2012, You Weren't So Bad

Events That Happened In 2012 That Had An Impact On Me

January - Being "promoted" to the head of security and safety at church. It is an honor and a privilege to serve my church in this capacity.  In case you didn't know, church security is an area that I am passionate about.

February - Going to the movies twice in one week.  As you know, I rarely even go to the movies once a year.  So going twice in one week was a record.  And on a related note, I went again in July.  Three times in one year - that's a pretty big record to break.

March - Devastating tornados hit in southern Indiana and in eastern Kentucky.  Those with smart phones watched weather apps and followed the storm, and at work, we all went to the inner hallways on the first floor until the storm passed through Louisville.  My office was Headquarters - I had Dopplar radar up on my computer and had my little portable digital TV on for up-to-the-minute coverage from the weatherazzi.  This stressed the need to be prepared.

April - The Fifty Shades Of Gray frenzy was everywhere.  And I will confess that I, too, jumped on the bandwagon and bought the books just to see what the fuss was about.  Even though the series sold a bizillion copies, I was disappointed that I lost time in my life reading the books and wish I'd spent the time reading something else.  And let me go on record and say that I hated one of the main characters, Anastasia. 

May - We lost the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer, after a courageous bout with cancer.  I have always loved Donna Summer, and her death had more of an impact on me than Whitney Houston's.  Donna was a class act, had a beautiful voice, and she was the Queen of Disco.  She was also a Christian, and I hope that the Lord will her sing for me in heaven when I get there.

June - I attended four funerals in four weeks.  All four were sweet old ladies that I loved dearly, and each had an impact on my life as a teenager and as an adult.

July - I endured what I believe was the worst heatwave that I've experienced in my 49 years.  We would watch TV at night with the lights off, in hopes that it would make the room a degree or two cooler.  And we, along with thousands and thousands of others, kept a watchful eye on the air conditioner and the thermostat.  Being one that likes it cool, even I thought 80 degrees in the house was cool when it was 107 degrees outside. 

August - I entered green beans in the fair that I picked and canned myself.  Of course I had some help from the 'Rents, but I did it.  I didn't win a ribbon, but I tried.

September - I was able to visit with a dear old friend of the family during a trip to Evansville.  I hadn't seen her in probably 10 years, and it was as if no time had passed at all. She is also a true class act, and is a great example of a Christian who practices what she preaches.

October - For two long weeks, we didn't know if Mom had broken her foot or not.  I did an awful lot of praying those two weeks, and the Lord answered the prayers and there was no signs of any breaks in the second set of x-rays.  It had an impact on me not only because of her not being able to walk on her foot, but also because of the power of prayer.

November - The train derailment about 5 miles from The Compound had us all nerved up for a couple of weeks until the cars carrying the hazardous chemicals had been stablized and moved.  Once gain, this shows the need for us to be prepared and have an emergency kit with a few days of clothes, meds, and other necessities ready in case you have to evacuate.

December - The senseless, horrific shootings in Newton, Connecticut.  This affected everyone - gun owners and anti-gun people alike.  This will affect me for a long, long time.

Link Of The Week

It took a month, but thank goodness I'm over the cold/flu/upper respiratory infection/whatever-you-want-to-call-it that I along with 3/4 of the state have had.  It just lingered and lingered.  And friends that went to the doctor and got antibiotics for it said that their bout with the illness lasted about a month, too.  But I digress.  During my bout, I had congestion and and a cough.  Mucinex helped some with congestion relief but it did little for the cough.  I remembered a concoction that my Grandma would give me when I was little and had a cough and thought I'd try it.  I looked up online to make sure of the amounts and it was simple -- a cup of warm water, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of honey.  After a couple of days of drinking this, I could tell a difference. 

That made me think of how we used to drink ACV (apple cider vinegar) every day and how it was good for literally whatever ails you.  So the 'Rents and I decided we'd start drinking it every day.  My arthritis hasn't been as bad so I think it's making a difference.

I found a good site with home remedies using apple cider vinegar I'd like to share with you.  Visit http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/home-remedies.html.

One note:  it is not recommended to drink the ACV straight - dilute it with water or juice.  Over a period of time, if not diluted it will eat the enamel from your teeth.

Security Tip Saturday

We're at week 18 of our 20 Weeks To Preparedness.  You know the drill by now. Each week for the past 17 weeks, I've posted a list of items to buy or gather so you can compile an emergency kit for you and your family.  At the end of the 20 weeks, if you've bought or gathered the items listed, you will have compiled the recommended items for an emergency kit for you and your family. 

It's not too late - just check the archives for the previous 17 weeks for the items you need to buy.

Week 18

Child proof lathches (if needed)
Double-sided tape (or Velcro)
Two Plastic buckets with tight lid
Plastic sheeting

Last Winter Storm Of 2012 Update

The weatherazzi has everyone worked into a frenzy, including yours truly.  We're in for 4-6 inches here in the 'Ville by tomorrow night. 

Not being one to be not prepared, we've got plenty of gas for the snow blower, which was moved to the front of the garage today.  We've got all of the vehicles fully gassed up (given the text alert that said gas prices were going up today in the area).  We've got bread, milk, eggs, beer and a lot of ham left over from Christmas, not to mention plenty of cookies, chips and cheese.  So all I can say is bring on the snow.  We're ready here at The Compound.

White Day-After-Christmas Update Update

We didn't even get an official dusting here at The Compound yesterday.  The only way you could tell we had any frozen precipitation was by looking on the ramp. 

But it sure was cold. And I am giving a major shout out to Mrs. Kesrovic for knitting me another cool stocking cap.  I've worn the cap she knitted me last year for the past week.  It was an awesome surprise to get to work yesterday and discover another cool knitted cap on my desk.  Mrs. K, you rock.

And as another update, the weatherazzi are all geared up for a few inches of snow here tomorrow.  I'll believe it when I see it. 

Quote Of The Week

After a lengthy discussion at supper tonight about a particular topic, my Dad said something that was very quote-worthy. 

"Some people don't know how to be happy." 

Well said, Dad.  Well said.

Merry Christmas 2012

TWIT and our crazy elf Junior English would like to wish all of the faithful readers a very Merry Christmas.  We hope you are having a great day filled with joy and love with your friends and family.

Today, Junior was reunited with his two brothers.  And here all along you thought there were three wise men at the nativity.  Little did you know that three elves also came to worship the new born King!

Merry Christmas from TWIT, and please take time today to remember the reason for this holiday - to celebrate the birth of our new born king.

White Day-After-Christmas Update

For the past few days, the weatherazzi have worked theirselves into a frenzy as they consult different models and data to try (key word) and predict how much snow Louisville will get out of the approaching big storm.  As of this morning, one of the local weatherazzi says that if the model does not shift further southward, we could get (and I quote) "an inch or two or possibly more."  If the model shifts southward as it has in the past 24 hours, we could get a heck of a lot more than an inch or two.  In preparation, I went out this morning and filled up one of the 5-gallon cans with gas for the snow blower, and made sure we have plenty of bread and milk. Unfortunately, we won't get a white Christmas here in the 'Ville, but it looks like there's a good chance of a white day-after-Christmas. 

On an interesting side note, the weatherazzi's forecast I was reading this morning has started to use the Bread Index in predicting snow.  One slice meaning almost no chance of snow, up to ten slices, meaning get the shovels out.  This morning, he had five slices posted on his blog. 

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Happy Christmas Eve

That crazy elf, Junior English, has been very busy the past few weeks.  This morning, we found him riding a rocking horse ornament on the tree.  Junior and TWIT hopes every has a great Christmas Eve.

Link Of The Week

We still have thousands and thousands of troops deployed in countries around the world, and we all need to take a minute to express our thanks and give them a treat -- a Slim Jim.  It's the least we can do. Please visit http://www.slimjim.com/troops.jsp and fill out the short form, and your message and a Slim Jim will be sent to a soldier stationed away from home.  The troops love Slim Jims, and we all can help get them some and at the same time tell them how much we appreciate them for their service.

Security Tip Saturday

We're coming down to the end of our 20 Weeks To Preparedness - we're on week 17.  Hopefully you've been able to buy or gather up the items for the previous 16 weeks.  As always, it's not too late to start.  Just check in the previous 16 Saturday posts for the items to get, and you will be able to put together an emergency kit for you and your household.

Week 17

1 box graham crackers
Assorted plastic containers with lids
Dry cereal
Anti-dirrhea medication
Rubbing alcohol
Antiseptic
Syrup of ipecac and activated charcoal

Flashback Friday

This afternoon I was reminiscing to the Friday before Christmas break when I was in elementary school.  We'd have a big ole party that lasted from after lunch till time to go home. 

First of all, it was called a Christmas Party - not a Winter Festival. 

Second, the room mothers would bring in lots of cupcakes, cookies and Kool-Aid for us to have.  There were no worries about who had a peanut allergy; everybody ate whatever they wanted and it was OK. 

Third, the teacher would usually play records of Christmas carols, and we would listen and sing along.  There were no worries about the songs talking about the birth of Jesus.

Fourth, the teacher and room mothers would hug all of us as we were leaving the classroom at the end of the day.  There were no worries about sexual abuse or harassment.  We thought it was cool that we got hugs from people besides our parents.

We're Gonna Party Like It's 12-20-12

I'm not so sure the Mayans aren't on to something about the world ending on 12-21-12.  If nothing else, we're liable to get blown away here in Louisville and the surrounding area.  We're in the midst of a windstorm, and temperatures have dropped to the 30's with wind chill temps of the single digits.  And we're expecting the first measurable snow of the season tonight.  They're calling for less than a half an inch here in Louisville, which will cause more chaos than if it snowed a foot.

Disturbing Christmas Song Lyrics

From "Up On The House Top"

"Next comes the stocking of little Will

Oh, just see what a glorious fill
Here is a hammer and lots of tacks
Also a ball and a whip that cracks
Ho, ho ho! Who wouldn't go? Ho, ho, ho! Who wouldn't go?"

I tell you one thing - I sure wouldn't go if Will has a hammer and lots of tacks, and especially a whip.  If you ask me, I think little Will is becoming Fifty Shades.

Top Ten Favorite Christmas Song Versions For 2012

I love Christmas music.  I always have.  And the month of December is the only time that our department at work can listen to the radio because we have it tuned to an all-Christmas-music channel. 

Here's my top ten list of favorite versions of Christmas songs for 2012 (in no particular order)

1.  Frosty The Snowman - Ella Fitzgerald
2.  Go Tell It On The Mountain - Jewel
3.  Do You Hear What I Hear - Vanessa Williams
4.  White Christmas - Michael Buble and Shania Twain
5.  Jingle Bells - Barry Manilow
6.  Mary, Did You Know - Kathy Mattea
7.  Mele Kalikimaka - Jimmy Buffet
8.  Baby It's Cold Outside - Pearl Bailey and Hot Lips Page
9.  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Bare Naked Ladies and Sarah McLachlan
10. Silent Night - Stevie Nicks

Quote Of The Week

Spoken by my mother, on more than one occasion, and it bears repeating.

"Be careful of what you pray for.  Because eventually, your prayer will be answered."

Link Of The Week

There's so much grief, sadness, worry, and anxiety right now.  I've almost didn't want to laugh or be happy about anything after the horrific shootings on Friday.  But here's a link to a video of the "Sweeney Sisters" from old school Saturday Night Live that always makes me laugh.  I hope you will laugh a little bit too.  http://vimeo.com/34046077

Security Tip Saturday

This is week 16 in our 20 Weeks To Preparedness.  We're coming down the stretch and four more weeks, hopefully you will have purchased and compiled the recommended items for your family's emergency kit.  As always, you can go back to the previous 15 Saturday posts and get caught up if you're just joining.  It's not too late to be prepared. 

Remember - when the list mentions cans of foods or a gallon of water, it means per person in your household.

Week 16

1 can meat
1 can vegetables
1 box facial tissues
1 box quick energy snacks
Dried fruit/nuts

Flashback Friday

I asked the 'Rents tonight at supper what their biggest fear was when I was in elementary school.  They said their only real fear was me getting on the wrong school bus when it was time to go home.  They didn't say "The fear of a crazed gunman coming into your school and shooting you and your classmates."

I cannot begin to express what I'm feeling now about the senseless, horrific shootings at the elementary school this morning.  Some might condemn me for saying this, but today's shootings have affected me emotionally more than 9/11 did.  I know I really shouldn't compare the two, but I'm being honest and expressing how I feel today.  I know for a fact that I didn't cry this much nor was I this emotional on 9/11. 

Our prayers go out to all of the families affected by the shootings.  And the prayers will continue to go out forever.

Leap Year Lessons

A couple of weeks ago, a friend asked if I would be a guest writer in his blog.  Since January 1, he has posted each day a "Leap Year Lesson Learned" , and since there are 366 days in this year with Leap Year, he made sure each daily post was 366 words or less.   I was honored to be asked to be a guest writer in his blog.  Here's the post I wrote for him a couple of weeks ago.

I hate reality shows. But I watched “Doomsday Preppers” the other night after mistakingly DVRing it instead of a show on the Food Network. I watched the entire episode out of curiosity, and I’m glad I did because I learned something.

The show was about people who believe some mega catastrophe is going to occur – a natural disaster, collapse of the U.S economy, nuclear war, etc. – all of which they believe will lead to civil unrest and martial law – and they are planning and preparing for it by amassing enough food, ammo and other supplies to last them and their families for years. To say that the people on this show were obsessed with their “prepping” doesn’t even come close; all said they spend the majority of a 24-hour day prepping.

I’m all for planning and preparing; as a security consultant, it’s the main part of what I do. I tell people, churches, and other organizations how to plan and prepare for emergencies. I’m sure the people up in the northeast wished someone had taught them the need to plan and prepare for a disaster like Sandy, but I digress. What I teach and tell is not rocket science – it’s common sense. For example, here’s a security and safety tip for you, free of charge: take time to put together an emergency kit for you and the members of your household. Have enough food and water for you all for at least 3 days, and have any needed medications, a first aid kit, battery-powered radio, flashlights with extra batteries, and did I mention water? Make copies of insurance policies and other important documents and keep them in your kit as well. Also add in an extra set of clothes, and some blankets, and don’t forget food for pets. Keep all of these items together in backpacks or a plastic storage bin. You get the picture.

It’s OK to plan and prepare – the Bible tells us repeatedly that we need to. But it’s not OK to become so obsessed with planning and preparing for the future that you don’t have time for today.

Leap year lesson #336: Plan and prepare, but don’t forget the present.

It's About Time, Ann and Nancy Wilson

TWIT would like to congratulate Ann and Nancy Wilson and the rest of the band on Heart finally being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  It took a few years but it finally happened.  And it is well, well deserved and long overdue. 

In case you are a new faithful reader to TWIT and didn't know, Heart is my favorite music group of all time, and Nancy Wilson is my favorite guitarist, and is the reason I started playing the guitar when I was 13.

And in case you missed it, Ann and Nancy received a star on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame this summer.

Keep on rocking, ladies.

Elf On The Shelf

I'd like to introduce you, faithful readers, to The Compound's Elf On The Shelf, Junior English.

Not to be outdone by parents and families who have an Elf On The Shelf, we have our own Elf here at The Compound.  Here Junior is today, sitting underneath the TV by the remote control.  You just never know where he'll show up next.

Monday, Monday

After working and sitting through four performances of the Christmas program at church this weekend (the program was over two hours long, I might add) and working half a day on Saturday and having regular church services on Sunday, I am worn out.  I had to get back to work today to get some rest.  That's a big LOL.  Today was nonstop keying in inventory adjustments, because after all, it's the inventory time of the year.

So I'm wiped out tonight, and apologize for a brief and pointless post.  But at least I did post. 

Link Of The Week

We are in a dilemna at work, faithful readers. One of our coworkers' wives has said enough is enough, and this year she said she's not baking a bunch of cookies or making a bunch of fudge or buckeyes like she normally did; each year since her husband has worked at Zoeller, she's made a bunch of stuff and he's brought in two trays full. 

Since she's on a moratorium this year, a couple of coworkers and I (who does not cook) have said that we must keep the cookie and candy tradition going so we are going to make some stuff to bring to work.  Luckily for us we have a good website to help us.  Visit http://www.christmas-cookies.com/ for recipes on just about any kind of Christmas cookie or candy you can think of.

Happy baking.

Security Tip Saturday

This marks week 15 of our 20 Weeks To Preparedness.  For the past 15 weeks I've been posting a shopping list of items for you to buy for you family's emergency kit.  If you buy or gather all of the items I list each Saturday, at the end of the 20 weeks you will have gotten together the recommended items for an emergency kit for you and your family.

If you're just joining TWIT, please look in the archives for the past 14 weeks.  It's never too late to catch up.

Week 15

Extra flashlight batteries
Extra batteries for portable radio
Assorted nails
Wood screws
Labels for items

Flashback Friday

As most of the country did today, I took some time to reflect on the attack at Pearl Harbor on this day in 1941.  I thought about a dear, dear friend of our family who was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack.  Maxey was in the Marines, and luckily he was not injured during the attack.  After the attack, his unit, along with others, took refuge in caves inside one of the inactive volcanos.  I loved to hear Maxey tell stories about that day and about his time in the military.  And anyone that knew Maxey would tell you that he could really tell a story.

You might not know anyone living today that lived through the Pearl Harbor attack, but take some time to find a veteran and ask them to tell you some stories -- flashbacks, if you will.  You'll be glad you took the time to listen.

How Many Will It Take

I've spent the last hour emailing everyone in the Jefferson County and city of Louisville government offices that I could find, begging and pleading with them to install turn signals on all of the traffic lights along the Greenbelt Highway.  This morning, yet another person was killed because there was no turn signal and a truck thought they had the right of way. 

I know my plate is already full but I am taking this on as a personal project, and I will be contacting our Metro Councilman and Mayor personally next week about this.  I totalled my Blazer a couple of years ago as a result of the same situation - the lady that hit me thought she had the right of way.  

As always, I'll keep you posted.

Yukon Cornelius, At Your Service

In case you didn’t know, I am remote-control challenged. I have the hardest time with the big gray Insight Cable remote control. So it was no great surprise when, a few weeks ago, I DVR’d the wrong show.  I intended to DVR something from the Food Network and instead ended up with an episode of “Doomsday Preppers.” I hate reality shows, but I was intrigued, so I watched the show. In case you haven’t seen or heard of it, the show is a documentary about people who are beyond obsessed with preparing (“prepping”) for some major disaster. The disasters run the gamut from an earthquake along the New Madrid fault that could split the country literally in half to radiation in the air from the nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan. Every one of the doomsday situations the people are prepping for all include civil unrest and martial law. So while these people are amassing enough food to feed their families for years and years, they are also stockpiling ammo and weapons.


As I was watching “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” last night with the ‘Rents, it dawned on me that Yukon Cornelius could have been a preppers. To substantiate my claim, check out this quote from Yukon: “Now I'm off to get my life-sustaining supplies: cornmeal and gun powder and ham hocks and guitar strings.” Yep, Yukon was a prepper.

Lesson Learned

Today, I start a recurring post in TWIT called "Lesson Learned."

Today's lesson learned: 

Don't trust anything you hear, even if it's from a credible sourse, until you hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

The 2012 Christmas Price Index

'12 Days of Christmas' Gift List Price Tag Now Tops $107,000


Add seven swans, six geese and five golden rings to the list of Christmas gifts that cost more than they did a year ago.

And if you get all 364 items repeated throughout "The Twelve Days of Christmas" carol, you'll pay 6.1 percent more this year, according to the so-called Christmas Price Index that PNC Wealth Management updates annually.

That comes to $107,300.

"The rise is larger than expected considering the modest economic growth we've had," said Jim Dunigan, managing executive of investments for PNC. He noted the government's Consumer Price Index has risen just 2 percent in the 12 months before September.

Thrifty shoppers may find some reasons for cheer. Six items mentioned in the song haven't gone up in price: maids-a-milking, ladies dancing, lords-a-leaping, calling birds, turtle doves and the partridge. The eight maids-a-milking still cost just $58 because the minimum wage hasn't risen.

Twelve drummers drumming ($2,775.50) and eleven pipers piping ($2,562) might also be considered relative bargains compared to seven swans, which will set you back $7,000. Nine ladies dancing will cost you $6,294.03.

Dunigan said the 2011 drought caused the prices of some birds to soar, partly because of corn and other feed costs.

"The geese were up 29.6 percent, and swans were up 11 percent," Dunigan said, adding that none of the gifts in the song went down in price this year.

The price of a pear tree is $189.99, an 11.8 percent jump from last year's $169.99. Five gold rings jumped 16.3 percent this year, to $750, and three French hens are now $165, instead of $150.

The $15 partridge is the cheapest item, and swans the most expensive, at $1,000 each.

Last-minute shoppers who turn to the Internet will pay a bit more for the gifts. Buying one set of the core items in each verse costs $24,431 in traditional stores this year, but $40,440 online. Part of that difference is the extra expense of shipping live birds, Dunigan said, adding that Internet costs rose 1.5 percent compared to last year.

While the total cost of all items mentioned in the "Twelve Days Of Christmas" rose 6.1% this year, I'm first to say that my salary sure didn't increase 6.1%. 

Link Of The Week

I don't watch a whole lot of TV, and the majority of shows I watch faithfully come on at 10:00.  I watch them from my bed while relaxing before going to sleep. But I digress. I found a cool site for TV lovers called Yidio.  You can watch episodes of current TV shows (in case you have the overwhelming urge to get caught up on "Jersey Shore"), and you can also sign up for notifications of when new episodes of your favorite shows will be on.  Visit http://www.yidio.com.

Security Tip Saturday

We're at week 14 of our 20 Weeks To Preparedness. By now, you know the drill.  But in case new readers are joining, each week for 20 weeks I will post a list of items for you to buy, and at the end of the 20 weeks you will have an emergency kit for you and your family. Remember when cans of fruit, meat, vegetables and juices or gallons of water are listed, you need 1 for each member of your household. As always, you can look back at the archives for the previous 13 Saturday posts to catch up.  It's never too late to plan and prepare.

Week 14

1 can fruit
1 can meat
1 can vegetables
1 package eating utensils
1 package paper cups