Paranormal Activity At The Compound

We had a very bizarre incident last night at The Compound. I had just come home from the afternoon out, and was walking through the hallway back to my bedroom when I noticed how unusually cold that part of the house was. Oh hell, I muttered out loud; I thought for sure the furnace had gone out. I went on to my bedroom and changed into some sweat pants and a t-shirt and while I was changing I could hear the furnace. I walked over and put my hand down by the register and felt warm air coming out, so I knew the furnace was working just fine. I started back down the hallway and noticed again how cold it felt. That little voice told me to go into the bathroom. Imagine my surprise when I saw the double-paned window down. I know I'm going to describe this accurately but suffice to say the window had to have been opened from the inside, not the outside. I said something to the 'Rents about it, and Mom came in to put the window back up because I had no clue how it worked. I guess if I'd been there by myself I would have taped plastic up over the window until Mom got back home to put it up. Anyhoo, for a minute or two, she and I stared at the open window, trying to figure out how it came open. The windows are only a few years old, and that window is almost never opened - not even in the early summer before we flip the switch on the a/c, so it couldn't have been worn out. And we hadn't had a big wind storm or anything that would have somehow blown it open. We just couldn't figure this one out. So I just chalked it up to paranormal activity at The Compound. Stay tuned - I'll keep you posted of anymore paranormal events.

Link Of The Week

A faithful reader sent me a link yesterday and it was so cool I have to share it with you. The faithful reader had to pick up a friend from the airport yesterday afternoon, and had a lot of errands and things to do, and not meaning to sound like he didn't care, he just didn't want to waste any of his valuable time waiting at the airport if his friend's flight was delayed. He found a website that tracks flights and he was able to sign up for email and text message alerts about the flight - when it was on the runway, when it actually was in the air, what the expected arrival time was and when the plane was actually on the ground. He said it saved him about a half an hour and he was able to get all of his errands and work done and picked up his friend without them having to wait out by the curb. Visit http://www.flightstats.com and check it out. I can't wait to pick up someone at the airport so I can use it.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas?

I heard my first Christmas song of the season on the radio today while I was out running errands. A lot of people were taking advantage of the nice weather today and were outside putting up their decorations. The 'Rents even started on their "Light Up The Compound" decorating project. It's starting to look like Christmas but it's hard to get into the spirit of it when I had the a/c on in the Blazer today. The temp was in the mid 60's, but the sun was hitting me through the driver's side window and I was burning up so I took off my coat and even turned on the a/c just as I heard Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey sing "Baby It's Cold Outside."

Flashback Friday

When I was little, the day after Thanksgiving was almost as special as Thanksgiving Day in terms of meals. For supper on what is now Black Friday, we would have turkey sandwiches on toasted bread with Fritos and French onion dip. To most people that's nothing but back in the day, having Fritos at a meal was special. And to have dip to accompany said Fritos was out of this world.

I don't want it to sound like we were poor and deprived and never had Fritos, but back in the day they were special to us and were a treat - unlike today when people usually have one or two bags in their pantry at all times. Like I said it's not like we were poor, but Fritos were special. They were Grandma's favorite snack and treat, and up to the day she died, I would bring her a bag every week when we visited her in the nursing home.

When I was a kid on the Friday after Thanksgiving, there was no such thing as Black Friday. There were no special get-up-at-3:00-a.m.-shopping-trips. It was a day off from school for me and a day off from work for Mom and Dad so we all just enjoyed sleeping in a bit and being at home together, looking forward to our favorite after-Thanksgiving supper of turkey sandwiches and Fritos.

In keeping with this family tradition, we had turkey sandwiches on toast tonight with Fritos and French onion dip. And I have to say it was awesome.

Happy Thanksgiving

TWIT and I would like to wish my faithful readers a very happy Thanksgiving. I challenge you to do something today and this holiday weekend that I'm trying to do. Take a quick moment when you talk to a friend, family member, or coworker and tell them just one reason why you are thankful for them. I'll start it off by saying I am thankful for all of my faithful readers taking time out of their busy days to keep on reading TWIT.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Flashback Friday Two Days Early

A friend and I were discussing one our favorite childhood memories today, and it involved a fish restaurant. We chatted for a few minutes and had some laughs over Eddie's Seafood House and I just knew I had to Flashback about it a couple of days early.

When I was little, on Thanksgiving Eve, Mom and Dad would always stop at the infamous Eddie's Seafood House for fish on their way home from work. Back in the day, getting carry-out was a pretty special thing, unlike today when a lot of people have it 2 or 3 times a week. But I digress. They would always bring home supper on Thanksgiving Eve so Grandma and Mom wouldn't have to cook supper since they'd be cooking most of the next day. But like I said, it was a big deal.

Eddie's would put their fish and fries in a white cardboard box, similar to a cake box. The fish was awesome and never smelled fishy, and the fries were out of this world. They had the small krinkle cut fries and they were always fried just right. To this day I've never had fish or fries that taste quite like Eddie's did.

When my friend and I were talking about Eddie's today, we both agreed that back in the day we thought it was a pretty fancy place. Neither one of us remembered eating there - we just remembered our families getting carry-out but we both thought the place looked pretty fancy. Eddie's Seafood House is long gone now, and a convenient store sits in its place. But we'll always remember the awesome fish and fries that we got there.

Chloe, You Made Me Proud

Little Girl Stands Up to Stranger with Meat Cleaver

For 5-year-old Chloe Edwards, a strung-out stranger with a meat cleaver just wasn't that scary.
Alerted by noises at 2AM, the little British girl walked into her kitchen, where she found 18-year-old Dean Affleck attempting a burglary.

"Put my daddy's keys down!" Chloe yelled, unfazed by the sight of a stranger in the middle of the night. The startled intruder pointed a meat cleaver at the girl and told her to go back to bed. At the same time, the trespassing teen accidentally smashed a glass, alerting Chloe's parents. Mark Edwards, Chloe's father, eventually punched Affleck to the ground, and police were called.

Affleck was later given a 3 1/2-year sentence for the August crime.

Chloe's mother, Rachel, who was scheduled to start chemotherapy the day of the crime, said, "It was an awful experience. As soon as I saw he had a knife, I was terrified."

Yet, Rachel, now in remission for breast cancer, said she was proud of her brave daughter.
"She kept saying afterwards, 'I told him, Daddy, I told him to put your keys down, didn't I?'"

What an awesome, brave little girl. I think even the biggest, bravest men that I know would have cried like a little baby if they saw an intruder in their house in the middle of the night pointing a meat cleaver at them. Chloe is going to grow up to be one hell of a woman. I can't imagine how proud her parents are of her.

Bumper Sticker Of The Month

When I was coming home tonight, I was behind another interesting vehicle. Hmmm. . . . this seems to be a pattern here lately. Anyhoo, it was a newer model mini-van, and the bumper sticker was priceless. It was an ad for another service I wish I'd thought of -- DNA Paternity tests. The bumper sticker said "Affordable Payments and Quick Turnaround." There's not much else I can say about that except once again, I missed out on a great money making opportunity because I didn't think fast enough.

Link Of The Week

In a time where me and so many others are still trying to eat healthier, it almost seems sacriligious to list this Link of the Week, but it was fascinating to me so I had to include it. That having been said, let's get on with the Link of the Week.

When I was 10, we made our first trip cross country to California on a long summer vacation. During the miles across Texas and Oklahoma, I rememeber seeing billboards for restaurants advertising "Texas sized steaks". Some signs even said "If you can eat it, it's free." Needless to say I was fascinated, because I wanted to witness someone eating a Texas sized steak. Dad would never stop so I could watch but I was still fascinated.

I came across a site recently that let me re-live those memories of the Texas sized steak that was free if you could eat it all. It's aptly called "I Bet You Won't." It breaks down restaurants by state that have some gigantic type of food that is free if you can eat it all. Imagine my surprise when I found a restaurant here in the 'Ville - it's called Chubby Ray's and if you can eat a 5 pound hamburger you don't have to pay for it. Check it and lots of other "eat it all and it's free" places at http://www.Ibetyouwont.com.

Popcorn Worth Travelling For

I'm not ashamed to admit that I made a trip to Target earlier this afternoon just to buy popcorn. The 'Rents and I believe that Target has the best popcorn in the world. Yes, I said in the world. And I'm not alone in this. Some friends stopped by The Compound shortly after I got home with our popcorn and seeing it on the counter they both commented on how they think Target has the best popcorn in the world, too.

We're not sure what makes it so good - it's always fresh, and given the fact that Target is about 5 minutes from The Compound, it's usually still fairly warm when I get home with it. It's not too salty, and is never greasy - it's just right. In fact, it's darned near perfect.

Today, they had a sale - a medium bag of popcorn and a medium soft drink for only a buck. Now I ask you - where can you get a bargain like that? It sure isn't at the movie theaters or concert halls.

Flashback Friday

Twas The Week Before Thanksgiving . . .

This time next Thursday, the big turkey dinners will be just a memory for all of us. But I have to say that tonight at supper, we had a pre-Thanksgiving meal. Let me just say for the record, we all three agreed that we would have been just as happy eating this meal next Thursday. Mom fixed a chicken in the awesome George Foreman rotisserie, and it was the juiciest chicken we've ever had. To accompany the old bird, we had my favorite collard greens and our family favorie instant mashed potatoes. We each three had normal helpings, but we could have easily had seconds, it was so good. We still can't get over how juicy and tender meat is when you cook it in the rotisserie.

This is going to sound dark and probably offensive so some, but we're truthfully not all that excited about next Thursday - to us, it's just another day in the week. And yes, I am speaking for the three of us - not just for me. It's just going to be another Thursday meal to the three of us here at The Compound; there's nothing really special about the day, especially when it seems that the only emphasis on Thanksgiving Day is the Black Friday sales on the day after. Before you go any further, I can honestly say that the three of us try to celebrate Thanksgiving every day of the week - not just on one particular Thursday in November. I'm bearing my soul here on TWIT and will say that I've had some personal issues with Thanksgiving this year, but I've worked through them and have moved on. We've planned a simple dinner here at The Compound with the three of us, and we're going to be happy and content and thanful.

Another "Why Didn't I Think Of That"? Idea

I was on my home this evening from an appointment downtown, and was very intrigued by a delivery truck that was in front of me for a few miles. It was a pretty good sized panel truck, and on the back it said "Store To Door Delivery" and had a phone number and website on the truck. As I said, I was intrigued (read: nosey) and as soon as I got home I did a quick Google search and found out the truck was simply what the name said -- store to door delivery of any product from any store. You call this company, pay them, and they will pick up your item from the store and yes, you guessed it, deliver it to your door. No product is too big or too small, the sign on the delivery truck said. I immediately thought "Why didn't I think of that?" They've been in business for ten years, are bonded and insured, and will even set up the product for an additional nominal fee. We sure could have used them last fall when we got the hi-def TV last fall, but I digress. Their delivery fees seem pretty fair to me - $29.99 and up for small items and $49.99 and up for large or multiple items. I'm sure stores might get some kind of kick-back from this, if they can work out a deal and refer this company for their deliveries. But this is an excellent idea, and the young man that started the company gets a big thumb's up from TWIT for coming up with this idea. I just wish I'd thought of it. Not that I would be the one making the deliveries, but I've always wanted to boss people around.

A Lesson Learned

Today, I reviewed a lesson that I learned years ago: my parents are two of the smartest, wisest people that I know.

I apologize for not being able to go into much detail tonight, but just suffice today that Bud and Minnie are two of the smartest, wisest people that I know. We've been discussing an issue for a few weeks now, and during supper tonight Bud and Minnie spewed forth wisdom like I've never seen before. I was truly in awe, and then I was in thanks that I have them as my wise counsel. For the past few days, I've wanted to just go off half-cocked, but thanks to them, they reigned me in and kept me from saying or doing something I would regret.

When you're my age (or maybe younger or even older) some people think that your parents are still just old people that don't know anything about what's going on. I will say that has never been the case with me. My parents have always known what was going on - even when I was too stupid to realize it.

Not a day goes by that I don't thank the Lord that I still have Bud and Minnie in my life. Through their living example they've taught me more than they will ever know.

Where Were These Kids 15 Years Ago?

I read an interesting article in today's Wall Street Journal. Before I go any farther, let me say that I received my first issue of the WSJ this morning. I subscribed to it and 8 other magazines a couple of weeks ago using frequent flyer points that were about to expire. I'll read anything that's free. So imagine my surprise this morning when I got up and saw the WSJ laying on the table along side our Curious Journal newspaper! I had no idea I would start getting the magazines this soon. But I digress. The article was about a trend among twenty-somethings who are so smart that they're able to reprogram and add applications to their graphing calculators. These seemingly harmless hacks have gotten some of them in big trouble from the legal department at Texas Instruments. TI has sent out cease and desist letters to these kids, telling them to basically use their graphing caculators for what they were intended for. All I ask is where were these kids when I needed them? I got my first graphing calculator about 15 years ago when I started going back to finish my Bachelor's Degree. Believe me when I tell you that the instruction manual for the calculator was bigger than the textbook for the math class.

I'll never have to worry about getting a letter from TI's lawyers. So far, the only thing I can do on my graphing calculator other than graphing is spell "BOOBIES". I don't think they're going to take me to court over that.

Link Of The Week

If you know anything about me at all, you know I love my classic country music. But at the same time I love classric rock and roll. From previous posts, you all should know that I am one of the world's biggest Heart fans. Thank goodness one of my favorite radio channels here in the 'Ville hasn't changed their format from when they strted back in the 1980 - it's good old WQMF radio, plaing "kickass rock and roll." Their format hasn't changed, but their website has. Visit http://www.wqmf.com/ and check it out - you can watch old school live video footage of Heart and other classic rock and roll bands. You can also find links to the "Bob and Tom Show" that is broadcast every weekday morning on WQMF.

Happy November 14

It may seem bizarre but I'd like to wish all of my faithful readers a very happy November 14. As far as I know, there is no national or state holiday today - I simply wanted to wish everyone a good day. And it is a good day. It's been a crazy week for some friends and I know that they're glad it's over.

One friend had a wreck last week and totalled her SUV. She was worried and stressing over all of the mess, but yesterday it all finally worked out when she found out she is going to be able to get her beloved SUV fixed. Another friend is having some major drama with the university that he attends, but lo and behold, on Friday he got it all worked out. Yet another friend has been going through hell the past few days trying to deal with a debit card being stolen. She got it quasi-straightend out yesterday and was assurered that she would not be liable for any of the $$$ items that have been charged to it. As for us here at The Compound, it's been a fairly peaceful week, and we're very glad that things are working our for our friends. All I can say is let's hope for a peaceful and drama-free week ahead. And Happy November 14.

Flashback Friday

I remember back in the day staying up late on Friday nights and watching "Second City TV". It was the Canadian version of "Saturday Night Live." My favorite character on Second City was Ed Grimely, played by Martin Short. Friday after Friday I would watch Second City in hopes of getting to see Ed Grimely talk about how much he loved Wheel of Fortune, or how he played the triangle. Just today at work, a coworker and I were reminscing about Ed Grimely, "I must say." Now, there's no real reason to stay up on a Friday night. Like I said last week, we're all too tired from the tumultuous work week and a lot of us go to bed early on Friday nights because we're worn out.

Thursday Funnies

A newlywed couple moves into their new house. One day the husband comes home from work and his wife says, "Honey, you know, in the upstairs bathroom one of the pipes is leaking, could you fix it?" The husband says, "What do I look like, Mr. Plumber?" A few days go by, and he comes home from work and his wife says, "Honey, the car won't start. I think it needs a new battery. Could you change it for me?" He says: "What do I look like, Mr. Goodwrench?" Another few days go by, and it's raining pretty hard. The wife finds a leak in the roof. She says, "Honey, there's a leak on the roof! Can you please fix it?" He says, "What do I look like, Bob Vila?"

The next day the husband comes home, and the roof is fixed. So is the plumbing. So is the car. He asks his wife what happened. "Oh, I had a handyman come in and fix them," she says. "Great! How much is that going to cost me?" he snarls. Wife says: "Nothing. He said he'd do it for free if I either baked him a cake or slept with him." "Uh, well, what kind of cake did you make?" asks the husband. "What do I look like," she says, "Betty Crocker?"

Happy Veterans Day

TWIT would like to wish a very happy Veterans Day to all of the millions of men and women who have served and who are still serving in the military. Political beliefs or whether your right or left wing don't mean squat today - today is all about remembering and thanking those that have prouldy served our country. If you haven't already done so, please take a few minutes tonight to make a call or visit someone that is a veteran and thank them for their service. It's the least we can do.

Mullet Watch

Faithful readers, today we have another first. A friend talked to me today and reported a reverse mullet sighting this morning at the gym. He said it was a fem-mullet, but it was in reverse -- short in the back and long in the front. I'm not really sure how to properly categorize this one, but I'm going to make an executive decision and count it as a mullet nonetheless, even if it was in reverse.

Mullet count: 21

Overheard At Work

An excerpt from a conversation overheard at work today:

"We're gonna go shoot guns."

Now I ask - what in the hell can you shoot besides a gun?

Link Of The Week

As you know from previous posts, I do my fair share of shopping online. Other than one bad experience with a first-time seller on eBay a few years ago, thank goodness I've never gotten screwed. But I digress. I buy most of my electronic gadgets online and, was thrilled when a co-worker turned me on to a cool site called Woot.com. It's a little different from your usual online store - they sell one item every day, but for that day only. A new product is released every morning at midnight central time, seven days a week. Please check them out at http://www.woot.com. Happy shopping.

That's Impressive

I am very happy to report tonight that it is November 7, and we are still having fresh, ripe, homegrown tomatoes from the garden at The Compound.

It's bittersweet - we had a fresh tomato in Mom's homemade vegetable soup tonight, but when these are ripened and eaten, that's all folks until next summer. But I will say I am very impressed that we're into the first week of November and are still enjoying home grown tomatoes. My hat is tipped to Mom and Dad who grew them. You rock.

Flashback Friday

I remember when I was a kid, I couldn't wait for Friday night. Sure it meant that the weekend was here and I didn't have to go to school for two days. But it meant more -- it meant that I could stay up late. I could even stay up after Mom and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa went to bed as long as I was fairly quiet. I would watch TV on the little black and white set in my room, or read, but I got to stay up late. Now on Friday nights, I can't wait to go to bed. In fact, I usually end up napping while watching TV. But you know? I'm as happy getting to go to bed early on a Friday night as I was when got to stay up late. Who knew?

Mixed Up Thursday

I believe I set a new record after work today when I went on my bike ride. I broke my previous personal best for the 7 mile loop. It was not because it was cold or getting dark; it was simply because I had a lot on my mind and was pedaling away some frustrations and angst.

I received some very disturbing news from a dear friend, J, about her family-owned business last night, and it was all that I thought about today. I don't mean to sound cold-hearted and uncaring, but until today people affected by the recession were just nameless, faceless people. Sure, the times have been hard for the past year, but all of my friends still had jobs and were doing ok. Like I said - this is going to come across as me being a bitch, but even the people at work that were laid off didn't really bother me as much as hearing about J's family business. I didn't know any of the 40 people at work that got laid off. I was sorry for them, and prayed that they found work but it wasn't personal like the news I got from my friend J last night. She and her parents are devastated and don't know if they'll be able to bounce back.

I didn't have very many words of wisdom for J last night, and I don't really think she expected me to give her any; she merely wanted to let me know what was going on and get my support. I'm half sick over thinking about it all and am hoping and praying for the best for J, her family, and the people that work for them.

If Only It Were True

I just wish this email I received today were true. If it were, I'd be blogging from my private island off of Greece. This is probably one of the best Nigerian scam emails I've received. I've never received one from an actual vice-president of a country before. If only it were true. . . .

ATM VISA CARD PAYMENT DEPARTMENT,
UNITED NATIONS ASSISTED PROGRAM(UN),
INCONJUNCTON WITH THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
DEBT RECONCILIATION DEPARTMENT.
GENEVA-SWITZERLAND.

GOOD DAY FRIEND,

THE U.S.A GOVERNMENT, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUNDS, WORLD BANK ANDUNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION OFFICIAL RESOLVED THE RELEASE OF YOURPAYMENT FUND ($4.5 MILLION USD) FEW DAYS AGO IN GENEVA-SWITZERLAND. WEHAVE FINALIZED THE RELEASE OF YOUR ATM VISA CARD PAYMENT. SINCE THEBRITISH GOVERNMENT IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, WORLDBANK AND UNITED NATIONS ORGANIZATION HAS GIVEN AN IRREVOCABLE APPROVALORDER TO THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA WITH THIS RELEASE CODE:GNC/3480/05/09 IN YOUR FAVOR FOR THE IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF YOURENTITLEMENT FUNDS TO YOU WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

BELOW ARE WHERE THE APPROVED NUMBERS;
1. UNITED NATIONS APPROVAL NO; UN5685P,
2. WHITE HOUSE APPROVED NO: WH44CV,
3. REFERENCE NO.-35460021,
4. ALLOCATION NO: 674632
5. PASSWORD NO: 339331,
6. PIN CODE NO: 55674
7. CERTIFICATE OF MERIT PAYMENT NO: 401,
8. RELEASED CODE NO: 0763;

IT IS WITH GLADNESS, I WRITE YOU THIS MESSAGE, TO CONGRATULATE YOU ONTHE SUCCESSFUL RELEASE OF THE SUM OF $4.5 MILLION USD TO YOU, CREDITEDTO ONLINE BANK ATM VISA CARD ACCOUNT THAT WAS SET UP FOR YOU IN OURBANK, THE CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA. THE $4.5 MILLION USD IS IN AN ATMVISA CARD. IT IS DULY INTER SWITCHED AND YOU CAN MAKE WITH DRAWAL INANY LOCATION WORLDWIDE AT ANY ATM MACHINE CENTER IN YOUR COUNTRY.

BELOW IS YOUR LOGIN DETAIL;
USER ID: 773634528
PASSWORD: 3WE63SD47

THE COURIER COMPANY IS UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE DELIVERY OF YOUR ATMVISA CARD WITH THE DETAILS WE RECEIVED FROM IMF, SO WE REQUIRE SOMEMORE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO COMPLETE YOUR ATM VISA CARD PACKAGEDELIVERY/SHIPPING;
ADDRESS:___________________
COUNTRY:___________________________
PHONE:________________________
FAX:_______________________________
OCCUPATION:________________________AGE:_______________________________MARITAL STATUS:____________________

IN ORDER TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM, PLEASE EMAIL US IMMEDIATELY. AS SOON AS THIS INFORMATION IS RECEIVED.

THANK YOU AS WE ANTICIPATE YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE. AWAIT YOUR QUICK REPLY.

YOURS SINCERELY,
DR. GOODLUCK JONATHAN
(VICE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA).

What's This World Coming To?

I'm just not sure where to start this post. All I can say is what is this world coming to? Let me remind you and preface by saying I live in what is commonly referred to as the South End of the city - a part of Louisville that most people think of as rednecks, hillbillies, and assorted others. That having been said, it's just bizarre to me that our local Wal-Mart grocery store has a sushi section and our awesome local Aldi's grocery store sells cannoli. Wal-Mart and Aldi's of all people. Who knew? There's just not much I can say about this other than way to go on spreading ethnic diversity.

So THAT'S What It Was

Remember the balloon that was chased across Colorado? The one they thought had a kid inside? We all know now there was no kid, but just released photos show what WAS inside.

Link Of The Week

If you know anything at all about me, the you know I love music. You know I sing, play the guitar, yada yada yada. But I digress. I love music and I love musicians, especially song writers. This week I found an awesome search engine that will search through over 50 sites for information on an artist. It's called Music Web Navigator. Just visit http://www.musicwn.com and check it out.