Another Email Survey

1. Other than water, what do you drink most? Iced tea
2. How do you like your steak/burger cooked? Medium rare
3. Are you afraid of birds? Only those in Alfred Hitchcock movies
4. Would you rather eat a cupful of broken glass, or eat a cupful of live mosquitos? Broken glass
5. What are you wearing today? Gray Golden Gate Harley Davidson t-shirt, jeans, navy blue socks, brown Doc Martens
6. What is your favorite summertime activity? Attending the Bats games, Catholic church picnics, concerts
7. Why did the chicken cross the road? Because it could
8. If you could have any hair/eye/skin color combination, what would it be? Naturally red hair and piercing blue eyes. I would keep my same color eyes.
9. When is the last time you dressed up in a costume? What were you? Halloween 2003.  I was Elvis. Thank you, thank you very much
10. When you’re not typing, do you prefer to print or use cursive? Print

Exploding Toads

Exploding toads puzzle German scientists
More than 1,000 creatures have puffed up and popped

The Associated Press Updated: 4:10 p.m. ET April 28, 2005

BERLIN - What’s making toads puff up and explode in northern Europe? More than 1,000 toad corpses have been found at a pond in an upscale neighborhood in Hamburg and over the border in Denmark after bloating and bursting.

It’s left onlookers baffled. The pond water in Hamburg has been tested, but its quality is no better or worse than elsewhere in the city. The toad remains have been checked for a virus or bacterium, but none has been found.

One German scientist studying the splattered amphibian remains has a theory: Hungry crows are pecking out their livers.

“The crows are clever,” said Frank Mutschmann, a Berlin veterinarian who collected and tested specimens at the Hamburg pond. “They learn quickly from watching other crows how to get the livers.”

Based on the wounds, Mutschmann said, it appears that a bird pecks into the toad with its beak between the amphibian’s chest and abdominal cavity, and the toad puffs itself up as a natural defense mechanism.

But, because the liver is missing and there’s a hole in the toad’s body, the blood vessels and lungs burst and the other organs ooze out, he said.

As gruesome as it sounds, it isn’t actually that unusual, he said.

“It’s not unique — it’s in a city area, and that makes it spectacular,” Mutschmann said. “Of course, it’s something very dramatic.”

There have also been reports of exploded toads in a pond near Laasby in central Jutland in Denmark.

Horror scene
Local environmental workers in Hamburg have described it as a scene out of a horror or science fiction movie, with the bloated frogs agonizing and twitching for several minutes, inflating like balloons before they suddenly burst.

“It’s horrible,” biologist Heidi Mayerhoefer was quoted as telling the daily Hamburger Morgenpost.

“The toads burst, the entrails slide out. But the animal isn’t immediately dead — they keep struggling for several minutes.”

Hamburg’s Institute for Hygiene and the Environment regularly tests water quality in the city and has found no evidence the toads were diseased. The institute also ruled out a fungus brought in from South America was infecting the toads.

Other theories have been that horses on a nearby track might have infected the amphibians with a virus, or even that the toads are committing suicide to save others from overpopulation.

Could hungry crows be a reasonable answer?

“We haven’t seen that. It might be, it might not be,” said institute spokeswoman Janne Kloepper. “It’s speculation,” until it’s observed, she added.

In the meantime, officials in Hamburg have advised residents to stay away from the pond, which German tabloids have dubbed “the death pool.”

 

Does anyone else remember your Mother telling you when you were mad that you were swollen up like a toad?  This story gives whole new meaning to that phrase.  If our Mothers had known about these exploding toads, just think about the mileage she could have gotten from it.  I could hear it now "If you don't calm down, you're going to swell up like an old toad and explode."

With scientists and toad experts now blaming it on hungry crows, this story sounds like a variation of an urban legend email.  The one that comes to mind is about the unsuspecting people that are drugged, and wake up in a bathtub full of ice,only to find that a kidney has been cut out of them. 

I think if I ever put together another alternative rock band, the name of the group will be "Exploding Toads."

The Queen Of Soul

I'd like to report a robbery last night.  It occurred at the Louisville Palace.  No, my purse wasn't stolen. I was robbed by Aretha Franklin. 

I'd never seen Aretha in concert before, and since they were calling this her final tour, this would be my last chance.  I had high hopes and great expectations from this concert - how would she be able to fit in her hits that span a career of 45 years?  The show started promptly at 7:30, and after a 5 minute medly of her hits by the band and orchestra, she started the show.  I was also impressed by her band and orchestra - they were all wearing black tuxedos and were truly a class act. 

Three songs into the concert, she proved why she is the Queen of Soul with an awesome version of "Chain Of Fools." (I often say how that is the unofficial theme song at work.) There wasn't one person sitting in their seats during this number.  Then she did another couple of songs, and introduced the band and did "Respect" - one of her signature songs.  That's when the bottom started to fall out.  She couldn't hit the high notes, and ended up singing half of the song an octave lower.  I was also disappointed because you couldn't hear the electric guitar play that awesome opening riff for "Respect."  She finished her portion of the song, and then went backstage to rest for a few minutes.  She came back, did a few more songs, introduced the rest of the band, and then she was gone. Everybody was clapping and cheering and she didn't come back for an encore.  People paid $75 a ticket to see her perform for an hour and ten minutes, and she didn't even sing her other signature song "Natural Woman." There might have been a few people weepy over that.  And she didn't even do any of her big hits from the 80's, either.  How could we see Aretha Franklin, and not hear "Freeway Of Love"? The MTV generation might not have ever heard "Chain of Fools" or "The House That Jack Built" but thanks to MTV and VH-1, they knew that Aretha sang "Freeway Of Love."   As we were leaving the theater and going to the parking garage, concert goers all around us were talking about how disappointed they were in the concert.  So at least we weren't the only ones. 

I give Aretha props for still performing in her 60's, though, and I noticeda few things that confirmed why she has the title of Queen Of Soul.  When the band and backup singers were doing the opening medly, they had a huge screen on stage where they showed pictures of Aretha throughout her career.  In one picture, she was wearing a cape with a big hood, and had on dark sunglasses.  It reminded me of Whitney Houston in "The Bodyguard" movie. I nudged my friend sitting next to me and said "Just like Whitney Houston."  And then it dawned on me - where do you think Whitney Houston got that from?"  It was the same way with Aretha's vocals on another song - now I realize where Patti LaBelle got it from. 

You're still the undisputed Queen of Soul, Aretha, but you still robbed Louisville last night.

Over The Rainbow

Is it just me, or is anyone else annoyed by the ukulele version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" that keeps popping up everywhere these days?  Before someone has the urge to bash me on the head with a ukulele, keep in mind it's just my opinion, and since this is my journal, I'm able to share my opinion with anyone who reads this.  That having been said, the ukulele version of the song bothers me.  I think it's even a bit spooky. Don't get me wrong - I love Judy Garland's version from "The Wizard of Oz" - that's a classic.  But I just don't like the ukulele version.  And the song is everywhere - as background music on countless commercials, and in movies and tv shows where it usually is played as the movie/show is ending the closing credits start to roll. 

I'd been toying with the idea of a journal entry about this song, but kept it on the back burner until today.  A co-worker stopped by our cubicle, and was telling me about a couple of cd's he had bought, and then asked if I'd heard of some singer named Iz.  I was clueless. He went on to say he was a Hawaiian that played the ukulele, and that he recorded a version of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."  I knew immediately this had to be the same singer/version.  He said that Iz died a few years ago. I did some research on Iz and here's what I found:

Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole was a Hawaiin recording artist.  With a last name like that, I guess we know why he went by the knickname Iz.  He was over 700 pounds, and from the pictures I saw, he looked like a sumo wrestler.  He recorded "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" in just one take, with just his vocals and the ukulele.  He recorded four other songs after this "....Rainbow", and walked out of the recording studio, and never played the song again.  Iz was one of only 1500 full-blooded Hawaiians left in the world, and this song because some type of an anthem for the islands. 

Iz was Hawaii's first artist to have an album certified gold.  Even Don Ho didn't accomplish that with "Tiny Bubbles."  His version of "Over The Rainbow" became the number 1 bestselling song downloaded from the World Music section of iTunes.  And Iz didn't live to see any of it. 

It's a haunting story, as haunting as the simple melody and ukulelemusic.  But I'm sorry; I still don't care for this version. 

Get Well Soon, George Lopez

TWIT would like to wish a speedy recovery to comedian George Lopez and his wife Ann. George is recuperating after undergoing a kidney transplant.  George received the kidney from his wife Ann.  George has a genetic condition that causes his kidneys to deteriorate. George and Ann are both back home, and are doing great.  This is truly an example of the phrase "one in a million chance" - a wife being an exact match to donate an organ to her husband. 

I heard about George's kidney transplant this morning on "Good Morning, America."  In addition to hearing Diane Sawyer talk about George getting his new kidney from his wife Ann, she also told some interesting George Lopez trivia that I didn't know.  Diane read a statement from actress Sandra Bullock.  Diane mentioned that Sandra Bullock is the producer of "The George Lopez Show."  I had no idea.  In her statement, Sandra said what a great George and Ann are, and what a great comedian he is, and commended him for his achievements. Sandra also commended George and Ann for their charity work. Their charity, The George & Ann Lopez-Richie Alarcon CARE Foundation, provides significant community and arts resources for education.  Diane also mentioned something else about George and Ann Lopez that took me by surprise.  Both George and Ann testified at the Michael Jackson child molestation trial. The couple befriended Jackson's young accuser at a Hollywood comedy camp in 2000 and gave him support when he was diagnosed with cancer.

"The George Lopez Show" is funny - I think it's one of the funnier sitcoms on TV today.  Keep up the good work, George. 

Gas Price Update

Most expensive  Speedway,  Cane Run Road and Terry Road locations  $2.06

Least expensive  Swifty, Dixie Highway and New Cut Road locations $1.99

What's In Your Emergency Backpack?

The horrible tsumani and the hurricanes last year has spurred the Red Cross and other emergency relief organizations into action - they're urging people to keep a backpack full of items they might need in an emergency.  On Friday night we had our first tornado warning of the season, and now people are in the mode for emergency preparedness.  Krogers has even gotten into the act - they're selling "emergency preparedness starter kits" in a small red backpack.  For the low price of only $24.95, you can be on your way to emergency preparedness.  Included in the backpack are a small flashlight (batteries included), an emergency blanket, 3 lights sticks (if you have the urge to go dancing at an all-night rave), 6 wet wipes (like you get at KFC), a breathing mask, a rain poncho, a small first aid kit, a water container (a heavy duty balloon that will hold 2 1/2 gallons), a whistle and a bio hazard bag (in case you need to get rid of nuclear waste? There's nothing in the pack for you to use to get the haz mat stuff INTO the bag, so you're on your own there.)

Most of the items in the backpack are common sense things we should have in the house or car already.  But what about items that you really would need in an emergency? Here's what I would put in my emergency preparedness kit:

1.  Cell phone  It's my umbilicle cord that connects me to the world.  I absentmindedly left my cell phone at home on Friday, and I was discombobulated all day long.  I'd also have 3 or 4 fully charged batteries, too. 

2.  Leather executive planner  I've had this planner for 17 years and I'm not about to leave it behind in an emergency.  Sure, it's has important dates, like birthdays and anniversaries, and concerts, as well as phone numbers and addresses.  But it also contains critical notes for TWIT.

3.  Chocolate  I don't think there's any situation that could arise that can't be made better and bearable by chocolate.  A stack of plain old Hershey Bars can get us through anything.

4.  Firm pillow  There's nothing more uncomfortable than wimpy, thin pillows.  I take my thick, firm pillow with me everytime I travel.  Should an emergency occur, I especially want to be well rested.

5.  Checkbook  This is a no-brainer.  If I need to buy more chocolate, another firm pillow or more cell phone batteries, I want to be prepared.  Also in the checkbook would be my driver's license.  Goodness knows they won't cash a check without proper identification.

6. Guitar  Not just any guitar from my collectin, but my beloved big blonde Takamine guitar.  Any time someone has wanted to pick it up and try it out, I've made them wash their hands first.  I even said that I want this guitar to be burried with me, so in case of an emergency I want it with me.  Maybe I could entertain people in the emergency shelter; a captive audience is better than no audience. 
 
7.  White terry cloth bathrobe  When I don't feel good, my old white robe makes me feel better.  If there's no towels in the emegency shelter, I'll still be able to dry off after taking a bath; an emergency is no excuse for uncleanliness.

8.  Twenty-two year old microwave  Our old Litton microwave works as good as it did on the day I bought it 22 years ago and I'm not about to leave it behind.  If I get the hankering for microwave popcorn during an emergency, I'll be good to go.

9.  Immodium AD  I never leave the house without a couple Immodium AD pills in my purse.  Not that I'm prone to need these, but this falls in the same category as gas-powered generators and snowblowers - when you need it, you NEED it.  Nuff said. 

10. Crown Royal  If the emergency is too much to handle, the Crown will get me drunk enough to forget about the emergency for awhile.  Plus the blue bag will come in handy to carry other essential emergency items. 

Link Of The Week

Even though we had snow, sleet, rain, wind and wind chill temperatures in the 20s, the Kentucky Derby Festival kicked off last night with Thunder Over Louisville.  Now, the Derby Festival is in full force.  Even though the majority of Louisvillians has never attended the Derby, nor do they ever intend to attend, almost everybody in Louisville will attend at least one Derby Festival event.  There's things for the whole family to do.  So please check out the official Kentucky Derby Festival site, www.kdf.org and see what's happening. 

As a side note, the Friday before the Derby, Derby Eve, is an official city holiday.  You'll be hard pressed to find a business/company open that day. 

You Gotta Love The Weatherrazzi

We had our first major spring storm here in Louisville last night.  Everybody's been glued to Dopplar radar all week long any way, watching the forecast for tonight's Thunder Over Louisville, so we already knew about the bad storms and tornados out in the mid-west this week.  Yesterday morning, the weatherrazzi were already talking about how we could get the grapefruit-sized hail that they had out in Colorado from this same storm. I'm no FEMA expert, but I don't think there's too many places that you go to and be safe from a hailstorm pelting down grapefruit-sized hail.  Maybe cowered in a corner of a bank vault, but that might be about it. That reminded me of the scene in the beginning of the movie "The Day After Tomorrow" when Japan gets destroyed by gigantic hail.  One particular scene comes to mind - a young guy puts his briefcase over his head.  Like that's really going to protect him from getting hit by grapefruit-sized hail? He was the first casualty of the storm. 

Last night, shortly before 7:00, when people are outside cutting grass; when Little League games are being played; when people are going out to dinner; when people are doing their weekly grocery shopping, the civil defense sirens are going off, and the weatherrazzi appear in full force on the local channels.  A funnel cloud had been spotted close to Cherokee Park, so as a safety precaution they sound all of the sirens in the whole city.  I don't have a problem with that at all - anything can happen with the weather here in the Ohio Valley, so it's much better to be safe than sorry.  The storm moves through, and thank goodness we didn't get the grapefruit-sized hail, and there were only a few reports of some minor wind damage.  But the weatherrazzi stayed on the air until the last raindrop had dried on the pavement. 

The storms that we get here in the Ohio Valley come from the west, and our area usually gets hit first, since we're in the southwest part of the county.  With Super Dopplar radar and Storm Tracker and other aids, they can pinpoint to the minute when the storm will hit neighborhoods and particular parts of the county.  Needless to say, usually everytime we have a storm, it's already gone through the PRP/Valley Station/Shively areas by the time the weatherrazzi posts it on the TV screen.  Suchwas the case last night.  We had the heavy winds and some rain a good 10 minutes before we were warned.  The east end of town got hit harder last night, with power outages and some downed trees, so we were lucky once again.  As I type this, I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of people at the stores right now getting batteries for flashlights for when the next storm comes.  And if they're anything like me and my family, we won't remember where we put them when the power goes out.

You've Got Mail

Pope Benedict XVI gets e-mail address
New pope follows in John Paul's digital footsteps

The Associated Press Updated: 4:33 p.m. ET April 21, 2005

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI had an Internet fan club even when he was cardinal. Now the Vatican has taken the logical next step by giving him a papal e-mail address.

The Holy See hasn’t said how many messages the pope has gotten, but if the late John Paul II’s experience with a multimedia ministry is any guide, the new leader of the world’s 1.1 billion Roman Catholics will have an inbox jammed with prayers, problems and pet peeves.

On Thursday, the Vatican said it was modifying its Web site so users who click on a “Greetings to the Holy Father” icon on the home page automatically activate an e-mail composer with his address in the send field.

The address for messages in English benedictxvi@vatican.va. There are also addresses for e-mails in Italian, Spanish, French, German and Portuguese.

 

I hope the Vatican has installed good spam filters, or else Pope Benedict's mailbox is going to be full of spam for Cialis, printer ink cartridges, and loan quotes.  I wonder if the Cardinals will be emailing him the same forwarded emails that we get - "send this to 10 people in the next 10 minutes and you'll get an Outback Steakhouse gift certificate" (or a case of Coke, or get $1 million dollars from the lottery, etc etc etc)? 

 

Thunder Rocks?

The good people of Louisville and southern Indiana are wigging out today, myself included.  In just two days, we will be host to Thunder Over Louisville - the world's largest fireworks display.  In just two days, the weather people are predicting rain and temperatures in the upper 40s. For those that don't have a clue what I'm talking about, Thunder Over Louisville is the kick-off for the Kentucky Derby Festival.  Thunder Over Louisville is the largest annual pyrotechnics display, and is even larger than the opening and closing ceremonies of the Atlanta and Barcelona Olympics combined.

I attended my first Thunder last year with some friends from school.  The weather was perfect.  We got there at about 10:00 in the morning and set up our chairs and dining canopy and tailgated.  We had tickets for the Bats game, and had a pretty good day.  A few weeks ago, I started planning for this year's Thunder.  I bought myself one of the cool glow-in-the-dark "Thunder Rocks" ballcaps, and got a bunch of the glow-in-the-dark rubber bracelets for us to wear Saturday.  We decided on the menu for the day, and I made my infamous check-list of things to buy and to pack in the back of the Blazer.  Last weekend, the weather people started saying there would be a slight chance of showers Saturday morning, with temperatures in the mid 60s.  As this week progressed, the forecast because rainer and colder.  Today, they're calling for lots of wind and highs of the mid 40s, with temperatures of the upper 30s by the time the fireworks start Saturday evening.

So now, everybody's plans are up in the air.  Sure, nobody wants to have to drag out their winter coats and bundle up and sit out in a lawn chair all day and half the night in the cold, wind, but yet nobody really wants to miss Thunder.  As for me and my group, nobody has made an executive decision yet.  I'm the one that's done all of the planning and organizing, so I'm pretty sure that I will be the one to decide if we abort the mission.  I've stressed over the weather forecast for over a week now.  I'm a planner, and have things planned down the smallest detail.  Friends will tell you I'm not anal nor obsessive/compulsive about it, but I'm just a planner, and I don't do well when there's uncertainty about my plans.  I can handle changing plans, but I just don't do uncertainty very well.  I think that's why I have such a great stress- and drama-free friendship with my fellow Diva Stacy.  She lets me plan and organize our events, and just runs with it, and being a wife and mother, she's one of the best to deal with sudden plan changes, so she's there to help me not stress over it.  Unfortunately for us, we have different Thunder plans this year, so it looks like I'm on my own to get through this; I'll just have to bum some Xanax from somebody.

File Under: WTF?

Scott Peterson still seems to be quite the ladies man, even while on death row at San Quentin.  He hasn't had much time to sit in his cell and think about how killing his wife and their unborn son; he's been busy reading all of the letters he received from his female admirers.  Officials at San Quentin say that Scott Peterson has been getting an average of 25 letters a day.  Most of the letters are from women who tell him how good looking he is, and how they believe he's innocent.  Some are even mailing him marriage proposals.  If Scott is interested in meeting any of these women, the prison will send them a visitor's questionnaire to fill out and send back to the prison.  Once they are returned, prison officials will review them, and if the information meets their criteria for visitors, the women can come to San Quentin and meet Scott Peterson.

This isn't the first inmate that women have been after.I remember watching an episode of "Sixty Minutes" where they interviewed one of the Menendez brothers and his new wife.  She sent a letter to him, saying she thought he, too, was innocent, and one thing led to another and they got married.  They also got divorced after less than a year of marriage. 

I don't know what is crazier -- the fact that Scott Peterson could have a parade of potential suitors visiting him as he's on Death Row, or that fact that there are women out there so desparate for a husband that they're interested in a convicted murderer?  Are they that hard up for a man that they have to go looking for one on death row?  Gals, I don't think a man in San Quentin is really marriage material.  Whether or not the women think he's innocent, they all have to agree that Scott Peterson did testify on the witness stand that he wanted to get OUT of his marriage to Laci.  That should tell you something right there. 

Say It Isn't So, ABC

Monday Night Football is leaving ABC.  No, this isn't a late April Fool's joke; it's true.  Beginning with the 2006 season, Monday Night Football will be on ESPN. Another big NFL change is occurring at the same time - the Sunday night NFL games that used to be on ESPN will be seen on NBC.  You almost need one of those game charts with the X's and O's to keep track of this. 

Monday Night Football has been on ABC since 1970, and has constantly been at the top of the ratings in its 35 year run on ABC.  It's also the second-longest running prime time network series, trailing CBS's Sixty Minutes by just two years.  Monday Night Football has been a staple at my house. In the early days of Monday Night Football, I remember hearing my Grandma and Grandpa fuss at the annoying Howard Cosell when he was the anchor for the games.  And it was during Monday Night Football that my [patient] Dad tried to help Mom and me understand about the game and what was going on.  Yeah, I know we can still watch it on Monday nights, but it won't be the same not seeing it on ABC.  I wonder if they'll still have Hank Williams Jr. sing the Monday Night Football song?  I bet ABC is glad they went ahead and aired the controversial Monday Night Football commercial starring "Desparate Housewives" star Nicolette Sheridan and player Terrell Owens last season. I can't think of too many people that are on ESPN shows that would look that good in just a towel.  

I know that the marjority of homes in the U.S. have cable, but there are still a lot that don't. The Nielson ratings people say that 66% of homes in the U.S. have cable tv.  That means that out of of every three homes here won't be able to watch Monday Night Football.  How sad for them. They're welcome to come to our home and watch it with us.  They'll have to bring their own snacks, though. 

Gas Price Update

Most expensive  Chevron, corner of Algonquin Parkway and Cane Run Road  $2.21

Least expensive  Citgo, Cane Run Road  $2.16

New Product Review

In case you didn't know, I don't cook, but I love reading recipes. I was reading a weekly recipe email the other day and it had a recipe for an awesome dessert. The dessert had a crust made from a layer of square waffle pretzels. The dessert had peanuts, chocolate, and a creamy filling.  A co-worker told me about a new candy bar that was similar to this dessert, so I had to give it a try. I highly recommend Hershey's new Take 5 candy bar.  As the name suggests, the candy bar is loaded with 5 awesome ingredients: pretzels, caramel, peanuts, peanut butter and milk chocolate.  I

At first bite, the Take 5 reminded me of a Twix candy bar. The base of the Take 5 is waffle pretzels, with peanut butter and caramel on top.  Then they add peanuts and cover it in good ol' Hershey's milk chocolate. It was awesome.  It's twenty times better than the S'Mores candy bar.  I got mine on sale, too, but it would be well worth paying full price for another.  I'm going to ask the Deli Delights man to put them in one of our vending machines at work.  I've never seen anyone eat the Planters peanut brittle bars that have been in the vending machine for years, just taking up space, and use that spot for the new Take 5. 

Link of the Week

I don't think anyone could truthfully say they don't mind getting those annoying telemarket calls at home.  Especially with the majority of the calls coming at suppertime.  I hate them.  When we got caller ID, we wouldn't even answer the phone unless it was a person we knew or a business/organization that we dealt with.  One of the funniest (and shortest) telemarketer phone calls that I got went something like this:

Telemarketer: Hello, I'm calling from ChemLawn. Blah blah blah blah blah
Me: I'm sorry, but I'm not interested.  We have professional lawn care service
Telemarketer: May I ask who it is?
Me: My mother

In case you haven't already gotten on the National Do Not Call registry, I urge you to do so this week.  Once we signed up for it, the number of annoying telemarket calls dropped drastically.  Plus with all of the talk about cell phone number directories being published in the future, we sure don't want a telemarketer calling us and using up our coveted peak minutes.  Just call www.donotcall.gov and follow the simple directions.  You'll be glad you did.                                         

Strike Out Saturday

It's been a strange Saturday.  The weather is gorgeous - sunny with temps in the mid 70's - and you couldn't ask for a prettier day.  But it's just been a strange day.

Mom and I headed out at about 10:00 this morning in search of antique stores.  She has two Eastlake antique chairs, circa the late 1800's, that she wants to sell.  Instead of us hauling these chairs around all over the city, we did the smart thing and took pictures of them to show the antique dealers.  So armed with out pictures, we headed out to Bardstown Road in the Highlands, in hopes of getting rid of these chairs.  The first strike of the day came when each of the antique dealers we talked to said they weren't interested.  They are pretty chairs, they said, but Victorian chairs aren't a big seller in antique stores right now.  Plus, one very kind dealer took the time to explain to us that, in her professional opinion, they had been reupholstered.  She said that this would be the stumbling block in selling them, as most antique dealers would want the chairs with their original fabric.  I was discouraged, but Mom reasoned that "It's just not meant for me to sell these chairs right now."  We stopped in a very cool coffee shop and got a good strong cup of coffee before we embarked on the next leg of our journey.

On the way to the antique stores, we passed by a neighborhood that was having their weekly farmer's market sale. So on our way back down Bardstown Road, we decided to stop by and see if they had any plants or flowers for sale. We parked the car down the block from the sale, and when we got there, there were only about 3 vendors still set up.  Strike two. 

Not being one to dwell on the negative, Mom said she'd buy us lunch on the way home. I suggested Frisch's.  They have a good selection on their menu, so Mom wouldn't have any trouble finding something that was diabetes-friendly.  I got the usual - a Big Boy and a cherry Coke. (Let me add that it was a real cherry Coke - a fountain Coke with lots of cherry syrup.) Mom saw on the Senior Citizen portion of the menu that they had a special today of liver and onions, one of her favorites.  She happily ordered that, along with a cup of soup for the side dish. (Attn: make note of the soup; it will come into play later on in this story.)  They brought her soup along with our drinks, and she commented how great the vegetable soup was.  A few minutes later, they brought our meals.  I can't stand the thought of even eating a bite of it, but I'll admit that her liver and onions, with a pile of mashed potatoes and brown gravy, did look tastey.  Looks can be deceiving.  She bent her fork and knife while attempting to cut her liver. The few pieces she managed to cut and eat were ok, she said, but the onions weren't fully cooked like they should be for a dish like liver and onions. Strike three.  

I didn't say a word to her about my Big Boy and cherry Coke, which were awesome; I just kept my mouth shut out of solidarity to her. The server came to take my plate and saw her almost untouched plate and asked "Was everything ok, ladies?" I spoke right up and told him that the liver was so tough she couldn't eat it.  He apologized, and asked if she wanted another order of it, or if she wanted something else.  She told him that she had a busy schedule this afternoon, and didn't have time to wait. (You go, Mom. Now you all know where I get my attitude from.) So the server said he would deduct the price of the dinner from the bill.  At least they were treating us right. He brought the adjusted bill back to the table, and when I looked at it, I had to do a double take: they deducted the price of the liver and onion dinner as promised, but they added on the price of the cup of soup.  I could not breathe. On the way to the counter to pay the check, I told Mom that I was going to have them take that off the bill, too.  She argued "No, I'll pay for the soup.  It was good." 

I'm sorry we struck out today, Mom.  But we really didn't strike out - we had a great day just spending time together.

Happy Birthday, McDonalds

TWIT would like to wish McDonald's happy birthday.  Fifty years ago today, the first McDonald's opened in Des Plaines, IL. Today, there's over 30,000 McDonald's in 119 countries. On opening day, their hamburgers sold for 15 cents, and they brought in $366.12 on their first day of operation.  Today, a plain hamburger is almost a buck.  Ronald McDonald came on the scene in 1963, and was portrayed by Willard Scott.  The Big Mac was introduced in 1968, and five years later breakfast lovers were able to get the awesome Egg McMuffin.  This probably will sound odd, but given the choice of going out to a restaurant for breakfast or going to McDonald's, the Egg McMuffin would win out every time. 

We have a new McD's in the 'hood close to ZCO.  They tore down the old one last summer, and in a few short months, the new and improved McD's with two drive-thru lanes opened.  I'm no architect nor engineer, but I think I would have designed it a bit differently.  The two drive-thru lanes aren't on each side of the actual building, like they are at some of the Rally's; they are just two lanes with a menu and speaker at each lane, and they merge into one lane that goes to the pay and pick-up windows.  Before I mustered up the courage to go through that drive-thru, I though that it was just one big accident waiting to happen.  This McDonald's is located just a block or two from one the worst drug areas in the county, so I'm thinking that if you had a fender bender with someone from the hood, or even just accidentally cut in front of them as you were merging, they'd probably shoot you.  After making it safely through the drive-thru one time, I didn't want to chance it again so on my second trip to the new and improved McD's, I went inside.  Imagine my surprise when I saw a sign on the door that said "Wi Fi connection available."  Like a $1000+ laptop with wireless internet capability would last long in this McD's?? It would be stolen before you could unwrap your McGriddle. 

As with most fast food places, the 'hood McD's also has it's share of PATs working behind the counter and at the drive-thru.  A co-worker told a sad tale of her trip to this McD's yesterday.  She went through the drive-thru, and was the only car in the drive-thru line, yet the PAT at the window wasn't sure if he was giving her the right order or not.  She she wanted to blurt out "I'm the only car in the line - what other drive-thru order do you have in there?  That would have surely gotten her tires slashed.  I had a similar incident this morning.  Not wanting to risk getting hit at the drive-thru merge, I parked and went inside.  There were 3 people ahead of me, waiting for their orders.  I ordered my breakfast burrito and took my place behind the other three people.  Lo and behold, they screwed up 2 out of those 3 other orders. And in the 2 minutes I was standing there, a young woman who had gotten her order in the drive-thru came in and flung her bag down on the counter.  Yes, you guessed it.  They screwed up her order to.  I got my burrito, and ran out of there.

I hope that McDonald's will put some emphasis on customer service and quality control, or else they might not make it another 50 years. 

C Is For Cookie

"Sesame Street" kicked off it's 35th season last week.  It's hard to believe the show has been around that long.  It's helped millions of kids learn their letters and numbers.  My first memories of "Sesame Street" are of watching it before school.  The kids that got to school early would get to watch it on one of the big bulky TV's in the classroom.  I liked "Sesame Street" much better than "The Electric Company."  I thought it was more colorful and entertaining.  As a 7 year old kid, that's very important criteria for a TV show.  "Sesame Street" is more than just a show about numbers and the alphabet; it's helped kids learn about getting along with each other.  It's also helped kids learn to accept others that are different from them.  In the 70's, a deaf actress portrayed a deaf librarian, and her character functioned as well as the other characters who had their hearing. In 2003, a Muppet character of a little girl monster that was HIV positive was introduced.  They explained how the character had contracted HIV through a blood transfusion shortly after she was born.  Shortly after 9/11, the show aired episodes that helped kids deal with the terrorist attacks and other natural disasters.  With childhood obesity rates soaring, "Sesame Street" is doing its part to promote heathy eating and exercise.  This season, Cookie Monster will learn that cookies are a "somtimes" food. 

Our beloved Cookie Monster - who sang "C Is For Cookie, That's Good Enough For Me" will now be singing "A Cookie Is A Sometimes Food", where he'll learn that there are "anytime" foods and "sometimes" foods.  I really don't think that Cookie Monster has caused kids not to eat healthy, no more than I think that Otis Campbell on "The Andy Griffith Show" caused adults to get DUIs.  It's just a case of political correctness gone a bit too far. 

The show's producers insist that Cookie Monster is not giving up his cookie habit - merely cutting back a little.  "We're not putting him on a diet, " a spokesman said. "We're teaching him moderation."  Reports also say that Cookie Monster will try different kinds of cookies rather than just eating chocolate chip cookies. I just can't see Cookie Monster eating those almost fat-free sugar wafer cookies - it just doesn't seem right.  Each episode this season will open with a health tip about nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest.  They will also introduce new characters, such as talking eggplants.  As long as they don't sing "C is for carrot", that's good enough for me.

Old School Candy

Candy just isn't the same as it was back in the day.  It doesn't seem as fun as it used to be.  Kids today don't seem to get as much enjoyment from candy we did did.  I think it's because candy is too convenient and easily accessible; it's not a treat anymore.  When I was little, getting candy was a major event - a trip down to the neighborhood store for candy was something that had to be earned.  Now kids can even get candy at school, and have candy bars for lunch if they want.  Here's the first in a series about my favorite old school candy.  Today, we look at old school bubble gum.

Gold Rocks bubble gum nuggets 
This bubble gum was more fun than bubble gum cigars. For one, the cigars tasted like Pepto Bismal or the pink medicine your Mom would give you in one of those Tupperware things that looked like a test tube with a spoon on the end of it.  Who wants to chew gum that would bring back memories like that?  Secondly, the only thing you got to keep from the bubble gum cigars was the gold foil ring.  The Gold Rocks were so fun because the gold bubble gum nuggets came in a little cloth bag.  I had quite a collection of these little white drawstring bags, just like I've accumulated quite a collection of blue Crown Royal bags today.  I had one Gold Rocks bag for my Monkees bubble gum cards; another held arrowheads that my Grandpa and I dug up from the garden.  I had a couple bags in my Barbie doll case to hold shoes and other accessories, and had a few in our Monopoly game to hold the pewter game pieces and the houses and hotels. 

Hot Dog bubble gum
This bubble gum was another favorite of mine.  It came in a non-descript clear wrapper, but it was fun because it looked like a hot dog.  They came two to a package, and were packed end-to-end, so they kinda looked like old time link hot dogs.  Being a hot dog lover, I was under the impression that Hot Dog gum would taste like actual hot dogs.  Much to my surprise, it was cinnamon flavored.  And if my memory is correct, it was hot, strong cinnamon.  As with all candy, you wanted to make it last as long as possible, so I would usually chew half of a hot dog at a time.  A few times, I would feel adventurous, and would attempt to chew a whole hot dog.  I would usually end up spitting half of it out. 

Razzles
First it's candy, then it's gum, then you want to spit it out.  This was the first of the gimmick candies.  Of course, we all wanted to see how these little pieces could first be candy and then turn into gum.  They didn't carry Razzles at our neighborhood store, so I would have to get them at Taylor's Drugstore, which had the biggest selection of candy a 7-year old had ever seen.  As soon as I'd get home with my package, I'd dump them out on my bed and group the pieces according to flavor, just like I did with Bottle Caps and Wacky Wafers.  Then I'd eat the ones I didn't like first, usually the yellow and orange ones.  The purple and red Razzles were my favorites so I saved those for last.  Razzles tasted much better when they were in candy form.  Once they turned to gum, it was time to spit them out.  The gum tasted much like the gum that's in the center of the Charm's blow pops.  One of the neighborhood kids bet me that I couldn't chew a whole pack of Razzles at once.  Suffice to say, I walked away from that dare 25 cents richer.  Plus she bought the pack of Razzles.  

Slugger Field Prices

This weekend on the Food Network, I saw a cool show about food served at ballparks around the country.  The show visited a dozen or so ballparks, and showed the one food that the ballpark was famous for.  For example, at Fenway Park, it was the Italian sausage; at Yankee Stadium it was hot dogs.  Imagine my surprise when I saw the host of the show, chef Rachel Ray, at my beloved Slugger Field.  Much to my chagrin, the food that Slugger Field is popular for is the infamous fried bologna sandwich. 

The Bats opened their season this past Thursday, and I was fortunate to attend opening night, as well as Saturday night and last night's games.  As I walked around, I made note of the most popular items from the concession stands, and thought I'd share with you.  I included their prices, so you can see for yourself how we get gouged at the ballpark.  But yet we willingly go fork over the cash.  Go figure.  And go Bats. 

Nachos deluxe, with cheese and/or salsa  $4.25
Chili cheese Fries  $4.25
Fried bologna sandwich  $2.50 ($4.50 for two slices of bologna)
Slugger dog  $3.25
Smoothie in plastic Tiki glass  $8.00
Kona coffee  $3.00
20 oz bottle of Aquafina water  $2.50
20 oz bottle of Pepsi  $2.50
20 oz bottle of Gatorade  $2.50
22 oz draft beer  $4.25
Chicken strips (2) and fries  $6.00
Big dill pickle  $2.50
Cookie from The Cookie Lady  $1.50

Hand Update

I'm happy to be to type with all 10 fingers and thumbs and let you know that my hand is much better today.  I didn't go to the ER as I'd discussed.  Instead, I kept alternating ice packs and the heating pad on my hand last night, and I'm thrilled to report it's much better.  It's still swollen, but I'm able to bend my pinkie more today, and most of the pain has subsided. 

Thank you all for your concern and your well wishes. 

News Bulletin

I don't hide much from you, my faithful readers, so I feel I must tell you something that is going on with your author/editor that could possibly affect the publication of TWIT.  Saturday night, I jammed the pinkie finger on my right hand.  Yesterday, I thought it was just a jammed finger.  This morning when I woke up, my hand looked like Mickey Mouse's hand, minus the white glove.  I'm not in much pain, other than I can't type with my pinkie, which I can't bend.  It didn't hurt until this afternoon.  So after work, I will be heading over the ER to get it xrayed.  If something is broken and they need to put a cast on it, rest assured I will instruct the doctor to make sure I can still type with the other fingers on my right hand.

I'll keep you posted. 

Gas Price Update

Most expensive  Chevron, corner Cane Run Road and Algonquin Parkway  $2.34

Least expensive  Swifty, New Cut Road  $2.21

Are We Going To The Mall?

After I graduated from Webster University, it didn't take long before they sent me the traditional letter from the alumni association asking me to become a donor.  Actually, they hit me up for a donation weeks before my diploma arrived in the mail.  As if the $16,000+ they'd already extracted from me for my Master's degree wasn't enough.  A few weeks later, they tried again - this time, with a different approach.  The next letter was an invitation for me to join the alumni association, and in turn, give a donation.  They even gave me a free gift to guilt me into giving them money - a small 15-page notepad with my name and the name of my degree on it.  That didn't work, either.   I did end up joining the alumni association, but they didn't get any more money from me. 

Last summer, a year later, I got another letter from the alumni association.  I was shocked when I read it and found out they weren't asking for any money; this time, they asked me to attend an organizational meeting for our local branch of the university's alumni association.  I thought this would be a great way to network and to keep in touch with my old classmates, so I made plans to attend.  When I walked in the school, I quickly discovered that the air conditioners weren't working at full capacity.  This was the end of June, and the temps were in the mid 90's.  It wasn't very pleasant, but after talking with a few friends, we decided to tough it out and stay for the meeting.  The campus director assured us the meeting would be brief.  Then the director introduced a fellow classmate who had volunteered to run our local chapter; she had spare time, as she was in between positions right now. Re: out of a job with no immediate prospects.  When he said her name, my friends and I looked at each other and picked our jaws up off of the floor - it was Annoying Girl.  The most annoying girl at Webster University's Jeffersonville campus was going to be in charge of our local alumni chapter!!???  We sat through the meeting, and the campus director took us aside and told us not to fear - once we had at least 20 people signed up, we would be a certified chapter and would have to elect officers, so we could campaign for votes and make sure Annoying Girl didn't get voted in. 

During our first meeting, we brainstormed and people gave suggestions for activities.  The rest of the summer, fall, and winter came and went and the group didn't go anywhere nor do anything.  Last week, I got an email from Annoying Girl saying that the alumini chapter would be going to play laser tag.  Yes, laser tag.  I quickly consulted my Executive Planner book, and found the notes I'd taken from the meeting last year.  After reading the list over three times, I still didn't see laser tag as one of the suggestions.  Not that I think people with Masters degrees are better than anyone else, but an evening of laser tag just seems out of place.  Maybe if this was a group of middle school students, it would seem appropriate.  I resisted the urge to hit "reply" and send a note back asking "What are we going to do next?  Go hang out at the mall?" 

Link of the Week

For the past week, the newspapers and tv news has been all about the Pope's death and the NCAA tourny.  I'm not dissing that - my point is that the media didn't tell us about hardly anything else.  Amid all of that coverage, I found a small one paragraph article from the Associated Press about Google.  People are all up in arms about a new feature at Google's map site.  You just enter an address, and it will bring up a cool satellite picture of the address.  I'm clueless why people are upset over this - it's not like the satellite picture shows people naked as they're getting out of the shower or shows their checking account number.  It's not like it's really an invasion of privacy - it's something anyone could see if they were up in the sky.  Go to http://maps.google.com/ and see for yourself.  Enter an address in the search box, and look on the top right side of the page and click on "satellite", or else it will bring up a detailed map of the address.  I was impressed when I saw the satellite view of The Compound, complete with the house, long driveway, garage, and the donkey's barn.  I think if I could have zoomed in just one more level, I could have even seen the donkeys.

The Battle Has Ended . . . For Now

The refrigerator war was raging when I came back to work Wednesday morning.  I had to borrow a crowbar and a can of grease to pry open a small slot to stick my 4" square by 1" deep Tupperware sandwich container.  OK, I didn't actually have to use a crowbar and grease, but I think you get the visual.  The top shelf was crammed full. The main occupants were a gallon jug of milk and three half-gallon jugs of juice.  WTF?  The next two shelves were also filled to capacity with various and sundry items in plastic grocery bags.  The shallow meat drawer was full, as were the bottom two crisper drawers. One drawer had 3 of the 2-liter bottles stuffed in it.  As I was trying to squeeze my sandwich box into a small opening, one of the guys from HR came in to put something on the bulletin board and noticed what was going on. I told him if he would send the official email, I would volunteer to clean out the frig.   A few minutes later, the wheels were in motion for the Friday Frig Clean Out.

Friday afternoon arrived and it was time for the big Clean Out.  I started to go round up a pair of latex gloves, but figured if things got too messy, I could always stick my hand inside a plastic grocery bag for an impromptu glove.  The first items removed were the big jugs of milk and juice.  Once those were out of the way, we found all kinds of interesting things.  It seemed that forest green was the color scheme of the day for all of the things we threw away: oranges that were once actually orange were now covered in dark green fuzz; sour cream containers that were also filled with the same dark green fuzz; I could go on but I think you get the visual on this, too.  We found bread that was truly as hard as a rock, and we found a jar of marischino cherries that had hardened and was the consistency of rubber.  Inch by inch, we made our way though the refrigerator, clearing it out.  Before anyone is quick to point fingers, let me say that we followed the ZCO Refrigerator Rulebook:  if something was labled with a name or initials, it stayed - [sigh] regardless of how old it was.  We also went one step further, and didn't toss any condiments that still looked fresh. 

When we finished with the dirty deed, which didn't take 10 minutes, it looked like a new refrigerator.  Now everyone can come in Monday morning and find a spot for their lunch without having to use any tools or farm implements.  Let's see how long it stays that clean.

My Newest Gadget

As some of you already know, I'm gadget freak; any cool hi-tech toy that comes out, I've got to have it.  I was one of the first people at work and in my circle of friends to get a cell phone.  A decade and a half before that, I was also one of the first to get a VCR.  Yes, it was a beta.  But hey - that's all they had when they first came out.  I'm proud to say that my Sony BetaMax works as good as it did the day I bought it.  Some of the other cool gadgets I've acquired over the years are a zip drive for my computer (purchased when zip drives were first introduced; not on eBay last week for a buck), a conversion kit that let me play CD's on my Sony Disc Man over the cassette player in my car, a color Palm Pilot with a browser and a folding keyboard.  My latest acquisition is the Jabra wireless headset for hands-free use of my cell phone.  It's very cool. 

The first time I saw one was a few months ago on TV.  Jennifer Beals' character was using one on a Showtime Original Series show, and I thought "how cool is that?"  I could have gotten one through Verizon, but you know my motto:  life is too short to pay retail. So where else do you go but to eBay.  I did some research and found one that was compatible with my phone, and I was able to get it through the wonderful "Buy It Now" feature on eBay.  Since my phone is not a Bluetooth phone, I also had to buy a small adapter, too, which I also found on eBay at a greatly reduced price. 

Granted, this might be a bit more than people would be willing to pay just to talk on their cell phones hands-free.  But if I added up what I've paid over the years for all of the hands-free headsets that never would stay in my ear, nor made me sound like I was talking inside a wind tunnel, the Jabra doesn't cost a whole lot more.  The reception is great on it - when talking to people, they're surprised that I'm using a headset because I come through loud and clear.  The headset will work up to 30 feet away from the phone and adapter.  So no more missing calls while my phone is in my purse in the backseat of the car.  And the headset fits great - it's not uncomfortable nor cumbersome - I hardly know it's on my ear.  When I get a call, all I do is reach up and touch a button on the headset and start talking.  If your phone is equipped for voice recognition for dialing numbers, all you do is touch that same button, and speak the person's name that you have programmed in and you're connected.  The adapter is very small and thin, and comes with a small piece of Velcro if you want to attach it to your phone.  You just plug the adapter into the spot on your phone where you would normally plug in the hands-free headset and you're good to go. 

Go on and get one - you won't be disappointed. Give me a call sometime and we'll chat.

Black Gold, Texas Tea?

Texas oilman seeks gusher from God in Israel
Zion Oil & Gas founder using Bible to find oil

Reuters Updated: 10:07 a.m. ET April 6, 2005

KIBBUTZ MAANIT, Israel - A Texas oilman is using his Bible as a guide to finding oil in the Holy Land.

John Brown, a born-again Christian and founder of Zion Oil & Gas of Dallas, can quote chapter and verse about his latest drilling venture in Israel, where his company has an oil and gas exploration license covering 96,000 acres.

“Most blessed of sons be Asher. Let him be favored by his brothers and let him dip his foot in oil,” Brown quotes from Moses’s blessing to one of the 12 Tribes of Israel in Deuteronomy 33:24.

Standing next to a 177-foot derrick at Kibbutz Maanit in northern Israel, Brown said the passage indicated there is oil lying beneath the biblical territory of the Tribe of Asher, where the agricultural community is located.

Geological surveys and an attempt by an Israeli-based company to find oil at the same site 10 years ago, a venture he said was abandoned for lack of funds, led Brown to pick the spot where new drilling will begin this week.

Brown said he raised money for “Project Joseph” from fellow evangelical Christians in the United States.

“From the investment standpoint, they certainly hope to have a return of the money,” he said. “But the basis of it is Genesis, chapter 12.”

In that passage, God promises to shower blessings on those who bless the “great nation” sired by the Hebrew patriarch Abraham.

                                                                                                                          For the first time in the history of TWIT, I'm truly at a loss for words.  I don't think  I can even comment on this one. 

This Week In Music History

I had no idea that there were so many musical celebrity deaths and suicides this week in music history.  It's odd.  Maybe it has to do with the time change to daylight savings time or something.  It's just odd. 

On April 1, 1984, Marvin Gaye was shot and killed by his father after a heated argument.  He was killed one day before his 45th birthday.  If you can't trust your own father, who can you trust?

On April 2, 1998, Rob Pilatus of the duo Milli Vanilli was found dead from a drug overdose.  He was only 32. The band had won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1989 but were stripped of the award when it was discovered that they lip-synched on the hit album.

On April 5, 1994, Kurt Cobain committed suicide with shotgun blast to his head.  He was only 27.  It's hard to believe that happened 11 years ago - it just seems like a few years ago when Nirvana was the rage.  In his suicide note, Cobain said he couldn't handle the pressures of fame, and that music wasn't fun anymore. 

On April 6, 1998, Wendy O. Williams committed suicide, also with a gunshot to the head.  She was 48 and had a very active career as the lead singer for the punk group The Plastmatics.  She was arrested several times for lewd behavior while on stage.  One of her most famous incidents was when she appeared on stage with only shaving cream covering up her privates.  I never saw that, but I did see film footage of her destroying a guitar and some amps with a chainsaw. 

On April 6, 1998, the First Lady of Country Music, Miss Tammy Wynette, died from a blod clot while napping on the couch at her Nashville home.  She was 56. The controversy and scandal erupted when one of her daughters claimed that she died from being overmedicated by her husband George Richey.  One year later, her three daughters filed a $50 million lawsuit against Richey and her doctor, claiming that their negligence caused her death. 

New Wheels At The Compound

I'dlike to introduce you, my faithful readers, to the newest member of our family.  It's the 'rents' new Honday Odeyssy mini-van.  It rocks.  I got to drive it on the expressway just a few hours after they bought it.  It is one smoothe ride.  When I saw it, my first question was "Does it have a vcr or dvd player?"  Much to my dismay, it did not.  Well, we can fix that with one quick trip to Sound And Auto.

We were excited over the new ride, but amid the rejoicing there was a somber moment when we got back home from the van's maiden voyage.  Mom's Minnie Mouse head that she previously had on her Blazer's antenna was a bit too top heavy for the Odeyssy's antenna.  In a brief ceremony, Mom took Minnie Mouse off of the Odeyssy's antenna and placed it on my Blazer's antenna - the handing down of an icon from one generation to the next.  She'll travel proudly on my red Blazer, Mom.  Thanks for believing my Blazer is worthy enough for Minnie Mouse.

Gas Price Update

Most Expensive  Speedway, Cane Run Road  $2.34

Least Expensive  Save-A-Step, corner Rockford Lane and Cane Run Road  $2.19

Redneck Hell

In the early 60s, Tex Ritter had a song called "Hillbilly Heaven."  In the song, he sings about having a dream where he went to heaven and saw legendary country artists like Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Buddy Holly and others.  Last night, I had a similar experience, only it wasn't a dream - it was real.  I went to BW3's to get a carry-out order of hot wings, and inadvertantly walked into the middle of Wrestlemania 21.  I found myself in Redneck Hell.

On the way to BW3's, I reasoned that it would be an okay time to go - there were no NCAA games going on, and the big NASCAR race was over, so the place shouldn't be packed to capacity.  Boy was I wrong.  I hadn't gone more than 10 feet from the car in the parking lot when I heard the roar of the crowd coming from inside the restaurant.  I stopped dead in my tracks, and hesitated before going on in, but thought "well, I'm already here so I might as well go on in."  I walked through the doors, and there was honestly standing room only for the pay-per-view showing of Wrestlemania 21.  Surprisingly enough, there was no one in line at the counter, so I was able to step right up and order my wings.  I managed to find an empty seat on a bench that was labeled "For carry-out customers only" and waited for my order. 

Wrestlemania was on every TV in the entire restaurant and bar.  (Emphasis on the word "every.")  The sound of the crowd cheering and jeering during the match between the Undertaker and the Legend Killer was almost deafening at times.  Doing an informal survey of the crowd, I'd say the majority fo the people watching Wrestlemania there were either under 30 or over 50.  When I scanned the crowd, I stopped counting when I spotted the third t-shirt that said "Git 'er done."  I'm sure there were probably more. 

And did I mention that BW3's charged a $5 cover charge to get in the place to watch this wrestling extravaganza? Thank goodness the matches had already started and they bouncer had  quit taking cover charges, or else they wouldn't have gotten my business. 

Never having seen The Undertaker before, I still knew he would easily beat The Legend Killer.  On the previews before the match, they showed The Legend Killer clotheslining some blonde female wrestler, and knocking her unconscious.  I knew he was going down.  I did some research online this morning, and The Undertaker's win over The Legend Killer increases his Wrestlemania record to 13-0. 

Link of the Week

We all have our favorite fast food item - for a lot, it's the Big Mac; others might be crazy for Taco Bell's mild sauce.  The same goes for snack foods - I'm not a big Twinkie fan, but I love Reese Cups.  Have you ever been to a restaurant or standing in the grocery store line and wonder "How do they make this?"  Wonder no more.  Thanks to http://www.topsecretrecipes.com, now you know.  You can find out how to make the special sauce that goes on a Big Mac, and you can even learn how to make your own Reese Cups and Twinkies.

As some of you know, I don't cook very often.  OK.  I hardly cook at all.  So I haven't tried too many of the recipes from Top Secret Recipes, but I can give the TWIT seal of approval to the Top Secret Recipe for Wendy's chili.  It was great, if I do say so myslef.  I also give the TWIT endorsemenht to the Top Secret Recipe cookbooks.  I have two of them, and it was worth the price just to find out what the seven secret herbs and spices are in KFC fried chicken.

Farewell Pope John Paul II

Like many, many others, we swere glued to the TV all day, watching CNN and MSNBC for updates on the Pope's condition.  As soon as I got up this morning, I got online and went to the CNN site to see if the inevitable had happened over night.  We ate breakfast and drank our coffee while watching MSNBC, and other than puttering around the house, we stayed in front of the TV all day long.  The inevitable did some shortly after 3:30 when the world received the news that Pope John Paul II had died.  He was 84 years old.

John Paul II's papal legacy began in October 1978, when he was elected Pop.  He was the first Pole to be elected Pope, as well as the first non-Italian Pope in almost 500 years.  He  was not content to just stay in the Vatican and run the Catholic church.  He travelled extensively six or more times a year during his 27 year reign as head of the Catholic church.  One trip that stands out in my mind was when John Paul II conducted mass at Auschwitz.  One of the Cardinals, also from Poland, refused to go to Auschwitz, and the Pope firmly told him that he would go.  John Paul told him simply "forgiveness leads to redemption."

Just days after my high school graduation in May of 1981, I remember watching a soap opera with my Grandma when they broke in and said that the Pope had been shot in an assassination attempt.  After almost a month in the hospital, the Pope was back at work.  Just a few months after the attempt on his life, the Pope visited his would-be assassin, and forgave hime.  After the assassination attempt, the Pope travelled in a new bullet-proof car called the Popemobile.

During his reign as Pope, John Paul II met with world leaders, urging peace.  He had many meetings with Yassar Arafat, Gorbachev, and Fidel Castro.  In 1991, the Pope wrote a letter to President Bush and Saddam Hussein in attempt to avert the Gulf War.  He did the same 12 years later, also to no avail.

In 2003, the Vatican officially announced that the Pope had Parkinson's Disease.  The world watched over the next 12 years as he grew weaker and weaker, but he never gave up.  Even on his death bed today, he urged everyone to pray for love, joy and peace. 

I like to believe that after Pope John Paul II walked through the pearly gates of heaven this afternoon, he found Mother Theresa waiting for him with a big hug.  I feel confident that John Paul II heard the words "well done, good and faithful servant."

 

Companies With Headquarters In Kentucky

1.  Dippin' Dots - Paducah
2.  Zappos.com - Shephardsville
3.  Yum! -Louisville
4.  Amazon.com - Campbellsville
5.  Hillerich and Bradsby - Louisville
6.  GM Corvette plant - Bowling Green
7.  Toyota Camry plant - Georgetown
8.  Texas Roadhouse - Louisville
9.  Fannie Mae - Lexington
10. IBM - Lexington

 

Please Step Aside

It's been a few weeks since I've griped about something at work.  Let me rephrase that.  It's been a few weeks since I've griped about something at work in TWIT.  The current cause for me to get up on my ZCO soapbox is how some men here congregate around the door of the ladies' restroom.  It seems to be the popular gathering place for the men to hold their meetings, or to have lengthy conversations.  I've even encountered one guy here actually standing in the doorway of the women's bathroom as I was attempting to go in.  He saw me coming down the hall and didn't even step aside until I got a foot away from the door and had to say "excuse me" to get him out of the way so I could go in and pee.

The men's bathroom is not even 10 feet from the women's, and it's located just inside a door, so there's a nice little area just outside of the men's bathroom where the guys could talk in private if they need do.  So why do they choose to gather by the women's bathroom?  Maybe they're interested in what goes on in there.  There's been a shroud of mystery about what goes on in the women's bathroom, and especially about why we go to the bathroom in twos or threes.  I guess these men stand by the doorway in hopes of overhearing us and clearing up the great bathroom mystery.  Men - you want to know what we really talk about when we go to the bathroom? We talk about you all congregating by the doors. 

Let me give a disclaimer before you all think I'm male bashing.  I am going on record and saying that I have never seen any of my male co-worker faithful readers standing by the women's bathroom.  You guys are safe.  Keep it that way.