Monday Meanderings - Aug 2

After a couple of days of rain cooled things down somewhat, I thought last Thursday morning would be a good time to get some of the bushes and vines trimmed back down on the lower 40. Until I walked into a veritable cloud of mosquitoes! Covered head to toe in seconds. I think the bushes can wait til Fall, thank you.

I love this town. One of the TV stations is running a series during newscasts on "How nice are Austinites?"  In one episode, a lady stood waiting for a bus with a long trail of toilet paper hanging from her skirt. Would anyone tell her? Most of the passing women did - guys just ignored her. The other night they had someone in a squirrel suit feigning car trouble, asking for help. Most people responded to his pleas. Now I ask you. In what other town would people on the street think it was normal for someone to be dressed up in a squirrel suit - complete with bushy tail? Weird on, Austin!

Stopped by a McDonalds the other morning. There was a guy there working on some piece of equipment, and as I left, he walked out to his vehicle to get a part or tool or something. You're familiar with the vans that service persons drive - wire cage in the back with racks of tools and parts and such? Only this van was a Cadillac Escalade. The service business is more profitable than I thought.

I recognize that as I get older my hearing loss becomes more pronounced. But I was getting pretty discouraged over not being able to hear my podcasts clearly on my iPod while I exercise. I turned the volume all the way up, I screwed the earbuds in so tight my eyes bulged. Wasn't helping. Finally tried a new set of earphones. WOW, THAT'S LOUD! Nobody told me that you should clean your earbuds from time to time!

Accidentally caught part of a Sports Nation program with coach Herm Miller talking about Dez Bryant, rookie for the Cowboys, refusing to carry a veterans gear - part of the ubiquitous initiation of training camp. Herm said it was no big deal. Veterans have a way of working these things out. He said he would not be surprised to hear that before camp is over Bryant would spend the night duct-taped to the goal post - with the sprinklers on.

The honeymoon is over at Wal-Mart as far as the new carts are concerned. Even the new carts go thump-thump-thump now. They must have a back room where they grind flat spots into the wheels. Sigh.

Saw a woman at church yesterday that looked just a bit goth - black hair, black dress, black (not quite Doc Martins) boots, black handbag. That had white images silk-screened on it. Of automatic rifles. AK-47s, Uzis, etc. I wondered if she had some issues, and if so did I want to be the one to volunteer to help her work through them? I don't think so.

And if you encountered this sign, wouldn't you be just the teeniest bit hesitant to push the button? Sure, it's just a gag. Isn't it?  Me, I think I would just wait for the light to change on its own.