Chapter 100

A Century calls for something special. They say every dog has his day and so, as we enter the year of the Dog, I wanted to give something back and am dedicating this to all the little people. You all who’ve supported me thru good times (Ch 21: Vacationing with Paul) and bad (Ch 86: I’m Fired) get this commerative biographical issue. I’ve taken the liberty to sum up your lives in 3 lines or less. I’ve taken no copyrights so feel free to use on your own obituaries if you choose.

You’ll notice in the photo a little more flair resulting from some of my new editing tools. I bought a new pen, mouse, tablet and Graphire 4 which comes with the excellent Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 for $100 http://www.wacom.com/graphire/index.cfm Also made the jump to broadband for faster productivity. I feel like I’m just beginning. Got to get a job where they pay me to do this stuff. I’ll not take anybody off the list now, even if you beg me. I have your addresses.

Pete   SU college roomie, Lake Katrine NY ex-Marine, Purple Heart Nam, was geekey before they invented the word, retired IBMer re-entered computer job market - model train enthusiast. We used to steal a Christmas tree for our room in college. Like to think I started him on hiking career. We shared some ravioli and wine on this hike in ’75 in the Catskills, believe up near fire tower near Hunter Mt. Met his wife to be on a hike. She snapped this Mercedes- one of my first rides when I made sure to drive up the picturesque Palisades Parkway from downstate and stop by their home for a brief drink.

Dale    brother, Walpole MA, Quality Control, Systems, Patriot Missile etc (we can’t talk about it), had wickedest curve ball and hook shot on the bball court in Cortland County during high school. Well past his prime. Doesn't think he'll go on thinking & talkin about his glory days, but he probably will. Broke the rear-end of Dad’s Jeep doing burnouts while Dad fishing in Canada. Went on the maiden cruise here in his new (old) boat thanks to my Acura swap.

Kathy     sister (w/Mom), Cortland NY Quality Control, misc at industrial plant. Broke leg in motorcycle accident and gave up (no guts). Neglected poor mother almost starved while Kathy out being groupie at rock band concerts. Kathy stole neighbors cat just before she moved into another home. Decent skier. Photo outside Homer Diner when visiting on Honda swap deal to Ithaca.

Shawn     son, Clifton Park NY Industrial Process Engineer in multinational boat industry. I refurbished this ‘81 Honda 400 for daughter who never got onto road. Shawn rode with me up as far as Lake George- Americade?  never got a license. In Virgil, they used to call us at the Olmsted corner, the outlaws down there. Guess the tradition continues. Cops raided his last birthday party-bonfire when some fire crackers were ignited. I subsequently sold this Honda to Pete, who loves it.

Dave    nephew, Rochester NY Modern-day Geek. I did an Acura swap to his Rochester Holz dealership the same day he was purchasing this one. Actually took him to the dealership where the salesman gives him instructions and I’m on my way back to Albany. As a kid Dave would watch the washing machine spin for hours on end. Definitely the ipod generation.

Lyle     cousin, Churchville NY Finally graduated college at 45 now ready to retire at 55. On VW bug swap met for lunch at the neat Dinosaur at the old Lehigh Valley RR station in Rochester. He works as few blocks away as an indexer for the same people I used to swear at who published our NY stream standards (green books). Hoop fan. Married a vegetarian (need I say more).

Loretta (w/Killian)    retiree co-worker’s wife, Schenectady NY Have about a dozen animals. Did a web story of this shot at http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/tolms/myhomepage/ex_ad/1.html

Door always open.  A beer maybe dinner with John after swaps. Breakfast after FedEx shift. Lunch if I’m lucky. John towed a 61 Merc back from Ithaca about 20-30 years ago. Gonna fix up. Still sitting there rotting. Suffer from illusions of grandiosity.

Aunt Carol     Waterloo NY, Dad’s only sister, SUNY Cortland -elementary school teacher in Geneva for 50 years. My oldest internet e-mailer. On Volvo swap took her to lunch at lovely restaurant overlooking Seneca Lake. at At 20+ years old received letter from Dad at B24 base in  England that he would go to her man’s (Nelson) B17 base to find out why no communication. Then got V-mail (good news!?) the MIA had become a German POW. Dad wrote & cautioned her not to get her hopes up as many boys are not returning from the war. If you are apprehensive the next time your loved one is unexpectedly a few hours late returning home, consider the anxiety Carol went through for 6 months before Nelson returned from the war. Perspective.

Bob ,   Virgil HS alum, SUniversity,  Hamilton Montana Retired meteorologist with Feds. His Dad at the Cortland fish hatchery advised me not to work for the Feds and I took his advice to heart. Bob, maybe not paying attention. Anyway we used to sneak down the outlet stream and Bob caught a nice 19 inch rainbow on one trip. On another outing he got stuck in the quick sand bog mill pond behind Saltsman’s feedmill and classmates Sherry McGuiness and Ruby Hammond were there to witness. They got the biggest charge of that and made sure Bob never lived that down. 30 years later Bob flies 2000 miles into Albany for a Kripala Yoga class and we reconnect like yesterday. Photo from Forestry summer camp ’64 Cranberry Lake in our 6 man cabin. I had mentioned Jim died of sudden cancer last summer. This week I visited with his widow in Warrensburg on a Honda swap and bought a couple quarts of Maple Syrup from the sugar house he built. She said the photos I’d given her brought her a little cheer. She’s still angry at the loss though.

Hank   retiree DEC co-worker, Clifton Park NY Immigrated  in thru Ellis Island to Queens as a kid. Hanged out with the gang bangers. Dad in dry cleaning business. Geology/ Engineer. Could write a mean memo back at DEC. Received a canvas bag for 35 years service here. Settled into the Golden Years [enjoys painting inside of closets].

Tony   DEC co-worker, Melrose NY Always a wannabe. Pretends, like so many to be a big motorcycle guy but HD covered up in garage gathers dust. Active guy. Once on stream survey in Buffalo River he was doing handstands and fell in the boat. Took to ER for repair. Saved his life once when he fell thru ice on a survey. Later he went on to break my leg in hockey. Accident, he said.

Bill   DEC co-worker, Saratoga NY Known 30 some years. Many adventures. The memory I enjoy the most, and is perhaps most revealing,  is when his Harley fell over as we were getting ready to go to the outlaw motorcycle races at Laconia, NH. He had previously dumped a bunch of money in fixing up and had the bike spotless. Faking bravado, he says he likes some character scratches on the bike. Photo at Paneras with Hank for lunch.

Kevin   DEC co-worker, Altamont NY After a little free Heine at Ralphs he tends to dress up as Elton John pinball wizard. I don’t know why he does this. On my new job, I can go for coffee to his house nearby the FedEx facility. Kev, always the instigator, or facilitator, was instrumental in pushing all the dead wood out of DEC, making sure they took the incentives offered. Bought my old ’55 chev truck. Gonna fix up. Starting to sound familiar. At least he had the sense to get rid of it in short order.