No Christmas Turkey

While I was outside at Michele's house trying to walk off my second Christmas meal at a second house Michele's daughter saw the eagle and told me about it. I always carry a camera (a habit from my old newspaper photographer days in PA) so I grabbed it and got these pictures. I watched the eagle fly around the area and snapped a few more of him in flight that are really cool cool.

I hope everyone had a Great Christmas and enjoyed time with their families. I called my family and talked to them for quite a while in between stops at friends houses.

Holiday Wishes

I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. I hope you all are safe and enjoy the holidays with friends and family. I will be spending the holidays with a few friends in Helena because all my family lives in Pennsylvania. I haven't visited my family in a few years so I think I will try and visit them in the coming year. I gave Michele the week off because her brother and his family are here for the Holiday's this year. They did visit about 5 years ago in the summer, but this is the first family holiday for them in 13 years. I, myself will be visiting Michele and her family along with other friends in the Helena area and I'm gonna eat all the turkey I can and even some ham too.
I love the Holiday's but being single and kid less I don't have all the excitement of my own family traditions, but my adopted families out here are fun and I share in their traditions. To Michele's two daughter's I am the cool uncle that's there if they need help with their cars, or a few bucks for gas. My friends Vicki & Di are awesome and we do alot of home improvements together and I always get them some cool gag gifts for Christmas and they always threaten to shoot me because of them.
I talked to my mother this past weekend and her, my father, and bother are all going to my sister's house for Christmas. I will call them there and see what Santa brought them. I also have a niece there that will probably make out like a bandit. I usually buy myself all the things that I want for Christmas. My friends here will ask me what I want, but after I tell them I usually go buy it, so they don't have too. I know it's not the best thing to do but I would rather them spend it on their family. I do get gifts from them anyway. I enjoying just being around them for the Holiday's.
Again I wish All of you a safe and Happy Holiday Season.

More Snow and Sub Zero Temps

It seems that old man winter is giving us another taste of winter. We are having our first day above zero since last Friday, and I heard on the news last night that we are getting more snow and sub zero temps again tomorrow night. I Can't wait. Sometimes in the winter I've been known to wear shorts and a sweatshirt around here. Last weeks weather got me getting all the extension cords gathered up in order to plug the trucks in. I also picked up a bunch of ISO Heet to keep in both vehicles. Growing up in Western Pennsylvania I was used to having some snow, but never minus 20 temps. The Winter of 1998, my first in Montana was an eye opener. The truck I drove out here didn't have a block heater in it because We didn't use them in Pennsylvania. I had no clue what they were until one sub zero day I went to start my truck and it barely turned over and didn't start. After getting a magnetic oil pan heater and letting it heat my engine for a day the truck started. I still have that oil pan heater today. Now I use it for heating my motorcycles up. I had driven a Montana purchased truck back to Pennsylvania and my friends would ask me about the "Cord" sticking out of my grill. When I told them what it's for, they couldn't believe it.
It sounds like we are going to have a cold and white Christmas and that's alright by me. Now all I have to do is start my Christmas shopping soon. I'll probably get it all done on Christmas Eve.

Man Vs. Food

I was in Helena Sunday evening enjoying a homemade pasty dinner at Michele's and after dinner we were watching The Travel Channel when the Show "Man Vs. Food" came on. In this episode they were in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; my old stomping ground before relocating to Montana. They showed some cool places that I had eaten at before, but the best one was Quaker Steak & Lube. It was awesome. I had just written a blog post here about and then I watch it on TV. Here is the link if you want to check out the places for some good food. http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Man_v_Food/ci.Pittsburgh.show?vgnextfmt=show Cool. After watching the show I wanted to go on their website and order some sauce. I haven't yet, but I plan to get myself some Christmas sauces. The bad thing is that after I get some sauces I'm going to start craving other foods that I miss like the Original "Coney Island" for the best Hot Dogs on the east Coast, "Villa Nova Inn" for awesome Italian Cavatelli, "Bills Sandwich Shop" for chili cheese fries, "De Rosa's Bakery" for Italian Wedding Cookies, The "Hill House Inn" for Italian wedding soup, and "Handle's Homemade Ice Cream" to name just a few. I'm trying to get my friend Brian to send me some Chili Sauce, but I don't how I should ship fresh chili? any idea's?

Hibernating

I guess it's getting that time of year to put the bike away for the winter. although I have been known in the past to ride throughout the winter, but I think I'm going to take this winter off.....Maybe.
It seems that motorcycles have always been a part of my life. I can remember one time when I was 7 riding through the woods near my parents house in Pennsylvania and brushing past a Crab Apple tree and getting a 2 inch thorn stuck in my finger. As I raced back to the house crying I managed to lose control of the bike, run through a fence and over my younger sister Mundy. Fortunately everyone survived, and we all continued to ride til this day. When I got older and got a street bike my mother and I rode all the time. My Father had a Harley and we all rode together touring Western Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
In August 1989 my mother and I were riding and had made plans to meet my father and a few of his Harley buddies for dinner at a local restaurant. That didn't happen. My mother and I were on a back road when a Ryder Moving truck crossed the center line and hit us with the outside mirror of the truck. It knocked my mother off the back of the bike and sent me fishtailing off the side of the road and then over the handlebars. Luckily we were both wearing helmets and leather. The only protection I wasn't wearing was gloves and I paid the price. I don't remember anything about the accident. but I was told that I slid down the edge of the road for about 50ft. on the front of my helmet. The first thing I remember was hearing my mother screaming. I got up and tried to find her when a person grabbed me and was trying to see if I was alright. I didn't notice the blood, or feel the pain in my hands, but when I got to my mother there was someone there with her. An Older couple were out in their garden when they heard the sound of the crash and came running over. We were both hurt and worried about each other, but didn't know what happened until the gentleman told us we had been hit by a moving truck. The lady had gone back to her house and called 911 and an ambulance was on it's way. My mother seemed okay accept she couldn't move her arm, but she wasn't. We asked the gentleman to call the restaurant and tell my father what had happened and to meet us at the hospital. My mother ended up with a shattered wrist and had to have 5 pins in her arm until it healed and 3 skin grafts to replace the skin she lost. I ended up with a combined 14 stitches in the palms of my hands. One of the things that saved my life the Doctor said was that I was wearing a full-face helmet. He said that if I would have had an open-face helmet and slid down the road 50ft I would have had no chin and probably bled to death. WOOHOO! thank god for me buying a KIWI full face helmet.
The cool thing was that the day my mother got released from the hospital she came home and she wanted us to go get new leathers, GLOVES, and helmets on my motorcycle, and we did. I guess it was quite a sight seeing a woman in a sling with pins in her arm on the back of the motorcycle. She still rides today.
February 2, 1994 is a day that changed my life. It had snow about 6 inches over night and I decided I would ride my motorcycle to work instead of my 4X4 truck. Not a good idea. I ended up sliding of the road and injuring my back. I ended up with a pinched cyactic nerve in my left leg and 2 herniated discs in my lower back. 10 months of psychical therapy, nerve blocks, EEG's and MRI's the doctor's decided the treatment wasn't working and the herniation's were getting worse, so they wanted to operate. November 4 was the operation and it was a success. When I awoke after the surgery I had Montana on my mind. How it got there I still don't know. Were the doctor's talking about "Joe Montana" or the State? Who knows. When my parents called my room at the hospital to tell me they were on their way to get me I told them to bring an atlas. When I got the atlas I opened it to Montana and told my parents I wanted to go to Montana. Their reaction was like everyone else's that I told that to in Pennsylvania, "Yeah, Right".
It took until October 12, 1998 after my sister's wedding when I quit my job, packed up my truck and headed out here to Big Sky Country. In April 1998 I began talking to a woman in Kalispell named Michele. Yes, the same Michele that is my best friend here today. I had talked to her and her parents and they said I could stay with them once I got out here until I got settled in. So with that I headed out west not knowing anything about Montana, and the rest they say is history.
Now because of the motorcycle, I am now in Montana. It's not a bad thing. I have to say the best ride I've taken here was a trip to Glacier National Park on the fourth of July. I rode one of my bikes, Michele rode her own, and a friend, Doug rode my other bike. It was a great trip, we all enjoyed ourselves.

Christmas Cards

It's that time of year when I have to try and remember the address of my friends and relatives in Pennsylvania. I remember my Parents because they've lived in the same house since I was 10. I usually remember my sisters, but sometimes I forget if she lives on a street, avenue, or blvd. I always have to call mom and ask. I always have to call my friends and get their addresses because I never save the paper I wrote them on from year to year.
Here in Montana it's easy because I only have about 5 people that I know that I give Christmas Cards too. I know it sounds bad, been in Montana for 10 years and only see about 5 people on weekends that are friends. Although since starting this blog I have upped the people I talk with to 7. Michele keeps telling me that I need to get out and meet people here in Great Falls. All I usually do after work is either go home and fiddle around my house, do some geocaching, and maybe take my motorcycle for a ride. Michele has a teenage daughter at home in Helena so she goes home and cleans. Maybe I'll work on that sometime.
As for Christmas cards, I always buy two kinds. One set that has a little religiousness to it, and the other has just a happy holiday statement. I try to send out my cards in early December so they have time to get to Pennsylvania. Sometimes it seems to take forever for mail to get there. It seems every year I remember an old friend that I haven't talked to in years that I send a card to. I'm sure some of them are very surprised. Also I'm not big on writing in cards, or postcards if I send them. I usually just sign my name and send it off. Hey, they should be happy that I send one and even signed it. My mommy says sometimes she would like me to write "Miss You", "I'm Having Fun" or even "Thinking Of You" on the cards. Sometime I do, just to surprise her.
This year I might try something new. If anyone who reads this wants me to send them a signed Christmas card, email your address to me and I'll send you a card.
As for decorating my house, I'm not going to do much. I'm single so no family is going to be here and I'm not home on the weekends. I will be in Helena with friends for Christmas so there is no use having a tree to maintain here.
As I mentioned in my last post, I went to Helena to help my friends Vicki, and Di with decorations but ended up building a cornice over their sliding door. My parents used to own a small lumber/craft mill and ever since I mentioned this to Di many years ago she always recruits me for all their woodworking projects. I've crafted quite a few things for them and now that Michele has seen some of them she says I need to make a few selves for her. Di and I are kinda like the handyman and woman. We've helped many of their neighbors with alot of repairs. We've even done done plumbing and some home leveling for their neighbor Carrie. Oh Yeah, both Vicki & Di are manger's of a small mobile home court in Helena so we've fixed many things. Sometimes I feel like "Schiender" on "One Day At A Time" for those of you who remember that TV Show, but without the mustache. Michele thinks I should be quite a "Catch" because I'm very handy around the house, but for some reason I'm still single...Imagine That. I guess I'm just used to being by myself and enjoying my space. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy spending time with my friends and adventuring around Montana, but love to have my space at the end of the day. I guess it could change someday, but not in the foreseeable future.

The Stroll & Tree

Well we had a good time at the Christmas Stroll. Above is a picture of the tree at the Civic Center taken with my iphone because my batteries were dead in my digital. Now I'm just stilling at work waiting for the day to be done so I can get to Helena and help my friends.

Christmas Stroll & Shopping

Friday is upon us which means there are only two more Friday's 'til Christmas! Damn, I better get my happy butt in gear and start shopping. Tonight Michele and I are heading to the Christmas stroll after we close up shop. I've never been to the stroll here in Great Falls even though I've lived in town for three years. Michele usually goes home to Helena Friday's after work but she decided to check out the stroll too. I am hoping for WAY more snow before Christmas. I enjoying walking in the snow either in the forests, or around dusk, I think it's really cool.
This weekend I hope to do a little shopping in Helena. I'll be in Helena to visit some friends and help them decorate their house. I always get volunteered to put the lights around the roof of their house, so I hope the weather isn't below ZERO and the wind isn't too bad. Will update you all on Monday of how that went.
Sunday should be the day for shopping, and I hope to get most of it done then. It's easy for me because my family lives in Pennsylvania and all I do send cards. I have a few friends in Helena(Di, Vicki, Carrie, Jordan, and Jay) that I'll buy a gift for, but nothing major. No kids or wife/girlfriend to buy for, but my Co-worker/Best friend Michele has two daughters 19, 21, that I'll get something for. I'm kinda like the cool/weird uncle, and of course get Michele something.
I decorated a little here at work. I put up a few lights(actually left them up from last year, but now turned them on) and put out a small fiber optic tree. I'm not sure what I'll do, if anything for my house. Michele thinks I should do something but I don't know. I will be in Helena with friends for Christmas so there's no real reason to have anything at my house.

The Cold and Hot Wings

With the coming of December the cold decided to make it's way here. Last night we went for Hot Wings and Beer at a local Bar like we always do on Wednesday and it was bout 12 degrees when we left work. The Sting Sports Bar is always warm and friendly and I think that's part of why we go, but the best part is the Hot Wings. I have a fondness for Hot Wings and the Sting has the best ones around Great Falls. I got my first taste of Hot Wings at my first job out of high school. I worked for a family friend at his Restaurant called "Dan's Poultry". On Monday nights we would makes pounds and pounds of Hot Wings that we delivered to some local bars for Monday night football. Now Dan's sold more than just hot wings, but it was the only thing I really liked there. Their sauce was a homemade blend that was very hot and lot of people really liked it. I know after I started eating the wings, they were, and still are, my favorite food. I ate them so much that I would get sauce and wings to fry from my family for Christmas and Birthdays to cook at my house. I remember one time while a friend and I were eating some wings someone told us about a place called "Quaker Steak & Lube" in Sharon, Pennsylvania that has the best wings USA and some that are SOO Hot you only get 4 and have to sign a release form. Now I've been to "The Lube" many times over the years and still can not eat those four suicide Wings. Every time I go home to visit my family in PA, I always go to "the Lube" for wings. They advertise "Best Wings USA" and have won many awards from festivals and Food Magazines around the country. On one trip home I took took a friend Julie from Butte and after trying them she always talks about them. On another trip I took my friend Michele from Helena back to PA and took her there and now we go out every Wednesday to the Sting for wings. I confess that the Sting's wings have nothing on Quaker Steak and Lube's, but I have to make due with what's available. Now don't get me wrong, the Sting has Great wings, beer and other fine food, but my favorite will always be the Lube's.
If you're interested, you can check out the Lube at http://www.quakersteakandlube.com/ and see what you think. I buy their sauces online and use them at my house when cooking at home. I always say that if I win the lottery I will build a few Quaker Steak and Lube in Montana.
Oh Yeah, back to the cold and snow. I woke up this morning with a temperature of 1 degree above zero and I felt it as soon as I stepped outside. I really do not mind the cold and enjoy the snow too. I think winter has finally set in here and I can't wait to see the beauty the winter time offers. As I write this, the temp as hit 10 degrees and the sun is shining, so now I'm thinking of warming up the motorcycle and going to a short ride.