Icewind's Ramblings

It is a tribute to the professionalism and bravery of the U.S. Coast Guard and Alaska Air National Guard. Imagine a 65-story building tilted sideways at an 90-degree angle. Then imagine dumping that building into the middle of a frigid ocean, some 230 miles from the nearest land mass, and you get a sense of the challenge that awaited rescue teams that responded Monday night to the predicament of the Asian cargo ship Cougar Ace. The Cougar Ace left Japan on July 22, with 23 people on board and is a Singapore home ported vessel. It is carrying 4,813 vehicles , en-route to Vancouver B.C. The vessel is carrying 430 metric tons of fuel oil and 112 metric tons of diesel fuel. According to the USCG, there is a oil sheen extending 2 miles from the vessel. Bringing all 23 of the ship's crew safely ashore was an astonishing, almost miraculous, feat. Thanks to their teamwork, involving three helicopters, three support aircraft and repeated midair refuelings, this peri...

Lately, I have been wondering where my dreams went. I know that I had a list of them because I kept a journal while I was growing up. I remember turning 18 and compiling that list of dreams I had written over the years and having such hope in my heart. I was going to do great things. I was going to be remembered. I'm sitting here now thinking that I have fallen short in some of my goals and so I'm wondering where dreams go when they are not realized or remembered. The journal I kept while growing up wasn't bound or beautiful. It was sheets of loose leaf paper that I'd stick in a folder and stuff under my bed or in a box when I was through writing. I carried that folder with the words of my life around with me for many years. When we would move, I'd stick the folder in a box then I'd take it back out when we would arrive wherever we were going. I guarded it with my life because it was the story of my life and I knew its value to me was real and important...

I have been traveling this week without internet so I have not had a chance to write. I have just gotten back into town so I will leave you with this until next post. I’ve been so busy this has been running through my mind a lot lately. Word That Enters My Mind Most Days Enough . Says it all, doesn't it? Ice

I have to admit, I was a bit worried when my office moved into a new building recently. Sure, the new place is great -- spacious, modern (built just for us, don't you know), plenty of amenities, and ample parking. If it had condos on top, I'd sell my house and move in posthaste. It's even highly secure -- you need keys to get in, and there's a huge fence all the way around the building. That’s probably to keep all of the drunks from Eddie’s Sports Bar next door from passing out in our bushes after the big game. All we need is a little man in a uniform to stand in the front and shake his hand at you if you can't get in or don’t park in the right spot. This is a plumbing wholesale supply house and Home Depot has nothing on us. Still, there was one concern: where the hell would we eat if we tire of Eddie’s ? The old building on our same lot was not too far from other restaurants. Eddie’s is kinda of an Irish pub, a Subway, a Thai joint, even a microbrew...

You know I just had to share this. Ice