If my wife's health issues aren't bad enough, some, 15 year old punk stole my car and ended up totaling it in a police chase. The car was a 2017 Hyundai Sonnata with only 20,000 miles on it. And about 8 car payments left. Making matters worse, I have about 2000 CDs, and listening to my music CDs made road trips more enjoyable. Now you can't find a new car with a CD player.
@ghostsofpompeii; That is horrible. I don't know which is worse; Having your car stolen and totaled or the fact that they don't put CD Players in the new models. Technology needs to make allowances for us senior citizens. I still have a flip phone and my pickup is a 2002 Tundra with 35,000 miles. I had the radio taken out and a CD player installed. My prayers are still with you and your bride.
@ghostsofpompeii Remember when every car made had a CD player built into the car radio? The real expensive ones even came with a 5-disc CD changer. Now just about every new car made comes with a "sound system" with Sirius XM radio built into it which only requires a subscription costing over $300 per year (at least that's what the spam email I keep getting says."
@PappyJoe I’m not sure if I get sone kind of deal since I have had XM for ~20 years, but I had (4) XM radios active and it didn’t cost me $300 per year. I recently suspended service on my Harley Road Glide, and my Jeep CJ5 so I only have (2) active now. (Not riding the Harley🥶, and the Jeep’s steering column is broken. I have the replacement painted, still need to install it. It’s not a one person job).🙁
@ghostsofpompeii My pickup has a cassette player, I never bought CD’s. I figured SD/USB memory were on the way, and they were. The aftermarket radio I installed in my Jeep has a USB port for memsticks (mp3’s). You could probably put those 1000 CD’s all on a single big memstick.
@RockyMountainBriar I may be just the package you have. I have the SiriusXM Platinum package on our Subaru (because that's the vehicle we travel in) and my annual subscription is $287 plus the music royalty fee of $61. The package I have includes all the channels available for auto plus all the additional channels they have that are available for computers and other devices. If I only used it in my Subaru, it would bee about half that cost.
Hey everyone! First, my deepest apologies for my very rare appearances.
I am doing well. Still enjoying my pipes almost each night in my garage. Life as a father of a three year old boy has been a blast, though definitely chaotic. Still, I couldn't be happier. It's been a very active year. My son was diagnosed with autism earlier in the year. My wife and I had suspected it, so it wasn't a surprise to me when he was diagnosed from his test. He's been a late bloomer in both walking and talking, but now we're just seeing his language grow and his love of life. He's started preschool, and he's made friends with his classmates.
I've been busy as well. I've been quite involved in my pipe band. This year, our band decided to start competing. I wasn't sure how well I would do, but I decided to participate. It was hard work, and at times I had to accept some tough love critiques. However, all of that paid off. Despite almost all of the members of my band being new competitors, we ended up in the top half of our first competition, 7th out of 16, and we were pumped. We trained hard for the second competition, and our work paid off. We got first place in our grade. Now, we're working hard to compete next year.
In other pipe stuff, I did go to the Chicago Pipe Show this year. A friend of mine flew in, and we went together. It was his first pipe show, and he had a wonderful time. At this time, we're both planning on going back again next year.
Here's the video of my pipe band's winning performance. I'm the guy with "the beard", and wear the tan flatcap at the beginning.
@thebadgerpiper Great to hear from you! The video was awesome, glad your still practicing both of your piping hobbies. No doubt you will be understanding and supportive of your sons challenges.
@thebadgerpiper great to see the update! Sounds like your plate is full, but your enjoying parenting and still managing to get a bit of time for yourself as well. Enjoy the youngster days. Everyone told me they go fast and I never believed it until I looked up and my youngest was half my height. Great video thanks for posting it. The band sounds great.
Tnx so much for checking in @thebadgerpiper So good to hear from you. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we will keep your family in our prayers... 🙏🏻
@thebadgerpiper Hey Greg, wonderful to see your name here. We all miss you but I understand. Been there, done that. Glad you didn't forget about us here.
Thank you all. It's good to be back. And good to see all of you here.
Of course, right after I made my post, something major happened. My son wasn't feeling well Monday night, so we put him to bed early when I made my post. Tuesday, my son remained a poor lump on the couch while I took care of a dentist appointment. He developed a fever, and hardly moved. That night, we checked his temperature, and it got all the way up to 105. We rushed him to the ER and spent the night getting him medication. For the rest of the work week, he would hit 104, we'd give him medication, and he'd become himself again for a few hours. Yet in time, the temperature would creep back up. On Friday, we took him to our pediatrician, where we found out that sometime after our ER visit, he developed an ear infection in his right ear.
We gave him the medicine (which was not easy, as the poor lad would thrash about), and finally, on Saturday morning, his temperature was back to normal. Needless to say, it's been a very stressful week. Tonight was the first time I got to enjoy a pipe since my post. I'm hoping tomorrow he'll be able to go to preschool and have a fun time.
@thebadgerpiper oh man, sorry to hear that. Those days/nights are tough. The joys of parenting. You not only deserve a pipe, you deserve a few days rest!
@thebadgerpiper I had an ear infection when I was a baby/toddler. In the 3rd grade the public school’s hearing tests found out the infection had made me partially deaf in my right ear. I couldn’t/can’t hear the top ~50% of average human frequencies with my right ear. Over the years, operating heavy equipment, shooting firearms, and loud music/tv has been a detriment the hearing in my left ear as well, it’s lost ~25% or more of the upper frequencies, and I have tinnitus in both ears. Bonus: Crickets don’t keep me awake, slightly off channel or weak audio static/hiss doesn’t bother me (so I’m told), and those pesky squeaks and high pitched noises emanating from a 30 year old pickup don’t exist. It’s like I have a new pickup, right?, unless I have a passenger.🙂
@thebadgerpiper; I remember those days and nights with our sick kids. No or little rest and worrying if we were doing the right thing(s) in terms of care. With grand kids the worry is even worse. The feeling of helplessness and not being there to help or advise. Trust in God, it will all work out, until the next time.
Thank you all so much. I truly thank you all for your comments, advice, and recollections. A lot of the time I feel like my wife and I look at each other and think “Are we doing this right?”
Yesterday was so rough. I think being sick so long left him discombobulated and a mess, so everything was setting him off. At least he is doing better today.
This picture is from Friday when he was still running a temperature. My wife spotted us and took a picture of us napping. It was a sweet moment
@thebadgerpiper Very happy to hear your all doing well again. Kids can definitely bring stress but y'all did everything right. Parenting is best judgement calls and that's the best you can do. Be blessed.
It’s been almost two weeks since I had a chance to enjoy a pipe. Been sick with the flu since last Wednesday, and then a wild and dismal cough since Sunday night. I look forward to being well again one day.
My mother told me you get sick from going outside with your hair wet. Then, I learned in school that colds are caused by micro-organisms. After ordination, I learned that colds are caused by Bar Mitzvah students.
Well, I have another job. Like I have said, there are not many in my line of work. I had to take another $5/hr. wage cut, and obviously I had to start over, so I also lost two weeks of vacation. Only one week per year, then two after 13 months, and three weeks after five years….not gonna make it. I really need some lotto money. This starting over is getting old, every time I think I’ll get ahead, I get kicked in the nuts and have to start over. Why are we here on this earth, I don’t see the reason?
Very sorry @RockyMountainBriar it sucks. I've been through it a few times and I get it. It's worse when you get older too. You will come out ahead you just don't see it yet but you will.
Comments
I hope it's nothing more than that. He's such a talented and vital part of this site, I for one miss him.
That is horrible. I don't know which is worse; Having your car stolen and totaled or the fact that they don't put CD Players in the new models. Technology needs to make allowances for us senior citizens. I still have a flip phone and my pickup is a 2002 Tundra with 35,000 miles. I had the radio taken out and a CD player installed. My prayers are still with you and your bride.
That’s a whole lotta “El Sucko” right there.
@ghostsofpompeii
@RockyMountainBriar is right. Reminds me of an old saying: "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all".
🙏🏻
Sorry to hear about the car. You can transfer your CDs to digital and stream them to just about any speakers.
@KA9FFJ
That line was from the song "Born Under a Bad Sign". Goggle played me a live version on YouTube earlier this evening!
Remember when every car made had a CD player built into the car radio? The real expensive ones even came with a 5-disc CD changer.
Now just about every new car made comes with a "sound system" with Sirius XM radio built into it which only requires a subscription costing over $300 per year (at least that's what the spam email I keep getting says."
I’m not sure if I get sone kind of deal since I have had XM for ~20 years, but I had (4) XM radios active and it didn’t cost me $300 per year. I recently suspended service on my Harley Road Glide, and my Jeep CJ5 so I only have (2) active now. (Not riding the Harley🥶, and the Jeep’s steering column is broken. I have the replacement painted, still need to install it. It’s not a one person job).🙁
My pickup has a cassette player, I never bought CD’s. I figured SD/USB memory were on the way, and they were. The aftermarket radio I installed in my Jeep has a USB port for memsticks (mp3’s). You could probably put those 1000 CD’s all on a single big memstick.
I may be just the package you have. I have the SiriusXM Platinum package on our Subaru (because that's the vehicle we travel in) and my annual subscription is $287 plus the music royalty fee of $61.
The package I have includes all the channels available for auto plus all the additional channels they have that are available for computers and other devices. If I only used it in my Subaru, it would bee about half that cost.
I am doing well. Still enjoying my pipes almost each night in my garage. Life as a father of a three year old boy has been a blast, though definitely chaotic. Still, I couldn't be happier. It's been a very active year. My son was diagnosed with autism earlier in the year. My wife and I had suspected it, so it wasn't a surprise to me when he was diagnosed from his test. He's been a late bloomer in both walking and talking, but now we're just seeing his language grow and his love of life. He's started preschool, and he's made friends with his classmates.
I've been busy as well. I've been quite involved in my pipe band. This year, our band decided to start competing. I wasn't sure how well I would do, but I decided to participate. It was hard work, and at times I had to accept some tough love critiques. However, all of that paid off. Despite almost all of the members of my band being new competitors, we ended up in the top half of our first competition, 7th out of 16, and we were pumped. We trained hard for the second competition, and our work paid off. We got first place in our grade. Now, we're working hard to compete next year.
In other pipe stuff, I did go to the Chicago Pipe Show this year. A friend of mine flew in, and we went together. It was his first pipe show, and he had a wonderful time. At this time, we're both planning on going back again next year.
Here's the video of my pipe band's winning performance. I'm the guy with "the beard", and wear the tan flatcap at the beginning.
Great to hear from you! The video was awesome, glad your still practicing both of your piping hobbies. No doubt you will be understanding and supportive of your sons challenges.
Your son will have challenges, but he has a great father, and you will get through through them together.
So good to hear from you. I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say we will keep your family in our prayers...
🙏🏻
Hey Greg, wonderful to see your name here. We all miss you but I understand. Been there, done that. Glad you didn't forget about us here.
Of course, right after I made my post, something major happened. My son wasn't feeling well Monday night, so we put him to bed early when I made my post. Tuesday, my son remained a poor lump on the couch while I took care of a dentist appointment. He developed a fever, and hardly moved. That night, we checked his temperature, and it got all the way up to 105. We rushed him to the ER and spent the night getting him medication. For the rest of the work week, he would hit 104, we'd give him medication, and he'd become himself again for a few hours. Yet in time, the temperature would creep back up. On Friday, we took him to our pediatrician, where we found out that sometime after our ER visit, he developed an ear infection in his right ear.
We gave him the medicine (which was not easy, as the poor lad would thrash about), and finally, on Saturday morning, his temperature was back to normal. Needless to say, it's been a very stressful week. Tonight was the first time I got to enjoy a pipe since my post. I'm hoping tomorrow he'll be able to go to preschool and have a fun time.
I had an ear infection when I was a baby/toddler. In the 3rd grade the public school’s hearing tests found out the infection had made me partially deaf in my right ear. I couldn’t/can’t hear the top ~50% of average human frequencies with my right ear. Over the years, operating heavy equipment, shooting firearms, and loud music/tv has been a detriment the hearing in my left ear as well, it’s lost ~25% or more of the upper frequencies, and I have tinnitus in both ears.
Bonus: Crickets don’t keep me awake, slightly off channel or weak audio static/hiss doesn’t bother me (so I’m told), and those pesky squeaks and high pitched noises emanating from a 30 year old pickup don’t exist. It’s like I have a new pickup, right?, unless I have a passenger.🙂
I remember those days and nights with our sick kids. No or little rest and worrying if we were doing the right thing(s) in terms of care. With grand kids the worry is even worse. The feeling of helplessness and not being there to help or advise. Trust in God, it will all work out, until the next time.
Yesterday was so rough. I think being sick so long left him discombobulated and a mess, so everything was setting him off. At least he is doing better today.
This picture is from Friday when he was still running a temperature. My wife spotted us and took a picture of us napping. It was a sweet moment
Very happy to hear your all doing well again. Kids can definitely bring stress but y'all did everything right. Parenting is best judgement calls and that's the best you can do. Be blessed.
🙏🏻
Then, I learned in school that colds are caused by micro-organisms.
After ordination, I learned that colds are caused by Bar Mitzvah students.
That is so true. It don't cost nothing to be nice.