Not AT: Back Again ** And In The Fire ;-p

[Guest guest]

Butch,

 

Welcome back to the list. Sounds like you had a very busy trip. You mentioned

two places that you visited that are very near and dear to my heart........Land

Between the Lakes and Monteagle, TN. Spent a lot of time at both of these

places and love them. OHHHHH...a house on the lake, mmmmmmm.

 

Linda

Red Barn Enterprises

PayPal Now Available!!!

http://www.geocities.com/redbarnenterprises

Candles & Metal Home Decor

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Glad you made it back safe and sound. Sure enjoyed our phone call. You

sounded just as I had thought you would. Take care and Happy New Year back

at ya!!

 

Blessings and love,

Smilin Effie

 

 

Butch Owen <butchbsi

Thursday, January 24, 2002 12:52 PM

Not AT: Back Again ** And In The Fire ;-p

 

 

>Hi y'all,

>

>Got back from my trip last weekend and found mountains of emails and

>lots of smoldering issues that are ready to burst into flame if not

>doused quickly .. so I have kept a low profile since then. I reckon I

>need to come out of the hole.

>

>This was the first time I've spent this long in the USA (32 days) in one

>stretch since I retired from the Army in January 1989. It took but one

>day to get used to jet lag (7 hour difference) when I hit the USA but it

>is more difficult coming back this way - long ago, Uncle Sam recognized

>that adding hours was much rougher so they worked up some pretty strict

>rules to assist troops deploying to the Middle East. I've lost that

>discipline now .. ;-p

>

>The trip had it's ups and downs but overall the ups outweighed the downs

>and it was a good one. It was part work and I knew I had to deal with

>three unpleasant tasks that were spread out over a period of time/place

>but I was able to lay back betwixt them ... overall, it was relaxing.

>

>I was able to get back into a regular life style, and vowed that I would

>not backslide. No more 80-90 hour weeks for this ol' kuntry boy!! I

>thought I had resigned from management of Sato Travel here in Turkey ..

>effective 31 December .. and looked forward to devoting those hours to

>other matters .. but I returned to find out that it wasn't that simple.

>Here in Turkey, they have a system that requires appointment of a

>Responsible Manager .. and that means you are the person liable for all

>actions. To make a long story short, I can't get out of that position

>until February because Big Brother here controls appointment and

>resignations for Responsible Managers. You gotta have one on the

>payroll every day of the year and you can't replace that person until

>the official decision is published in the Official Trade Gazette. Folks

>didn't bother to publish it while I was gone .. ;-p

>

>Watched a lot of great TV nights .. I think many Americans don't know

>how good they have it. I think there are lots of fine programs and the

>History Channel is fantastic .. every night they presented interesting

>documentaries. Had a great documentary on the first century counted ..

>the 1900s .. another on how the Depression and follow-on WWII changed

>the entire structure of the USA. America is certainly unique as it was

>created by historical events that did not occur in other places. Had a

>week long run on the Vietnam War - it will be repeated this week. And

>Monday night there was a presentation on the real facts behind the

>Blackhawk Down incident .. in Mogafriggindishu, the most funky place I

>have had the misfortune to serve in. This film will be worth seeing if

>it comes on again. There are many interesting programs available if

>folks want to watch and I believe that teachers should take advantage of

>these programs in the classroom .. bottom line, I'm impressed with the

>programs available on American TV. They're far superior to those we

>had when I left the USA in 1988.

>

>The only movie I watched in that month plus was a pay per view movie ...

>the Last Castle with Robert Redford. That movie is the center of

>political discussion here in Turkey now. It's a GOOD ONE!

>

>Decided I didn't like Charleston .. not gonna choose it as my American

>home. I guess I had some romantic notions about the city based on the

>history rather than the reality - it is too hard to get around there - a

>lot like Istanbul. I brought the snow to Charleston .. first time they

>had seen snow since the late-80s. I had just crossed that 2 mile bridge

>across the Cooper River when they closed it down .. ;-p

>

>Some great seafood in Charleston (Gilligans is very good) but cost of

>living (and salaries) are HIGH - far more than even the city of Hotlanta

>and surrounds. As I have no intentions of ever working for the other

>feller again, can't see living in a high-cost area. Gonna check out the

>Land Between The Lakes area of KY-TN when I return in late April .. and

>might just build a lakefront place. Haven't been there in 7-8 years so

>if it's not the way I remember it, I might just settle (temporarily) in

>the Allegheny Range of the Appalachians around Friendsville ... a nice

>area. I'm still leaning toward living in both the USA and Turkey ...

>regardless of which one I'm in, I always miss the other and I'm always

>glad to get back .. and leave again .. ;-)

>

>One thing is clear about housing prices in the USA .. they're driven by

>location, location and location. A 1,500 sq ft vinyl siding home on a

>10,000 sq ft lot in Charleston can go for $170,000 .. nice area long as

>you don't mind the gaters hanging around the yard .. ;-p (I'm serious)

>but that same money will get you a 4,000 sq ft brick home on 3/4 acre in

>Conyers, GA in a Golf and Country Club area .. and in the town (pop 600)

>of Friendsville, MD (NW finger twixt PA and WV) you can get 1,500 sq ft

>for $65,000. There's no work in Friendsville (except for those who deal

>with the whitewater rafters in the summer) and you can hear a mouse fart

>at midnight but like I said, I don't plan to work for anybody and mice

>farts don't bother me long as they're outside.

>

>Traveled 12 states .. saw my mother, children and grandchildren .. that

>was good and they were all well ... and saw a few old friends. Ate lots

>of good Suth'ran chow, listened to some good C & W and relaxed between

>crash projects. Some days I made 500 miles .. others I'd do 50 or so

>and stop if something caught my eye. Spent two days just walking in the

>hills at Monteagle, Tennessee ... nice place with a Kuntry Kitchen

>that's been there better than 30 years. You can be satisfied just with

>the vegetable bar - I have never made it to the dessert bar. On the

>flip-flop, spent two days roaming in the Smokey Mountains.

>

>Saw snow the entire time - it followed me - to the dismay of many folks.

>Suth'ran folks close schools five minutes after the first flakes hit the

>ground .. ;-p

>

>It is relaxing to drive in America .. in over 4,200 miles .. and with

>snow on the roads part of the time, I saw no POV accidents .. just a few

>18 wheelers that got out of control but they were one vehicle

>accidents. Smokies were out in force .. collecting those Green Stamps.

>State Police in America have one primary job .. traffic control .. and

>they do it well. Perhaps too well. The younger ones remind me a lot of

>Military Police troops. Took a couple of years and a lot of supervision

>to get the red lights and sirens out of their blood.

>

>Stopped into Friendsville on the way in for a few days ... hired a new

>manager for Appalachian Valley Natural Products (Jim is no longer with

>us) and rented a new store (5-6 times larger than present) next door to

>the old store. New manager is Margaret Collins. Stopped by there again

>on the way out .. we did some drywall work, painting, venting, etc.,

>shopped for new furnishings and did all the other humma-humma required

>to move and the actual move is taking place this week and next ... we're

>doing it slowly so we can keep up with the orders, etc. Not announcing

>tele/fax/email changes for a couple of weeks and even then, we'll keep

>the old ones open till everybody gets the word.

>

>New management will make life a bit easier for me as Margaret and her

>new assistant, Rachel, are very well-organized ladies and put out a lot

>of good work. Still gotta figure out more ways to work smarter because

>I plan to double sales and travel a bit this year and there is just no

>time for working harder.

>

>We completed the upgrading of our new facility while I was there.

>Thought I was gonna have a walk-in cooler but I was mistaken .. so I

>bought a monstrous chiller .. it is second hand and I'm not sure of the

>square footage but it is four door and around eight feet wide by six

>feet

>tall. Great for hydrosols and citrus. New facility was a restaurant

>and it has a street entrance with large glass windows and a back

>entrance with a loading dock. Super large store room and overall, I am

>happy with the move and hoping I can outgrow the place in a year or so

>.. ;-p

>

>Even though I really dislike them, I bought a Sony laptop, but the

>danged system was set to pull up my mail from within Turkey .. wouldn't

>work. I didn't know that until I returned. Orders, etc., were

>forwarded by my folks in Turkey to my folks in MD, but a few thousand

>other emails (from 17 December onward) are stacked up and I'm working on

>them - so if I owe you a casual reply, it's on the way. If you wrote me

>prior to 17 December and do not receive a reply by next Monday, I didn't

>get it ... so please forward it to me. Not sure why or how wide the

>problem is, but we have had a lot of bounces from both the Turkish

>server and the one in Maryland. My folks in Maryland are calling

>customers when they get a bounce from within the USA so you might get a

>call from them .. ;-p In most cases, we're finding that the mail was

>received and the server lied.

>

>As is the norm, the first ten days or so of American food (water?) kept

>me bloated and eating Rolaids .. then it stopped completely. Come back

>and I go through 4-5 days of the same thing on this end. No doubt in my

>mind that we get used to the particular bacteria in the area we live

>in. Americans and Brits who have visited me here go through the same

>thing for a week or so and then they're fine. Of course, I eat more

>fats when in the USA but that doesn't explain the return of the problem

>when I come back to Turkey ... we eat few animal fats here.

>

>Even though I have a mountain of email piled up, it's good to be back.

>I guess I should say " back home " because I didn't really feel like

>America was home this time. I hadn't stayed there long enough to think

>about it that much on previous trips but this time I gave it a lot of

>thought. I want it to feel like home again but I reckon it's not like

>that now. No question that life is much easier in America .. in fact,

>when you have some basis for comparison it becomes even more noticable -

>and certainly political/economic/commercial/communication systems in the

>USA are far superior to those in Turkey .. but the social system here

>has a lot to be admired. That'll change in time but not in my time I

>reckon. To get the best of both worlds I gotta continue to increase my

>frequent flyer milage.

>

>Upon return to Ankara, I found that there had been snow on the ground

>since before Christmas .. and it is still there. To date, that is a

>record .. hadn't happened in more than 35 years.

>

>Anyway .. that's all and good to be back. I've been reading notes on

>the lists but not replying .. likely will remain that way for a few more

>days as hell never breaks loose until I return from a trip .. and in the

>last 48 hours or so, the Devil has dumped it all on me .. ;-p

>

>Happy New Year to everybody .. and y'all keep smiling .... :-)

>

>Butch http://www.AV-AT.com

>

>

>How To Make Rose Petal Jam - Step By Step Instructions

>http://www.av-at.com/stuff/rosejam.html

>

>

[Guest guest]

Do you want me to send you my phone bill? LOL. I sure didn't want to miss

talking to you so Merry Christmas and all the good stuff, huh. Ten years

from now I will never know the difference!!!!

 

Blessings and love,

Effie

 

 

Butch Owen <butchbsi

Thursday, January 24, 2002 3:19 PM

Not AT: Back Again ** And In The Fire ;-p

 

 

>Yo Smilin' Effie,

>

>> Glad you made it back safe and sound. Sure enjoyed our phone call. You

>

>Thankee m'am .. I enjoyed that call too. Sorry I missed you the first

>time and you had to use your dime to call back ..

>

>> You sounded just as I had thought you would.

>

>Wasn't like no Yam Dankee - huh? Turks say I even speak Turkish with a

>Suth'ran drawl .. ;-p

>

>> Take care and Happy New Year back at ya!!

>

>You too .. glad you are in good spirits in all this cold weather.

>

>> Blessings and love,

>> Smilin Effie

>

>And to you .. and I know you will keep smiling, Butch :-)

>

>>

>> Butch Owen <butchbsi

>>

>> Thursday, January 24, 2002 12:52 PM

>> Not AT: Back Again ** And In The Fire ;-p

>>

>> >Hi y'all,

>> >

>> >Got back from my trip last weekend and found mountains of emails and

>> >lots of smoldering issues that are ready to burst into flame if not

>> >doused quickly .. so I have kept a low profile since then. I reckon I

>> >need to come out of the hole.

>

>

>How To Make Rose Petal Jam - Step By Step Instructions

>http://www.av-at.com/stuff/rosejam.html

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Stella,

 

Thankee for the nice welcome .. I hope this is a better year for us all

- and for all kind-hearted and civilized folks on God's Green Earth.

 

Y'all keep smiling, Butch

 

> Welcome back,Butch.

> Happy New Year to you too.

 

> --- Butch Owen <butchbsi wrote:

> > Hi y'all,

> >

> > Got back from my trip last weekend and found mountains of emails and

> > lots of smoldering issues that are ready to burst into flame if not

> > doused quickly .. so I have kept a low profile since then. I reckon I

> > need to come out of the hole.