Ogre

Up and at early for a solo diner breakfast of eggs and homemade hash. Still early AM and the tongue pickles are all done. As I'm getting an early leg workout in I'm listening to the sound of canning jar lids snap themselves sealed. Excellent communication and chore sharing leads to afternoon delight. Very rare. Makes me feel young again. Jump right into prep for party mode. Mohagony clams, porterhouse steaks, local corn, yada yada. Squeeze in some time to throw a football with the nephew. Start up the clams. I have the best seat and most work but I am rewarded with constant clams and I get to eat my steak on station. Crowd departs and we sit in the tub watching that blood red moon on the rise... Happy Labor Day, folks.

I have 8 lbs of over ripe cucumbers brining overnight for Elaine's favorite pickles. She called them tongue pickles. In her final weeks she couldn't eat at all but sipped at the liquid of the batch I'd made last year. My wife calls them Xmas pickles because they're sweet and pickled with a cinnamon stick in each jar. Beautiful presentation. Beautiful taste. Mom had wanted to beat the cancer and come down to make pickles with us. She'll be here with me tomorrow tending the sterilization process, making sure it's done right.

I'm glad my stories could give you a boost. Dougie would be very proud that you've adopted the free money mantra.

There was one of those cardboard sign panhandlers at the intersection the other day. I had just bought a 6 packs of pints so I hollered "hey you want one of these?" Great big grin. "I don't know...guess I could have one..." The exchange made me chuckle.

I wouldn't go so far to say 'no good' but agree that he may be less than what we hoped for. Speed. Size. Tenacity. I'd like to see him show more than raw skill. Flying around isn't going to get him there.

I hate that anyone has to work on Labor Day. It has a very rich history with many violent struggles along the way. A great many folks wanted it to be in May to honor the May Day massacre. For political reasons it was settled to be in September. The labor movement in this country became the model for middle class power for the entire world. It's a shame that we step away from it as other countries embrace it. A powerful middle class breeds a wealth of ingenuity that hierarchy cannot match. The more we allow the nations wealth to be held in so few hands the more we weaken the foundation of what most of us as born citizens know as "American ". I'll be spending my quite solemn hours I devote to my own personal reverence thinking of you and all the other poor souls who are neglected from the celebration. It really meant to honor you.

I think this is probably the case. I'm not worried.

You can stuff that Meh in a sack, mister. There's a 3 day weekend rounding the corner. If you're lucky enough to live in NYS then you can buy booze anywhere. You don't need to truck off to the package store. Mmmmmmmmmm. Beer! Mmmmmmmmmm. Friday!

This has been happening since I was a little kid. I still get food stuck in there all the time but this is the first time I've choked like that in a long time. I still feel like something's in there although I can breathe and swallow fine. I think I should call my doctor today.

We are both sitting in the tub nervously giggling about the whole thing.

What the F is it with today? Just got home from the ER. I take 3 bites into dinner and boom! I'm choking! I run to the sink and I don't know what I did but it's out enough I can breathe a little but it's still there so I take a slug of water. Bad friggin idea. I'm choking all over again. This time I'm making noise and gurgling and that gets my wife's attention. The third time I cried "choking" she figured out what I was saying. I refused to go to the hospital though because I'm a moron. I tried stuffing my finger down my throat 6 or 7 times but I couldn't get it to move and I was just making things worse. An hour later as I'm turning purple I agree to go. The lady at the desk was freaking out a bit by my appearance but as they were all hustling about what was in my throat started to move and clear out. They kept me a half hour to make sure I was ok. I am. I'm rattled a bit and my throats hurts like hell......I'm breathing. I'm going to bed.

I quit cigarettes 15+ yrs ago. I needed to quit alcohol as well for a good 2 yrs because I went right back to them if I had even one drink. I'm back to being a pro drinker though. I get falling down drunk and never have a hangover. It drives my wife nuts that I'm crashing into everything in the house but am still up at 6 am doing chores. If you do it everyday it's not really partying though. It's more of a lifestyle. ;)

I've been working with this dip foreman since Xmas. I say working with not for because I'm telling HIM the moves we need to make everyday. I only need him to order and replace the consumables we need and he even that up. I spent the last hour of my day trying to track him down for some $2 replacement lenses for a weld hood. When I finally track him down I learn he hasn't even called to order more. "Im waiting for more things to add to the list" he says. WTF?! I'm really fuming by now. "Why do you get so angry?" he asks. HA! Mother hasn't even come close to seeing iT angry. He is labeling frustration as anger apparently. Let me help you out, man. If iT is ranting and raving then iT's only frustrated. If iT's punching himself in the the face then iT's angry. Very angry. Does that help with understanding? Why would someone punch themself in the face you may ask? I'm pretty sure I'll get arrested if I punch you in the face. I can do whatever I want with mine! Long story short he cuts corners with quality and safety. We had a good man fired last week due to following the dip chit's orders. I can guarantee Mr. Dip that won't happen to me. I pulled the apprentice away from Dum Dum's orders to be my fire watch. He was my fire watch all morning until Scrambled Brains pulled him away for some minor chore. When the kid said "but Dum Dum has me doing this.." I say " Dum Dum. I have some important work for you to do, kid." For the love of life! We are in a freaking chemical plant! Plant rules demand a dedicated fire watch at all times! Both the apprentice and me would be fired on spot for putting the place in that sort of danger. If Dum Dum gets anyone else fired I'm going to....Kick. His. Ass!

I don't think May was terrible. He seemed drunk at times and my wife would often comment that he looked like he dressed in the dark. Duff seemed confused about what he was actually trying to say at times and I was right there with him. I like the guy. He'd be fun to have some beers with. That is unless he wants to play knuckles.

I hear Denis Lemieux every time. "You don't do dat. You do dat and you go to da box for two minutes. You feel great shame. Den you get free."

Excellent.

The chit house graffiti has always been a huge pet peeve of mine but lately it has been amusing. It's a large job with all races, genders and sexualities. You have some classic stuff. "So in so's idea well" with an arrow toward the urinal. "Johnny No Good's drinking straw" with an arrow towards the vent pipe. One unit in particular has erupted with Trump "posts" pro and con. One had a pro Trump message with a win in 2020 and another in 2024 proclaiming DJT is LBJ 2.0. The very next "post" was simply "that was FDR you moron". It's all fun until someone starts with the racist BS. If anything IronWorkers are tolerant. I am personally offended that some jackass is harassing the many Spanish speaking workers and the LGBT workers on site. It's one thing to have that sort of hatred in your heart but for the love of creation...leave it there! Go back to drawing wieners you friggin bozos.

IMO he should cherish that Hobey Baker. May well be the only thing he ever wins. Is it the player that gets us to pine away? The unfettered hope that this guy or the next is part of the Cup team? TBO I didn't know very much about him so I looked into him a bit. Meh. Good for NJ.

I wish I could share in your optimism, Tom. As for negativity, I believe it's more of a reaction to the fact that we've been getting bamboozled over and over. Remember that one girl that treated you like garbage but you couldn't fully let her go? That's a Bills' fan right now. Good news? I can't remember her name now! So it goes with the Bills...

Bingo! We have a winner! Let's give the kid some time for his berries to drop. He will play in the NHL and be good I think. I just don't see him being a big part of this team for a year or two yet.

I would trade 5 afternoon naps for 1 afternoon delight.

We are all packed. The ride has been detailed. Mrs. iT finally suggested leaving early! Friday this week until Sunday next week at a beach house in Delaware. The extra days tacked onto the week fired her up. I like her when she's fired up. Giggidy. Beach.

I was a long time lurker before I crawled out. My hockey related content is questionable. My personal contributions are also questionable. I add things here and there. It's a good way to decompress for me. In a world full of judgement, in a land of anxious perspective there are the humble would be contributors that would pass a forum by for the lack of civility. SS is not that place. Things are moderated well enough that a proper discussion can be had. A lurker can crawl out and not be stoned into submission. Unless that's your thing. In which case we would be very willing to participate:)

It's bad enough that we need to see the nips. Why the do we need to see the pig knuckle too?!

Ohhhhh man! Picked up 4 large Gianelli sausages. If I'm going to have a sausage, I'd prefer Gianelli's. *giggidy* Grilled all 4 until browned then cut up one in a cast iron skillet with homegrown. 2 green peppers, 1 purple, 3 sweet banana, 1 summer squash, beet greens and spinach. A tbsp of Mrs. Dash. My last dash of it. I let the other 3 finish on the bed of homegrown. Plenty left for lunch tomorrow. Best part? No carbs. I'm leaving those to beers. I did some research and it seems that Natty Ice has the lowest calorie to alcohol ratio. I'm not ashamed either. I'm never ashamed to have a buzz. Oh btw, We've. Gout is well worth eating like a king. Every. Single. Time.