Month: January 2008

Categories
Blogging

Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts

It’s the most talked-about blog entry of the week … It’s time once again for my most anticipated ‘Tuesday Night Grab Bag O’ Thoughts’ !

1.  Fred Thompson dropped out as a Presidential candidate earlier today. His run for the White House never really gained momentum. He actually had more momentum during the long period of time before he formally announced his candidacy about 4½ months ago. Ron Paul should do the same – drop out.

2.  Rachel and T.K. won “The Amazing Race 12” this past Sunday night. They deserved it. They came on strong at the very end. My favourites – Nicolas and Donald – faded fast at the end. Nick had a ‘brain dump’ at the memory puzzle. Pre-production on “The Amazing Race 13” has already begun, and it may air this Summer or as part of the new Fall season in September.

3.  I turned my A.C. back on as soon as I got home from work this afternoon. It was a warm 78°F and a humid 62% in my living room. South Florida is back in the warm subtropical air again. The next shot of cooler air should arrive early on Friday morning and last about 24 hours.

4.  It’s Day 5 of my 2ND bad cold in less than 3 months, and I’d like to thank my good buddies Cold-Eeze, Airborne, and Zicam for helping me out over the past 5 days. I had planned to write the official obituary for this cold today, but its death has been greatly exaggerated.

5.  You know what we need here in Homestead ?  This place !  Put one on Campbell Drive across from the Homestead Hospital, and I’ll be there twice a week.

6.  Florida Highway Patrol troopers are the lowest-paid in the entire country. That’s a travesty. Only 92 of them are currently assigned to Miami-Dade County (down from 250 during the 1980s). That’s not right.

7.  “Land Of The Lost” was one of my favourite TV shows back during the mid-1970s. You can hear its memorable theme song here. That was from the first two seasons. The theme song lyrics changed a bit for the 3RD season. (Enter Uncle Jack.)

8.  It’s the road-streaking New York Football Giants up against the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII on Sunday February 03RD in the Arizona desert. I’ll be rooting for the underdog ‘G-Men’ – representing the NFC East – home of my beloved Washington Redskins.

9.  I may have male-pattern baldness developing, but I refuse to give up the fight and shave it all off. If anything I plan to get less haircuts as I get older. I just don’t think that being completely bald is the way to go for me. It works fine for some people – like this dude – but then again I’ve never seen what he used to look like with hair.

10.  John 3:16 (New Living Translation, 2ND Edition) – “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” We’re getting ready to start-up our weekly Life Groups again, and we’re going to concentrate on this one verse of the Scriptures over the course of 3 months via these resources. I can’t wait to get started !

Categories
Driving

U.S.A. National Gas Temperature Map

It’s time to catch up again on current gasoline prices all across the great United States Of America.

Click here for a cool colour-coded map of our country that shows how much gas costs per gallon (on average) in each county (updated daily).

Are you looking for cheap gas ?  Look no further than selected portions of Wyoming and the Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas of Missouri. Gas there costs less than $2.73 per gallon.

The expensive gas – over $3.25 per gallon – can be found throughout much of northern and central California and upstate New York.

The rumours are true – South Florida has some of the most expensive gas in the country.

Q – How much to the British pay for regular unleaded gas ?
A – Current prices range from about $7.68 to about $8.44 per gallon. Source:  petrolprices.com

Categories
Politics

I Decide 2008

The first ‘Election Day’ of 2008 was held in my home early this afternoon, as I marked my absentee ballot appropriately, placed it in the secrecy envelope, inserted that in the mailing envelope, sealed the mailing envelope, and signed and dated it on the back. It goes in the mail bright and early tomorrow morning.

I voted for the Republican Presidential Candidate of my choice (easy selection), this Amendment to the Florida State Constitution, and 3 questions related to Miami-Dade County including this one on slot machines.

For those of you who vote the old-fashioned way (in-person) early voting is currently in-progress at selected locations all across the great state of Florida, and the official Election Day is just 8 days away next Tuesday January 29TH 2008.

Miami-Dade County Florida Elections Web Page

Categories
Animals Food Holidays Shopping

My 111-Hour Holiday Weekend

It’s the 4TH full day of my long holiday weekend, and this morning I woke up shortly after 5 AM nice and refreshed. It’s my usual wake-up time for a regular weekday morning, and even though today is a Federal holiday I decided to get back into the groove of waking up at the time that I need to wake up for the remainder of this work week.

I went to Publix – where shopping is a pleasure – shortly after they opened up for business at 7 AM. Over the next half-hour I proceeded to swoop-up what turned out to be over $73 in quality groceries. In a fact that may make my dear friends Venus and Kristine cringe that included over $35 in frozen and microwavable foods. Cooking ?  What’s that ?  😉

GOOD SERVICE ALERT:  For the first time ever my groceries were actually taken out to my car for me. This was the rule for years – not the exception – at the original Publix at the Homestead Towne Square Shopping Center on Useless-One, but for the other two newer Publix locations (at Oasis and at Waterstone) this ‘grocery take-out’ service pretty much did not exist. I was rather surprised when it occurred this morning.

After Publix I went to McDonald’s armed with a coupon – a free Egg McMuffin with the purchase of one. Of course using a coupon at McDonald’s threw the entire store into a mass state of chaotic confusion. All I heard was the word ‘PROMO !’ yelled over and over again, and nobody knew how to deal with such a crisis of mass proportions. Eventually a manager came to the rescue and sorted it all out. Am I the only one in Homestead who has used a coupon at that particular McDonald’s ?  Let’s get it together over there !  I’m coming back later this week with another coupon for $1 off a flavoured iced coffee !

I’m back at home now. I had actually planned to do a very special edition of ‘The Major’s Walk-A-Thon’ LIVE and on-location from Monkey Jungle; however, the weather is not cooperating, and the last place that I wish to be during the recovery stages of my cold is in the middle of a chilly windswept downpour downwind from hundreds of wet monkeys !  Maybe I’ll check out the monkeys this upcoming Saturday morning. Stay tuned.