Toilet War

I'm fighting the toilet and the toilet is winning. Disassembled the tank and replaced the guts. All went well but the flush valve insists on leaking all over the floor. :-(

Testing, 1, 2, 3 ...

Testing to see if my blogger posts are still being imported. I think I killed the import.

This afternoon's age

This afternoon's agenda? House maintenance. Replacing smoke detectors (installing combo Smoke/CO detectors) and replacing toilet tank guts.

Hey everyone, tomorr

Hey everyone, tomorrow, July 4, is free fishing day in California - no license is needed. Now go fish! http://htxt.it/SOPt

is NOT a fan of smok

is NOT a fan of smoke detectors that complain in the middle of the night about nothing. What does a pair of "beeps" mean? Yawn, back to bed.

There is a rumor of

There is a rumor of my being in Malaysia soon. Now where is that passport? It ain't where it's sposed to be!

Truck repair cost: f

Truck repair cost: free. A hose fell off - screwdriver on the hose clamp fixed it. Thank you David Reuter at Tuttle-Click Ford.

Truck started "clunk

Truck started "clunking" last PM after I got the fam from LAX. It is still "clunking" this AM. Time for a (ridiculously expensive?) repair.

You should follow th

You should follow the @CurtJester, aka @Jeff Miller, on line. I really enjoy his writings. His website is here: http://htxt.it/OFwt but he is also on Facebook, Twitter, and other such places.

I'm scared. By Bapti

I'm scared. By Baptism I was anointed priest, prophet, and king. To whom much is given, much is expected. I believe that I'm failing.

I just finished uplo

I just finished uploading all of the vacation pix into facebook.

RT @CurtJester My th

RT @CurtJester My thoughts on is anybody pro-abortion? http://tr.im/qdXp (MK: This was good, very good reading.)

Dinner tonight: half

Dinner tonight: half a tomato, boiled carrots, steamed broccoli, potatoes au gratin, fried onions & beef cube steak. All fresh, all home made.

Dan Cajka Eulogy

I was asked to write and read a eulogy for Dan Cajka, may he rest in peace, this past weekend.  This is what I came up with.

Dan Cajka

Dan and Linda were married for over 52 years raising their family of four children, Belinda, Ann, Danny, and John in Pittsburg, PA, Poughkeepsie, here in Kingston, and in Chelmsford, MA.  Dan and Linda’s four children gave them 9 grandchildren, Benjamin, Joshua, Nathan, Rachael, Daniel, Alexa, Victoria, Spencer, and George.

I met Dan in 1982.  In the 27 years that I knew Dan he taught me a few lessons and I’d like to think that perhaps I managed to teach him a few as well.  I’d like to share some of the lessons that Dan taught me with you.

Lesson 1:  Be friendly, courteous, and hospitable – greet everyone by name.  In Dan’s world there are no strangers – only friends that haven’t been met yet.  His hospitality is legend.  I can remember going to Texas in August of 1984.  Only a fool would travel to Dallas in the August heat but somehow Dan didn’t hold that against me.  When he came out to DFW to get me he had a cold beer in the car, a broad smile, and a hearty handshake for me.  We celebrated Ann’s birthday that year in his backyard next to his pool.  There was ice cold beer in the fridge in the garage and barbecued ribs on the grill.

Lesson 2:  You can gain new ethnicity through marriage.  Both of Dan’s parents were Slovak yet he had the luck of the Irish when he was looking for a parking place.  I learned that he acquired this Irish luck by marrying Linda.  He also got some of the Irishman’s blarney but that might have been there before he was married.  I am now part O’Cajka, myself.

Lesson 3:  Papa, my son’s name for Dan, is another word for love.  All of Dan’s grandchildren loved their Papa and Nana.  There was no greater joy for Dan than playing with his grandchildren.  I don’t think that there was any sacrifice that he wouldn’t make for them either.  Dan taught all of his grandchildren to swim in his backyard pool.  Papa made the best pancakes and they were the highlight of any trip to Plano.

Lesson 4 also involved food.  Twinkies are their own food group and a hot dog was a not so secret treat on a weekend shopping trip.  Today I still make it a point to have a hot dog almost every weekend and salute him when I do.

Lesson 5:  Crossword puzzles are to be done in ink.  If you don’t know a word it is perfectly acceptable to make up your own as long as it fits.  No one ever checks to see if you got it right.  Doing your crossword puzzles this way makes it seem that you are really smart with a great vocabulary.  However, I suspect that Dan didn’t actually make up many words when he did his puzzles.

Lesson 6:  It only takes 20 to 30 minutes to peddle a stationary bike from Plano, TX to any town that had a grandchild in it.  Dan often told me after his morning workout routine on the bike with a banana, a cup of coffee, and a crossword puzzle that he’d been to Nashua, NH.  Some times he waited until the next day to peddle home even though he’d never left the house.

Lesson 7 came when Dan and Linda would come to visit.  After George went to bed it was time for a trip to Starbuck’s for a Caramel Frappuccino with extra whipped cream before we sat in the Den for an exciting action movie.  Going to the movies was something that we both enjoyed sitting on the couch with the surround sound volume up a little too high.

Dan and I had a rapport over the years that included a lot of good natured ribbing and teasing.  As George and I were saying goodbye to Dan the last time we saw him alive, I joked with Dan and gave him a friendly barb.  Ann asked him if we were giving him a hard time.  He told her no but then raised his arm, pointed a finger at me, smiled, and said, “Just the big guy.”  This was the final lesson:   I was now the “big guy”, an honor that I hope and pray that I can live up to.

We all celebrated life with Dan at one point or another.  Dan’s life on earth has ended while ours continues.  I imagine Dan in heaven, sitting next to his pool under a warm summer sun with a drink in his hand toasting the Universe waiting for the rest of us to join him.  We’ll be there soon enough but in the meantime Dan will be watching over us and helping our Guardian Angels do their jobs.

Whew! I finally made

Whew! I finally made it home. I started to Logan a little after 7 AM Boston time and just got home a little before 8 PM Los Angeles time. 16 hours of traveling!

Just finished writin

Just finished writing the Eulogy for my father-in-law's burial tomorrow. Dan passed away in January.

June 16, 2009. Make

June 16, 2009. Make a note to celebrate the anniversary of this date. George, my teen, admitted that I was right and he was wrong today.

Gas prices are up! T

Gas prices are up! The card limit at the pump, $75, won't fill my truck's tank. I enjoyed getting a full tank of gas for a little while.

Mmm, mmm. Cold left

Mmm, mmm. Cold left over pepperoni pizza for breakfast. What more could a person want? Yummy!

4 out of 3 people ha

4 out of 3 people have problems with fractions.

Nothing gets me read

Nothing gets me ready for a nap like breakfast and a cup of coffee. Yaaaawn. S t r e t c h.

Amazing! PETA thinks

Amazing! PETA thinks that dead fish need more respect: http://htxt.it/XeMp What are we coming to? The fish are dead already.

thinks that "Loading

thinks that "Loading query results" is computer-speak for "Mike, Go get a cup of coffee."

It's late, Conan is

It's late, Conan is on. I'll give him another shot but he just isn't funny.

There is a reason I

There is a reason I keep my hair cut so short. I have a teenager. I don't want to be able grab my hair well enough to pull it out.

Lord, I thank you fo

Lord, I thank you for all of the "cheerleaders" in my life that have encouraged me when life was hard. I ask you for the words and courage to be a "cheerleader" for others today. Amen.

Gotta de-louse one o

Gotta de-louse one of the home computers (George's). Going to use Norton 360 on it. Which product do you use and do you like it?

[WG] My 2006 Twenty

[WG] My 2006 Twenty dollar bill with serial number IG001---11B has just been re-entered into Where's George? Tracking report: http://htxt.it/lqCI

From my desk calenda

From my desk calendar: "You might be a redneck if ... You spend more time retrieving lures than catching fish." I guess I'm a redneck.

RT @pacolarsen Yikes

RT @pacolarsen Yikes! http://bit.ly/x04N3 - Comrade Obama?

IBM is seeking to fi

IBM is seeking to fill in their new Iowa operations. If you're interested take a moment to learn more by clicking on the link: http://htxt.it/Some I don't know anything else about the job or the recruiter.

Chris Shols of Broad

Chris Shols of Broadcomm asked me: Hi Michael: I need a QA engr and mgr for BRCM Security. Any old Seagate Bay Area folks you know who might have an interest? Thanks, Chris If you're interested let me know and I'll connect you.

Too much Conan + not

Too much Conan + not enough Tonight Show = fail. He isn't very funny. I'll give him a little more time before I give up on the Tonight Show.

It's 10:30 here on t

It's 10:30 here on the left coast. Another hour before we see what Conan is doing with the Tonight Show. All of you east of us have already seen the show if you cared to watch.

is a very proud Papa

is a very proud Papa tonight. George got several 8th grade awards tonight including Best Technology Student and the President's award.

RT @John Owens: A tr

RT @John Owens: A true warrior can make his armor out of anything.

Sometimes the line b

Sometimes the line between open-mindedness and ignorance is blurry, Satch. - Rob Wilco of Get Fuzzy

Happy Birthday to yo

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Mother Church! Happy Birthday to you! I just realized that today is Pentecost!

RT @CurtJester Every

RT @CurtJester Everyone who condemns the murder of Tiller, RT this IMMEDIATELY! #Tiller (via @AdoroteDevote)

Russian Firm Buys a

Russian Firm Buys a Stake in Facebook: http://htxt.it/6Dic

Just got back from l

Just got back from lunch with my bride at @beabonehead. Thx to @jonlan for the idea this morning and the pointer to a great coupon.

The Galileoscope™

The Galileoscope™ is a high-quality, low-cost telescope kit developed for the International Year of Astronomy 2009... http://htxt.it/r54B

Attention California

Attention Californian, Don't forget to vote tomorrow, May 19!

RT @TheOnion #Earthq

RT @TheOnion #Earthquake Safety Tip: Be sure to mail your house-insurance payments five business days before a major earthquake strikes.

A moderate earthquak

A moderate earthquake occurred at 8:39:36 PM (PDT) on Sunday, May 17, 2009. The magnitude 5.0 event occurred 3 km (2 miles) NNE (24 degrees) of Hawthorne, CA. The hypocentral depth is 14 km ( 8 miles).

Cool! I just felt th

Cool! I just felt the earth move. Earthquake!

is enjoying a Coors

is enjoying a Coors beer in a unique baseball bat shaped bottle that he got as a White Elephant gift Christmas 2006. It's still OK!

Grrrr, frustrated (v

Grrrr, frustrated (very) with trying to set up a streaming video service.

Seen on woot.com, "W

Seen on woot.com, "We even had to get rid of our pot-bellied pig because there wasn’t room for him. I won’t put my kids through that again, no matter how delicious Spanky turned out to be."

I started typing a g

I started typing a groan about work, Friday and all, and then I thought of my friends that are unemployed and I realized how Blessed I was.

Here's a shout out t

Here's a shout out to my tweeps! Thanks for following me!

I just read an inter

I just read an interesting new word. People that Twitter are Twitterers or twits for short. Twits that follow me are my Tweeple.

is bummed. I'm a hug

is bummed. I'm a huge fan of the Yamaha XS-1100 motorcycle. There was a guy, Bob Jones, that made a business in Merriam, KS from the XS-1100. I always wanted to buy a bike from him but it seems that his business is gone. Something called "Southbridge Retail Center" has taken over his URL, http://htxt.it/peu7 .

I didn't last long:

I didn't last long: Sandisk 512MB MP3 Player with FM Tuner, USB Disco Mouse, Sony VAIO 15.4” 1.6Ghz Notebook, Funko Star Wars Bobble Heads – 6 Pack, and Garrity Rechargeable LED Flashlight with Nitelite. G'night all. We'll look in the morning.

It's a woot off over

It's a woot off over at http://www.woot.com ! I wonder how late I'll stay up to woot? I'd really like to get a bucket of cabbage!

RT: digitalcatholic

RT: digitalcatholic - plenary indulgence during the upcoming "year of priests" http://htxt.it/WU0a

Headline: GM falls t

Headline: GM falls to 76-year low as execs sell stock ( http://htxt.it/Ghwd ) - So much for that investment that I made. :-(

SQPN Podcast Maratho

SQPN Podcast Marathon is ON THE AIR! Go to http://htxt.it/c311

Happy Mother's Day t

Happy Mother's Day to all of the Moms out there. Thanks for being a Mom and may God Bless you today and every day.

Getting old. It stin

Getting old. It stinks. But as my father-in-law always said, "It sure beats the alternative!" Bought my first pair of "readers" today.

There was a message

There was a message hidden in my Cheerios this morning. It said, "oooooooo". I read it four time to be sure I had it right.

US News ( http://htx

US News ( http://htxt.it/IyzX ) is reporting, "Though the Obama administration has announced that it will issue a proclamation marking the National Day of Prayer, it will not hold a formal White House event, as George W. Bush had done for the past eight years."

Lord, help me to rem

Lord, help me to remember that people in my life that frustrate me are created in Your image and that You love them and find them beautiful.

Night Skeeter Update

Night Skeeter Update: Step 1: Read through all of the instruction steps before starting work on this model. Done, it was my bedtime reading last night. Only 38 days to ROCStock.

Night Skeeter Update

Night Skeeter Update: My Night Skeeter model rocket kit from LeadingEdgeRocketry arrived today. Only 39 days to ROCStock. I have to finish up the StormCaster kit real quick and get going.

Schlotzsky's Deli (F

Schlotzsky's Deli (Funny name, Serious Sandwich) for lunch. An original meal deal - nom, nom, nommy, nom, mmmm. http://htxt.it/bnca

Happy Star Wars Day!

Happy Star Wars Day! May the fourth be with you.

Happy Star Wars Day

Happy Star Wars Day to you tomorrow, May 4th. It's a really bad pun & can be found here: http://htxt.it/s3gS

Lord, I ask for the

Lord, I ask for the grace to want you enough.

It started out a goo

It started out a good day to not go fishing but ended up well. I caught 2 Sculpin and 1 Calico Bass. Only the first Sculpin was a keeper.

Ah, today is Merit B

Ah, today is Merit Badge Day and fishing. Let's see if my teen will get up this morning.

Man with money meets

Man with money meets man with experience. Man with experience gets money. Man with money gets experience. - Old Chinese Proverb

1 hour done, 1 2 go.

1 hour done, 1 2 go. Loud music, people dancing, game playing, & pizza eating - fun!

Back from Boy Scout

Back from Boy Scout Court of Honor. Working in WWME computer stuff - Northern Colorado website and Orange Encounter Community Blast.

Dilbert My page-a-da

Dilbert My page-a-day Dilbert calendar today has Dogbert saying, "I plan to build my own country on the ocean using barges. I shall rule with an iron paw. Punishing citizens for no reason other than my own entertainment. BUWHAHA! I'm hoping people will put up with it because their homes are near the ocean." As a recent Californian this makes sooo much sense.

I need to learn the

I need to learn the fine art of toilet tank repair. I have a water waster that has a slow continuous flow of water - barely more than a drip. Any local experts?

Yet one more way to

Yet one more way to feel like a complete idiot. Attend a meeting where you are scheduled to make a presentation and then leave the presentation home. What a schmoe I can be...

We'll be off to an O

We'll be off to an Orange WWME Community meeting in a bit. We're presenting.

Look out California!

Look out California! I'm going native - shorts and no socks. (Please don't make fun of my scrawny white chicken legs.)

California Free Fish

California Free Fishing days for 2009 are JULY 4th and SEPTEMBER 7th.

California Lifetime

California Lifetime Fishing License? Does anyone know about this? Comments?

Watching "Maid in Ma

Watching "Maid in Manhattan" with my wife.

ROCStock XXIX is coming

ROCStock XXIX is coming June 12 - 14 ( http://htxt.it/ZLw4 ) Today I purchased a Night Skeeter model rocket kit ( http://htxt.it/y93A ) to start getting ready. Anyone else going?

Back from the High School

Back from the High School Class of 2013 Freshman / Parent Orientation. High school class of 2013? Nooo, I'm not ready!

Hello to the world f

Hello to the world from Google Talk! Way too cool for me.

I'm wasting time wai

I'm wasting time waiting for the new woot at http://www.woot.com . Only 14 more minutes. Anybody there?

is anticipating anot

is anticipating another night of tossing and turning in the heat. We're setting records here in the OC. Don't like.

I wanted to let you

I wanted to let you in on a great story, The Miracle of the Pacocha, http://htxt.it/1W4l . A good friend created a documentary about the miracle. I recommend it.

Cross-combobulated!

Cross-combobulated! I've managed to get all of my Web 2.0 apps confused. I need to figure out where Jott, Twitter, facebook, blogger, HelloTxt, and Plurk are all going, posting, and cross linking...

" I get up every mor

" I get up every morning determined to both change the world and to have one hell of a good time. Sometimes, this makes planning the day difficult." -- E.B. White

I'm noticing that no

I'm noticing that not all of my updates from HelloTxt don't seem to make it to the 'net. What's up with that?

Another great Worldw

Another great Worldwide Marriage Encounter Community evening tonight.

Feeling pretty torqu

Feeling pretty torqued off today - the trials and tribulations of living with a teenager... Lord help me, please.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky calls free speech "Despicable' and "Shameful"

I read with interest Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's press release on the tax day "Tea Parties".  The tagline on her press release was, "Schakowsky Calls Parties "Despicable' and "Shameful"".

I myself don't see how the tea parties were going to create change but they did create some publicity.  I did see them as events of Constitionally protected free speech. It seems that the exercise of this free speech, however, offends Rep. Schakowsky. It would appear that any disagreement with President Obama's policies are promoted by right-wing republicans and corporate interests and that paying income taxes are a significant, honorable moment of American history.

I disagree with most of President Obummer's policies.  He is leading us into socialism and away from what made this country great.  I didn't support President Bush either.  We have been on the wrong track for a while but we're picking up speed in the wrong direction.

Pacific Ocean Fishin

Pacific Ocean Fishing Trip Planned I'm making plans to go fishing on Saturday, May 2, at 5:30 PM for four hours with Dana Wharf Sportfishing. Wanna join us? Go here http://htxt.it/kPmI to buy tickets on line. Let me know if you're going so that I can look for you.

Testing a text msg from my cell phone

Testing a text msg from my cell phone to HelloTxt. Cool.

Just saw this on facebook

Just saw this on facebook:

_ took the Which math equation are you? quiz and the result is Gaussian Distribution

f(x) = 1/(SQRT(2π)*σ)*e^(-(x-μ)^2/(2σ^2))

You are very normal. You are always positive, and although you have a mean, you usually aren't.

Cool...

Just finished publis

Just finished publishing the update scout directory. Off to finish my UCI class homework.

Time for Trout fishing?

Time for Trout fishing? Mile Square Park Lake in Orange and Alondra Park Lake, Arroyo Seco Creek, Belvedere Lake, Castaic Lake, Cerritos Lake, Downey Lake, Echo Park Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Hollenbeck Park Lake, Jackson Lake, Kenneth Hahn Lake, La Mirada Lake, Legg Lakes, Lincoln Park Lake and Pyramid Lake in Los Angeles are getting stocked this week.

Easter Sunday

It's Easter Sunday and I'm back to bloggin' again.  40 days in the digital desert - whew!  It was tough not complaining about all of the stuff I saw and not writing down all the stupid things that popped into my head.  But, Lent is over and I'm rarin' to go.  I'll be firin' up all of my fingers and on-line posting brain cells to get going and share some nifty new stuff with you.

The Lord is risen, Hallelujah!