Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
I know, I am way too much of a pushover.
A few days ago, I was talking to my mother on the phone as she was driving up to my brother’s house in Virginia. She wasn’t driving…she is much too careful for that. She expressed in subtle, but forceful terms that she was not pleased at all with my decision to upgrade my blog template. She held the phone up in the air and I heard my sister, Lauren, yell, “Put it back!!!”
Now, being the man I am, I tend to be more attracted to the plain types of websites. I don’t really go after the spicy ones. I thought I had it. Well, I guess not. Neither my mother, nor my sister shared my taste. I think the main issue wasn’t the template, but the fact that it now showed two columns on the homepage, instead of one. My mother now had to scroll to the right to read the entries. Also, the entries now had to be clicked, instead of being available right one the homepage. I guess they don’t like to click.
The reasons I liked the plain template is just that…the entry titles had to be clicked. All 30+ images didn’t need to be loaded right there on one page, slowing down the site. That and the plainness of it.
I think I have found a compromise. What you are looking at is the second version of the old template. This one has the posts over to the left again, so there is no scrolling to the right. Also, it only shows the most recent post and the others below it with no photos.
How’s that? Do my number one blog readers like this one better? As my mother would say with her hand on her hip, “I certainly hope so.”
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Saturday, July 19th, 2008
If you have ever driven through Virginia, you would probably agree with me when I say it is a very pretty state. I like to drive down Interstate 81 because of the scenery. Virginia has a very diverse landscape, which makes almost the entire state exciting.
I am sure I mentioned that I love to browse different towns online. I like to look at photos of the areas. Many times though, there really aren’t a lot of photos to see, not even on the websites that the towns own and maintain. This always gets me a little curious. I mean, the reason for the website in the first place is to inform and attract, so why not add a nice photo gallery to it? I guess they are getting there.
Recently, my brother Jeff bought a cute place in the hills of Virginia near Luray. He has made a little hobby of taking interesting photographs of the area. He has been emailing them to me and I thought they were great. I asked his permission to post them on my blog and he agreed. I think this may be his big break…getting published on a famous blog like mine.
Anyway, since there really aren’t any great shots of Luray, VA out there yet, we are going to start putting them there. The pictures below are some country shots. I believe Jeff is going to start taking pictures of the town and different more populated areas, so I will post them when he gets them to me.
I think I finally know where Jeff gets his talent…me.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
As promised, the basketball hoop is being enjoyed by someone who may have a bit of trouble dunking for some time…even when the hoop is on its lowest setting.
My brother stopped by a few days ago to pick up the whole thing. This, of course, is after I spent a good chunk of time with my sledgehammer getting that large ball of concrete off the bottom pipe. With a bit of sweat and a lot of energy, I removed the concrete. The hoop was as good as new.
I told you he was going to have a little trouble dunking. I can see it now, the next best basketball star telling his story about practicing in the mountains of Virginia.
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Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Ok, before anyone freaks out and asks why the heck I am taking down a nice basketball hoop, let’s just talk about this.
There are a few good reasons. The first is that I don’t see myself shooting hoops outside all too much. I don’t even own a basketball. That’s not to say I’m not in peak physical condition, just not for basketball. The second (and last) good reason is that my brother would like the whole set up for his two young boys to play with. They will get much better use out of it that I will. They will enjoy it and know that Uncle Jay treats them right. Jeff is going to come get it in June and bring it down to Virginia to plant near his driveway. We will handle the hoop with loving care.
I was wondering how easy, or difficult this was going to be. I knew the pole was stuck in some cement, but I had no idea how much. I began picking at it a few days ago with my pick-ax. I had a little luck, but nothing compared to today.
This afternoon, I went after the cement ball in earnest. It took about a half-hour, but I got it loose and down on its side. One thing I did notice while taking it down was a bird that flew out of the top of the pipe.
After the whole thing was down on its side and the cement ball out of the hole, I began taking the net and backboard off. About half way through this, another bird flew out of the top of the pipe, which was now really low to the ground. Again, I didn’t think too much of this. A few minutes later, a little baby bird fell out of the pipe. My heart sank. What have I done? The baby was about the size of a baby hampster. I got a flashlight and looked down the pipe and saw about four more baby birds.
I thought about it for a little while and came up with a solution. I finished taking the backboard and net off and then stood the pole up again, similar to what it was like before.
I was pretty much done bringing my tools back in the garage when I looked back at the pipe. I noticed a bird (that had been on a branch right above me the whole time), fly into the pipe. Then, another one did. They were obviously the parents going back to see how their kids were doing. I felt very good about that. I think we’re back in business.
Jeff is coming down in June to grab the setup. This gives the birds about a month to grow up and fly away. I am hoping they can do it by then. If not, Jeff will have to wait a few more days.
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Sunday, September 24th, 2006
It was about time I saw my family again. My sister, Laurie, planned a camping trip for all of us. My family was to meet at the Staunton Verona KOA Campground in Virginia.
Since I was coming from New York and I really hate driving across the George Washington Bridge (I have had enough of that), I decided to take Interstate 84 west to Rt. 81 south all the way to Virginia. 81 is a much more scenic route and I enjoy the openness of it more.
I was cruising, just minding my own business…and right when I crossed the Mason-Dixon Line, I happened to look to my left. Wham. What in the world was that?
Don’t ya love people? I am not sure what I was more curious about…the trike looking thing or the trailer. Thinking back, I am really glad I got this picture. I knew it would have a good use someday.
I arrived at the campground in my 89 Honda Accord just in time. It was about to blow up. That car had a strange problem with idling at around 3,000RPM when the engine got hot. I remember I was going out on the town once in Atlanta, GA when I got stuck in traffic. The engine started running hot so I decided to slow it down by putting on the AC. What in the world was I thinking? AC just makes the engine hotter. I had to pull over on the side of the highway and roll down the ramp with the car off, just to get some air running through the radiator.
Ok, back to business. I arrived at the campground to find a delightful setup. You really never know what you are going to get at a campground if you haven’t been there before. You can ask the people at the desk over the phone, but they will just tell you what you want to hear. “Does it have a lot of trees?” “Oh sure, we have tons of them! (10 miles away) This one was good.
They offered lots of little cabins for those who are scared to sleep in the woods (my parents) and tent sites for the brave ones (me). The cabins were probably better because you could lock your stuff up and go have fun for the day. I slept in the tent and seem to remember a nice tilt to the ground. I kept rolling to one side all night. Overall, I had a good night’s sleep.
It was great to see the kids again…Connor, Courtney and Jeffrey. Little people with a lot of energy and a lot of running around. Can you see them in this photo? Hint: look behind the trees.
One thing about this campground is very unique. Rabbits. Rabbits everywhere. Hundreds of them. I guess they keep having babies. What they say is true…I suppose.
If you are going to own a campground, you need something to pull people in. Something like a lake, a river, being close to town or…a WATERFALL!!!
There was a really cool river and a waterfall. Here is what you do: Hike upstream about a mile. Then, throw your tube in the river, jump and land in it. Get everyone else to do the same thing at about the same time. Have some fun floating down the river nice and slow to end up at the waterfall. You have to be sure to pull yourself under the water so you get freaked out a little bit by the weight of the water. This is critical. Finally, you get someone to throw you a rope and pull you back to shore. That part is optional. You can probably stand up and walk back, but my father likes to use rope. After you are good and tired from doing that a few times, go back and cook up some veggie burgers on a nice campfire.
All in all, this was a great campground and I would go back. It’s very close, if not in the Shenandoah Valley, which is beautiful unto itself.
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