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On Friday April 2nd a Alpha Phi Omega Brother, Noel Berger was the Vet they took all the rescued animals to making sure they were OK.

State of Emergency
The team reunites displaced pets with families in South Carolina after rain results in record flooding. Will a pregnant dog make it home in time?
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The squad rushes the pregnant chihuahua (who they have named Brooke, in honor of the flood) to vet Dr. Noel Berger for an assessment, who finds the mom-to-be in good health. Litters of chihuahuas tend to vary from a single puppy to up to 8, and Brooke looks like she’s expecting 3 puppies.

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MOM-TO-BE
The team also locates a foster home for Brooke, so she can give birth to her puppies in the comfort of a home. Just two weeks after local resident Heather took her in, Brooke gave birth to a litter of beautiful puppies.

mostly sunnyhazyHazy this morning adn then the sun burned off the has and rose to a semi-cloudy day.

I had a very unusual dream this morning. It was about me trying to get contacts for my daughter when she was under 10 or so I would say. They were huge things and I was suppose to put them in her eyes. I only got to the part of getting ready to do it and then woke up. Usually my dreams seem to be the same ones I’ve dream’t over and over again.

Work was slow again today, brought in the left-overs from my onions and sausage hoggies I’d made last week.

Texted Becky about possibly meeting up for lunch and possibly also giving her a ride to the airport. She called back saying that she has rented a car to get some last minute errands taken care of and then head to airport. We decided to hit Buckhead and the Stillhouse for lunch @ 11:30. When she arrived there a bit earlier than me she found that the Stillhouse was closed for lunch. Actually, she never found the Stillhouse. There was a sign out on the large sign out front of the Andrews Building but neither of us found the actual restaurant. There were only about 2 or 3 places actually open for lunch. I walked down south a bit more and found a place called “One Star Ranch, texas BBQ” and we decided that would work.

The One Star Ranch, is basically a hole in the wall place. Not bad BBQ actually and a very rustic feel. Lots of rough wood picnic tables and vinyl covered tables inside. It has a bar and a ton of bills on the walls. I should have take photos of the walls but we ate outside and I only went inside for a short time. The gals working there were cute in a very earthy kind of way. One gal had the outline of the state of Illinois on the back of her arm, didn’t get a chance to ask about it and tell her I was from Chicago. Our waitress was a cute auburn haired gal, more normal looking than the rest, another was tall and thin with faded leopard pants, like I said, unique. When we arrived only a single table was there, two guys from an office. When we left about 8-10 tables were seated. One full of female YUPPIES.

Becky felt bad that she may not get what she wants from the house, also the place was a wreck compared to what it was before she left. I feel bad that she has lost so much on this and used her frequent flyer miles to come here and accomplish so little. The real estate dude she has sucks bigtime as well, not a go-getter. She left today about 3pm and will be back in Seattle by 8pm.

Met a cute gal, Susie (Susan) who has two young boys and is a single mom. She’s a speech therapist and went to school in Illinois somewhere. A Bears fan but not a Cubs fan. Had also lived in the Wrigley Field area of Chicago for a time. Also met a nice guy, Drew who has a daughter and the same political views as I do. We both think term limits, laws created apply to ALL, & no lifetime benefits are a way to start cleaning up our political system. I was also asked again tonight if I know that I look like Billy Joel.

Got up about 8:30 and it was sunny and getting blazing HOT.

I had a couple of eggs for breakfast and then I started doing laundry and messed in the yard some. I pulled a few weeds in the front, pulled some dead stalks off of the lilies and trimmed back some of the vines along the deck, that is an un-ending task. I also roamed around the house looking for some things to take photos of, a few wasps building a nest in the front porch, going to have to kill them soon, and then followed a dragonfly around but he just wouldn’t stay still.

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Tried to mess with the Falcon 40 and decided what if any tunning needed to be done on the linkage between the servos and the swash plate, it looks mostly level but the times I’ve tried to “hover” the ‘copter it would slide to the left, it may have been the wind but I still haven’t determined that fully. I wish I had an indoor area like a gym to fly and practice in.

I messed with printing some photos today, cleaned the nozzles and have done head checks but the print quality is still pretty bad, I’ve just left the printer stay dormant too long with the ink it has.

The paper had an article about a young couple from Gwinnett where she has a similar “flesh-eating” bacteria as another Gwinnett gal did sometime last year. She seemed to get it from somewhere in her yard and the other gal got it when she fell from a ZIP-line that broke and she fell, cutting her leg and ending up in a river somewhere near West Georgia College. Both have now lost all there feet and hands, very sad, both were at most in their 20’s. Reading about the gal’s husband and the fact that he is going to have to explain to her that she has lost her hands&legs is going to be really HARD and I was crying at the end of it like a baby.

Nicki called up and I gave her the Direct TV login so she could watch the Olympics through the Internet.

Met up with ChrisW (was Kohrs now Finch) and in celebration of Brian’s Birthday we went out for some Prime Rib as always. Had planned on and did meet at the Old Town Tavern in Suwanee but after getting our drinks and then ordering the Prime Rib we were told they wouldn’t have any until after 5:30, the menu says after 4pm so we were quite upset. Also, about 2 years ago or maybe only a year ago, @ Brian’s b-day last year we had a similar thing happen when we were there a bit early at the OTT over in Lawrenceville. After that we had boycotted that establishment. A manager showed up and then told us they had only medium and above, so they had shoe leather and tougher. We decided to leave and go ahead and forget Olde Towne forever and just head on over to the Outback and have the Prime Rib there, it was more equidistant from our respective homes and we may have paid a bit more but the food was way better IMHO. Also the waitress Laura was a doll. On the way home we stopped in at the Beverage Superstore and picked up some Creme Brulee Stout.

Went out to the Taco Mac for a couple of beers after dinner. Had the Dad’s Little Helper again for the 2nd list and then the LAzy Magnolia Southern Gentleman, nice Brown Ale. Cute Ashley was in a good mood today and Brad at the bar was not. Meg from the bar yesterday was there but very quiet as you would expect. Watched a few American women win some Olympic Gold in swimming.

Sunny and warm, didn’t get outside at all today during working hours.

I found out this afternoon that the latest (fixed) version of PhotoSmith is suppose to be released worldwide this evening,

I messed with trying to get my device provisioned using enrollment codes but the system wasn’t letting me do it. The SQL server was down again, seems to be something with the computer in support going to sleep. Had a small lunch with

My order from X-Heli just got into town this afternoon about 2:38pm, into Atlanta and should be on the truck tomorrow for delivery. I’m a bit excited to get the 4ch fixed pitch heli so I can see if it flies closer to what I have been noticing the emulators do. I’ll be moving the “training gear” onto the new smaller 9958 ‘copter and playing with it from Thursday on. the three channel ‘copters are just plain messed up since you can’t properly fly them the same as you would the 4CH and 6CH ones. I’m ready to buy a 6CH EXI 450 for about $70 with no electronics, it is made mostly of metal and carbon fiber, not sure if I want the spindle or the belt driven tail rotter though, the belt may fair better in a crash.

I’ve also realized that I just like the idea of constructing a helicopter and then all the adjustments and fine-tuning along with the electronics of the transmitter and programming that. So my next order from X-heli will be the mechanical EXI450 and some spare parts for the 9958. A

Stopped in to the Home Depot in Jones Creek and finally picked up a Dremel Tool, I’ve been wanting one for some time now and I just bought it on impulse since I’m getting more excited about constructing a ‘copter. I also picked up a small caliper and metal ruler both are what I really went to the Depot for to begin with. Lastly, I picked up a set of small drill bits for the Dremel and some locktite as well, the blue kind they said was good for the metal to metal screws on the ‘copters.

Celebrated Katie’s birthday and we all had tequila shots, yuck, we ended with 2nd place due to to some nice questions, the last being how many seats on the Stock Exchange, there is over 1000, but I had no idea and we ended up guessing about 200 something, the gals behind us got 3rd and the two guys (English) won 1st. Katie had turned 28 on Saturday, wow so young, and smart too. took some photos but nobody was really looking. I had a few good moments, one where I was the one to get the answer to the main plant used in the production of Absinthe, wormwood.


Suwanee Beerfest

Got up and started getting ready for the beerfest today. Brian and I first headed over to the Shroom for some lunch before drinking up some beer. Lauryn, Michelle and we talked about various things and they even had a new beer, Vitory HopDevil but I wasn’t drinking today. Loaded up on water instead. After we started the drive over to Chris’s so she could drop us off at the Festival, really nice of her.

The beerfest in a word was HOT, hot as hell actually. It was rather small with a really decent selection of beers but the “VIP” was nothing special at all. No water, no special beers, you got in an hour early put there was no really special swag or anything that I could see. Saw quite a few friends from Taco Mac, Adam & Trish, Casey & Mike, other Mike, other dude I can’t remember his name (balding), Charlie & Alicia, Dan & Cathy as well as a special appearance by Tracy (used to work at T-Mac Mall) who was just newly engaged and looked WAY thin.

In the middle we exited and had a drink at the Shroom there at the Towne Center and then returned for a few more beers before meeting up with ChrisK at the Olde Towne Taverne for Brian’s birthday dinner. We then went back to Chris’s place and watched the Green Hornet and then came on home to Nicki and her boyfriend making ice cream. Also had a bit of a “religious” argument, she is a bit too churchy for my comfort but it it makes her happy.

The weekend is mostly rainy and cool. I didn’t get up till almost 11am and then didn’t get out to lunch until almost 1pm since Brian had called the DirecTV guys and he had blocked the car in the garage. I’m not sure why they don’t always just park on the street.

I came home after lunch and just messed around a bit with the StopShot and took some photos of dropping dice in a wine glass of water. I just simply dropped the dice and then had the camera triggered.

I then went out to T-Mac for a couple of beers, Had the Holy Mackerel Panic Attack and then the Unibroue La Terrible. Saw Dan and Cathy there just before they finished their last beers. They are off to the north next week. Met another couple, Bill and Suzy, they have a 3 yo boy at home and also brew beer. They invited me over to the house tomorrow to witness the brewing process. They and D&C talked about Ireland since D&C are going soon and they went about 3-4 years ago I think. Now I want to go. We discussed the gal at the table next to the bar, she seems to be there EVERY Friday and Saturday, this weekend with an older dude we were theorizing if he was her dad or if there was a romantic connection, didn’t seem to be. Really none of our business. She is HOT in a slutty dirty blond with big breasts sort of way. The cute gator fan hostess and I shared our condolences on the Florida’s elite 8 loss to Balor.

Came home after that, stopping in at the Kroger for some salmon to cook and instead stopping in for wings at the Beef O’Brady’s instead.

Rescue personnel look over the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed Saturday morning near Lead Mine on Monday. The helicopter was part of a crew working on wire installations for Allegheny Energy’s Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line. One crew member was killed in the crash.
By The Associated Press
The Associated Press
Advertiser
LEAD MINE, W.Va. — Federal investigators are at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed a member of a crew installing wire for Allegheny Energy’s Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line in Tucker County.

Allegheny spokesman Doug Colafella says the crash occurred after three lineworkers had finished work and boarded the helicopter Saturday morning.

The name of the lineman killed in the crash hasn’t been released.

Colafella says the linemen worked for PAR Electrical Contractors from Kansas City, Mo. The pilot works for Winco Power Line Services from Aurora, Ore. Both companies are owned by Houston-based Quanta Services Inc.

Colafella says PAR and Winco are subcontractors on the TrAIL project. The 500-kilovolt line stretches from Pennsylvania through West Virginia to Virginia.

A WingCo helicopter crashed while working on the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) Saturday near Leadmine Road in Tucker County, claiming the life of one crew member.

“They were installing shield wire to the transmission structure,” Allegheny Power spokesman Doug Collafella said.

Kansas City, Missouri based Par Construction Company was subcontracted to work on the TrAIL project and WingCo supplied the helicopter. Collafella said there were four people on board when it crashed and one of the crew was killed. The remaining three were transported by helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.

The helicopter went down in area Collafella described as “very remote.” However, the site could be seen from Route 219 about three miles from the Preston County line.

West Virginia State Police Sgt. J.L. Clay said the Parsons Detachment of the state police secured the scene and the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration responded around 5 p.m. on Saturday.

According to Collafella, the cause of the accident is still under investigation and the NTSB, FAA and contractors will be at the scene today. Collafella said the names of the victims are not yet being released.

LEAD MINE, W.Va. — A Portage man has survived a helicopter crash near Lead Mine, W.Va., that killed an electric lineman, an Allegheny Energy spokesman said Monday.

Federal authorities continued their investigation of the crash that occurred Saturday morning after a crew had finished installing wire for Allegheny’s Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line, Doug Colafella said. The pilot and two other linemen were taken to a Morgantown hospital and have since been released.

Killed in the accident was Gary L. Bland, 52, from Georgia, Colafella said.

Ryan Joseph Lange, 31, of Portage, survived the crash along with Jeffrey M. McKay, 34, of Olive Hill, Ky., and Robert A. Rogers, 40, of Dacula, Ga.

Colafella was uncertain which man was the pilot.

The cause of the crash was being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration, Colafella said. The helicopter went down in the power line’s right of way after the linemen had finished attaching wires to a transmission tower.

“We’re terribly saddened by this accident,” Colafella said. “I can’t emphasize enough what a priority safety is on this project.”

The linemen worked for PAR Electrical Contractors from Kansas City, Mo. The pilot works for Winco Power Line Services from Aurora, Ore. Both companies are owned by Houston-based Quanta Services Inc.

PAR and Winco are subcontractors on the TrAIL project, Colafella said. The 500-kilovolt line will stretch between Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire counties in West Virginia.

The West Virginia State Police have released the names of three of the four people aboard a Wingco helicopter that crashed in Tucker County on Saturday. The crew was working on the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) off of Leadmine Road near Thomas.

In a prepared statement, state police said, “The helicopter was being used to pick up the subjects from the top of a large metal power line tower. The helicopter apparently maneuvered underneath the suspended wires and may have struck the wires causing the crash.”

According to the statement, Ryan Joseph Lang, 31, of Portage, Indiana, Jeffery M. McKay, 34, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, and Robert A. Rogers, 40, of Dacula, Georgia, were all aboard the helicopter when it went down. The three injured occupants were flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for treatment.

“A fourth passenger on the helicopter was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries received in the crash,” the statement reads. “The identity of the 51-year-old male has been withheld pending notification of next of kin.”

Federal authorities are investigating a helicopter crash that killed an electric lineman in Tucker … The 500-kilovolt line will stretch between Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire …Atlanta Journal Constitution · 4 hours ago
Federal authorities are investigating a helicopter crash that killed an electric lineman in Tucker … The 500-kilovolt line will stretch between Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire …Lexington Herald-Leader · 20 hours ago
One person was killed Saturday morning in a helicopter crash in Tucker County, according to West Virginia State Police. It happened around 10:30 a.m. in the Lead Mine Mountain area of the county, near Thomas, according to Chris Stadelman with the …msnbc.com · 10/30/2010
Federal authorities are investigating a helicopter crash that killed an electric lineman in Tucker … The 500-kilovolt line will stretch between Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire …NWI.com · 19 hours ago
Federal investigators are at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed a member of a crew installing … The 500-kilovolt line stretches from Pennsylvania through West Virginia to Virginia.WHSV · 6 hours ago
(WSAZ) — Names have been released in a deadly crash that claimed one person’s life and sent two … Cooper was taken to Three Rivers Medical Center in Louisa, Ky., then flown by helicopter to Cabell Huntington. Deputies say Cooper was just cited on …WSAZ · 12 hours ago
A Portage man has survived a helicopter crash near Lead Mine, W … The 500-kilovolt line will stretch between Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire counties in West Virginia
The helicopter went down in area Collafella described as “very remote.” However, the site could be seen from Route 219 about three miles from the Preston County line. West Virginia State Police Sgt. J.L. Clay said the Parsons Detachment of the state …TheInterMountain.com · 23 hours ago
(AP) — Federal authorities are investigating a helicopter crash that killed one man in Lead Mine … The 500-kilovolt line will stretch between Pennsylvania and northern Virginia and pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire …Post-Tribune · 15 hours ago

Went to the Kroger and picked up a few more things for the “cookout”, I really need to do a cookout in a big way sometime soon.

Hadn’t realized it but the trash pickup occurred this morning, even the recycling. I’m glad Brian brought out the trash can and had it in front of the garage, otherwise they wouldn’t have taken it at all. I woke up about 7am and got up to put the recycling out although they didn’t do that until much later. Did a walk around the yard, I need to cut back the bushes on the side of the house and the azaleas on the other side as well.

Went out to the pool about 1pm, met the pool manager a cute blond quite talkative actually, or maybe she was just bored 🙂 The sun kept going in and out and then it started to drizzle, almost a mist actually. I went out and put up the top on the car, since it wasn’t stopping even though the sun was continuing to shine even with the drizzle. Finally, about 2:20 the rain stopped and the sun came out. I headed on back home to cook out after 3.

Everyone bailed on us for the cookout, I wanted only a small get together but this was a bit much. Fired up the grill, finished the food and had a feast. The guacamole was great, the veggies actually good for me and I watched the latest episode of “V”. Had a nice dinner with the brother.

My parents should be in town on Tuesday or Wednesday so I canceled on Becky, I’m definitely NOT feeling the love there, whatever we did have there has basically just withered away a real shame.

Ended up over at the Taco Mac by the mall for a beer, had the Southern Tier Inequity India Black Ale, very yummy and finished my 175th beer on Taco Mac list 2, now I’ve got my $20 gift card and I’ll be retiring that list.

Here is the beer I had the night before after getting back from the Olde Towne Tavern with the Rogers gang.

I did very little but slink around the house most of the morning, I did go to the Home Depot and pick up a few things for the yard and a couple of 4×8 sheets of white wallboard to use as a floor for my white wall. I then had lunch over at the ‘Shroom and got into a cool conversation with Lauryn and Lucia about evolution and such. Noticed Lucia has some gray hairs since she was wearing her hair down today, very sexy.

After getting home and playing around and helping ChrisW move in a bit along with moving the TV down to the curb hoping someone will pick it up. Brian and I headed over to Taco Mac for the tapping of the Rogue Double Mocha Porter Cask at 5pm we stopped in at Lowe’s and a furniture place to possibly pick up stuff but didn’t get anything big after all. Met up with Dan and Kathy, then Jeff and Jeannie as well. Also, Jason the manager’s girlfriend, Monica -hotness, was sitting next to us as well as Jason’s Dad from England. Also had a Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout, aged in bourbon casks. We went on home after that and just hung out watching TV.

When we drove up Chris’s light was on but then went off when I decided to head over to Beef’s, watched a bit of Basketball there and then stopped in at Kroger before heading on home (walked, it was nice outside).