A little of this, a little of that

Thought I'd give you a little preview of what'll be going on my direction in the next couple of days in addition to sharing with you some of my very - you know me - scattered thoughts about what's happening with me, locally, and around the world. Might even include another recommendation or two, who knows?


Digital reprieve ...

It appears as tho we have a little more breathing room here. I heard a new date of June 12th. Did anyone else hear that? Now, on February 17th, if my analog television set is not receiving, I guess I'll just have to hie my body on over to WalMart, won't I?


Disney World ...

Chuck continues with his and Whalechaser's whirlwind tour through all that Disney has to offer in Florida. If you have never been there (and I never have!), check out this site. Lots of photographs and commentary. Enjoy!


Fires in Australia ...

They are all over the news here. Probably the same your way. I'm hearing terribly distressing reports about possible arsonist activities, some going so far as to say that the arsonists are going back and resetting fires that have already been put out! One town in Australia has even been declared a "crime scene".

This doesn't sound to me as tho it was 'just' a matter of a careless smoker throwing out an unextinguished cigarette from a passing car window. Altho that is serious, what appears to be happening is far more serious!

Upwards of 200 victims now ... I'm talking about people who have actually lost their lives while trying either to stay and fight to protect their homes or vainly attempting - at the last possible minute - to flee those infernos in their motor vehicles! Did I hear those figures correctly? The fires are moving at the rate of a mile every five minutes?!? Could that possibly be right??!!??

Yesterday, Melbourne recorded its highest temperature reading ever! And - just this past week - Craig, our blogger friend who hails from near Sydney, wrote that the temperature was still 100 degrees at his house at 10pm.

Folks, our neighbors 'down under' desperately need our thoughts and prayers.


Grape salad ...

I am in an extended state of withdrawal. Those very large and juicy grapes that are so essential to the making of my favorite salad are - and have been for the past three weeks or so - 'out of season'.

That Kroger's deli has my phone number. I'm their "best customer", or so they say, and they promised they would call me. The day before yesterday, however, still in a state of somewhat disbelief that they didn't have my favorite, I drove over there to check it out for myself. No large luscious grapes. No grape salad. Nothing. Nada. And so, I remain in grape salad withdrawal. More later, if and when.


The price of success ...

Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana. Such a downing piece of news! Alex Rodriguez admitted that he was on steroids in the early 2000's. Now that was really not unexpected, but still!

My daughter and I had a short conversation about the former yesterday, and she said - I'll be paraphrasing here - "The lesson is, never achieve fame. Never be the 'first' in anything. The microscope will be on you from thereon out."

She's correct, of course. I guess my question to you is, "What price success/fame?" In the former case, Michael Phelps achieved his success/fame the old-fashioned way (to put it in the words of a really good commercial that I haven't heard or seen in a while) ... he earned it! In the latter case, Alex Rodriguez - altho already acknowledged as one of the best baseball players on the planet - chose to further enhance his performances with drugs.


Valentine's Day ...

All y'all know that I'm one of the world's bigger blabbermouths, don't you? Well, the other day I was looking at Valentine's Day cards - trying to find a good one for my granddaughter - and found one that I thought was perfect to send to my friend Jacky! Wouldn't you just know it?

I just have to share it with you. (BTW, I have forbade -- via e-mail -- my friend Jacky from reading this post until she receives her card in the mail. Good luck to that, huh?)

Ready? The front of the card shows a photo of these two little old ladies. One says to the other, "Let's be friends until we're old and gray." The other says, "But we are old and gray!"

You open up the card to the middle, where it shows a photo of the same two little old ladies. This time, however, the first says to the other, "OK. Then let's be friends until we lose our good looks." The other says, "You got it, gorgeous!"

The very end of the message is, "Happy Valentine's Day to a beautiful old friend". Don't you just love it?


VIACTIV ...

I have 'had it' up to here with chewing these - and I'll admit they taste "OK" -- calcium (plus Vitamins D & K) supplements! A few days back (and I always put out the night before how many I would have to dutifully chew the next day to fulfill my daily requirements), I just couldn't bring myself to put another of these in my mouth.

I thought, "Come on now, Goldenrod! You know that you have to have 'x' number of mg of these daily to keep your bones healthy, not to mention trying to regain some of the bone density your body has lost simply due to the normal process of aging. What's going on with you, mentally? What are you going to do? You can't do nothing!"

Well, I knew that purchasing some more VIACTIV was not the answer. That meant that I was going to have to go back to my old standby of pulverizing pills in a little dinky baggie with a hammer, placing remnants of same into my mouth, and then trying to swallow the vile-tasting stuff all the while pouring liquids down my throat. Sound appetizing to you?

It didn't to me, either, until last night when I eyed a humongous jar of applesauce in my refrigerator and I thought, "Hmmm! I wonder how these pulverized pills would taste with applesauce?"

Not too bad, actually. More later.


What's going on, schedule-wise? ...

Well, tonight I will be attending a local writer's group get-together. This is supposed to be a 'casual' meeting. We'll see. So much has happened since the last time I wrote about this. Am really not prepared to say anything else as of now. There will be much more later, no doubt.

Tomorrow I will be mentoring at the Bridge Studio for the second time during the day. I thoroughly enjoyed my first such last month.

Thursday, I will be taking Beth (you probably remember who she is from some of my previous posts) to IAH. She will be going to deepest darkest Africa - no, not on safari, but on business. Talked to her just a couple of hours ago, and she was scampering hither and thither trying to get everything all set for her trip.


Will talk to you all soon, no doubt. Meanwhile, hang in there, OK?