___prh.....a day in the life........

Nostalgia 101/William Waldon and Family

2009-12-16T11:21:00.004-05:00

Sam and I worked basketball for the first time together this season, last night at Spencerville...a Junior High Boys double header between the host Bearcats and visiting Paulding...with the Panthers coming out on top in both the 7th and 8th grade games. I looked up in the stands as we were walking off at half-time of the first contest and saw my cousin Jim Poling, sitting in the Paulding side. Talked with him for a few minutes...he told me he had just returned from his place in north Florida, and was planning on returning shortly after the Holidays....still riding his Harley, still the old hippy is Jim, a quiet guy who I grew up with and ran around with in 1950s Florida...we see each other these days at Weddings, Funerals, and and occasional basketball game, where he has a rooting interest with Paulding.

No games tonight, but Sam needs to get one more Rules Meeting in, so Ill head with him to Bellfountaine, for one more go around...so he can stay eligible for next season. Tomorrow I'm at Van Wert for a Girls WBL JV game, while Sam heads for St. Marys for a Girls Junior High double header.

Nostalgia_____

After my Aunt Eva passed away in 1998, as the executor of her affairs, I had access to the house in Scott, Ohio{see yesterday's post}...as I have mentioned before, Eva, her old sister Cecil, and Grandma Wilda Houseworth, became pack rats over the last half of the 20th century....they bought at least 2 of every item, and saved everything and anything....When Eva died at the age of 87 after a couple of years in a Van Wert nursing home, I, along with my cousin Linda, who lives in Missouri, were left with the task of sorting, tossing, saving, through the stuff....a large dumpster was needed to dispose of much of the stuff....the antiques and collectibles were sorted out and divided. I eventually sold the old homestead to the aforementioned Jim Poling, he fixed it up and sold it

With a garage and basement full of memories and 'stuff' I went about the task of selling,{on ebay} storing, and looking through the massive amounts of photographs, small items{collectibles, etc} I had inherited....

1950s mechanical toys, trinkets, old glasses, bottle openers, thousands of postcards, sea shells, marbles, and other items, some were put up for sale, others with obvious family interest would remain with me or Linda....Some of the items I sold I regret, but some things just had to go....some were worth much more than I had ever imagined.

William Waldron______

My Great-Great Grandfather, William H. Waldron, was born in January 11, 1861, just before the start of the Civil War, he passed away on June 16, 1950 in Scott...I was 15 months old, so I never really knew the old guy, except from stories passed along. I do know we lived with him for a spell, and after his death, we eventually lived in his house, until moving to Florida in 1954.

The women saved many items of William Waldron, including a collection of Hunting License from the early 20th century....this items were from the 1911 through 1930 era, and the older ones were made of a composit leather type material....it turns out they were very valuable.

I, not knowing just how valuable they were, decided to keep the one in the best shape{from 1915) and sell the rest, including the original "leather" license from 1913....by the time I sold the licenses on ebay, they had brought in over $1500, including $500 for the original 1913 license. It almost knocked me over...I had no idea they were worth that much. I'm thankful I kept the one from 1915.

That is what got me started in 1999 into family history and nostalgic photos....

See my Houseworth Genealogy Blog @:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

Everything from Old Bridges, guns, bottle openers, post cards, road maps from the early days of highways, etc....Dad collected large and small antique items...I prefer the smaller stuff, my basement and garage has enough of the family items both large and small to keep me busy for the rest of my days.....

Yesterday's look back at my childhood in Scott, Ohio, got me searching again, and some of the photos on today's post are a result.

Back Later

Photos and descriptions: Top left sitting on my 1900 era desk, which I got from the Houseworth/Waldron homestead are a retro 1940 radio{used for broadcasting XM and nostalgic radio programs and music, along with a 1940s globe from Patrica's dad. And some not so antique items.....A group of Antique Bottle Openers which include from left then top to bottom and right....some almost 100 years old...left opener from the Christ-Diehl Brewing Company of Defiance, Ohio{makers of the long forgotten Centennial Beer}, next an unknow bottle opener with nut picker, the patten date is 1912. Top to bottom in the next row are a "Drink Wooden Shoe Beer" operner, Old Dutch Beer opener from the Krantz Brewing Company of Findlay, Ohio, followed by a ? from a Cigar Company...the only part I can make out are _____ sh Cigar Co. It's not an opener...but since Granddad Waldron smoked a pipe, I figure it was a Pipe Tapper, used to "tap down" pipe tobacco and tap the end of cigars after they had been clipped...but that is just a guess, maybe I will do some research into that one. The one on the bottom use to have a label of some sort, not that old, Patricia have had this one since our early days of marriage, so it's probably from the early or mid 1970s. Finally the one on the right is from The Bavarian Brewing Company, Covington(south of the river across from Cincinnati), Kentucky, "Bavarians Old Style Beer".

Great Granddad Waldron's 1915 Ohio Hunting License in frame with a photo of him and dad{Stan Houseworth} taken in 1924....Then William Waldron(1861-1950) near the end of his life, and finally an "Airline" Radio from the 1940s...this radio still works{but makes one Hell of a Buzzing sound} and it sat upstairs of Grandma Houseworth's place for as long as I can remember....I doubt if it ever left that west bedroom until I brought it home in 1998.

1949-1954 Scott, Ohio, Life in Black and White/100 days 20 pounds 20 points

2009-12-15T08:41:00.012-05:00

Middle of December...where has the year gone? Older brother Mike turns 63 today...another in a long line of December Birthdays/Milestones in the Houseworth/DeVore/Waldron/Feeley families...oldest son Sam turns 28 on Thursday the 17th, and Patricia and I celebrate 33 years on Friday....
I did a one game Junior High contest at Lima Temple Christian last night, then headed back to Celina in time for our Monday Dartball league game at St Johns with Bethany Church. With Sam home for the first time this season, we took 2 or 3 to improve our record to a still miserable 7 wins 11 loses, still good for the basement in the South Division....Sam lead the way going 5 for 11 with a couple RBIs. He needs 25 at bats to be eligible for the post season tournament, so with next week and Martin Luther King Day, he should be able to do that....I finished at 4 for 9 with just 1 RBI to bump my average up a little, from .411 to .415....Next week ends the first half of the regular season, with the second half to begin January 4th of the New Year.

Diet Update_____

I went to the dietitian at the St. Marys Hospital 100 days ago today....my goal was to stop any increase in blood sugar count, drop some weight, and lower the blood pressure. Will find out about the blood sugar when I go back to Doc Bergman next month, but the other 2 goals are working out well....

Down to 188 pounds this morning...20 full pounds since Labor Day. It's been a slow but somewhat steady ride...lose 2 gain 1, lose 3 gain 1, etc....my original goal was to be 180 by the start of baseball season...with the workouts from basketball officiating, it looks like that goal will be met with plenty to spare. Even the Holidays, thus far, have not seen any bump up in weight.

Likewise the Blood Pressure is down....from the 150/80 range it now reads on the home monitor between 125-130/70 on average with a resting heart rate of 62 or so....no bad for an old fart, who turns 61 in March.

My Life in Black and White_____

Yesterday I looked back at an afternoon 50 some years ago, where me and my neighbor buddy Teddy Blackburn came across a White Wild Boar in the wilds just outside of Venice, Florida, back in 1958....it got me to thinking, despite the pains in the ass of the family moving on several occasions, and having to adjust, I was pretty lucky.....and I have many old photographs of the different places we have lived...most are in black and white or sepia, with a Kodak Color photo thrown in when we were lucky enough to have a roll of color film in the camera....I always have liked the sepia and black and white photographs best....just like on old Bogart Movie, always better in black and white.

Scott, Ohio 1949-1950____

Born in Van Wert, Ohio, on March 16, 1949, I was quickly whisked away to Great Granddad's house in the little town of Scott, Ohio...Scott was located on the border of Van Wert and Paulding Counties in the old Black Swamp region of Northwest Ohio. Great Granddad's house was located on the Paulding side, just a block away from his daughter, my Grandmother, Wilda Waldron Houseworth. That was my first house, although the memories are few, I do remember the old place...it still stands today.

I can remember looking out the large living room window at snow flakes coming down, not sure which winter that was, but I was probably 2 or 3 at the time....I also remember our neighbors to the north across the street has Geese...and they would lay eggs, big eggs....I'm pretty sure we would get eggs from them on occasion, but will have to check with my 85 year old mother, her memory is better than mine at those things.

Scott had a population at that time of about 300...still does today, but the difference being back in 1950 the population was mostly small close knit families who learned to survive the Great Depression and World War II together...My Grandmother was the patriarch of the Waldon Houseworth Clan, or maybe it was Great-Great Granddad William Waldron...but he died when I was just 2, so Grandma Houseworth was on the throne as far as I remember.....

Scott had in 1950 a couple of gas stations, the large Scott Exchange Elevator{which still is there today, despite burning down a couple of times}, a grocery story, fire house, post office, and restaurant...which is still there today as well. Seems to me that despite the size of Scott, or lack of size, there was always plenty for us to do....especially when we came home for summer vacations, after moving to Venice, Florida in 1954

On the days in the summer of the mid 1950s, when we would return to Scott, a group of us kids, Al Foust, my cousins the Polings, and several others would walk the cornfields or the railroad tracks north to Haviland, about 2 miles from Scott....that would be our big adventure. Or we would play wiffle ball in the streets...no danger there, if 10 cars would go down Grant Street per day, it would have been considered a heavy travel day....

Those were the days of innocents in small town America in the Heartland....sometimes I doubt if they still exist, if they do, surely not in the same numbers or innocence as back then.

From what I see these days, post Depression and post World War II in the vast Midwest was a great place to grow up.....but we were to be uprooted by the Dad's "Wanderlust", and we would head south to the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and remain there for the remainder of the decade, into the 1960s.

More on that later.......

Photos-Me and dad's 12 gauge shotgun along with the Red Fox he dispatched...standing outside Granddad Waldon's house in the winter of 1951-52/The Scott Elevator as it looked around 1910...it has burnt down at least twice since then, but still is going strong in the same location 100 years later/In the Fall of 1951...Mom says I was shading my eyes from the sun, not waving...?/One of the family women and her husband tooling down Main Street in Scott, in the 1920s in Motorcycle and sidecar/Me and Mom in late 1949/Al Foust(left) and me in the summer of 1957 with a batch of Frogs taken from Uncle John Houseworth's Pond on the south edge of Scott/And in the summer of 1954 brother Mike(left) and me with a couple of fish that dad had probably caught...sure was fun getting dirty, bet mom loved washing those clothes by hand....hummm!

1958 Remembering A White Wild Boar Venice,Florida, /Obama in Free Fall

2009-12-14T08:03:00.011-05:00

Stayed busy and away from the computer over the past 3 or 4 days....basketball Thursday and Friday nights, along with a Junior High double header on Saturday morning...yesterday I sat around and watched the Bengals play poorly, and get stomped by a very good Vikings team in Minnesota. Even though a Bengals fan, I have been to more games in Minnesota the past 10 years(8 between baseball and football), compared to only a handful of Reds and Bengals games....usually me and Nick meeting up with Jim Olson. Not that I can remember most games....usually under the influence of beer and food for the duration of the trips.

Along with the basketball officiating at Spencerville Thursday, Elida Friday, and Delphos St. John on Saturday....I also drove down to Columbus early Friday to pick up the vehicle less Sam for the break between Fall and Winter Quarters at Ohio State....he will be around until the first of the year, before heading back to Columbus.

I was supposed to head over to Nick's for his outdoor winter Bar B-Q on Saturday evening, but the old man was just to wore out from the trips and basketball to get out of the chair...such is the glory of aging.

Remembering an Albino Wild Boar from Venice, Florida____

I stopped by a web site, I frequent on occasion the other day, and saw a thread talking about the increase of Coyotes in Ohio{I saw a large dead one on US 33 on the way back from Columbus on Friday}...someone asked then if Wild Boar, or Wild Hog as some call them, have increased in numbers in Ohio...That I don't know, but it did remind me of an incident while growing up outside of Venice, Florida.

From 1957 through the summer and fall of 1959 we lived a couple miles north of Venice on a wild stretch of road called the Venice By-Way that ran between Nokomis and Venice a few miles to the east of the Tamiami Trail(US 41), and by passed the town of Venice. The folks rented a house that sat on a few acres of scrub grass and was bordered by Roberts Bay and a creek that flowed out of same....{today it has been disposed of by "progress}. Large acres of woods also lay next to the property.

Our next door neighbors were the Blackburn Family, whose forefathers had helped found the towns of Venice and Nokomis back near the turn of the 20th Century....One son Teddy was my classmate at Venice Elementary, and his folks owned acres of Orange Groves directly across the road from us{this portion of the By-Pass in now Albee Farm Road}...Teddy and I, along with his brothers and my older brother Mike spent many hours, along with the passel of mongrel and hound dogs both families had, exploring the back water areas....Alligators, Snakes, and even Wild Boars be dammed!

One windy afternoon in the Summer or early Fall of 1958, Teddy and I, along with his old hounddog "King" were walking back through the brush near the water line, when we heard a rustle in the bushes...and what we though was a grunting sound...we were not sure, but we knew it was "something". Old King ran into the bushes, and about a minute later he came hauling ass out...like his butt was on fire. Well Ted and I didn't wait around, we got our butts in gear as well and with King keeping pace we headed back to our house and the relative safety of the front porch.

A few other dogs greeted us and we talked about what might have been in the bushes.....within 5 minutes we knew the answer.

Off in the scrub bush between our house and the creek appeared a large Wild Boar....2 nice tusks, and something I had never knew existed...he was white. An albino? Perhaps, but today some 50 years later, I believe he was just a dirty white color...big son of a bitch he was, no matter what color. Old King and a couple of our dogs alerted as the wild hog snorted the air...pure evil we thought, but with him being a hundred yards or so away, we stayed on the porch, and watched. The dogs started raising Hell, but not being stupid, they knew they were overmanned by this giant porker....the hog looked our way, and then without a care headed back into the wilds....

I would have said after the incident, that scared us from going out alone or even with the dogs...but it didn't. Snakes, bugs, Gators, snappers, and even an occasional White Wild Hog were common stuff of young boys back in 1950s South Florida....and we were better off for the time outdoors.

Venice, Florida, was once a wild place that sat along the Gulf of Mexico...today, overrun with Blue Hairs, overcrowding, and traffic....you wouldn't recognize my childhood home....the history though is worth the read:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://gulfcoastlivingonline.com/trail-map-11-07.gif&imgrefurl=http://gulfcoastlivingonline.com/vhistory%2520trail.html&usg=__HsiZzHdBG5N0oVEd7TVoNFqxQwc=&h=615&w=520&sz=200&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=Oq6QGMrm6uqLuM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHistory%2Bof%2BVenice%2BFlorida%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG%26gl%3Dus%26um%3D1

Our kids and future generations have not clue on what life was like back then....Video games, Computers, rap music, and cable TV, have nothing on the children of the 1940s and 50s. We left Venice for Ohio back in 1963....it had changed 10 fold by the time I returned for a visit in 1975....and continues to change on a monthly basis today.

Good News on the Obama Front____

While our resident Kenyan-in-Thief, one Barack Insane Obama, and his lap dogs in Congress and the media continue to try to shove Global Warming, Taxes, and Health Scare, down our throats...there are signs, big time, that the majority of American Voters are starting to wake up:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Scott Rasmussen has been the most accurate of pollsters for the past several elections, and usually gets it right on the nose. He hit the 6% win by Obama over McCain right on the money for 2008...when his poll numbers come out, most folks heed the warnings. Apparently our Kenyan Warrior and his staff could care less that they are now as hated as any President has ever been after only 1 year(less in Obummer's case) has ever been.

Keep pushing Barry, eventually you will get buried....and quit having your lap dogs telling us the Recession{actually a Depression} is over....it's not, and no matter how much printed money you throw at Your(not Bush any more) Economic Problems, the problems are going to last....get off the American Republic's back and leave us the Hell alone, you miserable bastard!

Sam will take over the Dartball chores tonight....I will be back at Temple Christian for a Junior High boys double header......a full week of basketball, along with Sam's birthday on Thursday and Patricia and my 33rd Anniversary on Friday the 18th.

Back Later>>>>

Photos-top The Blackburn boys with me and my sister Marty on March 16, 1958, in our yard on the Venice By-Way...the event was my 9th birthday. That's me with my new catcher's mitt, and Teddy on my left in the middle. Mom's 1956 Chevy{her first car} sets in the background. And a wild hog{boar}...ours was much whiter, and had large tusks....considering the size of Ted's hound king, my guess is the boar weighted in at somewhere in the 150-200 pound range.

Oklahoma Justice! The "Peace" Prez? More December Milestones

2009-12-10T09:34:00.011-05:00

The big storm that hit the upper Midwest blew north of the plains of western Ohio...we got the winds for sure{they have died down somewhat this morning}, in the 40 to 50 mph range with gusts even near 60....our old trees remained standing, but I'm sure we have lost some old limbs from those aging trees. We lucked out however, no snow to speak of. Meanwhile Wisconsin got hammered, as did the lower southwest section of Michigan which is subject to the effects of Lake Michigan snows produced by the winds across the warmer waters. Madison, Wisconsin, got 17 inches, while Patricia's folks in Oconomowoc checked in with just under a foot....no snow blower action for me, and that is fine. If I don't use the recently rehabbed snow machine this winter, I won't complain.

Today would have been Dad's 92nd Birthday....more on him after a look at a couple of headlines.

Justice, Oklahoma Style____
In a story ignored by most of the main stream media over the weekend, a 57 year old women in Oklahoma showed us all how to protect herself and her property.....and Law Enforcement gave her the go ahead: First the Story:

http://www.news9.com/Global/story.asp?S=11620296

And the 9-1-1 recording and video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m31ZpQVILRk

A big thumbs up to Brenda Hart, the 911 operator....instead of telling the women to run or not to shoot, she basically told her..."You have to protect yourself" and that she had permission to use deadly force if necessary.

Of course the usual left wing idiots are feeling pity for the nutcase that tried to break in...Screw him and screw them!

Thank God for places like Oklahoma and Texas....where a person has a right to lock, load, and fire away to protect life and property. Good for this women, and good for Oklahoma!

The "Peace" Prez____

Our Kenyan Commander-and-thief jetted off to Norway to pick up his "Nobel Peace Prize" yesterday...wonder how many tons of greenhouse gases were used in that trip to promote a lie? And why didn't Barry just wait until the Copenhagen Global Warming trip next week? That way he could have cut his "gas" consumption in half?

And you gotta wonder how the leftist shills in Norway feel about giving this asshole a prize for "peace" a mere week after his announced the increase of troops by 30,000 in the Afgan War?

Nice move boys....I hope you Socialist swine choke on these awards....given out, not for peace reasons, but for Bush Derangement Syndrome reasons...next time Barry, you useless ass, do the Europe thing in one freaking trip, stop wasting our tax money for your follies.

Stan Houseworth 12/10/1917-12/24/1972___

The old man was born in Scott, Ohio, this date in 1917...he weighed in at 13 pounds at birth, so I've been told....raised by his mother, my Grandmother Wilda Waldron Houseworth, along with 2 older sisters, and 2 older brothers. He would have been 92 today.

Dad had the Houseworth trait, that he was born with and passed along to us..."Wanderlust". Dad, served with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Idaho back in 1938. After returning home to Ohio, he eventually joined the Army Air Corps during World War 2, where he served stateside in Colorado, Delaware, and at Mather Field in California.

After marrying mom, in 1946, he worked a variety of jobs, most but not all revolving around his skills with tools, as an auto mechanic. Ohio, Delaware, Florida, and back to Ohio from from after the war, until his death on Christmas Eve of 1972 at the age of 55. Stan, despite having numerous jobs, was never, as I recall, without work...but he would rather be in the field hunting or on the lake or rivers fishing. Later in life Dad became an Antique Aficionado, he would go to small auctions and yard sales and pick out items that looked worthless or of small value, and turn them into quality Antiques....he had an eye for collectibles.

Happy Birthday Dad, wherever your soul might be.

Back to basketball tonight, a Freshman boys game at Spencerville...then tomorrow I drive back to Columbus in the morning to bring Sam home for the holiday break between Fall and Winter Quarters at Ohio State. Tomorrow night a WBL game at Elida, then Saturday morning I head for Delphos St Johns for a boys JH double header, while Sam gets his first basketball action at St. Marys at the same time.

Posting might be light for the next 3 days....but return I will, God Willing!

back later>>>>

Photos-Home Invader Billy Dean Riley, has assumed Room Temperature....a 16 Gauge Shotgun like the one the women used to dispatch Billy Dean....and Stan Houseworth on the Venice, Florida North Jetties, with the 100 pound Jew Fish he caught in November of 1956.

Lower Poll Numbers,Tom Russell, and the Winds of December

2009-12-09T10:55:00.007-05:00

Walked outside to feed the birds and squirrels...the winds are whipping, and after a dropping of snow, sleet, and then rain, last night, the temperatures climbed to around 45 by daybreak...now they are on the way back down....a high of maybe 20 with 40-50 mph winds by tomorrow....beautiful, just freaking beautiful!

I did a boys Junior High double header at Lincolnview yesterday, when we walked out of the school at 7:30, the wind had picked up, and the skies were dumping a combination of snow, sleet, and rain....but by the time I reached Celina{25 miles south} it was all rain with slippery conditions due to the 30 degree temps....the roads were just wet by the time daylight was with us.

No games today....

A quick look at some news:

Obama's First Year Poll Numbers Worst since Harry Truman____

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/08/obamas-percent-approval-lowest-president-point/

His numbers are even worse in the most accurate of pollsters..Rasmussen:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

It appears that the shine is off the Kenyan, despite the best efforts of the lap dog media, and groveling clowns like Jon Stewart and Keith Oldblowaman....as for me, everytime I mistakenly catch one of his speeches or parts thereof...I get a sudden rapid case of nausea. It appears that much of the country is finally getting it, but it may be too late to stop the flood of rules, laws, and spending, this SOB and his lemmings, Reid and Pelosi, are tossing out at us. War has been declared, it's the Obama Administration versus the American People.

Tom Russell-American Cowboy Poet____

A couple of weeks ago when I met up with my old friend Bill Clem at G&R in Waldo, for a beer and super Baloney Sandwich, he handed me a half dozen or more CDs of 2 of his favorite artists...one was Chris Knight, and the other Tom Russell.

I listened to Russell's 1991 CD "Cowboy Real" on the 2 hour or so drive from Waldo back to Celina....and have to admit I enjoyed every song on it....since that drive I have been alternating listening to Russell and Knight on the car CD when traveling to games...I especially like Russell's older stuff, but have to admit I find some of it a little "left wing" for my political taste....but disregarding some of the lyrics that bemoan the plight of illegals, criminal murderers and draft dodgers, like Claude Dallas, and American Indians, I find this type of music enjoyable...it reminds me of Woody Guthrie and the genre from the Great Depression era.

Here are a couple of selections on you tube:

First off from October on the Letterman Show, with one of his new ones that strikes a cord with folks my age: East of Woodstock/West of Vietnam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIDCYjvj5XU

And here is a favorite Cowboy song of mine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cwh-h6pHN1Y&feature=related

That was "Tonight We Ride".....and finally Bill's favorite "Gallo Del Cielo" a live version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgom-IWpKdM

That about does the musical version for today...enjoy!

back later>>>>

Photos-Tom Russell's outstanding album from the early 90s.."Cowboy Real", and our resident Dope of a Prez!

December 8, 1969....Orders to Saigon

2009-12-08T08:36:00.007-05:00

It appears that Winter has settled in here in western Ohio....snow, rain, and wind, in the forecast for the next few days...and only a high of 20 by Thursday. Nothing out of the 30s for the foreseeable forecast through next week. All this while our idiot Kenyan-in-Chief heads to Denmark to try to bankrupt the country with "Cap and Tax" in pursuit of the fake science of Global Warming. Said it once, will say it again...Global Warming doesn't exist, and is nothing more than a political power grab by the left....far left. Should we protect the Environment where possible? Yes....Should we be taxed into serfdom to try to achieve something that cannot be done? Hell No!

Now a look at some headlines in News and Sports:

Speaking of Criminals_____

The White House is full of em'

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33941/

And it appears that this Felon is writing the Health Care fiasco and rubbing elbows with King Barry and Queen Michelle.....nice job, you dolts that voted this swine and his minions in.

Sports_____

With the Packers 10 point win over Baltimore last night, it appears that the Bengals have a stranglehold on the AFC North

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/bal

The sad tale of an American Superstar, one Tiger Woods, just keeps getting more weird:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,579698,00.html

How far and how fast has this guy and his squeaky clean reputation fallen?

Meanwhile in my Dartball World...St Johns-Celina defeated St Johns Hopewell 4-0 in the first of 3 last night, but that was as good as it got...dropping the final 2 games by scores of 4-3 and 5-2. We now stand at a miserable 5 wins 10 loses in the season's first half, {thank gawd for split seasons} while Hopewell stays firmly in 1st place at 11 wins 4 loses....on the other hand, I had a pretty good night individually...going 7 for 12 with a couple of RBIs to move my average back above 400 for the season at .411 with 9 runs batted in.

Vietnam 40 years ago today____

By the time December 8, 1969, had arrived, most of us at the 14th Security Police Squadron knew our numbers were up....We knew, except for a few, that we were going to be shipped out from our beach front base on the South China Sea for places unknown. I was hopeful that I would stick around, even though many of my friends had already been sent home{Harry Bevan and Marc Payen} or shipped to other bases {Johnny Claflin and others}

Nha Trang, in my opinion, was as good as it got in terms of Air Force Security Police during the Vietnam War....and my 6 months had been as good as time as I had in the Air Force. But those times were not going to last....on that sunny Vietnam morning, I was summoned over to SP Base Police HQ and give my marching orders....On December 27th, I would grab a flight south to Tan Son Nhut....the big base at Saigon, where I had entered the country 6 months before, and report for duty with the 377th Security Police Squadron. The 377th, a squadron that had actually been in combat, was going to be my new home....dandy, just freaking dandy!

I still saw plenty of 'action' in my final 3 weeks at Nha Trang....with less personal I was moved to C flight{midnight till 8am} from the day shift, which gave me a chance to ride jeeps into the beer and soda compound, and abscond with some goodies for the troops. I also saw a horrific Air America plane crash, where I worked the perimeter and kept the rubber necks and gawkers from seeing the carnage....10 people on board and the ground died when that plane, after an in air bomb explosion, slid into a local school house.

By the time Christmas Day{and strangely I don't remember that X-Mas Day at all}rolled around, I was packed and ready to take a C-130 back to Saigon....

Tan Son Nhut and Nha Trang had little in common...TSN was large and set in a large city..Nha Trang was small and set in the tropic like setting on the South China Sea...I worked Law Enforcement with the 14th SPS, during the daylight....I was slated to work overnight Security at TSN.....it was going to be a whole different world.

More on the transfer to Saigon later.....

Boys Junior High Basketball double header tonight in Van Wert County at Lincolnview Schools....the head cold is improving, as is the back.....hopeful for a pain and illness free December and Christmas season, but you never know how things will work out.....

Back Later>>>>

Photos-top Working Law Enforcement at Nha Trang, October 1969, and "Sargent" Houseworth 5 months later, working night flight Security at Tan Son Nhut....pssst...yes Global Warming is a lie!

Head Colds/11 Hours Sleep/ and 1st Snow

2009-12-07T10:47:00.014-05:00

Sitting here this morning, wandering the Internet, and listening to Glenn Beck:

http://glennbeck.com/

In the News_____

There is little doubt that the fix is in....Congress with the pushing of our President, one Barry Soetoro aka: Barack Insane Obama, it going to roll like the lap dogs they are on Global Warming, Cap and Trade{taxes}...That and the take over of the Health Care industry by the left wing bureaucrats is a done deal.....The Congress, including the Blue Dog Dimocrats, is going to let it happen, despite what the majority of Americans think of it....

I guess we can deal with it, or fight back....which side are you on?

\No amount of bitching by folks like me, is going to change anything....The Marxists in Charge are bound and determined to go forth with the usurping and destroying of our freedoms and economy...no matter what we may want....Global Warming my ***

And this morning, we have our first snow of the season in west Ohio. Houston, Texas, had snow over the weekend, and Sacramento, California, has snow for the first time since 1976....I repeat....Global Warming My ***!

The Fix is in...the Question Remains..."When are the people going to wake up, and throw these bastards overboard"?

First Snow/First Cold___

\I woke up this morning, after 11 hours plus of sleep, to an inch or so of snow on the ground...our first measurable deposit of the season....it looked kind of nice.

I managed to acquire a head cold over the weekend...I had not had a major cold or bout with the flu for years until last winter...I caught one at the start of basketball season, and battled the bug for a couple of months off and on. It appears I may be in for the same war this winter...I have to believe it has something to do with basketball...you get close up to fans, players, coaches, and handle a round ball that gets touched by at least a couple of dozen players each evening...a prescription for colds, flu, etc, without a doubt.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
So I will continue to take the vitamins, drink the OJ, and down a spirit or 3 each evening. Over the weekend I didn't manage to down many, but I did try a couple of speciality brews, "Full Moon" by Blue Moon and Leinenkugel's Dark Creamy Winter Ale....not bad. I downed a couple yesterday while watching football, probably the reason I managed to grab 11+ hours most needed sleep.

Sports_____

Hal and his buddy Matt, both Bengals fans, headed to Cincinnati yesterday to watch the Bengals take on the Lowly Lions of Detroit....not a pretty game, but Cincinnati cemented it's lead in the AFC North by taking out the Lions 23-13. It looks like the Bengals will make playoffs for only the 2nd time since 1990, barring a complete collapse in the final month of the season.

The Bowls____

The BCS managed to luck out with the Texas win over Nebraska on a disputed 13-12 Field Goal as time expired....then put the 2 "outsiders" Texas Christian and Boise State, against each other in the Fiesta Bowl, so the have-nots won't have the opportunity to take on the big boys....the NCAA and B{c}S sure wouldn't want that.

Other Major games have Ohio State vs Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Florida takes on unbeaten Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl, Georgia Tech against Iowa in the Orange, and in the Title Game, Texas Longhorns face Alabama's Crimson Tide at Pasadena....I'll make my predictions later on this blog.....

And it appears in my "I have no Life" section....all 3 of my NFL Fantasy Teams on ESPN will make the Championship rounds....Hooray for me!

Dartball at Hopewell Lutheran tonight and back to Basketball Tomorrow with a Boys Junior High double header at Lincolnview.

December 7, 1941____

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that today is Pearl Harbor Day....on December 7th 1941, the Japs{yes I know that is not PC, but that's what they were and what we called them}...attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to begin WWII....I wonder, but doubt, if we would have the guts to fight back today like we did then....the current Administration and clowns in Congress, are not patroits, they are gutless cowards....

I salute those brave men and women from that day 68 years ago.......the sad part is...you can hardly find a newspaper headline on the Internet that declares "Japs"...Google and the rest of the Internet are part of the sickness called Political Correctness and Revionist History!

back later>>>>>

Photos-top/looking out my bedroom window and the Kitchen window, at the inch or so of snow on the roof looking across my back yard and neighborhood. And the two brews I tried, despite the cold this weekend, "Full Moon" and Leinenkugel's Dark Ale. And the newspapers of the day told it like it was...sadly, you can hardly find a copy of the true headlines on the Internet in these days of political correctness.

Change of Seasons

2009-12-04T09:45:00.006-05:00

The Changing of seasons____

Times and weather are a changing....27 this morning, but the sun is shinning bright, so who is to complain? Didn't even look what the high would be, figure that nothing major is coming our way, weather wise, or I would have heard about it....

Speaking of Change:{and we ain't talking Obama's}....I checked my weight this morning first thing, and came up with a reading of 188.4 pounds...I can't remember exactly the last time I was below 190 before this week, but suspect it was back in the mid 90s, before I became involved in weight lifting on a regular basis. The routine at the Racquet Club, was lift weights for an hour, do the treadmill for 45 minutes, and drink beer for the rest of the evening. That of course was great for my muscles and strength....it also managed to add 30 to 40 pounds on, most of it on my gut....beer, fatty foods, and weights, all added to the muscle and FAT!

So after the pre Diabetes 2 was discovered, along with the usual high blood pressure. On Labor Day I made the decision to lose what I needed to drop the weight and lower the BP while remaining off any Diabetes meds, and hopefully getting off the *Lisinopril-HCTZ for BP.

This morning 188 pounds with a BP of 137/67 with a pulse of 65....pretty good/normal for my age{I think} and size....

Football/Basketball Seasons Collide____

This weekend will see the beginning of the High School Boys Basketball season{Girls began last week} and the ending of the Football Playoffs.....

Tonight I head north to Paulding to officiate the JV game between the hometown Panthers and Continental....tomorrow, the same visiting Continental Pirate team is at Lima Temple Christian, and I'll be there as well.

Meanwhile on the Football side of things, the state high school finals begin at 11 this morning....then at 3pm in game #2 the local Coldwater Cavilers will try for their 2nd state title in 3 years when they take on Youngstown Ursline in D-5....Coldwater stands at 13-1, including 2 OT wins{4 overtimes against rival St. Henry} in the playoffs...their only loss was a last second defeat to MAC League rival Delphos St. Johns....who in Division 6 will take their defending state title and 14-0 record against Norwalk St. Paul tomorrow afternoon.

So, it's out with the football tomorrow, and basketball season begins in earnest tonight...4 dates last week, 4 this and 4 more next...before things slow down somewhat until after the first of the year.

On the College Football Side of the Ball____

The Oregon Ducks came from behind to defeat PAC 10 and instate rival Oregon State last night 37-33....so the Rose Bowl is set. Ohio State will take on the Oregon high power running game. Even with the inept offense the Buckeyes have shown, I suspect their outstanding Defense will bring home another Rose Bowl victory for OSU....but ya never know!

Errands to run, bills to pay before I head to Paulding....enjoy the weekend.

back later>>>>>

Photos- Area Schools, Coldwater Cavs and Delphos St. John Blue Jays of the Midwest Athletic Conference will try to hoist state crowns in Division 5 and 6 this weekend...both have been there, and won, on more than one occasion before. High School Basketball begins in full this weekend...and me this morning, down to 188/20 pounds since Labor Day....8 or so to go to reach the goal.

More December Milestones

2009-12-03T13:20:00.007-05:00

Running late, gotta get ready for a Basketball double header at Spencerville...So I will forgo the news and get right at this one....

Milestones Missed____

I stopped by mom's today to discuss the death of her sister-in-law, my Aunt Agnes DeVore, in Wilmington, Delaware. Mom reminded me that there were many "milestones" in December in her DeVore/Feeley side of the family as well as the Houseworth/Waldron side.

Agnes was my aunt by marriage to mom's brother Bill. When I was in my early days of my Air Force tour, back in 1968 and early 69, I was stationed down the road from them at Dover AFB, Delaware. I would usually take my 72 hour breaks and spend it with them and their daughters, Mary and Diana.

Bill and Agnes treated me like the son they never had...Uncle Bill and I would sit out on their screened in porch and listen to the Phillies games, and down whatever beer he happen to be trying out....If Bill got a can that he considered "skunky" he would switch brands...anything from Ballentine, to Schlitz, to Falstaff....they would also feed me well, and when my once every ten days, 72 hour break was up, I would head down Highway 13 towards Dover....full and usually relaxed.

Uncle Bill and I got alone famously...as did me and Agnes....we just usually avoided politics.

Bill was a lifetime Democrat and UAW worker at the GM Plant in Wilmington...I was a not so enlightened Republican...so we just agreed to disagree on those issues. Not to say Bill and Agnes were liberals, because they sure were not....more of the old fashion Democrats from the FDR era....

Bill was 2 years younger than mom, and passed away in 1997...he was born in December(what else?)...On December 4th to be exact, he would have been 84 tomorrow. He was a WW2 Veteran, joining in 1943, when he turned 18. He was shipped off to the European Front, where he took part in the Battle of the Bulge. Bill left the front with a Purple Heart, and was shipped to the prison where Helmet Goreing was being held...he was one of the guards at the prison when Goreing dropped a capsule of cyanide, and checked out of this life for his appointment in Hell....

Never did discuss the war with Bill, even though I was with him when I received word that I was heading to Vietnam. Bill made a successful effort to stay close to home when he returned from his war, other than a trip or two to a Phillies game, he rarely left the State of Delaware in his last 50 years.....

Agnes was a little more outgoing, and did the driving and traveling, while Bill was usually content to be dropped off at one of the watering holes in the neighborhood when on occasion he decided to go out....I would go with him to the bar when I got the chance, or to the Amory for the local Golden Gloves boxing matches....those were indeed simpler times, I miss him and those days on occasion.

I got a call from Diana yesterday informing me that Agnes had passed away in the morning, at the age of 79, in December of course, 2 days shy of what would have been Bill's 84th. The 2 girls, along with Mary's husband John, had shared a house with Agnes the last few years...I last got to visit with them back in 2005 on one of my RV runs to a dealer just north of Wilmington...we had a good talk about Bill, the 60s, and even some politics, which of course we still disagreed on.

I hope Bill and Agnes DeVore are reunited and looking down at us now.....a salute to both of them. We did have some good times all those years ago, didn't we?

back later>>>>

Photos-Bill DeVore home on leave in 1943 just before heading over to Europe and the Battle of the Buldge....Me, standing in Bill and Agnes's living room in the Spring of 1969 before heading out to a homecoming dance or some like event.

A Message for Anonymous from Litchfield, Maine

2009-12-02T09:25:00.006-05:00

Not many haters of the American tradition of free speech stop by this blog...but on occasion some assclown drops by and leaves an inane comment. A few months ago it was a nitwit from Frasor, Colorado, named Charley McCauley. It turns out Charlie was a fellow Air Force Sky Cop that, like me, was stationed at Nha Trang AB, in Vietnam....seems Charles has a man crush on Barry Soetoro{AKA Barack Insane Obama}, and didn't like what I had to say about our Kenyan-in-Chief...Charlie didn't stick around long, just long enough to make some veiled threat and call me a racist{that's all Liberals have it seems}....I'm still waiting Charlie, you big bad ass you....

So last night I get home from my basketball officiating gig and while watching North Carolina put a beat down on Michigan State... I turn on the computer, bring up this blog and I see a couple of comments had been posted on yesterday's post{which had nothing to do with Obama}:

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=468891502132816575&postID=7895090075855832390

It appears that Anonymous{who after a little searching I deemed is from the Litchfield, Maine area}, who didn't have the stones to leave a real name or even a fake one...is a "Warrior for Obama". Coming from a state that gave us Olympia Snow and Susan Collins, a couple of true blue RINOS, Anonymous from Litchfield's comments come as no surprise.

He also left another for Cappy, but as I told Anon...you only get one bash at your host, and his readers, so make it good....he didn't. The punk instead used a photo of Obummer on my side bar calling him a Kenyan Man-Child. as his reason for his rant. Of course anybody that reads this blog with any regularity, knows I could care less where Obama is from...he is one evil un-American son of a bitch, regardless of his ancestry or birthplace. But Anonymous from Litchfield, like Charlie from Colorado, is of the mind that anybody that doens't like The Obummer is a racist....sorry boys, it ain't so....I would despise and disrespect Barry, no matter his skin color or place of birth.

And Anonny...if you want to figure out how I know you hail from Litchfield, drop me a line....in the meantime...YOU ARE DISMISSED!

On the menu for today____

Not much is the short answer.

No games tonight, but I may or may not attend the rules meeting in Van Wert. I already have 5 of the required 4 in, so I could pass on the rest of the meetings this season. However, as bad as I think I officiated the girls Junior High games in Waynesfield last night, I may want to attend far more than are required....I was out of it, and missed a few calls that should have been made. Another JH girls double header at Spencerville tomorrow, before moving onto the Big Boys games this weekend at Paulding on Friday, and Lima Temple Christian on Saturday.

In the meantime....

I took the Intrepid up to Wolfes for a oil change, tire rotation, and a check on the brake pedal that is making a "noise" that I don't like...haircut at noon, then at 3:30 Patricia head up to The American Shoppe to pick up our new bed and mattress set. I think we've been on the same mattress for about 20 years, so she plunked down a pretty good sum to get Anissa a new bed, and one for us....my guess is this is our Christmas Present, because the bank is empty and closed on the Holiday account. Hopefully it's back and sleep friendly, for the price it should be.

That is the short of it for today....back later>>>>

Photo-It's my guess that Anonymous from Litchfield can be found at your local Obama Rally carrying a sign like the one this dolt is holding...

December Milestones....Bogart Month on TCM

2009-12-01T10:25:00.010-05:00

First a look at News____

At least we will be spared an expensive trial and the pain of watching the racist nitwits like Sharpton and Jackson come to this murdering bastard's defense:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091201/ap_on_re_us/us_officers_shot

And that is the good news....may be roast in Hell.

Sorry to say thanks to Mike Huckabee and his Parole Board at least 4 police officers are dead, at least one child raped, and families destroyed forever. The murdering swine's sister and others who helped him while on the run, should be charged with his crimes, IMO.

In Sports___

Well kind of... St John Lutheran Dartball results from last night.

We traveled north to Schumm for a dartball evening at perennial power Schumm Lutheran. To say they have had our number over the years is an understatement...they defeated us in the league tournament final last year, and have had the best of us for the most part, but we do knock them off on occasion.

Both teams are somewhat down this year, us more than them, and last night was no exception...they took the first 2 games by scores of 6-5 and 4-1, we salvaged the final game in comeback fashion winning 5-3 with a 2 spot by the bottom of the order in the 9th. As for me? Not a good night...going 3 for 12 with 1 RBI and dropping my average to .366, the lowest it's been since my back issues of 2007. As a team we drop to 4 wins 8 loses, with top ranked Hopewell Lutheran next week on the road.

December a family milestone month____

Even though I wasn't born in the month of December, it has been probably the month with the most milestones in my Houseworth side of the family_____

Here are some "events" of December for the family____{and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few}:

First off Patricia and I were married at Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, on December 18, 1976.

Oldest son Sam was born the day before our 5th wedding day on 12/17/1981

Dad Stan Houseworth was born 12/10/1917 and passed away on Christmas Eve 1972----->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Brother Mike Houseworth born 12/15/1946

Grandma Wilda Waldron Houseworth born 12/22/1883

Granddad Sam Houseworth born 12/4/1877

their daughter Cecil was born December 7, 1901

First cousins Gary and Linda Houseworth were both born in December. Linda in 1941, Gary in 1946 and he passed away in December 2008.

Granddad Sam's brother William was born on December 12, 1875 but died as a child from Scarlet Fever in 1879. A Great Great Aunt, Elizabeth Houseworth, was born on December 14, 1846.

Looking at my book "The Family and Descendants of Israel Houseworth" I can find a number of other births, deaths, and marriages, listed for this month.

So December is indeed a month of Milestones for this family.

.....Speaking of December milestones:

Turner Classic Movies is featuring December 25, 1899, birthday boy Humphrey Bogart

http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/index/

While I have no use for Ted Turner and his politics or his world views, I love the TCM....probably by far the channel I view most often, and I give him credit and a thumbs up for this channel, on the mostly giant wasteland called TV.

This month every Wednesday starting at 6AM, they will show Bogart Movies throughout the day and evening....Bogart, although his politics and mine don't match, I enjoy most of his movies, and probably along with Cary Grant, John Wayne, and Jimmy Stewart, he ranks at the top of my favorite movie actors from the Golden Age of Cinema.

Basketball at Waynesfield tonight...back later>>>>

Photos-Patricia and me on December 18, 1976 @ Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Dartball Darts/Stan Houseworth as a AAF fly boy in 1942, born(1917) and died(1972) in December....and Wednesday's in December Bogart is featured on TCM.

Empty Nest, Huckebee's Folly, and a New Record

2009-11-30T09:08:00.011-05:00

Here we go with the last day of November, I guess I should ask the rhetorical question....Where has the year gone? Don't know, but it sure is flying....

First some news headlines:

Why Mike Huckabee should never be President____

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577691,00.html

This bastard, Maurice Clemmons, is one of the hardened criminals that former Arkansas Governor/Christian/Presidential Candidate, Mike Huckabee released because he felt it was his duty as a compassionate Christian...Nice move Governor...NOT!
Of course Governor Huckabee on his web site tries to shift the blame this morning:

http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?fa=News.View&News_id=a9c58e43-9675-4da0-9567-674110678ef8&Label_id=&Year=&Month=

Do I need to mention that the accused is black, the police officers white, and this bastard is without a doubt a racist piece of trash? Huckabee seems like a nice enough guy...he's a Christian, so am I, but I think our views on "compassion" run a little different. This son of a bitch was sentenced to 95 years in prison, Huckabee set him free. So what does Mr. Clemmons do? Well he moves to Washington State, rapes a child, gets caught, and is promptly released on $150,000 dollars bail. Now how does murdering scum with no job, get his hands on $150,000? Do you think that it might have been reduced somehow, by some Liberal "compassionate and guilt ridden" Judge? Just Asking.

So Mike Huckabee I know you are considering another run at the White House...here is a hint. Don't bother. Most Conservatives and Christians aren't buying your compassion...we call it stupidity, and moral weakness. This bastard should have never seen the light of day.

Tiger Woods can drive a golf ball but not his SUV____

News or Sports?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577809,00.html

Of course being a man of privilege Tiger, can blow off the cops in Florida by claiming this as a private matter....I would normally agree. But Tiger, the darling of the Sports Media, needs to air his dirty laundry, after all he wanted this fame and fortune....throw the folks a bone Tiger, they worship you.

A couple of questions though...how does a man with a women as hot as your wife, get caught with his pants down? And how do you let that women{your wife} who probably weights in at 110 pounds, beat up your sorry ass? I thought you were in pretty good shape from all those work outs? Funny, funny, stuff!

Empty Nest and a New Record____

Well we moved Anissa out last night, moving in a house with another women with disabilities...and a staff that will see someone on duty 24/7. This completes the Empty Nest for Patricia and me....well kind of, let me explain.

Anissa{as many of you regular readers know} is our 30 year old daughter. She was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, back in 1979 and seemed like a normal child for her first couple of years...but the time she turned 3 we realized that she was delayed in several areas and after much searching for answers we discovered that she was indeed mentally retarded, with side issues. Being our oldest she was followed in birth order by Sam and Hal, 2 seemingly "normal" boys...it's been a long road for her and us, especially Patricia...and it is far from over. Anissa is a happy, healthy, alert adult, who is sharp on many fronts...but she is retarded{I know the politically correct would rather not use that word, but it is what it is}>

The term empty does not really apply to our household...Anissa, who turns 31 in February, will still be home most weekends, from Saturday morning through Sunday evening, staying Saturday night with us. She will also spend the Holidays with us...and frankly I'm not sure how her Summer schedule will pan out, or if this will work out at all. But with me approaching 61, Patrica at 56, we know we will not be around or even able to care for her forever.....we are lucky to have good friends and sons who will help out if the worst happens to us in a quick manner.

In addition the nest won't be empty for long...Sam, who turns 28 this month, will be home for the Fall to Winter break at Ohio State on December 10th...so our empty nest will last 11 days and then he will be home for 3 weeks. 25 year old Hal, is the only one who has really moved on thus far on a permanent basis....so "Empty Nest"? Not exactly!

4000 page views and 2400 stop byes for November, by far a record for this blog since it began in July 2007. The views and folks from all over the world stopping by continues to increase at a steady pace...for this I am grateful, but I know it's got a long way to go, and after all, it's about my daily and former life, not about how many people stop by....but Thanks to all, none-the-less.

Dartball tonight....basketball gets under way in full force in December. Games this week, on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

back later>>>>

Photos-The Houseworth "Kids" Sam 28 on December 17th, 30 year old Anissa, and 25 year old Hal. Mike Huckabee former Presidential Candidate and Bleeding Heart Governor. And Tiger Woods and Wife...? Tiger, what the Hell were you thinking?

Home Brewing/10 pounds to Go

2009-11-29T09:00:00.012-05:00

Sunday has dawned a little warmer(mid 40s) than the middle 20s of yesterday...sunshine for the time being, but a chance of rain later in the day. I got up yesterday and dragged myself over to Waynesfield{with Sam in tow, heading back to Columbus} to do the first regular season games of the year...a Girls Junior High double header. The basketball and officiating were typical of a early season....none of us were really in top form, we will leave it at that.

The games ended just before 1pm and Sam and I headed for his off campus apartment at Ohio State...dropping him off, I headed back towards Celina. As I reached Bellefontaine on US 33 I got a phone call from Garry. I work baseball and football with him, and I am on the Board of Directors at MRSI, where he is the Executive Director....we also have good cigars and a love for beer in common. Garry likes to brew his own, and on occasion makes up a batch in his home "still"...he was making an October Brew yesterday and asked me to stop by, drink some he had on hand, and smoke a cigar.

The Mosier Brewery____

I stopped by the house told Patricia and Anissa I was home...and then headed over to the northwest part of town where Garry and the family with some friends were out in the garage sampling beer and mixing up a batch of the Oktoberfest that will be ready by Christmas....

We sampled about a half dozen or more various larger beers, pale ales, stouts, and Christmas brews...some homemade and others from speciality brewers. Drinking 3 or 4 ounces of each was enough to give anybody a buzz, but that's why you only drink a bit of each, I topped off the session with a nice Black Pearl Robusto. If I had downed a 12 oz bottle of each, plus the cigar, I would have had to crawl the 10 blocks home. As it was, I was home by 7pm, watched some college football, games of teams I had no interest in, and hit the sack.

18 down, 10 to go_____

Despite the Michigan fishing trip, the early Thanksgiving with Patricia's family in Wisconsin, and our feed for Thanksgiving at sister Marty's house Thursday....I was pleasantly surprised at this morning's weight check. 190.0 pounds...the lowest I have been in 20 years{since beginning my weight lifting in force}, and 18 pounds down since my early stages of Diabetes 2 was handed down in September 5th. My goal was 180...and despite the Holiday food, and alcohol, I figure by the time Basketball season ends and baseball begins, I should have no problem taking off the addition pounds...March 1st, with 10 pounds to go is doable.

On a side note, the Blood Pressure continues to drop as well...although is varies, it is usually in the 130/68 range with a resting pulse rate of about 62....not too bad for someone who will turn 61 in March.

Today____

Might catch the Bengals-Browns game today, if I have time...Cincinnati can go a long way towards sewing up a playoff spot with a win and a Steelers loss at Baltimore....but after last week's collapse at Oakland in the last 50 seconds, nothing would surprise me.

And tonight is when Anissa, our 30 year old daughter, begins a life away from us for the most part...we will see how that works out. Anissa and another woman with some disabilities will move across town to a place of their own. 24 hour "house sitters" will be there, and the first week it will be her God Mother, a family friend who has been caring for her on a part time basis for many years....after the first week, other professional staff from MRSI will be on board.

She will still be back home for most of the weekends, Holidays, and on Saturday Nights.....for now, we will see how this works out. With me heading for 61 and Patricia at 56 and still working full time....this was going to happen sooner or later, and now with us in pretty good health, it's time to give it a try. We will see how things work out.

back later>>>

Photo-Mosier's Home Brewery and a view of the "goods" we sampled last night...including a Black Pearl Cigar. The Cincinnati Bengals with a game against the hapless Browns today, a game that could make or break this surprising season in Cincy.

Thanksgiving Weekend Happenings

2009-11-27T18:44:00.007-05:00

It's been busy....heading to Columbus on Wednesday, dragged my old friend Nick along with me to introduce him to the Waldo G&R Baloney Specials...Funny how things work out, I had not been to the old home town of my ancestors in a little over a year, and here I've stopped in on the 100 mile trek 3 times in the past month....twice due to picking up Sam after his car wreck{since he's without wheels for now}, and once to hook up with old friend Bill Clem.

Nick had not been treated to a G&R Special, so I figured to take him along on my way to pick up Sam......

Can't beat the price...all the food above with 4 beers between us, for less than $20. 2 biggggg Baloney Sandwiches, orders of deep fried Mushrooms, and Onion Rings, which we split, and 2 beers each....$ 19.50, we tossed in a good tip, and got away with a bill of $25.....on the way home, Sam stopped at a fast food joint, and paid $7 for roast beef, with small fries, and a drink....now tell me who got the best bargain.?

Thanksgiving___

With both boys home for a spell{Hal headed back to the Dayton area today, had to get back to work with his Autistic kids}...we packed the food that Patricia had fixed and headed over to sister Marty's place yesterday afternoon....the entire family was there except Marty and her Husband Pat's{yep another Pat in the family}youngest daughter Mikki, and our youngest sister Kelly...they reside in L.A. and southwest Florida respectively, and didn't get home this time around.

We put in about 6 hours, had plenty of food, which I tried to stay on the diet despite of, and beer, wine, and photos for the family files.....This morning Sam and I were back at basketball officiating. I went to Spencerville for my final scrimmage of the season, while Sam did a couple of girls High School games in Celina for the Holiday Classic season opener at the Field House....

Tomorrow I'm at Waynesfield for a girls Junior High game at 10am, and then will drag Sam back to Columbus...he'll return to Ohio State now until about December 10th when finals are over...then take off until Winter Quarter begins around January 5th.

We are in the process of moving Anissa's stuff to her new place....where she will live with another women under assisted care givers....she will still be home most of the weekends. We will get that process done by Sunday, and see how things work out. We of course would rather have her home most of the time, but knowing as we grow older, this is something that has to happen sooner or later, so we will begin the process now, and see how things shake out.

Will try to get out one more post sometime this weekend...but for now, I'm dragging butt, and will shut it down for the night...back later

Photos-A typical fare at Waldo's famous G&R Tavern...2 hearty Bologna Sandwiches, Onion Rings, Deep Fried Mushrooms, and 2 beers each for about $20, you can't beat that. Nick outside of G&R, I've always know he was full of something...but not sure it was baloney that I'm thinking of. And the inside of the G&R on a Central Ohio fall evening.

Gray Skies of November/Thanksgiving/Obama's Military Madness

2009-11-25T10:18:00.010-05:00

The day before Thanksgiving...and it looks like a typical November day, the clouds are blanketing the Midwest, after a light rain overnight...upper 40s today, and a high of only 40 tomorrow with some rain and maybe a flurry or 2...The Holiday Season is upon us.....

First a look at the headlines:

Obama 'short changes' troops____

It looks like our Illegal Kenyan President has settled on sending 32-35 thousand troops to the Afgan War front, a few at a time{a prescription for disaster for sure}....I guess Barry thinks he's doing right by tossing the left and the military a bone, you know, don't send enough troops to actually win the conflict, but send enough to shut both the left and right up.....not enough for a military victory, and not enough to get his lemming followers upset either.

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33524/

Beck is right...either send the amount of troops needed, or pull them the Hell out.....Obama, you worthless piece of garbage, get your head your of your ass.

And to top the insults off...Navy Seals are getting court martialed for giving Islamic Terrorist a fat lip:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576646,00.html

If that story doens't piss you off...you are a moron.

Meanwhile The Huffington Post doesn't think Glenn Beck should have free speech rights:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/jeff-poor/2009/11/20/huffington-argues-glenn-beck-should-be-excluded-constitutionally-protecte

Arianna Huffington, the daughter of a WWII Colaporting Nazi Whore. Yes I can see where she would like to deny Free Speech to those she disagrees with. This hag is not even an American...just a bitter former Republican, who was shunned by the GOP, so she got mad and turned "left"....of course telling this to the likes of Keith Oldblowaman, with nobody watching, is the best she can do.

And what about that Census worker who was "murdered" by backwoods anti Government hicks in Kentucky?

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9173340

Wait a Minute!!!!! You mean this left wing nutcase wasn't really murdered???? You mean the dumb son of a bitch actually killed himself and made it look like murder so his family could collect the insurance on him. That way he could "go out" blaming Conservatives and Talk Radio? What a shock, even in death, the left will go to no ends to blame their miserable lives on Conservatives and the right.

Enough so called news for today........

Thanksgiving____

Despite the political winds which are shifting against Obama and Company{his second straight day with a -15 approval index on Rasmussen, his worst to date}:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
I wish for you and yours a great Thanksgiving, safe travel, and a great upcoming Holiday and Christmas Season....

Hal is heading home from Dayton this afternoon, meanwhile I'll travel to Columbus later this afternoon to pick up carless Sam...gotta do something about that over the Holidays, his car is totaled, and he needs another ride...on his dime of course. He has a OSU Women's Basketball game to tape tonight, so it might be a late one. Then on Sunday we begin the move of Anissa to her new house, and a life without us on a daily basis....she will however, be home from Saturday mornings until Sunday afternoons most weekends....so the nest won't be totally empty.

Probably not around tomorrow...but back on Friday

Happy Thanksgiving to each and all!

photos-The grey skies of November looking out my back door. Glenn Beck is under attack by the left, but his books keep selling, his radio and tv shows continue to thrive, and he's laughing all the way to the bank.

Back! At It, 23 year Coma.....and Dartball Results

2009-11-24T09:19:00.010-05:00

For those long time viewers/readers of this blog, you know that from October 2007 through early March 2008 I went though a battle with Spinal Stenosis...that being severe back pain due to the shrinkage of the space in my spinal column. After getting a epidural injection just before Christmas of 07, I slowly recovered, and since March of 08 my back problems have been fewer and less painful. That all changed yesterday....

More on that after a look at a Headline......

Man survives Coma for 23 years____

http://www.rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/9000/9585285/Belgian_says_he_was_alert_but_mute_for_23_years ys_he_was_alert_but_mute_for_23_years

Hopefully this will give some food for thought to the Ghouls in and out of the media who cheerleaded the murder by starvation of Terri Schiavo in Florida, back in 2005....Schiavo had much the same diagnosis at this Belgium, and her husband, and the courts, the murdering bastards they are, let the women die the slow death by starvation....may they roast in Hell for their crimes. Those that supported pulling the plug on Terri Schiavo need to ask God for forgiveness, because I sure the Hell wouldn't forgive or forget if I was a member of her family.

Dartball_____

With some new back pain to deal with, I headed to Rockford last evening to toss darts for a couple of hours....I figured it(back pain) would throw me off on my delivery. That, added to the new location at the Rockford Church and the lower ceilings there didn't add up to a good night.

We took the first game 7-2 and I was 2 for 4 with a couple of RBIs, things went south from there. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in game #2, we folded up, finally losing in 13 innings by a 6-4 score, I was only 1 of 5...game #3 we lost 5-3, I was 2 for 3 when I came up in the top of the 9th, with a runner on, down by 2...I proceeded to toss the dart off the board for an automatic out, thus ending the game....I finished 5 of 13 with 3 RBIs to see my average fall to .406. The team now stands at 3 wins with 6 loses....very inconsistent.

The fact that I threw off the board was noteworthy if for no other reason than I had only tossed off the board 2 times in 17 years until last night....and that was 2 years ago when I had the season long back issues, and tossed the 2nd worst average of my years, at .339...the only one lower was my first full season. The 4' x 4' foot board is usually a big target throwing underhand from 20 feet away....with only 3 off the boards in all these years, my ego took a hit last night....we move on to perennial power Schumm next week.

The Back{pain}____it's back!

Yesterday as I bent over to retrieve something in the downstairs coat closet, I felt a slight pull in my back....within a couple of minutes, I knew it was more than "slight".....I spent much of the day sitting in a hard back chair and also applied some "Icy Hot" patches to the lower back which was affected. After a 6 hour nap{which was pain free}, I awoke this morning with the stiffness still there, and the pain returned....a basketball scrimmage tonight at Lincolnview should be a test to see how bad the back is.

I doubt(hope) that the stenosis has returned, but believe this is just a muscle pull or strain....at least that's what I'm hopeful of....with scrimmages tonight, then Friday and Saturday mornings, plus the moving of Anissa's stuff...the back issue will be at the forefront.....Ibuprofen and Hot and Icy wraps will be part of the plan, plus a few beers later in the day....

Back Later>>>>

Photos-The back pain has returned in the short run{hopefully short}, Terri Schiavo, the lesson unlearned by the ghouls of America, and our standard Dartball Board....

The Weekend That Was

2009-11-23T10:43:00.009-05:00

The final weekend before Thanksgiving has passed, and the weather for this time of year couldn't have been much better....lows around the freezing mark, but sunshine, lite winds, and temps in the mid 50s for both Saturday and Sunday....plenty of time to sit out back and enjoy cigars and a new(at least for me) beer to sample.

More on that later....first a look at some news:

Obama's poll numbers continue to tank____

This past presidential election the Rasmussen Report was the most accurate of those taking polls...not top heavy with "adults" that don't vote, or tilted towards Democrats, like CNN, CBS, and even the Gallop Polls....Scott Rasmussen hit the numbers right on the head in 2008 when he predicted the margin of victory for our illegal Kenyan born Prez....That's is why the recent Daily Tracking Poll numbers have to have Obummer and Company gnashing their teeth"

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Barack's(Barry Soetoro) poll numbers have been on the slide since early summer...and "if" the election were held today, the Democrats would be in deep trouble....but he and his lap dogs in the media(with the exception of Fox and talk radio) still have time to talk about the economic recovery, and the just ended Recession. Of course there has been no recovery, and there still is a deep Recession, probably a Depression....and Americans are finally figuring it out.

The Obama Presidency is a shell game.......This Administration is the Titanic, this country is the White Star Line, and it's people are the passengers....be aware, and wake the Hell up!

Sports____

After enjoying an Ohio State win over Michigan on Saturday, I got to witness a complete late game collapse by the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday at Oakland...losing 20-17 to the sad sack Raiders, by giving up 10 points in the final minute:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/recap;_ylt=AqMxAQO8xzwcSMgxbJO5xuVDubYF?gid=20091122013&prov=ap

At least Pittsburgh and Baltimore also tanked, making it a total loss for the AFC North(Cleveland lost on the last play of the game at Detroit)...The Ravens and Steelers play each other this coming weekend, while the Bengals get home to face the Browns....a chance for Cincy to talk a stranglehold on the Division, but I've seen them at their worst, so you never know about this bunch.

The Weekend Past_____

Friday night I drove the 70 miles north to Edgerton, Ohio, and officiated a 2 hour scrimmage there, turned around and was at Waynesfield Saturday morning at 8 for another boys varsity scrimmage at the home of the W-G Tigers....due to the Buckeyes playing Michigan at High Noon, all area scrimmages were moved to early morning so they could be completed to get everybody home in time for that rivalry game....

After the Buckeye win, I headed outside with Anissa to enjoy the weather...I downed a couple of beers and a cigar. Sunday it was much of the same, outside I went, this time before the Bengals game at 4:15...it was nice enough I listened to the first half on radio, then came back in for the disastrous 2nd half.

Cigars and a few bottles of Sam Adams Winter Larger were on the agenda. Good cigars and good beer, along with good late fall weather, not much can top that at my age.

The "Short" Week ahead___and the empty nest

The boys, Sam from Columbus, and Hal from the Dayton area, will be home for Thanksgiving, which will see us celebrate with most of the family at sister Marty's home on the other side of town. Come Friday we will start to move beds, dressers, and other items from our place to Anissa's new house.....she will be moving into an assisted living situation along with caregivers and a roommate starting Sunday....this will complete our road to the "Empty Nest".

She, at 30 years old, will still be with us at least one night a week and we will see Sam when school is out of session at Ohio State...Hal will get home when he has a chance, so we won't be completely "empty", but it will be much quieter around the house most of the time. Changes are a coming in the PRH household....how we handle it will be interesting to say the least.

back later>>>>

Photos-Yesterday, me enjoying the sunshine, a good cigar, and a Samuel Adams Winter brew out by the garage, catching as much late day warming sunshine as I could. The Obummer's poll numbers, worse than Bush's by a mile at the same point in his presidency. The Bengals were once again the Bungles yesterday at Oakland....and a bottle of Sam Adams, and sunglasses were the order of the weekend in my Celina backyard.

Buckeyes Down Michigan...Again!

2009-11-22T08:05:00.011-05:00

Another sunny Sunday morning appears on the eastern horizon in west central Ohio...made all the more bright, thanks to another Ohio State Football Victory over Michigan....6 in a row, and 8 out of 9 since Jim "The Vest" Tressel replaced John Cooper at the helm of "The Ohio State University"......

More on that after I look at the news headlines.....

Dems get 60 votes in Senate to push "Health Scare" ahead....

Like a couple of $5 Hookers on Saturday Night, the women Senators of Louisiana and Arkansas dropped down at the feet of Senate Leader Harry Reid, and said "Yes" to the soon to be defeated Senator from Nevada:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/21/senate-crucial-vote/

Debate my rosy red ass....this bill is going to pass, and America will continue under Obama, Reid, and Pelosi, to head down the path to becoming nothing more than a 3rd world shithole....and still almost 50% of the population haven't a freaking clue, or they want us to become that said 3rd world dump, because of petty jealousy. The left just hates those that are successful...plus they want to tell all of us, just how to live our lives.

Good Luck America....you are going to need it. It's at times like these that I say, "Thank God, I'm getting old", and won't have to deal for long with the mess that is around the corner.

Sports_____6 in a row for OSU

As a lifetime Ohio State Football fan, it's always good to see The Buckeyes defeat hated rival Michigan. UM, a shadow of it's former self under Rich Rodriquez, still leads the all time series 57-43 and some ties thrown in....but under Jim Tressel, OSU has won 6 in a row, and eight of nine.

No fan of Tressel or his overrated quarterback, Sophomore Terrelle Pryor, am I....but after an embarrassing loss to a below average Purdue team{that saw Pryor himself turn the ball over 4 times}, Ohio State has came back, won 4 in a row, and clinched the outright Big Ten Title, a share of their 5th straight, a Rose Bowl berth, and some respect back.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recap?gid=200911210029&prov=ap

So, while no longer a fan of Tressel{due to the way he dumped local starter QB Todd Boeckman last season in favor of his perceived savior Pryor} I still root for Ohio State, albeit with less passion than the previous 50 years...especially when they play that team up north{as Woody Hayes described Michigan}.

Go Bucks, bring back a Rose Bowl and BCS game win....it's been 4 years.

Basketball Legs___

Traveling 70 miles north for a 2 hour scrimmage at Edgerton on Friday night, and after a short night of sleep, I headed 35 miles east to Waynesfield for another boys varsity scrimmage yesterday at 8am{on Ohio State-Michigan day all teams in the state practice/scrimmage early so they are able to be done by the Noon start of the big game}. The 4 hours of running/walking up and down the hardwood courts put a workout and strain on my aging legs....off until Tuesday, then more scrimmages that day, Friday, and Saturday, before the regular season kicks off on December 1st.

Sitting out back____

After the Buckeye game yesterday, I sat out back on the steps while Anissa was outside, and Patricia{trying to recover from a sinus infection} was out looking for items for Anissa's coming move to a place in her next step in independent living, and smoked a cigar, downed a couple of Miller Lites, and enjoyed the 55 degree and sunny late November weather....I heard a buzzing noise, looked and saw one of the locals flying around in his motorized glider...55 at land temperature, you gotta wonder what the temps were a few thousand feet up were....looked cold to me, even in the sunshine. I grabbed the new camera and took a couple of shots of this brave soul.

Photos--Ohio State logo/Ronald Reagan, the last great American President, won't be coming to America's Rescue this time around...we may be doomed as a world economic power. Me, with Cigar, contemplating nothing in particular {no that's not radar sticking out of my head, just the tower at the local grain elevator a block away from the house}. And one of the locals flying a few thousand feet above my back yard in the clear blue sky.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend....back later>>>>

The Road to Waldo(Ohio)

2009-11-20T08:58:00.009-05:00

Yesterday I headed the 100 or so miles though the back roads towards the small town in central Ohio called Waldo. Where is Waldo you ask? About 20 miles north of the Capital City of Columbus nestled in the corner of the Delaware, Morrow, and Marion County conjunction...just inside Marion County....I met up with an old friend from the 1990s, Bill Clem...more on that after the headlines:

__________________________
Glenn Beck Says______:

"If Health Care passes in the Senate form, the economic end of the nation is at hand".

http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/33342/

Do you agree? If not{or if you do} check out the facts"

http://www.atr.org/userfiles/111809pr-comptaxreid%282%29.pdf

This should be enough to scare the Hell out of any non-freeloading, non-Marxist, "Legal" American....unfortunately, the Democrats and their Kenyan born leader Barack Insane Obama have only the above in mind when spending money and controlling the politics of the country.

Wake the Hell up America!

-------------------

Sports____

#15 Ohio State Basketball got it's first big test in New York against defending national champs North Carolina, ranked #4 at this early point in the season:

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=200911190443&prov=ap

The Buckeyes trailed the entire game but made it close in the end...UNC remains undefeated, OSU falls to 2-1 with the consolation game in NYC against #13 Cal tonight. The Tar Heels take on Syracuse for the 4 team title.

Being a Duke fan first in roundball and an OSU fan second...I hate seeing anybody that I root for losing to Roy Williams and the Tar Babies....

The Road to Waldo(and back)___

As I have written on many occasions in the past few years on this blog and my Ancestry Blog:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

The small(population 325) town of Waldo in central Ohio is the town from where most of my double sided Houseworth family spread out from in the middle and late 1800s. GGG-Granddad Israel Houseworth and his sons Solomon, Frederick, and George, settled in Waldo around 1840, along with the wives...most of their children were born and raised in the Delaware and Waldo area of central Ohio. Many "Houseworth" stones can be found in the Waldo Town Cemetery.

My Great-Grandparents Nelson(son of Solomon) and Mary Ann(Daughter of Fred and Ursula) were first cousins...apparently not that uncommon back in the day, due to large families and rural living...or at least that's what they say? Who really knows?

Anyway after Frederick died great-great Grandma Ursula became a large property owner in and around the town.....on one of her properties the Waldo City Park now rests.

Meeting up with Bill Clem____

Bill Clem his wife Sandy, and their two kids Billy and Shannon lived in Celina for a spell back in the early and mid 1990s. Billy played soccer for me and his dad and played for his old man against my little league baseball teams back in the day...Bill was also a drinking buddy at the old Lakefront Racquet Club....Sandy and Bill moved with her job to Marion, Ohio,(about 15 miles north of Waldo) back around 1996. Billy, now a coach and math teacher in Marion, helped lead his Marion Pleasant team to a State Baseball Championship back in 2001 as the starting catcher, he now coaches baseball and basketball at MP. Sadly Bill's wife passed away for cancer a few years back, and although I had talked to him several times in recent years, I had not seen him since Sandy passed away. I had talked with him in person last in 2001 on a rainy semi-final state baseball game, back in that spring of 2001.

Bill has a new women in his life, and seems to be the same old Bill...a good guy for sure. We had a good 2 hour visit over the famous Bologna Sandwiches at G&R Tavern, a couple of beers and I took him for a visit of the family plots at the local cemetery.

I took my damn camera, planning on getting some photos of us...but during the conversations forgot all about it....we parted with a promise to get together for a longer visit next time around. He wanted me to drop over to his house, but knowing I would down a couple of quality beers with him....I didn't want to drive those back roads home for 2 hours with "beers in my belly". Such a concerned wimp I have become..... :{

The Road Back to Celina____

Saying our goodbyes with a handshake, I headed out the back country roads towards west central Ohio. State Highway 47 goes through some small rural towns that the ghosts of the Houseworths haunt these days...Richwood, West Manchester, Prospect, and others. I headed out 47, finally cut off a few country/country roads towards Rushsylvania...I bypassed Bellefontaine, drove on through Indian Lake and Russells Point, on Route 33 towards Wapak, St. Marys, and finally home to Celina.

I did plan on taking some back road routes to find some old bridges to photograph, but time was short{due mostly to the early darkness these days}so, I got a few photos along the traveled route and didn't wander off the beaten path too far.

Of course I fired up a good cigar and a large coffee for the trip home, and arrive back just before dark on this cloudy, rainy, typical November-like Ohio day.

Basketball and Ohio State-Michigan weekend___

Basketball officiating tonight some 70 miles north to Edgerton...don't ask me why I took a scrimmage that far north for $60, there is not much profit in it with gas at $2.65 a gallon. But I do like to travel in decent weather and see other places and different teams...if you remember I took a Varsity football game up there in October. So I am familar with Edgerton and teams in the Green Meadows Conference, from football, basketball, and especially baseball, where I do about a half dozen league games per year.

I should get home around 1o:30 or 11pm, just in time to grab a shower, have a beer, hit the sack and get up at 6am for another varsity boys scrimmage at Waynesfield, some 40 miles back east off US 33.

If I and my legs and back survive all of that....I will kick back and watch the annual Ohio State-Michigan football game at Ann Arbor. Under Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes have owned the Maze and Blue during the decade of the 00s...tomorrow look for them to continue that faze of the bitter rivalry. But never take this game for granted, with the Rose Bowl clinched, OSU needs to not look past Michigan, who have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Back Later>>>> Enjoy the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Photos-top/the Waldo Park now site on the property owned by my GG-Grandmother, Ursula Scribner Houseworth back in 1878. These days the most famous spot in Waldo is the world famous G&R Tavern, where the famous Bologna Sandwiches are served...along with a cold beer, they are at the top of my menu. Waldo as it looked on the plot map in 1878...the circled properties were the homesteads and farm land of Ursula Houseworth./On the way back from Waldo on State Route 47, I snapped the photos of a long abandoned bridge outside of Richwood, and as you enter West Mansfield on Rt 47 you are greeted by the long ago abandoned grain elevator at the railroad tracks.

Trying Some Changes

2009-11-18T08:59:00.011-05:00

Like anything else you tend to get bored when doing the same thing day after day...guess that's why I could never get my heart into assembly line work some 40 years and more ago. Yes I tried, but the everyday grind of doing the same thing day after day, hour after hour, was just not my thing, and something I would never be able to do for a long stretch. So with that said, I am going to try a few new things with the blog, in looks and some content, although the basics, my look at my world past and present will remain the focus.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

News Headlines and a comment:

Did Obama Grovel when he bowed to the Japanese leader?

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/11/17/20091117ObamaBow17-ON.html

My thoughts: Yes, our Man-Child Kenyan born President did a bit of "groveling" ....he has before, he made a half-assed bow to the Saudi Prince earlier this year. In all fairness, Bush2 made a fool of himself by holding hands with the protectors of Islamic Terrorists in Saudi Arabia as well....Nixon and Clinton were also weak kneed "Grovelers" to some foreign leaders.

Sports w/comments____

Got started with the High School Basketball season last night at Lima Central Catholic....4 of us doing a Tri-Scrimmage with host LCC, Lima Perry, and Russia(Rue'-She) High Schools. Doing the 3 man crew that is common in Varsity games these days, the 4 of us rotated 3 ten minute quarters in 1 out for 2 hours....It was a good workout, and my legs feel it this morning. Running up and down a basketball court is a different workout on your legs than either football or baseball officiating/umpiring.

Friday I'll drive the 70 miles north to Edgerton{where I had a Varsity Football game earlier this fall} for another Boys Varsity Scrimmage...then turn right around and do a 8am scrimmage at Waynesfield-Goshen. 8AM??? Yep, all the schools know they need to get them done early because on Ohio State-Michigan Saturday, with the game starting at Noon, nobody would work the games if they tried to hold the scrimmages later.

Speaking of OSU-Michigan Football, the Buckeyes have ruled the Wolverines over most of the Jim Tressel era...Ohio State is 7 wins 1 loss under "The Vest". Looking at things this season, Ohio State should roll, should I say, and this is what makes Michigan so dangerous. With the Rose Bowl and a share of the Big Ten wrapped up, The Buckeyes need to make sure they don't take their arch-rival lightly.

_____________________________________________________________

Back to Waldo____

Tomorrow I will head back to the home of my ancestors, Waldo, Ohio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo,_Ohio

The small berg with the World Famous Bologna Sandwiches. As I have said before on this blog and my Ancestry Blog:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

Waldo is my kind of place. Tomorrow morning I will head out with a cooler full of Cheese Curds to G&R Tavern, where I will meet up with an old friend Bill Clem. Bill moved to Marion from Celina more than a decade ago, and we have only seen each other a handful of times since 1996. His son Bill Jr, was a outstanding Soccer player and the starting Catcher on Marion Pleasant High School's State Champion baseball team in 2001. He now teaches and coaches at Pleasant. Bill Senior lost his wife a few years back, and it will be good to see him again, swap some Cheese, talk politics, and down a beer and baloney sandwich.

Bill and family, like Patricia and me, lived in Wisconsin for a few years, and knows that when it comes to fresh cheese, bratwurst, and fish frys, the Badger State has no equals.

Today___

Rain and cooler conditions are in the area today....and looking out my living room windows, it looks like November.

Patricia is back at school, although with the sinus infection she has, she probably should not be...but she says she has work to do. Not sure that is the way to cure the virus.....but she is determined to get her work completed....9 more years untill retirement. I wonder if the Republic will last that long? I have serious doubts.

Tonight I have a scheduled Basketball Rules meeting in Van Wert, but of late I have not got a good night's sleep, and with 5 meetings already in and only 4 required, I may skip this one, and rest up....time will tell, I'l see how I feel come 6pm.

Back Later>>>>

Photos-Photo of the Day: Our Kenyan-in-Chief Barry Soetoro as he grovels in Japan...what a tool!!

From Waldo: My Grandfather Sam Houseworth(1877-1928) top, 2nd from left, and some of his siblings around 1900. 8 of the 12 children of Mary Ann and Nelson Houseworth were born in Waldo. A Waldo Livery Stable around 1900 and the old school house at Waldo in 1916.

Oconomowoc-Some Photos from the Trip/Blog Changes part #2

2009-11-17T13:30:00.015-05:00

Not sure what is up with blogger, but after some tooling and trying, I think I can now add some photos from the post earlier today{scroll down to read and view that}.

Before I get into some of the photos from the weekend....I will add to what I mentioned this morning.

I will be making some changes to the blog as the days ahead move on...some will be ASAP, others will take awhile longer before I get them done, and will no doubt require some toying around with...

The basics of the blog will remain. It will continue to be a diary of my days and a look back at the past. I also plan on more photos, and more links and comments about politics, sports, and world in general, both locally and on a national level....my opinions may continue to piss off a few{or many}, but they will continue to be my opinions, and as such, will be the ones that matter as far as this blog goes.

Photos from the weekend: Todd's Grill in downtown Oconomowoc with little parking these days on the main drag, most restaurants and stores have parking strictly in the back. Patricia, Anissa, and Bill{Pat's Dad} wait for Bev to park the car before we entered the back entrance of Todd's, for our Friday Fish Fry. Lac La Belle from the city park.....the Presbyterian Church mirrors itself on Fowler Lake. The City of Oconomowoc sits across from Fowler Lake. The Condo that Bill and Bev is part of this 2 building complex that sets along the walk/bike path, in the wetland area next Silver Lake. And the Mars Cheese Castle and some of the goodies we selected on our way back to Ohio. Mars is located on exit 142{I think} on I-94 near the twin Lake Michigan cities of Kenosha and Racine in extreme southeast Wisconsin.

Oconomowoc, Wisconsin/Blog Changes

2009-11-17T07:41:00.010-05:00

Back from Oconomowoc_____

We rolled back into Celina yesterday afternoon about 4:30pm from Patricia's hometown of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin....I first visited Oconomowoc in 1975, a full year and a half before we were married....I tagged along to meet her father Bill and step-mother Bev, and attend her younger sister Sue's wedding, which Patricia was a bridesmaid. I have been back at least once{usually twice, at least back in the early days} for the past 35 years.

Oconomowoc, when I first visited, was a town of about 9000, about the size of Celina, and like Celina, surrounded by water....the big difference was the Wisconsin town was close to large Milwaukee(about 30 miles west on I-94), and instead of one large mud hole, like Grand Lake, Oconomowoc was surrounded by several deep clear lakes, including Lac LaBelle, Lake Fowler, and Silver Lake. Patricia's parents lived between Delafield and Oconomowoc on Lake Nashoda.

In the years since my first visit, I have noted changes, and most not for the better. The suburban low lifes from Milwaukee and Chicago have infiltrated the Lakes and town...while leaving their crime ridden suburbs, they have brought their own brand of strip malls and yuppie shops to the revamped downtown and outlying areas next to I-94....In the name of progress, Oconomowoc and nearby Delafield have become sometime else other than what they were, thus eroding the quite and charm of the villages.

Of course this is my own personal opinion, I hate this type of progress. I have seen what happened to my childhood home of Venice, Florida, in the name of progress...not good, and Celina would like to join the Oconomowocs and Venices, by making Grand Lake something it's not. This is what happens when real estate speculators and politicians have egos and ask the citizens to pay for those egos, with taxpayer funds.

Fish Frys on Friday___

One thing I have always loved about Wisconsin is there Friday Night Fish Frys....now we are talking all you can eat, and more of the best seafoods. When Patricia and I lived near Wausau, Wisconsin, back in the late 70s{before the kids came along} we frequented a place north of Wausau called Bullocks...all you could care to consume in seafood and side dishes for $4.95 a person...we would usually drop $15 or $20 at the bar then head for the dining room each Friday. It was a treat....we also tried other eateries around the area, but Bullocks stood out head above the rest, at least in our minds.

So on Friday, a few hours after arriving at Bill and Bev's Condo{they moved out of the country setting a few years ago}, we headed uptown to Tony's, a place we had not eaten at yet, and had our Friday Fish Fry. Starting out the weekend when I left Celina, I had dropped a full 18 pound in 2 months and my weight had settled in at 190.5 pounds on my basement scale...I knew the weekend, with the fish, beer, the early Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner, and Sunday meal, would be a challenge...I survived, weighing in this morning at 192, I gained only about a pound and a half/the bloop pressure was also in pretty good range, standing at 135/75 with a 65 resting pulse rate.

After a weekend of Football and Food, we said our goodbyes yesterday morning early, and make out way down the Interstate past Milwaukee and towards Chicago. We stopped at the Mars Cheese Outlet to check into some Cheese Curds and other specialities that my buddy Bill Clem asked for. I am hooking up with Bill this Thursday in Waldo, and he asked for some "real" curds....having lived in Wisconsin a couple of decades ago, he knows the fake stuff from the real. We picked out a selection of cheese products and other items, and Anissa, Patricia, and I, headed down the Illinois Tollway towards home.

We arrived in Celina at 4pm, and before we stopped home, we headed out to the Celina Pet Center to pick up Reagan, she had been lodged at the Kennel for the weekend{with the boys no longer living at home, not much option there}...she had a trim, nobody seems to know how to trim Airedales correctly, so I should call it a butcher job, but at least she is ready for the winter without the excess baggage of hair. We headed home and were promptly ignored by a seemingly pissed off cat, who fended for herself for the 4 days....such is the life of the cat, able to survive on their own, if you leave a clean litter box in the basement and plenty of food and water.

Blogger Bummer___

Seems Blogger has changed the way it let's you write and publish these daily posts, and I can say, it sucks....not sure how it's going to look when I hit the publish button, but I'm not at all please with this. I seldom like big change anyway, but guess I'll learn to live with this, if I have to....the editing seems to have gone back to the 1998 version.

I was planning on making changes and the layout of the blog and content anyway...and you regular visitors may see them as the week progresses...if I can figure out what the Hell is going on.

back later>>>>

With the current set up I can't figure out how to drop photos where I want them...so I'll add a photo of the Oconomowoc City Hall and the sign at Lac LaBelle for now, until I can figure out just what the Hell is going on.... :(

Off for a few days

2009-11-12T14:00:00.006-05:00

A few days of Indian Summer are set to return, and we are taking a few days off ourselves....with Basketball Officiating set to start next Tuesday the 17th, this seems like the perfect chance to get away and come home ready to roll into the long winter season.

Hopefully my legs and back will hold out for the season, and the 60 or so games I have on the seasons schedule, from Junior High to High School Varsity, will make the long winter before baseball season seem just a little shorter.

Back with stories and hopefully some good photographs from the upcoming weekend....enjoy the time I'm away, I plan on it.

Oh' Baloney @ Waldo, Ohio

2009-11-11T09:38:00.015-05:00

Happy Veterans Day to my Fellow Veterans Past and Present.

More November like weather has returned to west central Ohio, low 50s yesterday with some sprinkles, but the sun is back out today with temps headed for 57 or so. I headed southeast the 100 miles to Columbus yesterday afternoon...the goal was to pick up car less oldest son Sam, and drag him to a local basketball rules meeting. After he crashed and totaled his car last Wednesday on the way to a meeting in Bexley, so he had some work to do to pick up his 4 required meetings. So I picked him up at the University Apartments and we headed out to grab a bite to eat, before driving on to Bellfontaine for the 7pm "Top of Ohio" Association get together.

I had a plan...it was only 3:30, so I figured to make the 20 mile ride up US 23 to Waldo, Ohio, home of my deceased ancestors and the world famous G&R Tavern and their outstanding Bologna Sandwiches. Sam, despite being a big eater{as his 6'1" 235 or so pound frame would attest} but a picky eater...so he decided not to try my favorite bar sammy...opting for baked chicken strips and fires. Myself? Well I grabbed a cold Miller Lite, and a side of deep friend mushrooms, and picked out a thick sliced G&R special Baloney Sandwich with Swiss cheese and sweet pickle to top with a shot of spicy brown mustard.

Not exactly a mainstay of my Diabetes 2 Diet...but well within the range of my day allotment of carbs, fats, and calories. After eating our delights I made the obligatory drive through the Waldo Cemetery, and saluted our ancestors. My GG-Grandma Ursual Houseworth and sons are buried in one spot, while Waldo's most famous Civil War Veteran, and longest living, Maish "Frosty" Houseworth(1846-1944), is buried across the gravel drive along with his wife Maria.

Yep, the Houseworth's, from landowners, like Ursual{a descendant of one John Smith, from the Mayflower} to Outlaws, Like convicted murderer Enoch Young, and his acquitted brother-in-law and my great-great Uncle Gilman Houseworth{another wounded Civil War vet}, called Waldo home....now the village of 325 just north of Columbus on the Marion County side of the Marion-Delaware County Line, is known for some of the best Baloney in the world.

If you get there, I guess I should add, that you don't think of Bologna as in store bought, packaged, sliced thin, Baloney....the two have little in common, except the name.

That was my first trip to the home of the Ancestors since last October...but the turn around won't take that long...next Thursday November 19th, I'll be back hooking up with an old buddy, Bill Clem, who lived in Celina for a few years, but moved in the late 90s to Marion.

So, back to Waldo for some more good eats next week.....I'll take some photographs of the event.

back later>>>>

For more on Waldo, photos, and stories, you can drop by my Genealogy Blog @:

http://israelhouseworth.blogspot.com/

The Photos-a Classic G&R Bologna Sammy with sweet pickle and Swiss Cheese, you can top em' anyway you want. The graves of my Ancestors CW Vet Maish and GG-Grandmother Ursula Schribner Houseworth set in the Waldo Cemetery.... Civil War Veteran and the aquitted Gilman Houseworth, as he looked in 1880. And G & R as it looked in October 2008..more photos after next week's visit.

Dartball Begins and the Bugs of November

2009-11-10T11:37:00.005-05:00
First off a rant....

Check out my comments section yesterday and observations made by my old friend "Cookie" ...{then do yourself a favor and stop by his site for some well deserved laughs}:

http://thecookshack.blogspot.com/

and my response...it contains our thoughts on the Politically Correct reason that 13 of our troops are dead, all in the name of Islamic Terrorists, and our national fear of offending them. It is a sad sight to see how our military has become de-bagged by the PC world. The military leaders are nothing more than gutless politicians, where the Hell are Swartzkopf and Patton when you need them....instead we get clowns like Colin "Fu**ing" Powell, and the current leader of the Army, the titless WAC himself General George Casey.....the feminizing of the Military is in full mode. As long as we continue to bow to Islam, the military is basically useless, and I would never expect my sons nor anybody's kids to join up in a toothless Military, where PC is king.

On a good news from another stinking Islamic Terrorist Muhammad, "The DC Sniper" accused of 10 shootings back in 2002, is set to assume Room Temperature by lethal injection...let's hope he gets to meet his 70 Virgin Camels about Midnight.

Opening Night Dartball____

Last night we traveled with 3 new team members to Mendon to take on the Mendon team in Dartball....Mendon has been the doormat for years in the league, seldom finishing out of or near the basement....back in the 1980s and 90s we went through a period where we defeated them 34 straight games...a couple of years ago they defeated us in the end of season tournament 2 games to 1, then settled back into us whipping them on most nights...that all changed last night. With our overflow roster, and minus Sam, one of our best throwers, a short handed Mendon team swept us out of the opening night, 3 games to none. The scores, 3-1, 5-4(on a 9th inning home run), and 2-0, starts us out at 0-3 for the first time I can remember.

With Sam away at Ohio State, the new guys getting used to the rules and board, and some of the older guys starting slowly...it was an ugly night...with a full playing roster of 12, the at bats were few and far between, the hits, even more so.....

I did alright as an individual, going 6 for 9 for a .667 batting average with 2 of our measly 5 total RBIs...next week we play at home{St. John Lutheran Church-Celina}, then go on the road for 3 straight weeks....the early part of the season could be a rough stretch.

The Bugs of November{and October}___

Over the past decade or so, at least in this part of the country, the invasion of the Lady Bug type beetles, called Asian Lady Bugs, have increased 10 fold it seems. The docile{although they can make a lite pinch when attaching themselves to you} little creatures, are everywhere come fall, especially when the sun is shining. They can work themselves through the smallest opening in windows, screens, door jabs, etc....they love to attach themselves on fruit, in window screens, and florescent lights...a minor nuisance, but they are fun to watch, as they gather in the sunshine, and then disapear in the cloudy and cool conditions, when those return.

Off to Columbus again, to pick up Sam...we will grab a bite to eat, then head for a Basketball Meeting in Bellfontaine, Ohio....tomorrow is Veterans Day, so no classes at OSU, so he will stick around for another meeting at Van Wert, as we move towards getting our 4 meetings in before the regular season begins.

Will drive him back to the Campus on Thursday...Sam will be working a NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament Saturday at OSU on Saturday, as the Buckeye Women's team moves into tourney action with a home game or 2.

Back Later>>>>

Dartball #2 Darts, the standard Dartball Board, and The "Asian Lady" Bugs of November....