Happy Belated National Coffee Day

TWIT would like to apologize for being a day late in wishing everyone a happy national Coffee Day yesterday.   Without our post, I hope that you, faithful readers, were able to get some good coffee to celebrate the day. 

TWIT will be more observant and responsible in wishing you, faithful readers, happy future national holidays. 

That's Just Trivial

I am very happy to report that the team "The Divas" came in first place at the trivia contest last night, and are the proud winners of a $25 gift card for the pub.  Add to that a $15 gift card we won last week for coming in second place, and we're doing pretty darned good.  

We do realize our limits, however, and our homework for this week is for us both to brush up on our state capitols.  

Wish us luck next week!

Way To Go, Puddin

I am very happy to report that after three weeks of NFL games, I am in first place in the fantasy football league at work.  Yep, that means for the past three weeks, three of my coworkers have been beaten by a girl.  And I hope to keep the streak going as long as my luck and the health and strength of my players holds out. 

I wish I'd had the foresight to bet $50 on one of the many pay fantasy football sites out there.  If I had, I might have been able to get a new deluxe iPhone 6S or put my order in for the new iPad.  Oh well.  I'll take the wins and be happy with bragging rights for the past three weeks.

Happy Lunar Eclipse

The 'Rents and I are primed and ready to watch the Blood Moon/Lunar Eclipse tonight.  The Old Man and I just had a shot of tequila and we are ready to watch.  We have a couple of hours before the partial eclipse starts, so there could possibly be a nap, beings we've been gone all day.  But we will be outside hoping for a clear sky.  

We've had a great time this summer watching the Space Station as it passed by.  We appreciate NASA's website keeping us posted of the fly-by's.  

It Doesn't Matter

We're dealing with a clogged drain here at The Compound today, but in the scope of things, it doesn't matter.  

I got a call yesterday morning from my Dad's cousin, telling us that his daughter - his only child - had died suddenly.  She lived in Chicago, and had a son.  They won't know any details about her death until a couple of months when they will give the autopsy and toxicology reports.  But like I said, in the scope of things, my Dad's cousin Wayne would wish that a clogged drain was all he had to deal with today.

Once again, I have to say that the Lord allows certain things to happen to us and around us to get our attention and to teach us something.  I got the message loud and clear, God.

Thank You, Little Queenie

I went to the track today aka Churchill Downs.  It was an awesome way to end a great week.  I went with one of my dear coworkers PW.  It was a bittersweet visit to the track.  PW will most likely be going to work at our sister company in Taiwan within the next six months.  He'll be there for about five years.  Yep, that sucks for me, but it is an awesome opportunity for him.  So to celebrate and spend some time together before he goes, we went to the track today.  We had an awesome time (sorry for using "awesome" so much, but it's descriptive and it fits.)  

My friend PW came out quite a bit ahead on his betting, and thanks to Little Queenie in the 9th, I broke even.  There were a number of reasons I bet on Little Queenie.  First, "Little Queen" is on of my fave songs by my beloved group Heart.  Second, it was a gray horse.  Third, a former coworker Kray-Z Kay used to call me Queenie.  So I just had to bet on it.  And $140 later, I'm glad I did. 

I Am Blessed

I know I have a lot of friends that care about not only me but the 'Rents.  I am beyond blessed to have so many friends that called, emailed, texted or posted messages on FB to my sweet Mother yesterday for her birthday.  Sure, in the FB era we've grown to expect our FB friends to post a birthday greeting to us, but for so, so many people to take the time to send a birthday message to my Mother made me feel ten feet tall.  

Thanks again to all of you that made my Mother's birthday so special to her.  You all rock. 

Happy Birthday, Mom

TWIT would like to wish a very happy birthday to my sweet, sweet Mother.  To quote her, she said "this was the best birthday day ever."  The Old Man and I made it our mission today to make sure she did in deed have the best birthday ever.  So far, we've done pretty darned good. 

Farewell, Farmtown 2015

We knew this day would come, and it's a bit sad  - we say farewell to Farmtown 2015.  The 'Rents pulled up the tomatoes today and all that remains are Mom's flowers.  

With the cray cray weather we had, we are very happy that the garden did as good as it did. Before they took down the tomato plants today, they picked about half of a half-bushel basket of green tomatoes. Although the bounty wasn't as plentiful as last year's garden, we still were able to give tomatoes to friends from Evansville to Prospect this summer.  

The 'Rents are already planning on Farmtown 2016;  in a couple of months, the seed catalogs will be arriving in the mail, and Dad is already mapping out a planting plan according to the Farmer's Almanac.

Way To Go, Divas!

I am happy to report that the team The Divas won second place in the weekly trivia contest at a local pizza joint tonight.  The team consists of yours truly and Diva Stacy, although we had help on a few questions from Diva Stacy's hubby.  I think this is awesome for our first attempt - considering we were in a foreign place (meaning, we've never been there before together) and we had no clue as to the protocol or rules of the contest.  But we quickly learned - well enough to win a gift card for our second place prize. 

We are already looking forward to next Monday's contest.   Go Divas. 

Unpleasant Sunday

Things are not very pleasant here at The Compound tonight.  Yours truly burned a bag of microwave popcorn and we've tried for over an hour to get the stench out of the house.  The 'Rents aren't very happy with me over this, but it is what it is.  At least it didn't set off the smoke detector or heaven forbid the smoke alarm like it did in at work one day a couple of years ago.  The fire department even came out for that.  Pardon me while I go spray some more Lysol and Febreeze. 

How Cool Is This?

I just spent the last two yours playing You Tube videos on Dad's iPad for him and Mom.  And it was a blast.  For the songs that I played that he really liked, I saved them to his "Favorites" so he can play them again.  How many 81 year olds do you know that are interested in that?  I hope that I'm half that cool when I get 81. 

Flashback Friday

This week, I thought about my beloved 1978 VW Rabbit.  We called it "Stonewall".  Not sure why, but that was it's name. 

I loved that car, and drove it until the engine blew and that was all she wrote.  But it was a great car during my first years as a driver.  When the Energy Crisis of 78 hit, the 'Rents sold our cool Chevy van and bought the Rabbit.  I'm pretty sure it got about 50 miles a gallon.  The stereo in it was awesome, and the only drawback was that it didn't have air conditioning, but it was a fun car.  

I sure wish I still had Stonewall. 

Another [Not Really] Non-Word Overheard

"I have a good report with them."  

We're hoping they have a good rapport in order to get a good report.  

Something You Don't Hear Every Day

A dear friend was telling me about her daughter's soccer team and how it is all effed up.  I don't feel I am betraying, because my friend would be the first to say that her daughter's soccer team is most definitely effed up.  It's effed because there is no leadership or coaching. 

The team's coach said he is qualified to coach to team because (and I quote) "I watched soccer on TV."  I might have paraphrased it but to the best of my memory, that's the quote I heard.  Hell, he might as well have said that he played a soccer video game and was really good at it.

Heaven help these precious kids and their soccer team. 

Whiskey River, Don't Run Dry

Link Of The Week

I just found a very cool link, and it's time sensitive - it's (and I quote) "9 awesome paid iPhone apps on sale for free today!"  You can check it out at http://bgr.com/2015/09/14/best-free-iphone-apps-ipad-sep-14/.  I downloaded a couple myself.  They won't be free for long, so check them out today. I will try (key word) to remember to check out this site every Monday morning and post the link for my faithful readers that have iPhones. 

Way To Go, Titans

TWIT would like to say way to go to the Tennessee Titans led by quarterback Marcus Mariota on their season opening win over Tampa Bay, 42-14.

What a display of us Titaning Up! 

 

Security Tip Saturday

In case you didn't already know, September is Emergency Preparedness Month.  The Red Cross, Department of Homeland Security, FEMA, and other organizations are promoting emergency preparedness. They recommend 3 days worth of  food, water and supplies.

TWIT gave you the lists of items to buy to complete your family's emergency kit last year, and you can find the lists in the TWIT archives.  But in case you are new or don't want to bother with looking back, here's the basics for you:

Water - in gallon or 2 liter bottles; as long as the bottles are clean, it doesn't matter.  What matters is that you need water more than you need food to survive in an emergency.  The recommended dose is one gallon per day per person.  

Food - make sure the food is preferably something you don't have to heat up.  Granted, it might not taste all that good, but we can all eat a can of beanie weenies or some Spam or even a can of soup unheated.  Get some soups, fruits, veggies and anything already cooked in easy-to-open cans.  Or get some protein bars.  They might not be as tasty as a slab of steak or other meat, but they will give you protein and energy in an emergency.   And go to Wal-Mart and look in their camping section or go online  - you can get an inexpensive stove to heat up the food.  Or you can always find MRE's on eBay if you want to order some. 

Meds - if you are on prescription meds or daily recommended OTC meds, make sure you have at least a 3 day supply set aside in your emergency kit.  Also have Aspirin or Tylenol, Imodium AD, anti-acid pills, allergy meds, or any other supplements you take.

Lighting - make sure you have flashlights with fresh batteries, candles, matches, extra batteries and light sticks.  I buy light sticks at the dollar stores for a quarter.  They will work just fine in an emergency.

Blankets - we're in September and not dealing with freezing temps, but you still need a blanket for every person in your family.  

Radio - it's old school, but every family needs a battery-powered radio.  You can get them at the grocery store, department stores or online.  Preferably, one that is battery-powered and also hand-cranked.  You need to have a radio that will get the NOAA weather channel and also local channels for news.  

There's a ton of other things I could list, but these are the basics you need.  

Flashback Friday

This was a somber day in our country, but I vividly remember this day, and will always remember it.

I was in my cubicle, and my Sweet Mother had called me to check in, like she or I did every morning.  While we were talking, she had on the Today Show.  As we were talking about something, I heard her go silent.  Then she said "A plane just hit the World Trade Center."  She stayed on the phone with me, relaying the info from the news they were watching.  After about  15 minutes of her giving me info that she was hearing from the TV, she gasped, and said "Oh my God.  Another plane hit the second tower." 

I hung up the phone from talking with her, but it was reluctant.  At the time, we didn't know what was going on, or if we would be around later to be able to talk to our loved ones again.

The next vivid thing I remember was walking past my boss's office, where he had comandeered a TV, and had the news on.  I stopped in the doorway and watched just as the towers were collapsing.  I don't need to tell you it truly made me sick at my stomach.  I ran to the bathroom, and sheltered there for a few minutes.  At this point, I honestly thought this was the end of the world. 

But it wasn't.  There was more destruction - the Pentagon was hit by a third plane, and then the fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania.  Then we started getting reports of anthrax being let loose.  Yep, I was for sure the end of the world was coming that day.  But it didn't.

The next day, the country started digging out, and we were ready to fight.  And we still are ready.  I know I am.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Deflate Gate is behind us, and tonight marks the start of the 2015 NFL season!! 

I have been waiting for this for seven long, long months.  

I'm getting ready to take a nap so I can stay up and watch tonight's season opener between my beloved Patriots and the Steelers.  Lest you forget, I have to be at work at 6:00 tomorrow morning, thus my need for a nap.

TWIT would like to wish all the best of luck to all of the NFL teams, and we pray for a safe, injury-free season for all.

Now, are you ready for some football???!!!!!

Are We Sure THIS Wasn't Monday, Too?

Well, as part of being a supervisor, I had to deal with a disciplinary matter today at work.  I hated it, and dreaded it all day long, but I got it done. 

I still think this was more like a Monday instead of a Wednesday. 

Are You Sure This Wasn't Monday?

I know what the calendar says, but I am still not totally convinced that today wasn't Monday. 

Happy Labor Day

TWIT would like to wish all of the hard working faithful readers a very happy Labor Day.  On this day, we are very thankful that we were not at work laboring.  Nuff said. 

Something You Don't See Every Day

I've never seen any of the Star Wars movies, and most likely never will, but I do love my Beverly Hillbillies.  

And it also makes me feel very old because there's a whole big generation that will not have a clue as to why people my age think this is funny.  

Thank You, Krogers

After driving around the parking lot perimeter 3 times this morning at Krogers, I gave up and decided I was not going to park a mile away and then do my shopping; Diva Stacy suggested I wait until the UofL football game was on to do my shopping.  And that's what I did.  

I got a parking space on the end, and even with my shopping list I was in and out in with enough time to spare to get ready to go to the Bats game.

I would like to thank the meat clerk that had to help me not once but twice today - first, to cut my gigantic pork roast in half, and second, to get me a pound of shrimp.  Your service was awesome, and I called back and told the manager how much you rock. 

You Can Fight City Hall, Sorta

On the infamous Greenbelt Highway close to The Compound, there was a big uneven patch of pavement.  I'm convinced it caused many a car to have a front end alignment or new set of shocks installed.  I got fed up and went online and reported the spot, and lo and behold this week, I discovered that the road fairies had patched the spot! 

I thank the MetroSafe folks who monitor these reports, and I thank the crew that patched the spot.

It's Going To Be A Long Night

For the last hour, I've been on the phone with Customer Service from the illustrious Time Warner Cable.  We haven't had phone service at The Compound since about 1:00.  I don't need to tell you that tempers are getting short.  

They just now transferred me to the 4th different person to try and fix this. I'm not very optimistic right now.  At this point, we might be rummaging through the garbage can and look for two soup cans and get some string to rig up our communication device.

August Foggy Morning Total

Here at The Compound, we ended up with 7 foggy mornings in August.   According to the Farmers Almanac and a lot of old wives tales, that would mean we will have 7 tracking snows here in our area.  

As always, I will keep you posted.

Thank Ya, Thank Ya Very Much

TWIT would like to thank Shauny and Painter Steve for putting the roof on the carport at The Compound today.  You guys rock.  It was all My Sweet Mother could do to keep from The Old Man getting up on the roof and helping you, but she managed to do it.  

This is just proof positive that we have the best neighbors around.  Shauny gave up a precious, precious day off from the PRP Fire Department to put the roof on our old carport.  Painter Steve helped out bigtime, not to be hampered by his arm that had just had carpal tunnel surgery.  You both are awesome and we are oh so proud to consider you not just friend but family.