What I've Been Up To

Since I got back from Richmond, I've been working every day. I've been pleased about getting the work though the 7-days a week thing is a bit of a grind. I've also been pleased about my growing bank account. As I told my Dad yesterday, he definitely doesn't have to worry about me hitting him up for a loan.

Work wise, I did my second solo on route 10 this past Monday. Supposedly, we got more mail than usual that day. I don't know if that's true or not. I just know I ended up with 8 and 1/2 trays of mail plus packages and accountables (registered, certified, etc.) to deliver in just 5 hours. It wasn't going to happen. Clinton showed up around 5:00 (I think) and started helping. Still, I didn't get back to the Post Office till 7:25 p.m. There are a number of reasons why. First, I'm slow sorting the mail into the case at the Post Office though I'm getting better every time I do it (price of being a newbie). Second, I made various mistakes. I forgot there are certain addresses where we can drop off the packages at the apartment manager's office. I only remembered this after I'd bundled up all my mail in the trays. I decided to write the slips up for the packages and remember to drop them off in the boxes as I went later. This idea fell apart in the crunch when me and Clinton rushed to finish my route. Third, on route 10, I have three sorts. A lot of people move in and out of the apartments on this route which causes a lot of mail to be undeliverable. I have to take that mail back to my truck where I have to separate it into First Class/Periodicals (magazines, newspapers, etc.) and Standard Class (catalogs and flyers from Non-Profit organizations). The First Class stuff will be forwarded on while the Standard won't. This third sort costs more time and time in the enemy of the mail carrier. You're always in a battle to get the mail sorted (cased) as quickly as possible and delivered (this is one of the things that makes the job so stressful). Fourth, I'm still learning the area. I had a piece of postage due mail and it took me at least 10 minutes to find the row house where the person lived. This was during the crunch which made those 10 minutes costly.

Incredibly, I'll get to work 5 days for the Post Office next week. The regular carrier on route 10 is taking 4 days off so she can relax a little before she starts evening classes at Anne Arundel Community College. The fifth day will be when I sub on route 2. I look forward to getting to work those 5 days as it'll mean a fantastic paycheck (possibly as much at $1,000 gross). Plus, the more times I carrier the mail, the better I'll get. I'll learn better who is and who isn't on the route and where various homes are located. In the case of route 2, I'll continue to learn the case better which in turn will help my sorting speed. I'm to the point now where I can tell you based on the street name if the address is on either of my routes. This is useful as it keeps me from taking out mail that I can't deliver. I'll also learn better how things work at the Post Office. I learned yesterday where the forwarding service is located in our Post Office for the two different zip codes we handle. Still, those five days promise to be trying. Every time I finish working at the Post Office, I'm wiped. It really is a bit of battle to get the mail out. We'll see how it goes.

Richmond - Part III

It is always a bummer when it's time to leave. I very much enjoyed myself in Richmond and it was great seeing Harvey. He's a lot of fun. We've have similar interests and enjoy doing things together (don't get any wrong ideas about our friendship though). We just like doing stuff together. I've gone on a number of fun trips by myself and enjoyed them but I've found I enjoy them more when I do them with a group or someone I like. That was how I came to meet Harvey. I'd decided to do an escorted tour of Australia because I thought I'd enjoy it more that way. As luck would have it, Harvey signed up for the same tour. We were the two bachelors in the group so the tour guide paired us up. We hit it off and have been friends since.

Packing was easy since it'd only been a two day trip. I slapped a few shirts back in my bag and double checked my hotel room to make sure I wasn't leaving anything behind. We had breakfast at the hotel restaurant as that was easiest plus their breakfast buffet was good.

We arrived at the Richmond Staples Road train station and waited for my train to pull in. There was a surprisingly long line for the train. We agreed to get together again the beginning of October when it would be his turn to come up to my neck of the woods (we take turns). We plan to see a show at Toby's Dinner Theater in Columbia, Maryland. We saw Beauty and the Beast there some time back and really enjoyed it. It was my first visit there and I was impressed with the place. The show was very good and the food was respectable. Also, you will get filled up unless you don't want to. We're also going to attend the Maryland Renaissance Festival. We did that last year and really enjoyed it. After that, we'll do a trip to NYC the end of November to see the Rockettes and a show on Broadway. It'll be nice to do that barring the $300 plus a night hotel (gasp!).

Finally, it was time to board. I gave Harvey a sad handshake and got in line. The conductor checked my ticket and directed me to the Business Class car. Five minutes later, the train pulled out of the station. The ride back was uneventful barring a problem they had after we left D.C. At Union Station in Washington D.C., they change the engines from diesel to electric as the line is electrified all the way to Boston. We pulled out of Union Station fine and we were making good time when the train unexpectedly slowed down. They made an announcement that the electric current on the line wasn't steady and it would take a few minutes to fix the problem. Because of this and a previous delay because of a freight train, I ended up arriving back at BWI Amtrak station at 11:30 a.m. which is about 30 minutes late.

Fortunately, I didn't have to be at Medieval Times till 3 p.m. I drove home and got ready for work. The show went fine and we had approximately 500 people attend that night. The next day, I'd get my last day of training on the postal route I'll be the substitute carrier for. That would be another adventure that I'll post about. This post is done as this concludes my fun trip to Richmond. Cheers all!

Richmond - Part II

I slept well at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The bed was very comfortable and they have a CD that helps you get a good night sleep. The last time I stayed at the hotel, I asked them if I could have a copy. They said sure and I've used it number of times since. The CD is made by some sleep specialists who help you relax so you can conk out quickly. I've found it really works and would highly recommend it.

Harvey and I had breakfast at the hotel. To my surprise, they gave me coupons for two free breakfasts. I found the breakfast buffet good. You'll be able to fill yourself up and may be able to even skip lunch.

After breakfast, we drove out to see Harvey's travel agent. His name was Joel and he works at the Richmond Carlson Wagonlit (Update 12/31/12: Joel no longer works for the Richmond Carlson Wagonlit as this company no longer exists in Richmond. He is a freelance travel agent now that works through 2 different travel companies - 1 in Richmond and 1 in Fredricksburg I think). The reason I was meeting him was he had gotten price information for us on a trip to New York City (NYC) to see the Rockettes. The last time we went to NYC, we discovered the Rockettes have certain seasons they perform. Late July wasn't one of them. We also discovered last year that you want to go to NYC during the prime season, you'd better book early. So, Joel was helping us put together a travel package for early December so we could see the Rockettes and another show on Broadway. Joel did a great job and found us a reasonable hotel though the price still made me gasp. It's going to cost over $300! a night at this hotel and that is one of the cheaper ones. The five-star hotels would go over $600 a night! I've never paid so much for a hotel. When they say NYC is expensive, they're not joking.

Another thing I checked into with Joel was doing a Scandanavia tour with Globus. I was really bummed when I had to cancel the planned tour this year. I found out Joel will be able to tell me if the tour has enough bookings to where it will go. He would also be able to help me if I had to cancel. I booked with another agency and found out I didn't know what credit card I used to charge me booking on so I couldn't get my money back when I cancelled since I couldn't prove I'd paid for the booking. It cost me over $200. Serious ouch! Hopefully, Harvey and I will be able to do the tour late-August of 2007. It would be a lot of fun to do another tour with Globus. We'll see if it happens.

After meeting with Joel, we travelled to the Virginia Museum of Art (VMA). It's a good art museum with an interesting exhibit on the famed Russian jeweler Faberge. Faberge didn't create the pieces he was renowned for but he did come up with the ideas for the renowned eggs. The famous Easter eggs were very beautiful. They also gave a poignant picture of the doomed Russian royal family. I found it really interesting viewing the various pieces of the collection. One painting the museum that I disliked greatly was a piece of modern art done I believe by a Dutch artist. It was a painting of a modern Black man dressed in modern clothes holding a sword. To me, it looked incredibly STUPID. I never would've wasted money on such a pathetic painting. I hope the museum got the painting cheap because in my opinion, it isn't worth much if anything. The museum also had the Mellon collection. The collection was donated by George Mellon and was nice. Mellon must've been into fox hunting as he had a lot of paintings on that. He also had three Renoirs, a Monet, and a bust of the apostle John by Rodin. I particularly enjoyed those. The Rodin piece was very impressive. I think Rodin was a great student of Michelangelo in that both emphasized the strength and majesty of the human body. Lastly, we saw an exhibit on Tiffany glass which was nice. The workmanship clearly shined through. The pieces were very beautiful.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend that if you like art and you're in Richmond, you check out the museum. We spent an easy four hours there.

After that, it was time to find a place to eat. Harvey remembered a place where he'd go for some noteworthy sausage sandwiches. I said lets go. We drove out to this mall only to find out the place had closed. Harvey then remembered a bar-b-que restaurant which was open. The bar-b-que however wasn't terribly impressive and it wasn't air conditioned. I would've rated it so-so.

I had a fun day and was pleased that we were able to make arrangements for future travels. The NYC trip should be a lot of fun. Sadly, I'd be returning home the next day. I was worried about Amtrak's timeliness as I was scheduled to work at Medieval Times from 3 to 11 p.m. Stay tune for the final installment of my Richmond trip and find out if Ditto makes it back in time or not.

Richmond Trip - Part I

As I mentioned in previous posts, I planned to take a train trip to Richmond, Virginia to see my friend Harvey who lives there. Last Wednesday, I finally made the trip. The following Richmond trip blog entries will concern the trip.

I woke up two hours earlier than planned. This was usual for me when I was going to be leaving on a trip. I was nervous about getting my bag packed, arriving at the train station in time, and being there when the train pulled in. I tried going back to sleep but it didn't work so I got up, got dressed, scrounged up some ready to eat food (I don't like to cook) for breakfast, and then packed my bag. The trip was only going to last a little over 2 days so it was easy to pack for. In no time, I was packed and ready. After wasting some time fiddling with some playing cards, I picked up my bags, stuck them in the car, and drove to the train station parking lot. The parking lot at the BWI Amtrak station is a large multi-level two garage lot. I suspect the vast majority of their customers are commuters who take the train into either Baltimore or Washington D.C. I know when I reached platform 3 that it was packed with people with no luggage who boarded the MARC (Maryland Railroad Corporation) train. There were only three of us left for the Amtrak train to D.C. and one of those worked for Amtrak. The train arrived about 10 minutes late which isn't any big deal. I found my seat in Business Class and settled down for the ride. I napped a little as I was a little tired. I didn't sleep great and as I mentioned, I woke up early. I also listened to some bible doctrine tapes to pass the time. The trip seem to go quickly and I arrived in Richmond at approximately 10 till 10 in the morning.

Harvey was waiting for me at the station. It was nice to see him again. He's a really nice person and a great person to chat with. We walked out to his car and started to catch up on the news. For some reason, it seems that though we've talked a number of times on the phone, there was always more to catch on (things we forget to mention on the phone perhaps?). We drove to the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Broad Street. I'd stayed at this hotel before and felt it was reasonably priced. It was also well placed in relation to the train station. Lastly, I was pleased with its service. The people there were always friendly and helpful. Check-in was easy and it was time to figure out what we wanted to do. There wasn't any set itinerary so the two of us hashed out ideas before finally coming up with a plan. We decided to see the Confederate White House, Museum of the Confederacy, and then go some place for dinner.

The Confederate White House is where Jefferson Davis and his family lived in Richmond during the time he was President of the Confederacy. It is a really nice house and the organization that runs the tours of the house has done a really nice job of restoring the house to the that time. Our guide showed us the rooms the rooms the Davis family lived in and told us stories about the family. During the time the family lived in the house, Davis had two children bringing the total to four. Davis believed children should be able to do whatever they want, not be disciplined, and should be listened to by adults. Not surprisingly, his children were unholy terrors and went through a number of nannies. The situation grew so grave that Mrs. Davis would post help wanted signs without her name so prospective employees wouldn't know what they were getting into. The house also had the rooms where Davis met with his generals including the legendary Robert E. Lee. It was something to stand in the same room where he, General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and others met. Our tour guide was excellent and really helped make the house more alive to our group. After the house tour, it was time to see the museum.

The museum has three levels. One covers the history of the confederacy in general and the war. One covers the confederate navy which receives very little notice in most history books. And one covered the life of the conferate soldier. The confederacy in general floor helped explain the political maneuvering that took place and some of the painful choices those in the military had to make. One interesting thing that surprised me was how much the confederacy sought to draw upon from the U.S.'s founding fathers. They argued that the founding fathers approved of slavery and that made it right. In fact, a number of founding fathers disapproved of it but the issue was so contentious that for the sake of helping found the new nation they dropped the issue. Later, during the 1789 (I hope I have the year right) constitutional convention, the issue had to be dropped again as it again threatened to destroy the nation. The floor also had a number of interesting items including Brigadier George Armistead's sword that he used at Gettysburg. For those of you who don't know, it was Armistead who lead Pickett's famous charge. Armistead took off his hat, put it on the top of his sword, and then advanced toward the Union lines. Sadly, just as Armistead was reaching the Union lines, he was cut down by Union fire. The floor also showed how General Lee lived on campaign. Lee lived in the same conditions his soldiers lived. He believed it wrong for him to live better and it would bother him greatly if he did. He slept on a portable cot, used a simple mess kit, and slept inside a standard tent. The floor did a great job of covering the various issues and events. Harvey and I had no problem spending an hour and half there.

The floor covering the Confederate Navy was also interesting. It was the confederates who built the first iron-clad ship, the precursor to the modern navies of today. The ironclad C.S.S. Virginia could've helped break the Union blockade but the Union came up with its own ironclad the U.S.S. Monitor. The result was an epic battle. While the battle ended in a draw (neither side could penetrate the others iron armor), it marked the unquestioned end of the age of sail. Another interesting topic the exhibits help show is how critical the Confederate Navy was in keeping the Confederacy in the war. The South had precious little industry and had to import a large number of goods. Thanks to the Confederate Navy, they were able to get a number of the supplies they needed. Ultimately, the Union blockade slowly strangled the South but for a number of years, the Confederate Navy did its part in keeping the Confederacy in the war. The last thing of note that many people may not be aware of was that the confederacy helped further the development of the submarine. The Hunley was capable of diving and like modern submarines took in water to help it submerge. It used a harpoon connected to a barrel that contained as much as 135 pounds of gunpowder. The submarine would charge a ship, ramming the harpoon into the ship, set off the barrel containing the gunpowder which would either cripple or sink the ship. The idea actually worked and the Hunley became (as far as I know) the first submarine to sink an enemy ship when one sank the U.S.S. Housatonic outside Charleston, South Carolina. Sadly, the ship and crew that sank the ship were lost for unknown reasons. Later, the missing submarine was found just outside the Charleston harbor. It remains unknown what caused the submarine to sink. One last interesting note on the Hunley. The Hunley was human powered. It used eight men sitting cramped on a bench pushing and pulling a crank that powered the propeller which in turn powered the ship. The conditions the ship's crew lived in were appalling and speaks of the bravery and sacrifice the fighting men of the confederacy made for their cause.

The third floor on the life of a confederate soldier was interesting as it showed letters from the soldiers and told of the hardships they went through. It also showed art that done during the period. The quality of the art varied. Some of the paintings and drawings were well done while others weren't. The floor also has a painting of the last meeting between Lee and Jackson. It's a nice painting and has an interesting story behind it. The artist E.D.B. Julio planned to become the artist of the Confederacy but his grand plans went no where. His painting remained unsold for a number of years and he ended up going bankrupt. The painting was bought in the auction of his property and eventually donated to the museum. It was the only painting the artist did of the confederacy.

After seeing the Confederate White House and the Museum of the Confederacy, it was time to get something to eat. Harvey had heard of dining event that was being held at the Richmond NASCAR racetrack. Supposedly for $25, you could have all you could eat of crabs, corn on the cob, pie, and other various foods. It sounded really great. It was to be the beginning of our misadventures when it came to dining. We drove out to the racetrack only to find out that you had to buy tickets in advance. You couldn't buy them at the event. I still had a hunkering for crabs and Harvey thought he knew of a restaurant that would have them. After getting the address at his apartment, we drove out to Crabshack Louie's. Crabshack Louie's it turned out didn't have any steamed crabs though they did have soft-shelled crabs (which I tried). I was also frustrated when I tried to order something to drink. They didn't have lemonade or root beer and I ended settling for a ginger ale. I decided to try their calamari as a I really like the stuff. The waitress assured us it was enough for two. It wasn't. The only good thing I can say about their calamari was there weren't any big chunky pieces. Price wise, I thought it was a bit of rip-off. Overall, I thought the place was very pricey and I wouldn't recommend it.

After dinner, Harvey dropped me off at my hotel. The day had been a fun day and I looked forward to the next. The next day I would get to meet Harvey's travel agent, see the Virginia Museum of Art, and have another dining miss adventure. Stay tuned for Richmond Trip - Part II.

Neither Rain Nor Snow

I got to experience first hand yesterday one of the hard aspects of my new postal job. Yesterday, it hit 100 degrees and that didn't take into account the humidity. Summers tend to be very humid in Maryland. If you have high temperatures and low humidity, it isn't that bad being outside. When I was stationed in Texas, people would comment about it being a dry heat. They had a point as it was easier to deal with the high temperatures. Here in Maryland, we have a wet heat and it makes things worse. I wore the Seattle Sonics t-shirt my sister Ellie gave me for the first time. By the time I got back to the Post Office, it was soaked with sweat. Because I was sweating so much, I had to drink a lot of water otherwise I'd have become dehydrated. Lastly, the heat slowed me down in doing my job. When I'm hot and sweaty, I don't have the constant pep that I normally have. The result was it took me longer to deliver the mail. The mail delivery trucks don't have air conditioning which is a downer though to be honest, I don't know if it would help things much. A carrier is constantly getting in and out of the trucks or has the windows down so he/she can insert mail into the mail boxes through their driver side window. The trucks do come with a small fan with variable direction. The fan does help some in that it helps create some air circulation inside the truck. Still, the carrier for the most part is left to swelter. It is one of the aspects of his/her job that they must suck up in order to ensure the mail is delivered. As the old cliche goes, "neither heat nor snow nor driving rain or enormous heat will stop me from delivering the mail." For the Post Office that saying isn't cliche. It is a fact. The Post Office does its best to ensure that no matter what the weather, the mail will be delivered. As a carrier for the Post Office, it is something I'll just have to learn to deal with. Still, it'll be great when fall arrives (sigh).

College Update

I figured I'd better post something on this. For the past month, I've been falling behind on the college class I was taking at the University of Maryland. There were two reasons for this: work and the class itself. I've been putting a lot of hours in work wise and the last thing I felt like doing when I'd get home was work on either the reading or writing assignments. The second problem was the class itself. The professor really poured it on assignment wise with at one point, three consecutive 300 page plus weekly reading assignments. I wonder if she realized that some of us had to work. Because of these two items, I fell behind in the class and it was going to get harder and harder to catch up. Finally, I decided to withdraw from the class. I hated doing that as it meant throwing the $1,348 tuition down the drain but I just didn't see any point in continuing with it. So, I went into the base education office and withdrew. I'll have to take the class again this fall and hopefully, I'll be able to keep up then. We'll see.

Just a Reminder

I just wanted to remind any readers I have in Maryland that the Maryland Renaissance Festival will be kicking off in a month. It opens August 26th and runs till October 22nd. For those of you who haven't been to the festival, it is an outstanding festival and a lot of fun. Why do I say that? I say that for a number of reasons. First, the festival has an outstanding site. All buildings are permanent and well maintained. It is a pleasure to shop in the shops or watch various acts in the various open-air theaters they have. Second, the entertainment has been consistently excellent. I look forward to seeing Fight School, Hack and Slash, and the Squire on the Wire again. The festival also plans to have some acts that haven't been there before including Mediaeval Baebes, an all female British group that sings classical music and plays classical instruments. From their website, they look seriously hot. Third, they offer some really good food. The place got me seriously hooked on smoked turkey legs. I can't wait to go back and munch down on one. Lastly, it is very affordable. It only costs $17 for adults, $15 for Seniors, and $8 for kids (anyone under 15). If you sign up for their mailing list, you can receive a brochure through the mail with a discount coupon that will save you between $1 and $3 apiece for admission until September 11th.

So, mark your calendars, start getting your medieval or renaissance costume ready, and begin preparing for a fun day at the festival. See you there!

Sidekicks

Yesterday, I found out about a neat list Entertainment Weekly came out with. The list presents the top 50 greatest sidekicks. The list also states why the sidekicks were so valuable. One example was Ed McMahon with Johnny Carson. McMahon had the ability to help some of Johnny's stinker jokes come across better. He also had a superb sense of timing. While some thought McMahon was Carson's lackey, McMahon was in fact invaluable to Carson making him look a lot better than he would've without him.

Because I'm such a big Lord of the Rings fan, I was delighted to see Samwise Gamgee be number seven on the list. Sam was critical to the success of the destruction of the ring though he would likely never admit it. Repeatedly, Sam stays by Frodo through thick and thin even when Frodo treats him like crap as he does when he chooses to believe the treacherous Gollum before he enters Shelob's lair. Sam also shows extraordinary valor. It is he that saves Frodo from the orcs and fends off Gollum's attacks outside Mount Doom. He is an extraordinary noble character who deserves a place as one of the great characters of the trilogy.

If you're interested, the list can be found at: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/commentary/0,6115,1213384_12336181_0_,00.html. I hope you enjoy the list as much as I did.

Seat Belts

I felt I had to touch on this subject after some recent training at the Post Office's Calvert Training Academy. One of the subjects they hit on was how important it was to wear your seat belt. I'd heard this before and felt like yawning. What got my attention was some of the videos they play. The first video they played showed test crash dummies and what happened to them during a crash. The instructor pointed pointed that it isn't the impact of the opposing car that kills. It is the impact of the passengers with parts of their own car. In the case of the front seat passengers, they consistently smashed into the windshield with horrific results. I could see them hit the windshield with such force that if they'd real persons, they'd either broken their necks or ended up paralyzed. Equally horrific was what happened to children who weren't buckled up in the back seat. In one case, the child became a missile that smashed into the buckled in adult in the front seat. I shudder to think what would've happened to real kids. Parents should definitely make sure their kids are securely buckled in when travelling.

The last video they showed was interesting in that it proved conclusively that seat belts can save lives. To be absolutely certain that seat belts save lives, an unknown German ministry recreated certain car accidents with real people in the cars. One example was a driver going full speed head on into a tree. The taped footage shows the car totally smashed up but the driver incredibly enough exits the car alive and unhurt. After watching the video, you can't have any doubt that seat belts save lives. If you don't use them, please start. If you have kids, please make sure they're properly buckled in. Every year over 50,000 people in the U.S. die in car accidents. I suspect if those people used their seat belts, most of them would still be alive. Don't become one of those statistics. Use your seat belt and stay alive.

FrequentFlier.Com

FrequentFlier.Com is a site that has excellent information on airmile bonuses that airlines are offering as well as bonuses that hotels and rental car companies are offering. They have a weekly/monthly? (not sure) email you can sign up for which will tell you of the latest deals and any deal expiration dates coming up. The email can be very useful as can the site. The particular reason I'm mentioning them today is an article they posted on their site. The article superbly explains the different options available to the consumer. They compare the airline credit card, American Express/Diners Card, and bank cards that are out there. Using the information the article provides, the consumer can decide which card would be best for them. For example, if you travel a lot on ONE airline, you'll want to get that particular airline charge card. If you travel on a lot of different airlines, you might want to get the Diners Card or an American Express card. If you're more of a shopper than a traveler, you might want to go with on of the bank cards. The choice is yours but the article will make your decision easier. Check it out at: http://frequentflier.com/card-intro.htm

Music Review - Ottmar Liebert

I first listened to Ottmar Liebert thanks to Windham Hill Music. I think they had him play one of his pieces of music on a sampler of theirs. I very impressed with his ability to play the guitar. Later, I bought some of his CDs and found I had one problem with him, his music is very hispanic which means I can't understand some of the songs he plays. An example would be on his The Best of Ottmar Liebert. Liebert plays a nice sounding version of Mercy Mercy (Robert Plant made this a big hit I believe) but it's in Spanish. Because of that, I couldn't enjoy the song as much. His Best of also has a nice version of The Girl from Ipanema. Other selections on the CD are decent.

Overall, I wasn't wiped out with this CD. It has some decent stuff on it but it isn't one I'm going to listen to a lot. I wouldn't heartily recommend this CD. However, if you're music tastes are more hispanic, you might enjoy it more than I did.

Postal Training Continued

When I arrived at the P&DC today for my second day of training, I can't say I was terribly excited. We were going to cover safety. Safety is important but it can be a very boring subject. Surprisingly, the training today wasn't. One thing I learned about was the danger of dogs. I've always liked dogs and rarely had any problems with them. That could change with my new job as a postman. Dogs are a major problem for mailmen/women. The lady that lectured us on safety was a mail carrier for 18 years and was bit twice by dogs that ambushed her. She told us that the Post Office does arm us with pepper spray but the best defense against a dog was watching out for them before you got attacked. She also said that we should make owner's restrain their dog before giving the owners their mail. The dog may sit quietly by the owner initially but could easily jump up and bite the carrier when the carrier tries to hand the owner their mail. Dogs could mistake what the carrier was trying to do for an attack. Another thing that the service does is have its carriers put a card in their tray which tells where a dog is located on the route. This reminds the regular carrier where a dog is located. It also gives a substitute carrier a warning which can be really handy since he's not familiar with the route.

Dogs however turned out not to be the biggest problem right now. The biggest problems carriers have to deal with is the heat. It is summer time in Maryland and it's HOT and HUMID. Mail carriers have to deliver all their mail in the outdoors so they get the full effects. To make matters worse, the delivery trucks are not air conditioned and tend to get quite warm. The safety lady reminded the new mail carriers to make sure they drank plenty of fluids so they didn't get dehydrated. They might also want to wear lighter clothing. As a Rural Carrier Associate I found out I'll be able to wear shorts and short-sleeve t-shirts. I may not look very postal but I'll be considerably cooler. The only potential problem is this will leave more areas vulnerable as far as dogs are concerned. I'll just have to see how it goes.

That's all for my second day of training. Tomorrow, I get to do a half day. I have no idea what I'll get to learn. Sadly, our group will break up after tomorrow. Those that have to do vehicle training will go to the vehicle training center in Hyattsville Thursday. Those that don't such as clerks will either start at their new jobs, or receive additional training in their specialty. I'll be sorry to see the group break up. It's been neat getting to meet some of them. I hope the people I get to work with at the Laurel Post Office will be equally nice. We'll see.

Postal Training

I got to attend my first day of postal training at the Southwest Maryland Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC). I found it interesting. I found out that the U.S. Postal Service delivers 60% of the total mail mailed in the world. It deliver 65 million packages and letters a day! Because of this, it is one of the largest employers in the United States (no surprise there when you think how labor intensive the business is even with automation). The service continues to automate as much as possible to cut costs but it is still very labor intensive. You'll still need people to deliver the mail, attach zip codes when the sender forgets them, figure out a person's address when the writing isn't terribly legible (like that written by a doctor), sort large or unusual shaped packages like tubes, or re-package something when the package breaks during automated handling.

The first part of the training was where we found out where we fit in the picture. After that, we learned how the Postal Service is structured i.e. Headquarters, district office, branch office, and finally associate office (your local Post Office). Then, we learned about permanent and non-permanent positions. In the class, we had both types of employees. We also learned about some the services the service offers its employees as well as promotional opportunities. I was surprised to find out a starting line supervisor at the Post Office could make $70,000! Hm, I might want to think about becoming a supervisor there in time if I decide to stay there. We also got to do a tour of the two facilites they have at the center. The center is one of only two centers in the U.S. which does regular mail operations and bulk mail (i.e. what is commonly known as junk mail) operations. Both operations are huge. The bulk mail operation center alone occupied the space of FIVE football fields. I remembering looking down at a corridor there and thinking that it reminded of the cavernous warehouse in the first Indian Jones movie where they store the ark of the covenant at the end of the movie. It was HUGE.

Overall, I found the training interesting and look forward to more. Tomorrow, I'll get to learn about safety. The day after that, I'll finish my training at the center and prepare to go to their vehicles center where I'll get to learn how to drive a postal delivery truck. I found out I'll have to take a test on driving one of those. Hopefully, they're not that hard to drive. Lastly, I'll spend three days learning the rural carrier job. Rural Carrier Associates are something of mini-Post Offices. We're expected to sort and deliver mail, sell stamps, and pick-up packages.

I still don't know if this is what God wants me to do with my life but for now, it looks like the direction he's pointing in. We'll see. If nothing else, it will be interesting working for the Post Office as a substitute mailman.

Rotten Tomatoes Website

When you hear the name Rotten Tomatoes, you would first think such a site would be no good but the name is deceptive. Rotten Tomatoes is a website that actually brings you the latest news on upcoming movies. You can find out where the future movie is in development, watch any trailers that have been released, and read reviews once the movie has been released. It's actually a very useful site. Ex. a couple days ago Anna Popplewell who played Susan in the Chronicles of Narnia movie revealed that the producers looking for shooting locations right now for the next Chronicles of Narnia movie. According to her, they expect to begin shooting the beginning of next year. Another nice aspect of the site as I previously noted are the movie trailers. The site has the upcoming Spiderman 3 and Casino Royale trailers. I watched both and was particularly impressed with the Royale trailer. Daniel Craig looks like a very gritty 007. Casino Royale will be released in the U.S. November 17th. Based on the trailer, it should be good.

Overall, if you like movies or if you want to know the latest on an upcoming movie, the site is one you'll want to check out. It can be found at: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/

Crowne Plaza American Express Offer

I booked my Crowne Plaza hotel reservations today. I thought I'd point out a rather interesting deal Crowne Plaza is offering. Through the end of August, you can book a room at Crowne Plaza hotels with your American Express card and receive a $25 American Express gift card. That sounds like a good deal right? There is a catch. You have to book at their flexible rate. In the case of the hotel I'm going to stay at in Richmond, the flexible rate costs $34 more a night than the advanced purchase rate. That means it would cost me $68 to earn a $25 American Express card. The offer doesn't sound so hot after all. I will concede there are a couple good points with the flexible rate vice the advanced purchase rate. First, you can cancel or modify your reservation with the flexible rate. You can't with the advance purchase rate. Also, you must pay at least 7 days in advance with the advance purchase rate. You don't have to with the flexible rate. Still, I think the savings make the advance purchase rate the way to go.

I also discovered something interesting with Crowne Plaza and the Intercontinental Hotel chain. You have to be savvy when you use your hotel points with them. Their website showed me that I could get both my nights free with them if I used 50,000 of my points with them. You would think that is a good deal. Actually, it isn't. The chain sells those points for $10 per 1,000 points. So if I used 50,000 points, I'd be using $500 worth of points for a room that would cost me $210 at the advance purchase rate. You can see this would be a major losing proposition. Make sure you watch it when your frequent hotel club tells you you can stay for free using your points. You could be getting a losing deal.

The American Way

Bill Reilly has a really nice article about the new Superman movie and the culture war in the U.S. http://www.townhall.com/columnists/BillOReilly/2006/07/08/superman_and_the_culture_war

The article points out that the American way is under attack both from without and within like never before. The newest Superman movie is a sign of this. Superman no longer stands for the American way. The movie's producers wanted to make him more international. They were also afraid that making him a patriotic American would turn off foreign viewers. They didn't want to lose that important source of revenue. What those producers seem to ignore is the enormous good that America does for the world. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you stand for the American way though a number of apologists in this country would differ. Incredibly, people like U.S. House of Representatives member John Murtha have said the U.S. is the greatest danger to world peace. They see it as more of a danger to the world than Iran. I can't help wondering what planet these folks are on. It is the U.S. that is helping make this world a safer place. For the last 5 or 6 six years, the vaunted Europeans have sought to negotiate with the Iranians to get them to give up their nuclear program. They haven't gotten any where with them and Iran is closer to having a nuclear weapon then ever before. This is the same Iran that wants to wipe Israel right off the map. So much for the great Europeans. I suspect it is the U.S. that will end up actually doing something about the lunatics in Iran just like it was the U.S. that has helped solve so many previous problems. I remember hearing about a book written by Tom Brokaw about what he called "The Greatest Generation." This generation was the one that came through the Great Depression and fought in World War II. They were common people who did extraordinary things. Brokaw reportedly lamented their passing. I agree with him that it is sad that these people are dying off. These people believed in the American way. They realized what a great system the American way is. No other system offers more opportunity or freedom. If you've got the drive, ambition, and will, you can become a success in this country. You don't need your family's connections and you definitely don't need a handout from the government. Sadly, later generations are foolishly beginning to hate the great American way and hope to replace it with something that will destroy the very opportunities our great system offers. God help us if they succeed.

In short, there is nothing to be ashamed of about the American way. America remains the greatest country in the world with the most opportunities. No other country offers greater opportunities or greater freedom. All those illegal Mexican immigrants that are coming to this country aren't coming here for no reason. It is because of what America offers. We should be proud to be Americans. We have nothing to apologize for. We most definitely should continue to follow the American way and unashamedly support it. It is still the greatest system in the world today.

Book Review - The Well of Loneliness

I got to read Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness for my college class last week. I thought the book was ahead of its time in that it was written in 1926 (I believe) and was openly sympathetic to lesbians. During that time, lesbianism was very taboo and women who did it were considered mentally disturbed. Hall's characters are actually decent people though the heroine does have some quirks. The heroine Stephen Gordon (her father Sir Philip decided he liked the name Stephen so much that he gave her name irregardless of the fact that Stephen was a female) thinks she's a man in a woman's body and actually dresses like a man. This would hardly cause a stir now a days but back in the 1920's it was shocking stuff. Hall also shows lesbianism in a very sympathetic light and actually argues for their plight. Hall argues that since lesbians were made the way they are, that it is unfair to persecute them. She also argues that they should have the right to find happiness in a lesbian relationship.

Based on what I've read, I believe it's been proven that women choose to be lesbians vice being born lesbians. This blows Hall's appeal to God right out of the water. One thing that surprised me was that Hall repeatedly appeals to God concerning the unjust way lesbians are treated. I couldn't help but wonder who taught her her theology or did she just ignore what the bible says about lesbianism.

Concerning lesbians having the right to find happiness in a relationship, I personally agree there. If they can find happiness in a relationship, they should be allowed to do so. I have a different opinion when it comes to lesbian marriage. I just don't see the point in two women or two men marrying. Marriage is intended to provide an acceptable union in which to have children. Since lesbians or gays can't have children (unless they adopt or use artificial insemination in the case of the lesbians), what is the point.

I also disagree with Hall over what she calls persecution. At no point does anyone attack or imprison the heroine. Our heroine instead suffers what I would call social ostracism. Society simply refuses to have anything to do with her. To me, there is a big difference between the two. I don't see lesbians being persecuted in the story. Should society ostracize lesbians or homosexuals? I would say no. I also don't believe society should persecute them. Should society accept lesbians and homosexuals? I would say they should be tolerant of them i.e. they have no business telling them how supposedly awful they are when society ignores so many of its own faults. Doesn't Jesus say we shouldn't be concerned about the splinter in our brother's eye when we have a log in our own?

Back to the novel, overall I can't say I liked the novel. I don't feel the heroine was some tragic figure. I think if she was happy with her lady love Mary, she should've stayed with her instead of sacrificing their relationship so in theory Mary would be happy with the man that also loves her. I suspect if Hall had written the novel in present times, she would've. I think the novel becomes sappy at times when whining and crying about the lot of lesbians. Ok, life sucks, deal with it. Life isn't a bowl of cherries for heterosexual people either. The novel does tell an interesting story but it isn't one that I'm really interested in. If you like a story about a lesbian finding herself and her attempts to find a meaningful relationship with another woman, this novel may be for you. For me, I'll pass on it.

Airline Credit Cards

With the increasing difficulty of getting free seats using an airline's airmiles, travellers might want to look at whether or not it is worth having an airline's credit card. Some of the credit cards aren't cheap. Until today, I had the Citicard AA Advantage card. This credit card costs $85 a year and only gives you one airmile per dollar charged on it. To me, that is very steep. Unless you charge a lot of stuff on just that one card, you won't get a good ratio of airmiles to the dollar. In fact, you might get a ratio buying them from the airline. However, if you do buy them, remember they might not do you a lot of good considering the difficulty of using them. I've been a big fan of frequent flier programs but I confess my ardor is cooling. The airlines keep raising the number of airmiles you need for a free ticket and there are more ways to earn them which means there are more people trying to get the limited number of free seats. In my case, I plan to cancel a number of the airline credit cards I have. I just don't think their worth the yearly fees the credit card companies charge for them. You might want to think about doing the same.

BWI Amtrak Station

I visited Amtrak's BWI train station yesterday. I wanted to make my train reservations to visit my friend Harvey who lives in Richmond, Virginia. The station is very small. It has only three rows of 8 seats each. There are three ticket counters though only one was open when I visited. There is also a small news stand and a couple soda machines. Incredibly, the station has a double 7-tier parking lot. I suspect that's because the station is used for commuters into Baltimore and Washington D.C. I also believe the station is used by those who choose to take the train to Baltimore Washington International Airport. It's probably cheaper than an airport shuttle. The reason I use it is because it's easier to take trains from there vice using the Maryland State rail network. The Maryland network is run purely for commuters and as I've previously reported, it only runs in the mornings and evenings. After 9 a.m., there aren't anymore trains till 3:30 p.m. This means if you take it into Washington D.C. or Baltimore, you're stuck there all day, a major nuisance.

Price wise for the parking, its daily rates are comparable to the long term parking lots close to the airport. They charge $9 a day I believe. I plan to use one of their lots when I drive out there for my trip to Richmond.

I will give kudos to Amtrak for one particular thing I like about their service. You can upgrade your seat on their regional trains to business class for just $17 each way. To me, this is cheap! The seats are wider and I think more comfortable. Plus, I just like travelling Business Class if I can afford it. At $17 each way, I can afford it.

One downside I will slam Amtrak for is some of their so-called train stations. I discovered yesterday that the Virginia Beach train station is in fact a bus stop! It turns out that if you want to take the train on the Northeast Corridor line to Virginia Beach, you get to de-train at Newport News and take a 90 minute bus ride to Virginia Beach. I wasn't amused by that. I think it is a bit dishonest. The schedule implies they have TRAIN service there and they don't.

Bread

I've been meaning to post about this for a while. I recently baked two different kinds of bread in my Salton Breadman Ultimate machine that I haven't tried to make before. The machine makes it incredibly easy to bake 1-, 1 and 1/2-, and 2 pound loaves of bread. All you have to do is put the current amount of ingredients in the bread pan, set the machine for whatever bread cycle you need, and hit the start button. I find it takes me no more than 15 minutes to dump everything in the pan and turn the machine on. Once I press the start button, it takes approximately 3 and 1/2 hours to mix, knead, rise, and bake a 2-pound loaf of bread. The hardest part of baking a loaf of bread with the machine is finding the necessary ingredients. Some stores don't carry some of the ingredients (ex. rye flour). Another drawback to making some of the breads is the expense. A 3 ounce jar of Caraway seed can cost you $3! I tend to use a lot of Caraway seed in my Pumpernickel and Rye breads as I really like it.

Recently, I baked loaves of Onion and Rye bread and Egg bread. I found the Onion and Rye bread interesting in that you could smell the onion big time when it was baking BUT you couldn't taste it afterwards. I thought that kind of strange. With the Egg bread, I liked the yellow color of the bread and its sweet taste. You use sugar or honey with this bread and it shows in the taste. One of these days when I feel really daring, I plan to bake a loaf of Banana Nut bread. I remember my mom baking it as a kid and I've loved it ever since. It'll be fun to make a loaf of that. I also need to bake a loaf of Pumpernickel for a friend. I promised them a loaf and just need to get off my lazy duff and make one for them.

French

As previously mentioned, I'm procrastinating today as well as enjoying my first day off from all work in over a week and a half. I decided to check out a blog I found one day while clicking on the "Next Blog" button at the top of my blog page. The site is located at http://french-word-a-day.typepad.com/motdujour/ The site introduces a different french word three times a week and shows how it's used. The site also gives glimpses of French life which can be pretty neat. I'd definitely check this site if you like things French or the French language.

Since, we're on the topic, I'll tell you how I got to learn some French. I've worked with linguists on and off during my Air Force career. I always envied them knowing a language and getting to go to the Defense Language Institute. I'd taken a semester of Spanish in high school but was so frustrated with the masculine and feminine forms (it didn't make a whole lot of sense then) that I gave up on it after one semester. By the time, I entered the Air Force the only thing I could speak in Spanish were the numbers one to ten.

I decided to learn French because it one of the easier languages to learn. I bought a computer program and found out that while computer programs are convenient, they aren't the best teachers as far as learning a language. I kept getting bitten on pronunciation. I finally decided I needed to take some lessons with a real teacher. Incredibly enough, it would be while stationed in the Middle East that I got to take the lessons. I was stationed in Bahrain and I decided to see if I could take French lessons some where. I found out about a place called the Alliance Francaise. The Alliance Francaise is an organization that promotes French culture and the French language. Chapters are found in 112 countries. I decided to take French lessons there. Sadly, I don't remember my teacher's name but I do remember I enjoyed the lessons very much. I was really sorry the lessons had to end when my tour in Bahrain was up. Luckily, there was an Alliance Francaise chapter in Washington D.C. where I was able to continue the lessons for a while. I finally had to stop when I decided I needed to get back to college and finish my degree. When I finally finish my degree, I hope to get to go back there and study French again. If you would be interested in French lessons with the Alliance Francaise, the following website can help you find out if there they have a chapter in your city: http://www.alliancefr.org/. Au revoir!

The Bathroom

My mom Kay would swear hell froze over today. I actually cleaned my bathroom without any making me do it. Kay can tell you how much I hate housecleaning and especially cleaning bathtubs. Still, it needed to be done so I finally broke open a can of Ajax cleanser I've had for a while (I won't say how long) and scrubbed. The soap scum and dirt grudgingly came off. Then, I noticed that the area around my toilet looked rather bad as well. I figured I'd better clean that too. So, I scrubbed around there. To my aggravation, I kept finding hairs that would magically appear after I wiped something clean. It was very frustrating. I began to wonder if I was shedding like a dog. Lastly, I wiped the bathroom counter and mirror off. My bathroom actually looks a little presentable now. Just in case my mom thinks hell actually froze over, I will confess that the reason I cleaned my bathroom was because I was procrastinating about doing something worse. I have to do an annotated bibliography for my college class and cleaning the bathroom looked more inviting than doing that. Now that the bathroom is clean, I'll have to find something else to do so I can keep on procrastinating about that bibliography. I know! I need to go to the Commissary. That'll put off the inevitable for at least a couple more hours and I can do a blog about a French word of the day blog site I found. That'll work!

Music Review

Recently, I listened to some music by one of my favorite singers Gordon Lightfoot. I doubt many people have heard him unless they listen to easy listening music on the radio. Most of his hits were during the late 60's and early 70's. The music is a folk style and could be played with just a guitar unlike a lot of the manufactured music of today. I think a number of his songs are really beautiful. His song If You Could Read My Mind is almost poetic and the images it creates are very moving. It tells of a love that has gone sadly wrong and the singer doesn't know how he can get back to where he and his love were in love again. Another outstanding piece of music by Lightfoot is Canadian Railroad Trilogy. It tells of the railmen who helped open up Canada's virgin lands and helped build a nation. It is a beautiful ballad. Another song of love lost is Lightfoot's Bitter Green which tells of a beautiful women who continues to love a man who becomes lost some where and when he is finally able to return, he returns to find her dead. It is a very touching song. Lightfoot also has cheerful songs such as Rainy Day People which tells of people who are always willing to listen and love. They make no judgements on people and any love they receive, they pass on.

Overall, Gordon Lightfoot has written and performed a number of wonderful songs that I'd highly recommend. His music is easy to listen to and very relaxing. Lightfoot put out a CD called Gord's Gold which has most of his best music. The only songs that I feel it needs are his Affair on 8th Avenue and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (this was his last really big hit as far as I know). If you have time and you like easy listening music, you might want to give him a listen.

Job Update

My news job wise is actually good. I started my new part time job at SHARE and have been enjoying that. I have encountered new problems with being the part-time warehouse manager. One problem is related to weather. It's summer time in Maryland and that translates into warmer temperatures. Warmer temperatures are big time bad for food. They cause it to spoil faster. During the winter, SHARE can leave all the produce out in the warehouse bays. During the summer, all produce must be stored in the chiller. That adds more steps to the process and complicates storing it as pallets have to be raised and placed on various shelves in the chiller. Frozen food has to be watched more carefully as well. During the summer months, SHARE tries to have as little frozen food out as possible. I also have to try to keep the freezer doors closed as much as possible so the stuff in the freezer doesn't thaw out. This is particularly important with poultry items such as chicken.

Another nice benefit of working at SHARE is I've gotten to operate a forklift more. It's neat driving one though you have to very careful. They are unstable machines and very heavy. It's very easy to crush something with one. You always have to be aware of your surroundings when you're driving one. I'm constantly looking around to see if anyone is close or where any obstacles are.

In regards to my possible new job at the Post Office, I got the word yesterday that I was all set to begin training on July 10th. Training will be two weeks. I'm looking forward to becoming a substitute mailman and hopefully a full-time one in time.

In regards to my job at Medieval Times, it goes well. I continue to do my best and jump to do whatever my boss wants done. I also continue to sell the show. I know I've gotten a number of people interested in it. Hopefully, I've gotten more people interested in the show than I've turned off on it.

We have a new guy in our department. He's Nick's replacement. He's young (18 or 19 years old) but looks like a good security person (beefy i.e. looks like someone you wouldn't want to pick a fight with). At this point, I have no idea if he's any good job wise. I'll find out Sunday when I get to work Sunday's show with him.

I also made the observation that a number of people who work in Medieval Times hope to move up to either Squire, Knight, Lord Chancellor, or King. I think I can understand why. Those are the "star" positions at Medieval Times. You get to perform before hundreds of people and they ooo and aah as you play your role. I suspect it would be neat to have their adulation. I wonder if that's why people get into acting.

One down side about my jobs at Medieval Times and SHARE have been the long hours I've been working. Last Saturday, I was at SHARE from 5:45 a.m. till 12:15 p.m. I drove home, got a one hour nap and drive to Medieval Times where I worked from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. It made for a very long day. I've been having a lot of those this past week and it has taken its toll. I definitely feel tired. One of the bad things about working at Medieval Times is that if you don't get enough people attending a show, they'll cut back the people they need. Last Thursday, we only had around 325 people attend the show and so there wasn't any need for two security people. Because of the long hours I've been working, I volunteered to be the one that went home. Normally, I wouldn't do that. Still, I should be able to catch up on my rest Thursday and Friday. I'm off those days at Medieval Times and don't have to work at SHARE. It's going to be pure bliss to have a couple days off. I better enjoy them too considering things promise to pick-up again with the new job at the Post Office kicking off. We'll see how things go.

One last note, to all those who have had me in their prayers, I thank you very much. As you can see, it looks like they're paying off. Life is getting better for me. I have no doubt your prayers mattered. Thanks again. Cheers!

College

I've been looking into when I can pay University of Maryland's in-state vice out-of-state tuition rates. While I was active duty military, I got to pay the in-state rate but, once I retired, I had to start paying the out-of-state rate since I didn't change my state of residence because of taxes (I didn't have to pay any state taxes with Michigan as long as I didn't live there, I would've had to pay Maryland taxes if I'd changed my residency to Maryland). The difference is considerable. Maryland's in-state tuition rate is $230 per credit hour (undergraduate studies). It's out-of-state rate is $444 per credit hour. For a 3-credit hour class that translates to an additional $642 per class for me. Serious ouch! I did some research today and found out I missed being able to change my residency with the university for the fall semester by five days. Dang! However, if I wait and take my fall class during the Mid-Fall semester, I'll be able to claim residency by then. Hm. I did a little more checking and because of the long winter break between the regular fall and spring semesters, I'll only have one or two weeks of overlap. I can handle so that is what I plan to do. The only thing remaining will be filling out the paperwork and making copies of all the documentation Maryland wants in order to assure themselves that I'm a Maryland resident. Oh brother. Still, it'll be worth it.

SHARE Job

I got to start my new part time SHARE job last Friday. It was like when I'd volunteered there and at the same time it was different. If I saw something that needed to be taken care of, I couldn't blow it off. I had to take care of it. Also, if volunteers walked in, I had to tell them what we were doing (bagging potatoes) and assign them to a table. If the volunteers needed more potatoes, I had to open and dump some more potatoes on their table (I got a nice workout from this as each sack of potatoes weighed 50 pounds). I also had to look for work to do to keep busy. Afterall, they were paying me now. On the pay, I got some awesome news there. I'll be making $10 an hour which is $3 an hour more than I make at Medieval Times. The down side to the job is that I'll be working 2 weeks out of the month. It is possible that I could work on various projects they work on when they have time but realistically, I'll only get to work there 2 weeks every month. Another down side to this job is it is temporary however, there is the chance that it could become permanent. It depends on how pleased the General Manager and Food Manager are with how it works out. Still, I'll have to give thanks for this job. While I'm doing all right money wise, the extra bucks from the SHARE job will help (especially with Maryland tuition rates).

On slightly different subject, I heard from the Post Office and am scheduled for a drug/alcohol test this week. They're also supposed to do a physical assessment (as to whether I can do the job or not). I should get through this step all right. The only question is how long will this step take besides the test. Hopefully, I'll get a positive assessment and get hired by the Post Office in a month or so. Initially, I'd get a couple days a week with the Post Office which may not seem a lot but, it is the long term promise that matters with them. In about a year and a half, I can expect to be offered a permanent position with them. That's what I want and what I keep my fingers crossed for.

Mark Morton

I heard from my friend Mark Morton today. I'd been trying to reach him to catch up on chit-chat and just find out how things were going for him in Miami. To my delight, I found out Mark got selected for Master Sergeant. I'd been keeping my fingers crossed for him. Mark is one my closest and dearest friends. We became friends when I got stationed to the United Kingdom for the third time. Before I met Mark, I heard about him. One person mentioned how he failed to certify at a position they trained him for. After I met Mark, I confess I don't know how he failed his certification as I thought he was very competent. I also found him to be very kind and a nice person to do things with. Me and Mark became friends. In time, he became my best friend while I was stationed in England. It was Mark that watched my car while I went on temporary duty assignments (tdys in military jargon) to Italy and California. It was Mark who helped me get my car started when I returned from Italy and found the car battery dead. He also forwarded my mail and kept me informed of what was going on back at base. His help was invaluable while I was gone.

My tour finally ended in England and I was reassigned to Florida. I kept in touch with Mark via letters and email. When I took a trip to London (my favorite city), I made it a point to see him and his then wife. I continued to keep in touch with him as I finished my tour in Florida, did a tour in Bahrain, and was assigned to the Washington D.C. area for my last tour. When Mark got to visit here for some training, I gladly showed him around and took him and his co-worker to Medieval Times. With my transition to civilian life, Mark was a source of support and encouragement. While I looked upon the transition with trepidation, Mark reminded me that it was an exciting new adventure. Mark also reminded me when I thought everything was going badly that things weren't actually that bad. My military retirement alone guaranteed that I'd be able to pay all my basic bills and have a roof over my head. Mark's own situation reminded me that things could be worse. Mark's marriage sadly tanked and he had to go through the painful process of divorce. Amazingly, Mark showed no bitterness over it. He still keeps in touch with his ex's kids (these kids aren't his, they were by a previous marriage by his ex-wife) and does what he can for him. He also has a mom who has been a royal nuisance for him and yet he strives to be a good loving son. He strives to do a good job at work and yet has been dissed more than a few times. Still, with all these things, Mark doesn't let himself get down. If it were me, I'd found it really hard to pick myself up after so many personal disasters but Mark carries on. I can't help but feel he is a stronger person than I am.

It seemed like Mark got dealt some really bad cards in the game of life. I felt it wasn't fair for him. He deserved some breaks. So it was with delight that I heard today about Mark's promotion. I think he'll make a great Master Sergeant and continue to be a credit to the Air Force. He is definitely someone the Air Force should keep. The Air Force needs all the good people they can get. Sadly, I won't get to pin Mark's new stripes on (tradition has it that you have to give the stripes a good punch so they won't fall off) as I don't live in the Miami area and there is no way I could travel down there for the ceremony. Instead, I'll just have to raise a toast to my good friend and wish him the best of fortune in his next two years in the Air Force (for retirement purposes, a person who achieves the rank of Master Sergeant must remain in that rank for two years for it to count toward his/her retirement pay).

This blog entry is my way of thanking him for being a good friend and congratulating him on his promotion. He is a super person and he really deserves it. Well done Mark!

Lord of the Rings Collection

It looks like the eulogy for the United Cutlery Lord of the Rings collection was too soon. To my delight, I read on the Ultimate Collectors Forum (formerly United Cutlery Forum) that United Cutlery has 5 items that they are planning to release sometime in the future. Kit Rae, a product design director at United Cutlery said in the forum that United Cutlery has some really nice stuff in the works. Unfortunately, he couldn't say what specific items United Cutlery plans to make. I could think of a few things like scabbards for the Boromir, Eowyn, and Herugrim swords. I don't know if they'll make Gimli's bearded axe as the axes supposedly didn't sell well. Mr. Rae also said Guthwine, the sword that Eomer uses, isn't in the works. United Cutlery feels there isn't the interest right now for another Rohirrim sword. Bummer as I'd buy that one. A scabbard for Hadhafang would be nice. Also, it would be great if they made Aeglos, the spear of Gil-galad, the last High King of the Elves (another item I'd like to have). I'll be interested to see what United Cutlery decides to make. Barring the ideas I've mentioned, I'm at a loss as to what other items they could make (Aragorn's crown would be nice but the Noble Collection already has a copy of that out). I'll just have to wait and see and dream.

Medieval Times Update

I got to work on inventory yesterday. I don't know how often they have to do inventory at the castle but I discovered yesterday it can be quite a job. I had to count all the dinner plates (over 2,000 of them!), soup bowls (over 1,350 of those), mugs (over 1,300 of those), coffee cups, dessert plates, booster seats, and bus trays. It ended up being a very tiring and tedious job. I was very glad when I finished. I'm thankful we don't have silverware (they didn't have that back in the 11th century thankfully!). I'd hate it if I had to count hundreds of forks, spoons, and knives.

I also had to say good-bye to a co-worker. He'd decided it was time to move on and gave his notice two weeks ago. I think he was very frustrated at the castle and truthfully, the castle was frustrated with him. He was not well liked and a lot of that was his doing. He would stare at the girls that worked at the castle which creeped them out. He also would blow off things he was supposed to do work wise. This would piss off the rest of us as we then had to pick up his slack. Still, he'd been kind to me and I was saddened to see him go. I hope things work out for him.

This Friday, I'll start my new part-time job at SHARE. This promises to create new challenges for me as I will now have to juggle my job at Medieval Times and my job at SHARE. I've never had to deal with that before. It also promises to cause long work days (13 to 14 hours). I'm also going to have to deal with trying to get to my two jobs via the traffic on Interstate-295. I'm not looking forward to that. Still, I hope it'll work out. We'll see.

Book Review

Last week, I had to read the novelette The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West. West tells the story of three women who love one man who returns from the front (World War I) suffering from shell shock. Each of the women deal differently with the situation. The man's wife (Kitty) turns out to be a self-centered narcisstic beauty who only cares about making sure her rich lifestyle remains secure. The second woman (Jenny) is a cousin who was a childhood playmate and whom the man supports through the business he runs. She is less concerned about her circumstances and more concerned that he be healed. The third woman (Margaret) turns out to be the woman the man loved and lost. She will suffer the most and have to sacrifice the most in order for the man (Chris) to be healed. Chris believes it is fifteen years earlier and he is in love again with Margaret. He has no recollection of his wife and finds it painful to meet her. Kitty and Jenny find a doctor who discovers a way to heal Chris of shell shock but the healing will come with a price. The happiness that Chris knows with Margaret will be lost and Chris will have to return to the fighting in France. By bringing Chris back to reality, the women may be dooming him to death. Ultimately, it is Margaret who makes the fateful decision and sacrifices the love between her and Chris so he might be healed.

I found the novelette very touching. It also showed that there are other casualties besides the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines that fight the battles. Those who love them and have to deal with them when they come home from the fight also have to deal with what has happened to their loved one. It can be very traumatic as the novel shows. The novel also touches on the topic of rich people. It shows how vain and self-centered they can be. I found myself thoroughly disgusted by the character Kitty who showed so little feeling for others and didn't hesitate to hurt others if she wished to.

Overall, I'd definitely recommend this novelette. It be a bit dated as it deals with World War I but it is still a very touching story. Also, at 90 pages, it is a very easy read. You'll most likely find the novelette either at the library and at various on-line bookstores. I doubt you'll be able to find it at most regular bookstores due to how old the novel is. Cost wise, the list price on my edition was $10.95 which I thought expensive for such a short novel. Still, it is a very touching story. Because of the cost, you might want to borrow it from the library. Cheers!

Petition to make The Hobbit

There is a petition drive going on with the purpose of encouraging Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists and New Line Cinema to do a deal so The Hobbit can be made into a live action film. The reason these two studios have to do a deal is because MGM/UA owns the distribution rights to any version of The Hobbit that is made. Conversely, New Line owns the rights to make a film version of The Hobbit. I have no idea how Hollywood came up with such a mess. To make matters worse, Sony Corporation acquired MGM/UA and Peter Jackson filed a lawsuit against New Line Cinema. Still, Jackson has said he's willing to make The Hobbit and if enough fans press the studios to do a deal then, we may see it done before we're old and crochety. The petition has over 34,000 signatures so far. If you'd like to add your name to the list, the petition can be found at http://www.petitiononline.com/hobfilm. The webpage also supplies names and addresses of the studio execs that you can write to urging them to do a deal. I normally don't write studio executives but, I plan to in this case. I really want to see Jackson make a live version of The Hobbit. As a confirmed Middle-Earth junkie, the Lord of the Rings films simply aren't enough. Plus, time spares no one and I very much want to see Sir Ian McKellen play Gandalf and Hugo Weaving play Elrond again. I have doubts about Sir Ian Holm playing Bilbo. Sir Ian was a fantastic older Bilbo but, I have doubts as to how well he can play a younger version. I would welcome any comments from you on this. Cheers!

Movie Review

Years ago, I got to watch an animated version of The Hobbit on tv. Normally, television animation can be pretty pathetic. The Hobbit was an extraordinary exception. It was superbly done. The cartoon scenes have great depth and wonderful color. Even more extraordinary, the cartoon was done before all the fancy computer wizardry came about. I suspect many of the cartoon cells had to be drawn by hand.

It regards to the story, it really brought the characters of Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf, and the dwarves to life. Some of the actors they used for the voices of the characters were superb. Richard Boone gives a fantastic voice to Smaug. After watching the Lord of the Rings movies, I couldn't imagine anyone else's voice for Gandalf but Sir Ian McKellen's. In The Hobbit, John Huston supplies the voice for Gandalf and does an outstanding job. Brother Theodore provides the voice for Gollum and gives Andy Serkis a run for his money. To add further delight, the cartoon movie incorporates a number of wonderful songs in the movie. The whole combines to make a classic of animation.

The only complaint I would have with the movie is that it is only 77 minutes long. For a Middle-Earth junkie, that isn't long enough. I want another five, ten, fifteen minutes of such wonder. Considering what they had to do to produce the movie, I can understand why it is so short. Still, I sorely wish it were longer. More so, since this is likely to be the definitive movie version of The Hobbit for some time. (I'll post a separate post about a petition effort to get the various studios to do a deal so they can make an acted version.)

If you're a big Lord of the Rings fan, this movie is a must. It is the best version of The Hobbit on the market right now. The movie also helps explain things so many things pertinent to the Lord of the Rings. How did Bilbo get the ring from Gollum? Where did he get Sting? Where did Gandalf get Glamdring? How did Bilbo end up meeting Elrond? How did Bilbo get the idea of writing his book about his adventures? All of these questions are answered in The Hobbit. If you're not a big Lord of the Rings fan but, you like outstanding animation, this movie is also for you. The colors are superb and the scenes have great depth. The movie has some of the finest animation you'll see out there. It is truly a credit to Rankin Bass who made the movie.

I would definitely recommend you see this movie. Some people may not realize that such a movie was made. It was released in 1978! It is hard to imagine that it has been out so long. If you wish to buy it (I plan to), it should cost you around $13 though you may be able to buy it for less. To me, that is cheap considering what you're getting. Lastly, if you would like to help bring about a live acted version of the movie, please see my post following this one. As much as I enjoyed this movie, I very much would like to see Peter Jackson make his version. Jackson definitely has the vision and the Lord of the Rings movies simply aren't enough. I want to see more of Middle-Earth. Cheers!

Sam Adam's Boston Lager

To my embarrassment, I had to buy a second six-pack of Samuel Adam's Boston Lager because I forgot to write down my impressions during the first one. Please also note, I'm not any kind of expert on beer.

In regards to Adam's signature Boston Lager, I can't say I like it that much. Unlike their Black Lager, it doesn't have a clean finish. I also think it has a harsh taste to it. I would prefer the Black Lager compared to the Boston Lager. Alcohol wise, at 4.9% it isn't super potent (not that that matters to me, my goal when I drink isn't to get drunk). I just enjoy trying different beers and ales. I particularly enjoy drinking ales because of the historic connection ales have (they were served in the Middle Ages).

Overall, this is one brew by Samuel Adams that I'll pass on. I just wasn't terribly impressed with it. Still, you might have different tastes. From what I've seen. Samuel Adams makes some fine beers and ales. You might want to give it a try. Cheers!

Tom T. Hall

I was recording some music to my computer today. Two of the CDs I recorded were Tom T. Hall's Greatest Hits I and II. It was my Dad that got me interested in Tom T. Hall. My Dad is a big country music fan. He also likes to play the guitar and Tom T. Hall is a great guitar player. I found I liked Hall because of the nice ballads he penned. You can laugh at his song Ballad of Forty Dollars or feel the pain in That's How I Got To Memphis. I also like his song Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine. It's a beautiful ballad that reminds us what really matters in our rushed lives. You can also feel some of sadness in Homecoming where he tells of a trip home to see his Dad. He hadn't been home in a long while and the homecoming isn't an easy one. If you like beautiful and smooth country ballads, you might want to give Tom T. Hall a try. He is a great country artist and one I'd highly recommend.

Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi

I read in the news today that U.S. military forces in Iraq killed Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi. I'm glad the slime bag is dead. I feel he was a misguided fanatic who actually hurt the people he thought he was helping. In terms of the impact on the war on terror, it'll provide a little moral boost to those that are fighting the war. I doubt however that'll much impact on those he lead. We'll have to keep on hitting these fanatics and make it quite clear that we intend to fight the war on terror for the long haul. One of the big differences between the West and these fanatics is they have a very different sense of time. I remember going to a course that helped explain Middle Eastern culture. A speaker told us of a person she knew. Her friend told her of all these horrible things that were done to his family. It sounded like it had just recently happened. The speaker asked her friend when this was done. He answered honestly that it was THREE CENTURIES AGO! These fanatics undoubtedly believe that they can outwait us and given our sense of time, they could be right to our misfortune. I suspect that the war on terror will be like the Cold War. It is going to be a long hard slog. We'll see if the American people have the courage and persistence to win this war like they did the Cold War.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

I watched Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events today. I haven't read the books associated with the movie so I can't say how the movie compares to the books. I thought Jim Carrey did a nice job of playing the evil Count Olaf. Also, I liked the people who played the Baudelaire children. I thought some of the other characters very strange in the movie. I think there were also some interesting scenes such as when the kids figure out to save themselves from a train and a house that is disintegrating all around them. The kids would've done the tv hero MacGyver proud. Those were the parts I think I enjoyed most.

Overall, I wasn't very impressed with the movie. I'm definitely glad I didn't bother to try to see it at the movie theater when it first came out. I do feel it is a family movie or one for kids though it does carry a PG rating. I would rate the movie as so-so and definitely not worth buying. I don't know if there are any plans to make any more movies from this series. If there are, I hope they do a better job next time. For this movie, I'd say if you don't have anything better to watch rent it otherwise, I'd recommend you pass on this one. It's definitely not one to write home about.

Book Review

I had to read Virginia Woolf's To The Lighthouse for my college class. I was looking forward to the book as I thought Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway a nice read. I can't say the same for To The Lighthouse. Initially, I found the novel very nice. It tells of the Ramsey family and their vacation by the sea. The Ramsey family is an interesting family with a father who is a famous philosopher, a mother who has a heart of gold, and eight children. We learn about them and friends who are staying with them. Then, Woolf takes us forward 10 years. We learn Mrs. Ramsey died unexpectedly. Andrew, the eldest son, dies in World War I in France. Prue, the eldest daughter, marries and dies of a disease associated with childbirth. Some of the family friends end up having disastrous marriages while others find success in their careers. It was this second part that really saddened me. I felt it was reflective of life and it may have hit a little close to home. It caused me to remember sadly how things turned out for a cousin and a childhood friend. I suspect Woolf was trying to be realistic about life but, I don't care to read about such realism. I know first hand the boy doesn't always get the girl and we all don't live happily ever after. I don't need a novel to tell me this.

Overall, I feel Woolf did a great job of writing in the streams of conscousness style but I can't recommend the novel. Perhaps most of your memories are more cheerful than mine but for me, the novel reminded me of too many stories that went bad. If you want to read a nice cheerful Woolf novel, I'd recommend Mrs. Dalloway. To me, To The Lighthouse starts off nice but left me feeling sad at the end. I definitely wouldn't recommend this novel.

What I've Been Up To - Part II

The summer semester started this past Tuesday. I checked out the syllabus for the class I'll be taking and feel pretty confident about the class (English 358 - 20th Century British Women Authors). I should do well in the class though there promises to be lots of reading (aargh!). The writing assignments aren't that bad and knock on wood, I'll get them in on time. We'll see.

I also had a great chat with my friend Harvey. Sadly, it looks like he won't be going on the trip to Russia he was planning on. He feels he fell too far behind on the repertory for his barbershop organization and it would take to much time to catch up. Also, he's been stressing about catching up which has taken away from the fun of it. If he drops the Russia trip, he can take his time and enjoy it. I thought it sounded like a good idea though I'm sorry he won't get to go to Russia. It sounded like it was going to be a nice trip.

I talked with Harvey about some other potential trips. I haven't seen him in a while and I have an Amtrak voucher for $53 which I have to use by mid-August. Originally, I planned to use the voucher on a trip to Pittsburgh but I found out it would take me over 7 hours to get to Pittsburgh via Amtrak. I can drive there in less than 5 hours. I thought that really stunk and hung up the idea of using Amtrak for the trip. So what was I going to use the voucher for? Why not use it to travel down to Richmond and see Harvey. That would be lots of fun (he's a really nice person to go places with). So I told him my idea and he said he'd see what we could do if I came down for a visit.

I also asked if he'd be interested in a short adventure to Pittsburgh. I know Pittsburgh doesn't sound like the most exciting place but, I have a lot of childhood memories of the place. I remember riding a paddle-wheeler boat that did boat rides there. I remember riding one of the incline rails to the top of Mount Washington. I remember my mom taking me and my sister to what remains of Fort Pitt. There are so many memories. It would be neat to spend a few days there and I don't think it would be super expensive. I asked Harvey if he'd be interested in going. I could drive and he could navigate (we went to Colonial Williamsburg that way and it worked out fine). He said he was game so hopefully sometime this summer, we'll drive up to Pittsburgh. It should be a fun trip.

In regards to the Globus Scandanavia tour, I hope to do that next year with Harvey but it all depends on the job situation. If I can get the Post Office job, I should make enough to go. The only problem I see is that I might have to quit my job with Medieval Times. There is no way, they are going to let me not work for 2 and a half weeks. We'll see what happens.

That's all to tell for now. Life is still very uncertain for me. I wonder if my life in the Air Force was a fluke in that way. It was so much more stable then. Now, I have to deal with the common worries of keeping my job and trying to find a better one. I have to prioritize things money wise and make choices of what I buy and what I don't. I can't have everything I want (within reason) anymore. I've had to place a lot more trust and hope in God. I wonder if that is why I'm going through this. I wonder if it is to teach me to more grateful for the things I have. I get down about my situation but God then shows me of others who have it worse. I count my blessings then. We'll see what ends up happening. God willing, I'll pass the college class I'm taking, I'll get the Post Office job, I'll get to see Harvey in Richmond, and I'll get to visit Pittsburgh. It could end up being a fun summer. We'll see.

What I've Been Up To

I've been busy with work and studying bible doctrine mostly. Work wise, I survived my 90-day probationary period with Medieval Times to my great relief. As I mentioned previously, I was very much shaken when the maintenance guy got fired and I had to escort him off the premises. They hired a new maintenance guy who I think will be a better fit for the castle. He has a really good attitude and gets along well with the Operations Manager.

The customers continue to be a great challenge. It's not my job to sell the show but, I do my best to sell it to people who walk into the castle. I see every person who walks in as a potential customer and, I think we have to try to interest them if we can. Filling the seats for each show is a never ending challenge and if I can help in that way, I feel I should do what I can. I think sometimes I've succeeded where other times, I've failed. I suspect that is how it is when you're selling a product. You won't hit 1,000 percent but you need to keep trying and keep working on your sales pitch tailoring it to the customer. Selling the show and dinner is definitely a real challenge.

On other potential jobs, I continue to wait anxiously for news of possibly getting a job with the Post Office. I called the Postmaster I interviewed with and he said he'd checked on my application. Supposedly, they're doing a background check on me. I have no idea how long their check will take. I hope it won't take much longer. I'd really like to get hired on with them.

I received some surprise news from a friend at SHARE. He wants to pursue trying to get a job in IT and plans to go part-time with SHARE. He asked if I'd be interested in working there. I said absolutely. One of the first places I looked at when I was transitioning from military to civilian life was SHARE. I thought I had a chance of getting hired on then but, it turned out there weren't any openings. I lost heart of getting hired on with them. Because it's such a great organization and worthy cause, I continued to help out there as a volunteer. I also (as all of you know) continued to promote it on my blog and to anyone who had questions about it. Now to my surprise, it looks like I will get to work there after all. I look forward to it and the new challenges that will come with the job.

Apart from the job situation, I finally got myself back to the bible doctrine tapes. I've been a really sorry Christian the last few months. I haven't been going to church and I wasn't listening to any teaching. I can be that way at times. I've also been enjoying the girlie pictures (all legal) too. I knew I needed to get back to the doctrine but wasn't in any great hurry. Finally, I did get myself back to it and I think I've been blessed because of it. I remember one day, I listened to 3 hours of it then went to work. Originally, I was scheduled for 31 hours which didn't please me but that's how it goes sometimes. To my surprise, my boss found out he'd gotten the date wrong on a wedding he was supposed to go to. He put me down to cover for him and that raised my hours to 37. I was delighted and gave thanks to God.

Samuel Adams Black Lager

I recently tried a six-pack of Samuel Adams Black Lager. I thought it had a bit of a yeasty taste to it though it did finish clean. Overall, it is a nice lager though a bit more potent than your standard lagers. It's alcohol content is 4.9%. Price wise, you can buy it or a number of other Samuel Adams brews at $6.99 for a six-pack at Corridor Wine and Spirits (http://www.wineaccess.com/store/corridorwine). Corridor Wine and Spirits carry a good selection of beers and ales as well as affordable wines. If you live near one of their stores, you might want to give them a look. Cheers!

Movie Review

I went to Blockbuster Video Friday to see if I could rent the Lemony Snickets movie and ended up renting that and the Disney cartoon movie The Black Cauldron. This review is on The Black Cauldron.

I found the animation in The Black Cauldron very well done. I also found that the story moved along well and Disney did a good job quicking informing the watcher on background that causes the conflict in the movie i.e. the Horned King and his search for the Black Cauldron. The movie had its funny moments i.e. when our heroes had to deal with the wacky evil witches. The movie also sends a nice message i.e. the importance of friendship. My only complaint with the movie is I thought it was too short. The movie lasts just 80 minutes. It has to be one of the shortest movies I've watched in some time.

Overall, the cartoon movie is very nice and would be excellent for kids. Adults may not care for it as it isn't particularly deep. I think Disney intended the movie for kids. My complaint of its shortness would be a plus with kids as kids won't get bored with this movie. The movie also sends a good message for them and doesn't contain any nudity or foul language (a serious departure from so many movies now a days). It is one I'd definitely recommend parents buy for their children. As far as adults go, I think most would pass on it unless they are something of a kid at heart. I know I am. I very much enjoy children classics such as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Jungle Book (bear necessities, oh simple bear necessities, those are the worries of life). If you're looking for a good wholesome movie for kids, you can't go wrong with The Black Cauldron.