i leave work early on fridays

i stopped at my pop's house yesterday right after work. i had (yet another) eye doctor's appointment. i wanted to make a quick pit stop before continuing on to the center. when i walked in, popi had the tv on. it looked like some sort of accident. yes, avon mountain again. i've mentioned several times how i drove over that mountain for YEARS. i worked in avon park south and lived in west hartford. twice a day EVERY day. most days it was white knuckle driving even in good weather. it wasn't the 'mountain' as much as who else was driving around you. people are nuts. they speed, they follow too closely (even in horrid, snowy, icy or rainy weather) they put their makeup on or read the paper or talk on their cell phones. changes were made and they are GOOD changes but NOT enough changes. i still go out that way on occasion. my doctor is in avon and i have friends in that area. i want to be safe and i want everyone else to be safe too. oh another thing, you CAN'T keep trucks off of route 44. where are they going to go instead? they CAN'T all be sent through farmington center on route 4 (who the f**k decided to have a highway exit and entrance in farmington when everyone knew the town was NOT going to allow the 'historic' route 4 district through the center of town be widened??????). where else are they going to go?

Crash Brings Back Memories Of 2005 Avon Fatal Crashes

Friday’s crash on Avon Mountain has brought back memories from two tragic crashes nearby from 2005.
On Friday morning, a truck driven by Robert Rauch crashed into the Nassau's Furniture store near the intersection of Route 44 and Route 10.
Rauch was taken via Lifestar to Hartford Hospital, where is reported to be in guarded condition.
Mike Bondra, a witness to the crash, spoke with NBC 30's Tom Lewis and said that the recent crash brought back memories from the first crash in 2005.
"I couldn't believe it was happening again," he said.
Witnesses told NBC 30 that it is a miracle the truck did not hit any other cars.
Helen Silansky, a witness, said, "I Just saw all the commotion that was going on and then saw the truck going by and my son-in-law was in this accident that happened two years ago here, so I just got absolutely upset about the whole thing."
On July 29, 2005, a truck careened out of control down Avon Mountain Road, triggering a fiery crash that killed four people and injured dozens. The truck, owned by American Crushing & Recycling LLC of Bloomfield, had a history of brake problems..............

from what i've seen on the television news coverage, mr rauch is a hero. one person said she saw him driving on the mountain and he was proceeding cautiously. then when he realized his brakes went, he keep blaring his horn. he also went out of his way (obviously) to avoid the many cars all over the bottom of the mountain. i wish him well.

the first thing i did when i was at my popi's was to call my friend mark, at work. he was in the FIRST accident and was brought by life star to the hospital. mark is a very special person. he's writing a book about the accident (the FIRST one) with NONE of the money from that book going to him. i was privileged to read the first four chapters and it was amazing. i have to keep after him to FINISH though.

"In a split second it all happened" -- Witnesses describe latest Avon Mountain crash

Avon (WTNH) _ A big crash and a big puff of smoke -- that's what Mark Guimond heard and saw on Avon Mountain this morning as a tractor trailer crashed into the Nassau's Furniture store on Route 44 and Route 10.
"We looked to our right and there was buried, when the smoke cleared it was buried -- a tractor trailer. There was maybe 10-15 feet left of him hanging out of the building. It looked to me like he was carrying shingles," said Guimond, who works for a landscaping company.
The truck, driven by Robert Rauch of New Jersey, indeed was transporting roofing materials from Baltimore, Maryland to Canton.
Tammy Burns had just dropped her kids off at pre-school and was in traffic at the stop light when she saw the truck coming right at her............

welcome back!

to the men and women of the 1048th transportation company! thanks for serving BUT i'm sure glad y'all are HOME. safe

National Guard troops returning after year in Iraq

--A National Guard unit is heading back to Connecticut after spending the last year in Iraq.
Members of the Stratford-based 1048th Transportation Company are due to arrive 6 a.m. Thursday at the Army Aviation Support Facility in Windsor Locks.
The 120 troops operated dozens of tractor trailer trucks to transport cargo, bulk water and fuel. The unit was also called to help out in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005 by transporting food and water to parts of Louisiana.

anyone need a babysitter?

just ask connecticut dcs for a reference!

Woman charged with leaving 2 youngsters alone at Foxwoods

WATERBURY, Conn. --A Waterbury woman supervising two children for the state Department of Children and Families has been arrested on charges of leaving the youngsters alone at Foxwoods Resort Casino
Louise T. Andolina was charged with two counts of leaving a child unattended in a place of public accommodation.
"I thought it was safe there because it was occupied," said Andolina, who was supervising the girls, 9 and 11, for the state agency over the weekend. "I gave them $5 apiece to play."
Andolina, 78, said the girls were in the casino's arcade for 20 or 30 minutes Saturday night and said she did not know the casino closed at midnight. Other unaccompanied children and a security guard also were in the arcade, she said..............

and some people thought i was..................

(different....................)

from extreme craft via deputy dog (or deputy dog via extreme craft)

comes the top ten physically modified peeps

because west hartford center isn't crowded enough

(can there BE any more SUVs in any other town???) - on september 12th, the second cow parade will begin.

ok ok, i LIKE the cows. they're cool. i go VERY early in the morning before anything opens up.
(and i had no idea the inventor was from west hartford)
and if you click the link, besides the rest of the article, there is an interactive cow painting graphic!

There's Moola In Them Thar Cows

By JANICE PODSADA Courant Staff Writer

WEST HARTFORD - Who would think Connecticut is home to a herd of globe-trotting cows?Beaded, bejeweled, bronzed, sometimes even be-winged, these painted ladies have popped up on six continents.Since 1999, more than 50 cities have held cow parades. Typically sponsored by the local business community, the parades - really outdoor exhibits - feature lifesize, fiberglass cow sculptures that have been fancifully decorated by local artists.
But whether the cow parade is in New York City, Moscow, Paris, Istanbul or Harrisburg, Pa., it originates in West Hartford, home to CowParade Holdings Corp.Founded by Jerry Elbaum, 67, a West Hartford lawyer, the privately held company's business consists of selling the licensing rights and providing expertise to people who want to hold an official cow parade in their city.A cow parade is a deceptively simple event: A city contracts with CowParade Holdings and the company joins with a local partner who then solicits local sponsors and artists. A year later, the whimsical cows make their debut........