Good Times

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Thursday, the first of the so-called “crazy days” leading up to Lent, is known as Weiberfastnacht or the Women's Carnival, where women cut off men's ties as a symbol of power reversal. The women sometimes reward obliging men with a bützchen, or friendly peck on the cheek, a less common tradition today. Source (You can also read about it in more detail here.)

So yes, Thursday, Lincoln's Birthday, was Altweiberfastnacht. (I think the "Alt" part of the name was lost to political correctness some time ago, as it means "old," just like no one says "Fräulein" any more. Modern times, yuck.) I saw mention of this on the internet on Friday, brought back a memory it did. Of the old days. (Hhmm, mentioning the "old days" and Germany in the same context is problematic, innit?)

Anyhoo.

There I Was ...

Sitting at my desk at Geilenkirchen AB, Germany, compiling a bunch of C++ code as I recall. It was a large-ish program and compiling and linking all of it took some semi-lengthy amount of time. Perhaps 30 minutes or so. Then if something is amiss, you fix it and start over again.

Normally (normalerweise, auf Deutsch) I would occupy my time during a long compile by playing cards (FreeCell to be precise) on the computer while monitoring progress. One Altweiberfastnacht (I believe it was 1999, some three months prior to retiring from the Air Force) I was doing just that. While doing so, a band of celebrants of the female variety entered my office on a mission to cut the ties off of any man they encountered.

As I normally wore my BDUs¹ to work, having occasion to sometimes crawl about the lab and other places where computer equipment was in use to check on cables (which the cleaning staff would sometimes inadvertently unhook or otherwise cause to lose connectivity) and having once destroyed a rather pricey pair of uniform pants doing that, I felt justified in doing so. (My colonel once chided me for that, after explaining myself, he relented, in fact he started wearing his BDUs to work as well. Now it seems to be all the rage.)

Long story short, one does not wear a tie with BDUs, now on Altweiberfastnacht the ladies, especially the European ones, get annoyed if one does not wear a tie so that they can destroy it, so I adopted the expedient of fashioning a false tie out of cardboard and affixing that to my attire in lieu of wearing an actual tie, which would get destroyed. Not being made of money, as the saying goes, I did not wish to lose a tie once a year. So ...

Anyhoo, long story short ...

I'm sitting at my desk, monitoring my compile job and having a game of FreeCell when I hear the clamor of a group of females approaching my position. When they entered I presented my fake tie for destruction which some of the ladies (the Europeans) chuckled at, as they knew me well by this point, this being my 8th Altweiberfastnacht. They snipped it and prepared to move on to find their next victim when one paused, looked at my computer screen, then looked at me. I should note that this lady was an American captain (O-3 Air Force type, not O-6 Navy type).

"Playing games on Air Force time?" she asked in a semi-serious tone.

"I'm compiling ma'am, while I'm compiling I play FreeCell. And yes, I'm compiling on Air Force time, as well as playing a game."

"Hhmm, that seems less than professional."

I realized at that point that she might be serious after all, it seems to be a habit of our non-rated officers to be somewhat, shall we say, pretentious. As a senior noncommissioned officer, I felt it was my duty to respond in a corrective manner.

"Perhaps ma'am, but maybe just as professional as running around the building cutting off ties."

At which the European ladies all had a good laugh and our young captain blushed mightily, realizing the absurdity of her position. The ladies left without further ado.

When the compile was done, I went and picked up The Missus Herself and went to join the festivities at the club on base. Fun times were had, no ties were harmed on my part.

I miss Germany at times.

Good times.

¹ Battle Dress Uniform, or BDUs for short.

Home Again, Home Again

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Got on the road at roughly 0800 local. Grandsons were groggy as they've been sleeping late over their school vacation. They were still bummed out to see the grandparental units board their shuttle to return to Little Rhody. I'm going to miss seeing them every day, but we'll be back soon enough.

The ride was not bad, spotty traffic problems, usually caused by an incompetent driver playing "pace car" in the passing lane. There was an epidemic of that crap in Connecticut. Oh well, kept me from maximum warp which was probably a good thing.

Got home at 1600-ish and that included a long stop for supper and a few stops to stretch the legs, refuel, etc. So we really made good time. I'm thankful for that.

Down in Maryland it was cold, Little Rhody was colder. (See the opening photo.)

I'm not going to say I'm looking forward to summer's return, I do like the cold, but these old bones don't like it as much as they used to. (And I really can't abide really hot weather.)

But we're back at home, in one piece and ready to hibernate for a bit.

Winter is good for that.

Be seeing you.

Happy New Year!

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We closed out the old year at Inju Korean BBQ at the Annapolis Mall, one of my favorite eateries in the area. As it was the celebration of The Nuke's natal day, I sprang for the check, at the direction of The Missus Herself. (Hey, I would've paid anyway but she likes to direct me to do such things. It's her nature.)

Whilst dining we discovered that Finnegan (the only face you can see above) is a very big fan of bulgogi¹, something his brother Roberto disdains. The oldest is rather finicky when it comes to his tucker, the youngest's palate is still developing so he's not as picky.

But I digress ...

Lunch was good, the lads retired to Chez Tuttle et Nuke while the ladies went shopping. I was relieved to have been spared that. I mean I know how to shop, I want something, I go to where they sell it, then I buy it. The only place where I can spend time browsing is a book store. Hobby shops back in the day were another, I'd go there just to see what was new and walk out having dropped a hundred bucks or so.

No doubt The Missus Herself is happy that the old school hobby shops are now few and far between. I'm not but ...

Yes, I digress.

2025 is over, 2026 is here and we must, needs be, make the best of it.

Hope your New Year finds you healthy and happy.

Enjoy!

¹ (불고기) A Korean dish of thinly sliced, marinated meat (usually beef) grilled or stir-fried, known for its savory, sweet, garlicky, and slightly smoky flavor from soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and pear, often served with rice and lettuce wraps for a fresh, balanced bite.

A New Year Approaches

Winter Sunset
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As 2025 winds down I have to admit that, for me, it was a good year. I'm retired, no one to answer to as far as how I spend my time (well, other than The Missus Herself but she's not very demanding), no need to set some artificial corporate goal, no need to really do much of anything except stay alive.

Yesterday's post was gloomy, which should teach me to stay away from the MSM, which is hard to do when watching football. Oh well, I can ignore most of it but sometimes the "news" leaks in.

And yes, I still watch professional football, yup, it's got issues but for the most part I enjoy the competition and have since around 1965 when I first really started paying attention to such things.

Probably due to my paternal grandmother remarking that due to my size, I should play football. As my dear grandmother was four-foot-not-much wearing heels, everyone seemed big to her. But she mentioned it, I adored her (still do) so I decided to check it out.

Watched it ever since.

Now you may wonder who I rooted for back in that day. Well, this was back when the cognoscenti said that the five year old AFL sucked, the NFL was the "real thing" so one shouldn't bother with the upstart league. (Which eventually took off and then was absorbed by the NFL.)

The Patriots back then were the Boston Patriots and, as my father despised everything Boston, wasn't even an option. Besides, they were in the AFL.

So I must have rooted for the New York Giants right?

Nope.

Dad was a Yankees fan, Mom was (and still is) a Red Sox fan. Boston versus New York, the smart move was to avoid rooting for either city. So who was the best team back then?

The Green Bay Packers under Vince Lombardi. So I watched them as much as I could. As they were in the playoffs a lot back then, it was easy to follow them.

These days? Well, I still have my old love for Green Bay. As I lived in Denver during the Elway era, I like them as well. (As The Nuke was born in Aurora, right next door to Denver, she is still a Broncos fan, and will probably stay one.)

Retiring to New England I arrived just in time for the Brady/Belichick era. Now that was a wild ride and a lot of fun to experience. But now ...

Where was I?

Oh yeah, watching "the football" on TV and being exposed to the MSM. Anyhoo, I try not to let that affect me much, yesterday it did.

Sorry/not sorry.

But yes, 2026 is right around the corner, it's so close you can smell it. For me it's just a different number on the calendar. I don't do resolutions or any of that. Every time you wake up in the morning offers the opportunity to change, to start something new, you don't need to buy a new calendar to do that.

So the years march on, I'm still here, and until the Good Lord decides otherwise I shall remain.

Plans for 2026? Yup, visit kids and grandkids, same as it ever was ...

Same as it ever was.

Greetings from Maryland!

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There is something to be said for the silence of a cold, overcast winter's day in December. Away from the noise of the city and suburbs it gives me a sense of peace, of calm that lets me escape from the woes and cares of everyday existence. Such as they are.

Kids and grandkids went out on an excursion, The Missus Herself is napping, and I'm outside, wandering around, doing nothing except watching and looking.

Saw a couple of squirrels doing squirrel things in the nearby wood, there was also a woodpecker of some sort, pecking wood. No doubt seeking sustenance wherever it can be found.

Sure, modern life isn't far away. The occasional car driving past on the street, which is some distance from where I stood. Plus the occasional aircraft from Baltimore Washington International, which isn't far away.

But even those sounds are muffled, perhaps by the cold, I don't know and I don't care, it simply is and it's something to be savored.

For back home, though I love the place, it's always noisy. Police and ambulance sirens, some idiot man-child revving his over powered engine and, far too often, two or more idiot man-children racing their cars on the streets of the town. Yes, I don't like that concept, far too often it ends with someone being hurt, or dying, in a crash. Life is too short for that nonsense.

Feel the need for speed? Join a racing club, they have those ya know, don't endanger the citizens with your infantile automotive antics.

Had that happen once at Chez Tuttle et Nuke, we were outside and we could hear loud engines off in the distance. Eventually they showed up in the quiet neighborhood, roaring down the dead end street (about a mile further on it loops back) making hellacious noises and traveling at a speed well in excess of the speed limit.

Numerous phones came out to take pictures and call the local constabulary. I noted that both vehicles had illegal tinted covers over the license plates on the back and no license plates on the front. All the windows were heavily tinted, even the windshield. Don't know if the police ever caught up to them or not. Silly idiots will eventually kill themselves or go to prison after killing someone else, that type always seems to. Knew a few of that type hoodlum back in the day, none of them survived to their 30s.

Anyhoo, it's quiet here right now, and it's oh-so-pleasant.

Christmas Lives on!
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Chez Tuttle et Nuke
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Enjoy the day!

I Don't Care What the Calendar Says ...

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Christmas is always much anticipated by this old coot, it's been that way for years. Nothing has changed. What has changed is the feeling of depression once the day itself has passed.

Since I retired I've felt the same excitement upon the imminent arrival of my favorite holiday, but once it's over, I haven't felt that old "well crap, that was too short" feeling. Mostly as I'm on permanent vacation.

No need to mourn the dwindling days off from work, no need to think about having to get up early after a week or two of outright sloth. Nope, that's over and I'm loving it.

My holiday is 365 days a year, just wish I could convince others that the spirit of Christmas doesn't have to go away when the actual day is over. I remember our neighbor across the street when I was a kid. Their tree went up on Thanksgiving and came down Christmas Day.

Yup, Christmas Day. Their tree would be out on the curb awaiting the trash pickup. I found that to be weird. Still do.

Ah well, different strokes ...

Christmas stays inside me until it's time for the rest of the world to celebrate it. It's getting more and more to be "who cares what the world is doing, I've got Christmas in me."

And so it shall remain.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

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And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14 KJV

May your Christmas be merry and bright.

May you spend time with those you love.

May peace be yours now and always.

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Peace on Earth ...

Alive and Well

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Just to let you all know that The Missus Herself and Your Humble Scribe arrived safely at our holiday destination. We're happy, grandkids are happy, the granddogs are a happy, and Tuttle and The Nuke will eventually be happy once their workplaces shut down for the holidays.

I remember what that felt like, though it be a year in the past.

I just thought I'd jump in here and say hi while Beans entertains you with Christmas music. Speaking of Christmas music, here's one based on a poem by Longfellow, written during the Civil War when the country was being torn apart. (Tip o' the hat to Brian up in Minnesota.)

Never despair, God's in control ...

Longfellow wrote this on Christmas Day, 1863, here are the original words ...

Christmas Bells

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Peace be with you, now and always.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Freedom From Want
Norman Rockwell
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I have liked this painting for a very long time. The lady putting the turkey on the table reminds me of my paternal grandmother, she dressed very much like this. My grandfather often wore a suit but I don't remember him wearing one for Thanksgiving. He might have though.

No matter where you are this day, I hope you can spend it with people you love. Whether friends or family, those we love make these holidays precious.

Though I can't be with all the people I love this day (that would require a rather large venue), rest assured, I'll be thinking of you today. You know who you are.

Peace and blessings this day.

Love you all.

Happy Mothers Day!

Careful Mother
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Visiting my Mother in New Hampshire, praise the Lord she's still with us at 94. And she says she can't believe she has a son in his seventies.

Heck, I can't believe it either.

Cherish your Mom, you only get one.

He Is Risen!

One More Day, Because I Can ...

The Friday Evening Snow
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At some point during the day on Friday, I decided to check the weather. I'd been hearing about a "major winter storm" coming in late Sunday through Monday in the Annapolis area. So I decided to see for myself, three things stood out -

• There was a chance of snow (1 to 2") in the Annapolis area Friday night.
• There was a prediction of high winds all along the Eastern Seaboard for Saturday.
• The snow coming in for Sunday to Monday was coming in very late, and could bring as much as 8".

So, I proposed leaving Sunday morning to avoid fighting the wind on the New Jersey Turnpike on Saturday and to enjoy the possible snow Friday night. We would get home before the snow on Sunday/Monday and get to spend one more day with the kids and grandkids. No one voted against this.

The Abominable Roberto Snow Monster
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Tuttle asked why we were leaving at all, "What's the hurry, you're retired?"

Well, yes, yes I am. Mondays do not exist for me anymore. However, we are transitioning from my company's health care plan to Medicare/Medicare Part B/ Tricare for Life. Though all the paperwork has been completed, the documents proving all this are "in the mail" and are being held at the Post Office until Monday. So we need those, ASAP. I have a prescription awaiting pickup as well, seems one of my eye drops hadn't been properly refilled. Rather than have my eye doc send it to a place down here, I will pick it up there. Also need to let the pharmacy know that I'm retired.

Man, I love saying that.

The Christmas tree is gone but the lights look good in the snow
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So one more day in the beauty of Maryland before heading back home. As we're coming back in three weeks for Finnegan's birthday it's not like we'll be gone for long. Because you know ...

I'm retired.

Enjoy Monday my brothers and sisters of the gotta-go-to-work clan, you'll get here someday. It feels like forever, but looking back it doesn't seem so long ago that I was raising my right hand and swearing an oath.

Though it be fifty years this month.

Seems long, but it ain't really.

The Saturday After the Snow
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Ciao!

Happy New Year!

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Not the greatest photo, taken through a screened window, but hey, if you want Ansel Adams, you're obviously in the wrong place. Heh.

Today is the first day of 2025, for those of you who weren't paying attention. It's also my first "official" day of retirement, as in, I'm no longer on the payroll of my former employer. Not on the active roll at any rate, now I'm a retired employee.

It was a good gig while it lasted. I can say that I spent 49 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, and 4 days working to defend the United States. Picking what to wear every day was easy in the first part of that time period, the pay was certainly better during the second.

Anyhoo ...

I wish you health, happiness, and prosperity in the new year. May you be blessed and may you be loved. Everything else doesn't really matter.

May God smile upon thee.

Cheers, mates!

Letting it Idle ...

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All hands remain in holiday mode as of this writing. Truth be told, 'tis right and proper to be that way. Everyone has worked hard over the course of 2024, the adults at their places of employment, the kids at their places of education. Though Finnegan is technically in day care, it's not a place where the kids get to slack off all day, they're actually learning. Roberto went to the same place and now attends private school (Pre-K through high school) where his attainment of knowledge continues to impress his grandfather.

Seriously, the staff has a plan and that plan is to teach. The wee bairns begin learning their numbers and letters at a young age, the sort of thing Your Humble Scribe didn't start to grok until the first grade!

So the kids are out of school, Tuttle and The Nuke are enjoying some well-earned vacation time, The Missus Herself continues to make herself useful everywhere and with everything.

Me? I just try to keep up. Though truth be told, I'm not trying too hard at the moment. I do have post-vacation plans, most of which involve getting Almost a Lifetime published. I mean it's written and edited, innit? So what am I waiting for?

Well, I want to read through it myself one more time. Perhaps create an appendix to put all those unit rosters in rather than inline with the main story, also some appendices containing the various foreign phrases used throughout the book, also some stuff on organization and equipment. Most of it is readily available, just needs incorporating.

Anyhoo, that's the plan.

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I have also purchased quite a few wargames for the computer. I mean why not? I have the time, people gifted me the cash to purchase said games, and Lord knows I'm going to have do something.

Waterloo, Eylau, Friedland, Jena, Auerstädt, Borodino, and Wagram are all now available for me to refight on the computer screen. Can I better Napoléon's record? Probably not, but it won't be for lack of trying. (And with the advantage of not being shot at, I can probably do alright.)

I have much to do and plenty of time to do it in. I'll get started on that ...

Eventually!

P.S. The General's Maple Mayhem is excellent. Sort of a sweet (the maple syrup) and somewhat spicey (the habaneros) treat. Most excellent indeed.

Cruising into the New Year

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Not feeling the urge to do any creative writing just yet, I am enjoying my vacation far too much to knuckle down and get to work. Believe me, I've tried. But then the Legos come out, or one of the granddogs need attention, or some sporting event or Christmas movie is playing in the living room ...

So ...

Apologies, I'll get back to it eventually. I will have to head back north eventually, where I have a slew of things I want to accomplish (a couple of which The Missus Herself has indicated should be done sooner rather than later, my computer room is close to being designated a disaster area) after this vacation. (When the holidays are over I shall still be on permanent vacation, just not going anywhere.)

Went to a couple of cool places in the Annapolis area today, one of which had that awesome train setup above. Spent quite a few minutes watching the trains and checking out the delightful terrain through which they ran. (Cool Christmas villages and the like.)

Homestead Gardens had lots of cool stuff besides the great holiday train display. Your Humble Scribe picked up a rather interesting take on maple syrup which I can't wait to try ...

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I mean, what's not to like? It's maple syrup infused with habanero peppers and the bottle is SHAPED LIKE A GRENADE!! OMG, awesomeness to the nth power! (And the company is veteran owned so I get to support my brothers and sisters in arms, I'm always up for that.)

Anyhoo, gotta run, we're building an X-Wing fighter out of Legos.

I am having so much fun.

I'll be back, soon-ish. 😎

The Reason ...

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I was reminded of this the other day ...

I don't watch much television these days, mostly I stream movies, and the like. I remember the day when religion was celebrated in this country. Do you think A Charlie Brown Christmas could be made these days?

I really don't know. At least they still show the original at this time of year. I'll take that as a win.

Thursday was colonoscopy day. Yay, me.

The doc wasn't concerned, a few polyps, little 'uns, they will be biopsied but what she saw didn't scare her.

So I've got that going for me ...

The prep wasn't as bad this time, 24 tablets of Sutab, 12 taken at 1400 the day before with 16 ounces of water over a twenty minute period, then drink 32 ounces more of water an hour later, half hour for each bottle.

Rinsed and repeated at 1900. Believe me, it worked well. No need to drink that nasty powder stuff mixed in to Gatorade.

Things, uh, came out well. If you get my drift.

Now it's off to bed, it was a very long 24 hours.

Ciao!

The Season's Upon Us!

A Charlie Brown Christmas
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Enough blood and gore, for now. It struck me that I was forgetting something. I mean, it's December, innit? For those of us of the Christian persuasion, it's Christmas time.

Now I have always loved this time of year, since I was a wee sma' laddie growing up in the hills of Vermont. A lovely place back then, people had jobs, the town was thriving, and things looked awfully nice in hindsight and in truth.

Okay, pour moi, things were really good. I grew up in a typical 1950s middle class home, Dad had a job, Mom took care of the house and the kids. We were comfortable. Looking back I know my parents worked their butts off. But we kids didn't worry about the world, we just had to be kids.

I had a full set of grandparents, I didn't know when I was young that my maternal grandfather wasn't actually a blood relative, he was my grandmother's second husband. But damn, he was an awesome grandpa. In my world I had a Mom and a Dad, two grandfathers and two grandmothers. (Yes, there were uncles and aunts and cousins but they fell just outside the intimate inner circle. Well, except maybe my Uncle Charlie, one of my Dad's older brothers. He and my Dad shared a special bond which sort of flowed over to Uncle Charlie and my two brothers and I.)

Life was good. Looking back, I realize that it was incredibly good, growing up where I did and when I did.

I have a few favorite TV shows from those days (a couple were later on) which still show up nearly every year. I may watch them, I may not (some of these shows are over fifty years old and I've probably watched them forty times, so I nearly have them memorized) but watching them or simply hearing about them always brings back fond memories.

Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order. (Okay, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer are my two absolute favorites. I watch those, I get misty-eyed from fond memories of Christmases past. So the first two pictures are my favorites, perhaps 1 and 1a, it's a close tie.)

Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer
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Ah Rudolf, one of the first shows I remember watching as a kid, this and A Charlie Brown Christmas. I remember a lot when I watch these, all of those memories are good, if not perfect.

A Christmas Carol
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This version of A Christmas Carol is superb. I've seen others, this one inspired me to actually buy the book. (Which I discovered the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol followed nearly to the letter.) A great cast for a great story. Well filmed and well acted.

A Christmas Story
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I consider A Christmas Story  to almost be a near perfect reconstruction of my Christmases as a kid. Although Dad never won a "major award," the background settings and the way everyone is dressed remind me of being a young kid growing up in New England.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
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There are a couple of versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, this one reminded me of the book when I first saw it. The Nuke and Tuttle took us all out to see a newer version at the movie theater a couple of years ago. I was hesitant at first, remembering the version I grew up with, but this one, simply titled The Grinch, was very good indeed. (This was back in 2018.)

I truly enjoyed it, which told me that I wasn't as much of a curmudgeon as I thought I was.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
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Last, and certainly not least, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation makes me roar with laughter every time I see it. Yeah, I had to use the photo of Cousin Eddie emptying the septic tank of his motor home, funniest thing ever captured on film. (At least top five.)

So, I hope your holiday season goes well and you find peace and comfort with loved ones (I include friends in that category).

What are your favorites?

Now in keeping with long standing Chant du Départ tradition, here's the video I put out every year. Yes, the season IS upon us. It IS that time of year. (The video is the thing I was forgetting, which I alluded to earlier.)

Be well.