Flashback Sunday

I realize I've posted a few flashbacks this week, but this is my blog and I can post whatever I want.  That having been said, today I'd like to flashback to two events in history; one pretty darned important, the other, not so much. 

First the not so important flashback.  A year ago today, the temperature reached 107 degrees.  I remember it well. We were listening to the constant running of the trusty Trane air conditoner and it performed awesome under such high temps.  Looking back to that week of temps over 100 every day, I am so thankful for the a/c. 

Now the the most important flashback.  Fifty-five years ago today, my parents were married. While I can only flashback to the previous fifty years (well, most of them, anyway) I know that they were flashing back to that day in 1958, because I heard them talking about their wedding this morning.  In this age, being married to the same person for five years is a great feat anymore. For fifty-five years of marriage, both of them deserve all of the happiness they can handle. It made me so proud this morning to hear a young couple at church tell my parents that they are in inspiration to them. Happy anniversary Mom and Dad.  I am proud to be your daughter.

Flashback Saturday

I was waiting for my carry-out food earlier today and was watching the women's round at Wimbledon.  I smiled to myself as I remembered how much my Grandma enjoyed watching Wimbledon.  I remember she and I watching the Saturday morning broadcast of it together when it was called "Breakfast At Wimbledon."  She would have my bowl of cereal on one of the TV trays in the family room and I'd eat breakfast while she drank her coffee and we'd watch tennis.  We also did the same on the morning of the Fourth of July.  That was pretty much the only time she watched tennis, but it was something special that she and I did.  She wasn't into sports all that much and looking back now it's surprising that she was interested in Wimbledon. But anyhoo, today I thought of Gram as I was watching.

Flashback Friday

This is a scene from one of my favorite Mr. Ed episodes.  He's trying to be French, thus the beret. 

I still watch Mr. Ed every morning while getting ready for work.  It's sad to realize that the show would never make in 2013 because it's clean and wholesome.

Long live Mr. Ed.

Storm Update

I'm happy to report that we made it through not one but two rounds of severe heavy storms last night.  There were no casualties to report this morning except some heavy rain and wind.  The garden at The Compound was fine except for some corn that was bent over because of the heavy rain and wind, but thanks to today's hot temps and the sun, they had perked back up by this afternoon. 

Wednesday Weather

I just settled down to write a blog post that I'd been thinking about for the past two days, but we've got another pretty bad storm starting up and there's a lot of lightning so I'm going to shut down this computer and unplug everything (including the modem and router) so nothing gets fried.  I'll blog later tonight if the lightning stops or I'll post tomorrow.  Those of you faithful readers in Louisville and southern Indiana stay safe.

Security Tip Tuesday

I shared some info a few weeks ago, asking you, faithful readers, to be leary of door-to-door solicitors.  I got some more info today and I'd like to pass it along.  As I've said before repeatedly, if you see something, say thinging.  And these diligent people in the Germantown neighborhood have definitely done this. 

 DOOR TO DOOR ALARM SALES UPDATE: Contacted Honeywell's Corporate Office today for our neighbors that are asking questions about this issue. Honeywell said that they are getting calls from all over about this. They only sell their equipment to dealers. The only 3 dealers that are allowed to sell door to door like this is: AMP, Northstar, and Stryke. The salespeople should be saying those business names as the primary contact and explain that they are selling Honeywell Equipment. Was told that you should never see a person in a Honeywell uniform or claiming the work for Honeywell. Sent them all of the links from our page with all of the info we have collected from neighbors chiming in so they can work to help us get more answers and possibly stop this by turning it over to Honeywell's legal department. Explained a lot of it to them already. Honeywell also recommended calling the police if you see someone at your door claiming they work for Honeywell or in a Honeywell uniform. Don't let these people in your house until we all figure this stuff out. Don't shoot anybody either. Let the police and these companies figure this out and maybe some changes are made. Will contact any other companies if you guys remember any names. Just trying to help. You may also consider adding a "No Soliciting" Sign to your door if you really really want to stop being solicited. We will keep looking into this. It may be a business doing door to door sales against the rules of an agreement with the equipment company and there may be something more shady in this issue. Thanks for looking after each other. You guys are great. Will get more info soon.

Flashback Monday

I know it's Monday, but it's only appropriate that I have Flashback Monday in honor of the New Kids On The Block, 98 Degrees and Backstreet Boys concert here in the 'Ville tonight.  I have a few friends that are attending, so I am paying homage to them and some of their fave groups from back in the day.  Personally, I don't like any of these three groups and never got into any of the boy bands, but I'm not going to diss.  Hats off to my friends that are going to the concert tonight. I hope that it will all that you hoped for and more.

Link Of The Week

We love baked beans here at The Compound, especially with hot dogs, hamburgers, or ribs.  The favorite canned baked bean here is Bush's Baked Beans.  We love Duke, and we all know he isn't talking.  Visit the official Bush site at http://www.bushbeans.com/en_US/products/baked_beans/ and you can get some awesome recipes for the great Bush baked beans.  For the record, the Grillin' Beans are the favorite here at The Compound.  Bush's Baked Beans most definitely gets the TWIT Seal Of Approval.

Security Tip Saturday

We have a welcome mat that is identical to this one on our porch.  Sorry - I was too lazy to take a picture of the actual mat on our porch, but I digress.  We almost never have any door-to-door solicitors, so I think this is a pretty darned good deterrant.

Flashback Friday

The memory I will discuss today on Flashback Friday is not from my childhood, teenage years, or early adult years; it is from last year.

This time last year, we were on the brink of an unprecedented heat wave of almost two weeks of highs of over 100 degrees.  Me and many others I've talked with kept a steady watch on their thermostat during that heatwave, making sure the their a/c's were still working.

As I type this, we're expecting a week of temps in the mid 90's and that's a bit too close for comfort.  I pray that everyone's a/c will continue to work and that we all stay cool. 

Quote Of The Week

Spoken by my sweet Mother a few minutes ago, and I quote:

"You have to look forward more than you look back."

Lost Again

I knew that we couldn't go for many weeks without losing something here at The Compound.  The current lost item is a red cloth bag first aid kit.  We had a quasi-medical emergency tonight - the Old Man had a nasty scrape on his forearm from a fight between him and one of the wire cages he is fixing for the tomato plants.  Do you think I could find the new red [easy to see] first aid kit?  Of course not.  I did good to find a decent bandaid and some Neosporin. 

I know I didn't take it anywhere, as we all have small similar first-aid kits in our cars.  Hopefully I'll find it before we have another quasi-medical emergency.  I'll keep you posted.

Flashback Friday On Tuesday

I discussed this Buggs Bunny cartoon with quite a few people today, and this is my favorite scene from the cartoon.

The cartoon is officially titled "Buggs Bunny At The Symphony".  It was also titled "Buggs Bunny On Broadway."   Whatever you call it, it was funny. 

My favorite part of the cartoon was in the frames before this scene.  Buggs is conducting the orchestra and this opera singer, and the singer has hit a high note, and Buggs has his hand raised, like in this picture.  Only Buggs is having the singer hold the note.  And hold the note.  And hold the note.  In fact, Buggs' arm gets tired of holding the note and he lowers his arm only to have his whilte-gloved hand still in the air holding the note.  In this picture, Buggs' arm is back up, and the red-faced opera singer is still holding the note.

Priceless.  Just priceless.

Computer Update

It took a couple of days worth of working on the computer a few minutes here and there, but I've finally got all of the settings, drives, menus, etc back to where they were before the crash.  I'm a creature of habit and I would not rest until all of the settings and everything was back like it was before.

I'm still very thankful that I had everything backed up, just in case. And I will continue to do my regular back-up, just in case.

Happy Fathers Day

TWIT would like to wish a very Happy Fathers Day to my favorite father, mine. 

My Dad taught me a lot of things -- how to read music, how to put strings on a guitar, how to ride a horse, how to swim, etc.  But one of the best things he taught me as my father was the importance of unconditional love. 

I Can See It From Here

I spent some time last night attempting (key word) to get my iTunes back.  It was the most frustrating thing ever -- I was able to find the folder that contained the iTunes library but for some [most likely] simple reason I couldn't get iTunes to recognize it.  I'm not giving up, however.  Later on today when I have more patience and stamina, I'm going to delete iTunes and reinstall it and take it from there. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I have a love/hate relationship with iTunes and all things Apple. When they work, they are the most awesome things ever created and invented.  But when they don't work, I fully understand why Elvis would shoot the TV. 

Easy Come, Easy Go Update

It took awhile, but I was able to successfully restore all of my Favorite Places last night through good old AOL.  Now the only major task that remains is getting iTunes up and running. Just from the few minutes I've mess with it, I know this will be a major undertaking. As always, I'll keep you posted.

Easy Come, Easy Go

I picked up my computer after work today, and got it all connected back and surprisingly, everything works like it's supposed to.  Except for my Favorites.  Somehow regardless of the backups I did, my long list of Favorites didn't copy over.  I'm pretty bummed about it right now, because my list of Favorites had 14 years worth of links on there.  But there are truly worse things that could happen.  I'm going to do some research and see if I can still get them to come up on my new version of AOL.  I'm persistant if nothing else.  I'll keep you posted.

Word Of The Day

The Word Of The Day is derecho.  A Derecho is a "cluster of thunderstorms that congeal into a line, and that line will then start moving east or southeast, and as it progresses the winds increase and produce damage along that path", said an expert at the National Weather Service.  

They are expecting a derecho tonight and tomorrow from Chicago eastward to the coast.  It is not expected to be as bad as the derecho that hit at the end if June last year, but it is forecasted to be pretty bad. 

Stay safe, faithful readers. 

Technical Difficulties Update

I got a call late this afternoon from the computer shop, telling me that the harddrive in my computer needed to be replaced.  No worries here, because even if they aren't able to copy over everything that is on my harddrive to the new one, I'm still covered because I back up everything on my computer on a weekly basis.  I have an external harddrive that connects through a USB port and it was the best $75 that I have ever spent. 

So let this be a lesson to you, faithful readers.  If you don't currently have an external harddrive to backup everything on your computer harddrive, you need to go buy one and start backing up.  Just think of the hundreds or possibly thousands of pictures that some of you have on your computer.  If your computer crashes there's a big chance you have lost all of those priceless pictures forever. 

Please backup, and backup on a regular basis. 

Good Luck, U of L

TWIT would like to wish the U of L Cardinals and the IU Hoosiers mens' baseball teams good luck in the College World Series.  Later on in the week these two teams will play each other.  They are two of the elite eight teams to make it to the College World Series.  May the best team win.

Way To Go, PRP

We interrupt today's regularly scheduled Link/App Of The Week to say congratulate the PRP Panthers on winning the Kentucky state high school baseball championship.  This was PRP's 5th state championship. 

I follow PRP closely, since the school is in my 'hood.  Sure, I didn't go to school there, but I have a lot of friends and family that did, so I think that might make me an honorary Panther. 

Way to go, PRP.   You made us proud.

Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By

For the past month, my desktop computer would just shut down with no warning. It would always boot back up, fortunately.  But it was just annoying and aggravating because it usually happened when I was playing a game or blogging.  This happened a few times Thursday night and I knew action had to be taken.  So yesterday morning, I unplugged everything and lugged the computer out to the car and dropped it off at the computer store where I bought. Luckily for me, it has a lifetime warranty so I won't have to peel $$$ for the repair. But as I said, it's just aggravating, more so when I get the computer back home and I hope I get everything plugged back into the right spot. 

Last night and this morning, I caught myself starting to walk to the back bedroom where the computer is.  Even in this day and age where I use my smart phone and iPad and tablet all the time,  I still use and love my computer. And for some bizarre reason, getting out my like-new laptop seems like a big chore. 

The owner of the computer shop said it would only be a couple of days, so I'll be back in business soon.  I've only been without my computer for a day but I miss it already.

Happy Doughnut Day

We interrupt our regularly scheduled Flashback Friday to wish you, faithful readers, a happy National Doughnut Day. You still have plenty of time to get a dozen or two and celebrate.

Reflections Of

Today is June 6, and this is the birthday of three awesome women that I had the priviledge of calling my boss.  Yep, three of the people that I have worked for during my adult years share the same birthday. 

I thought about each of those three women today and what they each taught me.  From watching them, I learned more about what to do and what not to as a boss than I could have ever been taught in any classroom.  Two of them were micro-managers, and I knew immediately that if I ever had the chance to be in their positions, I would never micro-manage.  You can ask the three guys that I work with today and each will honestly tell you that I am not a micro-manager, thank goodness. 

The main thing I learned from all three of these women was to let people do their jobs.  Once they know what they are supposed to do, leave them alone and let them do their jobs; only step in if they aren't doing what they are supposed to do. 

Another thing I learned was the value of feeling appreciated.  Having your boss tell you that you did a good job goes a long way.  And once again, the guys that work with me will tell you that I do in deed praise them (often times in public) when they are doing an outstanding job.  On the flip side, the first of these three bosses taught me that you never discipline or go off one someone in public.  I admired her for that, and that is another thing that I do as a boss.

One of the biggest lessons I learned from the second of these three bosses was to never give up and to keep on keeping on.  I watched her work hard at her job while being a mother and a wife, and let me tell you she was good at juggling, and she still is today. 

Each of these three women were very different, but in ways they were alike, being strong-willed.  I am thankful for having had the chance to work for them, and I thank each of them for the lessons they taught me.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I didn't have the strength to mention this last week, but I had major issues with the trusty old Blazer.  One water pump and one some-type-of-flapper later, and she's running like never before.  It was very frustrating while it was going on, especially with the BMW being out of commission, but I didn't stress. 

And I didn't stress today when I had trouble with my AT&T land line at home.  When I called this morning and reported the problem, they said that someone would be out to fix it by 8:00 on Saturday.  Great.  But I barely had time to fret over that, because a repairman came tonight just minutes aftter I got home from work and fixed the problem.

So to sum it all up, all of the car and other worries don't really matter.  I keep thinking back to the poor people in Oklahoma that got hit twice by tornados in two weeks. It puts things in a whole new perspective.

A Spot Of Tea

Out of curiosity, this weekend I watched the first episode of the first season of the highly acclaimed and awarded "Downton Abbey." It immediately made me want to have afternoon high tea like the British.  My coworker SH watched the first episode as well, and today we decided that we would get a small teapot and two real China cups and saucers and every afternoon at work we would have a spot of tea. I doubt that we'll have the cool little tea sandwiches or scones, but you never know with us. At least we have the hot water dispenser on the coffee maker so we don't have to heat up our water in the microwave.  All we need to do is fill out tea pot and let it steep and then we'll have our afternoon tea.  

Now, if we can also add in having a south-of-the-border siesta, we'll be set.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things

Today is one of my favorite days of the year.  I know I've mentioned this before but this is my blog and I'm 50 years old and can be forgetful.  This is one of my favorite days because of the lyrics of one of my all time favorite songs from back in the day, Ode To Billie Joe.

It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day
I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was balin' hay
And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat
And Mama hollered out the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet"
And then she said "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge"
"Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

And Papa said to Mama as he passed around the blackeyed peas
"Well, Billy Joe never had a lick of sense, pass the biscuits, please"
"There's five more acres in the lower forty I've got to plow"
And Mama said it was shame about Billy Joe, anyhow
Seems like nothin' ever comes to no good up on Choctaw Ridge
And now Billy Joe MacAllister's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

And Brother said he recollected when he and Tom and Billy Joe
Put a frog down my back at the Carroll County picture show
And wasn't I talkin' to him after church last Sunday night?
"I'll have another piece of apple pie, you know it don't seem right"
"I saw him at the sawmill yesterday on Choctaw Ridge"
"And now you tell me Billy Joe's jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

And Mama said to me "Child, what's happened to your appetite?"
"I've been cookin' all morning and you haven't touched a single bite"
"That nice young preacher, Brother Taylor, dropped by today"
"Said he'd be pleased to have dinner on Sunday, oh, by the way"
"He said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge"
"And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge"

A year has come 'n' gone since we heard the news 'bout Billy Joe
And Brother married Becky Thompson, they bought a store in Tupelo
There was a virus going 'round, Papa caught it and he died last Spring
And now Mama doesn't seem to wanna do much of anything
And me, I spend a lot of time pickin' flowers up on Choctaw Ridge
And drop them into the muddy water off the Tallahatchie Bridge

Link Of The Week

With the horrible tornados in the OKC area not once but twice in ten days, it's got us all looking out for severe weather.  The weatherazzi gives us info, but I like to get info from the same place the weatherazzi gets their info -- from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and NWS (National Weather Service).  You can have access to the same info at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/.  Stay safe.

My Faith Is Restored

I had to wait almost 10 minutes today at the library to check out my books, but for once, I didn't mind the wait at all -- because in front of me in the line were kids of all ages checking out armfuls of books.  There were kids who looked barely able to read, on up to teenagers.  I know that school is out for some kids and this week is the last week for the public schools, so the kids weren't checking them out for school projects; they were checking them out because they want to read.  Oh how that did my heart good.  In this day and age when most people my age read books on their tablets and other e-readers,  I wanted to go to each kid and either hug them or high five them and tell to keep up their reading of actual old school books. 

These kids were getting books to read because they wanted to.  TWIT commends each of the kids and teenagers I saw at the library this morning.  You all most definitely get the TWIT Hat's Off.