Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Remodel 2










One of the best purchases ever made by me was this wet-dry vacuum. Commercial grade and on sale for $50, so good the other Crawford boy bought one as well.




















The first of the mud ran out and I was feeling the burn from cleaning and laying this set.



















Here is the lintel, non cleaned and waiting to set up fully. These, although natural stone were found by me on one of my treks and bought what was left at the store for about $0.25 a tile or about $1.00 a sq ft!

Guest Bathroom Remodel






Well, I guess I need to start getting projects out of the way and done; I've had the main tile for this project for over 2 years and the accent tiles for just under a year now. Sound familiar to anyone?
I told myself that I didn't want to start on it because of visitors, and that can drag on if you let it.
Tile up (in the box in background) and carpet up and out, getting pad and tack strips out.












The pipe wrench is there because the valve was not cooperating, and needed to be tightened to stop a slow flow of water.
The pad was not as easily persuaded to leave as I thought it would be and so it was back to a friend for a floor scraper (Thanks Don).
Tack strip didn't put up a big fight. If you believe that you are in shape, tear out a floor and clean with a scraper, it will work your whole body.


















The tack strip in the corners put up a little bit of a fight, but it just required a little more use of the pry bar.














Something else that must be fixed before tiling around the bowl area; the flange is set 90 degrees off, with the slot for the bolts at the front and rear, instead of at the sides.
Also for you DIYer's, the flange should be fastened so that it will be flush with the finished floor.












Perspective shot.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Coyote Christmas Party

The Radio Station decided that we would invite all clients to enjoy with us our Christmas party, there would be no selling but just thankfulness for the year we had.Osage National Golf Resort was the location for the party and Candy Coburn was to be the entertainment.









First up was a mixer activity, build the largest Christmas Tree with balloons and scotch tape only, and in 5 minutes.
It was difficult in such a large group as there was no discipline. We had many more balloons than we used.

























This team creatively (cheated) interpreted the rules and taped their balloons to the windows.









As the time got closer, under 60 seconds, the mad dash began, and many people just simply threw balloons on top of the already funky looking tree.













The two teams in contention for the win; the gentleman on the right that has appeared in many pictures is a waiter who was intrigued by our crazy antics.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Y.G.F.D. continued

Some pictures of the house itself I felt were in order, it was a very nicely maintained one, as can be seen here. It is located in Carthage Missouri.









The study/library with beautiful bookshelves, and a gorgeous half circle french window.








The front sitting room had this nice fireplace.


































In the area where I was sitting, this beauty was there, nicely carved and intricate in details.

Youth Group Formal Dinner

Our Sister Church in Joplin, kindly invited us along to their Youth Formal Dinner. This is the fifth year they've held it and it was really nice. They get a good rate on "The Phelps House" and then folks from church come and do everything. Russ (their head of youth) told me "I don't want you to do anything but come, eat, hangout with the kids, and enjoy yourself". Sign me up, my kind of job description; but I couldn't help myself, while some kids were having pictures taken at the end, I jumped in and helped tear down tables and chairs.












This character is actually the Senior Pastor for Joplin, I asked Jeff if he was considering a career change, and if so he would have to remember to put out a collection hat, or at least his case. Very good music, in the way that I couldn't honestly tell you what he was playing, just what you need for a good night of conversing and eating.














While I was waiting for the dessert to make it to our table, I figured I would get a few impromtu shots. Later, the professional shots will be available.
This table of boys was 3/4 mine and at many times was barely holding onto the concept; they were always on the ragged edge of wanting to go crazy.












Actually, only Johnnie (girl), is one of mine, but I guess I have to claim the one to her right, since I did drive him down with us, although I haven't had the pleasure to have him in youth.












My other girl, Emma, seen here felt as though she was out of her element. She is a rather tall tom-boy, who has great talent on the basketball court, but really didn't want to wear a dress, and when we got there believed that I would allow her to keep her coat on all evening. I believe she came to realize that she looked just fine, but that is one of our goals with this outing, to coach the kids along the path, so they can get along with all occasions.











Very calm waters compared to what dad had us boys doing when I was about 10. Going out to a restaurant for a 5 course meal was a little intimidating, including the fact that not only did I have to dress nice, but was not allowed to ruin it by going outside and play before we left. Not all was a loss however; I passed, maybe not with flying colors, but enough that the experiment was repeated, and a few years later when our grandparents came out to England to visit I was able to instruct "start at the outside and eat your way toward the plate". I was of course trying to help my grandfather who was looking at the abundance of silverware and not sure where to start.
Although I fought it at the time; thanks dad, for equiping me to survive and thrive in almost any environment.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Benton , Arkansas




This is my cousin Carlene and her husband Jerry Brazil. Dad and I stayed in their guest house. This house was in the area that many Crawfords and Ragans livedin, out on Kirk Rd.
As a side note, Jerry trains Border Collies and does tremendously with them, amazing control that I have not seen outside of Northern England.









This is Aunt Monk, and no that is not her given name (Martha), but all I have ever known, she is 90, but still spry and remembering just how small I was the last time she had seen me, (8), what a difference 27 years make!
Aunt Monk seems to have been one of those amazing women that you read about, avid golfer, fisher, and such. Women golfers at all, let alone great ones were rare in her youth.
Sticking with strange names, she was married to Uncle Frosty. I have not yet heard why or where these nicknames came from.












The house that Aunt Monk lives in, is the house that she grew up in with her adopted parents, and that later she lived in with Frosty and the only house most of us young un's know for her.



Dad's parents Dave and Viola Crawford are in this Cemetary in Benton , we had already benn around Benton a little this morning, my seeing Benton High School and two of the houses that dad lived in after they left Bauxite.



Bauxite

Continuing the journey through my past; although I was never linked or associated with this place I felt and feel that I am linked to it in a way that confounds me.
While we were there, many times I would turn down a road, and dad would warn me that maybe a company man would show up and ask us to leave, I would brush it off, saying that if you act like you belong most people will leave you alone.
I know that this is a different attitude than anyone who has ever been in that environment would have, a paradigm shift in human thinking, that the generation or two that went before couldn't percieve of us as having.
Remember that this was a company town, with company money(not US Currency). The company was rule, what they said went, but at the same time I have talked with relatives who say that it was a job that people wanted to have because it was steady and better than other opportunities that were available at that time.










To those, who like me have never seen Aluminum in it's raw form, here it is.
No, this is not a rock with some ore buried in it, this is Bauxite.







This angle allows you to better see the nature of the ore.














Aluminum foil to my generation, usually begins with Reynold's Wrap, but it was originally Alcoa (Aluminum Company of America). My family thought it was crazy that when Alcoa was mentioned to me, I asked "You mean the wheel company?"
Bauxite was vital, as this plaque shows, remember the planes that made victory possible were all skinned with it.








Pete was my Grandfathers (Dave H. Crawford) brother. Pete had no sons and so the Crawford name stopped on this line.

Bauxite, Arkansas

Strange, I can't describe what it is like when you are already in mid-age and find out things about your past or lineage, that previously were unknown to you.
While I am sure that in the many trips that were made by my parents to Arkansas in my childhood, I cannot remember ever going to Bauxite. I do remember Benton and some relatives but not this mythical Bauxite that was talked of within the Crawford/Ragan side.
April 2008, when dad was back in Lebanon, we decided that it was time to introduce me to the family that I didn't know, and see Bauxite while we were at it.








This is a plaque for my Great-Grandpa & Grandma Ragan, I never met either one; in fact the whole side of my fathers family is mostly unknown to me, that's what this trip was all about.












This shows the location of the plaque, it is the third to the left, superceded by Alcoa and Reynolds who owns Bauxite.














This house was one of the houses that bosses and high end would have lived in in Bauxite, now it is home for a caretaker. Nothing much has been changed to the exterior except for using vinyl siding. This was pretty high living back in the 30's-40's in rural Arkansas.




What you are looking at now is the community center for the workers. The story is told of what Grandpa Cass would do. After he had gotten too old to work in the mines,(I have been informed by father, that my informationis incorrect; he contracted out wagon, horses and drivers to haul the ore out of the mines) the company had given him the job of janitor/caretaker for the facility. I have cleaned up the verbage, but I am told whenever someone would be doing something reckless or even driving faster than Cass liked, he would yell from the porch, "Go on, Hell ain't half full yet!"

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Turkey Drop 3

We have a winner!

Turkey Drop Continued 2

Didn't make it in but fun nontheless.

The Great American Turkey Drop!

Some people wonder what it is that I do; in addition to selling air time, I do special events.
Here is one that happened Nov 22nd, the Turkey Drop, is where I take contestants up to 40' above the ground and they drop a frozen turkey onto a 10' trampoline and try to get the turkey into one of 110 gallon water tubs.
Those who know me, know that I am the one in shorts, even though it was about 41 that day. Actually the only part of me that was cold was my hands!
















Close but no Cigar!
























Look close at the trampoline, the turkey just hit it.



















































This is the first winner, and the second winner was the exact next contestant, each winning a turkey a month for a year!

Tonya Harding








Tonya Harding was a guest on the morning show at the radio station where I work, this picture is out of sequence because it has me in it.
Actually she was a great girl and a good sport, she acknowledged that she has done many wrong things and now tries to educate kids to stay away from drugs and alcohol.
She was there to promote a mixed martial arts match in Lebanon, Mo. She about had me in stiches throughout the whole time she was there.
















This is one part of our Morning Show, KC; he had been playing it up on air, that he could take down Tonya, even if she brought a club!
She showed up and walked right up to him, lifted him up and threw him to the floor. When he would mute her mic, she walked over to his mic and continued to talk. It was great and perfect over the air. When we were done she lifted him back up; although this wasn't the highest she had him, he was over her shoulder like in a firemans lift.
















This Picture helps to tell the whole story, there is a disparity in height, as seen here.





















Lastly, Roundman and KC pose with Tonya and Lance (promoter for the event)