Photo taken at Sugarplums and Tea, a new favorite.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Sophistication
Here's to my husband Sean. A man of utmost sophistication . . .
Photo taken at Sugarplums and Tea, a new favorite.
Photo taken at Sugarplums and Tea, a new favorite.
Holiday Fun
The day after Christmas . . . My belly is full of good food, I love all of the goodies I received (especially the beautiful ring Sean bought for me), and a good nap is in order. This year Sean and I didn't have to go anywhere. The party came to us. We enjoyed a gathering of friends and neighbors on Saturday. Then my parents came to stay on Christmas Eve. Christmas day was spent with Sean's family. I don't think I stepped foot outside in two whole days. Merry Christmas!
Enjoy these photos taken with Sean Christmas present (the lens for his digital camera which he bought for himself a month ago . . . It made Christmas shopping a lot easier for me). Link
Enjoy these photos taken with Sean Christmas present (the lens for his digital camera which he bought for himself a month ago . . . It made Christmas shopping a lot easier for me). Link
Saturday, December 20, 2008
The magic of courage
Saw this post on youtube today. It touched my heart. Just watch it and listen.
Click here.
Click here.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Cars
The latest round of bailout talks with American car manufacturers has got me thinking. First of all, I think that I am sick of everyone being "bailed out" and second of all, I am feeling less and less sorry for companies that are begging for rescue from their own poor management and years of selling cheap, poor products.
I asked Marci last week to name just 1 small, quality, fuel efficient car made either by Chrysler or GM. She thought for a few seconds and couldn't name any. I then asked her to name 1 similar vehicle made by Toyota, Honda, or any other "foreign manufacturer." Within seconds she named 3. Try this little experiment yourself and see what happens. I'll leave it with you to digest the results. But the exercise seems to answer itself.
For fun, I decided to do some research on the top ten worst rated cars of 2007. So here they are:
10. Saturn ION
9. Chrysler Aspen
8. Chevrolet Trailblazer
7. Hummer H2
6. Hummer H3
5. Chevrolet Uplander
4. Dodge Nitro
3. Chevrolet Aveo
2. Chrysler Sebring
1. Jeep Compass.
Suspiciously, (or not) every car is either a GM or Chrysler product - with GM having the distinct honor of having a total of 7 in the top ten. Congrats to Chrysler who only had 3.
Absent from the list is any foreign manufacturer. Ok, so you may ask what are the criteria for this list? I'll let you read it for yourself here.
Very impressive. Is it any wonder why both companies, once giants in the auto industry, are literally days away from bankruptcy - and don't even get me started on unions, where the average wage to work in a GM factory to build these wonderful products is $28/hour.
Just if you wondered, based on an average year (with no overtime), that's a salary of $58,240 per year.
Caveat - I point the finger squarely at big unions and poor management for this one, NOT the guy on the production line trying to make a decent living.
I won't go into the depths of how Detroit has sold us on cheap junk with no re-sale value for years, and years. We as Americans have been forced to accept mediocrity, and poor quality, and lousy design from our own car companies for decades. Does anyone remember the Pontiac Aztek? Who in their right mind in the engineering and design dept at GM, dreamed this thing up and then thought - "Wow, what a beautiful car!!" Who signed off on the paper, allowing this behemoth of ugliness go into production? Sorry - no offense to those of you who actually bought one of these....but really??
The sad part of it is, surely the greatest, most prosperous nation in the world is capable of so much better. I work for a large American engine manufacturer where I can honestly say that quality is the most important aspect of everything we do. I am proud to represent an organization that sells a well engineered, quality product. Our very name is synonymous with quality. And we are constantly, driven, and pushed towards this on an internal level. Thousands, upon thousands of hours of product research and development are completed before any new engine is ever released.
So we are faced with a dilemma? Do we bail out mediocrity? Do we simply accept poor products and poor management and poor quality with a nice check from the federal government? Keep in mind, that is your taxpayer money - you know, the stuff the government takes from you before you even get it. When was the last time you heard someone say - "Gee, I really want a nice new Buick in the driveway!"
I expect some good response from this one....
So go for it.
S.
I asked Marci last week to name just 1 small, quality, fuel efficient car made either by Chrysler or GM. She thought for a few seconds and couldn't name any. I then asked her to name 1 similar vehicle made by Toyota, Honda, or any other "foreign manufacturer." Within seconds she named 3. Try this little experiment yourself and see what happens. I'll leave it with you to digest the results. But the exercise seems to answer itself.
For fun, I decided to do some research on the top ten worst rated cars of 2007. So here they are:
10. Saturn ION
9. Chrysler Aspen
8. Chevrolet Trailblazer
7. Hummer H2
6. Hummer H3
5. Chevrolet Uplander
4. Dodge Nitro
3. Chevrolet Aveo
2. Chrysler Sebring
1. Jeep Compass.
Suspiciously, (or not) every car is either a GM or Chrysler product - with GM having the distinct honor of having a total of 7 in the top ten. Congrats to Chrysler who only had 3.
Absent from the list is any foreign manufacturer. Ok, so you may ask what are the criteria for this list? I'll let you read it for yourself here.
Very impressive. Is it any wonder why both companies, once giants in the auto industry, are literally days away from bankruptcy - and don't even get me started on unions, where the average wage to work in a GM factory to build these wonderful products is $28/hour.
Just if you wondered, based on an average year (with no overtime), that's a salary of $58,240 per year.
Caveat - I point the finger squarely at big unions and poor management for this one, NOT the guy on the production line trying to make a decent living.
I won't go into the depths of how Detroit has sold us on cheap junk with no re-sale value for years, and years. We as Americans have been forced to accept mediocrity, and poor quality, and lousy design from our own car companies for decades. Does anyone remember the Pontiac Aztek? Who in their right mind in the engineering and design dept at GM, dreamed this thing up and then thought - "Wow, what a beautiful car!!" Who signed off on the paper, allowing this behemoth of ugliness go into production? Sorry - no offense to those of you who actually bought one of these....but really??
The sad part of it is, surely the greatest, most prosperous nation in the world is capable of so much better. I work for a large American engine manufacturer where I can honestly say that quality is the most important aspect of everything we do. I am proud to represent an organization that sells a well engineered, quality product. Our very name is synonymous with quality. And we are constantly, driven, and pushed towards this on an internal level. Thousands, upon thousands of hours of product research and development are completed before any new engine is ever released.
So we are faced with a dilemma? Do we bail out mediocrity? Do we simply accept poor products and poor management and poor quality with a nice check from the federal government? Keep in mind, that is your taxpayer money - you know, the stuff the government takes from you before you even get it. When was the last time you heard someone say - "Gee, I really want a nice new Buick in the driveway!"
I expect some good response from this one....
So go for it.
S.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Annual Christmas Letter
Here's the annual Steele family Christmas letter. We don't do cards and since we've become tech geeks, an e-version is the only way to go. Merry Christmas!
Dear Family and Friends,
It’s that time of the year again. You know, Christmas cards and annual family Christmas letters. So here goes ours . . .
In March, Sean marked 2 years with Cummins Power Systems and had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas with work. Unfortunately, I made the stupid decision not to join him and stayed home and worked while he had all of the fun.
April kept us really busy. We visited friends in Virginia, and Sean experienced some of Marci’s childhood friends during their annual get-together at Cove Valley Camp in Mercersburg, PA. He now can explain the ins and outs of the game Corn Hole.
We traveled to South Africa in June to spend time with Sean’s Grandparents, Auntie and Uncle and cousins. While we were there we attended his cousin’s wedding and had the privilege of touring and sightseeing around Cape Town and Stellenbosch.
In July we spend a weekend in the Poconos with Marci’s parents and some extended family. It’s always so relaxing and restful.
August was a year of home ownership. Even with a new home, we are realizing how much work goes into the constant upkeep and making it ours. It doesn’t help that Sean continually comes up with new decorating ideas and home improvement projects.
This fall Marci started her 9th year teaching 2nd grade in Manheim Township School District. No longer the new kid on the block.
In November we took a short trip out to Phoenix to visit Marci’s sister, brother-in-law and nephews. 80 degrees in November is quite nice!
Marci attended her 15th year high school reunion. We actually all looked similar to our old high school selves. Okay, so our hair isn’t quite as big and we’ve gained an inch here or there, but really not so bad.
Now we look forward to a new holiday season of fun, friends and family. May God bless you this season and in the coming year.
Love,
Sean and Marci
Dear Family and Friends,
It’s that time of the year again. You know, Christmas cards and annual family Christmas letters. So here goes ours . . .
In March, Sean marked 2 years with Cummins Power Systems and had the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas with work. Unfortunately, I made the stupid decision not to join him and stayed home and worked while he had all of the fun.
April kept us really busy. We visited friends in Virginia, and Sean experienced some of Marci’s childhood friends during their annual get-together at Cove Valley Camp in Mercersburg, PA. He now can explain the ins and outs of the game Corn Hole.
We traveled to South Africa in June to spend time with Sean’s Grandparents, Auntie and Uncle and cousins. While we were there we attended his cousin’s wedding and had the privilege of touring and sightseeing around Cape Town and Stellenbosch.
In July we spend a weekend in the Poconos with Marci’s parents and some extended family. It’s always so relaxing and restful.
August was a year of home ownership. Even with a new home, we are realizing how much work goes into the constant upkeep and making it ours. It doesn’t help that Sean continually comes up with new decorating ideas and home improvement projects.
This fall Marci started her 9th year teaching 2nd grade in Manheim Township School District. No longer the new kid on the block.
In November we took a short trip out to Phoenix to visit Marci’s sister, brother-in-law and nephews. 80 degrees in November is quite nice!
Marci attended her 15th year high school reunion. We actually all looked similar to our old high school selves. Okay, so our hair isn’t quite as big and we’ve gained an inch here or there, but really not so bad.
Now we look forward to a new holiday season of fun, friends and family. May God bless you this season and in the coming year.
Love,
Sean and Marci
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Christmas
Our Christmas tree is up. Marci did a wonderful job of decorating it with all manner of glorious lights, ornaments and shiny things. My job was simply to get it into the car, and then into it's assigned place in our home. It's not that I don't like Christmas, for some reason I am just not that into decorating the tree. So I completed my secondary task which was to hang the lights on the trees in our front yard. I am proud to say that we are the first home on our street to complete the decorations on our house. Perhaps we provided some inspiration to our fellow neighbors, as I have since seen a few more homes get all light up.
The past few days this week have reminded me of a few things I am thankful for during this holiday season. So here they are - in no particular order:
1. A warm, heated home
2. A warm jacket and scarf - especially during the 15 deg wind chill today
3. A great marriage to a wonderful wife.
4. A close family - both on my side and my in-laws.
5. A great job.
6. American citizenship.
7. Opportunity
8. Freedom
9. A great church
Just to name a few.
Merry Xmas.
Sean.
The past few days this week have reminded me of a few things I am thankful for during this holiday season. So here they are - in no particular order:
1. A warm, heated home
2. A warm jacket and scarf - especially during the 15 deg wind chill today
3. A great marriage to a wonderful wife.
4. A close family - both on my side and my in-laws.
5. A great job.
6. American citizenship.
7. Opportunity
8. Freedom
9. A great church
Just to name a few.
Merry Xmas.
Sean.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Hunting
It is quite difficult to visit customers at this time of the year. Why? Because nearly all of them are out in the woods shooting at deer.
I find this fascination, and utter devotion to blowing away Bambi quite interesting. As soon as it even starts to get a little chilly, I start to hear passing mentions from all sorts of guys that "deer huntin' season is coming soon." They all talk about this with a sort of wild glazed look in their eyes. I can see dreams of the smell of gunpowder, and orange vests turning in their minds.
Of course, being born in Africa I am not at all unfamiliar to the concept of hunting. I often used to relish stories my Uncle Doug told about the days he would spend on the African savannah, tracking, and playing lethal games with big african wildlife. In his case you carried a large rifle not only as a tool to kill your prey, but also as a means of defense against animals who were faster and had bigger teeth than you did. Truly, the word "hunt" applied to these situations.
Here in PA, not so much.
I don't think it is "hunting" as much as it is "going into the woods with a gun." Maybe it should be called "deer ambushing." Is this wrong? Maybe I don't know enough about the sport, but usually when you hide in one place for hours on end waiting for an unlucky deer to walk by, and then unleash heavy firepower - that is an ambush. Not that this isn't effective - it just seems sort of unfair?
Don't get me wrong, I like eating deer meat, but perhaps it would be more sporting if all the deer had guns as well.
Sean.
I find this fascination, and utter devotion to blowing away Bambi quite interesting. As soon as it even starts to get a little chilly, I start to hear passing mentions from all sorts of guys that "deer huntin' season is coming soon." They all talk about this with a sort of wild glazed look in their eyes. I can see dreams of the smell of gunpowder, and orange vests turning in their minds.
Of course, being born in Africa I am not at all unfamiliar to the concept of hunting. I often used to relish stories my Uncle Doug told about the days he would spend on the African savannah, tracking, and playing lethal games with big african wildlife. In his case you carried a large rifle not only as a tool to kill your prey, but also as a means of defense against animals who were faster and had bigger teeth than you did. Truly, the word "hunt" applied to these situations.
Here in PA, not so much.
I don't think it is "hunting" as much as it is "going into the woods with a gun." Maybe it should be called "deer ambushing." Is this wrong? Maybe I don't know enough about the sport, but usually when you hide in one place for hours on end waiting for an unlucky deer to walk by, and then unleash heavy firepower - that is an ambush. Not that this isn't effective - it just seems sort of unfair?
Don't get me wrong, I like eating deer meat, but perhaps it would be more sporting if all the deer had guns as well.
Sean.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Shopping
We need to go shopping for Christmas. This is a task that I am not looking forward to. Not because I don't love giving people presents, truthfully, I loathe the traffic I have to get through to purchase all the presents. I went to the mall to day for a haircut (at the instruction of my wife) and if the parking lot was any indication of the state of our economy, we are going to be just fine.
Parking lots are a source of human weirdness for sure. I am amazed at how some people just switch off their brain when entering a mall parking lot. From the old guy in the Buick LeSabre who is driving at 1.7 mph, to the visually impaired person who manages to consume 2 parking spaces for a Honda civic.
Anyway, so now my hair is cut and I am sitting here blogging because there are 4 ladies in our living room who are laughing out loud, and opening presents at the same time. This means I have no access to my beautiful tv. Marci's gal pals are over here for their annual Christmas gift giving. This is a tradition that has been going on for years. It always amazes me how much fun, and words women can have at these events. It's kinda cool. Most guys would never call each other and say "Hey man lets all get together, just us guys and watch each other open our presents, Hooray!!" Could you possibly even imagine this? Now if the call that went out went like this "Hey, you jacka$$'s come over to my place for Xmas so that we can insult each other, tell dirty jokes, drink beer, fart out loud and laugh about it" you can bet that all of my guy friends would be here.
That's the difference between guys and girls. Marci still has problems understanding this. Part of being a man, is knowing how to insult your fellow man in a way that actually says - "hey I like you well enough to make fun of you." Women just don't communicate this way. Guys like to insult each other, we think its funny, ladies don't. You would never see a girl pointing at another woman's belly saying, "what happened here?, maybe you should cut back on the beer - HAHAHA" That would not go down well. A guy can say that to another guy, and both have a good laugh. Hey, in our world a beer belly is a medal of honor.
Anyway, I digress. I am going to go into the living room now, into the fray of words and laughter.
On the other hand, it's kinda nice to come home to a house full of 4 lovely ladies!
Sean.
Parking lots are a source of human weirdness for sure. I am amazed at how some people just switch off their brain when entering a mall parking lot. From the old guy in the Buick LeSabre who is driving at 1.7 mph, to the visually impaired person who manages to consume 2 parking spaces for a Honda civic.
Anyway, so now my hair is cut and I am sitting here blogging because there are 4 ladies in our living room who are laughing out loud, and opening presents at the same time. This means I have no access to my beautiful tv. Marci's gal pals are over here for their annual Christmas gift giving. This is a tradition that has been going on for years. It always amazes me how much fun, and words women can have at these events. It's kinda cool. Most guys would never call each other and say "Hey man lets all get together, just us guys and watch each other open our presents, Hooray!!" Could you possibly even imagine this? Now if the call that went out went like this "Hey, you jacka$$'s come over to my place for Xmas so that we can insult each other, tell dirty jokes, drink beer, fart out loud and laugh about it" you can bet that all of my guy friends would be here.
That's the difference between guys and girls. Marci still has problems understanding this. Part of being a man, is knowing how to insult your fellow man in a way that actually says - "hey I like you well enough to make fun of you." Women just don't communicate this way. Guys like to insult each other, we think its funny, ladies don't. You would never see a girl pointing at another woman's belly saying, "what happened here?, maybe you should cut back on the beer - HAHAHA" That would not go down well. A guy can say that to another guy, and both have a good laugh. Hey, in our world a beer belly is a medal of honor.
Anyway, I digress. I am going to go into the living room now, into the fray of words and laughter.
On the other hand, it's kinda nice to come home to a house full of 4 lovely ladies!
Sean.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Winter - ugh!
I woke up this morning to a layer of snow over everything. It continued to lightly snow for most of the morning. Then there was a blizzard when it was time for the drive home. You'd think the fact that I live in PA and have lived here my entire life would have helped me like winter. Not so much. I appreciate the beauty and briskness of snow. I appreciate a walk after the snow has muffled all sound around me. But I'm not ready for it just yet. This is what I came home to . . .
Yes, those are pumpkins on the porch and some petunias and mums in the garden. I thought it was still November and not even quite Thanksgiving. Oh well, winter has arrived.
Yes, those are pumpkins on the porch and some petunias and mums in the garden. I thought it was still November and not even quite Thanksgiving. Oh well, winter has arrived.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Travel
We are back from Phoenix. We had a great time. The 80 degree weather wasn't too shabby either.
However, arriving at the airport and finding your vehicle in 32 degrees, covered with a fine layer of snow will snap you back into reality quickly. Marci was jumping up and down at the car door begging me to let her in, out of the cold while I loaded our stuff into the trunk. It's always nice to come home from a long trip and flop down onto your own bed. There's just something about swinging the door open to your own home that makes you let a out a breath of warm relief. The smell of familiarity. It somehow fells like the most comforting thing to let your house wrap it arms around you again.
Much less can be said for air travel. I don't quite know where, or when I stopped enjoying this part of the adventure. Maybe it was when they made you completely disassemble and then re-assemble yourself at the security checkpoints. Maybe its the long lines at the airports, and is it just me or does every employee of every airline just look miserable and annoyed these days? It's somehow feels like its my fault that the airlines are losing money because of years of poor management, delays, and under staffing. Now, the bar of misery has been raised even higher.
It costs $15 dollars to check 1 piece of luggage, and $25 for the next. Am I the only person who thinks this is completely insane? That's like staying at a hotel, and being charged for the air you breathe while staying in the room. How on earth is one supposed to travel without luggage?
Surely this is part of carrying a passenger. Ok - 250 pounds of extra boxes and junk I can understand, but ordinary luggage? Really??
As we were herded onto the plane I saw a nice sign from US Air, explaining that drinks and coffee are all now $2 per serving, and a small snack is $7. I opened their on-board magazine out of sheer boredom and read the note in the front from their CEO, explaining with his big smile that this was their new "you choose your level of service" strategy, and how it was going to make my whole US Air experience so much better. So, let me get this straight - $15 to check my baggage (per person, so that is actually $30) plus a drink for us each ($4) and a pathetic sandwich with a nice plastic spork for lunch ($14) equals a total of $48 (one way)
He's right - this is much better strategy than free. And they wonder why they are losing money.
When did Southwest - (remember them? the "discount, no frills") airline suddenly become the luxury option?
I wish the Captain would simply turn on the PA and state the following:
"Good morning folks, this is the captain speaking. Today's flight is going to suck - you are going to be cramped, freezing and uncomfortable, and our bathrooms are going to be extra nasty. You will probably have to sit next to some annoying passenger and pretend to be polite. We are going to rip you off with our pathetic cabin service and your luggage is likely already smashed in the cargo hold. We are definitely going to be late for your connecting flight, because I don't feel like making the plane go any faster. So, sit back, relax and enjoy your flight suckers"
And another thing - when are they going to update the Skymall magazine? Seriously, I see the same junk in there year after year.
Pictures from Arizona are here.
Sean.
However, arriving at the airport and finding your vehicle in 32 degrees, covered with a fine layer of snow will snap you back into reality quickly. Marci was jumping up and down at the car door begging me to let her in, out of the cold while I loaded our stuff into the trunk. It's always nice to come home from a long trip and flop down onto your own bed. There's just something about swinging the door open to your own home that makes you let a out a breath of warm relief. The smell of familiarity. It somehow fells like the most comforting thing to let your house wrap it arms around you again.
Much less can be said for air travel. I don't quite know where, or when I stopped enjoying this part of the adventure. Maybe it was when they made you completely disassemble and then re-assemble yourself at the security checkpoints. Maybe its the long lines at the airports, and is it just me or does every employee of every airline just look miserable and annoyed these days? It's somehow feels like its my fault that the airlines are losing money because of years of poor management, delays, and under staffing. Now, the bar of misery has been raised even higher.
It costs $15 dollars to check 1 piece of luggage, and $25 for the next. Am I the only person who thinks this is completely insane? That's like staying at a hotel, and being charged for the air you breathe while staying in the room. How on earth is one supposed to travel without luggage?
Surely this is part of carrying a passenger. Ok - 250 pounds of extra boxes and junk I can understand, but ordinary luggage? Really??
As we were herded onto the plane I saw a nice sign from US Air, explaining that drinks and coffee are all now $2 per serving, and a small snack is $7. I opened their on-board magazine out of sheer boredom and read the note in the front from their CEO, explaining with his big smile that this was their new "you choose your level of service" strategy, and how it was going to make my whole US Air experience so much better. So, let me get this straight - $15 to check my baggage (per person, so that is actually $30) plus a drink for us each ($4) and a pathetic sandwich with a nice plastic spork for lunch ($14) equals a total of $48 (one way)
He's right - this is much better strategy than free. And they wonder why they are losing money.
When did Southwest - (remember them? the "discount, no frills") airline suddenly become the luxury option?
I wish the Captain would simply turn on the PA and state the following:
"Good morning folks, this is the captain speaking. Today's flight is going to suck - you are going to be cramped, freezing and uncomfortable, and our bathrooms are going to be extra nasty. You will probably have to sit next to some annoying passenger and pretend to be polite. We are going to rip you off with our pathetic cabin service and your luggage is likely already smashed in the cargo hold. We are definitely going to be late for your connecting flight, because I don't feel like making the plane go any faster. So, sit back, relax and enjoy your flight suckers"
And another thing - when are they going to update the Skymall magazine? Seriously, I see the same junk in there year after year.
Pictures from Arizona are here.
Sean.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)