Did someone mention Montevallo?

OK. As long as you brought up Montevallo, here goes.

I remember being in Cub Scouts (I seem to remember Mom being the Den Mother) and building rubber band boats. That was the first time I remember being allowed to use a "real" saw, not to mention a pocket knife.

And then there were the lightning bugs in the back yard. I remember going out and there were so many they almost slapped you in the face as you walked through the yard.

I remember walking up to the corner to the Sinclair station to get gas for the lawnmower. Took a gallon can and Dad gave me a quarter with which to purchase said gas. Had enough left over for bubble gum. Now you can't hardly find gum for a quarter, much less the gas!

I remember Mom working in the ticket booth at the theater and walking up there to watch "Finnegan's Rainbow".

Oh, well. TTFN

Randy

More memories

OK. So I got to thinking (as I was laying under the truck) that one more thing that Dad definitely passed on to me is the ability to know what I am capable of fixing on the vehicles and what I am not. Saved myself probably $300 or so this week. We were riding to work the other day and noticed a bit of a shutter in Pam's car just as I got to my office. It was a cold morning so I did not think much of it other than to file it away and be on the lookout for other instances of the same. Less than 3 minutes later, Pam calls me and says the car is running real rough (aka, another instance . . . . ) and the "Check engine" light came on. So that evening, she drove it to Kwik Lube and I told her to just get them to plug in their little handheld computer and see what the codes were. As I suspected, he said that cylinder #4 was misfiring and it needed a tune-up ($224 worth). I called the parts house and the plugs and wires were only about $32. I bought them the next day at lunch and in less than 15 minutes had changed the plugs and wires and the car now runs fine. I also needed brake pads on the front of the truck. $20 and about an hour of work later and that one is done as well. Had I never watched and handed wrenches to Dad, I would have never gotten the pads back on because I would have had no idea how to get the calipers receded.

Anyway, watching and "Helping" (I am sure that I was very little of the latter) kept me from spending a bunch of money that I didn't need to spend and also doing without both vehicles for about a day each. Thanks, Dad!

"Fixing" the economy?

So all of that money that the congress gave away to "fix" the economy went where? To banks that had problems with bad debts so they could buy up other banks with bad debt? And this is supposed to help the economy how? We all knew that it would happen but we let it anyway. And now they are going to give more money to more banks as well as the American car companies and they are going to "keep better tabs on where the money goes this time." I can tell you that without them spending another dime of MY (and your) money. Straight in their pockets. Go ahead and just send me a check and forget the bureaucracy. No need to set up any "Blue Ribbon Panel" or anything else. They all know where the money will go and so do we. They just don't want to be seen as doing nothing about the "crisis".
And another thing. Who caused the crisis anyway? THEY DID!!!!!!!!! They set the whole house of cards up and then when it came tumbling down, they all ran for cover and started blaming everyone else.

Oh, well. I will keep my head about me and keep looking to the one in whose hands I rest. And just remember: It is called the present for a reason! Open it up, enjoy it and thank the one who gave it to you.

R