Rants, musings, and other general purpose blog entries reflecting the thoughts du jour.
If you notice even the most subtle mistakes when it comes to aviation and planes in movies or TV, you just might be an aviation geek! Case in point…the episode "20 Hours in LA" for "The West Wing". On the one hand, they did a good job with the stock footage of Angel rolling out after landing. Sadly, watching President Bartlet and entourage boarding a 747 showed that was as far as it got. Whilst…
How in the world was she allowed to travel with this jacket…much less put it on in full view of the cameras? And on a junket to tour the detention centres for kids who crossed the border illegally, no less! This. Is. Utterly. And. Breathtakingly. Stupid. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44570688
Their supporters did a decent rendition of “La Marseillaise” but the Peruvians blew them away in the stadium in Ekaterinburg! :)
As a dear friend from Katie's dance studio starts her journey to Italy today to celebrate the life of Antonio Pittorru with her famiglia on Sardinia, I was reflecting upon one of my traditions for the many times when I've had to make a similar journey. I'll often find a favourite album that speaks to me of the person who has left us and that'll be my traveling music. I've often found that the bards…
By now, I'm sure you've seen that Roseanne Barr's new show is now in the bin because ABC parent company Disney wanted to distance itself from her vile comments toward Valerie Jarrett. And did so with remarkable speed, I might add… That rather begs the question of why in the world would Disney ignore one of their most famous characters and fail to insist that everyone who works for them who has had a history…
The cameras have rather fixated on Lewis Hamilton climbing into the cockpit of his Mercedes and the gyrations he performs in the fire suit before dropping into the tub prompted this gem from the commentators: “There is Lewis Hamilton making an adjustment … of a rather personal nature!” That was putting it mildly!
As I was busy cutting the video I shot of Katie's Spring Band Concert (where she totally rocked that French Horn even though she was shielded by a huge music stand!), I was thinking of today being another very special day for a very special young lady. As Katie gets inducted into her school's Beta Club this evening, I will be thinking of my cousin Hannah who will be walking across the stage at her…
Whilst the kids are enjoying a little more hibernation this morning due to the schools being closed so that our teachers can make their voices heard in downtown Raleigh…I've got a few minutes to put some thoughts out there for your consideration. There's a whole heap of teachers amongst my father's side of the family…all the way from university to the one room schoolhouse where my grandmother taught in greater metropolitan Raleigh IL (oh, the…
Happy Mother's Day to those special ladies out there whose average day really makes you believe that they've originally come to us from the island of Themyscira! After all, they're much stronger than anyone would believe possible…accomplish far more in a day than you'd ever imagine…have far more patience than we could ever hope to have…and somehow seem to have harnessed the powers of the Lasso of Truth without even needing to brandish it. Moms…
The absolute best gifts I could ever imagine is the friendship and love from family and friends who accept me as I am and forgive me when I'm even more so than usual! :) So for all those who have wished me well whether it's been a few hours or a few years since I've seen you last…each and every one of you have touched my heart in ways I'm still discovering every day and…
Sometimes on days such as this...a simple “shalom” and offer of a sincere thought for someone to be well works wonders. So for the gentleman in the lunch queue at Neomonde wearing that beautifully embroidered kippah who did so for me today...you’ve made this trying day just a wee bit better which is a gift beyond words.
We saw this whilst at garage getting four new tyres mounted...such a cool idea! Now if only I could have it recharge camera batteries... :)
So we trek on down to Fuquay this morning for High 5 Buddies which is Alexander’s special dance class for special kids which had been moved from its usual date due to the dance competition being moved from Hickory to Morehead City for last weekend. Annnnnnnnnnnnd…Alex was the only dancer to turn up for class along with his teacher. So as you might imagine, class was in the bin today. As we are wandering back…
So I’m brimming the tank with petrol and I’m parked behind a guy driving a van for a local funeral home. Of course…I can’t resist asking him if he’s tempted to call out “bring out yer dead!” whilst out and about on his errands. Because you know I totally would… ;)
VAGUE DISAPPOINTMENT Example: When you're driving back from a weekend dance competition in Morehead City singing along to James Taylor's "You've Got a Friend" and you're anticipating Carole King jumping in and she never does. And then you're realise you're listening to "One Man Band (Live)" rather than "Live at the Troubadour" which will be the next album in WFOX's James Taylor playlist… ;) I couldn't help being vaguely disappointed not hearing her at that…
Once again, the spring ritual of rendering unto Caesar four times (two corporate tax returns and two individual ones) and making the Obamacare people happy is finally completed. I do so love the question about the contents that I get when I drop these large envelopes into the post. Hazardous materials are prohibited but not ones that are stultifyingly boring to produce and must be utterly and dreadfully dull to have to read and process…
The adventures of Darth Tahoe…Day 2! We’ve found a few more interesting fiddly bits and features on Darth Tahoe during this morning’s epic fight with I-440: Nick and Katie discovered at least the middle row of seats also sport tushy warmers which rather amused them! The Traverse only has them up front.Darth Tahoe definitely stands taller and is much less aerodynamic than the Traverse which was brutally exposed on the ramp from the US-64 bypass…
So I’m sitting in Darth Tahoe after dropping off my Traverse at garage to be mended and most of my familiarity with the Chevrolet controls transfers quite easily from the Traverse to the big beast Tahoe for the pre-engine start checklist… Paired phone via Bluetooth. Check.Figure out controls for playlist. Check.Mirrors configured. Check.Climate control and AC pack on. Check.Tushy warmer armed. Check. Checklist complete and all controls are well sorted…except one! It is almost embarrassing…
There is a very subtle irony to listening to the track “I’m Free” from the “Footloose” soundtrack as the overheating engine of my Traverse is about to make me neither! :( I can’t really whinge too much as she has not been anywhere near the hangar queen her predecessor was but that doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to the out-of-warranty repair bill either! But a big shout out to Raleigh Towing and Recovery to get…
Whilst waiting to be seated at a packed restaurant, a couple who got seated at the bar ahead of us came back out soon after with the statement “It wasn’t fun…we waited four minutes!” If your level of patience is that low…might I respectfully suggest you stay in and cook your own dinner? The upside is that the hostesses won’t be able to resist trying to figure out which parties coming in the door has…
Zugspitze Mountain (2,966m) - Garmisch-Partenkirchen Bayern Germany
Today would have been my father’s 73rd birthday and was easy to remember given the more famous man he shared it with! He passed away three weeks short of making 71 and his birthdays since have been wonderful days to remember the good times we had together and share one with the audience. If you ever visited with him, you’d learn quickly that he was a tour guide that could pack the maximum number of…
It is so amusing watching the pundits heaping abuse upon Blake Bortles and yet he’s managed to get the Jaguars to a shot at knocking off the Patriots. Much like no one gave him a chance when UCF (the undefeated REAL NCAA National Champions for 2018!) gave the BCS no choice but to put them into the last Fiesta Bowl before the playoff system. Then they gave UCF no chance against Baylor…Baylor was going to…
Perhaps someone might want to explain to the Cheeto In Chief the unassailable reality that whilst his button may be bigger, there’s no way in hell China which has a big button of their own will allow us to drop nukes on their front doorstep. There is a reason diplomacy is left to the purview of actual professionals who have managed to avoid many opportunities for nuclear war ever since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/donald-trump-north-korea-nuclear/index.html
So yesterday we went to cinema and saw “Wonder” and to a person we loved it. It should be required viewing for those fortunate enough to have kids who aren’t medical frequent flyers or have special needs. Maybe it might help you understand at least a tiny bit why there are times we might not smile as much or want to howl at the moon in sheer frustration. How we’d do anything to take away…
