Monday Musings...
Hey there, hi there, ho there...welcome to the much cooler month of NOVEMBER.

And here are LOTS of things going on THIS month, but first, a peek at the local forecast.
Our Hoosierland weather will see us with a not-as-cold morning to begin with that will give way to warmer temps...all the way up to around 60 degrees, but be warned, there will be increasing clouds and chances of rain as the day progresses.
Take an umbrella...just in case.
And we'll have some breezes to go along with this...blowing from the SW - perfect (tailwind) for me to move some leaves to the curbs for pickup this week.
Now, with that over with, let's get a piping hot cup of our favorite morning drink and see what's been going on...
*** Yes, we're into the month of November, most noted for THANKSGIVING, but that's a way's off yet.

Here's the rest of the "goodies" for the month:
                                          *  *  *  *  *
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month
American Diabetes Month
Aviation History Month

Child Safety Protection Month
COPD Awareness month
Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis Awareness Month
Epilepsy Awareness Month
Holy Souls in Purgatory (Roman Catholic Church)
(wonder how they manage that one?)
International Drum Month
Lung Cancer Awareness Month
National Adoption Awareness Month
National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo)
National Homeless Youth Awareness Month
National Model Railroad Month

National Novel Writing Month
National Pomegranate Month in the United States
National Prematurity Awareness Month
National Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month
National Sleep Comfort Month
National Stomach Cancer Awareness Month
Native American Heritage Month

No Shave November
Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Peanut Butter Lovers Month
Real Jewelry Month
(wonder when FAKE jewelry month is?)
Sweet Potato Awareness Month
Transgender Awareness Month
                                         *  *  *  *  *
And, we couldn't let the day pass without our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature.
Now, we have to add in the weekend stuff we might have missed.
November 1 - 
--Saturday was ALL SAINTS DAY, which conveniently follows All Hallow's Eve (Halloween).

--It was also BOOK LOVER'S DAY, so I hope everyone got out to a bookstore, or dusted off something on the shelf and read it.
November 2 - 
--Sunday was ALL SOUL'S DAY, right on the heels of All Saints Day (again, very convenient)
--And, it was DEVILED EGG DAY (which I can do damn near ANY day of the year...
Mom made the best.

--It was also LOOK FOR CIRCLES DAY, (don't have to look far - got those under my EYES...lol) and any (other) resident in Fort Wayne can look to the ROADS to see the circles we have THERE (many drivers sit and look for way too long, in fact...lol).
I'd much rather watch the "locals" GOING AROUND in circles with their lives...a lot more amusing.
That brings us to RIGHT NOW....
November 3 - 
--Today is HOUSEWIFE'S DAY (what, no house-HUSBAND day?), and that is ONE job that NEVER pays what it's worth, considering ALL the job titles attached to that word.

--It's also SANDWICH DAY, and that makes me wish we had a REAL hoagie shop in Fort Wayne...or at least a BLIMPIES (dam close to real hoagies/subs as you're gonna get)
However, a CHEESESTEAK is still a sandwich, so PENN STATION (with 3 convenient locations - NONE of them anywhere close to the SOUTH side, thank you) gets TWO thumbs UP for the way they make 'em...can't go wrong there.
And there you have that...
All you need to know this morning.
*** Got a question,  did anyone ELSE notice (of you who receive the SUNDAY paper) the CHRISTMAS adverts for kids?

There is our first "WTF???" moment of the month.
Didn't know they MOVED Christmas shopping to right AFTER Halloween...used to be around THANKSGIVING, right?
When Santa rode into town (usually on some fire engine)  and went into whatever department store to ascend to his "throne" to greet kids...THEN, you KNEW is was time to get serious and  Christmas shop.
Not anymore...can't rush things along QUICK enough, can they?
Cripes almighty...I should go into Walgreens and bitch about NO Valentine's Day candy being out on the damn shelves.
This just keeps getting weirder by the year.
*** Next, while looking through those ads for the toys, I didn't really see anything "I" liked, and that should worry some folks.

I like toys..hell, make that LOVE toys, as long as they are COOL. They don't even have to be battery-powered, either.
I would consider myself a connoisseur of the realm of toys, and I wish to hell I still had ALL the ones I tossed (because I thought I had "grown out of them")..they're NOW worth a small fortune for whoever wound up with them and KEPT them.
But most toys today just don't have that "wow" factor (imho)...they seem to LACK something.
Or...maybe it's the people who are lacking the creativity that we used to have.
Perhaps, it's a combination of both?
Hard to say.
I do know that in times past, your imagination went a LOT farther than it does today...it HAD to, because lots of us didn't have all those "toys" today that do everything for us...we did it all BY ourselves...FOR ourselves.
Few were the toys that ran on batteries (unless you got a flashlight for Christmas...lol), but we had a few.
For us, it was all about that cap gun cowboy set, or a bicycle (both of which could be had for a LOT less than their counterparts today).
Or, we got a soldier playset while the girls got easy-bake ovens or dolls...Barbie was kinda new on the block, and G.I. Joe wasn't even "born" yet...(he came along in 1964 I believe).
Aside from LEGO BRICKS, which always fascinate me (yes, even at MY age), didn't see much in those adverts that struck my fancy, in spite of ALL the electronic "stuff" the stores are hawking this year (again).
I know it would be tough growing up in times like these, if just for the toys, let alone dealing with all the other depravities of society.
*** Last back to the cash register...people can say what they will about all the marvels we have TODAY.
To me, they're nowhere near as good as the things we USED to have.
Things today suffer for several reasons:
--They break more often and easier.
--They cost a lot more
--They become obsolete way before their time.
--Nobody can fix the stuff
And this is just the electronic gadgets and gizmos too many of us rely too much upon.

We used to have TVs that lasted for DECADES, until we upgraded them for a larger screen or a COLOR console set.
We used to have RADIOS that did likewise, and some...(thankfully) still do.
But the typical (copper land-line) phones...say bye-bye, because everyone HAS to be able to contact anyone at any time for any reason...anywhere.
What...we can't go a half hour without the need for calling someone?
Some people apparently cannot. Helluva addiction.
We used to get free (broadcast) TV from something called THE AIRWAVES, but the government saw fit to quash THAT gig, and saddle us with having to PAY to watch anything and everything, be it TOTALLY through cable, satellite, or even streaming Internet.
Wonder what happened to all those ANALOG bands that "we" used to watch TV on?

We also used to have vehicles that got us from "A" to "B" with no sweat...now, we "need" to have a bloody rolling "entertainment system" complete with DVD player, touch-screen and GPS navigation...like we suddenly forgot how the hell to READ A DAMN MAP.
Some would say we've come so far since I was young, and maybe, in a very few respects, we have, but I would contend that we have MUCH farther to go when it comes to a better life for ourselves and posterity.
We're just spinning out wheels while our attention is diverted by the latest gizmo out there.
I would add that we've become less reliant on ourselves (and each other) and much more reliant upon "things" (and yes, even the government) to make life EASIER...and not as "better" as we thought.
Or, perhaps this is all false, and there's nothing to see here, but I don't think so.
Just something to think about...that's all this is.

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