Vernal equinox

I learned something today ... that the first day of each season does not always fall on the same date. That almost blew my mind!

I'm a "first day of summer" gal - June 21st each and every year*, or so I had always thought right up until today. Danged near mind-blowing, as I said. Wiki has a neat chart of the equinox and solstice dates and official 'start' times from 2004 through 2017 here, in case you'd like to spend a few minutes perusing it. (Here in Houston, being as how we're on CST, Spring's 'official start time' was at 6:44 this morning.)

Along the way, while browsing through some more or less official sites on this first seasonal change for 2009, I signed up for a few National Geographic newsletters**. I've decided that I am not as informed as I should be. I'll be sure to share any of the really good info with all of you.


E-mails ...

Meanwhile, back at my e-mail ranch, I seem to have FInally almost completely disappeared from the radar screen of those who are very ill, jobless, dying, or with babies/children/elderly relatives, etc., who are dependent on them and will not survive another day unless I send them money. Yea! (But "Shhh!", don't tell anyone, OK?)

I spent many months and countless hours of not answering/opening - just hitting the "Delete" button, diligently 'unscribing' where possible and reporting to the 'powers that be' when not possible scam artists and fraudulent schemes. For the longest time it seemed like my efforts were going for naught, but maybe, just maybe ... ... again, tho, I whisper, "Shhh!"

Nowadays, my Inbox consists mainly of personal correspondence and that's as it should be. I received one this morning, however, that I have yet*** to delete. It's official-looking and from none other than Kofi Annan. Are you as impressed as I was? In part, here's how it reads (verbatim) ... This email is to all the people that have been scammed in any part of the world, the UNITED NATIONS have agreed to compensate them with the sum of US$450.000.00 -- Your name and email was in the list submitted by our Monitoring Team of Economic and Financial Crime Commission observers and this is why we are contacting you, this have been agreed upon and have been signed ...

A few are trying to loan me money. Perhaps they have had a look at my bank account? However, if they have and took even more than a cursory glance, they should very well know that I do not have the means to pay them back. I'll ignore them. They will go away -- eventually.


I had a really peculiar thing happen a couple of months ago. I woke up after a pretty good night's sleep and came in here only to discover that I had 293 e-mails in my Inbox and 70 or so in my Junk E-mail box. !!

"Ye gods!" I thought. I couldn't automatically delete everything because, interspersed amongst those I thought I had already - some even long ago - relegated to the trash bin were current e-mails, for crying out loud! Have you ever had that happen to you?

My son-in-law told me that it must have been just a "glitch" in the system (he had experienced the same thing about the same time that I had, altho my daughter hadn't -- interesting!?!). In all the years - and he's the expert and I am most definitely the neophyte - he's been working with computers, this was the first time he had come across such a glitch.


My Astros ...

Let me tell ya, folks, y'all had better watch out for the Astros! Danged near close to a 'perfect' grapefruit league season, my guys - except for an almost inexcusable win (opening day, wasn't it?) - now have an enviable**** record of 1-16-3. The third figure refers to tie games where either or both teams have conceded that they no longer have the will, interest, strength or manpower to continue another inning.

And why in the devil would they? Either of them?!? Heavens to Betsy!! In the twenty games played thus far, I think I'm correct in saying that there have been 31 unearned runs scored by the opponents due to errors by 'my team'. :(

[Btw, I just returned home from the store. I was listening to the Astros game on the radio while I was driving. According to the announcers, their projected starting pitchers have a combined ERA of 1.72. Give me a break. Puhlease!]


So what's on TV? ...

NCAA basketball, that's what's on television! Not only is March madness encompassing nearly all of sports enthusiasts' interests at this time, it is most definitely interfering with my enjoyment of "Wheel" and "Ghost Whisperer". So what is a body (such as mine) to do?

Well, this next several days I will be focusing on my autobiography as it relates to my cab driving years - 1989-2007. Realizing that I would now have to really concentrate on trying to recapture some of those years, I am not the least bit pleased to tell you that I have been experiencing almost nightly dreams wherein my memoirs almost compose themselves. I wish the 'self-composing' episodes were true, but - unfortunately - they are not, and so I will just have to end this post (have to get on with my memoir writing) in the hope that you are experiencing a most happy first day of Spring!


*In 2008, the 'first day of summer' actually occured on June 20th! Where was I at that time? Probably still asleep, for crying out loud!!

**Just got my first National Geographic newsletter, talking about the undersea volcanic eruptions. Interesting!

***Deleted. (You didn't think I was going to save this piece of ****, did you? Come on, now!)

****Last I listened, the Astros were ahead 2-0. (Don't give up yet, opponents. It's only in the 6th or 7th inning. With any luck at all, after today our record will be 1-17-3!)