Merry Christmas

Once Upon A Time

This nostalgic view of 1908 (edited) was sent to me in an e-mail chain, and I'm sure many people have already seen it. I have not checked the veracity of the statistics, but they sound reasonable to me. The question one must ask after reading it is: would you like to go back?

What a difference a century makes.

Here are some statistics for the year 1908:

The average life expectancy was 47 years.
Only 14 percent of homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.


The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year; a competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year; a dentist $2,500 per year; a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year; and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at home.

Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.


Canada passed a law to prohibit poor people from entering their country for any reason.
Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30.
There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles of paved roads.


Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn’t been invented yet.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time domestic helper.
There were about 230 reported murders in the U.S.A.

I have copied and pasted this from another document, posted it to my blog, where it can be read by others all over the world, and I did it in a matter of seconds.

Imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.

Panorama!

While going to the stores at 5 o'clock in the morning on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving, for those who might not know the term - it's presumably the busiest shopping day of the year), I bought a new digital camera. My old one was just that - old. It's a 3.3 megapixel Sony Cyber Shot, which came with a 4 megabyte memory stick. I had to buy more memory sticks for it, the largest being 32 megabytes, and believe me, those sticks don't hold a lot of information. Any movie I wanted to take was limited to 15 seconds. Plus the camera is very large and clunky compared to newer models, and navigating the menus has always been frustrating.

The one I bought last month is a 10 megapixel Nikon S550. That's the camera I used for the Cabo pictures, and I'm quite happy with it. And the camera, along with a 4 gigabyte memory card and a carrying case, cost a fraction of what I paid for the Sony. Imagine: 4 gigabytes of information on a little card. I can take many high resolution pictures and a lot of movies with that kind of memory. Even though we left for Cabo the day after I bought the camera, I wish I had taken the time to read the instruction manual. This camera can do a lot.

One of the features is called "Panorama Assist." It helps you line up a series of shots which you can then stitch together on your computer. It's incredibly easy to use. I took the camera to work a few days ago and took a series of 9 pictures. Here is the panoramic view from the garage of the Columbia Gas building:



I tried stitching some of the Cabo pictures together, but it simply doesn't work unless all the pictures are taken from the same spot. And as many pictures as I took down there, very few were taken from a single spot. But I've learned. I'll keep the panorama function in mind when traveling, starting with our upcoming trip to Cocoa Beach.

You can check out any time you like

The last of the Tales from Cabo...

The Hotel California is in Todos Santos, an artsy little town about 60 miles north of Los Cabos. People flock to Todos Santos to shop and to see first-hand the famous Hotel California.

We saw the Hotel California, and the nearby mission. It turns out that the Eagles have never had any association with the hotel. Don Henley did not write the song while staying in a $2 a night room there. But the people of Todos Santos are happy to keep this legend alive because it draws many tourists.

Welcome to the Hotel California...


I heard the mission bells...


On our way back from Todos Santos, we stopped at what is probably the nicest beach I've ever seen. The waves were large, people were surfing, and as we sipped our cocktails, an American guy came over and introduced himself. He was an agent selling the condos that were being built a few hundred yards from where we sat. The smallest units go for the low $500K's, but he told us we could get in early for something around $400K. Just like the rest of Mexico, everyone (and I mean everyone) tries to get into your wallet, and that is the only downside to Cabo.

But back to the beach...the sands were a mixture of light colors and dark, and as the waves receded, the sand would form into beautiful patterns. I could have stood there for hours just enjoying the infinite variety of pictures in the sand.

I am not an artist, but I can appreciate this.


Friday evening, we took a sunset sail on an America's Cup-class sailboat. I had been on sailboats before -- the largest being a 45 footer -- but this was a sailboat of another class entirely. It was more than 80 feet long, with a crew of eight, yet there were only six paying customers. Dave and I each took the wheel for a bit, and I was amazed at the sensitivity of the steering. We ran through the ocean at about 12 knots, and the picture here is meant to demonstrate how much the boat tilts to the side while underway. I was across from Dorothy while taking this picture, and she must have been 8 or 9 feet below me.

Call me Ishmael...



Another view from Art & Beer.


Fireworks viewed from our veranda.


The rocky coast at Land's End.


You'll probably have to click on this picture to see Jupiter and Venus under the moon.


The Sea of Cortez.



This is a nice place to spend a week...or more.

The Road to Columbia

I commit to posting more Cabo pictures and stories later this week, but I wanted to post this little "movie" that I made today. It's just a series of pictures I took on the way to work a few weeks ago, which I did to document the mess that is Civic Center Drive...and the other three streets surrounding Mother Columbia. With construction on all 4 sides of the Columbia Gas building, the morning drive is more of an ordeal than a drive. My apologies for the stress this is likely to cause. But it's alright...the construction of the "Scioto Mile" riverfront park, the new Franklin County Courthouse, the condos, the parking garages, and the streets surrounding 200 Civic Center Drive will be completed by 2012.

Christmas Shopping

Gentlemen: Please review this video before doing your Christmas shopping for your better half. You'll thank me for posting it.

Meeting Beatrice

It's not easy to describe how it feels to meet your first grandchild for the first time.

We got back from Cabo last night to find several inches of snow on the ground, and the temperature around 20 degrees. I had called Sonja from Dallas to let her know that, given the hour and the weather, we'd come over Sunday morning with breakfast instead of Saturday night to meet Beatrice. It turned out to be a good idea, since we didn't get home until 10:30 last night, and the roads were not easy to traverse. I suspect that Sonja and Ash were happy that I made the suggestion, as they had had a very hectic couple of days and could probably have used some rest.

So we made breakfast at my house this morning and loaded it into the car. And I couldn't wait to meet Beatrice.

She is simply a beautiful baby.


I was near tears as I saw her for the very first time, and once she was in my arms, I didn't want to let her go. And she seemed quite content being there. Two-day-old babies can't see much, I'm sure, but she was very alert and she even smiled for me. I know she didn't smile AT me -- she probably was passing some gas -- but it was still a moment I'll never forget.

Art & Beer

Back to Cabo...

On Wednesday we made a day trip to Todos Santos, home of the Hotel California. I'll post later about Todos Santos, so for now you'll have to settle for a little roadside drinking emporium called Art & Beer.




Art & Beer is on Highway 19, about 6 miles south of Todos Santos. The owners (his name is Alex, I did not get hers) are from Tijuana, and are without question holdovers from the 1960's. They certainly know how to make a drink, and they also know how to make one feel at home. Their business is little more than a series of thatched huts that are decorated in the kitchiest way imaginable. During the off-season, they paint. In season, they sell drinks and play music.

They have solar panels for electricity, which are augmented by a generator. Art & Beer sits about 300 yards from the Pacific Ocean, but there is no fresh water available, so they have it hauled in. They also have 2 cisterns, and that water is used to water their plants. It's also used to fill the clay tank in the restroom that is their sink. It's beyond me how the cisterns are replenished -- someone told us that during the last "rainy season," this area of Baja got about two-tenths on an inch of rain. (Update on this -- we later learned that whoever told us that was wrong. They get "tons" of rain during the hurricane season, according to an American ex-pat we talked to on the way back to the US.)

Enjoy the pictures, and note the drinks. Dave and I are drinking Tequila Sunrises, Mary is drinking a Pina Colada (which was served in a carved-out pineapple, and refilled 3 times while we were there), and note the garnish on Dorothy's glass of wine. Alex is shown making a Clamato, which contained, among other things, two clams, red caviar, several other food items, and many little dashes of I-don't-know-what. It is the "breakfast of champions."

Call Me Opa!

A digression from The Tales of Cabo...I woke up this morning to find this in my mailbox.



Meet Beatrice Autumn Patton, born about 10 hours ago. She was 8 pounds 6 ounces, 20 inches long. Mother and baby are healthy and doing well. And I can't wait to get home tomorrow to meet her.

Fish On!

On Tuesday we hopped on a boat and went fishing.

We went around Land's End and went west into the Pacific. The view of the coastline was spectacular. There was the beautiful blue water, the waves crashing into rocks, and long stretches of sandy beaches. We weren't more than a mile from shore, but we were in 900 feet of water. And there were dorados in that water. A dorado is known by other names - dolphin and mahi mahi among them. We caught two of them, each weighing 25 to 30 pounds. We gave one to the crew, and dropped the other one off at La Galeria, a restaurant Dorothy and I had eaten at on Monday night. We're going back tonight to eat the dorado.

Then we headed further out - probably 20 miles out - to find a marlin. There is a ledge where the fish congregate - where the water is only 600 feet deep - and the waters around the ledge were a veritable aquatic zoo. There were sea lions and whales everywhere we looked. It's quite a thing to be in a 30 foot fishing boat and watch a whale as big as your boat swim by. The sea lions were so numerous that they interfered with the lines when the crew was fishing for bait. So we moved the boat to get clear of the sea lions, and we soon hooked a marlin.

We took turns on the rod. Dorothy had it for the first 20 minutes, but she wore out. I sat down in the chair for a few minutes, then Mary K. took over for just a minute or two, then it was Dave's turn. Even after 40 minutes or so of fighting this fish, it had enough energy to take the line out 10 or 20 yards at a time. I got back on the rod and after a combined 50 minutes of reeling, I finally landed the marlin, which was 8 feet long and weighed about 160 pounds. I have always loved fishing, and there is no feeling in the world like landing a fish of that size.

The trip back to the dock took more than an hour, so we sat back and enjoyed the water and the sight of marlins leaping into the air. As we approached the marina, we were greeted by swarms of pelicans. I know the proper word is flocks of pelicans, but they really were more like swarms.

They could smell the fish on our boat, and they weren't going away without something to eat. Sauel (one of our crew members) held out a bait fish, and eventually he was able to entice one of the pelicans to get close enough that he could grab the pelican. Before he let it go, he rewarded it with a fish.

Dateline Cabo

It ain't easy being me. Dorothy and I are living large in Cabo, located on the southern tip of the Baja peninsula. Our home for the next several days is the Hacienda Encantada.

We arrived late Saturday, and after checking in we had dinner with my sister Mary K. and her husband Dave (to whom I am very grateful for hosting us). As we were checking in to the resort, Dorothy and I signed up for a "presentation" so we could get a discount on activities and earn $120 cash. Neither of us had done this before, and we'll never do it again. They were trying to sell us a time share, the cost of which started at $29,000 (plus annual maintenance fees), but dropped to $9900 after we said "no" about a dozen times. Even after they finally let us go, we were instructed to see another man, who asked what we thought of our experience, and then he tried to sell us a three year trial membership for $1495. The presentation included breakfast and was supposed to last 90 minutes. It lasted about 2 1/2 hours, but they made good on their promise, and we walked away with $120 cash, a good breakfast, and a discount on a fishing charter, which we will probably go on tomorrow. There is a 1000 pound marlin out there just waiting for me.

I rose before dawn on Sunday, and as the sun crept over the water, I was rewarded with one of the most beautiful views I've ever seen. Our room faces the Sea of Cortez, and since words just can't describe it, see it here, even though a picture doesn't do justice.



We spent most of yesterday enjoying the view, soaking up the sun, and having a couple (ahem) beers. Last night we went into town and found a Walmart, where we stocked up on coffee, milk, meat, bread and cheese, but I regret to report that they had no eggs. So I'll have no eggs and bacon this morning. That usually makes me surly, but what the hell, I have the sound of the sea washing up against the rocks outside our room.

Thanksgiving

This will not be as artfully done as Robert Brague's Thanksgiving Day post, but I have something to share.

First, check out the birds in my kitchen this morning:



Dorothy is crafty, not in the sly way, but in the arty way. She goes to great lengths to make my place more enjoyable, and for that, I'm thankful.

I'm also thankful for this recipe for stuffing (or dressing, if you prefer). It's too late for you to try this for Thanksgiving, but Christmas is right around the corner. I think this came from my paternal grandmother, and where she got it, I don't know. But it's still the best I've ever had. Don't let the olives scare you, this is really good.

2 loaves of white bread, toasted and torn into small pieces
One medium to large yellow onion, chopped
6 stalks of celery, chopped
6 ounce jar of salad olives, including juice
Sage (a little)
Parsley (a lot)
3 eggs (beat with warm water)
Salt & pepper
Chicken bouillon (a cup or so)

Mix this all together, and use the bouillon as needed to give it the right consistency. "You want it moist," as my mother says. There is enough here to stuff a large bird, and whatever is left, put in a glass (Corning Ware) dish, covered, and heat at 325 for about an hour.

Skype

I recently discovered a great internet application called Skype.

My daughter Sonja is very close to her due date. I have some foreign travel coming up, and I fear that I'll be out of town when little Beatrice arrives. So I was trying to figure out a way to stay in touch while away. My other daughter Natalie suggested Skype, and I'm glad she did.

The idea is that you can make calls to anyone in the world at no cost. The limitation is that both people must have Skype, and both must be on the computer. (Skype also has a computer-to-phone service, which costs $2.95 per month, but for my purpose, I don't need it.) You need a microphone of some sort, and many computers have them built-in. If you don't have one, Skype sells a low-cost digital headset that works like a charm.

After I loaded Skype, I had to find someone else who had it in order to test it out. The search function on Skype is intuitive. I searched for a friend of mine in England, and it turns out he had an account. I called, he answered, and the sound quality was so good that it seemed like he was in the same room.

Sonja and Ash have a webcam, and yesterday we tested it, and wonder of wonders, it was almost like they were sitting across the table from me. So if Beatrice arrives while I'm gone, I'll be able to see and talk to the proud new parents and the baby. We also tried a conference call with Natalie, and it too worked very well.

The website is skype.com, the download is free, and once you use it, you'll appreciate what a great application it is.

Out Stealing Horses

Probably the nicest part of having cataract surgery is regaining the ability to read.

The stack of books on my kitchen counter has been growing for quite some time. I would run across a book I wanted to read, but reading was so difficult that I just let the book sit on the stack. No more.

The first book I pulled from the stack was a shortish novel called Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. Petterson is a Norwegian novelist who has several books to his credit, but this is the first one I've read. I intend to read others.

I won't get into a lot of details, lest you want to read the book yourself, but this is the story of Trond Sander. The novel takes place in Norway, from Trond's adolescent years (shortly after WW II) through his old age in the late 1990's. It's about his relationships with family and his friend, and it's about the boy becoming the man, but it's more about seminal events in his life, which were not recognized as such when they occurred.

This isn't a book review blog, but I think a comparison of Out Stealing Horses to one my favorite books is in order:




Judging by these criteria, Horses beats out Green Eggs and Ham by a score of 4 to 2. I highly recommend it.

Lighting Up the Night, Part 2

I guess I was wrong about Dennis' role in the latest shuttle launch. It wasn't a toilet repair mission, it was a toilet replacement mission.

Here's the toilet that went up on the November 14 launch to the International Space Station:



And Dennis was kind enough to remember me as he worked on this toilet. In his words: "Actually, we launched an entire new toilet system. Here's a couple photos of it. I signed the back of the toilet rack for you, Sam. It says, "For a good time, call 460-6446 (if you're a former Republican senator)."

















I leave the phone number as he wrote it, because I no longer have that number. So if anyone is inclined to call that number, please be kind. But it warms my heart to know that I am now a part of space history. More or less.

In addition to the toilet photos (of which he must be very proud), he sent some NASA photos of the launch that Liz witnessed. The photo I included on the last post was a stock NASA picture, but these are the real deal from the November 14 launch. No more words needed...what a sight.

Lighting Up the Night

My sister Liz sent a note to the clan yesterday. She lives on the gulf coast of Florida, and went outside the other night to see if she'd be able to see the space shuttle after its launch. Lo and behold -- she saw it, from hundreds of miles away. She said she could see it for about two minutes as it powered its way out of the atmosphere.

My friend Dennis is a contractor at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. He's been working on -- among other things -- fixing the toilet in the space station. (I'm sure there's a pun just waiting to happen here, but it's early in the morning and my brain isn't yet fully engaged.) He went to Cape Canaveral to watch the launch. I just can't imagine the sights and sounds of a night launch from that vantage point.

I've never seen a launch, but we were in Cocoa Beach a few years ago when the shuttle was returning from space. It was at night, and although we could not see the shuttle, we heard its characteristic double sonic boom as it approached.

We spend a lot of money on space travel, and I think it's well worth it. The moon landing required a great deal of technology that didn't exist, and we all benefit from the advances that were made during the race to the moon. Think of the technology that was required. I met a few astronauts while visiting Dennis in Houston a few years ago, and one of them piloted the shuttle during a docking with the space station. He said that the most exacting part of the mission was the docking itself. The shuttle was coming in from above the space station (relative to the earth), and he explained that it was eighth-grade geometry that dictated the approach. The space station was closer to the earth, hence it had a shorter orbit than the shuttle. "It's as simple as two pi r," he explained.

I was excited when we finally put a telescope into orbit. The Hubble Telescope has taken loads of pictures, in various wavelengths, and we've learned a lot about the cosmos as a result. But for all our learning, we still have to marvel at the sheer beauty of space. Here are a few examples, and there are many more at the Hubble website.

Antennae Galaxies - NGC 4039-4039



Orion Nebula - M42



Galaxy Cluster