I like this time at night on HBT

[Dan]

I'm not a big fan of a lot of new country music. Not that I'm trying to yuck anybody's yum here, it just feels like for the past 10-15 years that songwriters have been looking back on what pop music was doing around 10 years before they started writing. Just not my jam. But music appreciation is all subjective, we like what we like.

Apparently in my case that means most of what I like is pre-2003(ish) country music.

I’m pretty much with you there too Kent. I gotta admit. My country music listening is mostly Hank Williams, Hank Williams Jr, Johnny Cash, Merl Haggard, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. Actually had a dog named Willie Nelson[emoji16]

 

[Dan]

There are more modern country artist I like as well. Just can’t remember their names yet.

 

[Kent88]

I've always been a big fan of Garth since my dad and I would sing Friends in Low Places in the truck driving down the gravel roads. Back then I got some of the lyrics wrong, I thought a bear was chasing blues away. I really like his new(ish) song People Loving People, I feel like it has some of the same spirit as We Shall Be Free.

Since getting a new vehicle I've been trying out bluegrass on satellite radio. It's nice for something different, but I don't think I'll miss it much when the trial subscription is over.

I've kind of rediscovered Alan Jackson lately. He also recorded some good gospel music that isn't as popular today as it was 20 years ago, even in some of the more traditional groups that I'm aware of.

 

[Kent88]

So when I get some drywall put up in my garage I'm definitely putting in some fold away workbenches. Those look sweet.

 

[passedpawn]

Wall mounted free standing fold-able workbench.

Oh yea that's REALLY nice. Wow.

 

[Dan]

How come he makes it look so easy?! I think more craftsmanship then he lets on. People who are experienced and do something really well always make things look easy. My hat is off to them. Great carpenters, showman craftsman. They are spectacular!

Cool bench!

 

[Dan]

Just vacationed with my daughter in California. Was pretty nice. She’s grown up over the years, 25. I can remember the day she was born.
Big girl now. Not physically.
It was a great week with her. Eff we live so far away

 

[6Tap]

Just vacationed with my daughter in California. Was pretty nice. She’s grown up over the years, 25. I can remember the day she was born.
Big girl now. Not physically.
It was a great week with her. Eff we live so far away

They grow up too fast!
Mines starting to drive and she scares me every time she’s behind the wheel since she’s in control of the vehicle and I’m not.. we almost
Swapped paint with another car the other day. Hard to let go! [emoji482]

 

[MaddBaggins]

Hi Guys! Been absent a while. I have to try to log in more often. Hope you're all well. Still brewing and maintaining my little urban farm. Baby daughter starts junior year of high school soon.

 

[Dan]

Aloha! Mango season is happening. Got a big tree in the backyard. We’ve been picking them the past few weeks. The perfect ones are generally hidden at the top of the tree and unfortunately the only way I realize they were there is when they fall, over ripe and smashed

Still got some nice sweet juicy ones and more coming. We picked some green ones this morning along with a few nearly ripe. My mango picker is totally ghetto but works with some patience

Cheers to you all. Here’s some pics

nkk

 

[Dan]

Lol. I look gigantically fat in the shadow. I’m not at all

 

[Dan]

My wife Jan, nickname was JangoMango as a child because she loved climbing the mango tree in her backyard, picking the fruit and carving it right there in the tree and eating it fresh. She says our tree is to big, her poppa would never let it get as big as the one in our yard. The black spots according to her are because of to much sap. We will probably have it pruned back a bit at the appropriate time of year. For now just enjoying some very sweet beautiful mangoes....and a lot of mango tree twigs, and sticks and leaves rubbish. It’s worth the hassles. [emoji1]

 

[opus345]

Wow! Incredible to see the thread still active. Love all the news and updates.

I feel like I'm climbing back into the real world again. Since August of last year, my mother was diagnosed with Dementia. She had fall in January, a brain bleed, and a minor stroke. The long term prognosis was not good. Hospital --> Rehab --> Hospital. She tried to escape the rehab facility with some other residents. We finally got her into a memory care unit in February and unfortunately she passed in March in her sleep. She was 88, had a great husband, a great family, and a great life. My son wrote a cool Facebook post that we had him read at the funeral: https://www.facebook.com/tevacek/posts/10102431887300783

But, here is what has consumed my life since March: Working to empty a ~4500 sq. ft. house of organized hording!!!! Every weekend and many week nights has been moving furniture, parsing papers (Dad printed off every tax return (and workbooks) since 1990), and sorting through 20 gal tubs of seasonal crap. How can you have 2-3 20 gal. tubs of just Thanksgiving napkins and plates. The local goodwill guys actually knew my name.

We had a couple gatherings where I would hold up pictures and ask, "Anyone know who the heck this is?" If everyone shook their heads, that one got tossed. I kept all the serious family history including mom's photo albums. Turns out she was in grade school with Warren Buffet at Rose Hill Elementary. We even stumbled into the tub of 8 mm movies. Think we need to have a gathering to watch some.

I've found a Wonder Bread Aircraft Spotter Dial, an Argus C3 camera (Colin used one in a Harry Potter movie), Las Vegas Hotel Ashtrays and Matchbooks, and a smooth haired Ken doll (auction guy offered me money for it). I'm still sorting the coins and Lionel trains.

Mom was born in 1930 and one of her high school scrapbooks was filled with cutout pictures of Eisenhower, Churchill, the US Army Air Force Generals, etc. She even kept all of the kid's childhood mementos. Good and bad. Found an envelope labeled "Dad and Johnny's Big Argument". It contained my torn up driver's license from 1975!

Here is one of my favorite finds (zoom to check out the prices):

View media item 70347
View media item 70348
Opus

 

[Dan]

I’m sorry for you and your family’s loss Opus.

Glad to see you back here. I can imagine all the memories, history coming back so vividly from your folks belongings, history of your lives. It’s pretty cool my friend.

Best to you and your family

Cheers
Dan

 

[Kent88]

opus, you and your family have my sympathy.

Dementia is a terrible condition.

 

[riceral]

opus, you and your family have my sympathy.

Dementia is a terrible condition.

My father died from complications of Alzheimer's. The last 2 times I saw him he didn't remember me. The last time when he was told, "This is Ralph, your oldest son." He said, "No, Ralph is dead."

I told a coworker when I got back from the funeral and she told me "So you lost him twice." Once in his memory and once when he died.

Devastating disease, for everyone involved.

 

[opus345]

My father died from complications of Alzheimer's.

Ralph, condolences and I totally agree about the nature of these diseases.

With mom, we started to call it time travel and would usually play along. During one visit in the hospital in Omaha, she started to apologize to everyone in the room for making them come out to the hospital in California. Mom hated flying and at the end of that visit she begged me to make sure she could take the California Zephyr home.

On one visit with my wife, mom starts to whisper and ask if we are getting a bunch of money from the layers for this. I ask her what she was talking about. She tells me, "Oh come on John, everyone knows you pushed and knocked me down and that is why I'm in the hospital." My wife look at each other with shock on our faces and then both try to explain to Mom that that is not what happened. She responds with, "John, you abused women all your life. If that is what you want, then we don't have to talk about it in front of the nurses, OK?" We think there might have been some repressed memories surfacing from her childhood.

I've decided that if I'm stricken with this disease, I'm going to model my behavior after Leslie who was one of Mom's friends at the memory care unit. Leslie would paint and sculpture his finger nails and spent most of his time in his bathrobe. He introduced himself to my brother the first week, put his arm around Jim and told him, "you know, your a fine looking man." The staff told us that one day Leslie came out of his room with his toilet seat around his neck and it took them some time to get him to give it up. I actually missed getting to see Leslie and interact with him.

 

[opus345]

I’m sorry for you and your family’s loss Opus.

Dan, thanks for the the thoughts. The memories are what keeps em with you.

 

[Dan]

Opus, I completely agree. Our past, our ancestors live on with our presence. That makes sense I think.

Makes a person sometimes wonder as a parent and as a child, if they did everything perfectly. Answer there is something my dad said a couple days before he passed on.

Everybody (my interpretation to everybody is most everyone) lives their life the best they can. We all have trials and tribulations, it makes us human beings

I believe you see great joy in your parents lives and are here to carry that on in your life and your children’s lives

Passedpawn had something to say about that a few years ago to me.

Andrew you still around, do you remember that? If you do please say again.

 

[Dan]

Pappy, might have been on a PM. Hope you remember. Great words, great encouragement you gave

 

[Dan]

I rarely get on this this website and forums these days

Truly hope uthose who have participated still check this thread. I’m not on it daily like I was a time ago
B
Miss the banter. Right now? Missing You all of course l

I miss BobbyLynn a lot. I hope she is ok

Cheers
Dan

 

[Kent88]

Dan, you're an example of when the internet is used for good. It's nice to just chill out, type about something you're happy or concerned about, and get a positive reaction. And everyone in this thread is still mostly writing full sentences, making an effort to spell correctly, and not using abbreviations at every opportunity.

 

[Dan]

Kent, Thank you
Cheers
Dan Dawson

 

[Dan]

Aloha![emoji16]
To you all
I’ve been hanging around this place for about ten years. Know what? I’ve met some wonderful people along the journey. For that I’ll never be sorry.

Mahalo
Aloha Nui Loa
Dan Dawson

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

Hey dan. Not on much anymore myself. Do like to drop in periodically and check for anything new. Always nice to hear from familiar faces.

 

[Kent88]

Well, after my family and I completely moved out of the rental we were living in for a year and a half after my wife took a nice job offer, we went to get some stuff out of a storage unit today to bring to the new house, and the stuff in the back half of our storage unit showed signs of water damage. I'm glad I bought as many heavy duty totes as I did, but lots of stuff was still in boxes, and some of my father-in-law's homemade furniture was directly on the floor. Two even more antique pieces show some signs of damage.

So now I get to research antique furniture repair in my area, beg my father-in-law to help fix some of the furniture he made, and sort through boxes of stuff to determine what can be saved and what can't be saved.

On the plus side we've been having a good visit with some family who live far enough away that we only get to see them once a year. We're also going to a pro baseball game with some old college friends later this week.

 

[Dan]

Aloha
I had surgery on my knee a four days ago. All is well. Amazing surgeon. A humble guy with truest skilled hands.

I really don’t like going to doctors. My phobia.- I feel they will see me as all the wrong I’ve done to my body over the years.

I need to get over that thought, I know

Many wonderful healers in this world who don’t judge.

I

 

[Inkleg]

Speedy road to recovery Dan.

 

[Dan]

Hello. Man I’ve been off work three weeks. It’s kinda nice

Li still need to put 13-15 more years in before I actually use ssn retirement. Not even close to that now

May you never loose hope
May sunshine be with you
Daniel
Dawson

 

[passedpawn]

Aloha
I had surgery on my knee a four days ago. All is well. Amazing surgeon. A humble guy with truest skilled hands.

I really don’t like going to doctors. My phobia.- I feel they will see me as all the wrong I’ve done to my body over the years.

I need to get over that thought, I know

Many wonderful healers in this world who don’t judge.

I

What did they do? Was it a replacement?