Monday Meandering 12.05.11

Before the end of the year some visitor will log the 10,000th visit to my blog. Note that that's 10,000 visits, not unique visitors. But that's all the more amazing since there are only three regular readers out there - you guys are really doing a good  job! And I noticed that this is my 615th blog entry. I'm amazed that I've stuck with it to that long. So here's the deal: you keep visiting, and I'll keep writing. We deserve each other.

We've been watching with interest a construction project up the street. The house on the corner of January and Braker - the one that burned a while back - was on a double lot. Some previous owner put a swimming pool on the 2nd lot and for a time, an RV was parked there. But all the sudden a construction crew scraped the ground in front of the pool, poured a foundation on the tiny space left, and in a matter of a week framed a house on that lot. A big house. Almost a McMansion. Curious.

And further up the street the Valero station is messin' with my head. I'll drive by on the way to run an errand and the price for regular gas will be $3.06. When I come back a few minutes later it's $3.08. OK, gas is going up again. But a few hours later Barb and I will drive by and it's $3.06 again. What? Then that evening it's back to $3.08! Three times in one day? and this is one of the signs where someone has to come out and change the numbers manually. I got the last laugh, though. I bought gas at Costco for $2.90. Take that Valero!

My ENT doctor sent me to Austin Radiological for a scan. Walked in for the appointment and was met by a hostess! She took my name, directed me to a seat, asked if I wanted coffee, then went to get my paperwork. She brought that, took my insurance cards, traded them for my filled-out forms, asked if there was anything she could do, or if I had any questions. In a minute she came and got me and handed me off to the radiologist, who was equally solicitous of my well-being. Really not my usual doctor's office experience. Wonder what that cost me?

Had to eat a big helping of crow the other night. My spouse and I were in disagreement about whether the limbs of Christmas trees grow up or down. I was finally able to persuade her that I was right, with just the teeniest bit of gloating after she came around. Then later in the evening, I realized she was right. Hot sauce really helps make the dish edible.

And Barb was the one who pointed out that the cows in the Chik-Fil-A commercials are actually dairy cows, and as such are seldom eaten.

We picked up a couple of DVDs in the Wal Mart bargain bin, movies I thought suitable for watching-while-walking. Opened the first one and the disk was totally blank - no title, no verbiage of any kind. Put it in the drive and the first thing up was a little message about staying alert for pirated DVDs. Like those with no printing on them. Huh?

And here's a billboard between here and Waco: