Aftermath Blog

Family Get Together 2012

ajwyck — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:03:33 +0000

We came, we ate, we worked, we ate again. Worked some more and of course ate again. We accomplished a lot and had a good time. Lots of laughs and good memories. Despite a few periods of rain it was a beautiful day. Here are a lot of pictures from the day. Enjoy.

All the Grand Kids

ajwyck — Sat, 26 May 2012 02:02:30 +0000

All the grand kids made it into the pool this Memorial day weekend. Josh was our designated life guard. Here are some more pictures from the day.

Dumpster

ajwyck — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 16:02:11 +0000

Yesterday Ayden and I watched this 40 yard dumpster be delivered to the house next door. The house, which sets to our south, has been vacant about a year and half. It is a foreclosure and bank owned. The bank has sent several companies to the house to do minor work in attempts to get it to sell. None has been successful. Finally, it looks like someone is getting serious about making the house market ready. Kitchen cabinets, carpeting and general household debris were seen being tossed in the dumpster. Hopefully by summer’s end we’ll have new neighbors or at least a home that is attracting buyers.

1940 Census

ajwyck — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 15:51:08 +0000

After some effort and time I was able to navigate the recently released 1940 census data information and locate my family’s information. (The data is located on page 19 of the document.) I sat down with my dad and showed him the information. As we browsed the information, dad related many stories relative to the data shown. Some of the stories I had heard before but others were new. What I found most interesting was the work related information. My dad worked 60 hours a week delivering bread door-to-door and made $987 annually. Scrolling through the data of other families on the same block you can easily compare wages, types of employment, and value of the homes. The great depression was telling in the data in that my dad’s education is listed as having completed three years of high school. He was never able to complete high school due to the fact that his dad pulled him out of school many years in row to work the sugar beet farms rather than have the family go on unemployment. If your interested start here to look up your family’s census data. It was well worth the effort and the historical first person reminiscing with dad was quality time together.

Tubes

ajwyck — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 15:31:21 +0000

Next week Nolan is going to get tubes placed in his ears to help with chronic ear infections. We thought we’d have a little fun with that. Here are some silly pictures.

Just a Nice Day to be Outside

ajwyck — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:24:59 +0000

We spent some time outside with Nolan today which included a visit to a local park. He loved it! Hearing him giggle while in the swing made my day. Here are some pictures.

Happy Birthday Peyton

ajwyck — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:00:26 +0000

Peyton turns seven today. I can’t believe how quickly she has grown up. I still remember taking her to the library for the first time. She has been ice fishing, bow hunting, and goes to daddy-daughter dances. She’s in the first grade with a vocabulary well beyond her years. She’s becoming proficient on the computer and loves her American Girl doll. In short she is all girl but sometimes half tomboy. She loves grandpa’s pool and her BBF is her cousin Sarah. Peyton is a unique and loving child with a sense of humor and demeanor that matches her parents. Happy Birthday Peyton! We love and miss you. Look for your birthday presents in the mail.

Family Trivia

ajwyck — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:00:24 +0000

I’ve started a new site for our amusement. I’m calling it “Family Trivia“. I’m going to post a new question almost daily regarding our family’s history, stories, anecdotes, events, and maybe a little folklore. Check the site daily and leave your answer or best guess in the comments section on the trivia site. I’ll post the correct answer at the end of the day. Be the first to post the correct answer for bragging rights. I’ll leave a link to the site in the side bar on the right or you can bookmark it.

154

ajwyck — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:44:43 +0000

154 was my draft number. My draft status was 1-A. I was married and I did not want to be drafted and go to Vietnam so I enlisted in the Michigan Army National Guard. As it turned out I would not have been drafted but I couldn’t take the chance. As part of my training I spent six months on active duty training in Ft. Knox, Kentucky and Ft. Polk, Louisiana. My active duty time was during the months of November through April. It was the first time I was away from home by myself. Being in the southern part of the country during the winter was a new phenomenon. I remember those days and the weather clearly. The sights, sounds and smells remain with me. Often times, during the winter, when I am experiencing a mild day, I get a feeling of déjà vu reminding me of those days training in the south. When I first experienced them it took me awhile to realize what I was remembering. Being in the NC for these winter months I get that déjà vu feeling quite frequently especially in the morning. I must be remembering those torturous PT sessions or morning runs. The higher the emotion tied to an event the more likely you are to remember it. There must have been a lot of emotion tied to those days for things like temperatures and the smells of a new clear day to trigger memories over 40 years old. Having those feelings frequently as of late gives impetus to Yogi Berra’s misspoken quip, “It’s déjà vu all over again.”

A Nice Day for a Walk

ajwyck — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:26:13 +0000

On such a beautiful day (high near 70) we just had to get outside for some fresh air and sunshine. Went for a walk in the stroller and then Nolan did a little walking himself. Here are some more quick shots.