tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307459862024-03-05T16:31:21.895-05:00We are the GrizzwoldsTales of tried and true family events...Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-59679156121797560332010-02-10T14:21:00.003-05:002010-02-10T14:23:44.279-05:00Great idea!!Here's a great idea for recycling/re-purposing those old T-shirts that you've outgrown or are otherwise unwearable (but hard to throw out).<br /><br />http://hellorewind.com/<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-80223817795271625162010-02-10T14:05:00.004-05:002010-02-10T14:19:27.507-05:00Blizzard 2.0!!We're getting hammered again.<br /><br />This time we're only getting 10-15 inches of the white stuff. However, this time it comes with 20-40 mile per hour wind!<br /><br />White out!! (insert <span style="font-style: italic;">Wipe Out </span>music here)<br /><br />In the midst of all of this, I caught the stomach flu. It was pretty bad. Not quite as bad as the dreaded <a href="http://grizzwolds.blogspot.com/2008/01/happy-holiday.html">New Year's flu</a>, but bad nonetheless. I didn't make it home from work before I started puking. Thankfully, my dearest Ellen and I carpooled, so she could drive while I vomited into a Target bag (Thank you...would you like to apply for a Target VISA card today?)<br /><br />I think I may have lost a few inches of intestine as a result of the amount of puking I did. I shivered and shook and ached. Nastiness!<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-19874781843226267132010-02-06T21:32:00.006-05:002010-02-06T21:36:11.240-05:00Blizzard!!!Here are some wintry pics!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMhvn8e_gtFH5JpSzDeCnAP0jBoMN1UFUZHST1sKawzRIdHETv_3ozolOvuu3-_s38m2-86wYzMuygXuWpnQ0Lqu6rPBQAP6mWAAH6tNbvGyVke1UEdfSrusKYQA3ORyBXGMr/s1600-h/DSCF1465.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuMhvn8e_gtFH5JpSzDeCnAP0jBoMN1UFUZHST1sKawzRIdHETv_3ozolOvuu3-_s38m2-86wYzMuygXuWpnQ0Lqu6rPBQAP6mWAAH6tNbvGyVke1UEdfSrusKYQA3ORyBXGMr/s200/DSCF1465.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435323943089664098" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The dog wasn't too happy about the lack of yard space...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7g1gkvuqzCpfpsCVn9HckCgpyd5qg6k09UWGR5w3QgE_CciLPTR-OVSd2u771XOUTkOnm5GZSPefdUoOmhfyfJyeQx4kdn0Hnu2Voz6I2FAvHSTbm506BkJ_KjjTW2w6tpz1Z/s1600-h/DSCF1468.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7g1gkvuqzCpfpsCVn9HckCgpyd5qg6k09UWGR5w3QgE_CciLPTR-OVSd2u771XOUTkOnm5GZSPefdUoOmhfyfJyeQx4kdn0Hnu2Voz6I2FAvHSTbm506BkJ_KjjTW2w6tpz1Z/s200/DSCF1468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435324225924233922" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I mean...it was more than twice as deep as she is tall!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmbzqMpAeu3m7oa1dhH6t11EUBqGLPlr8AqapLAhyphenhyphenfSvGkyxioqra1ju-Y3qZD_F1UniOwgkGnJJr7kBcGzJwZmNPYuEk3V4FcHCZB3pKyxf3gKb7fA_GLOovom5DK0eBu1b0/s1600-h/DSCF1472.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmbzqMpAeu3m7oa1dhH6t11EUBqGLPlr8AqapLAhyphenhyphenfSvGkyxioqra1ju-Y3qZD_F1UniOwgkGnJJr7kBcGzJwZmNPYuEk3V4FcHCZB3pKyxf3gKb7fA_GLOovom5DK0eBu1b0/s200/DSCF1472.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5435324504981049906" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-8213806459005154202010-02-06T11:43:00.002-05:002010-02-06T11:51:09.296-05:00Blizzard!!It is snowing like no tomorrow.<br /><br />It's been snowing about 24 hours now. Its about up to my waist on the deck. The DC area hasn't seen this much snow in decades. It's more snow than the nearly two feet we got right before Christmas (Dec 19th snow storm).<br /><br />I will post some pictures as I get time to go out and take them. <br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-22748851932107549712010-02-06T11:36:00.002-05:002010-02-06T11:39:28.473-05:00Hired!!I've hired an attorney to settle or plead my case to a jury.<br /><br />It will be months before things get settled of course. There are a lot of things that will have to happen, but I've changed. Every little twinge or feeling makes me wonder if I'm going to have a heart attack.<br /><br />Stay tuned....I'm sure I can't post everything about the case, but I will do what I can.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-37302916309503330342010-02-06T11:28:00.005-05:002010-02-06T11:36:21.858-05:00Texas bloggingYahoo!!!<br /><br />I managed to make it back from my trip to Texas unscathed.<br /><br />I worked hard and enjoyed some really good BBQ. I also ate one of the most delicious hamburgers (a tie with Five Guys) at a place called Terry's. It was built inside an old gas station. Very cool.<br /><br />I had to leave early because there was a massive snowstorm coming to the DC area. That was fun....not! The flight was packed and bumpy. It left at about 9pm Texas time and arrived at about 12:30 DC time. <br /><br />My dearest Ellen had all sorts of trouble while I was gone. The Grizzwold curse really took over while I was gone. Just before leaving my middle daughter had gotten some sort of stomach issue. We thought it might have been some bad restaurant food, but when my littlest one got sick with the same symptoms a couple days later (bad enough to have to go to the ER) we were sure it was a stomach flu. Later on my oldest got the same thing (and had to go to the ER as well because my dearest thought she had appendicitis) . In and around all of that, my dearest had to go to the dentist and eye doctor too. I am very proud of her for flying solo.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-3956800208027153192010-01-27T22:32:00.004-05:002010-01-27T22:46:01.902-05:00More on my heart problem...The condition is called a Right Bundle Branch Block. You can go to the Mayo Clinic and read on it <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bundle-branch-block/DS00693">here</a>.<br /><br />In a nutshell, the right side of my heart has an electrical irregularity that causes the heart to pump inefficiently. The doctor says that since I was not being treated for hypertension or other heart related illness, the RBBB was probably brought on by the accident. The outside of my body was belted into the car, but as my body was being held in relative position, my gizzards and heart were banging around inside. <br /><br />I now have had three "episodes" where I don't feel well and there is a heaviness in my chest (not pain, not insufferable). One in the car the moments after collision. One a few days later. One in the cardiologists office.<br /><br />The cardiologist is taking a wait and see attitude towards my condition because I feel he thinks that it will resolve or not require invasive procedures or be managed. That's good because I take it personally when people want to poke around my insides to see if there is anything wrong. I'm not restricted on movement or anything, so that is good.<br /><br />Sadly, I have no idea what the future holds. Fortunately, I don't have a Left Bundle Branch Block. That is worse than the Right one (see the Mayo Clinic article to know why). The fear of the unknown is unnerving.<br /><br />I consulted a personal injury attorney and am considering hiring her to see if I have a case against the insured.Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-69323284721255934282010-01-24T21:11:00.004-05:002010-01-24T21:17:28.541-05:00A man knows......when he's up against it.<br /><br />I was in a car accident right before Christmas. Not severe, but the impact caused me some discomfort of the chest, so I was taken to the hospital.<br /><br />Now I have a problem with my heart. I have no idea what the future holds. It's more electrical than functional, so I'm probably going to be having to watch it vs. getting a procedure for it.<br /><br />I have a pretty good doctor, so I think I am in good hands.<br /><br />I have to try and keeps things in perspective. So far it hasn't caused me to discontinue what I like to do. However, I have to lose more weight (I'm down 40, but I need to lose at least another 20).<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-210896552780623312009-11-20T21:52:00.002-05:002009-11-20T22:04:29.606-05:00It's been such a long time...(all apologies to Boston)<br /><br />Time flies...<br /><br />Sorry that it's been so long. <br /><br />While I find blogging therapeutic to an extent, the time to do it has been fleeting.<br /><br />I've been so busy with work and softball. I have two new clients that I've been working with in Maryland to add to the third one. I've been running up and down the road to the tune of a hundred miles a day or more back and forth.<br /><br />Softball has been pretty good. The travel team did fairly well. We won about half of the the games that we played, beating most of the teams that we should have. We will struggle at times because we are going to end up playing 14U teams that are a year older and stronger.<br /><br />We have been caught up in the whole swine flu epidemic the past two weeks. My dearest Ellen had a cold for a couple days, then my youngest (now 5) got sick a couple days later at the same time I did. It all lasted about 5 days. Now my dearest and my oldest are sick.<br /><br />I will try and post some more later...<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-62844698676197353322009-08-17T23:41:00.005-04:002009-08-17T23:45:48.240-04:00Picture!I've added an approximation of "me" to the left side. There's a web app on the "Mad Men" website that allows you to create a "Mad Men" version of yourself. I do sort of look like that. Here are the other pics I made:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMpLqF5Is0Vc9am5X1EJN0PwGdD5_n5fohZUwVX_ICzZ99IBPe4OvrzYLrg8wOYuzdMopA1_hySa-8ZHk59vYmmnBEqsj4zRCdcBU2yY1M2hwjcRBJzGbzRlhf_7m7DHv0RJ2/s1600-h/madmen_fullbody.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMpLqF5Is0Vc9am5X1EJN0PwGdD5_n5fohZUwVX_ICzZ99IBPe4OvrzYLrg8wOYuzdMopA1_hySa-8ZHk59vYmmnBEqsj4zRCdcBU2yY1M2hwjcRBJzGbzRlhf_7m7DHv0RJ2/s200/madmen_fullbody.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371144819256676178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NVFByiyQWCBpAd3Vf3xgVF5TJ0RYdhIJD_iuriTksUMaDZHIi6pS7R737N4Neuvee46KDNwGk9-tgLWChKty4Qqr7kVFtQuRyv27nhSy6c35kqRMxHeaI1B55pssxgNdBFNi/s1600-h/madmen_standard.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NVFByiyQWCBpAd3Vf3xgVF5TJ0RYdhIJD_iuriTksUMaDZHIi6pS7R737N4Neuvee46KDNwGk9-tgLWChKty4Qqr7kVFtQuRyv27nhSy6c35kqRMxHeaI1B55pssxgNdBFNi/s200/madmen_standard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5371144639246102978" border="0" /></a><br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-91957720865981895152009-08-14T16:11:00.003-04:002009-08-14T16:34:18.577-04:00Final Beach BlogWell, we're back. <br /><br />Actually, we got back pretty late last night, so there was no opportunity to blog about anything (not that I'm that consistent or anything).<br /><br />The truck managed to hold on long enough to get us home. We still need to figure out what's going on with the rear end (torque steer from a rear wheel drive truck?).<br /><br />The rain came again in the morning while we ate a delicious breakfast at Mammy's Kitchen (Rt. 17 near the big parking garage and Rt. 501). We decided to do some souvenir shopping on the way out. I got a few T-shirts and other trinkets for the kids. Spent a hundred bucks. It was pretty easy to do that.<br /><br />I think the highlights overall were the weather and the accommodations. We had a comfortable room at a reasonable price. Location was ideal as it was close enough to good places to eat, but not too far away from the hubbub. Best meal was a tie between Preston's and Mammy's with a "Surprise!" Vote to the Villa Romana. Villa Romana serves up traditional Italian cooking (4 course meal: appetizer, soup, salad, and entree'). It's pricey (14.00 for Spaghetti and Meatballs), but you get a lot of food for what you pay for.<br /><br />There were a few lowlights. Some of the behavior of 9-12 year olds is trying at times. The Landmark didn't employ lifeguards, but there was a lot of staff around and some of them did their best to keep the rif raff down. Probably the worst was "Creepy Video Guy". I noticed this guy (a balding paunchy white guy with Aviator sunglasses) standing on his oceanfront balcony with his video camera scanning the beachfront. He'd record something for a few moments, pull the camera down, scan the sand again, raise the camera and record something else, etc. repeating the process several times over the course of my observations. When someone came out of an adjoining room to stand on their balcony, he slid back into the safety of his room, leaving the balcony door open to finish recording and then closing it slowly, while standing and seemingly admiring his handiwork. Creepy. My dearest saw him do it too. I'm hoping that impressionable young ladies in revealing swimwear have not been captured for any untoward website or DVD sales.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-71270353907092869852009-08-12T15:47:00.002-04:002009-08-12T15:51:11.794-04:00Beach Blog #4It had to happen eventually...<br /><br />Rain.<br /><br />It's been pouring here for the past hour or so. They chased us out of the pool at around 2pm. It's been pretty hot (around 97 degrees F), so it was bound to happen at some point, even if it was just the excess humidity kicking off.<br /><br />The kids are trying to be good. We're heading out to see an IMAX 3D movie and perhaps shop for souvenirs.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-91820297135762244402009-08-12T09:48:00.004-04:002009-08-14T16:11:07.630-04:00Beach Blog #3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr6zVUHILkuAyLbk03kcGH700xQUBVx7nxbv94kTk1irRVyOx_dViyYbWkMiLe9U32U4DPTiFRO82jYmVR7YglPa12t1dILdUKmG3lNOvKMSABbS1Vu8wniG27Njjzs8HN4fn/s1600-h/0810091728-00.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwr6zVUHILkuAyLbk03kcGH700xQUBVx7nxbv94kTk1irRVyOx_dViyYbWkMiLe9U32U4DPTiFRO82jYmVR7YglPa12t1dILdUKmG3lNOvKMSABbS1Vu8wniG27Njjzs8HN4fn/s320/0810091728-00.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369914373079214706" border="0" /></a><br />I'm sitting here on our last full day at the beach having a little room service breakfast.<br /><br />We had a good day yesterday, although I'm a little sunburned. We spent the day at the many pools and the beach. Then we had a nice dinner at a place called Preston's in North Myrtle Beach. Th buffet was really nice: full salad bar and dinner bar with seafood and country cookin'. The kids have been pretty good (only a small minor 4 year old meltdown today).<br /><br />Update to <a href="http://grizzwolds.blogspot.com/2009/08/beach-blog-2.html">Beach Blog #2</a>. I mentioned that Ladies needed to keep their tattoos on their backs on the small side (no Constitutions or Dead Sea Scrolls, Ladies). I saw a replica of the South Carolina flag (palmetto and crescent moon) on the lower back of one woman (nice but unusual). I also saw another one that was a complete no-no: horseshoes. I can't imagine what someone would want horseshoes on their lower back. What kind of message does that send?<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-80031727073985566222009-08-10T17:01:00.003-04:002009-08-10T17:13:04.178-04:00Beach Blog #2Tattoos...<br /><br />I've been here in Myrtle Beach, SC for about 48 hours now and have seen a boatload of tattoos. I've seen cheap tattoos, expensive tattoos, small tattoos, large tattoos...the whole gamut. I have no tattoos on my body (not that I haven't thought about it though). Nor does my dearest Ellen. I've come to a couple of conclusions taking in the skin art here at MB:<br /><br />1. Small is better, especially on women. Ladies, a large, amorphously shaped tattoo on your shoulder doesn't seem too sexy. However, a small butterfly, heart, or star on the front or back of your hip is really hot. Guys, a dessert plate sized full color picture of a Rottweiler on your left chest is nothing short of weird. Tribal designs are OK, so long as they don't end up looking like Ivy vines crawling up your pants leg.<br /><br />2. Location, Location, Location: Ladies, make sure you don't put your tattoo in the wrong place. Unless you plan on covering a whole body part or parts, make sure the spot can be covered up or accents your body part. Large dessert plate sized animal art on your entire calf just doesn't do it for me. Back of the next, ankle, small of the back (again, small is better), or front of the hip are sexy spots. Guys, covering the whole leg with just one tattoo is fine, but it needs to look finished. Multiple tattoos need to be limited to the arms unless you plan a sleeve. <br /><br />3. Where not to put a tattoo: ladies, never put a large dessert plate sized tattoo in between your breasts. It's just weird.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-37184043433818865842009-08-09T15:58:00.002-04:002009-08-09T16:06:10.558-04:00Back to tournament ballIn the past, I have been a fastpitch softball coach for tournament level teams. Theses teams are together year round and play tournament on the weekends usually once or twice per month.<br /><br />I've been out of that for a little while since my oldest was only playing in high school and my middle daughter had only just started to achieve that level. <br /><br />An opportunity appeared one day in the form of a bridge between the 12U and the 14U level...13U!<br /><br />This gave me an opportunity to get my daughter on a tournament team and then to bring her along as she grows, helping her to get the right skills to play high school.<br /><br />This particular organization is pretty prestigious compared to the organization in which I used to coach. The caliber of player is higher and there is a lot of support.<br /><br />I hope I'm able to fill the open spots with good players.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-15344006492534368782009-08-09T15:39:00.002-04:002009-08-09T15:54:17.348-04:00Softball Updates!!It's been a long spring and summer season:<br /><br />My house league team was runner up in their 12U division. The team entered the playoffs having lost more games than they one, but the average loss was only by a couple of runs. They played very well throughout the playoffs, winning an emotional game against one of our rival teams in the last inning on a deadly change up pitch by my dearest 12 year old daughter.<br /><br />I was asked to coach a summer league all star team. Despite being loaded with good pitchers, we only had a .500 record. My dearest 12 year old lead the team in RBIs and triples. Rain dogged us in our early tournaments, where we only got to play two games out of a four game tournament. Our second tournament was much better as we seeded #1 on Saturday only to lose Sunday to the eventual tournament winner. Our last tournament was rained out on Sunday. We played very well on Saturday despite losing one of two games. We were seeded #4 going into the Sunday bracket, so we had a good seeding, although if we had won we would have needed to most likely play the #1 seed.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-62423748047656376392009-08-09T15:29:00.003-04:002009-08-09T16:08:34.178-04:00blogging from the beachHey!<br /><br />As you all have probably already figured out...I'm not the world's most consistent blogger.<br /><br />Nonetheless, when I get time to blog, I blog. (Sounds Shakespearean, doesn't it? To blog, or not to blog...that is the question).<br /><br />I'm sitting here in my hotel room at the Landmark Resort here in Myrtle Beach, SC (http://www.landmarkresort.com/). It's the first time I've been here, but my dearest Ellen and the kids have been here a couple of times. I haven't been on vacation with the family in about 4 years because of lack of available vacation time. It's a nice place, about 4 out of 5 stars, and has lots of cool stuff for the kids to do, outside of just being in the sand and the ocean.<br /><br />I'll catch you up on all the happenings in subsequent posts!!<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-44092704556993663182009-07-10T22:44:00.003-04:002009-07-10T22:49:05.834-04:00Politics as usualI sent a letter to my Senators the other day about the new Waxman-Markey bill currently in the Senate. I don't blog politically very much, but heard about this from a hyper conservative friend of mine. I read the major premise and section 304, the part where they force you to keep your house up to "Code" else they won't let you sell it. Here's the response from just ONE of my senators:<br /><br /><p><span>Dear Mr. <blank>,<br /></span></p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span>Thank you for contacting me about global warming and related legislation. I appreciate hearing your views on this important issue. </span></p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span> In order to best protect America's citizens and environment, I believe that we need to develop a comprehensive energy policy that both reduces our emissions and utilizes alternative sources of energy. Doing so would not only help to preserve the environment, but would also create green jobs and ultimately lower domestic energy costs. Any discussion of our national energy policy must also consider the international scope of this challenge as individual nations confront problems such as the finite supply of fossil fuels, overhauling outdated energy infrastructures, and many other important environmental challenges.</span></p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span>Members of the relevant Congressional committees are currently working on legislation that would address climate change on a national level, and I look forward to participating in this debate during the 111<span style="vertical-align: super;"><span style="font-size: smaller;">th</span></span> Congress. Though the science surrounding this issue supports the need for dramatic changes in policy, any comprehensive legislation to address climate change must balance this interest with the need to keep our economy viable during this challenging time.</span></p> <p style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span>Thank you again for your input on global warming. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor related legislation and will consider your views as the Senate debates and votes on relevant legislation. I very much look forward to serving the Commonwealth during the 111<span style="vertical-align: super;"><span style="font-size: smaller;">th</span></span> Congress.</span></p><br />Sincerely,<br />MARK R. WARNER<br />United States Senator<br /><br />Talk about doublespeak! Sheesh!<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-35756881687356298492009-04-30T13:21:00.002-04:002009-04-30T13:24:01.383-04:00Leadership, part deuxRecall my post on <a href="http://grizzwolds.blogspot.com/2009/04/leadership.html">leadership</a>? Well, since that post, the captains of my daughter's softball team have threatened her with bodily harm and told her that "I hate you".<br /><br />Nice. If these are the future leaders of our country, I hope I don't live too long.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-85820802381745164402009-04-30T13:19:00.003-04:002009-04-30T13:27:04.066-04:00This little piggie...Caught the flu! Coincidentally, while a huge media splash about a hundred or so cases of "swine flu" virus H1N1 has been at the forefront. We've been hit by the bug.<br /><br />It wasn't me actually, it's my dearest Ellen. She's down with the flu today. I was working from home since the Speck is in the shop and she came down with some nastiness overnight. So much for my quiet day away from the office.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-52615214983065292212009-04-25T18:23:00.002-04:002009-04-25T18:34:27.365-04:00LeadershipI'm not generally one to get up on a soapbox and blather on, but I need to step up and make a statement about leadership. <br /><br />You see, my oldest daughter plays high school sports. I won't say which one, but it involves a ball with seams. Somehow, two of the least likely kids on the team were "selected" captains. Usually this involves a vote, but there seems to have been some kind of skulduggery at that as well. No matter, on with the story. It seems that no one told these girls that being elected team captain does not immediately make them tin plated dictators. Being a leader is one of the hardest things to do (just look at our last couple of presidents) right, but one of the easiest things to do wrong. Boy, do these girls have it wrong. They seem to thing that barking orders and doing nothing to support the team is what a captain is supposed to do. WRONG! A captain leads through the examples they set. A captain should be the first one on the field and the last one off. A captain should be the first one to cheer their teammate when they do something exceptional and the last one to criticize them for making a mistake. A captain never uses the word "I" only the word "We". A captain doesn't sit around with a penis shaped lollipop in her mouth giggling like she's some sort of mental patient.<br /><br />I'm done. The soap box has been put away for a while.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-30810972637249233592009-04-09T13:23:00.005-04:002009-04-09T13:58:03.895-04:00Major Dramz!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7OoIYYwmnODVOGGhlZPX222VO0Ikl5DCcKIajKpaH2PT0uS05RD1yeh7hVB4I4abpnj_zblvFU0Owd23tIymqz-AcJrMQpRjWf_66PB_yiLEE5f1FeuJIagdjlKROLhYlThL/s1600-h/WestHighlandWhiteTerrier(Westie)WDT_AcD107.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr7OoIYYwmnODVOGGhlZPX222VO0Ikl5DCcKIajKpaH2PT0uS05RD1yeh7hVB4I4abpnj_zblvFU0Owd23tIymqz-AcJrMQpRjWf_66PB_yiLEE5f1FeuJIagdjlKROLhYlThL/s320/WestHighlandWhiteTerrier(Westie)WDT_AcD107.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322749133198453842" border="0" /></a><br />(With all due apologies to Perez Hilton)<br /><br />It was a whirlwind weekend of drama last weekend.<br /><br />The dog bit a neighborhood boy. It wasn't aggressive or anything, just going after a ball the boy was playing with at the time (the dog loves to chase them). Unfortunately, my middle daughter's friend was holding the dog's leash at the time and let go. The boy's stopped by later looking for my wife or I. The mother verbally assaulted my oldest daughter asking questions like: "Where is your mother? You do have a mother, don't you? When is your mother coming home? She does come home, right?" I'm a little more old school in that any adult should feel free to correct the behavior of a minor child, so long as they are not abusive. The questions and demeanor of this woman towards my oldest was bordering on abuse. She left my darling child in tears. So much so that she couldn't speak to me on the phone about it. I was very angry, but my dearest Ellen talked me down from the ledge. She handled speaking to the mother. Thankfully, the injury was minor and the mother must have come down off of her abusive "high" and spoke to my wife about the situation. No harm, no foul, she basically said. However, she chastised my wife for having a daughter "with a sassy mouth". I can't imagine what my oldest said back, but I'm pretty sure it was in response to her abusive comments and tone.<br /><br />Saturday was a completely different story. My middle daughter (it was her major drama weekend) and a friend went to the movies. It was the last weekend of an already long run for this particular movie and it was in our small town theater. Besides my daughter and her friend, there were only three other children in the movie. From what I've been told, there was disruptive behavior by the other children: running, gymnastics, and noise. My daughter's friend decided to throw some popcorn. That escalated into some chair kicking and finally some mild touching/tapping. For some reason, my daughter's friend arm looked appetizing to the oldest of the other group, so she bit her! I would have expected this from a toddler or perhaps first grader, but not a fifth grader (the approximate age of the biter). I received this frantic call from the theater (my middle daughter is old enough to attend the movies with friends without a parent) about the biting incident, so I raced right over. I confronted my daughter and her friend and found out that the biter was still there. In fact, the biter's father was sitting in the lobby of the theater! After some searching I found the movie theater manager and I requested he make a report of the incident and take down names and phone numbers since I was responsible for my daughter's friend's well being. I lectured a little bit on the proper behavior in a movie theater and what they should have done if someone was misbehaving in the theater. I had to tell my daughter's friend's parents about the incident. They said "kids will be kids". Not quite the reaction I expected, but since the bite marks were superficial, there seemed to not be any sense of urgency (in their opinion).<br /><br />I'm hoping this is the last of the drama for a while...Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-5199015789692843372009-03-10T16:55:00.002-04:002009-03-10T16:59:29.204-04:00Town Council Recesses due to Passed GasIt was bound to happen at one point or other:<br /><br />http://www.fox8.com/wjw-news-medina-fart,0,2761320.htmlstory<br /><br />You have to admit it - farts are funny!!<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-57364110150008985402009-03-09T12:12:00.000-04:002009-03-09T12:13:44.478-04:00Prescription TroubleI’ve had a recent experience that I just had to share with all of you. You see, my new employer, as part of our medical benefits, has employed a mail order prescription drug company to fill all of our “maintenance drugs”. You know them. They are the ones we have to take every day (sometimes twice or more). The rule is that we are “allowed” to have three retail pharmacy refills of a medication before we are “required” to use the mail order pharmacy. The Insurance company makes it pretty easy to remember when you have to do that. They just stop paying for the meds.<br /><br />My dearest Ellen has been trying to get in to see her endocrinologist in order to get the necessary prescriptions for the mail order pharmacy (they won’t take a transfer or photocopy). The doctor has been OK authorizing her refills, but we were up against “the wall” and had only one more refill before being cut off. The doctor could not see her for four months since it wasn’t an emergency. As a result, we hit the wall and weren’t getting her meds paid for. We were able to get an “override” for a retail pharmacy refill from our insurance company, but we were “cautioned” (more like scolded) that this would be the ONLY override we’d get. In the meantime, my wife decided to change doctors, finding one that would take her almost immediately. We thought she was in the clear.<br /><br />However, the new doctor would not write her a refill prescription because 1) there were still active refills on her bottle and 2) the doctor wanted to take a gallon of her blood to check her “levels”. Back to square one. We contacted the insurance company to explain our plight. Needless to say we weren’t received well because we had ALREADY used our ONE “override” the prior month. ARGH! No amount of explaining could provide the necessary refill. We were weeks away from another doctor visit. I decided to go to my HR group and see what they could do. They were very nice about it, sympathetic you could say and they were able to get me in touch (via email) with a “member advocate”. I thought this was a step in the right direction and we’d have more meds than we could handle in a few days. I articulated our situation (not being able to see a doctor in a timely fashion and quickly running out of medication in the process and having no more overrides) in a brief email and waited for the response. This was our golden opportunity.<br /><br />SLAM! That was sound of opportunity slamming the door. The “member advocate” should have been more aptly titled “Policy quoter”. She advocated following the insurance company policy and nothing more. One of the more impolite quotes from the “advocate” was “… if your wife is in need of her medication, her Dr. is the only one who can write a prescription for it. Without a prescription, her medication is not able to be filled at any pharmacy (retail or mail order)…” DUH! How about taking a step outside of your protective policy bubble and see if you can help me keep my wife from running out of her medication!!<br /><br />We ended up paying out of pocket for a supply of the medication (50 dollars for the initial 20 dose amount with an option to get another 50 dollars worth more) on which to get by. We are still waiting for the doctor to get the blood test results back. That should take about a week. I’m hoping we get something before we have to exercise that other 50 dollar option.<br /><br />I can hear some of you saying “Feh” at my chafing at 50 bucks of medication. Sorry, I don’t have very deep pockets.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30745986.post-16876752900148934582009-03-09T12:09:00.002-04:002009-04-09T13:59:08.384-04:00GM and ChryslerI fail to understand how it is that GM and Chrysler are at near catastrophe levels and am begging for handouts at the feet of government. Why are they not just filing for bankruptcy? How is it that Ford has managed to avoid having to beg for money? I’ve thought about this a little bit and have come to the conclusion that both GM and Chrysler just have too many cars to sell. It’s all about choice.<br /><br />For example, Honda sells just a few models. Three sizes of car (if you count the hybrids), two sizes of SUV, one minivan, and one truck. GM has four car divisions: Cadillac, Chevy, Buick, and Pontiac. What about Saturn? I don’t consider them in the same vein, but I will get to that later. Each of those divisions has multiple models of car at varying price points with varying features. Simply put, most of the cars sold in the Chevy, Buick, and Pontiac divisions are the same except for some sheet metal and badges. There are Minivans and SUVs sold in three out of the four divisions (none in Pontiac). And the Chevy and GMC truck divisions are the only ones that sell trucks and large vans. Saturn sells cars, minivans, and SUVs out of its division, the only one to do all three. Pontiac seems to be a division devoted to young people only, while Chevy appeals across the age spectrum. Buick and Cadillac are supposed to be upscale cars with the Buicks seemingly for a more senior crowd.<br /><br />Chrysler seems to be in the same boat. They dropped the Plymouth brand years ago because no one really could tell the difference between Plymouth cars, Dodge cars, and Chrysler cars. Smart move then. Chrysler seems to be the luxe division with cars, SUVs, and minivans. Dodge seems to be in the middle of the road with cars, SUVs, minivans, and trucks. Then there’s Jeeps, which are only SUV.<br /><br />Ford seems to have solved the choice problem by limiting their divisions somewhat. They still have a lot of overlap between Ford and Mercury with cars and some of their smaller SUVs, but they have squarely placed all of the luxury models in the Lincoln division and the majority of their trucks in the Ford division (still trying to understand the Lincoln Blackwood…weird).<br /><br />Anyhoo, here’s what I think GM should do:<br /><br />1. Stop playing around with my taxpayer money and file for Chapter 13. We all know you can still operate, so do it. If an airline can do it and I can still board the plane maintained by that airline and get to where I need to go safely, then it should work for you. Clean the slate with the unions and start over. If they are interested in supporting your business and getting back market share by building great cars, then they’ll negotiate. Right now, their labor rates are unsustainable. If they aren’t willing to negotiate, start advertising for employees. Give the employee a reason to want to come help make a great car.<br />2. Stop making so many freaking cars! Drop the Pontiac nameplate for cars, minivans, and SUVs. Drop the Buick nameplate completely. Stick anything that could be considered a “crossover” vehicle into Pontiac. Make the crossover the “high tech innovation” line. Drop the GMC Brand of pickup trucks and SUVs. Put GMC on large trucks and semi’s only. Leave pickup trucks in the Chevy division where you will also make a “value line” of sedans, SUVs, and minivans. Cadillac will be your lux division with their unique cars and SUVs. Retain nameplates for limited edition cars like the Corvette, Camaro, and TransAm and produce them in moderate numbers or produce a model line every so often and make them unique enough for the model line to sell out. Retain the Saturn division for small cars and sedans. Stop trying to produce econocars like the Aveo to compete with the other econocars in the Saturn division. Niche vehicles should be carefully marketed between divisions so as not to compete with each other.<br />3. Adopt a marketplace style of sales model. Publish the costs of the vehicle on a central website and allow customers to pick from a small number of trim levels for that model (3 at the most). If a customer is intent upon loading up extras on a standard Chevy sedan, offer them the ability to compare online against a loaded vehicle from the lux model line. The packages can then be updated at the dealer should the customer wish to add something that isn’t part of the package. That cost is predetermined between the dealer and the manufacturer.<br />4. Give all vehicles a 100,000 mile powertrain warranty.<br />5. Stop financing vehicles at the dealership. Let banks to their thing. If you want to buy a bank to use nationwide, fine. You can also let local dealers establish a relationship with a local bank. Let the customer know how much they are going to spend before they even walk into a dealership. The dealership is going to make most of their money on extras and repairs with moderate sales kickbacks from the manufacturer to cover the cost of salespeople and management. The achievement model is the same as before. The more models you sell, the more money you make. Salespeople will need to be knowledgeable about the cars for questions, comparisons, and to help finalize the sale. No more “dancing” with various people in order to get your car. Even if you walked into a dealer without first browsing the online marketplace, you still should be able to start and finish with the salesperson. The only other people that should get involved would be a cashier or finance manager and on rare occasions, the sales manager. CARMAX seems to have done a real good job making the sales process more simplified. Even they aren’t perfect though.<br /><br />Chrysler is in a similar pickle, but not quite as bad as GM. Based on experience, I’d never buy a Dodge or Chrysler car again. I’d put all my minivans out as Chryslers, stop building SUVs in either Chrysler or Dodge nameplate (leave SUVs to Jeep), and put 80% of the cars in as Dodges. Only the lux cars would be Chrysler. Import the new “A” class Benz as the Dodge compact car. Crossovers would be left to Dodge in a similar path as Pontiac.<br /><br />Either that or just pick up the mess and fold.<br /><br />ClarkClarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10423552030550395175noreply@blogger.com0