Monday Musings...

This is the first time in a LONG time where I'm glad it's Monday. I would prefer another Friday or even Saturday...just ANY day except yesterday.
We'll be getting to all the "fun" in a bit,
Our Hoosierland weather for today brings us partly cloudy skies, temps rising to an unseasonal high of around 82 degrees and it looks like rain is coming once again (but not today).
Yeah, don't pack up the short sleeves just yet.

Now,let's get that first refreshing drink of the day to steel us to whatever is coming, as we see what else has been going on...
*** First out of the toilet is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
OCTOBER 1 -
---It's National Child Health Day

(a good thing to keep track of)
---It's National Consignment Day

(sometimes I feel like life itself is on consignment)
---It's National Fire Pup Day

(as long as you don't have 101 of them)
---It's National Hair Day

(tell that to my scalp follicles)
---It's National Homemade Cookie Day

(sounds good to me)
---And, it was a mere 69 years ago today that my parents got hitched at Arch St. Methodist Church (downtown Philly)...within 3 years after that, I came along (and the world has not been quite the same ever since...lol).
*** Next, and since it's the start of another month (and hopefully a better one than the last) let's see what observances are coming our way.
(Do be warned - there IS a butt-load of them)
                                                                    *   *   *   *   *
National I’m Just Me Because Month 
Adopt A Shelter Dog Month

AIDS Awareness Month 
American Cheese Month

Antidepressant Death Awareness Month
Bat Appreciation Month
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month
Celebrating The Bilingual Child Month
Children’s Magazine Month
Christmas Seal Campaign (10/1-12/31)
Church Library Month

Church Safety and Security Month
Class Reunion Month
Co-op Awareness Month
Cut Out Dissection Month
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
Dyslexia Awareness Month
Eat Better, Eat Together Month
Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month

Emotional Wellness Month
Employee Ownership Month
Energy Management is a Family Affair-Improve Your Home Month
Financial Planning Month
Feral Hog Month or Hog Out Month
German-American Heritage Month

Global Diversity Awareness Month
Go Hog Wild – Eat Country Ham
Halloween Safety Month
Head Start Awareness Month
Health Literacy Month
Home Eye Safety Month
Italian-American Heritage Month

International Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Month
International Starman Month
International Strategic Planning Month
International Walk To School Month
LGBT History Month
Long Term Care Planning Month
Month of Free Thought
National Animal Safety and Protection Month

National Apple Month
National Applejack Month
National Arts & Humanities Month
National Audiology Awareness Month
National Bake and Decorate Month
National Book Month

National Bullying Prevention Month
National Caramel Month
National Chili Month
National Chiropractic Month
National Cookbook Month
National Cookie Month

National Crime Prevention Month

National Critical Illness Awareness Month
National Cyber Security Awareness Month
National Dental Hygiene Month
National Dessert Month

National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Depression Education & Awareness Month
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Dropout Prevention Month
National Ergonomics Month
National Fair Trade Month
National Family Sexuality Education Month
National “Gain The Inside Advantage” Month
National Go On A Field Trip Month
National Kitchen & Bath Month
National Learning and Development Month
National Liver Awareness Month
National Medical Librarian Month
National Orthodontic Health Month

National Pasta Month
National Physical Therapy Month
National Pickled Peppers Month
National Pizza Month

National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
National Pork Month
National Pretzel Month
National Principals Month
National Protect Your Hearing Month
National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
National Reading Group Month
National Roller Skating Month
National RSV Awareness Month
National Sarcastic Awareness Month

National Sausage Month
National Seafood Month
National Sensory Awareness Month
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
National Stamp Collecting Month 
National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month – October
National Toilet Tank Repair Month
National Window Covering Safety Month
National Work and Family Month
National Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Awareness Month
Organize Your Medical Information Month
Pear and Pineapple Month

Photographer Appreciation Month
Polish American Heritage Month
Positive Attitude Month
Raptor Month
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month
Rhizomes and Persimmons Month
Rhubarb Month
Right Brainers Rule! Month
Self-Promotion Month
Spinach Lovers Month

Squirrel Awareness Month 
Tackling Hunger Month
Talk About Prescriptions Month
Vegetarian Month
Wishbones for Pets Month (10/15 – 11/30)

Workplace Politics Awareness Month
WHEW...geez, told you so. Makes me wonder if the REST of the year has anything left.
*** Next, looks as if we started this past weekend off with another BANG!)
http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20180929/WEB/180929853

This took place in the 1000 block of High Street around 0350 hrs Saturday.
Amazing...it's NOT down SE! One male found dead inside a house. This was listed as a suicide..
That takes care of suspects (and motive)
*** Next up, we also had another (two-fer) stabbing which WAS on the (where else?) SE that left one man dead and another in critical condition:

Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/20180930/man-in-critical-condition-after-lillie-street-stabbing
This took place in the 2500 block of Lillie St. at 2043 hrs.
We now have homicide #35. Again, no suspects or motives.
*** Next, it looks likes yet ANOTHER shooting down in the SE side.
https://www.wane.com/news/local-news/one-person-dead-another-hurt-in-southeast-fort-wayne-shooting/1488705198
This took place in the 3500 block of Congress Ave.around 2140 hrs last night.

Two males were shot, on is dead, the other critical. I believe that brings us up to homicide #36.
The thugs been pretty busy over the last 48 hours, haven't they?
And of course, no suspects or motives.
*** Next...time to rant (strap yourselves in for this one....

---To start things off, we TRIED to take our usual route to the grocery in Waynedale...NOPE. Police had Calhoun St. blocked off BY 8 AM for the yearly Fort-4-Fitness run so I went to PLAN B - Headed south on Rt 27 to Ferguson Rd, right on Ferguson out to Bluffton Rd. and in the back way...worked fine and was quite scenic as well. And that was the extent of the good news.

---Our trash was NOT picked up (yet), and today, the bin is STILL at the alley entrance WAITING...this makes FOUR days after a careless MISS by Red River.
Even MY patience is wearing thin by now.
UPDATE - Oct 1 - 0800 hrs:
Trash was finally picked up and I thanked Matt Gratz for standing on someone's neck at Red River.
---Meanwhile, our Sunday paper, which is SUPPOSED to be placed on the TOP step out front...was NOT.

Candy-arm.

In fact, it was found (by me) just outside the decorative fencing along the SIDE of the front lawn...a good TWELVE FEET from the steps.
I sent a nasty-gram to the J-G, calling out the carelessness of the carrier, and to that end, we DID get a credit for the paper.
I just want this mook called on the carpet for not doing the job being paid for...that's all.
---And finally, a thumb drive I was using for my observances and police crime stats gave up the ghost yesterday...worked fine early on, and then when I went to plug it in for some updates...nothing.

Dead as a door nail.

Both computers did not even recognize the drive...so much for technology...again.
There were some pics on it, but I've no idea what. I do know they weren't anything THAT important, but important enough to save.
This stuff sucks...no warning about a failure...just stops working.
Yeah, I SHOULD back everything up, but to WHERE? (and will the backup fail?). Maybe a backup OF the backup...where does this clusterf*ck end, really?
*** Next up, time to stop by "Kitten Corner"...
The kids had a better weekend than I did, but then again, they don't have to screw with computers.

Sometimes, I think it's great NOT to have opposing thumbs, and be loved by humans.
Still not all that keen with a full body fur coat, though.
*** Next up, let's do our check-in with "Midnight and Whiskers"...
Our furry twosome also had a better weekend than I did.

(I think DEAD PEOPLE had a better weekend, imho)
Midnight did his patrols...Whiskers did her staying close by...so all was right in the outdoor feline realm.

No meals missed, but he came late for lunch. She doesn't miss any meals.
The rain we had proved annoying as usual, but not impossible when it came to feeding them. I just couldn't spend as much time with them as I would have liked.
*** Last back to the outhouse...there are times when an old (literary) axiom holds very true: "The hurrier you go, the behinder you get". I like to substitute the word HARDER for "hurrier".

Sure felt like it this weekend with Sunday being the worst of the two days.
But, we move on, because dwelling on things we have absolutely no control over never solves anything, and believe me, living down here these days pisses me off plenty without any more problems added to the mix.
You try every morning to wake up with a good attitude, only to have it dashed by someone else, or something else.
Take the carelessness of trash collecting and the paper carrier - two instances where a bit of paying attention would cure a LOT of ills.
We've become comfortable with this "culture of distraction", and it's seemingly everywhere.

I try my best to NOT get distracted because that gets you nowhere...fast.
Other people? Well, they've made that bed and gotta sleep in it.
My take on all this is to plan for distraction, but NOT let them overwhelm you to where you screw up...it's that simple.
Give them their due...in their own time, and yes, feel free to ignore them altogether.
The last thing any of us need is another distraction...right?

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