Got lucky

Woke up yesterday and when I looked out the back door this male
cardinal was perched along the fence. So I ran to the office,
grabbed my camera, went back out and got lucky as he was still
there.

As I looked in the other direction this female was having a
snack on a branch of a bush. Hard to get lucky twice but I
wasn’t arguing. I had a smile on my face.

That’s when I saw the male cardinal land in the bushes a short
distance from the female. Too bad I don’t play the lottery when
on a roll like that. It ended up being a great day too.

A little later we ran some errands and while there was nothing
of interest to me in the camera department of Wally World we
did find a secret ingredient to make a batch of gorp later. And
that even turned out good.

I was still grinning at midnight trying to figure out what I
wanted for a snack. So I got lucky again when I found some
leftover chili. Sometimes the clean living pays off. The lady
who follows me around would roll her eyes at about this point
but I’m used to it.

Tomorrow will be the first day of December and that means that
winter will officially start in 21 days. It will be interesting to see
if the forecasters are right with their long range predictions.

Enjoy our Friday as it’s the last we’ll see for a month. Now I
need more coffee and snack.
Comments are always welcome.

Here we go

Mary Barra, GM CEO, announced a few days ago that GM would
close several plants and cut 15% of its salaried workforce.
In her 5 years as CEO, Barra has made some decisions that were
not popular but she has made the company a profitable
enterprise.

Along with plant closures she is removing money pit sections
like Peugeot, has authorized getting out of Russia and India,
and is getting rid of cars that aren’t selling. Two mentioned
were the Volt and the Cruise. Instead GM will develop a Blazer
and full electric vehicles.

GM will keep investing in self-driving vehicles as they claim
there is a profit to had in that sector of the market. Deep
discounts have also gone the way of the dinosaur in the name
of profit.

And despite Michigan and Ohio taking hits financially due to
the plant closings and thousands unemployed, insiders claim
this is the best plan since sliced bread. So the buying public
will have fewer choices while spending more money to get their
next vehicle and former employees will scramble for new jobs.
Thank God GM will make a bigger profit.

Won’t people be needed to build the new SUVs, trucks, electric
cars, and self-driving vehicles? I’m guessing that the Camaro
will still be around along with 1 or 2 other models, but if you
like a car that doesn’t make the cut you will be looking for
something else.

We haven’t heard a timeline for when all this is supposed to
begin but once again feel like the redheaded step-child here.
One feels like we, the buying customers, aren’t given a thought
and going for the gold is all that counts. It bothers me and I
won’t even be affected.

I quit looking at new cars when the wing windows and standard
transmissions left. I don’t need 47 cup holders, back up
cameras, and a knob to change gears.

Enjoy our Thursday as it means the weekend is almost upon us.
Now I need to calm down and have more coffee.
Comments are always welcome.

Somedays…

Yesterday I made a few mistakes and found the old saying true;
we don’t quit making mistakes as we get older we just make
dumber ones. My first mistake was thinking water repellent
meant water proof.

The second was a result of the first. I emptied my wet coat,
contents seen above, and tossed the empty garment in our dryer.
I thought. Before long said dryer started clanging like a bell
at an old school house. So I once again checked the contents
removed from the wet coat. I forgot to take a camera out of the
coat before starting the dryer!

The camera, shown above, was removed 5 minutes after the dryer
was started. When the door was opened I expected to find parts
of this camera spread all over the dryer, on my coat, and
thinking it was now ruined.

Imagine my surprise when I took the first picture above with
the now hot camera, and it worked! No broken screen, no cracked
lens, and no fried electronics inside. Of course it will now be
afraid of dryers, but that’s something we can work on.

Now the camera is reunited with his buddies back in the jacket
and I’m glad it only took me 5 minutes to remember it was still
in my coat enjoying the dryer. And I learned something.

In the right front pocket where I keep the flashlight, smokes
and lighter, along with the small multi-tool, I place the
remains of my field stripped cigarettes. If you ever find
yourself with a wet coat and empty pockets do not feel around
the bottom of any wet pocket.

I came up with my finger coated with black sludge that
resembled motor oil that hadn’t been changed in years! After
some thought the remains of the field stripped cigarettes came
to mind and it made sense. I may add a small plastic bag to
avoid a repeat.

Enjoy the rest of our Wednesday and be careful when you check
your pockets. Now I need more coffee.
Comments are always welcome.

Day 2

The snow hasn’t gone away yet, but the sun is out. It’s been a
busy day and not a lick of work done yet to boot. A cruise over
to see the Antique Farmers told me Locust Street west of
Division Street has all 4 lanes open now.

I went over to Dads thinking I’d hear about the blizzard of 1936
once again or at the least the many uses of a John Deere Johnny
Popper. Instead we talked a little about the weather and about
how winter isn’t even here yet.

We chatted about new vehicles with back-up cameras, computer
displays in the dash, and built-in GPS. He talked a little of
his years driving a big rig and how Thanksgiving went. He seemed
to be having a good time.

Just about the time I was getting ready to leave he blurted out
‘the Model T was the best car ever made’. He appeared sure of
his statement but I thought in todays society one wouldn’t sell.
The Model T was a workhorse in its time yet not many today would
go for a car with no starter, no side windows, no heater, and no
automatic transmission or power steering.

I have heard the Model T could run on Kerosene and even pure
alcohol and with only one windshield wiper visibility could be
a chore. When you have a 2 foot high windshield with only a 6
inch wiper blade clearing it could get interesting.

If more people around here would have one our vehicle thefts
would drop as kids today wouldn’t have a clue how to start or
drive one. Enjoy the rest of our Tuesday as this one got away
from us. Now for some coffee before I go back out and shovel
more white fluffy love from above.
Comments are always welcome.

Got it

We were blessed with around eight and a half inches of white
fluffy love from above yesterday and I’ve been busy taking it
from where we don’t want it and putting elsewhere. And instead
of the usual hour it takes me to do that it has taken over four
hours this go round.

Part of that time was spent last night trying to see where the
snowblower was making a dent in the blizzard. Snow was coming
down at the rate of 1-2 inches per hour with 50 mph winds and
temperatures in the 20s. Not sure how long I was outside, but
when I came back in I looked like a sick Smurf in a snowsuit!

Every bit of my winter gear was covered in white my face was
blue and my nose was red. After some time in the dryer the gear
quit dripping and was no longer white. But I felt pretty good
as I thought all that was left for today was the front walk
and half the driveway.

And I was wrong. Geared up and with a belly full of leftover
pizza it was game time. Until I glanced at the end of the alley.
Across the entire width of said alley was and iceberg about 3
foot wide and a foot and a half tall. So I got out the ice
chipper and shovel, went to work, and had enough cleared to
drive the car through in only 2 hours.

Just a while ago I did the front steps, put down some salt
substitute and walked back in colder but wiser. I was wiser
because I had learned a few things. First is a 67 year old
skinny redneck shouldn’t do that and the other is that when the
snow to be removed is the consistency of wet cement, a 67 year
old skinny redneck should hire somebody to remove it.

Enjoy our Monday as we will. Now for some more coffee and
pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

We’re feeling the love

The predictions are in and it is raining at the moment. At some
point today a good portion of Iowa will get between 2 and 12+
inches of white fluffy love from above while here locally we’re
supposed to be on the receiving end of 40-50 mph winds to boot.

This won’t be a record breaker by any stretch of the
imagination, but it could get interesting. We’re told travelers
headed home from a Thanksgiving meal could get caught up in this
storm while driving I-80. We hope they have experience driving
under these conditions.

And our little portion of Iowa is supposed to get the 8-12+
inches of snow and the high wind gusts. Originally I had planned
to take it easy today and move just often enough that no one
called the coroner. Guess I be busier than planned.

The snow blower is ready as are the shovels and there are
enough pizzas in the freezer to last until Friday. Winter gear
has been checked, glove liners added to the pile, and I have
enough Snicker’s to last until Friday. As for coffee, we have
enough to last until Spring gets here.

Hang in there and we’re all get through this. Remember, with a
snow like this don’t park on a posted snow route or your ride
might get towed. Enjoy our Sunday as we here in Iowa get ready
to shovel. Now I need coffee and bacon.
Comments are always welcome.

Sunday snicker

Turmoil rocked Heaven this morning as allegations arose that God had had an affair with a former worshipper. The scandal was begun when a 21 year old woman, known only as Mary, claimed that she had given birth to God’s “only son” last week in a barn in the hamlet of Bethlehem.

Sources close to Mary claim that she “had loved God for a long time”, that she was constantly talking about her relationship with God, and that she was “thrilled to have had his child.” In a press conference this morning, God issued a vehement denial, saying that “No sexual relationship existed”, and that “the facts of this story will come out in time, verily”.

Independent counsel Kenneth Beelzebub immediately filed a brief with the Justice department to expand his investigation to cover questions of whether any commandments may have been broken, and whether God had illegally funneled laundered money to his illegitimate child through three foreign operatives know only as the “Wise Men”. Beelzebub has issued subpoenas to several angels who are rumored to have acted as go-betweens in the affair.

Critics have pointed out that these allegations have little to do with the charges that Beelzebub was originally appointed to investigate, that God had created large-scale flooding in order to cover up evidence of a failed land deal.

In recent months, Beelzebub’s investigation has already been expanded to cover questions surrounding the large number of locusts that plagued God’s political opponents in the last election, as well as to claims that the destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was to divert attention away from a scandal involving whether the giveaway of a parcel of public land in Promised County to a Jewish special interest group was quid pro quo for political contributions.

If these allegations prove to be true, then this could be a huge blow to God’s career, much of which has been spent crusading for stricter moral standards and harsher punishments for wrongdoers. Indeed, God recently outlined a “tough-on-crime” plan consisting of a series of 10 “Commandments”, which has been introduced in Congress in a bill by Rep. Moses. Critics of the bill have pointed out that it lacks any provisions for the rehabilitation of criminals, and lawyers for the ACLU are planning to fight the “Name in Vain” Commandment as being an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.

What are they smoking?

After a cruise to the grocery store we stopped at a pharmacy to
pick up my prescription. The pharmacist found said prescription,
rang it up, then announced that will be $291.00. That was not
acceptable. Before enrolling in Medicare my cost for the same
prescription was $75.

So the wife asked her how much it would be for one month of the
medicine and the pharmacist said $47. Doing that math in my head
I came up with $141 at that rate for the 3 month prescription.
Knowing it wasn’t the girls fault I was amused to find that once
again we were getting the shaft.

I was better off when I didn’t have insurance but thought that
Medicare sounded necessary for when I get old and may get really
sick. Since I’m only 67, that may be a while. Yet I can’t help
asking: if one month of this prescription is $47 why is three
months $291? What the hell are they smoking?

All I can figure is since it’s Medicare, the government is
involved and that means nothing makes sense. They must sit up
nights figuring out how to keep us confused.

We did learn something today so it wasn’t a total loss. Black
Friday is one of the best days to do our grocery shopping as
everyone else must have been standing in line elsewhere. No
traffic going out, hardly anybody else shopping, and empty
streets heading home.

Enjoy our Friday as it means the weekend is here. Now I need
coffee and left over pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is the day most of us have turkey and all the trimmings
while many loosen their belts in the aftermath. And it’s a day
for giving as people volunteer to help feed the less fortunate.
We hope all have many reasons to be thankful.

That being said, it’s also a day that ‘Blue Velvet’ keeps
playing in my mind as a reminder of what happened on this date
in 1963. Those old enough to remember know what they were doing
when the news came that President John F. Kennedy had been shot
and killed in Dallas.

In my case, I was lining up a shot on the pool table when they
cut off Blue Velvet playing on the bakelite AM radio to announce
that the president had been shot. Getting to a TV we watched a
mass of crying people gathered to await news on the presidents
condition and the nationwide sadness when news came he had died.

We had our Thanksgiving yesterday due the wifes work schedule
and took the turkey and trimmings over to her moms house to
enjoy and said meal tasted every bit as good as if we had it
today. We can still have the same today because there’s always
leftovers.

Finally, I’m sorry we didn’t get a longer visit Keith. You rang
the doorbell just as were getting ready to load the car and
leave for our early Thanksgiving.

So everyone enjoy Thanksgiving as we will. Now I have to refill
my coffee cup as somebody drained it.
Comments are always welcome.

Thanksgiving thoughts

The day started and when the tv was turned on the local weather
person said “It’s likely we’ll see accumulating snow somewhere
in the Mid-west”. Coffee shot out my nose! So much for
‘pin point accuracy’.

And happy Thanksgiving! If you haven’t heard, it’s tomorrow.
The Easter Beagle will be busy hiding Easter eggs under the
tables and before we know it turkey with all the trimmings,
or pizza, will be on the tables. Of course after all is
said and done, have Black Friday after that.

Black Friday is one event I never understood. People stand in
long lines in the early morning hours to await the opening of
first store on their list then race all over town to other
stores to fight the crowds and get a deal. If it is you thing,
more power to you. I’ll be the one with a coffee cup in my hand
that isn’t there.

Friday is also a full moon night. Called the Full Beaver Moon
and also the Corn Moon, Milk Moon, Flower Moon, and Waking Moon.
We’re told the Chinese call it the White Moon and yet, if we do
get snow Friday we probably won’t be seeing it here on the east
coast of Iowa.

And of course Saturday is Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day. If
you don’t feel you have a unique talent you could always use the
day to rest up from the Thanksgiving feast and the Black Friday
rush. Or just have another cup of coffee.

Enjoy our Wednesday and the upcoming holiday. Now for some
coffee and leftover pizza.
Comments are always welcome.