Monday July 24, 1978

Today I woke up at 7:00 at breakfast when we decided to go to the Schilthorn. We went down to the Train Station and took the train down to Zweiluetschinen and then got on another jam packed train to Lauterbrunnen. Then from Lauterbrunnen we took a very steep Bergbahn to Grutschalp. We then took a train from Grutschalp to Murren. We then took a Luftseilbahn up to Birg. Then we changed and went on another Luftseilbahn. We finally got to the Schilthorn at 9:15. The Schilthorn 9,748 ft above sea level the place of the "James Bond Movie Her Majesty's Secret Service." The weather up there was not as good as it was at Jungfraujoch. But everyplace else was clear. I took a lot of photos. I don't think it's as good as Jungfraujoch. Maybe its warmer and more comfortable at Schilthorn. It's not as spectacular. The feeling of being up at 11,333 feet is great. When I compare both views from each one they are about the same. We then got down to Murren where we looked at the Alps and ate. The Alps were beautiful down in Murren. It's better than Grindelwald. We then went to Lauterbrunnen where we looked at the falls. We got back to Zweilutschinen and got back to Grindelwald. I then goofed around until we ate at 5:30. After that I played Monopoly with Andrew and Dad and I lost again! The standings are Dad 6-4, Me 8-14, Andrew 8-14. That's my 9th straight loss. Darn it! I went to bed at 9:15.

Tuesday July 25, 1978

Today I woke up at 8:00. I went to get bread and then I ate. We then goofed around until 9:30 when we went down to the train to Interlaken. When we finally got down to Interlaken we met Grossmutter and Grossvater and David and Kathi. They came here at 10:45. We then ate in Interlaken. We then hiked around Interlaken. We went to an ice cream shop. After that we went down to the train station at 1:00 and took a ship down lake Thun. It was a nice 2 hour ride to Thun. We got there by 4:00. We then went to get something to drink in Thun. We then took a train back to Interlaken Ost. We waved good bye. We got back to Grindelwald, we got back to Grindelwald. We got up to the apartment at 6:00. We then ate at 6:30. I then goofed around and then washed the dishes. I then took a bath at 8:00. After I finished my bath I goofed around and looked at the Hiking map. I goofed around and went to bed at 9:38.

Wednesday July 26, 1978

A month ago we were on the plane to Zurich. I woke up at 7:30 today and got bread with Dad. Mom and Andrew were still asleep when we ate breakfast. We then went down to the Firstbahn where the line there was a mile long. We finally got on the Firstbahn. We went through the stations Oberhaus, Bort, Egg. We hiked to First to Bachalpsee. In pictures of the place it has 100% water. When we were there it was about all ice. We then to a difficult hike. Coming down on one place was very dangerous the descent was steep and had a lot of slippery gravel. But we made it. It was even worse than the hike to Stieregg on Thursday July 20. We then went down through Allenfluh and went back to Grindelwald. Dad and I then went downtown. I got some colored matches and some film. I'm really spending a lot of money on photography. I then went up and goofed around until I ate at about 5:30. I then goofed around and set up the Monopoly game while Andrew and Dad washed the dishes. I won at last! Ending a nine game losing streak. I'm now confident of winning seeing that I have won for the first time since Monday the 17th. Dad and I plan to go to Kleine Schidegg by foot tomorrow or Friday. I went to bed at 8:30.

Thursday July 27, 1978

Today I woke up at 7:30 and got six gipfelis. I then ate. We then went on a rough hike across the face of the Eiger. The path had stairs and ladders but that was no problem. It was a beautiful hike. There were hardly any people on the path. We could have made it Alpigen in an hour and a half but we had to wait for slow mother. We drank some water from the glacier it was delicous. It really wasn't a hard hike but it looks like one. The beginning of the hike is hard and rough but after that it's easy as pie. When we got to down to Alpigen at 1:30 we went down to Grindelwald. We got down there by 2:30. We then wen to the Co-Op to get ice cream and Citro. We then went to the Sport Center and gome some posters. Their pretty cheap for 3 francs. Andrew got one of the Eiger. I got 2. One of the Schilthorn and one of the Jungfraujoch. I'm really spending money. I use to have 80 francs and now I have 50. I then went back up. I was really sweating. It's hot as anything. I then drunk Citro and took a nice nap. I got up at 5:15 when I ate. My legs and shoulders have been stiff all day. I then washed dished with Dad. I broke one glass. I then played Monopoly with Andrew and Dad. Andrew won again. Dad is now on Dad's third straight loss. I took a nice warm bath but my legs and shoulders are still stiff. I went to bed at 9:15.

Wednesday July 19, 1978

Today I woke up at 7:00. I goofed around until Dad woke up. We went to get bread but again they didn't have and gipfelis. It's been cloudy and rainy all day. But we reserved six gipfelis for tomorrow. We then ate breakfast. Dad and I went in the rain downtown, we mailed our postcards. Yesterday I wrote postcards to Joe, Brad and Bobby. We then got the Herald Tribune. We went to the Sport Center. We got a visitors card. We then hiked back up when I played Monopoly with Andrew. Andrew had a great Monopoly but I beat him. I had a cheap Monopoly. I then ate lunch. After lunch I read and tried to sleep. I couldn't sleep. I then played Monopoly with Dad and Andrew. Dad won but Andrew lost for the 7th straight time unofficialy. I then goofed around and read. Today's been a rather boring day because of the thick clouds and rain. I then hked up Terrassenweg with Mom and Dad. We returned at 5:00 when I read and ate at 6:00. Dad and I then washed the dishes. After that I read my book. I'm almost done with it. I went to be at 9:15.

Thursday July 20, 1978

Uncle Bill moved to Florida today

It's been five weeks since I started writing this journal. I woke up at 7:00 today. I then woke up Dad 7:10. The sky in the morning was so-so. We then got gipfelis. We saw fireworks. I can just wait. I'm going to spend a lot of money on fireworks. Then we went back and ate breakfast. We decided to go to Ober Gletcher, Pfingstegg. We decided not to go to Ober Gletcher. We started out at 10:00. We then hiked to Pfingstegg after hiking part of the Ober Gletcher. We then decided to go to Stieregg 1,000 feet above Pfingstegg. It was a rough climb. The path was marked and dotted red meaning only experienced mountain hikers and people that wear the right kind of shoe should go there. Going up just about one slip would be fatal. It was a dangerous hike. But we made it. Wehn we got there at 1:30 we had a little bit to eat and then came back down that was even worse and hard. We then hiked down to Grindelwald. We got there at 3:00. That was a good 5 hour hike. We then got 4 bottles of Citro and went back up to the apartment. I then rested. I then ate at 5:30. It's being to get all clouded up now. I doubt we will hike tomorrow but you can never tell. I was reading an article on the Russians. There has been great disagreement. The Americans and Russians have a war of the mouths. There like babies. If the Soviets do something the Americans don't like the Americans do something that the Russians don't like. Someday someone will press a red button and that will be it. I then set up the Monopoly game while Andrew and Dad washed the dishes. We played and Dad won again. He's just lucky. Andrew lost his 8th straight game. I went to bed at 9:30.

Friday July 21, 1978

Today I woke up at 8:00. Outside it was an ugly looking day. Dad and I went to the store and got bread. We then ate breakfast. After that we played Monopoly. Dad won again. Andrew was in last place. Andrew and I went to the little store. We went shopping around for fireworks. We wrote a list of what we wanted to get. When we added up the prices the cost was very high. About 65 francs. We then went back when Andrew and I played Monopoly. We had to have a stalemate deadline we had so much money. So before the deadline I traded. I think that was a mistake. I could have had more money. Meaning that I would have won. I then ate lunch in the middle of the game. Andrew set a new record for money with 230,000 Francs. We then went swimming at the sport center. They didn't have any badminton courts. But we went swimming. They have the weirdest system you have ever saw. We then came back at four while it was raining. It's too bad that we haven't had good weather lately. We hope to got to First tomorrow. I then read the patper and ate. After eating I washed the dishes and then played Monopoly. I lost because I made a stupid mistake. The game is 99% luck. But when it came to skill today I stunk. The standings are now Dad 5-4 at No 1. Andrew and 5-13 ending his 10 game losing streak. Me 8-10 losing 5 straight. I went to bed at 9:01.

Saturday July 22, 1978

Today I woke up at 7:15 and then got gipfelis with Dad. We ate at 8:00. We then took the chairlift to First. It was pretty cloudy up there. The ride takes 30 minutes. We then hiked to Gross Shidegg. It was an hour and a half hike. It was fairly easy. We then went to a lake in the middle of nowhere. We couldn't find the way in there. We finally did. We had even more trouble when we couldn't find the way out of that stupid example of a labyrinth. We then had to walk on cowpaths. It was not a path but if it was a path it was a heck of a path. We really were in a farmers pasture trying to get out. It was muddy. It was terrible. We finally found the way out. We came to a civilized path. We finally got on the right path and got to the apartment. We then hiked downtown where we got Citro and hiked back up. I then read the Herald Tribune. After that I played Monopoly with Andrew he won again. After that we ate. Andrew and Dad played Monopoly with me. Dad won, that's my sixth straight loss. I went to bed at 9:00.

Sunday July 23, 1978

Today I woke up at 6:10 and then woke up Dad we started hiking at 6:30. We went through Oberhaus to Bort. We saw the stationmaster go up to the station. We rested there until 7:45 when we hiked back down. We got back at 8:10. When we ate breakfast. Dad then went to church when Andrew and I played Monopoly. Andrew won again. When you lose a lot like I am you feel that it is not possible to win. I then went downtown to myself. I asked for a 126-20 film in German. However the guy at the counter knew that I spoke English. He said that he could understand what I said in German. I then went back up. I then ate a little lunch and I took a nap. I slept for two hours. I woke up at 4:00 when Mom and Dad came back from their little hike. I then looked at the Eiger to see if anyone was climbing. Last night Mom and Dad saw a light from the Eiger but it could possibly be the train light. I then ate at 6:00. After that I washed the dished took a bath and went to bed at 8:35.

Tuesday July 18, 1978

Today I woke up at 7:40. I goofed around until Dad got up at 8:00. We then went to get bread. There were no gifelies left. We saw some fireworks. I can hardly wait until Swiss Independence Day. We then came back and ate breakfast. I'm now reading Blackbeards Ghost. After breakfast I read. We then went on a hike to a glacier. It was spectacular. I took a lot of pictures. We then hiked up above a Gorge. It was a nice view going across the bridge. We then got back to Grindelwald about 12:30. We got the Herald Tribune and some postcards. I went back by myself. It's a very hard climb back with the ascent. No matter how you are. You feel like sleeping when you are going up. When I got back I ate. I then played Monopoly with Andrew and Dad. Dad creamed us. I only had 5 properties. But Andrew came in last like he has in the past 3 out of four games. Dad once was in last place. I then read and rested. Then I played a racing game on the Monopoly board. It eventually got boring. I then ate. After eating I set up the Monopoly game while Andrew and Dad were washing dishes. I then beat Andrew and Dad again. Andrew hasn't won yet. Dad came in last. In Grindelwald there are a lot of Japanese people. I saw a Japanese lady writing in Japanese at the train station. You also see a lot of Japanese grafitti and people up at Jungfraujoch. In the Monopoly games Andrew against me. I am 5-3, he's 3-5. Between Dad and Andrew and me, I'm 3-2, Andrew 0-5 and Dad 2-3. Overall I'm 8-5, Andrew's 3-10 and Dad's 2-3. I then read. I went to bed at 9:35.

two books I would like to read when I get the chance:

The Colombo Bay

Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players

Zürich Hauptbahnhof, Zürich Hauptbahnhof

probably the busiest train staion in Europe here are the webcams:

Zurich Hauptbahnhof

I can remember being at the station looking at the departure boards with my Dad in the 1970's and looking for the most exotic destinations. Once we saw a listing for a train headed to Moscow. We ran down to the platform and there was the train to Moscow, actually only about 1 car was going all the way there. It was pretty cool to look at considering this was the cold war and all.

Thursday July 13, 1978

Today I woke up at 8:00 and read my book. I then ate breakfast. After that I read my book and was almost finished when I went with Dad. We went to a market. I took a couple of pictures. We then went home. I then finished my book. It was a good book. We then left the apartment for good. We took the subway to Gare de L'est and got our baggage unloaded. We then came back on a sardine packed subway. You couldn't breathe in that thing. We then went back to Chalet where we saw the Georges Pompidou Museum. The place was weird. Its hard to describe how freaky it is. One piece of art is just a couple of Campbell soup and Brill boxes. One painting was all splashy. We then went to eat. There was one place that was too expensive and nothing good. Then we went to another place where we ate hot dogs. French hot dogs are very long in a gigantic bun. With yucky cheese sauce. We then shopped around. We took the subway to Gare de L'est and got our baggage, caught the train. The train ride to Mulhouse had more stops. We stopped in Troyes, Chamont, Vesoul and Belfort. It really isn't a scenic ride. We then got in to Mulhouse at 11:00. We took a milk train to Basel at 12:00 French time. We then got the train to Delemont. The last one. We got out at Dornach. Walked home at went to bed at 12:00 ST; 1:00 FT.

Friday July 14, 1978 Dornach

I woke up at 9:00 today and ate 3 gipfelis. Bringing the total to 21 (unofficial). I then went back upstairs and packed for Grindelwald. I'm almost bringing everything. I will be there for 2 weeks. I then went to the film store with Dad to see if they could fix the camera. The guy said that the plastic was stretched and the camera was finished. We then look at another camera for 46 francs but it wasn't good enough for me. I'd rather have one that costs 66 or 84 francs. We then went to the train station where we got the Herald Tribune. Coming back we saw the Hispania express for the second time in the last week. We went home where I tortured Glob. I got my photos at the film place before we went to the train station. The photos I took were very good ones. My aerial views were good and others too. Yesterday we got a letter from Chief he said my telescope catalog had come and that Blitz is fine. We went to the Jura and ate. I wasn't very hungry so I hardly ate anything and was so full. After that I tried to take a nap but couldn't. At 2:00 I went with Dad and Andrew to have two pieces of luggage advanced. We then went to the film store and got a photograph to be developed that they forgot to develop. We then went back to the Jura where I ate some ice cream. I then watched the end of the Tour de France. After that I ate. When we finished eating I played soccer with Dad. I practiced on 1 on 1s. I've rarely done it but I need the practice. I then took a bath with the hose. It's a lot funner than a regular bath. Dad then fetched the superball that I lost at the Jura hotel. What happened was that I bounced it to Mom outside the Jura when I went to the left where it got stuck in a gutter. I went to bed at 9:10.

Saturday July 15, 1978 Grindelwald

Today I woke up at 6:30. I goofed around until 7:15 when I ate 2 gipfelis. I then went upstairs and goofed around until we went to the Dornach station. We went at 9:12 and then in Basel we took the train to Interlaken Ost. We stopped in that stupid station Liestal. That makes me Mad! . We stopped in a couple other stupid stations. We stopped in Olten, Bern, Thun, Spiez and Interlaken West. We then took the cog to Grindelwald. It was neat. It went up through the beautiful valleys. Dad and I looked for the apartment. It was a long tiring hike. The ascent was incrediburgable. Dad went down to get them while I stayed at the apartment. They came back in a cab. We then went shopping around after I took some photos of the Alps. The Jungfrau is crowded with clouds but one pretty mountain isn't. After shopping near us we went downtown and shopped there. Andrew and I had to hop through the windows because Dad didn't give us the key. Mom and Dad came home. Andrew and I then played monopoly. It was a good game when we went to the store to get some ice cream. I finally won the game just before dinner. That brings my won-lost record to 5-3. Andrew is 3-5. After a yummy dinner of noodles which is my favorite I played a monopoly game with Dad and Andrew. Dad eventually won the game. I think the game is a lot funner than with two people. I then went to be at 9:11.

Sunday July 16, 1978

Today I woke up at 6:20 and I looked at the mountains. There were the most beautiful mountains I've seen. I woke up Dad and we left. We hiked to Oberhaus. We took a lot of photos. You couldn't see a cloud in the sky. We then hiked to Bort and saw a huge anthill. The anthill was about a foot and a half wide and about a foot high. We then hiked back down the way we came. We came back at 8:30. Dad then went to church when Andrew and I played monopoly. Andrew won. We really have played a lot of monopoly games. I then took a photo of Andrew, Dad and Mom. Dad was smoking a cigar. He rarely smokes. Andrew and I went to get a hiking map. First they gave us a village map. We brough that back. Then they gave us a map of the mountains then we changed that map. Finally we got the right one. We came back and then I took a look nap. I woke up at 2:00 when the whole family went hiking. We went to Alfleu, Oberhaus and Mulhouse. It was a good 2.5 hour hike. I then came back and goofed around. I have a sore heel from walking. I then ate dinner. After dinner Dad, Andrew and I played Monopoly. I won. Monopoly is a very upsy-downsy game. That makes the standing Dad 1-1. Me 6-5. Andrew 4-7. I went to bed at 9:20.

Monday July 17, 1978

Today I woke up at 5:30. I just rested in bed until 6:00 when I woke up. We decided to go to Jungfraujoch. We packed up and left at 6:30 We then got to the train station. The train ride is one of the best in Europe. We got a discount because we took the first train up. The train ride usually cost $32.00 per person round trip 2nd class! We saved 33%. We took the train to Kleine Shideck when we got the train to Jungfraujoch. We got out at Eigerwand to look at the scenery. We were in the Eiger which is a very hard mountain to climb. Almost as hard as Everest. It was a beautiful view. The train goes through one huge tunnel built 100 years ago. The view from Jungfraujoch was beautiful. It was better than Gornegrat 2 years ago. I took 7 pictures. It was freezing. There were ice caves with pure, solid, slippery, ice. The place is 11,333 feet high. The highest I've ever been. We then came down at at 11:15. We arrived at Kleine Shideg at 12:15. We then hiked around. We ate a picnic lunch and then I got a close up of a cow. I took more photos and then we went back to the station where we took the 2:10 train back to Grindelwald. We got to Grindelwald at 3:00. When we got back Dad and Andrw carried up a case of beer and citro. I then rested my sore heel. I then played Monopoly with Dad and Andrew. I really was doing bad until I got a cheap Monopoly. Dad hit it so many times he lost. I got his properties. He had a good Monopoly so I eventually was beating Andrew when we ate at 6:00. After we ate I played Monopoly. I won. I then washed the dishes took a bath and went to bed at 8:45.

Tuesday July 11, 1978

Today I woke up at 8:00. I ate breakfast. I ate a lot of bread. French bread is the best. We then took the subway to Massy Paliseau and took the train to Versailles. When we got to Versailles we hiked to the Palace. There were crowds and crowds of people. The cheap French of course had a stupid admission fee. Those Rats . We saw King Louis rooms and the painting collection. It was a very interesting place. My camera still doesn't work. We then went outside to the garden. It was big and beautiful. We had a small lunch and then we went to 2 smaller palaces. The first one was worth it the second one stunk mainly because it was being restored. We then saw the Queen's village. It was very pretty. I took a picture of a house with Dad's camera and he says he may give it to me. We then went to the store which has 40 cent wine. That's cheaper than soda pop. I laughed to death. Andrew says its cheaper than Boones Farm. We then took the train to Massey -Paliseau. We then took the subway back to Paliseau - Villebon. We got home. I goofed around went to the store with Andrew and didn't buy anything. We got back and ate. After that I started to read a book. Its name is "Leap into Danger." I then took a nice warm refreshing bath. The water knobs in France are weird. I went to bed at 9:33

Wednesday July 12, 1978

Today I woke up at 8:00. I then went to eat. I then read my book. We then went to Paris. We got out at Les Halles. We then walked in a garden when we reached the Obelisque. The Arch De Triumphe looks real closeto you but it's way far away. I call it an optical illusion. Wen then went to the Musee de Peapos. All it had was paintings. We then got the bus to the Arch de Triumphe. My camera, it still didn't work. It worked yesterday night though. We then hiked to the Eiffel tower. We then walked to the first stage. It only costed 60 cents each. We then saw Paris. It looked beautiful from there. We then went back down and went to the Army Museum. We saw Napoleons tomb. We went to one floor where we saw relief maps. It was neat. The maps were of where historic battles took place. We then took the subway from Latour-Mauborg to Strasbourg Saint-Denis where we took the the Metro to Les Halles. We then took the subway to Paliseau Villebon. We then got back. I read an article in the Herald Tribune about 180 people being killed in Spain because an oil tanker crashed. I'm concerned because my Uncle Teddy was in a campsite in Spain. I don't think he was in that campsite but maybe. We then went to a restaraunt in Paliseau. They had the best hamburger you ever tasted. We then went back to the apartment where I goofed around and went to bed at 9:15.

Saturday July 8, 1978

Today I woke up at 8:20 and went downstairs to eat breakfast. I only had one gipfeli I wasn't hungry. After that I went upstairs to play Monopoly. Andrew creamed me in a very short game. After that I read and goofed around. Mom and Dad came home from Basel at 12:00. We then ate. After we ate I played Monopoly again this time I won. That makes the series between us at 3-3. After that I finished my book the "Love Bug". It was O.K., I then watched the tennis match between Borg and Connors. Connors had almost lost the game when I hiked around Dornach. I went to a cemetery. Dad then played soccer with me. He had also played with me at 1:00. I played pretty good. I'm getting better and better. We then ate dinner. When we finished dinner Andrew and I played soccer we played a game with only two people. He won 5-0 because he's older than me. We then stopped playing because it was raining. I then went upstairs packed for Paris and went to bed at 8:15.

Sunday July 9, 1978, Paris

Today I woke up at 7:30 went downstairs and came back upstairs and read a book called "The Survivor". I then went downstairs and ate breakfast. There weren't any gifelis because all shops close on Sunday. I then went upstairs and read. Then Andrew played Monopoly with me. I won of course. After that I ate. I wasn't too hungry. I then went upstairs goofed around and didn't do much. We then left for the train station. We took the 2:22 train to Basel and in Basel we looked at newspapers and Dad and I looked at the trains. We then went through customs and got on the train to Paris. We got window seats. We stopped in Mulhouse at 5:27 French time. Then we went to Belfort. After the eight minute stop in Belfort we went on to Vesoul. We expressed a big station called Troyes. We then went through gigantic fields with no mountains just flat. With a couple of houses in between but nothing much. We arrived in Paris at 10:03 on time. The Paris station has thirty tracks. We came in Track 27. We met the guy who was going to give us the apartment free. He only knew French. We then took the french subway. The subway looks like a tram that has wheels on it. We had to switch stations and wait for a half an hour and get the next train. We got it and it took some time to get to the place. We went right under the Seine River. When we finally got to the apartment we went to our rooms and had some apple cider and went to bed at 11:25 French Time.

Monday July 10, 1978

Today I woke up at 8:00 and ate breakfast. I read my book until 9:30 when we took the subway to Paris. We got off at the staton Luxembourg and went to Pantheon. We then went to the Notre Dame church then my camera didn't work. Of all the dumb times for it not work had to be the most important time. I think the shutter is jammed. The Notre Dame Church was very interesting. It's a huge church too bad that stupid camera doesn't work. We then got me a new film but I still don't think it works. We then went to look at the Seine. We then went to the Louvre. It was very crowded especially around the Mona Lisa original there was a giant crowd. They had a glass case around the picture so no one could steal it or ruin it. I then got very hungry but we still were in the stupid place looking at painting of Idiots. We then finally ate at 3:00 we went to Sainte Chapelle. I saw two telescope stores the first I've seen in the world. But stores are closed on Tuesday!!!! The Sainte Chapelle was not very interesting at all. In fact It was boring. We then took the subway to the train station and got tickets for the train. The French have a lot of red tape. First of all they tell you that a TEE is only $20 more expensive than a regular express. Then we went over to the next booth to get TEE tickets but they costed 300 French Francs; 60 dollars. Then you eventually end up running from booth to booth. The French also have stupid traffic laws are slobs and idiots and jerks. We then took the subway and got back to to the apartment. I then read my book. We then ate dinner. I don't like the French gifelis there not as good as swiss ones. I then watched airplanes fly by reading their names. I then finished my book. I went to bed at 9:55.

Editors Note Apparently I've become an Angry American in Paris. I hardly complain about anything in 10 days of Switzerland but I get to France and I'm in a rage. Telescope stores closed on Tuesday, pictures of idiots at the Louvre, sub-standard croissants in the land that created them. Such atrocities I had to endure at the tender age of 11. No child should be exposed to such abuse. I wonder if I should transcribe further,what horrors await.

Tuesday July 4

Today is Independence Day in America but I'm not in America. I'm in Switzerland. I woke up today at 8:20 ate breakfast read my book and went to Einsiedeln with my Uncle Paul. We saw of of the most famous monasteries in the world. We saw monks. After that we ate there in Einsiedeln. Uncle Paul asked us what we want as a go away present tomorrow last time he gave us each 50 francs which was $17 back then but today 50 francs is worth 25. Were going shopping in Zurich and then going back to Dornach. After eating lunch we drove back then and Mom and I tried to look for the Herald Tribune but couldn't find it. Going back to the house I read my book. I finished it. It was a good book. After that I goofed around and then ate. I took a good photograph. I then played with David and Kati we played Monkey in the Middle. I wasn't in the middle too long because I blocked their passes. After that I goofed around upstairs. I went to bed at 8:30

Wednesday July 5, 1978

Dornach
Even though I slept 11 hours I had to be woken up by Dad at 8:00. I was also tired. I eat breakfast and packed at 8:30. After breakfast generous Uncle Paul gave us 50 francs. Which is worth 25. He probably will give us even more. Then he drove us to the train station. Where we said good bye. When we go into Zurich at 9:45. We shopped around. We went to Globus, Franz Carl Weber, Jemoli and other places. We spent an hour in Jemoli because it took a long time to find the right switch connectors. We eat lunch in a place called the Lowenbrau. This is the forth straight time I've eaten out for lunch. I have ate a lot in Switzeland. When we finished shopping in Zurich we found ought we had bought a lot of stuff. I have about 80 francs. About $40. We left for Basel at 5:05 we had no trouble finding room on the train. We got to Basel at 6:05 and then boarded the train to Dornach. When we got in Dornach diiner was ready. I didn't eat much because I wasn't hungry. I then took a bath goofed around. I wrote a postcard to Joe and then went to bed.

Thursday July 6, 1978

Today I woke up at 7:45 I ate 3 gifelies. After that I went upstairs and goofed around. I put Snowtzers on Andrew's head. He was still sleeping. It has been cold while we have been here. The temperature has been in the fiftys compared to two years ago when it was in the 90's. I then went with Dad to get twenty stamps and airmail labels to put on 20 postcards. We also got a the Herald Tribune. When we got back we ate. In Switzerland you have a big lunch and a small dinner and breakfast. But I eat a big breakfast and dinner and a small lunch. After lunch I started reading a new book called "Love Bug". Andrew, Dad and Mom left for Basel while I took a nap. I woke up from my nap at 4:15. I then goofed around until 6:30 when everyone came home and then we ate. Andrew got a Swiss Monopoly. He calls it a Conversation Piece. We then played Monopoly it was a lot different because the pieces are higher. Of course he won the game for the 8th straight time. I went to be at 10:00

Friday July 7, 1978

I woke up today at 7:30 and goofed around. I ate breakfast at 8:30. I ate four gipfelis. I then took a picture of my Teddy Bears all stacked up. I took a solo photo of Glob and both time the flash cube worked. I then went with Dad to the film store to get my film developed. We then went to the post office and train station. Wen then went back home. I then played Monopoly with Andrew he was winning when we ate lunch. We then continued the game and of course I lost. I then played soccer with my Teddy Bears and played another game of Monopoly. I had a Monopoly and he had none so eventually I won the game. I then hiked around Dornach with Mom and Dad and got back here just before it started to rain. I then watched the tennis game on T.V. after that I ate. Andrew again played me in Monopoly. My grandmother was worried because she thinks that coke has cocaine in it and she says I will be a drug addict. Andrew and I started the game and then I went to the school soccer field with Dad and played. It was fun. I did some good saves even though it hurt because it was cold. I then went to take a nice warm bath. After that I continued the game we didn't finish. I went to bed at 9:45.

Brian Lamb is a Hoosier and the discovery of Cubehenge

http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/200348-9537-062.html

Yesterday before turning to my favorite program, Washington Journal on C-Span I read this article in the Indy Star talking about the founder of C-SPAN the genius that is Brian Lamb. He's a Hoosier, from West Lafayette. The man is the Edward R Murrow of our times helping bring about the incredible media wonder we know as C-Span!

Also it's the time of year when my workplace turns into "Cubehenge". Normally I live in an environment bereft of sunlight. Fortunately, in the few weeks surrounding the winter solstice the sun is low enough in southern sky to send a few beams my way. Around 5 pm on a clear day (not a given around here), I'll see this unfamiliar patch of brightness shining on the Tibetan Buddhist tapestry on the wall of my cube. My goodness, it's the sun!

Editor's note: A gipfeli is a Swiss croissant. Unlike the croissants you get in France or the USA the gipfeli ("little summit") has less butter and is drier and crunchier. One adds the butter on top of the gipfeli to taste. I find them much more to my liking than the croissants you get here and on my last visit to my Aunt's house this past summer I had 5 in one sitting.

Sunday July 2, 1978

Today I woke up at 7:00. I then read my book. I'm on page 93 of the book I then ate breakfast 8:45. After that I played solitaire and read. I then went to church. My Uncle's church for the youth service. After that I went to the house and went swimming at the indoor pool in Wadenswil. I enjoyed the pool there. There were 3 pools. The first was a small one. It was for little kids. The next pool was high enough for me to stand in but was higher than the little pool. The next pool was gigantic I couldn't stand up at all. After swimming we went to eat after that we took the train to Richterswil. We then saw the movie "Herbie goes to Monte Carlo". It was in German but I understood it. After the movie we went home. I then hiked around Richterswil. I took a photo of a train. We then went to my Uncle's church and goofed around there. We also tried to get to the bell tower. But we couldn't open the doon. I got a headache from all the noise of the bells. I then played with my cousin Martin. We were on the porch so we didn't want to lose the ball. Just before we ate he threw the ball hit the fence and bounced back on to the porch. After dinner we played again this time we lost both balls but we found them again. After that I went downstairs and read. After that I went upstairs had citro and went to bed at 9:30

Monday July 3

Today I woke up at 8:30. I then ate breakfast. After breakfast Uncle Paul drove us to Appenzell. My ancestors come from Appenzell. Went went around the farm towns in Appenzell. We then went to Reute where my ancestors come from. I'm actually a citizen of Reute. We then went out to lunch with a lady who knew English. We went to a restaraunt in Stien where they make cheese. After that we went to the lady's home. We looked at the cows, pigs and calfs. After that we drove back to Richterswil. After that I went home and read my book. I'm almost half-way through it. Then we ate dinner. When we finished dinnerI went outside on the porch with David and Mom we played monkey in the middle. It was fun I blocked their passes and the ball almost went off the porch several times. At 8:00 David had to go to bed so I went downstairs and played solitaire and lost. I've played 75 games and lost all of them. While my brother has played 10 and won 3. I read my book at 8:30. After that I went outside and talked with Mom. I went to bed at 10:00.

Quote of the day:

"The more you know who you are, and what you want, the less you let things upset you"

Bob Harris (Bill Murray) from "Lost in Translation"

Tuesday June 27th 1978

I woke up at 3:30 EST. It was already daylight because of the time zones. We had breakfast which was goo I really did the the airplane food. We landed in Zurich at 10:30 Swiss time when we waited for the plane for Basel. We boarded the plane at 11:50 and tok off at 12:05 the plane landed in Basel only twenty minutes later. We got through the customs. We met Uncle Teddy. He then drove us to my grandfather's house. It's funny when they speak German because you're not used to it. We then ate a big meal. You always have lunch as a big meal in Switzerland. I then took a good long four hour nap catching up on some of the sleep I lost, I eat and then I didn't do much except doodle and have teddy fights. The Teddy's that I brought were Snowtzers, Big Teddy. Glob who is a permanent teddy in Dornach also was here. Time has gone fast. I went to bed with big Dreuns at 9:38

Wensday June 28, 2004

Today I woke up at 9:30 today. Last night I didn't get good sleep because Andrew and Me were goofing off and I really didn't get to sleep until 10:30. I also got up at 2:00 to go to the bathroom. When I woke up I ate breakfast and had my favorite breakfast food: Gifelis. We then took the 10:35 train to Basel and shopped around. Andrew and I bought a chocolate barf from what Aunt Martha gave us. She was here yesterday. It was rainy all day in Basel and Dornach. I then bought a harmonica which plays beautifully. we then took the 3:25 train to Dornach. I then looked at Grossfather's Apartments. then doodled and goofed around until when I ate dinner. I'm beginning to learn more and more German now, I finally found my address book which has the addresses for my friends in which I want to write them. I'm going to Paris but I don't know when. After dinner I finished my doodle drawing of a rabbit. Then I took a bath for the first time in 3 weeks because whenn I go swimming I don't have to take a bath. I went to bed at 9:10.

Thursday June 29th 1978

Today I woke up at 9:15 ate 3 gifelis and went outside to help pick up cones so my brother could mow the lawn. When I finished I worked on my doodling. I then helped Andrew and Dad clean out the sandbox. I then ate a big lunch. In Switzerland you always have a big meal for lunch ad a small meal for dinner. After lunch I walked around Dornach and took pictures of trains and rivers. I have now taken 9 photos. I have 71 left. When we got home at 3:00 I worked on my doodleing and then goofed around until 5:00 when I played a game with my teddy bears. Glob one of my Teddy Bears always lost. Then I had dinner. After dinner Andrew and I went outside and played soccer. I did well bue he didn't admit it. He also didn't admit that I was a better goalie than him. After we played soccer we went inside and went upstairs to are rooms and didn't do much except bug Andrew to play with him but being dumb as he is he didn't. I hope to get good sleep tonight because I was just about up all night. Tomorrow I will go hike to Uncle Teddy's which takes two hours. On Saturday - Wednesday I will be at my Uncle Paul's near Zurich. I went to beat at 9:05.

Friday June 30th, 1978

Today I woke up at 6:30. I went downstairs and had 3 gifelis that brings the total of gifelis I've eaten to 10. In the morning I didn't do much. I went with Dad to get the Herald Tribune and walked around Dornach. I then eat lunch. After that I played solataire in which I haven't won yet. I've lost about 70 games straight. I then went on a hike to my Uncle Teddy's. Dad by luck got us there, he just guessed the way. We were lucky. When we arrived at Teddy's we ate. The little baby Corina was so shy she wouldn't let us see her eyes. Andrew and I played badminton he had a 5-4 lead in games. But we didn't play an even amount of games. I then played with Dad he beat me twice because he's alot taller than me at 6'1. We then went inside. I then fought with my cousin Mathieu I won because he's only 6. We then had a good beef fondue meal. It was delicous as always I was very full. Andrew and I played Swiss Monopoly. It was so good we plan to buy it even if it costs 24 francs. We went home with Uncle Teddy. It was a spooky drive through the forest. When we got to Dornach I went to bed at 11:30

July 1, 1978 Richterswil

Today I woke up at 10:00. I had a good sleep despite going to bed at 11:30. I ate breakfast and had two gifelis bringing the total to 12. I then hiked with Andrew and Dad we got the Herald Tribune. We then saw a soccer tournament. We then ate lunch. After that I played solitaire. Of course I lost again but I still like the game. After that I packed for Richterswil. We went to the Dornach Station and left for Basel. When we switched trains in Basel we had a hard time. We couldn't find any room on the train but we finally found some. The train to Zurich expressed every station between. When we got in Zurich at 5:10 we boarded the train to Richterswil. It was right next to the Basel - Zurich train. When we got to Rictherswil. Uncle Paul picked us up and drove us to his house. It's a very nice house but Andrew and I have to sleep in the basement. We ate dinner. I didn't eat much because of the big lunch I had. I then played with my cousin David. We hardly talked to each other mainly because I don't know German and he doesn't no English. But I don know some German alot more that two years. We played with his lego train. I then went downstairs to my room. I then went upstairs again and played with David after that I went up in the attic where Rahel and Martins rooms are. After that I went downstairs and played solitaire and lost 2 games of course. I then started to read a book. It is good so far. I went to bed at 10:30

Tuesday June 27th 1978

I woke up at 3:30 EST. It was already daylight because of the time zones. We had breakfast which was goo I really did the the airplane food. We landed in Zurich at 10:30 Swiss time when we waited for the plane for Basel. We boarded the plane at 11:50 and tok off at 12:05 the plane landed in Basel only twenty minutes later. We got through the customs. We met Uncle Teddy. He then drove us to my grandfather's house. It's funny when they speak German because you're not used to it. We then ate a big meal. You always have lunch as a big meal in Switzerland. I then took a good long four hour nap catching up on some of the sleep I lost, I eat and then I didn't do much except doodle and have teddy fights. The Teddy's that I brought were Snowtzers, Big Teddy. Glob who is a permanent teddy in Dornach also was here. Time has gone fast. I went to bed with big Dreuns at 9:38

Wensday June 28, 2004

Today I woke up at 9:30 today. Last night I didn't get good sleep because Andrew and Me were goofing off and I really didn't get to sleep until 10:30. I also got up at 2:00 to go to the bathroom. When I woke up I ate breakfast and had my favorite breakfast food: Gifelis. We then took the 10:35 train to Basel and shopped around. Andrew and I bought a chocolate barf from what Aunt Martha gave us. She was here yesterday. It was rainy all day in Basel and Dornach. I then bought a harmonica which plays beautifully. we then took the 3:25 train to Dornach. I then looked at Grossfather's Apartments. then doodled and goofed around until when I ate dinner. I'm beginning to learn more and more German now, I finally found my address book which has the addresses for my friends in which I want to write them. I'm going to Paris but I don't know when. After dinner I finished my doodle drawing of a rabbit. Then I took a bath for the first time in 3 weeks because whenn I go swimming I don't have to take a bath. I went to bed at 9:10.

Thursday June 29th 1978

Today I woke up at 9:15 ate 3 gifelis and went outside to help pick up cones so my brother could mow the lawn. When I finished I worked on my doodling. I then helped Andrew and Dad clean out the sandbox. I then ate a big lunch. In Switzerland you always have a big meal for lunch ad a small meal for dinner. After lunch I walked around Dornach and took pictures of trains and rivers. I have now taken 9 photos. I have 71 left. When we got home at 3:00 I worked on my doodleing and then goofed around until 5:00 when I played a game with my teddy bears. Glob one of my Teddy Bears always lost. Then I had dinner. After dinner Andrew and I went outside and played soccer. I did well bue he didn't admit it. He also didn't admit that I was a better goalie than him. After we played soccer we went inside and went upstairs to are rooms and didn't do much except bug Andrew to play with him but being dumb as he is he didn't. I hope to get good sleep tonight because I was just about up all night. Tomorrow I will go hike to Uncle Teddy's which takes two hours. On Saturday - Wednesday I will be at my Uncle Paul's near Zurich. I went to beat at 9:05.

Friday June 30th, 1978

Today I woke up at 6:30. I went downstairs and had 3 gifelis that brings the total of gifelis I've eaten to 10. In the morning I didn't do much. I went with Dad to get the Herald Tribune and walked around Dornach. I then eat lunch. After that I played solataire in which I haven't won yet. I've lost about 70 games straight. I then went on a hike to my Uncle Teddy's. Dad by luck got us there, he just guessed the way. We were lucky. When we arrived at Teddy's we ate. The little baby Corina was so shy she wouldn't let us see her eyes. Andrew and I played badminton he had a 5-4 lead in games. But we didn't play an even amount of games. I then played with Dad he beat me twice because he's alot taller than me at 6'1. We then went inside. I then fought with my cousin Mathieu I won because he's only 6. We then had a good beef fondue meal. It was delicous as always I was very full. Andrew and I played Swiss Monopoly. It was so good we plan to buy it even if it costs 24 francs. We went home with Uncle Teddy. It was a spooky drive through the forest. When we got to Dornach I went to bed at 11:30

July 1, 1978 Richterswil

Today I woke up at 10:00. I had a good sleep despite going to bed at 11:30. I ate breakfast and had two gifelis bringing the total to 12. I then hiked with Andrew and Dad we got the Herald Tribune. We then saw a soccer tournament. We then ate lunch. After that I played solitaire. Of course I lost again but I still like the game. After that I packed for Richterswil. We went to the Dornach Station and left for Basel. When we switched trains in Basel we had a hard time. We couldn't find any room on the train but we finally found some. The train to Zurich expressed every station between. When we got in Zurich at 5:10 we boarded the train to Richterswil. It was right next to the Basel - Zurich train. When we got to Rictherswil. Uncle Paul picked us up and drove us to his house. It's a very nice house but Andrew and I have to sleep in the basement. We ate dinner. I didn't eat much because of the big lunch I had. I then played with my cousin David. We hardly talked to each other mainly because I don't know German and he doesn't no English. But I don know some German alot more that two years. We played with his lego train. I then went downstairs to my room. I then went upstairs again and played with David after that I went up in the attic where Rahel and Martins rooms are. After that I went downstairs and played solitaire and lost 2 games of course. I then started to read a book. It is good so far. I went to bed at 10:30

Sunday June 25, 1978

I woke up today at 9:00 ate breakfast and went to church at 9:45 after church which ended at 11:15 I went home didn't do much and then ate leftovers that was all to eat because we are leaving for Switzerland tomorrow. I then played wiffleball with Matt until 2:00 and then went swimming and downtown with Dad. I went off the diving board for the first time in a about a year because of my ear infection. I got home at 4:00 and played wiffleball with Chief, Andrew, Bobby, Me, Paul and Linney. Bobby, Me and Paul won 5-1 before Chief had to eat. I then ate popcorn and pop watching the Reds - Dodgers. The Reds were leading 5-3 before I watched the news. Argentina beat Holland 3-1 for the soccer championship. I then watched T.V. until eight while I played soccer with Dad until 9:00 when I watched the C.B.S. Radio Mystery Hour which is scary especially with loud thunder. I went to bed at 10:30

Monday 16 Cols Ohio - via Zurich

Today I woke up at 9:00 and eat breakfast until 9:15 didn't do much the whole morning except go to church, get gum with Dad. I had everything packed and ready to leave. I don't think I forgot anything. We left for the airport at 1:00 with Mr Hacker. We got to the airport at 1:50 checked in dropped off are luggage and got ready to board are plane. We tookoff at 3:30 and my ears popped like crazy we had a stopover in Philadelphia where I took one photo of the city we landed there at 4:05 and took of at 4:25. We then flew to New York where I took one photo. I still have 18 shots left. We landed in New York at six and then checked into the swissair department and waited for about 4 hours. Andrew and I played checkers and I won because he conceded. I don't blame him the game lasted 45 minutes. When we boarded the plane to Zurich at 9:40 and tookoff at 10:15. It has been a cloudy day everyplace I've been. I had one of the best airplane meals ever if not the best. I had yummy roast beef. I ate up only half of the meal but I was so full I almost threw - up. I have also done alot of word searches and puzzles. I'm going to try and sleep. It's now 12:30 EST 5:36 Swiss time

Saturday June 24, 1978

I woke up today at 10:00 went downstairs and ate. I didn't do much in the morning except play the piano, read the paper and other unimportant things. In the afternoon I ate lunch and then I played a monopoly game which Andrew won of course. That was about his 8th straight victory. I don't know how he does it. We finished the game at 2:30 when I went outside to rake the lawn which Andrew had moved on Thursday and Friday. I got a phone call from Joe after he had gotten back from music camp which he had to practice 6 hours a day. He plays the viola. I then went over to Bobby's and played football for about 10 minutes before he had to leave. Then I played wiffleball with Andrew and Chief. Chief who is alias Topher alias Chris alias Christopher played on my team we beat Andrew 9-5. One time I dropped an easy flyball in the outfield and that was it for me playing the outfield. I did play well the rest of the game. The game was finished at 4:30 and then I decided to watch the Cincinnati Reds game against the Dodgers. The Dodgers were leading 2-1 when I left for the Northrups. Chief, Andrew and I played pool and Video games. We think Chief's set is backwards but he thinks are's is backwards. Then we played Monopoly no one was winning when we ate dinner at 6:30 when we finished dinner we continued the game Andrew won of course. He just had luck. I had luck too. Bad luck that is. Then we looked at Chiefs artificial stars. He sticked them all over his wall. It looked beautiful. The same catalog that sells telescope parts has those too so when I get that catalog I look at that also. He played a very spooky song called Revolution 9 in the dark which is scary to me. I got home and went to bed at 9:45.

Editor's Note

Most of these things I'm writing in here I have no direct recollection of, I was 11 years old at the time. This is the first time I've read these things in over 25 years. I'm sure when I heard that "scary song" called Revolution 9 I knew nothing of the White Album or the Beatles psychidelic phase. Soon the journal will depart the land of endless kickball and monopoly games as I am about to depart on a trip to Switzerland to visit my Dad's family.

The saga continues

Wednesday June 21, 1978

I woke up at 9:00 eat and goofed around. At 10:00 I played Pong with Andrew and beat him 4-2. I really don't do too much in the mornings except read the paper, play the piano or clarinet. I played a game of monopoly with Andrew and Chief I lost mainly because no one would land on my monopoly. I ate and then I went to the church to practice singing for Westminster Terrace. We got there about 1:30 sang and they had refreshments at 2:20. I was goining to go swimming at 3:00 but the the pool was closed, I got home and played kickball at Bobby's. We were having fun they were beating me 15-12 but I had last ups my kicking was superb but my fielding wasn't so hot when Bobby had to eat at 4:30. At 6:00 I came over again and Matt came over at 6:30 so we continued our game. I scored four runs in that inning to lead 16-15 but they wanted to have one more inning so I let them. Matt to lead off the inning hit one to me but I dropped it. Another time Bobby was running from 2 to 3rd and I was right there and I missed him. Mat finally popped out to me to end the inning. They were leading 21-16. I was up I hit two- two run homeruns. To make the score 21-18. I then scored two more runs to make it 21-20. I then made two outs. I got a man to third and with two outs I got a little base hit to score him. Bobby of course had to act like a baby. I went home watched T.V. until 8:00. I didn't do much except play pong with Andrew he finally beat me 4-3! At about ten I starviewed I couldn't see much I'm really getting upset about not finding anything! I went to bed at 11:00.

Thursday June 22, 1978

I woke up at 10:00 and ate about 10:30. I did alot of work outside picking up sticks. At 11:30 I did some other chores like clean my desk and pack for Switzerland and collect the collect the garbadge. I ate lunch at 12:30. I goofed around until about 1:30 when Bobby came over. I was supposed to go swimming but Dad was late as he always is didn't come. We played kickball just hitting and not playing a game first we started kicking left-footed but then we kicked right. Actually we kicked worse then we thought we would. I then went over to Bobby's. We did the same thing except try and try to kick it over the fence. He has a smaller yard so it was alot easier. I hit a couple home runs. But Bobby kept hitting them against the bar and missing by inches. Finally he got 5 home runs but he got them because I dropped the ball. I got home at about 3:30 then I didn't do much until 4:00 when my Dad came to bring me to the church to do work. The work is the most boringest of them all. I had to eat at 5:30 after dinner I watched the news and then I went swimming. I treaded water for 10:00 and did the front float for one second. The reason why it was only one second is becuase I can't get my ears wet.
At 9:00 I got out of the pool and went to work at the church. At 9:15 I went to the Fichters and played with Mark while Dad talked we left at about 10:15 when we got home. Then I watched T.V and went to bed at 11:00.

Friday 23 Cols Ohio

Today I woke up at 9:00 I ate and didn't do much. When I say I didn't do much is when I look at the paper bang on the piano and do other things not worth mentioning. I went over to Bobby's to play kickball. Bobby and Matt were leading 17-6 when I went to eat. I then played a monopoly game which lasted a long time. He ahd alot of money and was beating me but then game went up and down. But after awhile I really had bad luck. I hit his most dangerous Monopoly twice and that was it. I didn't do too much and then I ate. I went to Bobby's and we did many things like block kicks, play kickball and run around. I got home at 9:00 and then Bobby came here and we caught fireflies we had ten fireflies but they wouldn't light up inside. I watched the Dodgers - Reds game. The score was 0-0 when I went to bed at 11:30

June 18th 1978, Sunday
Today I woke up at 8:05 then I eat goofed around and went to church and went to a church picnic. At the picnic I hike for a while with Andrew and Chief. When I got home about 3:15 I went with Andrew and Chief to play putt-putt golf. I first game I did terrible! I shot a 70 out of 90 possible shots. Andrew came in second and Chief came in first with a 43. The next time I did better and got a hole in one and one a 50 cent discount ticket for hitting a hole - in one at the right time. Chief got 7 hole in ones but not at the right time. I finished with a 54 alot better but I lost second place by one stroke! My Brother finished off with a 53. Chief hit a remarkable 33 3 under par! I got home at 5:00 had popcorn at 6:00 watched T.V until 8:45 and listened to the end of the Clippers game. The Clips lost 10-6. I then watched the CBS Mystery Theater which was about a goast who came to kill people. I went to bed at 10:25

Monday 19

I woke up at 10:20 eat and went to paino lesson. I was supposed to have my piano lesson at 11:30 but the person who was supposed to come at 11:00 came at 11:30. So I had to wait a half-hour. I got home at 12:30 and eat and hoped that my telescope catalog woulde come but it didn't come. I didn't do much from from 1 till 3 but then I practiced basketball until 3:30 and went to Bobby's and played kickball. Me and Matt won 5-4 well not really because Bobby had to eat. I went home and eat myself and then went to play kickball again. John and I were leading 5-4 when I had to leave because I wanted to go swimming. In the 5-4 game with John I played exceptionally well on defense. I made a diving stab for the and smacked it down and caught Bobby in suprise between 2 and 3. But one time Bobby's teammate Dustin hit a hard one right to me but I dropped it. John is 6 so I really was the whole team. I was quite suprised were leading then because Bobby's better than me and Dustin's better than John. Well once I beat Dustin and Bobby singlehanded in a game of wiffleball 1-0 so miracles can happen. I went swimming and and the pool was packed but about 8:30 me and Dad were about the only ones there. Tonight I watched par of the Monday Night baseball game in which there was a 4-4 tie between New York and Boston. I did some stargazing and did o.k. I still can't find Uranus but I did find alot of connstelations like Dracko, Virgo, Ursa Major. I went to bed at 11:15.

Tuesday June 20, 1978

I woke up at 9:30 and ate read played the paino and then ate lunch. I didn't get any catalog today. I'm very Mad, I really didn't do too much until 2:00 when I played tennis at the school. My sweatband was super wet. Luckly I didn't get any athlete's foot because I usually do when I play tennis. I got home had a snack and took a nap. I woke up at 4:50 and played T.V video games with Andrew. I had beaten him 4 games to 2; 4-3 ; 4-1; 4-0. He hasn't beaten me yet. I ate and then played kickball with Booby and John, they came over here. Bobby beat us 10-3 there could have been more runs but me and Bobby kicked left-footed. I made some fine defensive plays as well as bad ones but overall my defense is improving greatly since last year. I watched T.V listened to the Clippers game and then played another Video game with Andrew. I beat him 4-3 in a series. I went to bed about 10:20.

C-SPAN rules!!

I was watching C-Span this morning and they had the farewell speech from the fallen New Jersey governor, James McGreevey on. He had confessed to being a gay American and was saying good bye. In his adderss he made reference to a Kipling poem dealing with "triumph and disaster". I was not familiar with the poem so I looked it up online. Where else on TV can you learn of a great poem. I love C-Span.

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

$142,900 house

That's the sale's price of the house next door I looked it up online.

Here's an entry from J.K's Summer Journal: June 16, 1978

Thursday 16, 1978

Today was the last day of school and I had Joe overnight. I really am in a hurry so a will write about this day tomorrow. I am writing about yesterday today. I got out of school at 2:15 but I was on patrol so I didn't get home until 2:45, When I got home with my report card which had a C in math and a A in reading. At about 3:00 I went to the library looking for some books on telescopes which I have been looking for the 4 weeks, I've had some books on the reserve list but all the books I wanted were either out of circulation of someone else was using them. I got a telescope catalog in the mail and looked at it until Joe came over we played soccer and listened to his soccer tapes. We ate. Then we went swimming at the Y.M.C.A and got home played soccer in which we tried to inate real games. We watched T.V. until about 10:00 and then we we made funny recordings . We went to bed at 11:30 but talked until about 12:30 and then sacked out.

June 16 Friday

I got another telescope catalog in the mail I was not to intertested in it. This morning I woke up about 8:20 with Joe. We played soccer. I got a haircut and I look like a fool. I'm trying to memorize the names of players on German soccer teams. My friend Bobby and I played a wiffelball game against my brother and won. I stayed up up till 11:00 by myself and it was kind of spooky watching Night Gallery, Frankenstein and a scary program. I went to bed at 11:30

June 17 Saturday.

I started off the morning waking up at 10:20. I ate goofed around and then ate lunch. I didn't get any Telescope catalog in the mail today. Seeing that it's saturday I won't get one until Monday. I've written into 4 companies and have gotten two responces. I get the addresses from a magazine called Sky & Telescope. At about 2:00 I watched a Baselball game and went swimming at 3:00. I got home at 4:30 watched T.V in which the Reds won 6-5 Indians lost 4-3 I hate both teams! I also saw the White Sox Defeat the Royals 6-1. I recorded highlights of a game of Soccer from Germany were Dortmund defeated Shaliake 2-1 with Toby Charles and his funny English accent. I really did nothing from 7:00 til 9:00 then I went outside with my 7x Binoculars and could only find the Big Dipper. I get very excited about telescopes and stargazing but it seems everynight I'm unsuccessful. I went to bed at 11:00.

house for sale

The neighbors house is now for sale. It is being offered by AlaCarteRealty.com. I went out to the website and could not find it listed yet, hopefully it will appear in the next few days. I also noticed that Tom the realtor has moved on. I was walking the dog past his house the other day and noticed it was empty. I was a bit puzzled at first but realized that his kids are approaching school age. It's strange leaving in a community where half the people move out once their kids are old enough to attend school.

It's the day after the election and it looks like Kerry is going to lose. He has not conceded yet but might later this morning. This whole business has gone on too long. Even I turned off Shields and Brooks in the middle of their punditry on PBS, I couldn't take anymore.

More Neighborhood eXcitement

On Friday as I was going to work I saw about 5 men in Stuey's old house next door. I'm not sure what they were doing but they all looked like contractor types. Today, I saw a man cutting the grass next door with a riding lawnmower. I can barely contain my excitement. I'm just curious about who our new neighbors will be. Also on Thursday afternoon I saw a man wearing a suit step in the house carrying a briefcase. He looked like he might be an appraiser. I'm unable to make any connection between him and the 5 guys I saw there Friday morning.

Last night there was a party at the house across the way from Stuey's house. There were about 15 cars parked on the street and at one point someone stepped outside and put on a juggling show with flourescent lanterns. I observed the whole show from my kitchen window. It was well done, accompanied by booming music.

Currently Jacksonville Jaguars are playing against the Indianapolis Colts at the Dome. The Jags keep getting the ball down to the red zone but are unable to punch it in for 6. This just in, a Jacksonville field goal has given them a 16-14 lead with about 14 minutes left in the 4th quarter.

Again, I've managed to spend another weekend putting off yard work. As I like to say, I'll get to it "at some point".

More Empty Houses

The house next door to us still sits empty. There is a bag of phone books out front gathering rain and is there no one there to take them home. I haven't brought my phone books in from the cold either. The whole phone book concept seems outdated nowadays. If I need a number I'll go look it up on the web rather than pull out some 2000 page tome to get a listing that might be out of date.

Also, no one has yet moved into Elizabeth's house down the street. I've seen a red pickup in the driveway at times during the day but I've seen nothing going on there. Also around the corner and across from the park is a house that sits empty. It belong to an older woman who has moved somewhere else but has not bothered to sell her house. There are shrubs out in front that have overgrown and obscure the home. I met her neighbor at a Canterbury Board meeting and he was hoping that she would sell it some time.

Now that hound dog Rex is back I have an opportunity to "patrol" the neighborhood again but haven't talked to anyone lately, just observations on empty houses.

I don't miss the roar of motorcycles from next door but Stuey was a pretty good neighbor although I had perhaps 2 conversations over the four years we lived side by side. I hope to be able to chat a bit more often with whoever moves in next door.

Another departure from the neighborhood

I was walking with Rex down the street last night and I saw Elizabeth and Ken loading up the horse trailer in their driveway. The trailer was attached to a large SUV with Washington state plates. The house sold a few weeks ago and the last time I talked to Elizabeth she told me she was moving to Washington with Ken which is where he is from.

Today when I took Rex on our morning jaunt and walked past her house and saw the trailer and SUV were gone. There probably on the road right now. I'm not sure when the people who bought their house are moving in. Also, the vacant but professionally winterized home is still vacant and I doubt anyone has been in the house since I saw the workers over there last Saturday.

Brant and I went to the Colts game Sunday, the home team one in decisive fashion 35-14. It was the first game I'd been to since they lost to Tennessese in 2002. Perhaps this is the year the Colts get to the Superbowl.

Where is Stuey-Lee

I had a next door neighbor over the past four years who I hardly ever spoke to. He has apparently left his home without biding me farewell. He went by the name of "Stuey".

I noticed a moving truck in front of my neighbor's house earlier this week. I thought that he had a roomate moving in or out. On Thursday I noticed an awful lot of stuff brought out for the garbage. I still wasn't sure what was going on.

Today I saw a pickup truck with a dome for a flashing light on top, nothing too official just something similar to what you would see on highway department maintenance vehicle. I saw a guy leaving the house with a few garbage bags full of stuff. I walked over to him and asked, "Do you know where Stuey went to?"

"I'm just working here, I'm hired to clean out the house, it's my job, I don't know nothing else.", he replied. I walked back over to my house trying to figure out what was going on. There are no "For Sale" or "For Rent" signs out in front, if he had sold the house to a friend or family member I imagine he wouldn't hire a guy with a semi-official looking pickup truck to clean up. I wonder if he was foreclosed out of the property. I wouldn't think so but I don't know what else to speculate.

Later this afternoon, after the truck was gone I walked back to the house. I saw a small green and white sign in the front window. It said, "This house has been officially winterized: 10/10/2004." Below the text was a signature presumably of the man I had spoken to earlier today. The front door has a relator's combination lock on it. Perhaps at some point the home will be put on the market.

I never knew my neighbor very well. I talked to a roomate of his a few years ago and once this past summer when I was playing ball with Rex I kicked it over my privacy fence and it went into his yard. I went over there to retrieve it and spoke with him briefly. I never heard much from him except when he and his friends were revving up their motorcycles which they were known for doing at all hours of the night.

Across the street from him, I saw another neighbor moving out. There was a "for sale" sign in the yard about a month ago and I assume the house has sold and she is moving on. I think she just moved in last year. Who knows? Just another neighbor I don't know much about.

I did call Brian Boak who lives down the street from me on Thursday. I invited him to go to the Colts game with me but his mother is visiting from Atlanta on Sunday and they are celebrating her birthday.

I got in touch with Brant and we are going to the Colts game on Sunday. I hope they win as the Colts are my pick for the survival league this week.

Rex released today from CCI

I've just given my blog a new template. It looks pretty cool, perhaps it shall motivate me to write more. Does anyone read this thing? It's been months since I 've seen a comment on it.

Rex was released from Canine Companions for Independence today. He has been in advanced training for about 6 weeks but has been a bit difficult. Rex is a real high-energy dog and we doubted he would pass, still there was hope that he would have made it through the 6 months of Advanced Training and been placed with a handicapped person. Mary is going to Columbus on Sunday to pick him up and take him home. We hope to adopt him out to a family that would like a very nice active dog.

I was watching TV monday night and the "American Experience" had a show on about Robert Kennedy. I only saw the last 10 mintues and it was painful to watch knowing how everything was going to end. The footage from the funeral train was really moving. I got the vibe as a train as a metaphor for life, passing by in a linear fashion a glimpse here and glipse there, onward to the next town.

I ripped most of my "Schau ins Land" CDs into my iTunes so now I can listen to German news and culture without having to find my CD wallet.

At the end they showed the funeral and read from the quote that is on his tombstone.

"He who learns must suffer. In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God"

Aeschylus

What I'm reading right now.

In the fiction category, I'm going through Robert Wilson's "Instruments of Darkness". It's about a British expat in West Africa looking for a missing person amidst intrigue ranging from sheanut trees to dead bodies in swimming pools. Reading the book makes me want to see on a veranda in 105 degree heat and drink whisky on the rocks. All of the European characters are portayed as half crazed drunks trying to hide some deep secret, escape the past or both.

Also I'm reading "Joel on software". It's a collection of articles that Joel Spolsky has written on his website He has some good ideas, one of them being practing your writing skills my updating your blog regularly.

I was talking to Woodie today about his cabin on Lake Wawasee in northern Indiana. He was telling me that he has to close his place up for the winter but wants to keep the heat running so he can go up there over the Holidays and use the place. We were talking about ways to monitor the temperature remotely and I suggested purchase a large digital read out thermometer, mount it on a wall and point a webcam at it. He could just log in from work check his webcam and note the temperature up at his cabin. It would be a hi-low tech solution. Or you could employ some sort of image recognition software that could actually "read" the temperature post it to a database and fire a trigger if the value got below 60 degrees.

a great movie

"Lost in Translation"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0335266/

I rented it and saw it twice last week. The picture was amazing, it really made me think about a lot of things.

It's one of those ambient movies where the pacing is slow and you have to let the atmosphere tell the story. Also there aren't many characters aside from the leads but Japan itself is a character and serves as a metaphor for alientation and disconnected feelings.

I'm going to order the soundtrack online. I tried to find it at Target, attempted to download it from Itunes but no go. I don't even know of a dedicated record store in the Indianapolis area.
I could go to Barnes and Noble but I never have much luck finding stuff there.

I keep on listening to the song "Sometimes" from the group "My Bloody Valentine" that is from the movie.

I'm back from my trip in Europe and I tried to post earlier this week but it the blogger site timed out and it never got up there

it's been a while

I was in Europe for two weeks with my wife and mother.

We were in Paris, the Swiss Alps and visited my relatives in Switzerland.

I am now back on the job. It wasn't till I got back here that I realized how sedentary this job is.

One sits in the cube and sits and sits.... There is an occasional meeting to attend but there are some weeks when even that doesn't occur. At lunch there's always the opportunity to get out of the cubicle into your car and head to the nearest fast food drive in for a nutritious meal.

Except for the trip from Paris to Basel, we didn't take any lengthy train trips. Perhaps one day we will take the Glacier Express. I think that train runs from Zermatt to Saint Moritz.

I' m eagerly waiting the Microsoft XP security patch.

I wonder what new "features" it will offer

Went to Bub's in Carmel tonight with a crew from my wife's work. I did not have the big ugly but did have 6 highly nutritious "V" wings.

"If we do not find anything very pleasant, at least we shall find something new"
Voltaire

Bertrand Russell quote:

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts"

I was first became familiar with the name "Bertrand Russell" while watching the movie "Taxi Driver" where the Wizard (Peter Boyle) is speaking to Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) outside a coffee shop.

tour de France
 
With 90% of sports talk radio devoted to talking of trades and draft choices it's nice to see some actual sport taking place.  OLN (Outdoor Life Network) is showing the Tour de France daily.  Yesterday I saw Lance Armstrong battling his way to second place through the Pyrenees.  It's incredible watching the cyclists make those steep climbs.
 
Today was a short segment on the tour into the city of Nimes so not as exciting as yesterday.  The race resumes on tuesday when they head to the alps.
 
It's been pleasantly mild this July with relatively low humidty and temperatures in the low 80's. 

my car sucks

For the forth time in 9 months my car has broken down

there are the occasions of ailment

# Oct 15: battery dies

# May 1: serpentine belt snaps

# May 15: tensioner assembly collapses

# tonight: I have no idea what happened but the car died in the parking lot at Fountain Square. I waited 2 hours for the tow truck to show up. Ironically, I was planning on attending a Buddhist meditation class at Fountain Square. Going south on College the car was making all sorts of weird sounds and having a hard time getting acceleration from a stop. Well, while the rest of the class was learing about samsara, I was experiencing the real thing. Thankfully I was able to accumulate merit and practice patience and put the results into the path.

reading an old Article in the Atlantic Monthly about Robert Moses, the man who was the driving force between many of the bridges, tunnels, parks and parkways in the New York area. When I was growing up in Niagara Falls, NY we lived right off of the Robert Moses Parkway and that was the first limited access highway I became aquainted with.

Ironically Robert Moses never drove a car, I don't believe he ever had a drivers license.
The man who designed all these highways never himself drove down them.

I'd like to list these improbable occupations I've run across in my life:

I had a roofer once who lived on the first floor of a 5 story apartment building.

A mortage broker who rented an apartment.

I tried to think of some hypothetical ones:

A dentist with no teeth

A teetotaler that runs a bar

..list to be continued...

Ta gai lem holle dai!

nice long weekend, mostly spent in leisure

I've finished reading "Amnesia Nights" by Quinton Skinner. It's a good book that kept me guessing up to the end as to what the outcome would be.

The amazon link is here below.

Amnesia Nights

I've started reading "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote and am about 1/3 of the way through. Not much suspense in this one as I've read it before and am aware of the fate of the Clutter family. Still a fascinating read and the book that kicked off the "true crime" genre.

I saw two DVDs also, "Spellbound" and "The Basketball Diaries". The later has the infamous classroom shootout, with Leonardo DiCaprio wearing a trench coat and laying waste to his classmates. At one point I turned on the subtitles and had a revealing moment in regards to song lyrics. In one scene a basketball game is under way to the tune of the Doors: "Riders on the Storm". The lyrics came through on the subtitles and when I saw the line "Take a long holiday" I was taken aback. I don't know why but somehow I thought that Jim Morrison was chanting some Native American prayer or eastern phrase ala "Jai Guru Deva Om" in the Beatles "Across the Universe". To me the Doors lyrics always sounded "Ta gai lem holle dai -- Let your children play". Weird

I also went to a cookout at my friends Richard and Vickie's house and ended up manning the grill. Richard kept asking me how to barbeque chicken and then asked me to prepare and cook the food. I was more than happy to assist him soaking the poultry in the bbq sauce and tending to it on the charcoal grill.

sunday around 5 pm

We just had our 2nd annual 56th street ice cream social sponsored by my wife the neighborhood block captain. Both young and old were in attendance. The youngest was Brian and Lynn's son Henry who is 13 months old, the oldest being Martha who exact age we are unaware of but she told us once that she got married in 1945.
It was a very pleasant day for the event, warm and sunny but not humid. The past week the weather has almost been like fall. The event ran from 1-3 pm but most people showed up around 2 and we were out in the driveway until about 4.

Watching Henry the 13 month old was interesting. I have no children nor any nieces or nephews so being around kids is a rarity. There are few youngsters on the street, aside from Henry the only other children are two elementary school aged kids whose names escape me at the moment. My mother once told me that I did not learn to walk until I was 18 months old. I watch Henry amble about confidently albeit with support from outdoor furniture and chairs and wonder what I was doing at 13 months. Was I that clumsy or did I just love powercrawling around the house.

Currently my 3 cats, Bindi, Stanley and Sophie are circling the basement posting themselves by my chair as according to their estimation it is supper time. It's funny watching them all scramble down the basement stairs in unison, Stanley the most hyperactive one skipping through the air and landing ahead of another cat to get to his food bowl as they make the descent. Alas, Master Bart is not ready to feed the young beasts as the hour of 5 pm has not yet struck.

Our book club has chosen Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" for this month so I will get my copy from the library this week and read it over the fourth of July weekend.

My favorite Urban Legend

Is Clint Eastwood the son of Stan Laurel?

Most of the stuff I find on Snopes as the result of some e-mail that's been forwarded on to me about $50 Applebee's Gift Certificates, kidney thieves in Las Vegas or poisonous snakes at the children's playground at Burger King.

The legend claiming that Clint Eastwood is the son of Stan Laurel is one I discovered on my own and is a personal favorite. Snopes.com mentions that Clint Eastwood was born the same month that Stan Laurel's wife gave birth to a son who died 9 days after being born. The rumor has it that the baby didn't die, was given up for adoption and was taken into the Eastwood home. Who knows maybe it is true? Has Clint Eastwood ever come forward and proved that he's not the son of Stan Laurel? What is he trying to hide from us? I'm growing suspicious.

Sometimes when people send me the Urban Legend e-mail I'm inclined to write them back and introduce to them the wonders of Snopes and how they should check every e-mail against the Snopesbase to verify what they are reading. Some programmer out there should add that to e-mail filtering software. It would detect an Urban Legend and attach the Snopes reference to the message so that the user could get all the facts at once.

I enjoyed the Laurel and Hardy movies growing up. My Dad would check them out from the library in reel to reel format(no VCRs or DVDs in my childhood, sonny). On New Years Eve at church we would have a potluck and my Dad would show a Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin movie. Also there was a program called "Supes On" on Channel 43 WUAB in Cleveland and the first hour of the program usually featured a Stooges or Laurel and Hardy movie. Going to church to see an old comedy sure beats going to Sunday School.

many thoughts crossing into my mind at the moment.

in the news I've heard of a terrorist plot to bomb malls in Columbus, Ohio. I found this news a bit alarming being a former resident of the city and having frequented its malls many times. For those not acquainted here's a rundown based on personal experience.

Northland Mall: otherside of town from where I grew up. It no longer exists, is used to be the main mall in CoCo town when I was a kid but the surrounding neighborhood decayed and the mall went down the tube with it. I only remember being there once, to see the movie "Teachers" with Nick Nolte, Judd Hirsch and yours truly. I was an extra in the film and was actually congratulated by Aaron Russo, the executive producer for my performance in a scene. This scene ended up on the cutting room floor much to my dismay and my I was aghast when I realized this as I kept telling my friends before we entered the cinema, "I'm in the film, I'm in the film". Alas, I think I ended up on the album cover for the soundtrack, I'm that large red speck seen heading up the stairs of John F. Kennedy High School(olde Central High school in reality). This was my 15 minutes of almost fame.

Southland Mall: does it still exist, did it ever exist. The south side of Columbus once claimed this mall. It had about 7 stores and a movie theater. I remember it because I saw a James Bond movie there. One scene in the movie involved a woman playing a violin in a concert hall in Bratislava, Czechloslovakia, I forget the rest. I always think of the mall when I hear the Lynrd Skyrnd song that goes "singing sounds about the Southland..." I have some image of the band playing in front of the store with no one around just some stray trash twirling around aimlessly right outside the entryway. If you've seen the movie "American Beauty" you'll understand what I'm talking about.

here's a sight/cite you might find interesting:

Northland Mall Today

Dead Malls web site


Westland Mall: home sweet home, actually I spent more time at Great Western but that was a strip mall and not the enclosed, climatically controlled SuperMall. I went to Westland many times but I honestly cannot remember why, nor do I recall spending a lot of money there. No, I was not a mall rat and did not hang out there with other disaffected teens, there were other places to do that which were far more interesting. I would go to WaldenBooks, a record store whose name I have forgotten and going to a pretzel outlet called "Hot Sams".

City Center Mall: this was just built about 15 years ago right in downtown. Circle City Mall in Indianapolis was built to model this mall. I'm really not sure if the downtown Columbus Mall is still in good shape. Circle City was not built until after I went away to college but I did visit a few times. I wonder how things stand today.

time to blog and blog again.

It's been an 80's kind of week with all Ronald Reagan tribute going on. It almost makes me want to go to Itunes and download Phil Collin's "No Jacket Required", head out to the nearest fern bar/comedy club for a few wine coolers before heading home to watch the latest episode of "Miami Vice" faithfully recorded on my Sony Betamax.

I did a little research on remaining living US Presidents and their ages: (ranked by age)

Gerald Ford: Born: July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska (90 years old)

George H.W. Bush: Born: June 12, 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts (79 years old) ; birthday is tomorrow

James Carter: Born: October 1, 1924 in Plains, Georgia (79 years old)

Bill Clinton: Born: August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas (57 years old)

I just wonder if all of these men will request state funerals when they pass. What will the coverage of the Gerald Ford funeral be like? Will the casket slip off the hearse?

My old Church

From 1969- 1975 my father was the minister of this church

Riverside Church in Niagara Falls

My father is mentioned in the church history found here

We left Niagara Falls shortly before my 8th birthday. I don't remember much but in the summer after church they'd have a coffee hour with lots of punch and cookies and running around in my Sunday best at such events. Looking at photos of the church on the website it looks like they put in addition right in the middle of the area where these receptions took place. As Dr Suess once said "Oh, the places you will go."

Niagara Falls is where is first heard of a TV show called "Star Trek". The show had been off the air for several years but was in syndication and on practically every night throughout the 1970's. I was a bit confused initially thinking that the show was called "Star Track" and imagined some tie in between cho-cho trains and outer space. The first episode I ever saw was when Kirk and Spock travel back through time to the 1930's United States and somehow Kirk hooks up with this woman who is anti-war and if she had lived would have led to a Nazi victory World War II or something like that. Here's the episode:

city on the edge of forever

tues 5 pm: time for a new blog entry

I've just read that Ohio State fired their basketball coach and there is speculation that OSU might be looking to replace him with Mister Bob Knight who is an Ohio State alum. I'm not much of a college basketball fan but it would make the Ohio State - Indiana series interesting. Also I have a special karmic connection to Bob Knight as we both are from Orrville, Ohio. I left when I was 18 months old, actually I lived in nearby Dalton at the time but Orrville had the nearest hospital. Mr Bob Knight actually spent his entire pre-adult life so that makes him more of a native than myself.

The news media is full of tributes to the late President Reagan. It's interesting seeing the old clips of his appearances back when he was president. Although I was 13 when he was elected and remember him being president I have few specific recollections of the man. I recall I found out that he was shot right before I had to go to my piano lesson and wasn't sure if I should go, I did up having the lesson. I went home that night and Dan Rather was on TV with a mannequin-like object and a doctor from Columbia - Presbyterian explaining where the President had been shot. At the time I did not realize how good a public speaker he was, I only had Carter to compare with him and I was even younger during his reign. The only Gerald R. Ford recollections I have are of a large awkward man and his klutzy moments that were captured for the evening news on a regular basis.

I think one of the other aspects of the Reagan shooting was that it was not covered by Walter Cronkite who had retired a few years before it happened. All through the late 70's and early 80's dinner was always at 5:30 in the Medley home as we had to be done by 6:30 in order to get in front of the TV for "Uncle Walter". As the 80's progressed, Mom went back to work, Rather and CBS slid in the ratings and dinner was pushed back to 6. Eventually Mom went back to school and dinner came in the crock-pot and was consumed in front of the TV while "PM Magazine" or "M*A*S*H" re-runs blared away.

Another recollection of the Reagan years was my friend who said to me after Yuri Andropov died that Reagan must have commented "Oh my, the youngster is dead." I found this quite funny at the time and could not stop laughing. Also after the Robert Bork controversy he told me that he imagined a headline in the paper reading "Reagan Gorks!, nominates Bork to court."

The weirdest thing about all the Reagan history retrospective is that I was around for it. Unlike the endless JFK assassination anniversary coverage from last November, the LBJ tapes or old newsreel footage of FDR on a train somewhere, I lived the Reagan years.

In future blog entries I will try to tap the memory mines and tell tales of my days in the fast food industry in Columbus, Ohio in the mid 1980's. I think the time period can be compared with working on the railroad in the 1900s or being in silcon Valley in the late 1990s's.

wednesday night after 7 pm

Kids say the darndest things

A friend of ours from California sent us a report that a son of one of their friends wrote about Indiana.

here are some of the quotes:

"Indiana has a lot of unique things that California doesn't. For example Indiana has tornadoes and California doesn't. Indiana has a shore on the Great Lakes. Indiana is flat with 0-500 meters above sea level, it's in the Eastern Time zone, and is only 36,420 sq. miles. Indiana has a really good football team and had citizens that were the proud inventors of the first Raggedy Ann doll. They also have an energy reserve for coal. This makes Indiana such a nice place."

also he describes one of the larger venues in Indiana, the RCA dome formerly known as the Hoosier Dome.

"Come to the great RCA dome (formerly known as the Hoosier Dome) to see the Indianapolis Colts play. If you're a tourist you're probably wondering why you should come. Well, wouldn't it be great to have the camera at the game get a flash of you on TV sitting with 60,000 other fans? How could anyone resist getting a star's autograph? What if a famous game unraveled right before you're eyes? How can anyone resist coming to the RCA dome?"

I couldn't have put it better myself. I have been to the RCA Domo several times, I don't recall any famous games but I have seen the Colts defense unravel in front of my very eyes. I also recall a field goal kicking contest the Colts lost to the Buffalo Bills back around '97. That was back in the dot net go-go days of the 90's when free football tickets were easy to come by for us computer guys.

friday night 10pm.

I have not blogged for a while. We got back from vacation in Arizona on Monday night. After a long trip we pulled into the driveway and discovered that the garage door would not open. As I entered the house through the front door I discovered that the power was out. A neighbor left a note informing us that our side of the street had been without power since 11:30 the night before. Last July 4h we endured a 36 hour outage. I'm not sure what's going on, I'm 37 and in all the other places I've lived I never remember the power being out longer than 2 hours and now two extensive outages in the last nine months.

Back in the realm of pizza delivery there was an article in the Indianapolis star about a disturbing incident that occured while I was away.

Pizza deliveryman could be charged in death

Apparently someone tried to rob a pizza deliveryman who was armed with a handgun. The assailant's weapon was not loaded but the pizza-man's gun was. The would be robber was fatally shot 10-15 times. The deliveryman was later fired from his job for carrying a firearm which is against Pizza Hut policy. The newspaper article provided one the stranger quotes I've seen in a while. The pizza man when interviewed said:

"I'm a pretty down-to-earth kind of person. With everything that's transpired since 9/11, killing these days almost seems a necessity if it means your life or theirs."

I had no idea there was a connection between delivering pizzas and the War on Terror.