Sunday July 20, 2014

I've promised myself to post once a week to keep my writing skills up and to keep this blog active.

Unfortunately, there's really nothing much worth posting about.

Work has been absolutely routine this week.

Code Class

I've been taking the Building Inspection Level 1 Class that started the beginning of June. It runs to the end of July. It's held on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6 PM to 9 PM. I will also need to take the Building Inspection Law and Administration Class. Then I'll take the State exam.

The course is going well and I'm learning a lot. I understand the exam is along the lines of how quickly one can find rule references in a short amount of time. Supposedly there is about a minute and a half to answer each question. I'm looking forward to getting done with the class and taking the test.

Then the Level II and Level III classes and exams follow.

NCSU Football

The ACC Football Kick Off starts today. It's the annual coaches and press and ACC officials get together.

State went 3 and 9 last year. It was a dreadful season. Our, less than mediocre, quarterback got injured in the first game - along with a ton of other injuries. And the season went downhill from there.

The only place left to go is up. I'm hoping for a 6 and 6 record. Honestly, we could very likely end up between 4 and 8 and 5 and 7. Anything 6 and 6 or better will be a dramatic improvement.

We really did have a bad to mediocre team. Former Coach O'Brien really let us down.

Still, I'm looking forward to going to the games. It's a fun time to hang out with Chip, Weeble and Nuke.

NCSU Basketball

There was a short article in the newspaper last week about basketball. Odds and ends - an interview with Coach Gott.

One thing that came out was about BeeJay Anya. As a freshman Anya showed up last year way overweight from when he was recruited (recruited at 275). In Section 129, we affectionately refer to him as Yum Yum. He huffed and puffed his way up and down the court - and still lit up the place with slam dunks and some super blocks. Even with all his weight, you could tell he's one heck of a player and that's why Gott recruited him.

Anyway - Gott pointed out that Yum Yum was 340 (at least) last year. He is now down to around 320. And has a target to be around 280 when the season starts.

This kid has the potential to be a monster basketball player. With a year's experience and dropping almost 80 pounds - look to hear a lot about him once the basketball season starts.

Ship Clock

Had to take Dad's ship clock to the shop a while back. Got it back this week. Can't recite what was wrong with it but was told it was just a broken part due to age. I know what that's like.

Runs great.

Visited the Beach Again

Went back to the beach this weekend on the spur of the moment. Drove down to Southport after work Friday. Met up with 'the Boze' on Saturday for lunch and then we went to a bar on the waterway for a while - Nuke was wanting a Scotch. Then we picked up some beer (Nuke again) and sat on the porch of Dave's Beach Club and people watched and talked.

It was a great way to spend a summer Saturday. Just relaxing and chatting (and by chatting we mean listening to Nuke lecture - lol).

Went back to Southport - had a light dinner at the Marina restaurant.

Left about mid-morning Sunday to come back to Sanford. Got home just in time to watch the World Cup Final. Enjoyable game - but - I'm still not sure if futbol is a real sport or not.

That's about it - nothing else new to report.

July 4th, 2014

The wind actually did blow the chairs around and we put them in the garage.
Staged photo taken on a beautiful Friday morning after the storm moved through.

Hurricane formed off the coast this week and was to go close to Southport. So naturally, I went down to St. James for the weekend.

Actually had already planned to come down here and arrived Wednesday.

Thursday was rainy and stormy with wind gusts - but not really much more than a prolonged thunderstorm. Heavy downpours though - with each passing rain band. The hurricane eye passed by within 20 miles - but it was such a small and weak storm - even just 20 miles away - the winds went from 90 mph sustained to just 30 mph gusts.

Not that it's wise to go to the beach with a hurricane - its just that forecasting has gotten so good that it was obvious it was going to be a non-event storm.

We had lunch with Boseman yesterday. Went over to the beach today and we got pizza and a sandwich. Just hanging out today and watching a little TV. We were going to grill out steaks but we really weren't hungry so we just ended up doing nothing.

Might go back to Sandford tomorrow - have grass to cut and chores to do.

May also add to this entry as the weekend goes on.

Sunday June 29, 2014

Gosh - my life must be boring.

I have nothing of note to report.

Other than going to work, coming home, eating, sleeping and then going back to work - the only thing out of the ordinary is -

• Had a dentist check up this past week - A-OK
• Taking a Building Inspection Level I course at Wake Tech

The course is relatively straight-forward. The test I am worried about. It's a 'how fast can you find it in the code book" type of test. Not so much knowledge, but how quickly you can navigate through the books. How can you memorize where it is - vs. what you know / learn.

This Level 1 course is the first step. Eventually I want to get my Level 3 certifications in both Building and Fire Protection.

The course is long however. Monday and Wednesday nights from 6 to 9 for 10 weeks - 60 hours.

Other than that - I saw a buck and a deer at the back deck steps in the last hour. They both looked young and smallish. The stag only had 2 points on each antler. I don't know how that is counted - as a 2 point or 4 point. Anyway - they were eating the clover in the back grass just beyond the deck.

That's bout it. Life is kind of steady - and boring.

June 15, 2014

Obviously I haven't posted in a while.

Just sort of quit. But - I'm going to try and do a post each week. It's good practice and keeps the mind working. Even if no one reads this blog.

US Open

Ward and Hazel came up this week to go to the US Open for a day.

I don't golf, but I certainly appreciate golf course design. I like the retro Pinehurst No. 2. I think the natural look is much more appealing and, frankly, pretty.

Talking with W&H, I think the next time the Open comes to Pinehurst, I'll go. But - I'll go on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday practice day. Much less crowds and a chance to get closer to the players. Then, come back and watch the actual tournament on TV. In the air conditioned house.

Wolfpack Sports

Well, it's the summer season. However, football is only about 10 weeks away. The way to early predictions are already out and State is probably a 5 win team. If we win 6 - we go to a bottom tier bowl game with the all important extra practices.

Still, no matter how you look at it, TO'B left State football in about as bad a shape as possible. Even worse then when CtheC was let go and TOB took over an abysmal team. Even worse.

Hard to believe.

Hopefully Coach Doeren is the turn around guy. He's really having to rebuild from the ground up. It won't be until next year to have even a possibility of hope for a decent team. Three years recruiting is the absolute minimum needed to start seeing results.

Basketball? Who knows what this fall's team will look like. Probably middle of the road with another squeak into the NCAA finish. I'd like to see us turn the corner and play better, and more consistently.

Work

Work is good. Very busy and we're finally fully seeing construction come out of the Great Recession.

Happy Campers