Ron Howard Simple Musings

Shift in the cosmos

2011-06-22T19:48:00.001-04:00

I feel a disturbance in the force. Something's happening, don't know what. More later!

Gettin' on up there

2011-04-03T17:34:00.001-04:00

For some reason I always thought that it would be better than this.

Illustration Friday:Swarm

2011-02-26T14:11:00.004-05:00

Reposting of an older image for Illustration Friday:Swarm

Photo Friday: Gather

2010-12-18T10:15:00.001-05:00

a little art gathering downtown

Lone Kayak

2010-09-23T18:49:00.001-04:00

A solitary kayak on the Tennessee River just north of the Veterans Bridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee

One Dead Beaver

2010-09-23T18:47:00.000-04:00

Saw this while walking the Tennessee Riverwalk. A beaver skeleton just off the trail at Chattanooga State Technical College.

On the Riverwalk

2010-09-12T21:19:00.000-04:00

Going For A Walk

2010-09-12T21:18:00.000-04:00

Outside the Hunter Museum

2010-09-12T21:15:00.001-04:00

Lilly Seed Head

2010-09-12T21:13:00.000-04:00

Sunday at Amnicola Marsh

2010-09-12T21:12:00.000-04:00

Duplicity

2010-08-14T09:29:00.001-04:00

For Photo Friday: Photoshop Skills

Orange Sherbet?

2010-07-03T15:08:00.001-04:00

Orange Sherbet?, originally uploaded by r_howard454.

The lilies that Susan planted a few years ago have finally decided to bloom.

Photo Friday: Heavy

2010-06-14T22:47:00.003-04:00

Outside the River Gallery at the Bluff View Art District in Chattanooga, TN.

Nicknack Web

2010-06-13T11:56:00.002-04:00

Photo Friday: Sexy

2010-05-06T20:01:00.002-04:00

A Photo Friday project for the week of 4/30/2010

A Momentous Occasion

2010-05-02T19:31:00.001-04:00

Bestest Buddies

2010-05-02T14:41:00.001-04:00

It's friendship, friendship,

Just a perfect blendship

When other friendships have been forgot

Ours will still be hot!

La De Dah De Dah De Dig Dig Dig

Tiffiny and Yvonne.....sometime around 1987 and 2010

Two of a kind

2010-05-01T18:55:00.000-04:00

The new me.....again

2010-04-25T18:58:00.002-04:00

For anyone wondering what happened to the blog it's gotten out of shape just like its' owner. For the past 15 months or so I have not run much, not hiked much, not ridden my bike much. Now I'm 25 pounds heaver and can hardly breathe when I exert myself in the slightest. What will I do, you say? Well, today I decided that it's time get things back under control. I took at 10 mile bike ride. Not a hard or fast ride but a nice leisurely ride down the Tennessee Riverwalk. I took my time and tried not to get too winded. I'm sure that my legs will bother me later but it was worth it. It was fun, and it was relaxing. I am going to force myself to make this a habit. I am going to get back in shape. As for other things, perhaps I'll even dust off the old blog and try to post interesting things a little more often. Who knows?

Happy Birthday Cory

2010-02-14T10:44:00.002-05:00

Good Times!

2009-12-20T18:21:00.002-05:00

The Howard family, Thanksgiving 1992. Left to right: LeRoy (Dad), Dana (Sister), Lynette (Mom), Lisa (Sister), Janet (Sister), and Ronald (me).

Spammers!

2009-12-15T21:48:00.003-05:00

Well, I never wanted to do it but I'm turning on the comment moderation option for my blog. Spammers have left a few messages with useless links disguised as comments to my postings.
Arrrgh!!!

Merry Christmas to us!

2009-12-09T18:28:00.002-05:00

A now for something totally different

2009-10-11T11:51:00.001-04:00

I Don't Wanna Work from clbrown15 - Video

I Don"t Wanna Work - watch more funny videos

Shared via AddThis

Susan's tormentor

2009-10-10T12:25:00.005-04:00

This morning Susan was trimming up some of the house plants in preparation for winter. She brings them in off the porch and trims the yellowing or dead leafs and stalks. All of a sudden she started screaming like she was being chased by the devil or some of his worst minions so I jumped up to see what was the matter and she was pointing (from about 10 feet away) at the plant that she had been trimming.

The beast that "attacked" is shown below....................

Thoughts from Dana

2009-09-20T15:23:00.002-04:00

I walked past a mental hospital yesterday and all the patients were outside shouting "13...13!...13!"

The fence was too high to see over but I saw a little gap in the planks so I looked through to see what going on...

Somwbody poked me in the eye with a stick!

They all started shouting "14!...14!...14!"

The Real Ron Howard

2009-06-14T22:09:00.005-04:00

Susan brought home this months' AARP magazine which featured Ron Howard (the director) on the cover. I knew right then and there that I had to produce my very own magazine (cover)....just for the fun of it!

Riverbend Festival Fireworks

2009-06-14T00:56:00.002-04:00

Fireworks_5, originally uploaded by r_howard454.

This a picture of the fireworks marking the end of the 2009 Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was my first time photographing fireworks and, while I was dissappointed in my shooting location, I was happy that most of my pictures turned out not too bad. We waited perhaps a bit too late to head downtown and there was no getting close by any means. I'd love to know what sort of pyrotechnical wizardry it takes to produce a heart of fireworks in the sky!
You can see more of my fireworks photos on my FlickR page

Bridges

2009-05-31T10:34:00.002-04:00

Bridges, originally uploaded by r_howard454.

Another post directly from FlickR. This is a shot of the Market Street Bridge (background) framed by the Walnut Street bridge in downtown Chattanooga. This photo has actually been on my FlickR page since January but I thought that I would blog it (I'm really liking the ability to sending my FlickR photos directly to my blog).

The Watcher

2009-05-30T20:21:00.002-04:00

The Watcher, originally uploaded by r_howard454.

I am playing around with Blogger, Facebook, and FlickR today. You're supposed to be able to link all these sites so that you can easily share pictures or posts from one site to another. So far the FlickR to Blogger is the only application that is working for me. I think that is kind of neat; I just click on the blog this button over my FlickR photo and it pops up a box where I can fill in a post on Blogger and then it uploads it for me.

Janet, Lisa, and Dana; ya'll all ought to be able to use this. Especially you, Janet. You could get your blog going again with all the great pictures you have on your FlickR page.

Cumberland River

2009-05-30T18:50:00.002-04:00

Cumberland River, originally uploaded by r_howard454.

Looking toward downtown Nashville from the Two Rivers Bridge at the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. This is a great walking / bicycle track just off Briley Parkway, near the Gaylord Opryland. I went there three days in a row after work last week. I'm trying to get back into the habit of running and exercising more (I've been a slacker since January but vow to change my ways!)

Flickr

2009-05-30T18:45:00.001-04:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Doubly Special Day

2009-05-10T16:34:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday Janet.

Happy Mothers Day, Mom.

I love you both and hope that you're both having a special day!

Family Fun

2009-04-06T08:48:00.002-04:00

Tiffiny and Braxton get in on the fun. Can you see the family resemblence?

More QuickCam Fun

2009-04-04T08:56:00.003-04:00

Okay, I've had this Logitech QuickCam for over a year now and I just realized that it came with a lot of fun special effects filters. The picture above is a compilation of various pictures using just two of the effects. There's even a neat one that allows you to convert live video to what appears to be watercolor, similiar to a few financial advice commercials I've seen on television over the past year or so.

Goofy Stuff!

2009-04-03T15:59:00.003-04:00

Just goofing off with the QuickCam. More proof that I just ain't right!

(I really do this stuff because it freaks out my sisters)

Art Classes

2009-03-13T13:22:00.003-04:00

Art Classes.......on Rossville Boulevard about two blocks off Main Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

LEGENDARY

2009-03-13T10:00:00.005-04:00

For the Illustration Friday subject: LEGENDARY. It's been a while since I posted any art work on the blog so I thought that I would take advantage of this last free day before starting my new job to create something new. This is a digital collage using a concert picture that I took in 1974 along with elements from the "Todd Rundgren's Utopia" album cover.

The legend finally comes to Chattanooga. Todd Rundgren at Rythym and Brews on Wednesday April 1, 2009.

Beantown

2009-02-27T08:17:00.005-05:00

My entry for the February 27 Photo Friday subject City Life. I shot this from the Granary Burial Ground in Boston where Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine and Paul Revere are buried. Although this was taken back in November I immediately thought of it when I saw the Photo Friday subject.

Ron Howard Simple Musings: TR, Utopia, Mark M, Martin M, & other vague memories

2009-01-15T08:04:00.002-05:00

Click the title above to be transported back to April 2006 when Myself, Mark Martin, Jeff Muzer, Kathy Muzer, and others (?) discuss that fated day in the past when Mark, Martin, and Myself set off in Martin's volkswagen beetle to see Todd Rundgren live ( and learn the origin of the now historic phrase "She's gonna blow!").

BUMMER

2009-01-14T17:38:00.003-05:00

Well, I am really annoyed with the people who provided the HitCounter on my blog for the past few years. A days or so ago the hit counter stopped working. I thought that it was just something temporary but today I actually searched to find an answer. I found help on the Blogger Help boards where I learned that HitCounter is no longer working (and may never work again). This is a bummer because my blog had over 16,600 hits before the counter quit working. I never really expected even a mere fraction of that number. No that I have installed SiteMeter on the blog it has me down at just 3 hits as of today.

Blog Update

2009-01-08T13:25:00.003-05:00

The blog is getting a bit dusty lately as I have not been very consistent about new postings. I have been spending much more time lately on FlickR. I got a new Nikon D80 at Thanksgiving and I been having loads of fun shooting pictures. I'll try to post some of my better photos here from time to time but until then please be sure to check out my FlickR page.

Just For Fun

2008-12-23T18:11:00.003-05:00

I took this picture in Land O' Lakes, Florida back in 1993 when I was working for the Small Business Administration.....never could get anyone to go bowling with me!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-22T22:05:00.001-05:00

I just filled up my truck and paid $1.69 a gallon. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

Morning on the Lake

2008-10-23T12:38:00.000-04:00

Frugal, Cheap, or Stupid?

2008-10-12T20:27:00.005-04:00

I continue to work on removing the large Oak tree in my back yard and this weekend I have it down to almost a bare trunk except for the one leafy limb at the very tip top. I will definitely leave that one for folks that bring down the trunk (which ain't gonna be me!). All the while I have been cutting Susan has kept urging me to go buy a chain saw. Why do I need to buy a chain saw?" I remarked; It'll go unused after I cut down one tree. Hardly worth the expense. I know most are not going to believe this but I have cut the majority of this tree down with a simple Craftsman hand saw. Hard to believe, huh? Yeah, I know that I'm cheap. I call it being thrifty. Just no need to spend money on a chain saw when a hand saw will do. I am sure it has been a source of amusement for my neighbors. Last Saturday while I was working in the very top I could hear my neighbor yelling to her husband "Get the camera, and hurry. Oh yeah, make sure that it's got fresh batteries!". I sure hope they just wanted to get a shot of the old guy up a tree and weren't hoping to cash in by getting a shot of me falling out on my head! Anyway, I now have a huge pile of debris to cut up and get off to the brush disposal center. I'm through climbing for while!

No Country For Old Men

2008-09-28T14:10:00.004-04:00

The old oak tree in the back yard looks like it's leaning more toward the house these day. It's always leaned about 20 degrees and I have begun to worry that it might fall on the house one day. Given all of that I finally decided to bring it down. I'm not finished by any means but I do have a great deal of it done. I had to stop because I was absolutely exhausted and Susan had fidgeted herself into a panic state watching me climb about from limb to limb. I'm thinking that I'll probably just wait until next weekend to finish up. Man are my arms sore!!

Self Portrait 2008

2008-08-16T19:39:00.003-04:00

I thought that I'd be a bit creative today since it's been a while since I did anything for Photo Friday or Illustration Friday. This is my piece created for the Photo Friday challenge: Self Portrait 2008.

Still Kickin'

2008-08-10T15:35:00.009-04:00

The Triathlon that I have been preparing for the last 8 weeks is over and I finished 561 out 0f 612. Nothing to brag about but right about where I predicted I would be. I actually have to say that I surprised myself. I thought that I would finish about 11 minutes slower than I did. Here's the official numbers ( you can get the complete race results here)

Overall time 1:19:41

1/4 mile Swim......12:24

8.2 mile Bike Ride .....33:49

2 mile Run......24:06

I really didn't do too well in the transitions due to some bad planning on my part and by the time that I got to the run my legs felt like lead weights but I can still say that I am glad that I did this. I'll definitely be ready for it next year!

Susan walking me from the finish line back to my personal cheering section (probably wanted to make sure that I wasn't about to have a coronary right there in the middle of the road!)

I had an unexpected additions to my cheering section. My sisters Lisa and Dana came to town from Alabama to help cheer me on. It really was a good boost to see my daughter Tiffiny, son-in-law Jeff, grandson Braxton, and two of my sisters along with their families there at the finish line.

Countin' Down

2008-08-09T16:16:00.003-04:00

The clock is ticking away the hours until my first Triathlon. I went downtown to pick up my race packet and do a walk through of the T2 transition area and the running course. Registering early definitely has its' advantages. My race number is 25 (out of about 500) and I've got a sweet T2 spot just inside the transition area. I'm getting psyched up ready to give it a shot. I figure by 8:30 tommorrow morning it'll all be over and I'll know if it was all worth it.

Wish me luck!

The PayOff

2008-08-03T10:52:00.003-04:00

Earlier I posted a couple of pictures of my meager little garden spot. Everything is starting to come in now and it's time to start reaping the benefits of my labor. We've already gotten a few green beans, some little squash, chile peppers, jalapenos, and grape tomatoes. Now it's time for the big tomatoes to start ripening. I have three varieties of heirlooms....Red, purple, and Mr. Stripey. These are going to space out very nicely with the purple ones ripening now, the red ones will be next, followed with the Mr. Stripey tomatoes in about another month or so. This has been the best little garden that I've had since we bought this house seven years ago!

The Race Is On

2008-08-02T10:20:00.004-04:00

I finally got the "unofficial" test report back from my nuclear heart scan yesterday. They say that my current physical condition places me in "minimal" risk for a coronary and that I can go about my usual activities as long as I recognize my limitations. They did tell me that I have some scarring of my heart muscle that would seem to indicate that I have actually had a Myocardial Ischemia at some point in my life.

Anyway, I've decided to go ahead with the Triathlon next Sunday (Aug 10). I've lost a week's worth of training but again, the goal is just to finish. I figure that I'l probably finish inthe lower 20% of the pack.

Bummer!

2008-07-25T17:19:00.004-04:00

Today I had my 6 month follow up with my lung doctor. I told him about some trouble that I have been having lately. I am exercising a LOT but I don't seem to be developing any endurance. I swim, bike, and run often but any time that things get strenuous I get terribly winded. I get to the point that I feel like something is trying to claw it's way out of my chest. When I run I get so winded after a half mile that I have to slow down to a quick walk, then recover pretty quickly, then run some more. I do this a lot but the distance or endurance level never seems to increase. My doctor confirmed that my lungs are working great. He feels that I may possibly have some coronary blockage so he's ordered a nuclear stress test for Monday morning. This all seems just a bit odd considering that I have done the following this past week:

Sunday - 19 mile bike ride
Tuesday - 5.8 mile run (actually fartleks, (look it up!))
Wednesday - 1/2 mile swim
Thursday - 5.5 mile bike ride
Friday - 5.8 mile run (more fartleks)

All day today I have been totally drained of energy. Maybe we can get to the bottom of this so that I can finally get straightened out.
I still plan to participate in the Triathlon on August 10. My doctor said that he will tell me if I have his blessing for this by Wednesday. He did ask me to scratch the practice run that is schedule for this Sunday.

Time for a little training

2008-07-19T10:19:00.002-04:00

Training for the Sports Barn Quintana Roo Sprint Triathlon has not been going quite as well as I had hoped. I hurt my right shoulder early on swimming and it hasn't gotten much better over the past few weeks. It is hurting so much that it wakes me up at night. Probably haven't ridden my bike as much as I should either. But I am running a lot more than I ever did. Still, I am determined to finish this challenge so it's off to the lake for some swimming.

Time's a wastin'

Simple Pleasures

2008-07-19T10:05:00.006-04:00

I have always wanted have a nice spot to plant a nice garden but we didn't get quite so lucky when we bought our house. The back yard is steep and unlevel and there are so many trees around that plants can't get very much sunlight. I always try to grow a tomatoe or two and this year I thought that I would try to do a bit more with the limited space that I have available. This is actually turning out quite well. Everything that I planted has produced a little bit this year. In my tiny space I have three varieties of heirloom tomatoes, two kinds of cherry / grape tomatoes, carrots, chives, oregeno, thyme, squash, jalepenos, cayenne peppers, one plant each of red, green, and yellow bell peppers, some pole beans, and one okra plant. I'm inspired now and want to to see how much more that I can get out of this space next year!

Photoshop Fun

2008-07-04T16:47:00.003-04:00

Here's a picture shot last week when we had most of my family on the back porch for a little visit. I couldn't resist doing little bit of Photoshop trickery with some of the pictures that we shot. Can you find the flaws (hint: there are actually quite a few)?

Ready Set GO!

2008-06-08T14:31:00.005-04:00

Well, I've probably lost my mind but I've laid down a new challenge for myself. I am going to enter my first athletic event in well over thirty years.

Sports Barn/Quintana Roo Sprint Triathlon

.25 Mile Swim - 8.2 Mile Bike - 2 Mile Run

Sunday, August 10, 2008 7:00AM

I have tried to get myself in shape since having a third of my right lung removed just a little over a year ago. Believe me, it's been a really hard road. I was a two to three pack a day cigarette smoker for over thirty years. It's now been six years since I quit. I've battled emphysema and the partial lung removal on a long hard comeback to getting in shape. I still have a long way to go. I've lost 34 pounds since I started a new job 23 months ago. I try to work out at least four days a week and now I have taken up running outdoors and bicycling (see my post from Dec 16, 2007 for more on this). I still can't run much distance at all and that is the part of this triathlon that worries me the most. Now I've got a reason to work harder. I am certain that entry in a paid sporting competition just has to be a motivating factor. And now that I've made this public to the world I just have to go through with it.

The one thing that I keep telling my wife and myself is that I am NOT in this event to win it, just to FINISH it! Believe me, just finishing WILL be an accomplishment.

And The Name Is

2008-06-05T09:38:00.001-04:00

Makaley Olivia

We Have Pictures

2008-06-03T15:22:00.004-04:00

But still no name!!!!

My mother with her new Great-Granddaughter

Here she is..............

Big sister Micah shows how thrilled she is to have a new baby in the house......

a BIG thanks to my sister Dana for the pictures

Newest addition to our family

2008-06-03T11:50:00.004-04:00

Today we got a new granddaughter. She weighed in at 8lbs, 6 ounces and is 21 inches long. At the moment she still doesn't have a name and I am sure that she is getting impatient with Michael and Kerry at not having given her one yet! I will definitely put a better picture on here as soon as it's available. Susan sent this one from her cell phone.

Chattanooga Riverfront

2008-05-11T18:59:00.003-04:00

This is a shot of the Chattanooga riverfront with the Market Street Bridge and the Tennessee Aquarium. This is two seperate photographs "stitched" together. Photography buffs might want to know that I increased color saturation by 70%.

Another Great Day!

2008-05-04T20:42:00.004-04:00

Today I broke out the mountain bike and took a ride on the Tennessee Riverwalk all the way from the Chicamauga Dam to Coolidge Park in Downtown Chattanooga. The weather was perfect today and Chattanooga has come alive once more. The Riverwalk was teeming with walkers, skaters, and bikers and Coolidge Park was bustling with activity today and there were a lot families taking advantage of the huge fountain there. I'm estimating my ride at about 18 or 19 miles round trip. Not too shabby for an old guy.

I stopped from time to take a few picture. I've put a couple here and more on my FlickR page.

Long Overdue

2008-04-27T11:20:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Susan and I did something that was long, long overdue. We've lived in Chattanooga for 8 years and we had never ridden the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain. For anyone interested, the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway (or "funicular" if you prefer the proper name) is the steepest incline railway in the world. When you first enter the cars you're actually sitting back in an inclined position. You gradually become more vertical as you ascend the track and close to the top you feel like you're hanging over the edge of a steep precipice. This was really neat although I am pretty sure that Susan kept her eyes closed for most of the trips up and down the mountain.

When we got to the top of Lookout Mountain we took a short (3 block) walk past the Giles House over to Point Park. From there you can see all of Chattanooga. There are also several Civil War monuments there and the lanscaping is beautiful.

Angst Ego Id

2008-04-20T10:29:00.003-04:00

Some days the pieces just aren't held together quite as tightly as others.

Hmmmm

2008-04-11T21:04:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one that ever looks at this stuff anymore!

My Favorite Time Of Year

2008-04-06T22:05:00.005-04:00

Winter is finally over, the trees and flowers are in full bloom, and the kids are playing in the fountain at Coolidge Park again. Today was absolutely clear and 71 degrees. It just doesn't get any better than this.

Braxton with Stephanie Culberson

2008-03-13T12:39:00.004-04:00

Here's my grandson Braxton with Miss Tennessee 2004 Stephanie Culberson. Braxton had a part as an extra in the (as yet un-released) Bartlee Norton video Back On The Ground.
Braxton got to miss a little school and have a bit of fun. It was great getting to meet Stephanie, who was both very attractive and quite friendly. It was also interesting to watch Bartlee and crew work on the video. It is unbelievable the amount of different shots and camera angles that are required to get the finished product. I'll try to post more on this at a later date.

Surreal

2008-03-08T16:05:00.005-05:00

Photo Friday for March 7, 2008: Surreal

Something's Coming!

2008-03-08T15:23:00.004-05:00

This is the Tennessee River Railroad Bridge which crosses the Tennessee River just below the Chicamauga Dam. This is just slightly past the beginning of the Tennessee Riverwalk where I love to run/walk on the weekends. When I was there last Sunday I decided to get a shot of this train crossing but I just could not find a location that would let me get the shot that I really wanted. For better or worse I've posted this one anyway. This really awesome when you're standing under this bridge and a train is crossing. One of the really neat things about this bridge is that the center span (see the large tower in the distance) actually raises straight up when very large boats (such as the Mississippi Queen) must pass to get to the locks of the dam.

Live At The Bijou

2008-03-08T15:10:00.003-05:00

Live At The Bijou????Actually, the title of this post has practically nothing (almost) to do with the subject of the post. Susan and I recently celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary and she got me an ION USB turntable. I have been slowly converting my vinyl LP's to digital media and todays' selection was Live At The Bijou by Grover Washington, Jr. So far I've recorded several of my older Todd Rundgren albums (mainly Runt, The Ballad of Todd Rundgren, A Wizard A True Star, and Something/Anything). I've also recorded two Gong albums, Shamal and Expresso.
This turntable is pretty great in that you just plug it into the USB port of your computer and then use the software which was included to record albums directly into iTunes.

Lord Of The Dance

2008-02-24T15:49:00.002-05:00

Friday was my and Susan's anniversary and I finally got tickets to a show that Susan has wanted to see for years. We went to see Michael Flatley's LORD OF THE DANCE. I have to say that every thing about this production was top notch. We had a great time and enjoyed this show very much. I have no doubt that we will see it again should it ever return to Chattanooga.
I would post some pictures but I did not take any (cameras were prohibited) and the official website does not have active links to the photos. You can check out the website and look at the photos and listen to sound clips there.

Something To Fall Back On

2008-01-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

Today I was listening to some older Todd Rundgren. I still like the older Rundgren tunes now just a much (and many cases more) as the day they were released. Click on the album cover to follow a link to VH1 where you can watch and listen to some Todd Rundgren videos from the 80's.
GOOD STUFF!!

Released: September, 1985
Genre: Pop rock
Length: 39:42
Label: Rhino
Producer: Todd Rundgren

Journeyman

2008-01-05T22:41:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know that this is not the kind of post that I normally do but I've learned that NBC has cancelled one of the best new television shows in years, Journeyman. The show was often compared to Quantum Leap but it was so much better in my opinion. You actually believed the characters and plot lines. Both casting and acting were first rate. Monday night was the one night that I stayed up later than normal just so I wouldn't miss a minute of this very excellent show. I can only hope that this show will be brought back, even if on another network. Perhaps NBC is just not ready for such a well written show that challenges the mind and offers top notch entertainment. Now only time will tell.

More fun at the Gaylord

2007-12-31T12:44:00.000-05:00

Susan and I knocking around with "friends" at the Gaylord in Nashville

Unique Performance Art

2007-12-31T12:23:00.000-05:00

Susan and I were at the Gaylord in Nashville this weekend where we saw a very intriguing and unique performer. As we were walking along the sidewalk in the Delta area there was a large IVY vine on one of the walls. Just as we approached we heard several people gasp as the whole ivy vine started to move. The "vine" was a young lady would was expertly disguised as a plant (and she was also on stilts). She moved around the area and stopped occasionally to strike various poses. It was a really neat performance. I know that I have seen video clips of these type performers before but I cannot remember where. If anyone does know please drop me a line.

Photo Friday: Sunrise

2007-12-16T21:31:00.000-05:00

For the Photo Friday subject SUNRISE. I shot this on the way to work back in October at the Chicamauga Dam in Chattanooga, TN.

Getting back in shape

2007-12-16T21:17:00.001-05:00

Yeah, yeah. I know that this is a pretty poor picture of me looking really ragged, but I am very proud of this picture for several reasons. I shot this with my cell phone camera last Sunday at the Tennessee Riverwalk. I shot this at the five mile marker on the trail where I ran approximately 9 1/2 miles. By the way, I started at an area called the Frye Fishing Center which has an excellent park and a cafe called "OUT OF THE BLUE". It's just past the one mile marker. I ran (and walked) to the six mile marker before turning around. The weather last Sunday was great with temperatures in the low 70's (unlike today, a mere 7 days later, when we had snow flurries). This is my first real outdoor run after my lung surgery back in May. Oh, I do run approximately 5 1/2 miles 4 to 5 days a week at the gym but running on a treadmill just isn't the same as the great outdoors. Also, the dynamics of running outdoors seems entirely different than running on the treadmill. I do know one thing. I LIKE RUNNING OUTDOORS. I have to commend Chattanooga and Hamilton County for providing such a great park in which to run. The trail extends 8.5 miles one way, from the Chicamauga Dam to the Tennessee Aquarium. There are several rest areas with toilets and water and there is a great family park with a playground and snack bar that has great raspberry tea and deserts (as well as an excellent selection of kites!). This is time well spent and I plan on doing a lot more of it. I am hoping to get myself in good enough shape to run a race in the spring. We'll see how it goes!

PhotoFriday: Fantasy

2007-09-16T19:22:00.000-04:00

I tried planting some onions in this little garden spot two years in a row but something digs them up everytime. I just can't seem to keep the squirrels, cats, dogs, and other "pests" out of my garden!

a little Photoshop 7.0 fun for PhotoFriday

Photo Friday: UNFINISHED

2007-08-26T17:57:00.001-04:00

It's been awhile since I did any new Photo Friday projects. It seems as if I have spent almost every weekend since mid July working on the house. I titled the photo above "Missing" for the Photo Friday subject UNFINISHED. As you can see the chair would be finished were it not missing its' legs. Of course that hasn't stopped Susan from using it anyway as she loves to sit in it to read.

House Painting Update

2007-07-23T20:04:00.000-04:00

The house painting is coming along nicely but I did run out of steam this weekend and did NOT finish everything that I wanted. I had hoped to finish the south end of the house but found several pieces of siding that begged to be replaced instead of repainted. That could have been a pretty tough job but my son-in-law Jeff came over and helped me with it. So far I've stolen the last three weekends from him and worry that I can never repay such a large debt. We finished replacing the siding about 2:30 on Sunday and then we called it a day and went swimming. First time that I've been swimming in the river in several years and it was fun. I was a little worried since I had not been swimming since my surgery. I didn't have a bit of trouble and it was actually very relaxing. I'll definitely have to try to relax more, swim more, and just plain try not to let life hurry me along to fast!

Well, enough rambling for now. Here's a couple of pictures of the painting progress.

I'm not lazy. Really, I'm not!

2007-07-19T21:41:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's been a while since I posted anything new, drawn anything new, or photoshopped anything new. I've been totally swamped at work ever since returning from my medical leave. I have huge piles of work all over my desk and most days I can't seem to get anything accomplished due to jumping from one disaster to another. Danged if I ever plan on having major surgery and being off work for weeks again anytime soon!

On another note, I am doing much better and have just finished my first week with no pain medication stronger than Tylenol. I guess to prove just "how much better I am" I am painting my house! So far I have painted the garage, the front, and three sides of the second story. I have had to stop this week due to rain almost every afternoon but I do plan to finish this project on Saturday. I don't want this turning into another one of my 8 month remodeling projects like the famous back porch re-roofing project.

Well, I hope to finish the painting and hopefully get inspired enough to draw, photograph, or photoshop something new. In the meantime you can enjoy this nifty video CHANGE MYSELF by Todd Rundgren.

An Early Birthday Gift

2007-05-28T20:29:00.000-04:00

In case anyone out there wonders where I have been lately here's the short(est) version.

Around the first of May I had a terrible stabbing pain in my chest, painful enough that I went to my doctor as quickly as possible. I had a chest X-Ray and then went home to await the results. I had just gotten back to the house and tried to relax on the sofa when my doctor called to say that there was something on my x-ray and that he scheduled me for a CT Scan the very next morning. I instantly thought through all of the worse case scenarios and had a fitful night. Next was the suspenseful part; after the CT Scan was completed I had a couple of days' wait for the results. About three days later I got a call saying that the CT Scan showed something and the I had now been scheduled for a PET Scan. A PET Scan? What is that?! I looked it up on the internet. It apparently has only one function which is to pinpoint cancers. I know that I am moving quickly here now but after the PET Scan the results took several days and then I got the dreaded call. Two masses in the upper lobe of my right lung had "lit up" the PET Scan, medical lingo for cancer. My doctor told me that if it was him he would not wait another day, he'd have it cut out just as quickly as possible. My wife and I went home to think things through and I started to try to plan being away from work for a while. The next weeks and half was nerve wracking. I worked at a frantic pace to try (unsucessfully) to catch up at work, to call friends, and to ask for family, friends, and anyone else who would offer to put me on prayer lists. I called people I had not talked to in months and months. When I finally felt that I could not wait any longer I had my surgery scheduled for May 18 and on that day I had the upper third of my lung removed. The doctor warned me it would hurt. "I'm tough", I thought. "I'm in good shape, how bad can it be?" I pondered smugly. The first two days were not too, too bad. I had a chest tube protruding from my torso. I had a catheter (a rather unpleasant thing in itself). I had a epidural with a button that I could push to administer pain killers directly into my spinal canal (a great invention that lulled me into a false sense of ease). I muddled through the next few days, resting fitfully, waiting for the pathologist report. I got my 52nd birthday present one day early this year. I got the official word that the growth in my lung was not malignant. NOT MALIGNANT! Did you hear that?! NOT MALIGNANT! I will not have to undergo chemo or radiation. I will recover from this.

I had all the tubes and hoses removed on Tuesday the 22nd. That's when the real pain began. The epidural had been saving me from the worst of the pain and now I was on my own. They tell me that I will hurt for weeks, maybe months. I cannot really say that the pain has diminished yet. I sleep fitfully a few hours at a time and have a heck of a time getting out of bed and off the sofa. I worry about my job although I know that people there are very supportive of me and are taking care of my work in my absence. I am extremely lucky to work with such great people. I will survive this.

And now a few items of important relevance:

I smoked heavily for 30 years of my life.

I quit smoking 5 years ago which may have been just in time.

I will have to see a pulmonary doctor every three months for years.

I will survive.

To my children Tiffiny and Michael and my youngest sister Dana: Please stop smoking now. You don't have to experience what I am going though right now.

Terragen Landscape

2007-05-12T21:30:00.000-04:00

Since it's been a while since I last posted anything on my blog I thought that I would display the image above. The base image (lanscape) was created with a freeware program called Terragen. I then created several layers and added the castles and planet with Photoshop. Merging the various layers produced the end result above. I am still learning how to use the Terragen program but it IS fun to create landscapes from scratch.

I'm Back!!

2007-04-21T14:45:00.000-04:00

After a very trying week and quite a few late nights I now have my computer back up and running. While this is good in a way the downside is that I had to reformat drives and completely re-install Windows from scratch. Now to see if I can recover all my photos, art, and music which I backed up prior to re-formatting.
Keeping my fingers crossed!

Big Troubles

2007-04-16T08:25:00.000-04:00

Well. I've been bit, infected, infested, or whatever term you choose to describe something taking over my computer (I am posting this from work instead of from home). I can no longer get online at home. Oh, the computer IS connected to something on the web. For you techies out there I CAN "ping" almost any site that I choose. I can even ping my email server. I just cannot connect with any of them. I cannot get my email. I cannot visit ANY website. I can not run a virus scan on my computer. Wednesday I installed the latest, greatest Norton 360 (virus protection, firewall, online security suite, etc.). Everything seemed to go okay Thursday but when I got home on Friday I could not get online. Tried to reset the computer back to a time when things worked okay. Nope, no good!. Restored back to a month ago. Nope, no good!Restored back to Wednesday night and now the new Norton 360 is gone altogether. Won't re-install either. And now to make matters worse my wife can no longer access her email using Outlook Express and cannot log onto AOL. Everything else works for her on her computer but those items. It's like some form of "Denial of Service". I have noticed that my cable modem and routers' activity lights flicker like crazy (indicating "something", what?, who knows?). Have we been taken over by some devious "Bot" network? I just don't know.

Can a trojan, virus, or malware bot take possession of a cable modem or router? My cable modem always seems to be busy as heck even when both computers are shut down.

IS this something caused by Norton 360? Was it caused by a trojan or virus? I don't know. What I do know is that two computers at my house are about to get wiped clean and re-formatted.
Man! I hate doing this. Having to re-install programs, re-creating web links and favorites, etc.

If anyone else is having similiar trouble let me know. I'd really like to know if there is a simpler solution to this problem. I just can't afford to pay a networking or IT guy 60 bucks an hour to figure this all out.

Illustration Friday:GREEN

2007-04-09T22:19:00.000-04:00

For the ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY subject GREEN. I used Photoshop 7 to replace the yellow color of the heavy equipment with green and then used several filters to digitally alter the appearance of the image.

KOMAT'SU!!!

2007-04-09T21:56:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to take a picture of this equipment for quite a while now but for some reason or another never seemed to make the time. This was shot at the Komat'su equipment manufacturing plant on Signal Mountain Boulevard in Chattanooga. To me this is just an awesome sight when there are 30 to 50 completed machines lined up side by side.
This was shot on Easter Sunday, April 8, 2007.

Gaylord Opryland Hotel

2007-03-11T21:41:00.000-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to vist the Gaylord Opryland Hotel as a guest of my best customer. While the room was just an average hotel room the hotel on a whole is fantastic. The landscaping is exquisite. There is at least 7 acres under roof. The hotel is divided into three main areas all under glass with pools, waterfalls, an indoor river complete with boat rides, and what looks like a slice of the French Quarter. The plants were beautiful and you could get lost within this enclosed landscape. There are restaurants, boutiques, game rooms, a spa and fitness center, radio station, and much, much more.
I highly recommend a visit to this hotel as it is a complete destination in itself.
I've also posted some other pictures on my FlickR page.

Texture

2007-02-26T20:20:00.000-05:00

The Photo Friday word for the week of Febbruary 23 - March 1 is TEXTURE. This is my entry which includes several varying textures ie: Rose Petals, Thorns, Velvet, and Knap.

Photo Friday: SELF PORTRAIT

2007-02-22T13:01:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted anything in a while and felt the need to upload this entry for the PHOTO FRIDAY subject: Self Portrait. I made this one several months ago while goofing off.

Testing

2007-02-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

I cannot see my own blog. Very annoying.

BROTHER

2007-01-28T18:07:00.000-05:00

My pic for the PHOTO FRIDAY subject Brother. From left to right, back to front: My grandson Blake, grandson Braxton, their cousin Austin, & my granddaughter Micah.

Illustration Friday: BUZZ

2007-01-08T21:25:00.000-05:00

Some people complain of ringing in their ears. I have a buzzing that is with me all the time. Not some of my finer work but this is my illustration for the ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY subject BUZZ

Illustration Friday: PHOENIX

2007-01-04T21:10:00.000-05:00

My sketch for the Illustration Friday subject Phoenix. While I am sure that most thought of the mythical bird I instantly thought of the 1965 film Flight Of The Phoenix with James Stewart; possibly one of the greatest movies of all time. Certainly one of my top five.

Photo Friday: BEST OF 2006

2006-12-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite photos that I took in 2006. I call it Autumn Falls. It was taken at the end of October 2006 at Suck Creek in the Prentice Cooper Wildlife Management Area approximately a mile from where the creek empties into the Tennessee River.

Christmas Fun

2006-12-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

For Christmas Eve night my daughter Tiffiny, son-in-law Jeff, and grandsons Blake and Braxton came over to spend the evening with us. Susan found some wierd rubber wig things and here's Braxton and me giving them a test drive. Are we not cool?
I bought Susan an old 1940's telephone which had been restored. We plugged it up and gave a test spin (ie: called a few folks). It works beautifully and has that sweet old ring that makes you think you're back at your grandmothers' house. Blake and Braxton couldn't seem to get over the fact that it was so large, had no buttons, and was not cordless. And to think, I still remember having telephones such as this one as a child!

Photo Friday: Weather

2006-12-22T08:23:00.000-05:00

My submission for the PHOTO FRIDAY subject for 12/22/06 entitled Weather. I took this shot at approximately 7:45am last January 28, 2006 while standing on the roof of my back porch.

Zzzzzzzz

2006-12-13T08:35:00.000-05:00

Sshhh..............sleepin' here.

Happy Birthday, Lisa

2006-12-04T06:32:00.000-05:00