Friday, November 12, 2010

Clearing the way

One of the side affects of being unemployed is having time on your hands. I've spent mine looking at the "stuff" in my life and how much of it I/we don't need.

I took one large step today to declutter and and let go of the past. I've finally realized it's the only way to move forward.

DAG

More later

Saturday, October 16, 2010

"Stuff"

Shopping for a birthday gift for a friend of JLPTG's today. I decided that the reason we, as in most Americans, have SO much stuff is because we have SO many choices. Why do we feel the need to "have one in every color"?

Was it Henry Ford that said you can have any color you want as long as it's black.

What happened to raising three kids in a house with one, maybe two, bathrooms? Today families want a bedroom and bath for each child. Why?

And is this overindulgence leading to children that turn into adults that think they are entitled to it all without working for it?

Just some thoughts from the road.

More later.
DAG

Monday, September 20, 2010

OK - it's not style that's missing...but something else is.

I've had some time to think about my last post and a few folks have emailed me.  It's not style that's missing.  It's the willingness to give a rats ass about the way one looks.

There is plenty of style out there - look at the Blog's we all read (I won't name them - you know who they are).

I have style - everyone has style.  It just depends on your life I guess as to the type of style you have.

Now to the thing that's missing -

My job!

I was told today they are eliminating my position.  Its' kind of strange because I'll be hanging around here several more weeks while things are transitioned to other worker bees.

So if anyone out there knows of something in customer service or a sales support type of thing keep me in mind.  Not that any of you know me or the work I do.  A stay at home internet type of thing would be great.

I've been thinking of being a Virtual Assistant.  I'm pretty good with technology.  We'll see.  It's all kind of settling in.

More later...

DAG

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

What has happened to style?

OK - I admit I'm not as in tune with the style world as ADG or Chris.  But I try to dress nicely and always have clean cloths on when I go out of the house.

I do NOT wear sweats/workout gear out in public with two exceptions:
1 - I'm actually going to or from the gym or the running/walking trail
and
B - I'm taking the dog out early in the morning or late at night.

Even on weekends I "dress up" as some would say.  Usually it's a polo shirt from the Brothers Brooks or and actual Polo from Ralph and if the weather is warm shorts and if not trousers of khaki persuasion.  I rarely wear jeans - just a personal choice nothing against denim.  Yes, I do yard work and what not around the house in them.  The pants may be frayed around the edges but still quite presentable and usable.

Over the last few days I've seen several people wearing what looks like sleeping togs out and about.  A few I'm hoping have just been to the gym or are on their way from it.

Example: (I wish I dared take pictures)
Middle aged woman - hair in a pony tail with a sweat band around her head that just happen to be the same cloth as the VERY tight VERY short shorts she was wearing and a T-shirt.  If it was not for the fact that it was around 1:30pm (I take late lunch) and the overpowering smell of Chanel No. 5, I would have said she was going to or coming from the gym.  It was the grocery store! To be specific it was a Wegmans.  You can get everything but the kitchen sink and when they had the home improvement chain you could buy that too.

Another was a pregnant woman.  Now I understand that being pregnant can be very uncomfortable and the clothing choices are limited but come on....  We were shopping for a Bat Mitzvah gift for a friend of JLPTG's when across the parking lot plodded this woman in flannel pants, T-shirt and I'm pretty sure they were not Belgians but actual slippers. Belly hanging out under the T-shirt. I looked at my wife and asked if they no longer made maternity clothes - she said "Oh - don't get me started."

OK - so enough of the ranting and those aren't very good examples but my point is that one can go out in public, be comfortable and look good.  Clothes don't have to be expensive be nice.  One of my best polo shirts came from the second had store - butter colored Brooks Brothers and cost  me all of $4.99.


Wait for the end of season sales or look for deals online.  Everyone can take some hints from our man G to look good and not spend a lot.

More later

DAG

Saturday, July 31, 2010

On this day in history...

On July 31, 1964, the American space probe Ranger 7 transmitted pictures of the moon's surface.

On July 31, 1919, Primo Levi, the Italian writer and chemist whose work was influenced by his captivity at Auschwitz, was born. Following his death on April 11, 1987, his obituary appeared in The Times.

1914 The New York Stock Exchange closed due to the outbreak of World War I. (Trading didn't resume until December.)

On July 31, 1880, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the presidential election of 1880.

(The above are from The New York Times) 

...and I was born. If memory serves sometime around 7:30ish pm..I think..maybe not but that's not important.

Festivities started Thursday (I actually took a few days off) with a hike through one of the gorges in the Finger Lakes area of New York  - I'll put up more in another post.  It's amazing what 12,000 years of erosion can do.



I wonder what it looked like 6000 years ago when the native americans were living there?

Friday was a run around/relax/do-next-to-nothing day...that evening we went to the track.  Harness racing's not far away.



Always a good time. It happen to be fan appreciation night - that means $1 hot dogs and draft beer. 

Saturday we kind of slept in, not on purpose but you know - sometimes it happens.  We actually intended to get up a little early, go to our regular Saturday diner for breakfast (don't you love it when they know your name) and get on the road to our entertainment of choice because it was a few hours away.  Well - it just didn't happen and we ended up leaving a few hours later than we wanted.  But it was Saturday and my birthday - so who cares.  We ended up going to Sterling NY to the Renaissance Festival.

It was Highlander weekend.  JLPTG and I rented costumes and had a great time Mrs G decided not to go the costume route - still not sure why.


She was selling some kind of head thing - I don't know ask Mrs G and JLPTG.


The "Pirate Show".  They make young women walk the plank and a few other things that make them get in the water - oh, they did get the big muscle guy wet too.  Equal opportunity!

The highland game - men in kilts throwing big sticks!


This kid just couldn't get control of his big stick.  He was only 14 but he tried very hard.

I know - don't get all over me - it's not a big stick it's a caber.




Puppet show - I never got to see the show but the person that did them was in several of the processionals with the Queen.


Here's the puppet guy - I didn't get a shot of the other side.  There are legs hanging down so he looks like he's riding side saddle.

OK - so see the guy on the left with the red kilt and white shirt - take about 25lbs off him, put him in a long sleeve Jacobean style shirt and you would have me. I also had a fly cloth (the piece of cloth that goes over your shoulder and matches the kilt - like a sash)


The front of my kilt. We were sitting on the grass for the highland games.  It's not my actual tartan - it was a rental.

And for those that wonder "it's a kilt, if I was wearing anything under it, it would be a skirt."

...more later

DAG

Monday, July 26, 2010

What's a girl to do?

So we've hit the "in between years".  It seems that, in our area, 13 is the magic number when a child is no longer a child.  But she's also not an adult, not even close.  JLPTG isn't comfortable staying home by herself.  I can't blame her really and part of that is my (and Mrs Kits) fault. Since she's our one and only, she was always with us.  Not for any particular reason other than we have always enjoyed the company of our own child.  We never really had a reason to get a "baby sitter" because a family member was always at the ready and more than happy to have her as company for the evening.

We live where the homes are not that close and we have NO other children in our neighborhood.  The closest  child is about 1/4 mile down the hill.  If something was to happen, well lets just say we can make as much noise as we like and no one can hear us. She just doesn't like being alone. And she won't even think of being alone at Gramma's (the "ancestral manse" sits on 50Ac).

So back to 13.  Being 13 means she has aged out of all the "organized" summer long programs.  So whats a kid to do for 10 weeks?

Week 1 - Tennis Camp
Week 2 - More Tennis Camp
Week 3 - Archeology Camp (yes she went on an actual dig - she was thrilled)
Week 4 - Art Camp - Local place that does clay (both thrown and molded), tie-dye, splatter painting and fused glass.
Week 5 - well this was suppose to be our week for vacation but I think I'll leave that for another post
Week 6 - Jr Biologist Camp at the local Zoo - 1/2 day of classroom education and the other 1/2 with zookeepers - I think there will be poop scooping involved here (oh it's good for her).

And the other 4 weeks?  Well - we think Gramma will be back from her month long trek around the east coast of Canada and she'll be at the "ancestral manse" ready for some private time with her only granddaughter.

I'm sure there will be some trips to friends houses to break up the time.

I don't remember being this busy.  I stayed mostly with Gramm (when she lived at the "ancestral manse" and yes - we mostly called her gramm) and when I was older I just stayed home.  But it was a different time and I could jump on my bike and ride the three miles to the local market to buy soda and candy.  Kids can't do that today and that's sad.

Well - this post has nothing to do with anything other than life is busy...for everyone...period!

More later
DAG

Monday, July 12, 2010

UP!

Does anyone ever take the time to stop and look up  or just around for that matter.  I decided some time ago that even though I didn't have a camera with me most of the time I did have my phone with me ALL the time.  (I'm getting better at not doing that too.)  The pics that follow are from places I've been taken mostly from my car with my iPhone. Quality isn't great but that's not the point. The point is to capture the moment to remember.



The harbor from vacation last summer (Rockport, MA)




Just the road and some clouds - some road in western NY.








Rainy fall day on the way to the "ancestral" manse where my mother still lives.


Driveway to the "ancestral" manse.  I love this shot!


The rest are all sky shots - some taken from my front yard, some from parking lots, some are recent and some are from last winter.  Enjoy.





The last few are from the front 40 of the manse - my manse.

More later

DAG

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Fourth

Happy Fourth of July

I'll be back soon

DAG

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Monday, April 12, 2010

Well - it seems I've been neglecting the blog world, other than peeking in at my regular haunts.

I have today off and thought I would catch up a bit.

 I had taken a few pics of my purple day at the office.  I had training to do and thought I'd do something a little different.  I usually wear purple with a black suit.  Today I wore navy blue pin strip suit.  The same suit as a previous post.  Purple argyle with black shoes - I don't remember where I got the shoes, but they were made in Italy.


Since part of the sock is a blue/purple I figured a blue shirt would be OK and picked out one of my favorite purple ties.



So what to wear for cuff links - I thought about the same gold pair then remembered I had a pair with some blue in them.


The blue is actually much lighter - it's closer to a Tiffany's blue but it came out darker.  OK - I'm rather proud of these - notice it's the presidential seal?  I didn't wear my jacket during training because the room can get rather warm.  I don't usually do that but...well I just did.  Not a single soul asked about the cuff links!

I know - how could they not?  I figured I'd share them with you all.  This pair is from the White House.  No you can't buy them at the gift shop - they do sell cuff link and I'll go into that in a moment.  This pair was from my cousin who worked at the white House during the G.W. Bush term (number 43).  She was Special Assistant to the President.  I think for economical development - not sure.  Anyway, we visited her in Washington and had a tour of the West Wing (yes - the WEST WING) with her as our tour guide.  She had some great stories that really gave a human side to "Gee Doubaya".  As we were leaving she gave us some things to remember the trip - one was this pair of cuff links.  From what I understand, they are given to staff of the white house to give away.  The blue is the same color as the background of the carpet in the oval office - well, at least when GW was in office.  I don't know if it's still there with the new administration. 

There is a "gift shop" for the White House.  It's actually in the bottom of the administration building and is really a very small closet. But it has things they don't sell in "The White House Gift Shop" down the street.  The pair of links I bought there have a nave blue ring around the outside with a gold field.  I'll have to get a picture of them too to compare.

As long as we are talking about cuff links - the other pair I featured was a pair from either my father or grandfather.  I'm not sure which because I have the same pair from both of them.



It's hard to see, but there is a set of initials HDG.  The other side of the link has the initials KAG.  And each link is the same.  So you could wear them so each set of initials is facing out. OK that sounds confusing but I think you get what I mean.  They are 14k gold from Cartier.


So here's the story behind them - years ago when "Big Blue" (IBM) was still a major force in the business world they gave gifts to direct family members when they were hired.  My grandfather was an engineer there and when my father was hired they gave both of them a set of cuff links and a leather two suit suitcase.  That was when it was still expected that men wear a suit to work.  My mother received a gold compact and a leather train case.  I don't know what ever happened to her fathers cuff links.  Yes, I'm an IBM brat.  Most of my friends growing up were children of "zipper heads" as they were known.  IBM is no longer the company it once was but that's another story.

More later
DAG

Thursday, April 1, 2010

April Food Day



Drop some food off over here

Sorry for the absence lately - life sometimes gets in the way.

More later -
DAG

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Socks, Shirts, Ties oh my

Socks - I collect socks almost as much as I collect ties, shirts, boxer shorts and shoes.

The issue I have is I'm never really quite sure what to wear with what.  I kind of have a rebel side and would like to wear bright red socks with my blue pin stripe suit - just to throw people off.  Then my little self says "what would the boss say?"  Should I really care - well no, but I do.

So I was getting dressed this morning decided to wear said pin stripe suit (blue with white),a "banker" shirt (blue stripes with white collar and cuffs (french or double)

 (The cuff links are either my fathers or grandfathers.  I have the same pair from each of them.  They are small rectangles on each side.  One side with my fathers initials and the other side with my grandfathers initials.  I think I'll wait to post more on those later.)


and gold tie with small navy spots.


 (The shirt is originally from Bergdorf Goodman - but I got it at the thrift shop for $2.99.)

Then came to the socks.  Do I go with the safe black or navy or do I go a little over the top?  I really try to go with something that goes along with the tie, but today that wasn't possible for it seems the sock elves decided to take away my blue and gold argyle.

So I went with these - they don't match one thing I was wearing, well not that was visible anyway, but what the hell.



They are green, blue and tan argyle.  So what - and the boss didn't say anything.


More later -

DAG

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Happy St. Patricks Day

Today everyone is Irish!

Courtesy of karenswhimsy.com - public domain images

Work has been rather crazy as of late - will be back soon.

More later..
DAG



Monday, March 8, 2010

St Pat's Parade

I was planning on doing another jacket post.  But the combination of my camera and the lights in my office just really threw that out the window this time.  Once I get it sorted out I'll get back to the inventory.

For now - we tend to have our St. Patrick's Day parade early around here so we can get some of the better pipe bands in from the surrounding area.  So here's a pic blog of the day with some short explanations.

 
The crowd was pretty big this year. Thousands according to the local print media. 



 
  
Saw this guy right away.  Had no idea who he was at first - other than some college kid in green suit and by all appearances is naked under there.  Turns out to be "The Green Man" from a show called "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" . Maybe someone out there can shed some light - I've never heard of it.  He wasn't in the parade - just standing there with friends.





Local Celtic Kazoo band. Over 130 members playing Kazoo in parades during the "holy" season of St. Patrick's Day.






Look real close at the hooves - green and sparkly. 



One of several Irish Dancing groups.



 
Small group of Mummers.

There were many, many more groups, bands, trucks floats...this shindig started at 1:30pm.  We left at 3:30pm and it wasn't quite over yet.  You always know the end because it's fire truck after fire truck after fire truck...

I love the pipe bands.  I don't know why - there is something about the slightly haunting sound that draws me to them.

More later - 

DAG