FOOTBALL!, Deer vs. Smart Car, and Catching up.

Half Right - I did use OH . . . .!

Ok, first let me address the deer situation.  On my way to work this morning (in my Smart Car), I had just passed a very slowly moving old dump tuck loaded with junk.  I had pulled back into my lane as a deer flashed into my peripheral vision from the left, as I was going for the brake, the deer hit my car right at the front wheel and fell in front of the truck behind me.  Too bad for Bambi.  We both stopped, (at the fire tower and out of traffic) and the truck driver called the Highway Patrol so that the deer carcass could get removed from the road way.  While he was doing that I was checking out my little car.  To my great surprise, there is absolutely no sign of any damage. (And it still drives fine).  The HP soon arrived and we both left.  The Smart Car is made by Mercedes, and I guess that fine German engineering shows.  GREAT LITTLE CAR!
Football is back.  Last Friday (8/22/2014), SHS dominated Noxubee Central (the #1 4A team in the state, 51-19.  It doesn't get any easier tomorrow as we go to Oxford High and play the #1 5A team in Mississippi.

Tonight (8/28) there are 4 college games on TV and I have more than a passing interest in a couple, but the game I am most interested in is Ole Miss and Boise State in Atlanta.  I'll also peek in, from time to time, on the Tulane @ Tulsa game - just cause I've been to Tulane games in the past.  There are 3 or 4 college games tomorrow night on TV also, but Saturday is the BIG day.  The first game that day is a 7:30 am (central).  It is Penn State vs. UCF, live from Dublin, Ireland.  Too many games to mention during the rest of the day, but I will be watching my MSU Bulldogs play the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at 6:30 on the new SEC Network.  Go Dawgs!  MSU is expected to win as the various betting services have them 4 to 5 touchdown favorites.  So everybody grab yer Snacks, settle in, and feed your pigskin palate!
Everybody have a Great Day!

AND THEY ARE IN COLLEGE!!!!!

Okay, I need to catch up, but this one incident that occurred deserves its own post.  So here goes.....
For those that don't know, I work in a College of Veterinary Medicine Library.  So nearly all of our non-faculty patrons are grad students working on becoming a vet. 
So early one morning, I had a very agitated young lady approach me and say,  "Please look at this.  I sent it to the color printer" (which I confirmed by checking the cover sheet) "and it printed in black and white."
I went with her back to our computer area to check our color printer and make sure there was sufficient toner in each of the 4 base colors.  There was, so puzzled, I asked if she was still logged into one of our lab computers.  She was, so I asked if she minded if I took a look at the document she wanted to print. 
"Sure", she sniped. "Its not working right."

So I went into the document and scrolled down several pages.  The document was in Black and White!

So I asked her, "Do you know that this document is in black and white?"

"YES," she whined. " But I NEED it in Color!

After a few minutes of patiently trying to explain that if the original document is in black and white, it will only print in black and white, she seemed to finally grasp the concept and left.

This is our future?

Everyone have a great day!

Jumped the Gun

Ready for SHS Yellow Jackets Football

Well, quite a bit has happened since my last post.
First, the Yaris was not totaled.  It has been fixed and is now ready for the road.  I will be picking it up today or tomorrow.
Second, DKW and I went to Florida last week to visit our grandchild (oh - & her parents), little Savvy Sue ANNNNDDD while it Florida to get the little SmartCar fortwo pictured.  Everything was cool and we had a good time until Tuesday (July 29th).  I started back to Starkville (MS) early that morning and about 200 miles into the trip, the water pump went out in my Cooper Mini.  The part had to be ordered and I ended up spending the night in Albany, Georgia.  Nice enough town, but I really wanted to be home.  In all fairness though, the guys at the Goodyear Automotive Center were great.  They kept me informed and kept the total cost at the estimate they gave me (even though they ended up doing a couple of other things.)   They even did a full inspection and said it should be good for another 100K miles. But I did leave there with a much lighter wallet. 
Third, Thursday morning (7/31), I received a call from DKW.  She was just minutes from Savvy's house when the engine warning light came on.  Not wanting to risk the car.  She called AAA and they took it to the SmartCar dealer.  Well, she's still there and could be there until new Tuesday (8/5).  The problem is getting the part.  If it doesn't come in today, they won't get it until sometime Monday.  Its very frustrating for both of us, but we have both said  - at least she's with family and not in a hotel far from anyone.  We'll survive, but that doesn't make it any less aggravating.
Fourth, Dr. Who starts the new season on August 23rd, (as I've said before).  I just wanted to share this news that I read on BBCAmerica.com.
Everyone have a great day!

Goodbye Old Friend.............(maybe)

Pre-wreck

 

 DKW had an accident yesterday and her little Yaris experienced some major trauma.  DKW was a bit shaken and is fairly sore now, but should recover.  We are just waiting on the insurance adjuster to decide what we're going to do.  It might be repairable, but not worth the expense.  The blue book on the car is a little over $7K.  I talked to the collision repair guy and he (unofficially) said he would figure $8K to $10K worth of damage, so I figure a total loss.  But we won't know that for sure until the adjuster does his job.  Which I hope is soon, because we'd really like to move on getting another vehicle.
Everyone have a great day.

Po' Lil Car

Different Lives. Different Times.

Can you watch this & not go "Na na Na na Na na Na na, Batman!"

Ooops! And it made it to TV,

I was reading a book this morning and it touched on a personal artifact of one of the characters and when person he had been when in the military.  I experienced a minor flashback about the person I was and what I had been doing during my time in the Coast Guard.  21 years is a long time in a job, but for most folks, not a lifetime.  In most aspects I was a different person then.  Younger, less mature, and with a young family.  For the most part, I can currently divide my life into pre-CG (17 years); CG (21 years); and post CG (22 yrs & counting).  Now there are all sorts of ways I could divide my (almost) 60 years, but that's a pretty big one (& less likely to cause any family drama.)
In my pre-CG years, I was (and still am in many respects) a comic-book geek.  Heck I was watching cartoons - that I had tivo-ed - last night (but I digress).  An article online caught my attention that beginning at 6:00 AM on Friday, July 4th, the IFC Network (Channel 564 / DirecTV) will start a marathon in which they will air all 3 seasons (1966-1968)  - a total of 120 episodes of "BATMAN" (starring Adam West and Burt Ward).  I don't think I'll try to TiVo and watch them all, but I will probably pick and choose what I remember as some of my favorites.  For example, the 2 eps. with Liberace cast as a villain, Vincent Price as "Egghead", The "Green Hornet" cross-over, any with Batgirl (As a pre-teen boy, I had such a crush on Yvonne DeCarlo, Ha-cha-cha-cha!), just to mention a few.
I mentioned the 4th holiday earlier, and we will be having a cook-out for a few friends and famiy, but there is another (kind of ) mini-milestone on that day.  It will mark 300 days until I am eligible to retire.  I don't think that I will, but it will be nice to have the option next year.
One last thing, tomorrow (July 3rd) marks one year since Chiquita joined our household, and we couldn't imagine not having her.

Sophie & Chiquita

Everyone have a great day, and a Great Holiday weekend.

Travel and Books

Wow, I didn't realize it had been so long since I last made an entry. 
Since my last posting, DKW and I have taken a trip to Catawissa, PA, and the surrounding area.  We visited with her childhood friend and her family and had a pretty good time.  One thing we did while there was visit Knoebel's (pronounced by the locals' - "Kuh-no-bell's" - no silent K here.) Amusement Resort.  I went on the wooden roller coaster there (The Phoenix) and enjoyed it.  But imagine my surprise this week when I found out that that roller coaster was on "The Travel Channel's" list of "15 Coolest Roller Coaster's In the World".  And I rode it before I knew it was so cool.  NEAT!
I love to read, and I do read a lot.   I've read nearly all my life and have tried to pass to all my children my love of books (with mixed results).   And while I can understand the allure of electronic books, my personal preference is an old fashioned paper book that you could check out of a library. I read so that I'll live longer.  You mean that you haven't heard that you don't age while reading.  Well, that's my story - and I'm sticking to it.
Gotta hit the yard and mow again.  Haven't done it since the last time I blogged about it.  Never-ending battle ya know!
I'll try and do a better entry next week.
Everyone have a great day!

Getting off my lazy .................

Uh- Huh! I did!

OK, I've not really been lazy.  I've had a lot of things going on that I've been working on, but I just didn't feel like writing anything.  Not that that is any excuse, but its just taken time to get my mind into it. 
MSU went 2-2 in the SEC baseball tournament.  Not good enough to win it, but its a "Good News, Bad News" deal as far as the regional they are going to.  The good news is that they made a regional and are the #2 seed.  They will play #3 seed, San Diego State at 1:00 (central) on Friday.  That night, the #1 seed (U. Louisiana-Lafayette) will play the #4 seed, Jackson State.  These games are being played on the Ragin' Cajuns' home field.  By coincidence, in the lastest College Baseball poll (out today), ULL (46-4) is the new #1 team in the nation.  So if MSU wants to return to Omaha this year, it won't be easy (if it ever is).
My oldest son and family came for a short visit yesterday and it was nice to visit with them all.  We grilled out (burgers and hot dogs) and went fishing for a bit.  He caught a nice stringer of bass.  So it was a good visit.
Friday (23rd) I was finally able to get my mowing (3 acres) done.  We hadn't had rain for a solid week, so it was fairly dry - and it had been 5 weeks since I was last able to mow, so it was pretty deep in places.  I glad I got it done, because its supposed to rain (AGAIN!) most of this week.
Everyone have a great day!