So January Ends

How quickly the month of January passed. It seems like January 1 was only last week.

I saw former President Carter last night at the BAM in Brookwood. I read his books to try and understand what is going on in the Middle East.

Doo-Rail saw Dr. Chandler yesterday. He's OK; it just seems like we spend so much time seeing about that cat.

It looks like a beautiful day in the works in Shelby County.

Meditation on the Rain

The rain cometh early on this Saturday morning. The rain in Spain. Where does this phrase come from? Raindrops keep falling on my head. This is from the movie "Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid." Could I explain rain? If a visitor from another planet asked me to explain what rain is and where it comes from and why it rains, could I explain it to him? I doubt it. Isn't it funny how we take so many everyday things for granted and yet we cannot properly explain them? Rain, rain, go away. Come again some other day. Is this a nursery rhyme? We need the rain. You hear that all the time. Good Lord willin' and the creeks don't rise. That's a good expression. I've heard that one all my life. The Rainman. Isn't that a movie?

A Lovely Day

It was a lovely day in Central Alabama as I ran around Montgomery. If only every winter's day could be like today!

Tim Cook

He is the temporary chief executive officer for Apple as Steve Jobs is on medical absence. Cook is from Robertsdale, Alabama, and graduated from Auburn University. He got a MBA from Duke, then worked for Compaq and IBM before becoming chief operating officer at Apple. I highlight him because we should be proud of a fellow Alabamian, and even prouder of this man of the Auburn family. According to a Birmingham News blurb, he keeps a laborious work schedule, leaving little time for other interests, except for cycling, the outdoors, and Auburn football. Good man.

Jelly Beans & Modern TexMex

Moyna and I get our hair cut out in Trussville. We've been going to Fran Pala, whom we met at Vestavia Bowl back in the 90's, since, well, almost since we met her in the 90's. So there we are today as the temperature gets up to a balmy 41 under a white cloud cover all day.

Fran is in a big shop with other hair stylists. There is always a bowl of jelly beans in the front of the shop. I always grab a few while we wait. Jelly beans are not something we keep at the house. I never purchase them. The only time I eat jelly beans is when I'm getting a haircut, just as the only time I eat a hot dog is at a sporting event.

We pick up dinner at Cocina Superior at Brookwood. We like it! They say it's Modern TexMex. What is "modern" TexMex? Upscale is all I can figure.

Back home we watch the news and see talk again of that miraculous US Air crash in the Hudson River where all passengers walk off the plane in the water. That captain---now THERE is a bona fide hero!

A Clue to The Truth

I do not know if you learned The Truth Friday, but here is my experience. Take it or leave it at your own risk.

I ate the semame chicken combo, as I always do at Lai Lai, with an egg roll and wantons. It seemed like any other ordinary meal. That is, until I opened... (pause for heart thumping reveal) the fortune cookie. My message read: "Tell those you know that The Truth is inside yourself. You must know where to look."

I do not know what this means, except that it must a clue to the mysterious message Fred uncovered in Auburn. It, whatever "It" is, must be trying to get us to understand something. But what?

If you discover any further clues or develop any insights into this situation, please post or comment on this blog. I am beginning to worry about this. I think the best way to combat this enigma is to work together.

Gas Bills

Our last home gas bill was $284. A lady today told me hers was two eighty something also. The lady next to her said her last heating bill was $315. How can people afford to continue to pay these kind of utility bills?

The Truth?

I am typing these words in a classroom in Parker Hall on the campus of Auburn University. Someone has written on the blackboard: 01.16.2009 YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH.
I thought I should warn everybody.

Free Guthrie's

Last night I was a tech assistant for a class. Afterwards, I decided to get Guthrie's for dinner. I had to wait at the window for several minutes because they were cooking fresh fries. The girl who told me this did not ask for money for the food. When the guy finally gave me my box, I asked him about paying. He said, "Just go." You cannot beat free Guthrie's!

At the Birmingham Sheraton

This morning I was a commuter like thousands of other locals who commute daily to downtown Birmingham and back. I left home at 7 and was parked by 7:35. The drive wasn't as bad I thought it might be.

Each time I'm in downtown B'ham I realize that I have never visited the sports museum which is right here at the Sheraton/BJCC and I've never been to the civil right museum. One day I must see these local attractions.

I hope that B'ham/Jefferson County builds a dome although like many people, I doubt it will be financially successful.

Cold Morning

Yes, it's very cold this morning. Yet it's sunny. I can stand cold when the sun is out. It's when it's overcast and windy that I melt down.

Not Surprised

I was not surprised that Florida beat Oklahoma. After all, the Gators have the better defense, and defense usually trumps offense. The Fox announcers really poured it on praising Tim Tebow. Sure, he's a great player and human being, but lots of other college football players do great things in addition to Tebow.

It's Good to see That Sun

It's good to see that sun out today. The ground is still so wet. I'm ready for the world to dry off.

Yes, I'll probably watch the football game tonight although I don't care who wins. I should be for Florida, but for some reason, I find that I'm rooting for Oklahoma.

I am working at home with a company virtual sales meeting. It's new and I like it because I don't have to travel.

Doo-Rail

Our cat Doo-Rail has been seeing a specialist. Dr. John McDonald comes up from the Auburn vet school each Wednesday to see patients at the animal clinic on Acton Road. This fine doctor is considered the top small animal dermatologist in the state of Alabama.

He's been treating our cat for a lesion---a red spot on his tummy---for several months. Tests show that Doo-Rail has allergies which have created this problem.

We' ve been giving Doo-Rail allergy shots, and the plan after today is continue with the allergy shots plus we're adding an antihistamine along with a salve for a spot that developed under his chin. Of course, the cat is diabetic, also, and we give him insulin shots twice a day.

So let's see. Doo-Rail gets allergy shots, insulin shots, an ointment, and now an antihistamine tablet. Plus he eats diabetic food.

Is this cat pampered or what?

The Rain and Hemingway

As I drove across town this morning with the rain pelting the Birmingham area, I thought about what Hemingway said about the rain in Paris in the 20's.

"Then there was the bad weather. It would come one day when the fall was over. We would have to shut the windows in the night against the rain and the cold wind would strip the leaves from the trees in the Place Contrescarpe. The leaves lay sodden in the rain and the wind drove the rain against the big green autobus at the terminal and the Cafe des Amateurs was crowded and the windows misted over from the heat and the smoke inside."

Perhaps the rain is not as bad in Jefferson/Shelby County, Alabama, but it does seem that sodden leaves are everywhere and the puddling rain on the highways makes driving treacherous and everyone, thank goodness, seems to be slowing down. Surely the water table is up, and we are out of any drought situation.

One day the rain will end, and the winter sun will return, and these early days of January will be a memory not much remembered. By the end of 2009, not much of anything else from January will be remembered most likely.

Virtual Sales Meeting

Rather than have a traditional national sales meeting, this year Cengage is having a virtual sales meeting over the internet and phone. It sure beats having to travel to a location and waste time.

Getting Ready

It's time to get ready for the real world of 2009. The holidays are over; tomorrow starts the first full work week of the new year.

Today I returned a Kitchen Aid mixer to Williams-Sonoma. I goofed as I purchased a new mixer for Moyna, forgetting that she already purchased a new one! Since we didn't need two, I returned mine.

Oh, well.

Lunch in Tuscaloosa

I drive to Tuscaloosa under a solid white sky with dense fog down the interstate. The fog fills the trees on the side of the highway and hides that lake that comes up soon after 459 merges into 20/59.

Freddy and I lunch at Hooligans, a neat little Greek restaurant on University. The meal is tasty, and we have the pleasure of seeing Dr. Witt, the school president, enter the place as we are leaving.

Freddy starts his new semester next week. On he goes. On we all go. 2009 is here.

Clean Carpet!

We just got our carpet Stanley Steamed this morning, and boy does it look good!

This was Freddy's Christmas present to us and it has sure made us happy! Thanks, Freddy, for such a great and needed present.

Popular Culture 2008: Good Riddance

As we begin a new year, I thought I should take stock of 2008 and say good riddance to those things in popular culture I despised. Here are my truthful, sometimes sarcastic, thoughts on those things that defined us in pop culture in 2008:

1) Jen Aniston - Who cares? (I always thought Courtney Cox was hotter anyway.)

2) Uggs - To Southern girls who wear them: You're not in Fargo, so don't act like it's so cold they help you stay warm... because they don't. They are just a fad and you look silly.

3) The Office - Everyone tells me how funny this show is, but it has never interested me. So enough already... Stop telling me I should watch it!

4) Britney Spears - She makes good music (I don't like it though), so talk about her music... but everything else should be ignored. It is not important. We don't need to know what kind of milk she buys at the supermarket!

5) Lindsay Lohan - See Britney Spears.

Ok, enough about Britney.

6) Twilight - I had never heard of this until weeks before the movie debuted. It will be followed by yet another Harry Potter movie later this year. Such cotton candy fiction as these series disgusts me... Why can't people read more serious literature? (Thank you J.K. for finally writing the last Potter book. Hopefully, please, within the next decade we can rid ourselves of those characters and move on.)

7) Sarah Palin - I think SNL did a good enough job showing us what a joke she is, so I don't need to comment further. Except to say I hope someone got her a newspaper subscription for Christmas.

8) Oprah - Who cares? There is talk she may leave her show soon. Let's hope so. I've never watched her show nor ever paid any attention to her... yet I'm sick of her. Oprah this, Oprah that. Please. I cannot think of a more banal conversational topic than Oprah.

9) Pictures of celebrity babies - Has everyone forgotten they are just babies? They don't look any different than any other babies. Yet people clamor to see pictures of them and "journalists" (ahem... cough) pay millions for the first snapshots. What a racket!

10) Bristol Palin and Jamie Lynn Spears - There ought to be outrage over teenagers becoming pregnant, not outright praise and gah gah hoopla as with these lowlifes. What a sad commentary that people don't care enough to be bothered about the state of parenting and youth culture.

11) Talk of bailouts and a return to the Depression era - Not only has such discussion become tiresome, but I simply don't want to think about another Depression. I just couldn't handle having to get my grub from breadlines... I'm on a low carb diet!

2009

I wake up this morning thinking, “We’ve made to 2009!”

The day is cold and sunny---a perfect day with which to start a new year. Of course, we went to bed as normal last night. No need to stay up just to stay up.

I procure breakfast at Cracker Barrel. Not much activity do I see around Pelham.

We start watching bowl games at 10. South Carolina struggles early against Iowa. The Hawkeyes lead 21 to 0 at the half. I see that Vanderbilt won yesterday. I am happy for the ‘Dores. I see that LSU spanked Georgia Tech 38 to 3 last night. We were over at that bowl last year. How quickly a year has passed. We watch some of the Rose Bowl parade. I say it would be good to live in Pasadena. Moyna scowls at that thought. James, one of the neighborhood kids, is out this morning with his firecrackers. Why would anyone wish to shoot off firecrackers on a beautiful first morning of the year? I don’t get it.

Marty O’Riley calls and he and Moyna catch up. The O’Rileys visited Modesto right after Christmas.

Moyna talks to our friend Marsha who lives in Calirfonia, and they catch up on events. Aren’t the holidays the time for catching up with family and friends?

Iowa beats South Carolina. Nebraska defeats Clemson. USC destroys Penn State in the Rose Bowl. We have a typical day of watching college football.

2009 is here.