Friday, March 31, 2006

Boneshakers & bagpipers! ...The training begins!

Okay, you guys asked for it! Don't say I didn't warn you....This top picture while a bit grainy, is the first picture given to me taken last week while in my full Scottish attire. Too bad you can't see my sexy knees... But for those of you who REALLY want to see my sexy legs I have the first photo of me following my first attempts at training for this upcoming 106 mile ride. I still have not replaced "Ol' Bone-Shaker" yet! I'm pretty sure I purchased that "mean green" thing before the Cruiser BOSTON was even scrapped, so besides predating the submarines existance you could call it a relic from the days of the CA-69 (Hahaha!)
Anyway, after work I went out and rode about nine miles which took me all of perhaps 35 minutes....but at this point, my tender-butt can't handle much more! I think I'll have to build-up callouses on those butt-cheeks before June 3rd comes around!

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Thursday Mornin' just Hangin' Around































Well, it looks like the islamic fundamentals have managed to obtain some of George Dubbas' DNA, or is this one of his relatives?

I don't know? Does that make him a "Monkey's Uncle" or was he just" a real swinger" when he was younger? I know he likes bananas, but always wondered about his "a peel" to the public, the real hard-core right-wingers go ape over him anyways!

But then again, is it no wonder he's slipping in the poles? Come on George, you really monkey around too much!

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Well, now I REALLY Have put my foot into it!!


I finally broke down and did something really stupid, I agreed to help out one of my wives friends at work and ride in the "Tour de Cure" for Diabetes Bike Ride in June! A few weeks ago my wife said she had a co-worker that asked if I could provide moral support and ride with her in the "Tour de Cure" for Diabetes, this is supposed to be more of a ride then a race, so after giving it some thought I said "Okay, sure, no problem, it's just a bike ride, right?"

The only problem I see it that this is not just a leasurely bike ride, it's a 106 mile course over various terrain and road conditions and I think to myself; "Bruce, are you crazy? You have not ridden over one-hundred miles on your bike since you were eighteen!" now please keep in mind, I still have that very same bicycle that I had when I was eighteen, so it not only is a bit "long in tooth" but probably should have been long retired.

As to the condition of my bicycle: the back rim is all bent out-of-shape, the breaks squeek badly, a few spokes are missing, the seat is uncomfortable and frame is scrapped and rusted in spots, it shakes badly when I ride it, I think it has arthritis too, something like my knee joints! I think it's going grey too, or are those just my hairs?

I could go on and on about this. So, I suppose I have to start looking for a new bicycle, because if I were to take that "antique" to this race I would no doubt get a few chuckles and rude comments hidden "under the sleeve" as they quietly laugh to themselves. Either that or my poor old bicycle will try and ride away and hide from embarrassment, if only it could pick itself up and hobble away!

Anyway, I sign-up for this thing and now see that I am required to get a minimum amount of donations from others in sponsorships besides paying an entry fee myself. I think to myself, "Don't sweat it Bruce, your friend and buddys will come though!" Well, I have another couple months to reach my target goal, I decided to "chip-in" a chunk myself as I was getting worried that I would never reach that goal, but who know? One thing is sure, I'll be peddling until I bleed so everyone who sponsors me will take pleasure in knowing that I'll be working my you-know-what-off to earn every dollar in sponsorship!

Now, I have to seriously consider getting a new bicycle too! Just one additional cost I suppose, but I figure, I bought that bicycle around the time Skylab was launched, used it all during high school, took it a on a trip to Toronto and back, I also took it with me while I was aboard the BOSTON, through new construction and even took it down to Newport News, VA when we were in PSA overhaul after commissioning, it served me through trials and troubles when my car was broken-down, carried my children when they were babies (in back). Geez, it even outlived the submarine! If anything, maybe I should have it mounted atop the sail! Naw, they would never go for that...

So if you want to help me out, follow this link:

http://tour.diabetes.org/site/TR?pg=personal&fr_id=3190&px=2798631

That should do it!! Just think, here I am pushin' fifty and I'll be peddling away for hours at end, sweating like a pig trying to earn the money you sponsored, while you kickback and have a few cool beers and enjoy the warm June sunshine! You know, you can only "relish the moment" if you sponsor me though....

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Tuesday, Tuesday...Spring is Here!


Good Mornin' Folks!
Gosh, what a beautiful day it seems to be!
If I didn't know better, I'd think that Spring has finally arrived!
I don't know how long it will be staying, this is afterall, Buffalo, NY
We could have a snow storm or blizzard at a moments notice.

But you know something? I was looking at the predictions for the changes in weather patterns with "Global Warming" and the computer models have predicted that the Western New York area will be one of the few areas in the world where the weather will actually improve because of "Global Warming"!! So, I guess we will have "George Dubba" to thank for something when it's all over and other areas are either barren wastelands or buried under water, or too cold or hot to live in!

But then again, what do I know? I'm just an excentric ex-nuke bubblehead in the middle of it all.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Life Finally Settles Down to "Normal"


So much work, so much energy spent putting on a show, then Sunday afternoon we spent breaking-down the scenery and the stage that it will seem somehow uneventful this week. Saturday nights performance went so well, that it's a shame that after three nights we call it quits, because we have by that time our timing so finely honed and are moves on stage are so precise that in my opinion we could do another show easily. I have been lobbying for us to do two shows on Saturday; a matinee followed by an evening performance but I have received some resistance because some of the guys might not have the endurance for two shows a day. It costs the Glee Club over $40,000 to put on a show, most of that is in non-reoccurring costs so to add one more show would really be at minimial expense. last year we went into some debt and have been working hard at trying to cut costs in order to recover from that. unfortunately, the added burden is placed upon the members, especially when we end up traveling out-of-state to participate in various singing functions, last year's trip to Grand Rapids, MI was a good example of that.

Anyway, once again, we "WOW"ed them with a spectacular performance, each night!

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Two Down....One Show to Go!


Wow! This has been a great show so far! Such a friendly group of dancers too! I have to say though that it's been very rewarding and well, ahem! Don't you just wish you were here too!
Why couldn't my bunk mates aboard the BOSTON look like this?

Friday, March 24, 2006

Another openin' and Another Success!!!



Well, you wanted pictures and our major local newspaper DID cover our show with the following photos that I pasted together. Where am I you ask? I'm in the middle portion they did not photograph! ...I assume to save me the chiding I would be taking at work having appeared in a full dress kilt attire carrying a set of bagpipes!!! One show down, with two more to perform....
Don't ask me why, but the photo is not showing up....so much for that "perfect blog" experience!

Thursday, March 23, 2006

A few from "Technical Rehearsal"

Okay, so I didn't get any photos from the Dress Rehearsal! Go ahead, take me out back and shoot me! <bang!> But I did get a few from "tech-rehearsal" and fortunately, left the folder on the monitor, even though I pulled the flash card out of the reader, so this is just from the screen captures. this IS the girl I do the Tango with though...

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Another openin' an other show!

Geez, all we seemed to be doing is rehearse and rehearse! Although I have to admit, some places need it more then others, after last night where we went over the same song about twenty times and the choreographer threw in even more steps and motions, how are we to keep them all straight? Tonight, it's technical rehearsal; like doing the full show, but with no costumes and lots of mess. You do it until it's right, then you do it until it's perfect. Wednesday is dress rehearsal, that's where do do the show from start to finish, but with full costumes but without makeup or the audence. The only thing that stops the show is if someone REALLY SCREWS UP!

Monday, March 20, 2006

Another Long hard weekend for this Singing & Dancing fool


Well, sorry I missed posting on Sunday but I was...well, singing and dancing like a fool!

No, seriously, back in 1994 I got involved with the Glee Club which has a major show each March and beginning Sunday is what we call "hell-week" which is the build-up to the three-night run of the show (Thursday, Friday & Saturday) followed by the after show party. One of the best parts of the show is getting to dance with these drop-dead gorgous girls who are right at their peak in beauty and attractiveness, well most of them at least!

This year we have one dancer, this strawberry blonde with a killer smile and with huge, ...ahem! (you know what's! ... Hey, this is a family blog) ...anyway, this girl will I think, before the show run is over, will have kissed every guy in the Glee Club ...and I don't mean just a peck on the cheek either!

It's kinda' lucky we wear black pants most of the time on stage to hide the huge erections she's given all the guys when she dances on stage. Yes, this year will be one of the more interesting shows!

This year I get to do an on stage tango with one of these beauties! Anyway, well we get talking and I find out her brother is in the Navy, hmmm, submarine duty no less? Really? I was in the Navy too in the submarine service! So what what kind of boat? Oh, his on a Los Angeles Class boats, the USS Montpelier ( SSN 765) she tells me. Oh, and what does he do? She says he' s an electronics tech in the Nuclear program. I smile at her and tell her, he's a Reactor Operator. Yes! She excitedly responds, how did you know? I smile broadly at her and tell her that I did exactly the same job her brother is doing when I was aboard!

Needless to say I instantly become her "favorite" guy in the Glee Club. The other girl, the strawberry blonde I was telling you about? She wanted to know if I was married or attached! I had to tell her the truth of course. You know, it's tough being married and having beautiful women throwing themselves at you!

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Good Heavens! Don't you know how important back-up are? You have them for redundancy and testing!


I don't know about these guys who spent their time in the Navy gently rocking on the surface breathing in fresh air and getting to see sunshine and clouds everyday, living the "Life of Riley".

I think they have no concept of what it means to have "backups" I mean blogs like this, ready and on "hot-standby" (as we used to say aboard the submarine). You know, I deliberately avoid using traditional phrases like "boat" for a submarine, because so many readers might not know that subs are referred in the submarine community as "boats". Ships, they float on the surface can sink once, usually from a torpedo. Das boat is designed to dive below the surface or greater depths then you care to think about and surface safely as many times. When the surfaces and dives are not equal, you're in deep doo-doo.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Okay, so I forgot about this Blog...so shoot me!!


















Life is hell sometimes, but what do I know, I'm just some ex-nuke-bubblehead who was lucky enough to see the ol' boat from "cradle-to-grave" sometimes I feel like a caretaker for the dead and dying and other times it's just a hunk of metal. Hard to believe that's what's left of what was my home while in the navy. Geez, I must be getting old!




Here she is, when we went through the Panama Canal and, what is pretty much left and saved.