Tag Archives: WV

Our pal Franco Harris

Fun, WV,

Emily works at Piedmont Elementary, an inner-city school in Charleston, WV.  The kids there are ethnically diverse and a great number come from poverty homes.  In spite of those issues (and they are many), there are so many great things about the school.  The staff generally want to be there (because you wouldn’t stay if you didn’t), and the principal has a passion for doing whatever is best for the kids.  Piedmont is one of only a few year round schools in WV, thanks to the principal’s passion to serve the kids.  Year round school gives the kids consistency and at least 2 regular meals year round.

Mr Knighton, the principal also knows a lot of people.  Yesterday, one of his contacts delivered.  Franco Harris of the famous Immaculate Reception and the Super Bowl-ring-heavy Pittsburgh Steelers was speaking in Charleston yesterday and had some free time.  Mr Knighton’s friend was able to schedule some time for the Piedmont kids to meet Franco Harris and he delivered a talk on eating right, making wise choices, etc.  The kids, none of whom were alive when Franco played football, enjoyed the talk and the chance to meet a football great!  It was a great treat for the kids and the staff (who DO remember when he played!)

Emily was able to have Franco Harris sign my Steelers hat which has taken its rightful position on my pillow, right beside my head.  He was very gracious to all the kids who had questions and wanted autographs as well.  I absolutely dig it when sports stars come back to Earth and do great things for people who need it.

So what about you…do you have any autographs or stories of famous folks?

Flat in WV!

Family, WV,

When we lived in Nashville, TN, we had a beautiful flat piece of land on a flat, dead-end road with 5 houses.  We played outside all the time.  We messed around in the yard and we rode bikes.  We rode bikes constantly. 

Isaac started riding his little Red Flyer tricycle there and graduated to a two-wheeler with training wheels.  He was briliant on a bike.  He got better and better and quickly was able to ride without training wheels.  In fact, he was so good that I took his training wheels off one day and he jumped right on his bike and rode off.  He never has wrecked since that day.

Charleston, WV is not flat space.  We moved here when Abigail was 3.  She had just started to ride bikes in TN so moving here definitely stunted her bike riding ability.  I suppose my brother and I were born on bicycles.  Not sure how my Mom worked that out and I sort of hope we keep it that way.  Anyhow, we were always on bikes and I need for my kids to be that way too.  It’s been tough here though since we have no flat space to ride.

There is a neat area in Charleston called Kanawha City that has neat homes and flat back streets right along the river.  Typically, there isn’t much gunfire, during the day at least, so we were able to ride pretty freely this weekend.  Several of the back streets are very bike friendly.  Cars typically are aware of bikes so it’s an ideal situation.  Our only barrier until now was how to get all of our bikes to Kanawha City.  We have a bike carrier but none of us was smart enough to figure out how to use it.  This weekend, after 3 years of holding out (seriously), I caved in and finally read the instructions.  We hooked it all up and made it to flat ground in WV!  We rode bikes like when I was a kid (i.e. with abandon!) and had a blast and will definitely be back!  The best part is that my bike has a speedometer so Isaac and I had fun watching our speed (the speed limit in Kanawha City is 25…I can say no more for fear of the repercussions).  We were careful to obey most of the rules of the road!


(Isaac’s first bike!)

Were you a “biker” when you were a kid?  If not, what did you do when you played outside?

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.”

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!

We had a blast!

Fun, WV,


Charleston has a long history as a major chemical manufacturing and research center with more than 80 chemical facilities in the area.  Like everything though, we are seeing many companies move their facilities to other states and countries. 

As part of that trend, in 2001, Union Carbide, which owned Building 82 and used it for administrative space, merged with Dow Chemical which quickly gutted the workforce and facilities in Charleston.

In 2005, Dow decided to sell Building 82, but donated the building to the University of Charleston the next year when no buyer was found.  UC was going to rennovate the building for dorm space but the cost was too great.  Instead, they decided to demolish the building and sell the land  (here’s an interesting read on special features of the building and how they brought it down).


So, that’s where the fun started for us.  We had planned to drive into the area near the building and watch from as close as we could.  We drove in a back way that parallels the interstate and found a tremendous crowd already.  We decided that we wouldn’t likely find a better spot so we watched from 1000 feet or so away.  So we waited and watched and finally heard the initial blasts that weakened the structure.  A few seconds later, several incredible blasts went off and the building came down in a flash and a cloud of smoke.  

(Here’s some additional video taken by news crews in case you weren’t awed enough by my pics! Video 1, Video 2)

We all cheered and danced a bit along the road with total strangers.  It was pretty weird but it reminded me of what this whole thing was about for me…it  was about blowing junk up.  As a kid, I had pretty easy access to gasoline, black powder, fireworks, and firearms.  I shot, burned, or otherwise blew up anything that I could.  I shot tvs and watermelons.  I made blackpowder zip guns and napalm-like jelly and did all sorts of stuff that I shouldn’t have survived.  (For instance, once I made a homemade rocket out of junk I found around the house.  I packed the head of it with a lot of fireworks and pseudo-napalm.  It was super top-heavy so when I launched it, it tipped over and headed straight for me.  It blew up just shy of me thankfully!)

Anyhow, seeing that building blow up was just like being a kid again…only better…nothing came flying at me this time…and I didn’t have to answer to my dad for burning his car up and no one is going to jail this time…  

Maybe I am growing up…

Snowflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes

WV

Frauline Maria may have counted snowflakes that fell on her nose and eyelashes as some favorite things.  I however, do not.  I have to admit that the snow on Sunday was really incredible, the way it hung in the trees was almost dream-like.  But, you know…I am ready to wake up.  My old friend Phil was, unfortunately right.  We are still in winter here!

Click on the pics for a bigger view.  I think they are better larger…

My Dixie dream come true!

Family, WV,

The WV car show came to town this weekend.  In general, I couldn’t really care less about new car models, horsepower, etc.  I mean, I like horsepower.  I used to like to drive fast until I got my first ticket.  That first (and last) ticket came in 1995 and cost me $155.  The cheapskate in me kicked in and I rarely speed any more.  It just costs too much.  Anyhow, I don’t read Car and Driver or Off-Road Hero or anything of the sort.  I like a car/truck/van to get me where I am going and that’s about all I care about (point of proof, I drive a man-van..the dreaded minivan…but it’s outfitted with XM Radio so I can blare the hottest hairband tunes from the 80s).

Anyhow, so I don’t care much about cars, but Friday was date night + kids…the extended version.  The kids got their report cards and they looked pretty great so we went to celebrate by eating at the local Japanses steak house.  Isaac and I especially like the part when the chef lays down a path of corn whiskey and sets the place ablaze for a moment.  Anyhow, normally on such a special night, we would finish dinner, then head to Sam’s and finally to the tastee-freeze to cap it all off!  Sam’s was too busy so we headed to Kroger where they happened to have  free tickets to the WV car show laying around…<ding>FREE TICKETS!</ding>  “Yes, I’d like 4 please, and hurry so we can still hit the tastee-freeze!”

We jumped in the man-van and headed downtown to check out the latest from Detroit.  Upon entering the door, what do my wonderous eye behold, but the General Lee…yes, THE General Lee.  Now, in case you don’t recall, I sort of have a thing for the Dukes of Hazzard .  Emily bought me the entire DVD collection of the Dukes for Christmas this year.  The Dukes rate second only to my M*A*S*H DVD collection.  My children mean almost as much to me as these collections.  Just kidding…anyhow, the kids and I (they are so awesome – the kids like the Dukes a lot too…we’ve been watching episodes  over and over…still on Season 1!) stood and drooled over the General for at least 10 minutes.  We didn’t speak.  We just had a connection.  It was 3 with the machine.  We were mere inches from my Dixie Dream!  I suppose there were other cars in the auditorium, but I had seen the promised land!

Us with the General Lee
I wish I had a better picture than this but the lighting was awful…still, I am proud to share this special moment with you!

Jack Frost needs a blanket

Nature, WV,

Like a large portion of the country, we are suffering the deep freeze that burns skin, gets animals drunk, and causes men to go sterile (well, I made that part up, but you know what I mean!)  Our old house was built before cold was invented I guess as there is apparently no insulation in the place.  We have slowly been remedying that problem, but it is still freezing cold.  

 
Family room temps Kitchen temps
The new, high efficiency furnace has been running pretty much non-stop and has brought our family room temperature clear up to 54.6 deg F (46.2 on the floor).  Our kitchen is much warmer at a balmy 61.2 deg F.  I went down to the bottom floor basement and the pipes are frozen solid. We decided to just cut the water to the house so nothing floods if the pipes burst. Fortunately, nothing had popped yet and no other pipes are frozen. I dislike winter…I just want to hibernate!

Christmas seems different

Thoughts, WV,

The Clay Center

We decided to head to the Clay Center in Charleston again on Sunday afternoon.  The last time we were there, they were advertising the holiday displays that were to open after Thanksgiving.  Emily and I remember the old Christmas displays at the Sunrise Museum.  At Sunrise, there were numerous rooms full of Christmas trees with decorations from around the world.  It was incredible!  The trees were amazing and in a great display.

The Clay Center

So, I guess we had pretty high expectations of the display at the Clay Center (I don’t know if it was advertised as such, but we assumed the display had simply migrated to the Clay Center when they closed Sunrise), but we were pretty disappointed at the time with what was showcased.  There were only a few fairly simple trees and a few model railroads set up.  Now, don’t get me wrong…I absolutely love the Clay Center and am thrilled that we have such a place in WV.    It just wasn’t what I expected.

In a way, though, maybe it was ok too.  As I think back on it, the trees at the Sunrise museum were over done and unlike anything normal people would have.  Christmas has been about “bigger and better” for a lot of people for a long time.  I doubt it was intentional, but I think the Clay Center display sort of captured the mood of lots of folks in the country this year.  Maybe overdone isn’t such a good thing.  I know we have scaled back on hoopla at our house this year.  It’s not necessarily for economic reasons, but more for general mood reasons.  I know others are doing the same.

The Clay Center

Well, so as to not make introspection the only theme of this post, we enjoyed the huge bronze(?) sculpture in front of the museum.  The kids jumped into the “parade” and marched in time…very slow time.  It was the slowest moving parade I’d ever seen…almost like they weren’t moving at all.

Anyhow, I think we are settling in to a different Christmas this year.  I don’t know if it is just part of my growing up or the times, but Christmas is different this year…and probably better than ever!