. There are a few high end homes up the town road that used to be our driveway now....pretty weird shit.

Anywho, I am now back in Auburn, Massachusetts. Training, training, and more training. Showing the world that a fat man can climb 40' poles and work the job as good as any skinny puke out there..... bite me!

7:48PM 7/16/2007

One day left......TFG... wait, I am done.

This whole working for a living thing is for the birds. Why couldn't I have been one of those blessed souls that was born into money. You know "Mummy, I am going to take the Jag out for a little toot." Look like one of those Thurston Howell looking MF'ers.



I guess my cat sucks too, according to Bapple.

1 day later.........

Ok, so I lost interest yesterday in writing in this blog and stopped. Shoot me! My week is now ALMOST over. I have now made my way from Millbury, MA to the waiting room at the service department at IRA Toyota in Manchester, NH. I am getting the CD player replaced in my new car, the old one decided to shit the bed under the extreme heat of two weeks ago. So, after this, an hour drive, then I am home.... for 2 whole days. Then back to Mass for what I have been told will be 'Hell Week 2'. Don't they ever get tired of kicking the living shit out of me down there?
~Apparently not~

Live loud, rock hard. -- 3:23PM 7/13/2007

For some reason, I can't get the 'Title' space to work tonite on Blogger. Anyway, I am back. Sorry I slacked, as if anybody reads this anyway.

I am back in Mass for training...again. It is rough after having a week off. We are doing things on a much harder level now and the heat & humidity is crazy. We had 94 degrees at 2PM today with almost 100% humidity. I thought I was going to pass out today at one point when I finished my morning tasks. Unreal.

Tonite to kill time, I just went to see the Transformers movie.

I was worried that it would suck. The last toy phase of my youth was the Transformers. They were still going strong when I stopped playing with toys. I remember watching the cartoon in like 7th & 8th grade. Any way, I went to this really AWESOME theatre down here in Mass with stadium seating and DTS. The movie was great!! I highly recommend. Great story.

Anyway, I am pretty beat.

Smell ya later.... 9:32PM 7/10/2007

Wells, ME was a great.

What a great night away. We had a blast with Brent & Kara, even if it was just for one night. We had a great dinner, followed by many, many drinks. We then decided to annoy everyone around us in the hotel as we sat up until 2AM laughing like a bunch of idiots. Brent seems to create fun where ever he goes.

The next day we got up & Brent decided to drive my new car all over the place up there. We went to an old stone church, onto a beach we were not supposed to, and by George Bush's compound. Bapple & I ended up or day at the Kittery Outlets and then headed home just in time for the rain.

Yesterday we spent the day in Manchvegas while my car was having a glitch corrected. We went motorcycle shopping for Bapple & spent a few hours with her niece Anna & her brother Kyle. It was nice, relaxed, and pleasant.

On a more negative note, which is more my style, I did notice the OVER ABUNDANCE of cops out on the roads yesterday still trying to fill their holiday quotas. Sorry people were in control for the 4TH boys, maybe next year you can come up with better bullsh!t reasons to pull people over.

Oh well, I am going now to enjoy another beautiful day.

Hasta la pasta. 9:25AM 7/6/07

WOW.....I AM ON VACATION....

So here we are...Bapple & I are in Wells, ME waiting for the arrival of our friends Brent & Kara. We are only here for one night and as usual the Internet has booked us in a "Roach Motel", but we will not let that get in our way of having fun. I need these next 5 days to unwind before heading back to school for the next six weeks.

I was a little let down at work this week. We had a couple of jobs where I could have used my new found climbing skills and as usual, the old boy regime at work kept me grounded as Mr.Useless. It sucks. I need to do something. I should not complain, I make alot of money to be told to do nothing and I don't work half as hard as I have at school. Roll with the punches, I know. C'est la vie.

Oh well, I need to get off this thing and go do something, see ya!

Remember..."The vette gets them wet" --Bill Paxton-True Lies 8:28PM 7/3/07

Rest Time...

So, I have lapsed for a few days. I did finish week 2 and made it back north for a total relaxing weekend. I did make it out for a great bike ride on the Harley with Bapple, Father Time, Gravy Boy, & Dogga. Dogga (C. Curtis) got a new '07 Harley Deuce so it was time to break it in. We did.

As far as this week goes, I am off from my Lineman training for the holiday week. I worked back at my local area today & realized everything was still as whacked as it was when I left a few weeks ago, I just happened to be 10 LBS lighter.

Tomorrow for the 4TH holiday we are heading to Wells, ME with Brent & Kara for the night & then, weather permitting hooking up with the group on the Harley for an extensive holiday ride.

Oh well,

Take it easy, don't be sleazy.... 6:41PM 7/2/07

If you dont know...

It is THIRSTY THURSDAY and I will be completely honest, I am pretty thirsty. Too bad the beers don't go with the diet.

Another hot one out there today, just not as humid. More work today of doing thins the hardest way possible. We have to learn methods of the 'Old School' way of doing electrical line work before they teach you the new, modern era way. It kind of sucks.

About noon today, half of the class was called back to their working platforms or districts due to extreme thundershowers approaching. Do you think my shop called Jimmy & I....... nope.Up there, we are still lower than whale shit. Unlike other districts that use their apprentices fully, Lebanon labels their apprentices "broken shovels" and choose not to let you do much at all. I am learning that the guys in my class have been in the company half the time I have and have been allowed to do a hell of alot more.

Now most people would be content being the broken shovel, but I hate sitting around watching others, or being cradled by the senior guys. Give me something to do damn it. It is why I show up everyday.

Oh well, today's venting was brought to you by the letters 'P, V, & Q' and the number '4' .......5:12PM 6/28/07

"......how 'bout this HEAT?!?!?"

".....I'm an asshole, eee-ole, eee-ole!"----Denis Leary

A great comedy DVD by the way. My friend Lunchbox treats it like holy doctrine.

Today was hazy, hot, & humid. Air quality.....totally piss-poor.

Not the day I wanted to be in full gear in the blazing sun, climbing & working up & down utility poles. Two more days, twomore days, twomoredaze. Whoah! My head just nodded off, a quick pivot & I am right back in.

I am supposed to be going out for a bit tonite with another guy down here from home who is here for a different training.....Jimmy. Jimmy is a hot shit who cracks me up. We went out one night last week & he took me to a bar that should have given you a tetanus shot with your drink. Big dive and I am not talking skydive.

Oh well, not much to ramble on about...too hot.

Keep it under a hundred.... 5:01PM 6/27/07

A Day of Mixed Feelings...

It is a hot day, it is a sad day, it is a happy day.





First, I find it to be sad because of the tragic news of pro wrestler Chris Benoit. It was sad enough to hear of his passing, but now to hear of the news of him murdering his wife and young son...... unfathomable. (For those of you who know me, I used to be a big fan of WWF/WCW wrestling for many years. Now I am more of a closet fan as I do not give it the time I used to.) Here was a wrestler who was phenomenal at what he did. I liked to watch the 'Canadian Crippler' in the ring. He was a little guy in a world of giants and he was tough as nails. But it seems in the end that steroids have taken its toll. As they do with all these guys (A little over a year ago, years of steroids claimed Eddie Guerrero---the other guy in the above picture.) Lyle Alzado (Of Oakland Raiders fame) died from a brain cancer that resulted from massive steroid abuse. Many wrestlers have died early due to abuse.....hearts giving out, other drug abuse, rage. It is a shame. Chris Benoit definitely drew the black curtain over the great career he had in his final, desperate hours.




Onto other things....TODAY WAS HOT!!! tomorrow.....even hotter. Can you say "suck"? I can! Unpleasant...oh yeah...let's wear canvas pants, long sleeve shirts, and leather gloves and go climb some utility poles!!!





The happy news is that I have next week off from Mass and I have a 5 day weekend for the 4TH..... time to ride!!!





Bundle up, it's a scorcher!!! 6:03PM 6/26/07

Monday...STARDATE -315518.55

For real, I went to the Stardate website to find it.

I have returned to where the world is Flat. Hell week is over, but the pain still rears it's ugly head. It is something in the shoulder now. The price of getting old.

I had a great weekend, a short weekend, but great non the less. Bapple & I took the bike up through Franconia Notch. Had lunch, and learned that you now have to PAY to see the bears at Clark's Trading Post. What a bunch of shit that was!

If you are not familiar with Clark's, it is a Family run place that has been around for a long time. They have wild bears (all the same family of bears) that for generations come there all summer and do tricks & stuff and in the winter, they are released back in the wild to hibernate. These bears return to this place on their own accord. Well, when I was a kid, you drove in and could look down into their pen from the parking lot and send food into them. There was a gumball machine there filled with feed and you put it in the can and lowered or raised it to the bear via pulley. This is gone now. Where you used to look in is all boarded up. This is so you go pay the $18 to get into their growing amusement park. Needless to say I was thoroughly disappointed to see yet another thing from my youth GONE!

Any way that's enough ranting.

Live long & prosper. 5:48PM 6/25/07

Hell Week....over

Well, I made it. It was perhaps the hardest thing I have ever done to myself physically. I pushed hard on Friday (day 5) to pass all that was asked of me & even went the extra mile when I was told I did not have to.

My instructors, both hardened & seasoned Linemen, told me that I had worked the hardest and surprised even them with how much I changed in 5 days to keep up physically with the itinerary.

I don't take pride in a lot of things, I am sort of a 'Negative Nelson' person, but I must say, I am real proud of achieving something that not many people can. Skydiving and Climbing school in less than a week of each other. Today is Saturday, I am home for the weekend.....VERY tired, but very happy to be home with my Bapple.

Keep it in your sneaker. 12:56PM 6/23/2007

Day 4..almost home...for 2 days

Well, today was.....less involved than I thought it would be. I did complete my check list & after tomorrow I should be 100% complete with 'Hell week'.



My 'big boss' showed up here in Mass today with the rest of my gear..... the same gear I needed all week. I have gotten through 'Hell week' on borrowed gear.

He talked with the trainers that said my effort was 150% and even though I was not the fastest, agile guy there, I was very capable of finishing the next 7 weeks after this.



Not bad for a fat guy.... a fat guy who shed 4 pounds so far..... 7 weeks more of this...watch out!!



Oh well, it's late.



I'm out... 10:07PM 6/21/07 Summer Solstice

Day 3.... Forging ahead....

I'll be quite honest with you. If you ever told me 10 years ago that I would be at a training facility climbing 40-45' wooden poles, I would have laughed you out of the room!!! Although, 10 years ago I weighed 185lbs, and was in alot better shape. Two & a half years behind a desk did me NO justice what-so-ever.

Today:
Well, it took me 30 minutes to get out of bed. I could barely move. Last nite, it took me forever to fall asleep due to the strong sent (which still hangs in this room) of 'Ben Gay' & the 'Icy Hot' patches I was wearing.... which by the way really did not help with the pain.

The good news is that I did not fall today, the climbing seems to be moving better, the class is all starting to pull together, and the determination I have shown has impressed the instructors. Note: When you are one of the oldest, and heaviest students, you are watched closely to see if you can physically hack it. That is a question I ask myself daily..... especially when it takes 30 minutes to maneuver my body out of bed.

Oh well, 3 down.... 2 to go, then home for the weekend w/ Bapple...oh yeah, and Jinx.

Remember....
Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy. 5:02PM 6/20/07

Day 2 of Hell week

Well, it is only day 2 of climbing school and I feel like I have had my ass kicked. I hurt in places I did not think possible. It was a rough day, but I managed to complete a 'free climb' which is just with your hands & feet up a 40' pole, with no belt/strap around the utility pole. I must admit, I thought I was going to have a heart attack....no sh!t.

I did also manage to fall today.....again. I fell yesterday too.You see, we are tethered to the the pole top with a retractable lanyard that works like a seat belt. It is quite a pulse jump when you are falling and trying to catch yourself without getting splinters. In the end, the instructors asked if I wanted to come down to rest, but I went back up what I just fell down. At 250lbs, I have to show that I am trying harder than everyone else.

When the day is over, I have been trying a routine of treadmill, recumbent bike, swimming, & hot tub here at the luxurious 'Hampton Inn'. Right now I smell like 'Ben Gay' and feel like hell! I can't wait for this week to end.

Plus......I miss my Bapple.

Keep your thumb on it. 6/19/07 8:22PM

Hell week & The Dive.....

Well, why am I doing a 'Blog' you might ask? Well, I am pissing away my whole summer for the multi-billion dollar corporation that I work. Simply put, I am in what one could relate to as "Basic Training" for Linemen.

Note: I am in horrible shape & day one was a total hell. I fell from the top of a 40' Utility pole while tethers to the top. I caught myself after only 6 feet, but it really f-ing hurt. A 33+ year old, 250LB man is not meant for such physical feats....especially when it is 90 degrees out and we are required to wear long sleeves & pants with logger boots. ----When do I go to Iraq?

This past weekend--6/16/07..... my dearest Bapple (for those who know me...that is Angie) and the Morin's & I dove out of a plane at 14, 000 feet. Gravity took it's course. I have a great mind to make Skydiving a hobby. If I can shave 30-40LBS, I can get certified....It was a total rush!!

There are a few pics here from the event!

Oh well, I hope to update as often as possible from my training here in Millbury, Mass. I am here every Monday-Friday until mid-August. For now it is late, and I am sore....and beaten.

---Keep it real. 9:46pm 6/18/07