Yes, hay fever season has started in NW Ohio. I’m not sure how bad it will be yet, but I have noticed additional sneezing and the itchy, watery eyes. My typical reactions to the Mid August weather.

Now I’m not complaining about this, it is something I’ve lived with most of my life. I’m used to the end of summer sneezing. No, I want to say something about the Optometrist I just went to. Actually not the Optometrist, but one of the office assistants. I’m not sure of their actual titles, but that really doesn’t make much difference.

Here is my story. Question 1 was “Is anything bothering your eyes?” Answer, “Yes, it is hay fever season and my eyes are irritated and watery.” Question 2: “Do you want to replace your glasses with contacts”. Huh!!??? I just complained of irritated eyes, and the very next question is do I want to put some foreign object in them? I’m sure it was on a list, but don’t people think anymore? I guess not. Anyway, the questions continue, and I’m asked again if I would be interested in contacts. I guess they didn’t hear the answer the first time they asked.

I have a feeling that contacts are a big money maker for the Optometrist and staff. To be asked this question twice, and get a rather strong no the first time, it kind of makes me wonder.

The rest of the visit went without incident, so I hope they now have on my chart that I really don’t want contacts. I did wonder though, do they make “reading” contacts? So far, that is the only thing I need my glasses for. Distance vision is still pretty good. They are putting me in glasses I will wear most of the time though. May be better anyway. I always forget to take them places, and that sometimes leads to some problems.

I was one of the “Brave and foolhardy” souls that went through Ghostly Manor three times. I really enjoyed my trips through the haunted manor. Now I will admit that there were a few things that startled me, all three times we went through the manor. This is one of the best haunted houses I’ve been through. The 4 actors in the house did a wonderful job keeping us on our toes. This is a slow period for them, so they could pay attention to the groups that went through. To startle us more, they would pop up in different areas than the last time we went through.

This house is definitely a high budget, top of the line haunted house. The animated figures, and amount of work that went into this house are top of the line. I will have to admit to having a self serving motive for going through three times. Our Little theater (see links on the side) is in the process of planning our own “Haunted Tour”. Not the normal haunted house with dark mazes and tight winding hallways. We don’t have the budget or manpower to pull that off. We need ways to scare people that have more to do with theatrics, and less to do with the hardware. If this group of actors can’t scare people, I don’t know who can.

I think I found a few things that gave me pause during the tours, that could be done on a limited budget. On the second third trips, I was able to concentrate on the hows, wheres and whys of the way things startled me. The first time through I was letting go, just to have a good time. I think we even thought of ways to improve the house we went through. May have to go back to see if they listened.

Yep, I was also at the wild animal park with a couple of other bloggers on Tangent’s. Check out their stories here and here.

I had a lot of fun on my latest trip to the African Safari Park in Port Clinton. This year was a slightly different experience for me. Number 1 it was the first time I ever took my own vehicle into the park. Number 2 was that this year I had back window that could open all the way. My very first experience with this park was back in the 1970’s. They still had lions in an area you could drive through. Having lions right outside your vehicle is something else. I’m sure the insurance cost and the safety of the animals brought this practice to an end. As much as I like the big cats, I think this is a better park for not having them there.

Now on to what they did have. Lots of Elk. To have one of these large members of the deer family stick their head in your vehicle is really something. To have 4 of them at once, that is beyond belief. Of course they do want to be fed, and are looking, and smelling for handouts. One even took a whole bag of carrots, but we got them back, I don’t think she liked the bag.

Then there were some smaller deer and antelope roaming the area. They were a well behaved when compared to their larger brethren. They seemed a little bit shy this year, compared to last year’s visit. Maybe they were just well fed and had no need to come up to the cars and trucks.

On to the American Bison, and very large cattle. I had the “pleasure” of going face to face with an American Bison on the ride through the park. This does tend to make me a bit leery, since I know someone who has a bison ranch, and I’ve seen first hand what one of those animals can do to a truck when they want to. These bison seem very friendly, but they do have terrible breath. They really seemed to like walking with the vehicles as they drive through. We had one that was only interested in the carrots, and would not take the other dried pellets the park sells. The cattle were something else. I saw two types, both had very large horns, but one had very long hair. My youngest called him Ludo last year, because he reminded her of the Large creature from the movie Labyrinth. We did manage to save a carrot for him. The other two long horned cattle had horns about 4 to 5 feet long each and the base was at least 12 in circumference. Big horns. That did stop these fellows from sticking their head too far into the truck, but they had very long tongues to make up for that.

Then on the the area where the other animals were enclosed away from the vehicles. Among these were Giraffes, Zebras and a Giant Eland. Even they got close to the fences looking for handouts.

Everything about the early part of the day was great fun. Everybody got to get as much of the animal experience as they wanted, and I think we went away happy. A little damp, from drool, but happy.

And I got a photo of me with a rather large snake. Not that I really think these would make a good pet for me, but I am strangely drawn to these fascinating creatures.

I’m trying to find out the names of the large cattle, hopefully they are on the brochure. They don’t appear to be on the website

Earlier this week I heard about someone from Georgia (State in US, not the Country) found a body of what they believed to be Bigfoot. They said there would be press conference on Friday (today) that would explain everything, and be proof positive of Bigfoot’s existence. You did not see a blog on this earlier, because I believed they were all wet. After the press conference today, my mind has not changed.

I would like for someone to find Bigfoot, Sasquatch, or a Yeti, but so far there are only a few blurry pictures and some anecdotal stories.

While I contemplated that story, I remembered a short story about a guy who brings a College football player from Tibet. I couldn’t find it anywhere on the web, so I will have to hunt through my collection of books someday. I don’t recall if they ever said the player was a Yeti, but it was hinted at very strongly. Good short story for me to remember it for this long (years).

Today touched on many memories for me. Today I went to a funeral to support someone I’ve known for a few years. I knew him through the theater and her through church. Our interests, outside of the community theater are different. Even our views in the theater are different, but today that makes little difference to me. Today we share a common bond. Today we are both widowers. Will that make us close friends, not likely, but I guess it could happen. Things like that happen everyday, but it isn’t what I mean.

He is at the very start of his journey of widow/erhood. I’ve been on the journey for 4 years and almost 8 months. We became brothers in the same journey. It is very much a journey. The trouble is that, as in life, we all journey this path in our own way. Today, I offered any support I could give. I made this offer from my heart. I know as well as any man could some of the things that will occur for him in the next few days, weeks and months. But I don’t know how he will approach or handle the events that will happen. I can only be around to listen. It is a lonely journey that he faces. A journey where you take help when you find it, but all the choice you make must be the right choices for yourself.

The funeral was in the church my wife and I attended for over 10 years before she died. She had many wonderful talents, and the church was her place to share them. I see her touch in many areas of this church. Things have changed, but they remain the same.

The funeral was for a lady that also touched the church in many ways. She had been there for close to 30 years. For years to come her legacy will remain with the church. Things have changed, but they remain the same.

Today a saw again a sister in the same journey. She lost her husband a year before I lost my wife. We still have that bond. It unites and separates us. Grieving is different for all.

People dying at much too early an age. But then again, I see where I’ve been and I have a sense of where I am heading. Not the life I would have chosen, but the one I was given. Mine to do what I can. Things have changed, but they remain the same.

When i can I offer support to those on this journey. The best support I can offer is that I have been on the journey. There are many lights to guide you on the path. Many come before, and many follow. Drop a light every now and again to guide those who follow. Follow the lights of those that when before….

Today I heard a news story that I knew I wanted to blog about, but when I got ready to blog I couldn’t remember what the story was about. Then when having a conversation about my job, I remembered what it was. The Government just released the name of people who worked for the OSS. And on that list was none other than Julia Childs. I remember seeing her on TV playing with roasting chickens. Her show The French Chef was on PBS from 1962 to 1987 (last new show in 1971). I would never have thought of her as a spy for the U.S. government. But now we know.

I imagine if Julia Childs could be a spy, then that would leave the door open to almost anyone. What better cover than a cook. I’m not sure she was a cook when she was in the OSS. Oh well why spoil a fanciful story.

From various news stories on the web, I was able to find that the son of a former President, a baseball player, future Supreme Court Justice were also members of the OSS. This strikes my fancy.

Oh, and as for my employment, well if I told you….

The reason I blog is given at the top of my blog page. I use this spot to generally clear my head when I start thinking too much. Sometimes I actually write about the thoughts in my head (now for instance), other times I just write about things I think are interesting. I’m here because I want to be here. If I had no readers at all that would be enough for me (I’ve done journals the same way for the past few years, just to get things out). This is replacing any journals I’ve had. I don’t ever really write anything that I would consider inner secrets. Secrets are only kept if no one knows about them. People have been able to read my handwriting before, so a written journal is no place to keep secrets.

Now for the other reasons I write this blog, and why it replaced my journal. I know that I have friends and family that read things here, and it gives me a small way to keep in touch. Some of the friends and occasionally family will reply and let me know what they think of my blogging. Others will email me on their thoughts. Both let me know that there is some interest in what I have to write.

What I find interesting, is that I look at the stats to my blog (check the right hand column, minor stats are there) and I see a larger number of people will read my blog on occasion. Most of them never respond. So I really have no way of knowing if this blog is of any interest too them. I can tell that there are a few repeat viewers, but I don’t know who they are yet. As far as I can tell, some people are really getting to know me, while I sit in the dark about them. Oh well, some people are born to lurk….

Just was thinking about that as my visitor count went from the normal 12-15 visitors/day to a count of just over 20 in less than 5 minutes… So to you 8+ new visitors, I bid you welcome. Hope you found something useful.

—- Just saying Hi to all the lurkers again—-

No, not really, this is a post about lying on résumés. Or other funny things I’ve seen on résumés in the past. I saw the news story on CNN, and just had to look and see if the lies were as good as the ones I’ve seen in an earlier job. I don’t thing I saw the ten reasons listed, but then again I saw a few good ones.

1 claimed to have been working on a specific computer for a longer period of time than the computer was actually in existence. Since they did not list the Computer Mfg as one of their past employers, I actually had them in for an interview to explain this. It was fun to see the redness creep into their face. Can I be mean or what?

Another claimed to work with a proprietary software language, but they never worked on the machines where this language was used. Hmm, they turned down the interview. (Could they have heard about the other interviewee?)

Graduated from my College, the same year as me with a BS in Computer Science. Small school, and I never heard of this person. No BS in Computer Science was offered when I graduated either. Some joke. He accepted the interview date, but never showed up when I said in passing it would be good to see a fellow alum.

I’ve also seen résumés written in crayon for a data entry position (come on folks, if you’re going for a computer job, you should never hand write your résumé). Pictures, from a “fashion” shoot, attached to the résumé. Stained résumés, usually coffee, but some were unidentifiable stains. There were many more, but these stand out in my memories. This doesn’t even include the multiple misspellings on them. Like do you know how to spell your own name? Yes, one résumé had the name spelled differently on the cover letter and résumé.

Then there are the interviews. My favorite is one told around the site of my current employment. Seems a guy’s pants fell down as he was leaving the interview. His last words were, “I guess that blows any chances I had of getting this job.” I’m not sure how the rest of the interview went, but that last line was priceless.

So much fun with résumés. I’m now wondering what kind of stories people tell about me, when I was on the other side of the interview desk.

Well the summer is winding down and the Big blockbuster movies are just about done. This week the Olympics are in full force. And we will be getting to the US political conventions very soon.

I can’t think of thing there that I want to put in my blog. I may review a movie or two, but I don’t see any coming out that warrant a review. I’m not at all sure about the animated Star Wars film. I think Star Wars is a but played out. I have a daughter who is really into Star Wars, so I’ll let her handle that review if she wants to.

The movies I’ve seen that may get a future review are few. I had fun in the 3rd Mummy movie, as long as I kept it in my head that it wasn’t the first two. There were some funny parts, but I don’t think of it as a continuation of the series.

Politics… Not in this blog thank you very much. The only political statement I’ll make is that we are subject to a campaign season that is way too long.

Olympics — Well Tiger Woods isn’t in it so it can’t be worth watching.. No wait that’s the PGA.. Anyway, no blogs on the Olympics either.

My favorite team looks to be done for the season, so I won’t be blogging about baseball much. There are some bigger fans of teams that are doing well, so I won’t have to.

NFL — Nah, don’t see it,unless it is the Bears game at C and L’s.. Great fun watching games there.

Maybe as the mosquitoes die off, I can get my telescopes out again. Way to many bugs in the evening to have much fun watching stars. When they can bite through the mosquito suit, there are too many of them.

Oh well, I’ll just watch for strange and unusual news, that may be enough to keep this going. And School is starting and my youngest will be in her High School’s show choir. That should be fun. I’m going to let my daughter blog about her own wedding plans, unless it affects me to a greater degree.

Maybe I will have things to write about. We will see, what we will see.

I tend to scan the web for amusing stories and things that are a bit out of the ordinary. Apparently, it is getting tough in the 100 acre woods. Seems thatWinnie the Pooh was charged with robbery.

Now I know there is a site for stupid criminals, and I think the guys in this story should be in it. Don’t go robbing people in a very easy to identify costume. Sounds to me like a rash act, but I would expect to be stared at if I was dress as a Pooh Bear. Next question, will Disney sue?

I never thought Winnie the Pooh would have been the one to lead a life of crime. I always thought that Owl or Eeyore had the personalities for this. Unless of course the Stuffed with Fluff is all a ruse.

All this reminds me of the gloomy little gray donkey, Eeyore. He was always my wife’s favorite Pooh Character. I really enjoyed giving him ‘voice’ when I read the Pooh stories to my girls. Not sure I ever got totally gloomy, but I tried, and the girls seemed to like it.