Where The Rubber Meets the Road

I normally don't get into this whole "save the planet" thing, but there's something that's been bothering me for quite a while now. If I throw trash out of my truck window, I can see it fly away in the rear view mirror. When I drive into a parking spot, I can tell when a previous occupant cleaned out their ash tray. Their butts are all over the place. I can even tell when the folks that live around our back field have cleaned out their house or their yard. They seem to delight in throwing their trash over the fence and into our field. That's OK. I periodically drive the truck back there and throw it back. SURPRISE!!!

NO, that last one is not the thing that bothers me. What's been bothering me is wondering where in the world all the rubber from tires goes to. I mean think about it. As you drive along the road those tires on your car or truck wear down. That rubber has got to go somewhere. Think of the hundreds of thousands of vehicles on the road. Think of all the tires on those vehicles. And think of how long those rubber tires have been rolling on the roads. Now here it is. Where is all that rubber that has worn off the tires? I mean, shouldn't there be mountains of the stuff along the roads and highways? I throw paper out. I see it. I wear through nearly an inch of four truck tires and I don't see a thing.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Sugar-Free Post, Not A Low Calorie Post

Now I don't know how many of you like sugar-free candy; but I'm diabetic so I go sugar-free. Some of the sugar-free candy is, well, forgettable. It either has a nasty after taste. YEECH!! Or, it has absolutely no flavor. Being a Texas boy I was raised on such things as Atkinson's Peanut Butter Bars and Chick-O-Stick. Imagine my excitement when I found that they now make both in sugar-free versions. The best part is their taste and texture seem to be the same as the regular sugar versions.

I've often heard the health benefits of dark chocolate. I've found that Russell Stover makes a sugar-free dark chocolate. It is their Private Reserve line; 60% Dark Chocolate candy. Good stuff!

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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How Much Is That Worth?

Chris and I were watching Antiques Roadshow on KNCT last night. There's one thing that really bugs me about the show. The appraiser will discuss the item and its history with the owner. Then the appraiser will ask, "Do you have any idea how much it is worth?"

Well, Hello!!! Of course they don't know. Do they really think these people dragged all this stuff in just for their health. I'm still waiting for someone to say, ""Sure I do! I just want to see if you do."


I'd like to know where these people are finding all this stuff. I go out in the garage and all I see is junk. I haven't found that one item bought at the garage sale for $3.00 and is really worth $2,500. Last night there was a woman that brought in at least 5 Whistler prints (Yeah, that Whistler.) that her dad bought in the 60's and 70's for a couple of hundred dollars a piece. He passed away and she inherited them. Now they're worth nearly $200,000. A couple of people brought in Tiffany lamps. Yeah! They're worth a lot too.


In 1976 my father took some $2 bills and some checks and had then stamped and postmarked July 4, 1976 for the American Bicentennial. This was a big deal since July 4, 1976 was on a Sunday and the post offices were closed. They stayed open just to do this. My father said they would be a collectible since this only happens once. I inherited these items from my father.


I checked the other day. The $2 bills are now worth.......











Yeah! $2. I can't even cash the checks. the accounts are closed now. Oh well. I don't need any of that any way. I have a five gallon container of gas. I know it will go up in value. Maybe even next week.


© 2008 Barry T Horst


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I've Got It Cornered, Now I Need A Market

What is it with dust? It is everywhere. Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining about the house being messy. Chris does an excellent job with the house.

What I'm talking about are the out of the way places that you normally don't think about. Like my desk. Like behind all the computer stuff on my desk. I was cleaning off my desk the other day and I can tell you that if there was a global market for dust, I would have surely cornered it. There was dust covering the cables, the external hard drives, the USB ports, mouse docks, cable modem, back of the monitor, and so on. Admittedly, this was not 100% Texas dust. Some of it was probably blown in from the western US, or even Mexico. There was also a good amount of hair from the cats. It seems that they have found a way to take their excess hair and place it in just such a way that it forms a nice even layer over all of my electronics.

Further inspection found the same layer covering my cpu and ups. Cleaning those kicked up a minor dust storm. The National Weather Service later issued a Dense Fog Advisory for the area. I am convinced it was from me kicking up all that dust. The printer wasn't much better.

After thorough cleaning a liberal application of Old English Lemon Oil was applied to the desk. I was certain that I heard a barely audible, "Thank you!" I'm not sure if it was Chris or the desk.

Say! If any of you need any dust mixed with a liberal dose of cat fur, let me know. As of today I am starting a new batch and expect it to be ready in a month or two. Let me know soon. I am certain that there is going to be a limited supply available which makes it very valuable. I am thinking of seeing if I can get it listed on the Futures Market. I believe that this would be considered dust for March 28 delivery. I am even thinking of joining OCD, (Organization of Computer dust Distributors).

That's strange. OCD makes me think of something else. I'm not sure what. I'm sure it doesn't apply to me though.

It seems I was in my classroom at the beginning of school. I had to change classes and I was getting it ready. I looked on top of the projector screen and saw dust. That had to go. I cleaned it. The more I looked in the room I found dust, dust, and more dust. There were also old staples in the walls and cork tack strips. I had to take them all out. I don't like staples in the cork tack strips. If I have spare time I will go in the hall and take staples out that some teachers leave behind. AAARGH!! Maybe there is an opening for me at OCD. You know what that is I'm sure; The Organization of Cork-strip De-staplers.

Bye. I see more dust and staples to take care of.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Get The Phone, It's For Me

Started to try to do things with my new phone. I was reading the instruction booklet and it mentioned some software on line that could be used with the phone. I went to the Sony Ericsson site and looked up the software under on the Support Page. There it was. The PC Suite software. I downloaded it and clicked on the .exe file. It started to install. And then......Error 1935. AARGH!!!



If it doesn't work the first time certainly the second time will work. Nope! It doesn't. Maybe the third time will be a charm. It wasn't. How about a fourth time. Better yet, how about a different plan of action. Google to the rescue. Hmmmm! Quite a list for that error message. Time to start reading and figuring this thing out.



Found one that made sense. Finally. Here it is on allaboutsymbian.com. It suggested disabling the spyware program. I did that and did a reinstall. Viola! It worked. By the way I found one that wasn't worth 2 cents; not even 1 cent. I found it on the MSDN site.



After I got the software installed and working I decided to try it out. Aaargh!!! The software works, but.......I need a special USB data cable for the phone. Of course, none of mine will work. Back to Google and the search begins again. here it is---DCU-60; Data Cable USB-60. I found them on Amazon like for real cheap. Gee! The shipping is more than the cable. I might go that route.



At least I did my lesson plans before I got started with the download. It was after 10:00 PM by the time I finally finished.



By the way, I did remember to turn on all of my security software after the install. So I shouldn't have to go down that road again.



© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Getting Better

Refer to title! I am still moving kind of slow and the post is a little late.

I feel like I have lost an entire day. As you may recall, I called in sick at work and went to sleep for like forever. The only thing I had to eat yesterday was medicine, The only thing I had to drink was water. Gee what a day.

I am feeling better today. However, if I can steal a line from Winnie the Pooh, "I'm so rumbly in my tumbly..." The only difference is I don't feel like munching and early luncheon. Hopefully tomorrow I will will be on top of the world and posting normally.

Have a great day, I know I am doing my best.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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No Post of Significance--Sick Today

I have no post of significance today. I was sick last night and got very little sleep. I suppose I got food poisoning from something I ate last night. At any rate, I called in sick and didn't go to work. I went back to bed and didn't get up until 3:30 this afternoon. I normally post around 5:00 AM. Today I am posting at 4:30 PM. Today can be summed up in a word, BLEECH!! Charles Schultz was always a master of turning the descriptive phrase.

There will be a better post tomorrow if I continue to improve. See ya then.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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It's A Blue Day But I'm Not Blue

Busy day yesterday. Chris called me at work to let me know that my new phone came in. Great! I couldn't wait to get home and check it out. I had to stay and tutor though. Got home from school after 5:00 PM. I got stuck on the bridge over I-35 and had to sit for a while. It always gets blocked around this time due to truck traffic. The truck stop has just added a maintenance facility. Also, several new truck related services and warehouses have opened recently. Needless to say the truck traffic has picked up and makes it kinda hectic at times.

The state has recently announced that they will begin the I-35 widening project from State Highway 6 down to Lorena this year. That means the highway that I travel on to go to work will be fully involved soon and will last for the next three years. Yippee! Not! They will also be replacing the bridge over the interstate. This is good because there is near total gridlock in the area at times. It will be good to have a new bridge because the current one is a two-lane bridge and carries a lot of traffic currently.

Back to my original story. I got home after 5:00 PM and looked forward to checking out my new phone. NO! I didn't get a fancy one. I got a simple Sony Ericsson. It is the z310a. I was ready to set it up and the documentation said to charge it up first. Rats! I plugged it in and then Chris told me she had some errands to run so away we went. When we got back I was ready. Not for the phone. I had to eat. By now it was 7:00. I fixed supper and ate and finally got to the phone. It was fully charged by now and ready to go.

This phone is pretty cool. It has a camera. Now I know that isn't that cool anymore. Almost all phones have them now. For me it is cool because it's my first. The best part about this phone, at least for me, is the color effects that it has. It rings with colors. Different colors. I like the blue. I like most anything blue. My keyboard has blue lights. The warning light on my truck alarm is a flashing blue light. The light on my WD Passport drive is blue. If you want to sell it to me put a blue light on it and I'll probably buy it. Chris even got me a dozen LED tea lights. Yep. They're blue lights too.

The phone? Oh yeah, the phone. I imagine I'll be spending the next several days tweaking it and getting everything just right. If I have a problem I'll let you know. Lesson plans tonight. The weather broadcast say we may have snow or sleet or some other type of wintry precipitation tonight or tomorrow morning. If so, there's a chance for a late start at school. I'll keep you posted on that too.

I got a sample of dog food in the mail today. Yep. It came from Blue Buffalo. What can I say. I just like blue. One day I'll show you a Blue Sunflower. Ignore the fact that my truck is red. I suppose I was blue and just saw red.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Hot or Cold...It Can Wait Till Later

Things are never the way we want it. It's about 30 degrees outside right now. Well that's too cold. Turn up the heat. Later this summer it will be 90+ degrees. Well that's too hot. Crank up the AC.

I need to dig some post holes in order to put up a new fence. It's too cold for that right now. I know I'm going to wait until it's warmer. Later, when it's warmer I'll probably decide it's too hot. I'll want to wait for cooler weather next winter for sure. One day I'll get that fence put up. It'd be better if someone else did it though.

I need to get out in the garden and do some work. Yep! Too cold. Wait till later is a good idea. Until, of course, it's hot. Then I'll want to wait.

Last summer Chris wanted me to help her clean out the garage. Gee Chris, it's too hot. Let's wait till it cools off. Well it's cool now. And guess what? The garage got cleaned out. Not by me though. I was busy with school work. Chris did it all by herself. Although I did move some boxes for her. It seems that she couldn't reach that high. She was able to clear out a lot of stuff. Look out Goodwill, here we come! The only problem is that she made so much room that I'm sure that it won't take long for it to fill up again.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Insert Twilight Zone Theme Music Here

Julie called me from work yesterday. Monday was apparently a slack day at her workplace. She told me that she Googled my blog. I suppose she couldn't remember the address and wanted to look at it or show it to someone. She clicked on the link that she thought was my blog. She got a surprise and had to call and tell me about it.

Cue the Twilight Zone theme now.

That's OK. I've done it for you here.



It turns out that there is another blog with a similar name as mine. This other blog is named Horst Happenings; mine of course is Horst Household Happenings. Now wait a moment. The similarities do not end there. First, both blogs are hosted on Blogger. Next, I started my blog on December 11, 2007. The other blogs first post was on December 23, 2007. WOW! Now, the weirdest part is that the other blog belongs to Barry Horst in Hanover, PA . Our names are almost the same. Our middle initial is different though.

The web address for my blog is horsthappenings.blogspot.com.
The web address for the other blog is bbhorstfamilyhappenings.blogspot.com.

Is that not weird?

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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FREE, FREE, FREE

I cleaned up the desk and went through all of the mail yesterday. No surprises were found. Thank goodness!

Now I know why the stack was so big. There must have been 5 or 6 magazines in there. Not catalogues, but magazines. So I decided to do some checking and actually see how many magazines we get.

Well, let me tell you. You would think this is a doctor's waiting room or some other sort of waiting room. I counted at least 17 magazine subscriptions that are current. We only pay for 2 of subscriptions. The others are free.

The magazines I receive are a varied lot. I receive several magazines that are home or decorating themed; such as, Metropolitan Home, Garden & Gun, Elle Decor, Old House Journal, Country Living, and Good Housekeeping. I actually paid for Country Living and Good Housekeeping. I have since found a way to get Good Housekeeping free. I'll tell you about that later.

I also receive several magazines that focus around the technology/hobby theme. They are Sound & Vision, PC Magazine, Popular Photography, Popular Science, and Kit Planes. I suppose related to the hobby theme would be Western Outdoors and Flying.

Since Chris and I grandparents we receive Grand. We receive a magazine from Kraft Foods, Food & Family. We even get Frozen Food Age and World Trade. Go figure!

Remember all of the above subscriptions were free with the exception of Country Living and Good Housekeeping. Here is a partial listing, in no certain order, of other magazines I have received for free in the past: Boating, Woodcraft, Edutopia, Cruise Travel, Skiing, Log Home Living, TV Guide, Log Home Design, and Electronic House. I have probably had more but can't remember them all.

Because we get so many I have let 3 paid subscriptions lapse because I don't have time to read them all. They were good magazines. I think you may have heard of them before; National Geographic, Texas Highways, and Reader's Digest. The only problem I had with them is that they weren't free.

How do I get free magazine subscriptions. Easy. I signed up with Freebizmag.com. This is a web site that offers free business publications and will offer free subscriptions to mainstream magazines also. If I remember correctly Veterans Advantage buys a lot of these as an inducement for their products and services. There is also a website called AdPerks that allows you to watch advertising at your leisure on your computer to earn subscriptions. This is how I got the Popular Science subscription and plan on getting Good Housekeeping this way when the current subscription expires. AdPerk looks like they will be adding several other magazines in the future. Country Living is one they plan to add. Good. That meansd I won't have to pay for any of my magazine subscriptions. Give it a look see. It can't hurt.

I suppose I better go. I think I need to catch up on my reading.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Here We Go Again!!

I was watching the American Idol Dallas auditions again last night with Julie. During the short piece on Kayla Hatfield something caught my eye. See if it catches yours. It happens approximately 11 seconds into the video.

That's right. The Texas flag is upside down on the windmill vane. Kayla is from Campbell, Texas so I imagine this is on their farm nearby.

Thanks AdelaideCate007 for the YouTube video. Visit her website Daytime Confidential.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Teacher's Life of Leisure

My desk here at the house is a mess.

It always gets that way at the end of the nine weeks period at school. That is when I get involved in student assessments and various other forms of paper work. Let's see; there is assessment data to enter in the spreadsheet, grades to complete, and report card entries to make. After report card entries are complete, the report cards have to be verified. After verification they are printed. After printing they have to have more information manually entered on them. Why in this day and age that information can't be entered on the computer I will never know. After all is said and done the report cards are sent home. And then I wait for parents to return them. And I wait. And I wait. Some never come back. Sometimes I wonder if they ever made it home.

Now that report cards are finished it is time to plan the next nine weeks. The kindergarten teachers gather and spread the Scope and Sequence for the 3rd Nine Weeks. Let's see there is Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. We begin by looking at the various objectives/learning standards in each subject and see which ones overlap. That way we can plan to teach those objectives at the same time and hopefully double the impact. We plot the learning standards on a calender and try to map out the entire nine weeks.

You see, in Texas we are blessed with the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). This is the wonderful test by which life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is measured. At least in Texas public schools. Teachers must be sure that the students are prepared for this assessment and life in general. The TAKS has various objectives that have to be covered. To assist in this endeavor we are blessed with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The TEKS are divided by grade level and subject matter. The TEKS have broken down the TAKS into more precise and logical learning standards.

Wow! During the 3rd nine weeks at kindergarten we have 127 individual TEKS learning standards that we have to address. Of the 127 standards, 67 are in Language Arts alone.

After mapping out the learning standards we then double check to make sure that we have each one on the calendar. It wouldn't do to get to the end of the nine weeks and then discover that we did not cover everything.

Once the double checking is finished we get to plan our lessons and write our plans for the following week. Next week in Science we are going to do some experiments that involve 3 to 4 steps and changes that take place with the application of heat. We are tying in Math by working on sequencing up to 4 steps. Fun! We are going to be using cornstarch one day and gelatin on another. FUN FUN!

Having said all of this; that explains why my desk here at the house is a mess. There is a stack of mail about four inches deep and I can't even begin to count the number of magazines that have not even been looked at yet.

I'm going now and will begin to attack the mountain. No doubt that I will have a full trash can and paper shredder tomorrow.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Busy, Busy, Busy

It was pretty cool here in Robinson yesterday. I don't think it ever got above 40 degrees. Chris decided to clean out and rearrange a portion of the garage. I got home and she showed me what she did. WOW! It was like a new garage. Well, not exactly a new garage. It looked like an older garage that had been cleaned out with all the "stuff" rearranged in a good way. There was a lot of room in there.

She found a lot of stuff to get rid of. She asked if she could "load up the truck and move to Beverly.........." . Wait, it wasn't Beverly Hills; it was the Salvation Army. So we headed out to start loading. She went before me and dropped the tailgate......and there it went. The alarm on the truck was certainly working yesterday. I turned it off and we continued to load. As soon as this task was completed we headed off to the local Salvation Army.

It's surprising how high this old stuff can bounce in the truck bed when you hit a dip on the interstate going 65 mph.

On the way we got a phone call. It was one of Julie's coworkers. The told us Julie had passed out/had a seizure while at work. Chris told them we were on our way now and would check on her. By the time we got to the Dwyer Group she was better but had a headache. It seems that she tends to bump her head on the way when this happens.

She is doing better now and plans to go to work today but Chris will take her. Chris drove Julie home in Julie's car. I drove the truck home and stopped at the Salvation Army to unload. As I was unloading I heard a train going through town on the tracks on Mary Street. While I was at the Salvation Army I kept hearing a clanging sound. I looked behind the donation boxes and there was a fellow in the back yard area playing horseshoes. He was by himself and was having a good time. I don't know who won.

By the time I finished and finally got home Chris told that she and Julie just got home too. I asked why. She said she was stopped by a long train going through town. Imagine that!

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Did I Mention.......?

Teaching is great. It gives you a good feeling to know that you are imparting knowledge to the little ones who will eventually lead our country. Only problem, many of our kids don't get the supervision and rest they need.

Yesterday morning during our morning circle time we were discussing attributes of various blocks and sorting them. During this time several students were taken out for TPRI testing. I looked across the rug; one of the boys (Let's call him Hugh) was asleep. Hugh always tries to go to sleep during the morning. I woke him up and sent him for a drink of water. Then I had him stand up. We continued the lesson. I looked a few minutes later., Hugh was sitting down again sleeping. Two or three others were laying down also. I decided that we would go to the hallway and take a walk up and down the hallway. This would surely wake them up.

Back to class and begin Voyager. Nope! The same ones are down again. Wake them up and continue lesson. Finally we get to stations and groups. Yes. Now I start getting the inevitable, "I'm hungry. When is lunch?" "Pretty soon!", I say. We finish Voyager go to lunch and come back to the room for recess. Recess has been in the room this week because the older students are having 9 weeks tests and we don't want to disturb them. We work on floor puzzles. My kids love to do puzzles. They get excited when they finish one.

Yesterday was PE day. The kids came back tired. It was rest time. By the end of rest time and beginning of snack time 8 students were sleeping. No, we don't take naps in kindergarten. We rest and then have a snack; if we stay awake. Center time was next and half of us were still asleep. It's hard to wake up the little ones sometimes. By the time we started Science we were up and were learning about soil, rocks, and water.

Last week we picked up rocks from the playground. After we picked them up we weighed them, sorted them, and described them. Yesterday we added them to the Kindergarten Rock Garden. I suppose you could call it "der kindergarten felsen garten." I suppose that would be a close approximation. The kids enjoy it. They know each of their rocks, even when they look the same to us.

Did I mention the student that went to sleep sitting cross legged, leaning over with his forehead resting on the floor? No! That'll have to be another post.


© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Will It Never End?

Checked the email yesterday.

Yep! I've won again.

I have the luckiest email I guess. This time I've won £850,000. That is approximately $1,669,227.15. Oh, it also informed me that I've won a BMW 550i. COOL! This email doesn't say which lottery. I suppose it is still the UK National Lottery like yesterday since I will be paid off in Pounds Sterling. Or maybe it is the Isle of Man National Lottery. They also use the Pound Sterling.

Does the Isle of Man have a National Lottery? Probably not. If they did, I'm sure this email wouldn't have been sent to me from Purdue.edu email account. And I'm certain the lottery official wouldn't have a hotmail account. You would think his email would be something like mrbigshot@uknationallottery.com or some other something like that.

Anyway, I know I haven't won anything. But it is fun to think about and write about.

Oh, by the way you might drop Mr. Cornejo Isoulath or Mr. Alex Hooper (Fiduciary Agent) a line at bmwclaimsdesk08@hotmail.com (This is the for real email address that they want me to respond to) to check on your BMW and cash. Or you can wait. I'm sure you'll get your email soon.

On a more serious note: I use Mailwasher Pro from Firetrust Ltd. They make some great products. Mailwasher Pro allows you to view all email on the email server before it ever gets to your computer. You can then delete any spurious email before downloading anything in your email client. Give it a look see. If you're not sure, they have a free version that you can try out. It's called Mailwasher Free 6.1.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Good News--I've Won!

Got an e-mail today. Boy was I excited. The email said I was the winner of the UK (United Kingdom) National Lottery. It says that I've won GBP £550,000. WOW!!! That's about $1,079,703.70, give or take a few cents. This I've got to check out.

Yeah, it says my email has won. I guess I'm set for Easy Street now. The email says I have to contact a Mr. David Owen for claims. All right. I'm counting the money and think how to spend it about now. WAIT A MINUTE!! Why does the Claims Director for the UK National Lottery have a Yahoo email address? This bears further inspection. The email itself came from an email address with charter.net in it. It appears that charter.net is the email for customers of Charter Communications and Charter Communications is located in St. Louis, MO.

I suppose the UK National Lottery has moved to St. Louis instead of London, England now. After all, the dollar has dropped quite a bit. It has to be cheaper to operate in the US now. The director is even using a Yahoo address instead of a government email address. I suppose this cuts down on expenses for the lottery and they can sink more money into the prizes. That means more prize money for me.

Nah, I didn't think so either.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Day Off, Still Had To Work

Took a day off on Sunday. Didn't post. I thought I'd rest. I didn't rest much. And, I've had better days.

I got up at 6 AM in order to fix a roast for Sunday lunch. That went off without a hitch. I started to do some work on the computer. That's when I discovered it had been infected by a Trojan Horse. The Trojan Horse was Trojan Horse Agent.MQO. Before I started on the Trojan Horse, I put some biscuits in the oven and then started work on the computer. I researched on the internet and found a great site that gave good advice. The info was on mudcat.org. The thread that contained the info I needed was about 2/3 of the way down the page. The first post about this particular Trojan Horse was dated Jan. 11, 2008, so apparently it is a new one. I read the advice and started the procedure. katlaughing on mudcat.org said she got the Agent.MQO on her computer and that she felt like it now had a "social disease". There went the better part of the morning and the early afternoon.

By this time I forgot the biscuits. Fortunately I remembered them before it was too late. They were extremely well done. A couple of shades shy of burnt to be precise. I was able to make do with the biscuits. I was also able to save the computer from the Trojan Horse. YEA!! No more "social disease".

Then came a few errands. And finally, back home by 3:30 for the Dallas Cowboys playoff game. The errands went off without a hitch. The game was another story. Looks like the road to Glendale will be passing through Green Bay and not Dallas (Irving really, soon to be Arlington).

All things considered, the roast was great. The rest I could have done without.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Broke Brake Right Light Night Break

Problems with the truck. Chevy Silverado, 2007 model. Red. Broke brake light.

Chris and I went to pick up Julie last night at work. At the Dwyer Group, light was fine. How do I know? Julie got in on that side. She would have told me.

As we passed through downtown Waco, light was fine. How do I know? The police cruiser driving behind me would have stopped me. How do I know? I got stopped 4 times in 2 hours because of a burned out headlight a couple of years ago.

When we got home the light was broke. How do I know? Chris told me. Then Julie told me. Then I looked. They were right. It was broke. A broke brake light, on the right, at night.

I took pictures. Duct tape good. Warranty better. Part is on order. Have to live with duct tape a few more days.


© 2008 Barry T Horst



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"But Wait! There's More."

Who hasn't seen an infomercial? They seem to be all over TV. Especially late at night. That's when you get to see the full length infomercials. They are the ones that normally show up on the cable guide as "Paid Programming". It's strange to watch one of these. They have commercials during the infomercial. And what are the commercials for? Well they're for the item being sold in the infomercial. That's right; a commercial for the commercial during the commercial.

The father of these commercials/infomercials is Ron Popeil. You remember him. He was on TV in the 60's and 70's selling items ranging from the Ronco Spray Gun to the Inside-The-Shell Scrambler; from the Veg-O-Matic to the Pocket Fisherman. It seemed as if he was everywhere on TV. According to the commercials he had just developed the greatest thing since sliced bread. And we could get it for an unbelievably low sum. "But wait! There's more." Famous words that meant the deal was about to get better. Now tell me. How could the best deal in the world get better? I don't know, but Ron always made it better.

The modern infomercial follows the same strategy. The problem is identified. The solution is given. An example is the Simoniz Scratch Removal Kit. The price is mentioned; $19.95 + $9.95 S&H. And then it begins. The grand giveaway. Not only can you get the advertised product for $19.95 but you will get a free bonus (Just pay $12.95 S&H--Now that says free to me!). Oh the bonus is a "FREE TURBO VAC."

Now even better is the deal you get with Zoorbeez. They will also send you a second Zoorbeez free. I think Billy Mays says it nicely, "Order now and we'll double the offer!" Oh, I forgot. you also get a Micromen Microfiber Duster free. A $60 value for only $14.99 + $11.97 S&H. Give me a break. Who do they think they're fooling?

One of my favorites is the lifetime Infinity Razor infomercial. You can get not one but two lifetime Infinity Razors for $19.95. and they'll throw in an Infinity Micro Trimmer and Infinity Chef Knife.; just pay $19.95 plus the $8.95 shipping. Now why would someone need two lifetime razors?

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Please visit the Giveaway of the Day near the bottom of the left sidebar for free software downloads daily.

Where's the Loop? I Need To Get In!

Technology is wonderful. Instantaneous communication. Cell phones, IM, e-mail, etc. The school district where I work relies on their e-mail system to disseminate information to all staff. The campus I work on relies on e-mail to inform staff of important meetings, deadlines, etc. I'm sure they do this to save paper and to communicate faster and more efficiently. I imagine another reason is to keep from having to interrupt classes by constantly making announcements. So I have one question. How come I never know what's going on?

Invariably, one of two things will happen. One thing is that I'll hear through the grapevine about a change or some other important event. I'm often told to check my e-mail later for details. I make a point to do something I generally do not do. I check the e-mail during class time - Nothing. I check again later - Still nothing. Time to go home so I check again - Still no message. Some time later I get an e-mail. This, of course, is after I've received the information from others that apparently are in the loop that I'm not in.

The other instance that occurs is when I'm late for an important meeting or I miss an important deadline. Then I'm asked, "Didn't you check your e-mail? We sent one earlier!" I reply, "No! I teach. I can't check my e-mail because I'm teaching. I check after the kids have gone home." By then it is often too late.

But remember, the district did save paper. Oh, and they did communicate faster and efficiently. I guess I need to find that loop. And just maybe check my e-mail instead of teach all of the time.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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We're BACK!!!!

The first day back from the holidays is always a challenge for kindergarten students. They have to adjust to the school schedule and the school routine again. Half my class told me they were sleepy at 9:30 AM. "Sorry! We can't go to sleep. We're here and we have a lot to do. " Lunchtime is at 10:50 AM and then recess. It rained a lot early yesterday morning. It left the ground very wet. We couldn't go outside for recess. We had to go to the room instead. Someone had to cry. Not me, one of the students. Kindergarten lives for recess; even after two weeks of holidays. Rest time is at 1:00 PM after Music. By 1:30 PM 4 students were asleep and the rest said they were hungry. "I know! We'll have a snack after Social Studies."

The teachers also have to adjust to the school schedule and routine. The biggest challenge is adjusting your body to the restroom opportunities. Or actually the lack of restroom opportunities. Don't stand in front of the restroom doors after the students are gone. I am certain the water pressure in Waco drops drastically at school dismissal time. Fortunately dismissal times are staggered between elementary, middle, and high school.

Our campus uses the Voyager Expanded Learning Universal Literacy System for English/Language Arts in the early grades. One of the components of the system provides for highly structured and scripted lessons. In order to prepare for the daily lessons the teacher has to gather materials each afternoon for the next days lesson. I didn't remember if I had prepared for the lesson before I went home for the holidays. As soon as I got to school Tuesday morning I grabbed my teacher's guide and looked at the lesson and my materials. It didn't look as if I prepared so I set about to gather and organize. I finished and felt good. Later, I discovered I looked at the Wrong page in the guide and unknowingly prepared for next Monday by mistake. OOPS! I had already prepared for the lesson before I left for the holidays. Now what is it they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men?

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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WSO + Garfunkel = You Can Call Me Al

Last night I was watching TV. There was an ad for Art Garfunkel coming to Waco to appear with the Waco Symphony Orchestra (WSO) on January 11, 2008. Of course, in my mind the first thing I thought of was Paul Simon. After all, there was a time when the two were synonomous. Albeit, a long, long time ago. Then all of a sudden the words, "You can call me Al!" came forth from my mouth.

This song was released in 1986 as the first single from the Paul Simon album Graceland. Paul Simon and Chevy Chase recorded a video of the song when Simon appeared on an episode of Saturday Night Live.

Naturally I had to look up the video. This is what I found.

Doing some research I found that the title "You Can Call Me Al" is a reference to a Depression era song, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" by Yip Harburg and Jay Gorney:

Say, don't you remember, they called me Al,
It was Al, all the time,
Say, don't you remember, I'm your pal!
Brother, can you spare a dime?

And what is it with these lines?

I can call you Betty,
And Betty, when you call me,
You can call me Al!

According to an entry I found on Wikipedia, Paul Simon allegedly wrote the song after attending a party with his then wife Carrie Fisher. A man at the party kept calling Paul "Al", and Carrie "Betty", inspiring Simon to write a song. Who knows? At least it sounds good.

Another interesting fact is that Al Gore used the song during the 1992 presidential campaign as he stumped alongside Bill Clinton. I also found this on Wikipedia.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Little Plate, Big Meal

I went to one of the Goodwill Stores in town yesterday. It's fun to go occasionally and see what there is. Yesterday I picked up a small collector's plate. You know the kind. The type that folks get while on vacation as a reminder of their trip. The plate I bought is pictured below and measures approximately 4 inches in diameter. There is a sticker on the back that says "Original ARTMARK Made In Japan." I suppose it is from the early 60's or thereabouts.

It came from Zehnder's in Frankenmuth, Michigan. The history of the establishment is very interesting. Read some about it here: Zehnder's History. They started in 1856 as the Exchange Hotel. In those early days, a weary guest could buy supper, breakfast, and lodgings for himself and his horse for 75 cents. Nowadays, the All You Can Eat Chicken Dinner costs $18.95. And for those with a little extra room, you can add a side of Chicken Livers for $1.95. There is no mention of a drink. I suppose that is extra. I reckon the hotel lodging is extra also.

Zehnder's may have begun it's life as a hotel but it appears to be a destination unto itself now. Of course there is the restaurant. There is also The Fortress Golf Course, Zehnder's Splash Village, Retail Shops, and Online Shopping. If you're headed to Frankenmuth, Michigan anytime soon Zehnder's also has some coupons for use at their restaurant. If you go in the future or have visited Zehnder's in the past let me know about it. It sounds like the kind of place I would like.

© 2008 Barry T Horst




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City Cleanup Beginning?

Chris and I got out this afternoon. We decided to take a drive and just take in the sights. I drove downtown to check out the construction on the square. This is the area of downtown that many people are hoping that Waco can duplicate the success that Sugarland has had. Imagine my surprise when we drove by the fountain in front of city hall. I guess someone believes that the city needs to be cleaned up and they have taken definite action to that end. Witness the slideshow below:

The domed building going up in the background is part of the new development taking place.

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Happy 7th!!! ; )

Today is the 7th Anniversary of my son and daughter-in-law, Scott and Jessica, getting married. January 6, 2001 was the happy day. For those that do not know, they also live in Robinson with their son Jace who is 5 years old.

CONGRATULATIONS Scott and Jessica!!!!

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Seed Catalogues Are Beginning To Arrive

I have been getting the new seed catalogues over the past several days. Just before the new year I received my catalogue from Baker Creek. They deal in rare and heirloom seeds. they have a lot of fine products and many seeds that I would never have the time to grow. I would sure like to though. Wouldn't be grand to grow long red beans that are up to 18 inches long. You can if you grow the Chinese Red Noodle Bean. They also carry some great tomatoes. If I counted correctly they carry 109 varieties of tomatoes which include green, orange, pink, purple, white, yellow, and striped. Oh, they also carry 66 varieties of red tomatoes. Take a look at them on-line. they have a wonderful selection of heirloom vegetables, fruits, and flowers.

On January 2nd I received the Burpee and the Jung Seed catalogues. I spent a good deal of time looking through them and trying to decide what to put in the garden for this upcoming spring. I still like marigolds, zinnias, gazanias, chrysanthemums, and snapdragons. Both catalogues have many fine flowers this year. I might try the Showtime Dahlia or the Fireball Marigold from Burpee. A new product from Jung that caught my eye was the selection of new Echinaceas or Coneflower, like the Green Envy and the Coconut Lime. Both companies are great. I have done business with them in the past and will do so in the future also.

Yesterday I got a catalogue from Stark Brothers. Going through it I discovered two apple trees that I would love to get. They are the Cinnamon Spice Apple and the Chenengo Strawberry Apple. Imagine an apple that already has the cinnamon flavor in it and an apple that tastes like strawberries. Chris said I should just buy some strawberries. The wonderful thing about these two trees is that each one will pollinate the other. Great! I don't know yet if I will get the trees since it will cost more than $50 to buy and get them shipped here. Oh well, I can dream.

Yesterday afternoon Chris and I took Jace down into the back field in the truck. We were looking for an old horse trough that was there. I found it and loaded it into the truck. I took it up to the house to use. NO, we don't have horses at the house and we are definitely not going to use it as a bathtub. I plan on using it as a raised garden in the front for some of my flowers. As I develop this and get it growing I will post some pictures for you to see.

Visit some of the links for the nurseries above. I am sure they will appreciate your visiting and taking a little look see.

School starts tomorrow. I will be getting back to my early schedule. I will see you then.

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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OC Does Not Mean Orange County

Sorry for the late post. Had to take Chris for lab work this morning.

Chris has been concerned about her blood pressure lately. She made an appointment with the doctor for yesterday. While waiting in the examining room with her I looked at the magazines . I complained about the selection of magazines being lousy. Later I thought, "Why am I looking at these? Sick people have looked at these and picked them up and coughed and held them and sneezed and flipped through them. YUCK!!" I didn't pick up the magazines and look at them any more. I didn't complain about them either. I just sat and waited with Chris. Finally the doctor came in. He began to ask Chris why she was there. After relating her concerns about the blood pressure the doctor jots down some notes. He begins to take her vital signs and asks about family history. Among other things Chris said, "My grandfather sort of died from heart problems." I snickered and asked, "How do you sort of die?" I don't think the doctor said anything.

Continuing the examination the doctor began to look at Chris' hands. He asked why they were so dry. Chris explained that she washes them a lot. He began to to talk about the effect that soaps can have on skin and THEN, he asks Chris about obsessive-compulsive disorder. Chris and I look at each other. I giggle quietly to myself and think, "Gee doc, I hope you don't ask me about it. I'd hate to tell you some of the things I do!"

The doctor set up some other tests for Chris. One was a fasting blood test. That is what we went for this morning. While waiting in the lab area I overheard the lab tech talking with another patient. They were talking about birthdays and anniversaries. The lab tech said, "I remember my anniversary because it is on the same day as the birthday of my first girlfriend. That makes it easy to remember." OK! The other people in the waiting area heard this and we all looked at each other with puzzled looks. I just hope his first girlfriend is the wife he has now. I then looked at Chris and told her that I remember our anniversary because it is our anniversary.

© 2008 Barry T Horst



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At Least I Thought It Was Interesting

I was flipping through a book earlier today. I always find it interesting for a quick glance. The book is "The Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions" by Harry Shaw. It was published by McGraw-Hill with a copyright of 1975 and 1987. There seems to be many of these books available on Amazon for real cheap.

Any way, I was reading about several words that happened to catch my eye. The words were: Flammable and Inflammable, Ravel and Unravel, and finally Discreet and Discrete. This is what Mr. Shaw has to say about each set of words:

flammable, inflammable. These words mean the same thing and are interchangeable. They are not contrasted, as are, for example, capable and incapable, mature and immature. Although both words are correct, flammable is more often used by scientists and in technical pursuits, whereas inflammable is more common outside manufacturing contexts. In referring to someone's temperament or behavior, inflammable seems more appropriate than flammable (his inflammable disposition). Possibly some day everyone will settle on flammable.

ravel, unravel. Usually the prefix un- changes the meaning of a word to the opposite. But ravel and unravel mean "to unwind," "to take to pieces," "to disentangle." Thus the words are interchangeable except when unravel is used in the sense of solving a problem or mystery.

And finally,

discreet, discrete. These words, pronounced alike, have entirely different meanings. To be discreet is to be prudent, cautious, careful, trustworthy, circumspect: "Never one to talk much, she kept a discreet silence." "The late President Truman often referred to George Marshall as a discreet official." Discrete means "separate," "distinct," "apart," "detached": "This question consists of six discrete parts." "Manufacturing, advertising, selling, and collecting payment are discrete divisions of his business."

Well, I thought it was interesting reading.
© 2008 Barry T Horst



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My Day Yesterday, Your Reading Today

I had to take my daughter Julie down to the offices of the Dwyer Group to fill out some papers for her new job yesterday morning. I waited in the reception area as she went to an office in the back. The offices are relatively new and quite nice. I was content to sit on the leather couch and look at magazines. The leather couch was not content with me sitting. As I sat, my body would slowly slide out from under me until I was kind of sprawled in the couch. The leather was very smooth. I would reposition myself and sit up. And then it would begin all over again; slip, slide, sprawl.

After several minutes my phone rang. It's Julie! She wants to know about the W-4 form. I help her over the phone and then hang up. Several minutes after this the phone rings again. It is Julie again. I say, "Hello!" Julie says, "I need my Social Security Card. Mom said it's at home!" I say. "Okay! I'll go get it." I have to drive home get her card and bring it back for her. When I get back I hand it to the receptionist who takes it back to Julie. I go back to the couch. I sit. I slide. I slip. I slunk. I sprawl. I don't get up this time. I just wait for Julie to finish. Some time later Julie emerges and said she is finished. We walk out to the truck and leave.

In the truck Julie said she was hungry. By now it was close to Noon. She wanted to go to Taco Bueno. I told her no, I'm not hungry and besides, I wanted to go to the computer store. After getting her food at Taco Bueno, I drove down the highway to Altex. I was looking at hard drives, wireless speakers, and keyboards. Along the way someone cut in front of me and when I hit the brakes Julie's drink went flying to the floor. I told her later that I hoped the police didn't stop me since I now had Coke on the floor. She had to clean it up. She wasn't happy.

Jace was at the house yesterday when I got home. Jace is still out for Christmas vacation and both parents, Scott & Jessica, had to work. So, Chris and I got to babysit. Actually it wasn't babysitting, it was more like young child sitting. Jace decided to practice cutting with scissors yesterday. He sat at my desk and cut and cut and cut. When he finished he was proud that he cleaned up all the paper that he cut. I was proud that he cleaned up all the paper that he cut. Then he decided to make a mouse trap. It consisted of strips of paper and a lot of tape. I'm not sure how it was going to catch mice but it hung on the side of my desk waiting to snare any unwary mouse that might wander along by my desk. Later we got the magnetic toy out for him to play with. While he played I prepared for a visit to the HEB to buy some groceries. Jace was happy to play at the house.

As I was getting my list and other things together Chris asked me to take Jace. that way he could see his mom, she works at HEB. Before we go Jace had to go to the restroom. This is important to remember for later.

Conversation time:
Jace: "Grandpa I'm tired!"
Grandpa: "Jace you're fine. If you stayed home you would be watching cartoons and jumping up and down acting silly!.
Jace: "But Grandpa, I'm tired."
Grandpa: "That's fine. Just lay your head down and rest."
Jace angrily: "I can't rest!" Then mumbling several times: "I can't rest!"
Grandpa: ""Fine. Don't rest!"

A few moments later all I hear is snoring. He went to sleep. I guess he was tired.

At the store Jace awakens and we get out and get a basket. In the store we want in line to see his mother. Jace announces that he is hungry. Afterwards, we go to the deli and get some potato wedges. After the potato wedges we begin our shopping. Barely out of the produce and Jace decides that he is thirsty. We have to go across the store to the water fountain. Thirst quenched we head back to continue shopping. As soon as we get started Jace announces that he is thirsty again. Nope! We continue shopping. He was a great help while I shopped. he made sure I did not lose the basket or get lost. If I walked more than 5 feet away he started to call me and ask where I was going. He also made sure that the items I put in the basket stayed where I put them. Towards the end of our trip Jace said he needed to go to the restroom. Yep! He did that at home before we left. I took him. Finally we got to check out and went home; after we stopped at the Buddy Bucks machine so Jace could spend his Buddy Bucks.

© 2008 Barry T Horst



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Ya Crazy Galoot

Some words just sound good. For reasons unknown to me I just never get tired of hearing the word "GALOOT". It's even fun to say it.

Upon doing a search of "GALOOT" I stumbled across the Online Etymology Dictionary. Typing galoot into the search box returned the following information:

galoot
"awkward or boorish man," 1812, nautical, "raw recruit, green hand," originally a sailor's contemptuous word for soldiers or marines, of uncertain origin. "Dictionary of American Slang" proposes galut, Sierra Leone creole form of Spanish galeoto "galley slave." Perhaps rather Dutch slang kloot "testicle," klootzaak "scrotum," used figuratively as an insult.

Interesting! And to think Yosemite Sam used the word all the time. If you want to hear Yosemite click on button 4 - Crazy Galoot from SoundBoard

Louis B. Mayer used the word "galoot" when referring to Spencer Tracy in the following quote, "What do we need another galoot for? We've already got Wallace Beery" -- Louis B. Mayer, upon finding out that Irving Thalberg had hired Tracy to join MGM. (Quote comes from the IMDb entry for Spencer Tracy.)

Why I even learned that Carl Sandburg and Sinclair Lewis used "galoot" in their works. Bartleby. com had 4 references that I found.

Wow! I never realized that Yosemite Sam was so well read!

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday-It's All The Same

Somewhere in the world today it's already tomorrow. It's like I am speaking from the past. COOL! I am writing this post this morning at approximately 9 AM on a Wednesday. Someone in Melbourne, Australia will read it at the moment of posting, which would be around 2 AM on Thursday. I know this because I have looked at The World Clock page. For this reader, they will be reading during their today and my tomorrow. WOW!

For others their today is my tomorrow. I Think! I suppose that would work if it is Midnight here and 11 PM in the next time zone. Yeah, that will work. I like the saying, "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" I think there is a corollary statement to this that goes something along these lines: Tomorrow never gets here. When tomorrow arrives it is today and we have to wait another day for tomorrow. Also, when tomorrow arrives as today it makes today yesterday. So if tomorrow is today and today is yesterday does that make tomorrow yesterday and if it does what happened to today?

You know I was looking again at The World Clock page. I noticed that there are several areas in the world that have time zones that are 30 minutes different rather than 1 hour different from their neighbors. Some examples are: Adelaide, Darwin, Kabul, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, St. John's, Tehran, and Yangon. But what's up with places like Chatham Island in New Zealand? They are 45 minutes different, or 15 minutes depending upon your perspective. Another city that is Kathmandu in Nepal. Does it take 15 minutes longer to get to these places or maybe the sunlight reaches them 45 minutes faster. I don't know. But I am sure that the reason lies in a logical reason that is buried somewhere in history or tradition or historical tradition or the tradition of history.

If you want to see some good sites for time zones you might try worldtimezone.com, Time Zone Check, or Time Ticker. One thing I've found though is that they do not all agree. It is fun though. Enjoy

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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A Souper Candle????

Chris and I went shopping earlier today. We stopped in at the Dollar General in Hewitt. I was looking at candles. It's kind of fun to smell them and see how close the scent is to what they describe. I came across a candle I've never seen nor smelled. It was a Campbell's Tomato Soup Candle that sells for $2. I don't mind seeing it again. But I don't want to smell it again. EVER! It is supposed to smell like tomato soup. Chris said if she wanted to to smell tomato soup she would just take a can out and make it. Then she could have it for lunch. At least you can eat the soup, you can't eat the candle. If you don't believe me the picture of the candle is below. Don't try to smell it though. I couldn't find the right html or javascript to make it come through.

I wonder if they will ever make a Chicken Noodle Soup candle?

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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A Few Random Memories of New Years Past

Happy New Year to all.

This is truly the beginning of a great new year. The new year can be a new beginning for all of us. We can leave all the baggage behind that we picked up through 2007 and start anew.

I think we all start a new year with big expectations, looking forward to making changes for the better. This is a grand goal. I hope that all of us can do this. However, it takes more than a few simple ticks of the clock, or a ball falling in Times Square to do this. All of us have to want to change in our heart. then practice this change until it is now longer practice but "old hat". Unfortunately, many that started with grand intentions will slowly, imperceptibly slip back into old habits because for many of us, our situations have not changed. WOW!~This is getting to be deep. Let's move onto another subject.

I had to go to Hillcrest Hospital yesterday to make a payment. I drove by the house where I lived while in junior high and high school. Since it was New Year's Eve, it brought back a lot of memories. My parent's would always have a get together (Polite word for party) with a lot of the friends from church and work. My parents spent most of the day preparing, cleaning, cooking, and cleaning some more. For the most part I stayed out of the way. [Side note to something that is coming up--My mother loved to do crafts. She decided one day she would make some candle holders that looked like tiki torches for the yard. She used these for years. She still had them when she passed away 12 years ago. I don't have them now.] While I generally stayed out of the way, it was my responsibility to place these "tiki torches" at intervals along the sidewalk. Later, just before the festivities got under way, I was in the yard trying to light all of these.

Then people would start arriving. When I was in my early teens I stayed in my room during most of the party until on of the football games came on. Then I went to the den where the men were playing dominoes and watching the game. It seems that the game was the Bluebonnet Bowl from Houston. As I got older I spent less time at the house for the party because I had to spend more time with my friends. Regardless of my age my mother still expected me to place the "torches" in the ground and light them. By the time I was in Baylor I worked on New Year's Eve and Day, but I still put the "torches" in until my father passed away, which is when the parties stopped. Every New Years Eve I think of those parties and the good times that were had by all at them.

A year or two later, still at Baylor, we had one of our New Year's Eve ice storms. We had freezing rain, sleet, and snow until the entire city was shut down. I couldn't go to work because no one would be out shopping. I was trapped in my apartment. Just me and my cat. My roommate had gone home for the holidays. Thank goodness I had cable TV. Not cable TV like we have now. This cable TV from the 70's in Waco, TX. It was 12 channels. One channel was a "Weather" channel. It had a camera that panned across a thermometer, anemometer, and wind direction indicator. High tech stuff for Waco, TX in the 70's I guess. Another channel was a "Movie" channel. It showed a variety of 8 or 9 movies daily and changed the times for each movie daily for one week. After a week the movies would be changed. High tech stuff for Waco, TX in the 70's I guess. After that our channel choices were Channel 6 (NBC) and Channel 10 (CBS), both from Waco-Temple. The other available channels were 4 (CBS), 5 (NBC), 8 (ABC), 11(Independent), and 13 (PBS). The movie channel I mentioned earlier was on 12. I really can't remember where the weather dials were; I think maybe they were on 9. That leaves 3 channels that I believe were random scrolling messages and advertising for Cablevision, the provider at the time. Can you imagine being trapped in your house for a couple of days now and that is all you had to watch; no computer, no DVD's, no VCR's, no 200+ cable channels, no cellphones. And we thought we were civilized and living in the lap of luxury then? (If you are from Waco and remember the cable "from the day" write me and I'll add to the post.)

Better go now! It is late or early-Depends upon your perspective on this New Year's Day.

Once again, I would like to wish all of you a Wonderful and Blessed New Year!

© 2008 Barry T Horst



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