Santa Claus is Back in Town

First of all, I'd like to wish everyone who visits the Hive a Merry Christmas. It's been a good year for us here and we are full of the Christmas Spirit. So much so, in fact, that we decided to exchange gifts with one another last night a couple of days early.

Now there is something I should point out before we go any further. 2008 is tenth year of Janie's and my wedding anniversary. So for Christmas this year we decided to splurge and spoil each other with a nice gift. So please don't think we go around buying stuff like this every day.

Which leads me to the point of this post. For those of you who don't know, I'm a beginner guitarist with lots of passion and enthusiasm, but at this point, very little skill. But a couple of things have inspired me to give the ol' six-string a try. Two were my Dad and My Grandaddy. My Dad plays bass guitar as well as guitar and he can really make it sing. My Grandaddy played guitar for years and was so good it just seemed like it came natural to him. Now I love the sound of live music, and hearing those guys play inspired me to give it a try myself. The third inspiration was my Grandaddy's guitar. I can't remember exactly what it looked like because I haven't seen it in years, and I don't know exactly what happened to it when he passed away, but I'm just almost sure it was a semi-hollow body. When I heard him play I knew that was the guitar for me.

And now I have one.



The bad boy you see me holding in this image is my new Epiphone Sheraton II archtop guitar. It's a semi-hollowbody, just like my Grandaddy's, and this is the same model ax that was slung by none other than John Lee Hooker. So I figure if it's good enough for the Boogie Man, then it should suit my needs. Pictures do not do this work of art justice. It is an absolute piece of beauty, and even on my cheap old amp it sounds great. I can't wait for the chance to plug it in on my Dad's big Fender tube amp and hear it the way it was meant to sound. Even a hacker like me can make beautiful sounds come from this instrument.

Now I new this one was special from the minute I picked it up. It took a ton of effort from Janie, the help of my brother and sister in-law, and Janie's Dad to get this guitar to me. There is a lot of soul in this instrument simply from the huge effort put forth just so I could have it for Christmas. For those of you that helped to pull this off I can't thank you enough. I can assure you that your hard work was not for naught. For years to come I'll be able to tell everyone about the journey this instrument took to get to me.

Lastly, if you ask me (or B.B. King), every guitar good should have a name, and the name for this one hit me last night like a ton of bricks. So from here on out, when I talk about Emma and when I play and sing, you'll know what I'm talking about.

Peace.

Evel Knievel

Well it's been a long time since I've made a post here at the hive. About 2 months by my reckoning. So I don't know how many hard-core fans are still hanging on. But this is one of those nights where I can't sleep, so I thought I would make a post for all of you who still bother to check in.

In case you haven't heard, Evel Knievel passed away yesterday. The young folks probably are saying "big deal", while the older folks, for the most part, are probably saying "big deal". But my perspective is a bit different.

You see, as you have probably figured out from previous posts here at the hive, I'm pretty much a kid at heart. Always have been. And I remember, as a kid, seeing footgage of Evel jumping his motorcycle over busses, cars, canyons, pretty much anything that needed to be jumped. I just thought that was the coolest thing.



I even had all of the Evel Knievel toys when I was a kid, and as I recounted to Janie, I actually wore my Evel Knievel toy motorcycle out jumping it over anything I could find. Later in life, I got really interested in riding dirt bikes and for meny years enjoyed jumping myself (although I neverd measured up to Evel's standards) so the daredevil spirit lived on. I also thought it was cool that Evel rode a Harley Davidson (American made) and wore a red, white, and blue suit.

Now there is no argument that Evel led a checkered life, and had a few brushes with The Law, along with some less-than-savory choices of action. But he did embody a few ideals that we hold sacred here at the hive:

-Work hard,
-Be good at what you do,
-If you fall down, get back up,
-Communicate effectively,
-Love your Country,
-Ride your motorcycle :-)

Rest in Peace, Evel, we here at the Hive classify you as a true American, and you have added a good slab of fun to our lives.

Neal is a Marine

The Hive has been dormant for quite some time now. As a matter of fact, I didn't realize how long it had been. But we're back, for now, at least to commemorate what I consider a notable occasion. Neal (my nephew) has graduated from basic training camp and is now a Marine. I thought this was a good time to revisit the Marine Silent Drill Team. enjoi

It Flies!!

The proof is in the performance . . .

Over the weekend, I steeled myself to 2+ years of painstaking construction and decided to try and take the helicopter for a flight. You are probably thinking this is no big deal (after all, it's SUPPOSED to fly, right?) and in the grand scheme of things, you are correct. But after assembling all of the cogs, gears, wires, and etc, despite all of the confidence one may have, there are always those feelings of trepidation . . . Besides, with all of that time invested, this has become a labor of love, and images of this thing chopping itself to pieces upon sudden and inappropriate contact with the ground were prevalant in my mind.

But,

It flew!!

Now I shouldn't make more out of this than it really is. Aside from the fact that this is simply a toy, for enjoyment, the first flight was less than spectacular. The helicopter actually lost purchase with the ground for no more than a few seconds, at which time I hastily (luckily) saved it from chopping itself to pieces in the aforementioned scenario. There are no photos of this event, because even if Wyatt Earp himself were on the camera's hair trigger, he would be hard-pressed to have captured the fateful moment. But hey, the Wright Brothers didn't fly from New York to Paris on their first flight, so I consider it the little accomplishment that it is. After all, here I was given this box of miscellaneous gears and electronics and I somehow managed to assemble them into this semblance of a flying machine.

Unfortunately, this inaugural flight proved out one thing; this machine has problems. A trip back to the workbench and several more hours of fine tuning are in order, not without the help of the accomodating German enablers who sent me my box of goodies. But it's all about fun, so stay tuned, as one of two exciting things will happen: 1) My helicopter will soar to the air with all of the majesty (reduced to 1:16 scale) of its full-sized counterparts, or 2) My helicopter will chop itself to pieces upon sudden and inappropriate contact with the ground. Either outcome is guaranteed to be dramatic. Stay tuned as this nail-biter plays out . . .

More Flying Machines

As we have said many times here at the Hive we are all about fun. So today I want to share with you another toy from my collection. Just like everything, this one has a story to go with it. When I retired from motorcycling a couple of years ago I took the proceeds from my last motorcycle sale and used some of it to buy a remote-controlled helicopter. I had researched these things some time ago on the internet, and thought it would be something that I could practice in our tiny back yard. The particular model that I settled on is from a company named Ikarus and is called the Eco 8. When it came it arrived in a box about the size of two large shoe boxes put together, if you can imagine. This is relevant when you look at the assembled machine:



It is not an exaggeration to say that this thing came in about 1000 pieces. Just to make it fun, the instructions were translated (very poorly) from German, and left me at times scratching my head. There were no curse words muttered during the assembly of this machine :-) I should've taken some progress photos, but to be honest, I thought a couple of weekends of rigrous yet satisfying building and I would have a brand new flying machine. Two years later, assembly is complete.

I haven't made my inaugural flight yet, as I just put the finishing touches on last night. I also rigged it up with some extra safety features to minimize damages when this thing finally takes to the skies.



Look for a future post to see how flying goes. After all of that time invested I'll have to admit I'm a little nervous. But I didn't build it to set it on a shelf, so we'll take 'er up and see what happens. Cheerio!!

Boys and Their Toys

There is an old cliche that goes something like "the difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys". While this may be cliche, I admit that in my case it is true. I remember a conversation with a good (and wise) friend of mine when we were in college. We were just struggling to get by, and the topic of fun things came up. I can't remember specifically what we were talking about, but my friend (you know who you are, Tony) said something to the effect "That's why we get these high-paying gigs... so we can buy our toys". I have taken those words to heart.

You have already seen posts at The Hive on my biggest toy, The Great Red Shark, that rests in our garage. And while The Shark is by far the most impressive, all of my toys are similar in one respect: they deliver the fun. I'm a sucker for fun things, toys and gadgets, and when it comes to these things, Janie and Madeline always deliver. Every year around Christmas and birthday, Janie and Madeline come up with something fun.

And this year was no different. Even better, I got and "advance" on my birthday present and got my latest fun gadget that you see here.



Big Deal, you may say, a toy aeroplane? Well there are two neat things about this little guy. 1. It is fully remote control, and 2. I can fly it in our tiny backyard!! It is totally fun! One thing I should mention here. I abhor flying as a mode of transportation, you might even say that I fear it. I simply do not travel by air. BUT, I am utterly fascinated with flying machines, just ask Janie and Madeline. Every year I get neat little gliders, helicopters, and model aeroplanes. I've even got a model remote control helicopter that has been under construction for quite some time (look for future post). So while I am fascinated with flight, I don't choose to partake in it myself, and all of these fun littly guys fill my enjoyment of flying machines, even if they are toys.

Here are some photos from my inaugural flight. As you can see, it was pretty sketchy, but I was hooked on the fun right off the bat.

Not exactly a 3-point landing


Somewhat in control:


Got the landing right this time:

The Post with no Name

Well -

I don't really have anything new to post, but I wanted all of the visitors to the Hive to know that we are alive and well.

Madeline and I just had a fun dip in the pool (check out the Hite House site for pool details) and I am relaxing with the computer for a few minutes before we turn in for the evening.

Maybe while I'm surfing I'll come up with something engaging.

Until then,

Cheerio,

The Hive

In Celebration of the Fourth of July

My nephew, Neal, is joining the Marines. My cousin Andrew will soon follow. In light of the recent holiday, and in tribute to them, I thought the Marine Corp Silent Platoon made a fitting post.

Scroll Down to the bottom and turn off the song before viewing.

MARINE SILENT DRILL TEAM

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Recent Pictures of the Great Red Shark

Here's a couple more pics that I took lately.

Father's Day Fun

Janie and Madeline gave me a remote control helicopter for Father's Day. It's a ton of fun!! Check out the pics:

The Great Red Shark at Work

The Great Red Shark

Well all of the visitors to The Hive probably think we have degenerated into total Colony Collapse Disorder. The fact of the matter is, life around The Hive is kind of boring. Janie covers our family life over at the Hite House site, and I'm just not creative enough to come up with daily blogs outside of family life. But let me take a minute to introduce you to my cool toy. It is my 2002 Z28 Camaro. I have dubbed this car the Great Red Shark, after Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I highly recommend it as a read, but I caution it is not for the weak of heart.

Which is why the name is so appropriate for my car. It is not for the weak of heart. This is the car you wanted when you turned 16, and this is the car your father feared when you turned 16. Check out the pic.

Now the Z28 is a stout ride in stock trim, but this baby has been breathed on by a company called SLP, which specializes in souping up Camaros, Corvettes, and Firebirds. I won't bother you with all of the technical specs of this thing, but suffice it to say this car ROLLS. (If you do want the breakdown on this car, send me an e-mail and we'll talk gearhead).

The story on this bad boy goes something like this. Janie's uncle, who is a savvy business man, originally bought the car for his son, but when he got it home, he realized it was a handful and didn't think it was such a hot idea for a teenager after all. At the same time, I'm 38 going on 18 and just retiring from a lifelong passion of self destruction riding all sorts of motorcycles. Well I figured I've beat myself up enough riding these 2-wheeled beasts and here sits Janie's uncle with this 4-wheeled beast and it was sort of the perfect match. The deal was made, and I find myself in proud possession of this street-brawler.

To say that this car is the car that you wanted when you turned 16 is an understatement. It is the quentissential hot rod; low, loud, shiny, and fast. If you are worried about fuel economy, look elsewhere, this car belches unburnt gas when it gets grumpy. But hey, it's all about fun. On sunny Sunday afternoons, I jump in the shark, drop the clutch, and feed rubber to the masses. Yeah, it may sound rude, but it sure is fun :-)

Memorial Day

As you are by now well aware, postings have been pretty infrequent here at the hive. The reason, quite frankly, is that on a day-to-day basis, life is about as milquetoast as things can get. Janie's blog over at the Hite House covers most of our daily happenings, and tracks the exponential development of our daughter, Madeline.

But I did want to take a moment and recognize Memorial Day. In the well-put words of General Logan:

"Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided public."
- General Logan, May 5, 1868.

I think that says it pretty well. Happy Memorial Day.

Mother's Day

"Then Job rose up, and rent his garments, and having shaven his head fell down upon the ground and worshipped, and said 'Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return tither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.'" (Job 1:20-21)

Today is Mother's Day. For me, this is a bittersweet day. On the one hand, it is a happy day upon which we celebrate all of the efforts of all of the mothers in our lives, and all of the hard work they do year-round to take good care of us. I would particularly like to recognize a special mother in my life, my wife Janie. Janie works hard every day to take care of Madeline and me and she does so without nearly enough thanks. So Janie, from the bottom of my heart, happy Mother's Day.

I would also like to extend a heartfelt "Happy Mothers Day" to all of the Mothers and Mothers-to-be that visit the Hive. One day a year is not enough to recognize everything that you do and have done to make our lives happy and full.

But there is an element of sadness to today as well. Rather than spending time with my own Mother, giving her cards and hugs and special time, today I will go and place flowers at my Mother's grave. It is a profound and life-changing event to lose your Mother, no matter how old or "grown up" you are. Our Mothers are a cornerstone of life, and while we (or at least me) may not always agree with them, our Mothers are our Mothers until we die or they die. So to Mom, happy Mothers Day. You are gone but not forgotten.

But not to worry. The Hive is a forum for happy times and fun. Yesterday Madeline and I went shopping and picked some nice gifts for Janie and today we will celebrate and have fun. Because no hive is complete without a Queen Bee :-)

Return to the Hive

Well I recieved a friendly reminder from my overseas associate that I've been remiss in updating my blog. Worry not, the King Bee has not left the hive, I've just been away. The past couple of days I've been down in southeast Kentucky conducting annual inspections at two of our flood control dams down there. Specifically, Carr Creek Lake and Buckhorn Lake. These lakes are in a very remote region, and I will tell you it was a great experience to get down there and see these places. The country is very beautiful, set in the mountains, the folks were nice, and at night you don't hear the roar of planes, trains, or automobiles. I just got in a short while ago, so I don't have any photos to post right now, but check back in the next couple of days and I should have some photos.

Rookie Blogger in Action

Well I've posted a new "Song of the Day" but I can't get it to auto-start. I think I've got the wrong format. So If you're interested, scroll down to the bottom of the page and check it out!

If any of you experienced bloggers can help me out please do so!

Welcome to the Hive

Everyone seems to be doing these blog sites so I thought I would give it a shot. If you want to check out our family scoop, go to the Hite House site. Here you will find some of the stuff that I am intersted in. I'll be adding posts every now and then so please check back - AND SIGN THE GUEST BOOK!! Until later . . .