Talking trash, talking songs, talking in wrambles
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
I started this an hour ago and having accomplished the start of a “wrant,” until I hit the wrong key inadvertently and lost all the work put in up to that point, I stalled. MS Word, combined with the “Autosave” feature also made it impossible to re-claim my work. Normally that wouldn’t be a huge problem but after much photo editing and manipulation I had lost the finished product of that as well. From here and going forward what you see/read is a recap.
Until reading yesterdays paper this morning, which is my “old news” reading practice, I did not have any “main theme” for this Wrambling. I now do.
As pure coincidence this happens to tie in with my having renewed my “Dump Pass” Monday after nearly having been turned away at the Wellsville Transfer Station earlier that day. As I pulled into the site, I was a little surprised to see the Guard Shack occupied as that is not always the case. I reached up and tipped my pass up so the guard could see it and he gestured with his hand as they often do as they waved their approval. After backing into the building to unload my disposable waste I was approached by a gentleman saying that I shouldn’t be here (my paraphrase) as my “Dump Pass” was no longer current. His comment was that it had expired. I pulled the pass from my window and with this having been April 8th, he was correct in that the pass expired March 31st. That did surprise me, but it shouldn’t have as my already busy, nearly 80-year-old mind had lost track of the expiration date. To my knowledge I didn’t recall having received any notice of the fees needing renewal. I wouldn’t swear that there wasn’t something received previously in my mail, as what is deemed by some in this household as being “junk” mail it likely would have found its way into trash, and on its way there as we spoke.
The annual fee for ME to take my own recyclables and trash to the Wellsville Transfer Station is $250. I have NOW renewed my yearly pass.
Looking for some “Historical” background to flesh out this piece I contacted Allegany County recycling coordinator Tim Palmiter with some questions as to the early enactment of the recycling initiatives and the growth of the costs for the fees. Tim put the fee payment into a perspective that I had not considered. If you spread the $250 over the course of a year that reduces the weekly fee to a less than astounding amount of $4.81 per week. If I had to pay for weekly “trash pickup” it most likely would exceed that. In checking with one trash pickup service in the area my annual cost would be around $500 per year. Without knowing specific details, I imagine that requires my sorting.
In my conversation with the county recycling coordinator he did mention that he had read one of my former articles regarding disposal of batteries and he brought my attention to his comment made in that same OTH article that I have alluded to herein. He clarified the battery disposal issue by advising that single use batteries consisting of “alkaline and zinc carbon varieties (not rechargeable) could safely be discarded in your normal trash.” All other “single use” batteries have to be discarded as hazardous use and need to be deposited in the appropriate place at the transfer stations.
Upon my questioning, he responded that I could bring my recyclables, as defined above, to the transfer station at no cost as long as I pointed that out to the attendant(s) on duty. In response to my questions about the manning of the “guard shack,” he replied that it was basically a “part time” position and thus not available for full time duty manning that station. I would like to point out that the one that advised me of my pass expiration was friendly, cordial and respectful and DID allow me to deposit my trash that day. I have since filed my request for a current dump tag.
On an uplifting and musical note, The Genesee Valley Chorus (GVC) has resumed their music preparation for the Spring/Summer session having met for the next first time, this past Tuesday. Rehearsals are every Tuesday evening beginning at 6:30 PM. Any and all singers are invited to join and there is no restriction or audition required. The only pre-requisite is that you love music and want to be a part of making the wonderful music that “drifts up from the Valley”, as it is does when produced by the Genesee Valley Chorus. Next rehearsal will be this coming Tuesday at the Grace United Church on North Main Street in Wellsville, NY.
By the way, the Grace United Church in Wellsville has its own unique choir that is pretty adept at raising its voices to the heavens. The choir, directed by GD “Dave” Toot and accompanied by Jim Knapp performs each Sunday at the 10 O’clock service with rehearsals every Wednesday evening. The church “mantra” (and with apologies if I mis-state it) is “No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are always welcome here.” The church is currently in search of a new pastor but is very well served as Reverend Ralph Wagner stands in at the pulpit.
Given the massive water line construction or re-construction that is going on, not only throughout the town of Scio, but also on the Back River Road as it wends its way toward Belmont, it is expected that there might be times of household water interruptions. The work in my area had pretty much been completed, save for some final tweaking. One day last week I awoke at about 2 AM and discovered that I had no water. Fortunately, a “one time flush” had enough water to complete my task. Not really expecting an answer, but wanting to alert the Scio water department to a problem, I called Nate Jennison’s listed office number and personal number and left a message. Upon a later, but still early 4:00 AM rising, I discovered that the water service to my residence had been restored. Later in the day Nate stopped by the house to update us and thanked me for calling. Thanks once again to the Scio Water Department for making a quick fix.
I have a household outdoor landscaping type project going on that includes re-building a wall extension at the end of the house where we have some shrubbery growing. The plant enclosure had, over time, leaned further and further (*) away from the house. I have been re-building there, using 6” X 6” Pressure Treated lumber and galvanized lag screws to hold the beams in place.
These specialized fasteners are expected to be a little more costly than regular steel. I was amazed, however, at a major discrepancy even within this specialized fastener category. Having stopped at one of the “family owned” hardware stores in Olean I picked up a 6” long lag screw and noted its price at $1.41. Needing the 8” long screws I picked one of those up and noted that its price was $2.69. Now, I’m no math genius, nor building supplies specialist, but it seems to me that a jump in price, nearly double from one size to the next is quite exorbitant. I put them both back and as I departed the store the clerk asked: “hadn’t I found what I was looking for?” I replied that I had, but that I couldn’t afford them. Admittedly, it may have been a pricing error, but I was in no mood to debate that with the fairly young, sole employee, who likely couldn’t do anything about it anyway.
Wrapping up with a couple of typical Wramblings; I had cause this past week to check and double check my blood pressure. I find it ironic that the instructions on my Blood Pressure machine says to rest for 15 minutes before checking your blood pressure. Now wait a minute… Standing or walking up or down stairs sometimes causes light headedness, motivating my checking in the first place. If you rest 15 minutes before checking your blood pressure how is that going to help determine if that movement is what is causing the problem. Color me puzzled.
I frequently hear the common school age complaint or comment that “I hate Math” or “I’m no good at math.” My take on that is that the frustration of learning the basics or reluctance to having to memorize the basic math fundamentals is the root of that hatred or “fear” of mathematics. Most people that really learn “math,” actually enjoy it and are set for life on using something learned decades ago in school. I’m convinced that the demeanor or attitude of the grade and high school math teachers, or their understanding of the reasons for those strong emotions of dislike, makes all the difference in the world as to the student’s attitude. My first college level math teacher was a former “truck driver.” He was good. He relaxed you immediately with his “truck-driverish” demeanor and made math fun.
Now, I realize that first year college and first year grade school math are eons apart, but I think the teacher’s ability, understanding, and attitude, are key components to success at any level.
If I had the ability to go back in time, or if I realize it in reincarnation if that does exist, I would come back into this world either as an English teacher or as a Mathematics educator. The best teachers I have ever had in those two subjects were those who added a little color and flavor to the drudgery of those two most “hated” subjects.
My writing habits of exaggeration, sarcasm and irony using our language is how I would approach that subject. Examples of how math problems or situations can be solved using everyday reasoning and the most basic understanding of math principles, is a key to success. In my household construction projects I use mathematics with nearly every single process of determining lengths, distances, fractions or even just the number of how many of something is required.
(*) Grammar challenge. See if you can decide which is further or farther as per their definitions.
