Monday Meanderings - 2.22.2016

Another hard winter week in ATX. If this keeps up we're definitely doing us some air conditioning. Trees have been leafing for some time, and Thursday Barb spotted some bluebonnets; Friday, we saw the first flowering Redbud tree. And there's a house down the block that has a gorgeous patch of irises in full bloom. And did I mention primo coffee-on-the-patio time?  Hello Spring.

The neighbor across the street hired some guys to do some tree trimming this week. The first clue that she might have erred on the cheap side was the magnetic sign on their pickup - "Two Guys and a Chainsaw."

My suspicions were confirmed when I saw one of the guys on her roof with one of those long poles with a chain saw on the end.  He was working on a big overhead limb, without having roped it off, when suddenly the limb broke off. He dropped his saw and ran down the roof valley, just barely stopping before bailing completely off the roof.

The next day I noticed a roofing company examining the adjacent neighbor's house. Yep. The "Two guys" had managed to drop a big limb on the next-door neighbor's roof, punching a big hole!

We had a Baby Blessing at church Sunday. We dedicated 40 babies and 5 families provided 30% of the babies! Three sets of twins and two sets of triplets.

I read that the U.S. Army, always on the lookout for ways to give its soldiers a taste of home, have  developed a pizza that can last up to three years in harsh conditions. I notice they didn't say it was edible after three years, just that it would still be around. To this end, there is a guy on YouTube currently testing the shelf life of MREs from around the world and sharing the experience with viewers.

His has featured Vietnam-era survival ration candies and vitamins from 1967, containers that include 39-year-old beef hash, 61-year-old peanut butter, and 65-year-old sugar. Other videos show a more recent (roughly 45-year-old) U.S. Coast Guard Survival Ration, which includes fortified biscuits, jelly candies, and a large chunk of "tropical" chocolate. Some items tasted were described as "edible" and "perfect" - except for being hard as a rock - while others were met simply with sounds of horror and disgust.

I say, combine the pizza with Pop Tarts, which based on my own personal research, have a shelve life of upward of 20 years, and you have a complete meal.

I can't think of any combination that will lead to greater traffic problems than SXSW & POTUS. Right, the Pres is coming to town for a fund raiser during the early days of SXSW. Either one will immobilize the city; together, the only response I can think of is park the car in the garage and call in sick.