Humpday Happenings...

We're past the home stretch and heading for the finish line of March (and whatever "madness" took place.
Welcome to the final Wednesday for this month. And hey, no rain today. How 'bout that?
Our Hoosierland forecast sees us with a bit of sunshine to begin with, which will give way to increasing clouds as the day progresses (sure beats big-ass meteors striking the earth).
Expect a high today in the mid-50s.
Take a jacket this morning, it IS a bit "brisk" out there.
So, what say we get that cup of glass of our favorite morning drink to kick-start the day, as we take a look at what else has been going on, hmm?
*** First off of the breakfast buffet is our WHO SAID THAT? quote for the week:

"When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself." 
Not a bad way to greet ANY day, is it? Maybe if more people just did that, things would be better for all. So, WHO said that?
The answer at the top of tomorrow's post.
Meanwhile, back in Battle Ground, Indiana...
*** Next up, time for the "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
MARCH 29 -
---It's National Lemon Chiffon Cake Day

(ANY day is good for cake, trust me)
---It's National Mom And Pop Business Owners Day

(in many cases better than those "big-box" stores, if you can find any around)
---It's National Little Red Wagon Day

(ah, the days when Timmy gathered scrap in it for the war effort)
---It's Manatee Appreciation Day

(and sailors once thought they were "mermaids" - too much rum on board?)
*** Next, details on yesterday's doubles homicide-suicide on the near NE side of our city:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/police-fire/Best-friends-fatally-gunned-down-18481909

Once again, we find the law of averages at play here. As I have said a few times (here), MOST homicides involve people who KNOW each other, and this case was no different.
Now, I had my share of jealous behavior a log time ago when I was a teen (and it thankfully passed without incident. other than crushed feelings and maybe dashed hopes), but young people today just cannot handle the ups and downs of relationships nearly as well,,,can they?
What's kind odd, is that both girls killed were engaged to guys from FINLAND...(?).
A tad young to be involved with men from overseas, but, I'm old-fashioned.

One of the victims and her fiance`

Sometimes, being a "free spirit" does come with certain risks...risks that young minds can never quite be prepared for.
It's certainly a tragedy that could have been avoided.
*** Next up, another shooting on the (where else?) SOUTHEAST side. here's the story link:
http://wane.com/2017/03/28/police-investigate-shooting-of-person-sitting-inside-car/

As is often the situation, little is known.
This took place yesterday around 1400 hrs in the 4800 block of Winter St.

((A man was shot, possibly while sitting in a Lincoln parked in front of a home in the residential neighborhood on Fort Wayne’s southeast side. It’s not known if anyone else may have been in the car. The suspect has so far only been described as being a male.))
Come on now...it's fair to conclude that most every suspect down in the ghettohood is black, and again that's JUST the law of averages at work here. And that older Lincoln Town Car sure looks to be another of our "ghettosleds" that travel around.
The locals sure enjoy a comfortable ride.
*** Next, and speaking of shootings...and blacks, this story is puzzling:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/State-2nd-in-rate-of-black-homicides-18478523

I find it very hard to believe that INDIANA is SECOND, only to Missouri in the rate of black homicides.
To me, that makes no sense.
I would think that ILLINOIS (thanks to Chicago alone) would beat both IN and MO hands down.
((Statewide, there were 186 black homicide victims in 2014, a rate of 29.49 per 100,000 residents. That year, the national black homicide rate was 16.38 per 100,000, and the overall national homicide rate was 4.19 per 100,000.
In Indiana, of the 186 black homicide victims, 164 were males and 22 were females. Eighteen of the victims in Indiana were under 18 but only 1 percent were over 65. Most victims, 81 percent, were killed by someone they knew.))

FACTS do not lie.

While I don't doubt THOSE stats, the fact that blacks have been killing blacks in RECORD numbers in Chicago warrants an adjustment of the figures to reflect that. I'm sure the percentage rate is MUCH higher than the ones cited in the story.
*** Next up, and if we already didn't have ENOUGH to worry about, comes this little tidbit:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/science/Spiders-could-devour-total-mass-of-humans-18474712

I'm like Garfield the cat - I detest spiders (in the house anyway), and will deal with them in short order.

But, I also know how beneficial they are outside (in the gardens).
Still, it's very disconcerting to know that spiders could devour ALL of mankind.

Might have to get Goodman out of retirement.

Let's hope they never UNIONIZE, right? LOL.
*** Next, Wifey set up an appointment to get  replacement contact lenses...and all of a sudden, such things have become "involved".

She has to get an eye EXAM first. And she has to take a whole day off from teaching, as the doc can only see her around midday (how INconvenient).
Just found out - the good news is that this IS covered by her med plan.
(caught a break there...for once)
Funny, if I ever needed another pair of glasses (in times past), I didn't have to go through an eye exam to get them.

The doc just pulled my file, looked at the prescript for the lenses and presto...another pair in a day or so. And that was worth paying for.
One can never escape all the red tape bullshit these days, that's for sure.
*** Next up, Looks like whoever the city contracted to do the water main replacements in our part of the ghettohood, have kicked it into "second gear".

They were out early enough with some heavy equipment and started tearing things up. I can hardly wait to see how BAD things get.

One street over (Warsaw), they cut down trees in yards first (and left the stacked wood in front yards...a damn shame (and eyesore)...the trees gave the block some character.
They did send out some guys (Sunday) who marked off areas to AVOID when digging everything up, so as not to hit a utility line...good idea.
I HATE to be forced to bug out due to a gas leak when when an errant front loader hits a line (like I've seen happen uptown on the news).
This should be an "interesting" few months for sure. Like it's not interesting ENOUGH down here?
*** Next, let's see what's going on over at "Kitten Corner"...
The kids were not AS good as usual, but that's fine.

Gallifrey pauses from watching the world.

They just do what cats often do...try and get into things they're not supposed toi get into.
That's where I come in...to help them avoid such things.
Not a bad job...the pay sucks, but the benefits are terrific.

Violet decides which toy to play with.

Nothing like having your face rubbed by a purring cat, or having one of them curl up with you on the floor while you watch some television. Can't put a price on THAT kinda stuff.
*** Last back to the kitchen table...yesterday I spoke about a simple life.

I've also elaborated on how "complex" life can be.
It sounds like I'm talking out of both sides of my mouth (no, I don't plan to run for politics...what. are you nuts?...LOL), but hold on for just a minute, and allow me to "splain" it.
Sure, life IS complex, and it's meant to challenge us daily, but that's not to say that we can't live as simple a life as possible,
By simple, I mean not actively going out of your way to make the complex even MORE complex.
A simple life just means to minimize those complexities, because none of us will ever totally eliminate them.

When you lose a lot of the personal "clutter", you free yourself up to better tackle the oddball crap that comes flying at you in life, and we all know this can happen at any time for any reason.
It's just another way to better enable ourselves to become more self-reliant...another "tool in the toolbox" for us to employ.
And it never hurts to have more tools at our disposal, so we can do any job the right way, does it?

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