Just Take Me To the Home...

OK, P.J. Just take me to the home now. I don’t want to pass go. I don’t want to collect two hundred dollars.
I went to Wal Mart this morning to pick up an item or two before we went to central Kansas for a memorial weekend lunch with relatives. When I came out of the Wal, I couldn’t find my pickup anywhere. I knew where I had parked it, as I parked right next to a handicapped stall.
I went up and down the line and even over a line or two just to make sure. I then called Pat and told her. She said she’d come down my way to get me. Meanwhile, I called 911. The nice woman took my information, then transferred me to the place where those reports are taken. I must have been waiting for ten minutes or so for someone to pick up the phone to take my report, all the while thinking about my red pickup going off to God only knows where with God only knows who in it.
Having a vehicle stolen is not a good feeling. I can testify by firsthand experience.
While I was waiting for whoever to answer to take my report (only after I give the report will they broadcast the information to the beat officers…by now it could be in Newton), I looked one more time at the stall which now had another vehicle in it.
I glanced at the tag number of that vehicle and it seemed familiar to me. “Oh, it’s a silver car just like ours. It IS ours!” I had forgotten that I took the car instead of the pickup and had red pickup on the brain instead of silver car.
So I called the nice woman at 911 (after I called Pat and told her to not come…she already knew what had happened because when she went to the garage to come get me, lo and behold, there was the pickup) and just told her that I had found my vehicle. I did not tell her that I forgot which one I was driving.
So, just come visit me in the memory care section of the nursing home. I’ll be there watching reruns of “Rio Bravo”, cheering when the Duke blasts some bad guy because it’ll all be fresh…every time.

Shrimp on a Treadmill

A friend of mine suggested that I could comment on the “shrimp on a treadmill” video on YouTube. I dunno. Is that worth a comment? Let’s see. Even that shrimp on a treadmill has political overtones because it’s done by the National Science Foundation and is part of a research project costing half a million dollars. At least one Senator thinks it’s dumb.
I don’t know if it’s dumb or not. What I do know is that sometimes the unusual, or to us the very incongruous can reveal knowledge that is inestimable.
Now, I don’t know about this specific experiment, nor do I know anything about the research project. I’m not qualified to comment on any of this either yes or no. Besides, my opinion doesn’t matter in the great scheme of things anyhow.
But, the sight of a shrimp on a treadmill does bring a smile and a kind of “who would have thought” notion. I mean, come on. Have you ever in your life thought that you’d like to see a shrimp on a treadmill, or that such a thing could reveal some scientific fact that could benefit the human race? I’d guess not.
I also suspect that if you could look long enough on YouTube, you’d find just about anything you could (or could not) think of, including shrimp on a treadmill. I don’t pretend to know much about what’s on YouTube. I do confess to checking out some things, usually old television shows or entertainers now long gone. It’s a great part of the Internet, but like everything, it has its bad side as well as its good side.
So, shrimp on a treadmill? Bring it on. And while we’re at it, let’s see a fly on a ladder, a roach driving a snowmobile, and a mouse giving a cat a bath.

When They Handed Out Brains...

I dunno. This latest craziness going around is all the hullabaloo over the supposed end of the world that will happen tomorrow (if it really happens, you probably won't be reading this, but that's another story...) and all the things that go along with it. I could probably go into a long litany of why I think the guy's a freak show, but won't. What I am wondering is why anyone cares.
Think about it for a few seconds. If the end of everything comes, it'll truly all be over. You won't be able to do anything about the coming of the end; nor will you be able to change anything once it starts. Everything will be "scripted", so to speak. You don't have to know anything, do anything, or be anything...you will be given to know what to say, do, etc. as the need arises. And if the end never comes, you'll be dead and not able to change anything either.
YOU CAN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. Why worry about it? Why even think about it? And for heaven's sake, why send money to some quack? Even if he's correct, for what does he need money? If the end is coming, why is he asking for donations?
The reason we're told to be ready at any time is so when it does happen, we will be ready. Seems to me that's a logical and fair way to live life. Make plans, buy and sell, have a family, etc. If the end comes at some time during that time, it won't matter anyway. What will matter is whether or not you are ready.
When they handed out brains, some people didn't get a full load. Either that or they put 'em some place besides in their heads. And sometimes I think modern journalism is short some neurons as well. What's the deal with covering this like it's the first manned Mars launch? Let the guy wallow in his own little group of followers. Don't encourage him. Geez.

No Man Is An Island

I don’t write in this venue as often as I used to write. I don’t know why not. Much is happening in life and living, and I often find myself as somewhat of an observer of my own life and reality, wondering why this is happening or marveling at that happening. I try, I think, to keep a “low profile” and not cause too much of a ruckus in the realities of other people (and myself), but I sometimes have to wonder how successful I am at that.
Have you ever thought just how much influence you have on the realities of others? In the course of everyday life and living, do you have any idea how many people you touch in some way? Do you know even a small part of the situations in which you have changed what someone else was about to say or do by virtue of some interaction you may have had with that person (either direct or indirect)?
Our existences are so intertwined, so co-mingled that it is very difficult to truly be an island. A guy by the name of John Donne, who lived long ago, is thought to have said it first and best: "All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee."
Of course, Simon and Garfunkel’s “I Am A Rock” says just the opposite; “I am a rock; I am an island, go the refrain.” However, the last two lines of that song are, “And a rock feels no pain; And an island never cries.” We might long and try to be closed off from everyone else, but we also close off our humanity.
The world is full of lonely people, even people who are in the midst of millions of others. We were created for meaningful interaction with both the creation and the humans who inhabit it. We are less than complete when we isolate ourselves, and we are less than human when we isolate others.

We'll Go Back

For Mother’s Day, we went to a Japanese restaurant in East Wichita. We had never been there before, and I wanted to go to a place that wasn’t crowded or noisy. We found this restaurant in a strip mall and went in.
We appeared to be their first customers (they opened at noon). They asked us if we wanted traditional dining or hibachi. I opted for the traditional. As we sat, we received menus. We looked over the menus and discovered that we had no clue what most of the items were. Pat looked at the first page of the menu, not knowing there was a second page, and wondered if she wanted anything at all.
Deciding that I didn’t want the eel entrée or one of the meals that I had not a clue what I was getting, I opted instead for the salmon teriyaki, which I did know, and Pat opted for the chicken teriyaki.
We were pleasantly surprised that the meal was great, the atmosphere was calming, and the presentation was in keeping with the restaurant theme. As garnish, among other things, I had a carrot slice that was carved to look like a crab. Pat had one on her plate that looked like a rooster. The soup was good as was the salad.
By the time we left, there were more people there, but the place was still virtually empty. The only thing I wasn’t sure of was whether there would be a fork available or not. The napkin had only chopsticks rolled up in it. The waiter asked if we wanted forks, however, and we readily agreed.
No hamburgers. No steaks. No baked potatoes. No green beans or corn. We’ll have to go back there again.

A Good Performance

We went out this evening and saw “To Kill A Mockingbird” at the Wichita Community Theater. I must say that I wasn’t really all that enthused about going, as I have trouble hearing in a theater setting. I can hear the noise of the dialog, but many times there is an echo or the actors speak too quickly, or for some other reason I cannot understand what is being said. I am pleased to say that is not the case at this venue.
The theater is housed in what appears to be an old church building in a residential neighborhood in East Wichita. The entire building is probably no more than 3,000 to 4,000 square feet. The stage is actually at and below audience level and is about 30 feet by 20 feet. The audience sits “in the round” and no seat is more than about 25 feet away from the stage.
The performers as well as the director, lighting, props, etc. are all volunteers. Cost is $12 per ticket. Seating is extremely limited. The theater can hold no more than about 110 people.
I was impressed with the acting, the props, the lighting, and in general the whole experience. I’m not a theater critic and don’t pretend to know the nuances of what constitutes a good performance. I do know what I like and I liked this performance.
Awhile back they did “Driving Miss Daisy”. I missed that and am not happy that I didn’t know about it, or would have seen it. There is a comedy playing in June. I’d like to go back.
If you have a chance, take in a performance at the Wichita Community Theater.

The Adventure Continues

Well, I did it. I turned in my resignation a couple of days ago. I am entering a new chapter of life…one without a full time job to identify me. It’s kind of scary, yet at the same time a rather freeing thing. The final day will be June 10. As I hurtle toward that day, I am reminded of times past when uncertainty reigned in my life.
Uncertainty. Now, that’s a rather unsettling word. We humans like to have things under control. We like to know what’s coming around the corner. We have a need to have routine and order in our lives. But when things happen like job changes, moves to a different house, taking in a new family member, or one of hundreds of other scenarios, that word (uncertainty) creeps into our thoughts if not our conversations.
We sometimes lay awake nights in the dark and quiet thinking about the ramifications of it. We ponder it over lunch or a cup of coffee. And we do everything we can to NOT think about it during most of our waking time. Yet there it is, the elephant in the room.
No, I don’t have a job. Yes, we have some money. Yes, we have a plan. No, that plan is not laid out in certainty. Yes, it is subject to change. And no, I really don’t have a plan B. I think we do, however, have a lot of options open to us as we go along.
We’ll see how this all shakes out. We may have to make some lifestyle changes. We may have to change our direction. We may even have to move to a less expensive home. But I am ready for this. I am willing to do what I need to do to make this work.
Oh, I left out one important thing. I believe this change is something that is a God thing in my life. I think He is behind all of this. Now, I may be wrong. I may have let my emotions and selfish desires get a hold on my thought processes and distort my perceptions of what God is and isn’t doing in my life.
But I don’t think so. I’ve been working with this for many months. The culmination came just a couple of days ago when I actually submitted my resignation to my supervisor. This wasn’t a knee-jerk decision. I sought counsel from people whose opinions I value. And I’ve talked with God regarding what I need to do.
So we’ll see in the coming months. As the blog says, “The Adventure Continues”.