Monday Musings...
Well, that was a weekend which we shall remember as being somewhat memorable.
(for on that a bit farther down)
Weather-wise, we certainly had our share of it, I must say. A good amount of rain jammed in amongst the heat and humidity. Makes for some very uncomfortable conditions, should one find themselves outside.
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us partly sunny skies, temps reaching to about 77 degrees (better), and no rain that I heard about.

So, let''s get ourselves a cup of coffee or tea...maybe even a glass of some carbonated and (heavily) caffeinated beverage, as we see what's been going on elsewhere, since last we met...
*** First of the trough is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
JULY 24 -
---It's National Amelia Earhart Day

(recently had a show on about her and what may have finally happened to her...very interesting)
---It's National Cousins Day

(I know I still have one back in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania)
---It's National Drive-Thru Day

(we're talking FAST FOOD ordering, and NOT houses or other assorted buildings.)
---It's National Tequila Day

(this never took with me...then again, I prefer Scotch and Bourbon)
---It's National Thermal Engineer Day

(it's the guys and gals who take the heat...and work with it and around it)
*** Next, we started the weekend off with a bang (make that several on the SE side once again) which led to a shooting and one homicide (because you KNOW it will become one soon enough).

Here's the story (so far):
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20170724/1-man-dies-1-man-hurt-in-shooting-saturday

Lookit all the pretty lights...

The paper says this is homicide number 18, while I am gonna say it's 19. either way, more stupidity through testosterone.
This took place late Saturday night around 2345 hrs in the area of Lewis St near the 1200 block of Lillie St.

Two men in a car were shot, with the driver trying to get away but ramming into a parked car, while the passenger bailed and was also hit, later listed in good condition.
The driver died at the scene.
Here's an update to the story:
http://wane.com/2017/07/23/2-shot-1-killed-in-overnight-incident/
Never a dull moment down on the SE side.
*** Next up, and if you think that was the only "fun" thing going on in the SE part of town, think again. We also had THIS story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20170724/arrest-made-in-sunday-shooting
This took place near the 5200 block of Werling near Fairfax Sts around 0900 hrs Sunday morning (so much for going to CHURCH for these people).
As usual, few details were forthcoming from FWPD spokespeople.
James Ellis Startks III was arrested in the 7200 block of Hickory Creek Drive (on the SW side) and is charged with attempted murder, two counts of felony criminal recklessness and one count of felony intimidation.
Starks was once a shooting victim, back in 2013, as stated HERE:
http://www.frostillustrated.com/2013/two-injured-in-front-yard-shooting/
And my post from 3 July 2013 mentions the event, but the links to the story are no longer valid (thanks, lame-stream media).

Scene of the crime from 2013

At that time, a 15-year old girl was also shot in the front yard along 4400 Smith St.
Guess what goes around still comes around.
*** Next up, now...let me tell you about our weekend that appeared to originate just north of a little place called hell...

Friday wasn't doing all that bad, UNTIL we (down here) had another one of those "power-farts" - a ONE SECOND OUTAGE from who knows where (or why).
This kinda crap tends to play holy hell with lots of things about the house...air-conditioning, refrigeration, and especially electronic devices. This means you have to reset all the damn digital clocks, and restart the computer(s). And then check that those boot properly (they did suffer a hard-crash).
Well, the cable boxes ALSO have to reboot, and I had to call the cable company to have THEM reset our one set-top box (had no menu). That was sorted out soon enough, but the "fun" was just getting started...
Saturday, we went to the grocery, and guess what? NO PAPER BAGS in the whole store.,.AGAIN!
(becoming too common an occurrence at the Bluffton Rd Kroger).
Had a feeling that our day was not going to pan out much better (and that I'm usually right along those lines).
Sure enough, later in the morning, both our PHONES and INTERNET went out (but we still have cable TV...go figure).
Another call into Frontier, and they tried resetting our router (didn't have all the correct light operating).
That didn't work, so the woman Wifey was talking to (sounded like she was only on the job "in spirit" and didn't want to be bothered) was getting on my nerves real fast.I work order was placed and the tech was supposed to come Sunday between 8-12).

Not long after that fiasco, we get a call saying a tech can come out today (Saturday) within a 1/2 hours. No problem.
He gets here, and changes out the box in the basement...even uses the battery we recently bought as back up power...again, no problem.
The real problem is in the OUTDOOR box (attached to the house which wasn;t showing a power-up condition), and he goes back to the shop to get us another one.

Kinda-sorta like THIS one.

He returns with an upgraded box (and another item added onto the router to handle the upgrade) Within 90 minutes (total), we're back up and running. and it didn't cost us one red cent!
It did cost me (and Wifey) some angst...this stuff shouldn't have to fail and on a damn weekend to boot.
I don't care what people say about the technology today...it's wrong to have SO many devices that we come to depend upon all intertwined into a sole provider, or controlling device.

If you lose one facet, you lose it all, and then everything screeches to a damn halt, and you're thrust back into the 18th century in a heartbeat.
Anyway, here's hoping we don't have to worry about OTHER stuff crapping out for a spell (until the power burps out for a second or two sometime in the near future...
*** Next, time to stop by "Kitten Corner"...

Mommy and daddy had a rough day, too.

The kids seemed to pick up on the fact that Wifey and I were not having the best of days over the weekend, and behaved themselves very well. Now THAT is one helluva trade-off; to have good cats, while your day has to suck...LOL.

The view out here is better.

We placed them in the laundry room during the repairs. Don't want to run the risk of either of them dashing out the door.
Safety (and family) first, right?
*** Next up, time to visit "Midnight and Company"...

"I can haz place to stay dry, too."

Nothing bothered either of them through the weekend, and when we had those rains come through, Whiskers used that "shelter" we have under the tree on the patio (smart cat). Midnight goes elsewhere to stay dry.
Naturally, every time you venture onto the patio, there they are. If Midnight is not there, he soon comes along, never straying THAT far from Whiskers.

When they nap, the birds know it's time to stop by, and yesterday, we had that red house finch at the feeder.

And, as a bonus, we ALSO had goldfinches at the sunflower we have growing alongside the back steps. See, we can have multi-species coming by...just not in close proximity, that's all.
*** Last back to the corral...people will fixate on the damnedest things...like technology.
We're up to our eye-teeth in it these days, but we always fixated on something.
With some folks, it's work (never was on on MY short list), or sports (and they don't even play any of them).
Others prefer fishing, or some other activity that we used to call a HOBBY.
Still others tend to lean towards mayhem, such as the mooks that go about shooting one another (so much for black lives mattering, except when it involves a police oficer doing their job).
Life is too short and too precious to be that narrow-minded when it comes to any activity.

That's not to say that having a hobby (or several) is not important...it really is, and the more productive the hobby, the better we can define ourselves.
Family can always be included in this, whether they have passed or are still living (that can be genealogy, which I admire anyone who takes part in the often exhaustive work involved researching that).

Reading books, making models or bird houses, collecting any number of things (we've come so far from just coins and stamps these days), listening to and appreciating music (good music, that is), or partaking in art to some degree all help to smooth out our own "rough edges", and build character.

And those who choose not to do ANY such things are the ones I feel sorry for, because they are missing a LOT of what life has to offer. They only live to serve themselves in some manner, and that is not what life is all about.
Such lack of vision often comes with a price, and when that payment comes due, they might wish they chose another path.
Therein lies the lesson for today.

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