Scattered Thoughts . . .

I received the latest issue of Model Railroader magazine yesterday...   both in print and digitally through Zinio (I love my magazines in digital format through Zinio for use on my Kindle Fire...  more on that in another blog entry)...   and I came across an article about the recently renovated and restored Waterbury Train Station! I had created a painting of this beautiful train station right after it was restored.  This truly is an historic and beautiful train station.  Now, it is being featured in Model Railroader magazine.  They even included scaled drawings of the train station for those modelers who desire to model this historic building. It is always nice to see a local landmark in a national publication!  For those train and model railroading enthusiasts, pick up the June issue of Model Railroader magazine!

Just thought I would post a couple of sailing videos which I felt were entertaining and do a good job at conveying the exhilarating excitement of sailing. This first video is of a guy who went on a 2000 km trek over the course of 36 days, alone in a small racing sailboat...  the Laser.  A lonely adventure but, man, can that Laser move!  Great video! Laser2 sailing 2000km,36 days Slovenia-Albania-Slovenia from igor Stropnik on Vimeo . The next video is of guy sailing a Sunfish sailboat (the slightly bigger brother of my own Minifish sailboat) in cold weather on a very windy day.  Exciting video! You can really see how physically demanding sailing can be even on a very small sailboat.  I am really looking forward to getting back out on our sailboat with my new little waterproof camera!

Ever since my health problems started, I have been carrying a cellphone wherever I go.  I rarely use it socially but have needed it to call 9-1-1 for myself far too many times. Today I have even more health complications and need to stay close to help.  This poses a problem while we are at the lake house because there is absolutely no wireless service anywhere near the lake.  The lake is still close to one of our local hospitals so, geographically, there is no major problem.  So, what is the solution for effective communication in case I need help in this relatively remote area?  Or, what if Sheila or Adam need help while out hiking, biking, kayaking or sailing? Radios. Before cellphones became 'mainstream' for families, you would often see families using small walkie talkies at amusement parks and other places families frequent.  Those were decent radios but they were nothing like some of the radios which are available today. Much of our activities at the lake invo

It is time to start getting the boats ready for another summer season.   In particular, we are really looking forward to getting back out on the sailboat.  There is nothing like silently and quickly skimming across waves...  being splashed and sprayed...  trying to coordinate fighting the rudder to keep it where it needs to be with one hand while hanging onto the tugging mainsheet with the other...   your grip on the mainsheet and arm aching while your stomach muscles are straining as you lean far off the boat with your feet hooked under the hiking strap trying with all your might to not only keep your own balance but to keep the boat from capsizing...  what an exhilarating sport!  Meanwhile, your family and friends watching you from shore just see your sailboat cruising smoothly off in the distance instead of fully understanding the exhilarating struggle between you and forces of nature as you zip across the water.  The gusting wind is pushing and tugging...  the water is pounding the

After having a few rather lousy days, I am finally having a fairly productive morning for a change.  I have already been outside for an hour or more working in the yard. Last night was quite miserable...  some gastrointestinal problems, weak, dizzy and vision so blurry that I could not see a thing...  no reading...   no computers or media...  even watching television was difficult. I suppose I could have just sat around with headphones listening to music but, I must admit, although I am a musician, I quickly get bored with that.  It's sort of a "been there, done that" kind of thing.  Maybe it is just boredom...   after doing absolutely nothing for days (and the better part of this year so far), I need more to satisfy me...  I need "information"...  I need "learning"...  I need stimulation. Many musicians would say that music is  stimulation...  many musicians would say that playing music relaxes them... etc.  Over the course of four decades, I h

It doesn't happen often but, every now and then I awake in the middle of an episode of anaphylaxis.  Sometimes the episode can be rather violent.  Sometimes it is relatively mild.  Regardless, it always leaves me exhausted, weak, shakey and in a bit of pain.  This is no way to awake in the morning! These episodes can happen anytime but usually occur while I'm awake.  While awake, I usually have some warning signs that anaphylaxis is approaching so I often have a fighting chance at minimizing its effects with emergency medications.  My warning signs often include feeling lightheaded, difficulty breathing and my legs become exceptionally weak.  These symptoms are the result of my blood pressure crashing. Typically, if I feel these symptoms coming on, I will pull out my epinephrine and some other medications reserved for emergencies.  When this happens, I know I must quickly find a place to get off my feet before I end up being a heap on the floor gasping for air.  Lying down

As if living with an incurable, life-threatening rare illness is not enough, those of us with Systemic Mastocytosis must also endure a constant barrage of secondary illnesses.  These secondary illnesses alone are enough to scare the daylights out of any healthy person.  Combine these secondary problems with our primary illness and it seems as though we are being bombarded heavily from all sides.  "Duck and cover" does not work here.  We must face this barrage boldly, come to terms with it, accept it, and then, while still struggling with our primary illness compounded by secondary problems, we must quickly and effectively address the problems encountered by the barrage of secondary illnesses. For me, the barrage of secondary problems has always included neurological symptoms likened to those experienced by multiple sclerosis patients.  I suffer from debilitating bone and joint pain as a resultant effect of my primary illness.  I have transient vision issues.  I have transie

A few weeks ago, a large tree in our backyard broke at the base of its trunk.  The tree fell onto an equally as large and mostly dead tree, leaning dangerously toward our house. If this large tree had fallen on our house, at least half of our house would have been flattened especially if both trees had fallen together.  Since both trees were now leaning precariously toward our house and are located only a few feet from the back of the house, we decided it would be best to call in a tree service to drop these two trees as well as two other dead trees. Lately, we have been outside cleaning up what remains of this project whenever the weather has been favorable, or perhaps I should say "cooperative".  As usual, the Vermont weather has been alternating, within hours, between sunny days in the 70s and snowy, frigid days in the 20s. Before we could even start on this project, my chainsaw needed some much needed work.  Other than needing to replace the chain, the saw really