Friday Follies...
Here we are again my friends...at the end of another week.
And Wifey and I are back from our weekly soire` at Scotts in Waynedale...or as I like to call it: ADVENTURES IN GROCERY SHOPPING!
It's always nice to see how poorly the traffic lights are timed, JUST so I can be disadvantaged by sitting at the corners...waiting for the lights to change...burning fuel (that is back up to around $3.75 a gallon here in Fort Wayne).
And, it's always nice to have some deaf-ass moolie thumping his bass BEHIND you at a light. Also feels REAL nice to flip 'em off as you pull away.
What amazes me is that there ARE others that also like to get out early (such as we prefer to do)...like MA & PA KETTLE!
You know the folks (God bless 'em all)...
...they're the ones with an immaculately kept vehicle that they drive EVERYWHERE (I seem to be going) at the blistering speed of 15-20 MPH...regardless of the POSTED limits (or the LACK of traffic in front of them)!
Always nice to share the road with them.
Methinks we need a SENIOR LANE...I'm just sayin'.
(yeah, I'm going to be there soon enough, God willing, but I hate wasting time going slow for NO REASON...just like my Dad used to say...I got places to get to sometime before I pass away)
Once at the market, it was a somewhat arduous trek going up and down the aisles though...
Many items that were supposed to be marked down (if you buy ten of them) were NOT, and others were simply not there at all.
Other items that were not supposed to be marked down WERE, so it became a real "trade-off", considering what we NEEDED versus what we wanted.
(Charlie Allnut never had it THIS hard.)
It's like winding your way down the freaking Zambezi River in the damn African Queen, trying to maneuver the cart around fellow shoppers that must be doing more WINDOW SHOPPING than ACTUAL purchasing.
And God help anyone on our roads if they park their CARS the same way they handle shopping carts.
Luckily, they could HEAR Wifey coming with the cart SHE happened to choose...
(The "cart from hell" with a squeaky wheel doesn't even come CLOSE to describing the sounds emanating from that cart)
Sounded like a pack of Howler monkeys IN HEAT!
And she was right behind me all the way...LOL.
Almost thought I was back in the ghettohood...with all the "children" running about the streets.
Well, we somehow managed to make it back home, after a pitstop for fuel (top off the tank...11 gallons - $41.50), just in case Obama gets his undies in a bunch and walks out of another budget /debt ceiling meeting and makes Wall St futures panic.
We also stopped for bird seed, and copped a decent deal at DO-IT-BEST.
Instead of getting a 20 lb bag for $9, we got a 40 lb bag for $12. That saved us $6...so we scarfed a few SKY-BARS up as a treat.
(and this was ALL before 0900 hours!)
Now, we get to turn on he A/C, kick back, watch the critters stop by and feast, listen to the plants grow (in between obnoxious thumps from the local village idiots), and maybe, if we're lucky, see the house across the side street have yet ANOTHER "garage sale".
(this house has ALREADY violated the TRANSIENT MERCHANT LAW for TOTAL number of days - 6- Indiana code 117.1 - that are allowed for such things per year).
Like I said before, if you HAVE to sell your shit every damn day...go rent a damn KIOSK or STORE somewhere ELSE.
Neighborhood Code Enforcement has already been advised of the practice at this house.
(got more dimes to drop that Carter's has little liver pills...LOL)
And it's the first day taking care of our last, good neighbor's cat (and watch the house)
I get to go over there every morning before 0700, food in hand and set it out for "Kitty", who is never around, but always empties the bowl.
Sure, I get "paid" for being the watchdog that I am, but that's not really important.
What is important to ME, is that we have ONE neighbor we can hold a REAL conversation with, without EVER hearing the phrase: "Youknowhutahmsayin?" every 3 seconds.
*** Next, our local SPCA (4900 block Hanna St) is in desperate need of DRY cat food, so we snagged a bag of vittles for the little furries and will be dropping it off later (yeah, we don't mind helping out the TRULY needy among us).
*** Been listening to the FWPD radio, and it's been practically non-stop with a bunch of asshat calls.
Seems people forgot HOW TO DRIVE for some reason (must be the water), and lots of people have been trying to find a toy for their children, handing them a phone instead and letting them dial 911 to keep them occupied.
(that's YOUR tax money at WORK..so they don't have to)
I will say ONE thing about Hoosiers, they just LOVE to beat the crap out of each other...doesn't matter the time of day, either.
They wake up, smack the (in)significant other about, call the po-po...and do it all again tomorrow as soon as they fall out of bed.
Or maybe they'll smack the hell outta one another later TODAY...however the mood strikes them (and each other, apparently).
What a friggin' world.
*** Also been following this debt BS, because that's what this is...BULLSH*T!
Now what did I say about "spending your way OUT of debt"...and how that wasn't the most INTELLIGENT CHOICE for anyone, especially our government?
Well, I will proudly proclaim to them all...
"I F$CKING TOLD YOU SO...YOU MORONS!"
(Ahhh...I feel that daily edification was well deserved)
*** Lastly, A Terre Haute officer dies in the line of duty Monday while serving a warrant.
Officer Brent Long was fatally shot and his K-9 partner, Shadow was wounded.




















Here's the links and updated story with memorial.
http://www.odmp.org/officer/20895-police-officer-brent-long
http://www.wthitv.com/dpp/news/local/shadow-expected-to-make-a-full-recovery
My condolences go out to Officer Long's family, friends, and brother and sisters in blue.
It goes to demonstrate that no matter how routine a call might seem, things are NEVER (or rarely) what they might appear to be.
We lose too many officers every year along our highways because others do not PAY ATTENTION when they come upon a cruiser with someone pulled to the side of the road.
And we lose too many officers on our streets through reckless drivers ALSO not paying attention, as well as crack-headed idiots with more bullets than brains.
The thing to take from this, and it's not being cynical, but rather cautious, is to ALWAYS treat EVERY situation as if it might a "big deal".
Because a life might depend on it.
To those behind the shield, I would pray that you ALL are doing everything in your power to remain safe and sound...and that your education about what can happen on the job is never placed on the back burner when you either go on shift or off.
Don't let protocol and procedure overwhelm your "gut feelings" or common sense.
For the average citizen, I would hope that every one of you diligently practices SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
Always look to your surroundinga, never hesitate to report suspicious activity or behavior on the part of others...that's how we ALL get to go home alive.
And always remember to question everything that demands questioning. If something looks "hinky", it probably IS.
Never second-guess yourself, OR your ability to react to a potential situation.
Keep your heads on a swivel and above all...keep your wits about you.
That should make it easy for me to spot you all now, whenever I see you on the streets in or near Fort Wayne...LOL!

Have yourselves a great weekend.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and as always...
Stay safe out there, America.