Dogs-a-runnin'!

We came home yesterday with some stuff from the store in our arms, so we entered the house thru the garage door. As we hit the switch to close the overhead door, we opened the door to the inside of the house. The schnauzer, closely followed by the airedale, ran like hell to get out before the door got down. They just squeaked under it when it closed. They were off, like bats out of hell, down the street to who knows where. I sounded the alarm to the boys, we grabbed leashes and all headed outside to find the runaway mutz. We all ran down the street screaming for the dogs. They ended up down the street sniffing the neighbor's butt and his dog's butt. So, but for the butt, they would have been long gone! It never ceases to amaze me that Mr. Woofie Airedale will bite a stranger's face off at home, but is nice to strangers on the streets.

Macro photography

Here is my little dog guarding my big mouse. The new mouse is cordless, he has to be watched so he doesn't run away. I really like digital photography. I am starting to photograph macro, small things like flowers and "raindrops on roses" (good line for a song, eh?). I really dig modern technology, using it that is. I have no idea how it all works, or how to fix it when it is broken. I recently had a sixteen year old computer wiz fix my laptop. It took him 5 minutes to change a setting - there was nothing else wrong with it. I have the Delorme GPS street finder on the laptop. When I travel, I can plot a trip on the computer, and it shows me where I am at all times. I don't know how this works either, but it is really neat. I might attempt a trip "out west" to see Phyllis next summer, if they fix the roads between here and there. Of course I will have to take out a second mortgage to afford the gas to pull the big rig.

Driving school

I took my son (the new driver) to the "Car Control Clinic". The course was $150. , but I knew it would be worth it. We went to a 90 minute classroom session, then to the 4 hour practical clinic on the driving pad. The course was invented by a retired race car driver, and was very informative and good. The parent had to be in the car with the new driver, and at times that was scary. It is difficult not to "over coach". I tried to just sit there and not say anything, but it was impossible not to at least cheer him on. We did several exercises involving turning and getting the car between the cones. The most interesting part is when they wet down the asphalt with water and vegtable oil, then we skidded around on it. We had to do controlled braking, and "on and off" braking to stop the car within a certain distance. It really tested your braking reaction time, and shows you how far your car will skid when you loose control. Once the brakes lock up, you go into a skid, and you have NO steering control. I recommend this course for all new drivers. It was fun, and may save my son's life someday.

Hey, I haven't blogged in a while

I found out tonight that an old boss of mine got hired in the local police department. This guy is older than me, and retired already from one police job. He is a big old fat guy who looks and acts like "Jabba the Hut" from "Star Wars". I warned all the police officers that I saw tonight at the football game that this ass clown is a back stabbing bastard, and that they needed to watch what they do. One time when he was my boss, I came to work real early in the morning and found him rifling through my desk drawers. He is the type that is always looking to screw someone over. If this small town police department ever had a chance before, it is flushed down the toilet now. SAD.

All the stuff

I have been busy trying to clean out all the stuff that I collected during my 25 year law enforcement career. I have already gotten rid of holsters, uniforms and the big things. There is "stuff" that I don't know what to do with. There are countless manuals, books, outdated lists, instructions, handouts, certificates and other cop related stuff that I have no use for. Some of this stuff is hard to part with, and I feel a certain melancoly having to dispose of it. However, I live in a small house, and this stuff must go! I threw away the hundreds of business cards that I had collected. I cut out some of the neat card logos, take a look at the attached scan.