A Whole New Level

In my last post, I mentioned that word on the street was that John McCain planned to reduce our dependence on foreign oil by marrying Saudi Arabia. Obviously, I only knew part of his plan. Yesterday, he made it clear that his plan is to have Sarah Palin marry Saudi Arabia. You have to admit that she would be much more attractive to any country. Even at my age, I am having PG-13 -rated, harem girl visuals.

Hurry Up November.

Well, one convention is winding down and the other will fire up next week. How about the Democratic Convention. Barack Obama! Who saw that one coming? I'm going to go out on a limb and say that John McCain will be chosen by the Republicans next week. At least, Denver and St. Paul will get an economic boost. Other than that, I compare the conventions to Spring Break in college. It's a wild time between regular classes (campaigning) and final exams (the election).

By all indications, the rhetoric may get even nastier than it already is. And if you watch TV, it's going to take planning to see what you want to see and avoid the political ads. I hope that people in other countries are paying close attention to our political process. It would help them understand the last 7.5 years.

I did hear that John McCain has a new plan that will increase our supply of cheaper petroleum. He wants to marry Saudi Arabia.

In a related story, here is McCain's economic stimulus package. If he is elected, watch for yours in the mail.

Rough Riders Win

I don't plan on posting Kent Roosevelt football results all season, but since last night was the first game, I thought that at least Mike and Kris would appreciate a little information about their old high school.

Final Score: Roosevelt 35 -Kenston 0 Interesting facts: (1) Kenston had won 4 of the last 5 meetings (2) The "new" Kent coach is John Nemec, who retired in 1998 after 23 years as head coach and now has returned. (3) Those three girls in the band picture may not have been born when Mike and Kris were in high school. (sorry kids, but it makes me feel old too)

The Younger Generation Shows Promise

To continue Kris' food theme:

What's that fish you're eating? I just finished reading a story about teenagers in New York City who collected fish samples (sushi) from area restaurants and sent them to the University of Guelph for genetic barcode testing. Results indicate that up to 25% of the samples were cheaper (or endangered) varieties that had been labeled as more expensive (or non-threatened) types. They are not sure if the restaurants are to blame, or if they were duped by their suppliers, but something smells ........., well, you know. We need to get these youngsters on the trail of other critical issues like: Why is Seth Rogen a movie star?

Chorus At Stan Hywet Hall

Here is a picture of us in front of the Manor House at Stan Hywet with the Goodyear Band. The guy in the blue shirt is not our goalie. He just happened to be in the band and the chorus and the band played first, so he wore blue.

The Good News

As strange as this may sound, my computer was not turned on at all on Sunday, 8/17. And as far as I can tell, there has not yet been a rift in the space-time continuum. Cross your fingers.

It was great having Kris visit us over the weekend. We shared news from Cincinnati and Kent, sampled food in area restaurants, watched some of the Olympics, and visited with Mike. We also just "hung out".

Kris even got to see and hear my barbershop quartet in action. We had a gig at 10:30 on Sunday for the Penn-Ohio chapter of the Model A Owner's Club. They were celebrating their 50th anniversary at The Ledges shelter in Virginia Kendall Park (part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreational Area). It was a beautiful morning, the audience was great and the cars were fantastic. They had over 60 Model A's there. All colors and body styles. We wore our old time outfits and they fit the mood very well.



After that gig, we went to Mike and Kim's apartment and picked up Mike to go out for lunch. (Kim is in Maryland visiting her twin sister Kelly and Kelly's husband, Chuck). It brought back memories, going out with just the four of us. We don't do that very often. I couldn't imagine Mike and Kris in the 3 ft tall range anymore. Those days are gone.

Sue and Kris went home to Kent after lunch and Mike and I continued on to the next barbershop gig. We joined about 40 other chorus members as well as both of our quartets for an afternoon concert on the front lawn of Stan Hywet Hall in Akron. Stan Hywet was built by the Seiberling family, prominent folks in the Akron rubber industry. We had to get there early because the chorus was using our sound system( from the old Time Travelers classic rock band days) and we needed to get it set up and do the sound check. We shared this gig with the Akron Goodyear Concert Band. Folks brought chairs and sat under the big trees on the "Great Meadow" in front of the manor house to enjoy the music. The Seiberlings put a stone above the main door with a Latin inscription saying " Not For Us Alone". I think they would be pleased to see everyone there enjoying their house and gardens.

It was about 5:30 when I finally got home, after dropping Mike off at his house. I was ready to relax by that time, so I did. That helps to explain why the computer never got switched on.

Today, I am catching up on flower and vegetable watering, picking some tomatoes in preparation for making a new batch of soup and doing some reading. No rest for the wicked though. We have have a quartet gig tonight, near Medina, at Rinky Dink's. It's one of those family fun places( mini-golf, bumper boats, batting cages, etc). We stroll and sing and we get pizza. Sue is going along, as are family members of the other guys in the quartet. On Wednesday afternoon, we are doing another stroll and sing at an ice cream social in downtown Akron. Hobbies can be a lot of work, at times. We are sometimes amazed that there are so many jobs available for our quartet. Our pay scale is very flexible (we sometimes do retirement homes for just a snack, etc.). On the other end of the scale, we have a gig like the one we are doing over the Labor Day weekend. The big outlet mall near Lodi, Ohio has been remodeled and they are having a "re-opening" celebration. We stroll and sing from 3-7 on Sat., Sun., and Monday. They are paying $550 plus $50 gas money for EACH DAY!! I love that old, barbershop style.

We don't split up the money when we get paid. It goes into an interest paying quartet checking account. Our lead singer is a financial planner so he set this all up, gives us statements and takes care of filing tax returns. We have been spending money on clothes for our performances, music, out of town trips, and meals before or after gigs. The plan is to save enough to take guys and wives on a trip somewhere like Las Vegas or maybe on a cruise. That should be fun.

Rhetorical Multiple-Choice Question

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

(a) A Jimmy Buffett cover band
(b) The least identical quadruplets ever
(c) Clear Choice, a barbershop quartet
(d) Four escaped convicts, hiding poorly
(e) A bowling team with no fashion sense

Squirrel Talk

On daughter Kris' blog, a question was raised as to the connection between squirrels and Kent. I made a Puddin' Pop explanation, but I thought that maybe a little more information was in order.

In 1961, three years before I became a student at KSU, 10 rare black squirrels were imported from London, Ontario. This was a joint effort by Larry Woodell, Supt. of Grounds at the university, and M. W. Staples. a retired executive of The Davy Tree Expert Company. The myriad of black squirrels that inhabit Kent and the surrounding area are descended from those 10 squirrels.

In 2005, a resident of London, with a strong interest in squirrels, came to Kent to observe the transplanted creatures. He found that the Kent variety is much more aggressive than their docile, Canadian relatives. Any Kent resident would back up that statement. I have watched gray and black squirrels fight over birdseed and nuts in our backyard and the smart money is always on the black. I attribute this nastiness to (1) lingering hate of being ripped from their northern homeland and (2) who-knows-what the KSU students might give these little guys to eat or drink. Think back to some people that you went to college or high school with. 'Nuf said.

The Black Squirrel Festival started in 1981 at Student Center Plaza to introduce new students to the campus and local community organizations.

So now you know the rest of the story

Great Lake Erie Island Weekend

Another Middle Bass Barbershop Weekend has come and gone and it was great. We got to our "cottage" around noon on Friday and in no time we were settled in. We drove over to the "cook shack" and made lunch. The possible menu included: hamburgers/cheeseburgers with many accessories, hotdogs, cold cuts, and of course eggs, ham, toast and hashbrowns for guys who can eat breakfast at any time of day. They have two gas stove grills and they are very busy around meal time. They also had a couple of big boxes of fresh peaches. I made sure that I had a few of those during the weekend.

My plan was to buy a disposable camera for this trip, but I decided that I took a lot of pictures last year and even a small camera is difficult to take around to all the events that are going on. We travel light on the islands. Anyway, what happens on Middle Bass stays on Middle Bass.

There were 16 quartets for the Friday and Saturday night shows. At the end of each show, all barbershoppers were invited up on stage and we sang another 5 or 6 songs. There were about 130 men each night and what a sound you can get with that many.

After the Friday night show, we went to Tony's, a small bar that is off the tourist path and mostly frequented by island residents. There was a take-out food place close by so we got sandwiches, fries and wings to take to Tony's (they don't serve food). We ended up having six quartets in the bar, so we just took turns singing. This place doesn't have the blaring music playing in the background like the places on the main street, so it was perfect.

We spent a portion of Saturday afternoon around the new family-oriented pool that had been installed at J. F. Walleyes, one of Middle Bass' hotspots. If you go there, you must stop at Walleyes.

After the Saturday performance, we had an "afterglow" hosted by a couple who lives on the island. They had pulled pork sandwiches, spaghetti, beans, potato salad etc., and a keg of Bud. Their house attracted barbershoppers like a bug zapper pulls in "skeeters".

It is great to spend a couple of days with guys who share my hobby and people who like to listen to us sing. Last year we had a guy from California in attendance and this year a former Ohio resident who recently moved to Florida flew in for the weekend.

Time For Middle Bass Island

Tomorrow, at the unheard hour of 8:00 AM, I will meet up with my quartet buddies and begin the roughly 2 hr. journey to Port Clinton, Ohio. There will be breakfast along the way. We will catch the 11:15 ferry to Middle Bass Island to be part of the 61st annual Barbershop Weekend on Middle Bass and South Bass Island.

We went last year too and that was my first year to attend. Housing is provided by residents of the island, there is a "cook shack" where guys can make their own creations for breakfast and fry cheeseburgers, etc at all hours of the day, and of course, a lot of singing happens.

Quartets (there are usually 20 or more) sing two songs each at the Perry Monument on South Bass at 7:00 PM Friday. We all sing again at 7:00 PM Saturday in the Town Hall on Middle Bass Island. Many people come to the islands specifically to hear the singing so we have great audiences both nights. At 8:15 AM Sunday morning, we will catch the ferry back to the mainland and then head home.

Sue's dad is coming down to our house in Kent to visit and staying over until Monday. I should be home about noon on Sunday. I am not taking the computer with me but I am taking the camera. Hopefully, I will have some pictures of the festivities to post early next week.

Davy Tree Is Working Again.

A while back, The Davy Tree Expert Company took down several big trees along Potomac Avenue in Erie, PA, where Sue's dad lives. Monday morning, we woke up to the sound of big trucks and eventually chain saws, courtesy of Davy Tree. This work didn't involve as much travel for them. Their world corporate headquarters is only about a mile from here.

Our neighbor, Bob, had hired Davy to take down a large tree in his back yard. The previous owner had built a deck with this tree sticking up out of the middle of the floor. I haven't asked, but I'm guessing that Bob was tired of cleaning leaves, branches and bird poop off the deck. Maybe he has plans to build some kind of cover for the deck.

It was amazing to watch these guys remove this tree in big pieces with a crane and reduce it to wood chips before they left Bob's yard. The video below shows a little bit of the process.

Cruisin' On Lake Mohawk

How great is a summer when we have had two different pontoon boat rides and it's only the beginning of August. In July, we hitched a ride around Old Hickory Lake near Hendersonville, TN with Sue's brother, Dave, on his new boat. Last Sunday, we got a tour of wonderful, carefree Lake Mohawk , near Malvern, OH on my brother Jim's boat. If you're curious about the "wonderful, carefree" thing, that was part of the radio jingle that they used to advertise the Lake Mohawk development back in the 60's.

In the beginning, Lake Mohawk was just the man-made lake, some dirt roads and many salesmen trying to sell lots. Back then, good lots went for around $2500, which was not cheap in 1964. Today, the average lot, if you find an empty one is about $90,000. There are quite a few houses that are in the 1 million plus bracket. People who live in places like Chicago and Atlanta have vacation homes at the lake. It's hard to imagine that when I was a kid, we would go up the hill behind our farm and down the other side into what is now Lake Mohawk to explore the "Indian Caves" and look for arrowheads.

Mike and Kim went to Malvern with Sue and I (and Wickett), and we visited with my mom. She is doing great with her recovery from hip surgery, and is anxious to begin driving again. She went along with us on the boat ride and then we went out to dinner together. Good times!! Even though he isn't in the group picture, Wickett was on the boat ride too. Turns out that he is a real "sea dog".

I Got The BonBons

Well, today, the shipment of Halter BonBons arrived. Since until about a week ago, I was not aware of these candies, I will give a brief update.

On daughter Kris' blog, I noticed that she had a picture of a small green box, on which I could read the name Halter, and the word "mint". A little web-digging produced that this was a box of mint candies, sold by a Swiss company called Halter BonBons.

They began making candies in 1907 and are still at it. On the boxes, you can see the round label that celebrates their 100th anniversary in 2007. The candies are small, hard, no-sugar added treats. I found a company in Canada that sells the bonbons , put in an order, they shipped it last Monday and today, I'm eatin' 'em.

They are quite good, but there are only 20 in a box at a cost of $2.50. Plus it cost me $7.00 to have the two boxes shipped to Ohio. Cheaper than going to Switzerland, but still pretty expensive. I got cherry and watermelon this time. I'm thinking lemon for the next shipment. They sell cases of 16 boxes for just over $33.00. That is a better price per box.

Since brothers Jacob and Abraham Halter, our ancestors, left Switzerland for Alsace-Lorraine around 1650, and the candy company wasn't started until over 250 years later, I'm afraid that Kris and Mike are not heirs to the Swiss candy fortune. Sorry guys. Maybe you have a better chance with the Halters that make the cool Swiss watches.

Clear Choice

You saw and heard Mike's quartet in the last post. Here is Clear Choice, the quartet that I sing with. We were part of the same event in Copley, Ohio on July 27th.

The Summit Chordsmen

Here is a video of son Mike's quartet doing two numbers last Sunday at the Copley Bandstand in Copley Ohio. Left to right, Jerry, Mike(not my son), Jim and Mike (my son). They have only been together about a year and even though I might be prejudiced, they sound good. Give them a listen.