chuckography

"Leggo my logo."

Each year, on New Year's Eve, the newspaper I retired from has a "Drop In For Retirees."

Gives old timers a chance to see friends and take a walk through the building to see what's changed.

I like to do that each year between 1-3 pm because they set out a buffet so I get another "freebie" from the paper.

This year I was surprised to see a very large replica of our 8-lane Ravenel Bridge in the conference room.

Made entirely from Legos.

Even the cables.

And a variety of tiny Lego vehicles, including a yellow school bus, an 18-wheeler and small cars.

Columnist Brian Hicks quipped the only thing missing was a sideways SUV, swerved against a bridge railing, blocking traffic.

Of course, it would be difficult to read the three signs the distraught driver had painted on his vehicle, warning police to stay back.

Paul Sharry, the retiring head of the paper's corporate HR, was there with his wife on his last day of 39-years with the paper.

He said he was looking forward to NOT having to set the alarm clock.

An article on display stated that Paul had started out in 1976 in the Circulation department.

I reminded him that he should plan to come to the quarterly luncheons of our Retirees Group, called the 134 Gang*. He appreciated that it was meeting at a sensible 11:30.

Paul said "Sure, why not, I'll probably have nothing else to do that day." 

*(134 is the long-time address of the paper on Columbus Street and, earlier, also at its plant on Meeting Street).

I filled a plate, picked up a bottled water, and wandered over for closer looks at the Lego-built bridge.

It was pretty detailed, including the 8-lanes that replaced the former 2-lane and 3-lane bridges dating back to 1929 and 1966.

Growing up in Charleston, I drove many times back and forth to the Isle of Palms and Mt. Pleasant on the John P. Grace that opened in 1929.

This was with one lane going in each direction. Yikes.

The Grace was still being used when I came back to Charleston and did my first Bridge Run in 1994.

That turned out to be the last use of that bridge for the annual run and the next year, the event was moved over to the 3-lane Silas N. Pearman Bridge that had opened in 1966.

I walked the Run for the next 11 or 12 years and did my last one in 2005 over the new Ravenel.

I joked that I had done all three and didn't have to do another Run/Walk until a newer bridge was built.

No, I don't consider the Lego one a "new" bridge.

I did get a bonus years later when a friend asked me if I wanted a piece of the Grace Bridge. Duh, I said, yes I would like to have that.

 It became part of my 13 Bridge Run bib numbers display. Let me stress, I WALKED each of those years.

Earlier I have blogged about my grandmother who ran a boarding house downtown.

Several of her guests included workers on the bridge in 1928 and a Supervisor.

One chilly Sunday morning, the Supervisor took her out to the Charleston side of the bridge under construction.
Thankfully, they took the time to pose a few photos.


You rock, Granny!

(Click on the photos and links for more details).

Thanks for stopping by for a retiree's view of The Bridges of Charleston County.

Labels: Bridges of Charleston County, John P. Grace bridge, Leggo my Lego, Lego logo, Paul Sharry, Silas N. Pearman bridge

posted by chuckography @ 4:10 PM 2 Comments

"Hey, weight a minnit..."

Joe Weider, the man behind the famed body-builder
Arnold Schwarzenegger, now has turned his attention to me and my body.

Believe me, I need all the help I can get!

Well, Mr. Weider is not giving me a hand personally.

I just bought a used home weight system with his name on it and I have high hopes.

Yes, it's only early January in 2015 but already such exercise equipment is on sale. Found this on Craigslist.

I noticed it was dusty.

In a few more weeks I suppose the crowds will be smaller at gyms and fitness centers as reality overpowers even the most sincere best intended New Year's resolutions.

 This 200-pound machine was purchased at Sears and delivered in a large box on a big truck to its new owner three months ago.

I searched last week for one like this - or similar - and Craigslist popped up with this winner.

I called because the price was lower than at the stores. Did he still have it for sale?

Yes he did and I drove over - using my Smartphone's GPS  to navigate -  and pulled up in his driveway.

About a month ago, he had removed the Weider 6900 from the box and carefully assembled it in his garage.

I did not ask why, after only a month, he had decided he didn't need it. Who knows, maybe a month from now, I too might offer it up for sale?

Fortunately, I have plenty of room for exercise equipment.

My dad, a carpenter and cabinetmaker, had built his 50' x 20' workshop after they moved from the peninsula (Ansonborough) to Hanahan in 1962.

I call this my "Charleston Basement"  because of all the space I have downstairs.

And to watch eyebrows raise to envision anyone having a basement in our below-sea-level-Lowcountry.

After my dad had passed away, I found Lowe's would sell "mistake-mixed" paints very cheaply so I brightened up the spacious but dull workshop with bright colors.

 I had toyed with the idea of moving up to a full weight bench with metal plates and barbells.

Did not like the idea of trying to press heavy weights without a "spotter" to insure I did not have a mishap while alone and be in trouble.

(I had a boat for years and did not go out alone. Less boating but more shared good times with others on board.)

Instead, I liked the idea of ten weights (12.5 pounds each) which could be combined and moved with pulleys and cables to provide varied resistance as I worked on different parts of my body.

I quickly learned that you balance the number of rep(ititions)
 you do versus the weights involved.

Different results if you lifted heavier loads fewer times or more times with  less weights.

This came with a nice chart showing about 36 different ways to tone specific muscles.

And suggested regimens to set and meet specific body building goals.

I am so glad the previous owner had patiently - and correctly - put all of these parts together.

It works smoothly and I am experimenting with using a different number of heavy plates.

After only 3 days of working out ways to work out, I feel this is working out well.

The "basement," over the years, has seen several treadmills come and go. The last two came from Play It Again, Sports

When one burned out (the mother board started smoking!) the guys helped me choose my current Horizon model.

They do this a lot and made moving in the new and hauling out the old a simple procedure.

I just walk (fast) instead of jogging or running on my treadmill and that takes 30 minutes of my 5x a week exercising.

I did the annual Bridge Run for 13 years - walking rather than running.

Did my first run, er, walk, the last year the 2-lane John P. Grace was used; many years on the 3-lane Pearman,  and did my final walk on the 8-lane Ravenel.

So, until the city builds a new bridge across the Cooper River, I guess that's it for me.

But my walking continues.

The treadmill faces a small tv set, and, using my ROKU, I can stream Netflix movies and series onto the screen and be entertained.

It makes the half-hour walk more interesting.

(Click on the photos for more details.)

As noted earlier, this is my 800th posting on my 8-year old blog.

I started Web Logging a few years after I retired from The Post and Courier, my 200+ years old local newspaper.

I've written about a diet I started early last summer so this new phase of exercise equipment continues that weight-loss effort.

Yes, I am using weights to lose weight.

Labels: Butterfly chest exercise, dumbbells and barbells. Horizon treadmill., John P. Grace bridge, Pearman Bridge, Play It Again Sports, Ravenel Bridge, Weider 6900 weight system

posted by chuckography @ 8:53 PM 1 Comments