Thirty -five minutes I'll never get back


A quick rant. I know you all feel the same pain.

We shop for some things at WalMart. Not because we like it there. We detest it. But we buy some things there because of price and the fact that it is all located in the same store. But trust me, we hate going.


Late last week while spending our entire paycheck on trivial things like canned goods, light bulbs, aspirin, paper towels, Kleenex and so on I picked up an air filter for my little truck. Shopping for auto parts requires looking up the correct item in a large book depending on the make and model of your automobile. So I searched and found the item I needed and tossed it into the buggy.

When I arrived home and tried to install the filter it was the wrong part. So I went back to the store to recheck my reference and to exchange the item. Nope I did not make a mistake looking up the part number. The book is wrong. I guess that happens sometimes.

But when I tried to return the filter I had to wait in line. And wait, and wait and wait some more. It took thirty-five minutes waiting in the line to return and get credit for a $10.95 unused part. And I was only the forth person in line.

WALLY WORLD.... you need to do something here. And while you are at it. How about asking the clerks to at least smile and say hello, may we help you. All I got was a snarl to my hi, I need to return this.

I just Thirty-five wasted minutes of my life because of the books error.

On this past Tuesday Kristie got up and left for very early. She does that during audit time. I was still sleeping soundly when she departed. I finally awakened, stumbled to the kitchen, and not being a morning person barely saw a note which I struggled to read through sleepy eyes. After my coffee I could better make out its contents.
We had photos ready to be picked up from the photo lab. And would I stop by to get them while out and about.

I forgot.

So the scene was repeated again on Wednesday.

I forgot.

Well today I was up before she left for the office. “Please stop by and get the photo’s”, she asked

Going to the store three times in one week to pick-up photos, yet coming home without them twice is sad.

Looks like I have Brain Lock.

I hope my local friends all survived yesterdays storms with out damage. It got severely loud here, but nothing worse.

Several people have asked me about the header photo on this blog page. It was taken a couuple years ago at the Anderson Airport about 2 1/2 miles from my home. I was huddled there with all the other flyers waiting out the storm. It was an amazing display of God’s power.

Ever since I was a boy I have been fascinated with lightning. I fondly remember a few years ago overlooking the Grand Canyon at sunset. There are no words in my vocabulary to express the beauty of that event. While I was there, just as the final rays of light ducked behind the hills a magnificent thunder storm approached. God truly put on an astonishing fire works and light show, the best I've ever witnessed. Truly overwhelming.

Lighting facts:

At any given time there are 1800 t-storms occurring on the planet
Each year 16 million storms
3 billion strikes
In the US
100,000 storms annual
20 Million strikes annual

Lightning can:

Flash can be six to eight miles long
Heat up to 60,000 degrees (5 times the surface of the sun) carry 1 billion volts and between 20 and 30 thousand amps. A house uses about 200 amps

Can be lethal up to 60 feet on the ground and 600 feet in the water.

Myth
Lightning never strikes the same place twice
Fact
It often strikes the same place. The Empire state bldg is hit an average of 25 times a year.

Mom and Dad came over last night to spend their July expiring movie coupons. Dad had said he wanted to see "Get Smart". So we all piled in the car and hit the cinema. They both loved the movie and we all laughed out loud.

Last year I think the funniest movie was "Wild Hogs"


"Get Smart" is the funniest movie this year so far. And it keeps getting funnier and funnier as it goes on. It contains a great back story of Max and his desire to become a field agent.

For me it will be an instant classic. Most adults will really love this movie because they grew up with the TV show. And it is very classy with several tributes in the credits. It's also filled with salutes, inside jokes and references to the series through out the film. Still you can enjoy it even without knowledge of the old series. I think mostly any ages can enjoy it as well. Except for small children who probably won't get about half the jokes, so there is no point in them watching it. It is rated PG-13


I think this is probably Steve Carrel’s best movie yet. He is a master of making you laugh with his face expressions. Get Smart features extreme laughter to anyone who watches it. In the theater everyone was truly cracking up.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who might be willing to die from a laughing coma.

After the movie we all “Frogged our Sides” at Dockside. Yummy

I think I finally found out the difference between what I brew at home and what they brew at Starbucks.

Other than those snazzy paper holder deals.

I was getting a tank full of gas and noticed this sign at the station

Bud Family Suitcase on sale here.

Nothing says family values better than a suitcase full of beer for the wife and kiddies.

While I am on the subject of stores selling beer and drinking.

How can we claim to be serious about drunk driving enforcement but let gas stations sell COLD beer?

I’m just saying !!!

Three strikes and you are out. Really? What about one strike and you go under the jail?

Total drunk driving deaths
in the U.S. this year (so far):

7210

The countries oldest pilot has died. John M. Miller was 102, nearly as old as aviation itself.

John Miller born Dec. 15, 1905, witnessed some aviation histories most exciting events. And he was a part of several too. When he was four, he saw his first airplane. Glenn Curtiss landed in a field across from his. Johnny was there when Charles Lindbergh took off across the Atlantic to Paris. Amelia Earhart was one of his friends.

His last words were to his nephew at the bedside. “I guess my flying days are over,”

Johnny flew for United and Eastern Airlines. Later he was a test pilot for Kellett Autogiro Company. He pioneered the flying of airmail from the roof Philadelphia post office using an autogiro. Three planes flown by Miller are in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. John Miller held three world records in aviation including one which stood for seventy-two years. Coast to coast in an autogiro

John Miller was a health advocate. He never smoked or drank and he maintained the same weight and blood pressure as when he was 18. For exercise, he took brisk walks up and down hills.

"Flying is a youth preservative, if you live through it." J.M. Miller, 9/3/2002

Deep Thoughts # 8

• If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are your waiting?

• Why is the greatest pleasure in life doing something others tell you that you cannot?

• Why do teenagers express their burning desires to be different by dressing exactly the same?

• Should you live every day as if it were your last because eventually, one day you'll be right?

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Sadly there was drowning at the lake this weekend. The story was well covered by the local media. Yesterday and today several stories have appeared identifying the victim as an illegal alien with an extensive criminal history. He had been deported five times. The most recent was February of this year. He had entered the country illegally in 1996, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2008. The victim had a number of false id's and arrest records in many states, including South Carolina.

It’s a common story these days, and illustrates an issue. Obviously our borders are not secure. That has become a serious problem. Not only are we seeing crime on the increase but it also holds the potential of infiltration by terrorist groups. While it’s true the majority are hard working, and otherwise law abiding people, the illegal alien issue has added considerable strain on our infrastructure.

Another issue on my mind is the rebuilding and disaster protection of New Orleans. A large part of the city is below sea level so renewed flooding is likely at sometime in the future.

Yet another problem is the decreasing habit for Alligators. Those pesky and dangerous guys are running out of room in Florida and along the Carolina coast and are apparently moving into the upstate.

Three Problems that need solutions:

I have an idea.

• First let’s dig a wide deep mote across the border.

• Fill it with water.

• Take all that dirt, raise New Orleans above the floods.

• Round up the gators. Put them into the mote.

Problems solved.

Quantum of Solace clips