SUNDAY FUNNIES!! Mammy Yokum's Maiden Name

Here is a little useless trivia fact I hope you will get to use some day:  Mammy Yokum, a.k.a. Pansy Yokum’s maiden name is Hunks.

I decided books have too big of paragraphs to try to read in my dwindling years so I am reverting back to my comics-state of mind.  I am rereading LI’L ABNER newspaper comic strips starting at the very beginning.  Before Pansy married her name was Pansy Hunks.  Proof is in the first year (1934) of LI’L ABNER comic strips.

Remember that, you might be on JEOPARDY someday.

Friday the 13th!!! BEWARE!!

On this Date In History, September the 28th

On this date in 1850 Flogging in the US Navy and on merchant ships was abolished.

Which, I’m sure it was abolished in the postal system of the time too. This reminds me of an incident in the post office in the late 1960s.

At the Parcel Post Annex in Atlanta there was a supervisor named Barnwell. Anew mailhandler was assigned to Barnwell to work on the loading dock. Apparently, a mistake was made by the new man and a dispatch of some mail was not sent in time. Barnwell got reprimanded by his immediate boss. Barnwell was telling one of his men about the situation and said he should kick the new man’s ass. Denard told him not to worry about it, he would take care it.

Denard took the new man around back and kicked his ass.

Barnwell got reprimanded again.

Later I got to know Barnwell better and I bet it was all Barnwell’s fault. He was not a detailed man. And saying something like that around a crazed lunatic like Denard was just plain not-paying –attention- to- how- people- are as you can get.

Al Capp, (Alfred Gerald Caplin) creator of the LI’L ABNER comic strip, was born this date in 1909.

I am rereading the daily LI'L ABNER comic strips from the first one to the lastone for the 4th time now. It put such a good satire and farce of modern society it is worth the time – in case I missed something.

Book Report on THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS

THE DEVIL AMONGST THE LAWYERS by Sharyn McCrumb

A Ballad Novel

Characters: Nora Bonesteel, her cousin Carl Jennings, a reporter, and more reporters.

This book is the latest of Sharyn McCrumb Ballad series. I have read all her Ballads and feel I know all the past ballad characters. This time only one former character makes an appearance, Nora Bonesteel. In previous books Nora was someone with a some years behind her. This time she is 12 years old. Nora has the “gift of sight” (or curse) allowing her to see dead people or see quick glimpses of the future. Nora is shown to be intelligent and wise beyond her age. Even at twelve years old, people respected her. At that early age she had a graceful way about her, or was it just my imagination? The first section of the book has the acknowledgments and statement that this book is a fictionalized version of the 1935 murder trial of Edith Maxwell.

The prologue tells of a traveling circus where an elephant named Big Mary stomped her novice trainer to death in front of shocked on-lookers during the circus’s opening day parade. He had denied her a watermelon. The elephant was hanged by the neck until dead by a railroad crane. It was a gala event which the whole town in Kingsport, Tennessee came to watch. People have a cruel, morbid curiosity. It reminded me of a similar elephant killing that took place in South Georgia about the same time period as Big Mary. It also reminded me of Dumbo the Elephant’s protective mother.

The prologue opened with the book’s chief subject, the press. The power of the press and its ability to rile people’s feelings in the long run was the reason Big Mary was hanged like a conniving murderess.

That reminded me of the USS Maine, Hearst Newspapers, and the Spanish American War. The USS Maine was destroyed in the Havana port in 1898, and I don’t think it was ever decided who’s fault it was. Randolph Hearst’s newspapers scared the American public into thinking it must have been Spain’s espionage; thus, a war was born all because of the blasting words of a newspaper.

Ms. McCrumb's book is not so much about the cast of the killing itself, such as the victim, the accused, and the law, but about the press reporting the trial. The trial takes place in Wise County, Virginia. Ms. McCrumb makes a study of the press members reporting the trial and looks at their private lives.

Of course the press characters are creations by Ms. McCrumb’s mind, giving them a life-force of their own, expounding on each one at a time and what made him or her tick. The book explained how the press can report quotes exactly but yet add some interpretive facial expression that will guide the reader how to feel about the person being quoted.


The press had freedom to paint the country side to guide their readers outlook and opinions. The reading public expected to see shacks and children wearing flour sacks, so that is what they got! Although, the photographer had to search all over the area to find some kids who had some of those kind of clothing in the attic.

The accused lady’s brother was one person that probably had less page space than any other of the main characters, but his actions orchestrated the whole plot. He was a natural born salesman who knew the pulse of the public and how to direct them to do as he wished. He made lemonade out of his father’s death, even at his sister's expense. Being the more worldly family member with more knowledge of money, he took charge of things. He made deals for exclusive interviews, sold family pictures, accepted “donations” for the defense expense, which may or may not have all went to the defense. He seemed to have a price for everything he had to offer. Knowing his sister was pretty and innocent looking, he knew the American public would want to keep up with the story if she was the accused and remained in jail for a while. It smells like a double feature tragedy.




In the book the expression "the Code of the Hills" is mentioned several times. And so did Al Capp in his LI'L ABNER comic strip, the above picture came out of the daily strips in 1940. I think Al Capp, a Bostonian used the code of the hills expression often. It was pointed out in the book that the origins of the expression is above the Mason-Dixon Line.

It was good to have another ballad from Ms. McCrumb as I was afraid she was wandering away from them. A good read.

SUNDAY FUNNIES - L'L ABNER & Charity Balls

In the Marietta Daily Journal Sunday magazine supplement that comes out quarterly, I think, often they have pictures of attendees at charity balls.

More than once they reminded me of this segment of L'L ABNER by Al Capp, torn from the comic strips of 1940. Click on the picture to be able to read.

Crashing Jerry's Tea Party

After a physical therapy session this morning I had some time to kill, so I dropped by a nursing home to see my old friend Jerry.

I checked his room and he wasn’t there. I went out to the court yard, two or three times before I found him there asleep soaking up sun rays. But not this time.

After leaving the court yard I glanced in the dining room and there he was sitting in the middle of about five or six elderly women. I waved at him through the window and he motioned for me to come on in the room, which I did.

He squirmed around and offered me a seat next to him. I sat down.

Standing up at a portable bar-like contraption on wheels was a lady with several hot drink containers. I think she worked in the dining room. She asked me; with an Caribbean accent would I prefer coffee or tea. I told her coffee, “Thank you”. She first poured a tea to a lady then before pouring my coffee she asked me did I want decaf or regular. “Regular” I replied. Then she asked how many sugars and did I want cream. I thanked her and said just plain coffee. She poured it for me and then with tongs went around and gave each person newly arrived a napkin. She asked Jerry where his napkin was, because she already gave him one. Before he could find it she gave him another one. Then he found it but looked like, “what do I do with it now?” l Next the dining room lady with the tongs handed each person two warm chocolate chip cookies.

Man! Warm chocolate chip cookies! The chocolate chips had melted, which complemented the cookies… yum! I think I crashed a tea party and the warm chocolate chip cookies were a substitute for scones. It was a yummy substitute.

One of the old crones in a wheel chair leaned over to me and asked me was I in school with Jerry. I told her I was. She then asked me, “Did you pick on Jerry?”

I told her I didn’t pick on Jerry. Then I asked her did she pick on Jerry now. She leaned closer and in what seemed to be a secret, said, “No, Jerry and I are friends.”

I was thinking about giving her the “thumb up” sign, but thought at her age that might have a completely different meaning.

Jerry motioned for us to go back to his room, which we did. He was having a lopsided time trying to move his wheelchair with one hand because he had the two chocolate cookies in the other. I helped him. I already gobbled down my chocolate chip cookies (eat them while they are hot!) but was still drinking my coffee. Between both us we had two good hands to power the wheelchair, which worked.

That reminds me of a mock want-ad I saw one time in MAD magazine. It went something like this: Short right leg man seeking short left leg woman. Object: Mambo ballroom dancing.

We went back to Jerry’s room with me only spilling one little splash of coffee in the corridor. There, Jerry showed me his latest poster. He has a picture of himself on the poster and underneath his picture is his name and his date of birth.; A date in 1944. He motioned for me to do the same, write my name and birth date, which I did, according to his instructions I left enough space for a picture of me to fit in.

Also on the poster he has several articles about “Big Jim” Bagby. One of the old yellowed newspaper clip said Big Jim was on a hitting streak and might break Joe DiMaggio’s record. Big Jim Bagby was the father of a classmate of mine Charles Bagby. I think they moved to Marietta in the late 40s or early 50s.

The Bagby family lived near Jerry’s family in the Park Street area in Marietta.

After a while I looked at my watch and said I had to go, I had an important date* and mustn’t be late. We bided each other farewell, and I left.



*I thought it was about time for Cajun John’s to open for the noon crowd. I was wrong. I wanted to try their shrimp poboy I heard so much about.

Mayhem at the Hospital

Today we spent some time in a hospital surgical waiting room. There, you of course, see all walks of life: The wealthy, the poor, the in-between, the yuppies, the type of people who have knock-down drag-out fights on The Jerry Springer Show, and there is also the no category type: me.

After we found seats and got ourselves situated I studied the system. There was a room off to the side. A doctor would call a family over and invite them in and the doctor would tell them how the operation went.

And so it went with a foreign doctor and his assistant which may have been a nurse or another doctor.. They called for the family of So&So and about 6 to 10 people materialized. They looked to be uninhibited and not the types to hide their emotions, whether it is fear, hate, or love.

The doctor looked overwhelmed at the number of people that came before him. He had an accent. He said he could only take the immediately family into the room. By the way the family members were acting, I think they were all immediate family. Finally a few were allowed into the room and the door was shut.

Almost immediately after the door was shut, the door flung opened and a young man leaped out and said, “SHE IS DEAD!!!” And other family members standing around started wailing and screaming the same thing. I think a few of them ran out into the main corridor, which the hospital calls Main Street, screaming SHE IS DEAD!!! And the other family members were visually and verbally upset as well.

A few minutes later a hospital official was standing beside a security guard trying to explain in sequence of events that led to such an emotional outbreak that surely disrupted a lot of things going on in the hospital.

So much for the doctor trying to keep everything quiet and under controll.


And that is what I like about these people. They are freer than the average ass-kisser I think.



Why was she having surgery that caused her to die on the operating table? She was shot.

______________________________________

We also had a very nice conversation with a very sweet nurse. She had a thick New Orleans accent. Not only was she sweet she was generous. She has two daughters already, and one of her friends was suffering an illness and was backing down from having children of their own when the nurse said use her body. Put the eggs in her oven and she would take care of them. I think she said it to her friend without hesitation. Her friend was too old to be chasing young kids around and decided no to.

The nurse was in the Air Force where she met her future husband. They were stationed in Japan and got to see Germany and other places in the world. They are in Marietta because of Lockheed.

She loves New Orleans based music and Anna and I now are racking our brains trying to remember some of the music makers she recommended.. Dave somebody,

She loves spicy food and carries a bottle of hot sauce every time she leaves her house. I asked her where a good Cajun place to eat around here is and she said, “My house!” I have no doubt if we pursued that, we would have her address and a date to show up, I think she is that sincere and generous.

Later she and a doctor, also from New Orleans, discussed good Cajun food. I think they both agreed that Henry's in Acworth and Gumbeaux- in Douglasville are good Cajun eateries.**

*I am sure there are some good polite foreign doctors with great bedside manners in this area, I just haven't been exposed to them.

**Not that it matters, but I just recalled, both restaurants in are on the main street in their town, facing the railroad tracks.

Artist Frank Frazetta Died Two Days Ago

Remember - if you click on each picture the art will be bigger and better.



Regardless of what you may think, this is not another segment of the Marietta High School Yearbook, THE OLYMPIAN. Although, you might look back on your high school life and remember it to be similar to what these pictures represent, they are not.

One of my artist heroes died two days ago. Frank Frazetta (Feb 9, 1928 - May 10, 2010) lived 82 years. He was an artist's artist, an illustrator's illustrator. He was a great artist, in my opinion.

Early in his career he drew LI'L ABNER for Al Capp, and EC comics that had adventure in them. He also did at least one thing for MAD magazine but I think there were more.

He illustrated for the adult comic VAMPIRILLA and the horror magazine CREEPY. If you have even been in a head shop you have seen epic-like posters on the wall, which reminds me, he also illustrated some epic-like stories and science fiction stories.

He knew how to draw the muscle tone; tensed muscles under stress, as it ACTION! Maybe that is why he was so good when he illustrated TARZAN.

He also helped out before with PLAYBOY'S ANNIE-FANNY (by Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman)

He knew how to draw to shock - to guide your eye-sight to the most surprisingly part of the picture first, then let your mind look over the other details to make more sense out of it.

He was what you might call the Norman Rockwell of the Not-Normal- Rockwell World.

Not long ago his son Frank Jr. was accused of stealing 90 of the Frank Frazetta original art... it sounded complicated, like a family squabble.

When I Googled Frank Frazetta art countless selections popped before me and every one was good enough to use to show how good his art is. Finally, I just had to quit looking. I had to stop somewhere.

Frank Frazetta died of a stroke.

Star Routes Hauling the Mail to Remote Areas

The other day in a post I educated you in what a Star Route deliverer in the Postal Service is or maybe was.
In case you were not paying attention or sleeping, here is rough definition of a star route again: It is a private independent company transporting the mail to distribution points in remote rural areas, like small town post offices.
When I was a time keeper at the Parcel Post Annex in Atlanta I saw Star Route drivers often. They came every night to pick up their mail. Sometimes the mail was not ready and they would sit in the break room and watch TV and drink coffee until the mail was ready.

Sometimes they would just crawl in the back of their trucks and take a nap. They were paid for the job, not by the hour. And one time one didn’t wake up.

A supervisor came up to my counter and asked me to call an ambulance or police. He said a star route driver was curled up in the bed of his truck dead. It was a cold time of the year, just like now. I forgot if I called the police or an ambulance. The old driver had a natural death on his break, no fowl play.

Lot of the postal employees slipped away from work to take a look at him. I didn’t. I thought it was sad, turning a dead body into a side show for the curious. I was told that he looked quiet and peaceful, curled up in an embryo position.

Star Route haulers, as I mentioned, are independent companies. And what is the purpose of independent companies? To make money. To make a profit. That is their lively hood.

To keep the profits big enough they had to save money where they could. I think one of their big money saving systems was to pay their drivers as little as possible. They usually hired elderly retired looking men or men that looked like they had been in one bar-brawl too many; people more desperate for a job and willing to work for much less.

Through the years, being in the timekeeping office, when a star route driver had a problem, we time keepers were the first to know. Someone was there to answer the phone around the clock. I remember one time the Georgia State Patrol called us and said they just arrested the driver for drunk driving, and what did we want to do about his truck-load full of mail? And more than once the law called us informing us wrecks a star route driver was involved in and again, “what do you want to do with all this mail?”

I don’t know if star routes are still in existence or not. With super highways, there aren’t many, if any, remote rural areas… so, maybe their need just kind of faded away.

Brandi & Randy

What a day!

This morning after Willow and I walked I came home, loaded the truck of stuff we no longer need or want and donated it to a thrift store.

I came home from that, took a shower and left again to the nursing home to visit my high school friend Jerry. Jerry had two strokes about eleven years ago. I had some pictures of the Bell Reunion that he was in that I thought he would like. I sat on the edge of his bed and had we had a nice visit. He is a very appreciative person. His cute life-long friend Donna had been by before this day and also brought him some pictures. I was in one of Donna's pictures.

It is a shame to be only a few blocks from Brandi’s World Famous Hotdogs and not go there. In fact, it is probably a sin. I arrived just a few minutes before noon. It was stuffed with people sitting and standing.

In due time Brandi asked me what I wanted and I told her. She wrote it down but I did not actually see her hand the order to the lady preparing the food. I don’t know how that lady does it. She sees all and knows all.

While I was standing there a lady about my age, or a couple years older, asked me how long Brandi’s has been there. I gave her a brief history of the Marble Mill BBQ owned by the Ravan family, and it became Betty’s World Famous Hotdogs, and Betty retired and sold it to Brandi. And I told the lady you couldn’t beat Brandi's spicy chili.

The lady said she owned a vacant building in Smyrna and wanted to talk to Brandi about maybe opening a second store. I told her that Brandi already had a 2nd store in Cartersville, but maybe she’ll expand to a 3rd store.

All the time Brandi was standing near us on the other side of the counter, and glancing at us from time to time. I think she was keeping up with our conversation.

Brandi asked me had I ordered chili slaw dog and fries and I said yes. She was sacking it all and I caught what I said .. I ordered onion rings not fries… she handed me the sack and I handed her a $20 bill. She gave me change, and bills and as I threw the change into the tip bucket I said, “You did put the onions rings in the sack?” I just wanted to make sure.

Brandi said, “No, I put fries in.” A lady behind me holding a baby said that sounded like her order.

Brandi always appears relaxed and in control. She laughed at the mix-up. She gave me the $20 bill back and took the bills out of my hand and then gave the sack to the lady holding the baby and took money from her.

The change she gave me on the previous transaction, I dropped in the tip jar. I wonder how that would be straightened out?

I felt sorry for the lady with the baby and a sack of food so I held the door opened for her to leave.

Then Brandi had my sack with the onion rings. She told me price which was 10¢ more than I previously paid her. I told her I liked the other price better. She laughed.

Again, I gave her the same $20 bill and she gave me change and bills back and I again dropped the change into the tip jar.

They got tipped twice, on the same order….. but whose pocket did the first tip come out of? It is mind boggling.

When I was backing up out my parking place I noticed in my rearview mirror that the lady with the baby was backing up also – straight towards me. We were meant to cross each other up. I immediately jumped all the way back into the parking spot.

I drove home, gobbled down my chili—slaw dog and onions rings and dressed up and drove to Powder Springs, Georgia, to a funeral home.

Randy, a postal carrier had died. Randy worked at the Sprayberry Post Office, the same as I, for a bunch of years.

Then he transferred to the Kennesaw Post Office and delivered my mother-in-law’s mail for, I think he said 18 years. Sometimes when I was there I would try to be near the mailbox when he drove up and we talked.

Then he quit coming. It was months since I had seen Randy. I asked a female carrier delivering the mail where was Randy. She said he fell and broke some bones and while undergoing treatment for that they found a bunch of other things wrong with him. Now, he was trying to get a disability.

Then yesterday I got the mail out of my mother-in-law mail box and there was a handwritten note saying Randy had died over the weekend. I got on-line, found his obituary. He was cremated and his memorial service would be today.

Sometimes you can know somebody from a work standpoint and when you see people from his home life it is completely different from what you perceived his life would probably be.

Randy worked very hard to go by the regulations of how the mail should be handled, as far as things like the letters on top and the magazines on bottom when delivered… and bulk rate mail would be after the magazines, etc…Randy wanted it right. He seemed to fret over his mail more than most other carriers. He was a perfectionist.

He was slim, had natural curly hair, and big glasses…. He would probably look completely unnatural without his glasses.

When I arrived at the funeral home I went as the sign directed me. There was a little parlor with a monitor showing with a digital picture sideshow of Randy in progress. I was about 20 minutes early, and I didn’t know a thing about Randy’s personal life, so I thought I would sit down and relax and watch the slide show and educate myself on Randy.

It showed Randy as a little boy on a little Shetland pony, and several other typical pictures of a kid growing up. The rest of the many pictures were with him with his daughter, sitting talking with her, sitting in the water with her, sitting here, and sitting there. Then, I thought, “I bet the daughter had an early illness and she is crippled.”

There were a little alcove of a room that I signed the guest book, picked up a program, and walked into the chapel.

It was ten minutes until the services began and only three or four people (including me) were there.

A few more people drifted in.

A young lady in a motorized wheelchair wheeled in. Although she could operate it, she was leaning way back and one armed seemed to be drawn up. His daughter! I thought.

Somebody bent over her and said her name and how sorry that he was. I looked at the program. Yep, the program said survived by a daughter with the same name.

Wait! The other named that said Randy was survived by was a partner named Ron.

I am not critical of this arrangement; I would have never thought it that is all. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Just as the time of the service was to start people suddenly lined up outside the door signing the guest book. The line went out the door. As they came in and took their seats they mostly sat in the section reserved for the family. They were family and I doubt if they are known for being early for events and things.

It was a two man show. The preacher preached and the funeral home person put on CD songs, appropriately for the event; for instance the first song was BLOWING IN THE WIND; we are just sand bowing in the wind.

The bad thing playing about using this CD was that it was a concert CD which had applause with people whistling - which took something from the quiet dignity of a memorial service.

After the last prayer and during the last CD song a lady stepped up on the little rise, and sat in the chair next to the preacher behind the podium.

As the music drew to a close the preacher left his seat, stepped down off the rise in front of the podium. The lady stayed there.

Then the funeral director raised his arms and said, “All Rise!” And everybody shuffled to their feet.

Suddenly the lady sitting behind the podium stood up spoke her booming voice into a mike saying she would like to say a few words.

The funeral director lowed his hands down and I think he said, “Be seated” Which everybody did.

The lady, by things she said, I figured was Randy’s ex-wife. She more or less put the people sitting in the family section in their place. She told them that Randy loved them as well as his new friends and if they had a problem with that, they need to learn to live with it.

Then she mentioned his sisters and how they treated him. And she talked more in her booming voice.

The family members were squirming and crying and handing each other tissues to cry with.

The preacher looked helpless.

After that the partner, the best dressed man there, carried the urn out through the just-opened doors. In funeral precession-order the family followed, row by row.

When the family emptied out we (non family) went out aisle by aisle also.. because I was sitting alone on the last pew I was the last to leave.

There was a crowd of people and a lot of loud talking. I don’t know what the conversation was about.

Why stand around there with some people I didn’t know? I went back through the funeral home and went out another door.

An elderly couple fell in behind me. Since they were not with the bunch outside the door I figured they were not family.

“Are either one of you a postal worker?” I asked.

The lady said she works at the Kennesaw Post Office. I asked if she knew a friend that used to work there and she said yes.

She said to tell her “Dolly said ‘Hi’!

Friends and a Smaller Marietta

Yesterday I had lunch with Ray Ruggles, a newly found friend.

Ray grew up in and around Marietta too. We are the same age. He lived outside the city limits, therefore he went to the county schools and I went to the city schools. We grew up when Marietta was a small town. I am sure the odds are that we have crossed paths and attended some of the same events and sat in the Strand Theater at the same time.

How we met is that we read that a story teller, who grew up in Cobb County on a certain day give a talk about growing up here. Anna and I thought it would be interesting - so we went. It was interesting.

Wait! I just remember, I made a post about that meeting that was dated January 16, 2009. After his lecture we swapped cards and he looked at mine and said something like “Are you Chicken Fat?” ….. I should have said, “in the feathers!”

So, in time by emailed me he suggested we get together for lunch. And Yesterday we did.

It was enjoyable. We each saw the same Marietta at the same time. One of us would be about to tell something and after the lead-off name was mention the other one would interrupt and say, something like, “He married Betty Blabla.” Or, “He died two years ago!” or "...he was my uncle"… we just about know the same people and the same old businesses, the same coaches in Little League, etc.

Ray is much taller than I – so, he had a better view.

Will Elder, Al Capp, and the Green-Eye Monster

Speaking of Will Elder – we were speaking of Will Elder weren’t we? Harry Lee Green in his Hairy Green Eyeball blog has brought out an great Will Elder classic of an Al Capp type revisits his Dogpatch – where he got his inspiration, to get another refill – and maybe a roll in the hay with one of those Dogpatch cuties.

It was originally printed in HELP magazine. It is a great job of Elder mad chicken-fat mind and another interesting tidbit is that the story was not written by Harvey Kurtzman as most of Elder’s were. It was written by Ed Fisher, who was a regular cartoon contributor to HELP.

Harry gives an excellent introduction to the Elder stuff. I also noticed the previous post is about the MAD competitor GET LOST! which will be interesting too I bet (I been busy lately, being step & fetchit for the carpenter).

HAPPY SADIE HAWKINS DAY!

The pictures were scanned from the Li'l Abner strips of 1950. Click to enlarge to read the words.

Years ago somebody declared this date National Sadie Hawkins Day. But the creator of Sadie Hawkins Al Capp once said, "There is no definite date Sadie Hawkins Day falls on. Each year Sadie Hawkins Day is the day I say it is."

If you are creator you can say things like that. Look at the Bible.

A Morning Trip To The Cleaners

It was about time for my truck to be service. The $5 coupon for an oil and lube job from the Chevrolet dealer gave me an extra incentive. I am beginning to think that $5 coupon had a big 6” fishhook with an unbreakable line was attached to it.

I got to the dealer’s service department about 7:30am and found that they were already opened. The service representative that waited on me asked me did I want to $29.99 deal or the $57.99 deal. With the latter, they make sure your tires are ok with the proper psi and check all everything. I said I would take the $59.99 deal.

In the background I think a heard the whirling noise of a fishing reel spinning, like a big fish had just took the bait.

While we were talking a mechanic had the hood up and was checking the fluids. He gave it to the representative and there were two rows of various colors liquids. One row was clean fluid, which they should look like ideally and the other was what was drawn out of my car. He said the automatic transmission fluid was a contaminated color and really should be flushed out and new put in…. ok, ok.

I went to the waiting room.

One young lady in there looked to be college student was sitting and reading. Another representative came in with a clipboard and told her all with her car – it would cost about $500 he said. She said she didn’t but $400. He said she could probably do without this and that to bring the price down to about $350. She said ok.

He left and returned later and said her water pump was completely gone. It was shooting water out like a water faucet. How much? He said $400. They walked out of the waiting room talking. She didn’t come back.

Then another young lady came in and sat down. She had dark hair and a pleasant face. We nodded and smiled at each other.

Not long the representative that dealt with me came in with a clipboard. He said my front wheel brake pads were way down – need to be replaced. He also something was corroded so that needed replacing… the part itself wasn’t that expensive but it the time to put a part on… bla bla bla. Something else too needed adjusting while they had bla bla opened. In my head I calculated as he spoke and it totaled over $500.

I said ok, do what has to be done. He left.

I spoke to the lady with the dark hair. I told her my wife and I took a cruise to the Bahamas last week.

She smiled and said, “Yeah?”

I went on to say that our 4 night and 5 day cruise with all you can eat for two people cost less than this 2 hour car job.*

She almost laughed like she saw the irony in it and said, “Yeah!”

Hmmmmmm.

Shortly after that a representative came in with a clipboard and went directly her to and started talking. His whole dialog was Spanish. So was her dialog.

Evidently, they have a Spanish speaking on site to take care of the people who can’t speak English.

Yeah.

Speaking of the much needed Latino speaking employee, over three hours visit with the dealership over the loudspeaker three or four times, well spaced out announcements called Fernando to the used car department. I don’t know if Fernando is the same person who helped the lady “Yeah Lady” but I would almost bet he was.


*I was wrong. The cruise cost $30 more than my visit to the dealership’s service department. And when I said it I thought it was going to be 2 hours (what they told me) but it ended up 3 hours.

Meet Joe Btfsplk!

This is Joe Btfsplk. He was a reappearing character (when needed) in Al Capp's Li’l Abner comic strip years ago.

See the black cloud over his head. The black cloud symbolizes all the bad luck that goes where Joes goes. Wherever Joe went mayhem went too.

I remember in a fairly recent novel by Sharyn McCrumb she mentioned “the little man in Li’l Abner with a black cloud over his head”. Well, that was Joe Btfsplk. I’m glad he got some recognition, even if his name wasn’t used.

The reason I am introducing him now, is several times in the past on this blog I almost referred to him – but, if you don’t know who I am referring to, then the point is lost.

Meet Joe Btfsplk!

The Butler Did It!

If you have read my blog before you know that from time to time I repeat myself, especially, when it comes to bragging. If I am proud of myself in any area, you will read about it more than once on this blog.

I have commented more than once that I am rather good at picking the “who done it” of a murder in books, movies, and TV’s. I watch and note everything, no matter how important it might seem at the moment, it was placed there for a reason… and like I said, I am usually right (blowing my breath on my fingernails and polishing them).

However, when I am bamboozled I will admit it (sometimes). Last night’s LAW & ORDER, CRIMINAL INTENT got me. They won. They very artfully and skillfully pointed their non-accusing finger at a visiting detective who was specialized in communicating with the deaf. For one thing he had too much of a personality and had flare-ups. For another, it was mentioned behind his back that “he seemed like a nice guy”.

But what cued me was the detectives and a deaf person they were interviewing were discussing what a pain in the ass a child that could hear normally being born to deaf parents…. Which, was like our detective interpreter. WRONG!!!!

I bow my head in shame as a moon beam shines on my bent over back.

We Want Slopes Barbecue Back!!

I met Anna and her mother at Slopes Barbecue in Woodstock. They had been to a wedding shower and the plan was to meet and have dinner at Slopes, a place we have probably went on the average of once a month for the past four or five years. We drove up about the same time. Slopes Barbecue was closed. A sign was on the window they were very sorry, but they were now closed for good. Oh no! Another change in our lives!

We were stumped as to where to go eat then. I said it was not our last meal we did not have to put so much thought into it. We should have. We went to Captain D’s.

Captain D’s was messy, the help disorganized, and the food lousy. Two of our foods were served maybe five or ten minutes before the final plate was served. Two of the people that worked there argued in front of every one about the regular coffee and the decaffeinated coffee…. One of the them have been switching them. They just didn’t know any better.

We want Slopes back!

This morning on the CBS Sunday Morning Show they had an article on how much money is being spent on New Years Parties. They didn’t stop there, it went on to the vast amounts of money being spent on wedding, receptions, birthday parties, and more.

Maybe three or four million bucks will be spent on one party…. Just to show a lavish show of wealth.

They also had a clip the CEO of Tyco giving his wife a birthday party with Jimmy Buffet as the paid entertainment which the whole affair cost millions, millions of Tyco’s money.

I think essentially it is of the rich (haves) showing off their wealth and the poor (have nots) have to tolerate it. Some poor cleaning woman who is barely getting by on her minimum wage doesn’t want to face that shit.

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry we went to High Museum in Atlanta to a Louvre Exhibit. What was there then was the Collection of the French Royalty. The French Royalty and the upper class back in the late 1700s were spending huge amounts of money of art and other things to show their wealth – again, the haves and the have nots.

Remember what happened next.

Bob Rides Again!

I mentioned that I noticed Bob’s motorcycle parked at Jim’s the other day, after Ann kicked him out of the house.

Today Jim called me and told me about Bob’s visit. I think he waited long enough for me to call him and ask.

Bob told Jim he was dying of cancer. He also said he bought a house with 4 acres in Canton, Georgia. He said he and his son Joe are still living with his friend a few miles away, waiting on the loan to go through.

Then in the next breath Bob told Jim he was flat broke. Even his motorcycle gas tank was nearly empty and he didn’t have a penny to put in it.

Bob is a habitual braggart. Every time I have talked to him he had to brag something: about how much he is making an hour, or how much he paid for something expensive. Or some physical feat he accomplished by sheer determination. The only thing is a braggart and a liar should have a good memory. His hourly pay changed often, sometimes it was $37 per hour, other times $27.

So, it was in Bob’s instinct to brag about buying a house with 4 acres (although, he does not have the credit to buy a any kind of house or any kind of land). He does not even have enough credit to buy a car on credit. Bob is also a habitual liar.

And his pants are probably on fire.

This is not the first time he has played his cancer card. He and his family has used that card several times for guilt money and pity.

One Thanksgiving I was deep frying a turkey on the drive-way and Ann pulled her car down and told me Bob was having an operation to remove a cancerous tumor from his brain (on Thanksgiving Day) at a Medical Center in Augusta, for us to pray for him. I think the cancer card has worked to get pity money, just from what I have overheard.

Bob has also pulled out his heat stroke card several times and used – several times in prison and at least once in his own back yard.

The other day the cancer card worked. Jim gave his all the money he had in his wallet.

Oh by the way, Melissa said her dad (Bob) just bought her a nearly new Corvette to take to college this winter. Her last dream-come-true car her daddy presented her is in their driveway in about 4 or 5 pieces. Now, I am eager to see this Corvette.

Probably, some day in the distant future (hopefully) when I stand at the Pearly Gates Saint Peter will tell me to take the DOWN elevator because I talked about my neighbor. And then I see Bob on the other side of the fence enjoying himself and I say, “What About Bob?” (don’t tell me you haven’t heard that question before) and Saint Peter smiles and says, “Well, at least Bob had a life.”