Well, it's been about 6 months since my last post, and lots of things has happened since. First off, the biggy!
I got a great job! But unfortunately, for several months, their was lots of work for me to do, and thus, I had very little free time. I work for some great folks at a small company, and make really good pay, doing something that I love to do, so life is good!
Now for some bad....
Got really sick back over thanksgiving, spent 10 days in the hospital, and several weeks recovering from a skin infection, that turned into blood poisoning. It was a viciously painful experience, I may elaborate on it at a future post.
The sudden onset of my illness, right before Christmas, really put my wife and I, into the worst financial bind we had ever been in. Life, is amazing, one week, you can be on top of the world, planning some great vacations, great Christmas for the kids, and some car shopping,
and BAM, in a matter of hours, go from 100% health, to unconscious in a hospital room...
Two weeks later, your in the hospital unsure of what your name is, wife by your side, washing machine at the house broken, TV in the living room stopped working, ETC ETC...and looking at WEEKS off work, Car Payments due and to top it all off, Christmas is mere days away...... Ah, Joy to the world....
But, once I got back to work, things gradually got better, but it took until March to fully recover financially from the damage done in December and November.
But, tight times are here again, the job I have is dependent on Volvo, building trucks in Dublin Virginia, they have slowed down, and thusly, my job has slowed down, dramatically.
But I am still working, which is better than many.
At least it is spring now, and my daughter's softball team has started up, so here we go again!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Fries, Virgina, my hometown
Fries Virginia, (pronounced FREEZE, NOT "fries" as in French fries, altho some say, we Freeze in the winter, and frys in the summer)If you look it up on a map, at best, it will be a small black dot, at worst, it wont even be listed at all, but it exists, down in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, right on the banks of the placid New River. A former cotton mill town, that lost it's mill in the mid 1980's it continues to exist primarily as a bedroom community, and as a “jumping off point” for folks that like to use the New River Trail state park. Even though, there is no jobs in this community (besides running stores, or restaurants) the town continues to exist, and surprisingly, grow a tiny bit.
Their was lots of advantages to “coming up” here, a small town deep in Appalachia. The main ones being that practically, everyone, knows everyone else, and as young kids, we where allowed to free run of it! The folks, for the most part where extremely friendly, and generous well beyond their meager means. Where else in America could a 10 year old kid, be let out on the street, alone, in the morning, get a $5 haircut, walk up the street to a restaurant, spend another $5 on a burger, fries, and drink, and still have a $1 left over for the tip.... Walk a bit more, to the Rec Center, play “50 cent a game” bowling, OR go swimming in the pool for $2 and stay till almost dark, and if it was a Friday Night, another $2 got you into the dance held at the Rec Center.. Many of us did! Practically everyday during the Summer months (with the exception of the haircut of course)
No this was not all that long ago, this was back in the early 1990's and to this day, there are kids running all around during the summer months, and about the ONLY change is now, that Burger, Fries, and Drink, will take closer to $5 bucks, so you need to bring a bit extra for the tip. (and no, these are not small cheese burgers, but big ones) But swimming, Bowling, and dances are still very well attended, even though you would have a hundred young teenagers running all over town till the dance closed at 11PM, their was never a vandalism problem, or even a theft problem (their was occasional incidents, but for the most part, they where minor, and it was usually known “who did what”) We would stand on the sidewalk, and our parents would ride up and down the street slowly watching for us after the dance let out, OR, we rode home with an older friend that had their license. This behavior still goes on till this very day!!
It is considered NORMAL....
Try that with teenagers in Los Angles, Chicago, or Washington DC!!!
And not to mention, the music! Yea, I will freely admit it, I love Bluegrass Music. (well before it became cool) I suspect that most of my friends do too, even though many WON'T admit it.
For as far back as I can remember, their has always been impromptu gatherings of local musicians right down on the main drag, or own assorted back porches thru town, heck for that matter parking lots around town, and in some cases, down on the river bank.
Now don't let me paint too good a photo of small town Appalachia, it is not all “Kittens and Rainbows”. First off, opportunity, and jobs, are very hard to come by. There is also what I refer to as “The old guard” folks that get into possessions of power, than resist ALL change. For example, since the mill closed in the mid 1980s, and the company GAVE the building and property to the town, they spent well over 20 year trying to find someone to put a new industry in it. The town actually TURNED DOWN several good offers on the mill property over the years, they would turn the offers down over petty, petty reasons. I recall one, back many years ago, when Coors was considering to put a bottling plant in the old mill, and the “old guard” completely freaked out, when they learned that *GASP* they might make “BEER”!!! And BEER, was something that just could not be allowed in the town...
What a joke, they never once realized that, the beer, would be loaded onto trucks, and sent out across the Mid-Atlantic states, nor about the plethora of good, high paying jobs it would bring, nor about the tax revenue the factory would generate, nor the massive use of the towns water supply, resulting in huge water bills for the town... NOPE...
It was allowing BEER, into the town, and that was completely out of the question....No matter, that right down the road, about 3 miles on ALL 3 main roads out of town, there are gas stations, that sell it, all day long....AND GASP, it gets taken back to town....
Their where a few more potential buyers turned away, for various reasons, I won't go into them, but, at present, the mill has been torn down, at EXPENSE to the town, and they are considering making a nice riverside park, in its place, because people will come to town, to use the park...and they will spend money!!!
True, but what the park users spend in a year, would probably not come close to the money generated by Coors in 24 hrs, But hey, what do I know, maybe I should be glad they are protecting me, and my family from the horrors of BEER.
The current Town leadership does seem to be a much better than the one of 20 years ago, I wish them the best!
Than you have a small “redneck” contingent, who once you get to know a few of them, you realize that for the most part, their bark, is far, far worse than their bite.
Than you have a small number of even sadder cases, of extreme poverty. I knew kids, that lived in the woods, in old school buses, and others that lived in clap board shacks in the woods with dirt floors. These folks did not even have electricity or running water. They really anit too much to say about these folks, yes many of these cases are due to their parents extreme irresponsibility, but some are just terrible victims of circumstances. Some in the community, and local churches look after these folks the best they could, but in many cases it was barely adequate.
But worst of all, and I mean this sincerely.. Is the “out of towners” that ride thru here, and say “hey this is a nice place!” see how cheap property values are, and buy a house, intending to retire and move here. This really is not a “Fries” problem per-say, but one that is becoming endemic to Appalachia as a whole. This can be a good thing, in many cases, but it can be a very bad thing too. I will elaborate on this in another posting.
Well I told you about my hometown....The good, the bad, and the ugly... To me, the good far outweighs the bad, even tho my family now lives many miles away, in an even smaller Appalachian community.
Many folks say we are blessed with lots of culture, the concept of “culture” is alien to me, we live this way, because it is “Just the way it is....”
Here are a few video clips of my hometown, and a couple of news articles, I was going to post some photos, but, these videos, and the slide show in the Richmond times article are far superior to my photography skills.
Enjoy!
First off, is a recent newspaper artical, with a nice slide show..
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-20-0119.html
http://media.gatewayva.com/photos/rtd/slideshows/20081020_FRIE/
Now, a great video, with a bit of the History of my hometown, and some great music in thar!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2U49oCrgKs&fmt=18
Well, what do you fellers think?
Their was lots of advantages to “coming up” here, a small town deep in Appalachia. The main ones being that practically, everyone, knows everyone else, and as young kids, we where allowed to free run of it! The folks, for the most part where extremely friendly, and generous well beyond their meager means. Where else in America could a 10 year old kid, be let out on the street, alone, in the morning, get a $5 haircut, walk up the street to a restaurant, spend another $5 on a burger, fries, and drink, and still have a $1 left over for the tip.... Walk a bit more, to the Rec Center, play “50 cent a game” bowling, OR go swimming in the pool for $2 and stay till almost dark, and if it was a Friday Night, another $2 got you into the dance held at the Rec Center.. Many of us did! Practically everyday during the Summer months (with the exception of the haircut of course)
No this was not all that long ago, this was back in the early 1990's and to this day, there are kids running all around during the summer months, and about the ONLY change is now, that Burger, Fries, and Drink, will take closer to $5 bucks, so you need to bring a bit extra for the tip. (and no, these are not small cheese burgers, but big ones) But swimming, Bowling, and dances are still very well attended, even though you would have a hundred young teenagers running all over town till the dance closed at 11PM, their was never a vandalism problem, or even a theft problem (their was occasional incidents, but for the most part, they where minor, and it was usually known “who did what”) We would stand on the sidewalk, and our parents would ride up and down the street slowly watching for us after the dance let out, OR, we rode home with an older friend that had their license. This behavior still goes on till this very day!!
It is considered NORMAL....
Try that with teenagers in Los Angles, Chicago, or Washington DC!!!
And not to mention, the music! Yea, I will freely admit it, I love Bluegrass Music. (well before it became cool) I suspect that most of my friends do too, even though many WON'T admit it.
For as far back as I can remember, their has always been impromptu gatherings of local musicians right down on the main drag, or own assorted back porches thru town, heck for that matter parking lots around town, and in some cases, down on the river bank.
Now don't let me paint too good a photo of small town Appalachia, it is not all “Kittens and Rainbows”. First off, opportunity, and jobs, are very hard to come by. There is also what I refer to as “The old guard” folks that get into possessions of power, than resist ALL change. For example, since the mill closed in the mid 1980s, and the company GAVE the building and property to the town, they spent well over 20 year trying to find someone to put a new industry in it. The town actually TURNED DOWN several good offers on the mill property over the years, they would turn the offers down over petty, petty reasons. I recall one, back many years ago, when Coors was considering to put a bottling plant in the old mill, and the “old guard” completely freaked out, when they learned that *GASP* they might make “BEER”!!! And BEER, was something that just could not be allowed in the town...
What a joke, they never once realized that, the beer, would be loaded onto trucks, and sent out across the Mid-Atlantic states, nor about the plethora of good, high paying jobs it would bring, nor about the tax revenue the factory would generate, nor the massive use of the towns water supply, resulting in huge water bills for the town... NOPE...
It was allowing BEER, into the town, and that was completely out of the question....No matter, that right down the road, about 3 miles on ALL 3 main roads out of town, there are gas stations, that sell it, all day long....AND GASP, it gets taken back to town....
Their where a few more potential buyers turned away, for various reasons, I won't go into them, but, at present, the mill has been torn down, at EXPENSE to the town, and they are considering making a nice riverside park, in its place, because people will come to town, to use the park...and they will spend money!!!
True, but what the park users spend in a year, would probably not come close to the money generated by Coors in 24 hrs, But hey, what do I know, maybe I should be glad they are protecting me, and my family from the horrors of BEER.
The current Town leadership does seem to be a much better than the one of 20 years ago, I wish them the best!
Than you have a small “redneck” contingent, who once you get to know a few of them, you realize that for the most part, their bark, is far, far worse than their bite.
Than you have a small number of even sadder cases, of extreme poverty. I knew kids, that lived in the woods, in old school buses, and others that lived in clap board shacks in the woods with dirt floors. These folks did not even have electricity or running water. They really anit too much to say about these folks, yes many of these cases are due to their parents extreme irresponsibility, but some are just terrible victims of circumstances. Some in the community, and local churches look after these folks the best they could, but in many cases it was barely adequate.
But worst of all, and I mean this sincerely.. Is the “out of towners” that ride thru here, and say “hey this is a nice place!” see how cheap property values are, and buy a house, intending to retire and move here. This really is not a “Fries” problem per-say, but one that is becoming endemic to Appalachia as a whole. This can be a good thing, in many cases, but it can be a very bad thing too. I will elaborate on this in another posting.
Well I told you about my hometown....The good, the bad, and the ugly... To me, the good far outweighs the bad, even tho my family now lives many miles away, in an even smaller Appalachian community.
Many folks say we are blessed with lots of culture, the concept of “culture” is alien to me, we live this way, because it is “Just the way it is....”
Here are a few video clips of my hometown, and a couple of news articles, I was going to post some photos, but, these videos, and the slide show in the Richmond times article are far superior to my photography skills.
Enjoy!
First off, is a recent newspaper artical, with a nice slide show..
http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-10-20-0119.html
http://media.gatewayva.com/photos/rtd/slideshows/20081020_FRIE/
Now, a great video, with a bit of the History of my hometown, and some great music in thar!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2U49oCrgKs&fmt=18
Well, what do you fellers think?
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Perils of Young love.
It is time that I get to a story of my youth, to share, a hilarious one to tell now, but very scary at the time. So now that the Statute of Limitations has long expired, get a "slug from the jug" if you like, and sit down, The Intrepid Appalachian, has a memory to share.
Back when I was 16 (about 20 years ago), being a young “buck” I was game for just about anything, me and three of my friends, had been down at the Rec Center, on this summer night, attending a dance. When one of my friends, Steven had fell head over heels in love with this young girl, and had hatched a plan with another one of my friends Jason and Billy to have Steven's girl friend, have a sleep over at her house that night, for Jason's and Billy's girlfriends along with some other girls. I, having the car, would pick Steven, Billy, Jason, and Dave up, and around midnight, we would head out to a very rural area of Grayson County, Virginia.
Seemed like a “capitol” plan at the time, but their was some major problems with it. This girl that was having the sleep over, had over protective parents, and worse yet, lived several miles down a dirt road, at its dead end. They lived in a single wide trailer, but their was a barn on the property. They also had dogs.
Adding to the problem, was the fact that they lived in farm country, it was wide open terrain, and barbed wire for several hundred yards around their single wide, with no cover, besides an unusually deep ditch that ran along side the road. ..
To make matters worse, their was a thick stand of trees, lining the dirt road going in, their was no pull offs in this stand, and the trees where tight to the road, the stand of trees was at least A quarter mile long, and just past them (moving away from the girls), was another house, this one, with a family, and some older teenagers, with several large dogs, more wide open farmland.....
Lets consider all the facts together.... Lots of negatives, but “they are girls at the end of the rainbow!!!!”
Was we to be deterred by these facts?? HECK NO!!!
In the immortal words of Admiral David Farragut, of US Navy during the Civil War's “Battle of Mobile Bay”
At about midnight, we loaded up in my Shelby Charger, did I mention that this is a small car? And counting me, their was 5 of us in it! As I recall, good friend Billy, got to ride in the hatchback! It was a nice ride out to the girls, earlier that day, me and a couple of the friends, rode down to the end of the dirt road, as a reconnaissance. So we knew what we was getting into. Was we deterred?
NOPE! We had visions of cute girls in our heads...For some reason unknown to us at the time, something had badly clouded our judgment.
We arrive at the dirt road, in question, past midnight, I recall it well, very mild night, clear and their was a full moon showing, I had to park my car, at a entry gate to a field,
We got out, and started walking down the road, keeping in mind that it was actually difficult to sneak silently down a dirt road. The girls, where waiting for us! Phone calls had been made before hand and they where watching for us! As we got close to the first house, we eased off the gravel road, and walked in the grass, opposite the house, for the sake of stealth.. A dog, in the yard, suddenly “went off” scaring the dickens out of us, we heard a screen door open, a feller came out, and chastised the dog, rather heavily, and went back inside. The Dog, was downgraded to “low, mean growl and you better be thanking god for that chain link fence” mode...
We continued on, being thankful for the cover the woods provided, soon the trailer and barn come into sight, we ease off the gravel road, and into the deep ditch, that has been thoughtfully mowed and trimmed, just for our use!! We creep up to the edge of the yard, and decide to send someone to the girls bedroom window, after a few minutes, we get the report...
Steve's girlfriend is their, obviously, she lives their, but alas, only ONE other girl was their, If I remember correctly, she was Jason's. Unknown to us, the girls had been spending practically every weekend over at this girls house, and the parents would not let them spend THIS weekend their.
BUMMER.... So basically, only Steven, and Jason had girls...After all that sneaking too..
While we are deciding what too do, (and to give the girls time to sneak out) we are talking low in the ditch line the front door opens, and out comes this girls pa! He takes a few minuets to hang around the porch, than goes back inside! Steven and Jason, are not to be denied, they insist on staying, but the rest of our band, decide to leave them, and head back to the car. After all, it really sucks, to be the 3rd wheel. We slowly make it back to the car, past that other house with the other dogs
We had agreed to return at a set time...I cannot remember how late it was, but it was like 3 AM or something. Me Dave, and Billy, ride to Galax Virginia, to hit a burger joint, and burn some time.
We arrive back at the appointed hour, and the two love birds are no where to be found.
Hmmm.... after waiting another half an hour or so, we decide to walk the half mile back down to the trailer, and see what the hold up is. We three, get out of the car, and start making our way down.
We slip by the house, where the hound is still growling deep, and mean, and just as we get toward the middle of the stand of trees.....BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!! A shotgun blast pierces the night!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We three, start hauling tail back to the Charger, just as fast as we can run!! All efforts to be stealthy are thrown to the wind!!! As we fly by the house, like an express train on feet, the dogs are going completely nuts!! And Lights are coming on inside!!!....I can speak only for myself at this point, but I found an extra gear....and sped up even more!! Nothing is more motivating than a well placed shotgun blast, I tell you what!
As we make it to the Shelby, and slow down, to get in the car, we can hear in the far distance, More feet running on the gravel road, we also hear doors banging, dogs baying, assorted cursing, from several different voices!!
I pop the hatchback on the Shelby, raise it up, and start backing back up the dirt road, toward what must be Jason, and Steven, running for their lives!! With the idea, that they will see us coming, and can dive in to the hatchback, and we get away with a quickness. I back up, to the house, with the dogs, and the lights, Steven and Jason, dive into the Shelby, I hit first gear and we began our getaway...
The chain link gate was opened, and the dogs got turned on our two “lover boys” LOL Jason was incensed about that, I seem to recall, that he got chewed on a bit as he neared the house. The details are sketchy in my mind because of what happened next...
We had though that we was clear of danger, I recall hitting the paved road, and rocketing back toward Providence Rd, to get us out of their...I was hurried, going a bit faster than normal but not crazy fast...Everyone was excited, and talking loud and fast about what had happened
The reason the gate got turned open was to let the feller and his Ford Thunderbird out....
He could tell, which way we went, by all the thrown dirt, and black marks I made when I turned on to the paved road....A road that he knew like the back of his hand....He and his T-Bird went too running us down....But at that time, we was a couple of miles ahead, and was clueless....But we would not remain clueless for long....
I noticed it first...in the rear view, the classic “high beams on” and “I am going to run you down” style of driving. I had already head a shotgun blast, I wanted nothing of it, so I stepped on it....But I did not know the road, and it was a very curvy one...
Poor Billy, was in the hatchback again, as I was taking the curves, hard and fast as I dared, he was being tossed around like a rag doll, I could hear the rest of my friends ripping the seatbelt out of their spools,, with that “ZINNNNG” sound, followed by a “click”... We finally got to Providence Road, I knew this road quite a bit better, and I was able to get some good distance from that T-Bird , Billy was screaming, about all my stereo gear, and tool boxes beating him half to death in the curves.
We took Providence Rd, to its intersection with RT 94, about 7 miles west of Fries Virgina, Man O man, I was so glad to see RT94, a road that I traveled almost daily... I stood on that turbo charged engine, and did not let up to we got to Fries. It was late at nigh, traffic was none existent, and we where scared out of our minds, with the thoughts of that Thunderbird and its potentially shotgun wielding driver
We saw them pull onto 94, about half a mile behind us, but now, that we was on a road I knew well, I was able to really floor the Shelby, and that was the last we saw of him.
I drove us straight home....
During the next weekend dance, the girls had got into quite a bit of trouble, which put an end to the sleepovers. BUT... ROFLMAO!!! Steven was still love struck... He had asked if we would go back down their, he was met with a very strong “HELL NO!!!” from all of us.
So he does the next best thing, he borrows HIS MOM”S CAR..
He goes down their a week after “the incident” and details are sketchy to what happened, but one thing is certain....LOL!!! His mom's car took a shotgun blast to the trunk... Made a nice pattern from what I heard! !!!
O no...I just realized something....I now have a young daughter....
Back when I was 16 (about 20 years ago), being a young “buck” I was game for just about anything, me and three of my friends, had been down at the Rec Center, on this summer night, attending a dance. When one of my friends, Steven had fell head over heels in love with this young girl, and had hatched a plan with another one of my friends Jason and Billy to have Steven's girl friend, have a sleep over at her house that night, for Jason's and Billy's girlfriends along with some other girls. I, having the car, would pick Steven, Billy, Jason, and Dave up, and around midnight, we would head out to a very rural area of Grayson County, Virginia.
Seemed like a “capitol” plan at the time, but their was some major problems with it. This girl that was having the sleep over, had over protective parents, and worse yet, lived several miles down a dirt road, at its dead end. They lived in a single wide trailer, but their was a barn on the property. They also had dogs.
Adding to the problem, was the fact that they lived in farm country, it was wide open terrain, and barbed wire for several hundred yards around their single wide, with no cover, besides an unusually deep ditch that ran along side the road. ..
To make matters worse, their was a thick stand of trees, lining the dirt road going in, their was no pull offs in this stand, and the trees where tight to the road, the stand of trees was at least A quarter mile long, and just past them (moving away from the girls), was another house, this one, with a family, and some older teenagers, with several large dogs, more wide open farmland.....
Lets consider all the facts together.... Lots of negatives, but “they are girls at the end of the rainbow!!!!”
Was we to be deterred by these facts?? HECK NO!!!
In the immortal words of Admiral David Farragut, of US Navy during the Civil War's “Battle of Mobile Bay”
Damn the torpedoes!! FULL SPEED AHEAD!
At about midnight, we loaded up in my Shelby Charger, did I mention that this is a small car? And counting me, their was 5 of us in it! As I recall, good friend Billy, got to ride in the hatchback! It was a nice ride out to the girls, earlier that day, me and a couple of the friends, rode down to the end of the dirt road, as a reconnaissance. So we knew what we was getting into. Was we deterred?
NOPE! We had visions of cute girls in our heads...For some reason unknown to us at the time, something had badly clouded our judgment.
We arrive at the dirt road, in question, past midnight, I recall it well, very mild night, clear and their was a full moon showing, I had to park my car, at a entry gate to a field,
We got out, and started walking down the road, keeping in mind that it was actually difficult to sneak silently down a dirt road. The girls, where waiting for us! Phone calls had been made before hand and they where watching for us! As we got close to the first house, we eased off the gravel road, and walked in the grass, opposite the house, for the sake of stealth.. A dog, in the yard, suddenly “went off” scaring the dickens out of us, we heard a screen door open, a feller came out, and chastised the dog, rather heavily, and went back inside. The Dog, was downgraded to “low, mean growl and you better be thanking god for that chain link fence” mode...
We continued on, being thankful for the cover the woods provided, soon the trailer and barn come into sight, we ease off the gravel road, and into the deep ditch, that has been thoughtfully mowed and trimmed, just for our use!! We creep up to the edge of the yard, and decide to send someone to the girls bedroom window, after a few minutes, we get the report...
Steve's girlfriend is their, obviously, she lives their, but alas, only ONE other girl was their, If I remember correctly, she was Jason's. Unknown to us, the girls had been spending practically every weekend over at this girls house, and the parents would not let them spend THIS weekend their.
BUMMER.... So basically, only Steven, and Jason had girls...After all that sneaking too..
While we are deciding what too do, (and to give the girls time to sneak out) we are talking low in the ditch line the front door opens, and out comes this girls pa! He takes a few minuets to hang around the porch, than goes back inside! Steven and Jason, are not to be denied, they insist on staying, but the rest of our band, decide to leave them, and head back to the car. After all, it really sucks, to be the 3rd wheel. We slowly make it back to the car, past that other house with the other dogs
We had agreed to return at a set time...I cannot remember how late it was, but it was like 3 AM or something. Me Dave, and Billy, ride to Galax Virginia, to hit a burger joint, and burn some time.
We arrive back at the appointed hour, and the two love birds are no where to be found.
Hmmm.... after waiting another half an hour or so, we decide to walk the half mile back down to the trailer, and see what the hold up is. We three, get out of the car, and start making our way down.
We slip by the house, where the hound is still growling deep, and mean, and just as we get toward the middle of the stand of trees.....BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!! A shotgun blast pierces the night!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We three, start hauling tail back to the Charger, just as fast as we can run!! All efforts to be stealthy are thrown to the wind!!! As we fly by the house, like an express train on feet, the dogs are going completely nuts!! And Lights are coming on inside!!!....I can speak only for myself at this point, but I found an extra gear....and sped up even more!! Nothing is more motivating than a well placed shotgun blast, I tell you what!
As we make it to the Shelby, and slow down, to get in the car, we can hear in the far distance, More feet running on the gravel road, we also hear doors banging, dogs baying, assorted cursing, from several different voices!!
I pop the hatchback on the Shelby, raise it up, and start backing back up the dirt road, toward what must be Jason, and Steven, running for their lives!! With the idea, that they will see us coming, and can dive in to the hatchback, and we get away with a quickness. I back up, to the house, with the dogs, and the lights, Steven and Jason, dive into the Shelby, I hit first gear and we began our getaway...
The chain link gate was opened, and the dogs got turned on our two “lover boys” LOL Jason was incensed about that, I seem to recall, that he got chewed on a bit as he neared the house. The details are sketchy in my mind because of what happened next...
We had though that we was clear of danger, I recall hitting the paved road, and rocketing back toward Providence Rd, to get us out of their...I was hurried, going a bit faster than normal but not crazy fast...Everyone was excited, and talking loud and fast about what had happened
The reason the gate got turned open was to let the feller and his Ford Thunderbird out....
He could tell, which way we went, by all the thrown dirt, and black marks I made when I turned on to the paved road....A road that he knew like the back of his hand....He and his T-Bird went too running us down....But at that time, we was a couple of miles ahead, and was clueless....But we would not remain clueless for long....
I noticed it first...in the rear view, the classic “high beams on” and “I am going to run you down” style of driving. I had already head a shotgun blast, I wanted nothing of it, so I stepped on it....But I did not know the road, and it was a very curvy one...
Poor Billy, was in the hatchback again, as I was taking the curves, hard and fast as I dared, he was being tossed around like a rag doll, I could hear the rest of my friends ripping the seatbelt out of their spools,, with that “ZINNNNG” sound, followed by a “click”... We finally got to Providence Road, I knew this road quite a bit better, and I was able to get some good distance from that T-Bird , Billy was screaming, about all my stereo gear, and tool boxes beating him half to death in the curves.
We took Providence Rd, to its intersection with RT 94, about 7 miles west of Fries Virgina, Man O man, I was so glad to see RT94, a road that I traveled almost daily... I stood on that turbo charged engine, and did not let up to we got to Fries. It was late at nigh, traffic was none existent, and we where scared out of our minds, with the thoughts of that Thunderbird and its potentially shotgun wielding driver
We saw them pull onto 94, about half a mile behind us, but now, that we was on a road I knew well, I was able to really floor the Shelby, and that was the last we saw of him.
I drove us straight home....
During the next weekend dance, the girls had got into quite a bit of trouble, which put an end to the sleepovers. BUT... ROFLMAO!!! Steven was still love struck... He had asked if we would go back down their, he was met with a very strong “HELL NO!!!” from all of us.
So he does the next best thing, he borrows HIS MOM”S CAR..
He goes down their a week after “the incident” and details are sketchy to what happened, but one thing is certain....LOL!!! His mom's car took a shotgun blast to the trunk... Made a nice pattern from what I heard! !!!
O no...I just realized something....I now have a young daughter....
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The kids are growing up, God help me.
My son and daughter, are both starting to grow up, and they are starting to "tax" my parenting ability a bit more, first off, my daughter, Nicky is a very mature 11 years old, she is scorchingly intelligent, extremely quiet and introverted , (a dangerous combination). I have long ago, gave up on her cleaning her tomb, I mean room. But otherwise she is absolutely no trouble, and she acts more responsibly than many adults.
But I am starting to see shades of "Teenage Rebellion" brewing...Over a word. That word is...Brace yourself...
"Friken"
Yep, I was outside working in the yard, and I overheard my daughter let loose with "friken" I perked my ears up, and challenged her over the use of that word, her retort was "It's not a BAD word, Daddy" I begged to differ, she retorted that it was not "bad" and all her friends (she is a new middle schooler) use it.
I reiterated that I did not want to hear that, coming from her, unless we are crawling out from an upside down car in the ditch or she was describing the house catching fire or something. And I considered the matter closed, as she picked up "Thomas" the Tom Cat, and headed back inside.
I was very wrong...
Later that night, while eating supper, I heard her use that word again.... I was agast.... And pounced, again I challenged her, instead of arguing with ME, she turned to my beloved wife...Who much to her chagrin, promptly backed me up, and told her that she better "Hush that trash talk up"
Again her pleas of "All my friends are doing it" fell on deaf ears, as I used the timeless parental retort of "If they where jumping off a building, would you do it too??"
Again I thought the matter was closed...I was WRONG again....
The other day, we all went down to the Farm, to have a cook-out with my in-laws, it was my wife's birthday, and right their, as I was putting steaks on the grill, I heard "friken".... OMI GOD!!! She done said it AGAIN!!!!!
My beloved wife, and I, went straight into "gonna chew that butt" mode, and my wonderfully intelligent daughter tried to play the "nanny" card, and hope that grand ma, could "talk sense" into her "uncool parents"...
It was at this point she, made a gross tactical error, she had expected the "Nicky can't do no wrong, and for "Nanna and Poppie" to come riding to her rescue, but alas... Pa, from his comfortable chair, overheard the pleadings from the next room, and he boomed out
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR TALK LIKE THAT !!!!! <--Use booming "god" voice
Knowing that she had been outflanked, she sheepishly slipped out of the house, and the whole matter was dropped...Or so she hoped...
That night, after we left the farm, and went to the store, she really caught it.. Me and Momma, was quite upset about our daughter ignoring the demands to stop using that language, and then trying to get the grandparents to "pull rank" really set me off, I made reference to literally washing her mouth out with soap, and using my "plumber's helper" to really shove it in their, but than my beloved wife said, not to use bar soap, to use liquid soap, as to really clean out every nook and cranny in that filthy mouth.
Their was silence from the back seat... And again I thought the matter was closed....WRONG....
Last Friday night, me and her had to go to the Homecoming game at the local high school. She is in Choir, and they was going to sing the National Anthem. So I decided that we would stay for the duration, and watch the big homecoming game. So, as I sit next to our neighbor in the stands, my daughter finds some of her friends, and they all sit together, they just happen to be 3 rows behind us, Nicky comes down to get some money to go get a Pepsi from the concession stand, and as she is standing their, one of her friends, nearby, unleashes a "friken"....
Nicky looks at me, raises a triumphant eyebrow, and says "See Dad..." I cut her off, and say "All I hear is low class trash" that is all....
She dejectedly walks away..
I think this whole issue has finally blown over..If not, she will know what "Dial liquid" soap tastes like, all it will take is one more time.
And believe it or not, this is the girl that generally gives us ABSOLUTELY no problems, heck, she even gets perfect scores on the SOL tests..
But I am starting to see shades of "Teenage Rebellion" brewing...Over a word. That word is...Brace yourself...
"Friken"
Yep, I was outside working in the yard, and I overheard my daughter let loose with "friken" I perked my ears up, and challenged her over the use of that word, her retort was "It's not a BAD word, Daddy" I begged to differ, she retorted that it was not "bad" and all her friends (she is a new middle schooler) use it.
I reiterated that I did not want to hear that, coming from her, unless we are crawling out from an upside down car in the ditch or she was describing the house catching fire or something. And I considered the matter closed, as she picked up "Thomas" the Tom Cat, and headed back inside.
I was very wrong...
Later that night, while eating supper, I heard her use that word again.... I was agast.... And pounced, again I challenged her, instead of arguing with ME, she turned to my beloved wife...Who much to her chagrin, promptly backed me up, and told her that she better "Hush that trash talk up"
Again her pleas of "All my friends are doing it" fell on deaf ears, as I used the timeless parental retort of "If they where jumping off a building, would you do it too??"
Again I thought the matter was closed...I was WRONG again....
The other day, we all went down to the Farm, to have a cook-out with my in-laws, it was my wife's birthday, and right their, as I was putting steaks on the grill, I heard "friken".... OMI GOD!!! She done said it AGAIN!!!!!
My beloved wife, and I, went straight into "gonna chew that butt" mode, and my wonderfully intelligent daughter tried to play the "nanny" card, and hope that grand ma, could "talk sense" into her "uncool parents"...
It was at this point she, made a gross tactical error, she had expected the "Nicky can't do no wrong, and for "Nanna and Poppie" to come riding to her rescue, but alas... Pa, from his comfortable chair, overheard the pleadings from the next room, and he boomed out
I DON'T WANT TO HEAR TALK LIKE THAT !!!!! <--Use booming "god" voice
Knowing that she had been outflanked, she sheepishly slipped out of the house, and the whole matter was dropped...Or so she hoped...
That night, after we left the farm, and went to the store, she really caught it.. Me and Momma, was quite upset about our daughter ignoring the demands to stop using that language, and then trying to get the grandparents to "pull rank" really set me off, I made reference to literally washing her mouth out with soap, and using my "plumber's helper" to really shove it in their, but than my beloved wife said, not to use bar soap, to use liquid soap, as to really clean out every nook and cranny in that filthy mouth.
Their was silence from the back seat... And again I thought the matter was closed....WRONG....
Last Friday night, me and her had to go to the Homecoming game at the local high school. She is in Choir, and they was going to sing the National Anthem. So I decided that we would stay for the duration, and watch the big homecoming game. So, as I sit next to our neighbor in the stands, my daughter finds some of her friends, and they all sit together, they just happen to be 3 rows behind us, Nicky comes down to get some money to go get a Pepsi from the concession stand, and as she is standing their, one of her friends, nearby, unleashes a "friken"....
Nicky looks at me, raises a triumphant eyebrow, and says "See Dad..." I cut her off, and say "All I hear is low class trash" that is all....
She dejectedly walks away..
I think this whole issue has finally blown over..If not, she will know what "Dial liquid" soap tastes like, all it will take is one more time.
And believe it or not, this is the girl that generally gives us ABSOLUTELY no problems, heck, she even gets perfect scores on the SOL tests..
The Petulant Children
As anyone with a pulse, (<--scratch that, it should read "a TV") in America would know, this is an election year. As a close watcher, of many news sources, and reader of newspapers all over the US, btw isn't the Internet wonderful! One thing is clear now, more than ever before, and that is; The American electorate is like a petulant child. and BOTH Democrats, and Republicans pander to that "petulant child" Like a divorced parent does to their kid when they have him/her every other weekend. The "children" are caught up talking about rights that do not exist, like the "Right to vote" and "Right to health care" I have read the US Bill of Rights, many times over...Those rights do not exist, all it says about voting, is that it may not be denied due to :
Its not as clear cut, as say the first amendment.. which reads:
If their was a "right to vote" would it not be wrote in terms as clear as the above amendment ?? Even Felons have the freedom of speech...
The "Right to Health Care" is even easier easier to debunk, it flat out does not exist, in any form, in the US Constitution.
If you want socialized health care, that is fine and good, just stop all this bullshat about it being a right.. It clearly is not.
They are many other "false rights" that people seem to think they have.
And the Petulant Children, will not be told any different... For fear that they will run from the "week end" parent, to the other one and tell them about "how bad they are being treated"
We also have a significant number of "Children" that think it is perfectly OK to tax their neighbors, not in the name of true need, but in the name of "fairness" *BIG GROAN and FACE PALM*
The Government, collects Taxes, out of NEED for funds, not because it is "fair" But hey!! The "other parent" is promising to pay off our mortgage!!!
And the tug of war continues.... The "kid" loaded down with "apparently free" candy, is running back and forth between the "Parents" each one in complete disregard for their own financial wellbeing keeps upping the ante, in hope of the "petulant child" picking them.... Over the other.
What he, the Petulant child needs, is some "tough love" but he will not get that....He WILL get more spoiling instead., after all, we cannot have the child picking the OTHER parent now can we??
I just wonder where the parents are going to get the money to pay all the "must pay" bills like defense, and SSI, when they come due?? Since they are spending the bill money on "candy" at this point.
Well on November 7th, the Child gets to vote.....
I see CONDITIONS that you cannot "deny" a vote to a person, I don't see anything that guarantees a right to vote at all. Read it carefully, it is misleading in the way it is wrote, to appear to be a "right" but do "rights" come with conditions? Clearly their is a "privilege to vote" but not a true right.The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.— Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
(1870)
The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.— Nineteenth
Amendment (1920)
The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election . . . shall not be denied or abridged . . . by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax.— Twenty-fourth Amendment (1964)
The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of age.— Twenty-sixth Amendment (1971)
Its not as clear cut, as say the first amendment.. which reads:
Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech....— First
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
If their was a "right to vote" would it not be wrote in terms as clear as the above amendment ?? Even Felons have the freedom of speech...
The "Right to Health Care" is even easier easier to debunk, it flat out does not exist, in any form, in the US Constitution.
If you want socialized health care, that is fine and good, just stop all this bullshat about it being a right.. It clearly is not.
They are many other "false rights" that people seem to think they have.
And the Petulant Children, will not be told any different... For fear that they will run from the "week end" parent, to the other one and tell them about "how bad they are being treated"
We also have a significant number of "Children" that think it is perfectly OK to tax their neighbors, not in the name of true need, but in the name of "fairness" *BIG GROAN and FACE PALM*
The Government, collects Taxes, out of NEED for funds, not because it is "fair" But hey!! The "other parent" is promising to pay off our mortgage!!!
And the tug of war continues.... The "kid" loaded down with "apparently free" candy, is running back and forth between the "Parents" each one in complete disregard for their own financial wellbeing keeps upping the ante, in hope of the "petulant child" picking them.... Over the other.
What he, the Petulant child needs, is some "tough love" but he will not get that....He WILL get more spoiling instead., after all, we cannot have the child picking the OTHER parent now can we??
I just wonder where the parents are going to get the money to pay all the "must pay" bills like defense, and SSI, when they come due?? Since they are spending the bill money on "candy" at this point.
Well on November 7th, the Child gets to vote.....
Why, O Why did I do this.
Mainly for an outlet....That is why.
I post on so many different forums, about so many different topics, that I decided that I just needed to "bite the bullet" and start putting my ideas, comments, thoughts, memories, and realizations in one location, to share with "anyone who wants to see". Topics likely to come up will include, but not limited too;
1. Appalachian life, lore, and values, and how they effect everyday life for most of us (that live here in the Appalachians)
2. General observations about society in general.
3. My family life, and friends.
4. Selected Stories from mine, my families, and many of my good freind's past. (those involved will be invited to comment!)
5. Occasional photographs, of widely varied subjects
6. Comments, and discussion on History.
I intend this blog, to feel like a group of friends, sitting around, on the back porch, so go get you a slug from the jug, hanging by the door, sit back and inhale deeply the musty smell of the New River, interspersed with the aroma of pine, and the Mountain Laural..
I have stories to tell, and thoughts to share..
I post on so many different forums, about so many different topics, that I decided that I just needed to "bite the bullet" and start putting my ideas, comments, thoughts, memories, and realizations in one location, to share with "anyone who wants to see". Topics likely to come up will include, but not limited too;
1. Appalachian life, lore, and values, and how they effect everyday life for most of us (that live here in the Appalachians)
2. General observations about society in general.
3. My family life, and friends.
4. Selected Stories from mine, my families, and many of my good freind's past. (those involved will be invited to comment!)
5. Occasional photographs, of widely varied subjects
6. Comments, and discussion on History.
I intend this blog, to feel like a group of friends, sitting around, on the back porch, so go get you a slug from the jug, hanging by the door, sit back and inhale deeply the musty smell of the New River, interspersed with the aroma of pine, and the Mountain Laural..
I have stories to tell, and thoughts to share..
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