Blogging along on my New Delly
Maxing usage to justify the fee
The reset starts on Friday night
Trying to drain the last gigabyte
Wracking my brain for events today
No particular thing to say
Nothing much happening here at the ol' homestead today. As usual, I've put off writing until late in the day. I've got nothing. Nothing planned, nothing I'm fired up about, nothing that gets my creative juices flowing. I guess there's not a second total solar eclipse to save me anytime soon.
Hick went to Goodwill on Sunday, and he heard from a lady there that a group of Japanese folks had rented out the Catholic Church over in Bill-Paying Town. They had flown over to see the eclipse, and were planning to camp inside the gymnasium. Thank goodness Hick didn't find a Farbman chest of drawers while he was at Goodwill, and try to lure them home to sleep in it.
Since I didn't leave the grounds yesterday, I was itching to hit the road this morning, and got up at the crack of 8:20. I turned on the TV and went into the kitchen to take my thyroid pill. While chugging the full glass of water it requires, I heard something LOUD on the TV that caught my attention. It was still on Hick's channel from last night. Looks like he'd been watching The History Channel, with the volume turned up to 40. I keep it around 18 myself. Anyhoo...Modern Marvels was on, and you'll never guess what the subject was.
PENNIES!
Technically, the show was about coins, and things relating to them (Modern Marvels: Coin Operated II, from Season 15 Episode 26 ? in 2008). But when my TV came on, the segment was about a cave with a wishing well area (Luray Caverns in Virginia), and how the pennies are harvested out of it with shovels and buckets, bagged, wheelbarrowed a half mile to the entrance of the cave, carried up flights of stairs by the local football team, and washed by a guy with a cement mixer who charges a small fee, then donated to charity.
Oh, and when I left Walmart over in Bill-Paying town, I was waiting to make a left turn out of my parking aisle. A truck driving in the lane in front of the building stopped, blocking me, because a woman had walked out in the road in front of it. She bent over, to pick up what looked like a manila folder. Or so I thought. That darn lady didn't touch the folder. She picked up a PENNY and smiled, putting it in her purse.
I just can't get away from them, I guess.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to watching YouTube videos of slot machine play, and The Top 25 Big Brother Moments, so I can use up all of my internet allotment by Friday at midnight.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Monday, August 21, 2017
Let There Be Dark!
Hick took off for town at 11:30 this morning, even though that's the time the total solar eclipse was starting. I cautioned him to take his eclipse viewing glasses with him, but he said he wasn't planning on looking at the sky. He was looking for crowds. He didn't find them! Go figure! All the hype, sold-out motel rooms, and barely any extra traffic. Hick said that the new flea market at the city limits, high on a hill, across from the lot where I said the owner should charge for spaces...had a sign that said FREE PARKING. Only about 12 cars were there.
Anyhoo...Hick DID pick up a 44 oz Diet Coke for me while in town, and a 44 oz Diet Mountain Dew for himself. Didn't even charge me for mine, either. Once home, he went out to mow grass. I popped out on the back porch every 10 minutes, donned my eclipse glasses
and checked on the progress of the total solar eclipse. Let the record show that it happened around 1:14 here in Backroads, and started from right to left. With the sun almost directly overhead, I didn't have to sit out in the yard and watch for it. I could enjoy the air conditioning between observations.
Here is totality. In person, through my eclipse specs, it did not look like this! There was the narrowest light ring around the edge, but here it looks larger. I guess a cell phone isn't meant to take pictures of a total solar eclipse. Even though they've been improved since the last total solar eclipse in Backroads, back in the 1400s.
I was looking towards the nook where the kitchen sticks out, in the direction of Poolio. Here are before and during photos for comparison. Let the record show that the solar lighting on Poolio's deck came on during the two minutes of totality.
Waiting, waiting, waiting...
and we have complete coverage. The flash went off to take the picture, so it looks deceptively lighter. It was not total darkness, though. Looking to my right, I could see out towards the front road. Here's before and after in that direction.
This first one is right when the eclipse started, around 11:35 a.m.
Again, the flash went off for this picture during totality, making it look lighter than it was.
There was a lovely glow along the horizon during totality. Those clouds were giving me fits while I was waiting for the total eclipse. Not those exact clouds. But others that were creeping in. One of them obscured one of my ten-minute viewings around noon. I'd never seen clouds move so slowly in my life as that small one I was waiting to get over the sun.
Afterwards, as the sun was re-emerging from the moon's shadow, I turned the other way, and got this cloud.
At 12:54, it had been creeping up on the sun, and I was fretting that I would miss the total solar eclipse because of it. It headed past at the last minute, rather than obscuring the sun. Thanks, Even Steven, for letting Val see her total solar eclipse.
For all of you who clicked on today's post to see a found parking-lot penny...so sorry to give you this total solar eclipse instead!
Anyhoo...Hick DID pick up a 44 oz Diet Coke for me while in town, and a 44 oz Diet Mountain Dew for himself. Didn't even charge me for mine, either. Once home, he went out to mow grass. I popped out on the back porch every 10 minutes, donned my eclipse glasses
and checked on the progress of the total solar eclipse. Let the record show that it happened around 1:14 here in Backroads, and started from right to left. With the sun almost directly overhead, I didn't have to sit out in the yard and watch for it. I could enjoy the air conditioning between observations.
Here is totality. In person, through my eclipse specs, it did not look like this! There was the narrowest light ring around the edge, but here it looks larger. I guess a cell phone isn't meant to take pictures of a total solar eclipse. Even though they've been improved since the last total solar eclipse in Backroads, back in the 1400s.
I was looking towards the nook where the kitchen sticks out, in the direction of Poolio. Here are before and during photos for comparison. Let the record show that the solar lighting on Poolio's deck came on during the two minutes of totality.
Waiting, waiting, waiting...
and we have complete coverage. The flash went off to take the picture, so it looks deceptively lighter. It was not total darkness, though. Looking to my right, I could see out towards the front road. Here's before and after in that direction.
This first one is right when the eclipse started, around 11:35 a.m.
Again, the flash went off for this picture during totality, making it look lighter than it was.
There was a lovely glow along the horizon during totality. Those clouds were giving me fits while I was waiting for the total eclipse. Not those exact clouds. But others that were creeping in. One of them obscured one of my ten-minute viewings around noon. I'd never seen clouds move so slowly in my life as that small one I was waiting to get over the sun.
Afterwards, as the sun was re-emerging from the moon's shadow, I turned the other way, and got this cloud.
At 12:54, it had been creeping up on the sun, and I was fretting that I would miss the total solar eclipse because of it. It headed past at the last minute, rather than obscuring the sun. Thanks, Even Steven, for letting Val see her total solar eclipse.
For all of you who clicked on today's post to see a found parking-lot penny...so sorry to give you this total solar eclipse instead!
Sunday, August 20, 2017
Like Catching Santa in the Act
Thursday, I headed to town for bill-mailing, and to fill T-Hoe up with gas before the eclipse crowd hit town. About halfway there, I decided that I had time to stop by the cemetery. I'd planned to go on Monday, but Mom was getting a new neighbor nearby, so I did not.
I passed by the hole-in-the-wall bar noted for its delicious steaks, and flipped on T-Hoe's right-turn signal for the cemetery. I put the radio on Prime Country. Some song I didn't know went off, and Dolly Parton and Vince Gill started singing "I Will Always Love You." Uh huh. Dolly wrote that song, you know, even though Whitney Houston made the most money off of it. Several million of that went into Dolly's pocket as the writer, too. Anyhoo...Mom and I never had any association with that song, but I'm pretty sure I will always love her, and she will always love me.
I just found that to be a pleasant coincidence. I really doesn't pertain to my subject today, except, perhaps, in a roundabout way.
On to the post office I went, to mail my bill. Of course I had my eyes glued to the pavement, looking for random pennies from heaven. Didn't find one. I stopped by Waterside Mart for a scratch-off ticket. Again, no penny. Most days, I DON'T find pennies, you know. But since I'd had that four-day streak last week (FIVE if you count dimes!) of finding a penny each day, I'm still on the lookout.
I pulled into Casey's to get T-Hoe's gas. Right up to the same pump I was at last time, when I found a penny there. I didn't pick that pump for that reason, but because it's the most convenient one, and it was available. But you can bet that as I opened the door and stepped down, I was thinking about the penny I found last time.
CLINK!
A lady had come out of Casey's and climbed into her black SUV that she'd parked parallel to their sidewalk. She was putting stuff in her purse, and had apparently dropped a coin! She glanced at the ground fleetingly, then closed her door and drove off.
After pumping my gas, I took a route to the door that put me near where I heard the CLINK! I found a QUARTER on the lot! You can bet I picked it up, but I didn't take a picture, because it had rolled to the middle of the parking lot, and also, there was a man standing down by my sidewalk ramp with a big dog on a leash, and I didn't want to look like a weirdo. Oh, I didn't mind bending over and exposing my ample rumpus to him. But I wasn't going to make it a photo opportunity. So for all of you Geniuses who say, "Pics or it didn't happen," you'll have to take my word for it.
I guess that counts, right? As pennies from heaven? It was 25 pennies condensed into one coin, that fell as I was thinking about pennies from heaven. So I'm claiming it. Yeah, maybe I'm stretching it. But those pennies have to get there somehow! They don't actually fall out of the clouds, you know!
It's like catching Santa in the act, and not having a camera.
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BUT WAIT! There's more!
TODAY, I went to town for my 44 oz Diet Coke and scratchers. First stop was Orb K. I gathered up my $20 winner and climbed down from T-Hoe. I don't know where all those eclipse people are, but they were not at Orb K around noon. I got my favorite parking spot, right by the handicap striped walkway, where that sewer grate has the lid screwed in sideways. Where I previously found a couple of pennies. None there today.
BUT WAIT!
Good thing Val is thorough in her penny search. This one was by T-Hoe's back tire! Good thing I have an awkward way of getting out of the car. I was standing almost on the grate as I snapped this.
I fear that an open letter may be in need, to the manager of Orb K, concerning why nobody ever hoses off their parking lot. It's getting pretty hard to spot pennies from heaven, like this 2006 Abe, (whose date has no significance for me), with all this gunk marring the blacktop.
I must remain ever-vigilant in my search.
I passed by the hole-in-the-wall bar noted for its delicious steaks, and flipped on T-Hoe's right-turn signal for the cemetery. I put the radio on Prime Country. Some song I didn't know went off, and Dolly Parton and Vince Gill started singing "I Will Always Love You." Uh huh. Dolly wrote that song, you know, even though Whitney Houston made the most money off of it. Several million of that went into Dolly's pocket as the writer, too. Anyhoo...Mom and I never had any association with that song, but I'm pretty sure I will always love her, and she will always love me.
I just found that to be a pleasant coincidence. I really doesn't pertain to my subject today, except, perhaps, in a roundabout way.
On to the post office I went, to mail my bill. Of course I had my eyes glued to the pavement, looking for random pennies from heaven. Didn't find one. I stopped by Waterside Mart for a scratch-off ticket. Again, no penny. Most days, I DON'T find pennies, you know. But since I'd had that four-day streak last week (FIVE if you count dimes!) of finding a penny each day, I'm still on the lookout.
I pulled into Casey's to get T-Hoe's gas. Right up to the same pump I was at last time, when I found a penny there. I didn't pick that pump for that reason, but because it's the most convenient one, and it was available. But you can bet that as I opened the door and stepped down, I was thinking about the penny I found last time.
CLINK!
A lady had come out of Casey's and climbed into her black SUV that she'd parked parallel to their sidewalk. She was putting stuff in her purse, and had apparently dropped a coin! She glanced at the ground fleetingly, then closed her door and drove off.
After pumping my gas, I took a route to the door that put me near where I heard the CLINK! I found a QUARTER on the lot! You can bet I picked it up, but I didn't take a picture, because it had rolled to the middle of the parking lot, and also, there was a man standing down by my sidewalk ramp with a big dog on a leash, and I didn't want to look like a weirdo. Oh, I didn't mind bending over and exposing my ample rumpus to him. But I wasn't going to make it a photo opportunity. So for all of you Geniuses who say, "Pics or it didn't happen," you'll have to take my word for it.
I guess that counts, right? As pennies from heaven? It was 25 pennies condensed into one coin, that fell as I was thinking about pennies from heaven. So I'm claiming it. Yeah, maybe I'm stretching it. But those pennies have to get there somehow! They don't actually fall out of the clouds, you know!
It's like catching Santa in the act, and not having a camera.
______________________________________________________________________
BUT WAIT! There's more!
TODAY, I went to town for my 44 oz Diet Coke and scratchers. First stop was Orb K. I gathered up my $20 winner and climbed down from T-Hoe. I don't know where all those eclipse people are, but they were not at Orb K around noon. I got my favorite parking spot, right by the handicap striped walkway, where that sewer grate has the lid screwed in sideways. Where I previously found a couple of pennies. None there today.
BUT WAIT!
Good thing Val is thorough in her penny search. This one was by T-Hoe's back tire! Good thing I have an awkward way of getting out of the car. I was standing almost on the grate as I snapped this.
I fear that an open letter may be in need, to the manager of Orb K, concerning why nobody ever hoses off their parking lot. It's getting pretty hard to spot pennies from heaven, like this 2006 Abe, (whose date has no significance for me), with all this gunk marring the blacktop.
I must remain ever-vigilant in my search.
Saturday, August 19, 2017
The End of Day...and the Resumption of Day
You'd think we got advance notice of the Apopadopalyspe, as Hick refers to it.
With the upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday, the Backroads area is expecting an influx of visitors. The motels have been booked up for months. The state has activated their emergency preparedness plans. So Hick and I decided to get ourselves prepared. You may think we're a couple of over-reactive nitwits, but unless you've lived on the far edge of the grid for a few years, let's not judge.
On Friday, I gassed up T-Hoe, and told Hick to make sure all of our vehicles have a full tank. You never know when gas stations might run out of gas. Even if Bubba and Lurlene just drive in from a few counties over so they can be in the totality path, they have to gas up somewhere. Surely the drain on resources won't cause a power outage. During the Great Icepocalypse of '06, nobody had gas because the power was out, and it couldn't be pumped. Our homestead is all electric, and our water is from a well...but Hick has a generator that he can hook up for that.
I don't plan on going to town that day, but I have plenty of bottled Diet Coke. However, Hick was almost out of Diet Mountain Dew, so I went to County Mart and got some for him today. I also picked up bananas. No. I did NOT stock up on bread and milk. It's not like there's a couple inches of snow in the forecast, you know.
We both refilled our prescriptions. Not because we think all the eclipse-viewing visitors are going to be drug fiends, but because they run out on Monday, and I'm not going to town on Monday for refills. Besides, my pharmacy had a note on the door today that says they will be CLOSED on Monday, so their employees can enjoy the eclipse.
Also on Friday, I went by the bank to get our weekly cash allowance that I usually get on Mondays. Okay, it wasn't a special trip, because I was putting Genius's textbook money in his account. I figure I could have waited until Tuesday, but with my bank being right off the interstate, their ATM may be depleted on Tuesday, and I don't like to go inside to make a counter withdrawal. Those tellers are too nosy, and act like I'm a money-launderer. Do people even use cash any more? Am I the only one? Maybe THAT'S why they seem so interested if I deposit or withdraw cash.
I don't know if other people around here are preparing or not. Town was extremely busy yesterday, even around noon when all the kids are in school again. Lots of traffic. Today I noticed that TWO SPIGOTS on the Coke fountain at the gas station chicken store have OUT signs taped over them!!! Thankfully it wasn't the Diet Coke! It was one of the teas, and whatever is next to the Diet Coke. It's not real Coke. That's on the right of it. Surely people aren't getting here two days early for the eclipse? The Man Owner was working alongside the Stern Old Gal clerk, and I heard him say to a man, "Oh, so you're not from around here?"
Country Mart was surprisingly less busy than I expected on a Saturday. Their employees were more concerned with the $535 million PowerBall drawing than the eclipse.
Alls I know is...we're going to be prepared to stay home for one whole day, with money in our pockets, and drugs at the ready, and diet soda to sip.
With the upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday, the Backroads area is expecting an influx of visitors. The motels have been booked up for months. The state has activated their emergency preparedness plans. So Hick and I decided to get ourselves prepared. You may think we're a couple of over-reactive nitwits, but unless you've lived on the far edge of the grid for a few years, let's not judge.
On Friday, I gassed up T-Hoe, and told Hick to make sure all of our vehicles have a full tank. You never know when gas stations might run out of gas. Even if Bubba and Lurlene just drive in from a few counties over so they can be in the totality path, they have to gas up somewhere. Surely the drain on resources won't cause a power outage. During the Great Icepocalypse of '06, nobody had gas because the power was out, and it couldn't be pumped. Our homestead is all electric, and our water is from a well...but Hick has a generator that he can hook up for that.
I don't plan on going to town that day, but I have plenty of bottled Diet Coke. However, Hick was almost out of Diet Mountain Dew, so I went to County Mart and got some for him today. I also picked up bananas. No. I did NOT stock up on bread and milk. It's not like there's a couple inches of snow in the forecast, you know.
We both refilled our prescriptions. Not because we think all the eclipse-viewing visitors are going to be drug fiends, but because they run out on Monday, and I'm not going to town on Monday for refills. Besides, my pharmacy had a note on the door today that says they will be CLOSED on Monday, so their employees can enjoy the eclipse.
Also on Friday, I went by the bank to get our weekly cash allowance that I usually get on Mondays. Okay, it wasn't a special trip, because I was putting Genius's textbook money in his account. I figure I could have waited until Tuesday, but with my bank being right off the interstate, their ATM may be depleted on Tuesday, and I don't like to go inside to make a counter withdrawal. Those tellers are too nosy, and act like I'm a money-launderer. Do people even use cash any more? Am I the only one? Maybe THAT'S why they seem so interested if I deposit or withdraw cash.
I don't know if other people around here are preparing or not. Town was extremely busy yesterday, even around noon when all the kids are in school again. Lots of traffic. Today I noticed that TWO SPIGOTS on the Coke fountain at the gas station chicken store have OUT signs taped over them!!! Thankfully it wasn't the Diet Coke! It was one of the teas, and whatever is next to the Diet Coke. It's not real Coke. That's on the right of it. Surely people aren't getting here two days early for the eclipse? The Man Owner was working alongside the Stern Old Gal clerk, and I heard him say to a man, "Oh, so you're not from around here?"
Country Mart was surprisingly less busy than I expected on a Saturday. Their employees were more concerned with the $535 million PowerBall drawing than the eclipse.
Alls I know is...we're going to be prepared to stay home for one whole day, with money in our pockets, and drugs at the ready, and diet soda to sip.
Friday, August 18, 2017
Back-of-the-Book-Blurb Friday #72 "The Yearning"
Blog buddy Sioux is hosting Back-of-the-Book-Blurb Friday.
I have 150 words to convince you to fake-buy my fake book. Everybody loves a good dog story. Right? So at least a few somebodies might tolerate Val's fake book this week. Or at least tepidly agree that it's not deplorable. Should you go looking for parking lot pennies to fund your purchase? You ain't a-woofin'! C'mon! Be Val's worst critic (that means you'll give a good review, see?) and fake-buy her latest fake book about man's best friend.
Li'l Copper doesn't mean to be bad. "How was I supposed to know those cheeping little fuzzy critters are pets? I eat other fuzzy little critters. The hoppy ones, and those I dig out of tunnel in the yard. If somebody had told me that it was frowned upon...well...I would not have done that!"
Li'l Copper rarely stays home. "I wanna live next door with the cool dogs! They eat cat kibble twice a day, a dry food buffet, AND get an evening snack of delectable people food! I just want a scrap. Crumbs. I don't ask for attention. That barking thing? Well...I'm only protecting my master's territory. Who does that lady think she is, tromping back and forth, only yards from my property line? At first it was fun dodging those driveway rocks, but now it's tiresome."
Will Li'l Copper meet Mr. Shocky, and earn his Good Dog certificate? (150 words)
__________________________________________________________________
The Little Match Girl...""If you can't warm up to this story, you are a bitter, bitter human being. I think Thevictorian might even have seen the light on this one."
The Grinch..."This story makes me want to give back little Cindy Lou Who's candy cane, and the tree that won't light on one side, and the roast beast. I hope Thevictorian makes a lot of money off of this fake book, because I'm suing her for medical bills, since my heart grew two sizes when I read it, and split open my thoracic cavity."
The Grinch's Dog..."I think this pup would look good with a set of antlers on his head. He looks strong enough to pull a sleigh loaded with cartons of this fake book."
Old Dan and Little Ann..."We haven't seen writing like this in a coon's age! A good 72nd effort by Thevictorian. And we ain't (mtn.) lion!"
Cruella de Vil..."I thought I had a contemporary in Thevictorian, but she's proved to be more soft-hearted and unfashionable than I could ever have imagined."
Buck from Call of the Wild..."This fake book is smooth sledding. Something must have happened to Thevictorian in the recent past, because her cold, cold heart seems to have melted."
Old Yeller..."Give this fake book a shot! I don't mean to sound defensive, but I think some of those rabid reviewers have gone too far in criticizing Thevictorian in the past."
The Yearning
Li'l Copper doesn't mean to be bad. "How was I supposed to know those cheeping little fuzzy critters are pets? I eat other fuzzy little critters. The hoppy ones, and those I dig out of tunnel in the yard. If somebody had told me that it was frowned upon...well...I would not have done that!"
Li'l Copper rarely stays home. "I wanna live next door with the cool dogs! They eat cat kibble twice a day, a dry food buffet, AND get an evening snack of delectable people food! I just want a scrap. Crumbs. I don't ask for attention. That barking thing? Well...I'm only protecting my master's territory. Who does that lady think she is, tromping back and forth, only yards from my property line? At first it was fun dodging those driveway rocks, but now it's tiresome."
Will Li'l Copper meet Mr. Shocky, and earn his Good Dog certificate? (150 words)
__________________________________________________________________
Fake Reviews
for Val’s Fake Book
The Little Match Girl...""If you can't warm up to this story, you are a bitter, bitter human being. I think Thevictorian might even have seen the light on this one."
The Grinch..."This story makes me want to give back little Cindy Lou Who's candy cane, and the tree that won't light on one side, and the roast beast. I hope Thevictorian makes a lot of money off of this fake book, because I'm suing her for medical bills, since my heart grew two sizes when I read it, and split open my thoracic cavity."
The Grinch's Dog..."I think this pup would look good with a set of antlers on his head. He looks strong enough to pull a sleigh loaded with cartons of this fake book."
Old Dan and Little Ann..."We haven't seen writing like this in a coon's age! A good 72nd effort by Thevictorian. And we ain't (mtn.) lion!"
Cruella de Vil..."I thought I had a contemporary in Thevictorian, but she's proved to be more soft-hearted and unfashionable than I could ever have imagined."
Buck from Call of the Wild..."This fake book is smooth sledding. Something must have happened to Thevictorian in the recent past, because her cold, cold heart seems to have melted."
Old Yeller..."Give this fake book a shot! I don't mean to sound defensive, but I think some of those rabid reviewers have gone too far in criticizing Thevictorian in the past."
Thursday, August 17, 2017
There Goes the Sun, doo-doo-doo-doo
Maybe a few of you have heard of a little thing called a TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN that is happening on Monday, August 21. If you haven't, it might be time to come out from under your rock where you've been shacking up with a GEICO caveman. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Backroads is right smack dab in the middle of the totality path. That means 100% coverage, baby! The sun goes bye-bye for a couple of minutes. Poor Pony, out in Norman, Oklahoma, will only get a partial eclipse. About 84%, I think, though I didn't take notes during my internet research. Genius, in College Town, says he'll get 99-point-something percent, and that ten miles away from him is totality. I sent both boys a pair of eclipse viewing glasses in their letter this week. For 99 cents, you can save your vision! What will they think of next?
Walmart is getting in on the action! Today I saw a bunch of displays down a main center aisle. In fact, I picked up three caps for Hick. He has quite a cap collection, you know.
I figure a guy like Hick can use three caps. I daresay he's misplaced or worn out his caps from the last total eclipse of the sun here in Backroads. Which was in 1442!!! Here's a link to a nearby community's eclipse resources.
The schools around here have canceled classes for Monday. They say that with the influx of visitors, they're not sure that they'll be able to transport students home safely. Estimates are that anywhere from 389,000 to a million people are within driving distance of our area, and may come to view the eclipse within a 30-mile radius of Backroads. I know that I am NOT going to town for my 44 oz Diet Coke that day! And I'll go without a scratch-off ticket, too! OH, NOOOO! What if a visitor buys a big winner rightfully meant for Val???? I'm starting to feel a bit light-headed.
The Man Owner at the gas station chicken store told me he's not sure if his business will be affected. However...his wife the Lady Owner must think so. There's a new sign on the door that advertises an ECLIPSE SPECIAL for a 20-piece box of chicken for $19.95. I don't know the regular price, but an 8-piece box is usually $8.95. Anyhoo...the Man Owner said that he heard the MO State Highway Patrol is putting up signs that say NO PARKING along the highway. And that they'll have a trooper stationed every 20 miles.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a flash of...well...I'm not sure what to call it...but BRILLIANCE seems like the wrong fit, what with the sun going dark on this momentous occasion. But anyhoo, as I started up the hill out of town, driving past the vacant shopping center where Genius and the solar car team charged their vehicle, and where there's a storefront without a name that Hick at one time said was an unmarked pharmacy that he was going to apply to deliver for when he retires...I had that flash of...um...insight! See, there's still a problem, with the word sight, since we'll be risking losing our sight if we look directly at the dark sun...
Anyhoo...I couldn't wait to get home and tell Hick my idea. I found him floating just below the surface of Poolio, on a raft not quite rated for his weight.
"Hey! You know that eclipse that's coming up? I just thought of something! If I was the owner of that parking lot where Genius had the solar car, I'd rope it off and charge people by the head, or by the car, for spaces to park and watch the eclipse!"
"Yeah. That's the perfect place. There's no trees in the way. It's open. There's a lot of parking."
"I know! And people will be parking there anyway. He'll have to rope it off, or they'll park there for free, on his property! I'm not even going to town that day. It will be a mess. The paper says all the motel rooms have been reserved for a couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised if people are parked all along the blacktop highway. You know, come down the interstate and think they can get off and pull over. There's no shoulder! I'm definitely not getting out that day. I'll make my own Diet Coke."
"You know...I could rent out space in the field! We're on top of a hill. The trees are cleared. People could camp. I have the bathroom in the BARn. And an outhouse. I made that shower for the solar car team when they camped here..."
"Well, you'd have to go sit in town with a cardboard sign advertising your space and your price. Because nobody's going to find it out here. You'd have to gather up your customers and come out in a convoy. Then they'd probably complain because when you said a field, you really meant a field. Then if it rains that day, they'll complain that they didn't get to see the eclipse. I don't think it's worth it."
"Yeah. Maybe not. But that guy in town should do something!"
He should. I'll never know, though. I'm not going to town that day!
___________________________________________________________________
Here's a link about the eclipse from one of our local newspapers a couple weeks ago.
http://dailyjournalonline.com/farmington-press/news/local/watch-solar-eclipse-in-nature-at-mdc-areas/article_04d76db0-5972-500c-97ec-c95917197f08.html
Backroads is right smack dab in the middle of the totality path. That means 100% coverage, baby! The sun goes bye-bye for a couple of minutes. Poor Pony, out in Norman, Oklahoma, will only get a partial eclipse. About 84%, I think, though I didn't take notes during my internet research. Genius, in College Town, says he'll get 99-point-something percent, and that ten miles away from him is totality. I sent both boys a pair of eclipse viewing glasses in their letter this week. For 99 cents, you can save your vision! What will they think of next?
Walmart is getting in on the action! Today I saw a bunch of displays down a main center aisle. In fact, I picked up three caps for Hick. He has quite a cap collection, you know.
I figure a guy like Hick can use three caps. I daresay he's misplaced or worn out his caps from the last total eclipse of the sun here in Backroads. Which was in 1442!!! Here's a link to a nearby community's eclipse resources.
The schools around here have canceled classes for Monday. They say that with the influx of visitors, they're not sure that they'll be able to transport students home safely. Estimates are that anywhere from 389,000 to a million people are within driving distance of our area, and may come to view the eclipse within a 30-mile radius of Backroads. I know that I am NOT going to town for my 44 oz Diet Coke that day! And I'll go without a scratch-off ticket, too! OH, NOOOO! What if a visitor buys a big winner rightfully meant for Val???? I'm starting to feel a bit light-headed.
The Man Owner at the gas station chicken store told me he's not sure if his business will be affected. However...his wife the Lady Owner must think so. There's a new sign on the door that advertises an ECLIPSE SPECIAL for a 20-piece box of chicken for $19.95. I don't know the regular price, but an 8-piece box is usually $8.95. Anyhoo...the Man Owner said that he heard the MO State Highway Patrol is putting up signs that say NO PARKING along the highway. And that they'll have a trooper stationed every 20 miles.
A couple of weeks ago, I had a flash of...well...I'm not sure what to call it...but BRILLIANCE seems like the wrong fit, what with the sun going dark on this momentous occasion. But anyhoo, as I started up the hill out of town, driving past the vacant shopping center where Genius and the solar car team charged their vehicle, and where there's a storefront without a name that Hick at one time said was an unmarked pharmacy that he was going to apply to deliver for when he retires...I had that flash of...um...insight! See, there's still a problem, with the word sight, since we'll be risking losing our sight if we look directly at the dark sun...
Anyhoo...I couldn't wait to get home and tell Hick my idea. I found him floating just below the surface of Poolio, on a raft not quite rated for his weight.
"Hey! You know that eclipse that's coming up? I just thought of something! If I was the owner of that parking lot where Genius had the solar car, I'd rope it off and charge people by the head, or by the car, for spaces to park and watch the eclipse!"
"Yeah. That's the perfect place. There's no trees in the way. It's open. There's a lot of parking."
"I know! And people will be parking there anyway. He'll have to rope it off, or they'll park there for free, on his property! I'm not even going to town that day. It will be a mess. The paper says all the motel rooms have been reserved for a couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised if people are parked all along the blacktop highway. You know, come down the interstate and think they can get off and pull over. There's no shoulder! I'm definitely not getting out that day. I'll make my own Diet Coke."
"You know...I could rent out space in the field! We're on top of a hill. The trees are cleared. People could camp. I have the bathroom in the BARn. And an outhouse. I made that shower for the solar car team when they camped here..."
"Well, you'd have to go sit in town with a cardboard sign advertising your space and your price. Because nobody's going to find it out here. You'd have to gather up your customers and come out in a convoy. Then they'd probably complain because when you said a field, you really meant a field. Then if it rains that day, they'll complain that they didn't get to see the eclipse. I don't think it's worth it."
"Yeah. Maybe not. But that guy in town should do something!"
He should. I'll never know, though. I'm not going to town that day!
___________________________________________________________________
Here's a link about the eclipse from one of our local newspapers a couple weeks ago.
http://dailyjournalonline.com/farmington-press/news/local/watch-solar-eclipse-in-nature-at-mdc-areas/article_04d76db0-5972-500c-97ec-c95917197f08.html
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Sitting In a Tahoe Down By the Moat
Today I vowed to be on my best behavior at the gas station chicken store. After allowing 44 oz of Diet Coke to flow across their premises, and cutting line in front of two kids...I figured I'd better not push my luck on the third day in a row.
I watch LIVE PD every Friday and Saturday night. I know that nuisances can be removed from the premises. All it takes is a call to the dispatcher, and a strong recommendation from a gun-toting law enforcement officer. I'm really not a scofflaw. I don't want to be rousted by the cops, or have a trespassing order put into effect. All I needed was to be careful with my ninja thumbs so as not to puncture the foam cup, and pay attention to the order that people came into the store and got in line. Even though there are often three lines to keep track of.
The lunch rush wasn't there yet, and my parking spot by the moat was available. I grabbed my $60 winner to cash in, put my phone in my pocket (in case I found a penny on the way, for documentation purposes) and clicked the door-locker. I was only halfway across the lot when my phone rang. Of course I answered. I have two boys away at college.
IT WAS ONE OF THEM!
Let the record show that nobody ever calls or texts me when I'm doing nothing in my dark basement lair with 44 oz of Diet Coke at my elbow. Nope. I'm as lonely as a Maytag repairman then. But let me be out and about, actually doing something, and they must contact me.
Genius was calling from College Town. He just got back on Saturday, from Overland Park, Kansas, where he'd worked the summer for Garmin.
"Are you able to talk right now?"
"Yeesss...what's wrong? I'm getting my soda, but I'll go back and sit in the car to talk."
"Oh, nothing's wrong. But I can call back."
"I'm already here now. Already have to door open."
Genius was alerting me to an impending purchase of textbooks, for his last semester before graduation in December. He wanted to know which Amazon account to use, mine or his. Which of course meant which credit card the purchase would be on. Then I take the money out of his college savings, and put it in one checking account or the other to pay off the credit card.
"I don't care. Let's see. You can put it on yours, but I'll need a copy for tax time. You might not want me to see what else is on your credit card. But you could print me a hard copy, and black it out. OR, you can just put it on mine. Then I'll have a record of it when my bill comes. But it's easier for my records when the exact amount goes to your bank account. I need to show that that we are the ones who paid, though, just in case we can still claim you as a dependent..."
"Oh...then I can't get my cash back for the purchase!"
"I though you might not want it on your credit card right now."
"I don't care. Just checking with you."
"Okay, put it on yours."
It's always something. We had further discussion of when his bill comes, and if he wanted to wait until then for the money transfer, which he did not, because he has something set up with "virtual envelopes" that he planned to deposit the money in until payment was due.
So...even though neither one of us cared which card paid for the books, it took about 15 minutes to make a decision and sort out the timeline of money transfer. Also, Genius filled me in on his recent job interviews, and his current plans, and his weekend trip. I was sitting sideways in T-Hoe with the door open for about 20 minutes.
Once our call concluded, I hopped down and locked up the door again and started across the lot. Halfway there, I heard a siren. I turned to see TWO police cars with flashing lights coming through the stoplight.
Yes. For a split second, I felt guilty! Had a smidgen of concern as to whether I was going to be rousted for loitering. Then I saw both vehicles turn and head in the direction of the prison and my homestead.
Usually, that would concern me. Today, it did not.
Let the record show that inside the gas station chicken store, I was a model citizen and well-behaved soda-buyer. And that I won absolutely nothing on today's scratch-off tickets.
I watch LIVE PD every Friday and Saturday night. I know that nuisances can be removed from the premises. All it takes is a call to the dispatcher, and a strong recommendation from a gun-toting law enforcement officer. I'm really not a scofflaw. I don't want to be rousted by the cops, or have a trespassing order put into effect. All I needed was to be careful with my ninja thumbs so as not to puncture the foam cup, and pay attention to the order that people came into the store and got in line. Even though there are often three lines to keep track of.
The lunch rush wasn't there yet, and my parking spot by the moat was available. I grabbed my $60 winner to cash in, put my phone in my pocket (in case I found a penny on the way, for documentation purposes) and clicked the door-locker. I was only halfway across the lot when my phone rang. Of course I answered. I have two boys away at college.
IT WAS ONE OF THEM!
Let the record show that nobody ever calls or texts me when I'm doing nothing in my dark basement lair with 44 oz of Diet Coke at my elbow. Nope. I'm as lonely as a Maytag repairman then. But let me be out and about, actually doing something, and they must contact me.
Genius was calling from College Town. He just got back on Saturday, from Overland Park, Kansas, where he'd worked the summer for Garmin.
"Are you able to talk right now?"
"Yeesss...what's wrong? I'm getting my soda, but I'll go back and sit in the car to talk."
"Oh, nothing's wrong. But I can call back."
"I'm already here now. Already have to door open."
Genius was alerting me to an impending purchase of textbooks, for his last semester before graduation in December. He wanted to know which Amazon account to use, mine or his. Which of course meant which credit card the purchase would be on. Then I take the money out of his college savings, and put it in one checking account or the other to pay off the credit card.
"I don't care. Let's see. You can put it on yours, but I'll need a copy for tax time. You might not want me to see what else is on your credit card. But you could print me a hard copy, and black it out. OR, you can just put it on mine. Then I'll have a record of it when my bill comes. But it's easier for my records when the exact amount goes to your bank account. I need to show that that we are the ones who paid, though, just in case we can still claim you as a dependent..."
"Oh...then I can't get my cash back for the purchase!"
"I though you might not want it on your credit card right now."
"I don't care. Just checking with you."
"Okay, put it on yours."
It's always something. We had further discussion of when his bill comes, and if he wanted to wait until then for the money transfer, which he did not, because he has something set up with "virtual envelopes" that he planned to deposit the money in until payment was due.
So...even though neither one of us cared which card paid for the books, it took about 15 minutes to make a decision and sort out the timeline of money transfer. Also, Genius filled me in on his recent job interviews, and his current plans, and his weekend trip. I was sitting sideways in T-Hoe with the door open for about 20 minutes.
Once our call concluded, I hopped down and locked up the door again and started across the lot. Halfway there, I heard a siren. I turned to see TWO police cars with flashing lights coming through the stoplight.
Yes. For a split second, I felt guilty! Had a smidgen of concern as to whether I was going to be rousted for loitering. Then I saw both vehicles turn and head in the direction of the prison and my homestead.
Usually, that would concern me. Today, it did not.
Let the record show that inside the gas station chicken store, I was a model citizen and well-behaved soda-buyer. And that I won absolutely nothing on today's scratch-off tickets.
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