Well the cable company got the wires untangled so I am back on line again. The problem seems to be that a new company bought out the old company and nobody seem to tell the new company they have real customers. Or, maybe it was the old company did not know they had customers. Either way, one would think that just repairing or replacing a part knocked out by a storm could have affected customer locations.
However, I must say that the new company was responsive after I sent an email on my financial controllers I Pad, to the Senior Vice President for the area - on Sunday morning. Nothing gets people stepping and fetching like a call to the big boss. Everyone involved was very polite and worked hard to restore the service. In my next life, I don’t want to be a cable guy.
I’ll leave that up to Larry.
PMO
©2014
Monday, March 31, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
ISP
My ISP - Internet Service Provider - has been off for the past three days. Will resume (maybe) when it gets restored. You may ask, "if the ISP is out, how did you send this post?"
I ain't telling.
I ain't telling.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Real Texas
For those that may not be native Texans, you should know about the real Texas. It is not tall buildings, oil and cows. The real Texas lives in the small towns that populate most of the state. It is the people that some would just rather not know, but they are the real Texas.
My financial controller had never seen the movie Bernie, so we watched it. You can rent it if you want to spend a hour and a half watching real characters in East Texas. Several years ago, I took her to see Greater Tuna on stage. It takes place in West Texas.
In both of these portrayals, you meet the people you have always known if you grew up in small towns in Texas, or any other state I suspect.
Because I spent my early years in West Texas, I think I must have sand in my blood and think like the characters in Tuna. Now, I’m deep in the heart of the "Pine Curtain."
The logic in this missive is to let you know that the heart of Texas is where the common, ordinary people live. They take a different twist on what is and what ought to be. They put a whole new twist on the slogan, "Don’t mess with Texas."
It ain’t about littering.
PMO
©2014
My financial controller had never seen the movie Bernie, so we watched it. You can rent it if you want to spend a hour and a half watching real characters in East Texas. Several years ago, I took her to see Greater Tuna on stage. It takes place in West Texas.
In both of these portrayals, you meet the people you have always known if you grew up in small towns in Texas, or any other state I suspect.
Because I spent my early years in West Texas, I think I must have sand in my blood and think like the characters in Tuna. Now, I’m deep in the heart of the "Pine Curtain."
The logic in this missive is to let you know that the heart of Texas is where the common, ordinary people live. They take a different twist on what is and what ought to be. They put a whole new twist on the slogan, "Don’t mess with Texas."
It ain’t about littering.
PMO
©2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Enough already. The old coot thing can go on forever. In one of my other lives, I manage and edit a community information bulletin board. The participants or at least the ones that submit messages, may all be old coots.
Today, I got a message to post about some golf clubs for sale. The sender describe the clubs - a couple of drivers - and gave the price and phone number to call. But as a parting remark he added, "For a teat drive, call xxx-xxx-xxxx." I do hope he meant "test" drive.
That’s how I edited it.
PMO
©2014
Today, I got a message to post about some golf clubs for sale. The sender describe the clubs - a couple of drivers - and gave the price and phone number to call. But as a parting remark he added, "For a teat drive, call xxx-xxx-xxxx." I do hope he meant "test" drive.
That’s how I edited it.
PMO
©2014
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Continued
More on how to tell if you are an old coot. Notice that I keep this clean, so as not to lose my ‘G’ rating.
If you drive on the freeway with your turn signal constantly on - you might be an old coot.
If you have ever gone to the grocery for a loaf of bread and come home with ten bags of groceries and no bread - you might be an old coot.
If your spouse gets new hearing aids and can everything better except you - you might be an old coot.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, get dressed and have breakfast and wonder what’s wrong with your clocks - you might be an old coot.
If you know all the doctors and staff by their first names at one or more hospitals and three or more clinics - you might be an old coot.
If your family and friends can quote verbatim the stories you tell - you might be an old coot.
If you wear plaid bell bottom pants - you might be an old coot.
If you are male and have almost no hair, but have a ponytail - you might be an old coot.
If you stand and stare into the refrigerator and wonder why you opened the door - you might be an old coot.
If you have blue hair and wonder why teenagers have a darker shade of blue than you do - you might be an old coot.
If you have ever used ‘white out’ correction fluid on your computer screen - you might be an old coot.
If you have ever refused to do something you didn’t want to because you are old - that’s the advantage of being an old coot.
PMO
©2014
If you drive on the freeway with your turn signal constantly on - you might be an old coot.
If you have ever gone to the grocery for a loaf of bread and come home with ten bags of groceries and no bread - you might be an old coot.
If your spouse gets new hearing aids and can everything better except you - you might be an old coot.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, get dressed and have breakfast and wonder what’s wrong with your clocks - you might be an old coot.
If you know all the doctors and staff by their first names at one or more hospitals and three or more clinics - you might be an old coot.
If your family and friends can quote verbatim the stories you tell - you might be an old coot.
If you wear plaid bell bottom pants - you might be an old coot.
If you are male and have almost no hair, but have a ponytail - you might be an old coot.
If you stand and stare into the refrigerator and wonder why you opened the door - you might be an old coot.
If you have blue hair and wonder why teenagers have a darker shade of blue than you do - you might be an old coot.
If you have ever used ‘white out’ correction fluid on your computer screen - you might be an old coot.
If you have ever refused to do something you didn’t want to because you are old - that’s the advantage of being an old coot.
PMO
©2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
You Might Be
I’ve been thinking again. That’s not a good thing. Remember Jeff Foxworthy’s "You might be a redneck?" Well, I’ve come up with my own version - "You might be an old coot."
If by the time you get your hearing aids in, teeth in, hair on and dressed, you are too late for the party - you might be an old coot.
If you have trained your dog to walk on his hind legs with a walker so you can keep up with him with your walker - you might be an old coot.
If you have to go next door to get a neighbor to come and help you find your glasses - you might be an old coot.
If your spouse dies and you ask for a senior discount at the funeral home - you might be an old coot.
If you get excited about a sale on Metamucil - you might be an old coot.
If the people at the drivers license office laugh when you try to renew your license - you might be an old coot.
If you eat breakfast at 11:00 a.m., lunch at noon and dinner at 5:00 p.m. - you might be an old coot.
If your favorite song is Happy Birthday - you might be an old coot.
If you are not an old coot, you will be. If you’re lucky.
PMO
©2014
If by the time you get your hearing aids in, teeth in, hair on and dressed, you are too late for the party - you might be an old coot.
If you have trained your dog to walk on his hind legs with a walker so you can keep up with him with your walker - you might be an old coot.
If you have to go next door to get a neighbor to come and help you find your glasses - you might be an old coot.
If your spouse dies and you ask for a senior discount at the funeral home - you might be an old coot.
If you get excited about a sale on Metamucil - you might be an old coot.
If the people at the drivers license office laugh when you try to renew your license - you might be an old coot.
If you eat breakfast at 11:00 a.m., lunch at noon and dinner at 5:00 p.m. - you might be an old coot.
If your favorite song is Happy Birthday - you might be an old coot.
If you are not an old coot, you will be. If you’re lucky.
PMO
©2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Domestic Duties
My financial controller has been gone several days. She is on a mission to get her parents relocated into a resident program so they will have meals, help when they need it and so forth. As usual, when she is gone, I try not to break anything. The trick is to define, "break anything." I am not good at domestic duties.
I’m sure she will be pleased that I have discovered a new way to fold the laundry - that is those items that survived me doing the laundry. In my defense, the span between the times I have to do these things is so long, I forget how she wants them. Without going into great detail, I am really bad at folding undergarments. It just may be that "getting your panties in a wad" is the easiest way for me to fold. I’ve discovered if you can get them into a drawer and shut it, that’s how they should be folded.
Changing the bed linens is a story that is best left to the imagination. Let’s just say that I have no problem sleeping wrapped in a sheet and hope she learns to wrap herself in the one I had left over.
Sweeping, vacuuming and mopping is not too hard to do, if you remember not to mop first. I have made a note of that.
She won’t be surprised to find that the one that really needs help is me.
PMO
©2014
I’m sure she will be pleased that I have discovered a new way to fold the laundry - that is those items that survived me doing the laundry. In my defense, the span between the times I have to do these things is so long, I forget how she wants them. Without going into great detail, I am really bad at folding undergarments. It just may be that "getting your panties in a wad" is the easiest way for me to fold. I’ve discovered if you can get them into a drawer and shut it, that’s how they should be folded.
Changing the bed linens is a story that is best left to the imagination. Let’s just say that I have no problem sleeping wrapped in a sheet and hope she learns to wrap herself in the one I had left over.
Sweeping, vacuuming and mopping is not too hard to do, if you remember not to mop first. I have made a note of that.
She won’t be surprised to find that the one that really needs help is me.
PMO
©2014
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Sounds
Shrinks, aka: psychiatrists, use the link between the senses to delve into the human mind. Things such as sight, smell, touch, taste and sound are often used to get a patient to recall or relate to a significant event in life. The sense of sounds gone intrigued me today. There are just some sounds that aren’t around anymore or at least are not as common.
Ever wonder why a soda is called a pop? Back in ancient times when sodas were bottled in glass bottles, you had to have an opener to take the cap off. If you did it quickly, it would pop. If the bottle had been shaken, the contents would run out of the bottle and get all over everything. The pop of a cold soda on a hot summer day, meant refreshment was on the way.
Believe it or not, coffee used to be brewed in percolators. They made a special sound as the water got hotter and hotter and would rise up through a tube and settle over ground coffee. The "perk" of the pot let you know that the coffee was making. Coffee actually tasted like coffee way back then.
Early model John Deere tractors had to be hand cranked to start. When they started, they made a popping sound as the pistons moved inside the block of the engine. Popping Johnny’s they were called. Even if you put the tractor into "road gear" it still made that sound.
Then there’s the sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Unique to all others, an old Harley just made a sound that was and still is fine music to the ear of most men. I will admit that I also liked the sound of an Indian bike with no mufflers.
Of course, there was the sound of a car engine with glass pack mufflers. Especially, a 327 cubic inch Chevy engine, or maybe a 409. What ever happened to glass pack mufflers? Probably some nanny said it hurt her ears. I suppose the sounds that one hears and remembers are as different as there are people.
They really should bring back those mufflers.
PMO
©2014
Ever wonder why a soda is called a pop? Back in ancient times when sodas were bottled in glass bottles, you had to have an opener to take the cap off. If you did it quickly, it would pop. If the bottle had been shaken, the contents would run out of the bottle and get all over everything. The pop of a cold soda on a hot summer day, meant refreshment was on the way.
Believe it or not, coffee used to be brewed in percolators. They made a special sound as the water got hotter and hotter and would rise up through a tube and settle over ground coffee. The "perk" of the pot let you know that the coffee was making. Coffee actually tasted like coffee way back then.
Early model John Deere tractors had to be hand cranked to start. When they started, they made a popping sound as the pistons moved inside the block of the engine. Popping Johnny’s they were called. Even if you put the tractor into "road gear" it still made that sound.
Then there’s the sound of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. Unique to all others, an old Harley just made a sound that was and still is fine music to the ear of most men. I will admit that I also liked the sound of an Indian bike with no mufflers.
Of course, there was the sound of a car engine with glass pack mufflers. Especially, a 327 cubic inch Chevy engine, or maybe a 409. What ever happened to glass pack mufflers? Probably some nanny said it hurt her ears. I suppose the sounds that one hears and remembers are as different as there are people.
They really should bring back those mufflers.
PMO
©2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Favorite Song
Most people have a favorite song. It’s usually one that reminds them of a pleasant time in their life. Or, it is one of those that just sticks with you through the years. Many choose a song that binds them to a sweetheart or perhaps a child or dear friend.
Without any research, I have concluded what the favorite song for old people has to be.
Happy Birthday.
PMO
©2014
Without any research, I have concluded what the favorite song for old people has to be.
Happy Birthday.
PMO
©2014
Friday, March 21, 2014
Church Visitors
My friend "The Rite Reverend Dr. Wild Bill", the Baptist preacher retired. Now he has time to go and visit other churches. That gets him all upset. He doesn’t understand that all churches aren’t like the one where he was for about a million years.
The people aren’t always friendly and welcoming to visitors. And, especially the preachers don’t make a point of welcoming visitors. Silly him thinks that preachers should stand at the door and shake hands with special recognition of visitors.
As usual, I have to point out solutions to him. All Bill needs to do is get some plain paper and cut it into the size of dollars. Make a big stack. Then get a few real bills, especially $20 and $100. Don’t bother asking me to borrow those. When the plate comes around, pull out the big stack of "money" and peel off a couple of real ones from the top. It is best to be seated near the front so everyone, especially the preacher, can see you. They will shake your hand off and invite you back.
It looks bad if you make change in the plate.
PMO
©2014
The people aren’t always friendly and welcoming to visitors. And, especially the preachers don’t make a point of welcoming visitors. Silly him thinks that preachers should stand at the door and shake hands with special recognition of visitors.
As usual, I have to point out solutions to him. All Bill needs to do is get some plain paper and cut it into the size of dollars. Make a big stack. Then get a few real bills, especially $20 and $100. Don’t bother asking me to borrow those. When the plate comes around, pull out the big stack of "money" and peel off a couple of real ones from the top. It is best to be seated near the front so everyone, especially the preacher, can see you. They will shake your hand off and invite you back.
It looks bad if you make change in the plate.
PMO
©2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Friends
How many friends do you have? I’m not talking about on Facebook or other social media. I don’t seem to have a lot, or even a few. My Facebook account has cobwebs. But, I’ve figured out why I don’t have many friends.
I am a middle class white male, heterosexual, Baptist, Republican, smoker, Constitutionalist that is old and grumpy, and looks at life with logic and reason. Who would want a friend like me?
I don’t plan to change.
PMO
©2014
I am a middle class white male, heterosexual, Baptist, Republican, smoker, Constitutionalist that is old and grumpy, and looks at life with logic and reason. Who would want a friend like me?
I don’t plan to change.
PMO
©2014
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Technology
There was a meeting about changing email servers for our little commune. I was invited to attend. Probably because I did all the research on which service could deliver the best product at the lowest price. The problem with anything to do with computers is that those that have wants don’t always understand what can and cannot be done and those that sell services will promise the moon and deliver a lot of excuses of why it is no longer round.
Over the years I have worked through so many software programs that were supposed to be great that I wonder how I retained any sanity at all. There are those that would say I didn’t retain any. I can’t argue with them.
The one thing I have learned about computers is there are many ways to skin a cat, but none that the cat will like.
Think about that, the next time you have to skin a cat or get involved with computer technology.
PMO
©2014
Over the years I have worked through so many software programs that were supposed to be great that I wonder how I retained any sanity at all. There are those that would say I didn’t retain any. I can’t argue with them.
The one thing I have learned about computers is there are many ways to skin a cat, but none that the cat will like.
Think about that, the next time you have to skin a cat or get involved with computer technology.
PMO
©2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Free Tech Support
Many years ago, I actually knew something about computers. As technology progressed, I kept up for awhile, but now I just try to figure out, "What the heck is going." Recently, I worked several hours trying to get three of my email accounts to work. I changed browsers, added or updated plug-in’s, rebooted the computer and did just about everything that should work. I even went so far as to call Yahoo’s help number. Don’t even think about someone answering there. Frustration to the 10th power.
Then, I did what I should have done all along. I took a nap. Eureka! Everything worked fine when I got back to the computer.
Another one of my free tech support updates.
PMO
©2014
Then, I did what I should have done all along. I took a nap. Eureka! Everything worked fine when I got back to the computer.
Another one of my free tech support updates.
PMO
©2014
Monday, March 17, 2014
Hypocrisy - Again!
By now you may have noticed that hypocrisy makes me sick. I must be a hypocrite for saying that. I recently read a blog by a nationally known commentator. I won’t mention his name. He addressed the outcry over e-cigarettes. To use some of his research, people like nicotine. It makes them feel more relaxed in stressful situations and sharper in thinking. The dangerous part of tobacco is the tar you breath in when you smoke. E-cigs have none or almost none. They do contain nicotine.
The anti-everything people don’t want anyone to do anything except what they approve of. Drinking is okay. Smoking marijuana is okay. Teaching teenagers - some as young as 12 - that sex is okay. But, smoking is bad and e-cigarettes will lead to teenagers wanting to smoke them.
Marijuana only enhances the urge for sex. Drinking breaks down inhibitions so sex occurs more often. Give me a break.
Doesn’t everybody want a smoke after sex?
PMO
©2014
The anti-everything people don’t want anyone to do anything except what they approve of. Drinking is okay. Smoking marijuana is okay. Teaching teenagers - some as young as 12 - that sex is okay. But, smoking is bad and e-cigarettes will lead to teenagers wanting to smoke them.
Marijuana only enhances the urge for sex. Drinking breaks down inhibitions so sex occurs more often. Give me a break.
Doesn’t everybody want a smoke after sex?
PMO
©2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
ISP
There is no profound prophesy or other such stuff today. My internet service provider has been down almost all day and I'm just trying to get through all my email.
This may be my best post yet.
This may be my best post yet.
Friday, March 14, 2014
Life Lesson
For every action, there is a reaction. Cause ends with effect. Wants have consequences. Sometimes the reaction, effect or consequences are good. Other times they are not. There is very little that you do that involves other people that does not have a good or bad result.
Have you ever done something to help someone that turned out really wrong? How about just trying to be nice and the other person suffers from the action?
Some days it pays to sit in a corner and say nothing.
PMO
©2014
Have you ever done something to help someone that turned out really wrong? How about just trying to be nice and the other person suffers from the action?
Some days it pays to sit in a corner and say nothing.
PMO
©2014
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Greatest Threat
You know how I like questions, so here’s another one. "What is the single greatest threat to the United States of America today." Think about that before you answer. You might say terrorist, or foreign governments with nuclear warheads. Some think that government is the greatest threat, while others just think that conservatives or liberals are terrifying. It could be diseases or the economy. Perhaps it is the threat of what could happen if all our communication systems failed. Just imagine if Facebook and Google went away. It is none of these in my humble always right opinion.
The greatest single threat to our very survival is ignorance. Today, we have extremely highly educated young and old. There are those with tremendous experience and skills. Medical miracles happen everyday and tremendous outpourings of human kindness. But, it is ignorance that will ultimately destroy us - maybe it already has.
Will Rogers said, "We are all ignorant, just in different subjects." But until the people rid themselves of ignorance of how our government is supposed to work, we will be our own worst enemy. The framers of the Constitution set up a system of the people for the people with checks and balances. Unfortunately the people let the government become a power that does not answer to the people. Only people that are not ignorant can stop that which would enslave and rule.
A simple test is to ask yourself, what are the three branches of government? What are their powers and what can they not do? Answers those two questions and you will have taken the first step out of ignorance.
And, don’t depend upon your congress to tell you. Democrat Congress woman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas speaking on the House floor this week said the Constitution is 400 years old. Somebody ought to help her out of her ignorance.
God save us from ourselves.
PMO
©2014
The greatest single threat to our very survival is ignorance. Today, we have extremely highly educated young and old. There are those with tremendous experience and skills. Medical miracles happen everyday and tremendous outpourings of human kindness. But, it is ignorance that will ultimately destroy us - maybe it already has.
Will Rogers said, "We are all ignorant, just in different subjects." But until the people rid themselves of ignorance of how our government is supposed to work, we will be our own worst enemy. The framers of the Constitution set up a system of the people for the people with checks and balances. Unfortunately the people let the government become a power that does not answer to the people. Only people that are not ignorant can stop that which would enslave and rule.
A simple test is to ask yourself, what are the three branches of government? What are their powers and what can they not do? Answers those two questions and you will have taken the first step out of ignorance.
And, don’t depend upon your congress to tell you. Democrat Congress woman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas speaking on the House floor this week said the Constitution is 400 years old. Somebody ought to help her out of her ignorance.
God save us from ourselves.
PMO
©2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Don't Let The Dog Help
It seems to me that I would learn, but apparently not. On my latest handyman project, the dog wants to help. That is not a good thing when you are dealing with adhesive and tiles. We have a few loose tiles on the kitchen floor and silly me thinks I can fix it.
The product I am using is simple to use. Drill about four holes in the grout. Insert the tip of the product which is in a caulking gun and squeeze softly until the gook starts to ooze out. Here’s where the dog comes in. She has to sniff everything. That’s what dogs do. And, unless I grab her, she will walk through the adhesive oozing out of the holes. My financial controller would frown if I let that dog stick her nose into the mess and end up stuck to another object in the house. I, on the other hand, would think it was funny.
One of my previous Bassets, Fred J, was an outside dog. That is where dogs belong. He liked to help me on various projects. His contribution to all my projects was to carry off things, like hammers, boards, packages of nails and anything else he could pickup. If he could not pick it up and carry it off, he would pee on it. Such as my electric circular saw. It wasn’t running at the time.
The moral of this story is do not let dogs help on any project.
It is also advised to not let me help.
PMO
©2014
The product I am using is simple to use. Drill about four holes in the grout. Insert the tip of the product which is in a caulking gun and squeeze softly until the gook starts to ooze out. Here’s where the dog comes in. She has to sniff everything. That’s what dogs do. And, unless I grab her, she will walk through the adhesive oozing out of the holes. My financial controller would frown if I let that dog stick her nose into the mess and end up stuck to another object in the house. I, on the other hand, would think it was funny.
One of my previous Bassets, Fred J, was an outside dog. That is where dogs belong. He liked to help me on various projects. His contribution to all my projects was to carry off things, like hammers, boards, packages of nails and anything else he could pickup. If he could not pick it up and carry it off, he would pee on it. Such as my electric circular saw. It wasn’t running at the time.
The moral of this story is do not let dogs help on any project.
It is also advised to not let me help.
PMO
©2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Liberals Versus Conservatives
As mentioned several times before, I am an observer by nature and training. Yogi Berra said, "You can observe a lot, by just watching." I’ve been watching the liberals and conservatives, also know as Democrats and Republicans. And, it seems to me that the liberals are totally consumed by anything sexual.
There’s a big to do in the Boston schools about labels on condoms given out to kids. The labels are offensive. Say what? Some parents have protested the labels, not the fact that the schools are encouraging children to have sex. Of course they do that under the guise of good health practices. Safe sex for 12 and 13 year olds is nothing but perversion. Don’t they arrest people anymore for such things? How can any parent want their child to be sexually active and thank the schools for promoting such behavior?
Are teenagers going to have sex? Some are and some probably would not if schools and parents didn’t tell them this is what they need to do. Yep, those liberals are a kinky bunch. Free abortions, morning after pills, condoms, and other unmentionables. And, they yell at the top of their lungs about a "war on women."
The conservatives, Republicans, on the other hand don’t seem to want children to have sex. And the only war they actively participate in is the war among themselves.
If conservatives would stop fighting each other and get as organized as the liberals, they might win one now and then.
PMO
©2014
There’s a big to do in the Boston schools about labels on condoms given out to kids. The labels are offensive. Say what? Some parents have protested the labels, not the fact that the schools are encouraging children to have sex. Of course they do that under the guise of good health practices. Safe sex for 12 and 13 year olds is nothing but perversion. Don’t they arrest people anymore for such things? How can any parent want their child to be sexually active and thank the schools for promoting such behavior?
Are teenagers going to have sex? Some are and some probably would not if schools and parents didn’t tell them this is what they need to do. Yep, those liberals are a kinky bunch. Free abortions, morning after pills, condoms, and other unmentionables. And, they yell at the top of their lungs about a "war on women."
The conservatives, Republicans, on the other hand don’t seem to want children to have sex. And the only war they actively participate in is the war among themselves.
If conservatives would stop fighting each other and get as organized as the liberals, they might win one now and then.
PMO
©2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Potty Humor
I have always been one to read unusual signs - like signs on a two door entrance with, "Use Other Door" posted on both doors. Or, "Do Not Enter" on the only entrance. Today, I want to share a little "potty humor" - Signs seen on septic tank trucks.
"We haul milk on the weekends"
"Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels"
"Back Off - We ain’t hauling milk"
"Your number 2 is our number 1"
"Another load of politicians promises"
"Satisfaction guaranteed, or 110% of your product back"
And, my favorite is: "A flush beats a full house"
You’re probably thinking, "Has this blog finally hit bottom."
Let’s hope so.
PMO
©2014
"We haul milk on the weekends"
"Yesterday’s Meals on Wheels"
"Back Off - We ain’t hauling milk"
"Your number 2 is our number 1"
"Another load of politicians promises"
"Satisfaction guaranteed, or 110% of your product back"
And, my favorite is: "A flush beats a full house"
You’re probably thinking, "Has this blog finally hit bottom."
Let’s hope so.
PMO
©2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Sunday Dinner
A few weeks ago when I was at the grocery doing my weekly "buying" trip, a lady shopping at the meat counter asked me about some pork tenderloin that was on sale. I have no idea why she would think I knew anything about pork tenderloin, but she did. She explained that her son was coming for Sunday dinner and she wanted to do something special. Her conversation led me to believe that she was on a very limited budget, but she wanted something special for her son. She decided to purchase the tenderloin and asked me how to cook it. I explained that there were cooking instructions on the packaging. I do hope she was not disappointed, nor her son.
My favorite TV series, a cop show, always has a scene of a family dinner where the family dinner includes everyone from great-grandpa to two young grandsons. They sit and eat and talk about what’s going on in their lives and discuss right and wrongs.
I don’t know how many people have Sunday dinner anymore. We used to, but as children grow and lives get busy, it just faded away. Truth is that I always enjoyed cooking for everybody, just like the nice lady. While our menu didn’t vary a lot, it was always something special to me.
To this day, I don’t like chicken, but I do eat it. The reason is simple. Nobody can cook fried chicken like my mother did. It would take her quite awhile to get it just right in a big old cast iron skillet. And, on holidays, we had pumpkin pie. She would bake one for the table, one for her and one for me, just the way I liked it. I ate the pie - the whole pie - after the chicken.
I always got the wishbone from the chicken too.
PMO
©2014
My favorite TV series, a cop show, always has a scene of a family dinner where the family dinner includes everyone from great-grandpa to two young grandsons. They sit and eat and talk about what’s going on in their lives and discuss right and wrongs.
I don’t know how many people have Sunday dinner anymore. We used to, but as children grow and lives get busy, it just faded away. Truth is that I always enjoyed cooking for everybody, just like the nice lady. While our menu didn’t vary a lot, it was always something special to me.
To this day, I don’t like chicken, but I do eat it. The reason is simple. Nobody can cook fried chicken like my mother did. It would take her quite awhile to get it just right in a big old cast iron skillet. And, on holidays, we had pumpkin pie. She would bake one for the table, one for her and one for me, just the way I liked it. I ate the pie - the whole pie - after the chicken.
I always got the wishbone from the chicken too.
PMO
©2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Daylight Saving Time
Turn your clocks forward one hour before you go to bed, get up at 2:00 a.m. and change the clocks, wait until you get up on the 9th or just ignore daylight saving time and maybe it will go away. It’s that time again. When we cut off one end of the blanket and sew it on the other to make it longer.
It is widely known that I don’t like daylight saving time. It just doesn’t make any sense to me, but then, very little makes any sense to me. Why don’t we just move the clock ahead and leave it that way all year or just leave time alone.
Better yet, let’s move the clock back one hour twice a year. That way everyone would get younger. The rent wouldn’t come due as soon. Gasoline prices would have to go backward. The things you forgot could be done on time. We could get a "do over" on things we said or did that we wish we hadn’t. You get the idea. There are lots of reasons to go back two hours per year.
If we do it long enough, we’ll end up where we started and maybe we could fix all the messes we’ve gotten ourselves into.
PMO
©2014
It is widely known that I don’t like daylight saving time. It just doesn’t make any sense to me, but then, very little makes any sense to me. Why don’t we just move the clock ahead and leave it that way all year or just leave time alone.
Better yet, let’s move the clock back one hour twice a year. That way everyone would get younger. The rent wouldn’t come due as soon. Gasoline prices would have to go backward. The things you forgot could be done on time. We could get a "do over" on things we said or did that we wish we hadn’t. You get the idea. There are lots of reasons to go back two hours per year.
If we do it long enough, we’ll end up where we started and maybe we could fix all the messes we’ve gotten ourselves into.
PMO
©2014
Friday, March 7, 2014
Fishing Season
It’s official. Fishing season has begun in East Texas. By that I mean that the crappie are beginning to spawn. For those of you that may not know what a crappie is, it is a fish that usually weights about a pound or so. They are flat with all the eating meat on their sides making them easy to filet. Fish lovers say that crappie are the best tasting fish ever. I would not know, but will take their word for it. Oh, and it is pronounced krä peʹ, not how you just said it.
The way to tell when fishing season starts is to drive almost any highway, road or dirt trail that has a crossing from a creek or cove from the lake. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and golf carts line the path. Locals know where the fish come to spawn and they turn out in droves. I have not seen it first hand, but I am told that near the metropolis of Chandler, there are times when the line of vehicles on both sides of the highway stretch for miles. This has to be a game warden’s dream come true. You don’t have to chase them down to see if they have a fishing license. You got them all in one place.
Why does fishing season matter? Just try to get something repaired.
You have to wait until August.
PMO
©2014
The way to tell when fishing season starts is to drive almost any highway, road or dirt trail that has a crossing from a creek or cove from the lake. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and golf carts line the path. Locals know where the fish come to spawn and they turn out in droves. I have not seen it first hand, but I am told that near the metropolis of Chandler, there are times when the line of vehicles on both sides of the highway stretch for miles. This has to be a game warden’s dream come true. You don’t have to chase them down to see if they have a fishing license. You got them all in one place.
Why does fishing season matter? Just try to get something repaired.
You have to wait until August.
PMO
©2014
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Allergies
There are allergens in East Texas that even God doesn’t know about. I’ve had allergies all my life, but not like what I have experienced here. When I ask others about this, they just smile and say, "I know." And, the sad part is that the allergy season has just begun.
Last year I had some problems but I thought I would adjust with time. I adjusted alright. It’s worse. The constant sneezing, sniffling, itching, and headaches are driving me crazier. When I try to tell my financial controller about how I feel, she just says, "You had problems the last place we lived."
Today, I told her, "If I had a job, I would call in sick."
PMO
©2014
Last year I had some problems but I thought I would adjust with time. I adjusted alright. It’s worse. The constant sneezing, sniffling, itching, and headaches are driving me crazier. When I try to tell my financial controller about how I feel, she just says, "You had problems the last place we lived."
Today, I told her, "If I had a job, I would call in sick."
PMO
©2014
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Postal Service Back
Our postal service is back. We got the usual stack of junk mail and a letter addressed to the former resident of our abode. Being the good citizen that I am, I wrote on the envelope, ‘not at this address,’ and put it back in the mail box. And now, the rest of the story.
The lady that used to live here died about three or four years ago. So, naturally I felt that just putting ‘not at this address’ on the envelope was not sufficient. I added, ‘Deceased!" Then a little note, "Don’t know which way she went."
What else could I have done?
PMO
©2014
The lady that used to live here died about three or four years ago. So, naturally I felt that just putting ‘not at this address’ on the envelope was not sufficient. I added, ‘Deceased!" Then a little note, "Don’t know which way she went."
What else could I have done?
PMO
©2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Postal Service
Although the United States Postal Service has no official creed or motto, an inscription on the James Farley Post Office built in 1912 in New York City reads, "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." Through the years this little phrase been accepted as the creed or motto of the post office, wether it is official or not. Well, maybe not in East Texas.
For the past couple of days, we’ve experienced snow, rain and gloom of night. We had some sleet too. But, no mail service. We’ve only been here about a year, so I can’t say if this is routine for ‘these here parts.’ My suspicions are that it is. To be fair, I did see on a local TV station that the Game Warden office didn’t open until noon. My suspicions about that is, there was no fishing or hunting interrupted. I wonder if our postal person went fishing?
What else could she have done?
PMO
©2014
For the past couple of days, we’ve experienced snow, rain and gloom of night. We had some sleet too. But, no mail service. We’ve only been here about a year, so I can’t say if this is routine for ‘these here parts.’ My suspicions are that it is. To be fair, I did see on a local TV station that the Game Warden office didn’t open until noon. My suspicions about that is, there was no fishing or hunting interrupted. I wonder if our postal person went fishing?
What else could she have done?
PMO
©2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
Drivers License Change
Last year I had to go to the driver’s license office to renew my license. In Texas, one has to do that every so many years. I guess it is to update your photo - doesn’t look like me anyway - because renewals are easily done on line. After the fact, I discovered that one, if one is qualified, can have a Veteran designation put onto the license. So, I have been trying to find out if I can add it to my license. The answer is yes, but you have to go into an office and bring the appropriate discharge papers. I found that out by finally calling a local office and asking a lady with a really bad cold. As expected, there is a fee. There is always a fee.
While I was searching on line for the answer, which I never found, I amused myself with other information that I did not know. Somewhere there has to be a large book of stuff I don’t know. On with the story. One of the items I came across is how to get a trans-gender replacement license. If you were one and you became the other, then you have to change your license. And, you have to provide documentation from your doctor.
I guess, you can’t just show them.
PMO
©2014
While I was searching on line for the answer, which I never found, I amused myself with other information that I did not know. Somewhere there has to be a large book of stuff I don’t know. On with the story. One of the items I came across is how to get a trans-gender replacement license. If you were one and you became the other, then you have to change your license. And, you have to provide documentation from your doctor.
I guess, you can’t just show them.
PMO
©2014
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Perhaps you’ve heard the term, "good for nothing" when someone is speaking about another person. "That sorry, good for nothing, so and so," is usually the way it sounds. I’ve been wondering if I am good for nothing.
I am the taxi when someone needs to go somewhere or be picked up. If it’s broke, I am the one that is supposed to fix it. Sometimes, even if it ain’t broke, I’m supposed to fix it - that’s a little more difficult. Dog sitting is one of my specialties. I run two programs for retirees from my company, a electronic bulletin board for the commune, and now I do energy audits. The list goes on and on. And, I do all these things for free. Is that is good for nothing?
Maybe not.
PMO
©2014
I am the taxi when someone needs to go somewhere or be picked up. If it’s broke, I am the one that is supposed to fix it. Sometimes, even if it ain’t broke, I’m supposed to fix it - that’s a little more difficult. Dog sitting is one of my specialties. I run two programs for retirees from my company, a electronic bulletin board for the commune, and now I do energy audits. The list goes on and on. And, I do all these things for free. Is that is good for nothing?
Maybe not.
PMO
©2014
Saturday, March 1, 2014
You Guys Again
If anyone actually reads this blog, you may recall my rant about how I dislike the term "you guys." It just doesn’t sit with me, although I do understand that in today’s world it is somewhat difficult to know which is which, or who is what. Exactly why is so hard to simply say guys and gals or better, ladies and gentlemen?
I guess things are complicated because we have grade school children with parents trying to change their gender in where they go potty or what toys they play with. Recently I read that Facebook now has a test one can take to determine one’s gender. A test? Pray tell, can’t one just pull down one’s pants and look? Maybe it’s like determining the gender of a newborn puppy.
You just hold them, turn them over and look at the bottom of their feet.
PMO
©2014
I guess things are complicated because we have grade school children with parents trying to change their gender in where they go potty or what toys they play with. Recently I read that Facebook now has a test one can take to determine one’s gender. A test? Pray tell, can’t one just pull down one’s pants and look? Maybe it’s like determining the gender of a newborn puppy.
You just hold them, turn them over and look at the bottom of their feet.
PMO
©2014
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