Time In A Bottle

If I could save time in a bottle
The first thing that Id like to do
Is to save every day----of 2009!!!!! The aforementioned are the opening lyrics to Jim Croce's immortal song, TIME IN A BOTTLE. 2009 was an incredible year!!! In some ways, I had the time of my life!! In other ways, living on the edge; with no regrets.

Like the time Philip and I decide to drive the van and scooter to Houston Texas, and back---to enjoy the beautiful wedding of my brother Dominic's son Gregory to his wonderful bride Mary Jo!!!! We had a wonderful time at the wedding---and Philip and I had some good conversations.

Or just like the one Tuesday in December I decide to live by the adage---no time is a good time; that is why right now is the best time---and during my lunch break I go to the Annunciation Lofts to negotiate an entrance to the building and be allowed a tour!!! Scooter, canes, camera and all!!! Some of what made this an incredible year was that it gave me an opportunity to enrich and deepen relationships with Family and Friends.

Our oldest, and beautiful daughter Nicole marries a very wonderful man named Brian. And along with the marriage, my Wife Donna and I enjoy the company of Brian's 4-year-old daughter Brook Lyn as Grandparents. That, for us, is a completely unique experience!!!! Our Son Philip, has now been home from the USMC for one full year, and is therefore no longer dealing with the horrors of the Middle East. Andrew is still working to finish his Environmental Management degree and is also exploring community service work as an Americorp Volunteer. Our Daughter Erica, upon completing a very very accomplished Kenmore/West High School program culminating with her being elected The Senior Class President, is given the honor, and excels in, delivering the Commencement Address for the Class of 2009 at the Kleinhans Music Hall. Did I get choked up!?!? Damned Straight!!! She is currently immersed, as a Freshman, with the Academic & Sorority Life at the University of Mississippi. And the two Women in my Life are still: Donna, and My Beautiful Dachshund, Tootsie!!!!

More to Save in that 2009 bottle, would be the friendships galvanized by two High School Reunions. Through the reconnecting of these reunions, I now have The Fallon Friends Community, The Annunciation Community, and a developing Lafayette High School community. Along the way, I have made some new friends: Pellici. DeCarolis, DeCanio, and Williams. In reflecting on friendships, I must recognize The Four M'keteers; Marzullo, McKnight, Mulder, and Marconi.

And recognition must be made of Joe Sullivan at the Buffalo Employment Training Center, 77 Goodell St., Buffalo NY. Starting out as as unemployment insurance counselor, he has provided me a life-line so many times---I now call him, friend.
--{-=@
Hickok

By-Line Explained!!!!!

Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show...(the opening lines of David Copperfield as written by Charles Dickens;inspired by MTM):

The Title of My Blog was set up by my son Andrew, who is so much the wiser with Information Technology. So I gave him the latitude to develop that opening drawing-card!!! And while that By Line is 'loaded' with double-entendre and suggestion, it actually is part of a quotation that a woman made about myself, when picking up an item she arranged to have 'held' at the Counter of Airborne Express. This would have been in the summer of the late 1990's; around 1998. And I would have been working the 'counter area' only because of summer vacation replacement. I otherwise would have been on the dock/floor area loading our outbound 'C'(Cochrane) containers with freight for our DC-9 to take later at night to our huge HUB-SORT in Wilmington, Ohio. On this particular night a Woman comes in, identifies herself, and provides the tracking number for HER parcel. In short order, I find it and place it on the counter along with the MANIFEST---for Her to sign. Since she is, in-effect claiming that this high-value LAPTOP COMPUTER is her's---she must sign the MANIFEST validating same. She DECLINES signing the Manifest; she wants to INSPECT the laptop, first!!!!! I politely instruct her that she can test the laptop all she wants---there even is an outlet on the inside of the entrance wall to allow her to do so---but she just can't arbitrarily walk in, ask for a laptop and start 'cutting' through it. She must first take 'ownership' by signing the MANIFEST. She quickly develops a defensive attitude and objects to my position. "What if there is something wrong; what if this needs to go back." "I don't want to be responsible if it still isn't working." Ma'am, I counter, if there is something wrong---we send it back through the same channels it got here!!! We are going back-and-forth for what must have been a good 5 minutes. She wants her 'property' but she won't take 'ownership'. A co-worker, who is covering the International Desk is within earshot of the entire volley of 'exchanges' and decides to intercede. Because I am doing this on a replacement basis---I am playing this by the BOOK. I mean---if something goes wrong, I'll have a supervisor to answer to, and I also know this employee's personality. And that is to say---if something did go askew, he'd remind me constantly of the 'proper' procedures. To calm the client down, the Intrernational Desk agent decided it was OK to let her 'go' through the laptop even though the ownership hadn't been technically determined. Gratefully, as fate would have it---the laptop is in working order. The client now feels comfortable enough to take 'ownership' and signs the manifest. She now begins to express her 'appreciation' to the Agent who intereceded on my behalf; he in effect bent the rules making me look like an employee with no customer service skills. And from where I'm now seated doing other paperwork and answering the occasional phone call, I can hear the gist of where this conversation is going. Then came those fateful words that would recur in conversations right up to the ending days of Airborne/D H L!!! And I would wear those remarks as My Red Badge of Courage. After lauding this individual for his customer service 'skills', I was assailed as..."that other guy, he's as Asshole!!!"

I never regretted my actions; my position. To this day---I would have handled that matter the same way. People just will NOT take ownership for actions. I see that every day. And at 58, I find that lack of responsibility; that unwillingness to take ownership---more troubling than ever.

I'm not the fastest typer. I am working on that. While I won't be corresponding on here every day, my objective is to try and add an item or two throughout the week. I trust the viewer will find the readings an interesting interlude to the rest of their daily activity. Lou Marconi

This is an overwhelming Christmas Present from My Son---Andrew!!!! Overwhelming because I can only imagine what this must have taken to put this together!!!! And because----from my standpoint, THIS IS WAY OVER MY HEAD!!!! But with Andrew usually no more than an earshot away, I know I will get the help I need until I'm near the top of the learning-curve!!!!!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to one and all

Hello to all you hopefully soon to be loyal readers,

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This will be a place for reading, reflection, and perhaps maybe discussion on railroads. I hope many find these articles to be fun, and great to read.

Merry Christmas, Jingle Bells, Santa DOESN'T Smell, Toys for Tots, and last but not least Happy New Year, and many more a cheer.

Write to you soon,