Only Me, a Random and Happy Word Counter's Post

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It's time once again for a random and happy Tuesday, linking up with Stacy's Random Thoughts at Stacy Uncorked and Sandee at Comedy Plus.  

Part of today’s post is also a writing challenge. This is how it works: one of the contributing bloggers picked a number between 12 and 50. The submitted number is a challenge to participating bloggers to write at least one piece using that exact number of words. 

This month, the word count number is: 41

It was submitted by:  Diana of On the Border

For your entertainment, i will describe my last two Sunday mornings in 41 word sentences.  Two Sundays ago was Mother's Day, usually i would be running to the early service and then getting to NOLA to take Grandma out for lunch.

This year, Grandma couldn't go out and she wanted a repeat of the Easter dinner.  This meant i could get Becca, take her to the service we usually attend, then leave her with Ms. A so we could go to NOLA.

What they didn't tell me, Ms. A went out of town, i was supposed to leave Becca at Sunday school and someone else would pick her up.  Not seeing Ms. A at church, i took Becca back to an empty house.

Several phone calls got it straight and i brought Becca back to the church, turning her her over to Ms. R.  Ms. A and her husband felt awful they'd worked out a plan and then forgotten to tell me about it.

Even thought it put us late leaving for NOLA, i am still laughing about the whole thing weeks later, as it is so typical of what happens to me. Each thought the other told me, it's like a slapstick comedy.

Forward one week to this past Sunday.  Everyone is in town and supposedly all is well.  Then i go crank GusGus to head out and the low tire pressure gauge is on.  What...it wasn't low, it was almost a pancake.

Sweetie headed to the nearest convenience store for Fix-a-Flat and i called Ms. A.  She would go ahead and get Becca dressed and ready and if i could get the tire to hold and get it aired up, get there ASAP.

When Sweetie got back with the last can of Fix-a-Flat from the nearest store, i emptied it into the tire and drove around to spread the goo from the can inside the tire to seal it, praying it would actually hold.

The Fix-a-Flat worked and the nearest gas station not only had an air machine, it was actually working, so i got the tire aired and headed to another convenience store to buy more Fix-A-Flat, just in case, not taking any chances.

On the way i passed a really bad one car accident at the railroad tracks, someone had hit the electrical works that controls the lights and arms.  Responders were already there so i carefully crept along, saying a prayer for all.

The next store had plenty of cans of the stuff, but the nearby accident had knocked out power long enough that their card machine was down.  Cash only.  The night before, i'd found where i'd tucked a spare $20 i'd forgotten.

Becca was dressed when i got there, so she and i walked Mr. Cal then went to church as usual.  After, Sweetie met me at Kevin and Lenny's and we left the key and note.  They managed to fix it Monday.

Links to the other Word Counters posts:

Baking In A Tornado                    

On the Border                                 

 Since my life is half slapstick comedy and half soap opera (those are always good for a laugh), how about some funnies?

Have a blessed and beautiful Tuesday, everyone!

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Today is:

Birthday of the Raja -- Perlis, Malaysia

Constitution Day -- Nauru; Norway; Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Dea Dia Festival -- Ancient Roman Calendar (goddess of growth)

Dia de las Letras Gallegas -- GA, Spain (Galician Literature Day in Galacia, an autonomous region of Spain)

Falling Off a Log Night -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of Azamat(Grandeur) -- Baha'i

Grand Spring Festival -- Toshogu Shrine, Nikko, Japan (through tomorrow; includes horseback archery, processions in costume, and more)

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Liberation Day -- Democratic Republic of the Congo

Merry-Go-Round Day -- the first merry-go-round, powered by horses, opened this day in 1620

National Cherry Cobbler Day

National Walnut Day -- declared in 1949 by the Walnut Marketing Board

Navy Day -- Argentina (anniversary of the victory at the Battle of Montevideo in 1814)

Pack Rat Day -- come on out and admit it, you are a pack rat, too!

Rubber Band Day -- patented this day in 1845, and aren't we pack rats glad.

Shunki Reitaisai -- Toshogu Shrine, Nikko, Japan (Grand Festival of Spring, through the 18th)

St. Madron of Cornwall's Day (Patron against pain)

Syttende Mai -- Norway (Constitution Day)

Tell An Umpire "I Love Your Outfit" Day -- only if he has a sense of humor or you can duck quickly

Watch a Baby Fall Asleep Day -- because few things in the world are as funny and precious

World Hypertension Day    

World Neurofibromatosis Awareness Day --  for information about neurofibromatosis click here or here     

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day -- UN

Birthdays Today:

Nikki Reed, 1988

Tahj Mowry, 1987

Drew Roy, 1986

Andrea Corr, 1974

Sendhil Ramamurthy, 1974

Mia Hamm, 1972

Jordan Knight, 1970

Trent Reznor, 1965

Craig Ferguson, 1962

Enya, 1961

Sugar Ray Leonard, 1956

Bob Saget, 1956

Bill Paxton, 1955

Debra Winger, 1955

Christian Lacroix, 1950

Dennis Hopper, 1936

Maureen O'Sullivan, 1911

James "Cool Papa" Bell, 1903

Joseph Norman Lockyer, 1836

Edward Jenner, 1749

Debuting/Premiering Today:

"Information Please!"(Radio), 1938

"Shéhérazade"(Ravel song cycle), 1904

Comic Cuts(Comic Paper, first publication), 1890

"Cavalleria rusticana/Rustic Chivalry"(Opera), 1890

Today in History:

Italian Jesuit Niccolo Zucchi becomes the first to see 2 belts on Jupiter's surface, 1630

Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve founds the Ville Marie de Montréal, 1642

Frontenac becomes governor of New France (Canada), 1672

Louis Joliet and Jacques Marquette begin exploring the Mississippi River, 1673

England passes the Molasses Act, putting high tariffs on rum & molasses imported to the colonies from a country other than British possessions, 1733

The US Continental Congress bans trade with Canada, 1775

The New York Stock Exchange is founded, 1792

John Hawkins & Richard French patent the Reaping Machine, 1803

Napoleon I of France  orders the annexation of the Papal States to the French Empire, 1809

Occupation of Monaco changes from French to Austrian, 1814

Antoine Joseph Sax patents the saxophone, 1846

Rosalía de Castro publishes Cantares Gallegos, the first book in the Galician language, 1863

Aristides wins the first Kentucky Derby, 1875

Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer, 1902

The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the first-ever televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City, 1939

The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, 1954

Soviet Venera 6 begins its descent into the atmosphere  of Venus, sending back atmospheric data before being crushed by pressure, 1969

Thor Heyerdahl sets sail from Morocco on the papyrus boat Ra II to sail the Atlantic Ocean, 1970

Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path attacks a polling location in the town of Chuschi, Ayacucho, starting the Internal conflict in Peru, 1980

Lebanon, Israel, and the United States sign an agreement on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, 1983

After 18 years as the mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac takes office as President of France, 1995

Three days of popular protests against the government of Prime Minister of Thailand Suchinda Kraprayoon begin in Bangkok, leading to a military crackdown, 1992

Zaire is officially renamed Democratic Republic of the Congo, 1997

Massachussetts becomes the first US State to legalize same-sex marriage, 2004

The aircraft carrier USS Oriskany is sunk in the Gulf of Mexico as an artificial reef, 2008

Dalia Grybauskaite is elected the first female President of Lithuania, 2009

The brightest lunar meteor impact ever observed is recorded by NASA, 2013

Gina Haspel is confirmed as the first female director of the CIA by the US Senate, 2018

Wowser of a Week, a Ten Things of Thankful Post

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It's been a roller coaster.  Anyone want a long, rambling thankful story?  That's what i got, so i hope you do want it.  

Anyway, the week started last Thankful Day (Saturday) with news that had been trickling in that there were two storms out in the Gulf with their sights set dead on the NOLA/south Louisiana area becoming more than just a trickle.

My decision at that point was to be thankful no matter what the week brought.  First it brought Mr. Mike, the Generator Guy.  He called to say he was coming on Monday to try to use scalped parts from another old generator and see if by some magic he could get ours going, and i am thankful for him and his constant attempts to  help us.

Meanwhile, we were very thankful for Sunday's sunny, beautiful weather, no matter what would happen later on.

Thankfully, too, Sweetie was able to reschedule something he'd planned so he could be there to let  Mr. Mike, the Generator Guy, in.

Mr. Mike called through the day on Monday with updates as i worked, and when he finally had to admit defeat, i asked him about the little generator #2 Son had bought and stored downstairs.  He said he would come back later in the week if he could get the right plug to hook it up.

When i asked what he meant by that, he said he could hook one of those to the current set-up we have, giving us almost as much power as the old generator!  What i'd been talking about was him giving us instructions on how to use extension cords with it like everyone else does.  Talk about a thankful thing, even if it would not be in time for these storms, we'd have a back-up plan for the future and not have to worry about running cords through windows and such.

Of course, the hook-ups needed were sold out for that size generator in all of the surrounding area (it's the most common size and type), but at least we had a plan.

Meanwhile, storm Marco fizzled out.  We are always thankful when a predicted storm becomes a bust.

Work went on as usual on Monday, including the new client.  Ms. PA was thrilled, she'd not been able to do a deep vacuuming, especially of the area around the litter box, in a while, and the little Dirt Devil she can still handle wasn't cutting it.

Work also went on as usual on Tuesday.  There was a smidge of rain, but not much.  Both Monday and Tuesday, i was able to get to Ms. S's place and keep her caught up.  She's doing better, but still needing more help than what she gets where she lives.

Tuesday evening, i got a text from Ms. G cancelling for Wednesday.  This news was somewhat unwelcome, as i much prefer to have paid work than not, but at least we would still be able to get to the cat shelter in the morning, and now, there would be no insane rush to get it done.

Because i didn't have to go to work, Sweetie and i were able to both go in Lunceford the Land Yacht, thus not having to burn gas in two vehicles.  We were also both in the car to notice that it was running very rough all of a sudden.

While at the shelter, i was very glad not to have to rush.  The morning had begun with one of those light-hurts-your-eyes headaches, so the fact that we weren't in a crunch was helpful.  Also, the shelter had been storm prepped, so we had cages to move back into place along with the other work.

Also at the shelter, i figured out a better way to work in tandem with Sweetie, especially when i am working more slowly than he.  Although the headache dissipated as the morning went on, a short tachycardia episode still left him going "90 to nothing!" as he says, while i was pacing myself.  Having a tweak to my part of the routine is going to come in handy.

To top off the shelter stories, two phone calls.  One was from the secretary of the lady whose office we clean, telling me the office would be closed Thursday for the next storm so we would have to reschedule for two weeks from now.  Thanks for calling, i told her, but i already thought we were only doing once a month anyway, and i had no plans to show up on Thursday!

Turns out it's a good thing she called, she had forgotten to call and let me know they wanted us back to every two weeks, so we wouldn't have shown up anyway.

Then came a phone call from #2 Son -- he finally bought that used motorcycle he wanted.  My biggest thankful with this situation is he will not ride it until he takes a motorcycle course at the dealer in town, and he has all of the gear, and he will keep his car for inclement weather.  (On a side note, if you ever want to hear a harrowing tale, let Young Jacob tell you about riding one in Colorado during a blizzard, it will curl your hair.)

Sweetie had plans to see his best friend who was in town after we were done with the shelter, so he dropped me at home, took Lunceford the Land Yacht to Kevin and Lenny, and had the friend pick him up there instead of at the house.  They had a really nice visit, went out for lunch, then out for coffee.  Restaurants are allowed to let people in at 25-50% capacity, so it is once again possible to do that, as long as you pack your patience to wait for a table.

Sweetie's work for The Big Boss on Tuesday had paid him enough that he had the money so he could go to lunch, another good thing about the week.

Also because i ended up not having work Wednesday, i was home when Little Girl texted that her National Guard unit has been called up and could she drop Coda with us?  Of course, i told her.  We are always glad to have Coda for a few days.  Although i work too much to give a dog the attention it needs on a regular basis, i can certainly take care of her for a few days.

Mr. Mike, the Generator Guy, also called Wednesday afternoon with great news, "My friend found the plug you need for your generator in Plaquemine, I'll be there tomorrow morning to hook it up!"  Upon my telling him not to rush, as we couldn't find or buy a gas can for love or money, he also said he would lend us two of them until things calm down and they are back on the shelves.

Kevin and Lenny called mid-afternoon, Lunceford needed spark plugs, a coil, and was desperate for a fuel injector cleaning.  No wonder it was running rough.  They promised it by Thursday afternoon, and again our bill with them is going in the wrong direction, but we are so thankful to have mechanics who take payments and do great work.

While the original plan for Thursday was to work as usual for Ms.SE and leave the key hidden for Mr. Mike, a quick text to her changed that.  Not only were she and her husband not going to work that day, both kids were out of school and her mom, dad, and grandmother were visiting.  There'd be no way we could clean, and really no need, as both her mom and grandmother were helping her keep up with everything.  Again, no pay for the day, but it meant we would be able to be there to pick up Lunceford when it was ready, and not have to leave a key for Mr. Mike.

It also meant that Mr. Mike would be able to give me specific instructions and even show me everything i would need to know if we had to use the generator.

#2 Son came by on Wednesday evening to check the pump downstairs.  Thankfully, dry as a bone, which is how we want it when you expect a huge storm to move through in the night.

At 4am Thursday, i got up and took Coda out, figuring it was as good as time as any as it was not raining.  While out there, i noted that it hadn't rained.  All day Thursday, while we were supposed to be getting storms, we got spurts of rain and wind, but not too bad, followed by nothing, and then by afternoon, enough sunshine to make the day hot.

The storm had come through well off of the original projected paths and while it had caused damage, it hadn't done nearly as much as was originally feared for the size it grew to be.

Damage around here was minimal, we were very blessed and we know it.

Mr. Mike did come on Thursday, got the small generator hooked up, and taught me how to use it.  We were also able to pick up Lunceford, which Sweetie told me after he drove it home that it was still running rough, in fact, a bit worse!

Because of the expected weather, Kevin and Lenny closed early, so Lunceford would have to wait for Friday.  Meanwhile, Mr. Mike, upon leaving our house, stuck his head back in and yelled, "By the way, somebody has a flat tire!"

Brother-in-Law had apparently managed to score a direct hit on one of our infamous car-cracker potholes around here, and it damaged the tire, bent the rim and his tire was flattening quickly.  Because Brother-in-Law and Sweetie both have bad backs, and i am strong but not strong enough to budge lug nuts, Mr. Mike and his assistant stayed long enough to put on the spare, then had to scoot to get to their next appointment.

The spare was flat.  Yes, of course it was.

At this point, my biggest thankful was that i did not lose my mind.

Brother-in-Law called a friend who managed to come by after he was done with his work and bring a stand.  They propped the car and took both tires to a shop that sells used tires.  They aired up the spare (it was fine, just hadn't been used in so long it lost air), hammered the rim back into shape, and put on a used tire that has at least a year left to it, like the other three on the car already.  All that for $40.  Talk about a thankful thing.

Meanwhile, because the weather cleared up so well on Thursday, i was also able to take Coda for a few walks, and to the field across the street to play fetch the stick, her favorite.  No i don't throw the stick as well as Little Girl, but i think Coda had fun and was thankful i tried.

Friday morning started out as usual, but then when Sweetie went to help me load my car to leave for Bible study, he slipped and took a hard spill on the brick porch.  Hurrying to help him up, i decided to stay home and join the study by phone, the way we'd been doing it and the way Ms. S is still doing it.  

Sweetie survived, his glasses survived (a thankful in and of itself, he cannot see anything without them and his are expensive, unlike mine), he scraped his elbow and knee and his pants are now good only for farm and yard work with the big hold ripped in the knee, but all in all, no real lasting harm done.  That's an amazing thing when you are almost 67, to fall and only end up with scrapes and a bit of a sore knee for the rest of the day.

When i did leave to go to work, Sweetie took Lunceford the Land Yacht back to Kevin and Lenny.  The whole time he was doing that, i was thinking, wouldn't it be great if it were just that one of the spark plug wires didn't get put back on tight enough yesterday?

Guess what.  The Almighty has a sense of humor.  One of the spark plug wires had come loose, it had not been put back on quite right when they changed the plugs the day before.  Took all of two minutes and no charge, of course.

Ms. S took a while as she needed an errand run and i hadn't been there in two days so i had to catch up.  Meanwhile, i am very thankful Sweetie got to Ms. GA's and got started.  He was able to finish in time to finally run the errand that had been put off since Monday, and i know he was thankful for it (and i am thankful that now i don't have to listen to how he's tired of putting it off!).

Friday afternoon, while i was working in Mr. BA's shop and garden, a good, hefty summer afternoon rain came in.  Getting wet working outdoors in the rain has a great advantage, it's not nearly so hot as it could have been!  Since there was no lightening, i really did not mind and i was thankful to get the hours, it means more pay later.

When we got to the shelter, there were new volunteers being trained!  That's a lovely and happy thankful thing.

Today we are thankful to be able to go to NOLA to clean for Grandma and Grandpa, and to take Coda with us.  She and Lulu are best buddies, they will have such a great time.

As promised, a roller coaster ride of thankfuls for the week, i know i got to more than a dozen, but i'm not going back to count.

Please write up your own list and link up to Ten Things of Thankful, where Kristi and her co-hosts always have a warm welcome waiting.  

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Today is:

According to Hoyle Day -- death anniversary of Edmond Hoyle

Ashura -- Islam (optional day of fasting that ends at sundown, local observances and national holidays may vary)

Be Kind to Humankind Week: Speak Kind Words Saturday 

Birthday of Hathor -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Chop Suey Day

Day of Loose Talk -- Fairy Calendar

Feast of the Beheading of St. John the Baptist (Patron of baptism, bird dealers, converts, convulsive children, cutters, epileptics, farmers, French Canadians, lambs, monastic life, motorways, printers, tailors; over 70 cities and countries around the world; against convulsions, epilepsy, hail and hailstorms, spasms)

     Head Day -- Iceland (a weather omen day; whatever today's weather, it will stay the same for at least 3 weeks)

Individual Rights Day -- on the birth anniversary of John Locke, the first philosopher to argue that a human being has basic rights based on his status as a sovereign human being, and that people are not slaves of their government, but their human rights should be protected by government

International Bat Night -- through tomorrow, go enjoy these wonderful creatures; www.eurobats.org or www.batcon.org

International Day Against Nuclear Testing -- UN

Judgment Day -- according to "The Terminator"

Lemon Juice Day

More Herbs, Less Salt Day

National Sarcoidosis Awareness Day -- US (by presidential proclamation in 1991)

Runic Half-Month Rad begins (Motion)

Slovak National Uprising Anniversary -- Slovakia

St. Medericus' Day (also called Saint-Merri or St. Merry, acclaimed as the Patron of the Right Bank of the Seine River in Paris)

Tour de France -- through Sept. 20

Birthdays Today:

Lea Michele, 1986

Rebecca De Mornay, 1962

Mark Morris, 1956

Michael Jackson, 1958

`Richard Gere, 1949

Robin Leach, 1941

William Friedkin, 1939

Elliot Gould, 1938

John McCain, 1936

Richard Attenborough, 1923

Charlie "Bird" Parker, 1920

Isabel Sanford, 1917

Ingrid Bergman, 1915

Preston Sturges, 1898

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., 1809

John Locke, 1632

Today in History

Era of Diocletian (Martyrs), the last major time of persecution for the early Christian churches, begins with Gen. Gaius Aurelius V Diocletianus Jovius becoming emperor of Rome, 284

Japan mints its first copper coins, 708

The last Incan King of Peru, Atahualpa, is executed by order of Francisco Pizarro, 1533

The first Indian "reservation" is formed by the New Jersey Legislature, 1758

Michael Faraday discovers electromagnetic induction, 1831

The United Kingdom legislates the abolition of slavery in its empire, 1833

Treaty of Nanking signing ends the First Opium War, 1842

The first motorcycle is patented in Germany by Gottlieb Daimler, 1885

The chef of a visiting Chinese Ambassador invents "chop suey" in NYC, 1896

The Goodyear tire company is founded, 1898

The Quebec Bridge collapses during construction, killing 75 workers, 1907

Ishi, considered the last Native American to make contact with European Americans, emerges from the wilderness of northeastern California, 1911

The Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb, 1949

Speedy Gonzales makes his debut, 1953

The Beatles perform their last concert before paying fans at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, 1966

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union suspends all activities of the Soviet Communist Party, 1991

Hurricane Katrina devastates much of the U.S. Gulf Coast, 2005

Sumatra's Sinabung volcano erupts for the first time in 400 years, killing one and causing Indonesia to evacuate thousands of people, 2010

London holds the opening ceremonies for the 2012 Summer Paralympics, 2012

Austrian researchers announce they successfully grew 'cerebral organoids' or mini-brains, containing several distinct regions of the brain; the mini-brains will help scientists understand how brains develop, and what causes schizophrenia and autism, 2013

Hurricane Harvey sets a rainfall record of 51.88 inches in Cedar Bayou the most ever from a tropical cyclone in continental US, according to US National Weather Service, 2017

John McCain lies in state in the rotunda of the Arizona State Capitol Building in Phoenix, only the third person ever to do so, 2018