It's The Third Already

When it's January 3, the whole thing has settled down and we're back to normal.

I like that moment of beginning. But once it's the third, the next thing you know we don't even know what date it is. We have to look.

After the sixth, calendars will be on drastic sale. I got mine at 75% off the other day and it was still December! 75% off. Wow. How do they ever make money on calendars? It's one of the most perishable items there is.

Everyone needs one, but it's worthless when it's over. Or almost worthless when you're a month in.

A Gatorade Bath

I wonder if the Gatorade company thinks it's great free publicity for the team to give the coach a Gatorade bath when they win the big game.

You might say, though, if Gatorade is so good, why do they always have so much of it left over? It seems like they ought to go to pour it on the coach and have about three drops left instead of 10 gallons.

I might be a spoilsport and say, Hey, that's wasting university money, to pour out all the Gatorade, which costs money. Unless they get it free from the company with the agreement that they pour out the remainder, to be free advertising.

How sticky would that be? I've never been soaked with Gatorade.

How cold would that be? How cold do they keep it? Fortunately most bowl games are held places where it's warm in the winter. Otherwise, the coach might get pneumonia and die. Then the next year they'd forbid all public displays with spilled Gatorade.

Phillips 66 -- For Your Own Protection

How's this for service?

I filled up at Phillips 66 and charged it on my credit card. Fine and dandy. Like always.

Then later on I wasn't yet half a tank down but went to a Phillips 66 station, because I was about to venture across the frozen tundra of Iowa, and they always say you should have a full tank of gas in case you go in the ditch and need to stay warm. At the station, the credit card was rejected. The cashier said it was "for your own protection," because I was a "frequent user."

So we tried to pay cash, then the pumps wouldn't work.

We went to the next Phillips 66 station and the card was still rejected. But this time the nice attendant used it inside (anyway), and we were able to get on our way.

That's a crazy policy. People are on the interstate, traveling from one state to another. Of course they're going to need gas more frequently than if they're in their hometown buying it once a week.

Phillips 66 has been in the gas business a long time. They ought to figure out that people do travel, and that in the winter (especially) you want to keep a good supply in the tank.

I was not happy.

Who Knew?

At my hometown, before I was born, they had public swimming in the pond at the park. Then some kid drowned. And immediately swimming was now prohibited. So by the time I was a kid, we took it for granted that no one could swim there ... because that kid had drowned there. Back then, I guess we have to conclude, they didn't know someone might ever drown, so swimming was allowed.

Then at another place I lived, they didn't have stop signs or anything at the railroad tracks. It was like the Wild West. And everyone was happy enough with that arrangement. I was actually saying it was dangerous and wondering why no one seemed concerned about it. Then something happened. A guy in a truck got hit by a train and killed. And immediately they put up stop signs. Because, of course, no one knew before that such a thing could happen. It was just a mystery that such things could happen.

Now we have another bomber on a plane. This time not a shoe bomber but an underwear bomber. And the Republicans are all up in arms that such a thing could happen. After all, who knew such things could happen? According to them, it's a larger failure on the part of President Obama for not doing complete strip searches of everyone on a plane to, from, or within the United States. He ought to personally be doing complete exams of all body cavities to ensure that nothing bad ever happens to anyone. (I'm wondering why they were so silent in the Bush years.)

Naturally we need to examine our procedures. And do as good as we can. But if you can't imagine scenarios right now, before they happen, then you're not doing as good as you can. We're never going to be so safe that nothing bad happens. But a little imagination would go a long way. But you can imagine this, that if the Obama Administration had done any clamping down in advance, they would've been opposed to that too. Because the Republicans are opposed to anything and everything. Then when something happens, they say "Why didn't you do X, Y, and Z?"

Remember the Republicans' mantra in the Bush years? Here it is: It's not a matter of IF it will happen, it's a matter of WHEN. That is what they literally said about terrorism. They could imagine it happening at the time. Now that they're out of power and seeing every partisan advantage -- every partisan advantage -- they act like they shocked when something does happen. But you know, the Republicans are so scurrilous, you know they're actually glad when something bad happens. You'll never convince me that this underwear bombing attempt isn't something the Republicans are happy about.

Every Snowflake Different?

Come on, there's hundreds of trillions of them -- trillions of trillions of trillions of them -- how are we supposed to believe there's no two snowflakes alike when no one has checked them that closely?

We need a massive FBI-like database, with each snowflake carefully scanned. Then we'll run them all through one of those Google Picasa face recognition programs -- retooled to make it a snowflake recognition program -- and find out once and for all what the truth is about snowflakes and their supposed inherent dissimilarity.

Because I for one don't believe it. And I'm calling them out on it! Put up or shut up.

A Few More Hours Of Christmas

I always think Dec. 26 is about the most depressing day of the year. After the build-up to Christmas, then it's over, just like that.

So enjoy it while you can. Just a few more hours to go. And let's say I go to bed a couple hours before midnight, I'm cheating myself out of two hours of Christmas.

I'm not visiting with family this year (on Christmas). So it's a little lonely. Right now it's just me, the dog, and two cats. And the cats are someplace.

It was fun watching the dog check out her stocking. We got her, let me amend that, SANTA got her a few items, mostly edibles, of course. And she dug right in to one of the chewy ones. It was cute how she was sniffing the stocking, because she knew it was hers!

The Red Book Came

I ordered C.G. Jung's "The Red Book" from Amazon maybe a month ago. I don't know if it was that long.

For some reason it's one where there's a delay in sending it out. At first they thought it'd be January, then mid December, then January again. Then I suddenly got an email saying it was shipped and would be here, estimated date Dec. 29.

I was thinking, Oh no, because I plan on being out of town on the 29th. Don't tell anyone.

Then I was walking by the hallway and there was a big box setting there today. I thought What is this? when it suddenly occurred to me: It already came! So it won't be setting in the snow on the 29th. That's a relief.

I opened it and it's huge, gigantic. I'm going to have a hard time reading a book that's so huge. But I looked at the first page of C.G.'s quotations from Bible verses, a nice page, in Latin. Then I turned back and read through the translation of that page in English. It pertains to the coming of the Savior. Very deep stuff.

I'm going to enjoy looking through this book, and maybe studying it closely. I hope so. It's a great looking book!

I Got Five Free Downloads

When we bought a movie today, there was a bonus in it of five free downloads, MP3s, from some place I'd never heard of: amplified.com.

It's kind of strange in a way, that a place can be out there like that and no one's mentioned it to you.

It's also strange to have five free downloads, because suddenly nothing sounds good enough to download. Like "Why would I want that?" It's not enough for a whole album, so you have to pick and choose things that you don't have ... but what should I get?

I ended up getting a few oldies. It worked OK. Their prices are based on "credits," and I didn't explore it that much, since I get my downloads elsewhere. But maybe you pay a monthly fee or make an account.

One of the ones I wanted was "The Boys Are Back in Town" by Thin Lizzy. I searched and they didn't have it. Nothing showed up on the search, anyway. Then I was going to get "All The Young Dudes" by Mott the Hoople, but it wasn't on any of Mott's albums, just a track on the "Juno" soundtrack, that you couldn't download singly because it only came with the album.

So who knows about a service like that? I see Amazon.com has the Thin Lizzy track. And "All The Young Dudes," but for some reason the "Dudes" song is $1.29. I thought the $1.29 pricing was only for new, really in-demand tracks, not oldies.

Gauging Happiness In A Few Quick Sounds

I have family members who call me. I always want them to be happy, but sometimes they're not. Something's got them down.

I just had a call, and in this case ... she was happy! Yea! That makes my night, because, often, it's those sad ones that also get me down. Then I'm laying in bed hoping for the best. Even though "This too shall pass," we still have the journey from Point A to Point B that is painful.

So when I get one of these family calls, the first thing I must do is quickly gauge whether we're happy or sad.

The lilt in the voice is always a good sign. A despondent "Hello" followed by a tense pause is bad. Cheerfulness about accomplishments ... always good. Pessimism and apathy, self doubt and hopelessness ... not as much. Looking forward to seeing me, love you, goodbye; these are things I like. Anger and hanging up without saying goodbye; these are detestable. I've heard it all!

I answer every call. The good, bad, and indifferent. But I very much prefer the good.

The First Day Of Winter

Today is the first day of Winter. Boo, hiss!

I knew it was about now, so I looked it up, and, yes, it started today. I could step outside -- I was just outside -- and it definitely feels like Winter.

It's hard to believe Fall is over with already. It doesn't seem that long ago that I took my dog out -- it was the first day of Fall -- and we went romping up by a river somewhere. I took a bunch of pictures and it was a lovely day.

Now, just a few months later, already, it's Winter and I'm not going out to take pictures. Although today would've been a nice one to do it, since the trees were all white with sparkles. It was pretty. But I was way too busy to worry about taking pictures.

I went and got some extra groceries, because you never know what might happen. And I went and bought some gas for the snow blower, because I don't want to be at the mercy of the snow removal guys like I was last time. If I'm snowed in, I at least want a decent path to the road. Last time I had to shovel some of it out. Bad thing to do!

It's all pretty -- when Winter happens -- but it's deadly and unpleasant. There's one interesting and nice thing, and that's when you're walking after a fresh snow. Everything is so quiet and hushed.