Goodbye 2008, I Think I Will Miss You.

Only about five and 1/2 hours left in the year 2008 here in Everett, Washington. It has been a very interesting year. The US economy is in the toilet, millions of people in the US are unemployed, and things just keep looking worse and worse. Nevertheless, looking back at the year, I have to say that there have been many things in 2008 for which I can be thankful.

For the first time in many years, our family is fairly stable this year. No one is in trouble; everyone seems to have their health. And everyone has a roof over their heads. Not everyone can say that.

I am looking forward to seeing just what 2009 will bring to the Swanson family. One uncle, on my dad's side, will be 98 in 2009, one aunt, on my mom's side, will be 92 this year, and I will be 64 in April. All of our kids are in their 30s or 40s, and we have a bunch of grandkids, all growing up way too fast.

To all of our family; our friends and our co-workers, Happy New Year and may all of your hopes and dreams come true.

Comments

I have had this blog set up so that all comments had to be approved before they were posted. I haven’t seen any problems with the few comments so far, so I have changed that requirement.

Please keep your comments clean, etc., or I may have to go back to reviewing them before they get posted.

Hmmmm…

You try to treat people like adults and they act as if they are in junior high school or something. You try to always back up your people and then they dump on you.

Guess it is time to quit being a nice guy.

Two O’clock in the Morning?

So here it is, O Dark 30 in the morning and I’m awake and at work. Unlike a lot of jobs, in the 911 dispatch job you have to have a butt in the chair. So if someone is on vacation, or calls in sick, someone else has to work. This morning it was my turn to have to come to work early for someone on vacation.

2:00 am on a Sunday morning can be a terrible time to work. You have to get up around 1 to get ready and get to work by 2. That means you are probably getting at least a couple hours less sleep than you normally would. Then you get here and business slows down; meaning that you are already tired and nothing is going on to help keep you awake.

One thing I did find this morning while perusing the website of the Seattle Times newspaper was an article about an 80 year old grandmother in Yakima, Washington who is a dedicated blogger. You can read the article at: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008565994_octogenarianblogger28.html and if you would like to see her blog, it is at: http://www.petpeevesandotherrantings.blogspot.com/. It was kind of fun reading some of her blog entries.

If my mother were still living she would be 94 now. I can really see her as an Internet user and blogger. She was always interested in new technology, but by the time of her death in 1989 the Internet and home computers were still in their infancy.

Okay, that’s enough for right now, time for a nap (grin). Take care and enjoy the rest of the year.

Great Times Were Had By All – Almost

Well the Christmas holiday is gone, now we are just counting down the days until the New Year arrives.

We’ve had a good holiday so far; Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were full of friends and family, and made the season very enjoyable.

Christmas Eve we had a small group at the house for Prime Rib dinner. We had a good time and everyone enjoyed the food and the visiting. The snow was still falling and the roads were still pretty nasty; so two of our friends were not able to make it out of their complex to come to the dinner. They missed some really good food and some nice chatting.

Christmas Day was really special; for the first time in years almost everyone one of our kids and grandkids made it for Christmas Day breakfast. The only ones who were not here was Diana and her family from California, and grandson Sean and his girlfriend who couldn’t make it to our place on the roads. Even our two sons, who haven’t been able to make a Christmas for several years where able to be at the house, for breakfast, gifts and visiting.

My granddaughter, Danielle, and I spent a lot of time talking about the Twilight series of books (see my 12/8/08 entry) and how much we both enjoyed them. That was much to the disgust of most everyone else at the breakfast since none of them could understand the attraction of the books. She was ecstatic because Delores and I gave her the set of Twilight books. Even though she’d read them, she didn’t have her own copies. Turns out Danielle is a budding artist. One of the gifts she gave me for Christmas was her own drawings of the cast from the movie Twilight.

By now you know all about our snow. It started almost two weeks ago, and kept right up until last night at our house. It’s been years since we’ve had so much snow on the ground at our house at one time. I would guess that over the two weeks we probably ended up with 12-14 inches at home. The coldest I saw was 8° F at our house one morning as I was waiting for the truck to warm up so I could drive to work. I’m all done with snow for the winter. It can stop right now and not come back. Snow is sure pretty, but only if it isn’t stuck to the roads (Grin).

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Happy Holidays.

Its Christmas Eve morning and it is still snowing in the Puget Sound area. At least it’s warmer than it has been, so maybe we’re seeing the last of the snow fall. It sure is pretty having everything covered in deep white snow. But when you have to be to work no matter what the roads are like, I would just as soon it never snowed.

Tonight we are doing a small Christmas Eve dinner for our friends. Then tomorrow morning we have maybe as many as 14 of our local family members coming over for Christmas Day breakfast and gift exchange. It will be nice to see everyone on this great holiday.

I hope you and yours have a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to the New Year with as much excitement as I am.

I just hope 2009 goes a bit slower than 2008. That might be a function of age; I sure do not remember time going so quickly when I was a kid. Now, it goes way too fast.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Christmas

p.s., Christmas is just a few days away now. If you haven't bought my present yet, you still have time.

Comcast vs. Verizon FIOS

Boy was I shocked a few days ago; a local TV station had a segment that sometime shortly after the Feb 2009 conversion to DTV over the air, Comcast was going to require those of us on extended basic cable (analog) to put in set top boxes or loose over 1/2 the channels to which we currently have access. And this was after I had received written assurances from the corporation that as a Comcast customer I (we) would not have to do anything, nor would our service be changed, until at least 2012.

Comcast was even going to be nice to us and give us three set-top boxes to use. Of course I have six TVs, so I was going to have to pay for the extra boxes.

I have really been on the fence lately about the whole TV/Phone/Internet thing. I have never been a real fan of Comcast, but up until very recently if you wanted easy to use, comprehensive TV viewing, without a set-top box you had to use basic cable through Comcast. All of a sudden there is no longer an option, other than a physical antenna on top of the house, to get TV without set-top boxes.

So, Delores and I bundled up for the weather and went over to the local Verizon phone store a few days ago. We currently have our Internet (DSL), cell phones and home phone through Verizon. Talked to the rep about upgrading to FIOS; and then made our choice. Can’t tell you yet how it is going to work; our next door neighbor has it and loves it. But, we’ll know sometime on January 2 which is when our install is scheduled.

And best of all, even with all the boxes that we are going to have to us (same with Comcast), the price is still very similar to what we would have paid with all services, but upgrading Comcast to digital. And it is fiber optic to the house, not just to a local node and then on copper wire throughout the neighborhood to our house.

I’ll let you know how it works, but I’m sure looking forward to it. Our Internet will be faster, our TV will be better, with more channels, and that will make me happier (grin).

About Time to Give Up a Hobby?

After doing a lot of thinking, it has become time to give up a hobby. For the past 12 years I have been involved in the exhibition budgerigar hobby here in the US. I've had a lot of fun and managed to move up in the hobby to Champion Breeder status. I am one of the few in the country who breeds quality Crested budgies and shows them on a regular basis.

For most of the time, both my wife and I have really enjoyed the hobby and the friendships we have made. In fact, the socializing and friends have been the best part. However, like many things in this day and age, the hobby is changing. Before a TV in every room, and computers, and game consoles, people were more engaged in outside the home activities. Eastern Star, Masons, exhibition budgies, all sorts of things like that have suffered, as we've become a country of stay at home to play people.

A couple of years ago our very best friends in the hobby, who had just retired, moved from Washington to Arizona. Now we don't see them as often, and hardly ever get to see them at bird club meetings and other functions. That means that both Delores and I have lost of lot of the fun feelings we have had in the hobby. Now it is almost like a job instead of a fun hobby. You have to do it because it's an obligation, not fun.

So over the next few days, Delores and I will chat a bit more and then make a decision about leaving the hobby. One thing, like all the hobbies I've chosen over my life, this is an expensive one. So leaving the hobby will save money (grin).

More later on this and other subjects.

Where’d the Photo Go?

Guess photos don't post correctly using Word 2007 for doing my blog. At least the photo I thought I was posting isn't here. Take a look at my website (link below) for some photos.

It’s Baby Season

It's that time of year of the Exhibition Budgie Hobby; time to find the perfect pair of parents for the ideal babies for the next show season or two. I actually paired up my first pairs of birds about 7 weeks ago. As of today, I have banded 10 chicks already this season and have several more ready to band within the next few days.

The photo here shows four chicks born last year in their nest box. I haven't taken any photos of this year's babies, so I cannot post them yet. If you would like to see some more photographs of some of my birds, you can find them on my Aviary web site.

I am a champion exhibitor and member of the American Budgerigar Society. I have been breeding and exhibiting budgies for about 12 years. It's a great hobby although it is kind of like being a dairy farmer (grin). Someone has to take care of the birds every day, so you have to have an understanding wife or friend before you can go anywhere for a weekend, like to a local bird show.

If you would like to get more information on the hobby, you can email me at eastmontaviary@gmail.com.

Not much of a post today, but I had to get up early on my day off and drive my wife to work because of the weather here in the Seattle area. I'll need to leave soon to pick her up at work, so I only have this short time to write anything down.

Only 9 more days to Christmas

Let’s Get Down to Brass Tacks – Job Related Venting

Or however the saying goes. I briefly commented on my MySpace page a week or so ago about this topic, but I just have to go at it again here.

Why is it that people who do not like their jobs, who do not like their bosses, and who do not like their co-workers, continue to work for the place they hate so much? I realize that the job market is in the tank right now because of our economy. But, in my profession (911 dispatcher), if you have been in the job for a few years, you can find a job almost anywhere at any time. Right now, there are at least three other dispatch centers within a reasonable driving distance that pay as much or more than our agency does. So if you hate your job so much, why not go to one of the other places?

They all have comparable pay, comparable benefits, and a state funded retirement plan. Either quit bitching or leave! Most of us are getting tired of listening to your crap. And you know who you are.

That's my 2¢ worth on the issue. Here's your chance to comment and tell me where to go.

Fun Days at Work

The last two days have been somewhat interesting. We have had to have our carpet replaced in the dispatch center. But, it had to be done while we were working. [Has to be someone there to answer the phones if you call 911.] Turned out that our original carpet from the facility remodel aggravated the static electricity problem. So, if you had a charge built up, then touched a radio, you would wipe out the equipment. The new carpet is made to be "grounded" and supposedly does away with the problem of static electricity.

So we have been moving from one console to another while the installers worked. All our manuals and other documents that we use often were not in the right places, so we've really been stressed making it work, so that the changes can be made. Hopefully they are all done now.

The fun of the season is starting. Our Christmas cards are in the mail, and yours are starting to arrive in our mailbox. Most of the gifts have been purchased and wrapped and now we'll just sit around, watch the TV specials and have eggnog or two. We have a lot to be thankful for this year and hope you do also. We have our health, we have our jobs and we have our family and friends.

Are you from the Pacific Northwest? Do you know who J.P. Patches is? Local PBS station Channel 9 is having a two-hour special tonight titled J.P. Patches 50th Anniversary Party. Having been a Patches Pal when I was younger, I am all set to watch the show. Wikipedia has a nice article on JP Patches at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JP_Patches.

How About them Politicians?

You have to love Illinois politicians. One of the wonderful things about this country of ours is that you are innocent until proven guilty. But it sure looks like Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois is on his way to Federal Prison. Trying to sell a seat in the US Senate; puts him right up there with the best of the crooked politicians that we've seen over the years.

Enough of the bad stuff. There are only fourteen days left until Christmas. Time to get your shopping done if you haven't already finished. Gotta love the Internet, except for Delores' new tires for her Highlander, we've done the majority of our shopping on-line. Costco had a heck of a deal on the Garmin nuvi 750 GPS, so that was my Christmas present. So far it has been "spot on" getting me to work and back home. Since I've been driving back and forth the exact same route every workday since 1990, that isn't much of a challenge. What I do find interesting is that by the time I pull into my driveway at home, it is determined to tell me that I have gone 400 feet past my home address. But hey, the little lady can actually pronounce Bedal Lane correctly, so I can't ask for much more than that.

More next time, just about time to go watch one-hour of repeats of Two And A Half Men on local channel 13.

What I’ve Been Reading Lately

Well the first entry worked well, so I thought I'd talk about some of the reading I've been doing lately. One of my favorite leisure time activities all my life has been reading. Although I prefer fiction, I've read a lot of different non-fiction books, along with my fiction. Some of my favorite authors have been Louis L'Amour, Robert Heinlein, J.A. Jance, and W.E.B. Griffin.

Recently I read the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer. Even though the target audience for these books is teenage girls, I'm a 63 year old grandfather who enjoyed them so much that I have read series twice already and will probably read them again in the near future. I had seen an article in the Seattle Times newspaper. The books sounded interesting because they take place on the nearby Olympic Peninsula in the town of Forks, Washington. We bought the first book, Twilight, and I was hooked within the first 100 pages. I immediately ordered the other three books, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. I hope Ms. Meyer finishes book 5, Midnight Sun so I can read more of the adventures of Bella and Edward.

If you have not had the chance to read any of the Twilight books, you might want to give them a chance. Moreover, if you have any teenage girl relatives the books will make a great Christmas present if you can find them.

I also just finished Brisingr, the third book of Inheritance cycle by Christopher Paolini. I've enjoyed all three books, but was a bit disappointed after reading this book. For some reason I had it in my mind that this series was going to be a trilogy and that Brisingr would be the final book. But it isn't, there is going to be a fourth book in the series. So I'm just going to have to wait for the fourth book to find out what happens to Eragon and his dragon, Saphira.

Welcome to my Ramblings

I just started this blog so that I can ramble on about things of interest to me, and hopefully to others. Right now, I'm just testing using MS Word 2007 to do my posting. If this works, I'll come back a little later and add some real content.

Chet