Author: Bill

Sorry ya’ll – – – – yesterday kind of suddenly turned into a long enough day by the time I got caught up where I needed to be – it was also late enough that I didn’t want/couldn’t start anything else. This whole week just kinda came rushing up and caught be a bit by surprise……. I ‘hate‘ going to bed knowing there are things that need to be done….. but this week has proved to be a lot of it and helped realize – that I can indeed can go onto bed and mostly fall asleep- even though there is stuff that needs to be done. I guess maybe part of the aging process ? It just gradually wears your old a$$ down until you are at the point – where you could ‘probably‘ do it…. but just to tired to try it and and just old enough to not give a damn if it upsets somebody…….. With the appropriate amount of training/practice– I think I just might like this particular phase of my life…… definitely some future in it I think  😉

Finished up the big group of divers we had in last week….. recreational divers plus a handful of them getting various certifications. They all done really good and I can say with all honesty, that this bunch has been one of the most fun, enjoyable groups I have interacted with since starting my new ‘job’ back in March. Lots and LOTS of picture taking for them and I have spent the last day or so getting caught up on all my pictures for them. Getting them edited and put up into galleries…..  Believe it or not…. this past 5 days, I have taken well over [conservatively] 3000 pictures……. ya gotta love digital photography~! I cannot imagine shooting that much film (and paying for it to be developed). I am extremely happy to report during the last 14 dives I have made in the last 4 days…. I finally learned a couple of techniques [that I have been struggling with] that should up my picture taking game an easy 25% – 30%….. meaning way less editing time and much higher quality pictures~! I’m happy and excited!

Today, being a valued day off… had some work laid into it starting the day out. I’m pretty sure I have mentioned that we are hosting a backyard get together/BBQ sponsored by our local Dive Club — in memory of a fellow diver and friend.  Figuring we are going to have a pretty good group of people eventually in and out of the house (use bath room, get water, etc.) that we probably ought to spruce the place up a little bit. We kinda ‘missed’ Spring cleaning so we were a smidge over due. In between editing pictures during rest breaks, we managed to give the general living quarters a dang nice sprucing. I took screens out of the louver openings (we do not have any glass in any of our windows) and took them out and washed out many months of accumulated dust blowing through them. There was sweeping in places that don’t ‘routinely’ get swept in, dusting….. OMG the dusting. My Bride went for a quick last minute grocery run while I tied into my grill. As it turns out… from seeing the inside of it – I apparently grill a lot more than I thought~! All said and done now… groceries, grill cleaning, store run, sweeping, mowing [I knocked it out this morning] it’s been one hellva productive day~!!! Going to do the Pier memorial dive tomorrow morning and take pictures as requested by the Dive Shop sponsoring the dive….. more pictures, but it will be my honor to shoot those pictures. Gathering here at the house after the dive…… probably wouldn’t look for a blog tomorrow…… we’ll see though~

Good Night Ya’ll + + + + + + + + + + + Thankx for stopping in~!

Hi all,

Standard quick apology for being absent….. these last 3 days days…… slap my a$$ and call me Judy……. I took this past Monday off for a Doctors appointment….. I think we had that conversation didn’t we ??? Pretty sure we did. Tuesday and Wednesday I got put to the test….. The ‘morning’ boat was IDC candidates (Instructor Development Course)… it consisted of 3 separate dives, with candidates performing various tasks assigned by the Course Director. These are not your run of the mill abut in 30′ of water….. these go deep and last usually a minimum of 30 minutes (the deeper the dive, the shorter the length of the dive for conventional diving). Three groups of 2— so I spent an inordinate amount of time chasing folks to get pictures. Not just people pictures…….. My pictures must also convey what is going on in the picture [without having someone explaining what is going on]….. so I am kept quite busy……. after those three times and emptying the boat of a LOT of tanks between dives… the boat has to be reloaded with tanks for the the afternoon dives…….. those dives being with a really fun group out of Washington DC. There are 17 of them – which makes for a really busy boat/dives. Two dives with them…. for a  total of 5 dives for the day.    For those folks who have yet to broach the tender age that I am……. [youngsters]…… 4 dives a day is a LOT.  Factor in my type photography into the dive and the ‘Oh My Goodness my A$$ is dragging” factors goes way up. Not complaining…. just helping you understand why I have weenied out on you the past couple of days. I did ‘those’ days…. Tuesday AND Wednesday……. opting out of afternoon dives today – I did the two morning dives with the DC group today and came back to try and catch up on a “$hit-ton” of editing…….. I am closer than I was this time yesterday (7:00pm) but still have hundreds of shots to work on. I do have them uploaded and all put into their respective files….. but still lots to do.

We have a really busy weekend ahead of us. Sunday there is going to be a memorial dive for a friend who very recently passed away. After the dive – my Queen and I are hosting a memorial get together kind of thing at our house after the dive……. sponsored by the Island Dive Club (CRABBS). Nothing fancy— just the grill going and a lot of people hanging out talking about and remembering a fellow friend and diver. Should be a nice day…. just some effort on our part prepping for it. (We need to clean a little bit) 😉 and I’m manning the grill, so I need to get it cleaned up and make sure it is ready for a busy day. I think I still got it~~~~~ 😉  Tons and tons of pictures for you…. will try not to duplicate and I should be back to routine for a couple of days at least……..

Good Night Ya’ll + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Thankx for stopping in~!!

PB040057

A pitiful night’s sleep last night… just absolutely pitiful. That is the only way to describe it. I don’t think my Queen did much better. Must have been something in the air. Happy to finally roll out and get my day started. I enjoyed another hour or so of cool quiet morning until Angie came stumbling out to join me. She made us another tasty breakfast (French Toast this time) only earlier because she knew I had to take off for mid island for my appointment to see “Doc”.  I got there exactly 10 minutes early which made me ‘on time‘ and signed in. They weighed me (OMG) and very poorly pulled some blood from my arm, before leaving me to set in an office for almost 45 minutes while I waited for ‘Doc’. She came….. we discussed issues, a little bit of diving [she is mildly interested] and back to concerns. She is not happy about the cuts and bites on my legs. She is less happy about how my right leg and foot is really pretty swelled up [did I forget to mention that?]…… she is happy I am still not smoking and said for the first time since she has been seeing me (3+ years) that she did not heard any wheezing or whistling in my chest while listening to my lungs….. so there is that. She wrote me a script for some antibiotics to get the swelling down in my leg, said I need to wear jeans when I am weed eating, It wouldn’t hurt to slow down a little bit, I need to cut back on my alcohol consumption….. a little story to that one but I don’t really want to go into that tonight. I told her I would work on her ‘wants’…. best I can do…… being retired takes a lot of work if you do it the way I am  😉

Finally back the house…… spent entirely too friggin’ long trying to find a Vision Insurance Policy for my Bride. Made more phone calls today than I have in a month….. finally aggravated enough I gave up and moved to the couch for some boob tube. I was hoping to sit and relax a little but and enjoy some mindless entertainment— but my TV remote has decided to pick up where my laptop left off….. the volume control quit working…… now the off/button won’t work…… DAMMIT EMMIT~!! Always friggin’ something~!!!  My Queen made us LT Sammiches for Dinner.. which I [usually] love…. but due to what I suspect were some quality issues………. we had to go without the T in my BLT sammiches. I loved the effort though……. Time to share my day with you all while the TV carries on in the background [the Mute button still works]…….. Gonna throw up some pictures for you and then go back to driving myself crazy why the #$%^&*( volume doesn’t work on the remote…… Back in the water tomorrow~!! If you want to watch an enjoyable movie… check out Hard Christmas…… Damn Neighbors….. if you’re reading this….. it goes double for you….. Just hush and watch it~!

Good Night Ya’ll : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Thankx for stopping in~!

Up this morning waaaay earlier than I cared for….. but with my bladder raising cane….. a spot in the middle of my back that itched like crazy and about a dozen of random things running around my brain…. all kind of ganged up and said ” YEAH…… go ahead and get up fat boy” So I did….. and under those conditions…. I just went ahead and stayed up.  I got the peeing and scratching out of the way… washed my face, brushed my teeth and combed my hair…….. I was up for the day. I do enjoy early morning. Probably the vast majority of the best memories I have mostly evolve from days that start out in the early morning….. regardless of how painful it might be at the start [from going to bed way to late]. I sat and listened to the frogs as they ended their nightly chorus….. watch the sky go from black to gray, to pink, to blue. Yes, even here on our end of the island (West) we still manage the occasional pink beautiful sun rise. Anyhow….. I got to enjoy a cool quiet morning for a couple of hours before my Queen finally stumbled out and into the bathroom. We sat on line for an hour or so before my Bride got up and started some breakfast. After a wonderfully delicious breakfast…… we let our meal settle for a ‘while‘ and just about time I had talked myself out of doing anything…. Angie got up and started dishes… which was just the ‘push’ I needed, to head out the door and start my Sunday morning ‘stuff’. Mowing and weed eating…… I am at the point where I no longer look forward to or necessarily enjoy the mowing and weed eating anymore….. but it is a necessary ‘evil’. If I don’t keep up with it – I would have to bush hog it after about 3 weeks. Happily, most of you are in Southern Indiana, and know what a bush hog is.  😉

Lawn is done…. ATV yard is done….. I have showered, doctored up all the holes still hanging out on my legs. I had one rock today from weed eating… kick up and actually hit right in the center of an existing sore spot. Oh My God did that hurt. I came in with a small trickle of blood down each leg……all the way down into my shoes…….. One from afore mentioned rock, the other, when I got tangled up in my own feet and fell backward into our property line fence. Did I mention that fence is a barbed wire fence ?? Just one little hole in my calf, but it bled enough to get down into my shoe…… dammit Emmit~!

I am now showered, holes all ‘boiled’ out with Peroxide, covered and soaking now in Neosporin. I sat and watched a couple of [pitiful] foot ball games and now trying to decide what to make myself to eat. Angie said she wanted Taco’s again, but I’m just not in the mood to put on enough clothes to go out in general public….. so we’re fending for ourselves tonight. No diving tomorrow so I can go see ‘Doc’….. back in the water for double boats again starting Tuesday for 2 or maybe 3 days…. LOTS of poeple in diving right now.

A quick face time with Nephew this morning left us with happy news that little Sis continues to improve. We are so happy to hear that….. can’t wait to see them all in a couple of weeks.

Today is Stephanie’s birthday- – – Happy Birthday Sweetheart~!

Good Night Ya’ll > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Thankx for stopping in~!

Up a smidge later last night than usual….. simply because I knew I got to sleep in, in the morning if I so cared to. I did so care to……. however- after entirely to many years to think about, of getting up at the crack of 03:45…… (What does the 0 stand for ???   0h My God it’s early~!) the whole sleeping ‘in‘ thing is pretty much lost on me these days……. Even after a rambunctious night of alcohol mistreatment…… my ‘stuck in a rut’, tired old a$$ still rolls out much earlier than the sensible part of my brain would like. Even when our ‘Damn Neighbors‘ did their level best to “kill” me the Summer of 2015 ?? 2016??  Oh hell I don’t remember anymore….. too many brain cells killed that Summer…… but the fact remains….. in near stages of ‘death‘ – I continued to roll my happy nash out every morning for work…… and days off…. Lord have Mercy… late nights…. insane amounts of alcohol and still up earlier than any sane human being should have been…….. I laid the blame on my Dear Old Dad—- he was either rolling me out of the sack early to go to work or go fishing……… regardless of what I did the night before……. [[Looking back — I wouldn’t have changed it for anything]]  😉

The rest of the day was a piece of cake……. pancakes, sausage and bacon for a wonderful breakfast to start our day….. a casual day at the computer….. I finally got my bride Dental insurance…… apparently have to wait until Monday to shop for Vision insurance….. jeeez- what a phenomenal pain in the butt, trying to get all this insurance stuff done. OMG-!!! If we lived in the states…. it would have been like 3 clicks on line and I would have been done with the whole kit-N-kaboodle~!  (not to mention much cheaper~!)  But NOOOooooooo.… we have to live on a tropical island where stuff like insurance, groceries, electricity and that kind of stuff is like a friggin’ luxury or something…….  😉  I’ll get it though……. I may have an extra drink or six…. maybe smoke a cigarette [oh how I wish]… but my Queen will have what she needs~! I should be an old hand at it by the time my turn comes around. I have a big advantage over her though….. being a Veteran….. I have several more options as I understand it. At least I hope so.

Shortly after Noon – I moved over to the couch and fired up the boob tube for some Netflix…… watched several movies….. nothing noteworthy. My Bride made some kind of questionable meat and corn on the cob for our Dinner. Can’t say much for the meat, but the gravy and the corn on the cobb was excellent~! Movies done, here I sit. I boiled out all my leg ‘wounds’ when I sat and spectated the TV and then coated them in  Neosporin…. so they got a good soaking while we lounged…. Maybe Doc won’t be real upset with me when she sees my legs. Happy with the day as whole in general though….. a lot to be said for that.

According to Nephew….. Little Sister doing much better….. ~! Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers……. They are very much appreciated~!!

Good Night Ya’ll & & & & & & & & & & & & Thankx for stopping in~!

PB010160 <—- Video

Here I am…..again…… Just 2 dives today– this morning…. one of them at my favorite spot: Armageddon~! A really small group to boot…… 2 people~! Makes for an easy enjoyable boat/day for me. Both dives were fun and mostly relaxed…… and I was back home by a little after 12….. got me and my gear rinsed and pictures edited and put up.

As bad as I wanted to keep up with this and my FB stuff—- those last two double days just kicked my butt~! They were all fairly big groups and some required a lot of attention, which just adds to the stress of the day. Factor in I have roughly 600 pictures to go through and edit on double days….. it’s 9:00 pm or later by the time I get pictures done…. and then bedtime for me as I am getting up at 05:30 to try and make sure I am getting enough rest/sleep to do those long days. The whole ‘old gray mare thing’ I guess……. My gear gets to actually dry out for a couple of days…. me too….. still trying to get the sores on my legs healed up….. three days in a row out of salt water helps immensely to do that~!

My Bride said she wanted Taco’s again — so I changed into my traveling shorts and we moseyed on into town to Louis & Nacho’s. She got her Taco’s and I had a beer and a burger….. Back now- belly full and ready for some R & R~! Next couple of days are filled with getting a Medicare plan D for my Queen and I still need to find a plan for dental and vision….. oh well– I should know my way around when it’s my turn here in another 3 months~! Doctors appointment Monday is keeping me out of the water for a third day. Nothing serious… mostly follow up for BP, Cholesterol and that kind of stuff. May see if she’ll give me a script for my legs…. I think I may have a bit of an infection in one of them…. but for the most part- I’m good~! Done for tonight….. LOTS of pictures for you~!

Sister is mostly holding her own so far — so thank you for the prayers and good thoughts.

Good Night Ya’ll + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Thankx for stopping in~!

Boat was out on our end of the island today, so I got to hang around the house an extra 30 minutes this morning, plus was back from diving 30 minutes earlier than usual which was nice. Made it seem almost like a half day today. Got my pictures up and edited and posted early~! That allowed for a little extra slack time to spend with my Queen.

Quite by accident, I learned a fun new ability on my camera….. Should really help me when I need that nice dark back ground sometimes….. I practiced it a bunch today….. I need to stay at it so it becomes ‘automatic’ when I need to use it. I hope you will start seeing a difference in my shots with this new ‘find’. Something I reckon I should have already known as a photographer….. but hey, I’m old…. cut me some slack~~

Having drinks and discussing dinner, we both we were hungry enough to eat, but neither of us felt like cooking- so we agreed to go out again. Wound up back at Louis & Nacho’s…… my Bride wanted Taco’s [again]—- A Daughter had told her she needed to try a Fajita. This place didn’t have them, but had a taco Fajita…. so I ordered her one of those along with her two cheeseburger taco’s.  She actually ate all of it…. I was surprised…. and one of her taco’s. (Brought the other one home for a snack tomorrow).

Tomorrow and Thursday are double boat days for me (4 dives a day)… so, long days….. I will earnestly try and keep up with my blog and music trivia…. but double days usually has me editing pictures until at least 9:00 in the evening….. usually to worn out to do much else after I get ‘work’ done……. but I’ll try.

Nice little rain shower has cooled the air off just a smidge and the frogs are singing and chirping noisily in the yards on each side of us. It would make good sleeping ‘music’ – but with the bedroom closed up and the A/C humming– we won’t hear it. The frog ‘music’ is nice and all- but there is a LOT to be said for a nice cool un-humid atmosphere for sleeping too~! Sorry frogs…….

Good Night Ya’ll + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Thankx for stopping in~!

PA260278   <—– Shark Video

Good Evening Ya’ll…… Another month- shot- right in the touchas~!! Jeeez, it’s unbelievable how fast this year is going…….! I mean- yesterday was Easter wasn’t it ??? Sure does seem like it. My eyes popped open about 3 minutes before the time the alarm was set for……. having had what turned out to be a solid nights sleep- I rolled on out and got ready for my day of diving and taking pictures. Got all my batteries bump charged and loaded…. all my photography stuff moved out to the truck. Made me a wonderfully nutritious breakfast….. got on my trunks and rash guard, put my beer cooler together and away I went. My Bride was still sleeping soundly, so I eased out as quiet as I could. A new group on the boat today, but there were a couple of familiar faces that made the dive more enjoyable.. The rest of the group turned out to be a challenge…. and made picture taking dang near impossible….. but I guess you’ll have that every now and again~! Our work day finally done— guests gone, boat unloaded, scrubbed and hosed down….. sat and had a beer with a friend. Nice way to end that part of my day. Got back and was editing pictures when I got a ping from my friend indicating I need to go see him. I coupled that with the opportunity to get my Bride some Taco’s, so while she feasted….. I dealt with the friend ‘issue’. Not a great way to wrap up the day….. but not completely terrible….will have to wait and see what comes out of the issue……

Now back at the house….. just finished editing pictures from today. A distressing call from one of my nephews as our day finishes winding down. My Sister Leta is not doing very good health wise. Sadly, it is going to be a hurry up and wait situation to see how she does…… If  you are of the religious persuasion, a good word in for my Sister would be greatly appreciated. For the rest of the evening [I hope] belly full, my Queen is content……. think I’m gonna call it here……. some pix for you….. more tomorrow.

Good Night in~!

Ya’ll ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Thankx for stopping

At least that’s what the calendar says. Other than a couple of pictures yesterday…. nothing on our little piece of the island here indicates anything other than another day. It got up to about 88 degrees here today and people were swimming and beaching and doing all the things they usually do on gorgeous days like today. Not to many mentions of the holiday, so it was pretty easy to ‘forget‘ about the holiday. We never got any trick or treaters at out first place and didn’t have any here last year….. we have a gorgeous sunset going on right now and I don’t see any candy munchkins in site anywhere…… so other than the pictures (just got a great one from Jeni of her brood) from the states….. just another day in Paradise here……. It was my/our 3rd day off in a row and other than some yard maintenance — I spent another day of doing dang near nothin’ all day~! Been trying to get my legs doctored up a little bit and there is noticeable improvement…… but still a ways to go- which will be a challenge since I’m going to start ‘soaking‘ them in saltwater again everyday starting tomorrow. One leg is swelling a little more than I care for and I’m a bit concerned I may have a small staph infection maybe….. dammit Emmit. I have an appointment coming up here with Doc fairly soon….. I’ll see what she thinks. I just switched my calendar over….. yes – I still use a paper calendar to schedule all my stuff….. it works for me….. leave me alone. Tomorrow is November~!!! Dang where is the time going ??? Wow— we’ll be back in the states in 3 weeks…….. can’t wait and dreading it all at the same time….. actually, dreading the trying to get back on the island. They are changing the rules at the drop of a hat and I’m not looking forward to complying……. I am excited at getting to see everybody again and being in the land of plenty. I told my Bride I will probably be eating dinner ‘out’ every night so I can get my fill of the ‘good stuff’ we don’t have here on the island. Turonis, Burger King, Long John Silvers, Turonis…… you know… the good stuff~! PLUS– going out for dinner with family and friends……… It goes without saying though….. looking forward the most to having a states side Thanksgiving….. and….. having it with family is just gravy to that meal~~!! But for now- back to work tomorrow~!

Good Night Ya’ll – – – – – – – – – – – Thankx for stopping in~!

LOL – – – I have to laugh as I once again start this……. it is now 20:17 (8:17pm for all you civilians out there)… I started it just a shade before 4:oo pm….. LOTS of interruptions.. some good, some bad…… some just… well– plain ole interruptions~! Most of them involves our neighbors……. NO- not our Damn Neighbors…… although I did get to share a couple of lines of conversation with them today. Yesterday was Michael’s birthday~! I wished the big goofy ba$tard a happy birthday but never got a smart remark or reply back. Course- that didn’t surprise me any…. I usually don’t. I have to go through ‘hot’ neighbor to chat with him – and while I thoroughly enjoy our chats— sometimes it’s nice to hear from the person you’re aiming for…. ya know ?? NAH- probably not…….. any HOW~~ Through a long drawn out thing – our ‘other’ neighbors picked up some pizza that we ordered for us and they came over and noshed with us while we laughed, b*tched and carried on about island life and filled up on mostly decent pizza. Mitch got me fired up [briefly] about the best SCUBA gear to use and where to buy it from (him or a competitor) and so the evening went. We got some great pictures of most of our girls having dinner together up in Poseyville……. that makes my ole heart very happy to see that~!!! (Although our Damn Neighbors agreed to have dinner with us one night while we’re back in the states)…… which makes my ole ticker do double duty in the happy/glad department…… sure do miss those two…..   Next door neighbors are now back in their place…. left over pizza put up…… just served up our dessert…. refrigerated Reese’s cups……. with ‘drinks’ already in place……… life is good here on the island. A bunch of other mundane stuff going on like usual, but not in the mood to ramble on about it. A couple of great pictures of our kids and Grand Babies…. time with neighbors, a little chat with Damn Neighbors……. it’s a pretty good night following a day of doing nothing [strenuous]. Probably going to wind up mowing tomorrow as next week looks pretty full of diving again (awe…dammit….)  😉

Wanted to get something up here though so you know I’m still alive and kickin’~!!! Trying to get my legs healed up before I get back in the Sea…….. am making progress [albeit SLOW]…..  :-0

Good Night Ya’ll : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : Thankx for stopping in~!