It Was Soooo Windy . . .

It was so windy today . . . I saw a woman on Fourth Street get her wig blown off her head.

Yes, it's true.  I've always heard amusing jokes and stories about it being so windy that people get wigs blown off their heads, but it wasn't until this afternoon that I actually witnessed the event firsthand.  I was on my way back from the U of L campus, when I saw a woman, probably in her mid-60's, get off of the bus and walk down Fourth Street to the parking lot.  A gust of wind came along and her gray wig blew right off.  I was startled, to say the least.  I didn't laugh at first; I felt sorry for her because I thought she might be a chemo patient and didn't have any hair. But when I saw that she had a full head of hair, I thought it was OK to laugh. 

The wind didn't blow her wig very far - it just merely blew it off of her head. So it's not like the lady had to run down the street trying to catch it.  She just bent down and picked it up and put it in her briefcase bag and continued on her way to the parking lot. She didn't even look around to see if anyone was watching her, either.  She just picked up her wig and went on about her business.  It was like something from the old "Candid Camera" TV show or "America's Funniest Home Videos" only this wasn't staged.

Mullet Watch

First of all, let me say I had no idea I would be posting so many Mullet Watch entries.  Faithful readers, we've got another one.  This one is brought to us by my friend and co-worker C.L.  This mullet was spotted Sunday morning (New Year's Day was very popular with the mullets) at the Dairy Queen up in Corydon, IN.  This mullet was gray-to-the-point-of-almost-white, and very long.  She said that the mullet got out of his vehicle and strutted into the Dairy Queen.  C.L. and I decided that mullets are a very proud lot, with the way they strut around. 

Mullet count: 3

So You Wanna . . . Jailhouse Tattoo?

I look forward to my lunch break every day; not just because I can eat or because I don't have to work for a half an hour, but because I get to visit with my co-workers.  As I've repeatedly said before, we have such interesting and stimulating lunchtime conversations.  Today's was no exception.  The conversation quickly went from co-workers asking me where my pizza came from to the topic of jailhouse tattoos.  But not JUST jailhouse tattoos - the topic was how they MAKE jailhouse tattoos. 

One co-worker and faithful reader explained that the inmates save up the ashes from their cigarettes and they mix them with a little bit of water to make the "ink."  Then, using a smuggled-in pointed object, they use the ash ink to make the tattoo.  I had no idea he was such an expert on jailhouse tattoos. 

I did some research on jailhouse tattoos, and my co-worker's information was correct.  Here's what I found:

A jailhouse tattoo gun is constructed of found objects. For the needle, a guitar string or paper clip is sharpened to a fine point on a rock or cinderblock. It is run through the hollow shaft of a ball point pen and the tip protrudes slightly from the writing end. The string is attached to a small motor, usually from a Walkman, and hooked up to the batteries. The apparatus is fortified for stability by being taped to popsicle sticks or a plastic eating utensil. The pen remains stable while the point jumps.

The ink of choice is waterproof black ink but it’s rarely available in prison and very expensive. Convicts invent a myriad of concoctions - scrapings from soft pastels, charcoal pencils, and carbon paper - the ash of burned books, lightweight paper preferred. The flying soot lands on a shiny magazine cover, is scraped off, and mixed with toothpaste and water. Green ink is produced from green toothpaste ("Crest is best") or Prell shampoo - blue from Head and Shoulders or Selsen Blue - red from Robitussen cough syrup.

After discussing this a bit more, I raised the question "What could we use here at work to make our version of jailhouse tattoos?"  My lunch companions from the Engineering department had the answer right away - cast iron dust from the Grinding Room.  They sure are a resourceful bunch - I guess that's why they work in Engineering. 
 

Mullet Watch

My friend and faithful reader JMc contributes today's mullet siting.  Mullet count: 2

Twilight Zone theme please,
Imagine if you will, a family on a New Years Day outing to a red neck Mecca, Wal-Mart on Preston Highway, they spot a creature from the past thought to be extinct...dun

                          dun
                               dun
                                    daaaah.  A MULLET, the once famous haircut by the Achy Breaky Heart fans from the holler.  It looked that old too, being gray in all it's glory, like a big horned buck strutting around the forest saying "You ain't cut me yet, man!"  My wife wouldn't let me show the rarity to my children for fear of them saying "that's cool".  I could only conclude that an El Camino waited in the parking lot with a "Ain't Skeared" confederate sticker placed across the rear glass to convey this creature and it's host.

 

Congratulations, KGRamone

TWIT would like to congragulate my fellow blogger KGRamone on winning the ZCO fantasy football league.  He overcame an embarassing first game loss to a chick (yours truly), and battled his way back to win the league. 

I finished 6th place, which made me happy; I just didn't want to be in last place.  I'll get 'em next year. 

WTG, KGRamone.  You've got bragging rights till this September. 

Mullet Watch

At the start of the new year, we will begin a new regular feature in TWIT - a little something I like to call "Mullet Watch."  A co-worker and faithful reader JMc and I came up with this idea a couple of weeks ago.  We'll report to you each time we spot a mullet during the year, and if possible, we'll give you an actual photograph of said mullet. We will also keep a running count of all of the mullets spotted in 2006.

Faithful readers, it didn't take long to spot the first mullet of the year.  I saw it yesterday afternoon over at Caesar's.  It was stereotypical, to say the least.  The guy had a long brown mullet, and was wearing circa 80's jeans that snapped around the ankle.  He had on generic snakeskin cowboy boots, and was wearing a NASCAR jacket.  I'm sorry I wasn't able to get a picture of him, but I'm sure from my vivid description you get the picture. 

Mullet count: 1

Link Of The Week

After a year and a half of sharing my life, habits, likes and dislikes with you, my faithful readers, you all know by now how much I love eBay. Hardly a week goes by that I don't bid on at least one thing.  So far, all of the items I've bid on and bought were things that I: a) wanted; b) needed; or c) thought I wanted or needed.  I've not been disappointed with anything I've gotten so far, and I hope that trend continues in the new year. 

If you've spent any amount of time looking on eBay, you know that you can find practically anything on there.  I've come across quite a few things that made me wonder "Who on earth would want that?"  Well, someone has taken the time to put together a site dealing that that very thought.  Go to www.whowouldbuythat.com and see for yourself.  People like us that shop or surf on eBay have posted items for bid on there that will make you wonder "Who on earth would buy that."  My current favorite item on the site is a sequin and bead water bottle holder.  I just might have to bid on that.