Happy New Year

I hope you all have a fun night tonight and if you do drink, do it sensibly. Me personally, I have gotten myself a bit of a headcold. Katie isnt fairing much better. She is just plain sick. she cant get ahold of the doctor to ask him what she can take. thankfully she is sleeping as i type. My truck is in the shop due to the minor ($2200) accident, but the good news is the deductable of $500 is being reimbursed to me even as we speak. Mind you i havent given the 500 to the place that is fixing my truck. which is really cool, this way i have no out of pocket expenses. It only took 2 weeks for Geico and Progressive to fight about how much Geico would get back, and apparently they got it all back. yeah me. now we will see what my insurance is going to be like in the next six months. god help me. well, nothing else is new so I will talk to you later Joe FYI: Texas is the only state that permits residents to cast absentee ballots from space.

Happy holidays

I am very sorry for the lack of posting, call it the holiday slowsown. I hve been very busy with other things. like my new toys. sorry again. Christmas was great and new years is looking bright, as is the new year it self. it is looing to hold a lot of promise of being sooo much better than this year. not that this year was bad at all. first off the little one, now name tentatively shariann marie, is looking to be born a few weeks early. they are now saying around the 6-9 so anytime between feb 6 till feb 25. cant wait. well, i will post more in the new year till that time have a wonderfull holiday season, what ever is left of it. talk to you later. joe FYI: horseback riding can improve your posture.

Construction and Expansion Update

"Furniture has been arriving for the two new restaurants in The Garden. In Rodizio Churrascaria, the new Brazilian steakhouse on hte mezzanine level, most of the burgundy-and-gold banquettes have been installed. Carpet, matching that at the top of the escalators, also has been installed. Last week, crews were installing the larger of two metal frames that will hold backlit floating glass panels over the bar and entrance to the restaurant. Rodizio is scheduled to open next month. On the main level, round tables with ceramic brown tops and stainless steel legs dot the terraced area of the new, larger buffet restaurant. Inside, the tables are square and inlaid with small iridescent tiles that complement the color scheme of each eating area. In the wide corridor connecting the hostess station with the serving area, the tables are tiled in shades of green. The area off the terrace is done in a blue theme, with matching table tiles, and the eating area next to that is done in red. Most of the banquettes have been installed in the 450-seat restaurant, which will open shortly after Rodizio. Work continues in the rotunda on The Garden's main floor. The temporary wall seperating The Garden from the gaming floor has been removed, but that area remains draped on that side and cordoned off on the other side of the rotunda while crews finish ip the retail shops and other features. The new SavOn store in Verona Beach is taking shape quickly. Crews began building the frame earlier this month, and the walls and most of the roof were enclosed by early last week. The new store is slated to open in the spring."

The Christmas shopping experience

So happy holidays to you all. Hope you are enjoying your days till christmas and I certainly hope that you have gotten all of your shopping done. If not then, God help you. I personally am almost 100 percent done. I have to have mom take care of one more gift. I always forget when I am up in Boonville to do it myself. Katie isn't done though, as you will find out in the story I am about to relate to you. So yesterday wasn't a bad day for the most part, but it really wasn't all that good either. one of those in between days. You could live with it but you certainly would not want to do it all over again. So Katie and I go to WalMart so that I can go to the eye doctor and get my glasses fixed. Of course no one I call carries my glasses anymore. So I go and have an exam and all that jazz. My insurance covers only the exam and the lenses, but not the frames, which is the part that i only really need. suprise. Another suprise, I can get frames covered if I could have waited till february of next year. suprise, suprise. So while I am picking out my glasses Katie does some shopping and when she comes back she helps me pick out the frames, so that she can't bitch about how they look. All said and done it cost me $124 for everything. They will be ready in about a week.cool, no glasses till them, but I can live. I was supposed to do my Christmas shopping when I got done, but Katie was getting sick so we go home. We were also supposed to go to Sylvan Beach and pick up cigs for her parents so I take Katie home and go get them. 5 mins away from home I get a call from Katie telling me that the obgyn told her to come in and they would examine her and see why she was sick for the last 5 days. She had been throwing up. nothing more. kinda morning sickness but seeing as she is 8 months preg that wasnt it. so we go and they give her an Rx. we go home. Later in the day she finally decided that she wanted to go shopping and that i would take her. No prob. So the entire family leaves the house and goes shopping in different directions. Conveniently enough they all end up in about a 10 mile radius of Cicero. very amusing, but i digress. So Katie and I take 81 to go to shopping town mall. Miss the exit we were supposed to take and just take the next one, no problem at all. just a little back tracking. cool. so we are driving on 31 west in clay where they just redid a good 5-10 mile stretch of road, four lanes and all, turn lanes the works. we come to a light, and i am just before the crosswalk and the light changes to yellow, so i continue through, no time to stop. then i stop. hard. someone decided they could make it through the intersection turning left and i ran into them. My truck is in the garage in clay, not where i really wanted to take it but no one could get ahold of anyone at AAA so they could tow it for me. Which was a big suprise to them when i finally got through this morning. The guy said that there were about 25 people at the phones at 6-630 last night. The driver of the other car said absolutely nothing to me. I credit this to me being extremely pissed and showing it verbally, not at him, jsut life in general and the fact that i was maybe 3 times the size of the guy. and also the fact that maybe he was dazed from having jsut been spun around twice and ending up in the turning lane of the road he was jsut turing onto. It looked as though he was turning off of that road onto 31. dont remember too much, but everyone is ok, katie was scared for the baby, cause it didnt move for a good 20 minutes, presumably from maybe shock, and more than likely the cold. Damn friggin cold last night. They checked her out at the scene and she got to sit in the nice warm fire subarban while i was on the phone with the ins company. Amazing how friggin long it takes for them to ask all the questions. The cop was great took katies description of what happened, offered for her to sit in the patrol car and all that. Gave the other guy a ticket for something, saying it was his fault. I figured obviously. so needless to say katie did not get her shopping done, and it was supposed to be for me too, damn it. Kates mom came and got us and we went to walmart and that is where i did get the rest of katies presents. So the day has so far cost me, all the estimates are not in, including the tow, rental car, deductable and shopping. but so far i am up to spending $700 yesterday. Granted a large chunk of that i will get back. Geico will fight with progressive for the deductable and any other damages they can so i should be able to get most of the 500 deductable back and the tow will be covered under AAA, will be reimbursed for it. of course the tow truck is not affiliated with AAA. and the renters insurance i bought when i hit the deer will take care of 25 dollars a day for the rental car. which i will hopefully get on monday. So i hope that your days went better yesterday and that your holiday season is full of cheer. I personally still cant wait for christmas. have a merry christmas and happy new year. Also i am sorry for the lack of any posts, i was just busy and tired last week. I will use the excuse of this being the holiday season so my posting has been sporadic and will probably continue through the first week after new years. maybe not that long but definately through christmas. I also found i dont have to work christmas eve or day. I have all day thursday after 7 off and then i go back to work at 11 PM christmas night. yeah for me. talk to you later joe FYI: Africa is divided into more countries than any other continent.

Construction and Expansion Update

3:46 PM 12/17/2004 "The Onidea Nation's Telecommunications Department is building a model cabin at Marion Manor Marina, which eventually will be available to guests who want lodging near the lake. The cabin is the model for several such cabins at the Nation's fishing lodge on the Salmon RIver in Pulaski. Next spring, five cabins currently at the Peaceful Pines Campground will be moved to Marion MArina to provide more lodging. Work on the foundation of the new golf dome is preogressing. The facility, located on the corner of Patrick and Snyder roads, is slated to open in February and will offer several hitting area and lessons on a year-round basis. The dome also will have an indoor running track and the flexibility to be used for other indoor athletic activities. Detail work around the Event Center continues, as crews concentrate on such things as enclosing the soat check area near the box office and painting speakers to blend with the wall coverings. The chandelier has been installed in the rotunda; the chrome-and-glass piece uses shades of red, green and orange to create a tree-like look. In the Winter Garden, crews last week began laying carpet on the stairway leading to the mezzanine level. The main revolving door is installed and in use, and the gaming floor entrance to the left of the twin waterfalls has been opened. Workers have been laying new floor tile around the fountain area between the waterfalls, and work also continues on the retail spaces on either side fo the fountain. Flowers have been planted in the entry to the new, expanded buffet in the Winter Garden, and carpet is being laid in the dining areas off the terrace overlooking the Winter Garden. Green and blue floor tile has been laid behind the hostess station in the corridor leading to the serving area, and polished black granite counter tops have been installed in most of the serving area. On the mezzanine level, workers have been installing lighting elements in the new Brazilian steakhouse. Orange-gold beads have been hung to accent the recessed lighting in the dining areas, and the metal framework for back-lit floating glass panels over the bar and entrance area were being installed last week."

Construction and Expansion Update

Except for the all-suite floor, all guest rooms in hte Tower opened last week, and all were booked for the Tim McGraw concert last Thurdsay. Work on the luxury VIP suites on the 20th floor continues, as crews have installed much of the wall covering and some of the floor coverings on the floor. Some of the suites have two-wall fireplaces and balconies overlooking the Central New York coutnryside. A marble-tiled stairway provides private access from the suite floor to the 21st floor, home of the resort's exclusive French restaurant. Up on hte 21st floor, an elliptical bar is in place, as are some fo the wall and floor coverings. The paid-membership restaurant will have semi-private booths seperated by heavy, gathered drapes, as well as small private dining room, a board room, and a game room. Floor-to-ceiling windows and spacious outdoor terraces offer panoramic views as far as Onieda Lake on a clear day. Down on the Tower's third floor, work continues on the new fitness center, which will be open to hotel guests and to paid members. The 65-foot lap pool and roomy hot tub are tiled, and gold undulating light fixtures have been installed over the pool. A 7-foot-high glass and tile wall conceals the service entrance to the pool area. Workers also are finishing up the locker rooms, a seperate stretching room, and the fitness room, which will feature flat-screen televisions and a full range of exercise equipment. When the fitness center opens, the current fitness area in the spa will be renovated into much-needed spa treatment rooms. Crews began erecting the frame for the ne SaVon store in Verona Beach last week. Pump stations, complete with canopies, are in place, and the parking lots and driveways have been shaped and blacktopped. The design of both the store and the site will allow for more convenient traffic flow and will triple the number of gas pumping stations available. The location also will offer deisel fuel. The new store will replace the existing location on Route 13, just south of Sylvan Beach, when it opens next spring.

I'm sure you know this already

But if your like me then you may have forgotten that today is December 7. And on December 7 in 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Take a moment and think about those that were there and if you had any, of the loved ones that lived through it or worse did not live through it.

The bakery experience

Well, last night was the first night that I actually worked a night shift in a long time. I woke up at my usual 8 in the mornig on monday and didnt go to sleep till about nine this morning. And lo and behold I couldn't sleep more than 5 hours. I was up at 130 this afternoon. no reason why, no one is home so it wasn't noise that woke me up. Oh well, I am rejuvinated and ready to go. I'm sure I can take a nap later tonight before I go to work. Work last night was rather uneventful, we did basically nothing the entire night. Just made 3 different cakes and one bread. Nothing else is in production and apparently they did everything that we could have done yesterday while we had the morning off in preperation of going on nights. oh well, better than nothing. At least I got paid to do very little. Also got to check out the break room they installed near the bakery so that we wouldnt have to trek all the way across the casino to have a break. Nice comfy chairs they got in there. Although the couch leaves a little to be desired. It way to firm. Oh well, nothing else is new here so... Talk to you later Joe FYI: The weight of the moon is 81 billion tons.

Construction and Expansion Update

"The site of the new Verona Beach SaVon is quickly taking shape. The store's trademark green, yello wan dwhite canopies are in place over the gas and deisel pump stations, and the parking lot and driveways have been blacktopped. Work also has begun on the founsation of the new building. The new store is slated to open sometime next spring. Landscapers have been hard at work around the resort grounds. Floodlights have been installed in front of the new stone monument wall at the main entrance off Route 365 to show off the wall, the pine trees behind it, and the holiday decorations. Smaller monument walls, made from the same Pennsylvania stone have been built at the corner of the main boulevard and the access road leading to Shenendoah Clubhouse and The Lodge, and at the driveway entrance to the Tower and Winter Garden. The areas behind and around both those walls also have been landscaped with pines, grass and plants. The main revovling door at the center of the Winter Garden has been installed, but that area remains closed to the public as crews continue working on various features. Last week, there was water in the under-floor 'river' leading from the main door to a small rotunda just off the gaming floor. The water flows from a fountain in the rotunda, which eventually will have a glass sculpture in the center. Work also continues in the new buffet restaurant on the Winter Garden's main floor. Carpet installation began last week, and crews were assembling dramatic light fixtures for the terrace seating area. The lights consist of wood and metal bases with neutral colored canvas-draped cones directing the light from the bulbs. There will be six of these light fixtures on the terrace. Up on the mezzanine level, workers have installed a stained-glass-like light panel outside the entrance to the new Brazillian steakhouse. Inside the restaurant, most of the flooring has been installed, and crews were working on wood and glass partitions and planters last week. The Event Center will host its first public concert when it welcomes Tim McGraw Thursday, after a special employee preview concert by Benny MArdonnes last week. Workers have been ading the finishing touches to the center, installing permanent light fixtures in the stairwells and on the upper level and placing covers on the heating/cooling system upstairs. Crews also installed light fixtures ion the corridor near the new box office last week, consisting of several blue glass plates that give the impression of a cluster of flowers."

Christmas Browsing

Sorry for the long pause between posts, I've jsut been busy working and then paying more attention to my other blog, JoesTown's Clicks. It is easier for me to do those postings because they don't require me typing for a long period of time while Katie is sleeping. She seems to not like the sound of my keyboard. It doesn't help that I have had this keyboard since I got the computer 2 years ago. I told her yesterday if she wanted to get me something for Chrsitmas she could get me a wireless keyboard and mouse set. I priced them in Wal-Mart yesterday and they aren't too bad. The Microsoft one is 50 bucks and the Logitech one is 30. I kinda want the Microsoft one because the mouse has all the extra buttons that I had come to enjoy on my other wireless mouse that recently shit the bed. Katie also saw a small HP that she wanted. She says it's just her size and at 500 bucks looks pretty good to me. But I think she may get it for her birthday or later. Who knows, depends on the money issue at the time of purchase. I kind of like the fact that we would have two computers in the house, this way I could network them both and share the printer that I have. Sounds like the perfect way for me to do this. Can't wait. I start my night's at the bakery this coming monday, hopefully. If not this week then definetly the following monday. We have to have all of the bread done and ready to go into production as of Sunday. We should be able to do this seeing as we only have 2-3 that are giving us trouble and I am sure that Rich and Antonio can get those things worked out yesterday and today. Katie told me when I told her that I was going to nights that she now doesn't want me to go. I kinda figured that would happen, seeing as I really enjoy the 11-7 shift that I have right now. Oh well, what are you going to do. We'll get used to it. Nothing else is going on so... I will talk to you later Joe FYI: Farmington, Maine, celebrates Chester Greenwood Day to honor the inventor of earmuffs.