Delta Loves Basketball - But Not Customers

 Source

When I read about Delta Airlines kicking paying passengers off of a plane so that a basketball team could use it, it really ticked me off.  Between this and many other incidents/crimes, it seems like the United States' worship of all things sports and/or celebrity has gone too far.  Combine this with the "entitlement generation" ("I'm special, can do whatever I want and laws don't apply to me"), I despair where society seems to be heading.

Delta, I will not be using your airline.  In fact, when we selected our upcoming flights (to somewhere off of the North American continent), we specifically excluded you.  We will give our hard-earned money to someone else.

I Am Humbled

Today Diana Nyad completed a swim from Cuba to Florida.  She is 64 years old.  64!  How many of us will even be swimming laps at 64?  It took almost 53 hours; it was her fifth try in 35 years.  This woman is truly amazing.

Source:  CNN News

Some of Diana's words of wisdom from this article:

"We should never ever give up."

"You never are too old to chase your dreams."

"It looks like a solitary sport, but it's a team."

It seems that Diana is not just strong, but wise.  I salute you, Diana Nyad, and hope to be even half the woman you are!

If a Dog Was a Teacher

If a dog was a teacher, you would learn things like:

---When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
---Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
---Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
---Take naps.
---Stretch before rising.
---Run, romp, and play daily.
---Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
---Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
---On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
---On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
---When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
---Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
---Be loyal.
---Never pretend to be something you're not.
---If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.

Free Entertainment

Apologies, again, for not posting much as of late.  My days are full with work and medical appointments, and minor surgery is in my future.  I’m stressing out on the current batch of thousands of dollars in medical bills, and am not yet sure how many thousands more will be coming in the next batch.  The good news is that I am finally feeling better!  Chronic pain sucks….  Sure wish it would stop raining so I could work in the yard.  The plants sure are happy, though.

Anyway, I have seen some humorous things lately and thought I would share them.  One thing I enjoy doing is people-watching.  There is always something amusing going on….

The other night, we were at a bar watching a live band.  Besides being entertained by the band, we were also entertained by the crowd.  It was quickly apparent which men wanted to be on the dance floor, and which men were there because their partner would never speak to them again if they didn’t attempt to dance (or at least pretend to).  At the back of the dance floor (not far from our table) were two women dancing with each other.  Girl A and Girl B were having a very good time, dancing in their tight and unflattering dresses.  They started out dancing face-to-face, but then Girl A turned around and bent over, all while gyrating.  I astutely recognized this “rump rub” as her version of being “sexy”.  Girl A then whipped back her long hair and nailed Girl B directly in the face!  Girl B did not flinch.  I laughed so hard that I cried….

Source

Another night, we were at an Irish-themed pub, watching (of course) an Irish musician.  Being an Irish-themed pub, it attracted a rather enthusiastic crowd of people.  That night was no exception.  Our free entertainment for the evening was provided by a guy who apparently thought he was auditioning for “Riverdance”.  His “dancing” (more like leg-flailing/jogging in place) was encouraged by his friends, who were recording his antics on their phones.  At one point, the guy even used an accessory of sorts by holding a napkin on his head.  Why do I get the feeling he will never live this down?  Folks, if you’re going to dance with a napkin on your head, do it somewhere where you don’t know anyone (like friends with cameras/phones).  Either that, or get new friends.

 Source

Last, but not least, I would like to give the “Repeatedly Stupid” award to a gal I saw at a bar recently.  She was on crutches, and her foot was in a plaster cast.  Nowadays, it is pretty rare to see casts, as it seems doctors prefer braces/boots.  A cast indicates a serious surgery, most likely involving bones.  Anyway, I can understand getting stir-crazy while recuperating from surgery and wanting to get out of the house for a bit.  However, being on crutches in a crowded bar is not a good idea.  Further, what did she wear on her good foot (her sole support)?  A flimsy sandal.  Now that is just plain stupid!  People never cease to amaze me.  Looks like money can't buy common sense:

  Source

Spring Is Here!

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for the long absence.  I've been fighting a virus of some sort for two or three weeks (lost track), and it's wiping me out.  Every day after work, I'm visiting a healthcare professional.  I'm hoping to get over this crud and make progress on my chronic pain SOON!

In the meantime, I saw evidence that Spring is truly here.  Yesterday, the first baby bird of the year appeared:

She was not happy about the other bird, though.  She got scared and flew off, but I hope to see more bird babies over the course of the next month.  I love it when Mother Nature lets me witness things like this in my backyard.

I'll try to visit your blogs soon, as I miss "Blog Land"!

April GBBD - It's All About Texture

It's the 15th of the month again - time for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day!  Since there aren't many blooms in my cold yard this time of year, I went on the hunt for texture.  I also tried a different camera, lens and method than usual ("usual" being point & shoot).  So, yes, this is all an experiment.  Here goes!

First up is a clematis, with a glimpse of the past....

 ....and the future.

I had to double-check to make sure this wasn't a caterpillar on the heuchera:

Looking at Forget-Me-Nots this way makes them look a tad classier than in my usual photos!

The ferns are slowly awakening from their winter slumber....

These tiny yellow flowers are on a pygmy barberry.  These plants have some sort of interest (berries, variegated leaves, blooms, etc.) pretty much year 'round.

What's this?  It's a baby poppy! A sure sign that warmer days are ahead.

Thanks for looking at the results of my experiment!  Maybe next month there will be some actual blooms. :-)

A Lowe Blow

As some of you may know, I have a thing about spelling.  As I'm aging maturing, though, I'm finding that I still notice things that are misspelled, but I can't think of how they should be spelled.  Good thing "spell check" was invented.  Anyway, I've been seeing some humorous misspellings here and there recently.  One of these days, I will remember to take a photo of offending menus.  In the meantime, here are a couple of examples:

Example #1:  My university's alumni office emails quarterly newsletters.  The university has a fairly basic name.  Let's call it "Meeker University".  So the newsletter arrives in my inbox with the title "Meker University Alumni News".  This is a place where you can earn a graduate degree in Education!  I couldn't help but email them about this little issue....  Their immediate reply was a thankful one. :-)

Example #2:  Our town is sooooo big, we have a Lowe's less than 10 miles away.  Although many people complain about the quality level of assistance at their local hardware store, the help we've received at Lowe's has been great for the most part (especially when we has to replumb our sink).  Anyway, given the good experiences we've had there, I was surprised to see this:

It bugged me so much that I actually figured out how to use the camera in my phone, just so I could take this photo.

Sometimes I think I could start my own sign and menu editing business.  And if I was hungry and in a daring mood, I could order "Stripped Bass" from a local Japanese restaurant....