April 20, 2007 by Bob.

Our prayers and heartfelt condolences to all who have been affected by the madness on the campus of Virginia Tech this past Monday.

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April 11, 2007 by Bob.

Wow.

I can’t believe it’s been four months since I’ve posted here.

While I’ve been busier than the proverbial one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest, I’m still upset with myself for not finding the time to post at least SOMETHING once a week or so.  From here on out, I pledge to post AT LEAST that much.

Now, if only I can live up to that…

As I said, I’ve been busy.  I’m still working on my Master’s Degree, and I’m working full time at the University in Tech Support.  In the little free time I get, I try to get out in the shop and get some scale modeling done.  ANd now that spring is trying to…well, spring…I’ll have to make the tough choice on nice days to work in the shop or get the bike on the road.  The Morgantown Bike Rally is coming up in July, and while that SOUNDS like it’s a while off, as fast as ime is passing, it’ll be here before you know it.

A few weeks back, the Three Rivers chapter of the International Plastic Modelers Society (IMPS) hosted the Regional show and contest.  It was a lot of work, and a lot of fun.  Modelers from all over the country were there, and the contest had 544 entries!  Two of them were mine, and I was lucky enough to bring home both a gold and a bronze.

My idea of the most wonderful time of the year is coming up next month, as Wonderfest kicks off in Louisville, KY over Memorial Day weekend.  If you are into figure or fantastic models, B-movies, and fun, you owe it to yourself to check it out.  The Wonderfest web site is at www.wonderfest.com.

I’ll have more original pieces posted in the next few days.  until then, Y’all have fun!

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December 20, 2006 by Bob.

Been a while since I posted anything, so I thought I’d at least get “Merry Christmas” wishes out to all.

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November 23, 2006 by Bob.

As much as life kicks me in the nuts, I’m still thankful this Thanksgiving. I have my health (sorta), a roof over my head, and food in the larder. Whenever I get too down, I remind myself that as bad as I have it sometimes, there are others who have it worse. So, take a minute and reflect on this thought, go hug a family member, and give thanks - even if it’s just for the the fact that you’re breathing. After all, it beats the alternative!

Happy Thanksgiving, and remember to take the Alka-Seltzer before bed!

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November 2, 2006 by Bob.

Halloween has come and gone, leaving in its wake a dearth of Christmas-y advertisements and the slimy puddles of drool made by retailers hoping to part you from your money over the next 60 days. Something else that seems to be gone for the time being is nice cycling weather. I’m still hoping to have a couple of nice days with temps in the 60’s so I can get a few more miles under the wheels before putting my ride aside for the winter, but it doesn’t look good.

When I was younger, I didn’t give a second thought to hoping on the bike and going on a nice long ride, even if it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. Without cold weather gear. A coat, sure, but other than that, it was jeans and some summer weight gloves. How I didn’t freeze my fingers off or get frostbite on my nose is beyond me. What is the wind chill at 70 mph on a 35 degree day, anyway?

That was in the days before cold weather made my knees sound like popping bubblewrap when I stood up. Nowadays, if I can see my breath, I use the four-wheeler. Comfort has over-ridden cool, and I’ve become my parents. Crap.

On the bright side, the winter riding lull is a great time to do some of those bike tweaks I’ve been thinking about for the past several months. Maybe it’s time to get that light bar I’ve been drooling over. It looks like I have until spring to get it installed…

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October 31, 2006 by Bob.

I’ve been down several days recovering from some colo-rectal corrective surgery.  Lemme tell ya, Vicodin is a good thing.  Not that I’d know, as my surgeon ’s idea of pain management is Tylenol 3, meaning the last week or so has been…unpleasant.  Advice to you:  Ask the doctor for some pain drugs that are worth a damn…

On the bright side, things are finally beginning to (ahem) subside, and I should be back at the writing mill in a few days, so there should be more stories and essays up shortly.

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October 18, 2006 by Bob.

I’ve gotten some stories and essays posted.  Check out the “Stories and Essays” menu on the left hand menu bar.  Enjoy!

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October 17, 2006 by Bob.

Two of the kindest people I know are John and Linda Lester. How kind are they, you ask? Kind enough to invite four THOUSAND people into their home!

John runs a quaint little web site called Starship Modeler. It’s a treasure trove of modeling information, and while it caters to science fiction modelers, there’s volumes of information on real-life space models and modeling tricks and techniques that work equally well no matter what genre you like to build. As part of the site, John and Linda run a web-based store where you can purchase some of the neatest nearly-one-of-a-kind model kits availible anywhere. John also hosts a discussion forum with over 4000 regular visitors (and God knows how many irregular ones!).

Starship Modeler recently celebrated it’s tenth year on the web. As part of the celebration, John and Linda invited anyone and everyone who is a part of the Starship Modeler community to their home for three days of barbeque and fun. How many people do you know who would do that?

The SSM forums have become a regular part of my daily routine, and I have gotten to know some of the most decent people on the web. It doesn’t matter if you’re into sci-fi or not (but it helps), these are the most genuinely friendly people you will find anywhere.

Please, make SSM a part of your day, too. Pay the site a visit. It’s www.starshipmodeler.com, (There’s a link on the left-hand side of the page) and once you go there, you won’t want to leave. tell John I sent ya.

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October 17, 2006 by Bob.

Welcome to Bob’s World! This is my first venture in blogging, so I hope you find interesting things ro read and comment on, and that I don’t bore you to death! Some of the things you’ll be seing here are:

New, unblemished, tender virginal original short stories, which I offer for your entertainment.
Commentary about motorcycling through Wild, Wonderful West Virginia and beyond
Chatter, rumor, innuendo, and non sequitur nonesuch about scale modeling, especially *gasp* sci-fi modeling
Scathing commentary
Rants about damn near anything

I hope you enjoy your visit, visit often, and become part of my World! Thanks!

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