Flashback Friday

Some might think it's disgusting, but I remember having Fischer's pickled bologna as a kid with my grandparents and neighbor Deetch.  It was mostly a summer thing.  Deetch would walk down with one of her Chihuahua's, also referred to as a Rat Dog by my Grandpa, and she'd have a glass of iced tea and a piece of pickled bologna with me and Grandma and Grandpa for lunch. We'd always have some very crisp saltine crackers to eat with the pickled bologna.  And Deetch would always bring some cookies or another sweet treat for dessert.

I don't hear or see many people eating pickled bologna these days.  I guess because it's jam packed with sodium.  But nobody thought about that back in the day.

Farmtown 2013 Update

We are happy to report that the 14 tomato plants here at The Compound have taken root and are doing great.  They are carefully monitored, watered and given compost regularly.  Now it's all up to the good Lord to let them grow.

Something You Don't Hear Every Day

Overheard from the clerk who was having some printer issues at the County Clerk's office while a friend was getting her driver's license renewed, and I quote:

"I'm just gonna keep putting paper in this thing till something happens ."

Nuff said.

Why Do You Ask?

Why does someone even bother to ask me "Are you busy?" when they interrupt me?  Everytime someone asks that and I answer "Yes", they always say "Well, this will just take a minute."  Why, oh why do people ask this?

Happy Memorial Day

TWIT would like to wish everyone a very Happy Memorial Day.  Please take time today to remember and give thanks for our military members that are no longer with us.  TWIT salutes Boots, Maxie, Uncle Paul, Uncle Roy, Donnie H., Jim W. and Ted W.  I have a feeling they're all together in heaven today exchanging war stories.

Link Of The Week

As I've mentioned, I come from a long lineage of gardeners and farmers.  Unfortunately, the lineage stops with me because I am truly not a gardener nor a farmer, as the 'Rents will testify.  I've tried but I just don't have The Touch like the 'Rents do.  For as long as I can remember, my Dad and Grandpa both planted their gardens in accordance with what the Farmer's Almanac said, and they've always had such beautiful gardens and boutiful harvests.

If you're a gardener, you, too, can follow the advice they used and visit http://www.almanac.com/gardening for help on when to plant. Trust me - the Farmer's Almanac will not steer you wrong. 

Security Tip Saturday

To continue from last week's Security Tip Saturday post, here's some advice on door-to-door solicitors.

If they're not wearing a uniform or at least a shirt with the company logo, that's your first red flag.  But it goes a bit farther - in this day where we can buy uniforms and company logo shirts on eBay, anyone can get them.  When in doubt, ask to see a company ID.  All companies who actually still send people door-to-door will issue them a photo ID that they are to wear.  And if you even doubt the authenticity of their ID badge, you can still protect yourself without letting them come in to your house.  Be firm and simply tell them you don't have time right now and ask them to give you a brochure or price list along with a phone number where you can call the company back.  If they don't have anything to give you, chances are they're scammers and would-be robbers. 

Flashback Friday

After a week full of problems, worries, dramas, issues, etc, tonight on Flashback Friday I think back to a time when on Friday evenings, I didn't have anything at all to worry about.  I thought for quite a bit tonight, and really and truly, I didn't have anything at all to think about on Friday nights when I was a kid.  Maybe, the only thing remotely close I had to think about was if I wanted to stay up and watch "Fright Night" or if I wanted to just go to bed and sleep.  If it were only that easy today.

Another First

I went to a Bats game tonight, and experienced a first.  I've been going to see the Bats for over years now, and in all of the games I've attended, I've gotten a lot of freebies - everything from blankets to bobbleheads, ball caps to duffel bags, ceramic beer steins, umbrellas, folding chairs, etc etc.  But tonight, I got something that you would never expect to be given away as a freebie at a ball game.  Tonight, I got underwear.  Yep, underwear.  The fine t-shirt company Gildan gave away packs of underwear and socks. We were very surprised that not many people were taking them.  So the Gildan people gave our group half a dozen packs each.  I got an assortment of mens and womens, so the 'Rents will be covered, too. 

I can hardly wait to see what we freebies we get tomorrow night.

Good Luck, Gorlocks

TWIT would like to wish Webster University's men's baseball team good luck as they are headed to the NCAA Division III College World Series. This is the second time in 27 years that Webster has made it to the World Series.  In case you don't remember, Webster University is my alma mater.  Go Gorlocks!!

We Roll Deep, OKC

There is no amount of preparedness and planning that could have prevented yesterday's horrific tornado devastation in the OKC area.  But thanks to Dopplar radar and the weatherazzi giving advance warning, thousands of lives have been saved.  In no way does that lessen the fact that people were killed in yesterday's storms.

We roll deep with OKC, and are sending up prayers for all of those affected by yesterday's devastating tornadoes.  Yes, I know I already used that phrase, but that's the only way you can describe a tornado that was over a mile wide. And those poor people are staring right in the face of another round of tornadoes coming through now. 

We really can't question why, because we don't know.  All we can do is pray for those affected. 

Quote Of The Month

Said by Sweet Mother moments ago after I experienced several fumbles at the supper table, and I quote,

"Sometimes you have trouble with the gravy."

App Of The Week

I love the games that are a part of Facebook or that you can play without having to connect through Facebook.  Granted, I don't have a lot of free time during the week when I can play games, but I play when I have a few minutes here or there. 

One game I play is Bingo Blitz.  The games are old school bingo - up and down, across, diagonal or four corners.  You earn points and can level up with the more "XP's" (experience points) you earn from winning bingo's.  There's lots of different rooms you can play in, and you also get free credits every day from Bingo Blitz that you use to play the games.  It's available on iTunes for the Apple products folks, and through Android as well. 

If you play, please leave a comment on here and I will send you a note with my game ID so we can be teammates.

Be warned - the game is addicting. 

Security Tip Saturday

For the past week, there have been a lot of posts on Facebook, emails, and even reports on the local news about men going door to door soliciting in name only for a security company.  Most of them are wearing backpacks, and some even wear shirts that have the name of a security system company on them, in an attempt to make homeowners think they're legit. It's a scam, and these men are thugs simply trying to get info about you and your home.  As I've always said, if you see something, say something.  If you see guys or gals that fit this description going through your neighborhood, don't hesitate to call 911.  The police will send someone out to check it all out.  Before you call the police, please take a few seconds to get as good of a description of the solicitors as possible. 

Keep in mind -- in this day and age of the internet, social media, smart phones, etc,  companies don't use the old school door-to-door method of sales anymore.  If someone knocks on your door, just don't answer.  If they keep knocking, call 911. 

Flashback Friday

I normally never think about this, but today on my long way home from work I thought about my Big Wreck back in 1992. 

The weather conditions were the same - it was drizzling today, like it was that day back in July 1992, and I was thinking about it all at the same time I had the wreck.  I guess I thought about it because I drove past a horrific wreck that was very similar to my wreck. 

The difference was I made it home this trip, unlike that night back in July of 1992.  I made it home safe and sound, complete with my bags of carry-out for our supper; unlike the SUV that was at the brunt end of the wreck today.

It all just made me think back to that night, and for a few minutes I felt the emotions I felt that night back in 1991.  It also made me say some extra prayers of thanks for the way my wreck turned out.

It never ceases to amaze me at how the Lord uses all of the things going on around us to get our attention.

Farmtown 2013

 I am proud to bring you the first of many weekly pictures of the garden here at The Compound, formally referred to as Farmtown.

On Monday, 14 tomato plants were set out, as seen in the top picture.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, green beans and corn were planted, as seen in the bottom picture.

Each week, I will take picture from the same spot on Thursday mornings to show what I know will be awesome progress at Farmtown and post them there in TWIT. 

Lost And Found

In keeping with the theme of my life, I lost a couple of important things a couple of weeks ago.  I knew that they were here at The Compound somewhere but I had no idea where that somewhere was until this morning.  I had carried a smaller purse since I attended a funeral on Saturday, and this morning when I finally changed back to my big Prada, I found one of the items I'd lost - a thumb drive with all of my Good Shepherd Security Consulting stuff on it.  Sure, I had it backed up twice, but it was the principle that I'd lost the thumb drive.  Yep, it was in a pocket in the smaller purse I carried this weekend.  And somehow that discovery led to the discovery of the second item I'd lost, a file folder with Good Shepherd Security Consulting contract stuff.  And once again, I had it all backed up, but it wasn't the same.  Anyhoo, at the moment, I am not looking for any lost items.  But stay tuned.  I'm sure that will change soon.

Farmtown 2013

It's been a couple of weeks since The Old Man had his cataract surgery, so he felt like that was long enough.  I'm happy to report that Farmtown 2013 is well under way.

Yesterday, they planted tomatoes and peppers.  Today they planted green beans.  Tomorrow, they will plant corn. 

There have been no reports of any eye issues; only reports of slight back and knee issues.  For two seventy-nine year olds, I think that's pretty damned good.

Problem Solved

When we last left our heroine, she was in the midst of the Great Garage Door Opener Crisis.  Let's tune in and see what happened on today's episode.

I left work a bit early so I would be able to make it to the garage door place before they closed at 5:00.  I got there at a quarter till, only to find the door locked. I was walking back to the car when the owner drove over.  He was trying to sneak out early like I was, only he was going to play golf.  He gladly unlocked the door and was eager to help me.

I explained the situation, and he said it sounded like it wasn't the remotes, but instead the sensors that are in the garage.  I told him that was a good thought, but that didn't explain how the third remote would open and close the door.  He was one of the most honest store owners I've dealt with; he said that he would sell me two new remotes if I really wanted two new ones, or he said for me to try resetting the remotes instead.  Each remote was $34 each so I'm pretty sure you can guess which route I chose.  He told me to press the red button on the back of the opener for one second and the press the button on the remote for one second, and that this process would reset the remotes and they should work.  It took Dad longer to get the ladder over out than it did to reset both remotes and just like the very honest and ethical garage door store man said, they worked.  Problem solved.

Happy Mother's Day

TWIT would like to wish a very happy Mother's Day to women everywhere.  And I would like to wish a special happy Mother's Day to my favorite mother - which happens to be mine. 

Open Sesame

We've had a big mystery for the past few days at The Compound, and the 'Rents and I have tried (key word) to solve it but no dice.  Thursday night before he went to bed, The Old Man (Dad, in case you've forgotten) spent a half an hour trying to get the garage door to close.  The remote would work for a second and the door would start down, only to stop and go back up.  He finally was able to get it to close by keeping his finger on the switch on the wall, and then going out the side door.  Yesterday morning, I thought our problem was solved when I used the remote in the house and the door opened just fine.  But we were back at square one when I had to do the same thing as dad did last night. 

We thought (another key word) we'd found the problem this morning.  The remote in the 'Rents ride opened AND closed the door just fine.  So we thought (here we go again) it was the battery.  I ran up to the corner and got new batteries and put them in the other two remotes, only to find that they wouldn't open nor close the door.  Once again back to square one.  At least we have one remote that will work.  That will have to do until Monday when I can take  both non-working remotes to a garage door shop after work and see how much $$$ it will cost me.  I'll keep you posted.

Flashback Friday

As we were having our regular Friday night fish supper at The Compound, I thought back to the 70's when Grandma or Mom would fix frozen fish sticks for lunch or supper.  To me, the best part of the frozen fish sticks was the packet of relish that came inside the box, and you mixed it in with mayonnaise to make your own tartar sauce.  It was truly the highlight of the fish sticks.  That tartar sauce always tasted ten times better than the tartar sauce from a jar.  To my knowledge, frozen fish sticks today do not come with the make-your-own-tartar-sauce packets.  How sad is that?

I'm A Geek

I rushed home from work today, making sure I left promptly at 4:30 and didn't may any stops along the way home.  I wanted to get home as soon as I could and get online and watch this evening's "Ring Of Fire" solar eclipse.  It gets its name for the ring shape created by the moon blocking part of the sun's light.  The 'ring of fire' or 'annular' solar eclipse is visible in certain parts of Australia and the Southern Pacific Ocean. That's a pretty small range, and depending on weather conditions, even people in the region may not be able to see the celestial event. But I have been able to watch it online for the past hour.  I even took my dinner plate in here and ate supper at the computer desk while I watched.  Yes, I was that interested in it.

Maybe I am a geek but at least this is a small deviation from all of the problems in the world right now.

Quote Of The Day

Someone said something to me this evening that caught me off guard at first, but after I had time to think about things, they were absolutely right. 

And I quote:

"You have the heart of your mother, and the spirit of your father."

I resemble that remark.

Chivalry IS Dead

For the past couple of years, I've been playing a secret game.  The old Beemer uses more oil and coolant now, and it's not an uncommon sight to see me in the parking lot at work or store with the hood op pouring in oil or coolant.  Always the one to be prepared, I keep a few quarts of oil and a gallon of coolant in the trunk at all times.  But I digress.  The game I've been secretly playing is to see if anyone is kind enough to stop and ask if I need any help.  You'd be surprised at the results. 

Case in point, three weeks ago.  I was putting some coolant in the BMW in the parking lot at work, and a half a dozen male coworkers drove right past me, looking straight at me, and didn't stop to see if there was a problem or if I needed help.  My high school friends Scott (a coworker) and his wife Sheila (also a classmate) stopped to see if I needed help.  Point proven.  Chivalry IS dead.

The case was proven again earlier tonight.  I went to the store and before heading home took a minute to add some more oil to the engine of the old Beemer.  Once again a half dozen men drove and walked right past me and didn't stop to ask if I needed help. But two women - one older and one younger - both stopped to ask if I needed help.  Their mama's sure raised them right.

File Under: WTF?

NH Man Loses Life Savings On Carnival Game


Henry Gribbohm says he lost his life savings on a carnival game and all he got was this stuffed banana.
EPSOM, NH (CBS) – Henry Gribbohm says he lost his life savings, $2,600, on a carnival game and all he has to show for it is a stuffed banana with dreadlocks.

“You’re expecting the kids to win a few things, let the kids have a good time,” said Gribbohm. “It just didn’t turn out that way.”

Gribbohm says he attended a Manchester carnival run by New Hampshire-based Fiesta Shows and wanted to win an Xbox Kinect at a game called Tubs of Fun where contestants toss balls into a tub. When he practiced he says it was easy, but something changed when he started playing for the prize and the balls kept popping out.

“It’s not possible that it wasn’t rigged,” said Gribbohm.

The 30-year-old from Epsom says he kept trying to win back his money by going double or nothing. He dropped $300 in just a few minutes, then says he went home to get $2,300 more and soon lost all of that as well.

“You just get caught up in the whole ‘I’ve got to win my money back.’”

Fiesta Shows says the game is run by an independent contractor who has worked for Fiesta for years. Fiesta tells WBZ-TV it is interviewing the contractor to “get to the bottom of what happened” and the game is not being set up at the upcoming carnival in Derry.

“They’ve been with us quite a while,” said Fiesta Vice President John Flynn. “First I ever heard of anything like that.”

Flynn said he did not know the name of the contractor off hand, and said it was “pretty next to impossible” to lose such a large amount of money at the game.

“I know it’s a difficult game. I’ve tried it myself — I’ve done it once, missed probably 20 times,” he said.

Henry says he went back the next day to complain, and the man running the game gave him back $600. Henry split with the banana and the cash, and filed a report with the Manchester Police Department.

Manchester Police Lieutenant Maureen Tessier says the department is investigating to determine if there was any fraud.

The traveling carnival is now setting up in Derry, NH, but you will not see Tubs Of Fun. Fiesta said the independent contractor that runs the game is not allowed to set up while an investigation is taking place.

Gribbohm says he is considering a lawsuit.

“For once in my life I happened to become that sucker,” said Gribbohm. “It was foolish for putting up my life savings.”

Two points come to mind about this.  First of all, he spent $2600 to try and win an XBox Kinetic that he could have bought at WalMart for $149.00.  Second, his "life savings" was only $2600.  I rest my case.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

TWIT would like to wish a very happy Cindo de Mayo to all of my Mexican faithful readers.  Today they celebrate their country's independance. I hope that the rain will stop tonight so all of my amigos can light fireworks just like we do on the Fourth of July.

The 'Rents and I just got home from an awesome Sunday lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Pina Fiesta.  We all three had an awesome fiesta as we celebrated Cinco de Mayo.  The Old Man and I got free Cinco de Mayo t-shirts, and Mom got a way cool Casadores tequila cowboy hat to wear when she's in the garden.  A good time was had by all.

It's not too late to visit your favorite Mexican restaurant and celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Have a shot of tequila for me.

Happy Derby 139

Flashback Friday

This is Oaks day here in Louisville, aka Derby Eve.  This day has become a holiday for schools and a lot of companies and businesses here in the city.  It's a company holiday for us at ZCO, and when I was in junior high and high school, Derby Eve meant a day off for us, too.  Back then, the public schools were still in session on Derby Eve, and businesses and companies were open.  But my school was just a block away from Churchill Downs, so we didn't have school on Derby Eve so the school/church could make some extra cash parking cars. Back then, some thought it was horrible that the school/church made money parking cars for Oaks and Derby days; today, every church within 3/4 of a mile from the track parks cars to make extra money. A buck is a buck.

I still think it's cool that my school was the frontrunner for closing on Derby Eve.

Happy Birthday, Louisville

TWIT would like to wish a very happy birthday to the city of Louisville.  Yesterday marked the city's 223rd birthday.

I was born here, raised here, live here, and unless I win the lottery and can move to Italy, I will die here. 

All eyes will be on our fair city on Saturday with the 139th running of the Kentucky Derby, so it will be our time in the spotlight.  But I love this city, and it's always in the spotlight to me.

Happy birthday, Louisville.  I love you.

Post-Op Updates

The Old Man is doing great after his surgery on Monday.  His Caregiver (aka Puddin) faithfully gives the eye drops at the required times, and if I do say so myself, I've not missed his eye nor have I wasted any drops so far.  Hell, they cost so much, you can't afford to waste a drop.

He was outside this morning puttering around with his dark wrap-around sunglasses, and did just fine.  He's taking his afternoon nap now, and he even is going to church tonight.

As all of the nurses and doctors said on Monday, he's one tough cookie.  And so is his wife.  And I'm glad I have that DNA in my genes.