December 25, 2010
Merry Christmas

Spending the holidays with family and friends; all is well. Planning on more of the same throughout the week, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Parents' 62nd anniversary is the 26th
Oh, and Terri gave me a bike....BMW 1200 RT

December 20, 2010
She's Real Fine My POS....................

Giddy up giddy up POS.............

Saw this specimen from the 60's sitting on the side of the road in Havelock Saturday morning. She's obviously already driven her current owner mad; the price tag is $8,000.00. Uh, say what? Added an extra zero there didn't you Billy Bob? Oh, mint condition, low mileage; well why didn't you say so? Any chance there are a couple of genuine Daytona Rolexes and a wad of $100 bills in the glove box? No? Then I'd say you probably have a couple of extra zeroes on the end of that price.

Funny how we romanticize our old cars; I thought the 68 LeMens; yes I spelled it that way intentionally, was a pretty car; still do, pretty lines, the famous Pontiac snout (you see kids, Pontiac was a GM line years ago, back before the government took them over.............), and a nice throaty 350 under the hood, which was in retrospect one of the best things about that car. That was a nice hood. Let me know if you want to know the LeMens story

Sorriest transmission ever made this side of a push-button Valiant/Dart; the two speed Slim Jim insured a smooth transition from too high to too low. Oh, and it leaked.

Nope, not on my Christmas list, and not unlike some women I know, still a pretty shape after all these years.

And so this is Christmas, a good week planned with family, in-laws and out-laws. We helped Jay finish his playground set yesterday and got home dog tired last last night. This is a slow time of the year so I'll try to finish my Marketing Plan 2011 this week; and my AHRI thesis next. In anticipation of this extra work I've already started packing on extra "energy pounds" or as I like to say, larding up for the grueling work schedule.

My thoughts are with those having a tough time right now.

Merry Christmas

December 10, 2010
It's Time To Turn.....

.........so you don't burn (joke courtesy of John-Boy and Billy), and turn I did, right off Highway 101 and to my sister-in-law's house. Luckily my brother will get to stay there some of the time if she gives him a key. The sign on the Methodist church was my reminder to turn......... Reminds me of something the pastor said at my uncle Dick's funeral; not really sure exactly what was said but from what I understand my uncle Elliot kindly invited him to leave or get his head bashed in..................................but as usual, I digress. Get the full story from Betty Ruth.

They have a nice house in Eastman's Creek and will enjoy it for many years.

Joy to the world! I was in Boston and New England last week, boy oh boy do the people talk funny up there. Had a little ballgame out in Foxboro that had all of them worked up; kept talking about killing the Jets, and from what I heard they did.

Beautiful flight from Boston into NYC, flew over Central Park, down the Hudson, turned at the Battery and up the East River. Looking down on the west side of the park I remembered 30 years ago hearing from Howard Cosell on Monday Night Football that John Lennon had been shot. 30 years; wonder what he would have done with that time? Wish I'd been sitting on the left side of the airplane so I could have taken some pictures, but you've probably seen New York City before.

While in Revere, MA I saw this establishment. I'm not sure what they're selling there but I'm a big fan.

Productive visits with lots of HVAC distributors; I think we did some good.

And I think I'm going to be in town for the rest of the year; other than a possible day trip or two. You'll find this hard to believe but I'm taking the Basic Motorcycle Rider course this weekend at Carteret Community College. 6:00PM-10:00 PM tonight, 8:00AM-6:00PM Saturday, and 8:00AM-6:00PM Sunday. Twenty-four hours! I think that's probably more classroom time than I accumulated at NCSU.

Y'all can keep a secret can't you? Don't tell my daddy. OK, my ten minutes are up; yes that's how long it takes to do a blog weekly, try it sometime.

December 3, 2010
Everybody Dance Now............

In Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina this past week. I enjoy making solo distributor calls and I made a bunch of them this week. Saw a little bit of snow and a whole lot of rain.

Which leads to the first question: Who is this lady and why is she so happy? Looks like she's ready to dance. Here's a hint: she is standing in front of her house on Mill Street..................Perhaps she'd just stepped in something?

And now the next question: Why isn't this guy smiling? He's got it all figured out now; how he's going to grow up and sell IAQ products to HVAC distributors and contractors. Got a cereal bowl haircut, his brother's hand-me-down clothes, and the world by the tail and doesn't even know it. By the way, we're still on Mill Street here.......

And a good picture of the Old Man taken today! Caught him in a good mood this afternoon at Crystal Bluffs; all dressed up in a red sweater and a navy sports coat and living large. It is good to see him laughing. He'd just told me he drove through Richmond yesterday..........

That's it from the right coast; going fishing in the morning and then off to Boston early Monday morning on a rare flight from Wilmington instead of New Bern.

November 28, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving

We had a great holiday with family, in-laws and outlaws. Pretty weather but not nice enough to try and find a few trout to take home. Maybe one more time before we put the toys up for the year...............

Our Sanford edition visited us from Friday through today; Jackson just started back to Hampden-Sydney; it's about 4.5 hours and he's using a GPS that works 50% of the time at best...........that Eagle Scout reckoning will be kicking in soon.

Sadly I lost a golfing buddy from Texas last weekend; Greg taught me a lot of new and innovative methods to improving my golf course cursing over the past decade; I'll miss him.

Off to Ohio tomorrow early AM

Well we were standing on a corner in Scottsdale Arizona.....
November 19, 2010

Such a fine sight to see; we tried to get to Winslow Arizona for the photo-op but ran out of time. Good, productive AHRI meeting (http://www.ahrinet.org/) and actually had some "action" in the Air Filter/UV Light section. That's a mouthful but I take a lot of pride in that section's work for our industry, as I am chairman, ahem...(brushing lapels with knuckles)
Here's the view from our hotel room at the Phoenician in Scottsdale. The mountain is Camelback, more from that later

On Sunday night we had T-bones outside (no, not here) at the historic Jokake Inn. Dinner featured the largest Tequila Bar in Arizona, the largest wine bar in Arizona, and a "Cosmo Corner." That's all I remember hearing about that evening although I'm told it was a lot of fun. JK, calm down..........you really have to learn to take a joke, and maybe a drink. That reminds me..........

OK, I'm back

The next morning Dr. Larry Sabato entertained us with his regular "I told you so" speech about the elections. He is always funny, but seemed a bit more subdued this year than in the past. Afterwards I asked Terri if she thought he is Democrat or Republican; she thinks Republican, what are your thoughts?

Then into a rental car (Rusty Wallace had it over the weekend! Really? You should call Rusty and tell him I have it today) and north to Seratoma, Sertoma, Sanoma, Sedona....something like that. Pretty scenery, kept going to Flagstaff and slightly beyond. We were within an hour of the Grand Canyon but didn't have time for it. The desert turned from red rock to forestry as we climbed north; very pretty and unlike Phoenix.

North of Flagstaff we visited Sunset Crater, a relatively new (less than 1,000 years old) volcano. Reminds me of flying over Mt. St. Helens; looks like the top blew off.

After my meetings and the chairman's lunch Tuesday we climbed Camelback Mountain. Well, we kind of climbed it; didn't make it to the top but got a good workout. Good picture below, in the lower left hand corner you can see part of The Phoenician, the green beyond that is the golf course. Top right are the Bluffs. Dinner that night featured a band, and yes, I took my wife dancing. And contrary to popular belief, I didn't start my evening at the historic Jokake Inn. We had a lot of fun...................or so I'm told.
Lastly I came home to see this old fellow having a good day Thursday. Sorry to say he doesn't have those kinds of days very often, but yesterday was a good one. Good to see him smiling and laughing.

Hampden-Sydney has a playoff game tomorrow at 12; Jackson isn't on the NCAA regulated squad roster for the game; but is one of the 10 alternates. We're going back and forth tomorrow, and then FO is fishing here Sunday. Going to be a busy weekend, and then in town for Thanksgiving week.

November 12, 2010
I been to Alabama................

Seems as though there is a song in there somewhere, but I can't remember where.

So I should begin by telling you that unlike Sherman we didn't burn our way across the South, we decided to eat our way. Outside Atlanta we found this eatery, very similar to Five Guys in quality, huge servings of fries, and extreme courtesy. Would you like a refill on that drink sir? Care for some more fries? Want to try one of our apple pie samples? They must be in cahoots with the cardiac center at WakeMed. Very fine, if you have the means I recommend it heartily

Business has been improving all year, but with a freshman in college it looks like we're having to do a few other things to improve cash flow around the house................a special thanks to TAR for going the extra mile! This from the hood in Atlanta; yes Jackson, Daddy works in bad neighborhoods. Unfortunately we had already eaten when we found this near a distributor in Mobile, AL. They were cooking pork over coals when we came by late in the afternoon; yes Jackson, Daddy works in bad neighborhoods.
No you're not, I am the Stig!

Last but not least, one of my favorite pictures of this couple; AND yes, the faces were cropped to protect the innocent even though the perpetrator was not innocent when caught doing this. He always makes me smile; know who this is?

Packing up tonight, leaving for the annual AHRI (www.ahrinet.org) meeting in Phoenix. Found out this week that I have to present our section's report to the board meeting Sunday morning. Staying at the Phoenician in Scottsdale, really helps make up for the Hindu hotels I have to stay in waaaaaaay too often. Hope TAR wants to go to Barrett-Jackson.