PART OF SOMETHING GREATER

Each day we invest our energy and our lives into making widgets, selling widgets, servicing widgets and providing for the needs of those who work with widgets.  The widget is whatever you make or sell or service, in other words, what you do for a living.

When we focus on these activities, we develop a kind of tunnel vision and our view of the world is quite small.  Please, do not misunderstand me, making a living, supporting yourself and your family is very important, but each of us needs to be part of something larger.

Some seek to broaden their horizon through organized faith and religion while others thorough service organizations, military service, working for the good of our communities or even joining social clubs.  Each of us need to become a part of something larger, no matter how small the part we play may be.

As you walk along the beach that is life, may your footprints, your legacy, leave a lasting impression and not be like those along the water’s edge, washed away with the next tide.

All I know is what I read in the papers

Good Evening all,

I have not attended a Jeff Co PUD Commission meeting since I lost the election but have been following it in the Leader.  It has been an interesting read.

I see that there will be a new candidate seeking a seat at that table, will be an interesting campaign, I might just attend a few of the meet and greets to what happens.

Meanwhile, my duties as a Hospital Commissioner are keeping me busy as is my "day job" at Arrow Lumber and Hardware located just south of Port Townsend.

See you around, maybe at the farmer's market
Tony

Tis the season

Good Morning all,

As the holiday approaches, finding that perfect gift, the parties and preparing the great feast are first and foremost in our minds. Please, however, take a moment to remember what is really important. It is not the price of the gift that makes it special, it is the love in which it is wrapped, not the gourmet quality of the meal, but with whom you break bread that makes it a memorable event.

If you are blessed with family and friends, please let them know how much they mean to you, this season and all seasons. The worth of a man or woman is not measured by the money in their pocket but by the love in their heart, shared freely, without expectation, that measures their true wealth.

Let's share this wealth of love with those close to us and the new friends who we have not yet met.

CHUCK IS BACK!!

Chuck is back!!!

Chuck Russell, my friend and fellow Hospital Commissioner, is on the mend and had one of his first public outings today at the Valley Tavern, the business he owns.  It was good to see the spark back in his eyes again.  He told us all how badly he feels that someone lost their life in the accident, something he says he will carry with him for the rest of his life.

I am looking forward to working again with Chuck on the Hospital Board for the rest of his current term and THE NEXT 6 YEAR TERM!!  We have missed his wisdom, his quick wit and the way he quickly glean through the mass of information presented to find the correct course to of action to take.

He still has much to offer our Hospital Board and to those he serves, the residents of Eastern Jefferson County.  His common sense approach and honest willingness to serve his community has been a great asset to Jefferson County Public Hospital District #2 during his term as OUR Hospital Commissioner.

I would hope that you would VOTE to allow Chuck Russell to continue to serve our community as OUR HOSPITAL COMMISSIONER, but, what really matters is that you VOTE, make your voice heard!!!

Welcome Back Chuck!!

This was my 5th and probably last race for 2015. My times have gotten progressively better for each race. This time out, my average was 17.74 minutes per mile. Wouldn't even register on a "real" runners scorecard, but for me, that is pretty cool.

I do not compete with the others in the race, I only compete with myself, trying be a little better this time than the last. To me, at 66 years old, just starting the race makes me a winner, finishing just confirms that we can accomplish things that we did not think possible.

During the race, I had a bit of time to think about many things. The sun was warm, the shade provided a bit of cooling, the breeze refreshed me and the scenery was terrific.

I thought about a very deer friend of mine recuperating from injuries he received in a recent traffic accident.

Other thoughts kept arising, thoughts about those wonderful, motivated young men and women who commit to serving their, and our, county in the armed forces. Far too many of them, as a result of their sacrifice, cannot do what I was doing today, not for lack of courage and determination, but due to injuries received in combat. Many do still compete, on prosthetic limbs, in wheel chairs, they still compete and are the true champions!!

If you have not been in a race, you should think about it. This is a great way to challenge yourself, improve your health and maybe, just maybe, add a year or two to your life. But, please remember, do a bit of training first. If you have never done long distance walking or running, get some advise on how to avoid injuries.

Must admit, moving a bit slowly tonight, maybe a new ache there or pain there, but, as they say, no pain....

End of another summer but not the list

Good Evening all,

As the last warm days of summer turn into the fall's cooler prelude to winter's icy grasp, I was reviewing my list of the fun things that I will do this summer. 

As I look at the long list, a list with very few mission accomplished check marks, I wondered why, with an entire summer, that I did not do more of the fun stuff.  Simple answer, I let life get in the way, you know, mow the lawn, fix the step, mow the lawn again, the stuff the we let get in our way.  I have been accused of, from time to time, taking the easy path in my personal live, not forgoing  the dreaded to-do list, the responsibilities that come with being a grown-up.

I had made myself a promise that this summer would be different, that I would do a bunch of fun stuff, the things on my summer list.  It seems that  it is much easier to keep a promise to others than it is to yourself.  I told myself that this summer would be different, and I believed myself.

Taking another look at the list for 2015, so many items looked familiar.  They are!!  They are carry-overs from 2014, 2013, 2012 and so on.  Not big things like a trip to the Bahamas, things like going to a movie at our local drive-in theater (yes, we still have one, the Wheel-In Theater.  And then there was a day trip to a west coast ocean beach, like Kalalock (yes, that is how it is spelled).  A picnic under a shady tree followed by a brief nap, falling asleep watching the clouds drift by through the tree branches. 

These were such simple expectations of new summer memories created, most costing no more that a few gallons of gas and a home-made sandwich.

Can I believe myself when I say that the summer of 2016 will be different, that I will diligently work my way down that fun stuff list, enjoying making those check marks?  Then a moment of stark reality stuck me.  I may have squandered away my last summer on this earth, there may not be a summer of 2016 for me, but I hope there will be.  Maybe the spirits of summers past will haunt me this night. Why not, worked for Scrooge!

I truly hope that you had more success doing all the fun things that you had planned for 2015.  Well, there may still be a few nice days left, let's all get out there and have some fun
Have a good evening and a fun tomorrow!!
Tony

Thank you all

Thank all of you who supported me in last year's campaign for the Jefferson County PUD Commission.  I am now blogging at a new site, based on my  home-based lawn mower and small engine repair business that I have started.

You can view that site at:   http://tonyssmallenginerepair.blogspot.com/

Thanks again
Tony

Thank you

Thank all of you who followed and supported my campaign for the PUD Commission post.  Thank you to you have continued to follow me even after the election.  On June 12, 2015, I will be unplugging this blog and associated Gmail account.

I now have a new Gmail account,  tonys.small.engine.repair98339@gmail.com (notice the periods between tonys  .  small  .  engine  .  repair), associated with my start up small engine repair business, Tony's Small Engine Repair and I will be doing a blog at that address as well.

Tony

Still Here

Good Evening all,

I am surprised that people are still looking at my election blog.  Thank you all!!!  I will try to put something profound, profane, or just plain funny here soon.
Thanks
Tony

In retrospect

I just finished, finally, clearing out the last of the Emails from my campaign for the PUD Commission. 

Do I have any regrets?  Yes, I regret that I did not start my campaign sooner, that I let my commitment to making our community a better place take over. Oh, and by the way, I regret that I lost the election, in case you were wondering.

Did I learn anything from the experience?  Yes, that our community has changed in so many ways, that wanting to serve your community and having the relevant experience will no longer get you elected.  I approached it as if I were applying for a job, the perceived the process.  I see now that getting elected to a local office is now all about politics.  Rather sad, isn't it?!!

Anyway, I am older and, I hope, wiser from the experience.

Thanks again to those of you who voted for me and those who supported my campaign efforts.
Enjoy the rest of your week
Tony

Thougth for the day

We may not be as young as we once were, but we are as young now as we will ever be. Ponder that, seize the moment, do great things, do fun stuff, but do something!!!

Good Evening,
Another day has ended.  Did you invest this limited resource well?  Did you laugh, experience love, help someone, lift a spirit, share a smile?  Did you accomplish something on your bucket list?

Tomorrow you will have one less day to accomplish all you want to do in this life .  When you rise tomorrow, please keep this in mind as you put together your "to do" list.

A friend once asked me "if you had only one week to live, what would you do?'.  I answered him "say good-bye".  I asked him "what would you do if you had only one year to live?'  The list of things started coming.  We both realized that one week was really not long enough to make a difference but, with a year, the possibilities are endless. 

Please do not spend tomorrow as if you had an endless supply of tomorrows.
Tony

The Seahawks are the true winners

Coach Carroll praised his team, and even praised New England's Malcolm Butler's play, but never threw anyone under the bus.  He took the blame, took the hit, and, passed on the praise to his team.

If courage, grace, sportsmanship and honor would have decided the outcome of Sunday's game, the Hawks would be going to Disney World.

The Seattle Seahawks are a team we can be proud of, an example teamwork, self-sacrifice and determination, the way sports should be played and how life should be lived.

Fixing cloudy headlights with toothpaste???

I saw the video below and, yeah, right, like that would work.  Curiosity got the best of me and I tried it this morning.  I did two applications, didn’t spread it around first as in the video, but put a glob in the middle and spread it around with a clean rag.  Rinsed it off and, well, what can I say, it worked great, and cheap, my kind of fix.  This not only clears the headlights, it leaves them minty fresh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4Ffx5epIMk

Here’s to better night vision!

Tony

The word of the day is   B E L I E V E

Coach Carroll believed, Russell Wilson believed, The Seahawks believed and the 12^th man believed.  When you truly believe, nothing is impossible. 

Believe in yourself and nothing is impossible!!!

Honey, can you fix this?? (!!!!)

These few words can bring fear to the stoutest male heart.  The discussion continues with "it is really a simple thing, should only take a few minutes", at which point that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach takes hold.   You know that the rest of this day is now committed and this mission may, and probably will, carry over into tomorrow. 

Being handy at fixing things can be valuable talent, but you must remember to keep the full extent of your capabilities from your most frequent "customer", your wife or significant other.  It can be rewarding to bring that what-cha-ma-call-it back to life and see that expression of approval and appreciation on her face, something the frail-male ego desperately seeks.

Some men, so endowed with the fix-it gene, have had the good sense to keep this ability to themselves.  Some have even gone so far as to dumb down their repair efforts to the point of asking her "which end of the screwdriver do I hold".  Smart move, you will now officially be removed from her speed-dial, at least for repair projects.

And there are the kids, and especially the grandkids.  Something that will melt the heart of even an old bridge troll like me are the words "PaPa fix?" in that small, quivering voice of a child whose complex electronic toy that is no longer doing their bidding.

You take it in hand with confidence, only allowing your mind to consider the universal fix in such situations, the batteries.  Deep in your heart, you know that the technology of this talking, walking zombie space minion is far beyond what you can master with a pair of pliers and three pound sledge hammer.  You must, however, continue your efforts toward resuscitating this high tech toy, not wanting to disappoint your grandson or granddaugher.

I grew up fixing and building things, something, I am sure, must be genetic as all of the men in my family have been so blessed (or cursed).  I am one of those who actually finds fulfillment and, dare I say, pleasure, in repairing and building things for my family.  So the Sea Hawks are marching toward the Super Bowl, there was that chair, you know the one, the one with three legs,  that has been hibernating in the garage since, ahhh, just let me measure the depth of dust that has accumulated on it.  Hmmmm, its been that long, Hummmm.

Anyway, I have finished two "Honey-Do" projects, I just checked the clock and it is (Yeah!!) Oly-thirty, the universal start time for happy hour.  Sitting here, with my favorite beverage in my left hand (I am actually right-handed, but one misdirected hammer blow has temporarily rendered me a "lefty").

Tomorrow is another day
"The sun will come out, tomorrow"  (where the heck did that come from??)  Oh, yes, the beverage.
Tony

Good Evening All,

Today, among my other tasks, I delivered my "letter of interest" to our PUD.  This is to offer my services on the PUD Citizen's Advisory Board.  Even though I lost the election, I still want to see our PUD succeed while still making arrangements for our less fortunate neighbors this winter.  The "letters" were due by January 15, so I was ahead of the game.

Now to see if I can serve in this capacity, it is up to the Commissioners now.
Have a great day tomorrow!
Tony

Excuses are easy, commitment is hard

I had signed up for the New Year’s Discovery 5k run/walk for today.  Over the last couple of days, a middle ear problem has resulted in some dizziness and vertigo.  When I got up this morning, the first day of a new year, I decided that I just wasn’t up to the event.  I emailed the organizer and advised them.

A bit later, after some reflection, I decided that, with the New Year, things in my life must change, that I would no longer accept excuses from myself.  I went, I did the 5K and am glad I did.  I wasn’t fast nor was I slow, I was somewhere in the between, you know, half-fast.

Life is too short to accept excuses for not doing something you want to do.  Excuses can come from yourself and, sometimes, even from someone else.   Regardless, I will no longer take the easy way out.   As John Kennedy said, September 12, 1962: 

"We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

I will never make it to the moon, but there are challenges for me out there, and within, and I will face them with the same determination.

May you make this New Year your best year ever, as I plan to do.

Tony

On the road again (for the first time)

While many of you will be watching ball games or recovering from the night before, I will be in my very first ever organized race, the New Years Discovery 5K / 10K.  As I have no experience or training, my first time out will be for the 5K.  This will be start at the Discovery Bay Golf Course, January 1, 11AM.

Link with info:

http://www.ptguide.com/pt-events/icalrepeat.detail/2015/01/01/83625/49/new-years-discovery-10k-run-a-5k-walk

I have an “unofficial” list of New Year’s resolutions and participating in such events, as a runner (actually walker), was one of the ones at the top of the list.  I am sure that, during this event, I will learn what I am doing wrong and I hope that others that are well versed in such activities will give me some pointers.

As a member of the board for Jefferson Healthcare, an organization committed to a healthy community, I decided it was time for me to walk the walk.  I hope that, if a novice like me, 65 years old and packing an extra pound or two (or more), can join in, maybe it will inspire others to get out there and exercise.

At the end of the race, we will learn if the story of the tortoise and the hare is just a myth.

Weather report warns of a chilly morning, so I plan to add an extra layer of clothing to find off the cold. 

Stay warm and, if you have an extra few dollars, please consider contributing to our PUD’s Power Boost Program and share the warmth this winter.

Thanks

Tony

Best customer service ever!!

When I work on lawn mowers and other small engine equipment, I buy my parts from Tulsa Engine Warehouse (http://tewarehouse.com/Catalog) and I have consistently received the best customer service and support I have ever had.  They sell high quality products and parts at very competitive prices, frequently beating all the competition’s.

If you need mower parts, this is the place to go.

Tony