Computer Problems, Day 1

I'm frustrated to report that today is day one of not having the desktop computer here at home. I reluctantly unplugged everything this morning and lugged the computer to the shop during a pouring rain during lunchtime today, in hopes of getting the big problem fixed. For the past few months, the computer would either freeze up or just shut down for no apparent reason. I did countless virus scans and updates, to no avail. Last night was the straw that broke the camel's back. At one point I was ready to go get the new pump action shotgun and shoot the computer. But I calmed down.

The shop said they're only running two business days on their work log, so there's a chance I could get it back by the weekend. Until then, I'll be using the tiny netbook. I'm just thankful I have it to use to connect to the worldwide web or else I'd be beside myself.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday Report

I'm very happy to report that the only purchase I've made for Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping combined has been a fifth of Makers Mark bourbon for Mom to use for her holiday bourbon balls. So much for me stimulating the economy.

Link Of The Week

Anyone that has been with me for longer than 30 minutes knows that I'm a big note taker. I jot down everything -- from funny lines in movies and TV shows to ideas for TWIT to recipes or websites I want to check out. I'm never far from a favorite pen with blue ink and a notepad.

I found a site that is a note lover's dream come true. It's called Evernote. Once you create your account (it's free) you can start jotting down your notes on any computer and most cell phones. You can add pictures or files to your notes if you want, and you can organize it in cool ways. Visit http://www.evernote.com and set it up and start saving those notes. You'll be glad you did.

Thanksgiving Day 2010 Observations

Mid afternoon on Thanksgiving Day, I was a little restless, and decided to make a quick shopping trip to the stores in our hood that were open on Thanksgiving Day. Ordinarily I wouldn't go, but since they were working, I thought I'd give them some business. I visited Dollar General Store and got a few bargains, and then moved onto Rite Aid, and bought a cool Charlie Brown Christmas Tree to put in my new office. My last stop was Krogers, where I didn't really need anything; I just wanted to go and see what they had on sale.

I got some cool individual chip and dip bowls for us, and while I was roaming throughout the store I paid close attention to see what sections were sold out. In the entire Kroger store, the only section that was sold out was the sour cream. There were plenty of turkeys, potatoes, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes and just about every vegetable you could think of. In the frozen food section there were still plenty of pumpkin pies. But there was no sour cream to be found at Krogers.

This made me ponder. Thanksgiving is a big meal day - not a partying day. I could see where Christmas or New Years there might be a sour cream shortage, because people use it for all kinds of dips, but you don't normally think of needing sour cream for Thanksgiving Dinner.

I paid for my stuff and drove home, all the while still wondering why the big run on sour cream. If anyone has any insight on this, please let me know.

Flashback Friday

Wednesday afternoon at work, my good friend, coworker and faithful reader SH was carrying around a stiff strip of plastic. She was on her way out to the factory when she stopped by the cube to say hi, and as soon as I saw the piece of plastic she was carrying, I told her that it reminded me of the old school gag leash and halter for an invisible dog. We both had a good laugh about it, and reminisced about how you would see people walking around fairs and amusement parks holding one.

And before you as, yes, I had one. But I didn't get mine at an amusement park. My grandpa made it. He unfolded a coat hanger and threaded it through the center of an old dog leash collar. I asked Mom and Dad about it and they said it was all they could do to keep me from taking to the store or out in public.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I would like to wish a very happy Thanksgiving to all of you, my faithful readers. It warms my heart that this is the seventh time I've been able to wish everyone that reads TWIT a happy Thanksgiving. I thank you all very, very much for taking time out of each day to visit TWIT and read what I've been thinking.

Something You Don't Hear Everyday

Once again I am proud to bring you Something You Don't Hear Everyday. This has become quite a popular topic with my faithful readers.

Today's installation comes from something that was heard by a faithful reader who probably wants to remain anonymous.

"You need to eat doughnuts and get a debit card."

Nuff said.

Thank Your Lucky Clouds

We had some heavy storms move through in the early hours this morning - the first round came through at about 1:30 and the second wave came through about two hours late. Both storms came from the west, and Dad and I both agree that the rain pounding the west side of the house (my bedroom and part of their bedroom) was the heaviest pelting of rain hitting the windows of the house that we've ever experienced. During both storms I got up and turned on the TV to make sure we weren't in the middle of a tornado.

When I was going back to sleep after the 3:30 round of storms I thought of one thing: all of the crazy, obsessed Black Friday shoppers that will be out at midnight Thursday night waiting in line had better thank their lucky clouds, er, stars, that the storm moved through last night instead of Thursday night or else they would have been in big trouble.

Bonus Link Of The Week

I read a story online earlier tonight, it's way too good to make you wait till Sunday for me to post a link. There's not much I can say about it, other than you'll just have to read it and make up your own mind. As my beloved Mulder and Scully said on the "X-Files", the truth is out there.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1330563/Dudley-Dorito-UFO-spotted-UK-skies-time-3-years.html

Link Of The Week

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is just a few days away. For the first time in my 47 years of celebrating Thanksgiving, we are not having turkey or chicken, or any poultry or fowl. We're not even having beef. We're having barbequed ribs, potato salad and baked beans, just because that's what we want.

But for the rest of the country that will be having turkey, I wish you all luck with the birds. In case you have a question about fixing the turkey, just visit the fine folks at Butterball and send in your question to the Turkey Hotline. You can find it here at http://www.butterball.com/contact_us_submissions/new.

Flashback Saturday

I just got back from making a quick trip up the road to Krogers to pick up a couple of things Mom needed. There in the lobby of the store was something that I coveted: a popcorn machine. Yep, the old school kind with the clear plexiglass sides. It wasn't on top of a cool rolling cart; it was on a card table, but I wanted it, nonehteless. As I was walking out with my bag of groceries, a Krogers clerk at the popcorn machine asked if I'd like a free bag of popcorn. You bet I did. As soon as I got into the Blazer, I started eating the popcorn and reminisced about how it tasted just like the popcorn from Murphey's.

Murphey's was a big dime store at Dixie Manor Shopping Center in the hood. Actually, I guess it was a combo department store/dime store, because they had everything. They had a record department where I'd buy my 45's and albums; they had a cool lunch counter where you could get stuff to eat; they had a fabric department, where Grandma would get all of her yarn and accessories for her crocheting. You get the picture. They even had a pet department, where you could get not only gold fish or parakeets, but you could get a small monkey. While Mom and Grandma were shopping at Murphey's, I would spend all of my time back in the pet section watching the monkeys in the cages. Well, not all of my time.

Before we went home, I would make a visit to the awesome candy counter at Murphey's, and with money Grandma would give me, I would always buy a bag of popcorn to take home with me. That was the rule - she'd buy me the popcorn but I had to wait till I got home to eat it, so I wouldn't end up dumping the bag in the car during the 8 minute trip back home.

The popcorn from Murphey's tasted like none other. To this day, I've had popcorn that came close, just like the popcorn from Kroger's today, but none has equaled Murphey's popcorn. I'm almost ready to buy a popcorn machine like the one at Kroger's just so I can try to duplicate the Murphey's popcorn. And we all know how I am once I get something in my head. As always, I'll keep you posted.

And P.S. -- with you all reading this post, you know the computer was back in operation. Well, quasi-operation.

Frustrating Friday

As I type this, faithful readers, my desktop computer is operating in Safe Mode. After screwing around with it for over a half an hour, including a dozen failed attempts to get it to boot up, I finally just got in Safe Mode and have been able to work on my research paper that is saved on this computer and that is due Sunday.

If you remember anything about me after reading TWIT for the past 5 years, then you know I'm a procrastinator. A few months after I got this computer it started freezing up and after shutting it off it would boot back up and work fine for months. Well, the problem has gotten increasingly worse, and Sunday night I was ready to take it out in the back yard and shoot it with our new pump action shotgun. But I was able to get it up and running this week, only to have it crap again tonight. It makes no sense. I've been running it in Safe Mode for 20 minutes now and it's fine. But yet when I try to start it in regular mode, it will try to boot up then it shuts down and tries to restart Windows. Over and over and over.

Once I get this paper fine-tuned and submitted tomorrow, I'm going to unplug this @#&%er and take it back to the computer shop that built it. At least it has a lifetime warranty so it won't cost me anything except inconvenience.

As always, I'll keep you posted. If I can.

Bonus

I tried for 20 minutes to copy and paste this news article into a journal post but I had the damnedest time. So you'll just have to trust me on this one and take a couple of minutes to click on the link and read the article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40248892/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/?Gt1=43001

All week long at work we've had meetings about our health insurance. The company is giving us the option of keeping our PPO or we can switch to a plan with a high deductible. Regardless of what plan you chose, this article poses a very good question: would insurance cover this as a preventive procedure?

Back In Business

I'm happy to report I'm feeling much, much better today than I was yesterday. Thank you for your get well wishes, faithful readers. It must have been a thankfully quick 24 hour bug of some type because I felt great today and ate anything what wasn't nailed down.

Today was a great day - besides being over he little bug I had yesterday, today was filled with awesome news. First of all, my friend and coworker JDub found out today that he's going to get to be a daddy again. Their bundle of joy is due close to his birthday in July. And for the record, I have no idea why they say "be a daddy again" - once a daddy, always a daddy, that's what I always say.

And the news got better as the day went on. We heard from our boss BP today, and she told us that she is now in remission! Let me tell you that was some of the best news I've heard in months.

Under The Weather

I'm very, very bummed to report that I'm feeling under the weather tonight. So much, that I didn't even eat the highly anticipated supper of ribs cooked out on the grill tonight using a secret dry rub recipe. Believe me I wanted to eat the awesome ribs and Mom's homemade potato salad but with the way my delicate digestive system has been all day, I passed on that and instead just drank some ginger ale and ate a banana and some saltine crackers.

For the past week I've been looking forward to the ribs grilled using Charlie Vergos' special dry rub. But I'm hoping for a quick and full recovery tomorrow so I can have some for lunch. As for now, I'm going to sign off of here and go do some homework while I lay on my bed. That way I can drift off to sleep if I feel like it.

Something You Don't See Everyday

My friend, coworker and faithful reader SH has outdone herself again. Last week, she gave us "Something you don't hear everyday" and today she brings us "something you don't see everyday." She certainly has been working overtime to bring us newsworthy tidbits for TWIT.

Today at work, she told me about something interesting she saw while dining out with her family this weekend. She was looking out the windows at the restaurant at cars in the parking lot, and she spotted a BMW that looked a lot like mine. Driving the car, was a woman smoking a cigar. Now that is definitely something that you don't see everyday.

Link Of The Week

I am still kicking myself for not recording "The Women Of Saturday Night Live" a couple of weeks ago. I keep hoping NBC will rerun it again soon. I still can't remember when I've laughed much over something I've seen on TV or in a movie or even in real life. In case you didn't get to watch it, never fear. You can visit a very cool site, http://www.hulu.com and watch sketches from the show. I couldn't find the entire show but they have a lot of sketches on there. And you can also watch just about any TV show that is currently on the air, as well as other shows from the past.

Hats Off To Fireman Shawn

Normally I protect the anonymity of my faithful readers, but today I have to mention a friend and faithful reader in order to give them a major WTG (way to go). TWIT would like to give a major thank you to Fireman Shawn for helping at The Compound today. As I type this, Fireman Shawn is on the roof of the house with his father's portable gas-powered leaf blower and is blowing all of the leaves off of the roof of the house and from the gutters. Fireman Shawn was visiting his parents (our neighbors) and he saw Dad getting the ladder out and he came running over and offered to do it so my 76 year old father wouldn't be climbing up and walking around on the roof of the house.

I call him Fireman Shawn because, well, Shawn is a fireman. He is living out a childhood dream of being a fireman, and is a very valuable member of the Louisville Fire Department. In fact, he broke the department's record for carrying an insanely heavy fire hose up and down an insane amount of stairs as part of his test.

You, rock, Fireman Shawn. Not only for helping us out, but for helping our community, and for being an awesome father, husband, son, brother and friend.

Flashback Friday

Hug A Veteran Today

TWIT would like to wish a very happy Veteran's Day to all of the veterans out there. You all rock for serving our country so selflessly. And I would like to give a challenge to all of my faithful readers. It's only a little after 6:00 EST, so we still have some time left -- I urge you all to go out and find a veteran and give them a hug today and thank them for their service. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a hugger, and I've already hugged three veterans today, and am getting ready to go out and hug me a couple more just to thank them for their service. Do the same.

Something You Don't Hear Everyday

A faithful reader, friend and coworker SH emailed me today with something I just had to post in TWIT. We will begin a recurring post called "Something You Don't Hear Everyday." Her's definitely fits.

Background: SH got a phone call from her husband asking, , ,

"Can I put a frozen bear leg in the freezer?"

Yep, that's definitely something you don't hear everyday.

The Great Coffee Crisis

Things got off to a pretty shakey start at work this morning. We had the Great Coffee Crisis.
I walked into the lunchroom to put my lunch in the fridge (or should I say "attempt" to put my lunch in the fridge, because once again it was crammed full of lunch boxes. But I digress) and along with spilled coffee I saw parts of our coffee maker scattered all over the counter top. Apparently, the coffee maker keeps leaking and spilling out coffee in the mornings. A very kind coworker has been cleaning up the mess, but this morning she got fed up and left it for the Powers That Be to see in hopes that they would make arrangements for it to get fixed. The coffee vendor sent someone here yesterday but they said there was nothing wrong with it.

You can imagine how an office full of coffee drinkers would react to such a crisis as this. Some started going upstairs to the second floor coffee maker, but it soon ran out, and then upstairs people started coming downstairs in a useless attempt for coffee. By now, the natives were getting restless. The way some were carrying on, you would have thought that we were running out of oxygen to breathe. I'm pretty sure that the trapped Chilean miners didn't act nearly this bad.

Another coworker came to the rescue and started brewing coffee in her regular-sized Mr. Coffee maker. People started grabbing at the Mr. Coffee pot like drowning people would reach for a life prerserver. I think all that coworker did for two hours was make pot after pot in her small Mr. Coffee. At least that effort was able to get a little coffee into the bodies of the caffeine-deprived coworkers and keep them from turning into lethargic zombies.

Daylight Savings Time Recap

This was our first work day of Daylight Savings Time, and I was very shocked that I did not hear one coworker say they were depressed because it was getting darker sooner. I'm guessing that it's because this was the first work day of Daylight Savings Time. I'm sure as the week goes on I'll hear it. In advance, I have to say get over it, people. You're in for this until the spring.

Sorry, Zenyatta

We interrupt the regularly scheduled Link Of The Week to tell Zenyatta that we're sorry that she came in second in the Breeder's Cup Classic last night. This probably sounds crass, but I'm very very sorry she didn't win. I, along with millions of horse race fans, was wishing and hoping she'd win so her owners and trainer could brag about a perfect 20 and 0 record. But still 19 and 1 is a major, major feat. She ran an awesome race, and I think if the race had been about 20 more yards long, she would have won. You're awesome, Zenyatta, and you will go down in history.

Good Luck, Zenyatta

TWIT would like to wish the best of luck to Zenyatta today as she goes for an historical win in the Breeders Cup Classic. She's won 19 out of 19 races so far, and let me tell you - luck had nothing to do with those wins. She'll be going for win #20 today before retiring. She'll go down in racing history win or lose, but the world of horse racing hopes she goes out a winner.

Good Luck, Zenyatta

TWIT would like to wish the best of luck to Zenyatta today as she goes for an historical win in the Breeders Cup Classic. She's won 19 out of 19 races so far, and let me tell you - luck had nothing to do with those wins. She'll be going for win #20 today before retiring. She'll go down in racing history win or lose, but the world of horse racing hopes she goes out a winner.

Flashback Friday

On Monday, I made a comment to a coworker in my department about liking his new tennis shoes that he was wearing. He thanked me for the compliment, and said that they were old shoes but he hadn't worn them very much. Another coworker said "They're Flashback Friday Run DMC shoes." I was so proud of that coworker for actually reading TWIT enough to know about Flashback Friday, and number 2, for being so cool to mention it.

In honor of both the Run DMC shoe wearer and the shoe observer, here's a pic of the shoes.

Let It Snow?

It's just the first week in November and we already snow in the forecast. Yes, snow. They're only calling for a few snow flurries tomorrow morning, and with as warm as it's been I know it can't stick, but I already know that it will be Mr. Toad's Wild Ride even with just a few flakes floating around in the air. I might have to get up a half hour earlier tomorrow morning so I can get to work on time just because I know the traffic will be a frightmare.

It's Way Too Early

I bet I heard at least a half a dozen people at work say today "This weather has me depressed." I wanted to say something to them but I just kept my mouth shut. I wanted to yell out "Today is the one of the first days in a week that it hasn't been totally sunny so just deal with it" but I didn't. We're still days away from the time change and already people are weirding out and are saying they're "depressed" because of the weather. I wanted to yell out "Depression is a mental disorder. You're just bummed out because it's cloudy today" but I didn't. I was not very sympathetic today and doubt that I will be tomorrow. All I can say is it's a long time till spring, my friends. I hope you all can adjust.

Happy Deviled Egg Day

TWIT would like to wish everyone Happy Deviled Egg Day. As soon as you read this, please go to your kitchen, boil 6 eggs, let them cool off, and then cut them in half length-wise and scoop out the yellows into a bowl. Mash the yellows up, and then add a small plop of mustard and a little bit bigger plop of mayonnaise and a shake of salt and pepper and mix it all up. Take a table knife and then stuff the mixture back into the egg whites. If you're really feeling Food Network-ish, sprinkle some paprika on top, or do like I do and slice a few green olives and place a slice on top of the yellow mixture. And then get a glass of iced tea and enjoy your deviled eggs on National Deviled Egg Day.

Way To Go, Alexandria Mills

TWIT would like to congratulate Alexandria Mills, Miss USA, on winning this weekend's Miss World competition. I am proud to say that Alexandria is from Louisville, KY. She is only 18 years old and just graduated from high school this spring.

Last week, unfortunately, the country's attention was on Kentucky when the young woman got stomped and roughed up outside of the Rand Paul and Jack Conway debate in Lexington. Well, this week, we have a little more to be proud of here in Kentucky.

TWIT wishes Alexandria all the best during her year reign as Miss World. We're very proud of you and we know that you will be an awesome Miss World.