Tim Brough's Black Leather Bookshelf

Joel and I paid a visit to Albany to see little Shoham and Advah (who just turned 3 - where is the time going)? We went to see "Annie Jr," a truncated version of "Annie" that runs for barely an hour and features a cast of 6 - 8 year olds. Adorable.

After all the work Joel and I did in the aftermath of his father's passing, we made a decision to take a break for a week. Thanks to a week in a time share courtesy of one of my Aunts and AAA, we settled on Orlando and Disneyworld, with a side trip to Universal Studios.



The weather was very cooperative, with highs in the mid-70's and not to chilly at night. I was able to take my fill of roller coasters (Joel doesn't like thrill rides), with the exception of the Harry Potter rides at Universal. Seems they have size restrictions on these rides and I have a bit too much in the waist to fit the chairs. But the Aerosmith Rock and Roller Coaster (Disney) was a wild trip (one of the indoor - in the dark rides that really whips you around), and the Incredible Hulk (Universal) with some wild corkscrews and open air loopers.



I was also seriously impressed by the new 3-D technology. The Disney feature "Mickey's PhilharMagic" and Universal's Amazing Spiderman ride put the images right in front of you, along with effects like waterspray and heat blasts to add to the experience. Along with the new animatronics (the Aerosmith Coaster had the full band performing a skit before you boarded the cars) made the fantasy all the more realistic. It was a week to make my feet ache and give us many smiles. It was a real bummer to have to come back to snow and sub-freezing temperatures!




More pictures and amusing stuff here.

The Hurricane passed The Yellow Brock House in Springfield by with little trauma. We were fortunate in that - for a change - there was no power outages other than random flickerings. And for a change, no basement water!

However, several tree branches dropped from the trees alongside the house. They did not do any phone or powerline damage, so all I had to do was handsaw them into bits for the garbage men. Pretty hefty pile of wood when I was done. Miss Kitty was fine, but stayed close for most of the evening. The wind wnd rain was making a pretty good racket. There was a Tornado warning for the area around 11PM. but we were fortuinate enough to be spared. Areas in Delaware (Lewes, where I once lived) that got direct hits.

Joel called, as he is up with the grandkids. They had heavy rains and some basement water, but were OK otherwise. All is well. Now begins the countdown to Delta.

I am remiss. It has been about three months since my last letter to you and I apologize for that. It isn’t like there’s nothing to talk about, but I have a very difficult time getting motivated to communicate with anyone. So it’s not just you I’ve been laying low from, it’s everybody. It’s been almost six months since I’ve been laid off and I am finally getting my first job interview this week. To sell cars at the local Ford Dealership. Sheeesh.

While I have been doing my best to fend off the depression of sitting home all day and playing with the cat (when she wants to, anyway), I have been trying to find ways out of the current dilemma. Pennsylvania offers older unemployed types the opportunity to apply for grants towards retraining. They courses must be approved by Career Link (the division of PA Unemployment that offers the program) and you have to take multiple tests to qualify.

The tests are NOT easy. I felt like I was retaking my college SAT’s from Senior High School. It’s alarming how much you forget in 30 years of non-use. There were geometry problems that I was dumbstruck by. Fortunately, you’re given take-home sample tests to give you an inkling of what you’re in for when the official tests are given. Let’s face it; it’s been a long time since I even thought about how one determines the volume of a sphere (which was one of the questions).

From what my advisor tells me, I’ve passed the tests. Next up is being interviewed by the State Official who gives out the ultimate money. This is also a tricky thing, because this grant program is a one-time-only deal. If you get the grant, take the course but don’t pass, you don’t get a second shot at the money. While I am looking at taking a Computer Network Administration course, I have to be prepared to study hard, because I won’t get a second bite at this particular apple. Joel tries to be helpful, but he is beginning to fray at the edges. It’s difficult for him to be patient, and he has a tendency to argue loudly if he thinks circumstances are not what he believes they should be.

In other news, we took another jaunt to California. (Earlier Picture Here.) Joel has decided that, since I have no schedule conflicts, he can just plan trips whenever he wants. The trip was to Northern CA to a camp out run by the 15 Association, a group similar to Delta or Inferno. While there, I started one of my long-wished for projects; a biography of a former NYC Motorcycle Cop and Leatherman. It’s been a dream project of mine ever since having met the man a few years ago at IML.

In other family news: My Dad is still recovering nicely. However, a cousin on his side of the family has been stricken with MRSA, and nearly lost his life to it. As it is, he lost his leg and has been in a variety of hospitals, moving from facility to facility since late April. A slight benefit of being out of work has been that I’ve taken time to drive to wherever his current treatment location is for visits. It takes over 90 minutes to the nearest of the hospitals he’s been in, so these are trips I plan the day around. He obviously appreciates the visits, as we tend to talk for hours on each occasion. And I don't think I've ever posted a shot of the old man here before, so here's my Father.

 

PS – I figured it’s been awhile since I sent a Sophie Cat Picture

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