Now that your unpacked and got to test drive the area for a bit, encountered some locals and yokels, and hopefully some actual people that moved to the area from your home town or state its time to list the likes you have of your new or semi-new, or heck if the area is your native home than by all means and ways list what you like! Y'all got it? Well here goes!

Weather! You like or not!
Year round flowers!
Long springs!
Longer Autumns!
Shorts year round! For the hearty ones that is.
Variety of sub divisions to chose from!
Snow is a neat event versus a ho-hum not again event!
No rust on older cars! Amazing if your from the Northeast!
Can fish year round without cutting holes in the water (ice) for us North Easterners!
Pretty country side is usually only 5 minutes or less from where you live anywhere in the triangle.
People R People. No matter what they say!
Day trip to Mountains!
Day trip to Ocean!
And in a lot cases no trip at all to the many lakes, ponds, river, and streams that spot the area!
Good food can be had by all and more is always welcome irregardless if they are called viddles or pickins!
Out away from the city lights the sky at night explodes with the many stars that fill the emptiness of space with the occasional flying star to catch a dream or two on!
Groceries can be cheaper but we all have to eat!

Sure it takes time to get use to this place, remember the place you came from was called home and that is never a easy place to replace! But give it time, explore the area and get involved and this place too will be your new home not only in name but in feeling!

May the triangle, RDU, RTP, Crossroads, the Quay, Wake Forest, Knightdale, Apex, Raleigh, Durham, Zebulon, Oxford, Mossisville, Franklinton, Youngsville, Chapel Hill, Henderson, ...seems like I am forgetting somewhere....????......Oh yea! and Cary, be with you!

Oh Tarheels! I forgot to number the above as I did say I would count thy ways!

5 : Excellent 4 : Good 3 : Average 2 : Bad 1 : Terrible

Wake Forest, Gosh its a pretty nive place to live!

Posted 03-09-2009 at 08:59 PM by dansdrive

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Wake Forest, NC. located in Wake County NC. Some call it Wake's Forest of the Triangle....Ok maybe that's just me. But if you come from the North East, Wake Forest seems to fit. It has some rolling hills and many farming areas.

It has a small town feel but close to Raleigh, you could be down town Raleigh, depending on time of day in about 15 to 30 minutes. You can be at the Virginia border in less than an hour.

It has old Historical homes and some new subdivisions. It certainly worth a look see if your looking and seeing the area. It has transplants from New Jersey, New York, and many other NE State and Mid West and California and....well you get the idea people from all over this great country now calls Wake Forest home!

C'mon down, over, left, or right and check it out you may just like what you see.

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1. Tuesday June 26, 2012 and its a beautiful 66.5 degrees outside heading on up to a high of 82 no humidity degrees. Sweet! On the Debby watch to see if she will meander her way up near / through North Carolina. At the moment she seems to like the Florida pan handle a lot to much! C'est la vie!! These cool days reminded me of my days doing electrical work over the summer. These were the days we loved to work outside either putting in a new service entrance or grounding a new swimming pool. Anything out doors was fantastic! Those were the days work was not work. It was fun! Those were the days we make $2 an hour and were happy. Those were the days we negotiated with our boss for 5 cent raise for every hundred hours we worked. The hundred hour usually took us a month to do or sometimes longer. So there was no timecards or time clocks to click just gentleman agreements between our self and our boss. To his credit he always honored our 100 hour request for a raise. It is funny when I think back to those days, he would bring us to his home after work on a Saturday and get his giant Business Checkbook out and write us each a check. To us that was gas money, fast food money, movie and dare I say Drive-In movie money. It wasn't much but it was ours! Quote of the day from Cathy McMorris: " Private ownership of property is vital to both our freedom and our prosperity." Happy Tuesday and Be Free, Be Prosperous, and Be Thankful!

   Posted 06-26-2012 at 07:30 AM by dansdrive

2. Wednesday June 27, 2012 and its a cool 58.2 degrees outside heading up to 87 degrees which will feel cool after this weekend. Triple digits starting Friday through Monday with Saturday projected to be 103 degrees. That's hot baby!!!! The saga of the spin-less washer has been wound up! The old Whirlpool washer spun its last spin...almost! Through some online research I was able to diagnose the spinning less washers aliment. The clutch was kaput! shot! Done! So at the local Appliance place I picked up a new clutch. $50 later the washer is spinning like the designers at Whirlpool intended it to spin! The dis-assembly was not to bad. Carried the washer to the garage. Took out the agitator.....boy that got on my nerves! Than flipped the washer onto its backside. From the bottom of the washer I removed the pump assembly, took out the three bolts that held the motor/transmission to the washers tub. Removed the cable to the motor and the cable from the transmission. Slipped out the motor/transmission/drive shaft assembly. From that I was able to see where the clutch was and changed it out and had it back together in about 20 minutes. Carried the washer back up stairs, hooked up the drain line, and the hot and cold water lines and a push of the controls switch and NOTHING! YIKES! Ops forgot to plug the washer back in the electrical outlet. Proceed to plug the washer power cable in and pressed the control button in and wa-laa the washer came to life and started to fill. While the filling process was going on I went and cleaned up my tools and old parts from the garage. At that moment I realized I had left out a C-clip that held the clutch on to the drive shaft! YIKES!!! Well the clip is still out and the first load of clothes washed, SPUN, and finished without indecent. So the C-clip shall remain out until I have to get back in there and fix something else on that washer. Job two for the evening was to finish staining the back side of the fence. That job was completed before dark and the rest of the night just sat on the swing our back and enjoyed the peace and quiet and cool summer evening............How sweet it was. Quote of the day from Abraham Lincoln: "I do the very best I know how - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end." Happy Wednesday and Abe said a lot of great things but somehow the statement above is right up there among the best! Song of the day from....THE SPINNERS, of coarse...enjoy! The Spinners - Could It Be Im Falling In Love - YouTube

   Posted 06-27-2012 at 05:53 AM by dansdrive

3. Thursday June 28, 2012 and its 61.1 glorious degrees outside heading on up to only 95 degrees. Only I say because for the next few days it will be 104, 104, 102....that's summer baby! Can you say ice, air conditioning, ice cream, pool, or wake me up when its over? Growing up in Northeastern Pennsylvania I could could on one hand the number of days it ever got over 100 degrees. Those days were usually sometime in July or early August. We did not have air conditioning so it made for some hot days and nights. This was typically the times we went camping. It always seemed cooler around the lake and away from the city. Camp site was underneath trees and shady. Fished in the morning and evenings off a dock. At night we fished for catfish. Nothing like sitting on a dock out into the lake on a hot summers night with the flicker of the Coleman lanterns reflecting off the water and just gazing at the dark black sky with the endless pints of star lights above. On some occasions we would catch the rising full moon come up over the hill on the other side of the lake in front of us. WOW! It would illuminate the lake around us which was set in this valley of hills on all sides. Pretty awesome sight! Literally. When the fish were not biting my cousin and I would take some road flares his father use to get and go hunt the shoreline for flogs and whatever else we could see in the water. Typically at night large crayfish would come out of hiding and move about in the water. On some nights guys would come with coal miners lanterns on their heads and sling shots in hand and hunt for frogs. They use to get a number of them and they were big! But most summer nights on this private lake it would be just myself, my cousin, my Dad and my Uncle to let the night drift away under the stars....... Quote of the day from Wallace Stevens: "The summer night is like a perfection of thought." Happy Thursday and Stay Cool, Stay comfortable, and always Stay in a state of wonderment! Song of the day, turn it up kick back and enjoy: SUMMER (Original Full-Length Album Version) - War - YouTube

   Posted 06-28-2012 at 05:43 AM by dansdrive

4. Friday June 29, 2012 and its 73.8 cool degrees outside heading on up to a hot 106 degrees! Triple digit day 1 is upon us. The weekends forecast hot with occasional stifling heat! Got ice? Like they say one has to take the good with the bad, the hot with the cold, the mustard with the ketchup, and the Ford with the Chevy or is that the Chevy with the Ford! Hmmm. Well over the many years I have driven I have never owned a Ford. But than again there is a lot of car brands I did not own. Being I work on my own cars I tend to buy Honda's. Easy to work on and hardly need to work on them. But I also have a 14 year old Chevy truck that I purchased new that I use for hauling things around that is still going strong. But its the last Chevy I will ever own. To many little things have gone wrong with it over the years. Like handles breaking off inside the vehicle, dash lights not working, side view mirrors breaking off due to the design of them, Rear speaker on passenger side not working for years and can't find the problem, push button 4WD with its own mind on when it wants to work. The best part of the vehicle is the engine. A 6 cylinder Vortex engine. Gas mileage is not good but its a good strong motor. But today starts the weekend! Yahoo! and I'm not talking of the .com variety! The Yahoo of the happy type! The Yahoo of the Yipe-Yi-Ay type! The Yahoo of the Ying and Yang type! The Yahoo of the Google Chrome variety type I suppose! The Yahoo of the well you get the point.......... Quote of the day from George Mueller: "If we desire our faith to be strengthened, we should not shrink from opportunities where our faith may be tried, and therefore, through trial, be strengthened." Happy Friday and we are not shrinking today are we???? Have a wonderful HOT weekend I mean that totally in the meteorological sense!

   Posted 06-29-2012 at 06:18 AM by dansdrive

5. Monday July 2, 2012 and its 76.9 degrees outside heading on up to a double digit 99 degrees. Sweet less than triple digits! The weekend was hot but not as hot as I thought it was going to be. Yesterday afternoons thunder storm helped cool the day off which was welcome relief. Lost one dead pine tree on the property that I am aware of. Here we are starting the second half of 2012 already. Hard to believe and even harder to look back and see what I didn't accomplish in the first half. Well I will have to try harder in the second half of the year. Objective is simple. Be kinder, compassionate, helpful, and charitable. Easy words to write and say but sometimes so very hard to follow. I have learned that no matter how much one believes they are doing all the right things and are following the four words above there is always more that can be done. The heart is where the compass is located to guide us to live by four words above. Sometimes that compass glass gets cloudy over and dirty and its our job to keep it clean and true. So many depend on us to keep that compass clean and clear. More than we will ever know. The stranger you said hello to, the one you held the door for, the one you held there hand for as they went through a tough time, the one you have a buck or two to that was down on their luck and life, the one you gave your old clothes or furniture to, the one you gave some food to that was hungry or thirsty. Those are the things from the heart. So this second half of the year can make all the difference to your fellow human being if you just follow your heart. Quote of the day from Charles H. Spurgeon: "A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble. " Happy Monday and where have you been carving your name? In today's song of the day Seals & Croft helps us think about where we are carving our name....enjoy! Seals & Crofts - We May Never Pass This Way Again [w/ lyrics] - YouTube

   Posted 07-02-2012 at 05:22 AM by dansdrive

6. Tuesday July 3, 2012 and its a later than usual post so temp is 98 with a projected high of 99 degrees. Seems like the 99 will be surpassed today! But we are very thankful that we have electricity and feel for the many fellow Americans that are without on these hot summer days. One day to go before the 4th of July! One day to go before the picnics and our American heritage celebrations. Nice! Wishing all the spirit of 1776! Quote of the day from John Adams: "Yesterday, the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America; and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, that those United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States." Happy Tuesday and all these years later....what happened to free independent states??? Think about that one the next time you hear about the Federal Department of Education........

   Posted 07-03-2012 at 02:23 PM by dansdrive

7. 	Wednesday July 4, 2012 and its 81 degrees heading on up to 97 degrees! Happy 4th of July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!
   	Posted 07-04-2012 at 07:36 AM by dansdrive

8. Thursday July 5, 2012 and its 72.7 degrees outside heading on up to 99 degrees. Summer has certainly taken root around the country. Spectacular drive in this morning, the full moon was high overhead and the sun was just peaking over the horizon in my rear view mirror. Sun-tastic! Also in our rear view mirrors is the 4th of July. Hopefully everyone had a G-R-E-A-T one! Always nice to remember the history of this great nation and give thanks to the founding fathers and the people of that time for building a great nation. For those that don't there are 195 other countries in our world today to check out and see if there is a better one than this one we call home. It was a pretty quiet 4th of July evening in my neck of the woods. Unlike the days growing up in my old hometown in PA. 4th of July was noisy. There was explosion going off all day long and many more at night. We use to be able to sit in out neighborhood and watch the cities fireworks display. That was always pretty darn cool! We had our share of fireworks, from fire crackers, to lady fingers, M80, Ash cans which were made like an M80 but where in a silver wrapper. As kids we were not into the ones that did not go <BOOM>! Those ones that flew up in the air and made all kinds of cool colors were just alright. We needed the big <BOOMERS>. As we got older we got into the M40's and one time I got the equivalent of a half stick of dynamite. Stored in my sock drawer until Mom found it. Let's just say it was not a cool night that evening when Dad got home. Never did get to blow that one off. Dad cut it over and emptied the power in the back yard the spread it out and lite it up. My $5 was as they say, 'Up in smoke!'. YIKES! Lesson learned: never store fireworks in your sock drawer!!!! Quote of the day from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." Happy Thursday and Mr. Emerson summed up a happy life quite nicely!!! Which is amplified in my song of the day....turn up the speakers and enjoy....foot tapping and clear sight of the sunshine is required!!!!! Walking On Sunshine /w Lyrics - Katrina & The Waves - YouTube

   Posted 07-05-2012 at 05:40 AM by dansdrive Updated 07-05-2012 at 06:44 AM by dansdrive

9. Friday July 6, 2012 and its 72.1 degrees outside with slight overcast and will be heading on up past the century mark of 102 degrees. In fact will surpass the century mark the rest of the weekend and maybe Monday too! As the Italian in me says, "Boy, that's a hot stuff-a you see!" Hey its the weekend, not a day to soon and not a moment to miss. Job one, stay cool! Job two, get something done, Job three, help someone in need. Job four, see Job one! Call me crazy, call me weird but don't ever call me late for supper! Anyway, I use to love these hot days os summer to ride my bike in as a kid. I was not particular where I was going just that I was going. Especially in the evening as a early teen. At dark I would head down to the center of our city, A.K.A Public Square which was less than a mile away and sit in a bench, half on my bike and half on the bench. I would watch the traffic go around the square. Nights in the summer months the Hot Rod cars use to parade by. One was cooler than the other with their mag wheels and big engines with the thrush pipes and the neat paint jobs. Candy Apple Red metallic flake glimmering beneath the street lights. The bright yellow cars and blues with the yellow flames. The kids yelling between cars as they waited at the stop lights. As a kid my age riding his own decked out pedal bike that was spray painted and pin striped. After watching those cars parade by for awhile it was time to pedal back home. I'd take a different route home and pull the bike in the shed out back and head on in to end another summers day.......... Quote of the day by Albert Schweitzer: "Everything deep is also simple and can be reproduced simply as long as its reference to the whole truth is maintained. But what matters is not what is witty but what is true." Happy Friday and how true is Albert s words....very true. Without truth what do you have...you have sin. So have a truthful and exciting summer weekend!!!!!!!! Song of the day.....enjoy! Ace of Base- Beautiful Life lyrics - YouTube

   Posted 07-06-2012 at 06:20 AM by dansdrive

10. Monday July 9, 2012 and its 81.1 outside heading on up to 95 degrees. It sure was a hot weekend. I think it was over 100 each day. But relief is just around the corner along with the MLB All Star game. I so love the national passtime. Growing up in North Eastern PA I had a three teams to pick from. The New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies, or the New York Yankees. It always made our sand lot games more interesting because we were always split between the teams. We would argue about who the best professional players were that we would try to emulate on those hot summer days. I remember coming home and putting my bike in the shed out back and as I walked back to our back porch I heard our neighbors radio on listening to the Philadelphia Phillies. The announcers were By Saam, Richie Ashburn, and Harry Kalas. Their voices echoing in ourbackyards. I would sit on our patio on those summer nights and listen to those games. Dreaming of one day playing in the big leagues as I would hear a home rum call be made by Harry for Mike Schmidt or by the Bill, Greg Luzinski. I never made it to the big leagues not even the minor leagues but I sure enjoyed dreaming!!! There was always something special about listening to a ball game on the radio. Letting your mind fill in the blanks of what you can't see but only hear. All three of those Philly annoucers are no longer with us and I am sure they are calling their games up in heaven now but I for one am very thankful to have had the opportunity to hear them on a hot summers night under the stars. Both in the sky and on the field!!! Quote of the day from Richie Ashburn: "I wish I'd known early what I had to learn late." Happy Monday and Richie, I wish I had read your quote earlier...much earlier.. Song of the day....John Fogerty "Centerfield" - YouTube

    Posted 07-09-2012 at 04:30 AM by dansdrive

11. Tuesday July 10, 2012 and its a cloudy 73.8 degrees outside heading on up to a rather cool 90 degrees. The 100 degree days have been broken! Like the Eskimo said to the ice salesman........Do they come in a tray??? Whoa! What a beautiful day. A day for swirling and dancing! A day for smiling from ear to ear and even wider if your the Joker! Why, you may ask? Because its Tuesday which is after Monday and before Wednesday. Why not! Its another day to do something special and good. Yesterday is over, gone forever. What you hath done yesterday cannot be changed, as they say what's done is done my friends. Your actions yesterday can be modified today or tomorrow or one day down the road but it can never be changed. There are no do overs. Think about that whenever you do something. So if you helped someone out, helped someone get through one of life's tough patches, walked with someone, called someone, looked deeply into ones eyes yesterday you cannot change that. Those things are all done and gone. Maybe quickly forgotten by you but for the ones you may have helped....well that memory will last their lifetime. Each and everyday we get that opportunity to make a memory for someone that will last their lifetime and hopefully yours. What a power gift we are all given to provide charity, hope, and love to our fellow man. Awesome! So yea I am grateful for each and everyday I am given that opportunity to help, comfort, and praise someone. WOW! Let me state that again. W-O-W! Take advantage of that awesome gift today and go help someone......we are all counting on you!!!!! Quote of the day from Mother Teresa: "I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts, then there is no hurt, but only more love." Happy Helpful Tuesday!! Mother Teresa knew a whole lot about helping people out......THANKS MOTHER TERESA!!.... Song of the day which sums up helpful Tuesday.....now go HELP someone! Jefferson Starship Count On Me - YouTube

    Posted 07-10-2012 at 05:11 AM by dansdrive

12. Wednesday July 11, 2012 and its a light rain 72.2 degrees outside heading on up to 86 degrees. I broke one of my cardinal rules and drove on RT 540 this am in the rain. Well at my house it was not raining but when I neared Rt 540 it started to sprinkle and I was committed. It was not raining hard so that was a plus. I did notice one thing that was troubling, the freshly paved sections of 540 held water much more than the old pavement. This spells disaster then the rains really come. I could envision many more accidents with the extra water on the road surface. YIKES! Be careful my friends on the new pavement when its wet. Can you say hydro-plain? Weeeee! Anyway enough about Scott Baio..... I don't know I heard that line in a movie one time.... Can you name that movie? Bet some of you can. So here we are approaching mid July already. Today I think about what day it is and what part of the month it is, as well as what part of the year it is. Amazing how our thinking changes as we get older. As a kid we think of time in terms of the school year. When we heard it was back to school summer was over. Than we have Thanksgiving time off and than Christmas time off. We did not get spring break back in my day but what we got was Good Friday and Easter Monday off. And it was a public school....imagine that today? Oh my. Than it was spring and finally it was summer vacation. Those were the only times of the year we really cared about anyway. Summer vacation meant no more get ups early, no more trudging up the hills to school, no more do your homework, no more where is your homework, no more, no more, no more. The no mores became more mores, if that makes sense. The lazy hazy days of summer were chores and shores. When I was younger our family would go to the Jersey Shore once in the summer months with family. Seaside Heights was the beach of choice. The waves were bigger than say Atlantic City and a lot of my Dad's family lived near there in New Jersey. It was an absolute blast. Playing with the cousins I would only see once or twice a year. Playing in the sand all day. Hitting the boardwalk in the evening. One of the favorite games of chance our parents played was the one where they threw a ball onto this grid of colored spaces and where the ball stuck determined if one would win a pack of cigarettes or a carton or not. Lucky Strikes and Pall Malls were the ones to shoot for. Back in those days most every male smoked. No so much the Moms but the Dads all did. The guys would also go clamming and fishing while us kids played. The older ones would rent bicycles and take us around the streets the Seaside Heights. It was like little Italy, so many Italian would be there. It was a pretty cool time...pretty cool indeed. Quote of the day from Henry James: “Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” Happy Wednesday, Happy Summer morning/afternoon/night, Happy just being Happy! Song of the day will help you get there, enjoy! Turn up the volume close your eyes, sit back and just let the song take you back to the best summer memories ever. in the summertime - mungo jerry (+ lyrics) - YouTube

    Posted 07-11-2012 at 05:41 AM by dansdrive

13. Thursday July 12, 2012 and its a cloudy, misty, 69.1 degrees outside heading on up to 86 degrees. Its a keeper! Come to think of it any day you get up out of bed and ready for the day is a keeper. No throwing those back! Nope. This second week of July always reminds me of camping back in the day. This second week was the week we broke camp. We were usually there since the first week of July. Two weeks of no electricity, running water, or any modern convenience. But it never mattered. We had a tent, canopy, Coleman stove, lanterns, and enough food to last a third week. My Dad use to get up at the break of dawn and head down to the lake to fish, long before us kids got up and Uncle got up. He use to get some nice fish that early in the morning. I traded mine chance at nice fish for the comfort of a warm sleeping bag! Once we did manage to roll out of the tent it was every person for themselves to the nearest bushes. Than throw some cold water on our faces and crank up the coleman stove. On tap was usually eggs and bacon. Let me tell you, bacon frying smells great in the house, out in the wilderness it smelled fantastic! Once feed and the dished were washed it was time to get dressed and start the day. The day consisted of making sure there was enough cut wood for the fire that burned 24 x 7 by 2 weeks. Once the wood was cut and stacked all by hand. It was either head out for a walk in the woods around the lake with fishing pole in hand looking for that next big trophy fish. It was always fish 1 us 0. Never did catch that trophy fish but sure loved trying. The lake we camped at did not allow boats of any kind and their was no homes for miles. It was just Pennsylvania wilderness. Now back to the fishing. We use to hit all these spots around the lake where there was an opening to fish. There would be Lilly pads and high grass along the shoreline. Bass heaven and fisherman's hades. When the fish were not biting it was time to cast stones into the lake to see who could throw the furthest or skip the longest stone. It was mid morning by the time we started to get hungry again and make our way back to camp. Occasionally crossing paths with the skunk, beaver, wood chuck, and snake. We typically made enough noise walking and talking in the woods to alert the snakes we were there and they would be gone. But sometime a snake or two would be sunning themselves in the morning sun and than slither away as we approached where they were. Back at camp my Uncle would be setting in his lawn chain under the canopy having a cold one just watching the world go by. Dad would be busy cleaning and oiling his fishing reels or cleaning up the coleman stove or chopping some more firewood. When we got back we usually threw a few hot dogs on the stove to blacken their skin which made them of so good! I remember my Uncle when you would ask him if he wants a dog he would say; naw, well if your making some make me two. After lunch we would sit around out of the hot summers heat and wait for evening fishing. There was time to refill the coleman lanterns and replace the bulb elements or just get the tons of bug out of them from last nights fishing. Most afternoons Dad would find his way back into the tent for a siesta to get ready for the evenings fishing. This daily routine was repeated for the one to two weeks every year we would camp. It was a simple life in a different era and I am one kid that got to experience it and live it. For that I am thankful to my Dad, Uncle, and cousin who made those trips so special. Quote of the day from Warren Wiersbe: "The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength." Happy Thursday and may your strength be renewed today and everyday. Song of the day....enjoy! Dire Straits - Walk of Life (Official Video) - YouTube

    Posted 07-12-2012 at 05:53 AM by dansdrive

14. Friday July 13, 2012 and its 73.7 degrees outside slipping and sliding on up to 88 degrees. Rain in the forecast again today. But it is Friday, end of the work week, end of the vacation week for some, and end of the jobless week for others! For all its certainly end of another week. One to lock away in our memories and retrieve at our leisure or need. Hopefully mixed in those 120 hours was some charity, faith, honesty, and love. The need is great in our great nation for charity. Charity in giving not only money but something more precious to all of us and that is time itself. 120 total hours to slip in some faith some soul searching, some face reflecting in the mirror time. Within the 120 hours there is still more time for honesty and truth. Honesty and truth cleanses the soul and leaves it in a state of peace and tranquility. In the 120 hours is ample time to give love and be loved. Charity, honesty, and true amplifies love to levels one cannot comprehend and few of us every get to achieve. Yea, its is the end of another week and oh looking so forward to the next week and the week after that and the one after that and so on and so. History is the past, today is a present, and tomorrow is a mystery. Read that somewhere and it made oh so much sense.... Quote of the day by Mother Teresa: “Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.” Happy Friday and we can learn allot from a Mother.....have a blessed weekend!

    Posted 07-13-2012 at 06:59 AM by dansdrive

15. Monday July 16, 2012 and its 74.4 cloudy degrees outside heading on up to 90 degrees today. The weekend has come and gone. Accomplishments; few. Happiness; bliss! A few of the to-do list items are still there and one or two of the 'oh man not that' were taken care of. Life has a way of doing that. I had a well issue bubble up sort of speak. The well switch was under the crawl space and it was a royal bank pain in the vault to get there to turn off so with the right combination I was able to move the switch to the garage which is much more accessible. That was a rewarding 'sweat' filled job but will pay dividends whenever I have to turn the well pump off. No more crawling around in the spiders den! I will take my two legs over to turn the switch off instead of pushing around those 8 leg-hers dangling in my path under the house. We also had a unexpected garage visitor on Friday. We had a Eastern Fence Lizard hanging on the wall. That lizard was quick as a rabbit. I chased him around for awhile before I got him to see the path to freedom! He took it too! First time I ever seem one of those around my house. He obviously missed the sign down by the garage door saying no vacancies! Two leg-gers are always welcome. Four leg friends are too if they say <RUFF> <RUFF> but other four or more leg friends.....the Inn is full! I also came across some old pictures and items from my earlier work days. One jogged my memory of a time I was had in work. I worked for a large company with a vast plant that consisted of many building and was basically a manufacturing facility. The progression of ones career was typically manufacturing or engineering or other disciplines and if one had the drive, aptitude, or luck they would be chosen to enter into the world of management. I got that tap after a few years in engineering. My managers almost always started their management careers in managing direct manufacturing areas. It was your right to passage I suppose. It was always off-shift, second or third shifts. I was lucky mine was second shift. I would be replacing a seasoned manager that took over for another new manager that did not make it. The team he managed put him through the grinder and he did not come out coffee! So they replaced him with a very seasoned manager who was ready to take retirement so be took the assignment for six months prior to his retirement and until they found someone, namely me! This seasoned manager was a bit of a practical joker as I found out the hard way. These were the days where management wore ties everyday and typically white shirts but blue was acceptable. Anyway, I was announced as the new manager and had two weeks to learn all I could from this seasoned manager. So I went to sip from the hose of knowledge he had I found it was a fire hose and nearly drowned on the information overload. Anyway, he was a great mentor and I learned a lot in the two weeks I had him. Except for the time he got me....and he did get me! Our plant would work weekend routinely back than, always Saturdays and sometimes Sundays. So on weekends they would have a rotating schedule for management coverage. Each manager got to cover a weekend shift once every 6 weeks. The coverage was for the entire plant not just your area of responsibility. Here I was a new manager and ready to take on the world of manufacturing that is. Anyway, week two I was to be the covering manager. The seasoned manager my mentor could of told me the sun was going to rise at noon and I would of believed him. I wanted to learn everything and be the very best manager I could be. I was eager, astute, and mostly naive. So, he spent time talking about the roles and responsibilities of the weekend coverage manager. The hours were 12 moon to 6 pm Saturday and Sunday. Showed me all the building I would be covering and what each group of personnel did. Where to get help from emergency coverage, facilities, maintenance, etc. I was ready. I asked him being its the weekend do we still wear ties? He said, absolutely in fact you should always wear a white shirt and blazer because sometimes on weekends senior management tours the facility with guest and we always need to be prepared for that. So, I made sure the white shirt I had was pressed, nice power tie, and my suit coat was ready. In fact I even had my suit dry cleaned for the occasion. This was going to be a big deal at lest to me. I was going to be the best dressed new manager the site had ever seen. Saturday, 11 o'clock rolls around and I get showered and ready to go. I got there early into my office, got all settled in and my shift workers started to arrive. I could see them glancing into my office as they strolled by. Murmuring amongst themselves and smiling. I was thinking what a happy group I can't imagine why the former new manager had such a hard time with this team..... So I went out into my area and did my management rounds, got a update on production my from tech and said I was off to cover the other areas of the plant. Well our facility was very large with long hallways between the various production areas. Here I come in full suit smiling and proud as can be. People started to leave their workstations to come out and see who this person was with the suit on walking around on a Saturday. It was after the first group or two I encountered I actually had someone asked me if I was attending a funeral today or a wedding.....I said no way do you ask? They said we never seen anyone work on a Saturday with a suit on. To this day I laugh when I think back to the lesson I learned from that seasoned manager. I had been HAD! Some lessons are harder to learn that others. Quote of the day from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” Happy Monday and Ralph where were you when I went through my blunder??? Song of the day, you know it...sing along. USA for Africa - We are the World - YouTube

    Posted 07-16-2012 at 05:54 AM by dansdrive

16. Tuesday July 17, 2012 and its 75.5 degrees outside heading on up to 95 degrees. Looks like 5 is the operative number of the day. Today its not the 5, 15, 05 25th! I have many stories from my working career as everyone does and I will share some of the ones that either inspired me, taught me, or just made me laugh, or made me wonder why I was the one put in that position. My management career spanned over 16 years until I finally stepped aside and took on staff assignments and special projects. As far as management, well it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Anyone that ever has the opportunity to take a management role, take it. It is better to have tried it and failed than to not and forever regret it. Not everyone if cut out for management but you never know and you yourself cannot tell yourself without trying it. In management you have to roll with the punches and sometimes throw the first and last punch, figuratively that is! Management allows to grow as a leader, councilor, and follower. Not an easy task depending on ones own personality traits. As a manager you have to praise, in-vigor, ignite, council, provide guidance and sometimes just a shoulder to cry on. While all the time maintaining production or productivity and appeasing your own bosses. This can become an absolute pressure cooker to your own person being. I was fortunate to manager various disciplines over my management career. From the early days as a first line manufacturing manager on second shift, where we prided ourselves with kicking the first shifts butt in output. Figuratively speaking again that is.... It was healthy competition and off shift was the place that managers got to prove themselves. After off shift management, I move to 1st shift management, this process usually took a couple of years but I was fortunate as our company was downsizing and offering buyouts and a lot people headed for the exists when they first stated these buyouts. This opened the door for the younger guys and girls to move around. I managed first shift manufacturing for a year. This was a whole new set of challenges. The workers were older, seasoned, and to be honest were tougher to manage. There were much more distractions on first shift than there was on second shift. No wonder we typically beat them on production goals. They had engineers that would come down to the line and check it out. They had more visitors than we did on nights and they had more meetings. Towards the end of my manufacturing management assignment I had the opportunity to be a split shift manager. That was tough. Come in around noon and go home 9 to 11 at night. Thank goodness this only last about 4 months. That would of wiped me out let alone all the things I was missing with my young family. But I survived it and it was some of the best learning experiences I ever had managing manufacturing personnel. One thing was you always knew where you stood as a manager. More so than managing indirect professional personnel. More to come on that one. Quote of the day from Ronald Reagan: "Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided on is being carried out." Happy Tuesday and is your policy being carried out in your own homes and life's or are you just going with the flow? Be well, Be kind, and Be a Leader not a follower!!!!

    Posted 07-17-2012 at 07:10 AM by dansdrive

17. Wednesday July 18, 2012 and its 75.8 degrees outside heading on up to 95 or 106 depending exactly where you are in the triangle today. The further north east you go the hotter it will be. Can't say that to often. Go north young person to heat up! Crazy man, crazy! But its Wednesday, hump day, day to reach the summit of the workweek and start the downward slide. When I was in manufacturing management it was the day to gauge if my team would make its weekly quotas and make adjustments as needed. Typically we had Tuesday afternoon staff meeting where we got our marching orders for the rest of the week any new announcements coming forward and just a time to compare notes with peer managers. As a manager it is amazing all the situations you get caught up in from the regular production outages to the outlandish story why someone was late or can't work overtime. I got a real appreciation for what teachers hear on why their students homework was not done. I heard things like my car broke down, the bus broke down, my power went out and my alarm clock didn't work, my alarm clock batteries went dead, my wife and I just talked all night and we lost track of time so I had to sleep in, my kid was up all night and I had to be with them, I have PMS cramping, I have a religious obligation, and the list went on and on. Most were truthful and once or twice were understood but there is always the habitual ones that you just knew were snowing you. Its the old 80 / 20 rule. 80% of the people are easy to manage while 20% are oh now what? What was the toughest part of management? Looking someone in the eye and telling them they are laid off. Firing someone you can rationalize and understand as its due to cause. A layoff is due to economic reasons out of the control of the employee. The other hard one is death. When a employee dies or their spouse or family member. They were always tough. That is when a manager earns his salary. They have to lead in a tough time and help the employee and team get though it. They were the tough times of management that would eat at you. But there was lot more good time to management and everyone that has been a manager were thankful for them. I sure was! Quote of the day from Ecclesiastes 3:13: "And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." Happy Wednesday and Happy the Labour......... Song of the day, kick back and enjoy it! Chicago Old Days - YouTube

    Posted 07-18-2012 at 05:20 AM by dansdrive

18. Thursday July 19, 2012 and its 77.7 degrees outside heading on up to 96 degrees today with some thunderstorms lurking around out there. A summers day it tis to be! I have a new guest on our back deck that has been hanging around the last week or two. Its big ole toad. Not sure how he hopped up onto the deck being it is about four feet above ground level. It enjoys sitting next to the dogs water and food dish. Both dished sit in a tray and when our lab drinks she tends to lose more than she gains. So the tray is always wet and the frog thinks that is home. NOw when our lab drinks she is eye to eye with this toad and as long as the toad does not eat her food they are A-Ok with each other! As the sun rises the frog retreats to the shade under one of the deck chairs. But seemingly has no interest in leaving the deck from what I can tell. Its got a food supply a dog made wading pool and is above ground level so some of its predators are kept at bay at ground level. Smart toad! Which reminds me of an employee I once managed. He was a great guy, very personable, loved to fish and hunt and had a wife and daughter. Unfortunately, he fell to the lure of drugs, namely cocaine. It just hooked him sort of speak! This all happened before I managed him and our company spent a lot of money sending him to rehab while he was able to keep his job. So by the time I managed him he was straight and clear of drugs. At that time one of the managers jobs was to distribute the employees checks directly to them. Direct Deposit was not prime time as they say. But for this employee I use to have to meet his wife out in the parking lot to hand her his paycheck. This way if he didn't have the money in hand he would not be as tempted to start the drug machine back up. This was also a way his wife and daughter would be able to eat and keep a roof over their heads. This went on for several months while I was his manager until one day my manager came by who had known this employee and was instrumental in getting this employee into rehab. My manager asked how things were going and if I had noticed any changes in this employees demeanor. Nome that I had noticed and being I had 21 other employees I had not really noticed. I had no formal training in observing someone on drugs nor had I had any experience personally. I was to busy in life to let drugs or alcohol alter my life. But anyway, as it turned out the employee had fell off the wagon and was back on drugs. This was a sad time for all involved. The employee most but all that surrounded him, family, co-workers, and managers. We were all pulling for this guy! But he had one shot at rehab via the company program and had exhausted that. Now came the tough part of management. Working with our companies Medical team and getting him on random drug testing which he did fail. Than he was put on notice for his employment. That straightened him out for awhile. In the meantime I was moved onto another management position. The next manager had to eventually fire him which was a sad day for me. Several years after that I did come across this individuals name in the local newspaper as being involved in a large drug raid and was arrested. He had at that point already lost his job, wife, daughter, his freedom to fish and hunt. Lessons learned. Well ones were learned by all involved. For the employee, actions do have consequences and they are not always positive. For me, how helping someone as best I could was not enough. We are our brothers keepers no matter what. For his wife and daughter, heart ache to see their husband and father fall prey to drugs. That was one of my low points in management, unfortunately it was not the last one nor the lowest point either. Quote of the day from Horatius Bonar: "In religion faith does not spring out of feeling, but feeling out of faith. The less we feel the more we should trust. We cannot feel right till we have believed." Happy Thursday and happy be thy faithful and happy be those free from drugs! Almost forgot the song of the day: Listen to the words...America - Lonely People - YouTube

    Posted 07-19-2012 at 05:30 AM by dansdrive Updated 07-19-2012 at 05:40 AM by dansdrive

19. Friday July 20, 2012 and its 76.1 degrees heading up to 93 degrees. Afternoon thunderstorms on tap again today. Typical summers day! <interruption> I stepped out to services this morning to pray for those killed and injured in the movie theater in Colorado. These things are not shocking anymore, it is the world we have come to live in. Shocking is usually the reason why these things happen. Typically its individuals that have lost their faith, family, and self. Reasons range from drugs both illicit and prescription that alter the state of ones mind and actions. From depression and unable to cope in our fast paced world. From being scorned on a social media site or a workplace or a circle of friends.......so very very say. Family and faith is what will ultimately help solve these atrocious acts. The further we get from faith and family the more we see these acts carried out................. Quote of the day from Henry David Thoreau: " Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it eludes you. But if you turn your attention to other things, It comes and sits softly on your shoulder." Faith Friday friends...............

    Posted 07-20-2012 at 08:08 AM by dansdrive

20. Monday July 23, 2012 and its 74.6 degrees outside heading on up to 95 degrees. With the passing of the weekends rains my lawn is showing some signs of life again. The garden got a good drink from mother natures liquid sunshine and some of my tomato plants and bean plants got the rath of deer unto them. Yes, some of my tomato plants had their leaves and branches clips like a new marine in the service! First time this year they made it into the backyard up and over the fence and dined like it was 1999. The weekend passed like quicker than tan lines on an albino! This is the start of a fresh week. This is the week I head out west to get even warmer than here. To see my Son's! Yippee-yi-aya! Back away from that horse pilgrim...sorry had to throw that ole Western line in. So I will be shutting down my daily blog for a week or so. Forecast us over a 100 degrees everyday as far as I can see the forecast. Some talk of a dust bowl of something out there. Oh well, dust bowl, soup bowl, cereal bowl, doesn't matter as long as I get to spend time with my Son's! Quote of the day from Mahatma Gandhi: “Seven Deadly Sins Wealth without work Pleasure without conscience Science without humanity Knowledge without character Politics without principle Commerce without morality Worship without sacrifice.” Happy Monday and Mahatma knew something about lucky 7 didn't he? Where are you regarding his 7? Enjoy, Be Safe, Be Sound, and every once in a while its Okay to turn up life's music above '7' !!! Song of the day...fitting! Enjoy!!! Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride. Top Of The Pops 1984 - YouTube

    Posted 07-23-2012 at 05:21 AM by dansdrive

dansdrive

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