Icewind's Ramblings

In a time that now seems so long ago in a year that had been heart breaking for many of us. 1968 was a very electrifying and appalling year , stressful and chaotic with many things happening around the world and in America; the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the Vietnam War with the Tet Offensive, the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, student uprisings continuing along with the riots during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago just to name a few. I was in my last stages of high school and as a child of the 60’s was totally fascinated by the Space Program. We would drive from Atlanta to Cape Canaveral (later the John F. Kennedy Space Center ) Florida to view the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo launches. Each one was something to see and experience. As the size of the rockets grew so did the sound and vibrations of the ground from several miles away. To watch a rocket rise from the beaches on the Florida coast and rise ...

December 22...To All Employees I'm sure I speak for all of us in wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery from her stress-related illness. I'll continue to forward your cards to her at the sanitarium. In the meantime management has decided to cancel the Holiday Party and give everyone the afternoon of the 23rd off with full pay. Terri Bishop, Acting Human Resources Director Ice

Last night I went to my company’s Christmas Party. Upon my late return home I tried to write my nightly blog. Too much Crown and a really good time I could tell that I was not going to be able to do it. I decided instead to write what popped into my mind over about a 15 minute period before I crashed. It’s not pretty and I laugh tonight as I re-read it again. “ I'm a long-necked, double-filled Guinness . I'm a open-minded, aging redneck. I'm an ancient cocktail and an un-stressable air pocket. I can swim, but I can't be seen. I am full of tact but lack decent spring water. I hate going to the forest because of all of the rain delays. I've witnessed a happening; but I may never have heard your voice. I hear that the Iberian peninsula is beautiful this time of year, but I doubt I've ever been there. Twice I have fallen, but neither time did I get up because I hurt. I can beat you to the beginning, but you'll get me in the end. I used to rank ...

Employee Christmas Party MEMOS - Continued December 19...To All Employees I have arranged for members of Overeaters Anonymous to sit farthest away from the dessert table and for pregnant members to sit closest to the restrooms. Gays are allowed to sit with each other. Lesbians do not have to sit with gays; each group will have its own table. And, yes, there will be a flower arrangement for the gay men's table. Happy now? Patty Lewis, Human Resources Director December 20...To All Employees People! People! Nothing sinister was intended by wanting our CEO to play Santa Claus, even if the anagram for "Santa" does happen to be "Satan”. There is no evil connation to our own little "man in a red suit." Patti Lewis, Human Resources Director December 21...To All Employees Vegetarians! I've had it with you people. We're holding this party at Luigi's Open Pit Barbecue whether you like it or not. You can just sit...

Solstice means. . . standing-still-sun Winter Solstice is when. . . because of the earth's tilt, your hemisphere is leaning farthest away from the sun, and therefore: The daylight is the shortest. The sun has its lowest arc in the sky. Longest Night of the Year Are you afraid of the dark? If so, then December 21, 2005 is not the day for you. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, and its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice. The origin of the word Solstice comes from Latin Solstitium, from sol, "sun" and stitium, "a stoppage". Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. This year December 21 is the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice, the shortest day—and longest night—of the year. The length of days changes throughout the year. In the summer, the sun often sets after 9 p.m. In the winter, it may already be dark as you ...

I try not to do too many serious things but this is from my heart. . . This week marks the winter’s Solstice. Many of us here on the Northern Frontier get a three-day weekend, will have family get-togethers or spend time with our friends during this Holiday Season. We may barbecue (I still do even with the snow as a relocated Southerner) and drink beer (yes, conservatives will mock the liberals for drinking imported beer, liberals will mock conservatives for drinking overly fizzy domestic beer.) and I will typically be hoisting a Guinness and drink a little Crown during this festive season. It is our chance to reflect on another summer gone by, the time at the river fishing, the travels, the long days of sunshine and warm weather. For some, it was the end of a summer break and time they returned to school. For some moderate independents, it will be another reminder that we American adults go year after year without real vacations, as the Europeans - those who survived the ...

With the holiday season upon us and tempers flaring up at any time I thought this might be a great time to bring up a subject we can all work on to relieve the pressures of everyday living. Occasionally you have a really bad day, and you just need to release some of the anger and frustration that was building all day. Don't take it out on your best friend or someone “you know”, please do the smart and sensible thing and take it out on someone “you don't know”. You owe it to your friends to make someone else miserable. I was sitting at my desk when I remembered a phone call I'd forgotten to make. I found the number and dialed it. A man answered, saying "Hello." I politely said, "This is Icewind . Could I please speak with Robyn Carver?" Suddenly a manic voice yelled out in my ear "Get the right f**in number!" and the phone was slammed down on me. I couldn't believe that anyone could be so rude. When I tracked down Robyn's corr...

This is just a few things for today. I enjoy watching the acting and conflicts on the TV series “ The West Wing ” and one of the actors, John Spencer died Friday. He will be missed both in the show and by those who knew him in real life. R.I.P. John Spencer “ The West Wing ” He told a story about Friendship on one of the episodes in 2000 that always stayed with me and I would like to share it with you: A man falls down a hole and can't get out. A doctor walks by and the man shouts, "Hey! I'm stuck down here. Can you help me?" The doctor writes out a prescription, tosses it down and walks away. A little later a priest walks by. The man shouts up again, "Help! I'm down here and can't get out." The priest says a prayer and walks off. Later still a friend walks by. The man shouts, "Hey, Joe! I'm down in this hole and can't get out." The friend jumps down into the hole. The man says, "Why did you do a...