Link Of The Week

As everyone knows, I'm probably the biggest All My Children fan in the 'Ville, maybe even the state. Susan Lucci's character Erica Kane is without a doubt the number one soap opera character in the history of soap operas. But I digress. I read quite a few AMC websites, and this week, I wanted to give props to a soap opera website host that is very deserving. Week after week he cranks out a synopsis and an in depth analysis of the major soaps, and I just wanted to give credit to my new friend Dan Kroll. Even if you don't watch the soaps, please take a moment and visit his AMC page this week at http://www.soapcentral.com/amc/scoop.php?section=twoscoops&year=2009&date=090601.

Farm Living Is The Life For Me

I'm getting ready to eat a large helping of crow, faithful readers, as I make a major confession: I am addicted to an online game. It's called Farmtown. I'm Puddin and I'm a Farmtown addict.

I used to make fun of the teenagers and even adults that got hooked on the video games and play for hours and hours. Now I guess I'm one of them. I don't stay on the computer for hours and hours working on my farm in Farmtown, but throughout the evenings and on weekends, I keep a close watch on my crops in case any are ready for harvesting.

In case you're not familiar with Farmtown, you buy seeds and trees and plow up your garden, plant and then harvest, and then you take what you've harvested to the marketplace and sell the stuff, getting money that you can use to go back and buy more seeds and other stuff. And yes, it is addicting. I even have a few faithful readers that are also addicted to Farmtown -- Big Mama and my old friend MP. They both are awesome neighbors and farmers - they will wait till I get into Farmtown and then will hire me to help them harvest their crops, earning us both money. You can't ask for any better farm neighbors than that.

I've love to type some more, but I've got to go plow a few rows and get my sunflowers and wheat planted. Happy farming.

Flashback Friday

One of my favorite cereals as a kid was Kaboom. In case you haven't had the pleasure of trying it, it was awesome. It was one of the first sugar-coated cereals to be advertised as vitamin fortified. Kaboom was brought to us by the fine folks at General Mills. The cereal was made up off fruit flavored corn cereal pieces shaped like smiling clown faces with the ever popular hard marshmallow bears, lions, elephants and stars.

The commercials featured a circus clown, pictured on the box. I don't remember a whole lot about the commercials except that something would explode and go "Kaboom" and then all of the little cereal pieces would be flying through the air. Yep, they don't make cereal commercials like that anymore.

The Second Year Of Trying New Things

I have to say a big thank you to my friend, co-worker and faithful reader SH for getting me to try net another new food on the Second Year of Trying New Things. Last weekend, SH made some creamed spinach, and when she kept raving on about how good it was, I knew I had to try it. I've always thought I would like creamed spinach, even before I developed my love of greens, given the fact that I love hot spinach dip. So she brought me a bowl of it for lunch yesterday and let me tell you it rocked. I'd planned on taking some of it home for Mom to try but I'm afraid it didn't make it. I wolfed it all down. SH's creamed spinach definitely gets the TWIT Seal of Approval.

Mullet Watch

I'm very happy to report that I spotted not one but two mullets tonight on my bike ride. The first one was shoulder-length brown, and the top was borderline -- if it had been a tad bit longer it would not have qualified as a mullet but it squeaked in just under the wire. The second was dyed black and also shoulder-length, and the top was almost spiked. I spotted the two mullets standing outside of a local watering hole that I pass by on the bike path. They were both very friendly and waved, and one even asked if I wanted a bottle of water or a cold beer.

Mullet count: 10

Mullet Watch

I'm very disappointed, faithful readers. It's the end of May and the mullets just are not out in full force like they have been in previous years. Maybe it has something to do with the recession. But as always, I can count on my #1 mullet spotter JMc to come through. He spotted a (and I quote) "a classic Saturday at the local Kroger in Brandenburg. Medium brown hair cut short around and spiked on top with a wavy waterfall below the shoulders no less down the back. Unreal."

I also spotted a mullet Saturday evening at the Derby City Roller Girls. This was a long brown permed femullet. The sides were cut very very close; almost shaved, even.

Mullet count: 8

Happy Memorial Day

The day got away from me, with lots of things going on at The Compound - good and bad. The good was some friends coming over for lunch and bringing two honking huge slabs of ribs to grill out and a big pot of collard greens; the bad, well, we just won't discuss that right now. But I wanted to take a moment on today, Memorial Day, to thank all of the men and women in the armed forces who have served our country, who are currently serving, or will serve our country in the future. At tonight's Bats game, before a choir sang our National Anthem, a trumpeter from Ft. Knox was there and played Taps before we had a moment of silence for all of our veterans and troops. I can't speak for the rest of the sections in Slugger Field, but there weren't many dry eyes in our section 124.

Link Of The Week

As you know, I'm probably the #1 Bats fan and go to as many games that I can. I grew up in a famly that loved baseball and we watched all of the Reds and Yankees games that were on TV. Grandma was the lone Yankees fan in the family, and especially loved watching the playoffs and the World Series. She and Grandpa also loved to watch another sport on TV - roller derby. Just like baseball, they passed the love of roller derby on to me. Every Saturday night, Grandma, Grandpa and I would have our popcorn and Orange Crush while we watched roller derby. I was fascinated at how well they players could skate, and the highlight of each match was when two (and sometimes three or four) players would do The Whip.

I'm very happy to report that roller derby is making a comeback. In fact, we have a roller derby team here in the 'ville - the Derby City Roller Girls (DCRG). I've attended every home match this season and I've got to say it's awesome. Just last night I attended a match. Yes, it's hard to believe that I gave up my ticket to last night's Bats game just so I could go watch the DCRGs in action. We lost but it was still awesome. I even got to meet the DCRG's coach, Eeka, after the match last night. I've been chatting with her on Facebook and it was great to finally meet her in person. But I digress. Please check out the DCRG's website, http://www.derbycityrollergirls.com and learn all about the DCRG.

Where's The CSI Team When You Need Them?

I'm very sad to report that my sweet Mother stumbled upon a crime scene at The Compound Thursday evening. She found one of the baby robins floating in Rocky's water bowl. She and Dad were pretty sure the bird was the one they knicknamed Charlie. We've watched Charlie and his two siblings for the past week. Their nest was just outside of a window on the back side of the house and we could see their mother and father flying to and from the nest. Just last week the eggs hatched and we could see three little bird heads popping up from the nest. Wednesday afternoon, Charlie, Gabriel and their unknicknamed sibling left the nest for the first time. Mom said they watched them hopping around the driveway and yard, always under the watchful eye of their mother and father. Then Thursday evening while Mom and Rocky were walking, she found Charlie floating in Rocky's water bowl.

All good crime scene investigators know that there are five types of deaths -- natural, accidental, murder, suicide and unexplained. We're thinking this was probably accidental. I can't imagine that a baby bird would be so jaded and hardened that he would willingly drown himself in a dog's water bowl. Anyhoo, Mom got a gardening spade and fished Charlie out of the water bowl and dug a small hole back in the field and buried him.

If it's any consolation, Mom has another group of babies to keep her occupied this weekend - she just now came in from gardening, and announced that there were a half dozen baby rabbits in the front yard. Let's hope none of them have any homicidal or suicidal tendencies.

Flashback Friday

If there are any PATs reading TWIT today, I'm sure they are probably clueless as to what the picture to the left is. For those of us old school people, we know darned good and well that it's a picture of an old school aluminum ice tray.

Way back before ice makers and even plastic ice trays there were aluminum ice trays. Our freezer was full of them when I was a kid. I'm not ashamed to say I hated them. The ice never popped out when you pulled back the lever, and after running water over the tray my hand would inevitably get stuck to the tray.

A few years ago I saw some of the aluminum ice trays in a catalog and had to order a few, just to give us a flashback. Let me tell you that they weren't nearly as sturdy and well made like the old school ones. The first time I pulled up on the lever on one tray to release the cubes, the lever broke off.

Just this week I got a very cool two-foot square refrigerator and we set it in the corner of the back porch to hold our bottled water and adult beverages. It even has a small freezer area that would hold two ice trays. Even though I had a bad experience a few years ago, I dug out two of the aluminum ice trays and filled them up and stuck them in there. I'll keep you posted on how they hold up.

Public Service Annoucement

I'm hoping that you, my faithful readers, will read this tonight before you head to work in the morning. TWIT would like to invite you to please wear a ball cap to work tomorrow in honor of my boss BP. BP is a colon and ovarian cancer survivor, and this afternoon she asked our department to join with her in wearing a ball cap tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a historic day for her - she's going to come to work sans her very cool and stylish wig, and instead wear a ball cap. I'm going to my bedroom as soon as I post this and search through my vast collection of ball caps for the perfect one to wear tomorrow. It will most likely be a cool black cap from the Kentucky Department of Homeland Security, or it could be one of my many Bats ball caps; with me, you just don't know what I'll wear. But you can bet I will be wearing a ball cap in honor of BP. I urge you to please wear one in her honor as well.

How Come Nobody Told Me?

Usually every afternoon between 4:00 and 4:25, I call home to see if the 'Rents need anything on my way home from work. During today's call, Mom asked me to stop by the post office and buy some one cent stamps. Thinking she needed to mail an oversized envelope, I asked her how come she needed one cent stamps. She simply told me that they raised the price of stamps a couple of weeks ago and she needed one cent stamps to round out the roll of old stamps. I was dumbfounded. I had no idea that the U.S.P.S. raised the price of a stamp to 44 cents. No idea at all.

I almost ashamed - given the fact that I keep up on current events, entertainment and sports news. But the stamp increase just slipped past me. Maybe I was paying more attention to the swine flu outbreak or to "Dancing With The Stars". Who knows? All I know is I felt pretty silly not knowing that they raised the price of stamps. I promise I am going to do better.

New Recipe Tuesday

Since I'm in The Second Year Of Trying New Things, there was no way getting around not trying a new recipe that the 'Rents fixed for supper tonight. Ever since they saw the recipe Saturday morning on The Food Network, that's all they talked about -- "We're making Shephard's Pie for you this week." Like I said, I will now try things that I never thought I would try before, but when I head "Shephard's Pie" all I could think of was some bizarre homemade version of a pot pie - one thing I will never try. As I've mentioned before I just don't like my foods mixed together in one dish a la the KFC Bowls. But since the 'Rents went to such great lengths this week to find a chunk of Havarti cheese for this dish, well, there was just no way getting around not trying it. As Minnie says when it comes to supper, "You have two choices - take it or leave it." But I digress. I tried the Shephard's Pie tonight and I have to say it was pretty darned good. It's not something I would want every week, but once a month would be okay with me. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it. The Shephard's Pie gets the TWIT Seal Of Approval.

Shepherd's Pie with Mushroom Onion Gravy

Ingredients
2 pounds russet potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into chunks
1 clove garlic, smashed
Salt
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (85 percent lean)
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup low-sodium beef stock
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 zucchini, julienned
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika, plus more for garnish
4 ounces Havarti cheese, grated
Mushroom Onion Gravy, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, cover potatoes and crushed garlic with enough water to cover by 1-inch. Add some salt and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-high and cook until fork tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to pot, and mash together with 3 tablespoons of the butter and the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and set aside.

In a large pan on medium-high heat, combine 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil. When butter has melted, add beef, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until meat is brown. Stir in tomato paste and saute for a few minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Season and remove mixture to a bowl. In the same pan, add remaining butter and oil and saute onions until almost tender, then add red bell pepper, zucchini, carrots and paprika. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

To assemble, in a 9 by 12-inch baking dish layer half of beef, pressing down to pack in, then sprinkle the cheese on evenly. Pour the remaining half of the beef over the cheese and press down. Next, add the sauteed vegetables and top with the mashed potatoes, spreading out with a spatula or the back of a spoon to even out and to form decorative peaks and valleys. Sprinkle top with paprika and bake for 30 minutes or until edges on potatoes turn golden brown. Serve with Mushroom Onion Gravy.

Mushroom Onion Gravy:
1/2 large onion, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, saute onions and mushrooms in oil until tender and mushrooms release their moisture, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir to evenly coat. Slowly whisk in wine and then the broth. Simmer until thickened and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

The Adventures Of Mr. Skip

If you remember, last May I mentioned that we had two boarders at The Compound -- Ginger the pony and Skip the 30 year old Palimino. I promised to post pictures and time totally got away from me. That was last May. Flash forward to May 2009. Only one of the boarders are back - Ginger moved on to greener pastures a couple of months ago, and now residing at a home with a little girl who loves her, brushes her and rides her every day. But Skip is back at The Compound for his summer sabatical.

He looks great, and at an impressive age of 31 years old, still gets around pretty fast. He was in the far back lot when I came out to take his picture and after calling his name one time he trotted right up to the gate to see me. If you're an old school TV buff like I am, you'll notice an uncanny resemblance to everyone's favorite TV horse, Mr. Ed. If Mr. Skip starts talking to me like Mr. Ed did with Wilbur, you'll be the first to know.

Link Of The Week

For the past couple of months, the 'Rents and I have been on a big Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking kick. We watch her shows everytime they're on the Food Network, and we've even subscribed to her magazine. If you've never watched Sandra Lee's shows, her mantra is "70% ready made ingredients and 30% fresh ingredients" and we are true believers. Another mantra of hers is "you first eat with your eyes", meaning that what you're getting ready to eat had darned well look like something you'd want to eat.

Please check out Sandra Lee's website this week, http://www.semihomemade.com/ and check it out. She is by far my favorite Food Network personality, and she is also one incredible woman. Minnie and I have just finished reading her autobiography and it was truly inspiring. I don't give too many endorsements on TWIT but I most definitely endorse anything that Sandra Lee is involved in.

Tour de Cure 2009, Puddin's Version

I new I was in for quite a morning when I woke up at 5:00 to the sounds of heavy rain, thunder and lightning. It's not supposed to storm during the Tour de Cure, I kept telling myself. Oh but it did. I laid in bed awhile longer and then finally got up and got dressed. I filled my Camelback water bag with ice, went over the checklist of stuff, and then started on the 30-mile trip out to Prospect. It poured all the way there, and as I pulled into the parking lot for the event, you could see streaks of lightning in the distance. Yep, lightning. Yet there was still quite a few cyclists there.

I trudged on over to a gigantic tent and turned in my collection envelope and was happy when they told me I was one of the top individual fundraisers ($1260 to be exact). But that happiness quickly faded when I heard a clap of thunder and it started raining harder. I walked back to the Blazer and had a cup of coffee and half of a muffin while listening to the radio, trying to get up-to-date weather info. I walked back over to the tent, and was just in time for an announcement -- the Tour start was going to be delayed at least 30 minutes due to a tornado warning that was for an area that the 60 milers would be travelling through. It was still raining pretty steadily, and I made the Executive Decision to go on back home. If it had been sprinkling, I wouldn't have minded it, but the lightning and tornado warnings were a bit over the top for me. Plus, with the way the drivers here act on the roads when it's raining, it wasn't worth it to risk life and limb riding a bicycle for 20 miles on slick pavement in the rain. As I was leaving the area, there was a steady stream of other cyclists loading their bikes back up and leaving also, so it's not like I was the only one that bailed. Driving back home in the rain, I decided that when I got back to The Compound, I would have my own Tour de Cure.

I still had on my cool Tour de Cure cycling jersey and my black cycling shorts that Mom made for me, and I grabbed my iPod and a bottle of water and rode 10 miles on the recumbent bike in the back bedroom. After a bite to eat and a nice nap, I filled my water bottle, grabbed my helmet and iPod and headed out to the bike path, where just minute ago I completed 19.8 miles, for a grand total of 29.8 miles ridden in my version of the Tour de Cure.

Tour de Cure Eve

In just fifteen hours, I will embark on the 2009 American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure. This year, it's 20 miles - up 5 from last year's 15 miles. And based on the information I've gotten from co-workers who live close to this year's route, there will be lots of hills. But as of now, I'm more concerned about the forecasted rain tomorrow than I am hills. At least this year I'll be riding a bike with 3 gears, as opposed to last year when I rode the antique single speed Schwinn. But looking back, I did complete last year's Tour de Cure on my old bike just the same as those riding the 10 or 21 speed racing bikes. I'll be waiting for all of you to channel me your energy tomorrow morning as I pedal my 20 miles. I'll do it, rain or shine - I promise you that. Stay tuned. I'll keep you posted.

Flashback Friday

Murder In Pine Valley Update

After watching this week's episodes of "All My Children" and taking some notes, it's pretty obvious that just about every character that has had any air time this week has said they were going to kill the resident villian Adam Chandler. Which of course means he most likely will not be one to get killed. But actor David Canary is getting older and is at retirement age, so it's within the realm of possibility that he wants to retire and enjoy his golden years. We'll know on Monday if I'm right nor not. Stay tuned.

Another Customer Service Horror Story?

Woman Says Waitress Shot Her in Dispute Over Food
Date last updated: 5/13/2009 9:36:56 AM

Clarendon County (WLTX) - A Clarendon County waitress is accused of shooting a customer at the restaurant after the two had a dispute.

Yakeisha Ward, 29, is charged with assault and battery with intent to kill.

An early morning run for breakfast at the Waffle House on Paxville Highway in Manning turned terribly wrong for Crystal Samuel.

"I thought I was gonna get me an All-Star," says Samuel. A popular meal on the menu. "Grits, sausage, toast, eggs and a waffle," says Samuel.

She didn't get what she came for. Instead, she says while she waited for her order, her friends started eating. That's when Samuel says she was told they couldn't eat from carryout trays inside the restaurant.

"I said what is your fuss about. I said we haven't paid for our food. She (Ward) said well you all got to leave. How you want us to leave and we ain't paid for the food yet," says Samuel.

That's when it got ugly. Samuel says she threw a waffle at the waitress. "I did actually throw some food but it didn't hit her," says Samuel. "That's when she (Ward) jumped across the counter and we got into it," says Samuel.

Clarendon County Sheriff Randy Garrett says the altercation continued outside where he says Ward got a gun from her car and a gun magazine from her trunk.

"It's poor judgment on her part trying to settle this matter with a weapon. either way she had time to think about what she was doing when she was walking to her car," says Garrett.

Investigators say Ward's gun discharged during the altercation. They say a bullet fragment struck Samuel in the arm.

"Deputies were close by when they rolled up in the parking lot the victim and the suspect were still engaged in a fight," says Garrett.

Before it ended, authorities say Ward struck the victim in the head with the gun.

"She got the last lick,"says Samuel. Meanwhile Ward has bonded out of jail. On Tuesday afternoon, News 19 found her inside the Waffle House where the incident happened. She declined to talk to us on camera but says she got out of jail after paying $500. As for Samuel, she has only one thing to say about Waffle House. "bad customer service," says Samuel.

Investigators say it appears that Ward's gun was legally purchased.

At least Yakeisha's gun was legally purchased - that's a plus. And I bet Crystal won't be back at Waffle House for an All Star breakfast anytime soon.

Murder In Pine Valley

It's spring ratings week, and for soaps that can only mean one thing - something major is going to happen. Just as we had the tornados hit Pine Valley back in October to shake things up on "All My Children" they're gearing up for something even bigger this week: a "legendary character" is going to be murdered. They're teasing us with pictures of six of the main characters, saying that one of them will die. Could it be Adam Chandler, Tad Martin, Kendall Slater, Zach Slater, Ryan Lavery or my beloved Erica Kane? I have it on good authority from a soap opera newsletter writer that it will in deed be one of them, and unlike most murders or deaths on soaps, this character will stay dead. The actual murder is supposed to start on Friday and end on next Monday's episode, so you still have time to start watching and see if you can figure out whodunit.

If I Could Turn Back Time

It's hard to believe it was a year ago yesterday when Mom and I saw Cher while we were on The Trip. Yesterday morning on the way to church, we saw a Southwest Airlines plane that had taken off and was heading west. Dad asked "You know what we were doing a year ago at this time." I answered him "Sure do - we were eating a bunch of snacks that I had packed in my carry-on bag." But I digress. Like I said, a year ago yesterday Mom and I had the priviledge to see Cher, and we were both amazed at how great she looked for 61 years old. Well, it's a year later and she still looks great. The picture on the left was taken in 1992 and the picture on the right was taken just a few weeks ago. You go, Cher. You don't need to Turn Back Time.

Happy Mother's Day

TWIT and I would like to wish a very happy Mother's Day to my mother, Minnie. I'd also like to wish a very happy Mother's Day to some very special Mothers in my life: Diva Stacy, Miss Rosemary, Aunt Eva, Aunt Helen, Bev, Polly, Anna, Barbara, and Krystine. You all rock.

Things I Would Teach My Child If I Were A Mother

1. The importance of car oil changes and tire rotations

2. How to read an old school fold out map instead of relying on Mapquest

3. How to count money and make correct change

4. How to drive a car with a stick shift

5. How to spell and use correct grammar

6. How to tell time on a watch/clock and not rely on a digital clock

7. Always have some cash with you regardless of where you are going

8. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is

9. How to plant and grow a vegetable garden

10. Even if you have to spend a little more, always buy good shoes

11. How to properly, safely and respectfully shoot a gun

12. How to play a musical instrument

13. You're going to get your heart broken at least once but don't let it make you afraid to love

Flashback Friday

I grew up watching "Days Of Our Lives" - it was my Grandma's favorite soap. And until I discovered "All My Children", it was my favorite soap, too. Like millions of "Days" fans, my favorite character on there was Dr. Marlena Evans, played by actress Deidre Hall. In addition to her gig on "Days Of Our Lives", Deidre Hall also starred in another awesome show, which was also one of my favorites: "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl."

If you blinked, you probably missed "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl"; it only ran for 16 weeks back in 1976, and each episode was only 12 minutes long. But Sid and Marty Kroft sure packed a lot of action in those short 12 minute episodes. The program was a knock-off of Batman and Robin, and it followed the crime-fighting exploits of female caped crusader Electra Woman (played by Deidre Hall) and her teen sidekick Dyna Girl. In each episode, the duo (who worked in their off-time as reporters for a magazine) would don skintight spandex (in a bright flash of light called an "Electra-Change"), hop in the Electracar and use an array of technically advanced gadgets to fight an assortment of super villians. They were assisted by Frank, a scientist who stays at their "ElectraBase" (their version of the Bat Cave) while keeping in continual contact with the pair through their "ElectraComps" -- a communication device that they wore on their wrists. They could talk to each other like a two-way radio, but it also had video capabilities, too. Their crime fighting technology was cutting edge for back in the day. Their ElectraComps also could do just about everything - it had an Electra Beam, which would shine a beam that could push or pull objects; an Electra Strobe, which enabled them to think, act, and move 10,000 times faster; and my favorite, the Electra X, which would x-ray someone and reveal their identity underneath a disguise.

Like the Batmobile, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl also had the Electra Car, which also converted into the Electra Plane. And not to be outdone by Robin with his "Holy____, Batman!" phrases, Dyna Girl also would repeatedly say something was "Electra___". My favorites were "Electra Mess" and "Electra Far Out."

Vacation Week Update

I'm very happy to report that for the first time all week, we actually had some sunshine here at The Compound. But as I mentioned earlier, I did not care one bit about the weather this week - it was all about resting and enjoying not being at work. And this afternoon was filled with rest. I'm almost ashamed to say that trying to keep up with the 'Rents this week absolutely wore me out. I did nothing but lay around almost all afternoon. But hey - who cares? I'm on vacation. And I plan to do more of nothing tomorrow, just because I can.

Vacation Week Update

Well, it's rained in some form every day of my vacation so far, but you know what? I don't give a rat's ass. At least I'm not working. That's about all I have to say.

Can Anything Else Break?

Of course, I realize I've just jinxed myself by the title of today's TWIT entry, but I'll take my chances. Let me give you a quick rundown of all of the things broken or inoperable at The Compound right now:

BMW - have not had the patience to take it up to Auto Zone or some other car parts joint to get the alternator and battery tested. Yet for a very strange reason, it hasn't nerved me up like it normally does. It's a good thing because I've got more things to deal with today, for instance . . .

Bicycle - yes, the same one that has been in the shop 3 times in a week and a half period. This time it was my own fault. I stupidly didn't fasten the bungee cord that was holding my carrying bag onto the luggage rack and it got wound around the sprocket and now we can't get the chain back on.

The rotor tiller - Dad attempted to till up the garden last week, only to discover that the tiller wouldn't work. After my Mechanic Cousin (more on him later) thoroughly checked it out, he discovered it needed a new carburetor.

The 'Rents' Odyessy - in desperate need of a new timing belt and a water pump. But hopefully it will be fixed tomorrow by the neighbor's son who graciously offerred to do the work while on his vacation this week.

I think that's about it for non-working things at The Compound. But in the few minutes it's taken me to type this, we have updates:

BMW - Mechanic Cousin has offerred to bring over his alternator and battery testers later on this week and will see what exactly needs to be replaced on the BMW, and if it's not too big of a job, he also graciously offerred to do the work.

Bicycle - Mechanic Cousin loosened the wheel and got the chain back on and the bicycle is once again road-worthy. And on a related note, I will never get a bungee cord within ten feet of the bicycle again.

The rotor tiller - Mechanic Cousin and Dad are on their way as I type this to pick up the carburetor and will install it as soon as they get back.

So now it looks like all we need to fix most of these things is money. And I think I'm going to go take a nap after all of this. I deserve one. After all - I'm on vacation.

Now That's Something You Don't See Every Day

I've mentioned before how much I love going to our 'hood Wal-Mart. In fact, I'm there just about every other day. Yesterday was no exception. Last night, I needed to pick up some more AirBorne for the 'Rents and me, so after I got home from the very cool birthday party we attended, I changed clothes and ran up to my favorite store. It was drizzling rain so I was scurrying in from the parking lot, and just a I almost reached the "enter" doors, I saw a man pushing a man pushing a shopping cart loaded up with a Dell computer out of the "exit" door. Now, ordinarily a man pushing a shopping cart with a computer wouldn't catch my eye. But this man was different. He had a set of car floor mats on top of the box and was trying to shoplift a pretty good sized box containing a computer. I know what you're thinking - "Now, Puddin, how on earth do you know this man was trying to steal the computer?" Well, I know because just as I got a few feet away from the man, a plainclothes store detective had the man in an arm lock and was asking repeatedly where the man's receipt was.

I walked on into the store and joined the crowd of curious onlookers and we all just stood back and watched. The detective struggled a little bit with the man, but was able to keep him in an arm lock -- all the while the man kept saying he didn't know what happened to the receipt; the receipt that he allegedly just received from the cashier probably 60 seconds earlier. Another store person had come up and called for backup and two pretty good sized guys from various parts of the store came running up and they got the guy into a room just inside of the doorway. I bought my AirBorne and was out of there in probably two minutes, and just as I was leaving I saw Jefferson County's Finest roll up in a cruiser with lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Looking back at the incident, I can't really say I was afraid. I'm pretty sure the man wasn't carrying a gun or other weapon, and was only pissed off at the store detective, not the other shoppers. But it was pretty exciting; definitely Something That You Don't See Every Day.

Link Of The Week

As I said before, I don't watch a lot of DVD's - mainly because I don't have the time, and because I'd usually rather be doing something else. But on occasion I will watch a movie. And on an even rarer occasion I will actually buy a DVD. In fact, just last week I bought the second season set of my beloved "Knots Landing." When buying it, I found a very interesting DVD review site. It's aptly titled "DVD Talk." The reviews are by professionals - not just a disgruntled consumer who reviews a movie and says "It sucked." They also have reviews for movies currently in the theaters. You can check it out at http://www.dvdtalk.com.

Happy Derby, Part 2

It's been a weird past two days, but once again let me say that it's a love-hate relationship that I have with the Derby. For personal reasons I hate it, but on the other hand, I love the excitement and hoopla.

For the record, I will say that I'm glad that it will all be over in a few hours and then life as we know it will get back to "normal" in the 'Ville.

Flashback Friday

I'm back at home after spending an hour in traffic getting to and from Krispy Kreme to get a dozen glazed donuts for the 'Rents. Let me first say that they and Diva Stacy are probably the only three people I would have waited in traffic for an hour to get donuts for. That having been said, if you live in the 'Ville, then you are well aware it's Derby Eve. There are parties galore tonight. Even Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian will be here in town tonight at parties. And for the record let me say that I could not give a rat's ass. But I digress. Back in the day, there wasn't much hoopla at all on Derby Eve.

Back in the day, the hard core partyers and drinkers were out on Central Avenue until some of the gangsta gang bangers shot up the place and then they shut it down. In case you don't know or don't remember, Central Avenue ran in front of Churchill Downs, and from about 7:00 on Derby Eve until time for the track to open on Saturday morning, the street would be jam packed full of people partying. Wild partying. Partying that would make "Girls Gone Wild" seem mild by comparison. But like I said, the gangastas moved in and one year somebody got shot so that was the end of the Central Avenue partying.

For the record, no, I did not participate in that. Until tonight, I've stayed as far away from Churchill Downs as I could on Derby weekend. But for some reason, Krispy Kreme donuts sounded pretty good tonight. And I'm glad I went.