SMI - 6/28/14 and Craig Young

Another Saturday Morning Inspection. A Saturday does not go my that I don't think about my days at The Citadel, and the inspections we had, on Saturday Morning. Bleached wooden floors so they were as white as possible, brass work polished, clothes properly arranged, shoes shined. Sometimes spent the night getting ready for it. And on some occasions all that work done ...... after ...... a party.

Best wishes to dear friend Craig Young who had some "work" done on his legs last week. Our friendship goes back many years. I was having lunch one day, at Roger's Old New Landmark, sitting at the bar. Someone sat next to me. I think it was after Christmas that year. Someone had given Roger a new telephone system for the occasions. It did not work right. Her name escapes me right now, but, she told us that it was not working right. I told her it was the wiring. "It comes in high on the wall, there, travels down to the floor, then back up to the phone. It is too high for the signal to climb."

The guy next to me agrees, and we go on for a while. It was Craig, and we have been good friends since. I have done some printing, designing, etc., over the years, and given him the highest designation for being a "pain in the ass" customer. He likes that. We have done many things together, enjoyed them all.

I wish him a speedy recovery, and he has advertised for some part time help. I applied.

"I would like to apply. I have a few limitations. I can only work two hours a day. Can only lift three pounds. Need a five minute break, every ten minutes. I sometimes get dizzy when standing up. I need at least two "potty" breaks every hour. I can only stand for eight minutes and then must sit down. I am allergic to dust, paint and cleaning chemicals. I will need transportation to and from work. If you need references, call Craig Young or Joan Batstra at 1st Response. Oh, I have had a triple bi-pass and have limited use of the range of my arms. My nick-name is "Shaky" and I am a Veteran, and an explosives demolition expert. What, honey I can't hear you, what else should I put, oops, I dropped my coffee cup. Who, Craig, I told them .... no, I am not going to tell them I will not work for them if Craig picks me up and takes me home. My heart,, remember? I look forward to hearing from you in regards to my employment. My telephone number is unlisted as I am under indictment for unemployment fraud and don't wish for them to find me."

They never called me back, wonder why. Joan Batstra, who I sent the application to, replied, and indicated they had already hired some with the same qualifications.

USA Soccer plays again this week, sometime, will be glued to the set, I have to watch it that way, otherwise, when I fall asleep I would slide to the floor ..... USA ...... USA ........ USA ...... took me a while but I am learning the cheers ....................... 

CRAIG YOUNG IS 65

My friend, Craig Young, (craig@ohio1st-response.com) has a birthday tomorrow, his 65th, a milestone day.

Craig has been a "front runner" and one of the "movers and shakers" of this Midwestern town of Newark, Ohio. He has been instrumental in bringing international baseball to our town, he was President of our city council for many years, and deftly guided inexperienced council members to a path, leading our town forward.

He was an active member of many organizations and an involuntary adviser on many committees, and his input, whether warranted or not  was freely given.

As one iconic retired politician responded, when asked about Craig, and his upcoming 65th birthday, responded, "I didn't know he was still around, he shows us that a lifestyle like that, can lead to long life, son of a gun, he's still around, does he still have that dump out there,  son of a gun, huh, I really am surprised to hear that, 65 you say, huh, son of a gun. I liked his brother and his sister, son of a gun."

One retired mayor commented, "He was a thorn in the side of my whole administration, he tried to run that damn council like it was his, he never let me get a word in edgewise, every time I tried to speak he would hit that damn gavel. I eventually became hearing impaired because of him, and that damn gavel. I burnt the damn thing, out back, in my incinerator when he left."

His lovely sister commented, "Craig is MUCH older than I am, we are VERY far apart, age wise, so I really never got to know him, well, you know, the BIG age difference and all, did I tell you, he was much older than I am. I remember Mom talking about him though."

His brother, a well known local proofreader and publisher and sometime religious leader in the community, quipped in, "I learned early on, when Craig told me to due somthing, welll I would dew the opposite. I often went to him with quesstions about my knewspapers and how to ran them. All l are, i ow to him. He has always been my eyedoll."

His Mother commented, "He was a good boy, always bright and alert and very studious, I am so thrilled with his success, to him, I say, Happy 65th, Jim."

Thanks to his ability to "fold stubs," and be available for drawings, he has been financially rewarded in his life, that, combined with dedication, hard work and constant training, surrounded by good friends, he is a survivor, no, not just a survivor, a winner, a     S I X T Y    F I V E    year old winner.

Happy birthday, good friend.

PS - As I have gotten considerably older, and thought of ... my demise, he has been outspoken and wants me to have a funeral .... so he can rise to his feet, and speak, about me ....... he has been the only one .....

Worth a thousand words

America's problem in one picture This financial crisis is forcing State and local agencies to make some tough decisions. If things continue for much longer, there's a real risk that we may have to lay off Jose.

Some Summer Tips

Some "TIPS" I got from a blog by 1st Response they are a complete full service contractor in Newark, Ohio, serving a large portion of Ohio.

1. Reduce the cooling load by employing cost-effective conservation measures. Provide effective shade for east and west windows. When possible, delay heat-generating activities such as dish washing until evening on hot days.


2. Over most of the cooling season, keep the house closed tight during the day. Don’t let in unwanted heat and humidity. Ventilate at night either naturally or with fans.

3. You can help get rid of unwanted heat through ventilation if the temperature of the incoming air is 77 F or lower. (This strategy works most effectively at night and on cooler days.) Window fans for ventilation are a good option if used properly. They should be located on the downwind side of the house facing out. A window should be open in each room. Interior doors must remain open to allow air flow.

4. Use ceiling fans to increase comfort levels at higher thermostat settings. The standard human comfort range for light clothing in the summer is between 72 F and 78 F. To extend the comfort range to 82 F, you need a breeze of about 2.5 ft/sec or 1.7 mph. A sow-turning ceiling-mounted paddle fan can easily provide this air flow.

5. In hot climates, plant shade trees around the house. Don’t plant trees on the South if you want to benefit from passive solar heating in the winter.

6. If you have an older central air conditioner, consider replacing the outdoor compressor with a modern, high-efficiency unit. Make sure that it is properly matched to the indoor unit.

7. If buying a new air conditioner, be sure that it is properly sized. Get assistance from an energy auditor or air conditioning contractor.

8. Buy a high-efficiency air conditioner: for room air conditioners, the energy efficiency ratio (EER) rating should be above 10; for central air conditioners, look for a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) rating above 12.

9. In hot, humid climates, make sure that the air conditioner you buy will adequately get rid of high humidity. Models with variable or multi-speed blowers are generally best. Try to keep moisture sources out of the house.

10. Try not to use a dehumidifier at the same time your air conditioner is operating. The dehumidifier will increase the cooling load and force the air conditioner to work harder.

11. Seal all air conditioner ducts, and insulate ducts that run through unheated basements, crawl spaces, and attics.

12. Keep the thermostat set at 78 degrees F or higher if using ceiling fans. Don’t air-condition unused rooms.

1st Response - A Full Service Contractor