Existing In BFE

Just some random, meaningless things: I have been emailing with my niece, Ashley, who moved to the Quad-Cities last year from stays in Kansas and the Washington DC/Virginia area. I had not had much contact with her and am quite happy to say she is an extremely thoughtful and bright kid, not to mention a knock-out. She sends great reviews on movies and life and I am richer by her correspondence. The most overused words I hear nowadays are: "absolutely" (why say 'yes' when we can throw out a 4 syllable word instead) "exactly" (why say yes when we can throw out a 3 syllable word instead) "no question about it" (mainly from sportscasters who claim supremacy over their thoughts) "wow" (I am an offender, please forgive me) " uhh " (Ron Santo , every third word of every sentence, usually incomplete) Oh, and Ron and Chicagoland , after 30 years and innumerable votes, you ain't gonna go into t he Hall. It is because your

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks! We have been working on a new trick...smiling! She is doing very well, and we are thinking of running away and joining the circus. Or the county fair. Besides urinating on command, shaking hands, and playing dead (napping) this pretty well exhausts her talents.

Nascar is running, baseball players are steroiding , Oscars are glitzing , and the robins have landed, right outside my house. Therefore, I hereby declare Spring officially here. I will allow brief dustings and a flurry here and there, and maybe some chilly days, but I will not allow any further blizzards, 1" or more snows, drifting roads into or around BFE , high power bills, or any worries regarding travel, by vehicle or plane. Feel free to shine up the bikes, tune-up the lawn mower and order your gladiolas. Spring Is Here.

http://www.bigrigtravels.com/ The above address is a truck driver who installed a web camera in the cab of his semi. Mindless and a total waste of precious time, but oddly fascinating. http://www.matchpractice.com/game/ This is one of those games that float around, usually with Santa chucking elves into a mountain or some such thing around Christmas. This is courtesy of Pat who is a closet golfer. Try it out, its fun. http://monsterkookies.com/ Interesting craft site of someone who came up with an idea and now doesn't have enough time to keep up with the orders. Particularly neat are the anatomically correct mechanical hearts.

I have been telling friends and foes alike about Jott for a few years now. It is/was a wonderful, and free, small item that makes life more efficient. On your phone you would call Jott and then leave a voice message. Jott would then turn that message into an email. You could be driving along and have a random thought that you would want to investigate or deal with later, and voile, it would be there to remind you next time you checked your email messages when you got home. Well, I received word about a month ago that they are no longer a free service, that now you have to pay basic rate of around $4.00 a month or a "pay-as-you-go" plan. Therefore, I am telling friends (not foes) that a small, neat little electronic sticky note has gone commercial. Too bad, I used it a lot .

Missy was diagnosed with a stage 2 malignant cancer over the holidays. The operation at that time was not successful and the growth has returned. Her Doctor has not recommended further treatment. She is doing well and seems pretty gosh darn frisky at times. She will be 13 in June and loves her daily walk to the Post Office, naps, chasing after Mr. Humperdink and Mr. Mallard and Bacon Beggin' Strips.

Granted, this happened in India, and yes, we have no cobras here, but do you want to bet this could NEVER happen in the U.S.?

Occasionally I would be asked to go with the girls to Southpark Mall in the Cities. I usually went: it was a different destination and the possibility of finding something fun to buy was enticing, not to mention the splendid company. Gordman's , Petco , and Best Buy were always included in the day's meanderings. The Food Court was a favorite stop in between American Eagle and Victoria's Secret. I saw this notice in the QC Times yesterday, and its more than just a little sad. I always had Maid-Rites, never anything else. Then we'd have dessert at Whitey's. Just one less reason to go now.

Go Mets!

This is the Amazon Kindle 2, a devise that downloads books, magazines and newspapers. This is one Coooooool toy. I gotta get me one of these!...after an HDTV, laptop, chrome side covers , Garmin , and a sump pump. Say Hello to The New Kindle Slim: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines Lightweight: At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi - Fi hotspots Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging More Storage: Take your library with you; holds over 1,500 books Faster Page Turns: 20% faster page turns Rea

Saturday was a good enough day for a few of us to take a small ride on the bikes. The guy on the far right, hunkered down just got a new fix so he could ride from Ole's Harley Repair Shop (Kawasaki's never break down). It was a nice day and warm. Winter stopped that day and it was like Spring, so off we went.

This is an artists rendition of new Met's ballpark, CitiField , which will be unveiled in April. There is some question if the name will still be associated with Citibank, but the important thing is to get to the World Series, again. It seems like a long time since we have been there, nine years! Lets Go Mets !

A couple of days ago I accidentally cut my thumb with the box cutter I use at the warehouse. It was one of those things that you know is going to bleed, so I immediately went a few steps behind me to a 1st aid box that has band aid an gauze in it. I grabbed a couple items and then walked a considerable distance down a walk way to the bathroom to flush the wound and apply the band aid. Yes, I bled a few drops and I wet a napkin to retrace my steps and clean up the mess. Well, it was the most excitement I have ever seen there, as I was walking back wiping here and there with my napkin. Little did I know that there are protocols. No one ever informed me that I am to stay where I am if that happens, wait for 1st responders, and then wait some more for haz-mat personnel to come and clean/disinfect the area. I was also told that if my arm is hanging by just a thread, use duct tape and DO NOT GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. Evidently bonuses are predicated on safety goals. Whoa. Yeah, I sh

If I owe anyone $2.00 or more, please let me know so we can settle up.

One more example of why dogs rule, and cats, well, they don't bring much to the table.