I spent 4 hours the other night fixing our new dryer. I had to take it entirely apart. The good thing is, I found the problem and repaired it. It should work for a long time. I figure if I had called an "official" repairman he would have told me that the cost of repairs would be just shy of buying a whole new dryer. In fact, I doubt he would have even fixed what I did.
A major dent in the back of the dryer was putting pressure on the internal drum. The felt seal around the edge of the drum had been shredded and the metal drum was spinning against the metal on the back of the dryer. The rubbing was making an awful sound and it actually cut about a 6 inch long slit through the back of the dryer. It was ugly. I bent the dryer back into form, placed a layer of heat resistant foil tape over the worn metal, replaced the felt seal on the drum and put the whole damn thing back together! My time - 4 hours. My cost - $25 for the new felt seal. The dryer works like new. Thanks Dad for passing down the "fix-it" gene!

The Modern Office Water Cooler

Every time I go into a C-Store, as they are now known, I see lines of people refilling their 32 to 44oz+ cups full of every variety of drink from Lemonade to Mountain Dew. (Guilty as charged!) Why do we do this? Don't we know this causes cancer in laboratory rats? Is this better than the old-school donut and coffee? I say no. The difference is, people only have one donut, maybe 2, and a cup, maybe 2 of coffee. Refill junkies suck on their straws all day long. That can't be good. You see office workers, road warrior salesmen and construction workers lined up to self medicate with the legal poison. The drinking paraphernalia runs the gamut from the custom silver cup with the fancy company logo to the bodacious "Dew-Bucket" that you have to put a seat belt around in order to carry in your car.

Where does it end? Are we going to end up with intravenous bags on our shoulders with a red straw inserted into our arm for the daily fix? I QUIT!! I REALLY QUIT!! I don't want a Mountain Dew Logo on my headstone. And we thought biting our fingernails was a bad habit. I don't think anyone ever died from an overdose of fingernail biting. However I can see the title of a future article in the New England Journal of Medicine, "Refills - The Modern Killer Epidemic."

I just walked around my office. Every desk has some form of refill cup sitting on it.

Not mine. I QUIT!!!

Don Henley

If I could choose to be any rock star it would be Don Henley. The music of the Eagles and Don Henley as a solo artist have been with me since my post mission days in the mid 70's. I only know Don Henley from the perspective of the music he writes, not on any personal basis as I don't make it a habit to read People Magazine on a regular basis. His lifestyle like his music seem to be well-grounded. He's just himself, he doesn't push a particular "persona" as many rock-stars attempt. He doesn't seek a full-time relationship with the limelight, he just walks into it when he performs. He dated Stevie Nicks, nothing wrong with that! He plays the drums, keyboards and the guitar for a living; what a life! He has a fabulous acoustical guitar collection. His songs are true poetry. They set wonderful visual scenes and tell soulful stories of life and love - plus they actually have a melody. One thing I admire is his political activism, albeit he is a Democrat (That's OK, I'm married to one) Unlike most celebrities showing up in a parade in Washington D.C. seeking gratuitous media time to air their political spin, he uses his lyrics to state his cause and opinions. Just look up the lyrics for The End of the Innocence for proof. He has 3 children and his wife has multiple sclerosis; but you wouldn't know that as he flies under the radar with his personal life. Besides, he's thin and looks good in a flannel shirt and Levi's. I rest my case!