Outdoor Convergence
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Outdoor Convergence
Water Water Everywhere
Ouch!
Like many others in Southeast Wisconsin, we were hit hard by the heavy rain/storms that came in last Friday. Our basement ended up with about 16 inches of sewer water in it when the sewer system backed up. What a mess!
Right now we are in the midst of a massive cleanup effort. The water heater had to be replaced, the furnace cleaned and inspected, and the whole basement disinfected. We have been working non-stop, approximately 14 hours a day since Friday night. The basement is almost cleaned and now we are starting to clean up what items we were able to salvage. We lost a ton of valuables, collectibles, keepsakes, furniture, books, etc. This has been a heartbreaking event.
Unfortunately, this has also meant my fishing plans for this week had to be canceled. I was looking forward to some fishing on Delavan Lake in Walworth County. Maybe next week.
Terry
Like many others in Southeast Wisconsin, we were hit hard by the heavy rain/storms that came in last Friday. Our basement ended up with about 16 inches of sewer water in it when the sewer system backed up. What a mess!
Right now we are in the midst of a massive cleanup effort. The water heater had to be replaced, the furnace cleaned and inspected, and the whole basement disinfected. We have been working non-stop, approximately 14 hours a day since Friday night. The basement is almost cleaned and now we are starting to clean up what items we were able to salvage. We lost a ton of valuables, collectibles, keepsakes, furniture, books, etc. This has been a heartbreaking event.
Unfortunately, this has also meant my fishing plans for this week had to be canceled. I was looking forward to some fishing on Delavan Lake in Walworth County. Maybe next week.
Terry
Time for Introspection
Maybe just maybe I will someday be a true blogger i.e someone who actually blogs on a regular basis.
In the late winter, I really had intended to start blogging more to let people know what I was up to, upcoming articles, events, etc. However, in the spring I joined thousands of other people from my company in the unemployment line. While that would seem to open the door to being able to spend more time maintaining my website, the opposite was true. I found myself spending a huge amount of time working on getting my resume in tip-top shape, working on the job search, calling people, meeting with people, etc.
What I found was that I did not have the energy on the evenings and weekends to sit and write blog material or to keep my site maintained as well as I intended. In addition, while I would love to say that I spent the last few months getting in a lot of outdoor activity, the opposite was also true. I was really burning the candle on the job hunting process and it did not allow me a lot of free time.
However, as much as it is a bit of a downer to be unemployed, I have learned a lot during this process. Certainly, I have learned the power of networking. But, more importantly, I learned more about myself and have had a chance to step back and reevaluate my life and my career choices. I have also met a lot of interesting people and developed some friendships with people I would have never met if I had not been unemployed.
At this stage, after having gone through the personal reevaluation, I know myself a bit better. That does not mean I am finished figuring myself out....I think that is a lifelong process.
FYI. For those who get the Kenosha News, look for my article in this Saturday's paper. It's a piece that is tied to Father's Day.
Terry
In the late winter, I really had intended to start blogging more to let people know what I was up to, upcoming articles, events, etc. However, in the spring I joined thousands of other people from my company in the unemployment line. While that would seem to open the door to being able to spend more time maintaining my website, the opposite was true. I found myself spending a huge amount of time working on getting my resume in tip-top shape, working on the job search, calling people, meeting with people, etc.
What I found was that I did not have the energy on the evenings and weekends to sit and write blog material or to keep my site maintained as well as I intended. In addition, while I would love to say that I spent the last few months getting in a lot of outdoor activity, the opposite was also true. I was really burning the candle on the job hunting process and it did not allow me a lot of free time.
However, as much as it is a bit of a downer to be unemployed, I have learned a lot during this process. Certainly, I have learned the power of networking. But, more importantly, I learned more about myself and have had a chance to step back and reevaluate my life and my career choices. I have also met a lot of interesting people and developed some friendships with people I would have never met if I had not been unemployed.
At this stage, after having gone through the personal reevaluation, I know myself a bit better. That does not mean I am finished figuring myself out....I think that is a lifelong process.
FYI. For those who get the Kenosha News, look for my article in this Saturday's paper. It's a piece that is tied to Father's Day.
Terry
Yeah, I Know
What's the use of having a blog, if you actually don't blog? Good question...
It's been a while since I sat down to write much and this probably will not be much either. Life has just been busy for me. My full time job and schooling literally eat up almost all of my time. The few moments I have away from those things are spent trying to drum up new stories, write, edit and then get them sent off to the publishers. Once that's done in a given week, it's back to homework.
I have begun to realize that all those people who sit down and blog all the time, they have too much of it...time that is.
I am thankful for one thing, it's winter. If I was stuck in the house this much in the summer or early fall, I would be going stir crazy. Sure, I like to still get outdoors and especially ice fish. But, if I had to give up ice fishing or summer fishing, there would be no contest, ice, ice baby goodbye.
So I am not punching holes in the ice as often as I would like, but considering how cold it has been recently, maybe that's not a bad thing either. My skin is pale white instead of black from frost bite. Plus, I don't have that consistent red glow that comes from being constantly wind burned either. So I guess I will count my blessings.
Take care,
Terry
It's been a while since I sat down to write much and this probably will not be much either. Life has just been busy for me. My full time job and schooling literally eat up almost all of my time. The few moments I have away from those things are spent trying to drum up new stories, write, edit and then get them sent off to the publishers. Once that's done in a given week, it's back to homework.
I have begun to realize that all those people who sit down and blog all the time, they have too much of it...time that is.
I am thankful for one thing, it's winter. If I was stuck in the house this much in the summer or early fall, I would be going stir crazy. Sure, I like to still get outdoors and especially ice fish. But, if I had to give up ice fishing or summer fishing, there would be no contest, ice, ice baby goodbye.
So I am not punching holes in the ice as often as I would like, but considering how cold it has been recently, maybe that's not a bad thing either. My skin is pale white instead of black from frost bite. Plus, I don't have that consistent red glow that comes from being constantly wind burned either. So I guess I will count my blessings.
Take care,
Terry
Larry - This is a long one
You can't please everybody, I guess.
I apparently have a few people who are not fans, though I don't think it has anything to do with my writing. There has been somewhat of an ongoing debate about the rehabilitation of Eagle Lake in Racine County. The DNR at behest of the residents and with input from a privately funded study decided that Eagle Lake needed to be rehabbed. The rahab will involve the drawdown of the water and then poison will be applied that will kill off all the fish. Next year the lake will be restocked but there will be special regulations that will limit the number and size of fish that can be harvested. While I am not thrilled that the lake had to be killed off (there are some big bass still left in the lake), based on what I was told by biologist Doug Welch, it had to be done.
Anyway, what has made me unpopular with a few people is that I have defended the plan to rehab the lake. And, I have mostly spoke up when people have made personal attacks on Doug Welch or when they have tried to sway opinion by either the misuse of facts or outright untruths.
One certain individual named Larry, has been an outright vocal opponent of the plan and has been very unprofessional in his comments about Doug Welch. I say unprofessional, because Larry apparently serves as an elected official in a couple fishing organizations. He also claims to be an editor of some fishing or outdoor magazine. His disparaging remarks towards Welch should be an embarrassment for the organizations he serves.
Larry definitely does not care for me either...mostly because I have been willing to challenge his assertions and challenge his facts. Apparently I stung him pretty bad on his last set of comments when I proved his "facts" were all wrong. He said he wasn't going to post anymore because I had become the "self appointed owner of the forum". Me thinks I just made Larry look bad in front of all the other posters. I can't help it...I blame my mother for my willingness to argue.
Anway, Larry has a history of historonics and the DNR is well aware of his points of new. Larry thinks he is a defender of the "common man" and stands as a bulwark against the PETA policies of the DNR. However a source in the DNR said that they believe Larry has his own agenda...he fights any special regulations because he likes to fill his freezer with fish...basically Larry is not a fan of catch-and-release fishing.
Larry a couple years ago sent me a message saying he would sue me for libel. Can you believe that? An editor of a magazine who constantly disparages Doug Welch and the DNR, threatened to sue me. That was funny. I should have kept that message and showed that to his editors.
One more interesting note about Larry. We were once both members of an organization called Pikemasters (though he didn't know I was a member). Pikemasters was a conservation group that was concerned with promoting northern pike and raising public awareness of how special the fish is. The group was heavily involved with trying to improve pike regulations to protect fish in certain lakes so they could grow to large proportions. I am not sure how long Larry was a member, but he fell on the opposite side of the spectrum of what the group was trying to accomplish (Remember what I said about the DNR believes he just wants to fill his freezer?) and did not believe we should persue special regulations. The leaders were puzzled at why he was a member though some speculated he just wanted access to try and influence another fishing organization.
Larry is an interesting person; however, he definitely does not speak for the "common man" nor for the average fisherman.
Terry
I apparently have a few people who are not fans, though I don't think it has anything to do with my writing. There has been somewhat of an ongoing debate about the rehabilitation of Eagle Lake in Racine County. The DNR at behest of the residents and with input from a privately funded study decided that Eagle Lake needed to be rehabbed. The rahab will involve the drawdown of the water and then poison will be applied that will kill off all the fish. Next year the lake will be restocked but there will be special regulations that will limit the number and size of fish that can be harvested. While I am not thrilled that the lake had to be killed off (there are some big bass still left in the lake), based on what I was told by biologist Doug Welch, it had to be done.
Anyway, what has made me unpopular with a few people is that I have defended the plan to rehab the lake. And, I have mostly spoke up when people have made personal attacks on Doug Welch or when they have tried to sway opinion by either the misuse of facts or outright untruths.
One certain individual named Larry, has been an outright vocal opponent of the plan and has been very unprofessional in his comments about Doug Welch. I say unprofessional, because Larry apparently serves as an elected official in a couple fishing organizations. He also claims to be an editor of some fishing or outdoor magazine. His disparaging remarks towards Welch should be an embarrassment for the organizations he serves.
Larry definitely does not care for me either...mostly because I have been willing to challenge his assertions and challenge his facts. Apparently I stung him pretty bad on his last set of comments when I proved his "facts" were all wrong. He said he wasn't going to post anymore because I had become the "self appointed owner of the forum". Me thinks I just made Larry look bad in front of all the other posters. I can't help it...I blame my mother for my willingness to argue.
Anway, Larry has a history of historonics and the DNR is well aware of his points of new. Larry thinks he is a defender of the "common man" and stands as a bulwark against the PETA policies of the DNR. However a source in the DNR said that they believe Larry has his own agenda...he fights any special regulations because he likes to fill his freezer with fish...basically Larry is not a fan of catch-and-release fishing.
Larry a couple years ago sent me a message saying he would sue me for libel. Can you believe that? An editor of a magazine who constantly disparages Doug Welch and the DNR, threatened to sue me. That was funny. I should have kept that message and showed that to his editors.
One more interesting note about Larry. We were once both members of an organization called Pikemasters (though he didn't know I was a member). Pikemasters was a conservation group that was concerned with promoting northern pike and raising public awareness of how special the fish is. The group was heavily involved with trying to improve pike regulations to protect fish in certain lakes so they could grow to large proportions. I am not sure how long Larry was a member, but he fell on the opposite side of the spectrum of what the group was trying to accomplish (Remember what I said about the DNR believes he just wants to fill his freezer?) and did not believe we should persue special regulations. The leaders were puzzled at why he was a member though some speculated he just wanted access to try and influence another fishing organization.
Larry is an interesting person; however, he definitely does not speak for the "common man" nor for the average fisherman.
Terry
Poor Service
What is it with poor service at restaurants recently? It seems like everytime I go out for a nice dinner the last few weeks I have had to deal with poor service i.e. Inattentive wait staff and slow food service.
I know that if I was willing to drop a hundo on every meal, maybe I would get better service. But, unless I get promoted to an executive rank or some paper or magazine decides to pay me what I am really worth
..I am going to stick with the typical Chile's, Applebees, etc. level of restaurants for most of my outside the home dining.
I am not expecting much. If I am eating a known spicey dish, it would be nice if I wasn't sitting staring at an empty glass for 15 minutes, praying the waitress will see my sweaty brow and refill my drink so I can put out the fire.
Last night was another example. We went to a restaurant after seeing the new Batman movie (an excellent film, but depressing knowing Heath Ledger is gone). We, being non-smokers, asked to sit in the non-smoking section. So they took us to a booth right next to the bar. When I asked the hostess if she heard us ask for the non-smoking section, she said this was the non-smoking section. Huh? Well, oaky we will see.
Well sure enough the two people who were sitting close enough that I could reach over and touch them, lit up some cigs...you can guess where the smoke was going. So when our waitress came over, I say, "Can we move?" When she asked why, I said we would prefer a non-smoking section where there wasn't people smoking aka not right next to the bar. Her reply "I just work here, it's not my fault. Management decide this was non-smoking". Okaaayyy, nice attitude.
She took us to another section where we were smoke free but still received mediocre service....and of course slow food delivery.
Someday, I may just make a running list of the restaurants I have visited and either praise or complain about my recent experience. It probably will not make a difference, but it will make me feel better.
Terry
I know that if I was willing to drop a hundo on every meal, maybe I would get better service. But, unless I get promoted to an executive rank or some paper or magazine decides to pay me what I am really worth
..I am going to stick with the typical Chile's, Applebees, etc. level of restaurants for most of my outside the home dining.I am not expecting much. If I am eating a known spicey dish, it would be nice if I wasn't sitting staring at an empty glass for 15 minutes, praying the waitress will see my sweaty brow and refill my drink so I can put out the fire.
Last night was another example. We went to a restaurant after seeing the new Batman movie (an excellent film, but depressing knowing Heath Ledger is gone). We, being non-smokers, asked to sit in the non-smoking section. So they took us to a booth right next to the bar. When I asked the hostess if she heard us ask for the non-smoking section, she said this was the non-smoking section. Huh? Well, oaky we will see.
Well sure enough the two people who were sitting close enough that I could reach over and touch them, lit up some cigs...you can guess where the smoke was going. So when our waitress came over, I say, "Can we move?" When she asked why, I said we would prefer a non-smoking section where there wasn't people smoking aka not right next to the bar. Her reply "I just work here, it's not my fault. Management decide this was non-smoking". Okaaayyy, nice attitude.
She took us to another section where we were smoke free but still received mediocre service....and of course slow food delivery.
Someday, I may just make a running list of the restaurants I have visited and either praise or complain about my recent experience. It probably will not make a difference, but it will make me feel better.
Terry
Went Back Home
The family and I took a trip back to Tomah where I was born and raised. Generally I do not get back there except around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. This time it was to hold a graduation party for my son Scott on the other side of the state...that's right, I have a kid who graduated high school. No it doesn't make me feel old. My gray hair and aching back take care of the feeling old part.
Anyway, we were up there for a few days over the 4th of July holiday. I spent a few hours fishing some of my old haunts up around the cranberry bogs. Thankfully, I know a cranberry grower that still allows me access to his land. It was all shorefishing since I left both of my boats at home, but it was nice to fish something different than the insanely busy waters of southeast Wisconsin. I didn't catch a ton of fish, but I did okay and more importantly, I was able to enjoy the peace and quiet that does not exist anywhere near where I currently live.
I used to travel back to Tomah fairly often during the summer months, but as the kids got older and more things were keeping me busy, trips to Tomah have fallen off. I miss fishing those shallow, stump and fish filled flowages, but I don't miss fighting the traffic on the way back.
I had a publisher asking me to write something about fishing the cranberry bogs and I have put if off. Maybe it's time for me to put something together. Fishing up there sparked some fresh ideas.
Terry
Anyway, we were up there for a few days over the 4th of July holiday. I spent a few hours fishing some of my old haunts up around the cranberry bogs. Thankfully, I know a cranberry grower that still allows me access to his land. It was all shorefishing since I left both of my boats at home, but it was nice to fish something different than the insanely busy waters of southeast Wisconsin. I didn't catch a ton of fish, but I did okay and more importantly, I was able to enjoy the peace and quiet that does not exist anywhere near where I currently live.
I used to travel back to Tomah fairly often during the summer months, but as the kids got older and more things were keeping me busy, trips to Tomah have fallen off. I miss fishing those shallow, stump and fish filled flowages, but I don't miss fighting the traffic on the way back.
I had a publisher asking me to write something about fishing the cranberry bogs and I have put if off. Maybe it's time for me to put something together. Fishing up there sparked some fresh ideas.
Terry
Welcome to the Outdoor Convergence Blog
"Always something new"
That is my take with this whole blogging thing. It seems like everyone is doing it and so I guess I am going to jump in as well. I am guessing this will replace my old forum where I posted what I was up to. Blogging seems a bit more efficient in this regards. We will see I guess.
Anyway, welcome to my blog.
Terry
That is my take with this whole blogging thing. It seems like everyone is doing it and so I guess I am going to jump in as well. I am guessing this will replace my old forum where I posted what I was up to. Blogging seems a bit more efficient in this regards. We will see I guess.
Anyway, welcome to my blog.
Terry