I have a friend who is dealing with esophageal cancer and had been keeping track of him through other friends. I finally decided some face-time was appropriate. Wanting to 'take something' with me I contacted another friend who had recently authored a book on the OSS, (pre-CIA) and 'Undercover Leathernecks'. He's had several magazine articles on Civil War settings and now focuses on WW II.
We chatted about archival resources around the country, mutual friends, travel, current aches and pains etc. The conversation prompted me to move on a WW II project which has been on the shelf for a (long) while. (This will be developed in another session.)
The book is signed, I'm knocking on the recipient's door - and his mother informs me that his wife took him to help a lady with her computer! Sounds like a good report to me! He is doing well but there is still more of the road to travel.
All in all, a good day for at least three people.
***** ***** ***
If there has been a rumor abroad that I'm preparing an apology for all this language jazz - it's not true.
Caution: groaner ahead -
Who delivers the Easter treats to all the fish?
The Oyster Bunny
(You were warned!)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
09 09 09 0Raine 0my
Glad I got this in today - I'd have to wait 100 years to catch it again! But then in only 13 months we'll be able to do 10 10 10, and in another 13 months. . . .
Today's paper had a story about a local whose granddaughter is age nine today on this 9 9 09. Devon's greatgrandmother is 93 on this day (we'll call that a partial); she is the ninth grandchild of our patriarch and her mother is his ninth child. Devon's address is 999 on her street. Our patriarch is 81, which when added together total - __ right!
In the battle of the raindrops the good guys lost ground - but not from erosion- we are now at
-6.55 compared to our average y.t.d. Ah, well. . . .
Last year the National Weather Service changed the approach to the designation of the
monsoon period. For years a dew point temperature of 55F or higher for three consecutive days would announce the start - often early- to mid-July and the period would end, usually mid-September, with a string of three days with a dew point of <55F.
Now they appproach it less as a baseball statistician would, and have the man-on-the- street welcoming style. The monsoon period is now designated as June 15 to September 30.
Take care- don't let the meteorologist-eavesdropper hear you say monsoons - as in "the
monsoons are late this year". Smiles will come if you call it monsoon, but not if you call it "the monsoon season". Huh? Monsoon is an Arabic word meaning "season". You should be able to note the social awkwardness quickly and shy away from it. The 'season' must include a change in the wind direction - ours goes from being mostly westerlies to a south/southeast direction. The heat of the summer (110'sF) pulls the moisture up from the baja and the Gulf to rain on our parades now and then.
The most during this period has been 9.36" and the least was .35 - this is why we measure in hundredths of an inch - quarter-inch groupings would never do.
***** ****
Painting indoors? Wear an old pair of socks over your shoes; it saves the shoes from drips and
easily rubs up splatters on the floor.
Today's paper had a story about a local whose granddaughter is age nine today on this 9 9 09. Devon's greatgrandmother is 93 on this day (we'll call that a partial); she is the ninth grandchild of our patriarch and her mother is his ninth child. Devon's address is 999 on her street. Our patriarch is 81, which when added together total - __ right!
In the battle of the raindrops the good guys lost ground - but not from erosion- we are now at
-6.55 compared to our average y.t.d. Ah, well. . . .
Last year the National Weather Service changed the approach to the designation of the
monsoon period. For years a dew point temperature of 55F or higher for three consecutive days would announce the start - often early- to mid-July and the period would end, usually mid-September, with a string of three days with a dew point of <55F.
Now they appproach it less as a baseball statistician would, and have the man-on-the- street welcoming style. The monsoon period is now designated as June 15 to September 30.
Take care- don't let the meteorologist-eavesdropper hear you say monsoons - as in "the
monsoons are late this year". Smiles will come if you call it monsoon, but not if you call it "the monsoon season". Huh? Monsoon is an Arabic word meaning "season". You should be able to note the social awkwardness quickly and shy away from it. The 'season' must include a change in the wind direction - ours goes from being mostly westerlies to a south/southeast direction. The heat of the summer (110'sF) pulls the moisture up from the baja and the Gulf to rain on our parades now and then.
The most during this period has been 9.36" and the least was .35 - this is why we measure in hundredths of an inch - quarter-inch groupings would never do.
***** ****
Painting indoors? Wear an old pair of socks over your shoes; it saves the shoes from drips and
easily rubs up splatters on the floor.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Raine, raine, do your thing, See what blessings you may bringe
Right on schedule (every four or five months) - somebody hits the switch (maybe it's the lightning), and the presses start rolling again. Actually the pressure is not so much on the switch as it is on the individual - I just wanted to stop the yelling! So, for a period of time, and some degree of regularity it may come to pass that words will flow which will contain an acceptable level of understandibility. And maybe interest.
After a delicious meal at home or abroad, I'll often say "Pretty good, what there was of it" knowing full well that seconds are readily available. So far, faint smiles outnumber the slaps. . .
These words could be applied to our rainfall (y.t.d.) in this southeastern corner of a Southwestern state. Numerically speaking, our annual rainfall just bumps over 14". The y.t.d. average is just under 11" and this year we're sporting 4.39". That leaves us with- just a minute- (tap tap, tap, tap tap tap tap, tap)- here we are6.5" short so far this year, with our wettest month, August, well behind us. What to do? More on Mr. monsoon next time.
This nursery rhyme is often used by those well beyond elementary-grade years -
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day (and often with. . .
Little Johnny (Brenda, Arthur, Elspeth, etc.) wants to play.
[People from the Eastern U.S. and Cananada, with their uncertain, untimely and undisciplined 'rain showers' repeat this oftenly in the summer season.]
The rhyme goes back at least to the late 17th Century - John Aubrey, the holey one, is almost certainly a brother of some sort and note children using 'Raine, raine, go away, Come again a Saturday', to "charme away the Raine".
***** ***
WHAT MEANETH THIS: ad hoc, as in "ad hoc committee" ? A good Latin term indicating
'for this', with the idea of 'for this task only'.
After a delicious meal at home or abroad, I'll often say "Pretty good, what there was of it" knowing full well that seconds are readily available. So far, faint smiles outnumber the slaps. . .
These words could be applied to our rainfall (y.t.d.) in this southeastern corner of a Southwestern state. Numerically speaking, our annual rainfall just bumps over 14". The y.t.d. average is just under 11" and this year we're sporting 4.39". That leaves us with- just a minute- (tap tap, tap, tap tap tap tap, tap)- here we are6.5" short so far this year, with our wettest month, August, well behind us. What to do? More on Mr. monsoon next time.
This nursery rhyme is often used by those well beyond elementary-grade years -
Rain, rain, go away,
Come again another day (and often with. . .
Little Johnny (Brenda, Arthur, Elspeth, etc.) wants to play.
[People from the Eastern U.S. and Cananada, with their uncertain, untimely and undisciplined 'rain showers' repeat this oftenly in the summer season.]
The rhyme goes back at least to the late 17th Century - John Aubrey, the holey one, is almost certainly a brother of some sort and note children using 'Raine, raine, go away, Come again a Saturday', to "charme away the Raine".
***** ***
WHAT MEANETH THIS: ad hoc, as in "ad hoc committee" ? A good Latin term indicating
'for this', with the idea of 'for this task only'.
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