Icewind's Ramblings

Only a person in Alaska would think of this! From the city of Anchorage where drunk driving used to be considered a sport in our time, comes this story.   Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar in Anchorage, Alaska. After last call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing.   After what seemed an eternity in which he tried his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car and fall into it. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally, he started the car, switched the wipers on and off . . . it was a fine, lightly snowing night . . . flicked the blinkers on and off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the

This morning I was watching Today Show and they did a really good piece looking back at this past year.   It covered almost any topic you can think of from world events, economy, sports, celebrities, deaths, and it was beautifully done.   I came away with several thoughts about the video and also about my own year in review. The most striking thing that jumped out at me was how much chaos and trouble there is all over the world.   The many conflicts going on in so many different regions and how they never seem to be resolved and continue year after year. The natural disasters that happened this past year seem almost unprecedented with the numerous earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and droughts to affect so many countries and people.   One could almost think the ‘end of times’ was marching quickly and everyone needs to take a look at their lives and how they are living it.   It is an interesting ‘what if’ thought process when you look at what the Bible says and see these things co

I wanted to get my three daughters a little something for Christmas to put some positive thoughts to events over the last couple of years.   In Anchorage we had a nice large Barnes and Nobel bookstore that has a coffee shop and a nice sitting area to read.   It can be found with quite a few people hanging out and enjoying a good book or a cup of java.   I love coffee so decided I would stop for a cup while I was trying to do my Christmas shopping. I wanted to send my daughters a positive book that has always given me food for thought.   It is called "The Power of Positive Thinking" by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. My thoughts were everyone can always use that little lift from a positive attitude and sharing that feeling with others around you. Being the good father I wanted to boost these young women's spirit and help them get through the tough times away from family many miles away.   My thought process was I wanted to spout all this positive stuff how they can conti

I had posted this in 2007 and thought it appropriate to re-post again this year and with FaceBook now in the forefront it can go around once again. In our troubling times that we live today and the uncertainties that face many peoples and nations, I am reminded of an earlier time in a place called “No Man’s Land” during World War I.   During that time an act of humanity happened that went beyond rank and reason . . . and so . . . Christmas Truce . . . * The truce began on Christmas Eve , December 24 , 1914 , when German troops began decorating the area around their trenches in the region of Ypres , Belgium , for Christmas . They began by placing candles on trees, then continued the celebration by singing Christmas carols , most notably Stille Nacht ( Silent Night ). The British troops in the trenches across from them responded by singing English carols. The two sides continued by shouting Christmas greetings to each other. Soon thereafter, there were calls for visits across

It started snowing heavily today giving us a fresh coating of beautiful white snow for the Holidays making sure we will have the story book “White Christmas”.   It seems like it is nearly waist high and is continues to fall all afternoon and probably all night long. The temperature continues to drop and could be below zero tonight and the north wind is howling once again blowing snow all over the place and drifting in those nooks and crannies. My ex-wife has done nothing but look through the living room window most of the day . . .   if it gets much worse, I may have to let her in. Ice

Traveling around Alaska with my job I have the pleasure/pain of flying all over the state in various aircraft.   Most days I have an early morning departure from the main Anchorage airport, Ted Stevens International Airport flying Alaska Airlines from my base in Anchorage to one of several ‘hub’ airports.   It has been from the southern end of the Alaska in Ketchikan, Sitka, or Juneau to the “island”; Kodiak or out to the delta area of western Alaska to Bethel or Dillingham.   For my trips farther north it has been to Fairbanks, Barrow or Kotzebue in the arctic regions of the state. Once I arrive in a hub airport I go over to one of several smaller carriers which are the typical “bush” plane operations which may use both float planes and more conventional small aircraft.   Some carriers use turbine engine planes which carry more passengers or more cargo depending on the pilot’s mission for that particular flight.   Most days the pilot will make multiple flights either bringing peop

Translation guide for the clueless Women's English    =         Men’s Understanding of Women’s English Yes                       =         No No                         =        Yes Maybe                   =        No We need                =        I want . . . I am sorry             =        You'll be sorry We need to talk     =        You're in trouble. Sure, go ahead       =        You'd better not. Do what you want   =        You will pay for this later. I am not upset       =        Of course I am upset, you moron! You're certainly attentive tonight      =        Is sex all you ever think about? I hope that helped! Ice

Ideal Marriage if there is such a thing could have been the first one. Adam and Eve had an ideal marriage . . .   He didn't have to hear about all the men she could have married. And she didn't have to hear about the way his mother cooked. Ice

It does not matter what time of year it is but when things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough . . .    Remember the mayonnaise jar . . . and the coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.     When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.     He then asked the students if the jar was full.     They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.   He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.     He then asked the students again if the jar was full.     They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.     He asked once more if the jar was full.     The students responded with a unanimous "yes." The professor then pro

Does life in Washington actually resemble an endless round of Crossfire? Or does it just seem that way from the boonies of Alaska? Life is not Crossfire . . . I can only hope a really good candidate comes to the forefront before election time. Ice

Crashes in Life are sometimes like a computer You may have to pick yourself up and re-boot To get things on track again Ice

It was many years ago since the embarrassing day when a young woman, with a baby in her arms, entered a butcher shop and confronted the butcher with the news that the baby was his and asked what was he going to do about it. Finally, he offered to provide her with free meat until the boy was 16. And she readily agreed. The butcher had been counting the years off on his calendar and one day the teenager who had been collecting the meat each week, came into the shop and said, "I'll be 16 tomorrow." "I know," said the butcher with a smile, "I've been counting too. Tell your mother, when you take this parcel of meat home, that it is the last free meat she'll get and watch the statement on her face." When the boy arrived home he told his mother. The woman nodded and said, "Son, go back to the butcher and tell him I have also had free bread, free milk and free groceries for the last 16 years and watch the statement on his face . . . !"

Now that I have been out of my old house these last months and do not use an alarm clock to wake up I realized a curious thing as I wake up each morning.   That sound that heavy machinery makes to warn you that it's backing up is the same sound the ex’s alarm made. In the silence of the morning waking up now it hit me . . . all those years I woke up feeling like my life was going backward wasn't me . . . it was the alarm.   I guess I’m thankful that I wake up now without that sound and seem to be moving forward. Ice

I remember when I was young going to the local Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC in recent years) was a big deal for the family and a lot of fun.   I even met the Colonel once dressed out in his hat, cane and that funny laugh of his. I do not eat there very often as it seems like each time I head over the prices keep going up and up.   My granddaughter wanted Mac & Cheese from KFC so I took her to the location just around the corner from my house. Blasted by a menu board with many items and large print size prices (I guess to keep you from going into shock).   I stood there looking at all the prices, kid’s meals, family meals and for individual meals. What struck me was how much the cost of chicken has gone up lately.   A 12 piece meal was $ 29.99 and this is for mainly thighs and wings with one breast thrown in.   What a rip-off. A two piece chicken meal was almost $ 9 bucks but that did come with a side and biscuit.   It’s crazy how they seem to dictate what you will get.   I wa

Recent political activities seem to prove this point of mine. To succeed in politics . . . it is often necessary to rise above your principles. Ice

I finally got through my work week and did not finish this until tonight so it is about a couple weeks old now from reality.   I had finished up Friday (the week before Thanksgiving) and had a few days off until after the holidays.  I needed to use some of my time before the end of the year so as not to lose it so I did not have to be back to work until Nov. 28th which is not bad. I decided that I had worked too hard these last few weeks and needed a break from everything so I decided to drive down to Homer for the day to clear my head and get ready to slow down from work.  I have a friend who has a boat there who had asked several weeks ago to drop by if I was in the area.   With the cold weather he was not there this weekend but no worries.   I have another friend who has lived in Alaska for many years but had never been to Homer so I asked if she wanted to accompany me on what would be about a 10 hour trek.   Several friends thought I'm crazy to drive down 4.5 hours from An

I wanted to write tonight but had several things to do before I came home and now the mood has passed so I figured I would put this funny story out to give a little smile to everyone. A couple made a deal that whoever died first would come back and inform the other of the afterlife. The biggest fear was that there was no heaven. After a long life, the husband was the first to go, and true to his word, he made contact. "Rose . . . Rose . . ." "Is that you, Douglas?" Yes, I've come back like we agreed." "What's it like?" "Well, I get up in the morning, I have sex. I have breakfast, I have sex. I bathe in the sun, then I have sex twice. I have lunch, then sex pretty much all afternoon. After supper, I have sex until late at night. The next day it starts again." "Oh, Douglas, you surely must be in heaven." "Not exactly . . . I'm a rabbit in Nebraska" Ice

With the holiday season upon us I wanted to make sure everyone is safe and uses good judgment when going to holiday parties or out on the town.   I remembered seeing this warning a while back and wanted to share it with everyone. Enjoy! WHEN YOU GET TO THE END, CLICK ON THE LINK FOR THE DEMO! Police are warning all men who frequent clubs, parties & local pubs to be alert and stay cautious when offered a drink from any woman.  Many females use a date rape drug on the market called "Beer." The drug is found in liquid form and is available anywhere. It comes in bottles, cans, or from taps and in large "kegs". Beer is used by female sexual predators at parties and bars to persuade their male victims to go home and sleep with them. A woman needs only to get a guy to consume a few units of Beer and then simply ask him home for "no strings attached" sex. Men are rendered helpless against this approach. After several beers, men will often succum

Enjoy. What do you think . . . keep or cut the squirrels? Thank you Chuck! Ice

Say "bless you" when you hear someone sneeze. (They are infested with demons that must be banished.) Ice

Holidays can be stressful to many people and for some depression can overcome you.   I am reminded of a story . . . This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out. A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on. Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.' Have a safe holiday season and remember many of us have been in that hole before so if you need to shout out for a little help . . . Ice