The Rookie Lineman's Log....without the peanutz!

I know, I know...Where have I been?

2008-10-19T12:22:00.003-04:00

Well, like the title says "where have I been?" I am sorry, apparently there are a few people that actually enjoy reading my random thoughts. Well, I guess I can come up with a few reasons why I haven't been on in awhile. One being I have just been lazy and two is the fear that I don't have that edge I used to. The ability to be fired up and passionate about writing things down here, in cyberspace, so let me explain why.

A few months ago I had to find a new physician. Mind you, my previous physician was my first primary care physician in 20 years and he decided to just up and move after a year of care....I sometimes have that effect on people. Anyway, I find a new doctor and have to start again at ground zero and build a new rapport with this guy. Now, I am not a big fan of doctors, just medication....that's a joke, kind of. So, I meet with my new doctor and we discuss my high blood pressure (thanks to my family for that little gift) and steps to keep it lower. Then I decide to bring up another bullet I have been dodging for 20+ years...my temper, which, from time to time, has been known to soar completely off the charts. I figured it might be a big plus in keeping my blood pressure down. I proceed to explain to my doctor that there are certain days that I wake up in the morning and just know what type of day I am going to have and what type of disposition I will have. Those that know me well and have had the esteemed privilege of living under the same roof as I do can vouch that I can be a real douche bag one day and a prince the next. I must admit, as I have gotten older, I have learned to harness that "power" and redirect to other outlets, one being ranting on this page. But, lately it had been becoming more and more difficult to hold back and keep it all in. I would sit at work in the morning, when we all tend to rib each other the most, and some days just feel like a volcano that is about to erupt. I realize with my temper and being 6', 250+...there is not going to be alot to do to stop my wrath if I decide to pop. So, I convey all this info to my doctor, who is just looking at me like I he is not surprised at all. Pretty odd, seeing at this point I have only known this guy for 10 minutes. So, he proceeds to explain what makes me angry and unreasonable from time to time. He tells me that I suffer from a condition that 1 in 5 males suffer from. That my brain either does not produce enough or burns through too quickly, this natural chemical called serotonin.
Wikpedia states that in the central nervous system, serotonin plays an important role as a neurotransmitter in the modulation of anger, aggression, body temperature, mood, sleep, sexuality, appetite, and metabolism.

This explains alot...really.

So, I immediately receive a prescription for a wonder pharmaceutical called Zoloft. Now I am convinced that I am a head case. So, I begin to take this medication and I must admit that within 2 weeks, I noticed a change. things were not jagging me quite as easy. Now, a month and a half later, things really just roll right off my back. One of the biggest moments that I noticed this was out in traffic a week ago. I was in traffic, in a turning lane, yielding to turn across traffic, when I noticed this beat up Jeep driving erratically, coming straight for me. This guy is swerving all over the place and speeding. He then locks up his brakes and is driver's window to driver's window with me. Looks at me and screams "F--k you!", flips me off, and peels away just as fast as he arrived. What do I do? I laugh, right in the guy's face as he is telling me off for no apparent reason. AAHHHHHHHH, gotta love Zoloft. A month or two earlier, I would have chased the guy down, ran him off the road, pulled him from his car and beat him to a bloody mess....for real. But now...It's pretty f--ken' funny!

I was worried though that I would not have the passion to write something that would still keeping you all wanting more. There are quite a few people that have wrote to me and told me that this blog is quite entertaining and they enjoy reading it, so I will try to keep it going.

One thing that I am sick of is this election. I really hate talking politics because it is my belief that if you are a politician on any level, from municipal to congressional, you are a liar and will pretty much sell your soul for a vote. I don't care if you back Obama or McCain, both are full of false hopes and promises and like every other politician, will not do a minuscule fraction of what they are promising. I think this country is in for another big let down, and things are going to get alot worse before they get better. The outside world seems to be getting more violent and more extreme as time presses on. God bless our children and their futures, they will need all the help they can get.

Till the next time....

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." ---Voltaire (1694 - 1778)

Questions & comments? email: Michael.Perry@us.ngrid.com

Ok, so I lag, yet again....

2008-08-03T20:57:00.002-04:00

I hope everything is well with everyone.... I mean my 2 fans that actually read this tripe that I spew forth on this blog. It has been a very busy few weeks both in and out of work. I have managed to take a few minutes for myself here and there. A few quick personal updates.
Work, still the negative environment that everyone there seems to make it. What can I say other than our company is owned by the British, you know....bad teeth and a "Red Coat" business strategy....How did that work in 1776??
My wife....yeah, is the proud owner of a 2008 Harley Davidson Night Rod. The fastest production bike Harley makes. She even managed to get it BEFORE she was a legal rider. God bless her, my little law breaker, that's why I married her. I'll be quite honest with you, I rode the bike most of the first weekend,(while she was getting her licence) and the machine is EXTREMELY fast! It is safe to say I can, and probably will, be left in the dust on my Road King at any point in time now.

We also took a trip with the "crew" to the Harpoon Brewery Fest over in Windsor, Vermont last weekend. What can I say, beer & meat is the main theme of this event as dozens of cook teams show up from all over to cook meats. My non-beer drinking, vegetarian wife did not have as good of a time as myself and my red meat eating, beer guzzling constituates, but she persevered and overcame and all was well. We also saw my good friends Crispy & Corey over at the brewery. They were camped for the weekend to see her brother compete in the strongman competition the brewery sponsors during the festival. I must say if I had the option of drinking beer and eating barbecue or dead lifting 1000LBS in the hot sun, well, I guess you can figure out which I would prefer.
One thing I would like to rant about for a quick moment would be something I not only saw alot of at the Brew fest, but everywhere in general. I guess it is a sign of getting old, but I noticed that all of the tweens (18-28 year-olds) are all the same these days.... I mean every girl I saw looked like some dumb blond or brunette from one of these M-TV or VH1 shows. My God, I never thought "Stupid" would be in style, but low and behold, there it is. We are talking big 1970's sunglasses, cowboy boots, cut-off shorts and the shirt from the 1983 movie "Flash Dance". My wife watches this crap on TV called "The Hills" which is all about stupid kids with too much money and a whiny attitude and what kills me is this is what these kids strive for. As far as the guys are concerned, all I have to say is buy a belt for Christ sakes. I don't want to see your underwear. I mean these kids can buy pants now with the underwear sewn on the waist. It kills me. Yeah, we did some weird shit too, like rolling our pant cuffs. My wife constantly reminds me that tapered jeans like the Levis 550 Relaxed are not cool anymore. I just can't see wearing jeans that will hide most of my friggin' foot. I mean, how the hell will I know if my shoe is untied or not?
PPPHHHHEEWWWWW, ok I am done, sorry. I get a little carried away. If I could verbally express myself, my arms would be flapping all over the place and my face would be red.

Anyway, moving forward. We went to see the new "Dark Knight" movie in IMAX yesterday and I have to say it was as cool as I thought it would be. Every movie should be viewed in IMAX. If you have not been to an IMAX movie, start with this one. A 50'tall X 75' wide screen and luxury seats with no obstructed view....yeah, you can't compare. The movie itself, well, I am a biased super hero fan, so it was awesome. Heath Ledger's final performance as The Joker is certainly of Oscar caliber. We've come along way from the artsy-fartsy performance of Jack Nicholson in Tim Burton's 1989 version of Batman. Trust me, if you like a good action movie, go check it out. If not, oh well....stay home!

"It was on my fifth birthday that Papa put his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Remember, my son, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm.'"--- Sam Levenson (1911 - 1980)

I'm sorry, all I heard was......

2008-07-12T17:44:00.002-04:00

...."Blah, blah, blah, I'm a dirty tramp, blah, blah, blah."

Yeah, I have no idea what the hell I was thinking there other than that line from Adam Sandler's Mr.Deeds. I am a little daffy as of late having done nothing but WORK since my return from Massachusetts on June 23RD. It seems my company's new theme is that if there is a black cloud in New England, FEMA should be standing by. As the Northeast has been getting one rain pattern after another this summer, the powers that be at my place of employment find great joy of plucking it's employees from their personal lives to sit idly by and wait for power outages that never show up. I know, why am I bitching? It's free money, right? But the fact is, it gets old sitting around waiting. I have already donated the first three weeks of my summer to the company, why not more. Oh well. I have to admit though, on a day to day basis, the work has been alot more interesting and fun now that my qualifications have gone up.

I have also recently taken some time to re-establish a relationship with my older brother. You see, I come from the typical modern family of steps and half siblings. All told I have two older and one younger step siblings and three younger half siblings, two of which I have never met. Yup, gotta love it. The New American family at it's finest. This blog post would be tremendously long if I explained it all, so I will save the story for another time. Instead I will get back to my older bro. You see, my step siblings & I have been together since 1978. I was 5, younger bro was 3, older bro was almost 7 and older sis was almost 9. We have all been through alot together over the 30 years. Ups & downs, hurt feelings, anger, joy, a full gamut of emotions. We always remained close, despite distances and periods of time that separated us. About 5 years ago, my older bro called me with news of a life change for him that I was not happy about at the time. It had reminded me too much of the bullshit we had seen growing up. I was angry and I turned my back on him. I tried to stay in touch with his now ex-wife to make sure everything was ok with her & my nephew. I did this for a couple of years, until she met a decent guy and remarried. I was and still am happy for her, and decided that instead of being the awkward ex-brother-in-law, I would back away and let things go as they should and since lived my life with no real family action other than my wife's family. Last year, however, I reconnected with my younger step brother whom I had lost touch with just because we were going in separate directions & he lived 2000 miles away. Through Myspace, cell phones & text messaging, I talk to the little bastard all the time now, and it's great. It is from this that he started prodding me to quit being such a dick and talk to my older brother and after thinking about things and hearing how great things were going for him, I decided to try & make amends. To my surprise, there seemed to be no hard feelings at all. He is remarried, happy and has a step daughter and a beautiful newborn daughter.

All is well and he is anxious to re-establish our relationship. This is great and I look forward to it. It does make me think of another relationship with a friend of mine who is like a brother that is also strained and cut off. I wrestle with the notion that life is too short and I need to let by gones be by gones, but I am such a stubborn son of a bitch, I can't help it sometimes, you know? Is it wise to let shit go, even if you don't agree with it? It's like I sit back hoping for the worst so I can throw out the biggest "I told you so" I can deliver. It makes me feel horrible when I think about it, but it's how I am. Oh well, it is something I need to work on and perhaps I will.
Until the next time....

"To err is human; to forgive, divine."- Alexander Pope

The Sunapee House Saga...

2008-06-28T11:25:00.003-04:00

......it's off, it's on, it's off, it's on, and now it is off again permanently.

You know, people say there are a lot of headaches with owning a house and I think that all starts right with the buying process. For those of you that may not know, Bapple & I were in the process of buying a house in Sunapee. We signed a purchase and sales agreement a month ago when I went to school. This agreement was pending a septic & a home inspection. Well, we never made it to the home inspection part of it, the septic failed first. So, in haggling back & forth and with Bapple doing a lot of the leg work over 3 weeks, the owners had agreed to replace the septic(something they would need to do either way) at their cost. That is UNTIL there less than professional agent realized that her commission could grow and said we were taking advantage of the owner, and talked them into demanding $7K+ more on the agreed price (which means we are paying for a new septic). Well at this we have finally had enough of that bull sh!t and had our agent tell their agent to take a hike, we are all done. And you know what, say what you want about renting, but our place is not that bad, I am minutes from everything and with heating fuel prices the way they are and our heat is included..... I'll stay right here and save a few bucks in the process.

It has also been my first week back at work, albeit a short one, but long none the less. I return to my area a "rated man" which means all the 1ST Class lineman can now work the higher primary voltages with me on the ground as a set of eyes/rescue.
This means overtime, which except for horse shoe night at Maggot's, has been every night I have been back. So, if I am not buying a house I want.......

"Never hate your enemies. It clouds your judgement."-Michael Corleone, Godfather II

So it comes to an end...

2008-06-19T21:31:00.002-04:00

Well, this is my last night down here at 2nd Class lineman school and I will say that I am going to miss working with my buddies down here. It's nice to be around a group that is on the same playing field as you are. Don't get me wrong, I like the guys I work with in Lebanon, but I feel that most of them have been tainted with a little negativity that comes with age and having been in this trade for a long time.
The attitudes at home tend to wear on you after awhile. The daily "I missed this call last night" or "I got f-cked out of over time here" or "Management is trying to stick it to me there", these things set anyone into a great negative tailspin and it starts to reflect in other aspects of life.

You gotta check out Wingate, he climbed to management height:

Down here in Mass has been like a bit of a vacation work wise. The guy's keep it fun, we talk about pretty much everything, not just work, and it is a much lighter atmoshere. Perhaps we have not been soiled yet by the industry we or company that we have chosen to work for. I must say, I never see to many smiles from the people that have been at this trade or in this company for any lengthy amount of time. I hope my friends down here & myself, do not end up as hardened and bitter in the years to come. Believe me, the temptation to transfer to Malden to work with the boys is always on my mind. If I thought my wife would like it, I would consider it. Another downside is I would fall to the bottom of that work roster and have ALOT slimmer chance at crew leader pay in the future as I would in Lebanon, IF I decided to stay with the Grid.
I do get to go home to my Bapple, with whom I have a great time no matter what. She is the mainstay to helping me repel the negativity that I tend to gravitate to after a long day at work. I get to back home and possibly continue my house hunting? Yes, that's right, more house hunting. The house we are trying to get now just failed it's septic inspection and a new septic system is anywhere from $20-30K. It also will change the landscape of the yard if it is required to be a mound system. Which in tern will change the way the house lot drains itself. Not to mention hydroseeding if we want a lawn this year.
So it's all good, and I am going home refreshed, with somewhat of a more positive spin on things...lets see how long that lasts.

"I owe it all to little chocolate donuts." --John Belushi

Wow, it's been awhile...

2008-06-11T17:39:00.002-04:00

....And I can say that it has been VERY busy. I am presently back in Taxachusetts for another summer of fun, courtesy of my employer. This year it's not climb poles in the heat, it is wear a a bunch of layers, consisting of rubber, leather, & cotton and work in the hot sun. Hey, it's what we are all about. I must say, it is good to be back with the boys from Mass. We all operate well together, so well, that I am constantly beckoned to pack up my wife and transfer to Malden, MA so we can continue our daily rapport. Seeing that the wife & I are looking to buy a house up in NH, I don't think it is going to happen. Especially since her boss is in Malden.

We also have taken on a new member to our team here at lineman school. We have all grown to know him as "Joey" even though that is not his name. He is a cross between Joey Tribiani from "Friends"---mentally, and Joey Lawrence from "Blossom"/"Dancing w/ the Stars"--physically. Basically he is kind of a dumb ass and we have a great target for our humor.

Oh well, alot of other stuff has happened too, since my last post. Let's see, Father Time turned 40....old bastid.

Spring fishing trip came & went, we spent Memorial up at Lunchbox's camp in East Nowhere, VT.

My younger brother turned up last weekend from St. Louis, always a trip to see him.

And, like I mentioned earlier, Bapple & I have been on the house hunt, which the latest has us pointing back to my home town of Sunapee. Now, I have to admit, I am very mixed about the whole Sunapee thing. I have not lived there in 15 years, and had prided myself on "getting out" of that town, even if it was only to the Upper Valley. I really like the Lebanon area, and if it wasn't so goddamned expensive to live up there, I'd stay. The taxes in Lebanon are INSANE, the town has it's head way up it's own ass, really. Anyway, back to the Sunapee thing, I just don't know what to think. I mean I have a few good friends there (and I am not knocking them in the least for choosing to stay there, Sunapee itself is a great town) and I have a large number of friends in Newport. It would put Bapple in a good spot to get to her family, in all areas. I just hesitate because of the winter commute, up the worst stretch of Interstate in NH, also the inconvenience of not being close to shopping and all the conveniences of Lebanon. There is also the underlying principal of Sunapee that I did not like growing up. The clique atmosphere of the "thick as thieves" regime that I know is still there in one way or another..... I just don't know, it is a beautiful town with the mountain and the lake, and I do have a couple of great friends still there (yeah, I mean you Crispy), it just poses a little hesitation.

Oh well, did you miss my rants?....probably not.

"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." -----Ronald Reagan

A lot in a short time...

2008-04-01T20:43:00.002-04:00

You know, it is all too often in life we take for granted the day to day acquaintances that we come in contact with. What you can take away from each and every individual that you have the opportunity to spend time with, whether on a personal level or a professional level, is what helps shape the character people perceive you as.
Today was a day where I had to say good bye to a co-worker with whom I really enjoyed working with. Gordon J. Hunt, or Gordy as we know him, is a very unique and admirable person with a well of knowledge on the trade of being an electrical utility lineman. Some of his practices and techniques might have been viewed as unorthodox by today's standards, but there are certain situations sometimes that call for an unorthodox answer and I'll be damned if Gordy usually would have a way to remedy a situation.
Another reason I really liked Gordy on a personal level, is even though he was a lineman for 30+ years, he did not adhere to this "old school" bullshit you find out there amongst the trade. Some of the guys I work with know and can attest as they came up through the ranks dealing with "good old boy" ways in this trade.
These are things that I can barely tolerate, even as minor as they are today. The reason being is that I started from no where, earning peanuts, breaking my ass in a run down lumber mill for minimum wage. I did this for 2 years, hoping the job would build character in my 18 year old life. While the people I went to high school with had the whole "college experience" I tried the hard work, out on your own method.
I went on to landscaping, carpentry, masonry, and warehouse, eventually finding a break working electrical construction as an electrician for many years. All these things I did to get where I am, helped shape the person I have become. I laugh because sometimes I think that a select few I work with have never really gone down the hard path to get somewhere. I see somethings that go on and wonder how some people's work ethic has come about. I came from the "you are responsible for your own actions" type mentality that I see is sometimes not shared by some of the people I work with, which to me is sometimes distressing.

My friend (and now retired) co-worker, Gordy, understood where I came from and had been there himself. We had many a conversation on the in's & out's & up's & down's that one would find in this field. I admired his integrity and he will be missed by myself and my fellow co-workers who had the honor of working with him alot longer than I got to.

On another humorous note...
We had to do some training at work this week which consisted of "pole-top rescue". This is when you must climb to the top of a utility pole to save a fellow lineman who is in danger or has been injured while working. In training this is done with a 100LB+ dummy. Now at the company's training facility, we climb to the top of a 40' pole and rescue the dummy...... Let's just say on or home turf, the training wasn't quite as rigorous...for some.

For those who know us, this pic says it all:

Oh well, I had a little on my mind, now that I have "spread it", I can go tot bed.

“Marriage is about the most expensive way for the average man to get laundry done”-----Burt Reynolds

The Harley rumbled, the weather fumbled...thanks Mother Nature.

2008-03-29T15:44:00.004-04:00

Yeah, that's right...it fumbled. You know you would think after living here my whole life I wouldn't be so ignorant of New England weather. You know, all that talk of 'Global Warming' make me think that Spring just might show up a little sooner, but noooooooo!
We hit 56 degrees on Wednesday, it was the 1 year anniversary of the 1st ride on my Harley. You know I couldn't help myself. Yeah, I know what you are all saying: "The roads are horrible, still covered with sand, potholes, salt, etc." Well boo-hoo on you! It was great and even though it was great, it was perhaps the worst tease in a long time. You see, Mother Nature saw a middle aged man, enjoying the sun and smiling a mile wide as he pulled his Harley Davidson Road King out of the garage. She saw the joy in his eyes as pulled out of his driveway. I think that it ticked her off a bit, it made her mad that he did not appreciate the triumphant return of winter. A season she had been slacking off on over the past few years, but decided to bring back with a vengeance. Piling the snow, freezing the thermometer, ramping up for a great mud season in the spring. Yes, she was angry this man did not admire her work of that season and deemed him too eager to turn the page. She sat back and decided to remind him who ran the show. She gave to him one more day of mid 50 degree weather and sun, a day he could not enjoy because his evil employers made him drive to Massachusetts for work that day.....but that is another tale for another time.
The following day, being the greatest day of the week....Friday....she decided to pummel this man's area of the country with SNOW and freezing rain.
She was ruthless. But she was not done...you see on Saturday she decided to keep the air below freezing all day, so that white hell that she spread out before him would be there all weekend, mocking the joy he had found just a few days earlier.

THIS:

IS MORE LIKE THIS:

Ok, so I might have gone a little overboard, but can you get what I am throwing down here?

Oh well. I just needed to get that out there. Till next time....

"In the Halls of Justice, the only justice is in the halls." --Lenny Bruce

All work and too much play.....

2008-03-16T21:26:00.003-04:00

....really kicks my ass! Long gone are those days of resiliency when I could keep going for days on end. Long gone are the days of "The 86" for those of you that were fortunate enough to be part of that time frame. The working long hours and playing into the late night and thinking you will work like normal the next day are quickly fading. Fridays become the hardest day of the week for me when 'Dart Night' is Thursday. I only hope for a 'weather day', but never seem to get one. It ends up being the busiest day of the whole week. Some day I will realize that I am not 22 any more and get with the program..............................Nah, what fun would that be!

Anyway, not alot going on lately. The weather is warming, the time change has made the daylight hang around and I believe it won't be long until the Harley rumbles back out onto the road. I can hardly wait. Bapple & I talk here and there about packing it up in a couple more years once I achieve Journeyman ranks and 'journeying' somewhere we can ride our bike year round. I have been a New Englander all my life. Hell, I was born as far north as you can get in the lower 48 states, which by the way makes EVERYONE a flat-lander to me! So, with each winter, I am growing tired of the extreme cold and the snow, which by the way made a triumphant return with record setting snowfall this year. The type of year that really make me happy I live somewhere that NEVER gets plowed out! So, I hope to find a warm place, with no helmet laws and in need of a lineman. What do you think?

On another note, I have been fortunate enough to reconnect with old friends that I have not really seen in years. Now, they don't live far away, and never have, but peoples lives change as they get older and different circumstances arise and next thing you know, you fall out of touch. So, I have been privileged to be able to get together with some of the old Sunapee crew a few times over the past month and it has been great. The old proverbial 'walk down memory lane'. You learn as people grow, they change, but the core of that personality is still there and it is fun to reconnect. Thanks to Crispy & Corey and my wife for being persistent enough to get me off my ass and out to socialize... even if it is until the wee hours.

Until the next time.......

"I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it." --Chris Farley ~ Tommy Boy

TALK ABOUT BUSY....

2008-02-26T16:25:00.004-05:00

Well where do I begin?

Lets just say that I am happy to report my Brother from another mother has returned to the world of line work for a new outfit. Public Circus can go to hell! My company will own them someday anyway, then they will know what "suck" is all about. Anywho, Brothat is jackin' wire once again and the S.O.B. even got some storm duty on his first week back....bastid.
Nice shiner, fag!

I also had the privilege to see my old buddy, from way back, Woody. Woody has like 18years in the US Army and has been to Somalia & Iraq more times than I would want to be.
He was home in New England with his wife, who is also active duty Army. We managed to whoop it up & reminisce about old times. My friends Christie & Corey had a welcome home get together and I walked down memory lane with quite a few people I don't get to see anymore. What a night it was!

Then, this past weekend, my lovely wife, whom I call Bapple, had her birthday. It was a good time and I am thankful to all the people that showed up at Margaritas, it meant alot to her. Consequently it is Tuesday evening and she still barely has a voice......ah, the quiet.

On one final note, those of you that know me & have known me, know that I have constantly played "Chia-Head" over the years and change my appearance quite regularly. I don't know why I do this, but I do, so I have put together a montage of my past looks, so you can all recall meeting me at least once in your lifetime:

What do you think?

"Did you ever notice they never take any fat hostages? You never see a guy coming out of Lebanon going: I was held hostage for seven months and I lost 175 pounds, I feel good and I look good and I learned self-discipline. That's the important thing.”--Denis Leary

NOW I AM PISSED OFF!

2008-02-13T21:08:00.002-05:00

The unfortunate thing is that I am helpless & pissed off. You see, as I was logging on to post a diatribe about how NH's second largest utility sucks and my deepened sadness for the loss of Roy Scheider...AKA Chief Brody...my phone rings and on the other end is my credit card company asking me about all these charges that were incured over the past week. The funny (or not so funny) thing was, I haven't used the thing in 3 weeks. Some asshole is out there charging away on my card. Now how the hell did he get my account? There is a $241 charge at a friggin' donut shop?!?! No I know I am a big guy, but $241?!!!!??! It pisses me off. So, now I have to play back & forth with the card company to make sure these charges fall off. Old card shredded, new card on the way, but still...what an ass ache!

Now on to Public Circus of New Hampshire (the other electric utility) "Protecting your life at every moment"--my ass. Here is a company that treats there employees like grade a dog shit. I am very aware of unfair union & labor practices that go on there due to my brother's plight with them. It amazes me that someone has not sued this company to the nines. I know my brother has a great case and I can only hope & pray that he goes for justice. For real! I am not one for lawyers and law suits, but this is a very legitimate case of poor human rescources and labor practices. Where is the damned hammer of justice now?!?!? I am with you brother... I am.

And onto a sad note. Sunday, February 10, we lost a great one. Roy Scheider will forever be known as the man who keeps me out of the ocean to this very day. A great actor from one of my favorite movies of all time, Jaws. I have not only seen the movie 100's of times, but have been to the Martha's Vineyard in search of locations it was filmed. I have read book about the making of the movie, seen countless interviews. To hear of the loss of Chief Martin Brody(Scheider)truly stunned me. A great actor not only in Jaws, but also The French Connection, All That Jazz, & Blue Thunder. You will be missed Roy.

ROY SCHEIDER,11/10/1932-2/10/2008

This weeks quote is from you Chief Brody:

Brody: Rogue, yeah. Now this guy, he... he keeps swimmin' around in a place where the feeding is good until the food supply is gone, right?
Hooper: It's called "territoriality". It's just a theory that I happen to... agree with.
Brody: Then why don't we have one more drink and go down and cut that shark open?
Ellen Brody: Martin? Can you do that?
Brody: I can do anything; I'm the chief of police!

Ho, hum...winter is glum & spine-less people suck

2008-01-30T18:23:00.001-05:00

You know, I am at that point where I am sooooo sick of winter right now. Just enough snow falls to keep everything dirty & wet, but not enough to care. I had thought about skiing this year. I used to love it. I stopped for a few years due to the fact that I am getting older and I had no insurance, but now, well..... I am covered. I can tell you one thing, if I had been my size now when I raced on skis in high school, I would have been a "momentum machine". I would have won hands down on gravity alone.

Moving forward, I had a close friend get black-balled out of his job this past week. Here is a "brother" of mine that worked his ass off to get where he is, and was a the top of his field. This is a fellow lineman, and a man that inspired me to want to be a lineman myself. His only down fall is he calls it like he see's it and in this day & age people are afraid of the truth. I know, I see it in my job. People would rather take a peice of shit and put a bow on it and say "Isn't this lovely?", when in reality.....it's a piece of shit. You know? So these co-workers of my brother all turned tail and hung him out to dry, because I think someone wanted a leg up. Lets get him out, then we can move up quicker. In our trade, these are people that you need to trust your life with when working with the elements involved. I would be safe to say that I would deem none of his former co-workers trust worthy and would never rely on any of them for the slightest thing.
He did well though, I would have flown off the handle. I would not have been so.... so.... I guess you could say mature, about the whole thing. I would have choked a few people. I took a lot of crap from people when I was young, I tend to run a lot bolder now than I did as a teen. Meaning, my bullshit tolerance is zero. Someone, whether it made it worse or not, would be answering for their actions!

Anyway, he has come through it, and I feel deep down it was for the best and he will come out better off in the long run. Call it John Wayne-ism, but I still believe that honesty and hard work will prevail.

On a side note I am soooooooooooooooo ready for this:

“I'm not one of those complicated, mixed-up cats. I'm not looking for the secret to life.... I just go on from day to day, taking what comes.” ---Frank Sinatra

Short week for me..

2008-01-12T11:24:00.000-05:00

Yeah, sick for the first few days of the week, but rebounded nicely for a great Thursday & Friday @ work. Spent both days at work just driving... over 450 miles in 2 days between work & dart night.
Dart night at Bob's is like my one night a week for hangin' out with the boys and throwing back a couple of beers. Good time, keeps your "man card" in check.

The weather was all over the place this week, sunny and 55 degrees Wednesday to freezing rain to rain on Friday and now we are looking at a snow storm on Monday. Gotta love New England. Actually, I am quite tired of winters. After 3 more years, I am seriously considering relocating to a No-Snow climate. Where my Harley may be exercised year round. Somewhere like here:

But until I can move, it will be the same old, same old:

Oh well, until next time.....

“Most people think life sucks, and then you die. Not me. I beg to differ. I think life sucks, then you get cancer, then your dog dies, your wife leaves you, the cancer goes into remission, you get a new dog, you get remarried, you owe ten million dollars in medical bills but you work hard for thirty-five years and you pay it back and then -- one day -- you have a massive stroke, your whole right side is paralyzed, you have to limp along the streets and speak out of the left side of your mouth and drool but you go into rehabilitation and regain the power to walk and the power to talk and then -- one day -- you step off a curb at Sixty-seventh Street, and BANG you get hit by a city bus and then you die. Maybe.” --- Denis Leary

Major lag since last post...

2008-01-06T21:28:00.001-05:00

Well, alot has happened since October. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, and I got married to my Bapple on 12/1/07. We went to Vegas, it was great, epensive, but great. Between Christmas & Vegas, I think I a need a few major weather events to pay for it all.

The following are from Vega$:
The view from our suite:

Christmas rocked... I was spoiled like I hadn't been since I was a little boy and my Grampa was still alive. My wife got me a Playstation 3, a #rd generation Ipod Nano, the Led Zeppelin complete studio recordings box set, and the definitive Superman 14 disc DVD compilation. She totally kicked ass!!

On New Years Eve always remember, this:

Leads to this:

So, I am going to try and keep up with this thing again, lets see how I do!!

“Why hate someone for the color of their skin when there are much better reasons to hate them.”--Denis Leary

Rainy Day Blues

2007-10-08T13:36:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-02T18:01:00.000-04:00

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....

2007-08-29T19:48:00.001-04:00

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....

2007-08-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

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.....

2007-08-02T16:20:00.000-04:00

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"

2007-07-30T15:20:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-07-23T17:07:00.000-04:00

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......

2007-07-16T19:30:00.000-04:00

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.

2007-07-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-10T21:15:00.000-04:00

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.

2007-07-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

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....

2007-07-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-07-02T18:32:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-06-28T16:52:00.000-04:00

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?!?!?"

2007-06-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

".....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...

2007-06-26T17:23:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-25T17:26:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-23T12:49:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-21T21:58:00.000-04:00

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....

2007-06-20T16:45:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-19T20:03:00.000-04:00

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.....

2007-06-18T21:02:00.000-04:00

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