Still no car

I’ve just about had it and I think I’m going to take matters into my own hands. This is getting old. I asked mom for one favor and she couldn’t accomplish that. Well, tomorrow we’ll just get that chore done and make my car payment. Then if I don’t crash, I’ll go home and start calling mechanics. My car insurance policy will let me get it towed so all I’ll need to do is call and have that set up. I’ve got three days off coming up and no car. Thus, I’ll be sitting home for all three days. Life just flat out sucks.

Not much going on in the news. INXS just released their album Switch. I’ll admit that I watched Rock Star: INXS this summer. I’m really digging Pretty Vegas the new single and video. Yahoo! Music has the video if you haven’t seen it yet. It’s being played on VH1 quiet often-the Beatles rotation. Someone once said that you could hear the newest Beatle song during their heyday at the top of the hour every hour. VH1 is doing the same with this video.

A little baseball news from the Cards. Apparently John Mabry is headed to the Cubs. Abraham Nunez is going to Philly. And we acquired Dennis Tankersly from the Padres system. Tankersly has been assigned to pitching in AAA Memphis. I got a feeling Jocketty is cooking something (and if not, he needs to be) as some players have been traded.

Anyway, y’all, I will see you tomorrow.

Santa’s Replacement: Bubba Claus

—– MEMO —–
To: Southern USA Residents From: Santa RE: Replacement Santa

I regret to inform you that effective immediately, I will no longer be able to serve the Southern United States on Christmas Eve. Due to overwhelming current population of the earth, my contract was renegotiated by North American Fairies and Elves Local 209. I now serve only certain areas of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan. As part of the new and better contract I also get longer breaks for milk and cookies so keep that in mind. However, I’m certain that your children will be in good hands with your local replacement who happens to be my third cousin, Bubba Claus. His side of the family in from the South pole. He shares my goal of delivering toys to all the good boys and girls; however, there are a few differences between us. Differences such as:

1. There is no danger of a Grinch stealing your presents from Bubba Claus. He has a gun rack on his sleigh and a bumper sticker that reads: “These toys insured by Smith & Wesson.”
2. Instead of milk and cookies, Bubba Claus prefers that children leave a RC Cola and pork rinds (or a moon pie) on the fireplace. And Bubba doesn’t smoke a pipe. He dips a little snuff though, so please have an empty spit can handy.
3. Bubba Claus’ sleigh is pulled by floppy-eared, flyin’ coon dogs instead of reindeer. I made the mistake of loaning him a couple of my reindeer one time, and Blitzen’s head now overlooks Bubba’s fireplace.
4. You won’t hear “On Comet, on Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen…” when Bubba Claus arrives. Instead you’ll hear, “On Earnhardt, on Wallace, on Martin and LaBonte. On Rudd, on Jarrett, on Elliot and Petty.”
5. “Ho, ho, ho!” has been replaced by “Yee Haw!” And you also are likely to hear Bubba’s elves reply, “I her’d dat!”
6. As required by Southern highway laws, Bubba Claus’ sleigh does have a Yosemite Sam safety triangle on the back with the words, “Back Off!” The last I heard it also had other decorations on the sleigh back as well. One is Ford or Chevy logo with lights that race through the letters and the other is a caricature of me (Santa Claus) peeing on the Tooth Fairy.
7. The usual Christmas movie classics such as “Miracle on 34th Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” will not be shown in your negotiated viewing area. Instead, you will see “Boss Hogg Saves Christmas” and “Smokey and the Bandit IV” featuring Burt Reynolds as Bubba Claus and dozens of State Patrol cars crashing into each other.
8. Bubba Claus doesn’t wear a belt. If I were you, I’d make sure you, the wife, and the kids turn the other way when he bends over to put presents under the tree.
9. And finally, lovely Christmas songs have been sung about me like “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” and Bing Crosby’s “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”. This year, songs about Bubba Claus will be played on all the AM radio stations in the South. These song titles will be Mark Chesnutt’s “Bubba Claus shot the jukebox”; Cledus T. Judd’s, “All I want for Christmas is my Woman and a Six-opack”, and Hank Williams Jr’s “If You Don’t Like Bubba Claus, You Shove It.”

Sincerely Yours, Santa Claus(Member of North American Fairies and Elves Local 209)

Found on the net-kudos and thanks to the author.

Wildfires and Christmas Specials

The news in Tulsa and Oklahoma is the wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma. The fires started Sunday and were aided by wind gusts of up to 65 mph. Winds are still gusty and are out of the NW. There have been homes lost and shelters set up. Thankfully no one I know is affected.

A couple of Halls of Fame have released their new lineups. The 2006 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will induct Black Sabbath, Sex Pistols, Blondie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Miles Davies in their 2006 Class. From bat biting to suicide/murder in hotel rooms, hearts of glass to sweet home and bitches brew. This will be one special night not to miss.

The 2006 Ballot’s in baseball have been announced and again Pete Rose not on them. Now this ballot is simply a voting ballot. Inductees will be announced later. Included is Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, Willie McGee, and Gary Gaetti all former Cards. Also on the list is Dwight Gooden and Orel Herschiser. In related baseball news, it seems that Cal Eldred has announced his retirement. In was in the Post-Dispatch but not yet on the Cards website. So we shall see.

Did you know that we have been keeping tabs on Santa’s status since 1955? I didn’t. Military did it for a few years then NORAD was formed and took over Santa duties. By the way, NORAD is a joint US-Canadian airspace monitoring agency. I didn’t know we shared the duties with Canada. I did know that NORAD monitored the space above North America. Online tracking begin in 1997 and they’ve got a spiffy new site over at NoradSanta.

So Christmas specials…tis the season. The traditional ones are: Charlie Brown is on December 6 at 800 pm on ABC. Rudolph is November 30th on CBS at 800 pm. Frosty the Snowman is December 17th on CBS at 800 pm. I’m thinking this is Eastern time but check local listings. PBS always has some great Christmas musicals from Choirs and Chorals to celebrities. Renee Fleming will be doing a Christmas special on Great performances. Tennessee Ernie Ford Family Christmas will air December 11 in Tulsa. Blind Boys of Alabama will have a special on December 2 here in Tulsa. Check PBS for local times and other listings. My local PBS station only listed through mid-December. One other special to mention, Bravo is doing a Great Things about the Holiday. Which is a list of 100 great things about the holiday. On the website it has a promo that lists one of the 100 which is John Denver with the Muppets. Yep, that qualifies in my book. It looks like it will air on two nights: December 1, 800-1000 pm and December 2, 800-1000 pm (Central time). I may just record this special.

Well, not much going on other wise. Finally quiet at work. Found out I can’t call in mentally ill (pre-existing condition according to Jeff) and calling in dead ain’t an option either. Maybe I’ll just muddle through the last three days (correction, 2 days and five and half hours). Actually got up tonight and fixed supper, watched TV for the first time in a week. That is, watched my shows. I’ve missed some episodes of my favorites, hopefully I can catch some repeats. And a plug for those looking for holiday music-I’m listening to GotRadio Christmas music. It’s a nice blend of choir, classic (Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra), and instrumental. Not too crazy about some of the newer Christmas stuff that has come out. Recommended Christmas albums are Now That’s What I Call Christmas Volumes 1 and 2. It has a nice selection of just about everything.

Well, y’all, see ya tomorrow.

Missing: Suzanne Streeter

Suzanne Streeter, aka Suzie, went missing on June 7, 1992. She was born on March 9, 1973 and was 19 years old when she disappeared from Springfield, Missouri. She’s a white female, 5′2″ and weighs 102 pounds. She has brown hair and eyes. Suzie also has a scar on her right forearm and a small tumor on the left side of her mouth. She was wearing a white tee shirt and pink shoes.

Suzie and her friend Stacy McCall graduated from Kickapoo High School in Springfield the day before they disappeared. The girls attended a party and decided to stay at Suzie’s house with her mom Sherrill Levitt. Sherrill and Stacy are also missing. The girls left the party at 215 am and had a 45 minute drive home. Their vehicles, along with Sherrill’s, were found at the residence along with all personal belongings. Their purses were lined up on the stairs, keys were left behind along with money, clothing, cigarettes, and the family dog. On June 6 at around 1115 pm Sherrill Levitt talked with a friend on the phone about a chest of drawers she was painting. Her bed appeared to have been slept in and her glasses and a book was found nearby. The girls had plans to go to White Water Amusement Park in Branson, Missouri the next day. In the evening when Stacy McCall’s parents couldn’t get ahold of her or anyone at the house they contacted the police. The house bore no signs of a struggle but police say it looks like an abduction. There has been no further good evidence of what may have happened to Stacy, Suzie, and Sherrill. Contact the Springfield PD at 417-864-1810 if you have any information. Case number is 92-40169 and the NCIC # M-00005024.

Sherrill Levitt at left and Stacy McCall at right. Both went missing with Suzie Streeter.

Missing people

There are two cases indelibly printed on my mind that involve missing persons. The first is Angela Hammond. She disappeared from Clinton Missouri in 1991. Clinton was about an hour from my home at the time. I’d been to Clinton several times and ten years later you would still find the occasional missing persons poster on a downtown window. Angela had car problems, stopped and called her boyfriend from a payphone. Before he could arrive Angela was abducted, the boyfriend gave chase but was unable to rescue Angela. This was profiled on Unsolved Mysteries and I remember that the abductor used an old green truck with a fish mural in the back.

The other case is the missing adults from Springfield Missouri. Two girls just graduated from high school and one of the girls mother went missing. This case is profiled tonight. The sheer lack of clues has baffled police. I remember the big billboards with their picture and “Have you seen them?” in red across the billboard. This is when I knew that abduction happened in the Midwest. I was only 12 or so when these stories hit. I was also reading In Cold Blood around this same time. Any they wonder why I am a little nuts.

One story in the news that really hit me at least. Lillian Loraine Stiles, 76, of Throndale Texas was out mowing her lawn on a riding mower when her neighbor’s six mixed breed dogs attacked her. The pit bull-rottweilers bit her all over, ultimately killing her. She had severe bites that police speculate happened when she got off the mower to go inside. An investigation will be held and the neighbor may be held responsible.

Well, it’s day seven of ten. We’re getting there. Hopefully Monday or Tuesday my car will be in the shop. Praise God, I’ll get it back by Thursday. Nothing worse than having a three day weekend and no car. Well, y’all, I’ve got to get going.

Mr Miyagi

Remember Karate Kid? How about “wax on, wax off”? Or the evil instructor that put his fist through the car window? Pat Morita played Mr Miyagi in that movie. He passed away Thursday in Las Vegas at the age of 73. He was also in Midway if I remember my war movies correctly.

Being doing a little browsing of Christmas humor on the web. Will be sharing some upcoming humor in the next few days and weeks. Today I managed to avoid stores and survived not spending next years income tax refund check. No money to spend on gifts since I have to fix my car. Still not in the repair shop, however I think dad is sick of taking me to work. And I’m going to light a fire under their butts if that’s what it takes to get this fixed. I think I’ve been more than patient. Got turkey dinner today. Mashed potatoes, yams, asparagus casserole, noodles, and pie. I’ll get the jello salad this morning when I get off.

You ever hear that saying, “If the van’s a-rocking don’t come a-knocking?” Well, the van was apparently rocking. The gal didn’t want to take the guy up to her room and they sat out there for forever so we called the cops to do a drive by. They got an eyeful. I think it’s full moon season here. Yesterday I had a guest so pissed that he couldn’t park in our lot that when he got back in my lobby he brought Keith from next door and the security dude. Cuss words flew but in the end he went to his room without much more of a scene. Just nutty.

Well, y’all see ya tomorrow.

Welcome to the Christmas Season

Seems we’ve survived Thanksgiving. I’ve gone all Thursday without turkey. I’ll get some tonight as Keith’s wife baked a turkey today. No mashed potatoes, no asparagus casserole, no pumpkin pie. The one thing I hate about working so many hours is that I miss out on things. I worked fourteen hours yesterday-from 500 pm to 700 am. I hadn’t been home since noon on Tuesday. Poor me. I think I’m going to get a turkey breast and make the rest of the dinner for myself once I get off. I’m in the middle of a 10 day stretch. My next day off is December 1. Providing nothing happens.

I miss our old Thanksgivings. We’d pull the nice China out of the hutch either the night before or early in the morning. Washing each piece by hand and carefully drying them with a towel. We’d preset the table with a white tablecloth, goblets, China, and gold silverware. The turkey would be placed in the oven early. Pies would be in the fridge causing minor traffic jams. Mom would slave over the stove with the potatoes and the asparagus casserole, the stuffing and veggies. Turkey would be pulled and placed on the largest tray I’ve ever seen. The juice would be poured into a saucepan for gravy. Extra juice would be placed in another saucepan adding water and frozen noodles. Somebody would have to make a run to Wal-Mart for something-usually cornstarch. Brown-n-serve rolls would be buttered and place in the oven. We’d start taking food to the table. Towels folded under the asparagus and sweet potatoes, mashed taters in a bowl. Stuffing and veggies following shortly after in their own bowls. Dad would half carve and half eat on the turkey. Gravy would be whipped up and we would wait on the noodles to finish cooking. Half the time we’d let the rolls get a little to brown but they would get ate. Mom’s jello salad would be pulled from the fridge as she made it the night before. The house would be warm and humid. Windows fogged from the steam in the kitchen, dishwater still in the sink as we’d try to do dishes as we emptied them through the preparations, and the TV would finally be turned off. Tea made and poured into the goblets, butter on the table, and a prayer from dad. For once there wouldn’t be any really squabbles at the table. Us kids would get KP duty after stuffing ourselves and mom would nap. Later, perhaps a trip to Wal-Mart or see what Christmas lights were up. Maybe some Scrabble and a little Christmas music. Since I started working third shift nearly five years ago, I’d take left overs to work. I’ve found that a little gravy, some mashed potatoes, and cut up turkey (works well with ham at Easter) mixed up makes a great dinner. I miss those days so much some times. I miss the traditions and the warmth of being surrounded by family on holidays. I wonder if we’ll ever have days like that again.

I hope every one’s Thanksgiving was a good one. See ya tomorrow.

Computer probs

Got locked out of the computer at work temporarily. We’re good now because I was given the password. Lucky me. I had three days off then I come back and discover I’ve got ten days on. Whoo. I worked Monday night and then came back for Thanksgiving at work at one pm on Tuesday. Then a nap and worked Tuesday night till 800am Wednesday. Then I come back at 445 pm on Wednesday. Screw Thanksgiving. This girl’s getting some sleep. Thank God Keith’s taking me home tomorrow because if I was driving it might be interesting.

Well the trip home was nothing like I expected. I didn’t have time to do what I wanted because of mom. Felt incomplete in ways I’m still can’t define. Got to met Holly and her fiancee Stacy. Everybody’s kids are getting big and I didn’t recognize a couple of my cousins. Haven’t heard about grandpa as they had to admit him Saturday morning at the hospital. Suppose he’s doing as well as can be expected. Still, it was an unsettling trip.

We’ve got BMX races this weekend in Tulsa and I’ve got 60 kids in house for this thing. Oh happy, happy, joy, joy. Ten bucks says that we’ll be out of breakfast come Sunday. They’ve been well behaved so far so perhaps this won’t be so bad.

Well, y’all I’ve got to go. See ya tomorrow.

Going Home

I have to decided to rent a car on Friday and go on home. Mom may have found the part we need at a salvage yard in Missouri for only $100 which is good news. I’ve email Holly and we’ll be getting together. Need to talk to mom cause she was going to tell grandma today about our visit. Things seem to be falling together. The cool thing is that I normally work Sunday night to Thursday night. However my relief auditor wants the weekend off so I am tentatively scheduled for Sunday off and work on Friday night. Which is great. The five hour drive and then turn around and work is tough.

I had just a few items for you guys however, I have decided tonot pass them on. My 101 list has on it to get my passport, get CPR certified, and register to vote. I got the voter registration downloaded and printed last night. Found out that CPR certification at my local Red Cross is $26, which isn’t bad. Passports though will run around $96. Wow! Still working on getting my movie list uploaded. Discovered I’ve got a lot of horror, war, and old movies on my list. At least I’ll be well-watched person when I’m done. The great thing about Netflix is that they’ve got all of the ST:TNG and the first season of Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Anyway, Keith’s back next door so I’m going to wander over and see if I can’t get a ride in the morning. See ya’ll later.

About time

Albert Pujols is the NL MVP. He’s the first Card since Willie McGee in 1985. With Carp winning the Cy Young award this is the first time since 1991 Braves to have both the Cy Young and MVP. Congrats to Pujols.

Jeff is finally back at work. He left last Sunday to go to Colorado to see his dad. The funeral was on Saturday. The poor guy had to wade through a pass-along book that just oozes fustration. I came in early just to chit-chat with him. Glad to have him back.

Been a little distracted lately as I have come across a cool idea. Triplux has come up or fostered the idea of 101 things in 1001 days. You can get the whole scoop over there. I have worked for nearly a week getting a list ready. So now that I have my list I have from now (16 November 2005) to 13 August 2008 to accomplish everything. First thing is to upload my movie list to Netflix. The other half of that is to get at least 70% of it read. 403 movies means I need to see 282 movies. That I can do.

Well, y’all, I’m off. No news on the car as my sister brought me to work. See ya tomorrow.