Paul's Falls
I have lived in the Falls since 1968. My great-great grandfather was one of the village founders. I have served the community in multiple ways: Firefighter, various boards and commissions and for many years was president of the Falls Cable Access Corp. Currently I own, and am active in, a restaurant equipment manufacturing company.
Our New Recycling Bins
For the best part of a decade we (my family) dutifully placed our red recycling totes on the curb - filled with stuff that we didn't want that might possibly be used again. Before that, we dutifully loaded that same stuff into our cars and brought it to the rear of Village Hall. There, monthly, there was a set up of several large dumpsters to sort and collect the same recyclables. It was something we felt that was needed to be done. We happily obliged in the spirit of conservation. Our family collected, loaded, drove, emptied, thanked the recycling volunteers, and then then went on our merry way.
Times have changed. Not only do we now get curbside pickup, but in the future, it will take a device that my wife claims is almost the size of our car. I'm guessing that the old red bins held about 15 gallon volume. Our new wheeled totes hold nearly 100 gallons.
Retirement
Somewhat over a year ago I told my employees that I would be retiring on my birthday in 2009. I owed them that heads-up because I feel that each one of them is part of my extended family. I did not want to dump a goodbye on them only weeks before my exit.
I have been looking forward to abandoning the daily grind for quite some time now. My father stuck it out in the family business well into his eighties and never gave up. He died with his boots on, as the saying goes. I am made of different stuff. I always felt that "when it is time to go, it is time to go".
Benchmark
I'm sure it is an ego booster to see the numbers mount up and count the people who are check in to one's blog.
Until this week I have not counted up the hits on my several blog articles.
So, to The Vanguard, I offer this target: 100,000 plus:
I'm not bragging, but you seem to need to know.
Diabetes Be Damned
It is nearly two years since my doctor notified me that something irregular showed up during my yearly tune-up. Indeed, it was indeed irregular and was something that I was worried about for the past twenty years or so. The dreaded diabetes has shown up once again in my family.
My grandmother, her children, and now I have been stricken. In grandma's case it was fatal. In the 1930's very little was known about the disease and the most appropriate treatment was bed rest. How horribly wrong! My grandmother died suffering from all the known progressions of this malady. My family members tried their best to help, but eventually there was nothing but bedsores and a steady decline.
Incredible
The other night on NBC Nightly News, Brian Williams made the observation that following the Republican convention, the time we will have to choose our next President is "incredibly short". Well, perhaps you might look at it that way, but in my opinion the selection process has taken an incredibly long time.
For more than two years already, the process has been going on. Do you remember the endless debates week after week with a string of candidates on a stage all saying the same thing? Do you remember how each state became the most important ever in selecting the winner as their election dates approached?
