Monday Musings - Post Christmas Edition...
Well, the wrappings are now relegated to the trash, the leftovers are waiting in the fridge, and much of the festiveness has ended for this year.
It's time to return what we don't want, hit the stores for after-Christmas sales (and I admit that Christmas candy and decorations at 1/2 price or greater DOES appeal to me), and settle in for the last holiday...that being NEW YEAR'S EVE.
More about THAT in a bit, but first we've a few things to cover out and about.
((*** I'm sorry if you got an errant email from what appeared to be MY address...wasn't me, I can assure you. A purposed hacking of LOTS of accounts across the Internet on Christmas Eve from G-mail, Yahoo, AOL, etc. resulted in random people on address books being sent emails for...Viagra (of all damn things). It's a GOOGLE-related and server issue and NOT anything your computer is infected with...just delete the email, change your password, and know that anything like this will NEVER come from me at ANY time!))
*** Next up, a 9-year old Fort Wayne girl is still missing.
Here's the link to a story that makes me think of Swiss cheese, because it's got a few "holes" in it.
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111226/LOCAL07/312269944
The first thing that always sends up a red flag to ME, is the fact that everyone involved has a DIFFERENT last name, and yet are still referred to as a a"family". Used to be only ONE name in our family...OURS - Mom's folks and all the other relatives were inconsequential as they DID have different names, but they weren't DIRECT family, kapeesh?
And the child could have "sleepwalked" her way away from where she was staying?
THAT'S a stretch (to me). Isn't she a tad YOUNG to be doing that, and if she does, wouldn't that warrant BETTER supervision...just in case?
The poor child was being handed off to one or another (to be "babysat" )...just doesn't track all that well to me.
I DO hope they find Alianha and that they find her alive and well...gonna need some fingers crossed on this one...
*** Imagine yourself surviving a roadside blast in Kandahar, coming home to celebrate the holidays, and THEN getting shot and PARALYZED as a result of some lame argument over football that YOU tried to break up.
The link to THIS story will fill in the gaps:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111226/NEWS03/312269934/1006/NEWS
I find is amazing that THIS becomes a way to say 'Thanks for your service" to our nation.
And it also goes to show that stupidity (on the part of others) nearly always results in harm to the innocent...or the altruistic.
But wait, others also found Christmas time fatal.
*** Seven people were found shot to death in a home in Grapevine, Texas.
Here's the link to the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20111226/NEWS03/312269932/1006/NEWS
Police believe the shooter to be among the dead.
I would advise that if you DO have people over for the holidays, and they seem the LEAST bit non compos mentis, you take the time to give 'em a PAT DOWN, and then maybe keep 'em away from anything alcoholic...just as a precaution.
Meanwhile back at the "Fortress"...
*** Our holiday in "Ghettoland" seemed like ANY OTHER day...that's just the way these animals around us shake...
They ARE, if nothing else (productive)...creatures of HABIT.
Holiday or not, they will perform the same "tricks" as most any other carnival sideshow attraction, and that means thumping-ass BASS from their gag-a-maggot colored POS-ghettosleds...and NONE of it was Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, or even Andy Williams, singing one stinking Christmas song.
Didn't know 50 Cent DID an "XMAS CD" (because he can't SPELL CHRISTMAS).
But, it IS refreshing to know that OUR house was the ONLY one on our block that had ANY decorations and lighting, and all we do is place BLUE electric candles in all our windows...(many of you know what that signifies, right?)
And we hang wreaths on our doors, so I guess if someone held a contest, we'd be considered the GRISWOLDS of our part of the ghettohood...unbelievable.
*** Of course, you DO realize that you can't have time to PUT UP decorations when you're too busy doing things like are mentioned in THIS story:
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/story/2011-12-23/air-jordan-north-carolian-shopping-fights/52189240/1
Remember, it's NOT about "good will to all men"...it's ABOUT THE DAMN SHOES!
This went on from Washington State to Georgia, is now quaintly referred to as "Black-Eye Friday", and in about EVERY venue, I was wondering WHERE the NORMAL folks were?
Oh yeah, they were busy elsewhere...shopping WITHOUT punching the crap out of each other (or store personnel) to purchase something.
What have I stated here about certain people being PREDATORY in nature, and how much does THIS nationwide shopping fiasco demonstrate the utter insanity these people apparently LOVE to be part of?
And that's why I keep creatures such as this AT ARM'S LENGTH...(or further away)....it's a personal safety issue.
But, despite all this garbage flying about, Wifey and I DID manage a good Christmas, not that others cribbing around us would want that...they had NO SAY in it...and that's the way I prefer it.
We stopped by Low Bob's to drop off some Christmas macaroons to the ladies working there, and they gave me a nice CIGAR for Christmas...that was an unexpected (and guilty) pleasure for yours truly. Mrs Bobby G got some M&Ms.
Then, the two of us dropped by the SPCA, and donated bags of dog & cat food to those little ones, so they won't feel forgotten.
(the SPCA also got my jury duty dismissal check...I won't take any money from the city for that, and better to see the money go somewhere it can be PROPERLY used.)
Lastly, I gave our postwoman a bag of cookies for Christmas...call me sentimental.
God bless her, she's there every day without fail...even in lousy weather...a true testament to the USPS and how it's SUPPOSED to function.
Our Christmas was sparse, but that's fine...not much I want, and what I DO want, can't be fit under ANY tree...LOL
(world peace and racial harmony IS asking a lot from the "Big Guy", and you can't readily wrap THAT stuff up all that well.)
I roasted us a turkey breast (no wings and legs for us), and it turned out brilliantly...it was SO moist. I had forgotten what it tasted like...it's been THAT long (and would make my Mom proud)...yeah, it's a gift.
Didn't need sweatsocks this year...still working off past year stashes...LOL
Wifey's got a tickling sinus-related cough that she's going to have the doc look into today.
But the REALLY cool news...remember that MISSING CAR PART I mentioned last week...and couldn't find worth a lick?
Well...FOUND ME ONE....I said I'd locate it...AND locally to boot (Kelley Chevrolet). Not bad at all.
Okay, so it's gonna cost $32 (and change), and has to be ordered and paid for up front...no big deal.
The RESULT was worth the hunt...and like my "motto" used to say - If I can't get it, it doesn't exist.
The remainder of Christmas was spent watching the FIREFLY marathon on the Science channel...LOL.
At least I didn't get sh*t-faced and off the entire neighborhood (not that I never have reason NOT to do so...)
The REAL challenge comes THIS weekend...when the yahoos around us bring out their GUNS and fire off enough rounds to chase Al-Queda out of Baghdad...or re-enact Pickett's Charge...
And I won't see a single police car cruising the area (like I haven't in past years)...wonder why THAT is, hmm?
It's like someone says "Let those animals go around and shoot one another...make our job easier with fewer of them".
Now, while I applaud such LOGIC (and actually love that idea in it's concept, and would help in ANY way that I could), I have to maintain that there ARE still a few of us down here that prefer to live our lives WITHOUT having errant projectiles wanting to enter our houses in an illicit and illegal manner (not that we'd even let them in the front door anyway)
I will, as is customary, be advising the command staff of our department WHICH house would be the most likely to have illegal firearms discharges (and I've been pretty much on the mark most years, especially when you see MUZZLE-FLASHES in the back yards), in the HOPE that maybe one or two of these a$$holes actually get caught.
So, with that said, let's enter this LAST week of 2011 with an optimistic outlook, a sense of accomplishment in our lives, and and with the knowledge that what we've learned THIS year, we can apply using some WISDOM into NEXT year...and beyond.
Have yourselves a great week.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.