Thursday, November 8, 2007

In memoriam


We lost Boo Tuesday evening. She was the best dog we ever had.

She was a Valentine's present from Pat to me in 1995. That day in February we had gone to the Guilford County Animal Shelter because our home had been broken into and the police officer told us the best advice he could give was, "Get a dog." From the moment I saw her, I knew she was it. This cute little ball of black fur with a white chin sat smack in the middle of her kennel and looked up at me with smiling brown eyes and a wagging tail. We walked out that day with our "first baby" and learned very quickly that she loved listening to Gordon Lightfoot, hated squirrels, and had to always be touching either Pat or me.

She was the smartest dog I'd ever owned...housebroken in two weeks! Boo loved chasing a tennis ball and quickly evolved into an awesome frisbee catcher. She also loved going for car rides and went with us nearly everywhere.

When John was born, her feelings got hurt. But after a few weeks she must have realized that he wasn't going anywhere, so she may as well make the best of it. While she didn't exactly warm up to him, she became very protective and would make a low, menacing growl whenever anyone walked past the house. When John became mobile, Boo was the first thing he went for. Why not? She was a gigantic, living, breathing stuffed animal! He would crawl all over her and I never once heard her make the slightest sound of protest. When she'd had enough, she'd just get up and move to another place in the house.

In early October of this year, Boo was diagnosed with lymphoma. The vet gave us some prednisone to keep her comfortable and it really did seem to make Boo feel a lot better. Her appetite returned and she got playful again. But on Tuesday she couldn't even get up off the floor. When her breathing became labored, Pat rushed her to the vet. She died on the way.

Boo-girl, we will always love you as our "first baby." I hope you're chasing frisbees in heaven.

Monday, October 1, 2007

It's always fair weather!

It's as if God knew it was fair time! The temperature has finally dropped to comfortable levels, with that fall chill in the air. Friday was the first day of the Dixie Classic Fair, so the family decided to spend a night out. Even if you don't ride anything, it's a terrific place to people-watch. What always strikes me about the fair is the fact that you see all types of people: the fair doesn't discriminate and it appeals to everybody. John drags his parents out onto the midway to try his hand at the games of skill(?) and make me ride the Scrambler while Pat sits on a nearby bench. Pat enjoys the Village of Yesteryear; I always head for the livestock barn. I'm funnel cakes, he's Polish sausage and John always wants a hot dog and ice cream. One thing we can all agree on: the demolition derby! What's not to love about cars crashing into each other until their radiators explode? And when the evening got late, we even got to see a couple of girls in a fight and the police throw them down and put them in cuffs. It doesn't get any better than that...at least until next year. See all the fair action here.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Oh, what a relief it is!


Whew! At last, some cooler air. For the first time since I don't know when, we turned off the a/c and slept with all the windows open last night. Woke up this morning freezing! (It was in the mid-50s, but when it's been over 90 for the past month, 55 is freezing.) It was too pretty to stay home today, so we drove up past Yadkinville to our favorite little winery, Laurel Gray. They're running low on the 2005 barrel-fermented Chardonnay, which is as good - if not better - than many California chardonnays I've tried. We even got to sample some of the Cabernet grapes which were just harvested. Very sweet and delicious. Support your local NC wineries!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Strange things around town

I've been meaning to mention this for a while... we talked about it on the radio this morning. There are some weird goings-on around here. When Pat & I lived in High Point, I used to call High Point the "vortex of weirdness" because every time you opened a newspaper, if something strange happened, it seemed it always happened in High Point. Now I'm afraid the weirdness is overtaking Kernersville.

For the last several months, some mornings when I'm going to work around 4:45am, there's this guy who walks (and occasionally staggers) along Kernersville Road in the pitch black, wearing only his pants: no shirt, no shoes. He walks not on the shoulder, but IN the road and WITH traffic. Where has he been? Where is he going? Needless to say, he has scared the wits out of me more than once when I come over the rise at Hastings Hill and realize I'm about to hit a pedestrian in the dark.

Another weird thing, which my neighbor Tonja reminded me of today, is the cell phone guy. He's an older man who stands in the parking lot of the trailer park across from the Kangaroo station -- all day, no matter the weather -- and talks on his cell phone.

We also had a listener who wrote in that she regularly sees a woman driving a yellow Mini Cooper on I-40 in Greensboro who brushes her teeth while she drives. Chuck brought up a good question this morning: where does she spit?

I'd be interested to know if there's anything else weird that you run into on a regular basis.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Waiting to inhale


Enough with the 100-degree heat already!


Actually, today's not too bad... it's about 80 and looks like it might rain. Might. The humidity is stifling, though... like trying to breathe through a hot, wet blanket. I talked to the folks in Pittsburgh last night and they've had an absolute deluge of rain, yet we can't get a drop. The grass is crunchy again and I'm making an extra effort to feed the birds now that they're bringing their brand new babies to the feeders. Seems like they're not finding a lot of things to eat in the woods these days.


All together now, we're gonna pray for rain.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

The best day ever!


We sure didn't expect this when we started out today. John wanted his grandparents, visiting from Pittsburgh, to see one of his favorite places -- the Richard Petty Museum in Randleman. Weeks ago as we lay snuggling before bed, John said to me, "Mom, I really want to meet The King." And today it happened. We went to the museum, never expecting it to be the day of Richard Petty's monthly meet & greet! John was sitting in the back room, coloring yet another picture of "The King" character from the movie "Cars" when through the front door walked the man himself. I told John he might want to come out of that room for a minute. We stood in a line of maybe 20 people before it was our turn for autographs. That child was so starstruck he could barely breathe. Richard couldn't have been nicer. He took time with each fan and truly made every one feel special. Thanks, King, for what John says was his "best day ever!"

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

What I did on my summer vacation


We just got back from a week-long vacation to Utah. All I can say besides, "Wow! What gorgeous scenery!" is that I learned a lot. So I decided to make a list of What I Learned About Utah:

- It's VERY family-friendly and the people are just soooo nice.

- The liquor stores have an extremely limited selection ("What do you mean you only have six types of red wine?").

- Everybody has either a camper or a boat and uses it regularly.

- Utah drivers are the most polite bunch. Only once did I hear a horn honk and it was probably an accident.

- There doesn't seem to be much in the way of ethnic diversity, just a lot of white people.

- Never, ever try to run at an altitude of 10,000 feet.

- Don't swerve your car while doing 80+ on the interstate.

- Watch out for BIG potential roadkill - moose, elk, bears, etc.

- Not many tattooed or pierced people.


Some vacation pictures are posted here and more will be uploaded once they let me.


Still, there's no place like home... First thing I did when I got back was to go get some BBQ and sweet tea!

Monday, June 4, 2007

A big thank you


Never have I been so touched as I was by all the people who came out to downtown Greensboro last Saturday for the 2007 Memory Walk for the Alzheimer's Association. I had five new friends whom I'd never met before sign up to be on my team, the Forget-Me-Nots. It turned out to be a beautiful day for the walk -- thank goodness we got done early before it got too hot! The Association made over $67K of its $85K goal. If you missed the occasion, it's still not too late to donate and make a difference in the lives of caregivers and those who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. Click here for info!

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Forget me not

At the same time the news was devastating, yet somehow a relief. Mama has Alzheimer's. We got the official diagnosis a couple of weeks ago after years of dementia and delusions that doctors were at a loss to explain, despite repeated MRIs and CAT scans.

I now realize I have a calling. I will be walking in the Greensboro Memory Walk, a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association, on June 2nd. And during this time, I have truly found out who my friends are. Even friends I didn't know I had. After I talked about it on the radio, I suddenly had people wanting to join me on the walk-- people whose lives had also been deeply affected by Alzheimer's. Generous donations are coming in from friends and family.

I have also found out that you might as well laugh as cry when someone you love has this disease. It's the only way to keep your own sanity when that person is slowly being robbed of his or her personality. It truly is an adventure. In the past two months, Mama thinks she has gotten married, saved someone who's been dead for two years from a fire at their home and taken Pat & John on a trip to New York. While the stories are harmless enough and even comical, I wonder how I'll feel the day I walk in and she no longer recognizes me.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

The view from my deck

I am sitting on my deck on a cool evening while Pat mows the grass. I've been paying bills online - it somehow seems a lot less like bill-paying when you're doing it on the deck with a nice breeze blowing and the pungent-sweet scent of freshly mown grass in your nostrils.

Now for the bird update. So far the past few weeks, we've spotted not only the usual residents (cardinals, sparrows, goldfinches, nuthatches, titmice and chickadees), but also the much rarer blue grosbeaks and indigo buntings. What a sight they make on the feeder alongside the brilliant yellow goldfinches and the vivid red cardinals! All three primary colors, right there. I enjoy them while they're here - last year they didn't seem to stay around much more than a month.

Under the feeder is a field mouse I've named Jerry, because he looks just like Jerry the mouse from the cartoons. He's brown with big ears and bright, dark eyes. He's worn a path from beneath the fence straight to the feeder pole and I like him because he keeps the ground clean.

I highly recommend birdwatching. It's less trouble than an aquarium and infinitely more entertaining than TV.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Where's the ice?


OK, I've held my tongue long enough.


One thing we've always been able to count on as Southerners is a lot of ice in our cold drinks. But ever since I moved back home from Pittsburgh in 2004 I've noticed what can only be described as a Yankee trend-- that cold drinks apparently don't need anything more than a scattering of ice cubes across the top of the glass. Used to be, you'd go to the drive-up, get your cold drink and it would be absolutely packed full of ice. My Yankee husband disagrees with this practice; he says you don't get all the Co-Cola or sweet tea you paid for. I say you need that fully-packed cup of ice to keep your drink properly chilled on a hot day-- or on any day, for that matter. Also if your sweet tea was just made and still warm, all that ice will help cool it off.


The only reason this came boiling out of me today is that I went to the Wendy's drive-up today and specifically told them "no lemon and LOTS OF ICE." What did I get? A few measly cubes and a warm cup of sweet tea. Blecchh!


I say this is a Yankee trend because I noticed back in 1978 during my first foray to New York City that they put hardly any ice into the drinks. In Canada, I noticed they don't put any ice at all. So I figure the farther North you go, the less ice you get. That's why I looked forward to getting back to North Carolina after four years of tepid drinks in Pittsburgh.


But now I find that so many Yankees have transplanted themselves here, the little-or-no-ice trend is apparently here to stay.


Hey, South Carolina! Y'all got any ice down there?

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Postcards from the edge

I have debated whether to write about this for some time, but maybe it will help others who are going through the same experience.

My 82-year-old mother was diagnosed at least 12 years ago with dementia. We don't know what caused it or how long it's actually been going on, but it really started manifesting itself a few years before her official diagnosis.

I bring this up now because for the first time in at least three or four years, she's having delusions again. Now this is at the same time funny and sad - funny because it's easier to laugh than cry. Sad because Mama is a fiercely independent and intelligent woman who has always taken the world on her own terms.

I noticed several weeks ago that she began talking about an elderly gentleman who lives in the same assisted living facility as she. She said he liked her, but she wasn't interested because he smokes and has Alzheimer's. Now, all of a sudden, she thinks she is married to this man (or getting married, depending on which story you get) and is outraged that we haven't invited him to Easter dinner. She absolutely gushes about how much she loves him. I decided to observe more closely to try and find out what's going on, so I took her to lunch the other day. In the middle of an otherwise uneventful lunch (during which she never brought up her gentleman friend), she blurted out that she had pulled a family friend out of a burning house 75 miles away the night before, then calmly added, "These vegetables are really good...they're crunchy," as if the needle had been picked up off a record album and set down in a different place.

I have dealt with this since the early 1990s, but I'm still not sure what I'm supposed to do. The experts say not to encourage the delusions, but not to challenge them either, because the delusional person is apt to become even more steadfast in her beliefs. Just nod politely and say, "Uh-huh," I guess.

Easier said than done when that person is your mother.

Who-who-who's there?


Like the swallows returning to San Capistrano... like the buzzards coming home to roost in Hinckley, Ohio... the barred owls are back in Kernersville! I guess it's a sure sign of spring. These owls have been hooting and carrying on the woods behind the house for the last week or two, like a couple of lovestruck teenagers. I mean at all hours. It's really very cool... like old friends returning from last year. Welcome back, owls!

Monday, March 19, 2007

Ptooey!

Hey, what's with all the spitting?

I don't know if I've just been in the wrong place at the wrong time lately, but there seems to be a surplus of saliva among many of the men in this area. I'm stopped at the red light, the door of the truck in front of me opens and -- splat! -- out the door comes a juicy stream of spit onto the pavement just in time for the light to change. I'm walking into Wal-Mart and I happen to look down upon a wad of gooey spit glimmering in the sun. I turned onto I-40 at Sandy Ridge Rd. and up there on the hill at the RV superstore, a man hocks one over the chain-link fence. It happened again today... this time the offender was a dad walking up to the school to pick up his kid, who -- almost certainly if the kid is a boy -- will inherit this moist habit from his father.

And note, I said if the kid is a boy. I haven't seen any girls spitting. Is this some kind of prove-my-masculinity thing among men? If anyone can explain it to me -- dryly, please -- I wish they would.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

So close you can smell it!

At the risk of rubbing it in to my northern friends who are still shivering in the snow, I spent two hours sitting on my deck late this afternoon, watching the birds and sipping a glass of wine. The sun was shining brightly, temps were in the upper 60s and a nice breeze with an occasional gust was blowing. Each day a few more leaves are popping out on the trees, the Bradford pears and crabapples are straining to bloom, the grass is greening up, and the frogs that live down in the creekbed behind the house are singing loudly. It's an exciting time and I'm looking forward to the day my feathered friends who flew south for the winter migrate their way back into my yard. Then it'll be spring for sure! I'll keep you posted.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Donuts and spring training

The Stay Alert Safety Mets of the Kernersville Little League had their first practice this evening and I have to say, the six kids who showed up actually don't look that bad. It seems spring training has come early this year. Sure, we had temperatures in the low 60s today, but as practice started the sun was setting and winds were probably in the area of 20mph, causing Wesley's mom, Karen, and me to grimace more than once.

Karen works for Krispy Kreme. I'm working on a plot to get all the chocolate-covered creme-filled donuts I can stuff down my neck. She says she could work that if I get her a couple of Kenny Chesney tickets. Sounds like a good trade to me! I have my doubts as to whether the boss would go for it, though...

Sunday, February 25, 2007

A good day


Lightning McQueen
Let 'er rip!



Yesterday was an exciting day for my boy. First, after an early 2nd round defeat, John and his car, Lightning McQueen, managed to come back for a stunning 2nd-place finish in the Kernersville Pack #943 Pinewood Derby. He's now eligible to compete in the finals this Tuesday night and the Salem district derby on March 10th. Wow!

Second, John received Honorable Mention in the Crisis Control Ministry's Wee Care art contest, drawing a picture of his family eating breakfast. 12 kids from his school, Sedge Garden Elementary, were finalists in the contest.

Congratulations, John! Mom & Dad are proud of you!

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

It could happen to you!

Cha-ching! So it may not be enough to quit my job, but I won $6 in the N.C. lottery last night! The odds on those scratch-offs are about 1 in 4, so I bought four tickets and what do you know-- one of them hit and I actually made two dollars on the whole deal. Yep, life is good.

Oo-ooh that smell


I don't want to get anybody's hopes up, but I swear when I went out the door at 5:00 this morning I smelled SPRING!!! You know, that fresh, not-20-degrees smell that doesn't burn your nostrils when you inhale? That's the best smell in the world.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Whizzing thru Wal-Mart

My BFFL Jodie e-mailed me the other day and yelled at me for not posting in a week. She lives outside New York City and I explained to her that not as much happens around here as in the Big Apple. But, boy, all you need to do to find some action is take a trip to Wal-Mart. Yesterday I found another curious phenomenon, these shoes called Heelies. Apparently they're all the rage with kids, but the thing that gets me is the parents who actually allow their kids to whiz around a busy big-box store on these things. I nearly got run over between the frozen foods and bread aisle when a pre-teen boy wearing Heelies rounded the corner at top speed, towing his mom's grocery cart behind. I try to always look for something positive, however, and I would like to point out that the kid did say "excuse me" when he realized he'd almost clocked me.

OK, so it's not New York!

Monday, February 12, 2007

Are you hep to the jive?

This really has nothing to do with anything, but it's guaranteed to make you smile. One of the most amazing performances you will ever see anywhere.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Mr. Vanderbilt's summer home

Need a quick getaway to recharge your batteries? I had forgotten what a nice town Asheville is and how truly awesome a visit to Biltmore Estate can be! Less than two and a-half hours west of Winston-Salem on I-40, this cosmopolitan mountain city is experiencing a huge renaissance, with funky little boutiques and restaurants all over its once-dilapidated downtown. We decided to go since John's class is reading a book called "The Mystery of Biltmore Estate" and he kept trying to impress us with his wealth of knowledge on the subject. This 8-year-old, who thinks that just about everything his parents like to do is "lame," was captivated by George W. Vanderbilt's late 19th-century home. (The kids' treasure map we picked up at the front desk didn't hurt!) Enjoy the photos.

Thursday, February 8, 2007

The truth is out there

They're heeeerre! UFO sightings have been reported in the Kernersville area. Don't know why this isn't being more widely reported.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Is that a rocket in your pocket or...

Proof that real life beats fiction any day:

(AP) - A NASA astronaut accused of trying to kidnap a romantic rival for a space shuttle pilot's affections was charged with attempted first-degree murder Tuesday and will remained jailed.
"The intent was there to do serious bodily injury or death," said Orlando Police Sgt. Barb Jones, referring to a new steel mallet, knife, rubber tubing and large garbage bags that police found in Lisa Marie Nowak's possession.
Nowak, a 43-year-old Navy captain and married mother of three, had already been charged with attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, destruction of evidence and battery.

Now, here is a woman who is by no means stupid. She holds three engineering degrees. But apparently being "book smart" doesn't give you a lock on common sense. Perhaps the weirdest part of all this is that Nowak drove 900 miles from Houston to Orlando, wearing a diaper so she wouldn't have to stop to use the bathroom.

The things we do for love.

Monday, February 5, 2007

The death of common sense

The near record-breaking cold snap and bitter winds we're experiencing has caused me to pull the hood of my coat a little tighter and to look downward whenever I'm outside. This looking downward, consequently, has me paying more attention to people's feet. And you know what I'm seeing? People-- mostly women-- wearing FLIP FLOPS. I know this is North Carolina and you can get away with showing your piggies legitimately nine months out of the year. But this if February and it's freakin' cold outside! If you're making a fashion statement, the statement is, "I'm incredibly dumb, even though I think I look really cool wearing unseasonable footwear." Along with the flip-flop phenomenon is another thing I don't get: the lack of socks and other types of hosiery. Even though we're in the dead of winter, I still see women going around in dresses without any pantyhose on. What is that? No wonder our hosiery mills are all shutting down. You without those socks or hose: I hope you feel at least a twinge of guilt!

Sunday, February 4, 2007

A world gone mad

Just when I think nothing can surprise me, I run into the following two stories.

Story #1:
A Pennsylvania man is suing the University of Michigan Law School because it didn't make special accommodations for his admittedly poor typing skills.
Adrian Zachariasewycz graduated from the law school in 2004 with a "B'' average but says in his lawsuit that on certain exams he received "borderline failing grades'' because he couldn't type as much in the allotted time as other students.
Zachariasewycz, 40, told a reporter that he has moved back into his parents' home and has been unable to find a job because his 2.996 grade point average doesn't interest employers.
Law school spokesman Gerald Schorin said in a statement that students generally choose for themselves whether to write examination answers by hand or whether to type on a keyboard.
Zachariasewycz said he was never warned by U-M that he would need typing skills and it never occurred to him to learn to type before entering law school. He said he consistently scored in the top half of the class on exams that didn't require rapid typing.

What??? Who on Earth (besides this guy) has gone to college and not realized they would need typing skills? DUH!!! Jeez, I took typing in 8th grade. Get a life and stop blaming everyone else for your shortcomings.

Story #2:
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - As a Catholic, Vince Haley often went to Mass at the College of William and Mary's historic Wren Chapel when he was an undergraduate in the 1980s. Also a Catholic, school President Gene R. Nichol often goes to the 120-seat chapel alone at night to think in the quiet.
Both agree the chapel is a sacred space meaningful to students, alumni, faculty and staff of the public school who use it for religious services and secular events.
They clash, though, over what to do with an unadorned, 18-inch brass cross that had been displayed on the altar since about 1940.
Nichol ordered the cross removed in October to make the chapel more welcoming to students of all faiths. Previously, the cross could be removed by request; now it can be returned by request.
"It's the right thing to do to make sure that this campus is open and welcoming to everyone," Nichol said. "This is a diverse institution religiously, and we want it to become even more diverse."
"Does that marvelous place belong to everyone, or is it principally for our Christian students?" Nichol said. "Do we actually value religious diversity, or have we determined, because of our history, to endorse a particular religious tradition to the exclusion of others?"
William and Mary, founded by royal charter in 1693 with a mission that included training Anglican ministers, is the nation's second-oldest university after Harvard. Alumni include President Thomas Jefferson.
College of William and Mary
Save the Wren Cross
Support Nichol

Seems everyone wants us to be tolerant of all viewpoints...but they don't have to be tolerant of ours. A 2001 poll shows 76.5% of Americans identify themselves as Christian. I would never go into a non-Christian place of worship and feel out of place simply because I didn't see any Christian symbols. Let's try to get over ourselves and just get along.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Winter, round II

Just got back from Wal-Mart and I was pleasantly surprised--it wasn't at all crowded. That's a BIG surprise, seeing as how tomorrow's forecast calls for snow, sleet, freezing rain, pigs flying, etc. I was nervous about going to the store because I didn't want to get all caught up in the rush for bread and milk. The horrifying thing is, I really needed to buy milk. Why does that always happen when snow is predicted? I feel the need to explain myself to the cashier: "But I REALLY DO need milk! I'm not like the others!!"

But this whole break-and-milk thing got me thinking: why is it always bread and milk that people run out to buy when there's the threat of a few flakes? To my notion, there are more important things needed:

- adult beverages and plenty of 'em
- Swiss Miss hot cocoa mix
- tea bags
- toilet paper
- frozen pizza
- dvd movies
- tabloid newspapers or a trashy novel
- a working lighter (for the fireplace!)

Did I forget anything?

Monday, January 29, 2007

Lunch with the "boys' club"

If you're ever looking for an off-the-wall way to lighten up your day, go eat in the school cafeteria with a bunch of second graders. I dropped by my son's school today to surprise him for lunch. (I figure I'd better do it now. One of these days, he won't think it's so cool.) I got in the lunch line and asked a couple of the kids in his class what they recommended. One enthusiastically offered support for the corn dogs, the other suggested I get the hamburger. I opted for the burger and when I bit into it, it reminded me of the hamburgers we had when I was in 2nd grade. In fact, I think it was the same burger.

Anyway, I sat down at my boy's table (always afraid I'm gonna break that little kid-sized chair), surrounded by several of his friends who apparently think I'm a cool mom. One little boy, Daniel, is always delightfully animated when telling a story and today was no different, but it quickly turned into a 2nd-grade episode of "Seinfeld." He pointed out how "that table over there is the BOYS' CLUB" and "the other end of our table is the GIRLS' CLUB." What broke me up was the fact that when he said "boys' club" and "girls' club," he actually made hugely exaggerated quotation marks in the air with his fingers. What a hoot.

2nd-graders are still relatively innocent, yet trying in a lot of ways to act grown up. They're sweet and trusting. They seem to like adults. Wish I could've taken a snapshot of today so I could pull it out and look at it when they're in the throes of surly teenagerhood.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Things that make you go :)

Sometimes the simplest things have the biggest impact. On my way home this afternoon, I got behind a school bus. Nothing unusual in and of itself, but at its second stop on a rural road near my house, I saw something I thought happened only in the movies or old Ken-L-Ration commercials. A shepherd-mix dog came running full-tilt toward the stopped bus just as the last kid got off. It was apparently the kid's dog, and they were both so glad to see each other it made me smile real big. As I watched them run off together in my rear view mirror, I noticed the woman in the car behind me watching the boy and his dog. She was smiling, too. Thanks, kid, for giving us a nice moment on this Earth.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Powerball fever

I see no one hit the Powerball last night and that the next drawing will be for roughly $240 million. In my previous radio stint as part of the Oldies 93 Breakfast Bunch, we had the discussion about our individual "lottery thresholds." That's the amount that Powerball has to get to before you're willing to plunk down your hard-earned cash on a ticket. For example, I know some folks won't even consider playing until the jackpot's at least $100 million. What--$15 million's not good enough for you? Heck, even $1 million invested properly could last the rest of my life. Hmm...$240 million? Think I'll break down and go buy that ticket now.

Strait talkin'

Last night I was lucky enough to have tickets to the almost-sold-out George Strait concert in Greensboro. I'd seen him before, at least 10 years ago, but George still puts on a great show. He doesn't even have to do anything but stand there with his guitar, look good and sing in that wonderful Texas drawl, and I'm hooked. Judging from the loud cheering and the fact that everyone sang along with nearly every single song, so was the rest of the audience.

Opening acts Taylor Swift and Ronnie Milsap didn't fail to disappoint, either. I especially enjoyed seeing Ronnie again; the last time was at the NC State Fair back in the late '70s. He puts on an incredible show and sings every bit as well as he did back in the days of all those #1 hits. An absolutely amazing talent.

A footnote to some concertgoers: Shhhhh! If you feel the need to talk throughout the entire show, please take your conversation out onto the concourse. Some of us actually came to listen to the music. Oh, and leave those annoying Nextel walkie-talkies at home, too. But that's for another post. Cheers!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Got milk? Bread, too?

Well, it was bound to happen. After a month of unseasonably warm weather (heck, I had my feet in the Atlantic Ocean last weekend!), that rumbling sound you hear is people rushing to the grocery store for bread and milk. All weather forecasts point to an inch of snow tomorrow! Surely that will keep folks confined to their homes for at least a day.

I have to laugh. After spending four years in Pittsburgh, where a foot of snow wasn't enough to make most people blink, let alone get anyone out of school, it's good to be back in NC where we still see the white stuff as something to get excited about. Sometimes too excited.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

feed that baby a chip!

I hate Wal-Mart, but it's a necessary evil. They trap you into going simply by having the lowest grocery prices anywhere. So every week, I suck it up, get in the car with my shopping list and travel a mile down the road to the Super Wal-Mart, which must be the modern day equivalent of the town square. You see all types of people there. Most of them, it seems, like to stand around looking like rats lost in a maze, blocking the aisles with their carts while they ponder which way to go. Despite all its inconveniences, Wal-Mart's a great place to people watch, and today I saw something I've never seen before.

Now I've grown accustomed to seeing idiotic parents let their babies and toddlers swill down caffeinated soft drinks (hey, I said I've gotten used to it, NOT that I like it!), but this was the absolute end. A mom was pushing her baby -- yes, BABY -- through the grocery section and the child was sitting up in the front of the buggy, happily chowing down on a can of Pringle's potato chips that the mom apparently had just gotten off the shelf and opened up for the kid!

I hope that this is an isolated incident. Are some parents really that dumb? No wonder our kids are fat.