The Power of the Internet

Yesterday, after I had some problems with a new electronic device and had to resort to the internet for help I wondered, "What did we do before the internet and forums to help us make our electronics work?" Mostly I think that the internet and all of it's resources are a good thing but today I had a disconcerting experience.

I was on my way home from church and because of the storm, I stopped in a gas station I had never used before to fill up for the coming week. As I was filling a tank a young couple pulled up next to me. She got out and dashed into the store and returned a few minutes later with some oil. They then consulted their tablets to find out where to put it in. I noticed that they hadn't even checked the dip stick before hand. Then she said if it's not the oil, what can it be? More consultation of the tablets. I thought to myself, this is a divine appointment. So I finished my business and walked over to help. I am not a mechanic but I know a lot about cars because I was a paper carrier for a number of years. I can change a tire and do small repairs by the side of the road if need be. I have my tools with me at all times. So I asked what was the matter. The girl answered that the power steering was gone and that they needed to drain the fluid and replace it with new because it was old. I said that was a big undertaking and asked how old the are was. They told me and I looked at the mileage and assured them that their power steering fluid was not old. I asked them if they had checked it, they hadn't. Because they didn't know how she said. Then I asked them about their owners manual. That earned blank stares. The book you got when you bought the car I said. Oh. We looked in the glove compartment and there it was still wrapped in the plastic. Then she thanked me and said again that they were just going to replace the fluid. I could see that I couldn't help because their tablets had a lot more authority than I did. So I advised them to take it to a 10 minute care car location and have it done. As I walked away I heard her say that they needed a turkey baster to do this with. Where do you get one of those anyway?

RW

Four years since my last Post

I haven't written here in four years. I thought about that this week and considered deleting my account for a number of reasons. But the truth is that I am happier when I am writing so I am going to give it a shot again for a while and see what develops.

RW

Evening Walk

I took a walk in the park this evening. I took a few pictures that I think will turn out nicely.  It was pleasant and rather uneventful until I was coming home. It happened when I was just a few feet from my gate. I caught or sensed some movement up above me and looked up. I was just in time to see a hawk swoop down and sweep across the grass next to the sidewalk in front of me. Suddenly it was in the air again and flying away toward the park. I saw that it was carrying a small bird in it's talons. I walked forward and found a patch of loose grey and white feathers on the ground. The wind was already blowing them away.  I was amazed by the suddenness of it.

RW

Popcorn Social

We had a popcorn social at work this week. I was in charge of it by default because my coworker who normally would have been in charge had a migraine and my boss was in a staffing meeting. I could see the situation so I didn't wait for someone to say I needed to do it, I just got the popcorn machine and got started. One of the residents rolled up on her motorized chair to see what I was doing, offer advice, and generally supervise.

Our machine is a medium sized portable one that is similar to the ones in movie theaters. The whole point is get popcorn that smells and tastes like movie popcorn. I had never used the machine before and that was her first question when she saw me reading the directions. After I assured her that I was indeed qualified to use the popcorn machine and that I had read the directions on both the machine and on the popcorn packages; she regaled me with memories from past popcorn socials. She told me about the first popcorn social that she had at the previous home she had lived at. The activities department had just gotten a new popcorn machine like the one I was about to use. They had never used it either and they set it up under the smoke alarm which was located high on the ceiling. They burned the oil and the smoke alarm went off. Three fire trucks full of firemen showed up in front of the building. The worst part of it was that there was not enough popcorn for all the firemen.

Our social went off without a hitch and everyone enjoyed multiple bags of delicious popcorn although I think that my friend was disappointed that no firemen joined us at the party.

RW

Sweet Wonderful Figs

I love all things summer. There is so much to love about it; the heat, the long lingering days, and all things water related. I love swimming, kayaking, canoeing and sailing. I like the gritty feel of sand and sweat on my skin and the feel of the water splashing it away. And I love how I feel at the end of the long summer day. I like the peace I feel while I listen the the insects in the trees calling to the twilight and the setting sun at the end of the day. I really like how their raspy song blends with the voices of children and dogs barking as they play in the last light of the day as the sun sets and the night is preparing to fall.

I also absolutely love the flavors of summer. There are so many to choose from and they are all delicious. There are peaches, plums, watermelons, nectarines and figs. I especially like the figs. I remember picking them when I was a child. I dreaded the almost painful touch of the hot prickly leaves that were so itchy against my arms. But since I hated wearing long sleeves even more than the pain I chose to endure it.

The uninitiated may not understand what could possibly induce otherwise sane people to put themselves through such misery. The truth is that it is no one single thing that but combination of it all that makes the fig a special treat. There is the flavor of the first fig of the summer warm from the tree and later the cold sweet crispiness of the fruit that has been allowed to chill before it is served. The taste of the fruit brings back the memories of the jokes that were told, conversation and stories shared, and the pranks pulled while gathering the fruit. Later still, some of the fruit will be preserved for use later in the year. There is nothing like a homemade biscuit dripping with fig preserves on a winter morning.

Now it is fig picking time again and although I live in the city and have no tree of my own; I have determined that this year I will have figs! I have searched high and low for some lucky and generous soul  willing to share or sell some of their figs to me. Today I found a co-worker who owns a fig tree. Imagine my horror when I discovered that not only does she not use her figs; her children throw them. "They throw them I?" I asked. "Yes, you know; they pick them and throw them on the ground and stomp on them she said." Upon hearing this I offered to pay the kids to pick buckets of figs for me but my friend refused. No, don't pay them! What do they need with money? I will tell them to pick them for you and I will bring them to you next week. It will give them something to do. Hopefully soon I will have more figs than I know what to do with.

RW

She's A Nut

It was the Friday after Thanksgving. LSU was playing some people were predicting that Arkansas would stage an upset. Naturally the residents and day participants alike had to watch the game. By five o'clock the game was in the third quarter. LSU was leading 21 to 17 when Mr. Bobs family came to pick him up. He complained bitterly that they were taking him away from the game. I told him that he would be home soon and then he could finish the game. All movement in the hall stopped and everyone within ear shot turned to stare at me. Who was this unfeeling, uncultured philistine in their midst and how had she come to be there? I felt compelled to explain so I said; "My comment just goes to show how much I care about football which is really not at all." Their shock and silence deepened then one of the nursed began to laugh and she explained to everyone at large, "She is a nut but she is a nice nut."


RW

You Think I Would Go Out There?!!

My sister came to visit me yesterday on her vacation. She is staying for a long weekend. When I got up this morning I saw her drinking from a bottle of Coke. You went out and bought a coke last night? I was a little surprised since she arrived late and she doesn't know the area at all. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "I lay here last night listening to the sirens go by and then the helicopters flew over. Then more sirens went by. I kept waiting for the guys with the blazing guns to come bursting in. You couldn't pay me to go out there at night! You must be awfully bored when you come to visit me. It's an exciting day if a police car pulls into the parking lot of my apartment complex."

LOL, I never heard anything at all. I guess I have become used to the sounds of the city.

RW