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Bob's Random Thoughts BOB'S RANDOM THOUGHTS FaceBook Link for Bob Nunn

These have absolutely no purpose other than I miss writing articles. I don't tweet, why do you. You can read a little about me on my homepage. I wrote a regular column for a local Memphis Magazine WWW.DOT called Nunn Such. Read my old articles from the TFBBS.com Press Release pages. While the material is a bit dated, the application of the concepts still apply to websites.

I could never decide on one slogan that fit me. Here is the ones I like.

There is no darkness but ignorance. - Shakespeare

"Never let it be said that I didn't do the least I could do."

"We could try pessimism but that probably wouldn't work anyway."

"We were never sure what the guy believed in, but he always did the right thing anyway."

" It wasn't if the glass was half full or half empty, it was who peed in the glass"

"you can lead a person to knowledge, but you can't make them think".

I woke from a dream and thought of this: "When I was a younger lad I gave all projects all I had, now I'm older I give my projects what they deserve and always keep a quarter in reserve."

America - land where anyone with a blog can use half truths and innuendo to trick the foolish into paying you a living. It doesn't have to be right it just has to sound right.

Always beware of clowns and untethered goats.

No thank you, a Pepsi is never okay. I am Pepsi breath intolerant.

Never share if you agree with posts that ask you.

Satan is responsible for all posts with money displayed and liking/sharing it will cause you to lose all of yours.

What is wrong with that guy?

Favorite foreplay line: hold still this'll only take a few minutes.

Perhaps one should strive NOT to be the type of person whose death is celebrated?

Science doesn't give a shit what you think.

We are all in the same pool. Having a peeing section in the corner really doesn't work.

WE ARE UPDATING OUR COVID VACCINE 9/20/2024

Cheryn and I had a viaccinations updated today!

WE INSTALLED A NEW OVEN 9/11/2024

We chose the Empava brand from Lowes and had ordered the lower end model but they shipped us the high end model at the same price. Pulling out the old one was a chore and Paul Randall came over to help. Paul wired the new overn properly unlike the last one which is probably why it never worked right. Have a big hole above it as it is a much smaller oven. We will likely make a door and install a shelf above the oven for storage.

THE KIDS CAME FOR A WEEK 9/1/2024

Amanda and Scott drove in from Memphis to spend some time with us. We had a good time and they got to visit with some of our relatives.

CHERYN'S BIRTHDAY 8/19/2024

Cheryn's 69th Birthday! We had a birthday dinner at our favorite little Tex Mex place.

TREMFYA - 7/30/2024

I just started TREMFYA for my plaque psoriasis. While the Cosentryx was working it wasn't good enough to clear me up completly. Got my fingers crossed that this will work better.

4th OF JULY CELEBRATION - 7/4/2024

Got invited and visited with my cousin Susie to their 4th of July do. They put up quite a spread and we left overstuffed. Watermelon and Homemade Ice Cream were the two last things we ate. We had a nice storm south of them that cooled things off. As I age I am less tolerant of heat. Had a great time and got to see some family we don't see often these days. Looking forward to the next one.

I GOT KICKED OFF FACEBOOK AGAIN - 6/19/2024

The kids who run Facebook kicked me off again. I think this time it was from Dynamic Material I linked to. The transgression was from February and here it is June. They really need to realize that while I checked the material before posting I have no control of the source which evidently changed it from my original post. I really wish they would just remove the offensive materials and send me a notice. If you get a friend request from Robert Nunn know that it is me Bob or Bobby.

CHANGED OIL IN THE BLAZER 6/20/2024

We no longer put on enough mileage to use that as a guide. I have started changing the oil yearly using the Pennzoil Synthetic and a premium oil filter. We now keep a 15MM Socket in the bag with the Oil Filter Wrench so we don't have to hunt it down. Went smoothly, but spend more time getting up and down than changing the oil.

I HAD MY 70TH BIRTHDAY - 5/29/2024

I had a nice day. Cheryn and I dined at our favorite little restaurant Bill's Saloon and Grill. Had my usual Steak, Baked Potato and Dinner Salad with Rasperry Vinegrette. Didn't do much but watch some TV.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 1/1/2024

We did nothing special for New Years. Happy New Year to you and yours!

CHRISTMAS 12/23/2023

Christmas was quiet for us this year. The kids came in from Memphis and we spend a few quiet days together. We did go visit Cheryn's sister.

COVID BOOSTER AND FLU SHOT NOVEMBER 9, 2023

Cheryn and I both got our updated COVID Vaccine and Flu Shot. We had to travel a bit to find the Pfizer Flu Shot but we are sticking with it. No side effects once again. I still haven't gotten completely over my mouth infection and feel a lot better no but need to rebuild my stamina.

WE CELEBRATED OUR 46TH ANNIVERSARY 11/1/2023

All Saint's Day is the day we were married. I just have to look out for Trick or Treaters to remember our wedding anniversary. We ate out at Don Chuy's our favorite little Tex Mex spot.

I HAD DENTAL SURGERY OCTOBER /2023

As I write this I am still healing. I had a tooth infection that had gotten into the bone and Antibiotics would not clear it up. He opened up my lower jaw along the gumline and scrapped it out. The stitches didn't last and I had to have another round of stitches so it would heal. It looks like I am almost healed now and I am finishing up yet another round of antibiotics.

CHERYN'S BIRTHDAY 8/19/2023

Cheryn's 68th Birthday! We didn't do anything special.

VISITED WITH COUSIN SUSIE AND FAMILY 7/1/2023

We used to gather every July 4th to celebrate as a family. With our parents all gone my cousin Susie is carrying on the tradition. Cheryn and I had a great time and while we didn't stay long we had a fine meal and got to see folks. I am so please she is doing this.

I HAD MY 69TH BIRTHDAY - 5/29/2023

I had a nice day. Cheryn fixed my favorite meal an Americanized version of Green Pepper Steak. She uses Rib Eye Steak with Green Peppers, Onions and Celery. She used dried mushrooms and beef bullion along with the grease from the steak to make the gravy. Served over Uncle Bens it makes a good meal. Didn't do much but watch some TV.

CHANGED OIL IN THE BLAZER 5/22/2023

We no longer put on enough mileage to use that as a guide. I have started changing the oil yearly using the Pennzoil Synthetic and a premium oil filter. It seems I always forget what size the oil pan drain plug is. It is the small spark plug socket however but a 5/8" works but a little loose.

GABAPENTIN NO MORE 2023

I had thought Gabapentin was the name of the Klingon prison planet that Kirk and McCoy had been sent to. Come to find out it is one of the new non-narcotic pain relieving drugs. I was given it to help with my sleeping and it has helped some. The best side effect is I feel much much better all the time all from one capsule I take before bed time.

I however am a unicorn when it comes to this drug. It seems 1 in 5000 Men in my age group have problems with the drug slowing our heart rate. Mine had dropped to 32 bps. The nurse got all excited and ran got the doctor. It seems if your heart rate is this low you are near dead. I no longer take this drug and after 2 months my heart rate returned to 60 bps. If you can take this drug I do suggest it but if you are a guy monitor your heart rate and stop if it starts dropping.

I am on Cosentyx for my Psoriasis now and it has been helping. My skin still is not clear but my joints are better.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 1/1/2023

We did nothing special for New Years.

CHRISTMAS 12/23/2022

Christmas was quiet for us this year. The kids came in from Memphis and we spend a few quiet days together. We did go visit Cheryn's sister.

PFIZER BOOSTER 11/8/2022

Cheryn and I scheduled our booster at the local Walmart Store. This is our 5th vaccination against COVID-19 and adds immunity to the latest variants. We took the Pfizer and had no issues once again besides a little soreness in the arm.Get yours if you haven't. We still continue to lose Oklahomans every week athough it has slowed dramatically. I have lost two aunts and many friends, why would you run the risk?

BOB'S 50TH HIGH SCHOOL REUNION - 9/16 & 17/2022

I attended U.S. Grant High School here in OKC and graduated in 1972. For our 50th we had a Picnic on Friday, a Memorial for the Passed on Saturday morning and a nice Function on Saturday Night. There were about 220 who attended the Picnic, Friday Night. Burgers and Dogs and other snacks. Got to see some folks I haven't seen since high school. The Memorial allowed us to honor the 123 lost classmates. The Big Event (close to 200 attended) was at the Hotel. I put together a slide show of past events and dinners that played on a big screen. We also put together a music playlist and had a really nice sound system for playback. 180 songs from 68 through 73. which all didn't get to play but they were there. 11 hours of music and memories. It was all too short. Much thanks for the folks who spent all the time and effort to make this happen.

Dennis Beaty (class of 73) came in from California for the event. It was great to see and visit with my old buddy.

CHERYN'S 67TH BiRTHDAY - 8/19/2022

Cheryn turned 67. We didn't do much special but did go to her favorite little Tex Mex Restaurant. Don Chuy's.

I AM PISSED AT THE CHILDREN RUNNING FACEBOOK, LOOKS LIKE FOREVER THIS TIME. - 8/2/2022

I was recently kicked off Facebook for some old images I posted. After a review I was exonerated. I was back on a couple of weeks and all of a sudden I was confronted with an image that I was exonerated from during the first review. I am now awaiting another review. I am not sure what the game is here. It was an image I pulled from another Facebook page. They must have children running the show. Adults would not act like this. Since most of the users I interact with are near my age they should put adults in charge of the show and stop this petty horseshit.. I administer the U.S. Grant Class of 72 page and our 50th Reunion is coming in September.

I got notice that too much time had passed for a review (what the hell?). The only option I have is to get a number and have the info sent to an Instagram account which I don't have. All this for a image i reposted from another Facebook page almost a year ago. What I want to know is how come it took this this long to identify it as a problem. I could care less about something I posted that long ago.

I AM NOW ON ENBREL AND GABAPENTIN - 7/20/2022

The drugs I have been on so far for my Psoriasis have done little but make my hair fall out. A visit to my specialist and some special paperwork allowed me to get on a program where I can try Enbrel. While not the latest it has a good track history. It has to be injected and fortunately Cheryn is an ex-nurse. I take a shot every Wednesday. So far no real bad side effects. I will let know of the progress.

I had thought Gabapentin was the name of the Klingon prison planet that Kirk and McCoy had been sent to. Come to find out it is one of the new non-narcotic pain relieving drugs. I was given it to help with my sleeping and it has helped some. The best side effect is I feel much much better all the time all from one capsule I take before bed time.

THE KIDS CAME FOR THE HOLIDAY - WARREN THEATER - 7/1/2022

Amanda and Scott drove in from Memphis to spend the 4th with us. We had a good visit. Instead of just sitting around the house I suggested we go to the Warren Theater in Moore and see the new Jurassic Park Movie. We had never been and I for one was really impressed. Great seating with a bit of elbow room. The sound system was exceptional and that huge screen was just great. It is a bit pricey so we won't be doing this often but it is nice to see that the theaters have something to offer these days.

I HAD MY 68TH BIRTHDAY - 5/29/2022

I had a nice day. Cheryn fixed my favorite meal an Americanized version of Green Pepper Steak. She uses Rib Eye Steak with Green Peppers, Onions and Celery. She used dried mushrooms and beef bullion along with the grease from the steak to make the gravy. Served over Uncle Bens it makes a good meal. Didn't do much but watch some TV.

CHANGED OIL IN THE BLAZER 5/22/2022

We no longer put on enough mileage to use that as a guide. I have started changing the oil yearly using the Pennzoil Synthetic and a premium oil filter. Lost our oil filter wrench so had to buy a new one. I just don't have the hand strength of my youth and I hate sticking a screwdriver through the filter since it always results in getting bathed with oil. I put this new oil wrench with the funnel and red rag we keep in a plastic bag. I favor the one that fits on the top of the filter and catches the flutes. Takes a 3/4" ratchet handle and makes an easy job of it, even though I have to hammer it off the old filter to get it back off.

PFIZER BOOSTER 4/25/2022

Cheryn and I scheduled our booster at the local Walmart Store. This is our 4th vaccination against COVID-19. We took the Pfizer and had no issues once again besides being a little tired and a little soreness in the arm. Very quick the hardest part was hanging around 15 minutes after to make sure we didn't have any side effects from the injection. Get yours if you haven't. We still continue to lose Oklahomans every week. I have lost two aunts and many friends, why would you run the risk?

BATHROOM CLOG 4/11/2022

I went to get on the roof to use our new drill driven snake in the front plumbing vent. The 20 mph wind and my unsteady gate convinced me quickly that I wasn't going to be able to do this. I got back down largely from imagining the fire department having to crane me off the roof. Too old and too fat. Cheryn called Mr. Rooter. The guy asked why we didn't try the drain port in the back yard. It was full of water telling him the clog was further down. After playing out 60 feet he heard the gurgle gurgle. Well now I know next time. I recommend Mr. Rooter here in OKC. We have used them in the past and they are reasonable if you need work done.

LIGHTNING STRIKE 3/21/2022

I don't remember the exact day but I think it was Monday. The sound made us levitate it was so loud. Found out later that it his the cross arm of the utility pole in our backyard. We lost various electronic items. The worst was it took out our Cox Business Internet. It killed my relatively new wireless router. It also took out a couple of the items that work with our DirecTV. We also lost a rather expensive Toaster Oven. The light bulb over the sink was extremely bright. I looked in the sink and the bulb part of the LED light have come off. We were lucky but since we had been through this before we had battery backups and surge protectors on most everything. Do know that those wear out and you should replace them even though they appear to be working. The little MOV's lose the ability to react over time. We normally replace most of them with new ones and move the old ones to less expensive gear. We just go lazy in some cases and had no protection.

MY AUNT JUDY PASSED 3/7/2022

Judy (Nunn) Pierce passed away yesterday of COVID-19. She was living in a facility since her stroke. My condolences to her family. Funeral this Saturday (nice service). I spent a bit of time with her back when my grandmother baby sit me while mom worked. She was 7 years older than me born Sept. 15, 1947. She also helped care for my dad when he was in ill health. We would watch 3D Danny and American Bandstand when she would get home from school or drop over to the Tasty Freeze for an ice cream cone. Or perhaps we would walk down to the Airline Shopping Center and I would buy a box of Ludens Cough Drops.

She would sometimes come in from outside with her skates on. Grandma would chide her if she caught her. A ball bearing fell out of one of her skates and I found it. I thought to myself I bet this would fit in my ear. I was okay until everyone panicked. The doctor got it out in no time. Judy is still grounded from this by the way.

THE KIDS CAME IN FOR CHRISTMAS 12/23/2021

Our daugher Amanda and her husband Scott drove in to celebrate Christmas and to visit a while. Had a great time. Unfortunately Scott picked up COVID on the way back home. Being fully vaccinated and with the booster it looks like no hospital for him. Cheryn said once he started showing symptoms Amanda avoided him the best she could but she has symptoms now.

U.S GRANT CLASS OF 72 CHRISTMAS PARTY 12/21/2021

We had our annual Christmas Party with Dirty Santa at Bill's Steakhouse and Saloon. I think everyone had a great time. We missed more than a few regulars but with COVID-19 heating up again it is understandable.

INSTALLED NEW STOVE TOP 11/21/2021

Our old stove was so old parts were no longer available and it was inconsistent in working. We finally bit the bullet and ordered a new Whirpool unit. It is conventional style and while the smooth tops are all the range and look nice if you keep them cleaned properly we still use old cookware. Cheryn did most of the work getting things prepped and the old unit pulled loose. I unwired it and me and her pulled it out. The new unit fit the opening once we removed some spacers. There was still plenty of clearance. My buddy Paul Randall came over and wired it for us. She has been using it but we have still not sealed it in yet but will soon. We just wented to make sure everything worked properly before getting out the silicon.

WE CELEBRATED OUR 44TH ANNIVERSARY 10/1/2021

All Saint's Day is the day we were married. I just have to look out for Trick or Treaters to remember our wedding anniversary. We ate out at Don Chuy's our favorite little Tex Mex spot.

WENT TO THE EYE DOCTOR 8/19/2021

I figure it has been close to 50 years since I had my eyes checked. I would have my regular doctor look at them periodically but I was blessed with better than normal vision 20/10. I am 67 now and have been using drug store glass for computer work and reading for the last 5 years or so. I still see anything further than say the TV perfectly. Well I started having blurry vision and even more powerful drugstore glasses wasn't helping. My left eye was matting and even though I was washing it with an eyecup and eyewash it wasn't helping. He told me my left eye was reacting to allergens. He told me to try a couple of better products and they are again clearing up. I go back to have them checked once again. He said I didn't need glasses for my right eye. If my left clears up hopefully won't need them for it either. We will see I go back next week. I ended up getting a prescription. Still haven't done anything yet.

We celebrated Cheryn's 66th Birthday Today!

STARTING WORK ON THE U.S. GRANT CLASS OF 72 50TH REUNION! 8/12/2021

Cathy Goure along with our team has found a location. We are working on identifying and updating the class roster to make sure everyone gets invites.

EARLY 4TH CELEBRATION 7/3/2021

LaOur daughter and son-in-law came in for the holiday weekend. My cousin Susie had a do on the 3rd and we went. They had caught a big batch of sand bass and had a big fish fry. Susies husband cooked me some without breading. They were tasty. We didn't stay late but had a great time. Cheryn is now only carrying a cane for any distance walking. She is only taking a minimal amount of pain meds. It has been roughly 4 weeks and she walks around the house unhindered. I can't believe how quickly she has gotten almost back to normal.

CHERYN IS DOING WELL 6/23/2021

Last Friday I took her up to the clinic and they removed her stitches and staples. They sure move fast these days. She is now able to walk short distance with only the aid of a cane. I helped her pack up a few orders. We are still behind and appreciate your patience and understanding. She is still on pain meds which still limits her abilities. Thanks for all the kind words and wishes.

CHERYN HAD KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY 6/8/2021

I drove her down early Tuesday to Mercy. I waited until they took her into surgery. Her sister came up to be with her after. Went without a hitch. She came home on the 10th after spending only 2 days in the hospital. A healthcare worker came in today the 11th. She gets around with the aid of a walker. She has an icebath thing that circulates cool water to her leg. She also has a contraption that exercises her leg. I have been cooking for us both. I don't think most husbands appreciate how much their wives do until something like this happens. This is my second time as she had arthroscopic knee repair last year. If all goes well this will be the last, at least for a while.

CHANGED OIL IN THE BLAZER 5/22/2021

We no longer put on enough mileage to use that as a guide. I have started changing the oil yearly using the Pennzoil Synthetic and a premium oil filter. The oil coming out of the Blazer is still pretty clean. We have managed to hang onto the oil filter wrench and we have a nice oil drain pan that has the spot to drain the filter and a poor spout making cleanup easy. Cheryn put on new wiper blades. We ordered a new drive belt. It only takes about an hour and as long as I am able to crawl under the truck we will keep doing this.

We had Christian Brothers Auto Repair replace the rear rotors and brake shoes and flush the brake system. They also rotated the tires.

WE REPLACED THE GARAGE OFFICE AIR CONDITIONER - 5/14/2021

I got up one morning and turned on the through the wall air conditioner my dad had installed as the day had started warming up. Our double car garage has been converted into my business office. It tripped the breaker. Our neighbor has guys working for him that do odd jobs and his guy took on the take of removing the old unit and putting in a much smaller but more efficient unit. They had to change the mounting considerably since the new unit was not near as deep and install a metal drip pan. We still need to do some insulating around it but it works good. I now have a remote control so I don't have to take the agonizing dozen or so step to change the settings. I turn it to eco mode at night. I won't know how well it works until the summer heats up but I expect it will be just fine since we have insulation in the roof of the garage for the first time. Cheryn did most all of this working with the guy.

METHOTREXATE, PSORIASIS, LUPUS - 4-16-2021

Those of you that know me know that I have Psoriasis. Up to now the patches of scaly skin have been a nuisance. It has continually gotten worse. I agonized over taking a chemo drug to control it since one of the side effects is Lymphoma a type of cancer. Since it weakens the immune system they have you get tested for TB. I took that and other blood tests and was shown okay. When I went back to the Doctor I complained again about numbness in my hands and feet. I have also had some joints stiffen up enough were I don't have complete range of motion. After looking at my hands he sent me back to be tested for Lupus. He called today. I have Lupus. Since the treatment for it is the same as for my Psoriasis I have started Methotrexate and Folic Acid.

Today is 5-25 so I have taken 5 doses of the Methotrexate. The only symptoms I have is lack of energy and just and overall weak feeling. I also have been having more headaches than normal. Nothing life threatening. My Psoriasis is not improved. I was able to bring my left ring finger down to reach my hand again. It was so stiff before I could not.

R38 INSULATION IN THE ATTIC! 3-31-2021

The old house only had a thin layer of rockwool blown in when the house was built back in 1962. Needless to say there was about as much dust as insulation left and that stuff settles over time. We looked around and got several bids but someone recommended these folks to us. They were considerably cheaper. We asked how they were able to do that. He said if you buy truckloads of materials rather than a few bags at the home depot you can do jobs like this at much better prices. They did a great job shoring up the edges in the attic where necessary to keep the vents open and things protected. They covered a hole left over the utility closet. They finished by vacuuming up the area around the attic. The place was cleaner than it was before. OKInsulation is the company name and Mike Moreno and his wife is who we worked with. Family owned and operated. Nice folks! OKInsulation.com

WE REPLACED 2 SETS OF UPS BATTERIES 3-26-2021

These things are so heavy it is about everything Cheryn and I both can manage. I am pleased to have both up and running before the storm season starts up. UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply. These keep our servers online and running in case of a power failure. It also provides protection against surges and power dips.

NEVER RUN OVER THAT BOX, IT MIGHT HAVE A DEAD BABY IN IT 3-16-2021

Cheryn had run over that mattress cover and it had lodged over the drive shaft and rear end. We took the truck to Christian Brothers and they removed it no charge (good outfit by the way). I remember something my dad told me that prevented me from running over stuff. He said don't run over that box there might be a dead baby in it. You don't realize how smart your parents were until later in life sometimes. I realize now he never thought there was a dead baby in that box but it might have been something to damage the car. I always avoid running over anything in the roadway because I visualized a dead baby might be in it. When I taught my daughter to drive I told her the same thing. I asked Cheryn if she thought about the dead baby being in the debris and she said it was too flat but she thought about it.

CLASS DINNERS ARE BACK 3/16/2021

We began having our monthly U.S. Grant Class of 72 dinners one day short of a year. We had cancelled our dinner back on 3/17/2020 due to COVID-19. Most of us are fully vaccinated now and the restaurants we choose still wear masks. Cheryn and I both still wear our masks in and out of the restaurant and when we are not eating. While I know it is still risky I am hopeful with the precautions we take we can avoid any problems.

LAYING ON YOUR BACK REMOVING DEBRIS 3-10-2021

Cheryn had stopped off at the post office branch near the airport. On her way home she ran over a mattress cover and it wrapped itself around the drive shaft. She called and I told her to drive home slow. She said is was noisy. I worried that it might catch on fire but she made it home. We spent an hour on our backs in the driveway trying to cut it free. Nylon Fabric used in these is tough stuff. She is taking it to the shop this morning. We managed to get the bulk removed but have given up on getting the mess melted to the pinion. It's always something.

VACCINATED! 2-27-2021

We both have our second Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccinations now. Get yours when you are eligible. Relatively no side effects (we both slept most of the second day away after our second injection). Didn't notice a thing after the first.

COLD SNAP FROM HELL 2-22-2021

We survived the cold snap. It seemed like more than a week and some nights below zero. I was showering one evening and I set the wash cloth on the sill in the shower. It froze to the sill and I had to splash warm water on it to get it loose. They turned the power off for an hour one day. I woke to hear all of our battery backups shrieking. I just turned the gear off until the power came back up. We were lucky. I had a Vornado fan blowing of a 1500 Watt Quartz Heater across the laundry room and back bathroom. The washer drain froze (north wall). We used a funnel with some hot salted water to unfreeze it. Got a bit of water on the floor from the washer but that fixed it. We stayed in and had groceries delivered. I remembered why I had pajama bottoms even with that extra blanket. The heat kept up but we kept it turned down as the utility companies were asking.

WE REPLACED OUR CENTRAL AIR 2-15-2021

Our 59 year old gas fired Central Heat still worked fine but our Central Air was out. We replaced the units with a modern American Standard Unit. E.J.'s Heat and Air here in OKC, did it in one day and did a bang up job for much less than their competitors. Very happy. Nice concrete pad under the large compressor and moved out from the house drip line. They outside air vented the furnace to keep it from drawing heated air for combustion. Removed un-needed lines and unplugged the drain line. Facebook

BASS IS BACK 1-16-2021

One of my Christmas presents was a sub-woofer for my new 49" LG UHD Smart TV. The treble and highs were nice and crisp but the TV lacked any semblance of lower notes. A 12" Budget Buy Black Wooden Cabinet appeared under the tree. What I was missing is the new set only has optical out. Silly me, I thought those RCA jacks were out but they were for plugging things into. Cheryn ordered me an Optical to RCA adapter and it is now hooked up. Make a big difference in TV and Music out enjoyment.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 1-1-2021

We stayed home and binge watched all 5 Thin Man movies. They were on TCM and I recorded them so we could view them at our leisure. We hope you have a happy and prosperous new year.

CHRISTMAS 12-22-20

We took a few days and visited the kids in Memphis this year. We drove back Sunday. Had a nice visit. Our son in law Scott had put a 55" Big Screen in the guest bed room. That and the new Queen Size super matress I like to have never left the bed. We really enjoyed ourselves.

TROUBLESHOOTING MY NETWORK! 11/29/2020

What the real problem was: We have 3 servers only that run off of our 8 port Gigabit Switch. Our internal network now runs from the new Linksys Wireless AX Router which serves DHCP for our home network. Through the process of elimination I discovered the old headgap.com server was making and incredible amount of what amounted to network noise. It seems those old Gigabit Ethernet Cards eventually wear out. We were having interruptions in program playback on our wirelessly connected TV. While our internal network would test clean when it went to the net we would lose packets like crazy. We replaced the card with one I had on hand (they are no longer made) and things are back to normal. Spent money and time only to find out it was really a $20 import PCI Ethernet Card. My friend Brian Akey logged onto the network and helped me identify a few troublemakers hitting our servers. They are now permanently blocked. Thanks Brian.

THANKSGIVING 11/26/2020

It was just me and Cheryn this year. We made 4 Turkey Legs along with GF Dressing, Giblet Gravy, and Cheryn's famous Cranberry Sauce that comes in a can. We are still eating on the other 2 legs.

NEW COMPUTER GEAR! 11/22/2020

We have been having some odd problems lately at after a visit from Cox Business we replaced our Gigabit Switch and our Wireless Router. Our old Wireless unit was Wireless-N and most of the new gear is the faster Wireless-AC. After reviewing what was available I decided on jumping up to the new Wireless-AX technology skipping over the AC. I like and buy Linksys products. I ended up buying the Max-Stream Dual-Band Mesh WiFi6 Router. While the performance was good it wasn't as good as I expected. I finally found an article by an ex-Apple Engineer that explained about setting up the antennas. Try it one way and run speed test several times and then try it the opposite way. Leave it whatever works best. It was a big improvement.

NOW YOU HAVE DONE IT! 11/9/2020

Electing a decent man with a decent wife should restore some of what was lost. There has always been more of us than them, it just took getting enough of them riled to vote. I just hope Mr. Babyman doesn't do to much damage on his way out.

I posted this 4 years ago and I was right - NOW YOU'VE DONE IT! - 11/9/16

Electing a con man and his euro tramp whore wife for first lady makes me ashamed to be an American. This will not end well and you can count on that. I guess I along with many others had no idea how effective the propaganda by our news services were and how stupid people can be. The Electoral College was designed to keep this from happening. Didn't work out too well.

CATASTROPHIC ICE STORM OF EXTRAORDINARY MAGNITUDE! 10/26/2020

The trees here in OKC still had their leaves as three separate fronts over two days put freezing rain and sleet on everything. Falling limbs and lines overburdened with ICE fell all over town.

On Monday October 26th at roughly 6 pm our power went out. Our battery backups only are good for a few hours so we shut down our servers and our phones. Approximately 350,000 households were without power. After almost 2 weeks the power came back up on November 7th, 2 pm.

Our house has a gas hot water heater so we filled the tubs and sinks up with hot water several times a day. We broke out the oil lamps but only had 4 bottles of oil and ran out before we got power back. No one had any in stock as they sold out the first day. Amazon delivered us a gallon a few days in, so we made do with flashlights for a few days.

We simply took the refrigerated perishables outside in a box since the temperature remained at 32 degrees for a couple of days. It started warming back up day three so out come the ice chests. We cooked up the freezer meat and feasted. Our camping propane stove saved us but we only had 5 bottles of propane. Amazon again saved us by delivering an adapter hose that allowed us to use the larger bottles readily available at most all convenience stores. We made coffee by manually pouring boiling water over the grounds held in our coffee makers basket and pot.

Our freezer food lasted most of the time. We had filled the bottom of it with 1/2 gal. empty milk jugs filled with water and had a large thermal mass of frozen water that kept things cool. 12 days is a long time though and even supplementing it with a few bags of ice didn't last. We discarded a lot of food. The neighborhood stray cats got the meat though.

12 days without power can be trying. We celebrated our 43rd Wedding Anniversary on November 1st in the dark. We had french toast for breakfast with sausage, we celebrated eating out for the first time since Corona Virus at our favorite little tex mex place, Los Vaqueros. The wait staff all wore masks and nothing was left on the tables. You had to ask since it required them to sterilize anything used in serving like salt and pepper. We kept our masks on except when eating. They had spread the tables out so you were properly distanced.

I am really glad we had stocked up on batteries and had added one of those Tac Light Lanterns from Harbor Freight. We entertained ourselves with a portable radio listening to the local stations, I am not sure how Ronnie Kay is still working. I listened to him on my first transistor radio at age 10 on WKY. He is on KOMA FM 56 years later. Cheryn had gotten an iPhone 12 and we kept it charged from the car. She also bought one of those little charger batteries at Walgreens. We charged it back up in the car as well and we used it for my iPods. We would look at the news together in the morning and evening. We both read a lot.

I sometimes think about a generator but know the problems in getting something started you use infrequently. A lawn mower sitting for one season is bad enough and a generator would not get used near as often. A propane our natural gas driven one would be best but they are pricey. I have been through a few ice storms in my life but never one that had did so much damage that it took out the power so long. I am hoping that this is a rare event.

We are adding a catalytic propane heater to our list of survival gear. Our house never dipped below 53 degrees but the weather was only cold a few days. We would have had to contend with freezing pipes and more if the weather was really cold. We of course will adapt it to the larger propane bottles. I hope you are yours did okay if you were here local and had to do without power.

CHERYN IS SICK 10/19/2020

While she tested negative for COVID using the fast test, our doctor knew from her symptoms she had it. She got sick Saturday night. Shivers like I have never seen. Two blankets and a hot pad no help. Hot bath finally calmed her. High Temperature of 103. Monday she went to the Doctor and he said for her to go get tested. The results came back Wednesday negative. That was the quick test. Since she is improving we will not spend the time and money for the more accurate test. She is taking a round of Steroids for the lung damage and has a Zpack just in case. I have not been sick yet. I hope I have missed it.

CHERYN'S TRIFECTA 8/19/2020

Cheryn's 65th Birthday! Last day at her outside work. Retired to work full time on our Mac computer business. We didn't do much we got Schlotski's takeout and watched TV the day after to celebrate. They got her a chocolate cake at work.

LG 4K 49" UHD SMART TV 8/01/2020

Our old TV had given us good service for many years and we had repaired it (replaced 8 Capacitors in the Power Supply). But it started blacking out. While I know we could have fixed it again it was time. The new larger 4K UHD Smart TV is really great. We have enjoyed watching movies over in 4K. Breathtaking. The only thing that is a bit disappointing is the sound doesn't have to ability to do bass notes well. Maybe a sound bar for Christmas?

MAINTENANCE JUST BEFORE IT CATCHES ON FIRE 7/14/2020

I noticed cat fur sticking out from the refrigerator vent. I figured it might be time. Cheryn got down there with her brush and a lint ball the size of a kitten was pulled from the coils. We probably ought to schedule this a bit more often. Fridges ain't cheap. I looked the last time we cleaned it was 3/15/16. I guess 4 years isn't often enough.

KILL YOUR KIDS 7/12/2020

When the people meeting to discuss sending your kids back to school are meeting on Zoom, you need to get your head out of your ass. This isn't a plan. Homeschooling if you can. Let em run wild if you must. You can catch up a kids education in the future but only if they are alive.

ANTI-VAXXER 6/23/2020

I hear that it is politically incorrect to call them Anti-Vaxxers now. We should be calling them by their technical name from now on. Child Murdering Fuckwad is so much more appropriate in so many ways. I was talking with a lady who was anti-vax. She said that none of her children were vaccinated and the one that lived turned out okay.

I HAD MY 66TH BIRTHDAY - 5/29/2020

I had a nice day. Cheryn fixed my favorite meal. She bought me the complete works of Phillip Jose Farmer and Phillip K. Dick. Nice you can get collections like this for people who still like to read paper.

CHANGED OIL IN THE BLAZER 5/17/2020

We no longer put on enough mileage to use that as a guide. I have started changing the oil yearly using the Pennzoil Synthetic and a premium oil filter. Lost our oil filter wrench so had to buy a new one. I just don't have the hand strength of my youth and I hate sticking a screwdriver through the filter since it always results in getting bathed with oil. I put this new oil wrench with the funnel and red rag we keep in a plastic bag. I favor the one that fits on the top of the filter and catches the flutes. Takes a 3/4" ratchet handle and makes an easy job of it, even though I have to hammer it off the old filter to get it back off.

We added some airconditioner stop leak and a bit more freon. Seems like that leak is getting worse and I can't find it so it means likely it is the cooling core in front of the radiator since I can't see it without taking things apart. Fingers crossed this stuff helps. I really don't want to spend the money to rebuild it if I can help it.

NOT INJECTING BLEACH 4/24/2020

Now he says he really didn't say that and it was only a conjecture on his part. My suggestion: stay off camera if you want to make crap up. Anyone who thinks antibiotics work on viruses has no business addressing anyone on health related issues. Do you really think this guy is looking out for you and me? Stay inside and if you just go out wear a good mask and keep your distances. Wash your hands.

Tell FEMA to stop stealing PPE's and other supplies. We know you are having Jared sell them to your buddies who mark up and resell them.

Thanks for giving back my money. I am not naive enough to not see what you did. You fired the oversite so there is no tracking on your big money give away to all your buddies. Don't worry though you will be ratted out.

APRIL FOOLS CANCELLED DUE TO FOOL IN WHITEHOUSE 4/1/2020

It is hard to joke when you have an asshat in the whitehouse who thinks the My Pillow guy will offer aid and comfort to the public. For those of you who think he is doing a good job I have one question "are you stupid". Sorry rhetorical question.

Democratic hoax of epic proportion. Only it isn't a hoax and asshole knew it when he sent 17.8 tons of supplies to China. This man is officially a mass murderer. He did so with malice and forethought. You have to appreciate a president who only takes care of his friends and denies aid to governors who don't kiss his ass.

Cheryn who has just had knee surgery was off for 6 weeks anyway. Me I hardly ever leave the house anyway. We have limited our trips out only for Cheryn's knee rehabilitation and supplies. We haven't had to resort to wiping our asses with coffee filters like some. We have managed to keep a roll or two ahead of demand. We didn't eat out much but do miss our outings.

WILD EYBROWS 3-19-2020

My daughter was visiting this last week and asked me what age did men get the wild eyebrows. I told her 65. It isn't that we don't trim them it just gets tougher and you have to use wirecutters.

TRUMP VIRUS 3/17/2020

We cancelled our high school monthly class dinner at the last minute. May be for the best but I doubt seriously anyone in our group is infected. It only takes one though. Odd that so many places are closed. We are close to running out of TP but we picked up some napkins and kleenex on our last outing. Have tried to avoid those quick runs to the store but the Walmart says the pickup service is over a week out now. I hope washing your hands and not touching your face is enough. I have no confidence whatsoever in the government but fortunately the web doesn't limit your information to one country. It is time for us to let the smart people to speak and run things again.

CHERYN HAD KNEE SURGERY 3/12/2020

Cheryn who never has anything go wrong finally had to break down and get her knee worked on. They did the surgery laproscopically. She was in early one morning and out before noon. It didn't take her long to get up and around. They loaned her a machine that flows cool water over her knee in cycles to help keep the pain down along with the usual drugs for pain. She was getting around on a walker and has switched to a cane. Got my fingers crossed that she gets all heeled. Thanks for the thoughts and prayers. Cheryn is back home again. She survived her knee surgery but told me next time to park closer so she wouldn't have to walk so far. When she came out of the anesthetic she was swearing like a sailor. I looked over at the nurse and mentioned that she was a Nunn.

You never really realize all your wife does until you have to do all of it yourself.

CHERYN SICK? - 2/7/2020

Cheryn who rarely if ever gets sick has a bad cold. It may be more than a cold. Bad congestion and it sounds like she is about to cough up a lung. She finally broke down and visited the doctor and is going back again Monday. She missed a day of work which she hardly ever does.

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 1/1/2020

Have a happy, safe and prosperous new year!

CHRISTMAS - NEW MATTRESS AND BOX SPRINGS - 12/25/19

Who knew you could buy a queen size mattress and box springs on the Internet and have it delivered. Tuft and Needle Mattress. I am very very happy with it. Sleep better on either side now. Kids got us new high thread count sheets and towels much needed. They also renewed our Amazon Prime. Quite the gifts.

FEELING BETTER - 12/21/19

Figured out I was reacting very badly to a medication I have been taking for almost a year. I had pain in both my big toes. It felt like ingrown toenails but they were not. I remembered that I had had a reaction similar as a reaction to an antibiotic. My thumb joints were purple swollen and painful that time. I stopped taking the offending drug and am much much better.

FEELING POOR - 12/10/19

For over a week now I have been feeling poorly. Just general weakness. I am a bit dizzy most of the time. I probably have some type of infection. I have had a headache for 3 days straight. Not running any fever. Not something a doctor can probably help with but I may have to go if I don't start improving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING - 11/28/19

For the first time in years it was just me and Cheryn this year. We cooked the Turkey the Southern Method with the addition of moving it out to the grill with wood smoke packets. I cheated this year with only one chimney of charcoal and stacking unburned charcoal. We had to cook the turkey in the over a bit after checking it. Normally I go out later and add a second chimney. Cheryn's gluten free dressing was as good as I ever ate. You wouldn't have known it was gluten free.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - 11/1/19

Cheryn and I have been married 42 years. We married on All Saints Day, the day after Halloween. I have no excuse for ever missing an anniversary. Paul Randall and his wife then Glenna were our witnesses and we went to Molly Murphy's to celebrate. This year we went to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant a few days after our actual anniversary. Cheryn had worked the night of our anniversary.

NOROVIRUS (stomach virus) - 10/29/2019

I hadn't had the stomach virus since I was a kid. Just as unpleasant with adult control. Took about 36 hours for most of the symptoms to go away. I had no vomited but was queasy. Diarhea is always unpleasant. Headache and low grade fever. Jello, Applesauce and Sprite. Chick Noodle Soup the next day. The day after I started up fever and coughing. I am not sure if that is the same virus or that I have caught something else. Not as bad today the 31st.

WE HAD TO WATCH TV BY FLASHLIGHT - 8/27/2019

If you were wondering where we were at yesterday Tuesday August 28th we were among the 80,000 plus folks who were without power here in Oklahoma City after a freak storm. We had power restored around noon yesterday. It made a long night and it of course flattened all of my Battery Backups. 14 hours of no power. Thanks for your patience.

CHERYN HAD HER 64TH BIRTHDAY - 8/19/2019

We really didn't do anything special until the day after. We attended the U.S. Grant Class of 72 Dinner at Johnnies. Had a nice meal and since we got their before 6 we got the Senior Discount. Cheryn always takes pictures and I edit them and post them on Facebook.. Seen a few new faces this time. We meet monthly for a meal on the third Tuesday of the month. Nice seeing old friends.

STONE RANGER SALOON - 8/2/2019

While the old beer bar is no more I often think of the good times I had there. Mike Feeney owned the bar. It was on Shields out past the old 77 Drive In. I learned early on to go look around back and make sure there were not too many Harleys parked. Mike didn't let the motorcycle groups wear their colors. The ones that frequented the bar were decent enough. But I learned to avoid large groups especially if the women were also present. I always looked to Fred who greeted the incoming during the evening hours. If he shook his head I just came back another time.

Needless to say it wasn't a fancy place. It had one of the best stocked Juke Boxes I had every had the pleasure of. He would have a live group in from time to time with a small cover. He also hosted pool tournaments. Bar size tables. Usually a fairly quiet place to drink a beer or two on the way home. I was Assistant Manager or the TG&Y Family Center in Norman back then.

I was never good at pool. I got a little better after a few beers and decided that I was usually too tense to play well. I usually entered the tournament but expected to be beat out early. One night I guess I was lucky. I made it to the final round. Played a guy that usually beat me quickly. He scratched on the 8 on the first round. I knocked the 8 ball in on the break on the next one. I bought a round for the house with my winnings. Only had to shell out $40 more to cover it.

I do miss the old place and the old friends I use to see there. Of course we all have to move on. Cheers Mike!

BELMAR BASH - 7/20/2019

We are looking forward to the Belmar Bash. Jim Challis and friends put together this thing for Kids Corral (charity). We have been attending these events for years now. They are largely U.S. Grant Alumni but mainly they are folks all about our age that we either went to school with or they were brothers and sisters of those. Always a good time. Held at the Belmar Golf Course Country Club. It starts at 7 p.m. and the $20 cover goes to cover expenses but mostly it goes to the charity. We usually take a few pics and post them on Facebook.

Jim Challis said he took in more money than last year. I hope everyone had as much as we did. Good to see Sharon Thompson my old next door neighbor after 40+ years.

MY WIFE SAID I WAS SMILING - 7/17/2019

I hadn't notice but I got 6 hours of sleep last night and I woke up feeling good. I have to make note of it nowadays so I can remember. I still have the itching rash which has continued to get continually worse.

GOT INVITED TO A PARTY - 7/6/2019

My cousin Susie invited us out for a late 4th celebration. I hadn't been to anything family related since returning from Memphis 7 years ago now. Was good to see her and my cousin Becky and their families and friends. She has a nice place and a big garden. The food was superb and she gave us some to take home as well as a few garden fresh veggies. Cheryn and I both had a great time.

I HAD MY 65TH BIRTHDAY - 5/29/2019

I had a nice day. Cheryn fixed pot roast for my birthday dinner and gluten free carrot cake for dessert. The only exciting thing that happened was I finally got the crown that had popped off reattached. Fixodent is a big help until you get to see the dentist if you ever lose one. I got around 40 years out of it. A.B. Holt (Gaye Holt's daddy) originally install it. My current dentist said I should get another 40 if I lay off Milk Duds and Jolly Ranchers. My itching rash continues to get worse, even with the medicine I take for it.

CHERYN HAS PNEUMONIA - 5/7/2019

Cheryn had the flu and had been to the doctor and got a round of antibiotics when it didn't look like she was clearing up. She missed work for the first time since I can remember. This morning she had a coughing fit that wouldn't settle down. The doctor confirmed and gave her a prescription for a strong antibiotic. Hopefully she will clear up soon.

I have had a persistent itching rash for a while now and have upped my dosage of the medicine I take for it. It keeps me from sleeping, which runs me down. When I get run down the rash gets worse.

CHERYN'S MOTHER PASSED TODAY - 4/10/2019

Cheryn got a call this morning. It seems her mother passed today. She was in the memory care unit at Baptist Village. Cheryn had visited with her last night. I don't think they will be having services. They buried her Saturday in a private graveside ceremony in Locust Grove, Oklahoma. Thanks for all your prayers and kind wishes. My son-in-law Scott and Amanda accompanied Cheryn along with her sister Linda.

WHAT'S NEW? I HAVE LEARNED A BIT MORE ABOUT GLUTEN SENSITIVITY - 1/31/2019

I never expected to end up in the hospital with a hole in my stomach and a bleeding ulcer. I never expected to get a $29,000 hospital bill for two days. They gave me 5 pints of blood. They ran the $900 test that is only 50% effective. What were the results you might ask? It doesn't matter. That test is stupid since whatever the results they are inaccurate.

I have a gluten allergy. I long thought when I got heartburn after eating donuts it was the sugar and the fat, or pizza, it was the spices and the fat, or hamburgers it was the onions and the fat. No it was the wheat. It seems if you have a certain genetic propensity and caught a virus in your childhood you were destined to be allergic to gluten.

There is a disease called Celiac. If you have this your gut shuts down completely when gluten is present. That means no movement of the bowels. Eventually you get a bleeding ulcer and black stools. If you don't do anything about it you die. There is also an itching rash FROM HELL called Dermatitis Herpetiformis. "It is intolerable. It's like nothing you have ever experienced. "You can scratch until you bleed, and it's still there."

Enter Dapsone into your life. It is a drug generally used for treating Hanson's Disease (Leprosy Treatment). It ameliorates the rash to some extent and is generally hard on your system. They recommend you take extra Folic Acid while on this treatment since it leeches it from your system. I also use burn spray or lotion like Solarcaine for quick and temporary relief.

My immediate symptoms from wheat exposure are bloating and stomach cramps. Gas X helps a bit with the symptoms. What really is insidious though is shortly after I break out in an itching rash that is so severe I cannot sleep. It takes weeks to go away on its own. It also paralyzes my gut and I end up with severe constipation.

Some of you may think why is this just now becoming a problem? Scientist recently discovered that everyone with Celiac has antibodies for a virus. Not just some, everyone that was gluten intolerant had these antibodies. Hopefully this discovery will lead to some useful treatments and perhaps a vaccination to keep people from getting this. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/08/523002516/when-gluten-is-the-villain-could-a-common-virus-be-the-trigger

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR - 1/10/18

I realized I hadn't updated this is a while. We visited our kids in Memphis over the Holidays and had a good time. Our friend Paul fed the kitties and checked on the place and made sure our servers were running.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING - 11/24/18

We celebrated Saturday this year. Kids came up to visit. Paul, and two Jerry's also joined us. Turkey turned out great and had a good time.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - 11/1/18

Cheryn and I have been married 41 years. We married on All Saints Day, the day after Halloween. I have no excuse for ever missing an anniversary. Paul Randall and his wife then Glenna were our witnesses and we went to Molly Murphy's to celebrate. This year we went to eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant a few days after our actual anniversary. Cheryn had worked the night of our anniversary.

WELL I WAS SICK - 10-22-18

I finally found out that I had TWO abscessed teeth. Both were under a bridge. My dentist who just retired was able to remove one of the teeth from under the bridge and the other he drilled and root canaled as it was the base for the bridge and was crowned. I had infection down into the bone. This weakened my immune system and I broke out in an itching rash from my allergy to gluten. I am finally clearing up and I guess it has been over 2 months after looking at my own notes.

CHANGED THE OIL IN THE TRUCK - 10-20-18

We don't put any miles on it these days and I have taken to buying Pennzoil Synthetic 5W-30 and changing it once a year. This is a reminder for me. I do need to clean the high performance air filter in the next week or two.

MY BIG SCREEN TV DIED AND HAS RISEN - 10-19-18

Normally these days when your TV dies you just go buy a replacement. A repairman costs about 1/2 what is costs for a replacement even if you could find one. I took it apart on the kitchen table and found several capacitors that had crapped themselves or were swollen on the power board. My friend Paul Randall came by and looked at them and noticed a couple I had missed. He took the board and had all but one of the capacitors in his stash. We ordered the odd one and he soldered them in for us. I replaced the board and fired it up and it works. We reassembled it and its back in its home again.

MY SERVER BACKUP DRIVE DIED - 8-12-18

Our online servers are reliable and run 24/7 but eventually everything wears out. The problem these days though is the drives are no longer available. I use the old style IDE drives and prefer the Seagate 120's when I can find them. They haven't been made in years now unfortunately. I have used some of the solid state drives but the constant heavy use a server puts on them wears them out quickly. They are great however for the casual home user. We were offline a bit Sunday afternoon while I replaced the 2nd drive in the system. We were backup in less than an hour.

WENT TO THE DOCTOR WITH A SINUS INFECTION - 8-6-18

Seems no matter how careful I am about keeping my sinuses clean and avoiding allergens I sometimes get an infection. These cause me great pain in my facial sinuses and teeth. Got a prescription for antibiotics and mild pain medication. Here it is the 13th and I am still not completely over it. (I found out later it was my teeth).

MOSQUITO REPELLENTS - THE REAL STORY

Johnson's Creamy Baby Oil only worked at all for a very limited time (less than a hour) that it worked you might want to try something proven to work that lasts. Another that has limited effectiveness is the Avon Skin So Soft but there now is a version that has the good repellent in it (see below).

What mosquito repellent is safe for babies?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency, you can start using insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 when your child is 2 months old. For children age 3 and older, you can also use products that contain oil of lemon eucalyptus.

Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent sources

Avon has added the IR3535 to its Skin So Soft Formula. Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus

Do You Really Need To Detox Your Body? Experts Say It's Waste Of Time And Money

I see people spend time and money on this crap. Eating healthy and drinking enough water is enough for most everyone. You can even damage yourself by following some of these idiots. Tech Times Do You Really Need to Detox Your Body Article

OKLAHOMA WEATHER

My favorite time of year. All of my favorite programs are on and we all have to watch idiots driving around in the dark showing us pictures of black. Let's not go live to Val. We all watch weather when there are possibilities of tornados or damaging winds etc. Why not just interrupt during commercials unless there is danger. I don't mind the flashing corner or the bar across the bottom of the screen. Fortunately these days I can usually pull the program from my DirecTV later in the week.

BOYCOTT THE VIEW? LET'S BOYCOTT REAL EVIL FOX NEWS!

I see people calling for the View to be taken off the air. If you really want it off the air then boycott the sponsors. If you really want to take something evil off the air then you should be calling for Fox News to be taken off the air. It has done more damage than hundreds of shows like the View. If it were up to me there would be no religious shows on the air as I feel that most prey on people. The thing is this is America, just because you don't like something doesn't make it right for you to take it away from those that do. If you want that go live where dictators run the country. Or hang around here if the way things are going keeps happening.

THERE IS NO IGNORANCE BUT DARKNESS - SHAKESPEARE

Ignorance can be remedied by education. Being stupid however is more difficult because they have the facts but deny them. Neither has anything to do with politics but a stupid person will try and attack anything but their own stupidity. I was blessed with parents and teachers who taught how to think, not just to learn something by rote and be able to spit that out like a mindless parrot. I was also taught to be skeptical, not everything is as you were taught. You can lead a person to knowledge but you can't make them think.

WE RENTED OUR MUSTANG HOUSE - 5-31-18

A school teacher and her two daughters are our newest renters. We had the house empty for 4 months plus had been paying the electrical for a bit longer. Our last renter had health problems and of course you like to be decent about things, so we waited but his health did not improve and finally his family moved his stuff out. We had a bit of damage to repair, some touch up work etc. Thanks to all that helped and helped us spread the word. Facebook was all the advertising I needed. We had a dozen applicants or so in short order after putting our ad up in Facebook Marketplace. We rely on that income these days and that really hurt. Special thanks to Paul Randall who manages the property for us. Robert Pound also helped out a bit as well.

BANK OF OKLAHOMA - KINDA SUCKS

Like most people we very rarely overdraw our accounts. A $32.50 charge however is a bit unreasonable. Our new bank Arvest has a more reasonable $17.50 charge not to mention better rates on just about everything plus a lot more online features. Good-bye Bank of Oklahoma. Thanks for nothing.

JUST HAD MY 64th BIRTHDAY - 5-29-18

Cheryn and I ate at the Chinese Steak Pizza Mongolian BarBQ Sushi Mexican Restaurant around the corner as a celebration. I appreciate you thinking of me. Cheryn bought me a replacement for my padded toilet seat that recently bit the dust.

CRTV IS NOT REAL NEWS - IT IS PROPAGANDA AND YOU ARE BEING PROGRAMMED!

Fox News wasn't lying enough for some of you, so now you have this crap. This is a direct quote from their terms of service: ACCURACY OF DATA We make no claims or promises about the quality, accuracy, or reliability of any content available on or through the Site or Services. CRTV is not liable for any loss or damage that might arise from your reliance on any content available on or through the Site or Services. While a common disclaimer these days this doesn't give this sorry piece of crap network any right to spit out this propaganda.

I GUESS IGNORANCE DOESN'T COUNT

When I was 5 or 6 I remember arguing with a kid that Curly of Stooges fame, was the one with no hair. He insisted that Larry was Curly. I showed him a picture that showed their names captioned below the picture. He said he couldn't read so that didn't count.

FACEBOOK CHANGED THEIR PROTOCOL ELIMINATING SOME BROWSERS

After 4 days or so I figured out that FB changes the way comments were being handled and the web browsers Safari and Roccat which I like and us were no longer being supported. I guess they were interfering with FB business model of only allowing browsers that tell them everything you are doing and allow data to be exchanged without permission of the owner. They talk big talk about being more secure and not giving your data away and yet the browsers they support these days do that so they don't have to.

I CARRY EMERGENCY MEDICAL INFO IN MY WALLET - 4-20-18

I used to have a pre made up card but they are too small these days. I keep a typed copy of contact information, my doctor, and my allergies, medications, blood type etc. I reduce the font size to just legible print and laminate it and carry it in my billfold. Cheryn has a copy in her purse. This also includes our vehicle data, tag, vin number etc. As we all are getting older you should consider doing the same. Keep a file copy on a thumb drive and update it periodically if and when you have changes. I keep a thumb drive in a Tupperware container in the trunk just in case.

MY WISHES - 4-20-18

While this is probably not a legal will, these are my wishes. My wife, Cheryn Ann Nunn gets everything. If she has passed as well my daughter Amanda Ann Smith of Memphis gets everything. I do not wish to be kept alive by extraordinary means if there is little or no hope of recovery or reasonable quality of life. If I ever become mentally disabled or otherwise unable to perform for myself, my wife Cheryn Ann Nunn should have power of attorney. I am not religious but was raised Church of Christ. My wife was raised Baptist. No dancing at my funeral. As for burial, tell my friend Vondel Scott Smith to fire up the barbie. If my ashes and family ashes aren't to be kept I would like them spread into Lake Eufala. The Canadian River already has enough crap in it. We really need to get a Will made up.

BACK TO THE DENTIST 4-26-18

Back to the dentist today. Had two more large bone chips removed and a filling of the tooth above the extraction. Hopefully this will allow the gum finally to heal. I am not sure it if is sinuses or teeth but I still am not feeling my old self. Ended up taking another round of antibiotics.

HAD A TOOTH PULLED- 4-3-18

My left rear molar was giving me pain and making me pretty sick. I went to the dentist and his x-ray told the tale. The tooth was indeed infected. It was a crowned tooth and he said it had a fair amount of decay and he would be unable to save the tooth. He pulled the tooth. I was supplied with pain meds. A week later I went back he removed bone spurs and supplied antibiotic since I still really wasn't better. Here is a few weeks later and I am still having bone spurs erupt through the gum. I am hoping that my trip May 1st will allow him to remove the last of the bone spurs. The last time I had teeth extracted was when I was in my 20's when I had my wisdom teeth removed. I don't remember it being this bad.

MENTALLY HANDICAPPED OR BELLIGERENT FOOL? - 3-16-18

Mom always told me to be patient with those who are mentally handicapped. She really didn' t have to I always do my best to simplify and slow down when speaking to those that have this problem. She also told me to never suffer belligerent ignorant assholes. I have little patience for those folks. There is sometimes a fine line differentiating them however.

KIDS VISIT & AMANDA'S BIRTHDAY - 3-12-18

Our kids came in to visit this past weekend. Our daughter turned 37 on 3-12. We ate out at Saltgrass and had the prime rib. Cheryn made her favorite Carrot Cake and her recipe makes 3 small pans which she had plenty to take home. They went and visited Cheryn's folks in the home. Enjoyed the visit.

CHRISTMAS & NEW YEARS - 1-1-18

Cheryn and I visited Memphis over the Holidays. Our daughter Amanda and son-in-law Scott have a new house over on Poplar in Memphis. Had a real nice visit and even got to eat at our favorite old Chinese restaurant House of China. They have a beautiful old home that has been nicely updated. Lots of work ahead for them but they have time. We were out if you hadn't figured it out. Our friend Paul kept an eye on the place and fed the cat. Our store server was offline a bit but he finally got it back online. Sorry if you had trouble ordering. We will be back on the phone on the 2nd.

HALLOWEEN NEAR & OUR 40TH ANNIVERSARY - 11-1-17

Cheryn and I will have been married 40 years. We married on All Saints Day, the day after Halloween. I have no excuse for ever missing an anniversary. Paul Randall and his wife then Glenna were our witnesses and we went to Molly Murphy's to celebrate. This year we went to the Halloween Bash and had a great time. The Challis brothers and friend put these together and they held it at the local country club. I think around 100 attended.

CHERYN CELEBRATES HER 62ND BIRTHDAY 8-19-17

Probably won't do much this year other than go out to eat. She likes the Mexican food. She was wanting a new skillet. Looked into those new copper ceramic things but after reading about them a bit I realized the old TFAL type skillets are much better and a bit cheaper. They are just as durable. The Copper is just the latest gimmick. The Kids came up from Memphis over labor day and took us out to eat for Cheryn's birthday and replaced most of her cookware with new non stick ceramics. They are easy to clean but don't have regular handles. I still end up using my old stainless steel pot with a regular handle most of the time. The skillets do have regular handles and are a breeze to clean.

CONFEDERATE FLAG & STATUES 8-17-17

As a young lad I never thought much about the confederate flag one way or another. As an adult I see the Klan and Neo Nazis and other ultra right groups using it as a symbol of hate. That is what it is now and it is not okay any more. A shame but that is what it has become. For centuries the Swastika was a religious icon but some German guy changed all that. Same for the confederate flag. It is not okay any more for what it now represents.

I never thought much about the confederate statues until I was sitting in a park in Memphis populated primarily by young blacks. The statue was General Nathan Bedford Forrest. He was the creator of the Klan. Most of those statues were installed after World War I when the Klan was very active and it was done primarily put fear into the blacks. Lynching's were still common then. Time to remove those that were put up to intimidate. I don't think we will forget the history but I wouldn't mind forgetting the hate associated with these.

Some people seem to have trouble getting it. Let me put it another way. You are Jewish and you live in a predominately Jewish community. The only park in your area is Adolph Hitler Memorial Park and there is a statue of Hitler at the park entrance.

Some ask why is this coming up now. It is not coming up now. People have been protesting these for years now but no one was listening. It is time.

There is a place for these I am sure. Many are works of art and they do represent our history however unpleasant. They belong in museums not in public parks and in front of government buildings.

U.S. GRANT CLASS OF 72 - 45TH REUNION 8-11-17

This past Saturday I attended my classes reunion. 45 years does seem like a long time. It was nice catching up with old classmates and friends. You always see that person or two you had not seen since high school. I always drag Cheryn along to these events and she has made enough friends she seems to enjoy the events. She also is a whiz with her iPhone camera. While she isn't always the best at framing a shot I fix them and adjust color and lighting in Photoshop. We get a lot of complements on our pictures and she does her best to get good shots of everyone. I had to go through over 200 shots this time. I leave out the fuzzy, eye closed, etc. shots and pick the best and then crop them appropriately and resize them for Facebook. I spend close to 2 days off and on working on this last batch. I do enjoy them and I think our classmates appreciate them. If you attended I hope you had as much fun as we did.

On a side note I am still broke out with the itching rash and have developed an allergy to the medication I was taking for it.

WHEN DID CAR BATTERIES GET SO EXPENSIVE? 7-8-17

Paul Randall stopped by this morning and took us down to the good Walmart to buy a battery for old 99 S10 Blazer. Stayed and helped me install it. Got 7 years out of the last battery so I can't complain. Great having a friend like Paul. https://www.walmart.com/ip/EverStart-Maxx-Lead-Acid-Automotive-Battery-Group-Size-75N/16782711#about-item

Hunters Wholesale over around 25th and Walker had a better price but close at 1 on Saturday. http://hunterbattery.net

I HESITATE TO SAY ANYTHING 6-28-17

Perhaps the world would be better off without you. I saw an article on someone getting electrocuted charging their device in the bath tub. While everyone is getting comfortable using Phones, Pads, or Laptops almost anywhere, charging them around water is a bad plan. While it is indeed low voltage on the end that plugs into the device the other end is generally in a 110 Wall Socket and that is what gets you. Most homes these days have GFI circuits in and around water like the kitchen or the bath, which provides you with some protection. I would think it would take some determination to reach this level of stupidity but it evidently can get done.

THERE SHOULD BE A SPECIAL LEVEL OF HELL FOR:

I am a snarky, sarcastic fellow and most all of you know me and my sense of humor. Something's I never joke about and they are NEVER funny.

I think there should be a special level of hell for these people.

There are probably more I should add but these are the ones that come to mind.

JUST HAD MY 63rd BIRTHDAY - 5-29-17

The kids were in from Memphis visiting for the holiday. Nice to see my daughter and her husband. One of our 220 breakers that control the dryer gave up the ghost. It seems our main air conditioner was pulling too much juice. Scott my son-in -law went to Home Depot and picked up some cans of air conditioner cleaner. They pulled the large unit out to the porch. It seems these newer units splash the condensation back on the coils to evaporate and improve efficiency. There was a large mat of crud formed on the inside of the outer coils. 1-1/2 cans of cleaner and a many gallons from the hose eventually got it clean. It doesn't trip the breaker any more. Only 2 years old. I guess I will start cleaning these yearly.

Scott ordered me a couple of replacement breakers through Amazon Saturday and I received them on Memorial Day. Paul Randall came by and we installed one. It seems the second pole on the switch was defective. The other single breaker wouldn't open and close so both were defective. Fast delivery service of unfortunately defective parts. Guess I will try local this time. Paul piggy backed the 220 circuit from the stove so we have a working dryer for now. I just have to remember not to be cooking while we are drying clothes.

Cheryn made me gluten free biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast which was a real treat I hadn't had in years. I ate yellow gluten free cake and strawberry jam for icing.

My Psoriasis is worse than ever before. I can see spots showing through my skin on my face now. My arms are covered, and the patch on my lower back is getting larger. My legs are in the same condition. I need to get more sun. I may end up having to take a biologic. I fear anything that has cancer as a side effect.

I am looking forward to the U.S. Grant Class of 72 upcoming 45th Reunion. Hope to see all of you there.

FIXING WHAT AIN'T BROKE - 4-26-17

Last night Cheryn called me from Taco Bueno. She had just picked up dinner and our 99 Blazer wouldn't start. I had her try the usual jiggle the steering column and bang on the column. I thought the little relay in the column had stuck and wasn't allowing any power to get through. Looked up a fix on YouTube since we had had a problem like this before. Called Paul Randall, and he came and picked me up. With a sack of tools we went out to pick up Cheryn and see if we could get the truck going. After I jiggled the column and banged on it a few times Paul said you ain't getting no power open up the hood. I went and wiggled the battery connections and the under hood light came on. Truck started right up. Who knew that battery cables can loosen over time. This morning I took a couple of turns with the socket on each post to get them entirely tightened back down. I know they were tight after the last battery change I checked it. It has been 5 years though.

AREN'T YOU PROUD YOUR GOVERNMENT SOLD YOUR BROWSER HISTORY! - 3-30-17

If you aren't pissed about this you should be. All 7 of Oklahoma's congressman voted yea on the bill. Remember this when it comes time to vote. Sold your info out for cash. I guess the Tor Browser people or setting up VPN's is going to be par from the course now. Using DuckDuckGo for searching was already a smart thing to do since your searched are encrypted and not tracked by anyone. I have started using Roccat web browser recently. It lets you lie to the servers and identify your web browser as whatever you want and makes it easy to turn off your tracking.

BOB'S CLEANERS - 2-9-17

If you are a cheap bastard like me you can make your own cleaners. They cost almost nothing save a few spray bottles you can pick up at the dollar store or repurpose any empties. They contain less toxic chemicals and work well. Add the soap after filling to keep from foaming.

GENERAL CLEANING AND DISINFECTING

WINDOW CLEANER

GREASE CLEANER

REMOVING SCUM AND HARD WATER MINERALS

One important thing. Never mix Ammonia and Bleach! It makes a toxic gas.

 

NOW YOU'VE DONE IT! - 11/9/16

Electing a con man and his euro tramp whore wife for first lady makes me ashamed to be an American. This will not end well and you can count on that. I guess I along with many others had no idea how effective the propaganda by our news services were and how stupid people can be. The Electoral College was designed to keep this from happening. Didn't work out too well.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - 11/1/16

Cheryn and I have been married 39 years. We married on All Saints Day, the day after Halloween. I have no excuse for ever missing an anniversary. Paul Randall and his wife then Glenna were our witnesses and we went to Molly Murphy's to celebrate. This year we are going out for Mexican Food. Nothing fancy.

MYSTERY RASH HAS RETURNED- 10/8/16

Seems like State Fair time when the ragweed is in bloom I get sick. Most of you that know me know that I have Psoriasis. While it is not pretty it pretty much a nuisance thing and I simply treat it locally with steroid creams. What happens to me when I get run down though is I get a mystery itching red rash. I have had just minor patches that come and go sometimes but when my system is really down I can break out from neckline to my feet tops. I have tried different treatments and drugs for it over the years and internal steroids temporarily fix it but they give me stomach cramps and as soon as I step the dosage back it can sometimes reappear with a vengeance. We have been treating it and successfully with Dapsone which is of all things an Anti Leprosy Drug. It works though but it is hard on my system and the doc has to monitor my blood work. I started taking them a few days ago when I first started getting more severe patches. I am hopeful it will mend quickly.

They use Dapsone sometimes for people with full blown Celiac Disease to stop a similar rash. I didn't test positive for Celiac but I do know I am gluten intolerant. Perhaps I contaminated myself recently eating out. It is impossible to control what a restaurant serves even when they have gluten free on the menu. If they prepare things in the same oil or even on the same surfaces it can be enough. I normally get severed bloating and gas if I do something stupid but the small amounts are more insidious.

To describe the rash it is small red bumps that appear eventually to grow together. They itch like poison ivy. I use Solarcaine Sprays and Gels to knock down the itch but it keeps me from sleeping and becomes physically disabling after a time, making my immune system even weaker. I am hopeful thought that the medicine will do its work quickly again.

I had a heck of a time figuring out a course of treatment for it and saw the usual bunch of specialist who charge you too much and run expensive tests and get no results. If you know someone with a similar problem you can have them get a hold of me and I will share what information I have. It was frustrating going for years without any hope of treatment other than waiting for it to go away.

HE HAS THE TOUCH- 9/29/16

Many years ago the key stopped working in my old Ford. I installed a toggle switch and a push button under the dash to take over. Proud of this cost free repair (I had the switches) I showed my buddy Paul Randall. He asked if I had the key so I handed it to him. He stuck it in the ignition turned it and the car started. Work ever after. Today he came by because a switch he installed had quit working on our disposal. We had run and extension cord and would unroll the cord and manually plug it in. Of course he plugs it back in and it works perfectly. While he had his meter out he checked the circuits in our patio room. Cheryn had to clear out stuff stacked in front of the outlets. It seems my dad wired these up like the old Christmas lights. The GFI switch was blown on the first outlet. Turned in back on and they are all hot. I think next time something doesn't work I will just threaten it saying Paul is coming over and see if it just doesn't work again. Nice having a buddy like Paul.

LOST A CROWN- 9/11/16

One of my crowns came loose Sunday and I got into the dentist today. He cleaned it and glued it back on. It was one that A.B. Holt put on back about 40 years ago. Guess I got my money worth from that glue. Still $55 bucks poorer. My new dentist is my age but graduated in 72 from S.E. He said as long as I lay off the Milk Duds and Jolly Ranchers this glue will go with me to the grave

NICE LABOR DAY- 9/5/16

The kids came in from Memphis and we re-celebrated Cheryn's birthday thanks to our daughter and son-in-law Scott who picked the tab up at Salt Grass and again at Ted's. Cheryn had shrimp at Salt Grass and her typical 2 enchilada, beans and rice at Ted's. Paul Randall joined us at Ted's.

BOB THE GREAT WHITE ARMADILLO HUNTER- 8/19/16

My cousin Susie's husband had to hunt down and shoot an armadillo as a last resort. They had poisoned to kill off the yard grubs and tried everything else. It reminded me of a summer I spent a few weeks with my cousin Brad Reece's house. My cousin Johnny Purcell was also staying there. They lived in the country near Stratford Oklahoma. They had a corn field out behind the house and the armadillos would topple the corn getting at the grubs around the corn roots. We got paid a bounty to hunt and kill them. Wasn't much but a fortune to kids. My two cousins had nice 22 rifles. One was a pump action and the other was an auto. They loaned me the single shot and gave me a box of bullets that I put in my pants pocket. We sat out that night with flashlights taped to the barrels of our guns looking for those glowing eyes out in the corn field. They each had spotted one and we split up. I cornered one near a hedge row surrounding the corn field. I aimed and shot. I thought I hit him dead on in the head but it evidently bounced off. What happened next I never expected. The durn thing charged me. It might has well been a rhino as far and I was concerned. There I was with a single shot trying to load another bullet from the box in my pocket while running in fear. Somewhere in that pasture there is a box of 22 shorts spread out over about 1/2 a mile. One of my cousins finally took him down. I never did get to shoot another one. I guess I was about 12 or 13 at the time.

OKC SCHOOLS STARTED TODAY- 8/1/16

Boy I am glad I grew up when I did. We didn't start school until September. Of course back then none of the schools had air conditioning. My dad usually took a second week off and many times it was in late August and we would go camping at lake Eufala.

HEADGAP NOW HAS 3 HI CAPACITY U.P.S. UNITS BACK ONLINE- 7/31/16

I just finished replacing the battery pack in one of my UPS units that keep our servers online if the power goes out. My son in law Scott bought a replacement battery when he notice I was only running on two units. Thoughtful fellow. I managed to mash my finger badly working on the unit and it took a couple of weeks to heal or I would have done it early. We should be good for several hours if the power drops out.

ATTENDED THE US GRANT CLASS OF 72 PICNIC & THE BELMAR BASH

Cheryn and I attended the PICNIC this year. We also attended the Belmar Bash that it held out at Indian Hills Country Club and is a fund raiser for the Toby Keith Foundation. The Bash is usually attended by folks who went to Grant in the 70s.

HAD A ROUGH 4th- 7/4/16

Kids came down and Amanda cooked out (ribs and chicken) for us. Paul Randall and Jerry Wallace came over to join us for the feast. I had felt bad but after eating I got a bit worse. Seems I had an abscessed tooth and needed a root canal. Didn't get in to see the Dentist until Tuesday because of the Holiday. $700 and a Cleocin prescription later and a few Pain Pills I am better.

HUGE TREE LIMB REMOVAL- 6/5/16

We still own the home we bought in Mustang and rent it. Our rental agency called us and told us a huge tree limb had fallen on the fence and wanted to know if they needed to get estimate on removing it. Cheryn and I went and looked at it. Last Sunday Cheryn and I picked up Paul Randall who brought his battery powered saws all and I packed up our tools and ladder and we headed out there. We considered renting a chain saw but they were half the cost of new one to rent. We started with the saws all but our renter came around with his chain say. It took a few hours with him doing the cutting but we got in cleared up. We took a break and the Cheryn and the renter lady went to the store to buy a a new chain. Our renter and his husband helped us haul all of the debris out to the curb and they kept the logs for their fire pit. Getting too old to do this I guess but really appreciated Paul and the renters pitching in. We only spent about $35.

62nd Birthday- 5/29/16

I always like the fact that my birthday was usually the last day of school and had the Memorial Day Holiday right after it. Didn't do anything special but Cheryn did fire up the grill and BBQ'd some chicken legs and squash. My itching unknown rash (dermatitis herpetiformis) is back and I haven't been sleeping well. I have started on the Dapsone which usually clears it up but it is hard on my system. The kids brought me some collector T-shirts and coozies which are always handy.

SCOOCH OVER A BIT- 5/20/16

I heard a word today that I haven't heard in a while. Scooch. The dictionary says to kneel or squat. I always thought it was moving extremely short distances using your butt cheeks only. Used in a sentence: scooch over you're touching your sister.

LAWNMOWER GRIEF AND SALVATION - 3/30/16

I put some fresh gas in the mower and installed the bag so we could catch the rest of the leaves and the weed tops. Pulled the blade guard cable and it broke. Ordered one online and a few days later we installed it. Never as easy as it looks. I also cleaned the air filter and added a little Berrymans B12 to the tank. In good working order again. If you don't know about Berrymans B12 stop at the parts store and pick some up. The stuff is magic. I used both the spray and the liquid on anything running gasoline. I added one of those E3 Diamond Fire spark plugs a year or two back and am pleased with its performance.

REFRIGERATOR NOT COLD ENOUGH - THE MAINTENANCE RIGHT BEFORE IT CATCHES FIRE PLAN - 3/15/16

I noticed my Coke was a bit warm and thought to myself that Cheryn had just refilled the rack. Later that night I had a bowl of cereal with cool but not cold milk. The next morning with Cheryn's aid we pulled out the fridge and cleaned beneath it. I opened the grate and the fins were just caked with dust. I cleaned as much as I could with a brush and decided a vacuum wasn't going to be good enough. Brought in the electric leaf blower and darkened the kitchen with all the dust. We put the grate back on and set the dials down a bit on the freezer and the fridge. Cheryn put our wall thermometer in the fridge side. Still no joy it was over 40 degrees.

Cheryn sent me a link later that morning to a YouTube vid for our model. While the parts aren't expensive I wasn't looking forward to replacing a fan or whatever. After watching the video I noticed they mention a vent that went from the freezer side to the fridge side. Sure enough a carton of cream was shoved up against it. Fridge is now down to 34 and the freezer is at 0. I sure am glad we didn't have to pay a repairman $75 bucks to move a cream carton.

RANSOMWARE COMES TO THE MAC? - 3/10/16

Good question and you made me look. This is just crap again. You have to install software to have anything happen to your Mac. Just don't be a chump and you are safe.

The virus (not a virus by the way), which Reuters first reported, was detected in a downloadable Mac program called Transmission, which is used to share data through BitTorrent's network. Researchers have nicknamed the ransomware "KeRanger."

This is what is called payloadware by some since you download a legit program or update and give it your name and password and install it.

I still either use the Apple Store or MacUpdate for my software downloads. If you download a program from some odd site and install it you can indeed add a TROJAN to your system. There are still no viruses for the Mac and unfortunately journalists are ignorant about what a virus is.

If you downloaded the program Transmission between March 4 and March 7 and installed it is indeed possible you installed a Trojan that may allow the hackers to hold your files for ransom. Of course if you have a backup of your system before that time you can always go back to the backup and erase and reinstall your system. Highly unlikely you are a candidate though as most of the world.

You can read the Time article here http://time.com/4249413/apple-mac-ransomware-hack/

HATE GROUPS AND ASSOCIATED WEB SITES - 1/18/16

If a web site has patriot as part of their name you can bet they are not patriots but are a hate group. For a list of the major groups see: https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/groups. The best list though is put together by Wikipedia and you can view it at: Southern_Poverty_Law_Center_as_hate_groups. I post this as a warning but some may want to use it to find a new group to join.

I used to think that the difference between conservatives and liberals was a viewpoint. After all this time I realize it has to a lot more to do with ignorance and intelligence.

ALDI'S HAS GLUTEN FREE WHITE BREAD - 12/2/15

I have a grill cheese sandwich last night. While my wife make buns for me, it is nice having a piece of toast or a sandwich. The bread is smaller and much denser but tastes okay. It is expensive at $3.99 for a small loaf. LiveG Free Gluten Free White Bread She also found some artificial RYE flavoring. She mixes it with butter and toasts my white bread. Had a pretty decent Reuben for the first time in a long time. The brand is Authentic Foods Rye Flavor and we ordered it online. Rye Flavor

WHAT? - 11/17/15

Some years ago I remember my wife caught me looking in the mirror. She asked what I was doing. I told her that some of the girls at the office must think I have a cute butt and I was trying to see what they were looking at. She asked what makes you think that. I told her sometimes I could overhear them. They said there goes Bob, what an ass. She explained that it might not have meant what I thought. What ?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY - 11/1/15

Cheryn and I have been married 38 years. We married on All Saints Day, the day after Halloween. I have no excuse for ever missing an anniversary. Paul Randall and his wife then Glenna were our witnesses and we went to Molly Murphy's to celebrate. This year we attended the Halloween Bash as our celebration. Had a great time and it was great seeing all of you again and meeting new friends.

WEB NEWS KINDA SUCKS - 10/16/15

I usually peruse the headlines on Google News each day. Here lately I have become picky on which sources I click. For some reason or other people who serve the news seem to think you need 1/2 dozen plug-ins active and don't mind waiting while there slow advertising stream, fonts and other crap load. Got news for them. Not me, and from my observations not many others wait either. Lean up your stuff or get left in the dust you morons. No one minds you paying for your content with ads. Just make sure your ad services are fast and don't hang up browsers with long waits and require plug in shit be installed. I have them I just choose not to turn them on since the content they serve is always crap. We just go somewhere else but remember how bad your site sucked so we don't accidentally click on it again. Oh yeah never send someone to a landing page and ask them to click to continue to the site. Kiss of death.

CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID - 10/4/15

Cheryn and I got out this past weekend and changed the transmission fluid on the Blazer. I bought the Lucas Synthetic Fluid, plus added a bottle of their Automatic Transmission Fluid Conditioner and ordered the filter and gasket from RockAuto.com. Went without a hitch until today when Cheryn brought me the piece she found in the bottom of the box. The filter seal. Guess the old one was still in there since the filter seated properly. Guess I will change that seal next time. Last time I had this done it was about $60 and they used conventional fluid. Not a fun job but you can save some money and fortunately you don't have to do it all that frequently. I didn't look since I knew how but I bet there are a dozen or so YouTube videos showing you how.

TULL LYRICS - 10/5/15

Polarize the pumpkin eaters. A pumpkin eater is someone who is so gullible they will swallow anything. To polarize them is to get them all working in unison. It is amazing that some asshat is doing just that. You should read the rest of the lyrics. http://www.lyricsfreak.com/j/jethro+tull/minstrel+in+the+gallery_20071073.html

America - land where any big mouth ass hat can run for President

IF THIS GOES ON - 10/5/15

Nehemiah Scudder is one of the scariest fictional characters ever created. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_This_Goes_On&emdash;

POLITICS - 9/11/15

I stay out of most political discussion since the only people who are anxious to discuss it have no knowledge of it. They are adamant in their beliefs and opinions and yet rarely are those beliefs and opinions formed from anything near being educated on the subject. They repeat ignorant rhetoric blasted from those "so called news" sources that have nothing to do but make stuff up.

It sickens me that people believe that we are giving Iran nuclear weapons. This in the Presidents own words and not something made up by some news mouthpiece. There are times when force is necessary, and if Iran does not abide by this deal, it's possible that we don't have an alternative. But how can we in good conscience justify war before we've tested a diplomatic agreement that achieves our objectives; that has been agreed to by Iran; that is supported by the rest of the world; and that preserves our options if the deal falls short? How could we justify that to our troops? How could we justify that to the world or to future generations? ".

I want to encourage you to read his whole speech: https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/08/05/remarks-president-iran-nuclear-deal

You really should take a minute to educate yourself on something other than Fox News. https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy/iran-deal

Different Subject: I hate to hear people moaning over immigration issues when our congress and senate have done nothing to improve it. The only action taken was by the President and was only a stop gap measure. It is easy to criticize someone who does something but more difficult for those same people to do anything about improving it. https://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/immigration

Different Subject: I hate to hear people moaning over health care issues when the people who oppose it have done nothing to improve it. The only thing they have tried to do is kill it and fortunately they are just as effective at accomplishing that as there were at creating any real solutions. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/16/politics/obamacare-numbers-16-million-insured-rate/

If you don't like the ways things are write your Congressman or Senator. I suggest that the letter you write is better informed that what you read on Facebook.

LEG CRAMPS - EAT A BANANA

What is missing from your diet if you have leg cramps in order is Calcium, Magnesium, and Potassium. Most people don't necessarily need the extra calcium but if in doubt drink a glass of milk with your banana. Banana's are rich in Magnesium and Potassium which solves leg cramp problems for people. Eat one daily for a week and then a couple a week will sustain you. There are a lot of other good things in bananas. If you want to know more go to: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2 Some people say the zinc and copper in bananas help prevent foot odor. If you are constipated they help clean you out, and if you have loose stools it helps firm them up. Here are a few other things about naners you didn't know: http://www.naturalnews.com/034151_bananas_nutrition_facts.html#. You don't have to eat them by themselves but they do come in their own wrapper and make a convenient snack. They can go into smoothies, puddings, pies, and even pancakes. Even if you don't like bananas take them as medicine.

4TH OF JULY 2015

The kids came in from Memphis. They helped us clean out one of our older window air conditioners that had stopped working reliably. Who knew even if you keep the inside filter cleaned that the coils get so clogged up. Bought some spray and cleaned them out and it works like new again. This gal shows you how to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zidmF-gvs7s

No fireworks this year. I did look at Jupiter and Venus in the sky and watched a few things going off.

We cooked out. BarBQ Chicken on the 4th along with my Mom's yellow mashed potato salad and pork and beans. Also grilled some Ribeyes, Kabobs and Summer Squash. My daughter Amanda grilled the latter and I guess if you put enough butter and garlic on them you can even eat and enjoy squash.

NEW DOCTOR - we recommend him

Cheryn and I both have been using this Doctor. His practice is fairly new which means you actually get to see him without a long wait. He is south side and his office fee is $65 without insurance. Nice guy and easy to talk to. If you go in tell him Bob sent you. Doctors Name is Ben Nguyen (I say Ben Winn)

CLINIC: Get Well Family Medicine
SERVES: Adult and Pediatric
ADDRESS: 7300 S. Western
HOURS: 8-6 Mon-Fri, 8-1 Saturday
PHONE: 405-622-4191

WHEATLESS PASTA - GLUTEN FREE PASTA THAT DOESN'T SUCK

It took us a while to find acceptable products. Many were gritty or off tasting. We finally settle on these specific items. For traditional egg noodles - brand is Jovial - ORDER ONLINE. For all others pastas: rotini, elbow, spaghetti, and linguini - brand is bionaturae - GREEN ACRES MARKET or ORDER ONLINE.

Walmart and Target are carrying Barilla Gluten Free Pasta's. I like the elbow in Mac and Cheese but the Barilla Pasta is a bit too sweet in other dishes for my taste. DO MAKE SURE THE BOX SAYS GLUTEN FREE they sell the wheat stuff as well. For elbow macaroni - brand is Barilla (good for mac & cheese, too sweet for some dishes) - ORDER ONLINE OR CHECK WALMART OR TARGET.

FOR PASTA SAUCE - I prefer the CLASSICO brand. Available almost everywhere. Not too sweet like the crap they peddle for the kids market.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT ALLERGIES & HEALTH

I have had some food allergies most of my life. I originally thought it was that I just ate something that didn't agree with me. I had always thought my Mom was responsible for my allergies but much later in life I learned my Dad who swore he wasn't allergic to anything never ate eggs, chocolate, etc. because they always made him sick. He handled allergies by avoiding them. He was always easy to find in the store you just had to listen for his chronic sniff. I too avoid certain foods but have learned a few tricks. Some things I can eat as long as I don't eat anything in the same family for several days after and not suffer. For example if I eat cantaloupe I must avoid eating melons of any kind for several days. If not I get severed stomach cramps and other digestive distress. Some things though I must entirely not eat. I react too strongly even to tiny amounts.

I wanted to know what caused what they call adult onset allergies. I think I know what at least part of the reasons are. Scientists are starting to study the bacteria that we live with in mostly symbiosis. We have many thousands of bacteria that live on and in us. Antibiotics kill these bacteria and that was always thought of as a good thing and it is if you have a bad bacteria attacking your system. What the side effects are though the good ones that keep us healthy get killed too. That screws up how you digest and handle food.

How we develop food allergies is when a protein is exposed to our blood and our body decides that it is an enemy. When or guts were working normally that rarely happened. But we just killed all the good stuff off with that last dose pack of antibiotics.

Almost all cultures have something that they consume regularly that rebuilds the good bacteria. You know about live culture yogurt most likely. Did you know jarred or bagged sauerkraut also help restore the gut? The Japanese have pickles, the Koreans have kimchi, the Mexican have salsa. I am sure I am leaving a lot out. Unfortunately here in America we sterilize our foods to death. Here is a list of a few you may find helpful

What I do and recommend to everyone is that after you finish a round of antibiotics you buy some kind of Probiotics (I like the beads since they make it to the gut intact, but whatever is on sale) that help restore your bacteria. Buy and eat Sauerkraut (not canned it is dead). Eat live culture yogurt. Eat salsa. Eat pickles. Do not keep taking those pills forever though. The easiest way to create a monoculture it to keep seeding it with one or two types of bacteria. You want the hundreds to come back that were originally there. Just take them a few weeks after and maybe one every once in a while just in case.

Unfortunately for me I almost died recently when really all was wrong with me is that I had developed an allergy to wheat. This was really distressing to me. Here I am 61 years old and cannot eat fresh rolls, sandwich breads, or even pizza. When I used to eat pizza I thought it was the spices and the tomatoes that were upsetting my stomach. Same for donuts. Grease and sugar gives me heartburn right. Nope it was the damned wheat.

What part of the wheat that kills I do not know for sure. I now eat Gluten free products because that insures no wheat was involved in production. Do watch out for anything containing modified food starch if you are gluten intolerant. most starches are made using the cheaper wheat flours. Yes I did try organic wheat breads in fact the last one I ate was an organic hamburger bun and it ultimately put me in the hospital.

My immediate symptoms from wheat exposure are bloating and stomach cramps. Gas X helps a bit with the symptoms. What really is insidious though is shortly after I break out in an itching rash that is so severe I cannot sleep. It takes weeks to go away on its own. It also paralyzes my gut and I end up with severe constipation.

Some of you may think why is this just now becoming a problem? Scientist recently discovered that everyone with Celiac has antibodies for a virus. Not just some, everyone that was gluten intolerant had these antibodies. Hopefully this discovery will lead to some useful treatments and perhaps a vaccination to keep people from getting this. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/04/08/523002516/when-gluten-is-the-villain-could-a-common-virus-be-the-trigger

When you eat the leaves of plants always make sure they are acidified. That goes for teas as well. Add lemon, put vinegar based dressings on your salad or add a little balsamic vinegar to your creamy dressings. Add pepper juice to your spinach and so on. The tannins in leafy greens will bind up minerals unless they are in the presence of an acid. Besides they seem to go naturally don't they. I think the acid balance of foods is very important and adopting a few habits will prevent kidney stones and allow you to properly digest foods better. Fresh lemon juice on vegetables is great and make it a habit for your health. I keep the much inferior but ultimately more convenient Real Lemon Juice around and us it in everything including a few drops in my water glass. Lemon is a natural diuretic and keeps you from swelling up and retaining fluids.

The English gave us Fish and Chips and eating malt vinegar on the fish. Tartar sauce is acidic without the vinegar bite but does the same thing. I eat fresh squeezed lemon on my catfish and shrimp. Pickles on hamburgers help us digest the proteins. Many a food pairing is more than just a tradition.

I explained this to a pregnant friend of mine. I mentioned the old pickles and ice cream bit. She said she didn't eat anything acidic like that, as I watched her add another hot sauce to her taco. Acidifying food allows your body to use the minerals and other nutrients instead of leaving them bound up.

WHAT BEN FRANKLIN REALLY DID

Most people know a little about Ben Franklin. What they didn't probably get is this. Before Ben people thought lightning strikes were Gods wrath and people were being punished for their sins. What they really couldn't explain though is why that tall Church steeple got struck by God more than the town whorehouse. When Ben explained electricity and how lightning worked and invented the lightning rod he took the "Gods wrath" away from natural phenomena. It made it so the common man began to question how things worked and moved them away from superstitious beliefs of old. Smart man in so many ways and change the world he did.

I GONNA RUN FOR PRESIDENT

I plan on changing my first name to OfTheAbove. Then the ballet would read Nunn, OfTheAbove. I am pretty sure I can pull off this election based on what we have seen so far.

I WENT TO THIS BAR

Unless you are in a state that has liquor by the drink you won't get this. To get around this law most places would make you a member of a club and then serve you your liquor with their setups. My wife and I went to a local bar (club) and I gave them our bottle of Crown. The bartender said what name do you want on it. I said Nunn. He said come on fellow I have to put a name on it I could lose my license. I again said Nunn but this time added N-U-N-N spelling.

DAD STORY - Don't you just love Nunn Jokes

My dad used to talk about the time his sister (my aunt) was having surgery. My uncle Jimmy Andro was married to his sister Glenna Lee Andro. They were at Mercy Hospital and were waiting for her to come out of the anesthesia. Dad said she was cussing like a sailor and even Jimmy said she didn't know she knew some of those words. Two Catholic Sisters were in attendance and he said that every time she would swear they would get a little red. My dad looked over at them and said and can you believe she used to be a Nunn.

I WAS TRAVELING - Don't you just love festivals

It was some time ago. I went to Holland with a small group. We were attending a small festival in a small town. Lots of folks were drinking beer and others had decided to go to the movies. I went with the movie group but decided there wasn't a movie I wanted to watch. There was a small group of women in habits speaking Dutch to each other but there was one away from that group who was greeting tourists in English. She was also not dressed the the odd traditional habits of their order but rather looked like a plain old housewife in pants like what you see in the airport throughout the south. Hair fairly short but pleasant and smiling as she greeted everyone. There was a chair in the booth beside her. I was tired so I stepped around the table and sat next to her. She turned and looked at me and I smiled and said I was tired and was glad that she spoke English and had this chair available. We spoke of the event and the nice people and other idle chitchat that you do. I asked if I could walk her home when they closed down the booth. She said sir I am a Nun. I said small world so am I. I handed her one of my business cards and when she finished laughing and telling the other sisters, she and the other sisters let me walk them back to their church. That's it. Okay so it is not one of my best Nunn Jokes.

I SOMETIMES TIRE OF STUPIDITY - 4-14-15

If you get tired of reading stuff that Breitbart News just makes up you might try their antithesis. https://www.breitbartunmasked.com/

I really didn't think anyone could make up for stuff than Fox News but Breitbart has reached new lows. Do a search for did Breitbart just make that up?

Personally I find much humor in the somewhat rude and crude http://wonkette.com

Does Fox News Lie? How could you not know? About Fox News. http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/tv/fox/

Lastly FactCheck.org does a pretty impartial review of current news and politics. http://www.factcheck.org/

SURVIVED THE FIRST ROUND OF TORNADOES THIS YEAR - 3-25-15

Heard the sirens and looked up what was happening on my Weather Widget. Stepped outside to hear and see the storm coming. A black cat was brushing up against me really wanting inside. Makes me nervous when animals I don't know get tense before a storm. I went back in and told Cheryn to check our Tornado closet and gather the flashlights. Switched from DirecTV to antenna to watch the newscast. Never went in the closet and heard the storm hit here and heard large hail hitting the rough. I haven't check the house and the yard yet but I think we squeaked by on this one.

Cheryn's Dad had a stroke - 3-11-15

These days our business is just myself and my wife Cheryn. When something bad happens like this over half of our work force is out for a time. He successfully went through surgery and is doing better. He is now in rehab. She still is spending a good deal of time and her energies helping. Her mother is in long term care for Alzheimer's. Her mom and dad had just gotten resettled in the Baptist Retirement Village facilities from their long time home in Tulsa. We are grateful that they are nearby. Thanks for patience and your kind words.

SNAKE THE DRAIN

A few days ago Cheryn came to me and asked if it was okay to use the Pro Drain Cleaner we had. Both kitchen sinks had a few inches of dirty water that wasn't moving. We gave that a try and no luck. We had a commode snake so I pulled the line off of the left bowl and ran the cable down. No help. I hate to pay a plumber if I don't have to. Cheryn went to Lowe's and picked up a 20 Foot Cobra Wire Drain Auger ($21). I fed it down and even checked to make sure it was going down the pipe and not up the vent. It got a little better. I poured hot vinegar down the line and let it sit overnight. Still barely working. Paul Randall stopped by and we told him about it. He said why don't you go on the roof and run the auger down the vent pipe like the plumbers do. I am reluctant these days to get on a ladder but finally did. I played the auger all the way out and just as I got to the end of the cable I heard the glug glug of water running down the drain. Although I pride myself in understanding how things worked I would have never dreamed of unclogging a sink from the drain vent stack. We ran hot water and some Liquid Plumber down the drain after that just in case the auger missed something.

5 YEARS AGO

I rarely get depressed. I had an overwhelming sense of foreboding all day yesterday. I have had the flu and am just starting to get better but could think of no reason. I then remembered my dad passed away Feb. 10th, 2010 and it was 5 years ago. I never know what the date is unless I am updating a computer and even then rarely think about it. Odd thing. Miss him though.

KANYE

Some people can't get enough attention. If he was a small child him mom would bust his ass and he would have the attention he needed. Since he is too big for a whooping that he needs, it is best not to notice him. Perhaps then he would go to his room and sulk. Don't post about this chump it is what he craves and you are giving him what he wants. One cool thing. Go to http://loser.com

LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET A BETTER PRICE

I saw an article on Facebook today that reminded me of something. When my daughter was small something about Jewish people came up. She asked about it. I explained to her what I thought she would understand. They get better prices on things. She asked if she could be Jewish. I told her maybe but most Jewish people aren't allowed to eat pork so that means no bacon. She didn't ask me about it again for many years. When she was 14 or so since Cheryn and I both worked we had to figure out something for the summer months and she was getting too old for baby sitters. Cheryn found out that the local Jewish Community Center allow older youths to help with their summer programs. There was no religious requirements but we had to be a member. While the amount wasn't horrible it was fairly expensive. Cheryn said she would take care of it. I asked her again later and she got a substantial discount. I asked her what she did and she said oh I just haggled with them.

I AM NOT SURE WHY

I see folks listing articles on FB that are flat made up. If you see an article from the blaze for example know that TheBlaze is owned by that nut job Glenn Beck. Want to understand a bit about Glenn Beck. http://thedailybanter.com/2013/05/top-9-glenn-beck-conspiracy-theories-that-will-make-your-head-spin/ Others are by people who have rhetoric that is hate filled. I feel sorry for people who listen to Skinheads, Ku Klux Klan, American Nazis thinking that they are sharing anything factual. While some aren't as easily recognized you will see it if you bother to look. There is a women named Pamela Geller. She is to Muslims it to what KKK is to blacks. So much hate and cannot see the truth. http://www.loonwatch.com/tag/pamela-geller/

A pumpkin eater is someone who is so naive that they will swallow anything. The next time you see something that sounds outrageous go to Snopes.com Type in the headline or info and find out for real if there are really toilet spiders, or any other old wives tales, something Obama did, rumors or even about viruses and malware. http://www.snopes.com/ One of my favorite sections is: http://www.snopes.com/info/top25uls.asp

If you see anyone quoting the Western Journalism Center do remember what the source is. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-krepel/the-return-of-the-western_b_181270.html Think of it as a tabloid full of half truths or outright lies. There are many others just like these. Buy an official sounding domain name, set up your advertising and then make up stuff that riles people up.

My point is this. Be careful who you associate with. Watch what you quote. If you hang with nuts you may be one or at the very least displaying your ignorance.

IS SNOPES LEGIT?

I think so. The site started out dispelling old wives tales and other fraud and bunk that is on the Internet. The about files checks with other sources. http://www.snopes.com/info/aboutus.asp There is another bit on Fact Check. http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/snopescom/ They seem to have no axes to grind and report factual information.

Quoted from their site: The snopes.com web site is (and always has been) a completely independent, self-sufficient entity wholly owned by its operators, Barbara and David Mikkelson, and funded through advertising revenues. Neither the site nor its operators has ever received monies from (or been engaged in any business or editorial relationship with), any sponsor, investor, partner, political party, religious group, business organization, government agency, or any other outside group or organization.

WASHING YOUR DRAWERS

I was helping with the washing and as I got ready to move the whites over to the dryer my wife stopped me. She said she wanted to air dry her underwear it made them last longer. I asked where she heard that and she said our daughter told her. By that same logic guys if we air dry our underwear I figure we can get 30 or 40 years out of a pair. I did look it up and indeed the experts say it is a deadly sin to use the dryer on your drawers. http://www.underwearexpert.com/…/underwear-washing-instruc…/

I REALLY DON'T GET STARBUCKS

We used to polish our shoes with a product called Shinola. It was a liquid with a dauber top. The aroma from that was very unique. It is the same aroma I smell from a cup of Starbuck's coffee. I never ordered another cup. I didn't even finish the first one. I know folks order it all kinds of fancy ways, but if the underlying smell is there I would never drink it. I guess I don't have the taste bud for $5 coffee. I would imagine even cheaper coffees would smell like that if you near burnt the beans. Next time you order a cup take a sniff, see if you don't smell that shoe polish. If you like it it is okay with me I don't really care. Why not next time make your own coffee at home, mispronounce your name loudly and then light a $5 bill on fire. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/know_shit_from_Shinola

LET'S GO HORSEBACK RIDING

I just thought about going horseback riding. I would always warn my date. Tell them you have been riding all your life when they ask. She would always say that she was not very experienced. They would always give her old leather lips. After a few minutes old leather lips would of course stop and refuse to go any further. I would always feel sorry for my date and change horses. I never like old leather lips. Anyone who has ever rented horses knows this horse. It is the one that tries to bite you and just stands there a few hundred feet from the stables. Well I would stop and pick up a good size black jack limb which old leather lips knew about and would try to bite me before I could get back on him. Never let go of the reins by the way or you will be walking back. I finally got old leather lips going again and caught back up with the group. We were about at the half way point at a downhill part of the ride and I busted him in the ass good. He took off and dragged me through and bunch of blackjacks with low lying limbs and about beat me to death, obviously trying to scrape me off. I reached up and grabbed his ear and twisted hard. Somewhere along the line old leather lips must of had disk brakes installed because he stopped instantly sliding me up on the saddle horn. If I would have been armed I would have shot that horse. Give me a dirt bike any day. I eventually learned not to date stupid women. The one I married was smart enough to say she was an experienced rider even when she had never been on a horse. No leather lips for her.

37th ANNIVERSARY - November 1st 2014

Cheryn and I have been married 37 years. We were married November 1, 1977 All Saints Day, at the courthouse in Oklahoma City. Broke again this year. Cheryn told me to invite my buddy Paul Randall and his plus one if he has one. I reconnected recently thanks to Facebook with an old friend Gary Womack. We threw the Oklahoma Journal way back when and Gary even worked at TG&Y with me for a short time. He and his wife are coming over this Saturday as well. Cheryn is making Chili. We have always used Williams Chili Seasoning and 3 types of beans. A few years back we started using Porky (1/2 Ground Pork/1/2 Ground Dark Meat Turkey) to make our Chili and Tacos. Superior texture and taste. We had a great time. Nice to meet Gary's wife Mary.

OKAY SERIOUSLY NOW YOU HAVE TO QUIT PARTICIPATING PART 2 - 9-10-2014

Nowadays anyone can set up a web server blog and buy up a domain name and put out "woman eats baby headlines" or in some cases Islamic Terrorist Training Camp in Texas. When you click on a link or worse put a link into social media you make yourself out to be a pumpkin eater. Stop it, stop paying them. These people who run these sites make their money by getting web traffic. Their advertisers pay them based on the traffic you helped create and you just propagated and paid a criminal or thug. At worst they are simply misguided. MOST OF THEM ARE SIMPLY SCUM! STOP PAYING THEM! The Daily Dose owns ConservativeInfidel.com and is responsible for the content. I guess they don't want to sully their reputation by putting their name on the crap that is spewed forth, not that they have any reputation. I guess they send all the articles that someone makes up that sound too ridiculous to this other web site. You just helped them make some big bucks today. I don't have a list of all the crap this group is responsible for and really don't want to spend the time running this crap down. If you see something that sounds outrageous check some real news sites before linking them. A pumpkin eater is someone who is so naive that they will swallow anything.

It is best not to pay these guys to spread unfounded rumors. There are enough paranoid people in the world without stirring them up especially with this kind of crap. I agree that many people do this innocently. I just suggest that you think before you share something that sounds outrageous because they are counting on you to do so. They used to picket the strip bars in Memphis to record profits. To make this more clear every time a church group picketed the bars their attendance shot up making them more money. Someone finally figured out to stand outside the bars property with a camera and a telephoto lens and it finally shut some of them down since the attendees didn't want their pictures possibly published. To me explaining this is the same thing. If you see something evil you have to do something or you are condoning it. I don't have problems with people making money. I just have problems with people making profits from outright lies by playing on peoples ignorance.

JUST HOW SMART AM I?

I learned a long time ago that I wasn't that smart. I never got the best grades in school. I never aced all the tests well mostly. What I did learn about my self is that I was blessed with the ability to remember what I read. I had my 5th grade teacher tell me something I never forgot. Ms. Hunt at Prairie Queen told me to read everything and think about it terms of what it meant to me. Every book I read after that I seemed to remember. I still remember the books I read from 5th grade on. I was also blessed with a mother who like to read and because of that we went to the library (Southern Hills) every week. I started checking out a few books and read them all before we went back the following week. I eventually started carrying a grocery sack to the library to bring back the books and to have something to put the next ones I checked out into.

In school I learned that I could read the whole text books in a week or two. In fact they made more sense if you read all of them and not just the assigned chapter for that week. I was blessed with a memory (since I used that trick Ms. Hunt taught me). I could pass most all of the tests then without having to study or reread the chapters.

I learned that most industries have a set of basic references they use. I learned that even the government used books called SAMs to educate their soldiers on how to service weapons and machinery. I learned that their were civilian equivalents like Chiltons for cars for example and that most household appliances had the equivalent of a Chiltons or a SAMs available. Even electronic devices have the equivalent to SAMs guides. By accessing those books and learning to use a few diagnostic tools you could repair almost anything.

Whatever I was interested in I learned quickly and was able to remember things about it. When Trivial Pursuit became a craze I couldn't understand why people found that fun. Then I realized most people didn't know all the answers already. Then the Sports version came out and I could see since I never was interested in sports I never devoted any time or memory to sports.

I started using computers at their outset. I ran BBSes back in the day and still have one online. When the Internet started I was there. I used beta versions of the first web browsers, and many tools most of you wouldn't even know that were the only way to access some parts of the net back then. I learned quickly what search engines were. Nowadays there are tools for everything and video's to help you learn anything you want. Apple has text books online even. I use sites today like Snopes.com to dispel rumors and misinformation. I use YouTube heavily since there are videos to show you just about how to do anything. And of course Wikipedia can give you some of the skinny on everyone and about everything.

I used to win spelling bees in grade school. When I hear a word I am able to visualize it from print where I have read it. I use dictionaries only to look up a meaning or to learn a new word.

The older I get the more I understand how little I know. I just try to help others understand things better and use links to Wiki's and other information whenever I can. I don't always put the information up for the people who are talking about it. I put it up for those who may not have all the information and may not know very much about it. Generally looking up the link and reading through the materials helps me better understand while I am grabbing the link. I would think that would be a good habit to have. I may not know everything but I do know how to find out and perhaps that makes a person smarter than some.

MOTHER KNEW BEST?

My mom used to amaze me. I had an old threadbare white shirt with purple pinstripes that I only wore to do chores in. I was working on my old 64 Ford and was underneath laying on the grease and Oklahoma grit that the wind brought in. When I got into the house she took my shirt from me. I went straight to the shower and had to use the scrub brush and Babo to get the grease that had soaked through the shirt off my back and 3 hair shampoos with Prell Concentrate. The next morning I opened my closet and there was my shirt clean and ready to go. I asked her how she got it that clean when I was pretty sure my back was still a bit dirty. She said to always use the solvent that was used to create the stain. I thought about that I said what did you use. She had soaked the shirt in gasoline to remove the grease. She then washed it with double detergent and again with bleach.

She told me that you should use a 1/2 cup of Parsons Sudsing Ammonia if you want to remove urine, sweat or blood (blood require presoaking). She said she added Ammonia to the wash generally once a month but more often in the summer to remove sweat stains and ring around the collar. She normally bleached towels and underwear but would use ammonia once a month since it pulled out people stuff. She also used ammonia on the sheets same reason.

NEVER mix Ammonia and Bleach it makes a toxic gas if you didn't already know.

She also kept a tube of the stuff that smells like cleaning fluid. She also would use the naphtha based lighter fluid for some stains.

She used TSP on the blinds. Remember in the old days how laundry soap cleaned better. They removed the Phosphate due to pollution. TSP stands for Trisodium Phosphate and you can buy it in bulk at the home centers. She would mix up a batch in the tub and put the blinds in to soak. We also used it to clean the house before painting. TSP is used for washing surfaces prior to painting, especially exterior surfaces. Liquid bleach is often added to TSP if there is mildew on the surfaces. The TSP and bleach act in concert to both kill the mildew and remove its characteristic stains. It may be used on inside surfaces also, but try to mask all surfaces except the one you want to clean. It can damage many metal and painted surfaces, and can stain woods. It is not recommended for use on glass, either, since it will leave a filmy residue.

OTHER STUPID THINGS I REMEMBER FROM MY EARLY CHILDHOOD - 7-30-2014

My brother (Steven Ray Nunn) was born when I had just turned 4. I remember this was all before him. I was always very small and was born a month premature at 3 lbs something. All these things occurred in my estimation from when I was 2-1/2 up to my 4th birthday. My Grandmother Edith Couch Nunn (Big Grandma) was a Brownie Leader and since she baby sat me I attended all of the Brownie meetings my Aunt Judy did along with June Haven the next door neighbor girl. I even had a Brownie Beanie and was their mascot. I remember making roses out of pink Kleenex at one of the meetings. Mine didn't turn out too well.

Someone had said something about how big my ears were. I asked my mother about this and she said they were normal and that my head would grow up to match them. As a note of caution she pointed out my uncle Everett's ears. He too had worried and so much so he tucked his ears under his ball cap. She asked me if I wanted to have those creases in my ears like he had. I never worried about my ears after that and always made sure they were outside my ball cap. When I see my uncle I always appreciate how close his ears are to his head and look for those little creases to this day. I have no idea if he really had creases or worried about his ears but she was really smart about things. Sometimes diverting a youngsters focus is better than any reassurance.

My mother Martha Bell Rankin Nunn (Tootsie to her family) worked at the Skirvin as a Waitress. I told her I wanted a pea shooter and she brought me home a plastic straw and some rice. I wouldn't have it and later she bought me a proper one. She told me of famous people she waited on like Moe Howard (Three Stooges Moe) and that he ordered hot water and used his own tea bag. She said his bill was a nickel but he tipped her a quarter and she thought that was just fine if not generous for a prudent fellow. She also waited on Abbott and Costello. I am sure she waited on a lot of famous folks but only told me the ones I would know. I also remember not wanting her to work but I did enjoy staying with Big Grandma.

I had a John Gnagy Art drawing pad and use to watch his show. I could never master that Cocker Spaniel picture. I use to have a Handy Andy Tool Set I got for Christmas and nails were driven everywhere I could find a spot. Mostly in my dads work bench.

Big Grandma would always hand me a GIANT box of raisins. My arm would be almost up to my elbow when I got to the bottom of the box. I realize now that it was just the large raisin box but still remember the perspective of how small I was. She cautioned me not to lose any raisins because they would make ants. Of course I went around leaving raisins everywhere. When I went back later sure enough no raisins but lots of ants. I had discovered spontaneous generation at the age of 3. Later on I went back and left raisins and watched the ants come and take the raisins away so I realized the raisins really didn't turn into ants and told my Grandma so. I learned later in Science that people believed in spontaneous generation up until the middle ages. I guess no one ever waited to see the ants come in and take the raisins back then.

I liked to experiment and my Grandpa Glenn Otto Nunn had a large wooden tool box he kept his fishing and hunting stuff in. I got his gun oil out and put some in his nose drops. I learned quickly that it was not a good idea. Every time he used his nose drops after that he went around wondering who hot gotten into his gun oil. I had long learned not to look guilty whatever the issue was but sweated a bit just the same. I am not sure if anyone had realized what I had done or just decided not to tell grandpa about it. Perhaps nose drops were expensive back then or perhaps his sinuses cleared up just the same.

My grandpa had a heavy beard. I always had to give him a kiss so he would give me ice cream money. He also smelled strongly of gasoline since he drove a gad truck for Phillips. I guess they didn't worry about a little spilling like they do nowadays. Perhaps it shortened his life looking back on it. He would give me my nickel and after Glenn and Judy got home we would walk around to the Tastee Freeze over on 29th and get Giant ice cream cones. Sometimes we would go up to the drug store at the Airline center and I would buy a box of Ludens Cough Drops Wild Cherry of course. Not that I had a cough I just liked them didn't you.

My Aunt Judy (Judy Clark and now Judy Pierce on Facebook) and my Uncle Glenn (Glenn E. Nunn former Pres. of the Union at Western Electric) were around after school. I was between 3 and 4 the whole time I stayed there. Judy use to irritate me and one time she was play spanking me. I told her to stop several times. I bit a chunk of her thigh out finally and she let me go. She still has the scar (go look). My uncle Glenn had a Cushman he used to throw papers. He also had a German Shepherd Dog named King.

After school was out they would come home and fry a piece of bologna and make a sandwich and watch American Bandstand. Judy was skating in the kitchen after Grandma told her not to. A ball bearing came out of one of her skate wheels. I though to myself, that would fit perfectly in my ear. My mother picked me up from the doctors office later after he removed it. I wasn't upset until everyone panicked.

My Grandmother use to always feed me in the store. I never thought about it until I was older but I am not sure she paid for all that fruit I ate. She usually shopped up at the Humpty Dumpty over on 29th. I remember the Top Value Stamps they gave.

My Big Grandma always had a basket of near rotten bananas around. I remember the little gnats flying around it. I like my fruit ripe but there is a point. I later learned that her dad was a fruit peddler. She grew up on the fruit he couldn't sell. Explains her taste for black bananas. She was a plain cook making hardy meals without a lot of extra spices. She used real butter and I can still remember her preparing my toast slathering on the butter and jam. She made the best toast ever. She used Crisco freely and I remember her fried dinners were always great.

I remember going for polio shots. It was a big group thing back then with dozens of folks standing in line in a big building like a gym. My grandmother and my aunt and uncle were with us. Judy never really liked getting shots. I always felt embarrassed when it came her turn. It seemed to me it took a dozen doctors and nurses to hold her down and I suspect she scared even a few of the adults much less the kids. You would think they were killing her. I didn't know what the word hysterical meant until then but still have a visual representation of it in memory that beats any dictionary description by far. I know one thing if I ever have to stand in line with her for shots again I want mine first.

My uncle Glenn told a story about his friend Carl Lumpkin. He was home by himself and his mothers parakeet was making a lot of noise so he put it in the refrigerator. Things didn't turn out well for Carl or the budgie. If my uncle Glenn smelled something bad he always said it smelled like the bathroom at the Chieftain. The Chieftain was a little run down theater in the Airline Shopping Center. They had installed nice vinyl seats and the kids carved them all up with their initials. They replaced them with a stiff wire frame that left a lasting impression. My folks took me to a movie there one night. When we came out of the theater my dad couldn't find the car. I think it was an old 49 Green Buick (maybe Olds). My uncle Everett came and picked us up as dad was on the pay phone reporting the car stolen. They recovered it the next days less the floor mats and hub caps unharmed around Lake Overholser. Joyriding punks I guess. I still remember what the bathroom at the Chieftain smelled like and it is bad.

I remember the night my brother Steve was born July 20th 1958. I woke knowing something was wrong but never left my bed. Soon after the commotion my uncle Everett sat on my bed and told me to go back to sleep. I guess my dad called him and he stayed the night. My mother evidently hemorrhaged badly and near lost my brother. I called him Dana for a few weeks since I think she planned on a girl and had embroidered the name Dana into the baby pillow cases.

It was the summer I had just turned 6, I had my tonsils out. Dr. Darrow comes to mind but with my folks gone I can't be sure. I just remember going into the hospital and I was horrified that I was in the room with some little girl in nothing but my underwear and those stupid backless gowns. My mother said it was okay and she was dressed the same but it didn't matter to me some things are just wrong. I remember them giving me a shot to make me drowsy and then a short while later they put me on a gurney and wheeled me down to the operating room. They put something in my IV and asked me to count backwards from 100. I got to 97 and remembered thinking the Anesthesiologist was a dope. I knew a lot of kids who had trouble counting down from 10 and wondered how he knew I could count backwards from 100. I guess he knew I had graduated Kindergarten with honors. Sodium Pentathol I was later told was what was used and I just hoped I didn't reveal any secrets while I was under. My adenoids had the last laugh as they grew back.

I remember his nurse told me she would use a smaller needle that would hurt less if I didn't jump or cry. While I doubt she really used a smaller needle and penicillin always hurts like a bitch I made the deal. I may have shed a tear or two after that but I always told them to use the small needle when I got a shot. I bet they still use the big needles on my Aunt Judy.

 

ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE - How to keep your mouth from looking like a chickens butt - Cat fur to make kitten britches

Some people may not remember but I went through my why stage like any other kid, you know why is this, why is that. My dad would always say something back that I understood as "cat full of kit britches". If I asked him why again he would simply repeat it. I hadn't thought of that in a while and I got curious to what it really was. I asked him and he said it was just a nonsense answer. I finally looked it up and what it is supposed to be is "cat fur to make kitten britches. The phrase Cat's fur to make kitten britches is a joking nonsense reply to the question "What for?" or "What's that for?" It's a pun on the words for and fur, which are often pronounced identically. 

When I was a kid staying with my grandmother she would sometimes tell me we were going to the store. Of course I looked forward to the change and scenery and the possible treat I might receive. I would ask her when we were leaving and she would say drekkly. Years later and realized that drekkly was a mispronunciation or understanding of the word directly. It really had little to do with the word though since it meant anywhere from 10 minutes to later that day.

My mother pulled one of the drawers out from the kitchen to line it and had trouble reinstalling it. She said it was in there cattywhampus. Anyone who has put drawers in and out know what that means. The real word though is catawampus and of course it means askew. You can get a drawer so catawampus that you can get it in our out.

When I was helping fold clothes the other day I told my wife to just tump that basket out on the bed. Being from Oklahoma she knew what that meant but people farther north don't have the word tump.

The last one I guess comes from my family. My mother told me she was going to rid out the cabinet. I of course understood that completely. What that meant is that she was going to reorganize the cabinet discarding old and unused items. After that we were going to red up the place since we have company coming later. Later on today I plan to rid out the closet.

A phrase built from some of those words might be something like: The truck skidded catawampus through the intersection and tumped his load all over the place. I reckon we ought to get this cleaned up drekkly. When we questioned the driver he said he was ridding out the glove box and he hadn't notice the light had changed.

A friend of mine admitted that he had a bad case of the Derssa's. I wasn't sure what that was but he said he was putting Vaseline on it but it wasn't helping much. When I finally figured out that Derssa was Red Ass spelled backwards I told him to use the only sure cure I know of. Watkins Petro Carbo Salve. You can still buy it online http://www.watkinsonline.com/productdetail.cfm?Product=02372&gcatalogLocale=USA

It also keeps your mouth from looking like a chickens butt. My mother would always say that to me if my lips were chapped. It was an easy way for her to insure I would treat my lips because I sure didn't want to look like a chickens butt. Of course Watkins is the best but Mentholatum is a close second. But never use Mentholatum for the derssa's.

I can think of a few more but I don't want to appear that my mouth has overloaded my butt and that would be above my raising.

 

HOW NOT TO BE A CHUMP, FOOL, OR IDIOT - 6-6-2014

One of the things that drives me since I can remember is wanting to understand how things work. If you do this you are less likely to be taken advantage of. by magicians, scam artists, pick pockets, and con men all rely on misdirection. Being alert and aware helps.

These days I hope parents explain to their children not to take candy from strangers or look at puppies or otherwise get near anyone in a van. What bothers me is I see the same adults taking candy from strangers. Not literally of course but metaphorically. Be a little suspicious is my best advice and always watch for the misdirection. Lastly everything on the Internet is not true, although many of you seem to think if it looks official it is. I consolidated these items from my page and added a few more.

SOME OF THE SCAMS I SEE ARE LISTED IN THE PARAGRAPHS LISTED BELOW:

SUCKERS, ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE - DON'T BE ONE

I just saw a commercial that has you paying $15 (plus shipping and handling) for a dew rag. Having spent so much time in Memphis I learned what a neck towel is. Please let me know when you are about to snap yours so I can leave the vicinity. Any cotton blend cut to that shape will do just fine and do exactly the same thing. They act like they have produced something that has been bestowed with some type of magic. The real magic of course is convincing idiots to buy their overpriced product. Any dampened cloth will have reduced temperature. Instead of snapping I just swing mine around. I imagine Hancock's or some other fabric store will have that same or similar color for a whole lot less. Personally I make mine from an old wore out cotton blend T-shirt. If you must buy one Walmart has similar products for less than $10.

I sometimes am amazed when I see advertising for stupid things. The latest is the National Monument Two Dollar Bills. Boy give me a world where I can sell $4 for $10 plus shipping and handling. Oh sure they ran the bills through a color laser and imprinted national parks images on them. Perhaps I should come up with the Legends of Nascar Five Dollar Bill.

I saw a whole end cap in a Walmart of trays that amazingly thaw your meat quickly. Meat comes packed on little styrofoam trays. Styrofoam is a great insulator and that is the reason they make great ice chests and insulation. If you take your meat of the tray and put it on something that is a good conductor amazingly your meat thaws faster. Try a cookie sheet or cast iron skillet next time and save yourself the $10 they charge for a hunk of metal. I purposely place laptops and other things that tend to run hot on overturned aluminum pots or pans. That is what is called a heat sink.

I saw ads on TV and the product in grocery stores that cleans your vegetables. It was simply a surfactant that allowed your produce to shed more dirt than water alone. It actually works by the way. A surfactant is soap. Put a drop of dish soap in the water you use to clean your veggies to do the same thing a lot cheaper.

They used to sell a spray that stops static cling. Your mother would probably tell you a little fabric softener diluted in water in a spray bottle does the same thing. It also takes out wrinkles instantly (according to those commercials).

Special crystal you put in your fridges produce drawer makes vegetables last longer. Special bags you put produce in etc. Mostly crap but if you do wash and dry vegetables and fruit before storage they do last longer. Some things do better when stored in bags. Do remember that some fruits give of ethylene gas as they ripen. Putting an Apple in a bag with your slightly unripe tomatoes speeds this up. Storing fruits that give off ethylene gas can be used to speed up ripening therefore if you keep those away (or use a plastic bag) those types of fruits you can control some degree of spoilage. Never put bananas in a bowl with apples or pears. Unless your goal it to quickly turn the bananas black.

The biggest scam in recent history is the little stickers you put on your cell phone. Rhino International bilked thousands of people out of $19.95 (eventually marked down to $9.99). They were simply a sticker that looked like they had a circuit stenciled on them. A spiderman sticker will give you the same performance increase. Nothing was ever done to these folks by the way and they dissolved into the woodwork.

One of my employees was coming out of Walmart with a basket. Someone had bumped her as she exited the door. When she collected herself she realized her purse was missing. When she caught up the person that bumped her they didn't have her purse. Of course the partner did and had went the other way. Anytime someone bumps you in a crowd immediately check your wallet or purse and if you lost it the person that bumped you probably doesn't have it. Look for someone else moving quickly away.

Look under your car and check the back before entering your car, even in daylight. Look around the parking lot before heading to your car. If you see something suspicious go back inside until later.

How about the scantily clad girls selling magazine subscription to help pay for college. Perhaps you didn't care of you got your magazines or not. Guys are so easily entertained. They probably are cheaper than a strip bar.

Lifetime guaranteed light bulbs. There was a home version and an office version. The home version got you simply to buy some overpriced light bulbs. Didn't you feel like a sap when they burned out and you either didn't remember who to call to get your replacements or if you did the number wasn't any good. The office version is the same except the person in charge of purchasing for the business got a free watch or some other trinket like a pen set or tool set.

Distress Panhandler - A guy, gal or family approach you in a parking lot outside a restaurant, bar or other public meeting house, even sometimes a church. They only need $x.xx amount of money to buy baby formula, cab fair to hospital, part for car or money to pay a locksmith to get their keys out of their car, get into their house etc. I admit I have given a few bucks to these folks sometimes (usually $5) if they do a really good job and look like they could use a meal. Do remember though some of these folks may have more money than you do. I would buy any one a meal if they needed it wouldn't you.

Do remember that these people can be diabolical and remember no one is going to pay you to work from home and the King of Batu is not going to send you money. Google doesn't want you to work from home and mostly anything that comes in an email to you is probably a scam. If in doubt there is no doubt. Check http://www.snopes.com/  

HDMI CABLE SCAMS

When I hooked up my new Flat Panel TV, Satellite Box, and DVD Player I realized I was short a cable. I went down to the local discounter and they wanted $39 for a 4 foot cable. Granted it was in one of those security plastic carton (you know the ones you have to open with a chain saw) with a big label telling all the features. I buy the same cable in an easy to open plastic bag with no label. It has the same gold plated connectors, same quality wiring etc. We sell them for $7.99 and include shipping. Buy ours and take back the overpriced cables.

SCARY HEADLINE

I read a headline today that said regular use of aspirin may lead to macular degeneration. Based on how they surveyed, they could have easily gotten similar results if they would have asked people if they regularly eat pickles. The headline then would have read pickles may lead to macular degeneration. Of course at the bottom of the article admitted that the true causality of the results were unknown. Stupid people putting up SCARE headlines should be whipped.

NOTHINGS IMPOSSIBLE

I had a guy say to me that nothing was impossible. I told him you have 30 seconds to swallow my umbrella. Yes I heard that on Carson.

It is indeed true that everything on the Internet is true or they couldn't put it on here. • FALSE

If you find yourself in a conundrum I find that simply asking yourself what would Popeye do is sometimes useful. Eating a can of spinach and punching the crap out of someone can solve many problems.

AUCTION SCAMS - DON'T BE A PUMPKIN EATER

It is disturbing to me when I see lots of dough spent on TV and Web Advertising by obvious crooks. You have seen these. Joe Smo got a new Mustang for $11 or some such. These sites charge for each bid you make. With thousands of bids per item you can quickly run up quite a bill for nothing. You really don't know if Joe got the Mustang or not but you will get the bill for all the bids you made not to get anything. I simply can't understand how gullible people are but they must be since the companies manage to keep paying for expensive advertising. I understand what pumpkin eaters are. They are people who are so gullible they will swallow anything.

RETARDED

I think many of the people who report the news are retarded. Why else would they be following Sarah Palin's RV around or listening to anything Trump has to say. Are people getting dumber? I guess that is probably it since the SCI-FI channel now has wrestling on Friday nights and many of our programs are being replaced by "reality" shows. I find them to be bad soap operas with worse actors and have no tolerance for them at all. For the life of me I can't see how anyone could watch Ghost Hunters. Grown men scaring each other in darkened old houses and buildings shot under Night Vision with equipment so highly tuned it gets set off when one of them combs their hair. Brainless, mindless is the only thing I can say.

FAKE NEWS

I am not sure what happened but the news people I grew up with didn't give their opinions on the air and they never had their own agenda. Of course we know they all did and selectively reported to support their agendas. Every once in a while though you could see the reporter making a face while he was reported something he considered stupid.

Nowadays with the advent of FOX News you get nothing but opinions. MSNBC gives you the other opinion sort of. Watching John Stewart on Comedy Central will give you a clearer picture of what is really happening by what he makes fun of. At least you might have a better picture of what really is going on.

The next time you see something that sounds outrageous go to Snopes.com Type in the headline or info and find out for real if there are really toilet spiders, or any other old wives tales, something Obama did, rumors or even about viruses and malware. http://www.snopes.com/ One of my favorite sections is: http://www.snopes.com/info/top25uls.asp

OKAY SERIOUSLY NOW YOU HAVE TO QUIT PARTICIPATING - 6-5-2014

I see another string of shocking headlines on Facebook again today. Let me explain this differently. Remember how we made Rappers millionaires. The worst the lyrics were the more press they got. The more press they got the more records they sold. Why do you want to help make little or no talented thugs millionaires.

My dad told me he use to sell newspapers on busy corners when he was a boy. If it was getting late he would bark out something like "Women eats baby" and people would flock to buy his papers and he could get onto school.

Nowadays anyone can set up a web server blog and buy up a domain name and put out "woman eats baby headlines". When you click on a link or worse put a link into social media you make yourself out to be a pumpkin eater. Stop it, stop paying them.

These people who run these sites make their money by getting web traffic. Their advertisers pay them based on the traffic you helped create and you just propagated and paid a criminal or thug. At worst they are simply misguided.

MOST OF THEM ARE SIMPLY SCUM! STOP PAYING THEM!

I have decided I will no longer comment on these headlines, since doing so sends them money. It is my hope that you will stop linking these into Facebook and explain it to your friends. If you think they are legit, take a minute to look up who owns the domain name and or do a bit of research about their claims on other legit news sources.

PUMPKIN EATERS UNITE - UPDATED 6-4-2014

A pumpkin eater is someone who is so naive that they will swallow anything. The next time you see something that sounds outrageous go to Snopes.com Type in the headline or info and find out for real if there are really toilet spiders, or any other old wives tales, something Obama did, rumors or even about viruses and malware. http://www.snopes.com/ One of my favorite sections is: http://www.snopes.com/info/top25uls.asp

If you see anyone quoting the Western Journalism Center do remember what the source is. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/terry-krepel/the-return-of-the-western_b_181270.html Think of it as a tabloid full of half truths or outright lies. There are many others just like these. Buy an official sounding domain name, set up your advertising and then make up stuff that riles people up.

HAD ANOTHER GOOD BIRTHDAY - 5-29-2014

I am the big 60 today, May 29th, 2014, Thursday. Had Green Pepper Steak for lunch, Ribeye Steak for Supper, and a baked potato with sour cream and butter. Cheryn does fix my favorites on my birthday. Cheryn got me a card and I reminded her I would rather have the dollar and she said she only paid 50 cents. Had a lot of nice birthday wishes from my Facebook friends. Paul came over the next day and had two of the Red Velvet wheatless cupcakes with me. I am grateful for a wife who took the time to learn to cook all over again. I have been fairly healthy now for some time and am turning back into the fat Bob again. My daughter and son-in-law came in last weekend over the Memorial Day holiday and we visited with Mike and Linda who had a picnic that Saturday. Had a Hamburger and Sausage Dog on buns Cheryn made and she got to visit with her folks and her Aunt and Uncle along with her Sister and her husband. Nice day. Scott bought us another window unit for the back bedroom so it is a bit cooler back there now.

OFFICE TIPS - 5-22-2014

I worked in both large and small offices for different companies over the years. Here are a few tips for those of you that still show up at the office each day.

If you are working late and get hungry, go to the fattest persons desk and check the drawers. Fat people always have the best snacks and they won't miss a few because they will just think they ate them and didn't remember.

When working in a large corporate office we had a pretty limited supply budget. We kept department supplies in a locking cabinet. When someone would quit or get fired I would send my employees by the office or desks of those departed and rob all the supplies and stock our cabinet. We also improved much of our furniture over time swapping chairs etc. He who has the most staplers wins.

THANKS OBAMA, WE NOW HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE - Updated 5-21-2014

I noticed recently a lot of Facebook friend posting stuff that they hear on Fox News. What I can't figure is how anyone intelligent can watch crap like that. Fox News is really a joke if you consider the inconsistencies in the reporting and is frequently the butt of jokes. I don't think much of most of the other news agencies these days. If you want to know what really is going on watch the Daily Show and see what they are poking fun at. It gives you another viewpoint.

I have worked since I was 14 years old without a break. I have never collected unemployment. I don't think there is anything as a free lunch and have paid for everything I ever got. Well I have won a few things, but still.

My point is that no one has done anything about health insurance and the skyrocketing expenses until Obama. In fact just the opposite. Many have lined their pockets. I don't know if the new health care laws are equitable or just. I just know that someone hardworking should not have to give up their life savings and retirement just to get medical treatment. Right or wrong for us it fixed something I consider unfair. To be refused insurance because of a minor health problem like a recently had doesn't seem fair. But what happened to my wife who worked as a nurse for a good many years be refused health insurance from something she contracted through no fault of her own and the costs for treatment made me see things in a different light.

When Cheryn had our daughter back 30+ years ago she lost a lot of blood. She had to have several pints of blood. Back then they didn't know what Hep C was. In fact back then they called it Non A/Non B Hepatitis and they didn't test the blood supply. Through no fault of her own she contracted Hep C. This made her non insurable under any program. Fortunately when it finally caught up with her we are able to get her into a clinical trial which made her treatments almost affordable (remember all those savings and retirement, you had worked for?). She is now clear thank God.

With my recent stint in the hospital and our moving I was turned down for health insurance. I only had a cap policy to begin with which we paid high premiums for what I call catastrophic protection. All of my medical expenses were always out of pocket as was Cheryn's. Really all I ever wanted was catastrophic protection for us both in case the worst happened. We have always paid for our doctor visits and medications out of our pocket.

Under this new program we again are both insured with a fairly decent policy that we can actually afford. I hope you benefited as well. If not I expect they will continue to refine things.

Long Memory and Never Letting School Interfere with My Education - 5-19-2014

I have mentioned before that I remember clearly back to age 3 and some even before. I had thought everyone did and didn't think much about it until I got older. I probably do misremember some things. I am writing this without any other references. The most frequent notes on my report card is "Bobby isn't working up to his potential". I always wanted to add a line. It interferes with my playing and sitting around time.

I was telling Paul Randall that I remember my first day of Kindergarten. I related a story about a dog that was right next door to the school. I had to pass by the cyclone fence on my way and the dog always growled and ran at the fence. It terrified me. Paul asked what was the dogs name. That caught me off guard a bit but I am sure I never knew it or I would remember. When I first started my mother would walk me all the way. After a few days she would walk me to the corner and I would have to pass the dog on my own. After a few weeks she only walked me passed the Agnew intersection.

Elementary Schools

Stand Watie (named after a Cherokee Indian Chief).
Kindergarten - Ms. Gentz, Ms Lisa teachers
1st Grade - Ms. Ragsdale (3 days her class was too large)
1st Grade - Ms. Horn (taught us to count to 10 in Swedish, and churned butter for the class).
2nd Grade - Ms. Maynard
3rd Grade - Ms. Eastep (moved October)

Prairie Queen - Mr. Crews Principal
3rd Grade - Ms. Coffman (in that freezing/roasting annex). We had an assistant teacher part of the year but I only remember she wore more eye makeup than Alice Cooper.
4th Grade - Ms. McKowen (always wore plaid dresses, and cried in front of us when Kennedy was shot).
5th Grade - Ms. Hunt/Ms. Garland (Music). Ms. Hunt was a great teacher. She told me that when I read to think how what I was reading related to me. BEST ADVICE EVER. If you do this your retention will go way up. I remember accidentally overhearing Ms. Harlan when I tried out for the school play. Well his voice isn't that great but he did get up there and try out. Sang a duet with Ricky Smith in our production of Peter Pan. David Peck starring. I took care of the class aquarium and killed many innocent fish with assistance from Kitty Henderson, but later turned that into a career.
6th Grade - Ms. Hoffman/Mr. Quattlebaum (Science - drop a bomb on Quattlebaum and see what he will do).

Jr. High - Jefferson Junior High: 7th - 9th

With 6 different teachers over the 3 years I will only mention my favorites and unfavorites:

Favorites:
Mr. Gardner (Biology)
Mr. Morrison (Power Mechanics) rebuilt a Clinton Lawn Mower Engine w/Ricky Matthews.
Mr. Bingham (metal work)
Mr. George (Woodwork)
Mr. Grey (Gym)
Coach Milliron (Gym)
Mr. Frazier (Mechanical Drawing)
Mr. Story (Oklahoma History)
Mr. Judd (Social Studies)
Mr. Miller (Science Club Sponsor)
Ms. Hurd (chemistry)
Mrs. Thiessen that good looking Typing Teacher.

Unfavorite: Ms. Arie (Nazi) - never had her in a class but got swats from her for some reason I still don't know.

When I was a freshman I won the Science Fair garnering the First Place Trophy and won several more awards at the City Science Fair.

High School - U.S. Grant: 10th-12th

With 4 to 6 different teachers over the 3 years I will only mention my favorites and unfavorites:

Favorites: Best teacher of all time: Herschel Diebel (Vo-tech: Industrial Chemical Technology). We called him coach.
Mr. Poole (English) Summer School Teacher for the class I had to make up. Speed reading and Latin Roots. Aced it but it is amazing how well I do when a teacher really teaches.
Ms. Baugh (American Literature). The heavily female populated class chose Wuthering Heights as a class novel. I tried but never read it. Read the cliff notes and was the only one who aced the test and screwed up the grade curve (by two grades). Obviously the teaching assistant who made up the test used the Cliff Notes to make up the test.
Mr. Crosley (American History) one of those combined TV classes with the droning TV guy. Read the text book the first week of school and made A's and B's on the weekly tests. Slept through most all of the classes. He never held it against me and even joked that he was afraid that I might strangle on my post nasal drip. Chairs of Nazi design could only sleep head back. Sitting next to Karen Norvell was the only good thing.
Mr. Daniel's (Drivers Ed). While he wasn't really my favorite you have to give the guy some credit. I don't know how he kept from having a stroke or a heart attack. Two quick stories. After one driver finished his turn he casually tossed the keys on the dash. They slid down the heater vent. We all had to walk back. Another time the student swerved violently and busted a tire on the curb. When Daniel's looked at them they said didn't you see that bird. I think he got in trouble for swearing. All I know is that while we walked back to school I could see the blood vessels in his ears pulsing. I shared the car with Stan Smith, Mark McClain, and Pam Wise. Needless to say there was considerable seat jockeying between our turns to drive. I will let figure out who was responsible for getting Daniel's all fired up. I will also admit Daniel's rode the brake the entire time I drove.

Unfavorites: That Bitch Ms. Strubhar (English) flunked me with a B grade average counted me absent when I slept in her class, even though I was present. If you had read the text book ahead I as had there was nothing ever added and the main reason I took the opportunity to rest.
Mr. French (Algebra) had us turn in all of our homework quarterly. Someone stole mine 1 day before it was to be turned in. He took my test scores as an average but what a stupid way to work.
Lastly the worst of all Mr. Chase (English) I only had him for 3 days. The man was a bully and I have no idea why he was teaching. I observed him bullying students the 3 days I was in his class. The last day he decided to pick on me for the last time. Even the counselor who never said a thing but I know he knew. Anyone who stayed in that class should have complained. Sometimes being a sheep is not what is needed. He supposedly was much beloved but for what I can't understand. If you were in his class you saw it. I think he retired the next year but it was many years too late. No one should have to put up with that type of behavior from an adult and certainly not a teacher.

BUSING: When I was in my Jr. year of high school I almost dropped out. All the advanced classes I wanted were across town due to the implementation of busing. I would not only lose one class hour a day I would not be able to work by part time job due to riding the bus. They stuck me in a bunch of bonehead classes when I refused to ride the bus. I really didn't need another Gym class, Art class or Study Hall. I simply quit going to school. Luckily I had a counselor Mr. Whittington that took enough time to look at my transcript and figure out what was wrong. He called I had quit going to school. He says "Bob, what they hell are you doing". I told him if I couldn't get decent courses I wasn't going. He asked me to come up and talk with him. He met with me later that day and took me to the government sponsored vo-tech. He introduced me to the Industrial Chemical Technology Teacher (Hershel Diebel) who gave me a tour of the 6 classroom area he taught from. He said they only had 5 students for this two year program. He showed me the Senior College Level Texts they would be using and professional glassware, weight room etc. I finished school with credits from this course ( I aced it) and a bonehead math and English classes back at the high school. Kirby Nicholson and Richard Killman attended those same classes with me for those of you who know them. I wonder what would have happened though if I could have gotten the classes I really wanted.

LONG MEMORY: Kids I met later in life that I went to Stand Watie Elementary School with: Mark Bell, Karen Hand, Mark Paxton, Michael Smith, Leslie Pendergraft. All but Leslie I went to Grant with. I saw Les in a Taco Bell in my mid 20s. I said hello Les. He looked at me a long while. I said Mrs. Horns first grade class. He still look dumbfounded. It never occurred to me then that everyone didn't remember there elementary teachers. I told him he was left handed and he wore oversized handme down sneakers from his brother and wasn't happy about it. Nice guy but I know I surprised him and he didn't know me from Adam. Mark Paxton knew me and remembered we have both done cafeteria volunteer work in first grade. We got out of class to wash and dry trays and got free lunches.

Kids I remember from Stand Watie: Michael Bolin, Don McGee, Karen Kimcosky, Janet Hamilton. Donnie was my best friend then. I rode to school with Janet. Karen used to kick me in the shins with those saddle oxfords she wore. Never knew why but sometimes I think I still feel the pain. Other kids I remember I can't remember their last names. Teresa who live across the way on Grand Blvd. Doris who rode to school with us. Jonie who invited me to her birthday movie outing at the Knob Hill Theater. Gena who was the class genius. Cathy Davis was the 1st grade class looker. Jerry Rose lived nearby.

FaceBook Link JOINED FACEBOOK - 5-6-2014

Paul Randall my longtime friend and school buddy kept telling me how I could reconnect with some old friends. I had always heard a few bad things about what Facebook did with all of your information selling it etc. After spending a little time I realized I really didn't care. My spam isn't any worse than it has been and since I run my own mail servers I can filter out just about anything that irritates me anyway. I must say that I am pleased at least initially and while I am still learning how to use it I am enjoying myself.

I am not sure what the URL of how to visit my page is but here is what I think. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008269906164&ref=tn_tnmn

CHEVROLET S10 BLAZER AIR CONDITIONER FIX - 5-4-2014

Our air conditioner in our trusty low mileage 1999 S10 Blazer had quit working. I pulled out my trusty gauge set and went to test the unit. The compressor would not stay on. The low side measured in the red when I read the gauge. I spent a bit of time on the search engines and no thanks to Fixya (see below) I finally figured out the pressure switch was bad. This apparently was a common problem but you have to give it to Chevy it lasted 15 years. Cheryn picked up a replacement at AutoZone that had nothing to do with the one installed on the truck. It cost over $25 with tax. I looked up the item on RockAuto.com and it was $9 for the right one. She ordered and it arrived in two days. Of course she took back the AutoZone unit and got a refund.

We installed the switch and added a couple of cans of R134A which topped off the system and it now works perfectly. The in the red readings I was getting on my gauge was normal if the compressor isn't running. I also discovered I needed to apply pressure to the fitting on the cheap little unit to properly engage the schrader valve that has to be open for the system to take the freon. What I learned was AutoZone is too damned high and gives you the incorrect parts. I bought the Freon at Walmart which has the best price over the Automotive specialty stores. I also learned that RockAuto.com is the place to shop for parts but you do have to plan ahead. They probably would have had a better price on freon but it is a pressurized gas that can't ship via UPS or FEDEX. Of course I also learned that FIXYA.com sucks when it comes to information and the way they present it.

DOMINO'S OFFERS A GLUTEN FREE PIZZA - 5-2-2014

This past Friday we ordered and got a gluten free pizza. It wasn't as good as the old regular ones but it was the best pizza I have eaten since I figured out I was allergic to wheat. It was also a bit more expensive and only 10" but it was heaven to me after being without for so long. Cheryn did make a few homemade ones for me but they all were a bit lacking. I do appreciate her efforts and they certainly helped fill my cravings for a time.

IS IT JUST ME OR DOES FIXYA SUCK - 4-30-2014

If you do a troubleshooting type search on Google these days Fixya seems to dominate the search results. Unfortunately I find that they SUCK. I have yet to find a proper answer and don't want something requiring FLASH crap ever. Why not have the results just come out in text? I have since learned to avoid links to this stupid site. What twits came up with this plan.

I SAW THIS ARTICLE - 4-20-2014

It said most American fear drones. I was thinking here in most of the southern states, it would give more opportunity to many for bonus target practice. http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/americans-wary-of-futuristic-science-hi-tech-114042000441_1.html

IT WAS SNOWING THIS MORNING - 4-14-2014

When I peered out the window this morning there were snow flakes coming down. The ground is too warm for it to stick and I think the high will be 50 today. I have had a sinus headache for 3 weeks now. I had a round of antibiotics and hope that I am finally on the mend.

MAC SERVERS ARE FAIRLY INVULNERABLE - NTP EXPLOIT - 2-28-2014

We had some problems with our network slowing down this past week. I called our service provider and of course the person who answers for COX is probably in another State and generally tells people all day to restart their cable modems. Or course we had already done this twice as well as restarting our switches, and internal routers. She said she couldn't see the modem and was dispatching a service tech. The guy calls and he is across town so it will take a while to get here but he is on the way. While we pay a premium for our business service they are indeed serious about calls. The guy gets here and everything appears okay again. I told him the problem was intermittent. He replaces the modem and things seem to improve so he leaves after leaving us his number (he explains the number will self destruct in 24 hours). He adds my IPs to his ping list. Less than an hour later he was back on his own. Nice when a guy sees and takes initiative without the customer having to call. Thanks Roy. Roy was the name he gave but I think his real name may be John McClain for he is heroic in my book.

All during the problems I couldn't get speed test to load. If you want to check your network performance I like and use http://speakeasy.net/speedtest

We unplugged one server and a time and we discovered our biz.headgap.com box was causing all the problem. It seems that someone or many ones were targeting us using our NTP server to stage a denial of attack on someone else. The Mac Server itself is never compromised. What they are doing is spoofing the IP of who they are targeting and send a request for the directory of the Network Time which is fairly good size. That ends up being sent to the target tying up their bandwidth. Diabolical in its simplicity but it was keeping our network tied up with the requests.

I now block UPD port 123 on all of our servers. This stopped our problem. The new modem they installed was evidently an upgrade as it performs substantially faster than before. Thanks again Roy from COX Business Technical Support if that is truly your name.

If you want to learn more about the NTP exploit: Attackers Wage Network Time Protocol-Based DDoS Attacks -- Dark
http://www.eweek.com/security/easy-to-use-ntp-amplification-emerges-as-common-ddos-attack-vector.html

CHERYN'S DAD GOT A NEW KNEE - TRUCK GETS A NEW PUMP - 99 Chevy Blazer S10 Heater not working and solution - February 2014

Cheryn's Dad decided it was time he got himself a new knee. The old one was pretty wore out. Cheryn spent a few days up in Tulsa after the surgery helping them around the house and made a trip or two back while he was in recovery.

Our faithful low mileage (51,000) 99 Chevy Blazer S10 was leaking water out of the water pumps weep hole. We couldn't find a repair shop to do it on the weekend or quickly so my buddy Paul and his friend Jerry did it for us. Frankly he said he could use extra cash and I knew he would do a much better job than generally you get out there. He also replaced the idler pulleys since we had a bit of a squeak. Everything worked great and he did a good radiator flush and filled us up with fresh antifreeze.

By the way any of you do it yourselfers would save time and trouble by looking up how to do a job on YouTube before starting.

Cheryn takes off on one of the Tulsa trips on a day that was near freezing and a few miles on the road the trucks heater quits working. She checks the radiator and everything looks fine. I had had trouble like this before when I first got the truck (we have a small almost worthless electric heater under the seat that is better than nothing) and after reviewing all the forums on the net I really never came up with a solution, although it had worked all the way up until now. We tried putting the truck on ramps to get the radiator up higher than the heater core, leaving the cap off or on with one click and I even added water wetter thinking there was an air bubble trapped in the line.

Finally before her last trip and on a much warmer day I unhooked both heater lines at the firewall. With Cheryn's help I held the garden hose up to the firewall and flushed the large side. Only a trickle came out the small side. I finally put it in reverse and a large clot of dark crap spat out of the core. I continued to flush the core both directions until the water ran out clear both ways. It fixed the problem. So if you have a 99 Chevy Blazer S10 or similar vintage and engine type and your heater quits working try this first.

Cheryn and Bob in the office 12-20-2013

CHRISTMAS 12-25-2013

We had a nice Christmas with our daughter and son-in law visiting from Memphis. I wanted to share with you one gift they got us. A Mac Mini (2010 Model used, but filled with RAM and running Maverick the latest MacOS.). We hooked it to our big screen TV using the built in HDMI interface and now enjoy movies, iTunes and other media using it. We actually share that material wirelessly from my G5 system. It still is amazing to me to watch HD movies streaming wirelessly from my trusty old PowerMac G5. We did add a bluetooth mouse so I don't have to get up.

There are lots of programs out to help you organize and playback different format files. XMBC, MIRO, PLEX and on older systems Apple's Front Row. I like simple I just point and click the file and use VLC for playback. I recently installed Sheep Shaver on the unit and now run my old OS9 Applications like PageMaker, Claris Homepage, FileMaker 4, and TeleFinder Client.

ICE STORM 12-20-2013

We had a nasty long lasting ice storm this past Friday. I got up on the ladder Saturday and using Windex mixed with alcohol I sprayed down our DirecTV dish and along with a small hammer I chipped off the ice so we could again watch TV. We got lucky this year without the strong winds so our power stayed up. We got over 1/2". My daughter Amanda shot a few pics. If you would like to view them click on these links.

icestorm1.jpg | icestorm2.jpg |icestorm3.jpg | icestorm4nite.jpg

Missed Our Friends

For a number of years we always went to a group of my ex employees Halloween parties. We missed it due to the fact we are 500 miles away. I know they had a good time and I miss them.

36th ANNIVERSARY - November 1st 2013

Cheryn and I have been married 36 years. We were married November 1, 1977 All Saints Day, at the courthouse in Oklahoma City. We went to the Sawgrass Steak Place here in OKC to celebrate. It is best to get married on a holiday that way you can remember your anniversary. I know if there are trick or treaters I need to remember our anniversary the next day. Since moving from Memphis I did miss our annual attendance of the gangs Halloween party. We only had a few trick or treaters since the neighborhood is older. We are living in my boyhood home. I lived here back since I was 8 up until I was about 20.

THE MYSTERY RASH, DIVERTICULITIS, WHEAT ALLERGY

I finally figured out I think pretty completely what has been happening to me health wise. If you have been reading my random thoughts web page, you know I have been plagued with a mysterious itching rash for about 2 years now.

I now know I am allergic to wheat. When I eat something with wheat in it it manifests itself in several ways. I get gas and bloating soon after the meal. It slows down or paralyzes my digestive track and sometimes results in constipation. Shortly after I break out in the itching rash. I get blood spots on my arms. I think this might be from me not absorbing nutrients well but it may be the Dapsone I take for the rash. The rash is most likely dermatitis herpetiformis and is common in folks with celiac disease. I probably don't have celiac but I do know I am allergic to wheat.

I thought originally it had been Prevastatin a cholesterol lowering drug had caused it since I hadn't had this before and it listed rash in its side effects. It covered my whole body and really put me down. I could not sleep and nothing seemed to help much. It took several weeks to clear up. This was around August 11, 2011.

I continued to be plagued with the rash and made a note back when I turned 58, May 29th, 2012. My doctor back in Memphis had given me a regimen of 3 different types of antihistamines. I really don't know that it helped since the rash clears up in about 3 weeks on its own.

I reported that I was again getting over the rash on September 6, 2012.

In the middle of October 2012 I lost 20 pounds in about 2 weeks from what the doctor called Diverticulitus. I was given pain pills and antibiotics. On our wedding anniversary Cheryn and I spent $800 getting a cat scan which showed I didn't have diverticulitus. It either cleared up or was never present. Since we moved to OKC and I had to change insurance carriers this diagnosis is now keeping me from getting insured.

We left Memphis to move to OKC during our Christmas break late 2012 early 2013. About that same time I figured out that I was allergic to wheat or gluten. We determined this through diet rotation. My stomach and gut problems were being caused by the allergy.

On February 27, 2013 I was broken out with the mystery itching rash worse than ever. Cheryn had bought some hamburger buns she thought were gluten free from a health food store but were simply organic wheat buns. I should have known they tasted too good.

I went to the doctor broken out from head to toe. He prescribed a steroid shot and prescription along with an antibiotic since my white count was up. Between the antibiotic which always tears up my stomach, the steroids which also tear up my stomach and a gut problem I was taking aspirin (buffered) for the severe pain at the rate of 2 every four hours.

I went back to the doctor several times as I was severely constipated and losing weight. I had also started to get anemic. He also treated me for an asthma attack. I thought then it was related to outdoor exposure to allergens. I know now it is the wheat allergy. My stool had gotten dark but I would not have described it as black. It was though.

I ended up in the hospital shortly after with a bleeding ulcer. They gave me 5 units of blood in the 2 days I was there and charged me $29000 dollars. Thank God I made them check me out after two days. I had lost about 45 pounds from my weight before all this started. I had to get out my old jeans and belt.

My doctor is keeping me on a stomach pill that reduces acid. My tests for wheat allergy were negative but that sometimes happens when you have been gluten free for a while. Cheryn had read about a rash associated with folks who have celiac disease and that Dapsone was useful in treating it. I now take Dapsone regularly.

If I am good and eat only food Cheryn has carefully screened and prepared all of this goes away.

Knowing this you think I would avoid eating wheat but it is insidious what they use wheat in. I cannot go to a restaurant and eat anything without some chance. While they think they are not using wheat it ends up in the ingredients they use. Wheat can be found in many foods, including some you might never suspect, such as breads, cakes, breakfast cereals, pasta, crackers, beer, soy sauce and condiments, such as ketchup. If it says modified food starch in the ingredients list you can bet it is from wheat. Even oats contain some wheat and even if they plant virgin fields if they process the oats in the same plant they process wheat in, well there you go.

Cheryn has done a great job of finding alternatives. She makes us a type of corn bread we call Hoe Cakes, and makes Pancakes from a gluten free flour mix. She has also found different types of noodles. She even makes Pizza although most of the gluten alternatives are a bit disappointing. They sure beat the alternative of being sick.

We ate at the Chinese Steak Sushi Rib Pizza Mongolian BarBQ recently and even though I avoided the obvious things I am starting to break out again and I have blood spots on my arms. I have been taking digestive aids and stool softeners to keep from getting sick again.

CHERYN HAD A BIRTHDAY AUG. 19th

We of course ate at the Chinese steak sushi rib pizza Mongolian BarBQ buffet around the corner to celebrate her birthday which is becoming a tradition with us. Our daughter and son in law sent her a flat bottom Wok which works better with the electric burners on the stove. Cheryn has been doing a bit of stir frying for a while although in a traditional skillet. I think she will enjoy it once she gets it seasoned.

WATER THE ROOF

We have had several 100 plus degree days here lately. I have found that watering the roof on the sunny side drops the internal temperature by a degree or two. Lets your air conditioner rest a bit more and probably makes the bill a bit less. It may not be too good for the shingles since they seem to steam a bit after being sprayed. If we had more than the rock wool that came in the house insulating it may not be as effective.

THIS TIME THE TORNADOES PASSED US BY

This past Friday 5-31-2013 Cheryn and my friend Paul and his wife Teresa decided we were going to celebrate our birthdays. He was born in the middle of the month and I always remember his birthday late as mine gets closer. Just after we finished eating at the Chinese steak sushi rib pizza Mongolian BarBQ buffet around the corner we looked at the sky and decided to go to their place since they were driving and they have a safe room. Well we weathered the storm well but his place is near a creek that feeds lightning creek and it backed up really bad. The rain was so heavy his place started flooding. We actually took a broom and forced the inches of water into his shower drain. He drug out his generator and hooked up his shop vac and lights since the power was out for the whole area.

We got home later that night to find large tree limbs in our yard and even we had some flooding. Our power was also out. We only had a few pieces of siding blown loose. We drug out our ice chests and moved stuff from the freezer and fridge. We also got out our propane stove and used it to cook up the meat. Candles, Flashlights and our trusty battery powered radio kept us going. We had moved our lamp oil but couldn't find it. I guess we will pick up a few bottles.

Paul had gotten his power back Saturday and they brought over their generator and early Sunday evening we had our servers back up and the fridge and the air conditioner in the shop running. A few hours later our power came back so I switched everything back over and shut down the generator.

Our central air is out now and unless our repairman can find a replacement compressor we may need to replace our unit. It is always something isn't it. I hear that 12 people lost their lives in this last storm. He did indeed find one and got us back up and running.

CELEBRATED MY 59th BIRTHDAY 5-29-2013

I am pretty close to all healed up from my recent stay in the hospital with bleeding ulcer. I am pretty sure the combination of steroids, antibiotics, and aspirin I was taking led to the problem. I had a cap insurance policy that covered all but 3 grand of the $29000 hospital bill. Cheryn has asked for an itemized list and she will compare it to what you are supposed to pay for things and hopefully we will knock a few more dollars off the bill. Didn't do anything for my birthday but will probably go out and eat at the Chinese steak sushi rib pizza Mongolian BarBQ buffet around the corner with friends this weekend.

My rash has started back up again. I have been taking Dapsone which is a bacteriostatic that is commonly used in the treatment of leprosy. I think it has helped.

Thanks very much for the kind words from many of you and the fruit baskets (Thanks Mike Z.) during my illness.

The kids flew in this past holiday weekend from Memphis. Cheryn had a family reunion at her sisters house that we all attended.

WE WERE A FEW MILES NORTH OF THE MOORE TORNADO

I appreciate all of you who called to check on us. My Dad reported about the same to us back during the 99 Tornado. I was appalled at the destruction and our local stations carried wall to wall coverage. We watched the reports off and on all day between working. You can't help but feel sorry for the folks who lost homes and family. The schools that were devastated were particularly bad especially the one that got hit direct. You just knew that children were killed or injured.

Being from Oklahoma originally we always take precautions this time of year stocking up our supplies. Our safe room is a hall closet. Cheryn had removed the few odds and ends in case we had to get in and we put our hard shoes on.

After seeing the destructiveness of these EF5 tornadoes though I don't think we would have much of a chance from a direct hit.

I have heard a lot of people ask why we don't have underground shelters. If you dig down a few feet in the clay you hit sandstone. Whatever you do though it fills up with water. I have never seen a dry basement in OKC. I am sure with modern materials and enough money though they can do about anything. That is the real reasons though there are no basements here. Before these though we never saw Tornadoes this bad and you had a good chance in a small inside room like a closet.

BE PREPARED

My wife and I are both from Oklahoma and have seen a Tornado or two growing up, and weathered a few ice storms. We always have had kerosene lanterns, lamp oil, flashlights and extra batteries, a battery power radio and other essentials set aside in case of bad weather. Years later we add a propane cook stove, several large insulated containers (to keep your refrigerated goods in), battery backups, and even a high capacity 110V inverter that hooks to one of our vehicles. We have had a few storms over the years that have turned off our power from a few days to almost a week. Every spring we check our supplies, restocking batteries, lamp oil, propane etc. The time to find out you are out is not right after the storm. It isn't a bad idea to have a few extra cans of beans in the pantry. During the ice storms when we finally could get out many of the stores were closed since they also had no power.

Keeping your important papers in a strong box or a safety deposit box is something you should consider. We also keep a backup of our essential computer data on thumb drives off site.

We also know which parts of the house are likely to survive a Tornado and make sure he have the junk out of the way in case we need to duck in quickly.

BOY WAS I SICK

I just got back from the hospital after receiving 5 units of blood. It seems I have had a bleeding ulcer. I am still weak as a kitten and am taking my iron pills and rationing my labor for now. Thanks to all of you for being patient for poor Cheryn who has to take care of both you and me all my herself mostly. My friend Paul spelled her sitting with me both at home and the hospital.

I think we found out that I have Celiac disease which is an extreme form of wheat allergy but they are still running tests.

Cheryn got the hospital bill. It was $29,000. Yep you heard that right. Two days in the hospital costs more than a trip around the world for 2. I haven't seen the itemized statement yet but I think they may have padded it a bit. Its a good thing I insisted they let me out, they want to keep me for a third day.

DRUG COMPANIES RAPING AMERICA - THE MYSTERY RASH CONTINUES

Here it is February 27th, 2013 and I am broken out worse than ever. From my neck down to my ankles I am covered with a red itching rash. The new OKC doctor says it is Chronic Uticaria which means a mystery red rash that there is no cure for. The only thing I have to look forward to is that it will soon clear up. Of course it will very shortly start all over again. I could clear it up quickly with steroids tablets but it comes back with a vengeance as soon as the steroids wear off and the side effects are too severe for me. It strips the lining off my stomach giving me chronic stomach ache, headache and joint pain. The new immuno suppressants they say work well but have listed side effects including lymphoma. I make it a rule to avoid potentially cancer causing medicines.

In the meanwhile I use lotions and Solarcaine to treat the symptoms. I found some cortisone cream at the dollar store. Works about as well as anything else and the price is right.

I use to use prescription Clobetasol Diproprianate Lotion which is an external steroid lotion. Works well but is now $33 a bottle for just enough to do one leg. I asked the doctor to write a scrip for the older more generic Betamethasone that doesn't work as well but I thought it would be more affordable. It is now $45 for a 2 oz. tube. What the hell?

Somebody is doing something that should be illegal.

I really don't think much of lawyers in general but perhaps a class action lawsuit is in order here. How can established medicines jump in price that much practically overnight?? Perhaps we all need access to some of the foreign drug companies who are not gouging their customers. THIS IS JUST WRONG!

Pulled from a NY Times article: Most generic creams and ointments in the United States are made by three companies: Perrigo, Taro and Fougera, which was recently acquired by Sandoz, the generics division of Novartis. They give the excuse that they had to requalify the drugs under the new FDA rules. Okay I will pay 50% more what I use to. What is this crap about 3 or 5 times the cost, you worthless bastards.

Take Betamethasone Diproprianate, a cream used to relieve itchy skin. In 2008, a tube cost $18.17. The medicine now costs $71.28, according to Red Book, which tracks wholesale drug prices.

SOME PEOPLE ARE LYING CHEATING BASTARDS

I know most of you have experienced this. You see an add for a $99.95 4 wheel brake job. They list new pads, turn rotors, repack wheel bearings, etc. What kills me though is you never get out with a $100 job. Lets face it most rotors are too thin to stand a turning. So replacement rotors are usually expected. What kills me though is the rotors from the parts store are about $30 to $60. Why then do you have to pay close to $100 and then pay for labor to install them. It takes no more effort to install the new rotors in fact it takes less labor than turning and replacing the old rotors. God forbid you need a caliper replaced while you are looking at $80 for the part, you just spent hundreds with their inflated parts price and then labor. Granted you do have to bleed the brakes after installing a caliper but that still is no big deal.

For what I paid for a brake job, I could have bought a hydraulic jack and all the tools required including an electric impact wrench and still had money left over. Next time I do my own and install the high performance drilled rotors and still get out cheaper.

SOME PEOPLE DO HEROIC THINGS

A 19 year old in Louisiana is making a difference. I find the story inspiring perhaps you will too. If you want to win an argument perhaps the best way is to get 78 Nobel Laureates on your side.

http://io9.com/5976112/how-19+year+old-activist-zack-kopplin-is-making-life-hell-for-louisianas-creationists


Bob in his new Operator Headgap Inc. World Headquarters.

WE ARE STILL IN BOXES BUT WE ARE HOME - WHEAT ALLERGY

Here it is January 21st, 2013. We spent much of the weekend fixing up things and Cheryn is still moving our inventory around and organizing it. My space is still cramped but I have been able to repair and setup for sales a few dozen systems. Finding where the parts are has been a bit of a challenge but every day it gets better.

Right before we left Memphis we were having lunch with a group of my old employees, saying good-bye as it were. One of them we had noticed had lost a lot of weight and she said she discovered her severe stomach problems were caused from a wheat allergy. Here symptoms were similar enough to what I have had recently, we decided to see. Through diet rotation we have pretty much determined most of my recent stomach and gut problem stems from a wheat allergy. Cheryn has been learning to cook all over again but when I am able to leave wheat completely out of my diet I have no stomach problems. Perhaps my rashes will clear up as well. All I know is that when I accidentally eat something with wheat in it I pay for it later than night with severe bloating and gas.

I may eventually get tested but it appears that it is fairly expensive to have a lab run these days. In the meanwhile we have located wheat free items to replace much of what I normally eat, but I do miss good old sandwich bread and rolls.

Operator Headgap Has Moved! Back in Oklahoma City!


Cheryn & Bob Nunn - AppleCore of Memphis Christmas Party 2013

After 26 years in Memphis Tennessee we have moved to new Operator Headgap Systems, Inc. World Headquarters in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Our move took place just after Christmas and we were back in operations and shipping again Wednesday January 2nd. Our toll free number will remain the same 1-877-639-1543. Our direct phone lines will be 1-405-601-5288 and you will need to use this line for technical support or if you are in Canada. Our new fax line will be 1-405-445-0796. Please make a note of these changes. It will take us a while to change the dozens of web pages we have with the old numbers so bear with us.

Do make sure that you ship anything to the new address listed below.

Cheryn and I both are originally from Oklahoma so this will be going home for us. We are looking forward to our new expanded facilities. We will continue to improve our goods and services at the new location. We thank you for your business and look forward to serving your needs in 2013 and beyond.

Our NEW Address Is:
Operator Headgap Systems, Inc.
7308 S. Klein
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73139

Toll Free Order Line: 1-877-639-1543
Technical Support: 1-405-601-5301
FAX Number: 1-405-445-0796

MORE ABOUT THE MOVE BY CHERYN

We started Dec 26, the "pack the trucks" day, with precipitation. Got to Uhaul by 8 AM and picked the trucks up. By the time we'd gotten to the house, the wet stuff stopped and we had cold but dry conditions to pack the trucks.

We intended to start driving the 27th at about 10 AM. We loaded some last minute stuff on the Uhaul trucks. Broke our server rack down and loaded it in the blazer and got ready to put my Pontiac on the tow dolly. Noticed a low tire. Tried to fill it, but wouldn't hold air. One of the 26' trucks also had a low tire, so we hook up the tow dolly and head back to Uhaul.

The truck was a Continental Tire test truck and they would only put Continental tires back on it. Come to find out, the inside tire had a nail in it and was completely flat. The outside tire was taking all the load which is why it looked flat. Anyway, we finally picked everything up at the Uhaul and headed west.

Stopped in West Memphis about 6 PM to put gas in all the vehicles, 2 26' Uhaul, my blazer and the kids Nissan Versa. While there, stopped and ate at Huddle House. Pretty good food.

The convoy headed out once again and when we approached Little Rock, they've still got ice on parts of the highway. Decide we better stop for the night. Find a Holiday Inn, no truck parking. Go back to the previous exit with about 6 motels and they're ALL full. Scott, my son-in-law, gets on the phone and finds another Holiday Inn in Maumelle, just west of Little Rock. They have one suite left, only because their power had been off longer than some of the other hotels. We reserved it and headed out again.

We get there and I go in to the front desk to find out where to park the trucks. There was a concrete pad out front that didn't belong to the hotel, but that the trucks used for parking. What they didn't tell me was that the whole thing wasn't concreted, just the part closest to the street.

I lead the convoy around to the area, pull off the driveway and go right across muddy ground, with Bob just behind me driving the Uhaul and towing my car. I make it across just fine, but he gets stuck in the mud up to the axles!!!

By this time, I'm in tears, which is unusual for me. I tell the crew I'm no longer in charge, somebody else be in charge.

The next morning, Amanda gets on the phone and finds a tow service that will come out. He arrives after lunch so we reserve the room for another night. He finally pulled the truck out about 3 PM. We were all shot by that time, so it was a good thing we stayed another night. The next morning we get up, eat some breakfast and get headed out again about 10.

We made it into Oklahoma City about 6 PM. Got the server unloaded and our mattresses, the coffee pot and go to bed. We moved from about 2800 sq. ft to roughly 1800 sq. ft. I probably won't get everything unpacked for another two weeks.

We now have the 1st Qtr. SuperSink DVD set available in the online store a bit later than I would have liked.

ADDITION: The 2 26 Foot Trucks wouldn't hold everything and my daughter and our friend TK packed a Uhaul Pod back in Memphis. It was delivered last Thursday, Jan. 17th and we were able to able to unload it early Friday. We are all here now with important items like my tool chest, our lawnmower and smoker. Not to mention many of our shipping cartons for computers.

MAN WOULDN'T WE HAVE ALL FELT SILLY IF THE WORLD ENDED FRIDAY

12-21-2012 passed without the world ending. My guess is the guy making up the Mayan calendar just stopped there since he probably got tired and realized that probably even his descendants wouldn't even be looking at the calendar. I never placed much thought as my new 2012 calendar ends at January 2013. I would place no significance on the world ending after that time. I just would buy a new calendar.

I wonder if we have any Mayans working on extending their calendar now that the old one isn't any good now. 

WE ARE MOVING

I miss stepping on goatheads and having bull nettles sting my legs in the summer. Most of all I miss the constant wind blowing red dirt in my teeth. I should also mention that Oklahoma gets pollen from about 5 States that comes along with the wind.

Cheryn and I are packing up and moving the business to Oklahoma were we were both born. We will be moving the business so fear not. We may be down a day or two during the upcoming holidays but will be back up quickly in our new facilities with faster net access. We have spend 26 years in Memphis and will miss many things, especially the fine friends we have made.

We had the old house I grew up in remodeled and have had it rented since my Dad passed. We will be moving in there. You can monitor our progress from our http://headgapstore.com page as we will keep it updated with our new address and phone numbers. Our toll free business line will remain the same.

HOW TO COOK A TURKEY - SOUTHERN METHOD

Brine the Turkey. We use a Covey Cooler to put our brine of sugar and salt. 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup salt per gallon. Add a bit of ice and put the cover on. Let stand at least 6 hours or so adding ice if needed. About 10 or 11 PM the night before Thanksgiving preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Pull the Turkey from the brine and pat dry, remember to remove the giblet packet from inside. We put a whole onion and chopped celery inside and lube the turkey up with vegetable oil. Salt and pepper the turkey and add any other seasonings. Put the turkey in a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil and place in the 500 degree oven. Cook the turkey 5 minutes per pound. After the time is up shut the oven off and go to bed. When you wake up in the morning you will have a perfectly cooked juicy turkey. Reheat to serve. This works perfectly every time unless you have one of those ovens that automatically cools itself down. The leftover oven heat continues to cook the turkey.

OPTION: What we do these days is cook the turkey at 500 degrees for the allotted 5 minutes per pound and turn the oven off. I fire up our barrel charcoaler just before pulling the turkey after the allotted cook time. With the fire on one side and the turkey over a drip pan with water on the other. I place smoke packets made up from punctured foil and soaked fruit wood cuttings on the charcoal bed. After a couple of hours I add another chimney of charcoal and fresh smoke packs. I then go to bed. In the morning I have a perfectly cooked turkey with a nice coke colored smoke layer over the outside of the Turkey. Best eating ever. Add the foil panties and bra before starting the smoke process.

WARNING: We do check doneness by cutting the Leg Joint. Any pink around the joint means you need to cook the turkey a bit longer before serving. We do this by putting it back in the oven at 400 a while longer. If you did everything right above though you will never need to do this.

Click here to see Cheryn's Turkey

DIVERTICULITIS

The hard way to lose 20 lbs. in two weeks. I have been sick for about 3 weeks now and today, Nov 5, 2012 I am finally back to work again. I thought I had always eaten decently starting my morning off with a couple of prunes and some mixed tropical fruit along with whatever breakfast items I ate. I like and eat salad and vegetables, fruit etc. Well we spent $800 bucks on our anniversary to have by gut CT scanned. I am sure that Cheryn would have done almost any other thing as would have I. The pain was excruciating and I took loretab halves every two hours for days. The antibiotics finally kicked in and started clearing things up. I can tell you if you aren't eating right and getting plenty of fiber you need to start as you do not want to get this condition. I had to go dig out a belt from the closet as my old belt didn't have enough holes to fit me anymore. I now know I never had it.

HOW THINGS GET STARTED

Tor was a man that lived before there was written history and this story has been handed down for generations. It seems Tor had one knack. He was able to locate the best caves. Anyone needed a new place to live was smart to seek out Tor. He was famous far and wide. Eventually folks started impersonating him. The problem was they were not as talented as he was and many of the caves were unsuitable, some having critters still inside and some flooding out after heavy rains. Eventually folks became wary of these Fake Tors. If you wanted a good cave to live in you had to make sure you had the RealTor.

SOMETHING SWIMMING IN YOUR BREAKFAST CEREAL

I don't see it so much these days and have no idea why. Perhaps the pesticides are better. One morning I was eating a bowl of cereal and I noticed things swimming in the milk. It was the last of the box and Mom hadn't been to the grocery store yet. I was picking out a few and eating the others. My mother asked why I was picking out some and eating others. I told her I was only picking out the big ones. Everyone knows you should choose the lesser of two weevils.

NOTHING TO REPORT- Still itching and the bastards have stopped shipping my white Solarcaine Lotion out of Canada

I am finally getting over the mystery itching rash that I seem to be plagued with these days, Sept 6th, 2012. I am taking 3 types of antihistamines but I am not sure they are really doing anything. I continue to use mineral oil based lotions adding olive oil and Solarcaine to stop the itching. We were getting the white Solarcaine Lotion out of Canada since it isn't available these days domestically and it works better. They are selling the Aloe Vera based lotion instead. They have stopped Canada from shipping it now for what reason I can't imagine. It has the same percentage of active ingredient as the Green. Good thing I guess that the Green version is made here in Memphis. I sometimes dream of visiting the manufacturer and jumping into one of the vats they probably produce it in. It is the only thing that gives me relief at all. As soon as I get pretty cleared up it will probably start over again. I have had a few folks tell me about miracle cures from different drugs but all of them are immune system suppressors that have horrible side effects. None for me. I don't want to clear up a nuisance rash just to get cancer.

DirecTV - VIACOM - HE IS COMING HIMSELF

We enjoy our Television much more and while we spend about the same as cable we have so much more. One problem right now is they are going through negotiations with VIACOM and we are missing some channels. DirecTV offered free Encore access while we wait for our VIACOM channels to come back. They have a built in mail system that they use to notify us on our TV that a new channels is being offered and other information. Why they didn't notify anyone with this system of what was happening I will never understand. We Googled it and found out the deal and discovered they were giving us Encore for free during the negotiations.

They also had a problem with the Closed Captioning. HE IS COMING HIMSELF appears randomly in the text on the screen repeatedly. I finally wrote them and they told us to push the reset button. Again the mail system built into the set would have been welcome. What they didn't tell us is after the reset you have to hold the start button a bit longer than normal. After a panicked 10 minutes of plugging and unplugging the box and trying the reset over and over I finally held in the start button and our TV came back.

Oklahoma City 40th High School US Grant Class of 72 Reunion

We just got back late Sunday, July 1st. On our trip down our Blazers cabin thermometer read 116 degrees as we crossed Arkansas, fortunately the air condition kept the inside temperature much lower. Our reunion organizers chose the Sheraton in OKC to provide some of the meeting places. At $120 a night it was much more expensive than hotels we normally stay in. They charge for coffee in the room you make yourself and $2 for water. They had no refrigerator or microwave. Internet access via WiFi was sold by 15 minute increments. The restaurants and bars were pretty expensive as well. The 36" LG TV wasn't bad but the channels were all Analog and some were 720 P. I won't stay there again at any price. Oh yes did I mention $7 a day parking at the Sheraton? We normally stay in the Biltmore for $65 a night with free WiFi, decent cable, free and good buffet breakfast, fridge, coffee maker, and microwave in the room. Not the Ritz but certainly decent, with attached clubs, conference rooms and the other amenities.

They said Friday night we were on our own, but some folks were going to lake Hefner to hear a band. The instructions we got were about 12 miles out of the way (my fault for following directions I was pretty sure was wrong) and by the time we got there the place was full. It seems since this was open to the public there was a tremendous crowd. It was almost 8:30 by the time we arrived and we hadn't eaten. We turned around and stopped by one of our favorite local places to eat and then back to the room. A bit disappointing. We did go down to the lobby later and ran into a few folks. The highways around town are totally different than when I lived there and I am too cheap to spring for a GPS.

Saturday morning the memorial they held for those who have passed was nice if a bit long. It was held at Grant High School. Totally new building and the auditorium was very nice. I was surprised at how many had died and being in Memphis I never heard until we got there. Tommy Nix played and sang. Tommy was the guy who played back in grade school. Talented and a nicer fellow you will never meet. Pete Martin kept it organized.

What was nice was exposure to Bricktown which we had never seen. We road the shuttle to Rockies Saturday night and had finger foods, soft drinks and a DJ. The bar was on us if we wanted. It was okay. $65 a person ($85 at the door) I think was too high for this type of event and it could have been held at a bit more reasonable rate if it wasn't downtown. I think more folks might have attended. They did have an after party from Midnight to 6 at the Sheraton and had snacks and water. I think someone borrowed the coffee urn out of the lobby a bit later. It was nice to visit in a room where you could actually hear. I just wish more folks would have attended. I don't think I lasted much after 1 p.m.

We didn't wake up until 11:40 the next day and didn't leave a wake up call. We had 20 minutes to check out or pay another $120 plus tax. We had to switch elevators get to our vehicle so I waited on 3 with the luggage while Cheryn checked us out at 11:59. No shower or coffee or breakfast and a 9 hour trip wasn't how I had planned it but we made it okay.

It as nice seeing old friends and classmates. I guess I am lucky in that I remember all the way back to grade school and was able to recognize most folks after 40 years in spite of the gray and perhaps thinning hair and the extra pounds that we all carry these days. I did find myself glancing down at the name tags on a few. What also is funny to me is that I as always the smallest guy (except when Don Isbell joined our classes at Jefferson, unfortunately he passed). I kept growing after high school and kind of caught up. Guys and girls for that matter that I remember being almost giants and my height or perhaps slightly taller but the huge discrepancy is gone. Stanley Smith (the class giant) passed away. I remember sitting on Stans shoulder cross legged in grade school. I also remember his mother brought cookies one day to the class and had to duck under the classroom door. Truly a nice guy and I am sure everyone misses him.

They say they are not going to wait a full 10 years, but have one at 45 years. I hope that they choose less expensive resources. If they do I may try to make it. The 9 hour drive isn't all that bad as long as I don't have to arrange financing for everything else. Most likely though we may try to make the 50.

CIRCULAR REFERENCES MAY NOT BE RESOLVED

For the last few days I haven't been able to log into my Google News. I rely on it these days and it is nice to have the news all laid out the way you want to see it. I tried sending feedback but you have to sign in to complain. If I could sign in I could get my news now couldn't I. We spend about 3 grand a month advertising with them and I can't find a way to contact them so I can get my news again. I could stop my ad spending but then my business would suffer and they would never notice.

TUBES

If you are my age or older you may remember helping your dad with his cigar box full of tubes test those at the machines that all quick stop places had over in the corner. Most folks figured out to avoid that TV Repairman bill they could simply go up and test and replace the tubes. I am sure that is a thing of the past. Of course the quick stop had every tube in stock except the one you needed. I cherish the memories of my dad grabbing and discharging the high voltage section of the set accidentally nearly every time he worked on it. I learned most of the swear words I know. What fun we had as kids. I learned how to discharge the flyback using a test lead and a ground instead of my body but never told him. Of course nobody but me works on anything with a CRT screen these days and save for the old iMacs I don't much.

CARS

My first car was a 64 Ford Custom with a 223 six and 3 on the tree. Bought it from a guy down the street named Roger Davenport. Nicely kept car, but I drove the wheels off of it. I never had much money so when the clutch went out I learned the hard way how to install one. I was about 110 lbs. back then and that caste iron 3 speed was around 1/2 my weight. I laid under the car with the transmission on my chest with snow blowing under the car until a neighbor noticed. A while later I was hit head on avoiding a spinning car in my lane. Took some stitches in the head and totaled the Ford. My next car was an 62 Olds 88 4 Door with the Speedo that changed colors. my uncle sold me cheap. It had a 389 4 barrel in it and I didn't think much of the power it had until I gave it a tune-up. Fast car but it had what they call the Slim Jim transmission that wouldn't hook up sometimes for no apparent reason. It finally lost a ball joint and I sold I t for scrap. I bought a 62 Ford with the old 292 Y Block and the added oiler kit for $100. Drove it for 6 months until the oil pump died. Drove it for another month by pouring a few cans of STP in it. I got a ticket for loud mufflers and I was not able to convince the ticketing officer that the noise was the engine knocking as it had a perfect muffler. It died on the way home one night and I sold it for scrap and got $35. Probably the best value car I even owned. My cousin Johnny Purcell sold me his 65 Ford with the 352 FE engine and the required leaking Autolite carb that puddles gas on the manifold. Drove it until the heater core went out of it when I traded it for the Camaro.

My favorite was my 1969 Camaro. Originally it came with a 230 ci 6 cylinder and a 3 speed. It was green with white stripes and white interior. Over the years I overhauled the 6, had it painted black and added white vinyl stripes. When I got a bit older I finally got around to having it painted again. Firethorn Red with double metallic and I replaced the interior with black interior from a salvage 69 I bought for the towing fees. My cousin Tracy got drunk and wrecked his (same cousin I got my bike from). He couldn't pay the fees and my Aunt thought I ought to have it rather than let it go to the towing company.

After pulling the parts I wanted I sold it. It had the front in turned under and I didn't want to do any frame restoration. I finally had a bit of money saved up so I had Glenn (my buddies next door neighbor) do an engine and tranny build and swap. He found a good 396 block from a wrecked Chevy wagon. They did all of the machine work and built my engine with the good although mostly budget stuff. I did spring for a Sig Erson Cam, Melling Oil Pump, a Weiand dual plane aluminum intake and a new Holley 780 with electric choke, and a set of headers. What I should have also sprang for was a new fuel pump. I had a lot of trouble initially even though I had high performance fuel filter on the system. I finally figured it out after clearing the needle and seats a few times (I can still field strip a Holley with nothing but a screwdriver and repair it) by looking at the gas coming from the fuel tank (white container) and then checking after the fuel pump. Large amount of junk was coming out of the fuel pump which had probably sat with water in it for a time. A new one took care of the trashed fuel problem.

They put in a rebuilt Turbo 400 and a console from a Chevelle for the floor shifter. Besides a shift kit they installed a Vega torque converter to give me a high stall launch. I put in a mechanical oil pressure gauge, and temperature gauge in place of the heater control that had quit working. I moved them to the console (using choke pulls and an aluminum panel I made and added a manual switch for the backup lights. I did that to confuse the idiots driving with their brights on right behind you.

They left the dipstick off on my first attempt to get the car home. Smoked a lot so I turned around and they quickly remedied the situation. I took it to a muffler shop and had a 2-1/2 exhaust built with an H pipe and Maremont Cherry Bomb Q mufflers. We also added traction bars.

Car run great and was almost scary fast. What really made the big difference though was I took it to a place that specialized in recurving the distributor. All that motor was missing was a bit more timing.

I eventually started having trouble getting good enough gas especially during the summer. I could stop the knocking by running the timing back but the car would almost overheat. I can tell you how many times I sat in the middle of a summer traffic jam running the heater to cool that motor back down. I garaged it for a year or two driving a Cutlass Supreme. When Amanda was born I sold it to pay the hospital bills. I sometimes think I would have like to have kept it but then I remember how rough it rode, how hot it was. People who get nostalgic should go back and drive an old car before wishing they had one. I should have taken the diesel horn I had installed from JC Whitney. It sounded like a freight train and was real loud. I could never get enough of honking at people walking in front of the car, or the gas station attendant checking my oil.

A friend Ernie Weeks had a 70 Model Dodge Charger that had sit in the rain with the broken sunroof open. I paid $100 bucks and after pop riveting a few real estate metal signs in the floor (after cutting out the rust and reprimering it and coating it with undercoating and putting in new carpet and about 7 cans of Lysol I had a car I could drive. It always had a bit of a moldy smell but I didn't replace the seats or dash. I replaced a fender and repaired a small dent in the hood and well as get the sunroof fixed although it was manual. I refinished the upholstery from green to black. Tuned up the 383 4 Barrel and it ran great. The only real problem with it was the electrical and I started using the foil from the cigarette packs since it burned in half like a fuse but didn't cost anything. I am not sure all Chrysler products of that era had the problem but I guess it was pretty common. I sold it to my brother for the $400 I had in it and it got totaled by a drunk while it was parked in the street. We followed the debris and antifreeze all the way back to his garage but it didn't matter he had no insurance and had nothing. The cops carted him off to jail but that was that.

I bought an old green Chevy pickup from my friend Paul and as I was coming back from Skaggs getting the title changed I had stopped at Burger King (and yes they got my order wrong). I was setting at light eating my Hamburger with mayonnaise on it (I hate that) and holding the 32 oz. Medium Pepsi (no Coke) when a 1 ton truck pulling a Caterpillar on a trailer ran into the back of me and totaled out the vehicle. It kind of stunned me and I remember all that Pepsi spewing forward and the tomato from my burger was stuck to the windshield.

I bought a Chevy 3/4 Ton Long Bed Pickup next and eventually sold it to my brother.

My wife and I painted and restored a 65 Ford Short Bed Pickup and sold it for a nice profit to a guy that used to live across the street from my folks Charley Whitaker.

I drove a 76 Cutlass that we bought new for a good while. 231 V6 was a good motor and this was a really decent car. I was coming home from the Target store and while waiting for a few left hand turners at the bottom of a hill a Mac Dump Truck full of dirt plowed into me, shoving me into the next car and him into the next after. I climbed out of the window since the car was sandwiched and the doors no longer worked. Our settlement left me enough to buy a new 4 Cylinder 89 Mustang. Drove it until I traded it for a new Pontiac Grand Am. We sold it after driving it for 12 years. I now drive my dads old 99 Chevy S10 Blazer LS. It only had 30K on it when he passed and only has 50K on it now. Looks like a new truck.

When we first married, Cheryn had a Mercury Bobcat (the Mercury version of the Pinto) and yes it had the bad Firestone Radials and the exploding gas tank. Ford recalled it and installed a bladder which sometimes cause fuel starvation on the highway. The tires kept slipping belts and bulging until we replaced them all. I NEVER BUY FIRESTONE OR BRIDGESTONE TIRES EVER. I like the fact that they count on people to forget after marketing themselves as Bridgestone for a few years. Don't buy them either. I like the BF Goodrich T/A Radials and spend a bit more to get them. They have good wet traction and are generally long lasting. I was disturbed to discover though that they sold out years ago and are now made by Michelin. We later bought Cheryn a good used Toyota Wagon. It had the hemi headed four cylinder with the progressive 2 barrel. I rebuilt the carburetor at one point with the $14 kit. The rebuilt units were around $250 and I could not understand why until I rebuilt it. Took me all day and there were over 200 parts. It fixed it though. A heater control valve went out and I went to buy a replacement. It as over $100. I got the parts man to find me a manual valve from a Dodge Truck and 6 dollars later and an old manual choke pull we again had a working heater. Same for the muffler. Expensive for original parts but a glass pack did an okay job for $25 installed.

We bought her a new Toyota FX and she drove the wheels off of it. We gave it to our daughter Amanda who finally wrecked it enough to be totaled. We then bought Cheryn a new Pontiac Sunfire back in 98. She is still driving it. Just goes to show you that a regular service schedule and changing out the fluids regularly will keep a car in good stead for years.

HAD ANOTHER GOOD BIRTHDAY

I am 58 today, May 29th, 2012. Cheryn brought me breakfast in bed. Nothing special these days we eat breakfast in bed together everyday (our dining room housed our servers). She handed me a simply brown paper wrapped gift. It was a framed picture of my Dad. One of the last ones shot before he passed. We picked a place on the wall to hang it. I made her quit buying cards and she now just gives me the dollar she would have spent for the card. We may go out and eat at the peanut steak place but it will be this weekend. We just finished gorging on ribs we cooked out this Memorial day. She rubbed them down with spice the night before and trimmed the silver skin and ends before packing them in foil. She cooked them a couple of hours at 275 in the oven before we moved them out of the foil onto the covered barrel charcoaler we have. Put a chimney of charcoal on one end with foil packets of plum wood. Let them smoke out there a couple more hours until they were failing off the bone stopping only a time or two to apply the oil and butter seasoned baste we make up. We serve them with my tomato based homemade BarBQ Sauce, Potato Salad and Beans made up the rest of the menu. Our daughter and his husband joined us. I am broke out with the mysterious red itchy rash again and started the 3 antihistamine regimen again. Looking forward going back to Oklahoma City for my 40th High School US Grant Class or 72 Reunion next month.

SUMMA CUM LAUDE

Something you probably will never hear about me. My daughter Amanda just graduated Summa Cum Laude from STCC with an associates degree in business administration. We went to the graduation ceremony at the Desoto Center. Over 1700 graduates and yes they named each one. Really proud of the girl. She is looking for work if you want someone smart and knows a thing or two about computer systems as well. I always bring Cheryn along when we go places since she remembers were we park. Not so well this time. We wandered around a bit, but I never worry about it. If you wait long enough your car will be the only one left.

WATERFRONT DINING - SUPERMOON

In Memphis waterfront dining means turkey size mosquitoes and mold. On Saturday, May 5th, 2012 I put my sneakers on and went out and looked at the Super Moon. I guess it appeared larger than normal, it was a clear night. The moon was supposed to be closer to earth than usual causing higher tides that normal etc. I always wonder if the tides are many feet higher what does the moon do to the earth's crust. I always watch for earthquakes a few weeks after the moons seasonal travel when it is closest to earth.

FLU SHOT & VALENTINES

I guess next year I am going for the flu shot. I am always afraid the shot will make me sick. Cheryn and I both have had lung congestion and a croupy cough since Christmas. I think we are finally both getting over it but still end up taking cough syrup before bedtime and here it is Valentines day. Took Cheryn out to the iHop and let here order anything she wanted off the seniors menu. Who says I ain't still a romantic cuss. It did happen to coincide with the Mac User Group Board meeting but hey that still should count.

I put 1/2 a shot of Bacardi 151 in my expresso and find that I am now anxiously calm.

GUY STUFF

When you first heard that Seal and Heidi Klum were splitting, didn't you think just for a second "hey maybe I got a shot now". Sure she is going to go for a fat middle age married balding guy. I guess it is wired into us though.

MOTHER KNOWS BEST

My mother said always pick a dentist or surgeon with small hands. I understand that after seeing the gall bladder scar and seeing Dr. Benin's banana sized fingers.
She also tells the girls to never marry a man who's mother irons his underwear. He is already ruined and you will never meet his expectations.

DAD KNOWS BEST - Updated 6-5-2014

My Dad says if you open the door for your date by unlocking her side and letting her in, take notice if she reaches over and unlocks your door for you. He says that is how you can tell a keeper. A bit dated these day with the automatic locks but hopefully you get the point. He also told me that you can tell a good one by how straight their purse is and how clean the trunk of their car is. Always best to avoid slobs.

He told me hardly anybody ever got killed asking for a better price. I watched him as we were waiting for my mom to grocery shop, library or whatever. He would run into some of these small shops just to haggle with some guy on a price on something he really didn't want or need. They sometimes would even follow him back out to the car trying to close that sale. He said lots of shopkeepers place a big importance on the first sale of the day and you sometimes could get things for a ridiculous price.

Years later when I worked at TG&Y at 74th and Penn, I spied a Croton Watch (Swiss) in one of Murcer's Jewelry cases. it was thin and being of small stature it looked pretty good on my small wrist. I tried it on a time or two. Every payday I would go and look at the watch. Old Man Mercer would stop and ask me if I was going to buy that watch. The watch was listed for $79.95 (a fortune in those days). I did this every payday for about a year and a half and finally Mr. Mercer sold it to me for $29.95. I still have that watch but don't wear it much these days since I don't care what time it is.

My Dad when visiting nursing homes always carries sugar free gum and mints. He always talked to folks and would offer them. Always put a smile on their faces. I told him I thought it was nice of him and he said, what are you talking about have you ever smelled old peoples breath. He of course was joking but that was his sense of humor.

He also warned me to never run over a box in the street. He said there might be a dead baby in it. I never ran over a box after he told me that. I always envisioned a dead baby laying inside that box. My dad was a lot smarter than he ever let on. He really knew that it was unlikely that there was a dead baby inside, but perhaps there was contents that would do the car damage. He also knew that if he said something like that I would have to learn the hard way. When it came time to teach my daughter to drive I told her the exact same thing.

He never graduated high school, but he did get his GED. He said that if you didn't know what GED stood for you probably have one too.

He use to take old magazines into the barber shop and then rib Sonny for never having any current magazines and show him one from the 50's. When the barber would ask him how he wanted it cut he would say, cut off part of this sideburn and gap it up in the back. The barber would say you really don't mean that and he would say that was how he cut it the last time.

In his later years he spent a lot of time in the Hillcrest Country Club. He would shoot the breeze with a few of the fellows. He said they had a French chef that worked there name Jacque. He said he thinks his last name was Strap.

He traded with Pete Johnston's Gulf (74th and Western with the Roses out front). One time Pete was busy so he got out and was pumping it himself. As he finished topping off he pulled the nozzle out and sprayed a bit on the ground. Pete asked him why he did that. He responded that how you guys always do it.

I had lost my mother Martha Bell Rankin Nunn and my brother Steven Ray Nunn years ago. My Dad Robert William Nunn Sr. a Korean War Veteran and Golden Gloves Flyweight Champion. My Dad was our main anchor and the reason we visited Oklahoma City at least at Christmas time each year. On Wednesday February 10, 2010 Robert W. Nunn Sr. passed away at 81 years of age. We now reside in my boyhood home again.

DEATH IN THE FAMILY

I had lost my mother and my brother years ago. My Dad was our main anchor and the reason we visited Oklahoma City at least at Christmas time each year. On Wednesday February 10, 2010 Robert W. Nunn Sr. passed away at 81 years of age. We had posted a notice on our site and shut down our business for the first time in many years other that our small Christmas vacation. I want to thank everyone for the kind words. I also want to thank everyone for their patience. We got bit behind on shipping. We will still be spending time going back to Oklahoma to settle the estate and hope that you will continue to be patient with us for the next few weeks. Our part time employees will be running the operations for us and can help you with orders etc. but you may have to wait a day or two before we can provide more advanced technical support.

UPDATE: Here it is the first week of December 2010 and we finally have most things settled out of my Dad's estate. My friend in OKC and his wife remodeled the house and we are now renting it out. Cheryn closed the last of Dad's accounts.

JERRY MODESTO KNOWS BEST

I worked with a guy and we would go to lunch together every now and then. We would sometimes go to one of the cafeterias. Jerry would always engage the line workers and tell them how good the food looked and ask it they made that etc. One thing I begin to realize is how smart that was as he could hardly carry his tray to his table from all the extra large portions. Being nice don't cost a thing and brings a little bit of cheer to others. More often than not the rewards are well worth the effort in that extra large piece of chicken or that extra large serving.

34th ANNIVERSARY

Cheryn and I have been married 34 years. We were married November 1, 1977 All Saints Day, at the courthouse in Oklahoma City. We probably won't do much of anything special except maybe go to the Peanut Steak Place this coming weekend. Actually we ended up going to the Blue Plate Cafe, I had the fried chicken dark and she had the chicken fried steak, no gravy. It is best to get married on a holiday that way you can remember your anniversary. I know if there are trick or treaters I need to remember our anniversary the next day. We are having goulash for lunch today. Cheryn makes it with porky since I am slightly allergic to beef. I try not to eat any and when I do I make sure I eat a good cut of beef like they have at the Peanut Steak Place. She mixes equal parts of ground dark meat turkey with ground pork. She adds a bit of seasoning salt, garlic and onion powder, and worchestire sauce to make it taste a bit more beef like. Cooked with her goulash seasonings over noodles I can't tell the difference. Same for her porky chili. The burgers are not quite right but are okay and better than none. We ended up going to a couple of Walgreens to get my sinus medication. I have to go in and sign for it since the meth labs use it to make meth. It really is a nuisance and I hear they may even make it prescription again. Whatever happens I bet they charge more.

STEVE JOBS DEATH

As we were eating our usual Chinese dinner and our favorite restaurant Cheryn's cell phone rang. Our daughter told her that Jobs had died. I think I will always remember where I was when I heard it. I feel like we should all be wearing black arm bands today. If we had an Operator Headgap business flag it would be at half mast.

Anyone who knows us knows that we are Mac Nazis. Being in the used computer business we sometimes buy large lots of systems and when we find a PC in the lot we gut it and send it to the recycler. Anyone who knows anything about computers would never use a PC. You and your information are instantly compromised once you connect to the Internet with 3 new viruses everyday and many thousands of web pages that infect your PC just by viewing them (thanks Flash). I don't care who you are and how much you spend on your firewall and virus protection software you can't block what you don't know about yet. Best they can do is come up with a patch after you have been electronically raped.

I can't say I always agree with what Apple does but their tenacity to keep moving things up has given us a decent income. You see each time they update their hardware and software they leave behind the old software and hardware. Many people like the software they are using and have an investment both in time and money. The new Lion OS that just came out killed all the PowerPC programs. Many thousands of folks who use Quicken, QuickBooks, Corel products, and older versions of Adobe products etc. cannot use a new Mac. Good for us. Thanks Steve for leaving us alone to sell your old computers and old software. Also thanks for building long lasting and well built products. We enjoy giving them second lives. We will miss your "Oh Yes and One More Thing" that you always added to your product introductions. You indeed changed the world as I type this listening to my iTunes music library.

DOGS, CATS AND LONG MEMORIES

I remember my first cat. I didn't name it my dad did. It's name was damn cat. That is what he always called it. He would tell my mother things like "get that damn cat out of here", or "the damn cat has spit up another furball". My dads poker buddies learned the name of our cat when I told my mother that the damn cat was hiding under the table. Being 3 years old or perhaps a little younger I still remember how funny they thought it was. So I would make sure and call the cat by name anytime adults were present.

My mother didn't think anything about me remembering my early years because she did too. It wasn't until much later that I learned most folks don't remember that far back. I asked her about the old rent house and she said I probably shouldn't remember it since I was about 1-1/2 years old when they moved out. I don't remember it in great detail but described the linoleum floor to her and she said that was definitely it. I guess crawling around on it stuck with me since it was about the only thing I saw of the place. The house we lived in after that we lived in until I was 8 and I still remember it in great detail. My brother was born when I was 4 and I mark time by that since it was a major event.

I had several dogs as a child, but most got too large and were unsuitable. Especially the one that kept biting me in the face. They gave Corky (retriever mix) to my cousins who lived on a farm. I don't remember the Water Spaniels name but he used to sit on the copper yard sprinkler and any water I got to play in was after it went off the dog. My next dog I dearly loved. His name was Mickey and he was a Rat Terrier. Small and good natured he was a good pal for a youngster. One day Mickey disappeared. I was in a panic. My folks told me he probably got out. When he didn't show up for a day or two they said the dog catcher probably got him. I remember crying at the back cyclone fence since he hadn't show up when I called. I begged them to take me to the pound to look for Mickey but they never did. You see what they didn't tell me was what they knew. He had gotten out and got hit by a car. I did not learn the truth until I was a teenager. I really never got over it. You shouldn't lie to your children even if they are only 3 or 4 years old. Some of us never forget.

I have mostly had cats after that. They stay around a few years and don't really care other than you meeting their needs. When they inevitably pass on it is not like the love a boy has for his dog.

LAWN TRACTOR

We have a narrow gate and I was pleased when we found a Murray at an affordable price that fit the gate and worked well. That was 10 years ago. I have learned that changing the oil yearly and using a synthetic keeps the engines in good stead. The transmission is going now and I only have one forward speed an no brakes. Still it did the job although I have to be careful not to be knocked off going under trees. Luckily the kill switch works if I fall or get knocked off of the tractor. I had recently been sick and poor Cheryn had to used the tractor to keep the lawn. After her last time the tractor wouldn't start. A quick trip to the parts store for a new battery, new fuel filter and line and a gallon of premium I figured would take care of it. Cheryn pulled the gas tank and discovered the remnants of the cap gasket and other trash. We added fresh fuel and replaced the line and filters and charged up the battery. Still no go. I could run it off the Berrymans spray but the fuel just wasn't feeding. I opened the float bowl and let gas run out to clear it. Still no go. I finally pulled the fuel bowl off. About 1/4" of rust and other bits. That fixed it. It runs fine now other than the excitement of no brakes and one speed. If you don't know about Berrymans Spray and Liquid you should. They are the best solvents for your fuel system. I use Berrymans in all our vehicles, pouring in a 1/2 can to the crankcase prior to an oil change and the other half in the fuel. You will never have fuel problems and always have a clean engine if you do this. When we change the plugs we spray about 1/2 a can through the throttle body while the engine is running to knock down and carbon or varnish deposits. Once you use it to clean anything varnished up with gas you will see why I think so highly of it.

Oh Yes. Happy 56th Birthday for Cheryn Aug. 19. We celebrated in usual fashion at the peanut steak place. I forget sometimes how lucky I am that my wife is not only willing but fairly good at things mechanical. She cleaned the gas tank and removed the battery for our parts store run and helped with the wrenching of the tractor repair. As usual she cleans up all the tools and hides them in places only she knows. I guess I am lucky as long as she is around to find the tools again. She used to keep some of them out in the yard but the tractor kept tearing them up, so she hides them elsewhere now.

FLASHES OF LIGHT IN MY EYES

On occasion I have flashes of light in the left eye. They are usually a bright gold and look like a string of alien text. Perhaps they are sending me messages. It is enough to where I have to refocus to be able to read. I looked it up on Google and it is a fairly common occurrence. Nobody seems to know what causes it but it seems nothing to worry about. It generally goes away on its own. Still disconcerting and makes you wonder if you are having a mini stroke or something else. Cheryn seems to think it is because I sit on my ass too much. I later found out that it is a precursor to a severe headache for me. I guess they are migraines as they are indeed severe. Fortunately I always keep old pain killer scrips and use them to knock down a bad one. I am not sure what triggers them but I hope to figure it out as it is something I indeed plan to avoid in the future.

Something I recently figured out is that when I start seeing these gold alien texts flashing in my eyes if I take a couple of buffered Aspirin, 1000 mg Vitamin C and probably the most important ingredient Hawthorne the flashes soon go away and I avoid a headache. The Hawthorne acts as a vassal dilator preventing the blood vessels from clenching up. It seems to work well for me and I do it every time now.

ALLERGIES/DRUG INTERACTION

I have always had seasonal allergies. I didn't realize it until Cheryn went to work for a doctor and our medical records were transferred to him. He pointed out that I have been sick twice a year (same months to within a week) since I was 3 years old. Spring and Fall. It turns out tree pollens in the Spring and Ragweed in the Fall are the source of my miseries. I went to an allergy doctor for a while and spent a lot of money being tested. They eventually come up with a list of what you are allergic to and come up with an injection. After being sick every time I took a shot he went back and ran some of the panels again only to find out my allergic responses had changed. He didn't know what to think but realized I would not be able to continue the therapy. I finally went back to the doctor Cheryn worked for and he asked me what my symptoms were. We eventually came up with me taking a combination of a time release Guafenesin and Pseudoephedrine. These sold as Zephrex and other brand names until our brilliant regulators changed the requirements of how they are made. Now I have to buy over the counter versions at 1/2 strength and have to sign for them since part of the contents are abused. Still I live a normal life mostly and haven't had sinus infections for many years.

I recently started taking Pravastatin to help lower my cholesterol. It seems to be working and my cholesterol was quickly whipped into shape. About the same time though I started getting an itchy rash in spots. The doctor gave me a steroid lotion and it sort of took care of it. But over time it kept getting worse. Since the Pravastatin was the only thing I had changed recently I quit taking them for a couple of weeks. It didn't seem to help so I started taking it again. The itchy rash continued to worsen. Eventually the lotion I was using started making it worse.

I went back to the doctor after reading that Pravastatin had a listed side effect of rash. He told me to quit taking it and mentioned that it would take a couple of weeks to leave my system. I was on the right track but didn't quit taking it long enough earlier. He prescribed Singulair which is normally used for Asthma along with Zyrtec and Zantec. These are 3 different types of antihistamines that work on different receptors. He could have prescribed a steroid but I loath them and usually have the bounce back after taking them not to mention headaches and stomach problems. I need to mention that the Singulair was $153 for 30 days. Thank God he gave me a coupon that knocked it down to $147. Cheryn found we can order a generic from India for $40 a month. I don't plan on taking any more after I get over this though.

I eventually developed a itching rash over 90% of my body. I couldn't sleep and ran fevers. My skin almost appeared burned and I had a tendency to scratch until I bled. The antihistamines are finally starting to work and the Pravastatin is leaving my system. I got to where I couldn't sleep and have been pretty consumed and unable to function for days now. I found that mineral oil based lotions mixed with Olive Oil and Solarcaine gave me the most relief. I am finally starting to clear up after losing about a week of my life. I tried just about every lotion you could get from the Dollar store up to about everything Walgreens, Walmart and Target carry. The best lotion to buy anywhere for anyone is Ji'vu Body Lotion For People Of Color even if your color happens to be white. When I was at my worst it was the only lotion that didn't burn when I applied it. It soaks in better and stays on longer. It is worth running down. We know the owners and repair their Mac systems. I also use plain old drug store Witch Hazel for relief from the itching. It is cheap and works immediately.

I guess I won't worry about my cholesterol so much. I really never did but the doctors these days think these are the best thing since sliced bread. My numbers were over 200 though and went down to 150 or so which made him happy. I won't risk the allergic reaction though and doubt I will be taking any statins ever again.

P.S. I finish up my scrips this Thursday 8-11-2011. My skin completely cleared up and even the odd patch of psoriasis I am plagued with looked better. Of course I am starting to break out again with different looking itchy bumps. Arghh!

KNOW WHAT YOU GOT

I had a fellow call the other day and he said he had a Mac Pro PowerMac G4 iBook. I thought to myself and I bet he drives a Ford Lincoln Mercury Chevrolet. To be fair though it is confusing with all the different models out there. Just try to make sure you know what you are using and what OS version you are running if you are calling for help.

HAD A GOOD BIRTHDAY

I turned 57 on May 29th. Went and had steak at the peanut place, you know the steak house with the bucket of peanuts on each table. Went down and picked out a new mattress. The old one after 15 years had gotten to the point it was lumpy the day after you rotated it. Got the one with the pocketed coils. Would have liked to had a memory foam job but the price is just too high. When did foam rubber get more expensive the the labor intensive manufacture of individual pocketed coils of steel? Got two pair of Internet reading glasses in bifocals. One with 3X for real close work and another at 1.5 for reading old discolored paperbacks in low light that I do each night before bed. I had drug store glasses but couldn't look up at anything without throwing up. The bifocals are a bit more practical for folks with good distance vision. I also got a new padded toilet seat which was just in time as the old one was beginning to need duct tape. Cheryn went all out and picked me up my favorite red velvet cake at the Costco. She use to make them from scratch but to be honest these taste better. I think she thinks so too or perhaps it is just easier. I ran the truck through the RoboWash at got the full $10 wash. Beats slugging quarters like I usually do. Watch old submarine movies on the DirecTV until bedtime.

KNACKLESS

Usually most people figure out what they have a knack for doing. Others are knackless. When you find out what you have a knack for you should try to find work that incorporates it or at least a couple of hobbies. Sometimes asking someone else what they think your knack is if you don't know. Let's just hope it isn't drinking beer and watching football. While possibly a good hobby it wouldn't be the best thing to have carved on your gravestone and would be difficult to turn into an occupation.

SOMETIMES YOU GET A DEAL

A local fellow stopped by the other day and brought his PowerMac G5. He said is was collecting dust (he bought a new Mac Pro so he could run Snow Leopard) and wanted to know if we wanted to buy it. I benched it and it was a bone stock 2.7 Ghz DUAL G5. I don't buy or sell the liquid cooled G5's usually since you run the risk of bad failure. When a liquid cooled unit gives it up it sometimes sprays coolant all over the insides of the computer causing catastrophic failure of the unit. Repairing one runs higher than the value of the unit. I told the fellow this and he said that what would we give him. I thought about it and realized I wouldn't do this to a customer but I would run the risk myself if the price was right. We gave him wholesale value of one of the low end units which he was happy with. It is now sitting under my desk. I now am running a DUAL 2.7 GHZ G5 with one 750 GB and a 1 Terabyte Seagate Hard Drive, 6 GB RAM, and a new Pioneer SuperDrive. I didn't need it but the old unit I was running will pay for the new one. Sometimes you get a deal you know. Let's just hope it is a few years before the pump gaskets blow.

We do buy select good used Mac computers, use the online form to send info.

Common Carpet Spiders

I woke up the other morning with a pair of tiny bites on my belly. They had inflamed a patch around them and itched like the devil. Spider bites I suspect but perhaps it is a snakebite since they are evenly spaced. I put some steroid creme and a little Solarcaine on them. Solarcaine has lanocaine and camphor in it and is a useful product for much more than sunburn since it does a good job of numbing the area it is applied to. With that in mind make sure you don't put it on your lips accidentally and absolutely don't rub your eyes. I prefer the lotion to the spray since I usually inhale it and in makes my lungs numb. Everyone should have a bottle in their first aid kit.

I went looking for a spider and found one. It was a common carpet spider. If it had been on a wall it would have been a common wall spider. I am great at identifying common insects and arachnids this way. My daughter has also learned the same technique for quickly identifying common insects. When she was about 6 she finally figured it out. When she saw a spider on the wall outside I told her it was a common brick spider. Later on she asked me to identify another one and I told her it was a common hose spider. She had previously watched the brick wall spider move to the garden hose.

I looked at the spider and for all the world to me it looked like it was chewing gum. I am not sure what brand and didn't want to get close enough to smell his breath. For all I know though it could have been chunks from my belly he was chewing. I bent over to better stare at him but couldn't tell which eyes to focus on. I hopped two steps to the left and two steps to the right when I was sure he was looking at me. He leaped at me. I immediately stomped him into a greasy spot on the carpet and left it there as a warning to other spiders. I am not sure if he was the one who had bit me on the belly or not. I do feel a bit better now though.

Doctors

I went to the doctor for my every 6 months checkup. I spoke to his nurse in training giving her my type written list of medications I take. Cheryn prepares one for me. I take a couple of blood pressure medications, a cholesterol lowering drug, and use a steroid lotion for the psoriasis which so far has been mainly a nuisance. I have to go in fasting so they can draw my blood without the benefit of breakfast invading my sample.

I was fortunate to find doctor that sets appointments that he really keeps. He is a little more expensive but not having to sit in a waiting room of sick people or on that papered table is worth it to me. I guess he is fairly rare these days.

We usually chat about how much bacon or beef fat to add to your venison so you can actually eat it. He looks in my nose and ears and to my chest. His staff has already drawn my blood and checked my pressure so he simply reads that from the charts. He waits patiently for me to volunteer any other complaints and most of the time he simply says wait a while and it will go away.

You have to appreciate a guy like this. Most would have pulled out their scrip pads and written up a few hundred dollars of whatever the latest and most expensive drugs are for something that goes away on its own. He really is right most of the time by the way and the few times he missed I simply called in and he sent a scrip to by pharmacy for the latest generic available. I think I will keep this one. I just hope he lives longer than I do. It is really frustrating having to break in a new one. Pick a fairly young one if you can.

I used to go to the only Osteopath in Memphis. Back in OKC there were dozens as they had a teaching hospital. The main difference in them I think is they do a bit of bone cracking and aren't so quick to give you prescriptions if something else will do. I like him well enough but he finally got too old and retired. We got acquainted with Osteopaths back when Cheryn as a nurse. She is an LPN which stands for Licensed Practical Nurse. That that boils down to is 2 years of school and not the 4 years of an RN.

She worked Oncology and Emergency Room at South Community Hospital in OKC for a few years and eventually went to work for a Doctors office. The doctor she went to work for was the smartest doctor I ever met, Dr. Henry Tomlinson. He had both a full MD license and was also an Osteopath. I hold him directly responsible for saving my Grandmothers life. She had an infected gall bladder and the hospital was sending her home (to die). Dr. Tomlinson took over her care and got her electrolytes back in balance so she would survive the surgery. She lived another 10 years.

If you are to get an injection and the nurse is young pull down your pants and underwear immediately and all the way to your ankles. It often surprises them and they don't know how to react. If it is an old nurse don't waste your time. Nothing surprises them. It is best to get an injection from someone experienced and surprising the young nurse usually gets you a more experienced replacement in short order.

WHY I HATE SEARS

I started my credit with Sears. After a break in and card cancellation and replacement they had left a small balance on the old card and never notified us. They sent that info to the worst credit collection company in the world. I tried to get it straightened out since it was not our fault but never did. I even went to the manager at the store we traded with.

I canceled all my Allstate Ins. and anything affiliated with Sears and have not spend a penny with them ever since. Not surprised if they are not doing well now. I NEVER FORGET and share with everyone I know. I estimated that before that we had spent over $40K with them over the years on Appliances, Tools, Yard Equipment, Furniture, etc. NOT ANY MORE NOT A PENNY FROM ME EVER.

People and Pets - My days at the Worlds Largest T.G.&Y.

When I was a teenager I worked for a now defunct chain store known as TG&Y. Those initials stand for Turtles, Girdles and Yo Yo's or Tomlinson, Gosselin and Young depending on who you ask. I worked in the Pet Department of the worlds largest at 74th & Penn in OKC back then. I helped customers with Tropical Freshwater and Marine Fish, Hamsters and Mice, Parakeets and a lot more. I had a lady and her daughter come in a pick out a parakeet. I caught the bird and did a quick inspection before boxing him up. The very next day they came back with the box and the woman said the bird was dead. I pulled the bird's corpse from the box and noticed it was pretty mangled up. I asked the woman what had happened and she said she simply found the bird dead. The daughter volunteered "Mommy he was okay till the dog got him". The woman grabbed her daughters hand and left. I would have replaced the bird if she would have hung around. But I might have also suggested she wipe the slobber off the bird before returning it next time.

I had guy and his son come in a pick out a turtle. This is back before the government got involved and stopped the sale of the turtles due to the possibility of salmonella. I think most people know not to put them in their mouths but you know how kids are. Really though no one really needs a turtle and most don't make it to long after the purchase so it probably wasn't a real bad thing. I still remember fondly watching my little turtle when I was a boy swimming around in that little plastic turtle bowl with the little palm tree. He brought the turtle back the next day deceased. I inspected the dead turtle and noticed the bottom of the turtles shell was skinned up bit. No big deal I though and let his son pick out a new one. A few days later this one had died. Again the skinned up bottom carapace. I told the guy I had never seen anything like that before and we usually had good luck with the turtles. I let the boy pick out his turtle replacement and I put him down on the floor in front of the kid. He picked up the turtle by the sides and began sliding him across the floor like a little car and shouting vroom vroom. I asked the guy if this would be cash or charge.

Grover Palfrey was the store manager when I first started working for TG&Y. My early opinion of him was that he was a very serious man. I always tried to look busy when he was around. One day he came down to the pet department where I was working and about picked me up by the back of my neck. He marched me down to his office where a young lady was sitting very obviously in tears. She looked up and at me and said "that's not him". Boy talk about relief. Come to find out someone had scared the poor girl with a snake. He evidently knew me a little better than I thought he did, but I would never scare someone with a snake. I have seen big strapping full grown men injure themselves trying to get away from what they thought was a snake but that is another story. I was a little bit of a practical joker, I just tried not to cause serious injury.

I did get to know Grover much better through my long association with TG&Y. He moved up the ladder as I did and I really learned a lot from him over the years. He even followed me (I am sure indirectly) to Memphis for a time when he went to work for Wang's International which I worked for many years as well. I think he is back in OKC now. I do miss his counsel.

For a time we carried exotic pets like woolly monkeys, macaques, marmosets, exotic birds of all kinds as well as snakes and other reptiles.

The Boa Constrictors were especially interesting since you may order a 6 footer and get one that is more like 10 foot. We had one that was really too large for the 55 gallon aquarium with steel lid that we had him in. He would get out at night and get into the parakeets and otherwise escape. You would think it would be easy to find a snake that large but this store was something like 140,000 square feet and attached directly to a grocery store.

Remember me telling you about full grown men injuring themselves? Well the Boa had been out about a month and we have just about given up on finding him with the heavy set fellow from hardware come running down the aisle. Sweating and excited he said he had found the snake. It had hidden out in the wood molding rack in the hardware department. Of course we got out the welders gloves and made a show of capturing him.

We had just received a South American shipment of exotics and was pulling a large Boa from the gunny sack they ship them in. We would put antibiotic salve on their nose and mouth since the sometime would have injured themselves and would pull any ticks off with a pair of needle nose and doctor the wounds up. Needless to say the snakes were not happy after spending an air flight in a sack in the cargo hold and then to be handled immediately after getting out of the bag. A French women (Yvette Duval, Guy Duval's Mom for those who remember him) of small stature ran the Pet Dept. Another fellow that worked there was a guy named Jerry. Jerry was a little older. We were all helping when the Boa decided he had had enough and latched onto Jerry's arm. Boa's don't have teeth per say but lets just say that ridge they do have had little ridges to keep its prey from escaping without serious damage. Jerry of course panicked and was spinning round and round and screaming. Little Yvette tackled him. She and I both realized that unless we got them both calm we would have to amputate, and I likes snakes slightly better than Jerry. He finally calmed down and so did the snake who really wasn't big enough to swallow him. Jerry took the rest of the day off.

It wasn't long before he escaped again. He had been gone about a week. I was waiting on customers picking out tropical fish when I noticed one of the tanks filters wasn't working. I reached up under the little cloth curtains to adjust the hidden air valves. I will tell you now I am not afraid of snakes but when that 10 footer stuck his head out from behind the curtains and hissed at me, I screamed like a woman. The woman standing next to me picking out fish didn't scream at all. She just passed out and her head hit the floor with a thunk. The ambulance showed up a bit later and carted her off. We sold the last of the snakes out a week later and didn't carry them anymore. Later I found out that I screamed loud enough the people in the grocery store heard me.

I always paid attention to the people around me in the workplace. Jerry was always in the habit of turning on the sink in the dept. and quickly rinsing his hands. The sink was added after an expansion and they had to install an electric water heater directly below the sink. I would run the hot water until it was almost scalding when no one was paying attention. Of course Jerry or Yvette would reach over to rinse off their hands and a blast of hot water would be the first to come out. Really funny until the found out it was me and did the same trick to me.

We sold reptiles of various types. One was a large Monitor Lizard. It was big enough we fed it mice. One Saturday a fellow that collected decided he wanted to buy it. I could only find one welders glove the other right hand all I had on was a small leather glove. It seems like the bus lets out anytime I have to catch something like that and every mom and their kids were crowded around to watch. I stuck a pencil in to get the Monitors attention and he grabbed and crushed it in his jaws. I grabbed the head in with my left hand and the welders glove and the tail end with my right. The flexible thing was not happy about going into the box and he reached around with his hind leg and scratched me from my wrist to my elbow.

I of course dropped him and he skittered on the waxed tile until he got to the red rugs if front of the aquariums. Once he got traction he stood up on his hind legs and took off. I swear to you that I witnessed a women with a full shopping cart and with a kid in the seat go completely over one of the counters. If the store was still there you could view the wheel marks on the top cap of the counter.

We finally pinned it down in the hardware section and got it into the box. It took me years to heal from the deep scratch on my arm. While I cleaned it thoroughly I think they have some odd form of bacteria in their claws.

I once convinced Yvette that if she put a thin layer of vaseline on her glasses they wouldn't get all smudged up as easy. I learned more French cuss words from her. I took her glasses and with a little alcohol had them nice and shiny for her.

I remember she was having her car worked on so she asked me to pick her up for work. She was never ready on time but she would always give me a cup of coffee and I would sit looking out her patio window, while she finished getting ready. The neighbor had a really big dog and a really little dog that played together. I told Yvette that I didn't think that was a good idea. She said they had been playing like that for years. One morning as I was waiting I told her to come look. The big dog was carrying the lifeless little dog around by the head. The little dog probably died from a heart attack I said from always being to excited I told Yvette. His big friend was just still wanting to play.

Hey Dig Out Billy

When I was a kid a family lived down the street. The kids (and the old man) had one less layer of skin than normal giving them a red coloration. My dad always called my friend Peachy. Peachy had a younger brother named Billy. He was about the same color but to avoid confusion we just called him Billy. Billy was an industrious lad and worked since he was 14 for a cafeteria busing tables, dishwashing etc. for less than minimum wage. He saved ever dime and eventually he had enough to buy a car. Back then the old embargo was in full swing and while we never had the lines in Oklahoma gas was expensive. People were dumping their old gas guzzlers. Billy found a Dodge Super Bee he could afford on his meager earnings. This had the 440 Magnum and headers and was obviously souped up a bit from stock from the sound of that loping cam. We all went down and looked it over and my brother was really impressed with the old car. He said Billy and him went down to the corner and had stopped when he encouraged Billy to Dig Out. He quickly lost control of the car and it went careening over into the natural gas substation for the neighbor hood. Fortunately there were the steel pipes filled with concrete that protected the gas main. It still totaled out the car. I don't think Billy ever bought another car and the last time I saw him he was still walking to work.

Bikes

When I had just turned 13 my uncle Rocky brought me what was left of my cousins bike. He like to tip the bottle a bit and had drug the bike behind the truck a ways when he was hauling it. My cousin got a brand new replacement. I got the damaged bike. Mom probably had something to do with that since she knew I can fix anything. I was very pleased however since I had wanted to build me a Stingray type bike and my old fashioned 24" bike was just that, old fashioned. I started saving up and bought the pieces I needed. I took out the 3 speed handlebar switchable shift bendix and had the guy at the bike shop pull the bendix from my 24" bike. He was supposed to charge me a nickel a spoke but when my dad took me to pick it up the guy gave him a flat price that was much lower. I about said something about him not charging enough but my dad told me to hush. Learned something that day. Take your Dad when you buy stuff. Dad never pays retail by the way.

I took the pedals which were new off my old bike and put them in place of the skinned up ones. Bought a white metal flake seat cover and a lot of other pieces including a long gooseneck and new handlebars and white metallic grips. Now I had all the pieces I needed.

I sanded the bike all the way to the metal after completely disassembling it. It was some kind of orange red metallic but was all skinned up and had crappie factory decals all over it. That took me a couple of days. I spray primered the metal and the light sanded it smooth. I applied 3 coats of silver base and 6 coat of candy sapphire blue. I then rubbed it out using light compound and finished up with carnuba wax.

I then reassembled the bike. I had to take some links out of the chain. That larger rear gear and the small front gear made it easy to peddle and easily to pull a wheelie. It originally had hand brakes front and back but when I added the rear bendix it gave me the old pedal back brake on the rear. I left the front hand brake for extra braking power.

I later added a chrome chain guard, new cheater slick rear tire and skinny front tire with metal valve stem inner tubes. I also replaced the front fork from the Sears catalogs with one that came from the all chrome spyder model they use to sell. One good looking bike with all that extra chrome.

Remember Peachy? He had a really old 20" bike that had the enamel rims and balloon tires. They had several layers of brush paint on them and the bike itself had dozens of brush paint jobs on it. I told him I would help him rebuild his bike. We pulled it apart and cleaned all the layers of paint off the frame and the wheels. It took days and we started by using a knife to carve off the layers of paint. We finally got it down to the metal. I sanded his rims smooth first and I sprayed them first with primer and light sanded them again until they were perfectly smooth. I then used a chrome silver to give them a final finish and even painted the spokes. He decided on black for the frame. I primered it and light sanded it. We then put 6 coats of gloss black enamel and after it cured with rubbed it out and waxed it before reassembly. We cleaned up the rest of the parts and repacked all the gears with fresh grease. It looked great.

A few days later Peachy comes riding up on this bike and he had brush painted it orange. You just can't help some people.

At 16 I was talking to a neighbor kid. I sold him my pride and joy bike for $35. I could have got more if I advertised it but the kid didn't have a bike and not that much money. Lots of dough for gas money back in those days. I just wish sometimes I had some pictures of it.

Peachy used to put Pet Milk in his tires. In Oklahoma we had a thorn that grew in the pastures we called goat heads. They would flat ruin a bike tube and not make you very happy if you are barefoot. The Pet Milk would clot and block up the small holes something like a poor mans fix a flat. Well Peachy took his bike up to the Gulf Station around the corner. If old Pete was there he would rush out to help the kids fill up their bike tires. He had a high pressure compressor and he worried about the kids. Well Peachy did it himself and sure enough he blew up the tire. I can't really describe the odor that 6 month old Pet Milk from inside a bike tire smells like. Lets just say Pete was washing the drive for the next few days. I swear years later when I was filling up my car every so often I think I caught a whiff.

Grounded For Life

There were a few things that I was either involved or simply witnessed. I managed not to get caught most of the time, unlike some of these guys.

First let me say I had nothing to do with burning the large pasture that was behind our house when I was a kid. Sure was pretty and green though the next spring. I did burn up the rug on the back porch when I was 3 and the dog was really not involved other than being a witness. I do regret burning up my uncle Glenn's football helmet in the trash barrel. You have to admit though my parents should have left me unattended with a fire burning in the trash barrel.

I grew up around a pair of twins named Vic and Vince. They did look alike but for anyone who spent any time with them it was easy to tell them apart. They did look enough alike though that one year they had the same picture twice (I think Vince) representing both of them in the schools yearbook.

One day I was visiting their cousin. They were sitting on the porch with an old aquarium covered with a stainless steel lid. There were a bunch of guys around so I had to see what was up. They had come back from the big rattlesnake hunt up in Mangum Okla. with a pair of baby rattlers. They were betting that you couldn't hold your eyes open when the snake stuck at the glass. Of course you can't.

Later I heard that they had taken the snakes home and they escaped into the house. Their dad took them all to a hotel that night and I had heard he had grounded them for life. It must have been so I haven't seen them since.

I later heard a story about them but don't know if it is true or not. One of them got in trouble with the law. When the witness was asked to identify the culprit he pointed to the other twin (the only one in the courtroom at the time). The other twin had a strong alibi and I heard the case was dropped after the witness had identified the wrong one. Good lawyer.

If you are a little guy choose big friends

My Dad was a Golden Glove Boxer and good at it if you count all the trophies he had. He said he never lost a fight and was a Flyweight Champion. He taught us how to box. He says everyone needs to know how to defend themselves. Even with boxing though he told us to hit them in the throat if they were larger than we were and to do it before the fight started. He pointed out that a bigger person can cause serious damage or even kill you, and if you felt that threatened take them out immediately. I only did this once to a guy that was picking on one of my friends who was smaller than I was. He was several years older and a whole head taller. I guess I really hurt the guy because he just stood there making gagging noises and I never had any trouble with him after that.

The best thing he told me was to make friends with the biggest guy in the school but to avoid the braggarts and bullies. I met a Sioux Indian boy named Bruce Kirkpatrick. He lived around the corner from me but I had never met him until Junior High. His folks were originally from Michigan. He was a quiet fellow but nice enough and the real benefit was that he had a swimming pool. I lost track of Bruce after high school, although I still think of him and always considered him a good friend.

In metal shop we had overheard the metal shop and woodwork teachers talking. They were going to bring in a forklift to move the anvil. I think it was a 500 pounder but I may not have remembered it properly. All I know is when no one was looking Bruce moved it to where the teacher wanted it. He never told anyone but I imagine the teacher is still wondering to this day. This was in 8th grade. I went over to push it and I could move it at all.

I had a bully bothering me. You know the type. I mentioned it to Bruce and although he never told me someone said he had buried the kid up to his neck and was threatening him with a shovel. I never had trouble with that kid again whatever happened. I guess you don't want to get on the bad side of an big Indian. It is hard for me to imagine burying someone up to their neck and them letting it happen to them.

I had another friend in High School and though we were never really close I always spent time talking with him. Nice guy. His name was Gary Hanshue. He was a jock type (marginally) and his sport was shot put. I never ran with the jocks I was too small but Gary Hanshue kept the jocks from bothering me or really anyone smaller. Years later he did all of my air conditioning work on my house and later rent houses. Really good guy and his actions speak to his character. The world needs more like him.

Combining School Systems - Busing - No Child Left Behind and other such horse shit

Memphis City and County Schools are separate at least for now. I moved out of an area that was taken over by the city so my daughter could go to county schools. She is near 30 now and I no longer really care. What I do know is that the City Schools are about substantially behind the County Schools. Of course when they combine the schools system everyone will lose. It may make economic sense I don't know or really care. What it will do is lower the level of education for everyone. I guess it is okay since we won't need any educated workers in our area since the only work will be in warehouses and the fast food industry. You can always get management from out of state, or educated in the private schools.

A school teacher I know recently took early retirement from the City School system. She started this year with 37 students and 28 desks. When she complained to her superior not only did he not do anything he told her it was her problem. Scratch another good teacher. Most all the good ones have long since left to work in other industry or moved to other areas. At one time the better City teachers would leave to work at the more desirable County Schools. Bunch the schools altogether so we can run off the rest of the better teachers sounds like what will happen. Perhaps more private schools will be started so at least a few people can get a decent education.

I spoke with another City school teacher and he says he had a similar problem. He has 34 students and 31 desks. He says it is no problem though since attendance is so bad. He is still optimistic though and says you just have to work with what you have. Personally I would not accept this though and I probably would not have lasted long as a teacher. I don't think we live long enough to put up with this type of crap. They probably would have had me forcibly removed from the premises after I went in and stood on the desk of whoever is in charge of the Memphis schools. I would have started out by saying now that I have your attention there are a few problems that need your immediate action. More people should stand on the bosses desk. It makes them take notice.

I agree we should try to accommodate children with special learning needs. I disagree that we do this at the expense of the rest of the children. Sometimes children need to be left behind hopefully to learn the skills they should have before moving on. 37 kids with 28 desks doesn't allow this to happen for anyone.

What bothers me though is all the unlucky folks who didn't. Brilliant choice busing. Bring down the level of education for everyone. Whatever happened to rewarding the hard working students and letting them excel. If there is no reward for hard work you won't get any. Whoever came up with no child left behind needs to be left behind.

It seems to me that if a child can't read or do simple math in the lower elementary classes that they should receive special attention since without those two functions they are set up for a life of failure. If they have to be held back a year it seems to me it would be well worth the investment and time.

On a senior level perhaps a course or two on how to fill out a resume, how to prepare for a job interview, how to cook a meal, how to balance a checkbook and other life skills would be worthwhile. I know I would not have resented a course like that, but fortunately I had intelligent parents who took care of that for me as did your parents if you are reading this. I see too many kids these days without these skills though.

EVIL ROTTEN NO GOOD PLANTS

I have already mentioned goat heads. Let me tell you about stinging nettles and bull nettles. In Oklahoma you never go barefoot unless you are an idiot. I did take to wearing what we called thongs (the ones for your feet and not the underwear). They would stop most goat heads and other thorns. Forget it when it comes to nettles. If you walk through a pasture where there are stinging or worse bull nettles you will not soon forget it. We would put creek mud on it, white gas, or kerosene or bluing or bleach. Whatever you did you still suffered. I jumped out of the truck on the way back from the fishing hole and rolled through some bull nettles. They carried me to the tub and put bluing in the cold water they immersed me in. I was pretty sick even so.

Years later I was climbing over the fence and fell into a fire thorn bush. Back in the tub this time with a little bleach. Mother picked out thorns where I couldn't reach for several months after. Avoid fire thorn bushes. Good to plant under your windows if have peeping toms in your neighborhood though.

When I was young I also had a bad case of Poison Ivy. The doctor back then suggested potassium permanganate. This bright purple oxidizer mixed in solution burned like fire and dyed me brownish green. It did clear me up though. Thanks god nowadays they have steroid creams and yes Solarcaine is really the only thing effective for the itching.

HEY STUPID, DON'T ROLL IN THE GRASS YOU WILL GET CHIGGERS!

Until you get chiggers you really won't appreciate this comment. If you live in an area that doesn't have them good for you. They are tiny little red spiders that attach to a pore or hair. They spit a digestive enzyme that dissolves the skin and then they suck the liquefied result back up. Pretty disgusting but the itch is something you won't soon forget. Take my advice. Don't roll in the green grass. Do remember the Solarcaine if you do.

IF YOU ARE A YANKEE AND HAVE JUST MOVED TO THE SOUTH

You need to find out what roundworms and pinworms are. Your kids will have them at some time in their life. Just be aware and don't disregard the symptoms. And you think head lice were bad.

MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOODS

Got a tip for you. Don't buy a house in a flood plain. If you do build it on stilts a few feet higher than the worst ever level. Also take out the Federal Flood Insurance. Every 100 years or so all rivers flood at record levels. I do feel sorry for the farmers who plant that rich flood plain soil. Of course they knew what they were doing when they bought the land and knew they would have flooding.

ALWAYS MORE TO COME - check back soon

 
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