Friday Follies...
Now THIS is the way I like to start my weekends...nice cool weather outside, a sunrise creeping over the houses, and a high today of around 65 degrees.
Much better than 90 degree days and humidity out the wazoo.
Damn shame more people around our part of town can't APPRECIATE such simple (and free) things in thier lives.
Anyway, let's enjoy the day and all it offers as we enter into the weekend.
And let's see what's been on my all-too-busy mind, shall we?
*** I have to apologize for today's LATE post...had an issue with a thumb drive that wanted to DELETE all my city department files...changed then to "chk" files, and well, there goes YEARS of compilation of various police, fire, criminal pictures...gone (for the time being)...gotta love Friday the 13th, right?
I hope I can recover most if not all of those files...
*** First out of the garage today is my visit to Parkview Randallia yesterday morning.
The drive both up and back was wonderfully UNeventful...as driving SHOULD be (imho).

The "Batmobile" performed very well for a thirty-year old car, and thankfully I didn't need the A/C (it hasn't worked in over a decade - need to get it fixed before I die...lol).
When I arrived at the hospital parking, I saw a "VALET" sign, and thought, I can park this myself...for free.
But, the valet parking was also...FREE...no sh*t!
Well, spank me rosy...didn't expect that.
So, I hand over the keys, take my valet ticket and in I go to the front desk.
Now, you have to remember that my inherent fear of doctors and hospitals is making all of this "new" to me. I tell the lady at the desk that I have an appointment for an ultrasound, and she directs me to the imaging department.
I also have to say that I have NO idea where the hell I;m going, so I lean over and say "If I get lost...don't worry, I'll be back".
Well, her directions were perfect and when I see the nurse at the imaging area, she directs me to a waiting area...again, the politeness displayed by the staff there was second to none...I really like this kind of stuff, because it reminds me of the way things used to be.
After about 20 minutes, I am called into the ultrasound room by another nice nurse named Andrea.
She will be the one "doing the deed" as it were (south of my border).
She leaves the room, and I prep myself for the scans.
When she comes back in, there I am with towels covering my unmentionables, to which she gets "the blue goo" and liberally applies it.
I expected it to be cold, but it was room temperature - a pleasant surprise.
So, while she's "ultrasounding", we begin to chat about other ailments, how "my" situation occurred, and her recent cornea surgery.
I will say there is nothing like casual banter to not only pass the time, but to help make an awkward time less...well, awkward.
The good news is that swelling has decreased, pain is non-existent, and I'm feeling great. There did appear to be something similar to a varicose vein on the ultrasound...down THERE? I thought that happened on your LEGS? You learn something new every day.
I did mention that I thought I was okay when it came to any cancer, as 90% of men suffer such a problem BEFORE they reach 40 years of age...(thank God for getting old, I suppose)
So, after about 30 minutes of scanning and comparison scanning, my "photo-session" was over.
Andrea left the room to allow me to get myself "de-gooped" and my drawers hitched back up. Man, they use a LOT of that goo!
She gave me her card and wished me well. I thanked her for her time, and wished her well with her eye situation (and yes, she is on the prayer list).
I got the ticket out and gave it to the valet, who brought the "Batmobile" back around.
When I was waiting, I saw the man who recently had his power wheelchair stolen on the news (and he did get it back)...I didn't make a fuss, but I knew it was him.
So, I get the car back, and I take 5 one dollar bills and give it to the young man...hey, it's what I do.
He was quite thankful, and asked what year my car was, and I told him. He remembered his mom having one (obviously a long time ago), and said mine looked real nice, and that was the icing on the cake for me.
I wish every outing were as filled with such helpful and polite people...it really does make any day that much more worthwhile.
Yeah, that was a really GOOD day.
Moving on...
*** This story took place the evening BEFORE I went to Parkview, and it happened just a few blocks FROM the hospital.
It concerns a father, his infant son, and a home invader.
Here's the story link:
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20130913/LOCAL07/309139955/1002/LOCAL
This is what I always tell you...there ARE people who are watching YOUR house, and you always have to be aware of that...same goes for your car in a parking lot. NEVER take anything for granted when it concerns the predators in our society. They are TOO damn bold!
This home invasion took place around 1800 hrs Wednesday evening at a house located in the 2100 block of Kensington Blvd, near E. State Blvd.
A father and his 10-month old child were surprised by a BLACK man (tall build, dark complexion, wearing a t-shirt, baseball cap, shorts and a black bandanna over his face)...and he wielded a GLOCK. The father and son were locked in a closet while the house was ransacked, with the thief taking ELEVEN guns, the father's credit card, AND his 2007 Honda Ridgeline pickup.

It was reported by the father that the robber had an exceptionally CALM demeanor.
And THAT is why you become a "checker" and make sure doors are locked whenever someone leaves the house...just in case.
If the father made sure that when his wife left the house, the door was locked behind her, this would have NEVER happened.
Hell, I had a tool box and a microwave stolen from our garage 12 years ago when Wifey left for school an the door was left open LESS than a half HOUR...and that was when this part of the ghettohood was a LOT safer than it is today...so you see, people DO watch what goes on around YOUR house...hell, they don't work, so they have ALL the damn time in the world to do so, right?
*** Next up, is a situation at an intersection near (and dear) to us here at the "Fortress".
Here's the story link:
http://www.wane.com/news/local/crosswalk-signal-not-up-to-national-standards

The intersection at Paulding Rd and Rt 27 (Lafayette St) on the city's (where else?) SOUTHEAST SIDE has a bit of a "problem"...it's NOT LONG ENOUGH to allow pedestrians to cross SAFELY.
That is what led to the man who was struck and is in critical condition at the hospital this week.
Many people already cross AGAINST the signals (hell, they also walk down the middle of the damn streets all over the area, too), and we know that's not safe at all. WANE wanted to know what it would take to get q pedestrian BRIDGE built over the street that WOULD allow much safer passage.
Considering that Bishop Luers high school is but a block off of the intersection, one would have thought this idea might have been floated a LOT sooner, but you have to remember...this IS the SE side of town, and we get IGNORED on a daily and regular basis...EXCEPT when it comes to handing our free stuff to people undeserving of such things (like housing, food stamps, federal assistance, and so on).
The intersection at Lafayette and Pettit is another one that needs looking into, and the story doesn't cover that.
The signal there barely allows safe crossing (I've jogged across when the signal allowed, but that doesn't omit those making left turns going south or north that may impact a pedestrian. And the E/W signal lasts less than 15 seconds most days...so even if you're in a vehicle, you have to "hustle".
Maybe the city figures is enough people are hit, that will decrease the amount of CRIME?

That's shoddy reasoning at best, but it's what we've come to know whenever the city looks at anything down here.
Maybe they're TOO BUSY trying to constantly IMPROVE the DOWNTOWN area, that most of us down here never use with any regularity, except for those criminals that HAVE to venture uptown to go to COURT...LOL.
*** Elvis may have left the building a while back, but the VOYAGER 1 spacecraft has LEFT THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

(lucky dog)
Here's the story link:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130911-voyager-interstellar-solar-system-nasa-science-space/
Yep, we have now sent a probe BEYOND the confines of our little piece of the universe, and with it goes a 1970 era golden disc containing greetings in many languages, along with sounds from our planet, including music from Beethoven, Mozart, and even Chuck Berry's rendition of JOHNNY B. GOODE!

Here's the WIKI that tells all for you fellow astro-geeks out there:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_1
I'm sure that if anyone finds this, they will look at Earth as a source of comedy relief when they get here.
*** Lastly today, today is not only Friday the 13th, but it would have been my Mom's birthday (92 years), and with dad, there is not a day that passes that I don't think about here, and the time we shared.

Half of who we become in life can be attributed to our parents...the other half by our educators, mentors, and those others we tend to look up to.
So, Mom had her hand in who I am, as did my father.
Mom was the quintessential person when it came to parenting. Strict as all get out, but just as kind and loving...
Nothing got past Mom, and no one appreciated the kindnesses you displayed as MUCH as Mom.
She was an avid church goer but would toss out a "damn" or hell when required.
Was she perfect?
Probably not (to everyone...no one is), but to ME, she was about as close to is as you could get.
And I cannot think of anyone else I would ever want to be my Mom.
The number of :"hats" she wore were too many to count....she could cook, sew, clean with the best of them, and she never thought herself any less for doing so. And she taught me the value of a dollar...my allowance depended on what I DID around the house...none of this :"something for nothing" crap for her. You EARNED it...
Every once in a while I rediscover something she taught me as I was growing up, and that never gets old.
In a way, it feels like mom is reminding me...something she did with gusto AND frequency...lol.
So, happy birthday, Mom...I'd like to think I haven't disappointed you and that you did your job WELL.
And on that note, I wish all of you a great weekend.

Be well, make a difference to someone today, and as always...
Stay SAFE out there, America.