It is the extra things, The List

So...today the wife comes home from work this morning (from her 3rd shift job) and starts ranting about my grandsons staying up late. Justin was still up (all night). I turned in about 1:00 am, (sorry boys, paw can't party all night). Of course this was all my fault. Oh well, I went on down to the Java Bean Cafe, to hang with the other retirees, and I think she was still goin on as I went out the door. I'm not sure though because once I shut that door behind me I couldn't hear anymore. Forty five minutes later I returned, and as my luck goes, she was still up. It would sure please me if when she got home, and being as tired as she repeatedly tells me she is, she'd just go straight on up to bed. No luck today. She had a short list. Go to the post office, go to the grocery, take out the trash, clean pool filter. Not too bad. I could probably handle more, but she believes that is probably my limit, without a written list. No since making a written list, I'd just lose it.
Now here is where I'm probably gonna get myself in trouble. I did more than was on the list. Five extra things that she didn't mention. I just wasn't thinkin. Well when I was outside working on the pool filter, with the hose, I noticed the tomato plants need water (that was one thing). Then while I was sitting on the front porch (take my morning break), I noticed the flowers needed "deadheading". Counting all the roses, we got a lot more flowers than I thought (there's the 2nd thing). Naturally while doing the flowers, I notice some weeds. I just pull them while I'm here (I don't know if that counts as an extra thing on not). Well that led me to the kitchen. I had to dispose of the dead flowers, but the trash was full. WAIT...oh yea, "take out the trash", that's on my verbal list. Well I tried to stuff just a little more in without success, and now I got a mess on the floor. So I'll take out the trash, get a new bag and clean up the mess. I'm looking around and since I now have the broom in my hand, I'll go ahead and sweep the kitchen floor. Well...that just wasn't working, there was something sticky. Sweeping just made the sticky spot show up more. This just isn't my day. Now I'm gonna have to get out the mop. Mom always said, "don't do half a job." Well there you go, I mopped the whole kitchen floor (thing number 3). Guess I better shake and clean those throw rugs I threw out the back door (whole job again). Can't put back down dirty rugs on a clean floor. We're a little civilized around here (#4 on the extra list). Okay...computer time. Well what do ya know, she got a towel order. I just go ahead and print that out for her (that brings the count to 5, even if it is a small thing, I count it as a separate task). Time now for another break, more coffee. Wouldn't you know it, I have to wash a cup. Thanks again Mom, may she be looking down on me now with great pride, I'm going to wash ALL the dishes, dry them, and put them away (that should count as 3 different chores, but well call it just 1 this time, extra thing #5)
All done, I think. Time to check facebook, check email, and blog about my day. After that it will be time for another break before taking my grandson to his baseball game. Hopefully I'll be gone, and back before she wakes up. Hopefully she'll notice what I've done but I can't leave that to chance. I better leave her a "List". May your hearts be filled joy, your troubles be few, but when the sh*t wagon comes down the hill, be sure its not coming at you. GOOD DAY :)

Well in about an hour another Father's Day will be over. I hope all of you that still have your Father around, took time to celebrate the day. My own father was lost to me 25 years ago, and he is still missed. I have enjoyed celebrations in the past with our own children, but as they get older and have families of their own, their own celebrations are important. They begin what they hope will be "their own traditions." I can't remember if when I was growing up that we did anything "special." But at our house now (or we use to), it was the first real cookout, and hopefully swimming in the pool. Pretty much an all afternoon event. Great fun, especially with the grand kids around to help in the excitement. A word here about Mother's Day, that has always been a duty to "take her out for dinner," and of course flowers. Father's don't usually go in for the flower thing, and by now we've pretty much got all the power tools we need. If you like me, a lot of the tools have been "borrowed" back by the ones who gave them to me in the first place. I think that was the plan to start with. So this year I didn't expect anything, and wasn't disappointed. I did get 2 phone calls and 1 text, so that is something. Maybe next time we'll get back to the cookout gig, I like to eat. Happy Father's Day to all of you!

Keep those hedge trimmers sharp...

It is time once again to trim those hedges. I've had my Black & Decker trimmers for over 30 years. I think it was the latest gadget for yard work back then. Anyway...I've never had to sharpen them. I've cut some stuff up to 3/8 inch in diameter too. My secret? I spray them with Pam before I use them, then spray with WD-40 when I'm done. It is just that simple. It runs quieter, and smoother too.

Lets Save Some Money...

Every year my wife spend a lot of money on flowers to plant around the yard in various flower beds. I'm talking a couple hundred dollars worth. Now don't get me wrong, I like pretty flowers. They make the place look nice, but $200 bucks is a lot of money. We have one flower bed on the corner that I made by putting some railroad ties in a square (about 64 square feet). That takes a lot of plants, if you buy them. Plus all the labor getting the ground ready and then planting, and the eventual weeding that follows. I'm basically a lazy guy (and cheap), and if I can avoid all this I will. So...I went to Wal-Mart and happen to notice a box (about the size of a cereal box) of flower seeds. It said wild flower mix, and another said butterfly mix, and yet another said hummingbird mix. One box cover 500 square feet, ah ha! I bought 2 boxes. When I got home I dug up that flower bed. Leveled the dirt, and made everything all nice and pretty with my rake. Then I open the boxes and emptied them, completely, over the whole bed and rake it in a little flowed by a gentle watering. I figured that if you plant enough flower seeds, and weeds won't have a chance. IT WORKED! In a month flowers were growing. by the end of June we had a beautiful flower bed. I didn't have to weed. Butterflies and Birds were there. It was perfect. Cost: $14.00

Addendum to Previous "Stupid Teenager" post

The following is part of a Facebook conversation:
Martha J Geiger
Let's imagine for a second that you're a cashier. You have a line of people waiting to check out, and the person you are with now pays in cash. Let's say you owe him 10 cents, but you're out of dimes. What do you do?

Gretchen Geiger: give him nickles or pennies

Alan L Geiger: If you work at a place like "Speedway" no problem. The cash register figures it out for you. Just remember to fill the automatic coin dispenser, and if it is out of dimes it knows what to do. (It beeps: "Help, I'm out of dimes!)

Martha J Geiger: I know, and it's the cleverest thing in the world. I can pick up my change while the chashier hands me my reciept, and then I can be on my marry way. Its called "Speedway" for a reason, after all.
5 hours ago · Like
Gretchen Geiger so what hppens if ur completely out of dimes and cant fill the dispenser? does it beep all the time? lol

Alan L Geiger: Let me explain how the system works at the new Supra Speedway. They keep an inventory of between 2 and 10 rolls of dimes at any given time. (This is closely monitored by computers.) When the dime inventory drops to two rolls, the computer signal the home computer in Findlay Ohio, which in turn alerts the bank, which the alert the Brinks truck to come by and pick up dime and deliver them to the Supra Speedway. The manager is alerted via the new software installed in the new Ipad to the blue tooth capable headset the manager wears to the fact that the Brinks truck is on its way. The dimes are transferred to the safe and stored on a scale that registers the weight of the dimes. (Hint: the scale is the triggering device as to how many dime rolls are on hand.) This all hinges on the ability of the manager to discern the difference between a roll of dimes and other such rolled change. The rolls used to be color coded paper wrappers (green being the color for dimes). This failed because one time they had a manager who was color blindness, and also an inability to read the labels. Under the "Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, coins are now rolled in clear, biodegradable, plastic wrappers. To further guard against mistakes (Under Rule of ISO 2002) the scale has been constructed so that only full rolls of dimes will fit. Thus quarters, nickels etc. will not fit (except on their respective special scale in the safe). Only mangers, and staff, who have went through a special six week training course, and have been certified, are allowed to remove the dime from the safe and load them into the fully automated change dispenser. Under new Federal and State Guideline, a fully Certified Money Changer must be on duty at all times. As of September 2011, new software and scanning devices are currently be evaluated to handle paper money in a similar fashion. The government is reviewing the devices for safety citing whether the hand held scanner may cause carpel tunnel, and whether the laser beam may cause eye damage if accidentally pointed in the wrong direction. One Senator on the review panel has suggested attendants could use the hand held scanners in this fashion to foil would be robbers. The ACLU has objected that this would be excess force and could result in the alleged robber being permanently disabled.

Gretchen Geiger: oh my lord! u gotta be kidding! lol

Gretchen Geiger to think when i worked at rallys we had to just count the change out. didnt even enter the amt in the register. probly go to jail for that now! lol

Alan L Geiger: Since the introduction of the Credit Card, followed by the Debit Card, the Gift Card, the re-loadable Debit Card people have been using actual cash money less and less. Thus ability to count money is becoming more and more unnecessary. The Government has a plan when implemented in 2045, to do away with cash as we know it today. Millions of dollars will be save in no longer needing to "print" money. Silver, copper, and nickel resources will be saved. The environment will be spared the destructive forces of man clawing at the earth to retrieve these precious metals. Tons of the earth's crust are forever blemished every day for just a few pounds of copper. The air is polluted by the emissions these monster machines spew into the atmosphere every hour of every day. Think of the impact this has had just in our life time.

Alan L Geiger: The tooth fairy of the future will be handing out wood coins. Wood because it is the only current renewable resource. Wood will become the new gold, soybean the new crude oil, and methane the new "natural" gas. Trees will be planted around wind farms to better channel the wind and spin the blade faster producing more electric power. The downside of this is this will in effect "propel" the earth causing it to spin ever so slightly faster and in time change our "24 hour day into a "22.87 hour day". Satellites will no longer be in a stationary orbit. Thus all our current communications networks will be in constant havoc. The signal from the scales in the safe will miss its intended satellite and an computer controlled milking machine on a dairy farm in Germany will be trying to pull a roll of dimes out of some poor cows tit at 3 am, all the while some poor cashier in Fort Wayne is panicking because the safe has 2 pints milk where the dimes are suppose to be.

Stupid Teenage Cashiers

Today I found out how stupid kids are today. Our family went to a pizza place and had dinner. At the end I went to the cashier to pay for our food. Another gentleman was in line in front of me. He had given the young lady cash, and was waiting on his change. This young lady (probably 17-20 years old) was frantically pawing at the coin slots with her fingers. She was looking for a dime, there wasn't any. Being a diligent cashier she looking in the quarter slot, the nickel slot, the penny slot and started lifting up the bills still looking for a dime. After a shrug and a sigh she said we are out of dime. She was truly at a loss as to what to do. She looked over her shoulder and started searching for a manager. At this point the customer said, "You could just give me two nickels." "Oh yea." she said with a sigh of great relief.

And these kids will someday run our country, good grief!

What were you thinking??

S.T.U.P.I.D. Insurance. I’ve decided that it is time to go into the insurance business. Stupid Things Unthinking People Inexplicable Do Insurance. This would cover you for those times when something happens that on any other day of the week you just wouldn’t do. For those times when you say, “What in the name of cheeses were you thinking?” I’m going to ask you all to write me back with your favorite. I want it to be personal. It must be about you, your spouse, or your children, and in some way affected you. Okay?
I’ll start it off with our latest “thing.” A few days ago we had a lot of rain/snow mix. There were the usual warnings. One was for flooding in low areas and some streets. Not far from our house are both the Saint Mary’s River, and the Junk Ditch. Both are responsible for any flooding in this part of town, especially a part of Taylor Street west of the railroad tracks. My wife, love of my life, mother of my children, grandmother, etc., was out and about with our niece. She’d taken her to the doctor, to Wal-Mart, and I don’t know where. They started home via their usual route: Jefferson Blvd, Catalpa St., Taylor St., etc. When they turned onto Catalpa and went about 2 blocks there was “the sign”, and water covering the street the length of a football field ahead. But what the heck, right? After all she went that way just last evening and made it okay. Surely the water couldn’t be any deeper, right? That is when I got the phone call. “Come and get me out of the water!” Here is an important thing I may need to tell some of you. Many people call full size Lincolns and Cadillac’s “big ole boats.” THEY ARE NOT BOATS!! Good news though, insurance is going to cover it and we’ll get a new engine effectively reducing the number of miles on the car. (There’s always a silver lining in every cloud. Even if there was a flood that came first.)