My year in review - 2008.

Hey Gang
My year in review - 2008.
Another year of way up to wayyyyyy down to back up, in that regards it was a normal year for me. And another thing that was also the same was I did something I keep saying I would never do again - get involved in politics. Even though this was at the tail end of 2007 it carried over into 2008, being a delegate for Governor Huckabee. If I am correct I was the first on his band wagon for this area. My hopes seemed they could become a reality but unfortunately the media and establishment did Huckabee in. 2008 saw a few of my past predictions come true. I said a few years back McCain would grab the GOP nomination and ultimately lose it from lack of support from the Christian Right and I also said the time was right for a black as president. Even though I was not a McCain fan but for the good of the party and this country I volunteered for his visit at Mentor High. I also met and spoke with Dennis Kucinich twice. I hosted a backyard party for Mike Guitierez who ran for state representative. So I was fairly active in the political realm. In 2008 saw my other warnings of the demise of the domestic auto makers and how this country is broke become closer to reality.
Business was horrible to OK back to bad to a leveling off near the end of the year. The upside coincided with the decline of the fuel prices. During the lean months a good friend bailed me out with a healthy cash gift to make it through. That was a real Godsend. And some of you may remember that business that owed me $2,400 from way back in 2006, they finally paid me.
Minor and near major legal issues hounded me. Two traffic violations, one I represented myself I won, the other got an attorney and lost. I challenged the late fee for my property tax and also won that. Then there was the legal problem with the big brother government of Euclid and my rentals. I succumbed to paying a partial registration fee on one house but argued and defended my right to block them from entering the house for an inside inspection. It was a busy year fighting all this.
As for traveling, my wings were clipped again but I started to realize gas prices weren't coming down this past summer so I plated the GoGo Bus and decided to travel in it once again, shorter distances but I was out and about in it. Kentucky in February to pick up Millard - Salt Fork, Ohio with Mark & Becky and family with Lisa and Millard coming along also - Cory, Pa. to visit Dennis and enter a car show - back to Kentucky - Letchworth in the Fall with Dov and Lisa, something I've wanted to see for years. And a few other little trips nearby sprinkled in, like Geneva on the Lake, Presque Isle, Pa. and the Geauga County Fair.
Though I am not the best swimmer and for sure know nothing about scuba diving, Walt had me attending functions with the scuba club he belongs to, the Aqua Amigos. We went to the Commodores Club for a spring picnic, a month later the USS Cod sub where we got to spend as much time as we liked after hours touring it and most recently a trip to Huron to attend the Bay Area Divers 25Th Anniversary banquet where I met two famed divers, David Trotter and Jim Kennard.
We lost Grandma this year, she died in her sleep, still relatively heathly at 97, thats the way to go. My cat also passed on from poisoning, that was horrible.
A couple of old friends got in contact with me again, Lisa from Erie and Dennis of Cory, Pa. whom I haven't spoken with in a couple of years. Its good to have them back around.
2008 saw the end of a couple of events I annually hold, the Winter Cookout, a Memorial day cookout/camp out, and My Christmas Spaghetti dinner party because of a conflict of scheduling with my sisters Christmas party. I hope to be able to revive them in '09. The relatively new tradition of cooking spaghetti and spending Christmas eve with Walt and his family though took place again. After dinner we went to this old church in Mentor called, Mentor Christian Church. The congregation started way back in 1828. The new church, if you can call it that, was built in 1915. It was so cozy and such a throwback to earlier days, what a wonderful way to spend Christmas eve. The church is rectangular, with a balcony above. They still play the organ. For the close they lit candles, shut of the lights and sang Silent Night. Walt said he kept looking around to see if John Boy from the Walton's was going to appear. Christmas it self was quiet but Friday I made another pasta dinner and had friends over and gave them their gifts. And tonight, Tuesday, I was invited by Walt and his brother Steve & his wife Monica to see Trans Siberian Orchestra. WOW what a show, the best way to describe it is its like a religious acid trip. You have to see the show, everyone needs to at least once. What a audio and visual experience.
So it was an up and down - up and down year, lots of good and some bad. Wonder how '09 will play out.

HAPPY NEW YEARS FRIENDS!!!
Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Merry Christmas Friends!!

Hey Gang,
So I was going to send out another Christmas memory but in all this last minute frenzy of shopping, making sauce, making chocolate, doing dishes, wrapping gifts, packing the van I got inspired with something else instead. How many renditions of the Night Before Christmas do you know? Well this is my half finished version. I would love to finish it but when I wake I need to fry pizzelles, buy a few more last minute items, and be at Walts with all the food before 4 for an early supper so we can make it to church before 7. And its now 6:39 am. Oh Boy, am I in trouble.
Here it is, my version of the Night Before Christmas:

Well its the eve before Christmas eve and all through my house the spaghetti pot was stirring, I was busy as a mouse. The stocking were stuffed with the utmost of care, in hopes that the chocolate wouldn't melt from my place to theirs.

The Kellys were nestled all snug in their bed, while visions of spaghetti and meatballs danced in their heads.
With Momma in the kitchen, and I on the stove
She had just opened more jars and I added the cloves.

When out of the pot arose such a splatter, I sprang from me feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the stove I flew like a flash, lowered the heat in a mad frenzied dash.

The sauce had landed on the gifts with the bows,
Also on our tree from the tippy top to below.
It was getting late I said with a snear,
Just let the sauce sit, if we wipe it will smear.

I kept on stirring so lively and quick
I knew if it wasn't cooked well, we'ld all be sick.
Sniffing like a beagle, my scents they came
It needed more seasonings I shouted them by name:
Now dishes, now dashes
Now stirring and mixing
More garlic, and pepper
More parsley and basil
To the top of the pot
All the way to the top
Now dash, dash away
Dash away all

As the sauce was still cooking away I did fly
To stuff more socks and wrap gifts I did buy
Then off to my van with much cleaning to do
It had to be emptied, the gifts wouldn't fit there was just no room

And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof
What sounded like horses or at least all their hoofs
As I drew out my head and was turning around
Down came the sleet and rain with a bound

It rained so hard I got wet from head to my foot
But I couldn't stop, the gifts to the van had to be put
A bundle of gifts I had flung on my back
I looked so disheveled I was all out of whack

Thats it, maybe I will finish it like the other 127 short stories I started - maybe.

Good Night Friends, I am tired! MMM, it does smell good over here!
Carey

A Hey Gang Christmas, another memory of mine

Hey Gang,
This memory only goes back to last year, it concerns Connie in N.C. who collects dolls.
I had these two little old dolls that she was interested in purchasing from me. Months had passed and I never mailed them to her. Christmas was approaching and I thought Connie always responds to my writing, sends prayers for those in need, always uplifting, why don't I just send her the little dolls as a Christmas present and forget selling them. Little did I know how special this would turn out to be. I will let you read what she wrote last Christmas season when the dolls arrived in her mailbox.

CAREY .....THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!! Thank you for making my Christmas so much brighter. I was really depressed because this is my first Christmas without Mama and getting my yearly Christmas Doll from her. I couldn't believe when I opened your box and saw those two adorable little dolls. I would have been glad to have paid you for them, but receiving them the way I did made them even more special.

I also want to thank you for your Christmas wish for me. Believe it or not, but my Mom's everyday wish was for me to get a home big enough to display my dolls. If God allows me to live, in the next few years that dream will come true. I also like the part about the old convertible. I love classics and I would love to have a classic Mustang convertible. And yes, even to travel the USA in. IT COULD HAPPEN!!!!!

Thank you again Carey.......................Connie


I am still thankful I sent those dolls as it made someone very happy and another lasting memory.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

A Hey Gang Christmas, from the Philippines and another from me

Hey Gang,
This is from Ruth in the Philippines. I didn't know if they celebrate Christmas so I asked her.

Carey,
Of course we do celebrate christmas since i am a christian and here's my story to tell.....

The church where i grew up used to have a christmas program and presented some stage play written by my father which he took from the story of the Bible. When the story went sentimental i usually stay infront near the stage and cry...but when the program closes i will forget all the crying because what excites us children is when we will be given packs of goodies from the church..It has been the tradition of the church to do that every christmas to extend God's goodness through giving to the less fortunate neighbors of ours who are not christians too then to us children and all members of the church.Last Sunday, i recalled that incident again since the church where i now attended does that too... we were the ones who distributed the packs of goodies to the non christian visitors and when every visitor was given we also got our shares and said.....ohhhhhhhhhhh to the children and pointing to ourselves... hahaha!.as if i was a child again. What makes
it so special now is we treasure the value of giving and i hope it will not only be on christmas season but the whole year through. It feels good when we give..right Carey?

Have a more joyous christmas and a blessed new year ahead!

Ruth

~~~~~~~~~~~
Another Christmas memory, this reminds me of that Elvis song, Blue Christmas, and it also involves Pam, the girl I gave the toilet seat to.
We had a Christmas party with friends and Pam did most of the cooking. Don't remember much of that supper other than two things, one I decided to make gizzards, that didn't go over to well and the other, blue food coloring and that REALLY didn't go over to well. Growing up my older sister once in awhile would add some red food coloring to our mashed potatoes. I remembered it was silly fun as a kid. So I decided for this meal lets do the same but lets do blue. But I didn't just add it to the potatoes BUT to everything, and not just a wee bit to add a touch of color but a whole lot to make it really BLUE. BOY OH BOY did Pam cry, you ruined my meal, look how terrible it looks. Everyone's teeth and lips turned blue. Its amazing to this day people don't remember what we ate only the color. Awww yes - Christmas memories.


Only one more day till Christmas!!
Carey

A Hey Gang Christmas - Shirls memory and another of mine

Hey Gang,

I remember one Christmas that really stands out in my memories ... I think I was about 11 or 12 years old at the time ... I had asked mom for a bicycle that year and she replied that she didn't think they could afford a bicycle. So for the rest of the days before Christmas I felt kind of gloomy because I really wanted a bike ... come Christmas morning all three of us kids bounded out of bed and ran into the living room, myself in the lead, when all of a sudden I stopped dead in my tracks causing my brothers to bump into me almost knocking me down ... for there around the Christmas tree stood three brand new bicycles, one for each of us ... I hugged mom and dad and was so happy ... that is one Christmas story I remember well. There was a lot of other presents under the tree too ....

Shirl ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another fine memory of mine is the gift I bought for Pam a good friend of mine. Boy, did it almost ruin a friendship but it definitely ruined the party that year. What was the gift? A toilet seat. I still don't know why she cried and wouldn't accept it. I tried telling her how useful of a gift it was. You can use it year round, other people will use it and every time you sit on it you will think of me. No use, she wouldn't talk to me the rest of the night and I had to take it back.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Gosh after Lisa and Shirl's wonderful memories maybe I shouldn't of added my stinky story.

A Hey Gang Christmas

Hey Gang,
Changing the pace here for a bit, will get to the conclusion of the Hey Gang Address soon. Seeing that we are only days away from Christmas thought I would take a small break from my political writings, though I have about 4 started in my draft folder. A lot of important and serious stuff happening that should be talked about but its time we all try to get in a brighter cheerier mood.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO instead of sending one long Christmas email out I thought from now until Christmas I would send one Christmas memory story a day. And I thought it would be really neat that if you have any, send it to me and I will include in my blog and send it out to the Gang. Oh don't tell me you don't have any holiday memories or stories to tell. For instance Lisa in Erie was telling me how her Mom would ring the bells, you know what, thats not for me to write about thats her story to tell. She can conclude it, here's one of mine. Some of you may remember this cute story but for the new additions on the list you will enjoy it.
I met this older gentleman in church about 14 years ago. His name was Dave Sertz who passed away a few years back. He had a stroke and was confined to a wheel chair. The guy that would pick him up for church couldn't one day so he asked me you live closer to Dave can you take him to church? Thats how I struck up a friendship with Dave. This one Christmas Dave had no one to take him to the store. He kept calling and asking Carey please take me to the store I need to buy a Christmas gift. I was incredibly busy and kept putting him off. Finally 2 days before Christmas I called Dave and asked do you still need to go to the store? He said yes. So I agreed to take him. I got to his house late and he said hurry to the Richmond Mall we don't have much time. I rushed him over there and asked which store? Dave said lets hurry to JC Penney's. I took him there and then asked now where? He said to the Mens department. I got him up there in time and
asked now what? He said find yourself something you like.
All that time he was bugging me to take him to the store was to buy me a gift. Ain't that special?? Thinking about it it still brings a tear to my eye. That is one Christmas memory I will never forget.
OK see how easy that was, now your turn.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

A Hey Gang Christmas - Lisa's memory

Hey Gang,
Lisa from Erie, Pa. responded and wrote:



When we were kids, Christmas Eve was the main event.

First we would go to my grandmothers for a traditional Italian feast. After that we'd go home and get our PJ's on and go to bed....but never slept. We waited anxiously in anticipation of Santa's arrival. Mom and Dad would go to midnight Mass and when they returned home Mama would ring the bells that were hung on the front door and yell "Bye Santa!!" which was our signal that it was time to open the presents! Once all the gifts were unwrapped, we throw our coats on over our robes and head to my aunt's house where the entire family (gramma, aunts, uncles and countless cousins) ate and sang and laughed until the sun came up!

If you asked me what the presents were, I probably couldn't recall most of them. My fondest memories of Christmas are the ones of the love and laughter (and food) that made my family so amazing


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now that gives me a warm and fuzzy Christmas feeling!
Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Another story of those silly eating Chinese and Cantonese

Hey Gang,
Another story of those silly eating Chinese and Cantonese.
And yes you guessed it, its about eating cats & dogs. Why cats? Because the Cantonese insist cat meat tastes purrfect.
Where do they get them? Some from cat houses others are ordered from the catalog.
There is kidnapping and now pets are being stolen I guess you would call it a catnap, hmmm I suppose by cat burglars.
Cats do have nine lives but in China they only make one good meal.
It is a shame though all those cats being eaten, a real catastrophe. You can tell those people are pagans and not Catholics.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

from Yahoo news
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081219/ap_on_re_as/as_china_cat_protest

State of the Gang Address for Dec. 08 part II

Hey Gang,

As I was saying in my last email my inbox keeps filling with invites to various sites. Well lo and behold I received yet two more today. One was, I sent you a Prayer! from "Krazy Kid", who ever he/she is and the other from Bob S. which said I sent you a big Kiss! using the Big Kiss application. UGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Bob you should know I don't kiss smokers. KIDDING!!! Seriously though, I know its not your fault and anyone else's but before you join these things or check them out be careful. When you enter those internet community sites a lot of them automatically attach themselves to your address book and send out invites to EVERYONE.
I feel I speak for many people when I say most don't like changes. Countless times I've received Carey delete the old one - add my new one. So my suggestion is find a personal site or blog that works for you and stick with it. If you do, you will start to build a following. You might even have enough followers to build a cult. OK kidding again, would hate to have the Feds on me for encouraging the start of a cult and the drinking of Kool Aid but the point is you will build contacts.
So don't be mad if I don't accept your invite to any of the other online communities. I can't possibly join all of them, I am way to busy with what I have going on in cyber world as it is.
Here are ones I decided to keep:
Obviously emails and my website, www.gogobus.cc
My fun travel Hey Gang blog: http://www.whatsoncareysmindtoday.blogspot.com/
My political blog, http://www.careymasci.blogspot.com/
(You can also find my political writings at http://www.twopolitics.com/pundits.html check out the left and right list)
and Myspace.
Lastly, I also write articles for Ezine Articles, http://EzineArticles.com/?type=experts just type in my name and on occasions for the GOP when I don't get censored, http://www.lakegop.com/.
OK let all that sink in and will be back tomorrow to conclude this.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

State of the Gang Address for Dec. 08

Hey Gang,
Thought I should address what has been filling up my inbox and send a HELLO out to everyone as its been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay to quiet. I know that doesn't seem to make sense but let me explain.
Last couple of weeks possibly more, I've received hardly any emails. BUT what I am lacking in personal emails and how are you's from the Gang, I receive more than enough invites to join all kinds of online communities such as Face Book, Blow a Kiss, Myspace, Gib Link, LinkedIn, Fanbox, Tagged, just to name a few. WOW! I have received a Kiss from Bob almost twice a day for a week now, Ruth has sent me a kiss, now that kiss I don't mind, prayers from friends who are atheists, tagged from people I didn't even know were alive, invites to join business communities, welcomes to hop on board wife swapping, I don't even have a wife, how can anyone keep up with all of this and I know some of you belong to more than one! WHY? Help me out, someone has to stop the madness!!
Let me explain something. I started www.gogobus.cc way before Myspace took the internet world by storm. Its a real shame that I didn't capitalize on the idea. My initial webmaster went crazy jealous and deleted the original GoGo Bus site. Our plan was to link friends and acquaintances together. After that jealous boy did what he did, I hired and fired a host of web masters. Not one could capture the feel of what I had in mind. By the time Jeff B. took GoGo Bus over Myspace was launched and I lost out. In the very beginning of Myspace I alienated a lot of people because I refused to join or answer anyones invite. I kept hoping that the Bus site would be finished plus I didn't quite get the concept. I finally realized that Myspace is a mini website. A personal website that anyone could build. It was then I joined and started adding people and also used Myspace to direct people to www.gogobus.cc. I still hardly ever respond when people write
through Myspace but at least I add people and I do visit friends Myspace profiles. This is no different than you visiting www.gogobus.cc so I have come to respect your site on Myspace.

I know you hate reading anything of length so will stop here and send part II tomorrow.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey