What? What? Because of predicted thunderstorms across it. Shout out to some friends - I see a foot sticking out! Thunder'll gitcha!
Jane (my younger sister) - Chicago suburb (Libertyville) Family motto: We never cry; we just make others bawl.
Barbra - Dallas/Ft. Worth
Joan - Houston
Caroline - Kansas City, Mo
Not the Midwest, but thundery anyhow - Fort Myers Cousin Ruth Ellen and Aunt Pat
Denver - Mike and Grace
New Orleans - the bartender at the Absinth House
Wichita, Kansas - born there.
Putzing around I ran into this:
11 dead - Updated: 16 dead
11 hurt
35 rescued from the undamaged side of the building.
2 rescued
but 150 still missing. minus 5 for 145
I wonder what happens to rescued children discovered in situations like this condo crash. Do they forever have to be reminded of it? "Yes, you are our little wonder baby!" and smothers the poor kid in wet kisses (Why being a kid can certainly be tiresome.) And parties that remark the occasion. "It was just five years ago that - Pass the potato salad, Myrtle."
RE: Falling buildings. I didn't think of this until 5 minutes ago. Las Vegas. You want it to rain people? There's your place. I'm thinking of the Rio with it's 50-story glass elevator - what? so spectators can see the terror in (rapidly) descending passengers faces?
Our man in San Diego has just written that the same construction firm built another building there and residents are being urged to evacuate.
Avoiding Another Condo Crash as in Florida
Dear Sir:
What if all of our Beach Cities Fire Departments put together a lecture/brochure on condo exit in emergency situations and met with interested condo owners in a group setting?
Sincerely, Nina Murphy
Prince Harry flew commercial eschewing BA (British Air) Specifically, American Airlines from LAX to LHR (Heathrow) He's visiting to see the unveiling, with his older brother Wills, of a statue honoring their mother Princess Diana on the grounds of Kensington Palace. Harry was on AA #134,
AA#134 is a Boeing Triple 777-300 It carries 300 pax. On Harry's flight (he was seated in 1st as you can imagine) of the 8 seats, 5 were empty and blocked off, "A sure sign of a big wig on board," said a grizzled Flight Attendant who'd seen'em all.
I knew that parking your butt in a recliner and slugging down champagne till you burble if you dare to get up is expensive and, always has been, so is here's a one passenger fare for a RT from LAX to LHR -on AA . $13,277
I can understand why Harry would prefer AA to BA - We flew BA once and that will be it forever.
Here's what BA presented to me as a Bloody Mary: a glass (plastic) with some ice, a tiny bottle of Skye Vodka and a pull-the-tab- yourself can of tomato juice. Probably nothing even remotely spicy on the entire plane.
Even though their hats (some kind of WW2 bonnet) were cute, they were snotty bitches and we had not been demanding in any way.
We were flying jumped-up Coach class - a new promotion in class.
A CONTRAST
AA, ah, dear, AA They were starting a new route from DFW (Dallas) to Paris (CDG) and Mgmnt was looking for volunteers to take what I now realize was a shake-down flight for the Flight Attendants. Didn't know then, wouldn't care now. Hold your breathe (along with us but but we got 1st!)
Michelle picked us up, and we had a wonderful 3 or 4 days, before Richie had to go back to work
Sometime later we got the bill. $80 dollars each for RTs from Los Angeles to Paris and back in 1st!
Wasn't there to verify, but it made the rounds.
A flight had to be cancelled due to weather and one of the pax flew into a rage. He stomped up to the Gate Agents little kiosk ranting and raging - He has to get that flight, "So I can be there for my two year twin sons birthday" as the agent tries to sooth him. Driven by exasperation the man whipped out his business and peed all over her kiosk whereupon she looked him in the eye and said, "You fathered twins with that?' General mirth all around. The calm pax laughed so hard they nearly wet themselves!
Courtesy Readers Digest - where I read it so you don't have to - you're a busy person and I'm not.
A person who is not afraid of looking like a fool gets to do a lot more dancing. Attention: Richie - he hops like the French do. Take my word; they can't dance for shit. I love to see them out on the floor, head's bobbing like corks and smirking at how they're blowing away the competition. Not.
Spaghetti is hair for meatballs. So much for pasta ever again.
Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
I'm not screaming at you; I'm just talking to you loud.
In high school, every class is a drama event.
Watching a teenager on his smart phone, I realized the idiom "ll thumbs" might be doomed.
World scientists admit they just don't like mice.
To err is human to point it out with glee is Internet.
"Everyone who lined up 30 minutes early to board the plane is going to be so mad when we all land at the same time. " Had to be a blonde, don't you think?
We had the second Moderna shot yesterday. Minimal affect until I went to bed and then the shot site hurt the rest of the night! Did this happen to you?
I read in today's news paper that the city of Long Beach will be allowing the Grand Prix through their streets again this year. I was a freelance photo journalist, (retired) and in fact I shot the first one.
Michael Hixon. reporter, for the Daily Breeze, was looking for photos and some how he got my name and interviewed me which was funny since previously I interviewed the other person.
To see this intrepid writer and see the pictures, simply Google Nina Murphy, Long Beach Grand Prix.
American ex-ing out flights left and right reminded me of some old jokes when for no discernible reason, poking fun at airlines had brief rise in popularity.
TWA - Try Walking Awhile. People apparently did - TWA is long gone. United - Untied
What did the football player say to the Flight Attendant? "Put me in Coach"
Long ago - These two were said to have occurred at Newark (EWR) outbound.
Lufthansa had done recount after recount of passengers (pax) and other flights were stacking up behind it. The line behind was getting longer and longer and those pilots were getting angrier and angrier. Finally one of the waiting pilots, said, "Lufthansa, check your ovens!"
Inside that flight, the captain came on and said, "Ve are ready for take-off an I wat you to put on your set belts and I vant to hear vun click."
A flight had to be cancelled due to weather and a male passenger is furious. He storms up to the gate agent, ranting and raving - he has to get home for his twin two-year old's birthday as the agent tries to calm him down. His temper increases until he is in such a rage that he whips out his business and pees right on her kiosk. He is putting his business away when she looks out at the angry mob around her and says, "You fathered twins with that?" Bystanders nearly wet their own pants laughing.
No idea who invented animal bridges, but my curiosity was triggered by a brief piece in boredpanda.com this morning in an article on what makes Japan so interesting (weird)
They have turtle tunnels. Over railroad tracks As I mused, wondering if the Japanese eat turtle meat - I wouldn't put it past them. They eat raw fish for God's sake!
I remembered that we have deer overpasses in the US and some parts of Canada. Where else?
Match the country with the probable animal being protected :
Finland - Singapore - Alberta, Canada - Netherlands -- Colorado - Australian crabs so they can migrate from rain forests to the ocean. - Germany - Kenya - Belgium
BTW Deer Hunters: Don't Ambush bridged wild animals. Utterly UN-sporting. And unasked I think the custom of keeping "deer feeders" on your property is barbaric
Richie loves knowing what's the weather for the day where friends and family live. It's an app on our phone and I love it now, too.
Libertyville, IL 79 degrees - my younger sister
Huntington, NY 84 degrees - Richie's brother
Netanya Israel 77 - Sheila who sends greatly funny jokes
Loctudy, Bretagne France 70 my best friend Michelle and our godson and his Dad
Auckland 57 but it's 5 a.m. there so of course it's dark John and Angie and their three kids (each one cuter than the one behind them.)
Colne, Lancashire 61, mostly cloudy at 6 p.m. John's parents.
We've visited all of the above and having done so, we can visualize them and and "see" them and what we did with everyone.
Don't be a stay-at-home - get out and visit!
Friendship first - We married in 1983 and lived in the Peppertree Apartments, on PCH in Hermosa. It's been so long (38 years) that I can't remember whether they moved in after or before we did. Our apartments were across a stairwell, both two bedroom flats. A modicum of space.
All three of them - Dee, Mouton and Richie were and are ardent Dodger fans. All summer one of the guys would grab a broom and sweep the space between us. I thought you were supposed to clean it. Nah, just any one of them predicting something called "a sweep" in the lexicon of baseball talk.
Life moved on with its usual brisk pace and when the owner/manager raised the rent, Richie, for one, said he'd rather be paying off a mortgage and Mouton bought a condo in Long Beach and Dee a house in Hermosa.
And life kept briskly marching on which brings us to last night's celebratory dinner for Richie's 80th birthday at the Charthouse, Redondo - Dee's treat! Mouton made the reservation and I and the birthday boy showed up, imaginary forks in our chubby little hands.
A word about the Charthouse... it is well known to be one of the priciest places around here. It is a great location - right on the sand - with picture windows galore which puts the Charthouse at the top of any tourists list of Must Do's. And most of them look like they just got off of their yachts. Great tans, said admiringly.
Now to the critical question - "So what did you eat?" Drinks - Mouton gin martini, up; me dirty gin martini rocks' (very good because the gin actually tasted like gin. Richie, gin an tonic; Dee a chardonnay.
We shared an appetizer of crispy coconut shrimp which was very good - three different dipping sauces - soy, coconut milk and a mild chili. You can order this for your dinner and next time I will.
Instead I got shrimp and lobster carbonara a dubious combination to me of shrimp, lobster (scanty) and prosciutto in a white wine sauce It was good, but it wasn't crispy coconut shrimp.
We chatted as the level in the wine glasses went lower and lower. And then dessert was served and lavish they were.
It should be said that all of the food served us was very good. I am now saving my pennies to go back - you know what for ..snap crackle and pop! Bring'em on!
This is a little-known fact. Writers steal from one another. Most don't usually admit to it, but the bold and brazen of us do.
S I'm reading a "Prey" book by John Sandford and one of the characters said, "On it tighter than brass on a door knob." Help yourself. Didn't cost me anything...
She considered the colors - (palest green, gray and lavender) and texture (downy as the finest velvet) and wondered, "How long have these cold cuts been in my refrigerator?"
As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he ever broke wind in the sound chamber, he would never hear the end of it.
A woman told her bridge club, "My granddaughter wanted a Cinderella-themed birthday party (she'll be six) so I invited all of her friends and made them clean my house."
Golf is literally a sport to see who can play the least golf.
As far as I can tell, the requirements to be a pro golfer are the same as to be a drag queen: crazy outfit, crazy name
Golf is a game in which you yell "Fore," shoot six, and write down five.
A golfer offers well-meaning course advice - "The safest place to stand when I hit a ball is directly in front of me."
During last night's viewing of the Westminster Dog Show, I noticed (belatedly as usual) mentions of "the official State dog of (State name_________"
And that intrigued me. So much that I wondered about the subject matter? Lazily poking around I discovered that the official dog of South Dakota is ...the coyote! That's either the most appropriate or a real slur on the denizens of So. Dak.
Then I thought, "Go big or go home - what about whole countries!" Viola!
China - Pug
France - French Bulldog
United States - Golden Labrador
Russia - Caucasian Shepherd dog
Australia and New Zealand - border collie (which by the way was also listed as smartest dog in the world.
Japan - Shibu Iwu
England - English bulldog
Germany - German Shepherd and I'd put them 2nd for smartest. Ever seen a K9 working?
You can a very amusing time playing with the dogs.
Yesterday was apparently the first dogleg of the Westminster Kennel Club contest for "Best in Show" We came in late. FoxTV carried it yesterday.
Today is the Finale and we're looking forward to Sporting, Working and Best in Show. Fox TV but times vary across the US due to time changes. The dogs are all creatures great and small. SEE IT AT 4:30 P.M. ON FOX - WEST COAST.
Tomorrow is Flag Day. A look at the Flag Code is interesting - the flag is displayed only from sunrise to sunset. When raising the flag, do it briskly. Conversely, lower it respectfully,
Occasions when our flag of 13 stripes and 50 stars is flown.
New Year's Day - January 1st
Inaugurations - January 20th
Martin Lutheran King's Birthday 3rd Monday in January
On Lincoln's Birthday February 12Mother's Day 2nd Sunday in May
Washington's Birthday February 3rd
Father's Day 3rd Sunday in June.
Memorial Day the flag is flown at half-staff until noon.
I was reading an article (?) in boredpanda.com this morning about Women's Safety and one of the things mentioned was advice not to wear your long hair in a pony tail - perfect tool for a bad guy to attack and win. (I've called them rape handles for some time now.)
If Mace is forbidden in your area, she writes, use hair spray or bear spray instead. "Bear spray?" I wondered. "My cousin in Anchorage could easily send me some but is there anyone here in the beach cities that carries it? I don't think many people in the immediate area have even heard of bear spray!
So: off to Google.com. Yes! REI, the camping people - and they are right next door in Manhattan Beach! Our supermarket is in MB but I've never seen the Bear Spray aisle. This indicates to even a dullard like myself, they don't have one. But ...Wal Mart and Home Depot carry it! Apparently look to REI for the Repellent aisle.
Prices range from $14.99 for Frontier brand spray and Wal Mart carries Mystery Bear for $17.49. 2 Guard Alaska is $72.99 But there are two cans. While you reach for your purse, scan these other tips:
Deterrents: Your car's panic button - they easily wail through the garage and scare off a bad guy when suddenly this ungodly noise is wailing and railing right at them. Walking through a deserted or not parking lot, hang up. On the phone, concentrating on your conversation you're a sitting duck. I was reminded by a well-meaning friend, that not everyone owns a car. So - ask a friend with a car to hit it to give you an idea what it sounds like. Why? Because you are going to imitate that sound! And you will know the peace of knowing that you have a deterrent right inside your very own body. Still, you might look into the bear spray deal - twice the protection - that kind of solid security.
Bear Spray is not recommended for homes with small children.
Bear with me -
The chief occupation of Texans is trying to keep from making all the money in the world and at that the wealth of Texas increased 539% between 1900 and 1928. At one time Texas was so wild that not even the law of gravitation was obeyed and the chief pursuit of the Texans was formerly Mexicans; but now it is crop records and Democratic majorities. It is as healthful in Texas that out in Eastland, a horned toad lived 30 years sealed in a cornerstone without food, air or water.
Texans are so proud of the Lone Star State they cannot sleep at night. If a Texans head should be opened, the map of the State would be found in his brain.
The word "Texas" is of Indian origin and means "friends" and the Texas people are that way unless you take a slam at their state.
If your front gate is not at least 18 miles from your front door, you do not belong to society as construed in Texas Down on the King Ranch ("Giant" in the movies) the front gate is 150 miles away from the front porch and the owner is thinking of moving the house back so as not to be annoyed by passing automobiles. Other Texas landlords have whole mountain on their ranches, and one Texas rancher has 40 miles of navigable river on his farm.
By my Uncle Scrub, who lived in Wichita, KS The several other brothers, did live in South TX in a little town named Tuleta. It's not far from Beeville located in Bee County where the Dirks families pretty much ruled. (Dirks is their surname) Awl and their propensity for finding it.
Any how, I think Uncle Scrub was witty as hell. See what you think.
Texas. the Willian H. Taft, among the commonwealths, couples all of the continent of North America except for a small part set aside for the United States, Canada and Mexico. Texas owns the north half of the Rio Grande, the only dusty river in the world, and one of the few rivers in the world with one bank wet and the other one dry. and also the only one with the possible exception of the Trinity which is navigable for pedestrians and mud cats (which I think are catfish.)
Texas is bounded on the north by 25 or 39 states: on the south by the Gulf of Mexico and South America; and on the west the Pacific Ocean, the Milky Way and the Sidereal Universe. If Texas was chopped loose from the rest of the United States and the Panhandle it would float out into the ocean for it rests on a vast subterranean sea of oil. Underneath Texas they have been down 8,000 ft. and up in the air has Guadalupe Peak. 9,500 ft. above sea level, the highest hill in the US east of the Rockies.
Texas is so big that the people of Brownsville call Ft. Worth people Yankees and the citizens of El Paso sneer at the citizens of Texarkana as being snobs of the effete East. It is farther from Texarkana to El Paso than it is from Chicago to New York and Texarkana is closer to Milwaukee by airplane than it is to El Paso (try this on your Rand McNally) The United States with Texas left out would look like a three-legged Boston Terrier.
The chief occupation of Texans is trying to keep from making all of the money in the world.
Some statistics to chew on at your leisure - Fast food consumption by race: White 37.6%
Black 42.4%
Asian 30,6%
Hispanic 35.5%
By gender Male 37.9%
Women 35.4%
What meal do people prefer the most? Breakfast - 27.7%
Lunch 43.7%
Dinner 42.%
snack22.6%
Editor - no figures available for consumption while waiting at the gate for your departing flight. Nor on the rage/envy of those who didn't bring a Micky-D on board and who are being tormented by the aroma. No wonder it's said that flying is pure hell.
1921 - White Castle opens the first fast food hamburger stand in Wichita, KS. Who knew from Wichita - I always associated Chicago with White Castle! I remember great excitement when suddenly the super market was selling packages in their freezer.
1937 - Another "Big Deal" was the sudden appearance of Krispy Kreme donuts which were lauded, ordered and eaten with a great deal of fanfare. It was the lucky office that got a supply of them and thus, braggin' rights down there in Winston-Salem courtesy of a guy named Vernon Rudolph
1948 - Inn and Out opens. Harry and Esther Snyder's hamburgers becomes the first drive-through hamburger stand in Baldwin Park which is in Californi I think but not positive as the article didn't put that bit in.
Further scraps of hamburger wrapper tomorrow - who is eating all of this, er, stuff
First in a long time that a gray horse takes it. I am not lamenting about not being there, live and in person - I wouldn't have won any money anyhow. Essential Quality went from 9 to 5 (which is 4 to 1 anyhow)
This is the payout - Win $4.60
Place $3
Show $2.60
Show me how you're gonna get rich on those kinda numbers. Huh! I thought not. I'm just happy for the gray horse. How do we know whether they know if they done well? Pretty to think it ..So I shall.
Suddenly married people are as interesting as the singles! It used to be in the '60s and '70s that if you ran up against a married woman, it was best to have a stock topic of discussion. I always found "And children's' shoes! They cost a fortune!" And the woman was off and running till she was out of breath. No, today's dos are much more civilized - the food is not only recognizable (shrimp, miniature quiches, skewers of meat or tiny kabobs) and most of it is served with little handles - many are the shrimp on a stick did we eat in those days.
I can't wait for the 90s - they might be even better.
The End
"Can I freshen that drink for you? In the 70s no one cared about your last name, no one had an interesting job and where you lived was immaterial unless you were going to leave and do biblical intimacy.
No, the big one was: what sign are you? And the answer better be correct. Just giving your basic birth sign evolved into not being enough. The correct answer was detailed - such as "I'm a Taurus with a Sagittarius moon and a Gemini rising."
Many of us who are "basic" Taurus were out of the park before the game began. Taurus is a dreadfully dull sign.
Now in the 80s graciousness abounds. People open conversations with "We were just talking about (name of movie) Have you seen it? Oh, you did? Wasn't the bit about (fill in) fun?"
People actually discuss the news! Bur limit politics to something innocuous - "I hear we're getting a lot of rain voting day - do you think it will affect the voting?
I was certainly not legal to participate, but I went anyhow and so did my same agers. Young, scared, shy the awfullest part was arriving. Everyone stopped to look you over and then, when you were trapped in some dismal corner some nice person would come over and start the litany: "What's your name? (meaning what's your ethnic descent) "What do you do? Where do you work?" (meaning is this person worth my time?)
And, finally "Oh, where do you live?" (meaning even though you aren't very attractive, maybe at least you're rich. )
In the late '60's I lived in Beverly Hills which is no better or no worse than most other places. It always amused me to see the flicker of interest that my address aroused in hearers. Why? Did a famous axe murderer live there previously? Not at all. The hottest TV show at the time was "Beverly Hills 90502." My address was 425 N. Maple Drive, Beverly Hills 90502. As of my last sighting - maybe a year or so ago, it was still standing and looked exactly as it always did.
I do, but I think patio/backyard pool parties/barbecues have replaced them for a variety of reasons.
Off subject I've been digging through the contents of an old yellow suitcase that contains all kinds of old letters, paper souvenirs - several press passes and other memoirs of my past and came across the following an essay on the very subject of cocktail parties!
DEBATABLE: Cocktail parties are more enjoyable than they used to be. To a hostess or a guest, the words "For cocktails." means to flinch in dread. Smoky, noisy rooms - carpets and chair arms smoldering with cigarette butts, and horrid little bits of food. It's very, very difficult to do a balancing act with a filled glass, cocktail napkin (too small for any real use) either a plate or another napkin with slidy, quarter-sized little goodies and a lit cigarette. That's still true now in the 90s.
A cocktail party is still a shot at free booze, but people aren't gulping down martinis and young Scotches anymore. They' re sipping wine. And those fools that smoke are instantly banished to the Great Outdoors. I smoked and spent many an interlude out on a balcony, porch, sidewalk and it is now my dream to throw a gathering for and make the non-smokers stay only on the balcony etc. for Valentine's Day cocktails.
