What Accent?

If you've ever spoken to someone from the deep south, you know they have a distinctive accent. Often times it can be a challenge understanding individual words, because the context may be different due to cultural differences.

Let me set the stage for you of an encounter I had last week.

First I need to say, this is not the person I am referencing. I got it off a web search. But it resembles him. Mostly the hat.

As a manager at a very large retail establishment, it is often my job to help my crew with situations relating to shoppers.

So here's how it went.

I am on one aisle, my crew is on the next. He calls me over the two way radio and says, "Dave? Do we have any fly slides?"
I'm thinking to myself (did he say fly slides?) couldn't be.

As I round the end of the aisle, here comes and older gentlemen with my crew in tow. My crew member has a look on his face of, PLEASE! RESCUE ME! I ask the two of them "what can I help you with?

The southern gentlemen ask me plain as day, "I need a fly slide."

I'm now mouthing the word silently, fly slide...while blinking. My crew is looking hopefully from face to face.

I reply, "I'm sorry a what?"

He once again says "A fly slide", slightly annoyed.

I'm standing there with the expression of, I got nuthin', on my face.

He finally makes some hand motions, and says, you know, a fly slide for shinin' when its dark out side.

Yes sir, flashlights are right down this aisle.

He's grateful and walks towards them.

My crew and I walk away two full aisles before losing control of our laughter, followed by comments for the rest of our shift regarding the need for a fly slide.

Wake Up Call

Have you ever had one of those mornings, when you wake up to realize one of your kids is standing there? Not making a sound, just standing. As you try to shake of your slumber and make sense of what is happening, your eyes make contact with a small child and a variety of events occur.

1. They say "I don't feel good", which is usually followed by projectile vomiting.
2. They say "I'm scared, can I sleep with you."
3. They say "I'm hungry."

This is my encounter a few morning ago.

My subconscious, (who I rely on heavily) started poking me, wake up, wake up. I don't wake up easily, but managed to pull back the eyelids.

The first things I see is my grandson's 5 fingers, extended in the shape of a claw, about 3 inches from my face.

His 9 year old voice begins ( with his best German accent ) "you're a hard man to read Dr. Jones... This is followed by two gentle pats on my cheek. If you haven't seen the movie, it's a quote from Indiana Jones, the Crystal Skull.

We all laughed, snuggled, and had a great day.

If I could just get the voices to take turns...

Meet my Grandaughter Emily, she is a crack-up.

Last summer we took a car trip to Crater Lake Oregon. It was a fabulous adventure that went from hot weather in Redmond, to so cold, that we couldn't be out of the car very long.

On the way Emily decided to take a few self portraits. Here are the results, enjoy.

I was originaly going to do a "name this photo contest", but they were all to delicious not to share them all. So pick a favorite, and name that one.

Happy Birthday To Me!

I was born on September 26, 1955.

I have experienced events in history, that are now only taught in school as history lessons.

I was 8 years old when Kennedy was shot.
I was 14 when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.
I was 17 when Watergate happened.
I was 25 when John Lenon was shot.
I was 32 when the Berlin Wall was torn down.

There have also been dramatic changes in technology.

I have chosen 4 catagories to show the some of the changes of everday devices in our lives. They are cars, television, computers, and phones.


1955

1965

1975

1985

1995

2005

2009



See you next year!

Drive In Movie!

Raise your hand if you have never been to a drive in movie. I thought so. There is still 1 theater left, it's the 99W Drive-in Movie in Newberg OR.


The place was packed! We parked our truck backwards, put pillows and blankets down and made a little nest. I was glad we had arrived early enough to get a pretty good spot.

We walked up front before the movie started to see what was going on. There were tons of kids throwing frisbes and balls. Families with balnkets playing board games. There were people walking there dogs and a guy had an awesome RC car that zooming up and down the lot.

I can't wait to take my other gkids.

Fastest Chip in the Galaxy!

You know how people see shapes in clouds? Well, I see things in things everywhere.Did you read my post on seeing Shaggy in a pool of oil and balsamic vinegar? Well, I've had another vision...Remember the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars? While working on a document for work, I was eating potato chips to keep me focused on the task at hand. I absentmindedly pulled one from the bag, while still staring at the screen, it came into view from my peripheral vision and what I "saw" was this.


It's a curse really...

Note to self,

We are regular users of the product Gummy Vites at our home. I feel they are a good source of vitamins and fun as well.

I don't usually do the buying, but I had a coupon so I picked one up. But like most men, I made my selection based on the brand picture instead of reading the label. Yes, apparently there are different varieties and I got the wrong type. This one is a brain type with Omega whatevers, and I wanted the basics. You know like, C-D-E-A, the usual players.

I decided to return it and get the one I really wanted. But I found out something that maybe you knew but was news to me.

Gummy Vites left in your car with the windows up on a 95 degree day melt into a single, multi-colored, Vite.

Who knew...

So my note to self is; when going on vacation this year, don't buy gummy bears for the trip. Pass on this valuable info to friends and family.

Let's Play!

Remember the good old days? Do you have an older relative that says things like, "When I was your age we used to make our own toys!"

Well here are a couple of "things" we played with when I was little.

First, and probably one of my favorite toys we made, was from an old hand crank telephone.

Did you know that inside these old phones is a magical device called a magneto. I think they are called that because it is a combination of two words (mag)ic and (neet)o! It's even fun to say, try it, I'll wait....

My older brother, he was 6 at the time, I was 5, discovered that the magneto was removable from the wooden box. The magneto has two wires coming off of it and of course the crank. The funny thing about magnetos is, they produce electricity. If you hold on to the wires while someone cranks it you get an nice little shock! So our little playmates would come over and we would pull the magneto out of our toy box and "play". First everyone sat in a circle holding hands. The kids on the ends each held on to one of the wires. Another kid sat with the magneto on the floor and cranked it as fast as he could and the electric current would pass through everyone. This lasted as long as you could stand to hold on. The only rule was,you could not have a turn at the crank unless you were willing to sit in the circle. I didn't know it at the time but these old magnetos can produce anywhere from 6 to 110 volts! Shocking isn't it!

Here is another one that we played with from time to time.
I know what you're thinkin'! Kids playin' doctor! Not exactly, you see this is an old thermometer, that means it has the magical liquid known as mercury. It was a rare treat whenever a thermometer was accidentally broken. Dad would hold onto the the broken tube to warm it so the mercury would rise out the broken end. He would collect it in a small dish and give it to us to play with. We used to sit on the front porch and play with the silver liquid. Breaking it into smaller globs, then coaxing them back into one shining mass. This would last until it would roll off the porch into the dirt or between the porch boards. Thanks Dad!

Anyone want to schedule a play date? I just got a brand new set of steak knives!!