THE DARK AGES

Five years ago today was the day of my wife's funeral. When I was in school, we called this 8 weeks "The Dark Ages". The eight weeks between Christmas leave and the end of the winter sports season, the last weekend in February, were dark. The sun set before supper and we were sometimes on our way to class before sunrise. Semester break was always the last weekend in January and was only a weekend. There were always term papers and projects to turn in on return from Christmas leave and exams the last week of January. We were supposed to work on those during the leave. Sure!

Football was over, baseball wasn't started, Navy never was a basketball power and the rest of the winter sports were "minor sports" and interrupted by exam schedules. The competition swimming pool was a relic from the 1920's and the water cleaning system was broken for years. We used that pool for survival training too and by this time of year it was so filthy that it took courage just to get into it. The weather was cold, and rainy and we couldn't get the boats in the water for the ice. The spring sports were reduced to indoor conditioning, but Spring always came.

Now the administration has outlawed the term Dark Ages and the old alumni will take revenge at the Dark Ages Happy Hour at a local brew pub next week. Spring will come and now that the sun is out I am going for a walk on the beach.

NEW BEGINNINGS

Yesterday marked the fifth year anniversary of the death of my wife of 40 years. I marked the day by visiting the cemetery and adding fresh flowers to her grave. They won't last long but the flowering pots of hyacinths and tulips I left will be a sign in the coming days of the Spring to come. I haven't been going there as often recently, but there hasn't been a day in the last 5 years that she wasn't on my mind. It isn't as difficult now as it once was but I can never leave those many years completely behind. But I have the family we created and life goes on.

So now I am looking for a job on the water and James is off to Hawaii on his job. I am looking forward to Spring and the Jets are still playing football. I have resolved to get myself back in shape.

In school we called this the "Dark Ages", but they always yielded to the glory of a Chesapeake Bay Spring.

JANUARY/JANUS

I hate January! Cold, Snowy, sleet filled, windy and dark are words to describe the winter in Virginia Beach. The entertainment and lifestyle that make up the summer here are also missing. It is the end of things and the beginnings of others.

Janus was the two faced God of the Romans looking both forward and back. I met my wife at a New Years eve party 1959 and she passed away five years ago tomorrow. Claire's book store in LA is closing and I am looking to start an new career in the merchant marine. Two of my grand children are planning on getting married this year and there is always the next birthday of some family member, graduation, promotion or adventure. There is always a new beginning and when the weather gets this cold you know that Spring can't be too long behind.

Spring training starts in only six months and then comes another summer, another Baseball Season and long, sunny summer evenings. The Dark Ages will end just like they always did and the flowers will bloom again.

GLOBAL WARMING

Anyone who tells me this is the result of Global Warming is stupid. I was two days late getting to Jamaica, and when I got home it was snowing. It probably will not stick this time, but the weather has been unseasonably cool so far.

So I am home, safe andsound and I will post more when I figure out how this works.

GLOBAL WARMING

YOUR TAX MONEY AT WORK

Sometimes the right decision is made for the wrong reason. When the frenzy for rapid transit gripped the nation about 15 years ago, the local politicians jumped on the bandwagon. The plan was to build a comprehensive network of rail trolleys through Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake. This would reduce traffic and pollution and be a revenue source for the cities.

After much study and discussion, Chesapeake decided the costs far exceeded the benefits. Chesapeake is still very rural and the ridership would be small. Virginia Beach decided the social effect of letting all those inner city residents easy access to our, not so pristine, beaches would be unacceptable. The cost of obtaining rights of way made extensions to the Naval Bases impractical. The end result was a single line along the main route to ?Military Circle?!, a shopping center on the VA BCH border which is in decline. There is no plan for any water or river crossings.

The Virginia Beach decision may have been prompted by racism, economics, or just plain dislike of Norfolk, but seems to be the right one. Norfolk decided that it couldn't let all the beautiful federal money be spent by someone else.

The cars were delivered on time and are sitting on a siding being vandalized more than a year after the estimated start of service. The construction is hundreds of millions of dollars over budget, and the construction is plagued with problems. Someone forgot that much of Norfolk was built on fill over the swamps that were originally tidal. The track and overpass foundations are sinking back into the swamp before they have even carried a single passenger.

Now the state Dept of Transportation says that the rapid rail will not relieve any traffic and no one really ever thought that Norfolk could run this at a profit.

Lets hear a big Bronx cheer for the politicians.

NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Today is the 45th birthday of my oldest daughters, Ellen Clair Lamb and Kathleen Ann Lamb

Where has the time gone? When they were born I was a young lieutenant on a cruiser in the South China Sea and there was a war on. Communications were so poor that the telegram announcing their arrival was mailed and I didn't find out that I was the father of twins until a week later. Then I had to spend hours in the Royal Post Office in Hong Kong waiting for a telephone call home to get through.

Now those babies are beautiful mature ladies and mothers of adult children themselves. I tell my children that I am still 24, it is only my knees that are almost 70. But despite my attitude I am still a fat old man.

The world has changed around me. Now everyone has a two way radio in their pocket and when I don't answer my cell phone, my children panic. I'm retired and bored and there is a new war in a place I thought was so remote it would never affect the USA. My parents, my in-laws, many friends, older relations and friends and even my wife have passed away. The British Empire has shrunk to a few enclaves in remote areas and even Hong Kong is no longer British.

But the adventure continues. My family is what I accomplished and each of those daughters has a child who is planning on getting married next year. Soon I may be a great grandfather. Go figure.

So I think I'm going to run away to sea. But more about that later.

NOTES FROM THE 'HOOD

Down here in the little enclave known as Chic's Beach (sic), there is always something a little screwy, if not downright criminal, going on.

Lookout Road, where I live, dates back at least three hundred years when it was the lair of Blackbeard and other pirates, smugglers, slave catchers and fugitives, poachers and others who generally don't want a lot of attention from the government. Until recently (1980?) it was very rural, but with development came traffic, and all the inland foreigners (anyone living south of Shore Drive) who want to hang out on our beach in the summer.

Pedestrian safety has become an issue. There are no sidewalks and encroachments on the street right of way have made it impossible to put any in. A number of accidents here in the 'hood and over on Shore Drive have prompted an increased Police presence. Stop signs and speed bumps and pedestian crossing signs have multiplied. Speed traps and drunk driving road blocks are multiplying. The problem has been that it was often the pedestian who was drunk in several cases.

Yesterday, I noticed that the yellow pedestian crossing signs in front of Hell's Kitchen Bar had been altered. The stick figure had a cocktail glass in his hand, complete with a swizzle stick topped with an olive. I'm waiting to see how long it will take the city to notice and I wonder if the sign department will do anything about it. I don't think the "Drunk Pedestrian Crossing" signs are official.

NEW CAREER

I have accepted an appointment as an Ordinary Seaman to serve on a Military Sealift Command ship. I am qualified to sail as a Merchant Marine Officer, Third Mate or higher, but I lack the current documents.

I am currently going through the screening process. That includes drug testing, a complete physical, and a new security investigation.

I am filling out a form that is about 40 pages. The older I get the harder this becomes. Many of the people who could vouch for me are either dead or retired and moved to the swamps of Florida. When I get it done, I don't know how much effort the agency will put into the investigation, afterall, it is only an entry level job.

But if any of my family or friends get calls asking questions about me I hope you won't tell any stories that shouldn't be repeated.

SAMHAIN

I don't know exactly what the date of The ancient Celtic festival is this year, but it has been adopted by the Catholic Church as Halloween and All Saints Day and has become Chic's Beach major holiday. The costumes at the parties ranged through the usual pirates and vampires but also included more popular current themes like zombies and the Geico cave men.

The winners were a bunch of my neighbors who organized the whole crew of the Minnow. They were all there, Gilligan, the Captain, the millionaire and his wife and so on. They even got on stage and sang the theme song. I wish we could do this more often.

Tomorrow is the election, finally. I am so tired of it. I made up my mind months ago. Everybody in goes out: City, State and Federal. I am just sorry that VA has no Senator up this year.

Maybe the Rangers can work a miracle, but this is probably the last day for baseball this year.

IT 'AINT OVER TIL IT'S OVER

This remark is ofter attributed to Yogi Berra and he has said it, but I remember my Father telling me that when Yogi was still playing second base for the Norfolk Tars. It's an axiom of baseball.

Cheer up Rangers. Until you make that third out in the ninth inning there is always time for the dramatic comeback. On the other hand, I would like to remind Nolan Ryan that even today, I can pitch balls, look at third strikes and drop easy fly balls and I could do it for way less than a $million.

Just remember, there is always tomorrow's game and you are never racing the clock. And eventually in the words of the old Brooklyn Dodgers, "Wait until next year"

I'M BAAAACK!

Wow! It is over a year since I posted to this blog. Facebook has gotten me completely away from blogging. I just want to say more sometimes than will fit on that format.

To prevent this from becoming a political rant I think I will develop a theme of telling stories from my family and life. Since this is world series week, I think I will start with baseball stories.

My father was a really fanatic baseball fan and particularly of the NY Yankees. My birthday is October 2. In 1941, the Yankees were playing the then Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series. My father took my mother to the hospital and went to the maternity waiting room. There was no radio in the waiting room. Radios were not portable in those days so as game time came around my father went home to listen to the game.

When I finally did appear about three in the afternoon, the doctor went looking for my father. He was very upset when he had to call my father at home. Dr. Costabile was a very large Italian with a very broad accent and a talent for invective which he displayed that afternoon.

Until the day he died, my mother never let my father forget that. Now even TVs are everywhere and portable and we are seeing the World Series in November. The AP wire is carrying a story that the league is discussing adding wild card teams and another playoff round and making the conference series 7 games. We could be playing baseball in New York or Boston in December. This is Progress?

OMG!

Nobel Peace Prize to Obama? Ho Chi Minh and Henry Kissinger were doubtful. Jimmy Carter was a brain malfunction. Al Gore was a joke. Now we know that the Nobel Prizes are totally valueless. First I saw that a prize was given to someone because there were not enough women receiving prizes in the physical sciences. Now the Prize Committee is awarding the prize in an apparent effort to influence the future policies of an American President who hasn't done anything except utter meaningless platitudes about universal peace.

Obama is the American Neville Chamberlin. He is selling out the American people just like Chamberlin sold out the peoples of Central Europe. It was politically popular with his constituency at the time but led inevitably led to war. We are bound into a wider war if current policies are not quickly reversed. There is evil in the world and Obama seems to be ready to give into it.

Now I have violated my intention to keep my politics out of this blog and guess that will never change.

Now I am going out of town again and not taking my computer. Next post in a few weeks.

TRYING AGAIN

It has been almost two months since I posted in this blog. There are a variety of reasons for that. One of them is that I have been in a funk ever since I got back from Jamaica in July. I am going through a mid life crisis. At least I hope it is midlife. That means I could live to be 136. I wonder how bad my arthritis would be by that age. I need to find a new career. If anyone knows of a job that involves high pay and not much work that doesn't involve grand larceny or politics, let me know. But then I repeat myself. Another reason is that my family has gotten me onto facebook. Most of my time on the computer is devoted to face book and its offshoots but it is an interesting way to keep in touch. I have 40 friends and could have many more. It take a lot of time.

I will try to post more often when I am home and keep this blog free of political screeds.

TRAFFIC REPORTS

One of the greatest pleasures of being retired is to get up in the morning and listen to the traffic reports and the problems people are having getting to work, and then going back to bed. The last real job I had, it was necessary to cross a number of bridges and go through at least one tunnel twice a day. Even ten years ago the traffic was getting noticeably worse on an almost daily basis. A minor accident and the roads were grid locked.

On Wednesday one of the tunnels was closed because it flooded in a thunderstorm at rush hour. It took hours to get the roads unsnarled. There is a trolley line under construction, but I doubt if it will do anything to help. Metro rail was supposed to relieve the Washington traffic. The only thought I have is about how terrible it would be without the Metro.

Retirement is getting boring, but any attempt I make about finding something to do has to consider my commute. In the meantime I will just sit here and gloat and maybe have another cool one. Have a nice weekend, unless you want to go through the Hampton Roads Tunnel which is already at all stop at noon on this fine Friday Summer day, both directions.

SURPRISES

Yesterday, I went to the Tides baseball game. The home team won and I got a ball from the game. There weren't that many people there and many left during the 90 minute rain delay. The surprise was that I checked the weather report before I left home and there was no mention of rain.

Now I see that a Virginia Beach post office is on the list of possible closings. This is still the biggest city in Virginia and still growing. I know the Post Office needs to contract but why not in some of the rural areas that are losing population.

Now I see that I am considered part of a mob because I've attended some political rallys to oppose Obama's policies. Maybe the Man is getting some of his own back from his community organizer days.

Then I want to know what Clinton promised the runt Kim to release those two journalists who were where they had no business being. It seems that Clinton is in a competition with Carter for the worst ex-president in our history.

I shouldn't be surprised , but I am.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

I woke up this morning about 1130 AM and thought about what I needed to accomplish today. The answer was, nothing. That is a typical day in my retired life. At least when I go to bed at night, I can feel satisfied that I have accomplished everything that I set out to do that day.

Yesterday was typical of my days at home this year. I rose about noon, put on a bathing suit and a T shirt and thought about going for a walk on the beach. Instead I played with my computer, answered some e-mail, had something to eat and took a nap. Then I had some lunch, read a book, took another nap.

About 7 PM, I took a shower, shaved and put on some real clothes and went next door to watch a ball game. I saw that the ChiSox beat the Yankees 14-4 and decided I didn't want to watch another ball game and ESPN was showing extreme skate boarding. So I came back read some more and took another nap. About 2230 (10:30 PM for you civilians) I went back next door to listen to the band and then stayed until last call. When I came home I ate a sandwich and went to bed.

Today promises to be a repeat of yesterday, except that I think I really will go to the beach this afternoon. And then I have my customary Great Chic's Beach Pub Crawl on Sunday evening where I visit each of the 4 Local bars for at least one drink and try to watch the sunset from the deck at Alexander's.

GEEZERS FOR CASH

The Obama's "Cash for Clunkers" is a "wild success" in that all the money is gone in less than a week. Oh really? Where has this done anyone else any good. I have already heard stories in my local that indicate that some of the Chic's Beach wise guys have worked a scam on the program. The reaction of Congress appears to be add more money.

We now have the Health Care Reform package which seems to have a provision in it that anyone with Medicare over a certain age will be required to submit to an "End of Life Review" aimed at rationing certain kinds of medical care and imposing conditions on continuing care, like weight loss, regular exercise, stop drinking and no smoking. Although I think maybe Pot and Crack would be exempted from the smoking ban.

Why stop there? At my current age near 70 and in good health, I have now become a burden on the Nation. I figure that with my military pension, social security, medical insurance other benefits and income, I figure that I cost the government annually about $100,000. I have a potential life span of 20 years. That amounts to $ 2 million. All of that would be a direct charge to the government. The taxes I would pay don't amount to that much.

Obama, Pelosi, Reid can propose a new program. They can call it "Cash for Geezers". Under the program the heirs of pensioners could deliver their older than 70 years family members to government "comfort stations" in return for a cash payment of 10% of anticipated government payments over their actuarial life expectancy. To qualify the geezers would have to be in good health and have a substantial remaining life expectancy. The government would then dispose of those useless members of society in a dignified and painless way with enormous savings to Social security and pension funds.

Of course, union members, politicians and selected individuals would be exempt from the program.

You don't think it could happen here! Take a look at the Dutch law about "Death with Dignity".

FACEBOOK

My family is dragging me, kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Last week they got me to sign up on face book and now I have a least 50 friends and another major time waster to fill my retirement years. Maybe what I really need is a job. Does anyone know of a position that pays a lot and isn't a lot of work?

I guess with six adult children, nine grandchildren and assorted inlaws, outlaws, cousins, etc. that makes a big network. But it does make a wonderful way to keep in touch with my extended family.

So I have make a point of keeping up with this blog or it will just waste away.

SUMMER WEEKENDS

It's June already and the Summer seems to be slipping by already. I am not on the beach as much as in past years, but I do try to make it at least once a day. Sunsets can be really spectacular because the Sun sets over the dust and haze of the Virginia Peninsula and turns the clouds many colors. Also, except for a few hours on weekend afternoons, there are very few people on the beach. I can be, sometimes, almost like having a private island. This area is a small peninsula east of the Amphibious base with the Bay on one side and the western section of the Lynnhaven river on the other. Any attempt to promote this area by the realtors, developers or restaurant people is resisted by the locals.

Last weekend Peggy brought her family to camp at Seashore State Park and I spent some time with them. We went to the Tides baseball game on Sunday. You can see photos on her blog. This Sat Ed came over for some burgers and we hung out for a while. Sunday I went to a cookout at James' place in outer nowhere, Va. Beach. Today he is off to Seattle to work on a ship in Bremerton for about six weeks. Tomorrow I am going to Jacksonville to visit Kathy and attend Patrick's High School graduation. How time flies! Next weekend is probably a Beach weekend.

Love to all, Dad