Month: November 2010

Categories
Animals Blogging Food History Humor People Travel

The Major’s Weekend Blast-Off

WELCOME to the historic 20TH edition of my ‘Weekend Blast-Off’ – sponsoured by the state of Texas. Everything’s BIGGER in Texas !

WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
Yesterday afternoon I flew the friendly skies of 30,000 feet above sea level via American Airlines from MIA to DFW. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to get on the airplane early (as in Group 1) since (for whatever reason) I always seem to be part of the unfortunate last Group to board. I’ve learned that the various Group numbers have absolutely nothing to do with where you are seated within the aircraft. When I checked in at MIA I had the chance to pay an extra $9 to be upgraded to Group 1. I mulled it over for a short little while, and then I decided to do it. That $9 upgrade essentially got me on the airplane and in my assigned seat a good 10 minutes earlier than I would have without the upgrade. Was $9 worth 10 minutes ?  I think so. One of the most annoying things for me (besides the inevitable sick person behind me that coughs and sneezes all throughout the flight) is the long wait to get to my assigned seat on the airplane as 75% to 90% of the rest of the passengers watch on from their assigned seat. I always think to myself, ‘Must be nice to be sitting down as I wait standing in this aisle as people try to squeeze their oversized suitcases into the limited-space overhead compartments.’ There are certain things that I won’t pay for inflight. I won’t pay $5 for a couple of cookies or a ‘snack pack’. I won’t pay $90 for an upgrade to First Class. Well maybe I’d think about it, but is it really worth an extra $90 for some snacks, unlimited drinks, and a few extra inches of elbow room ?  I probably will pay the extra $9 for the upgrade to Group 1 in the future just to avoid the long line that stretches from the coach section of the airplane clear back into the terminal waiting area. Pet Peeve Eliminated.

BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
My final pit stop before leaving Homestead on Thursday morning was at the Longhorn Steakhouse – my Lunch home away from home. My favourite greeter was there. My favourite waittress was there. My favourite table was there. My usual meal was there, but this time I also enjoyed a complimentary salad to go along with it. It was surprisingly delicious with blue cheese dressing on it. It was one of the better salads that I’ve enjoyed in quite some time.

THE FORTUNE COOKIE MESSAGE OF THE WEEK CLUB:
– People rise to your expectations.
– Prosperity belongs to those who can learn new things the fastest.

BROTHER & NIECE PHOTO OPP. OF THE MONTH CLUB:
Here’s my brother and 7-month-old niece at our Mom’s house in Fairview TX. See if you can spot the plumber in the background fixing the kitchen sink.


THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:

BLATANT PROMOTION:
TOMORROW on my ‘Saturday Night Retro’ I’m flashing back over 30 years ago back to the late-1970s. Then on Sunday morning it’s a fresh new Texas edition of ‘The Major’s Walk-A-Thon’. TONIGHT for Dinner The Day Family is eating out – Italian-style – at a joint called Patrizio. We’re goin’ grocery shopping on Saturday morning, and we’ll be selecting our Butterball Turkey. Don’t forget that you can follow me on Twitter online anytime @majorhitwaves. Have a wonderful weekend my friends. Make it special. Make it memorable.

Categories
Animals Astronomy God Health Life People Travel Weather

The Major’s Walk-A-Thon

Time: 6:21 AM – 7:02 AM
Sky: Mostly Clear
Temperature: 62°F
Dewpoint: 60°F
Relative Humidity: 93%
Winds: NW 3 MPH
Barometric Pressure: 30.04 Rising

Here are my walking thoughts in 15 words or less:

– This is my 1ST walk around my neighbourhood in 29 days.
– I meant to walk on Veterans Day morning, but I slept in.
– Then I meant to walk on Saturday morning, but I slept in.
– This morning I awoke right after 6 AM, and 15 minutes later I was out the door.
– I walked for 40½-minutes – 17 minutes of which were before the sun rose.
– That’s another 2.2 miles towards my goal of a marathon.
– It was a nice and cool and comfy mid-November morning.
– The winds were stronger than the 3 MPH indicated above.
– I could feel those wind chills well into the 50s along the west perimeter road.
– Cat Sighting – A yellow and white feline crossed my path.
– She knew that I was a friend of felines – not a foe.
– After a nice 2.2-mile walk nothing felt better than the taking of a hot shower.
– This was my first Sunday morning (before church) walk ever !
– It was a great way to kickstart my day !
– As I walked I prayed for my neighbours that they would know and follow God.
– Next weekend I’ll be in cold N. Texas, so I may need earmuffs for my walks.
– These walks are dedicated to the memory of my Dad – William Lesley Day.

Categories
Animals Computers Driving God History Holidays Home Internet Life Music People Travel

Saturday Night Retro

Saturday November 13TH 2010
Volume 3 / Number 10 / Edition 107

Back during the Summer of 2004 I was living in my current home and driving around in my current car, but things were a bit different back then than they are now.

At home I had a vibrant cat by the name of Boots following me around and loving me. On the road I was driving around in my fairly new (one-year-old) car. On one particular road trip that Summer I drove further west than I had ever previously driven in my entire life – all the way to New Orleans and back. It was my very first visit ever to ‘The Crescent City’, and I got to see and experience it a full year before Hurricane Katrina damaged it.

Back then my Mom and Dad were healthy and living and working in Jacksonville Florida, and my brother was still married to his first wife and living near Columbus Ohio. My Grandmom died that Summer in Maryland at the age of 88. I got to see her one last time during the Summer prior (in 2003). It was my first visit back to the Washington D.C. area since 1996, and I haven’t been back since.

The more things change – the more they stay the same. My cat died. My Dad has passed on. My Mom is now retired and living in Fairview Texas about 5 miles away from my brother. He’s been happily married to his 2ND wife for the past 3½-years, and they have a beautiful 7-month-old daughter (my niece). Still living with them – Buddy – the dog that was featured on my blog post from last night. I’ll be there in just about 5 days to enjoy the holidays with all of them !

When I look back at the Summer of 2004 I hear this song in the background. It seems so long ago. It seems like I lived it in a previous life.

I’ve found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is You.

2004 FACTOID OF LIFE – Myspace replaced AOL as the hottest place to hang out online. It began AOL’s long descent from its lofty peaks of 2002 that continues to this day. I was dragged onto Myspace in 2007 – and then quickly abandoned.

Categories
Animals Blogging Food History Holidays Movies People Shopping Travel

The Major’s Weekend Blast-Off

LET’S KICK IT with another ‘Weekend Blast-Off’ here on my big bad blog !

WEEKEND GRAB BAG O’ THOUGHT:
This afternoon I kicked-off my weekend at Southland Mall. I saw “Unstoppable” at the Regal Cinemas. This is its first day at the box office. Due to a whole bunch of reasons I don’t go the movie theatres nowadays as often as I used to, so seeing a movie on its very first day of release is definitely rare for me. This is only the 7TH movie that I’ve seen in 2010. At this point in 2009 I had seen 12 movies (the same in 2008). I wish Hollywood made more movies like “Unstoppable”. This was a suspenseful ‘edge-of-my-seat’ action-packed thriller from start to finish. My eyes were wide open during the course of the movie, and I never once looked down at my watch in boredom. I was rooting and cheering on the heroes to come through, and I had moist eyes at the end of it all. I was also exhausted at the end of it all. It was as if I was on the runaway train myself. It was truly a total 95-minute adrenaline rush !

There was only one thing to do after all of that intense action – EAT !

BEST LUNCH OF THE WEEK AWARD:
… And so I did just that – right there at the mall at the Buffalo Wild Wings. I discovered this jumpin’ joint up on International Drive In Orlando about 5 or so years ago when I used to hang out up there on a regular basis. I was so happy when they opened up a location much closer to home. If they were located in Homestead then I’d be there every week enjoying my usual meal of 12 traditional wings spun in Honey BBQ sauce, a regular order of potato wedges, celery sticks with blue cheese dressing, and Coca Cola Classic. Yeah !  Come On !

BUDDY DAY PHOTO OPPORTUNITY OF THE MONTH CLUB:
Buddy Roosevelt Day is my brother‘s dog. He bought him from a pet store in Orange Park Florida right around ‘9-11’ in 2001. He went to the pet store, saw Buddy, took an instant liking to him, and then walked away from him. He got in his car, and he drove away from the store. After getting a couple of miles away he made a u-turn and returned back to the store. He bought and adopted Buddy right then and there. Today Buddy is about 9½-years-old. I refer to him as ‘Old Man Buddy’. This picture was taken this past Halloween.

Buddy - The Day Family Canine

THOSE CRAZY CRAZY CATS:

BLATANT PROMOTION:
At this time next Friday night I’ll be settled in at my brother’s and sister’s-in-law home sweet home in Allen Texas, as we enjoy 8 days and 8 nights together as a family celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas combined (our annual feasting and gift-giving tradition). I’m looking forward to it. This will be my first visit to Texas since the 4TH Of July holiday weekend. I left there just 13 days before my Dad passed on. I’ll be tweeting all throughout my upcoming holiday vacation, so you can always follow me to see what I’m up to out west. I’ll also be blogging next weekend with an all-new ‘Blast-Off’ on Friday and ‘Retro’ on Saturday. Tomorrow night on the 107TH edition of my ‘Saturday Night Retro’ I’m flashing back 6 years ago to 2004. Until we meet again my friends have yourself a safe, productive, and fun November weekend. Make it memorable.