Christmas Day, 2019

We had dinner at David & Ashley's Christmas Day. There was us, Joanna, Ashley's father and step-mother and of course their multiple pets. Dave did the cooking as he's good at it :) and Ashley is the hostess with the mostest.  A relaxing and nice family day.

Where in the devil is that Christmas card from the Titusville Payette’s?

Where in the devil is that Christmas card from the Titusville Payette’s?  Stand down and away from your mailbox, folks. It’s not coming, it’s not in the mail, and you’re blocking traffic.  Quite a few years ago we were steady, reliable Christmas Card mailers. We had a database (ok, a list) and we added to it as we met new people, and subtracted from it when friends and relatives died or moved without leaving a forwarding address or, like our friends the Bakers of Oregon, moved so often from one coast to the other our typing fingers hurt trying to keep up.

For over a decade we’ve run a Blog :https//bobpayette.blogspot.com/ that has links to photo’s of our comings and goings and short rants about what we’ve done lately. Think of it as a Christmas Letter that’s run amuck, so that when you’re really bored you can look at what we’re doing and count your blessings.  We’re also pretty active on Facebook, and keep in touch with friends (that haven’t yet blocked me) and relatives through that medium.  So, if you’re on Facebook and we’re not friends and want to be, send me a request and we’ll probably say yes unless I’m in an especially crotchety mood.

That all having been said, if you’ve read this rant to this point,  you should probably have a glass of wine (or a cup of coffee) and do something creative.

Cheers, and Merry Christmas!  Bob

Falcon 9 Launch of JCSAT-18/KACFIC-1 communications satellite from Cape Canaveral, as seen from our deck in Titus Village, Titusville FL....

Above:  View of Falcon 9 on drone ship, 8:50 after liftoff from Cape Canaveral.  Wonderful that they've perfected the recovery of that very expensive first stage....This drone ship snap is from Florida Today.

https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipNSNJ7hNH8t9vzumf-lloR_BGJCb8e5QmOzhylFThis is an .051 short segment of film I shot from our deck just prior to the launch....

This clip is 04:33 in length...again, shot from the deck and shows the Falcon 9 as she comes up over the Eastern horizon.  Love these night launches!  During the day, since we're facing dead East, the sun glare can be pretty difficult to work with in filming with the smart phone.....

Our son, the Chef David....

https://youtu.be/P624mYyocz4

Letter to the Editor of The Hartford Courant that has a real ring of Truth...

Leaving Connecticut is becoming the necessary choice

HARTFORD COURANT |

SEP 18, 2019 | 6:00 AM

It was sad to read the article from the Vallos family concerning their forced move to New Hampshire [Sept. 15, Insight, “We didn’t leave Connecticut. Connecticut left us”]. Their story is becoming too familiar. The cost of living, working and retiring in Connecticut has become a significant burden, especially for those folks who don’t have the luxury of a state job or pension.

Many retirees who can afford it become snowbirds, heading to Florida or other warm states for the winter and returning here during the summer months, thereby avoiding leaving family and friends altogether. Many state retirees, like former Gov. Jodi Rell, become Florida residents and enjoy the best of both worlds. They have balmy winter weather, no personal income tax, low cost of living and plenty of tax-free pension dollars to spend on the grandkids.

Unfortunately, there are many people who do not have that luxury. After working in Connecticut and contributing to the local and state economy for years, they are forced to leave family and friends behind in order to financially survive.

Something has to give.

Diane Carney, Newington
_______________________________________
December 30th, 2019 update: https://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-rice-leaving-connecticut-1010-20191010-3l2fgknsmbaevnfhf434oshj2q-story.html

Getting a bit introspective...

Well,it's a long story but I'll shorten it.  When I first came back from Vietnam in December of 1965 my first job was at Colts Fire Arms in Hartford (piecework, making the stock for the AR15).  I did good because i was young and gung-ho (still!) but realized it was not a life's avocation. My brother Fran (Spike) had a job at the Hartford Branch of the Hartford Courant, and I thought it might be a better fit...so I applied and was hired.
Long story short I made Manager of Branch 6 in West Hartford faster than anyone else had made the jump .  Company car, pension, nice office help...all good, but the money sucked, and I had a girl in the wings (my wife Alice).  SO, I had the opportunity to intern at Allstate Insurance and that changed my life and financial prospects.  Today I re-subscribed to the Courant for 6 months...I owe them a lot!