Category Archives: Thoughts

Mr. Hilton

Fun, Thoughts,

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week.  We don’t celebrate this holiday with too many presents or special songs, but I think it is interesting to consider the role that some of my teachers played in my future.  I know that the teachers my kids have now (and ones they have had) are making a huge impact on their lives.  Both kids absolutely love their teachers this year and have learned so much under their watch.

I had a few wonderful teachers that shaped me, but probably my all time favorite teacher was Mr. Hilton.  We had some weird transitions and chaos as East Hickory Elementary merged with Tionesta Elementary, but I received a huge benefit as I had Mr. Hilton for both 4th and 5th grades.  He inspired my curiosity.  We did all sorts of interesting projects on physical and earth science.  I remember spending all sorts of time in the science room where there were closets and shelves and shelves full of formaldehyde-filled jars with creatures of every sort.  There were containers of chemicals and bottles of mysteries.  We didn’t recklessly play with stuff but were taught to investigate.  We learned about economics (he used a token system to reward behavior and hard work) and greed and power struggles and how hard work pays off.

Later on in high school, Mr. Hilton became Coach Hilton.  I played soccer in high school and he was my soccer coach.  We weren’t always the best team but he encouraged us to do our best and to have a lot of fun in the meantime.  

Finally, I worked closely with Mr. Hilton’s son and daughter at the bait/sporting goods/grocery/movie/ice cream/general store where we all worked.  His son and I, in particular, had a tremendous amount of fun and a little bit of trouble.  I deer hunted with he and his family and came to enjoy his company apart from school as well.  It’s not common to have a teacher who can also be a friend as well as a mentor, but Mr. Hilton accomplished much of that for me.

So, here’s to you Mr Hilton!  Thanks for being a great teacher!  I still appreciate your hard work!

Ok…I have to stop or he may get a big head if he reads this.  But I do sincerely hope that you had an awesome teacher somewhere in your growing up that inspired you.  If you can, let them know.  I am sure they will appreciate it!

 And now, our next candidate for teacher of the century…

Stuff that makes me smile

Nature, Thoughts,

You know, sometimes I just get home from work and I get a big smile on my face.  There are so many cool things going on during spring that I just can’t help myself.  Here are a few things that made me smile yesterday when I got home from work.


This color yellow…

This color purple…


And this color purple…

The smell of black locust blooms…the bees were enjoying as well of course.  Gosh, the smell is heavenly.  I wish I could share the scent in the air with you.  When I release my own perfume line, it will be called “Warren” of course, but will be the smell of black locust blooms!


We feed birds all sorts of seeds and suet cakes. This one female rose breasted grossbeak has learned to open the suet cage and help herself. She’s no dummy for sure. I smiled (out loud) when I saw her going to town with no impediment!


And finally, although this didn’t happen yesterday, Jim Carey almost always makes me smile!

Anyhow, what makes you smile?

There’s treasure in Jexico

Family, Thoughts,

 

I wonder if it is wrong for my 6-year old daughter to really like the “Pirates of the Carribean” movies?  I mean, they aren’t too bad, right?  Once Isaac sees anything, it isn’t long before Abigail does too.  Yeah, she’s seen them and she loves them!

Abigail’s class did a section on oceans recently in class so she has been fascinated by oceans and ocean life, islands and palm trees and coral reefs.  Actually, when I think of it, I could stay there in my imagination forever too.  Anyhow, she joined her interests in “Pirates” with islands and started working on a treasure map.  She name her mysterious island Jexico.  Emily and I had nothing to do with the naming but we surely got a laugh out of this toothless dinosaur shaped paradise.  Actually, it made us think of the James Taylor song ” Mexico” (below for your pleasure)

We saw James Taylor in concert in Nashville when we were first married.  Neither of us have ever been involved in drugs, but that night at the concert, we both surely must have gotten high.  There was weed aplenty at the concert but apparently a real shortage of rolling papers.  Ahhh…good times!

Anyhow, Abigail is releasing a series of maps to her friends.  One map in particular…her best work…is being reserved for Aunt Elizabeth (you know, Elizabeth Swann from the movie) so she can find the treasure and remain unbeholden to any man.  Abigail is watching out for her girls of course!  I am sort of proud of her for skipping the whole damsel in distress stuff and going straight for the treasure.  Maybe my girl is related to Elizabeth Swann somehow!

Off to the allergist

Thoughts


Since I was a kid, I have been allergic.  I am allergic to everything that walks or talks or floats through the air.  We didn’t have air conditioning, of course, when I was a kid.  We didn’t need it in the woods of NW PA (though it’s hotter there now).  But we did sleep with the windows open all night so I often woke with a solid dusting of pollen all over my body.  Of course, that also meant I was sick pretty much all of the time.  I went to an allergist in NY (the closest there was) and he wrote on my chart (which I still have) that I was “a most unusual and interesing case”.  He also noted that, while in his office, “…I coughed until I threw up and then continued coughing.”  Charming…so I have allergies to all sorts of foods and trees and everything, like I said…and they are bad.

When we lived in TN, there was something different.  Very few things bothered me there.  The trees in Nashville were, in many cases, very different from what we had in PA or here in WV.  It was a pretty easy-going time allergy-wise for me.  I just figured that all my brains had leaked out through my nose or that I had outgrown my allergies.

Fastforward a few years and we returned to live in WV.  Allergies kicked my butt all over again.  Folks think I am in a constant state of mourning as my eyes are always red.  I must seem more emotional than a teenage girl!  I am actually a bit like an older lady who keeps tissues up her sleeve.  I can’t leave home without them.  All that was the case until last year when I decided I couldn’t live like that (puberty and menopause at the same time was a drag!)  I went to a local allergist and he confirmed that I am a most unusual and interesting case.  I started allergy shots last year and have continued.  So far I am still boy-like and not a miserable mess of histamine-reaction!

 

Today I have to go back to the doctor for my checkup.  I am not sure what exactly goes down at an allergy checkup.  I suppose he needs to make sure it is all working as planned.  Whatever the case, I am happy to go back because it seems as if my allergies are under control with the shots I have been taking this past year!  The best part is that every time I go to the allergist, I leave with a lollipop…without fail.  I suppose they leave the candy out there for the kids, but I need encouragement to get my shots too!

Anyhow, do you folks have allergies?  Do you take shots or have other remedies?

Swedish Fish

Fun, History, Thoughts, ,

When I was a kid, we used to spend every day at the Tionesta beach. It was wonderful basking in the sun, preparing ourselves for skin cancer, learning about swimming and other kids and fish and crawdads.  One of my favorite memories of the beach was the concession stand.  They sold all sorts of junk there and we got a quarter to spend each day.

They sold frozen candy bars and popscicles and fun-dip and wacky wafers.  I love sugary candy.  It’s a terrible weakness that I still carry.  Probably my all time favorite thing to buy was swedish fish.  I guess they were a precursor to gummy-bears?  Anyhow, I like the red ones.  They sold swedish fish at the beach for a penny each….bag included!  Just about every day, I would get a little sandwich bag full of 25 swedish fish…the red ones.  

I have eaten them since then, but it is fairly uncommon for me nowadays.  The other day though, I was passing through a store and saw a bag of swedish fish.  The are significantly more expensive now than the used to be.  I didn’t count, but I suppose they cost at least 2 pennies each now.  Anyhow, I bought a bag…the red ones.  I ate the whole bag by myself the day I bought  them.  That’s right, 1400 calories of red sugary goodness!  I skipped breakfast and lunch and figure I broke even for the day.

I got another bag a few days later and spaced them out a bit.  I figured that buying swedish fish this way wasn’t sustainable though.  I decided to try my hand at a breeding program.  I looked very carefully and choose a male and female swedish fish and put them in a fishbowl I had laying around at the house.  I do have some experience with fish reproduction (a story for another time), so I figure it ought to be a piece of cake.  Anyhow, I expect to be up to my eyes in swedish fish in just a few days.  I’ll be taking orders soon!

Do you have anything from your childhood like in which you still indulge now and then?

A mood

Thoughts

I have been in a mood lately.  I suppose it has been for the last month or so, but I am tired of it.  Several people have commented about it and I can feel it myself.  I am not sure why we get in moods or if it is seasonal or something else.  I really suppose it must be related to my recent escape from the caffeine habit!  Anyhow, as spring seems to have finally arrived in WV, I have high hopes of getting back to normal.  So please, dear readers, bear with me as I boost my vitamin d intake and sneak nips from the old Mt Dew bottle now and then.

In the meantime, I took this picture and thought it was just about the cutest thing I had seen since I last looked in the mirror!

 

Happy Friday!

Cow on wheels?

Fun, Thoughts, WV, ,

A coworker of mine (actually, the founder of our company) is an excellent, though atypical skateboarder.  He’s been at it for many years and has a lot of great skills and some really nice scars to show for his efforts.  Recently, he has gotten me into skateboarding too.  After a number of really nasty days here in WV, yesterday was absolutely beautiful.  We cut out of work a couple of hours early and headed to Coonskin Park where there is a great skate park.

We got there and there were a number of teenagers.  It’s funny, as I thought about it.  Skateboarders are typically considered punks and maybe even criminals.  To be sure, I saw kids who needed a shave, kids with tattoos and long hair.  Some of them cussed and most of them were show-offs.  

But I also saw older kids helping younger kids learn new moves, I saw people gather around to help when one boy fell and hurt his leg.  I saw a boy trying to teach his new girlfriend learn to skate.  There was plenty of clowning around and tons of good clean fun. These were really great kids who aren’t much different than I was when I was a teenager.  Really, they are not much different than I am right now when I think of it.

Anyhow, I am gaining a new respect for skaters.  These folks were decent kids who wanted to have a thrill, to show off and to hang out with friends.  They were not stoned or drunk or any of those things that people often associate with skaters.  They were a lot of fun and my pleasure to hang with.

I think the funniest thing I saw was the guy in the cow suit.  He was a great sport and an awesome skater.  One of the younger kids asked him why he was wearing a cow suit.  His reply was, “to get the ladies”.  The younger kid just shrugged and said, “Oh..I get that.”

Where I grew up

Thoughts

I grew up in a small town in NW PA called Tionesta.  It’s the county seat of Forest county, the least populus county in Pennsylvania.  Since there aren’t many people, you might guess that there are a lot of trees and outdoorsy things to do.  Of course, with a county name like Forest, could there be any doubt?  Anyhow, I lived every bit of my childhood there (since I was 1 or so) and grew up as a country boy.

What exactly it means to be a country boy varies from person to person I suppose but I figure that there are a few common denominators.  I grew up exposed to nature and critters and dark skies and simple life.  There was ugly stuff about living in the country too, but I choose to ignore all of that stuff.


(the Tionesta dam)

So, anyhow, I grew up near a town of 600 or so people.  We lived a few miles out of town in the boonies.  Actually, when you get to the boonies, you turn left and go a bit further.  Anyhow, in the country, we got into all sorts of things.  I have mentioned a few things on here before…we were about gardening and making maple syrup, boy scouts and camping, wishing on the stars and laying under a shade tree chewing on a piece of grass.  I learned about guns and shot all the time.  It was wonderful!    

I miss those things…sometimes more than others.  The funny thing is, though, I guess I can do all those things now too, but I think there is something special about being a kid in the country.

Do you have memories, past or present, of being a kid in the country?

Mortgage on the castle

Thoughts

We originally bought our house 3 years ago when we moved here with a 30 year mortgage, similar to how most people buy homes.  We had a conventional, fixed-rate mortgage and paid three years on it.  Basically, we paid $30000 in interest and $0.47 on the principal.  With the lower interest rates that are a result of the economic climate, we recently found a lower rate and decided to refinance our home.  

We did not refinance to take out some of the equity or prolong our loan another 30 years to lower payments.  I understand that things happen and it becomes necessary to do these things sometimes, but for us, our goal was to shorten the length of the loan and pay it off a bit earlier.  

In a lot of cases, refinancing fees eat up a large portion of the benefit of refinancing.  Closing costs and title insurance and other similar fees can total thousands of dollars and, if rolled back into the principal, can negate the refinancing benefit.  We looked around some and found some interesting information.  First of all, the refinancing backlog at some banks is incredible.  The banking industry is apparently not suffering too bad (or else they run on a skeleton staff) as many places wouldn’t even call us back.  

Anyhow, our bank, it turns out, still owns our loan and has an easy refinancing option whereby they essentially reduce our rate/term for only $415.  We still have a fixed rate, prime loan at a conventional brick-and-mortar bank.  We now only have to pay on it for 20 years instead of 30.  I put together a little spreadsheet to analyze the loans and discovered that by cutting 7 years off of our loan (we already paid 3 of the original 30 years), we will save over $100,000 in interest.  Our payment only slightly changed and it is likely that by limiting my Mt Dew intake, we won’t feel any difference in our bottom line!

You can see the spreadsheet I created to have a look at your own home loan.  Basically, the yellow cells need your input.  You’ll notice an area called “extra payment” that will allow you to add additional money on your principal payment to see how a little extra money translates into a lot of extra money down the road.  You can also see the total cost of your loan which will likely be shocking.  Anyhow, have a look and see what you think!  By the way, if you don’t have excel, you can download OpenOffice which is a free replacement for Microsoft Office.  I have used this since 1998 or so and have had great luck with it.

Diversification

Fun, Thoughts, WV, ,

So I have been watching a discussion about evolution on facebook (by the way, I am addicted to facebook…it’s madness!  Look me up if you are on fb!) and it’s made me think about how things need to change in order to keep up.  Regardless of whether you subscribe to macroevolution, I think most folks accept microevolution where small changes occur that benefit a species.  That made me think about West Virginia in particular.  For so long, we have been a coal state.  In fact, WV produces 15% of all coal in the United States and leads in the production of underground coal.  More specifically, in 2006 West Virginia mines produced over 158 million tons of coal (more WV coal facts).    So all of that is to say, WV is a coal state.  Ok, now I am going to rant a bit, but please read on ’til the end.  I promise not to be too obnoxious!

Walker CAT has been sponsoring these billboards for quite awhile around here.  I don’t really want to have a huge debate on mountain top removal or global warming right now but I wonder why they are pushing such a crazy idea.  Coal is still dirty.  It’s dirty when it is mined and dirty when it is burned.  I am not suggesting that we stop all mining or use of coal.  But I wonder how these signs are left to stand.  I hope the idea is to suggest that we look for ways to make coal clean and carbon neutral rather than to try and trick folks into believing that coal is currently clean and carbon neutral.

So what do we do?  I like electricity and driving around and my air conditioner as much as the next guy.  But we can all do better about conserving.  I won’t list all that stuff here because folks know how to conserve.  But in addition to conservation, I think WV and other places need to diversify.  I am surely not the first to say it, but WV can become an energy state rather than just a coal state.  Coal will likely always play a role here, but so should natural gas and wind and solar.  We could become a place that makes turbines as well as hosts them.  We can lead in research and development.  We just need to evolve.  Heck, my son alone can fuel our house with natural gas.  I am sure there are lots of “unusual” sources for energy if we look. 

I was so inspired the other day at how diversification is starting to take hold in WV.  I saw a sign where it appears that the Department of Corrections is getting together with the Real Estate Division of the state.  There is tons of potential there!  I can see the prisons becoming neighborhood initiaitves!  The Depart of Corrections can buy up abandoned homes, and build neighborhood  jails!  Maybe we can run fund raisers where we “arrest” our friends and neighbors and then have to pay to bail them out.  Maybe we can just put all teenagers in these places and feed them every week or so.  I don’t know, it just seems like the folks in charge are starting to think about things in a different way.  Maybe now we can get the Department of Natural Resources to merge with the Department of Education so we can harvest the post lunch methane of 9 year old boys!  See?  We need to diversify and think outside the box!