Thursday, May 29, 2014
Update 2014-05-29
WOW! I've kinda let this blog go. I need to do some updates. Will do soon. (I hope)
Monday, November 01, 2010
big announcement
I just thought I'd let you in on the latest big event in my life. I probably should have already told you but I was trying to keep it low key and in so doing almost didn't tell anyone, now I kinda wish I had told people b/c I'm being admonished for not doing so.
This may be a shock, but I'm HITCHED!!!!!! Her name is Polly Tita Stryker! Cute
name huh?
Yep as of this past Thursday, Oct 28, we are connected like one being! Like pieces of the same machine working together! Or like pieces of a puzzle!
I mean its like we are joined at the hip. We are a developing a strong but flexible relationship. After we met, cementing the relationship and making it permanent was just the right thing to do. So far I'm very happy and pray it will last all of my remaining days!
Actually Polly is short for Polyethylene (my new hip socket) & Tita is actually Titanium (new ball on my femur) & is made by Stryker. This past Thursday morning between about 7:30am and 9am i got a new right hip! I came home last night (Oct 31st). The surgery has been way successful & I’m looking forward to getting fully healed and back to a life of mobility, something I've missed for a few years now.
I know Polly and I will be very happy together! And I won't ever call her the "old ball and chain." (since she's actually the old ball and socket!)
Anywho, sorry I didn't invite you to the big event, but it was standing room only anyhow. So now you know.
Oh and yes we were registered at the "I've fallen and I can't get up" store but that registration has expired. For the next few weeks we'll be registered at "Walkers R Us" and the "Hurry Cane" store.
This may be a shock, but I'm HITCHED!!!!!! Her name is Polly Tita Stryker! Cute
name huh?
Yep as of this past Thursday, Oct 28, we are connected like one being! Like pieces of the same machine working together! Or like pieces of a puzzle!
I mean its like we are joined at the hip. We are a developing a strong but flexible relationship. After we met, cementing the relationship and making it permanent was just the right thing to do. So far I'm very happy and pray it will last all of my remaining days!
Actually Polly is short for Polyethylene (my new hip socket) & Tita is actually Titanium (new ball on my femur) & is made by Stryker. This past Thursday morning between about 7:30am and 9am i got a new right hip! I came home last night (Oct 31st). The surgery has been way successful & I’m looking forward to getting fully healed and back to a life of mobility, something I've missed for a few years now.
I know Polly and I will be very happy together! And I won't ever call her the "old ball and chain." (since she's actually the old ball and socket!)
Anywho, sorry I didn't invite you to the big event, but it was standing room only anyhow. So now you know.
Oh and yes we were registered at the "I've fallen and I can't get up" store but that registration has expired. For the next few weeks we'll be registered at "Walkers R Us" and the "Hurry Cane" store.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
LIFE
Life (last update Dec 2009)
Graduated Druid Hills High (Atlanta, GA) 1970, went to Ga Southern College where I was an ATO (Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity) and an ADPi Big Brother (first group of big brothers they ever had at Ga So). I also met some of the "girls of my dreams" at Southern, none of which would have me for very long LOL. I changed my major my senior year to Education so I was rewarded a 2nd senior year to get my Ed courses. Graduated Spring 1975. Started teaching Woodworking "shop," Architectural and Technical Drafting and coaching at Duluth High (Duluth, GA) in the Fall of '75. Coached varsity and b-team football for 9 years, head baseball coach 9 years, asst baseball 2 years, head wrestling coach 2 years.
Starting in 1987, after I was out of coaching, I got involved with the choral program helping with sets and props for their shows. When our first full time theater/drama program came along I helped with sets and props for her program too. Those years working with the Theater and Choral programs led to many, many wonderful memories and countless trips. I was fortunate to travel with those programs to NYC (many times and now a place I dearly love to visit), Disney World (many trips to see Mickey), a cruise to the Bahamas, and several (6 maybe?) trips across the “big pond” to Great Brittan, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and lil ol Liechtenstein. I retired June 2004 having taught 29 years, yes all my 29 years were at DHS. I had the sick leave to get my 30th year without having to go, so I said let me outta here and retired. That was June 2004.
I’ve got a very active high school class since our reunion in 2000 when I became a “found” alum again. Not too long after that reunion several of us decided we had too much fun together to wait another 5 or 10 yrs for another reunion. So we began to meet at a local watering hole fairly often. That turned into a regular monthly get together for anyone available on that night each month. We’re still doing that. We also decided we needed to have some sort of summer party. So in the summer of 2002, the year most of us turned 50 (shudder) we had a class 50th birthday bash. Each summer since then we’ve had an anniversary party of that party. This summer was the "7th Anniversary of the DHHS Class of 1970's 50th Birthday Bash." On the 5 year marks we have "official reunions" as well. We do have fun. I've got a video post or two on my YouTube site. You can search youtube for mitnoztub. We have a class blog. It frequently needs updating and probably does now. It’s address is http://dhhs1970.blogspot.com/
Let's see what else?
As a personal side note, I quit drinking June 15, 1987. It got to be too much. Also, on Valentines Day 1991 I had my first smoke free day in what I think was 18 years of that bad habit.
I try to do some traveling. I don't get on the road as much as I'd like, and haven't been to some of the places I thought I would have by now, like back to Europe, or back to NYC, or to places in the US I haven’t seen yet. But those trips will come. I do get to FL fairly often. I have a good friend with a condo near Flagler Beach who lets me go down when I can and its available. She's great and I appreciate that so much, especially on a retired teacher's meager income. So I get there fairly often. Spring Bikeweek and Biketoberfest in Daytona are two times I try for each year too. Yeah I ride a little.
I have also done some traveling to see ex-Duluth performing students as they pursue their acting/performing dreams. (Lauren, Phong, Spencer and Omar you guys are awesome! I'll see ya one of these days Grant) That’s taken me to FL, NC, PA, Indy and Maine. Maine's a good story. Summer of 2007 I drove to Hershey PA to see 2003 DHS grad Spencer who was performing at Hershey Park for the summer, see my You Tube for video. I had gone to Orlando to see his shows while he was at UCF (video of some of those shows on my youtube too). On the same trip to Hershey I drove on to Brunswick Maine to see another DHS grad (1994 - Phong) who was performing in "Thoroughly Modern Millie." That was an awesome trip! Then in Oct, also 2007, I went back to Maine. This time I took mother along. She’s always wanted to see the fall leaves up there so we took off on a 2 week drive to and trough Maine. Another great trip! (Videos from several of my trips as a “groupie” are on my YouTube site. I need to add some stuff from other trips too)
Lets see, what else?
In 2005 one of my fraternity brothers from Ga Southern organized an alumni reunion weekend in Statesboro and we had our first ever Ga Southern ATO Alumni reunion. That reconnected me with fraternity brothers and old friends I hadn't seen in over 30 years. I found out I had many, many old brothers living not too far from me. I guess I always assumed there were probably many of them in and around Atlanta I just didn't know who or where. After the reunion some of us stayed in touch and started doing things together again. I'll tell ya in these years since we reconnected I have been to more concerts than I had been to in all my previous years. We've had a great time seeing the old groups like Grand Funk Railroad, The Doobie Brothers, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks, The Eagles, Santana, ZZ Top, Huey Lewis, Steely Dan, Crosby Stills and Nash to name a few. Hippiefest at Chastain is a hoot too. Seeing Jimmy Buffet has become a regular yearly event. It's been absolutely great. We also try to get together for dinner/drinks about once a month and New Years has been a regular event. In Oct of 2008 we had another fraternity reunion at GSU. Once again, it was great - thanks again Keeno. Hopefully soon I’ll get some more stuff on my blog and my YouTube site from the trips, concerts and reunions.
Oh yeah, one other thing. In the winter of 2008 I was contacted about building a set for a young new professional theater company. So last winter I designed and built their set for “Disney’s High School Musical” and that summer I designed and built the set for “Cabaret." VaVaVoom sexy! The plan was to have done another show in the fall but I think they were suffering growing pains. Hopefully we’ll be back at it again. Those two shows were great fun. I had so missed the young energy from being around those DHS choral and theater kids. And working with Chris, Katie, and Nick, company owners, was a lot of fun. In the winter of 2009 Chris, from that group, called me about a set design. He had started teaching at Salem HS in Conyers. So I designed the set for “Crazy For You” and helped guide the kids through building it. The down side to that was its 105 miles from my door to Salem HS. But the set looked good and the kids performed great!
UPDATE: I just helped Chris with another set at Salem HS. I designed and helped with some of the more intricate building details for the musical "Children Of Eden" which played the first of Dec 2009. Another very enjoyable time working with those kids and Chris. Once again I wish it was not a 210 mile round trip for me.
That’s kind of it for now I guess. We’re working on plans for our 40th high school reunion in 2010, and I hope before too long to have a new hip. NOW I guess that’s REALLY it for now. So I’ll stop.
I love reconnecting with the people I have found, or who have found me, on Classmates and Facebook, So get/stay in touch!
TB
Graduated Druid Hills High (Atlanta, GA) 1970, went to Ga Southern College where I was an ATO (Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity) and an ADPi Big Brother (first group of big brothers they ever had at Ga So). I also met some of the "girls of my dreams" at Southern, none of which would have me for very long LOL. I changed my major my senior year to Education so I was rewarded a 2nd senior year to get my Ed courses. Graduated Spring 1975. Started teaching Woodworking "shop," Architectural and Technical Drafting and coaching at Duluth High (Duluth, GA) in the Fall of '75. Coached varsity and b-team football for 9 years, head baseball coach 9 years, asst baseball 2 years, head wrestling coach 2 years.
Starting in 1987, after I was out of coaching, I got involved with the choral program helping with sets and props for their shows. When our first full time theater/drama program came along I helped with sets and props for her program too. Those years working with the Theater and Choral programs led to many, many wonderful memories and countless trips. I was fortunate to travel with those programs to NYC (many times and now a place I dearly love to visit), Disney World (many trips to see Mickey), a cruise to the Bahamas, and several (6 maybe?) trips across the “big pond” to Great Brittan, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, and lil ol Liechtenstein. I retired June 2004 having taught 29 years, yes all my 29 years were at DHS. I had the sick leave to get my 30th year without having to go, so I said let me outta here and retired. That was June 2004.
I’ve got a very active high school class since our reunion in 2000 when I became a “found” alum again. Not too long after that reunion several of us decided we had too much fun together to wait another 5 or 10 yrs for another reunion. So we began to meet at a local watering hole fairly often. That turned into a regular monthly get together for anyone available on that night each month. We’re still doing that. We also decided we needed to have some sort of summer party. So in the summer of 2002, the year most of us turned 50 (shudder) we had a class 50th birthday bash. Each summer since then we’ve had an anniversary party of that party. This summer was the "7th Anniversary of the DHHS Class of 1970's 50th Birthday Bash." On the 5 year marks we have "official reunions" as well. We do have fun. I've got a video post or two on my YouTube site. You can search youtube for mitnoztub. We have a class blog. It frequently needs updating and probably does now. It’s address is http://dhhs1970.blogspot.com/
Let's see what else?
As a personal side note, I quit drinking June 15, 1987. It got to be too much. Also, on Valentines Day 1991 I had my first smoke free day in what I think was 18 years of that bad habit.
I try to do some traveling. I don't get on the road as much as I'd like, and haven't been to some of the places I thought I would have by now, like back to Europe, or back to NYC, or to places in the US I haven’t seen yet. But those trips will come. I do get to FL fairly often. I have a good friend with a condo near Flagler Beach who lets me go down when I can and its available. She's great and I appreciate that so much, especially on a retired teacher's meager income. So I get there fairly often. Spring Bikeweek and Biketoberfest in Daytona are two times I try for each year too. Yeah I ride a little.
I have also done some traveling to see ex-Duluth performing students as they pursue their acting/performing dreams. (Lauren, Phong, Spencer and Omar you guys are awesome! I'll see ya one of these days Grant) That’s taken me to FL, NC, PA, Indy and Maine. Maine's a good story. Summer of 2007 I drove to Hershey PA to see 2003 DHS grad Spencer who was performing at Hershey Park for the summer, see my You Tube for video. I had gone to Orlando to see his shows while he was at UCF (video of some of those shows on my youtube too). On the same trip to Hershey I drove on to Brunswick Maine to see another DHS grad (1994 - Phong) who was performing in "Thoroughly Modern Millie." That was an awesome trip! Then in Oct, also 2007, I went back to Maine. This time I took mother along. She’s always wanted to see the fall leaves up there so we took off on a 2 week drive to and trough Maine. Another great trip! (Videos from several of my trips as a “groupie” are on my YouTube site. I need to add some stuff from other trips too)
Lets see, what else?
In 2005 one of my fraternity brothers from Ga Southern organized an alumni reunion weekend in Statesboro and we had our first ever Ga Southern ATO Alumni reunion. That reconnected me with fraternity brothers and old friends I hadn't seen in over 30 years. I found out I had many, many old brothers living not too far from me. I guess I always assumed there were probably many of them in and around Atlanta I just didn't know who or where. After the reunion some of us stayed in touch and started doing things together again. I'll tell ya in these years since we reconnected I have been to more concerts than I had been to in all my previous years. We've had a great time seeing the old groups like Grand Funk Railroad, The Doobie Brothers, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, Derek Trucks, The Eagles, Santana, ZZ Top, Huey Lewis, Steely Dan, Crosby Stills and Nash to name a few. Hippiefest at Chastain is a hoot too. Seeing Jimmy Buffet has become a regular yearly event. It's been absolutely great. We also try to get together for dinner/drinks about once a month and New Years has been a regular event. In Oct of 2008 we had another fraternity reunion at GSU. Once again, it was great - thanks again Keeno. Hopefully soon I’ll get some more stuff on my blog and my YouTube site from the trips, concerts and reunions.
Oh yeah, one other thing. In the winter of 2008 I was contacted about building a set for a young new professional theater company. So last winter I designed and built their set for “Disney’s High School Musical” and that summer I designed and built the set for “Cabaret." VaVaVoom sexy! The plan was to have done another show in the fall but I think they were suffering growing pains. Hopefully we’ll be back at it again. Those two shows were great fun. I had so missed the young energy from being around those DHS choral and theater kids. And working with Chris, Katie, and Nick, company owners, was a lot of fun. In the winter of 2009 Chris, from that group, called me about a set design. He had started teaching at Salem HS in Conyers. So I designed the set for “Crazy For You” and helped guide the kids through building it. The down side to that was its 105 miles from my door to Salem HS. But the set looked good and the kids performed great!
UPDATE: I just helped Chris with another set at Salem HS. I designed and helped with some of the more intricate building details for the musical "Children Of Eden" which played the first of Dec 2009. Another very enjoyable time working with those kids and Chris. Once again I wish it was not a 210 mile round trip for me.
That’s kind of it for now I guess. We’re working on plans for our 40th high school reunion in 2010, and I hope before too long to have a new hip. NOW I guess that’s REALLY it for now. So I’ll stop.
I love reconnecting with the people I have found, or who have found me, on Classmates and Facebook, So get/stay in touch!
TB
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sacriest Halloween Story!!!! BOO!
Bob Hill and his new wife Betty were vacationing in Europe, as it happens, near Transylvania. They were driving in a rental car along a rather deserted highway. It was late and raining very hard. Bob could barely see 20 feet in front of the car. Suddenly the car skids out of control! Bob attempts to control the car, but to no avail! The car swerves and smashes into a tree.
Moments later, Bob shakes his head to clear the fog. Dazed, he looks over at the passenger seat and sees his wife unconscious, with her head bleeding! Despite the rain and unfamiliar countryside, Bob knows he has to carry her to the nearest phone. Bob carefully picks his wife up and begins trudging down the road. After a short while, he sees a light. He heads towards the light, which is coming from an old, large house. He approaches the door and knocks.
A minute passes, then a small, hunched man opens the door. Bob immediately blurts, 'Hello, my name is Bob Hill, and this is my wife Betty. We've been in a terrible accident, and my wife has been seriously hurt. Can I please use your phone?'
'I'm sorry,' replied the hunchback, 'but we don't have a phone, but my master is a doctor; come in and I will get him!'
Bob brings his wife in. An elegant man comes down the stairs. 'I'm afraid my assistant may have misled you. I am not a medical doctor; I am a scientist. However, it is many miles to the nearest clinic, and I have had a basic medical training. I will see what I can do. Igor, bring them down to the laboratory.'
With that, Igor picks up Betty and carries her downstairs, with Bob following closely. Igor places Betty on a table in the lab. Bob collapses from exhaustion and his own injuries, so Igor places Bob on an adjoining table.
After a brief examination, Igor's master looks worried. 'Things are serious, Igor. Prepare a transfusion. 'Igor and his master work feverishly, but to no avail. Bob and Betty Hill are no more.
The Hills' deaths upset Igor's master greatly. Wearily, he climbs the steps to his conservatory, which houses his grand piano. For it is here that he has always found solace. The scientist sits and begins to play, a stirring, almost haunting melody that fills the house.
Meanwhile, Igor is still in the lab tidying up. His eyes catch a movement, and he notices the fingers on Betty's hand twitch. They appear to be drumming on the table keeping time to the haunting piano music. Stunned he watches as Bob's arm begins to rise, marking the beat from the piano as well! Then suddenly Betty and Bob both sit straight up!
Unable to contain himself Igor dashes up the stairs to the conservatory.
He bursts in and shouts to his master:
'Master, Master! ...The Hills are alive with the sound of music!
Moments later, Bob shakes his head to clear the fog. Dazed, he looks over at the passenger seat and sees his wife unconscious, with her head bleeding! Despite the rain and unfamiliar countryside, Bob knows he has to carry her to the nearest phone. Bob carefully picks his wife up and begins trudging down the road. After a short while, he sees a light. He heads towards the light, which is coming from an old, large house. He approaches the door and knocks.
A minute passes, then a small, hunched man opens the door. Bob immediately blurts, 'Hello, my name is Bob Hill, and this is my wife Betty. We've been in a terrible accident, and my wife has been seriously hurt. Can I please use your phone?'
'I'm sorry,' replied the hunchback, 'but we don't have a phone, but my master is a doctor; come in and I will get him!'
Bob brings his wife in. An elegant man comes down the stairs. 'I'm afraid my assistant may have misled you. I am not a medical doctor; I am a scientist. However, it is many miles to the nearest clinic, and I have had a basic medical training. I will see what I can do. Igor, bring them down to the laboratory.'
With that, Igor picks up Betty and carries her downstairs, with Bob following closely. Igor places Betty on a table in the lab. Bob collapses from exhaustion and his own injuries, so Igor places Bob on an adjoining table.
After a brief examination, Igor's master looks worried. 'Things are serious, Igor. Prepare a transfusion. 'Igor and his master work feverishly, but to no avail. Bob and Betty Hill are no more.
The Hills' deaths upset Igor's master greatly. Wearily, he climbs the steps to his conservatory, which houses his grand piano. For it is here that he has always found solace. The scientist sits and begins to play, a stirring, almost haunting melody that fills the house.
Meanwhile, Igor is still in the lab tidying up. His eyes catch a movement, and he notices the fingers on Betty's hand twitch. They appear to be drumming on the table keeping time to the haunting piano music. Stunned he watches as Bob's arm begins to rise, marking the beat from the piano as well! Then suddenly Betty and Bob both sit straight up!
Unable to contain himself Igor dashes up the stairs to the conservatory.
He bursts in and shouts to his master:
'Master, Master! ...The Hills are alive with the sound of music!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Bear 07-27-2008
I was outside about 12:30ish Sunday (July 27, 2008) and I heard something moving in the woods back below my house. It sounded like it was over towards the road. I had my video cam out with me as i usually do, so I walked down my driveway to see what I could see. What I'd heard was a bear going across the bottom, the north end, of my property and he was out in the road coming up hill towards my driveway. I turned on the video cam and tried to get him in the road, but with me being in the shady woods and him in the sunny road all I got was glare. You'll see in the first few seconds of the video. So I turned off the cam and made some settings to better see him. By then he was out of the road and back on my property and heading towards a path I use to walk down to that corner of my property. He then gets onto that path, which by the way I had started going down before I saw him in the road. As he got closer I'm thinking he's just gonna come right on up that path to where I'm standing. I started backing up the hill trying to keep the camera on him. When he's maybe about 40 feet away from me you hear me start saying "no, no" to him. I was surprised my movement hadn't scared him off already. You might hear a little nervousness in my voice. I kinda hoped my "no, no" would scare him, but then too I kinda wanted just to slow him down as I DO love to watch bears up here. Well you'll see my "no, no" gave him pause, but then he came right on up. I, on the other hand, started my retreat up my driveway towards my house.
I stop a short way, maybe 35-40ft, up my driveway and try to find where he has gone. I scan the woods with the cam looking for the bear to retreat back the way he had come. Then I see the bear has come on up the path and up to the light pole I was standing beside my driveway. He stands up on his hind legs beside the pole sniffing the air - sniffing for me I imagine. He then drops back to all fours and goes back down the path and into the woods. I get shots of him as he heads back down the hill and around behind my house. I go back up my driveway and to the back of my house trying to see him again, but I can only hear him moving. I don't see him again.
At the end of the video, notice the still pics I took from the video of him beside the pole and then me beside that same pole. The two photos side by side compare my height, I’m six foot maybe 1/2 inch tall, to his height beside the pole. His territorial scratch marks on the pole are a good indicator of his height compared to mine.
Pretty cool huh?
I stop a short way, maybe 35-40ft, up my driveway and try to find where he has gone. I scan the woods with the cam looking for the bear to retreat back the way he had come. Then I see the bear has come on up the path and up to the light pole I was standing beside my driveway. He stands up on his hind legs beside the pole sniffing the air - sniffing for me I imagine. He then drops back to all fours and goes back down the path and into the woods. I get shots of him as he heads back down the hill and around behind my house. I go back up my driveway and to the back of my house trying to see him again, but I can only hear him moving. I don't see him again.
At the end of the video, notice the still pics I took from the video of him beside the pole and then me beside that same pole. The two photos side by side compare my height, I’m six foot maybe 1/2 inch tall, to his height beside the pole. His territorial scratch marks on the pole are a good indicator of his height compared to mine.
Pretty cool huh?
BEAR!!!! 1997 or 98
This bear appeared behind my house one day. I saw it from my kitchen window, but by the time I got my video cam he was gone from view. I went out my front door to look again and didn't see it. Then all of the sudden there it was right in front of my house. It had been hidden behind a lounge chair. I was out on my porch and just froze. After a few minutes he came towards me and then came up on my porch (which as you can see was under construction) and he/she ate my cat's food. I was standing outside my door, on my porch no more than six feet from the bear as he ate the food. My heart was a racin' I'll tell ya!
Saturday, April 24, 2004
"Chicago" Lauren Haughton at Syracuse U
Lee Rodriguez and I flew to Philly and drove to Syracuse to see Lauren portray Velma Kelly in Syracuse U's performance of "Chicago."
Saturday, April 10, 2004
Spring Break DHS Chorus Europe
Trip to Europe with Mr Greg Smith's DHS chorus.
These photos are of Stefanie Kreisler (Laura Black's daughter) on a mountain top in the Alps.
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