Check shirts

There is something about check shirts, or plaid I think the US guys sometimes call them, you see one and you just know its an American. So Kenny got that bit right, in fact I had to go to wal-mart to get some to fit in, with T-shirt underneath and in the cold fleecy shirt on top, add jeans and a raccoon hat some stout boots and you are pretty much blended in with the team in Eau Claire.

Bill has a great big metal tub that he once explained to me was used to make maple syrup, essentially by boiling vast quantities of maple sap for many days while constantly stirring it so those involved have to sleep round the campfire (seriously). I think if the waistcoated, brogue wearing, dickybow and tweed jacketed Kenny showed up we would see his head peering Kilroy style over the edge and a new "twist of Scotland flavour" of Maple Syrup in the local market.

So I have been saddened and entertained today in the subterranean email world of the blog, thanks for Tom for pointing out that the email was not on the profile page, it used to be and I have put it back now. Tom and Bill both let me know that our old plant in Eau Claire is being closed by 3M who have owned it for some years, that's a pretty sad bit of news so my best wishes to all the folks there and I hope they can find another challenge and it does not create too much hardship for all.

Philip has been cheering me up with cartoons and jokes, as an IT manager he can get past the filters that stop the rest of us in work, once he sent me an excellent video clip of Kylie when I had a birthday in HK but I could not download it! However through pure chance Johnathon my brother in law was in HK so we had a tequila night out together which was a hoot. I also got a long analysis of US foreign policy which essentially said lots of military stalemates (Vietnam, Korea, Kuwait etc) but the US still got richer and more powerful - therefore it must have been an accidental good policy. My alternative explanation is dodgy policy - good economy.

As to treatment I have got past the mustard gas stuff yesterday and am on to the second set of chemicals which take three days, I feel OK not distressed at all, but quite sleepy and exhausted so far main systems are all still working. The room is working out well with a big tree just outside the window which should be well into green leaves by the time I leave here. So all going well here, having Internet radio on speakers has been a great boon when I am feeling washed out I can listen easily and fall asleep with the radio on low - which basically was what I did all day, luxury!!

Cheers

Gerry