Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Cole’s Birthday Gift

Mr. Fixit, Ben, and Cole left this morning for Boston to see the Bosox play the Yankees (at least, I think the Yankees are playing.) They drove to Charlotte (a two hour drive) for their flight.

Ben had really good luck with this bad weather that we’ve been having. He was in Florida for a business meeting before they knew for sure that Irene would not do much damage there. I think his trip home was delayed a day because so many people were leaving. After Irene hit New England, there was no delay in flights or alteration to the game schedule.

They are going to the game tonight and leaving tomorrow morning.  It’s a short trip, but they all love baseball and the Sox. This should be one birthday gift that Cole will remember for a long time.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

A New “Extreme” Sport - Aging

As I was paying bills, I found one from the anesthesiologist  Mr. Fixit used during his outpatient surgery last month. 

We were charged $839.50 for anesthesia. The next line reads, “ANES-PATIENT EXTREME AGE UNDER.” The charge was an additional $71.00. (The line was typed in all caps just as it appeared on the statement.) The next line is a credit of $71.00 with the notation,” TRACKING ONLY.” I have no doubt that shortly we elders will be charged this fee in the future because we are old.

Mr. Fixit is by no means “extremely” old; he’s 73. That classification was a bit of a shock to him. I was appalled by the extra $71.00 we were charged even though the amounted was credited.

I wonder when “extreme age” begins. I’m 65. Am I extremely old? I can always pretend I’m an “extreme elder” much like those who participate in “extreme sports.”

Saturday, August 20, 2011

There Is Some News Out There

Burger King has decided to retire their huge-headed advertising mascot, "The Burger King." This had to be one of the creepiest mascots of all times. That thing was scary!

Monday, August 15, 2011

This and That

It looks as if the unbearably hot weather is over for now. I hope it’s gone until next summer. It still isn’t comfortable for me, but it’s much better than it was.

Mr. Fixit has another little get-away planned. Cole’s 16th birthday was last week. As his gift, his dad booked a flight to Boston and bought tickets for a Red Sox game. He asked Mr. Fixit to go—his treat. Isn’t that nice? I think they are all very excited. As far as I know, they are only staying one night, and I don’t know how many games they will be able to catch.

Bachman won the straw vote in Iowa! What in the world were they thinking?

Monday, August 8, 2011

S & P

That's a pretty big OOPS!

Saturday, August 6, 2011

In the News

A local news outlet reported today a shooting incident at a bowling alley. The person being shot at reported to police:

“. . . could not provide investigator's with JR's full name, but said that they were arguing because she was previously pregnant with his child and did not have the baby.”

She does not know the last name of the man who fathered her child? She “did not have the baby?” What exactly does that mean?

Is it just me or does anyone else think this is dreadfully strange?

Friday, August 5, 2011

Granddad

My maternal grandfather was born on this day in 1901. It's hard for me to believe that it was so long ago. I believe he was born in Martin, Tennessee, but I'm not sure. I know that his mother lived there until her death. I remember seeing her when I was very young.

Granddad and Me circa early 1946

Granddaddy was a bit of a character. He worked in construction as a pipe coverer. He covered pipe in asbestos, and both he and my uncle died as a result. He worked away from home most of the time, coming home only on weekends if he was near home. He worked all over the South and in Illinois and Indiana.

He liked his little nip; my grandmother strongly disapproved. My older brother and I would find his bottles all over the house. I guess Nanny did, too, since she was such a good housekeeper. I don't see how she could miss them. She had a cedar chest that looked like a casket to me, and I think she would hide his bottles in there. She didn't mind too much if he smoked in house, but if he decided that he wanted tobacco in another form, she made him sit outside. I've seen him freezing in the winter time sitting in the front yard using his snuff or chewing tobacco.

My brother and I loved to spend the night when he was at home. He let us sleep with him. He would turn on the radio and we listened to “Gunsmoke” or “Gang Busters.” He told great ghost stories,too.

He also told tall tales. He told us about a tornado that picked up straw and blew it into utility poles. He said it looked as if someone had hammered each straw in vertically. Then there was the story of a man he knew who bought a Model T, or maybe it was a Model A. The top needed to be repaired so the man put chicken wire on top. The owner had an accident that ejected him through the chicken wire. He wasn't too badly hurt; the chicken wire simply sliced off his ears.

He loved cowboy music. I think he knew the words to every song ever sung by Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. My favorites were “Cool Water” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky.”

He was a spiffy dresser. As a construction worker he made a very good living, so he was able to buy expensive clothes. He thought nothing of paying $300.00 for a suit. That was a lot of money in the late 40's and early 50's. He would go to Finklestein's Men's Clothing twice a year to buy new suits. He also wore fedora hats in the winter and white straw hats in the summer. He would wear his straw hats all summer, then decide in August there was something wrong with the hat. He then returned it in exchange for a new winter hat. I'm sure Mr. Finklestein realized the price of a hat brought him the sale of expensive suits.

He and Nanny were so different. He was fun-loving, and she was dour. I never saw her smile much. He would make her so mad sometimes. Every time she made vegetable soup he would put in a bit of sugar. She would get so aggravated at him. When she was cooking, he would walk through the kitchen and smell the meat before she cooked it. She didn't take that well either. This picture illustrates the difference in them. My dad made this picture in the Smoky Mountains. They posed for the picture; at the last minute he turned his hat around backwards and crossed his eyes. Look at her! She's didn't think it was funny at all.


Granddad and Nan circa 1955
 Granddad died in 1965. I wonder if he ever thought that anyone would be thinking lovingly of him in 2011.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Observation

Cole, our oldest grandson, has been playing baseball since he was five years old. His l6th birthday is this month. I have attended a majority of his games.

I have seen some unusual things during the games. I’ve seen parents sleep during the games, transact business, read, engage in conversation from the first inning to the last, and phone and text for most of the game. I’ve seen good things and not so good things.

This past Sunday I saw something new. One of the mothers gave herself a pedicure and a manicure. I wondered if the polish would dry since it was so hot and humid. It just struck me as funny.

And speaking of hot, a little while ago I was washing salad ingredients. The cold water was so warm that the leaf lettuce came from the water less crisp than when it went in.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Hot!

This hot, humid weather is killing me. Not only does it make me feel sweaty and dirty 24/7, but it brings on big time depression. How weird is that? I don’t want to talk to anyone, I don’t want to see anyone, and I don’t want to hear anyone. All I want to do is sit in a cool room with a book.

Will November ever come?