When I started out in the Military, there were few women soldiers in the Army. They were relegated to jobs like nurses and clerks. The kind of jobs that the stereotypical males thought they could do. In the field units, you seldom saw woman down range except for the days we went to the rifle ranges for annual qualification. Only the areas regularly used had latrines. Most of the rest of the time you went where you were and most of us had entrenching tools to dig small cat holes. With the advent of Women's Rights, that all changed. Life got a lot more interesting and in some ways fun. I remember the first time I had to assign the Porta Potty detail to a young officer. Keeping track of them became almost a full time job.
There are several women that I grew to respect for their job as soldiers. Most of them made it all the way to Sergeant Major and rightfully so. Jana Harrison, Becky McCrory and Sallie Easily were soldiers that did their job and did it well. Sallie went to OCS and when she had trouble finding a field slot reverted to Warrant Officer and was a darn fine one. I for one think it was a good idea to have women in most of the Army.
I am still a little torn over the idea of women in Special Operation Units but if they want to go there, more power to them. It is mostly the idea that I would hate to see them in the direct line of fire. It is bad enough to lose our young men but the idea that we would lose the very people capable of reproducing for the next generation just leaves me with mixed feelings.
When I was a supervisor of women, one of the first things I would do is give them my "Dutch Uncle Denny" speech. I didn't fool around and I would not let anyone pressure the soldiers to do anything they didn't want to do. Sexual Harassment was just verboten in my sections and units.
One day I met another old retired Warrant Officer while at Wal*Mart. I said hi and he did stop to talk but didn't have the usual smile we shared. He told me that he was mad at me. I asked why. He said that I had tried to get him fired. I asked him how? He said that at one time a female had accused him of sexual harassment and I had it investigated. I had been overheard to say that he was guilty of it, he would be fired. I asked him what he would have done if he was the supervisor and a female put a complaint in writing? I asked him if he knew that it would have been dereliction of my duty if I had not assigned an investigating officer? Further, what would have he done if it was found to be true? Firing a person is the only answer I could find in my heart if it was true. I asked him what happened as the outcome of the investigation? It was not true and he did not get fired. My only sin was that I shared the punishment for such an offense with another subordinate. He then understood and we shook hands and I hope he went on his way with a better understanding of where I had come from in that ordeal. The other sin for me was that that I would think that he would do anything as stupid as to sexually harass a female with an old curmudgeon like me as his boss. I guess I had worked with Recruiters too long and lost my trust in people.
Oh well, move on smartly. Or in my case as well as I can.
MUD - Leaning slightly to the right because of my back, and other reasons.
11/14/2014
1st Real Test
Tonight the KU Men's basketball team will have their first real test of the season. No more DII guys doing their best. Tonight UC Santa Barbara will show up with a team od seniors that will play hard and show off the KU teams strengths and weaknesses. Can't wait to see how they do.
I hurt my back lifting a couple of days ago and I am still paying for it. It is a lot better today but it was trash day and lifting those cans was almost too much. Oh well, I have the rest of the day to sit back and see if I can get better. I will go to the game even if I have to walk funny (ier). I think this would be a good night to tell the kids there is pizza in the freezer and go out to dinner. Lawrence has a plethora of great places to eat. One new one is in a gas station on the west side of Lawrence. It is simple called "Eats". Can't wait to try it.
I do need to go up to Dave's and see if the demolition guys are going to get a truck in and get the mess on the back porch cleared off prior to it snowing. We are predicted to have 4-5" this Saturday. It wouldn't hurt to have the bags of insulation removed from the dinning room either. I'm sure that just getting them out will greatly improve the smoke smell. I got rid of the mildew so they need to get back in there and go to work.
I wonder what the life of my Grandkitties will be like when the move back into their house. There will be no one to keep the entertained during the day. Pixel still doesn't like to be held but he does hang around me a lot. I am going to do something about his nails as they are sharp little pins and I have several small scabs from his accidentally poking me. Not scrapes but minor pin pricks. Little bugger.
I am going to see if there is a way to help Dave defrost his windscreen in the morning. His defroster switch doesn't divert the warm air to his windshield well. There needs to be a small electric heater that he can use. I have a full size heater but that would be a pain. I could move the wife's car outside but then she would probably not drive it at all. Oh well.... We'll see.
Life here at Rabbit Run is slowing down with the arrival of cold weather. It went from hot to cold, not cool, COLD almost overnight. Oh well, gotta go and see what's happening.
MUD
I hurt my back lifting a couple of days ago and I am still paying for it. It is a lot better today but it was trash day and lifting those cans was almost too much. Oh well, I have the rest of the day to sit back and see if I can get better. I will go to the game even if I have to walk funny (ier). I think this would be a good night to tell the kids there is pizza in the freezer and go out to dinner. Lawrence has a plethora of great places to eat. One new one is in a gas station on the west side of Lawrence. It is simple called "Eats". Can't wait to try it.
I do need to go up to Dave's and see if the demolition guys are going to get a truck in and get the mess on the back porch cleared off prior to it snowing. We are predicted to have 4-5" this Saturday. It wouldn't hurt to have the bags of insulation removed from the dinning room either. I'm sure that just getting them out will greatly improve the smoke smell. I got rid of the mildew so they need to get back in there and go to work.
I wonder what the life of my Grandkitties will be like when the move back into their house. There will be no one to keep the entertained during the day. Pixel still doesn't like to be held but he does hang around me a lot. I am going to do something about his nails as they are sharp little pins and I have several small scabs from his accidentally poking me. Not scrapes but minor pin pricks. Little bugger.
I am going to see if there is a way to help Dave defrost his windscreen in the morning. His defroster switch doesn't divert the warm air to his windshield well. There needs to be a small electric heater that he can use. I have a full size heater but that would be a pain. I could move the wife's car outside but then she would probably not drive it at all. Oh well.... We'll see.
Life here at Rabbit Run is slowing down with the arrival of cold weather. It went from hot to cold, not cool, COLD almost overnight. Oh well, gotta go and see what's happening.
MUD
11/13/2014
MIldew
A couple of years ago, there was a failure in the PEX pipe that hooked up the shower at Dave's. I went over and replaced the fitting that failed. I guess the fact that I didn't leave a fan running in that space until it dried let mildew or mold grow. When the restoration guys were removing the tub to start the replacement, the wall had some mold on it. One of the guys is allergic to mold and they immediately left. I was left to remove the sheetrock that was moldy. No big deal for me but I did try to overload the trash sacks and as a result hurt my back. I was able to finish that job but have not been worth shooting since.
The contractors came by with a chemical to wipe the studs down with to keep the mold from coming back with the new sheetrock. It was a very interesting product that smelled like oranges. I didn't have any rubber gloves when I mixed the chemical in a spray bottle and man does that stuff remove the oil out of my hands. I try to eat a hamburger now and then so dry skin is not a big problem for me but I did sneak a little of the wife's hand cream when I finished.
You would think that I would realize that I am no longer young and leave the heavy lifting to the young guys. I am not sure where the memory failure comes from but I know where it can go. I hate it when that happens.
Have I told you that I am married to a person who loves Kansas but hates winter? This morning it was below freezing and she would not go out to get the paper. I can not start my day without checking the Obits to see if I am in there. I would hate to waste a day doing things that I really don't do. I don't want to be like that guy who died and didn't know it.
I am glad to see that our paper finally published Barb's letter to the Editor. She is totally supportive of the teachers and with the budget cuts pending next year she fears that this is just another chance for the Legislature and our knucklehead Governor to take it out on the schools. We are projected to be about 14 million by the end of this year but some where about 350 million by the end of the next year. The test was to see if cutting taxes this year could stimulate the economy enough to overcome the cuts. Someone needs to tell our Government that it is not their jobs to play with the economy. I think that it is clear that it is way wrong to try to spend with stimulus or cut taxes to build. I am not sure what the entire answer is but I do wish they would keep out of our business.
In a couple of days, the first big round of new rates caused by the Affordable Health Care Act will start hitting home. Did you notice that the Government waited until after the election to start passing gout the bad news. Christmas is going to be a real bummer when people have to start paying for this bad news. If you think Ferguson caused bad feelings, wait a couple of weeks.
Oh well, better get back on the heating pad.
MUD - The over lifter.
The contractors came by with a chemical to wipe the studs down with to keep the mold from coming back with the new sheetrock. It was a very interesting product that smelled like oranges. I didn't have any rubber gloves when I mixed the chemical in a spray bottle and man does that stuff remove the oil out of my hands. I try to eat a hamburger now and then so dry skin is not a big problem for me but I did sneak a little of the wife's hand cream when I finished.
You would think that I would realize that I am no longer young and leave the heavy lifting to the young guys. I am not sure where the memory failure comes from but I know where it can go. I hate it when that happens.
Have I told you that I am married to a person who loves Kansas but hates winter? This morning it was below freezing and she would not go out to get the paper. I can not start my day without checking the Obits to see if I am in there. I would hate to waste a day doing things that I really don't do. I don't want to be like that guy who died and didn't know it.
I am glad to see that our paper finally published Barb's letter to the Editor. She is totally supportive of the teachers and with the budget cuts pending next year she fears that this is just another chance for the Legislature and our knucklehead Governor to take it out on the schools. We are projected to be about 14 million by the end of this year but some where about 350 million by the end of the next year. The test was to see if cutting taxes this year could stimulate the economy enough to overcome the cuts. Someone needs to tell our Government that it is not their jobs to play with the economy. I think that it is clear that it is way wrong to try to spend with stimulus or cut taxes to build. I am not sure what the entire answer is but I do wish they would keep out of our business.
In a couple of days, the first big round of new rates caused by the Affordable Health Care Act will start hitting home. Did you notice that the Government waited until after the election to start passing gout the bad news. Christmas is going to be a real bummer when people have to start paying for this bad news. If you think Ferguson caused bad feelings, wait a couple of weeks.
Oh well, better get back on the heating pad.
MUD - The over lifter.
11/11/2014
Who Left The Door Open?
Yesterday Barb and I went out and cleaned up the garden. She pulled the dead plants and I took the drip irrigation out. It was breezy but still in the 60's. About 5 PM Barb went to pick up our Daughter-in-law and wished she had taken her coat. By the time I got to the Barbershop Chorus Practice, it was 33 degrees. To make it worse, the wind was blowing about 30 MPH. Sheesh.
Today is Veteran's day. It started on the 11th Hour of the 11th day of the 11th Month and the close of WWI. It was called Decoration day and I can remember going to Eldorado and putting flowers on the grave of my Grandfathers. They both survived WWI but passed away during WWII. I didn't get to know either of them and I always thought that it was interesting that you could see their graves there near each other. That recognition soon became what we call Veteran's day and we use this day to recognize those that have served both living and dead.
I am proud that many members of my family served is several different wars. We have a long tradition of serving when our country called. I am especially proud that it allowed me to use the GI Bill and get an education. I used it to get my degree and never looked back. With that, I served 30 years and 10 months. I would have served longer but they had this rule that 30 years commissioned service was all that they would let me serve. Oh well.
Going to watch KU Men play basketball tonight. You have a great day.
MUD
Today is Veteran's day. It started on the 11th Hour of the 11th day of the 11th Month and the close of WWI. It was called Decoration day and I can remember going to Eldorado and putting flowers on the grave of my Grandfathers. They both survived WWI but passed away during WWII. I didn't get to know either of them and I always thought that it was interesting that you could see their graves there near each other. That recognition soon became what we call Veteran's day and we use this day to recognize those that have served both living and dead.
I am proud that many members of my family served is several different wars. We have a long tradition of serving when our country called. I am especially proud that it allowed me to use the GI Bill and get an education. I used it to get my degree and never looked back. With that, I served 30 years and 10 months. I would have served longer but they had this rule that 30 years commissioned service was all that they would let me serve. Oh well.
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| I tried to never loose that smile. |
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| Well, I tried to never loose it. |
MUD
11/09/2014
What'cha Goin' to Do
If there are any of you that are approaching that magic time you are going to be forced to take mandatory withdrawals out of your 401(k), IRAs and 503 (b)s what is your plan? I hate the idea that I will be forced to start spending that money and being charged tax on it. I could take it all out at one time and pay tax on it all at once but I hate that idea too. Sounded like a good idea when we did it but now not so much. I would appreciate any ideas.
MUD
MUD
I hate Getting Old
Just as I was reading about a friend's death this week, the phone rang and my niece told us that my sister is in the hospital. I am not sure if it is because they are old, or that I am old but a lot of my friends are surrounded with medical issues or listed in the obituaries. The friend I read about was the brother of a boss I had. The brother was a kind and gentle man and worked well with others. My boss did not. SGM Fox was having lunch at a plane on Wanamaker last month when I stopped by to get a bite to eat. He looked good and we talked a while. He was a good man and I'm sure his family will miss him.
One of Barb's friends went into the hospital with a hiatal hernia a couple of weeks back. She somehow got a drug resistant infection and what was going to be a short stay kept her there for 2 1/2 weeks. Sure glad she was healthy enough to fight that infection off. Skinny people don't have enough fight in them to make it past such a tough infection. Those of us that are Horizontally gifted have good enough reserves to make it in the long run. How many people tell you that they lost 10-20 pounds fighting through a hospital stay. Skinny people don't have that to loose. I stand prepared.
This past week Barb and I went to her Doctor's office to get a flu shot. This young cute medical assistant told us that because we were over 65, we would be given the enhanced version of the shot. I didn't have a clue what that meant until I read it in the paper. It had about 25% more active ingredient so our bodies make more antibodies. My arm was a little sore for a day or two but other than that no big problems. It is the fall season and there are more things in the air with the wind blowing all the dead leaves about. If I didn't have a little bit of a headache it would not be normal.
After I put a roast in the crock pot, we will probably got to Lawrence to see my sister in the Hospital. We will also use it as an excuse to have lunch at McAlister's Deli. Barb likes their salads and I eat almost anything else on the menu. They even have an item called the big ugly (Open faced roast beef sandwich) that I have been know to order. Knowing I will probably have roast beef for supper I will probably have a Turkey Club sandwich. If I share one quarter of it with Barb, she will share a part of her salad with me. Yummy.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out that one Kansas team won it's football game yesterday and one didn't. Admittedly the Iowa State and KU game was the toilet bowl (Game between the bottom dwellers) and the other was for the BIG XII Lead. I sure think a lot of people have been fooled by Baylor and TCU in the conference. A couple of years back, we went to Waco to watch a basketball game at Baylor. The people there treated us nice and we had a good time trooping around on that campus even though we were wearing KU gear. There was something about the water when we were there and it had to do with the cold air causing their water supply lake turning over. For three days we could not drink the water for the smell.
One upon a time, my family was on a trip to Arkansas. It was a pretty warm day and we were running the air conditioner. I had just given everyone a piece of gum and we were blasting down a country road. Just as we cleared the top of a hill, I saw a cute farm with metal buildings. Right about that time, I smelled hogs. Three windows went down and we had to spit out that gum. You could not chew gum and smell a hog farm at the same time.
Pixel, the young cat has about decided to let me be his friend. He was a shy kitty for a while. His curiosity has him sitting by people a lot and watching.
One of Barb's friends went into the hospital with a hiatal hernia a couple of weeks back. She somehow got a drug resistant infection and what was going to be a short stay kept her there for 2 1/2 weeks. Sure glad she was healthy enough to fight that infection off. Skinny people don't have enough fight in them to make it past such a tough infection. Those of us that are Horizontally gifted have good enough reserves to make it in the long run. How many people tell you that they lost 10-20 pounds fighting through a hospital stay. Skinny people don't have that to loose. I stand prepared.
This past week Barb and I went to her Doctor's office to get a flu shot. This young cute medical assistant told us that because we were over 65, we would be given the enhanced version of the shot. I didn't have a clue what that meant until I read it in the paper. It had about 25% more active ingredient so our bodies make more antibodies. My arm was a little sore for a day or two but other than that no big problems. It is the fall season and there are more things in the air with the wind blowing all the dead leaves about. If I didn't have a little bit of a headache it would not be normal.
After I put a roast in the crock pot, we will probably got to Lawrence to see my sister in the Hospital. We will also use it as an excuse to have lunch at McAlister's Deli. Barb likes their salads and I eat almost anything else on the menu. They even have an item called the big ugly (Open faced roast beef sandwich) that I have been know to order. Knowing I will probably have roast beef for supper I will probably have a Turkey Club sandwich. If I share one quarter of it with Barb, she will share a part of her salad with me. Yummy.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out that one Kansas team won it's football game yesterday and one didn't. Admittedly the Iowa State and KU game was the toilet bowl (Game between the bottom dwellers) and the other was for the BIG XII Lead. I sure think a lot of people have been fooled by Baylor and TCU in the conference. A couple of years back, we went to Waco to watch a basketball game at Baylor. The people there treated us nice and we had a good time trooping around on that campus even though we were wearing KU gear. There was something about the water when we were there and it had to do with the cold air causing their water supply lake turning over. For three days we could not drink the water for the smell.
One upon a time, my family was on a trip to Arkansas. It was a pretty warm day and we were running the air conditioner. I had just given everyone a piece of gum and we were blasting down a country road. Just as we cleared the top of a hill, I saw a cute farm with metal buildings. Right about that time, I smelled hogs. Three windows went down and we had to spit out that gum. You could not chew gum and smell a hog farm at the same time.
Pixel, the young cat has about decided to let me be his friend. He was a shy kitty for a while. His curiosity has him sitting by people a lot and watching.
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| Just Watching |
Do you wonder what cat's think?
MUD
11/07/2014
Is it really Friday?
This week has shot by like few do. Not sure why, but I'll take it. We opened the week with record high temps and it is headed to a possible snow by Tuesday. Today will be one of those day when I wore a coat to get the morning paper and will be in shirt sleeves by late afternoon.
One thing Barb, aka the Master Gardener and I have each morning is "What's on your Agenda?" This morning neither could find even a hint of anything but rest up from resting up. I will probably go to Dave's sometime today and see if there is any demolition I can speed up. There are about a million sheet rock screws in the walls that need removed so that might not be a bad place to start. Might even find a couple of places that might need a little of my help. We'll see.
Yesterday I realized that I have not been very good about singing to my Barbershop Music. If I go to Dave's, I'll take a CD as there is a player there I can listen to. It is either that or Rush Limbaugh. He is still promoting the part line that America has spoken in the election. I think that the majority of the voters held their noses and gave the other side the chance to rule for a while. That will change next election if the Republicans don't get things rolling and soon. Not sure what they think they can do but there is always a big Veto out there that can put the big Kibosh on stray items.
Out Daughter-in-Law said she has lost about 15 pounds since they have been here. I hope is that they are really cutting down on Fast Food and not that my food has made her so sick she can't eat. With my Iron constitution, it could be the latter.
The cats just love to sit by the window here downstairs and watch the birds. I am sure that in his younger days the old guy was a real birder but now they just get to watch. Kind of like when my mother said that I could have a BB gun but couldn't shoot birds. At least not in our yard. What Mom didn't see was just, "Out of Sight, out of mind." She had to be out of her mind to think I wouldn't shoot about everything I could see. I got pretty good at it also.
Have I shared with you that my Niece in Arkansas has been elected to the House of Representatives. Rebecca Petty was a fairly liberal in Kansas but that equates to a conservative in Arkansas. You know a State who's largest paper is the Arkansas Democrat Gazette would have a long Democrat history. It was hard to read the paper there as a life long conservative. Oh well, I read the comics not the editorial pages. The only change in the latest few years is the moving of older people to Arkansas when they retire. That had to change things a lot like Florida. Salute Beck..
What are you going to do to help celebrate Veteran's Day? I will at least read how the 11th Hour or the 11th Day of the 11th Month was the end of WWI. It started out as a tribute to the decoration of those that valiantly gave up their lives in that horrible war. We have now turned it into a celebration of all those that have served their country. I am sure that a lot of us served and are darned glad to be alive to celebrate. There was the possibility that we might have a sing out that day but it came in so late that I'm not sure we will have numbers to make it happen.
Oh well, better get on with the day. Have a great weekend.
MUD, aka the singing fool.
One thing Barb, aka the Master Gardener and I have each morning is "What's on your Agenda?" This morning neither could find even a hint of anything but rest up from resting up. I will probably go to Dave's sometime today and see if there is any demolition I can speed up. There are about a million sheet rock screws in the walls that need removed so that might not be a bad place to start. Might even find a couple of places that might need a little of my help. We'll see.
Yesterday I realized that I have not been very good about singing to my Barbershop Music. If I go to Dave's, I'll take a CD as there is a player there I can listen to. It is either that or Rush Limbaugh. He is still promoting the part line that America has spoken in the election. I think that the majority of the voters held their noses and gave the other side the chance to rule for a while. That will change next election if the Republicans don't get things rolling and soon. Not sure what they think they can do but there is always a big Veto out there that can put the big Kibosh on stray items.
Out Daughter-in-Law said she has lost about 15 pounds since they have been here. I hope is that they are really cutting down on Fast Food and not that my food has made her so sick she can't eat. With my Iron constitution, it could be the latter.
The cats just love to sit by the window here downstairs and watch the birds. I am sure that in his younger days the old guy was a real birder but now they just get to watch. Kind of like when my mother said that I could have a BB gun but couldn't shoot birds. At least not in our yard. What Mom didn't see was just, "Out of Sight, out of mind." She had to be out of her mind to think I wouldn't shoot about everything I could see. I got pretty good at it also.
Have I shared with you that my Niece in Arkansas has been elected to the House of Representatives. Rebecca Petty was a fairly liberal in Kansas but that equates to a conservative in Arkansas. You know a State who's largest paper is the Arkansas Democrat Gazette would have a long Democrat history. It was hard to read the paper there as a life long conservative. Oh well, I read the comics not the editorial pages. The only change in the latest few years is the moving of older people to Arkansas when they retire. That had to change things a lot like Florida. Salute Beck..
What are you going to do to help celebrate Veteran's Day? I will at least read how the 11th Hour or the 11th Day of the 11th Month was the end of WWI. It started out as a tribute to the decoration of those that valiantly gave up their lives in that horrible war. We have now turned it into a celebration of all those that have served their country. I am sure that a lot of us served and are darned glad to be alive to celebrate. There was the possibility that we might have a sing out that day but it came in so late that I'm not sure we will have numbers to make it happen.
Oh well, better get on with the day. Have a great weekend.
MUD, aka the singing fool.
11/06/2014
A New Day
I for one am optimistic about the next two years. I have high hopes that the election energized the congress to stop the gridlock and see if there are some problems that we can truly fix. At least the House and the Senate have one party to answer to. It will be interesting to see if they tackle the tough problems and really get things done.
This morning CNN was talking about the differences in the approach of the Democratic Party from the time of the Presidency of Bill Clinton to the times facing Hillary when and if she runs. I might even vote for Hillary if she would throw Bill out and face the fact he is a philandering scallywag. He is well beyond the reformation that should be a member of a President's family. One of the headlines was that the GOP want Hillary to run because she has so many skeleton's in her closet. I think that might backfire because the people have such a short memory.
An interesting discussion today was the part of the problems sponsored by the press. I don't blame them as much as I blame the people that listen to crap and think they are getting the full picture. As I say that, I saw a small segment of CNN's competition that did a piece on John Cleese of Monty Python fame. He is out there hyping his new book and the people gushed over the Department of Silly Walks that was just barely funny 25 years ago.
I wonder who is the mastermind behind the Muslim Revolution? How can they think that sponsoring a war is more effective that some of the good ways they could spend money. How about Ebola Clinics and Hospitals? How about instead of kidnapping young girls, they start schools to help bring the countries up to modern standards? If I wanted to have people believe in my religion, I would bring about better lives for the people not kill them if they believe the way I do. Don't tell me that it is Mohammed and his radical belief in Allah. We could all benefit from looking at today's realities and the message of how to live and reach some form of afterlife. I am a person that believes that you get what you earn and don't shout let god do his will (Inshallah) as an excuse when bad guys do bad things.
The weatherman is saying that next Tuesday we might even get a little snow if the predictions of a massive cold front comes true. It might even be kind of fun to see a little snow and then it warm up to 45 degrees in the afternoon. Is it those heavy and deep snows in January and February coupled with minus degrees overnight that I really don't like.
Oh well, I hope you all have a great day out there in the real world and live you life like it is yours. If only I had the energy of the kitten living with us. He just ran from the living room down to the window down here by my computer. He is fascinated by the birds I attract by throwing a few sunflower seeds on the porch.
This morning CNN was talking about the differences in the approach of the Democratic Party from the time of the Presidency of Bill Clinton to the times facing Hillary when and if she runs. I might even vote for Hillary if she would throw Bill out and face the fact he is a philandering scallywag. He is well beyond the reformation that should be a member of a President's family. One of the headlines was that the GOP want Hillary to run because she has so many skeleton's in her closet. I think that might backfire because the people have such a short memory.
An interesting discussion today was the part of the problems sponsored by the press. I don't blame them as much as I blame the people that listen to crap and think they are getting the full picture. As I say that, I saw a small segment of CNN's competition that did a piece on John Cleese of Monty Python fame. He is out there hyping his new book and the people gushed over the Department of Silly Walks that was just barely funny 25 years ago.
I wonder who is the mastermind behind the Muslim Revolution? How can they think that sponsoring a war is more effective that some of the good ways they could spend money. How about Ebola Clinics and Hospitals? How about instead of kidnapping young girls, they start schools to help bring the countries up to modern standards? If I wanted to have people believe in my religion, I would bring about better lives for the people not kill them if they believe the way I do. Don't tell me that it is Mohammed and his radical belief in Allah. We could all benefit from looking at today's realities and the message of how to live and reach some form of afterlife. I am a person that believes that you get what you earn and don't shout let god do his will (Inshallah) as an excuse when bad guys do bad things.
The weatherman is saying that next Tuesday we might even get a little snow if the predictions of a massive cold front comes true. It might even be kind of fun to see a little snow and then it warm up to 45 degrees in the afternoon. Is it those heavy and deep snows in January and February coupled with minus degrees overnight that I really don't like.
Oh well, I hope you all have a great day out there in the real world and live you life like it is yours. If only I had the energy of the kitten living with us. He just ran from the living room down to the window down here by my computer. He is fascinated by the birds I attract by throwing a few sunflower seeds on the porch.
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| Can't you see the wheels turning?
MUD
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11/05/2014
I'll Be Damned
I thought that because Tuesday was election day, the Robo calls would stop. About the time we got home from voting, I got a call that wanted to remind me to go vote for the Republican of my choice. Then, about 6 PM, I got a call from a pollster wanting me to answer questions about who I voted for. Crap, I hate it when that happens. The next kind of call like that will get an ear full.
For some reason, my name got on the sucker call list and my cell phone has been on the ring for the last few days over a daily offer from a couple of places. I finally had to come in to my computer and figure out how to get off the list. I think they call it un-subscribe even though I never subscribed. One of these days, I will completely shut down the whole mess.
Now on to the important thoughts of the day. The Republicans are running around and shouting that they won. What people will remember in two years is what they do between now and the next election. I want to see a list from the Congress of the things they are going to fix. I want a regular report on how they are doing and to be kept in the loop. Here is my list of things that need fixed;
The Economy. First and foremost I want to see how the Congress can stimulate job growth and cut taxes. I seem to remember that Jimmy Carter's tried to fix this and was labeled the second worst President. I am reminded that if you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!
Immigration. We need to stop letting people in to our country until we get some of our problems fixed. Stop the flow of drugs along with the people. I want the illegals that are here have a way to work and then go home without Social Security benefits. The only way this will really work is to annex Mexico and shut the flow of people down about the Panama Canal. Nah, they will just figure out a way to go to Canada and walk across.
The Military. Just how big a Military do we need? How many stealth bombers do we need to defend our borders? I would make sure that all the young men and women had the chance to do some form of national service and a chance to attend school - year for year for their service. For those not interested in College, I would send them to a trade school to learn how to do some of the vital tasks we need done. Just this week I got a bill for $600.00 for two guys who spent about 2 1/2 hours doing plumbing work. Don't tell me there isn't enough work or workers.
Our Government has a bunch of houses from the last housing balloon bust. I would start a program that teaches young men and women how to rehab these houses and make them a good place to live. I would remove most or all of the Government Housing Complexes and put people in these houses with a least to own basis. I would have an annual inspection /repair to these homes by teams of the people I have trained. I think this is really a workfare not welfare program but in the end it would have to be fully evaluated.
Government Funding of stupid things. I don't care how many frogs don't have a completely satisfying sex life. I would not spend a dollar on anything that didn't directly benefit people.
Private Sector Spending on the elections. I would cut out the ability to take funds from PACs and individuals that leads to hundreds of advertisements. I would give everyone a chance to have their programs and ideas put in a special edition of the paper. I would then have a copy delivered to each house. I would limit the exposure on TV to one debate for the primary and one for the main election. Yes, I know this flies in the face of my free speech agenda but what the heck.
I would personally cut down on the visas to students to come here to go to school. I darn sure would have them register and be monitored for expiration dates. If your visa expires, you get sent home.
OK, that's enough for the first round. You'll hear a lot more about this in the future.
MUD, aka Man on a Mission
For some reason, my name got on the sucker call list and my cell phone has been on the ring for the last few days over a daily offer from a couple of places. I finally had to come in to my computer and figure out how to get off the list. I think they call it un-subscribe even though I never subscribed. One of these days, I will completely shut down the whole mess.
Now on to the important thoughts of the day. The Republicans are running around and shouting that they won. What people will remember in two years is what they do between now and the next election. I want to see a list from the Congress of the things they are going to fix. I want a regular report on how they are doing and to be kept in the loop. Here is my list of things that need fixed;
The Economy. First and foremost I want to see how the Congress can stimulate job growth and cut taxes. I seem to remember that Jimmy Carter's tried to fix this and was labeled the second worst President. I am reminded that if you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!
Immigration. We need to stop letting people in to our country until we get some of our problems fixed. Stop the flow of drugs along with the people. I want the illegals that are here have a way to work and then go home without Social Security benefits. The only way this will really work is to annex Mexico and shut the flow of people down about the Panama Canal. Nah, they will just figure out a way to go to Canada and walk across.
The Military. Just how big a Military do we need? How many stealth bombers do we need to defend our borders? I would make sure that all the young men and women had the chance to do some form of national service and a chance to attend school - year for year for their service. For those not interested in College, I would send them to a trade school to learn how to do some of the vital tasks we need done. Just this week I got a bill for $600.00 for two guys who spent about 2 1/2 hours doing plumbing work. Don't tell me there isn't enough work or workers.
Our Government has a bunch of houses from the last housing balloon bust. I would start a program that teaches young men and women how to rehab these houses and make them a good place to live. I would remove most or all of the Government Housing Complexes and put people in these houses with a least to own basis. I would have an annual inspection /repair to these homes by teams of the people I have trained. I think this is really a workfare not welfare program but in the end it would have to be fully evaluated.
Government Funding of stupid things. I don't care how many frogs don't have a completely satisfying sex life. I would not spend a dollar on anything that didn't directly benefit people.
Private Sector Spending on the elections. I would cut out the ability to take funds from PACs and individuals that leads to hundreds of advertisements. I would give everyone a chance to have their programs and ideas put in a special edition of the paper. I would then have a copy delivered to each house. I would limit the exposure on TV to one debate for the primary and one for the main election. Yes, I know this flies in the face of my free speech agenda but what the heck.
I would personally cut down on the visas to students to come here to go to school. I darn sure would have them register and be monitored for expiration dates. If your visa expires, you get sent home.
OK, that's enough for the first round. You'll hear a lot more about this in the future.
MUD, aka Man on a Mission
11/04/2014
Yea, We Get to Vote Today
I will do my best to not turn this into a rant about the 42 Robo Calls this past week. You can bet your sweet potato I will get out and vote to thank all the people that think they can sway my vote by annoying me. We were out yesterday from 2 PM until about 10 PM and there were 8 calls on the answering machine. After a quick cross scheduling conference, Barb told me that she has a meeting at 10 AM. I am welcome to go vote any time. It is about 9 AM on election day and there was a Robo Call from the Republican party.
We got to see the first game of the 2015 Jayhawks last night and they are pretty good. They don't have the 7 foot player but they have a couple of almost 7 foot players that are darn good. I am proud that our Washburn University team scheduled the Big XII into their schedule. They will also play Oklahoma on Friday and K-State on Sunday. The coach said this was scheduled so they could go to Hawaii in late November. I think they will need a day or two on the beach after that tough schedule.
We are waiting for the refurbishment at Dave's house to begin. It looks like the Insurance Company is doing their best to make it all happen now it is up to the Tradesmen to get on the stick. The kids have a great plan and are working with a great cabinet company. The first pole in the tent is getting the rest of the inside removed. I took out some of the stupid things that were just in the way. Now it will remain to be seen how many screws they can get out. Instead of using a normal number of screws, the previous owner used a screw about every 4 inches. Over kill.
Better get my show on the road.
MUD
We got to see the first game of the 2015 Jayhawks last night and they are pretty good. They don't have the 7 foot player but they have a couple of almost 7 foot players that are darn good. I am proud that our Washburn University team scheduled the Big XII into their schedule. They will also play Oklahoma on Friday and K-State on Sunday. The coach said this was scheduled so they could go to Hawaii in late November. I think they will need a day or two on the beach after that tough schedule.
We are waiting for the refurbishment at Dave's house to begin. It looks like the Insurance Company is doing their best to make it all happen now it is up to the Tradesmen to get on the stick. The kids have a great plan and are working with a great cabinet company. The first pole in the tent is getting the rest of the inside removed. I took out some of the stupid things that were just in the way. Now it will remain to be seen how many screws they can get out. Instead of using a normal number of screws, the previous owner used a screw about every 4 inches. Over kill.
Better get my show on the road.
MUD
11/03/2014
Thanks
Last month I had 83,000 visitors and today the mark crossed 605,000 hits. After 2,800 posts, I should expect that someone would stop by for a read. Again I want to thank you all for visiting. I sure hope it wasn't just some computer glitch that keeps hitting but what the heck, my ego can always use a stroke or two.
MUD
MUD
We'll See
Washburn University, our Local University, has a real aggressive schedule this week. They start with KU Tonight, Oklahoma on Friday and K-State on Sunday. If that doesn't rock their world, noting will. My prediction is they will be 0-3 at the end but what a ride for that bunch of players. It will be fun to read who they say is the toughest team. The team with the best talent but the smallest amount of experience is KU. They will play with wild abandon and make lots of mistakes. I will be in the stands tonight and be cheering them on. Rock Chalk, Go KU!
Things are pretty ready for the restoration guys to move in to Dave's and start the removal of the rest of the sheetrock. I did some work last week but am pretty much ready to let the big boys handle it from here. One mistake I made was to sit down right where the toilet had been. They removed he toilet but not the wax ring. I had a big glob of wax on my butt and transferred it to the truck seat. In case you have never used it, WD-40 does a great job of cleaning things like that up. The good news is the truck seats are vinyl and if anything WD-40 helps condition the vinyl and clean at the same time.
We had a birthday dinner with Dave's in-laws last night at the Red Robin. Larry and Sandy are always fun to visit with and they brought Sandy's mother and Kyler. Lots of good discussions and the kids got some really neat cards. Barb and I paid for our own meal and when I got home, I realized that the waitress didn't put the onion rings on our ticket. I owe Larry on that one.
Have I mentioned that we have three cats here at Rabbit Run? We went from none to three all in one fell swoop. It is kind of fun to see the kitten grow and the female start getting slimmer running around chasing and being chased by Pixel. The old male just goes from sunny spot to sunny spot and wanting petted. The Kitten is just so wild that unless he is completely worn out, he doesn't want petted. Most of the time he goes from full on to asleep.
The first thing on my agenda today is to go out and figure out how to adjust the frame on the small door for the metal bldg. It doesn't align well and a good south wind blows it open. I'll get if figured out in no time and then I might even see if the tractor will start. Most of the little tractors have the typical small batteries on them and I might even rotate the charger between them. The bad thing about those small batteries is they will freeze if not fully charged and that will be the end of them. I think both batteries are new this year so I would like to get one more season out of them. I probably will tinker around in the shed for a while and then come in and put a good scrub on the kitchen floor. I haven't been very good at doing my detail on that lately.
Oh well, better get things rolling. I wrote on the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) yesterday but it turned out that it was just a re-write of my life story and bored me to tears. I might even start over and try to get out of my own beaten zone for a story line.
MUD
Things are pretty ready for the restoration guys to move in to Dave's and start the removal of the rest of the sheetrock. I did some work last week but am pretty much ready to let the big boys handle it from here. One mistake I made was to sit down right where the toilet had been. They removed he toilet but not the wax ring. I had a big glob of wax on my butt and transferred it to the truck seat. In case you have never used it, WD-40 does a great job of cleaning things like that up. The good news is the truck seats are vinyl and if anything WD-40 helps condition the vinyl and clean at the same time.
We had a birthday dinner with Dave's in-laws last night at the Red Robin. Larry and Sandy are always fun to visit with and they brought Sandy's mother and Kyler. Lots of good discussions and the kids got some really neat cards. Barb and I paid for our own meal and when I got home, I realized that the waitress didn't put the onion rings on our ticket. I owe Larry on that one.
Have I mentioned that we have three cats here at Rabbit Run? We went from none to three all in one fell swoop. It is kind of fun to see the kitten grow and the female start getting slimmer running around chasing and being chased by Pixel. The old male just goes from sunny spot to sunny spot and wanting petted. The Kitten is just so wild that unless he is completely worn out, he doesn't want petted. Most of the time he goes from full on to asleep.
The first thing on my agenda today is to go out and figure out how to adjust the frame on the small door for the metal bldg. It doesn't align well and a good south wind blows it open. I'll get if figured out in no time and then I might even see if the tractor will start. Most of the little tractors have the typical small batteries on them and I might even rotate the charger between them. The bad thing about those small batteries is they will freeze if not fully charged and that will be the end of them. I think both batteries are new this year so I would like to get one more season out of them. I probably will tinker around in the shed for a while and then come in and put a good scrub on the kitchen floor. I haven't been very good at doing my detail on that lately.
Oh well, better get things rolling. I wrote on the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) yesterday but it turned out that it was just a re-write of my life story and bored me to tears. I might even start over and try to get out of my own beaten zone for a story line.
MUD
11/01/2014
Are You Ready?
I am ever so ready for this round of elections to be over. The lies have been so exaggerated this year and the 4 Billion Dollars of advertising has filled my mailbox every day this week. By this time, I am ready to vote and no amount of dollars will change my vote.
I don't care what the Republicans say, I will not vote for another incumbent. 37 years of experience in Washington makes up way too much time spent there. The surest test will be where will the old guys live when we pull the pin on the grenade of votes that un-elects them. Did Bob Dole come home to Kansas? Did Ike come home to Kansas? Nope, and it is my impression that Roberts won't either.
We are nearing the first Round ball contest for KU this Monday evening. As much as I hate to miss a practice for the Barbershop Chorus, I think seeing the first game is important. The paper did have one piece of bad news this morning. A really great kid, Conner Frankcamp from Wichita is not going to play for KU after this semester. He will transfer out to a smaller school, where he will be a bigger duck in a smaller puddle. He was one of my highlights last year and while his scoring won't be missed much, having guys like that on the team just makes them a better bunch. I wish him well and will watch for him to be a great scorer for teams next year.
Oh well, better run. Just so you know, I did not post an article I wrote about PTSD. It was way personal and I didn't feel I had written things that I wanted to publish. Yes, I know that is hard for me to do but I put it back on the shelf and may re-write it someday.
MUD
I don't care what the Republicans say, I will not vote for another incumbent. 37 years of experience in Washington makes up way too much time spent there. The surest test will be where will the old guys live when we pull the pin on the grenade of votes that un-elects them. Did Bob Dole come home to Kansas? Did Ike come home to Kansas? Nope, and it is my impression that Roberts won't either.
We are nearing the first Round ball contest for KU this Monday evening. As much as I hate to miss a practice for the Barbershop Chorus, I think seeing the first game is important. The paper did have one piece of bad news this morning. A really great kid, Conner Frankcamp from Wichita is not going to play for KU after this semester. He will transfer out to a smaller school, where he will be a bigger duck in a smaller puddle. He was one of my highlights last year and while his scoring won't be missed much, having guys like that on the team just makes them a better bunch. I wish him well and will watch for him to be a great scorer for teams next year.
Oh well, better run. Just so you know, I did not post an article I wrote about PTSD. It was way personal and I didn't feel I had written things that I wanted to publish. Yes, I know that is hard for me to do but I put it back on the shelf and may re-write it someday.
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MUD
Saturday Morning
After a fairly long week, Saturday opens cold and frosty. I think this is the first of the killing frosts/freezes for the season. No more vine ripened tomatoes for us. The last of the BLT's with those sweet tomatoes is not far away. In fact, I think I will go get some bacon so we can make the last of the tomatoes into BLT's. Truth is I also have to go get a update for my cell phone monthly service cost.
Yesterday, our sister-in-law sent Barbara a picture of her and her mother. It is about as nice a picture as I have of them.
Yesterday, our sister-in-law sent Barbara a picture of her and her mother. It is about as nice a picture as I have of them.
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| Love of my life and her mother
MUD
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10/30/2014
They are All Guilty
I am amazed that politicians all over the place are taking credit (and avoiding blame) for things they were not responsible for. A prime example is that when the Legislature cut funding to schools here in Kansas, the Courts stepped in and told them that they needed to establish a floor for funding and do it "Right Damn Quick." Now our pointy haired Governor is trying to advertise that it was his plan all along to give more money to schools. The Republicans are saying that in Kansas we don't want to be like Washington. In fact, the Republicans can pass anything they damn well please and cut taxes to businesses and are in danger of going broke in a year or so because they cut the income stream so much. The only thing that will save them is a major turn around in the economy. late this year or early next. Lets see, it is the end of October so this year is pretty much done unless everyone goes overboard for Christmas.
I am really getting tired of people throwing the issue of Abortion in my face. I personally think that abortion is the wrong thing to do and not personally approve. By the same token, I thought that politicians took an oath when they take office that they will support and defend the constitution and the laws as they stand. Right now, without some major action, Roe vs. Wade is the law and unless they can figure out how to overturn the Supreme Court, they need to quit riding that dead horse and get on with the important issues like how to make do with the funding they now have. That has to be one of the major issues facing us right now and abortion and Marijuana are down the list at 24 or 25.
What I really hate is that the Republicans are saying that Pat Roberts is the thing that will save their bacon in the Senate. If it were in my power, I would throw all the rascals out and start over. Do they think that I want to hear two (or more) years of the bickering coming out of Washington because they can't put on their big girl panties and deal.
Am I suffering from Baseball fatigue? Just as I got worked up over the first game 7 in 12 years, the Royals lost a close game and San Francisco won 3-2. There are people that want a parade this weekend for the losers. I say they should be allowed to go home and be with their families. Haven't they given an extra month of baseball this year? Who was it that said? "Winning isn't everything, it is the only thing!" Oh well, well played Royals.
I have been doing some reconstruction at Dave's and I hurt. I have to crawl up and down in the hole where his bathroom was and my knees and hips hurt. As much as I want to blame it on the work, I know it is old age and wonder just how much more it would hurt the next time if I don't do something now. I will admit that Naproxen Sodium (Aleve) helps but I do have to sit here and blog until it kicks in. I hope you feel that it is a good thing that I have time to write.
Speaking of writing, I have looked over my past blogs and don't have a clue what you want or expect to see here. I have varied from story telling to ranting about injustices and the readership just continues to climb. I am nearing 600,000 hits and will be there sometime next week. At this rate I will be over 700,000 by Christmas. Oh well, why worry about what I cannot control.
The only thing I hate right now is that yesterday I cut the end of a finger on some sharp tile and now I am truly down to using only one finger on my right hand to type. About the end of each line I have to go back and correct all the extra letters I have inadvertently inserted. Instead of hunt and peck, I am doing hunt and correct. Dang I hate it when that happens. What I really hate is when I type a word that is completely wrong and the spell checker doesn't thgink so. ( I left that one in just to show you what I mean.)
MUD, aka the wounded typist
I am really getting tired of people throwing the issue of Abortion in my face. I personally think that abortion is the wrong thing to do and not personally approve. By the same token, I thought that politicians took an oath when they take office that they will support and defend the constitution and the laws as they stand. Right now, without some major action, Roe vs. Wade is the law and unless they can figure out how to overturn the Supreme Court, they need to quit riding that dead horse and get on with the important issues like how to make do with the funding they now have. That has to be one of the major issues facing us right now and abortion and Marijuana are down the list at 24 or 25.
What I really hate is that the Republicans are saying that Pat Roberts is the thing that will save their bacon in the Senate. If it were in my power, I would throw all the rascals out and start over. Do they think that I want to hear two (or more) years of the bickering coming out of Washington because they can't put on their big girl panties and deal.
Am I suffering from Baseball fatigue? Just as I got worked up over the first game 7 in 12 years, the Royals lost a close game and San Francisco won 3-2. There are people that want a parade this weekend for the losers. I say they should be allowed to go home and be with their families. Haven't they given an extra month of baseball this year? Who was it that said? "Winning isn't everything, it is the only thing!" Oh well, well played Royals.
I have been doing some reconstruction at Dave's and I hurt. I have to crawl up and down in the hole where his bathroom was and my knees and hips hurt. As much as I want to blame it on the work, I know it is old age and wonder just how much more it would hurt the next time if I don't do something now. I will admit that Naproxen Sodium (Aleve) helps but I do have to sit here and blog until it kicks in. I hope you feel that it is a good thing that I have time to write.
Speaking of writing, I have looked over my past blogs and don't have a clue what you want or expect to see here. I have varied from story telling to ranting about injustices and the readership just continues to climb. I am nearing 600,000 hits and will be there sometime next week. At this rate I will be over 700,000 by Christmas. Oh well, why worry about what I cannot control.
The only thing I hate right now is that yesterday I cut the end of a finger on some sharp tile and now I am truly down to using only one finger on my right hand to type. About the end of each line I have to go back and correct all the extra letters I have inadvertently inserted. Instead of hunt and peck, I am doing hunt and correct. Dang I hate it when that happens. What I really hate is when I type a word that is completely wrong and the spell checker doesn't thgink so. ( I left that one in just to show you what I mean.)
MUD, aka the wounded typist
10/29/2014
Undoing
The owner of the house Dave is living in was a terrazzo floor layer. He also did a lot of stucco work and what isn't terrazzo in Dave's house is coated with a cement stucco. That means there is no matching a wall if it had to be cut open to dry That means a lot of the bathroom will be gutted in the next week or so. There were some details added by the old owner that were just decorative and not needed or desired in a simple arrangement. I spent most of the morning removing a microwave enclosure that was through the wall and into a closet. It completely made the closet unusable and it will return the closet to a much needed storage place. This afternoon I took down a couple of six inch walls that made the washer and dryer area stick out in the flow of traffic in the bathroom. I think it will all look much better when it is done. Tomorrow it will be the small wall between the sink and where the stool is. It made the stool look way off center and the four inch wall will not be missed. That is pretty much the extent of my part of the renewal of the bathroom. Dave and his wife Barbara have picked out some pretty tile, cabinets and paint for the bathroom. I hope it meets their ideal as it sure looks nice from here. The rebuilders said they would have to come in and completely strip the sheetrock from the walls and the ceiling. Part of that is due to damage and part to eliminate the smell. I really want to see how they close up the insulation in the floor.
One tool I could not find in my tool bucket today was the box of band aids I normally have in there. I cut a finger on a piece of broken tile and had to resort to my paper towel and masking tape trick to keep from bleeding all over the palace. It looks rough but it works so I get an A for function and an F for pretty. Have I mentioned that Barb and I have a pretty good deal in that area? I do function and she does pretty. I get to engineer things and specify general details. She has the final say on pretty. I will be the first to admit that I tend to do things in OD Green and black - a lot.
Today at noon, I saw that the Powerball jackpot for tonight is 328 Million. I t5old Barb that I needed to buy a ticket. Then I asked her what she would do if she won. I told her that I would probably run away. She told me that I was welcome to do that now. I wonder just how she meant that? Did she want to go away for a weekend or just want me to go away? Oh well, if I miss a couple of days in the near future it is because I have run away.
MUD aka Mean Uncle Denny
One tool I could not find in my tool bucket today was the box of band aids I normally have in there. I cut a finger on a piece of broken tile and had to resort to my paper towel and masking tape trick to keep from bleeding all over the palace. It looks rough but it works so I get an A for function and an F for pretty. Have I mentioned that Barb and I have a pretty good deal in that area? I do function and she does pretty. I get to engineer things and specify general details. She has the final say on pretty. I will be the first to admit that I tend to do things in OD Green and black - a lot.
Today at noon, I saw that the Powerball jackpot for tonight is 328 Million. I t5old Barb that I needed to buy a ticket. Then I asked her what she would do if she won. I told her that I would probably run away. She told me that I was welcome to do that now. I wonder just how she meant that? Did she want to go away for a weekend or just want me to go away? Oh well, if I miss a couple of days in the near future it is because I have run away.
MUD aka Mean Uncle Denny
Halloween
Because we live so far off the road and back in the dark spooky woods, we don't get many Trick or Treaters. When our friends the Reimers were in Town, we would go over to their house and visit. They lived in a neighborhood where there were lots of kids and Gerald and I would go out with the girls and let the mother's stay home to visit and pass out candy. What did you do as a child?
For the Baby Boomers, Halloween was mostly a time to go door to door in our neighborhood. We would take a grocery sack and visit as many houses as we could. For the most part, there was no violence and candy was given without any tricks play by or on us. There was one guy that got up on his roof and he would pour water on the kids but we got even with him by soaping his windows and the air was let out of a couple of tires.
One Halloween, several of us (mostly teenagers) were out on a stroll. As we walked down one street, the sister of a friend of ours came driving down the street in her 56 Chevy. I stood out in the road and flagged her down and the other kids took hands full of shaving cream and coated her windows. Just as the deed was done, a big Mexican gentleman got out of the car and said, " What are you doing to my car." I guess it wasn't our friends car after all. Oops, Run home amigos.
After hitting the houses on our block, several of us would go over to Forest Hills a richer neighborhood nearby and go from house to house. In our neighborhood, you were lucky to get penny candy. In that neighborhood, they would pass out real candy bars. Baby Ruth's, Snickers, Mars Bars and one time Popcorn Balls. I can remember one really cold night, there was one lady that gave out hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top. She was a hit.
For a few days after Halloween, we would sit at home and sort our loot and eat the favorite things first. Lots of chocolate and nuts were consumed. I can't remember the last things we ate but I am sure that it all got eaten. We were poor greedy little urchins and nothing sweet went to waste.
What were some of the things you liked as a child? I remember one time that my mother hid a package of marshmallows in the top of the cupboard. By the time I found them, they were hard, dry and crunchy. For some reason they were right at the top of my list. My wife said that with 5 brothers and sisters, there was no chance that a package of marshmallows would ever reach that age or consistency. That I understand...
Oh well, just a few random thoughts as Halloween approaches.
MUD,
For the Baby Boomers, Halloween was mostly a time to go door to door in our neighborhood. We would take a grocery sack and visit as many houses as we could. For the most part, there was no violence and candy was given without any tricks play by or on us. There was one guy that got up on his roof and he would pour water on the kids but we got even with him by soaping his windows and the air was let out of a couple of tires.
One Halloween, several of us (mostly teenagers) were out on a stroll. As we walked down one street, the sister of a friend of ours came driving down the street in her 56 Chevy. I stood out in the road and flagged her down and the other kids took hands full of shaving cream and coated her windows. Just as the deed was done, a big Mexican gentleman got out of the car and said, " What are you doing to my car." I guess it wasn't our friends car after all. Oops, Run home amigos.
After hitting the houses on our block, several of us would go over to Forest Hills a richer neighborhood nearby and go from house to house. In our neighborhood, you were lucky to get penny candy. In that neighborhood, they would pass out real candy bars. Baby Ruth's, Snickers, Mars Bars and one time Popcorn Balls. I can remember one really cold night, there was one lady that gave out hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on top. She was a hit.
For a few days after Halloween, we would sit at home and sort our loot and eat the favorite things first. Lots of chocolate and nuts were consumed. I can't remember the last things we ate but I am sure that it all got eaten. We were poor greedy little urchins and nothing sweet went to waste.
What were some of the things you liked as a child? I remember one time that my mother hid a package of marshmallows in the top of the cupboard. By the time I found them, they were hard, dry and crunchy. For some reason they were right at the top of my list. My wife said that with 5 brothers and sisters, there was no chance that a package of marshmallows would ever reach that age or consistency. That I understand...
Oh well, just a few random thoughts as Halloween approaches.
MUD,
Oh No, It Did what I told it to do.
Yesterday I saw a quote by FDR and saw that for the most part He and I agreed. When I posted it, I changed the color of the text and it printed black on a black page. I changed it this AM and I apologize for the delay. I hope it was just on my computer but in a was it was a blank page that contained a silent statement that there is little in today's world that I and the Democrats agree upon.
I think the USA is wealthy enough to reach out and help our poor do better. I am a little more on the side of helping them reach their goals tomorrow by hard work rather than feeding them a lot today. I lived in an 8X38 ' trailer as I went to school. I also lived in a one bedroom apartment for a while. We lived not quite a Spartan existence but it wasn't lavish either. We paid for our own education and are proud of our accomplishments. I wonder what it would have been like if we had just borrowed our way there.
Never mind, that wasn't the subject I wanted to write about today. As I have said, Dave is staying here with his three cats. While I have wanted to hear the pitter-patter of little feet, I never expected it to be the thumping of kitten feet at 7 AM. Pixel wakes up full of kitten energy and goes on a wild chase with the female cat for at least an hour. How much noise can a kitten make? Not to the level of wild elephants, but enough... I was just paid a visit by the female cat and now notice all the hair on my keyboard. I am sure that there is a series of new ventilation holes on the chair where she jumped up to get attention.
A lot of us in the Heartland were thrilled to see the Royals do their magic last night and defeat San Francisco 10-0. I for one would rather see them score only 5 runs then and another 5 tonight in game 7. We'll see. I was channel surfing early in the game and watching NCIS and missed the big 2nd inning. At least I know a couple of my friends were at the game and I hope they enjoyed the game. One of them was a secretary that I worked closely with. Right after she retired, she went to the Doctor and had some major surgery done. It was pretty much touch and go for a while and I am thrilled to see that she is now doing well. Go Royals. After all, there was a sign that said BBQ is greater than Rice-a-roni.
It got pretty close to freezing for the first this fall last night. I saw that there are plants on the deck with a blanket on them. Barb was sure that it wouldn't freeze but a frost was possible. I did notice that a lot of the remaining tomatoes and a pepper or two got picked yesterday. There are a few Asian Pears on the trees and There is at least a couple of bushels in the garage. I will start feeding them to the deer in a week or two. That and a little chopped corn never hurt any deer that I know.
Better get running and see if there isn't a few disasters to mitigate.
MUD, aka, ORAG Old Retired Army Guy
I think the USA is wealthy enough to reach out and help our poor do better. I am a little more on the side of helping them reach their goals tomorrow by hard work rather than feeding them a lot today. I lived in an 8X38 ' trailer as I went to school. I also lived in a one bedroom apartment for a while. We lived not quite a Spartan existence but it wasn't lavish either. We paid for our own education and are proud of our accomplishments. I wonder what it would have been like if we had just borrowed our way there.
Never mind, that wasn't the subject I wanted to write about today. As I have said, Dave is staying here with his three cats. While I have wanted to hear the pitter-patter of little feet, I never expected it to be the thumping of kitten feet at 7 AM. Pixel wakes up full of kitten energy and goes on a wild chase with the female cat for at least an hour. How much noise can a kitten make? Not to the level of wild elephants, but enough... I was just paid a visit by the female cat and now notice all the hair on my keyboard. I am sure that there is a series of new ventilation holes on the chair where she jumped up to get attention.
A lot of us in the Heartland were thrilled to see the Royals do their magic last night and defeat San Francisco 10-0. I for one would rather see them score only 5 runs then and another 5 tonight in game 7. We'll see. I was channel surfing early in the game and watching NCIS and missed the big 2nd inning. At least I know a couple of my friends were at the game and I hope they enjoyed the game. One of them was a secretary that I worked closely with. Right after she retired, she went to the Doctor and had some major surgery done. It was pretty much touch and go for a while and I am thrilled to see that she is now doing well. Go Royals. After all, there was a sign that said BBQ is greater than Rice-a-roni.
It got pretty close to freezing for the first this fall last night. I saw that there are plants on the deck with a blanket on them. Barb was sure that it wouldn't freeze but a frost was possible. I did notice that a lot of the remaining tomatoes and a pepper or two got picked yesterday. There are a few Asian Pears on the trees and There is at least a couple of bushels in the garage. I will start feeding them to the deer in a week or two. That and a little chopped corn never hurt any deer that I know.
Better get running and see if there isn't a few disasters to mitigate.
MUD, aka, ORAG Old Retired Army Guy
10/28/2014
Oh No, I agree with a Democrat
In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms.
The first is freedom of speech and expression -- everywhere in the world.
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way -- everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want -- which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants -- everywhere in the world. *
The fourth is freedom from fear -- which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor-- anywhere in the world. **
FDR
* If there is a point where I mildly disagree it is here. I think the desire for more is fuel for people to do better and the thing that drives us all to do better. I do think there needs to be a floor but not from want.
** Countries should have enough to defend themselves but not so much they want to rush out and attack others.
Well, you didn't think I would agree with everything Did You?
MUD
The first is freedom of speech and expression -- everywhere in the world.
The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way -- everywhere in the world.
The third is freedom from want -- which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants -- everywhere in the world. *
The fourth is freedom from fear -- which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor-- anywhere in the world. **
FDR
* If there is a point where I mildly disagree it is here. I think the desire for more is fuel for people to do better and the thing that drives us all to do better. I do think there needs to be a floor but not from want.
** Countries should have enough to defend themselves but not so much they want to rush out and attack others.
Well, you didn't think I would agree with everything Did You?
MUD
Slow Start, Long Day
Seems like I couldn't get started yesterday but then once the work bug bit me, I over did. By the time we got to our chorus practice, my knees were so worn out that I could hardly stand on the risers for a couple of hours. I am in recovery this AM but will probably do too much later today. We'll see.
Who do you look like? My mother said I look a lot like my great grandpa Boggs but I never met the guy. In fact, I never met either of my grandfathers as they both died during WWII and I was not born until 1947. My maternal grandmother remarried and my step grandfather Curly (Richard Milton) Fruits was all I ever knew. The one thing I am the most proud of is the musical talents I inherited from my family. Now that I am singing with the Barbershop chorus again, I get to express that side of my talent. I would love to sing baritone again but my best range is bass. Right now there is a quartet that need a good baritone but I just am not ready to strain my voice and sing up there.
Dave got the approval from the Insurance Company for the repair of the damage to his house from the dryer fire. It appears that the person doing the estimate really understands the cost of replacing the entire contents of a bathroom. They are going to strip it down to the studs and start all over again. The kids have picked out the cabinets and the tile and a paint color but the complete demolition has not yet started. There are a few things I want to do but mostly it is Dave's call.
I have been watching the program called Overhaulin' on TV and am getting the bug to star work on the 57 again. I want to put a new motor in it and upgrade the steering and brakes. That, along with an A/C to make it a driver. I don't care what it costs to insure, I will try to put it on the road again sometime in the next couple of years. That, or I need to sell it so someone will benefit from having it.
Is anyone else getting tired of having their phone ring with those pesky Robo calls? Yesterday, we got a call and the caller ID said that we were calling ourselves. This time it was a credit card company trying to get us to sign up for a cheaper Credit Card. We have ours through a Credit Union and I don't see how anyone can beat their APR of 12%. The other day I sat down and read one of the advertisements for a credit card we got in the mail and their cars was 18% unless we missed a payment. I thought that was usury. I am so fed up with all the political ads and calls that I will not vote for an incumbent this year. NRA - Never Re-elect Anyone. I will continue to do that until they have replaced that bunch of Tax and Spend people with people that understand the value of money out here in the real world. I would never approve any money to study the sex lives of Frogs. If they can't pay for it, they should do without...
Oh well, better get rolling again. I have about recovered and the Naproxen has kicked in to cover the rest.
MUD aka, the ROBO Call blocker.
Who do you look like? My mother said I look a lot like my great grandpa Boggs but I never met the guy. In fact, I never met either of my grandfathers as they both died during WWII and I was not born until 1947. My maternal grandmother remarried and my step grandfather Curly (Richard Milton) Fruits was all I ever knew. The one thing I am the most proud of is the musical talents I inherited from my family. Now that I am singing with the Barbershop chorus again, I get to express that side of my talent. I would love to sing baritone again but my best range is bass. Right now there is a quartet that need a good baritone but I just am not ready to strain my voice and sing up there.
Dave got the approval from the Insurance Company for the repair of the damage to his house from the dryer fire. It appears that the person doing the estimate really understands the cost of replacing the entire contents of a bathroom. They are going to strip it down to the studs and start all over again. The kids have picked out the cabinets and the tile and a paint color but the complete demolition has not yet started. There are a few things I want to do but mostly it is Dave's call.
I have been watching the program called Overhaulin' on TV and am getting the bug to star work on the 57 again. I want to put a new motor in it and upgrade the steering and brakes. That, along with an A/C to make it a driver. I don't care what it costs to insure, I will try to put it on the road again sometime in the next couple of years. That, or I need to sell it so someone will benefit from having it.
Is anyone else getting tired of having their phone ring with those pesky Robo calls? Yesterday, we got a call and the caller ID said that we were calling ourselves. This time it was a credit card company trying to get us to sign up for a cheaper Credit Card. We have ours through a Credit Union and I don't see how anyone can beat their APR of 12%. The other day I sat down and read one of the advertisements for a credit card we got in the mail and their cars was 18% unless we missed a payment. I thought that was usury. I am so fed up with all the political ads and calls that I will not vote for an incumbent this year. NRA - Never Re-elect Anyone. I will continue to do that until they have replaced that bunch of Tax and Spend people with people that understand the value of money out here in the real world. I would never approve any money to study the sex lives of Frogs. If they can't pay for it, they should do without...
Oh well, better get rolling again. I have about recovered and the Naproxen has kicked in to cover the rest.
MUD aka, the ROBO Call blocker.
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