grateful – dankbaar – fakafeta’i

It’ll be a New Year – Since MMXXVI can’t be either happy or unhappy and since I want to wish you lots, it’s gotta be a HAPPY NEW YEAR, so let’s do it this way; I wish you great health, a good life, and the love of your family for 2026!

Now some coffee, well-earned I might add. With Kirstin, Derek, and Kellen driving up this weekend, Marcia and I dutifully did some ‘straightening’ of our little abode. Even Marcia appreciated that she barely recognized my office and its Pin Ball machine (cleaned, sitting/waiting fully loaded and ready for at least 30 games).

The Texas group is always hopeful of finding some snow. This week we’ve had a steady week of mid sixties temperature. Next week there’ll be a dramatic temperature drop, but NO snow.

This warmish morning there was no need for a steaming mug of coffee, just a tasty one.

Hair snipping – Yesterday I realized that I was ‘mucho’ past due getting shorn. My usual go-to joint was closed all day. I then remembered that on the other side of the parking lot is a Sports Clip franchise. Before I headed for the place I scanned their on line list of reviews. Several of those were problematic!

That’s when I discovered that I had run into a ‘contronym’. A contronym references a word that can have opposite meanings. In my case I with the way my hair might “get clipped” and if unhappy with the result, feel that “I got clipped” in my pocketbook. Did you realize you just read the Word of the Day?

Christmas Dinner –– Since our family Holiday gathering will not occur till the coming mid-week, Marcia and I, a pair of ‘fogies,’ were spending the day alone. For the first time I realized that gone were the olden days where the house would be filled with the sound many shrill young voices.

Basically, I love shrill little voices. It even gets better when it’s almost mandatory to spend half the day on the floor assembling toys, shoving toys around, and joining in any number of table-now-played-on-the-floor games.

But, before you wipe a tear, we were invited to enjoy a Tongan Christmas Dinner with Adrianne and Tevita and kids, plus their other invited guests; all Tongan. Barely a word of English spoken it’s amazing how we as humans can have a great time communicating, communicating through laughter, hands, an occasional word, signs, gestures, body language, and even through a sip of adult beverage.

We had a wonderful afternoon. Thanks so much to both of you, to Vai and Vili, and our new Tongan friends

Yesterday, Dec 26, 1776 – is now a barely noticed turning point in our nation’s history. General George Washington and his motley crew, called the Continental Army, made it to Trenton, NJ. Once there, the day after Christmas they caught the 1,400 Hessian soldiers guarding the city completely off guard (it seems they’d celebrated somewhat too much the day before).

That became the first real battle the British lost. They stormed back the next day and Washington’s troops had to withdraw. Had he first crossed the Delaware River he most likely would have had the armaments to keep the upper hand. Luckily, a short few days later there was another victory at Princeton.

But that victory energized the troops and generated morale without which many likely would not have re-enlisted when their tenure expired that New Year’s Day. Had Washington lost much of his army the possible outcome of our eventual independence could have been seriously in doubt.

It also proves the point that whenever planning, in whatever setting, school, business, military, plan to protect against the worst outcome – in Washington’s case it was as simple as crossing a river to maintain control over his armament supply.

Luminary Night – Last Sunday was absolutely perfect for the annual Neighborhood Luminary walk. I did the walk solo and ended up sitting a bit by a front yard firepit at one of our former neighbors. Soon some others joined and Ken P, our host, came up with a tray filed with mugs of hot Lavendar herbal tea.

In the middle of the chit-chat someone pointed out a full-grown Fox walking casually by, no more than 20 feet from where we were sitting. Keep in mind we’re just 3 miles from the heart of a major city.

Actually, it was one of those happenstance events where you hated to leave. Had it not been for former neighbor Rosalie v N , who with some sight issues needed to get home. So I volunteered to escort her.

The lighted house on the left side of the attached picture is our former house. The other shows the reverse side of the Corner of Chaos and Mayhem.

The Egg Nog Jog – Last Saturday’s 5K had me finish 1st in my age category, walking category which including a total of 10 flights of steps climbed, a 16.37 pace for a total 51:36 chip time.

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Which of the following lasting expressions from years past are still in use today? Still in use, even if the original meanings have shifted in modern times. Two are incorrect.

1) Dial a number
2) Blackballed
3) Ate and left no crumbs
4) Roll up the window
5) Burning the Midnight Oil
6) Air Jail
7) CC

Last week answer – #3, “Life on the Mississippi”

Happy MMXXVI

Merry Christmas –

Happy Saturday morning. Just remember to all of you reading this, many of you actually survived another “Polar Vortex”; some of you survived because of where you live, but that is not my fault.

Half a week our bathroom sink’s cold-water faucet was frozen. Everything was fine except for that single particular faucet. What it meant was that these mornings we couldn’t wake up and brace ourselves with a fresh cold-water splash on our face. Horrors!

Since it’s early, I will have my regular mug of coffee. After posting I’ll be off for a 5K and I do not want to start out with a bunch of coffee sloshing around. But, as I said, it’s early so it’ll be OK. By the way, it could be but pictured is not my mug.

Christmas – Just in case we forgot, the Christmas celebration is really a celebration of the birth of Jesus. All the other hoopla is basically just slop (Merriam-Webster named ‘slop’ the word of the year).

One bit that I learned this week is that the name ‘Jesus’ has only been in use for about 400 years. Jesus, during his time on earth spoke Aramaic, a language which does not have the letter ‘J’. Likely he would have responded to the, then, very common name of “Yeshua’ or even the shortened version ‘Yeshu”.

So, things morphed the from Aramaic, to Hebrew, to Greek (‘Iesous’), and finally, shortened in Latin to’ “Iesus.”.

OK, all aboard now?

Harmonies for the Holidays – Last Sunday, cold, snow, bad roads and all, I joined my favorite jazz trio, the Phil DeGreg Trio. This along with the Northern Kentucky University “Vocal Jazz Ensemble“. It was wonderful!

Two hours of all the classics did their magic. Now ready for a seasonal celebration.

Orville & Wilbur – This week I spent a little time reading about Orville and Wilbur Wright and their first powered flight. I’d only viewed them as being a pair of bicycle mechanics who gutsily stumbled on getting a pile of cloth, wood, and wires off the ground. I was so wrong.

They owned a number of bicycle establishments in and around Dayton, Ohio. And their flight design work was absolutely revolutionary. What had prevented others trying to be the first in powered flight were areas which they mastered and then incorporated in their design – their pile of cloth/wood/wire aircraft could be controlled for three axis, Yaw, Roll, and Pitch.

Even, as part of the design was a very lightweight engine (weight was critical). They cast their engine out of Aluminum – then painted it black to keep its design a secret. Weight was so critical that the pilot, Orville, was laying down off center at the controls to counterbalance the engine’s weight.

Take a look at this clever video demonstrating the physics built into their plane.

Fit Life After 40 – Is the name by which a trainer from New Zealand, Gavyn, goes by. Part of the interaction with him is that I get a steady stream of input from him.

With both Christmas and New Year quickly approaching along with those huge food feasts, his latest from yesterday morning might be worthwhile for all of us. Let me quote Gavyn directly:

“Do This Before Big Meals (It Actually Works)”
“Hi Dirk

Pre-meal hack:

Go for a 10-minute walk before AND after eating.

Helps digestion, reduces blood sugar spikes, reduces lethargy, and makes you feel like an athletic reindeer.

Gavyn

PS: I told myself I’d walk more in December. So far… I’ve walked to the fridge a lot…”

The Egg Nog Jog – As alluded to above, this week I’m a bit short with my Ramblings. At 10 this morning the starter’s gun will sound and the Mt. Adams 5K “Egg Nog Jog” will start. It starts at one of the highest points on Mount Adams and after going over, around, and down some of area’s hills end up where we started. I’ve done this 5K several times and considering the season, the terrain, the scenery, and the glass of beer and egg nogg at the finish makes this annual 5K a seasonal high point.

Wish me well!

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Which was the first published book that was written on a typewriter. This was a breakthrough, and as was noted at the time; “At the beginning of that interval (writing) a type-machine was a curiosity. The person who owned one was a curiosity, too. But now it is the other way about: the person who doesn’t own one is a curiosity.” So again, which book was the first?

1) Lewis Wallace – “Ben Hur”
2) Herman Melville – “Moby-Dick
3) Samuel Clemens — “Life on the Mississippi”
4) Noraly Schoenmaker – “Free Ride”
5) Rachel Carson – “The Sea Around Us”
6) Harriet Beecher Stowe — “Uncle Tom’s Cabin“
7) Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt – “The River of Doubt”

Last week answer – #2, “Jimmy Carter”

Plummeting

Happy Saturday morning. And we’re baaaack! From a family visit in Michigan, so a state of normalcy returns. And it was a super great time, thanks to all for putting up with me (Marcia, they thoroughly enjoyed). Before this deteriorates, I’ll start with a bit of coffee.

You might have noticed that with coffee I have a lot of opinions. Having said that, I should be honest and let you in on the fact that on that, the coffee, subject I really am an ultracrepidarian.

Word of the Day: ultracrepidarian, “A person who expresses opinions on matters outside the scope of their knowledge or expertise.”

The day after we returned from Michigan it would have been Jim Morrison’s birthday (would have been a year younger than me). The last song he with the Doors recorded was for a long time one of my favorites; “Riders on the Storm.”

‘Tis the Season – at least according all the media hype it’s now the beginning of the season. Locally, underway is a push to continue to keep the Elf(vis)-on-the-shelf as part of the annual traditions. Personally, I am more attuned to the ‘Elvis’ fun.

It’s been said that Santa is forcing Elvis-on-the-shelf to follow his sled in a pink Cadillac convertible. Also, that the car’s 8-track sound system keep looping the song; “Return to Sender”, all to remind the thousands of little ‘darlings’ that they should ask mommies return their gifts and not Santa.

See, America is straining to jump into what is pounded in our heads as Christmas Spirit.

I’m going a different route. Tomorrow, I have a ticket to listen to my favorite Jazz trio in their Harmonies for the Holidays program, along with an ensemble of ten vocalists from Northern Kentucky University “performing timeless holiday songs in rich jazz arrangements.”

Really looking forward to what promises to be a wonderful afternoon.

It’s Snowballs – This past week, December 10, 1989, our Bengals coach Sam Wyche started yelling at fans to stop throwing snowballs onto the field. It was a home game, Cincinnati Bengals vs the Seattle Seahawks.

“Well the next person that sees anybody throw anything onto this field, point em out, get em out of here, you don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!”

Sometime during my career, I was returning home from overseas travel and was upgraded on my short leg back to the ‘Nati. That trip home found me sitting next to Sam Wyche. By then it had already been some time since he’d coached the Bengals. I remember that I thought he had lost weight (but then I was a good bit heavier). Nothing unusual, an enjoyable seatmate who was not averse to talking pleasantries.

Bodies galore – isn’t it strange that during the Victorian era Cincinnati was the hub of ‘grave robbing’ and ‘body snatching’. At the time, Cincinnati had a large hospital and mortuary science presence, and these facilities needed ‘volunteers’ on which to practice and perfect their trade.

The trade was profitable and had a multi-state presence. In fact, Cincinnati ‘retrieved’ cadavers were shipped to even places such as the Medical School at UM in Ann Arbor MI.

Luckily, this grave robbery business all came to a rather quick halt. Actually, it was the body of the son of a U.S. President which began a hue and outcry regarding the practice. It was the body of John Scott Harrison who was the son of U.S. President William Henry Harrison and was also the father of U.S. President Benjamin Harrison. The body’s ‘snatch’ was quickly spotted the morning after the funeral and a search began. It was his son who found the body of his father hanging in a closet at the medical school.

So strange – It’s almost storybook material, the uber strange research tower at the University of Cincinnati is so strange and overbuilt that engineers said it couldn’t be safely blown up.

We watched Crosley Tower being built floor by floor between 1968 and 1971. Named after Powel Crosley Jr., the founder of Crosley Radio – WLW’s “Nation’s Station,” historic Crosley Baseball Field, the Crosley car, and offering the first refrigerator with extra shelves (the ‘Shelvador‘) placed in a hollowed door (loved by the ladies).

This all-concrete blockhouse of a building has almost no windows, thick walls, and a shape that made it look more like ‘Phillip’s head’ screw than a campus research lab.

Inside, folk said that pipes could burst at will, and water dripped from ceilings – the building stank.

And they were right; the building was reinforced so that demolition crews must cut it apart piece by piece. And that is exactly how it’s being brought down.

I remember seeing it finished for the first time and was awed by both size, and how it was the oddest-looking building on campus. A few more million dollars and it’ll be a long-forgotten memory. See, shortly after next month will begin the UC Board of Trustees approved “$47.3 million remediation and demolition of Crosley Tower”. Don’t worry, it’s not their money!

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

For most of humanity’s existence the norm was that you were born at home. Yours truly ditto. A midwife delivered me at home and our family doctor (family friend) stopped by later just to make certain all was well.
The question this week, which of the listed US Presidents was the first to be born in a hospital?

1) “Howard Taft”
2) “Jimmie Carter”
3) “Woodrow Wilson”
4) “Grover Cleveland”
5) “Dwight Eisenhower”
6) “Lyndon B. Johnson”
7) “John F. Kennedy”

Last week answer – #4, “cosmic fuel”