2014 found 2009

So here is a weird thing, in 2009 I started a blog so that i could work with a friend of mine. When i went to start this blog (currently in use) I could not find the old one. Today in an internet search, here it is. By some freak magic of the internet, if i go to the old blog spot, it links to my current email for this blog and will only let me work in this blog. Hence an email to Google !! in the interest of beginnings, here it is below, from a cut and paste format. This is at jimswem.blogspot.com  (notice the "i")

My current blog is at jmswem.blogspot.com

 

Jim Swem

I have always wanted a place to write !! Something, that if I wish, if i want, i can share with you :) Otherwise a place to remember, reflect, write, get pissed off, be sad, be happy, grow, talk about you and a place to share! Welcome. These are my words - not meant to harm - take from them what you will, but they are just my words. Post as you remember, refelect, grow and learn. Thank You. Jim

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  •  April (2)
    • So on or about Monday 13 April 2009, somewhere dur...
    • Time Down the Road !
  •  January (1)

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JIM SWEM

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TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2009

So on or about Monday 13 April 2009, somewhere during the night, Rick has left this life, in quest of another journey. While I do not know any one more prepared or read up on this transition, it is still a strange feeling to miss another friend who I will know longer see here on earth......

So Rick, my mentor, my friend, my leader, my brother..... I miss you
:(
While I shed tears for my lose, I try to celebrate your begining a new journey. So I wish you "enough" on this new start. Enough of whatever you need to get you there. I hope you learn easier on this trip. I hope it doesn't take you another 200 years to learn how to survive in a life for more than 50 years.

For Caitlin and Justin, if ours paths cross, I will keep them as my own children. I hope to someday share the advetures that you three had to be able to come together in this plane.
I hope too, someday to understand more of Diane in your life, while you were here.....

Good Bye Rick..... and Hello. Until we meet again - Jim

THURSDAY, APRIL 02, 2009

Time Down the Road !

So as time goes down the road "Rick" has a new challenge !!

http://rmsjourney.blogspot.com/

I too hence have a new challenge !!

Kinda wierd this internet thing.........
he says with a smile :)

You will know the iron of my words by the truth and power in them......

TUESDAY, JANUARY 06, 2009

The Begining !

Dear Rick,

So here we are, just after the first of the year and i have finally figured out a medium that we should be able to communicate with. Now all we have to do is figure out an hourly rate... ???

The other nice thing about a blog is that it can be read by many and therefore hopefully, we can help a few more that just you and I. As we learn, read, type, grow and solve - others will have the ability to add to or take away from, as they wish!

I must say in the beginning, to all who read as follows - these are my words to write and yours to interpret as you will. Take from them what you may, but they are my words - they are not meant to harm any one, and this is just a reflection - if you will, of thoughts, things gone by or works in progress. They are written to be honest with the most information on hand at the time. If you have more information, a different in sight, memory or outcome - so be it! Please post freely, but in the same arena of honesty and lacking of harm!

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We'll Keep it as a Dream

     and so it begins... inspired by a box sitting on the floor. It is a new year. It is a new season. Perhaps that is why I am back. 

     She is beautiful !  Long hair. Quiet composure. I think she is shy, but I feel that she is not.
When she first walked up, I did not know what to do with myself. I love these moments in life. I usually own the situation. I know my surroundings, I know the people around me, I can sense who is doing who, what is going on and I am very confident of my surroundings. She took my breath away; not only that, but she stopped me. She stopped my time. Everyone else kept moving, I stopped. She did not roll in like a drop dead gorgeous movie star, she just walked in - being her. I stopped. mid motion. mid thought. mid breath... I stopped. Everybody else kept moving. I took in her eyes; I think they are brown. They lead to her soul, not down an easy path, but one I wish to journey with her on. I took in her hair. You would think the wind should be blowing, slow motion, running down the beach hair. It is just there. Soft, smooth and it smells great. I am not close enough for my nose to work, I just sense it smells great. Her hands are firm, gently, able to carry your heart as if it were a breath that should not be lost. Breasts that are well camouflaged, not so small as to be hiding, not large enough to make other bikinis jealous, just fun. She stopped me. Here I stand, water running out of the hose, the pool over flowing, birds flying by, people talking. I must move. This is going to get embarrassing very quickly. has any one else noticed that I am not moving? Can anyone else sense how I am feeling right now? A quick check of the people around me and no one is picking up on that fact that she stopped me - yet. I must move. I can not take my eyes off her. What is it? I look down to recapture where I am at. What am I doing. My chest hurts. i have not been breathing for about fifteen minutes. Time travel. I haven't moved an inch. Hours have gone by while I study here, feel her, sense her. Why does she not feel me? I must move. Slowly the power comes back on. The needle on the album picks up the sound in a slow increase of beat as the turntable picks up speed. Voices enter back into my head. People are laughing, walking, moving about, introducing her to other people. I must get over there. I can not. I am here. She stopped me. I am moving again. Breathing, moving, I am here.

It has been so long. So much time has gone by. Life is so full at this very moment. I can not walk over there right now. Not where i am at currently. How would that look? Who is she with? What world is she in? How is it that she comes into my world at this time? I can not walk over there right now. My world is full. My heart steady. My day short. Full. Not even aware, time jumped so fast, I am lost again. I do not sense her. She is walking around, doing what she does, but I am gone. Moving again. It could have been months, it might have been years. A chance encounter, amongst  friends, in a very public place. Who knew she would even be here. I saw her as I walked up behind her. Quietly. All senses down, as a shadow. Behind her right shoulder, closely, full energy up, passion, her neck (it is beautiful, I did not see that before) gently by, very close, warm. Hello with a smile. She turns, hey I know you, introductions. Wow. Heart beats, rapid pulse, energy! That was fun! Shields up, again, she stopped me. This time I was ready. I stood there smiling, taking her all in, letting everyone else fill the moment. My god she is beautiful. So soft, so fluent. She is a pool, warm sunshine, relaxing waves, gently sand beneath your feet. Comfortable. Why can she not sense me? That is fine. The rest of the people are covering me well. I can stand and enjoy, taking her in.

The moment passed on. She her way, me mine. I was able to breath this time. I held together well. What is her world like? Could I fit in there? is there room? Could we make room? If our worlds could just touch on the edge, her in hers, me in mine, could we survive it? Would I want to be in her world? Do I even know it? It has been so long. The feelings are there, just very deep. We'll keep it as a dream for now...

Brain Dump

It has been awhile! I decided that i want to take a bigger swing at this writing thing, I am in college full time - since this past summer, have a new computer ( I was going to say a "great" new computer but most of the time it gives me gas) (oh and that is just my learning curve) and even as busy as I am with college full time, I still almost think I need to carve out a space in time and just do this from time to time.
     So, for today, I sat down to find the Blogg, shovel some stuff out of the way, and see how the keyboard feels!  I do like my coffee cup warmer - seems a very needed item at the desk.
The desk has come back to life!!  It was created in 2001 from wood that was originally designed as display racks for a portable gift shop. Typically 1" x 6" knotty pine that is eight feet long, 33" deep and seems to be just about the right height off the ground. I was working at the little desk from 1955 that you could just barely slide under, had the center drawer and the four drawers on each side... dark mahogany stain... it had my computer and two twenty inch monitors on top of it... no room for books or notebooks, either one.  So out this comes from  the garage. The little desk is downstairs so that Kyle can have a proper study area and this big monster is in our guest room so that Melissa may vetch about it. Me, I'm smiling cause I have room to write, room to spread out books and room to create room as I need it!  Oh, don't worry, we jammed the spare bed in here.  Melissa was very good with helping for all of this - then it hit me, she just moved me into my own room, complete with bed and everything!!  She's smooth...  Sorry, Melissa is my wife;  Kyle, the eight year old son!
     Warm winter sun screaming in the window, so nice!!  It's hitting the monitor at about a 45 degree angle and WOW - look at all the dust on this thing !!  Where is that spray cleaner ??  I do like the no glare monitor.

     College full time - started this past summer, 2013, full time summer courses (10 credit hours in four classes), on into full time fall courses(15 credit hours with five classes); signed up for two winter courses(six credit hours with two classes) and then completing a two year degree in the spring with four(12 credit hours) courses to finish things off !!  Not bad for a fifty year old man... he says with a smile!!  As it stands, my worst grade was my first summer course in financial accounting; 15 weeks jammed into four weeks - not having been in college in twenty-three years and I pulled a C+  !!  I'll take it. The rest were a B, B+ and an A !!  This fall I am running in the B's and the A's

     That being said, I need to hit one course to study for a test tomorrow, then get out the door and get the thanksgiving shopping done !!

This feels comfortable. Thank you for your time, and thanks for listening!  See You later.

Jim 

Getting the App

Geeze, you walk away for a few months and they change everything.... I just wanted to sit down for a few minutes and get some crap out of the brain pan!  Sign in, can't sign in, you need the app - oh.  go get the app, wow, look at all the pretty app's !!  Oh need WordPress, need maps, need.... dumb ass, need to step away, you wanted to write remember?  Ok, download the app, open the app, it wants a title.... brain dump - excellent, create app - can't, box isn't highlighted.....  style box, who gives a crap - blank, give me the white thing i put the letters into.... fine - style - simple !!  Click create blogg. Can't, box isn't highlighted....  mother f'er.  blogg web address - well what if I don't want it on a web address? Shit, I don't even know my house address....  type this, not available, type that - still not available.... add some numbers and an explicative - oh look, that's available !!  Yeah, I can click the box !!  Spam filter notification....  i don't care about spam... if my brother didn't use a spell checker, I would never get a single word form him because it would ALL be marked as spam....  how do I shut this thing off? Fine, later - now can I write? Your blogg has been created. well, poop, I didn't write anything yet - wft?  Looking..... looking.... how about I click the thing with the pencil symbol on it?  HAZAA !!   Sweet Mother of Peril, the white thing I put the letters into !!  Somebody should do a thing about the Baby Jesus being born in this day and age and trying to find his ass with app's, updates, bad url's and Google maps.....  And good luck getting his ass out of that cave.....  I don't think there is an app for that.....  oh, one more thing - the stupid pop up window because I can't spell to save my ass? How about a choice that says, "piss off with this window until I'm dun and let me be made fun of all at one time!" and take your red lines with you please !!

Changing the title of this thing and going on to another one, stupid app's! Oh, epiphany, his computer I am working on has windows 8 - now I'm starting to smell the toast burning.....

Time and Life !

So I see my last Blogg was in March... Here we are at the end of July...  holey junk, where does the time go they ask?!  Into life....

From March to here in the Reader's Digest condensed version - Started college full time for the summer session; truly two sessions and as I discovered the hard way, each session is a 15 week course packed into 5 weeks. Because of the fourth of July, the first session was mostly packed into four weeks !!   After 23 years of being away from college, this is no way to test the waters to see if college is something you want to do again!!  But, once i understood what was expected and fought the HUGE learning curve of on-line computer assignments that went with the in class presentations - I hit the ground running and seemed to have fared well - so far. Still in the midst of session two...

At the end of May, we had a seventy foot tall maple tree jump over from the neighbor's yard and give our house a hug!! Oh, full reach around, close contact, very intimate, I love you kind of hug !!  Yup, in on over around and thru the house. Five rafters snapped in the attic, walls shifted, siding damage and a loss of power for seven days !!  Here we are now, two months out and we might be getting the work of repair started next week !!

Uncle Ray is living with us now. For a simple explanation, his son, who he used to live with, made some bad choices so now he is here!  Cool universe thing happened - when we found out he was coming, we thought that he might need a car to get around, makes sense. Driving down the road and here was an old Crown Victoria (cop car) for sale at a used car dealer. Kyle and I stopped to investigate and it turns out I knew the salesmen from about 20 years ago!  The car is from Pa. and is great shape!  Price was perfect and why would you not get an old cop an old cop car ??  Perfect !!  Everybody in he house and all the neighbors are very glad Ray is back !!  He too has COPD so we are off on another challenge.  Quality of life being the prime concern here, very glad he moved !!

Off to the cardiologist at the beginning of the week, seems the ticker was acting funny, but after an EKG and chewing a nitro pill - doc says he doesn't think it is my heart...  OK, rock until you drop then !!  Who knows.

Most of all, it seems that this blogg is like a friend I miss and seem to have neglected. While some of my friends go for months and months without talking, we always catch right back up again. This feels different - I need to talk to this friend !!

I know there are questions floating from prior blogg's and I hope to get to those soon. Time and life Man, time and Life.....  in part of the reconstruct of the house, we got a new electrical service installed. Also the barn power was wiped out - so now I have a new service to the barn as well. I am hoping in another step in all the repair work, that i can get up to Verizon and get a stronger modem to kick this signal to the barn - if in so doing and with getting the barn cleaned up again (don't think barn with cows, think barn like carriage barn with wood shop and man cave) it will give me back some safe haven and hopefully more time for the blogg!!

Oh, new computer for college - do these computer manufactures all live in China or Korea and have itty bitty fingers ??   Geeze - I can type 90 words a minute and end up with four extra characters per word thanks to my REAL man sized hands.... ( in quest of new key board soon - or maybe one of those voice recognition software thingies )

Time and Life !!

Trees for the Forest

It doesn't matter what industry, environment, work setting, job site or group of people you work with - if you work with them long enough, you start to use words that are common to the job you do. And if you work in this area long enough, the words become their own language. After awhile, you do not even notice that this language means nothing to anyone else, except the people typical to your environment.
     If you work long enough in the forest, you do not see the trees for what they are. They are all "trees". You do not see them for the pines, oaks, elms, maples, birches..... they are "just" trees. When someone new comes to work in your forest, you tell them to go over to that tree and do what ever you do.  Trouble is, when you come back, you have found that this new person went over to that tree, when you meant the other tree!  Now if you had taken two minutes to explain that you wanted the "pine" worked on and not the "maple" you would have saved both of you a lot of time and frustration!  The medical industry is the worst for this....  You walk into their world typically because you need help! (why else would you go there?) And before you know it, your head is spinning because these people in front of you are so lost in their environment and language, they do not even see that you have NO idea what they are saying. Then they get frustrated with you, think we are all idiots and they wonder how we even survive.....
     Trees for the forest. Next time someone walks into your forest, take the time to help them understand the difference in "trees" in your world. Explain the oaks and the elms. Help them to understand. Save yourself both some time. We have survived in the forest since the beginning of time. I don't think the trees have changed, I think we just have too many forests now.  James M. Swem

The Last Few Weeks....

1,062 days ago, my right foot was crushed by a tractor trailer. I was out of work 488 days. The company I had worked for wanted me to violate my doctors orders and come back to work before I was released. From their point of view, they gave me enough time for the family medical leave act and because they were a small company, they needed to fill my position. Less then two weeks I was going to be released back to work.I was told they "restructured".
     While looking for work I filed an online application and resume for a large engineering firm in the area, to work in their panel shop. As it worked out my next job was actually with a company I had worked with years prior in their panel shop. As they were running low on work, I got a phone call from the large engineering firm and they wanted to know if I was still interested in an interview? I took the interview and ended up with a job position one step higher than what I had interviewed for!
     54 days ago I lost my job. Terminated. Living in this great state of New York, I filed for unemployment as you are supposed to. With a few weeks delay, and many hours spent pushing number buttons on the phone, I was granted unemployment. As a prior service vet you get to check an extra box. A few weeks later, I got invited to one of there 'vets welcome, this is what we can help you with' blah blah blah seminars. They said if we had any questions we could stick around afterwards for some one on one questions. When it came time to leave, twenty some odd people fled like the ship was going down! I stuck around. I had questions. They had a few things that seemed interesting to me! Met a vet rep., gave him the brief 'here's what I am thinking, what can we do?',  made an appointment for a few days later and went in and talked with the man. Because I prefer to research my own questions, try and find the answers and see if my path is sound - I had come up with few answers, found a good path, but just could not find how to get form here to there, I put my stuff in a folder and off I went to see the man!
     During our meeting, he handed me two piles of paper on the "how to's" of getting from here to there, part A.  While we talked, the other vet rep was listening, stuck in his four cents worth and agreed i had a sound plan! But.....   I am mostly an electrician. Why not get some schooling for low voltage, LED, and solar applications??  Seems to be the next thing coming...  and with my background, maybe I could find a few grants and start my own business ??  Helping other vets??  AWESOME !!  Uncle Sam has monies to send me back to school. You have to be enrolled in a full time program. All of the low voltage, LED and solar programs are "certifications" - pay the money, take the course, pass the test, get the certification. Now you are qualified to do it! Fine. Not "full time" enrollment. So while both vet reps are whacking the shit out of their keyboards, trying to find the answers, somewhere in the back of my head, plan "C" was stirring up dust. How do we get from here to there?  The money uncle sam is offering will pay for "some" school.....  Last time I wanted to start my own business, one of the questions was, "how much business experience do you have?"  hmmmm  Our local community college offers a business course....  what if I go back to school and get a degree in business?  I leaned in behind my vet rep and said,'what if i go to OCC for business administration?'  The clouds parted, the angels sang and my vet rep was doing the end zone goal football slam down field dance right there in the office !!!   File for the government stuff online, go up to the college next week, talk to the Office of Veteran's Affairs up there and it looks like I will going back to college for a two year degree in Business Technology... Go figure? Whoda thunk it?

     It has been a busy "last few weeks" !