GOODBYE MICHAEL

This has been a shocking...heart-wrenching weekend. Now...we're left with heavy hearts. A too-young friend of our family...including our grandchildren...has died...and it hurts.

Michael was in a freak accident Friday night...not six hours after I saw and spoke to him. As usual...I parted ways with a smile on my face as Michael and I exchanged words...that made us each smile. How could I know...that that would be our last conversation...well...one that I could hear Michael's response anyway.

Through the weekend...Michael's wife Heather kept us up to date from his ICU room. Cindy & I stopped in to see the two of them several times too. Michael hit his head in the accident...and was never responsive from that moment on. Late last night...it was determined that there would be no miracle for Michael...as Heather said...at least not the miracle we were praying for.

Once Heather realized that the miracle she, and her family and friends, was praying for wouldn't happen...the next miracle she prayed for was that some of Michael's organs could be used to help others. That one came true.

My heart is happy for those other families whose miracle they were praying for...was answered. But my heart is heavy...because Michael's three little children...are now left without a daddy.

Heather...has watched over our 3 grandchildren since they were very young. They have grown up at Michael and Heather's house. Michael was such a blessing to our 3 little ones. He was 'a kid' with them when they needed him to be...he loved on them when they needed it...and he corrected them when they needed it too.

We shared with them last night that Michael was not going to survive his injuries and was going to die. They are sad. And we are sad with them.

It will be a hard battle for Heather to win...but our family will do our best to help her and her three little ones...Ellie...Tage...and Sawyer...through the hardship.

Michael...we are so sorry that this has happened. I told you last night in your room...thanks for taking care of my grandchildren for me. I now pledge to help take care of your little ones for you.

Rest in Peace Michael.


Dan

ROBERTS STADIUM

An article today says ‘Pieces of Evansville stadium to be salvaged’

Well there’s only one Evansville 'stadium' that I knew of…Roberts Stadium. My first memories of Roberts Stadium was when I was very young…5 or 6 or 7 years old maybe. From our home in Owensville…about 30 minutes northwest of Evansville…we would frequently drive by Roberts Stadium on our way to see mom, or take her back to the state hospital where she was a patient.

The University of Evansville's basketball team...the Purple Aces...played their basketball games in Roberts Stadium. And in the '60s, Roberts Stadium became a frequent stop for me.

My high school, Vincennes Lincoln, had some very successful basketball teams in my high school years. At tournament time…sectionals were played at Adams Coliseum in Vincennes…regionals were played in Washington…and the semi state was played in Evansville at Roberts Stadium. It was huge…by my standards then…and a great place for us watch our basketball teams win games.

One of the things that made it different...at the time...was that the basketball surface was below ground level. Rather than walking into a stadium where the main floor was at street level...and you climbed up and up the steps to get to your seats...at Roberts Stadium...you walked in to the upper level of the arena...and you walked 'down' to your seats.

Also during those high school years…many of my ‘music’ buddies and I, went to Roberts Stadium to attend concerts of some of the popular bands of the time. I saw bands like Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad, Three Dog Night, Rod Stewart, Badfinger, Seals and Crofts, and Canned Heat..all in Roberts Stadium...just to mention a few that come to mind.

Well…the old stadium has apparently outlived its usefulness. I suppose there is a new stadium somewhere else in town that now does the events that Roberts Stadium used to.

The article says the stadium will be torn down and converted to a park site. They hope that some of the contents of the stadium can be sold off to people…like me…who have good memories of the old building. Reportedly, some of the seats from Roberts Stadium are to be moved to the Mesker Ampitheatre, and some of the bricks from the arena will be auctioned off to raise funds for the University of Evansville. 

It will sure look different…the next time I drive through Evansville and pass the site where the stadium sat. Memories from over 50 years run through my mind…and apparently that will be all that remains…memories.

Dan

'BRACING' FOR THE FUTURE

It's been an interesting week at the house...and a boon for several of our local Orthodontists.

Anna went to the Orthodontist Monday and will have braces put on her teeth...but not now...maybe later this year...maybe next year.  She has to have a few of her adult teeth grow in before they'll put them on. But it's gonna happen.

Mason went to a different Orthodontist on Tuesday...and he will have braces go on in mid-August...just before school starts for the fall.  He has an under-bite that they want to fix. He's lucky in that he will only have to wear them for about 6 months...so they think. He might need further work done in the future...when his adult teeth finish coming in...but the one's going on in August will fix the immediate problem.

Owen went to Anna's Orthodontist yesterday...and he will get braces in about 10 days. His will be on for about a year...then they will come off to let some of his baby teeth fall out and adult teeth come in...and then will likely need another set of braces when that happens.

Three grand babies...all needing braces. The Orthodontists must have some car payments due or something.

I was hoping to retire some day but...oh well...retirement is overrated!


Dan

THE FIND

This weekend...Cindy & I drove to Vincennes to check on her mom and to attend the graduation party of great-nephew, Jordan. We also made a quick trip down to the homeland…Owensville…to visit niece Diane and husband Jerry. They are having their 100-year old barn torn down. In the process, they found a tool box that belonged to dad. Diane called me last week or so to tell me they had it and thought I’d want it…and they were right.

Dad was a jack-of-all-trades kind of guy…could do and build...just about anything. Contained in this tool box was dad’s tool-and-die equipment. A small, unexpected finding in the tool box, had us all in awe. We were reminded that Dad, while we lived in Owensville, served as the fire chief for the local fire department. “The Find” in the tool box...was something that dad must have had available from his days back on the deparment...'a fire grenade'. We had never seen, nor even heard, of a fire grenade so I did a little research.

Dad's fire grenade in his tool box

The Red Comet Company began in 1919 in Denver, Colorado. In 1933 the operations moved to Littleton, Colorado.

Red Comet made several kinds of fire extinguishers for homes and offices as well as automobiles. The extinguishers were produced in sizes ranging from 2.5 pounds to 100 pounds. The popular "Fireman's Kit" contained six to eight grenades which were thrown at the base of a fire, allowing fluid to splash over the flames.

Early ones used harmless salt-water. The salt water was important so that the grenade could be advertised as “Non-Freezing”. They came in various colors: Blues, Ambers, Greens and Clear glass. Their styles were ornate, which made them decorative as well as functional. Later, as they became mass produced, they were filled with Carbon tetrachloride (CTC). Carbon-tetrachloride extinguishers were withdrawn in the 1950s because of the chemical's toxicity. (exposure to high concentrations damages the nervous system and internal organs. Additionally, when used on a fire, the heat can convert CTC to phosgene gas, formerly used as a chemical weapon.)

Now…we’ll need to find a way to display it…and keep it safe from exposure should it accidentally be broken (in case it’s one with CTC rather than salt water)…but it is a wonderful find.

It is wonderful too…to have dad’s tool box that he made…and the tools that he worked with. It was good to put ‘hands’ on things…that many years ago…dad had ‘his’ hands on too.

Quite a find.

Dan

FOUND DOG TAGS

My family...sister...niece...wife...all of us...have a smile on our face...and a tug on our heart these last few days.

In a stroke of amazing luck...the family who currently lives a few houses down from our old house in Owensville...found an item that has been lost for over 50 years. Apparently while digging in their garden space within the last week or so...they uncovered a little piece of metal. They cleaned it off...and thankfully...took the time to investigate the information that was on it. After a little research...they contacted my niece Diane...who still lives in the Owensville area...and dropped off the prize at her house.

It was a dog tag...that my brother Dave...who passed away 1 month ago...had made for himself at the Princeton fair some years before we moved from Owensville in 1962.

Dave would have had such a laugh...and would have been so excited...if only it had been found a few months earlier.

Some in our family have even suggested...it's just Dave letting us know he got where he needed to go...and he's doing fine.

Who am I to argue that?


Dan

TURN SIGNALS IN THE NEWS

I believe one of my first articles in this blog of mine…was about one of my pet peeves…turn signals.

A recent article in The Detroit Bureau, by Paul A. Eisenstein, shares information about a study done indicating 2 million accidents occur annually relating to turn signals, or lack of proper use of them.

According to research by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), drivers either neglect to use their signals when changing lanes or fail to turn the signals off 48% of the time, and when making a turn, the failure rate is about 25%. Somehow, according to them, that works out to 2 billion times a day drivers fail to use signals.

Again, somehow, in their calculation, this results in about 2 million roadway collisions annually.

They go on to say, “all drivers have an ongoing duty to use signals just as they have a duty to stop at a stop sign or a red light.”

I couldn't agree more.

Mr. Eisenstein goes on to suggest an alternative to this problem is to create a “smart turn signal”. Such a system could automatically shut off a turn signal when it is left on too long or by detecting when a vehicle has finished changing lanes. This would work much as today’s cars automatically cancel the signal after making a turn at an intersection.

For those who don’t use their signals, the system would work much like a seatbelt reminder. It would be able to sense if drivers routinely ignore their turn signals and start to flash what the study calls a 'friendly reminder'.

Of course...just as people choose to ignore the seatbelt reminder...many would choose to ignore the turn signal reminder too.

But...even if 1 out of a hundred people choose to begin using turn signals...using their numbers from the article...that’s 20,000 less accidents annually.

That’s a start.

Dan

THE SIGN

If you do the things you need to do when you need to do them
                                THEN SOMEDAY
you can do the things you want to do when you want to do them.

I saw this sign recently and it caught my eye.

I think for a lot of us, it's a philosophy that drives us. Isn't this one of the reasons we go to work each day? If we work hard...then someday we'll be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Now that I'm closer to retirement age it helps me on some of those days when I've about had it up to...here.

I look forward...after all these years...to spending some time with Cindy and doing some of those fun things...some traveling...sitting by the ocean...visiting friends and family in far away places...that we haven't done because we've been busy workin'...and busy livin'.

I hope she's as excited about the idea as I am.

Dan