Mullet Watch

It's been busy week for mullet watchers.  Our first mullet sighting is brought to us courtesy of Diva Stacy.  She brings us another first for TWIT's Mullet Watch:  she spotted not one but a duo of female mullets yesterday at the local grocery store.  She said that both were very long and fluffy. 

Just this afternoon at the flea market, I had the priviledge of spotting a mullet.  I like to refer to this one as the first mullet of spring. The mullet wearer was in his early 30s, and was wearing a Dale Ernhardt Jr. t-shirt.  I have to say that this mullet was one of the longest that I've ever spotted.  It came down to his waist, and was very curly; it looked like the guy had used half a bottle of gel on the curls. 

Mullet count: 14

Piracy At The Flea Market

I'd originally planned a quiet relaxing day at The Compound, but a call came in from my School Friends, inviting me on a trip to the big Shelby County Flea Market.  I was half way expecting the call; for some bizarre reason, for the past 7 years since we graduated from good ol' Sullivan University, the School Friends have gotten together and made a trip out to the flea market sometime in March.  It's odd how that turns out; we don't go there any other time of the year except some weekend in March.  So here it was, the last weekend of March and I hadn't heard from them so I was expecting their call today.  I met up with them and we headed out I-64 to the sprawling Shelby County Flea Market in Simpsonville. 

To give you a little background on my School Friends, every time we do something or go somewhere, there is always drama.  But today, the only major drama that I witnessed was drama that didn't even involve us.  That's one for the record books. 

We were walking down the last wing of the flea market, heading toward the parking lot when a woman caught my eye.  She was in a motorized wheel chair and had a cast on her leg, but that's not what caught my eye.  The conversation she was having on her cell phone was what intrigued me: she was talking to someone in charge of the flea market, and was reporting someone selling bootleg puppies in the flea market.  Yes, pirating puppies. A woman was walking through the flea market carrying some little Boxer puppies trying to sell them to the flea market patrons, much to the dislike of the lady with the broken leg. 

There were 3 booths at the flea market selling puppies today, and I guess this woman thought she could just bring in some puppies and sell them, too.  This is the first time I've encountered puppy piracy.  You'll find other forms of piracy galore at the flea market -- knock-off designer purses, copied CDs and software, movies and perfumes, but I have to say selling bootleg puppies is a first.  The woman with the broken leg wasn't having any part of this.  We didn't stick around to see if security came and and aprehended the woman selling the bootleg puppies; I'm kinda glad we left before it all went down.

Friday Updates

I would like to send thoughts and prayers out to some of my faithful readers tonight. 

To my co-worker JM at the sudden death of her step-son.  You've had a rough few years in dealing with your daughter's cancer and recovery, and now with the death of your step-son.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to you, JM.  You're a very dedicated and caring young woman, and I know you'll make it through this.  You might be little, but you're a very strong woman. You're also very independant, so don't be afraid to ask us for anything - we're here for you, just like you're there for us with you words of encouragement just when we need them the most.

To my co-worker RG at the death of his mother.   I don't mean this to sound sappy, but with your zest for life and the stories I've heard about your mother, I feel sure that you got that from her.  I wonder if she also shared your love of the horses?  If she did, I'm sure that she probably could pick the winners better than you and I could.  She sounded like she was a great lady.  You and your family will be in our thoughts and prayers. 

To my co-worker and cubicle next-door neighbor RP, we are ecstatic over the great news from your biopsy this week.  We know you were very nerved up over it, but you had people all over Louisville, southern Indiana and all points in between praying for you, so we knew all would turn out well.  We give major props to the good Lord for answering our prayers.  Now you can relax and focus on your big trip to Vegas next month. 

To my next door neighbor and adopted grandmother, Rosie, on her recovery from major surgery this week.  Rosie - The Compound is just not the same without you here.  We wish you a very speedy and thorough recovery so you can be back home soon.  We miss you, and are just thrilled that you're doing so well.  I'm glad that you were able to enjoy your biscuits and gravy this morning for breakfast; you keep those nurses in line and have them bring you biscuits and gravy for breakfast every morning if you want it.  At 91, you deserve to eat whatever the heck you want for breakfast.  We love you and hope you're back home soon. 

God Save The Queen

Amid all of the talk this week about the problems between Great Britain and Iran, more news came from the other side of the pond:  Queen Elizabeth is coming to the 'Ville.  Yes, the Queen is coming.  Amid much speculation, it was announced earlier this week that Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip would attend this year's Kentucky Derby. 

The Queen has visited the Bluegrass state a couple times in previous years, but this will be her first trip to Louisville.  The Queen will also visit Virginia to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, the first permanent English settlement in the New World and will then to travel to Washington to meet George W. and Laura Bush.

People here are already in awe of royalty visiting our fair city, and she hasn't even arrived yet.  Many questions come to mind when we think of the Queen of England coming to the Derby:  first and foremost, will she fork over some U.S. dollars and buy a Pegasus Pin so she can get into all of the Derby Festival activities? If you've ever tried to get into any of the official Derby Festival Events, then you know that the patrols are out in full force, and they do not let anyone enter unless they have a Pegasus Pin.   The first thing that comes to mind is will the Queen visit one of the Chow Wagons and get herself a beer and an Italian sausage or an elephant ear? 

Is she going to go to the Great Balloon Race on Saturday morning, or instead will her entourage go to the Mini Marathon over at Iroquois Park?  After that, will she chill and visit around the 'Ville and then go to the Chow Wagon on Saturday night?  Will she be at the Bed Races a few days later, or will she even make an appearance on the Belle Of Louisville for the Great Steamboat Race on Wednesday?  For the record, in case the Queen is reading TWIT, I would like to invite her to my school friends' annual Steamboat Race picnic at Cox's Park.  I'll even bring extra chairs.

Can This Thing Get Off The Ground?

The travel world was a-buzz last week when the A380 Airbus made its U.S. debut.  The world's largest passenger plane landed at the JFK airport in New York City last Monday, and even arrived 20 minutes ahead of schedule - a feat impressive for a plane of any size these days.  The double decker jumbo jet is approximatley eight stories higha nd is as long and wide as a football field.  The A380 could hold almost 800 passengers, but has decided it will seat closer to 500, so the passengers will have more legroom.  With travellers being concerned about DVT (deep vein thrombosis) long before Vice President Cheney's DVT issues surfaced a few weeks ago, being able to move around a plane on a long trip is a major plus. 

I did a little research and found that the A380 Airbus will have one pilot, one co-pilot and a crew of eight flight attendants.  I don't even need to tell you that those flight attendants will be running around in circles trying to attend to 500 passengers who will all want a pillow or something to drink at the same time.  It wouldn't surprise me if the flight attendants didn't sneak off to one of the bars on the Airbus for a drink themselves. 

As I've thought about the world's largest passenger plane, I have a few concerns.  First of all,  it's bad enough getting on and off a normal plane, but can you imagine how it will be when 500 passengers are trying to get on or off of the Airbus?  I don't think there has been one time that I've flown when I haven't been hit by someone's elbow or carry-on bag that they're trying to stuff into or out of the overhead bin.  And speaking of overhead bins - I sure hope the Airbus has a bizillion bins to accomodate all of the oversized carry-on bags that people will be lugging on the plane. 

And what about the aforementioned beverage service on board?  With that many people, unless you're in first class you can pretty much forget getting something to drink in a timely manner if you press the overhead button and call for the flight attendant; I'm afraid it's up to the push-the-drink-cart-down-the-aisle service.   So you'd better be wide awake and not engrossed in what's playing on your iPod when they come around with the carts for drinks, because that will probably be your only opportunity to wet your whistle.

With all of the beverage drinking going on, that leads me to another concern: the bathrooms.  This baby had better have no less than a dozen scattered throughout the plane.  Keeping in mind the enormity of the Airbus, would you hate to have to walk from one end of the plane to the other just to go to the bathroom?  Especially if you got lucky and were getting great drink service and you really had to go? Note to self: if I ever get to fly on the Airbus, make sure my seat is close to a bathroom. 

Welcome To My Nightmare

Toad the Size of a Small Dog Captured

 

DARWIN, Australia (March 27) - A "monster" cane toad the size of a small dog has been captured by an environmental group dedicated to wiping out the toxic amphibian, which has killed countless animals since being introduced to Australia in the 1930s.

The volunteer-run organization, Frogwatch, picked up the 15-inch-long cane toad during a raid on a pond outside the northern city of Darwin late Monday.  With a body the size of a football and weighing nearly 2 pounds, the "monster toad" is among the largest specimens ever captured in Australia, according to Frogwatch coordinator Graeme Sawyer. "It's huge, to put it mildly," he said. "The biggest toads are usually females but this one was a rampant male ... I would hate to meet his big sister."

Cane toads were imported from South America during the 1930s in a failed attempt to control beetles on Australia's northern sugar cane plantations. The poisonous toads have proven fatal to Australia's delicate ecosystems, killing millions of native animals from snakes to the small crocodiles that eat them.

As part of its so-called "Toad Buster" project, Frogwatch conducts regular raids on local water holes, blinding the toads with bright lights then scooping them up by the dozen.

"We kill them with carbon dioxide gas, stockpile them in a big freezer and then put them through a liquid fertilizer process" that renders the toads nontoxic, Sawyer said.  "It turns out to be sensational fertilizer," he added.

 

I'm pretty sure I've never shared this information with you, faithful readers, but I am scared to death of frogs.  If there were a Top Ten Things Puddin Is Afraid Of list, frogs would be at the #1 spot.  The odd thing is that I don't really have a reason why I'm afraid of frogs.  As far as I can tell, I never had a frightening frog experience as a small child, nor as an adult for that matter; I'm just afraid of frogs.  So I cannot begin to put into words how I would feel if I came across a frog the size of a friggin' football; my first reaction would be to reach for my Smith & Wesson and shoot it. 

Public Service Announcement

As I mentioned in yesterday's Link Of The Week, we all like to get something for free.  We like it even more if the freebie is something that we used to have to pay for.  At the same time, we get hacked off if we get charged for something that used to be free.  For example, calling directory assistance.  Back in the day, you could call 411 all day long for phone numbers or addresses and not be charged a dime.  Then the phone companies wanted to make even more money from us, so they allowed us just two free directory assitance inquiries per month; anything more than those two calls and we'd be charged.  Then they wanted to make even more money so they dropped the two free 411 calls a month and started charging us per call.  Today, it will cost you $2.49 per call to 411 if you're calling from your home phone.  And it's not all that much cheaper if you call 411 from your cell phone, either - if I used my Verizon cell phone to call 411, it will cost me $1.79.  That can quickly add up if you're not close to a phonebook or the internet. 

I discovered something today that will help save money if you frequently call 411 for directory assistance.  Instead of dialing 411, from now on dial 1-800-Free-411 (1-800- 373-3411).  It's totally free, no matter how many times you call.  The only thing is that you'll have to listen to a 15 second advertisement when you call.  But to save some cash, I think we can put up with it.  You can also call 1-800-Free-411 from your cell phone - you'll only be charged with the number of airtime minutes used. 

1-800-Free-411 receives the TWIT Seal Of Approval.

Link Of The Week

I'm all about getting something for free.  Nothing makes me happier than getting a free sample of something in the mail.  Yes, I know that's pretty geeky but I'm being honest.  Why, just yesterday I received a very cool ladies disposable razor; you don't even need to use soap or any shaving cream or gel with it - the gel is built in.  I looked at the store this afternoon, and it's selling for $7.99 - now that's what I call a great freebie.  I found a great site this week where you can get other great freebies.  Just visit http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/gallery/aol/organize/0,21863,1591814-1,00.html and check it out.  The site has not one, but twenty-three things you can get for free.  Give it a try. 

File Under: WTF?

I ran up to the shopping center earlier this afternoon to look for a new pair of leather sandals for Summer 2007, and as I was leaving the parking lot, I saw one of the most bizarre things I've seen in awhile.  I was still parked in the parking lot talking to Mom on the cell phone, when a car pulled into the parking spot next to me.  An older couple got out of the car, and while the woman was attempting to keep her hair from flying around in the wind, the man was carrying two styrofoam coffee cups to the back of their Camry.  At first, I thought he was going to dump out the coffee and then toss the cups in the nearest garbage can.  Au contraire.  He opened up the trunk of the car, and there I saw 5 of 6 stacks of evidently used styrofoam coffee cups.  The man did in deed pour out the remaining coffee, and then he stacked the two cups on one of the stacks in the trunk of his car.  I just could not figure it out.  It happened too quick for me to even tell Mom to wait a minute while I took a picture of the trunk of his car with the cell phone camera. 

Now, unless you're into recycling styrofoam, I can't think of any reason why you would save stacks and stacks of old used styrofoam coffee cups, can you?  I'm sorry, but not one good reason comes to my mind.  And the man had them stacked in a cardboard box, too - so at least he was neat and orderly about it. 

This Day In History

1775  Patrick Henry uttered his famous words "Give me liberty or give me death"
 
1792  First performance of Haydn Symphony No. 94
 
1808  Lewis & Clark, having reached the Pacific Coast, started their return trip
 
1919  B Mussolini founded his facist government in Milano
 
1933  The Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act, effectively granting  Adolf Hitler dictatorial legislative powers
 
1965  America's first two-person space flight, Gemini 3, took off from Cape Canaveral with astronauts Grissom & Young aboard
 
1983  President Reagan first proposed "Star Wars" missile interception program
 
2001  Russia's orbiting MIR station ended it's 15-year odyssey

Are You With Me On This

Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, and they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it see fit.  In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test which will be given at least two times a year, which I have no problem with.

What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check, because I have to pass one to earn it for them?

Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sit on their butt. Could you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?

Brawl At The VFW

As if Monday night's brawl at the bingo wasn't bad enough, I'm afraid that I have to report yet another VFW brawl that happened last night at my post.  Unfortunately, I was involved in this one. 

In addition to our big Tuesday night jackpot drawing, we also have a 50/50 drawing for a dollar a chance.  In case you're not familiar with VFW gambling, the 50/50 drawing is pretty easy to understand - however much money that is taken in during the sale of the chances, the post gets 50% and the winner gets 50%.  Last night the winner would take home a sweet $100.  The Commander drew the winning ticket number and announced it was 437552.  Well, looky looky -- yours truly was holding ticket number 437552.  I handed the Commander my ticket and the Auxiliary President (his wife) handed me the envelope with the $100.  The Commander was verifying my ticket against the stub he drew when he said "Sorry - I didn't have on my glasses.  The winning number is 437522."  And just like that,  the money was snatched from my hands and given to someone else.  This is where the brawl started.  People started yelling "You called her number first" but it all fell on deaf ears.  One group of friends there were already boycotting the 50/50 drawing because they believe it's rigged; believe me when I tell you those four people were the most vocal.  I took it all in stride and didn't raise a fuss about it. But it did tick me off a little. 

Just when the 50/50 drawing drama died down, more drama ensued. This time it was a result of the shuffleboard game.  Apparently the guy that was in charge of the Tuesday night shuffleboard tournament changed one of the rules and a team playing last night weren't aware of the changes.  Needless to say, that team got hacked off and walked out. 

I bet you had no idea there was this much drama at the VFWs, did you? 

Brawl At The Bingo

The 'rents and I spent a fun-filled evening at one of our sister VFW post's bingo last night.  This VFW is very cool - it's across from the Longfield Avenue entrance to Churchill Downs.  The members there are very sweet and hardworking people, and they run a pretty good bingo.  It's very old school - in that they still use the hard cards and bingo chips.  To me, as a bingo player, that's way more fun than using the daubers.  And it's less messy, too; everybody that plays bingo with the daubers always comes home with ink on their hands, arms and sleeves.  But I digress.  It's not often that the 'rents want to go to bingo - Dad likes it, but doesn't like to breathe in all of the second hand smoke; Mom just doesn't like to lose her money.  And I have to agree with her on that one.  But last night they wanted to go for some reason.  So we all piled in the Odyessy after supper and headed over by the track. 

We got there about a half hour before the games started, and picked out a so-called lucky table and then we played.  I put the 'rents on each side of me so I could watch their cards and help them out.  They both kept up like professional bingo players, and even though we didn't win a dime, we came close almost every game.  We were down to the last game of the evening, the big money "winner take all" game.  By this time, we'd been there for three hours and the room was so smoke-filled you could have cut the smoke with a knife.  As soon as we got home, we all took our coats off and left them on the back porch to air out.  But once again, I digress.  Back to the game commentary.  The bingo caller (a substitute caller, in fact) called N34, and a man a few tables over from us yelled "bingo."  Well the substitute caller was in her 80's and was a little overwhelmed with the whole calling experience, and she didn't hear the man, so she goes on and calls the next number, B12.   By now, people all over the hall are yelling "He called bingo" but she still didn't hear, and a woman sitting in our row of tables yells "bingo."  The battle lines had been drawn -- half the people were yelling "he called bingo first" and the other half were yelling "the caller didn't hear so she (meaning the B12 winner) should win."  People started getting up out of their seats and stomping their feet and were yelling even louder.  The three of us grabbed our bingo chips and put on our coats and we ran out of the door before the chairs started flying, as has been known to happen in the past under similar circumstances. 

This scenario never happened while I was a bingo caller, thank goodness, but if it had, I would have simply split the pot with the two players.  But not the case last night - they ended up paying the N34 winner the whole amount.  The 'rents worked at our post's bingo this morning, and they said about half the people there this morning were at last night's bingo brawl and that they were still talking about it.  There were no reports of chairs being thrown last night, but several chairs were overturned.  If I hear any more reports of damage or violence, I'll be sure to let you know.

I'm A Believer

Yesterday was a very historic day in the life of Puddin -- I had a piece of chocolate cake that will forever be in my Top Three Chocolate Cakes.  It was the most moist chocolate cake that I believe I've ever had.  The props for the awesome chocolate cake go to none other than Diva Stacy.  As I was raving on and on after I finished my second piece of cake in less than 6 hours, she told me her secret: she used applesauce instead of cooking oil.  It rocked.

For years I've heard of how you can substitute applesauce for cooking oil in cake mixes and other baked goods, but until yesterday I never knowingly tasted any.  I'm sure there's a good chance I've tasted baked goods made with applesauce instead of oil and didn't know it.  Mom makes some muffins with pumpkin, applesauce, and Splenda and they're awesome.  But I've never had any cake or baked goods made exclusively with applesauce instead of oil.  That is, until yesterday. I think I had a mental block about using applesauce in chocolate cake; one would think that it would make the chocolate cake applesaucey.  But au contraire - there was not even the smallest hint of applesauce; and Diva Stacy even used cinnamon applesauce, too.  As I said, it ranks up in my Top Three Chocolate Cakes Of All Time.  And I can't thank Diva Stacy enough for feeding me the chocolate cake at her home yesterday and sending 4 pieces of the cake home with me.  Believe me when I tell you that I'm rationing them.

Link Of The Week

Anyone that sees me on a daily basis knows that you will seldom see me without what I like to call my Executive Planner.  No, I'm not an executive.  Yet.  But I still like to call it that.  Of all of the things I've lost over the years, I'm very proud to say that my planner has not been one of them.  The calendar pages in it are monthly, and there's just enough room to jot down appointments and other events.  But the planner is in a binder, and that means there's a three ring binder in the middle of every month.  It's not a problem for a planner, obviously that's how it was designed.  But every now and then I need to find a blank monthly calendar page for a project at church or the Ladies Auxiliary.  Just this week, I found the perfect site where you can get a great free printable calendar page for the day, week, month or year.  Just visit http://www.myfreecalendarmaker.com and start printing.  And if any of my Ladies Auxiliary sisters happen to read this, this is where the page for our new monthly calendar came from.

True March Madness

Whether you like college basketball or not, the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions "March Madness" is the NCAA tournaments.  It's no big secret that I don't like March Madness - the games preempt some of my favorite TV shows on CBS, and honestly I get tired of all of the talk about how people are doing on their brackets.  Even though we're in the first weekend of the NCAA tournaments, there is yet another March Madness that we're having to endure this week -- the madness of this weather. 

The first of the week, a lot of us had air conditioners on.  Don't jump to conclusions - we all know that it takes a good week of above 85 degree temperatures before the switch is flipped at The Compound, but we did have the a/c on in the car earlier in the week.  I even talked to a few friends who actually did turn on the a/c in their homes earlier in the week to make it more comfortable so they could sleep.  Then on Wednesday, we went from using the a/c in the car in the afternoon to using the furnace in the house in the evening after the storm front moved through.  It's been downright cold ever since.  The true March madness comes from not knowing what to wear when you get dressed in the morning.  You don't know what coat to wear in the morning.  Us adults are just as forgetful as kids - we'll wear a coat in the morning because it's cold and then when it's warmer in the afternoon as we leave we end up leaving our coat at work.  The madness ensues when it's cold the next morning and we're looking around the house for our coat and then we remember we left it at work.  And you don't know what type of shirts to wear, either.  If you wear long sleeves, chances are it will be like an oven at work and you'll roast; if you wear short sleeves then it's a sure bet the a/c will be cranking in the office and you'll freeze.  We some of the basketball teams, we just can't win.

What A Night

It's Friday evening, and I'm worn out, faithful readers.  I'm worn out from last night.  No, I wasn't out prematurely celebrating St. Patrick's Day; I was at a friend's home out in the country shooting part of his arsenal.  It rocked. 

The backyard was acres away from any other home, so nobody was in danger of being caught in any friendly fire.  He set up a refrigerator box in the back yard, and had a wooden bullseye target propped up a few feet away from the box for us to shoot. The main reason for the trip out to his home in southern Indiana was to get familiar with the area because he's going to take me hunting for wild turkey next month.  Yes, Puddin is going hunting. 

 He had a gun for every occasion set out for me to try.  First of all, I tried his 32 caliber semi-automatic pistol.  Then we went down a step to his .22 mm semi-automatic pistol.  Then we started going up.  First to two different 9 mm semi-autos, and then to a gigantic 480 caliber revolver that looked like you could take bear hunting.  I have to say that using one of his 9's made me giddy inside.  I'll admit I was hesitant to try his huge 480 that was about two feet long, but he wouldn't hear of me wussing out.  I'm not ashamed to admit that it took both hands and all of my strength just to keep the thing level.  Then we went on to the gauge.  He loaded up the 20 gauge shotgun that he bought for his son, and then gave me some pointers on how to shoot it.  He made sure my stance and my shoulder was just right so it wouldn't kick back too much and then I let her rip.  Let me say that the sound of the shell going into the chamber when you pump it was one of the most amazing sounds I've ever heard.  I did pretty darned good with the shotgun, too.  On my third shot, I hit the wooden target dead center and knocked it down.  Not bad for a quasi-city girl.

Interesting Things From Our Spring Fling

The 'Rents and I had a great time at our annual Spring Fling at the Glory Of Rome Tuesday and Wednesday.  We sure didn't bring home a pot o' gold, but we had fun and had two great meals and was able to relax and pretend we were in Las Vegas for a day.  I've tried to come up with a full Top Ten list of interesting things from our Sping Fling, but I'm coming up a few short.  So we'll just call this Interesting Things From Our Spring Fling:

1.  Dad and I tried lobster for the first time.  We've never  had lobster tails before, and to my knowledge, we've never even had lobster in a salad or any other type of dish.  So we tied the plastic bib around our necks, grabbed the metal crackers and tackled the lobster.  Mom made me cover my lobster's head with a napkin because she was a bit nerved by its beady little eyes staring at her.  We acted like we knew what we were doing even though it was a virgin experience.  It wasn't bad - if we'd waited awhile to eat it, I think the meat would have gotten rubbery like most shellfish, but it wasn't bad.  I will say that I think lobster is a bit overrated.  We worked and worked and had maybe 7 bites of the edible meat.  I told this tale to some co-workers today and they agreed with me that lobster was overrated.  I don't think I would try a whole lobster again because it's way too much work, but I would definitely eat a lobster tail, especially if all I had to do was just pick it up with a fork.

2.  Shortly before we had our virgin lobster experience, we ran into a friend from our new church at the buffet.  She's probably one of the coolest people I've gotten to know at our new church, too -- she runs one of the TV cameras every Sunday.   She didn't seem at all uneasy about seeing fellow church members at the restaurant of a casino, as some people would; she was just there to eat some steak and lobster.  She was very at ease, and as she was leaving, she stopped by our table and talked for a few minutes.  I have to give her props, too, for telling and showing us what parts of the lobster to eat and not eat. 

3.  Shortly after the virgin lobster experience, we ran into another person we knew just as we were getting ready to leave the buffet and head back over to the boat.  This aquaintance was one we knew from our old Thursday night bingo days.  She was a regular patron at the VFW bingo, and a very sweet woman.  She also is a stripper.   Yes, as in exotic dancer.  Talk about your extremes - first we run into a woman from our new church, and then we run into a woman that's a stripper.  Wow. 

4.  On the way to the Glory Of Rome, as we were driving through New Albany, Indiana, we spotted the first Daisy Dukes of the season. Yes, it was 78 degrees as that time of the day, but I still think she was crowding the season a bit.  She also had flip flops.  I was disappointed that she wasn't wearing jellies.

Bonus Link Of The Week

Words can't describe how peaceful our sleep was last night and this morning - no loud roaring dump trucks zooming up and down in front of The Compound.  We were holed up in our rooms at the Glory Or Rome last night, and didn't hear a peep.  I'm sure that's more than our neighbors could say when they were awake at dawn by the sound of the dump trucks.  On the way to the boat yesterday, we saw dozens of the aforementioned dump trucks, and on the trip over, we each were coming up with our suggestions on where we thought the trucks were coming from. 

We don't have to be nosey anymore - there was an article in today's Curious Journal about the park and the construction going on.  Here's a link to the article so you can see what's going on just a mere quarter of a mile from The Compound: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703140702.  Please note the sentence that says the dump trucks will be doing their thing for the rest of the month.  If any of you, my faithful readers, live in a quiet area and would like to invite the 'Rents and me to spend a night or two, we'd be tickled pink to be your houseguest. 

A New Battle At The Compound

It's been well over a year since we won our battle with Dumpster Man.  It was peaceful in the early morning hours without Dumpster Man banging and waking up the neighborhood.  Please note that I used the word "was" - as in past tense.  There's a new battle in The Compound right now, and I'm afraid there's going to be some casualties from this one.  Last week, starting at about 4:00 in the morning, we've been bombarded with extremely loud dump trucks zooming up and down the road in front The Compound.  It took a day or two of investigating to find out that the dump trucks are going to and from the park/boat ramp on the banks of the Ohio River about a quarter of a mile from The Compound. 

Now, I'm all for people making a living, and I'm especially happy if they're working and not content to sit back and let the government take care of them.  But we're not real happy with the dump truck people right now.  It started last week; we'd hoped it was maybe an isolated incident, but they kept on zooming past our home in the wee hours morning after morning.  This week, they've stepped up their efforts, and are doubling up - so now instead of hearing one big loud truck at a time, we can hear two of them. 

We haven't gone down to the river to see what they are actually filling in with dirt; Mom said that with as many trucks that have roared past the house, they've probably filled in the river by now.  All I know is we were all three a bit on the cranky side yesterday from being roused from our long end-of-winter nap.  We're not as cranky this morning, thank goodness, for today is our annual Spring Fling at the Glory Of Rome.  When we planned this overnight trip a month ago, we were excited about the thoughts of having a great steak dinner at Legend's and then hopefully winning a few dollars.  But now, thoughts of steak and jackpots have gone on the back burner; now we're excited about getting to spend the night at the hotel, far away from the dump trucks.

The Value Of Friendship

Throughout the week at work and at home, I probably get dozens of forwarded emails about friendship and your loved ones.  I read every email I get, and unlike some people, I don't automatically delete a forwarded email.  I received two emails at work today from co-workers, and it was as if they were reading my mind.  One was about having a friend that you love and pray for every day and the other email was about unconditional love and unconditional acceptance. It's not often that I'm totally serious in TWIT - I usually try to be funny or sarcastic or informative, but today I'm different.   I come to you after having a hard and difficult weekend, and I'm very proud to say that I do in deed have a friend that loves me, prays for me daily, and accepts me unconditionally - it's none other than Diva Stacy.  I use TWIT as a sounding board, and today I have the need to write what I feel.  This is my journal, and I can write what I want, so you can either read the rest of this or just close the page and read again tomorrow. But today, I have to write about our friendship. 

It all started over thirty years ago when we became friends, and I'm very happy to say that it continues today.  Throughout the thirty years, we've had other friends in our lives, and still do, but there's just something about us that is different; I guess it's because it's unconditional.  It's not a case of "You're my friend and I love you because of " - it's a case of "You're my friend and I love you in spite of".  We know what to expect from each other, and there are usually no surprises.  Unconditional is the best word I can use to describe our relationship.  We've been there for each other during some of the worst times in our lives, and while the fallout wasn't very pleasant, the love we have is unconditional and it helped us get through, and we'd do it all again in a heartbeat if we had to. 

I don't think I've shared this story with Diva Stacy before, so when she reads TWIT on Tuesday, this will be the first time she reads this.  Our friendship is just like something my Grandma Clara said years ago.  It was back in the mid-80's - a friend brought her tape recorder over and wanted to interview Gradma for a project she was working on at church. She was putting together a devotional about friends.  She asked Grandma some questions about friends she's had in her life, and the last sentence Grandma spoke is something that will be with me forever.  She said "Old time friends - they're the best."  I couldn't agree more, Grandma. 

Link Of The Week

We had an interesting conversation about Cher during lunch this past Friday.  It seems that some of the younger ones at work only know "If I Could Turn Back Time" Cher.  I guess we have to cut the MTV generation some slack.  But how sad that their concept of Cher was of her wearing the black fish net stocking as she pranced around on the Navy ship in the video for the song.  When a couple of us mentioned "Half Breed" and "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" they had no clue what we were talking about.  I went on to tell them about how one of the most amazing things I've ever seen on television was Cher sitting on a Pinto horse singing "Half Breed" as she was in full Indian headdress.  I guess I really shouldn't say "full" because she's wearing practically nothing on her body, but she is in deed wearing a full Indian headdress.  My friend and co-worker SH agreed that it was one of the most amazing things she's ever seen on TV, too.  In case you, too, are clueless like my younger co-workers, or if you just want to relive the glory, please click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6E98ZRaU1s and you can see the awesome video from "The Sonny And Cher Show" back in the 70's. 

New Product Review

I know we had a New Product Review a few days ago, but I recently found a new product that I had to share.  As I said before, I love trying new products, especially new beverages.  My co-worker RP told us about a new Diet Pepsi drink called "Jazz" and she just went on and on about how good the caramel cream flavor was.  Being the kind person that she is, she brought in some cans the next day for our department to try.  All morning long we were just itching to go get them out of the fridge.  We were able to wait until about 10:00 and then we popped the top for our mid-morning snack.

I wasn't sure what to expect at first.  Being a labeled "diet" soft drink, I was sure there would be a major after taste.  I was pleasantly surprised to find no after taste at all.  I took a sip and then waited a minute and then took a long drink of it and I was hooked.  In all honesty, I would have been content to just smell the caramel aroma coming from the can as I sat there at my desk working.  Diet Pepsi Jazz comes in other flavors, but I can only vouch for the caramel cream -- it's great.  It tasted great - not bitter like some diet soft drinks, and full of flavor.  I will definitely buy it again.  From my research, the caramel cream Jazz isn't available in all of the markets yet, but hopefully it's available in your area.  Diet Pepsi Jazz Caramel Cream receives the TWIT Seal Of Approval.

 

Kentucky Trivia

The school children will be on spring break in a few weeks, and parents who are fortunate enough to be able to get vacation time off from work will be travelling with their kids for a week of rest and relaxation.  If any of my faithful readers from foreign lands are reading this and are planning on visiting Kentucky during spring break, we welcome you with open arms.  Yes, it's not quite as exciting as Panama City during spring break, but it's a very cool place nonetheless.  Here are some interesting facts about my home state:

1792 - Kentucky was the first state on the western frontier to join the Union

1816 - The first tour of  Mammoth Cave, with over 336  miles of mapped passages.  Mammoth Cave is the world's longest cave, and is 379 feet deep and contains at least 5 levels of passages.  It's second only to Niagara Falls as the most popular tourist attraction in the US.  It became a National Park on July 1, 1941.

1856 - The first enamel bathtub was made in Louisville

1883 - The first electric light bulb was shown in Louisville.  Thomas Alva Edison introduced his invention to crowds at the Southern Exposition.

1887 - Mother's Day was first observed in Henderson by teacher Mary S. Wilson.  It became a national holiday in 1916.

1893 - "Happy Birthday to You", probably the most sung song in the world, was written by two Louisville sisters -  Mildred & Patricia Hill.

Late 19th cent - Bibb lettuce was first cultivated by Jack Bibb in Frankfort, Kentucky

1896 - The first (known) set of all male quintuplets was born in Paducah.

1934 - Cheeseburgers were first tasted at Kaelin's restaurant in Louisville.

1937 - The first Wigwam Village Motel, with units in the shape of a "teepee", was built by Frank A. Redford in Cave City. It's still in operation today.

 The world's largest baseball bat, a full one hundred twenty (120) feet tall and weighing 68,000 pounds, can be seen at the Louiville Slugger Museum in Louisville (Jefferson Co.).

Chevrolet Corvettes are manufactured only in Bowling Green.

Covington (St. Mary's Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption) is home to the world's largest hand blown stained glass window in existence.  It measures an astounding 24 feet by 67 feet and contains 117 different figures.

The world's largest crucifix, standing at sixty (60) feet tall, is in Bardstown (Nelson Co.).

Fort Knox holds more than $6 billion worth of gold - the largest amount stored anywhere in the world.

The JIF plant in Lexington is the world's largest peanut butter producing facility.

Kentucky has more resort parks than any other state in the nation.

Middlesboro is the only US city built inside a meteor crater.

Newport is home to The World Peace Bell, the world's largest free-swinging bell.

Pike County is the world's largest producer of coal.

Pikeville annually leads the nation (per capita) in consumption of Pepsi-Cola.

Post-It Notes are made exclusively in Cynthiana, Ky.

Shaker Village (Pleasant Hill) is the largest historic community of its kind in the US.

Christian County is 'wet', while Bourbon County is 'dry'.

Barren County has the most fertile land in the state.

One part of Kentucky is completely separated from the rest of the state by the Mississippi River.

Mullet Watch

Our latest mullet was spotted by yours truly this evening on my way home from work.  The mullet was in line at the grocery store checking out as I walked into the store.  I'm pretty sure I wasn't blatantly staring, but the mullet looked at me and our eyes met for just a second.  It quickly turned away, and I was able to gawk a few seconds longer.  This might be a record mullet for me - it was without a doubt the longest mullet I've ever seen.  It was well past the guy's waist.  It was your typical south end mullet -- business in the front and party in the back.  The mullet was also in full March Madness mode - the guy had on royal blue UK sweats.

Mullet count: 11

Global Warming Affects Us All

Global Warming: now it hits brothels

Brothel owners in Bulgaria are blaming global warming for staff shortages.

They claim their best girls are working in ski resorts because a lack of snow has forced tourists to seek other pleasures.

Petra Nestorova, who runs an escort agency in Sofia, said: 'We have hired students, but they are temps and nothing like our elite girls.'

Now maybe people will start believing that global warming affects us ALL. 

New Product Review

Please welcome once again my best friend Diva Stacy as she tells us about her experience with the iRobot Scooba. 

I can't remember where I first heard about iRobot Scooba, the flying saucer shaped gadget that magically moves around, cleaning your kitchen floor, but I knew instantly that I must have one.  Mopping the floor is THE household chore I despise the most.

I was a little skeptical about it's effectiveness, so I went online and found some product reviews.  The one thing they all seemed to have in common was that when they first powered the thing on they got a message that said "Check Tank".  One lady said she desperately wanted the thing to work and that she followed all the steps the manufacturer suggested, but try as she may she just couldn't get it to work.  Many other consumers said they got the same message, but the ones who managed to get past it said they loved the gadget and didn't know how they ever lived without it.

I couldn't resist the lure of never having to mop again, so Saturday while I was at Target I noticed they had Scooba on clearance for $249 (originally $299).  I bought it.

I took it home and charged the battery over night as instructed, and Sunday morning I was ready to go!!  I moved all the chairs out of the kitchen and set up the very cool "virtual wall" to prevent Scooba from leaving the kitchen.  I placed it in the floor and hit the power button. Green light....good.  I took a breath and pressed the "Clean" button. "Please God, I'm so busy, let me not have to mop this floor again."  I heard a "whirring" sound.  "This is good", I'm thinking.  And then....."blink"!  The dreaded "Check Tank" light came on.

I went online for support and found some things to try.  No dice.  So yesterday I called for a live person and got Amy. She was very nice and assured me the problem was very likely that the pump needed to be primed.  So last night I went home and filled the turkey baster with warm water and shot it through Scooba as instructed.  It gushed on through so I hoped the problem would be fixed.  I placed Scooba back on the floor and tried once again.  Once again, "Check Tank".

Tonight when I get home I'm going to call again while I have the Scooba in my hand and see if I can get some help getting it to move.  I really want this thing to work.  I will keep you posted and let you know if we will give the Scooba The TWIT Seal Of Approval.

Addendum:
I am very happy to report that after giving Scooba some good firm shaking and then priming the pump with the turkey baster three good times, I powered her up and she took off!

The cycle took about 45 min and I don't think it missed an inch of the floor.  I was quite pleased with the results.  I'm glad I hung in there! I would like to give the iRobot Scooba TWIT's Seal of Approval.

This Day In Music History

Forty-four years after singer Patsy Cline died in a plane crash near the banks of the Tennessee River, fans still leave plastic flowers and written messages at the crash site.  "I wish I could of met you, Patsy," one says.  Another says "Patsy, you're my inspiration in music."   Patsy Cline's influence continues long after she made us feel the longing and heartache in classics such as "Crazy" and "I Fall to Pieces." 

Cline was only 30 when she died in 1963.   When she sang of heartbreakt, we felt it because she felt it.  Cline grew up in the Winchester, Va., area and dropped out of school at 15 to support her family after her father deserted them.  To help the family make ends meet, as a teenager she sang in honky tonks, amateur musicals and talent shows. She signed her first recording contract in 1954 with Four Star Records.  The record deal lasted six years, but was a major source of frustration for Cline who claimed the record company swindled her out of her earnings.  Her big break came in 1957 when she sang "Walkin' After Midnight" on Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts" show. The song became a hit on both country and pop charts. 

She endured a dry spell, and went into semiretirement.  Desperate for money, she signed with Decca Recods in 1960 and agreed to record "I Fall to Pieces," a tune chosen for her by producer Owen Bradley that featured backup vocals by the Jordanaires, best known for their work with Elvis Presley.  The song was one of the first country songs with "the Nashville sound" - lush musical arrangements with strings and backing vocal.  The song made both country and pop charts and revived Cline's career, and today, the song remains one of the top country songs of all time.  But the song was almost not recorded.  Patsy fought producer Owen Bradley over the song.  She didn't like the strings and said that the Jordainaires would drown her out. 

Cline survived a serious car crash in 1961 and continued recording with the Bradley-produced hits "Crazy" and "She's Got You." Her posthumously released singles "Leavin' on Your Mind" and "Sweet Dreams" both made the Top 10.  A popular 1985 movie, "Sweet Dreams," with Jessica Lange and the play "Always ... Patsy Cline" in the '90s helped keep her memory alive. She was voted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973.

To me, Patsy Cline had the best female voice I've ever heard on recorded music.  She had the ability to make the listener feel what she was singing; that's something that we don't have today from all of the cookie-cutter singers out there.  When she sang "I fall to pieces each time I see you again" I could feel it.  Of course, Harlan Howard deserves major credit for writing one of the greatest country songs ever written, but Patsy Cline made us feel it. 

I often wonder what country music would be like today if Patsy Cline had lived.  I'm not sure what the answer is. 

Link Of The Week

It's been a while since I've shared any deep, dark secrets with you, faithful readers, so today I'm going to let you in on another piece of Puddin trivia -- I'm a list maker.  The 'rents say I started making lists as soon as I could write, and I've been doing it ever sense.  I make a list of everything I take with me on a trip (whether it's a DLV trip or just a weekend getaway) and check it off as I pack the items.   I make lists at work of things I need to accomplish that day, and I wouldn't be caught dead going to the grocery store without a shopping list.  It's not that I have to have everything in order, nor do I think I'm OCD - it's just that I am very forgetful and unless I have it written down, I won't remember it. 

I found an intersting site this week that will help me with my lists - ChartJungle.  You can print out a chart or list for a plethora of things, and then check them off.  If you have kids, you can print out a chart for chores and jobs the kids are supposed to do.  You can also print out a chart for practicing a musical instrument.  They have one chart that I printed out about ten copies of - it's a website information list.  You can write down the website name, URL address, user name and password if you use one at that site, and a space for any comments you have.  Just visit http://www.chartjungle.com and start printing. 

Let's Put The Soap Back Into Soap Opera

In case you didn't know, this is soap opera sweeps week - the one week out of the year when the soap operas pull out all of the stops.  It's the week that make or break Emmy nominations, and the week that keeps us viewers glued to our TVs.  Last year, "All My Children" had the gigantic explosion at Erica Kane's Mardi Gras ball, and this year, we have the identity of the Satin Slayer being revealed.  In thinking about the soap operas, I did some research and found that our beloved soap operas are the offspring of daytime radio broadcasts.  They were aimed at housewives and the radio shows were nothing more than incessant soap commercials.  Many of the products advertised were laundry and cleaning items.  Thus this type of radio drama was given the name "soap opera." 

At first glance, it would seem not much has changed with today's soap operas, but it has.  Back when the soap operas first aired, they were aimed at housewives.  According to the commercials shown during today's soap operas, they're aimed at deadbeats.  I did some research, and found that among the commercials shown for soap, food, and other items, there are also commercials shown advertising lawyers and car insurance for high-risk people. 

In extensive research, I discovered that in a one-hour episode of "All My Children", there was only 36 minutes of actual soap opera.  That left 24 minutes of commercials.  When broken down, that came to 6 commercial breaks, ranging from 6 to 10 commercials, with a total of 48 commercials during the so-called hour-long soap opera.  Out of those 48 commercials, 10 were either car insurance or ambulance-chasing lawyers.   It seems that our soap operas have changed to fit the demographics.

Friends Who Have Soap Opera Character Names

Blaine
Claire
Erica
Adrian
Crystal
Courtney
Graham
Alexandria
Lillie
Reva
Domanique
Antionne
Brandon
Ashley
Taylor                                                                                                                 Lynette

Illegal Souvenirs

I read an interestting article the other day in a travel magazine.  They talked about souvenirs that are illegal.  Some of the examples made sense; for instance, it's illegal to bring back soil from any state or country that you visit.  If you visit Canada, it's illegal for you to bring back Canadian beef due to the risk of Mad Cow Disease.  It's also against the law to bring any of Canada's very popular Tylenol with codeine across the border.  The 'rents will be thrilled to find out that factoid, since every time they go on their annual Canada trip that's the only souvenir I ask them to bring me.  Some of the souvenirs the article listed didn't make sense.  It's also illegal to bring back water pipes and pornograpy from another country.  And heaven forbid you bring back more than 250 grams of caviar; you'll end up in the big house for that, too.  I thought about vacation souviners that I've bought and ones that I've received, and here's a list of some souvenirs that should be illegal:

T-shirts or hats that say "I went to ______." You can fill in the blank with the destination of your choice.  I can only pray that somewhere in England there are no stores that sell t-shirts that say "I went to Stonehenge." 

Gigantic fly swatters with a city or state name imprinted.  I saw these on our first trip out west when I was 10 years old.  They were selling them at a Stucky's in Texas, and I'm pretty sure the flyswatter said "Texas fly swatter."  It was funny when I was 10; it's not so funny now.

Anything made of shells or sand.  I know it's the thought that counts, but I'm sorry; they should be illegal.  The only thing that could make a souvenir made from shells and/or sand would be if somewhere on the souvenir it says "Made in Pakistan."  Some friends went to Gulf Shores, AL a few years ago, and they brought Mom wind chimes made out of shells.  It fell apart about 20 minutes after she hung it up. 

Plastic backscratchers with a city, state, or tourist attraction imprinted.  This falls under the same destination specific souvenir as the gigantic fly swatters.  They're funny when you're 8 years old, but not when you're 40.  As souvenirs, they should be banned, but one did come in handy a few years ago.  Before I finally had to break down and replace the windshield wiper motor on my Blazer, if you tapped the motor with something the wipers would work.  A friend from school gave me a plastic backscratcher from Panama City to use. 

Anything carved out of a coconut.  I can't even think of anything to say about this one, other than if someone gave me one as a souvenir from a trip, I might throw it at them. 

Gigantic pencils that are also destination specific.  These are impossible to write with unless you're Paul Bunyan.  Too bad my friend didn't have one of these - I bet it would have worked great to tap the windshield wiper motor. 

Theme park beanie hats, especially if they have the little plastic propeller on top.  Nobody likes these things, especially if they are from a theme park.  And in my 44 years, I've yet to see a person actually wear one.

Photographs taken at tourist locations by a professional photographer and then sold to you as you are leaving the tourist location.  I admit, I'm a sucker for these.  I've never been one to cave in to blackmail except when it comes to these pictures.  I've bought every one that I've been photographed for - mainly just so noone else can see it.  There are two exceptions to this, however -- the souvenir photograph taken of Diva Stacy and me at Graceland and the photograph taken again of us by the helicopter during DLV2.  Sure, the pictures were simply legalized extortion, but we did look in them.

Bottle openers and beer can holders in the shape of a well-endowed female body.  I think you can get the visual. 

Snow globes that are also destination specific.  I was appalled to find on eBay some Taj Mahal snow globes. That is just not right.  I don't want to believe that there is a souvenir stand in Agra selling Taj Mahal snow globes.