Duck, Duck, Goose

It's Laura against the World!!

I'm at home, waiting on the electric company. They are rigging my meter with a laser because for the last six years I have refused them free entrance to my house and they never get to read my meter monthly. So at the end of the year, they always have to refund my account because they overcharge me. I usually receive my yearly notice that if I don't let them in my house to read my meter they will disconnect me. So once a year I have the following conversation with them:

Me: I was told to call this number or you will disconnect my service.
DP&L: your address.
Me: Address . . . . . .you know, I ask every year that my meter be moved to the outside. It is ridiculous that you would actually expect me to provide a key to my house. I have four small children who are at home by themselves and am not comfortable with a stranger having access to my house. I mean, I am sure that you all are very careful on who you hire, but no one can be careful enough. You know what I mean.
DP&L: (scheduling appointment to read my meter) . . . . . . . .you will have to pay 500.00 to have the meter moved outside.
Me: then the meter will not be moved. You can read my meter in December like last year and not another month.
DP&L: we will continue to estimate your bill.
Me: you do that every year and then at the end of the year, you have to pay me back. I am fine with that and can use the Christmas money.
You're like a Christmas savings account for me.
DP&L: can I help you with anything else?
Me: Nope, see you next December.

This year when they threatened me, I got a guy named Greg who is one his way out to my house right now to put in a laser thing that will read my meter from inside my house. an electric reader will drive by my house, shoot it with a laser, and be able to tell what my meter reading is.
Cool huh? no more battles, threats, anger. Just peace with the electric company, finally.
1 Hour Later
Well, wouldn't you know that the electric guy showed up (he actually specializes in gas) and I have this "CT Box" - now, the only thing that I know for sure, is that the "T" stands for transformer and that this particular set up is usually found in commercial settings. Apparently I have an electrical box that is so large, 400 something capability, that I could actually power 6 houses twice as big as mine. Why? you may ask would someone build a house with that much electrical capability? I don't know that yet. There must be some benefit to have a source with that much power. The guy, after speaking with the electrical expert, told me that it is comparable to the large transformers on the telephone poles. Thence, they cannot hook me up with the laser technology because if they pulled the face of the meter off and plugged in what they use in today's standard, it would immediately blow. So, we are back to the once a year reading and I have a huge box with a single piece lock that I never noticed before today and was told in no uncertain terms to never, never, try to unlock it.

I take pleasure in knowing though that I have more power than any other residence in Ohio. Finally, I know that I have more power than a lot of people and it has been documented. The electric company is Vectren. I will have a picture taken as soon as I decide on a dress to wear.

Iowahawk knows the American dream.

Once again, Iowahawk puts into words the dreams we all have.

Happy Birthday Dad

Yesterday was the anniversary of my Dad’s birthday. He passed away too soon. Dad would have been 78. He was a great man. Everyone who knew him, had at one point or another, bucked up against him thinking they were in the right. I can't think of a time when he didn't help us see the error in our ways. Dad's ability to see things in the "black and white,” form a judgment and present a well spoken opinion showed his superior intellect and maturity. I don't believe there was ever at time that when I asked him for advice (and when I truly listened to him) that I didn't receive advice worth the time spent asking. I believe that I am the man I am because of him. I know I'm not near perfect, nor was Dad, but Dad was a man who worked hard at being as good as a man as he could be. Dad was a stalwart figure who bravely faced life and bravely faced death. All who have met him have visions of his bravery. When I think about my Dad and when he showed me what it meant to be brave I think of Okinawa and our own little Alamo. The Okinawan’s were facing a lay off and Dad was the responsible party. Dad’s office was on Camp Kewi (sp) a Marine Hospital location. The gates were guarded by Okinawan’s who let the Mob on post without hesitation. My mind tells me that there were 1000’s of them. The Strikers had formed a Snake Dance. One Marcher holding the person in front at the waist marching and chanting, snaking and surging forward. All wore hardhats and bandanas over their faces. I know they felt their autonomy gave them power. I also knew that not a one of them would have faced my father unmasked. In my Dad’s building were my brother Mike, Dad and me. Dad had already called the Marines. He had locked the two glass doors to the building and stood there defiant, looking through the full glass door. I remember standing behind him, scared but solid. We would not run, we would not cower. Dad had his arms crossed in front of him staring into the masked faces that were pushing and shoving against the doors. The doors did not break, the Marines showed up and cleared out the strikers. I learned a lesson that day, I truly knew what a leader was. I had witnessed it. If those doors had broken there would have been a fight and we may have gotten bruised or even killed but we would not have lost, you see, my Dad wasn’t like a regular man and I don’t want to sound trite but my Dad was like Davy Crockett. I hope I can be like him. I can only try, like he did.

The Season Has Started

Terry Peak has opened and we hit the slopes for half a day. The snow was good. They can always use more. Only Stewart Lodge side was open but we mad plenty of runs between the Bloody Mary's. Later in the evening we went to a "Teacher" party. All the usual suspects were present. It was a good time but I was fully briefed on the way to watch what I said. I did get involved playing a game called "Red Apples and Green Apples." If you ever have the chance to play go ahead and pass on it. I did win.

Important Lesson

1966: Upon being told that President Charles DeGaulle had taken France out of NATO and that all U.S. Troops must be evacuated off of French soil President Lyndon Johnson mentioned to Secretary of State Dean Rusk that he should ask DeGaulle about the Americans buried in France. Dean implied in his answer that that DeGaulle should not really be asked that in the meeting at which point President Johnson then told Secretary of State Dean Rusk:

"Ask him about the cemeteries Dean!"

That made it into a Presidential Order so he had to ask President DeGaulle.

So at end of the meeting Dean did ask DeGaulle if his order to remove all U.S. troops from French soil also included the 60,000+ soldier buried in France from World War I and World War II.

DeGaulle, embarrassed, got up and left and never answered.

Avocado Sandwich

Last night I made Avocado Sandwiches for dinner. I learned to make these at a new wave restaurant I cooked at in Hattiesburg Mississippi back in the early 80’s. If you have not had them you should.

Here is the recipe:
1 sliced Avocado,
1 red onion,
Alfalfa sprouts,
Cream cheese, Mayo,
Light Rye Bread.

Toast the Rye, spread Mayo on the face of both pieces of bread, Spread Cream cheese on one piece, place slices of Avocado across the bread, salt and pepper, pile on Red Onion and Alfalfa sprouts and enjoy.

Deadwood South Dakota

We went to Deadwood last night. This is our first time to go since last fall. I’m not a gambler. I mean, I will gamble but I don’t win. Therefore, I am not a gambler. I am a Giver Awayer. So, as I was partaking in Giver Awayer last night at a blackjack table I started conversing with the woman next to me. I didn’t catch her name but she is from Oxford Mississippi. She seemed nice at first. After a while she started making comments about my playing like “Oh, don’t hit that”, “Don’t split those”, “You can’t play cards”. I looked at her and smiled and told her “It’s okay lady, these are MY cards.” She got all huffy and kept commenting. I finally told her to shut up and butt out of my hand. That’s about when Mary and Cara showed up. I had about $40.00 and gave my seat to Mary along with the money I had. Now, Mary had had a few and she is certainly more tolerable than I am. So the woman started telling Mary how to play her cards. I didn’t know this. I had assumed she was just being mean to me. While I was standing next to Mary the Oxford woman’s husband came by the table and appeared to be a nice fellow. Funny, warm, just what you expect from someone from Mississippi. He left and she went right back to being mean. She was telling us that she comes to Deadwood every year for a week and comes every November because she loves it. She started telling us that she was staying in “this” hotel and last year in “that” hotel as if we are supposed to be impressed. Remember this is Deadwood South Dakota. There is nowhere you can stay that is impressive. There is no “fancy” hotel here and quite frankly most people here don’t give a crap where you lay your head unless it’s the streets and then we try to figure out how to help you. But here we were with the first rude person I had ever met from Mississippi and it was a woman to boot. I was taking a picture of Mary playing cards and this banshee starts telling me to delete the pictures because I wasn’t allowed to take her picture. I told her I deleted them. Of course I lied but I was trying to placate her. I walked away from the table and told my buddy that I needed to find the woman’s husband so I could ask him to go tell her to be nice. That little squirrel had slipped out of the casino. He was nowhere to be found. (I don’t blame him) So, now I had to do it. I gave my buddy my camera and showed him how to record everything in video mode. I went back to the table and got between Mary and the Bitch and started saying I was going to play the open spot. Ms Oxford told me that that spot was taken. I told her “Yep, it’s taken by me and you should pay attention to her own hand and leave me alone.” She told me I couldn’t play the spot and I told her to shut up. She got up from the table and said “I can’t play here with HIM at the table”. I said, “Then go the hell away, I don’t like you.” She left. Now I have to dedicate a blog entry to her and start posting her damn picture all over the Internet because If I don’t she may continue her tirade across the nation ruining Mississippi’s reputation. I just don’t believe she is really from Mississippi. I think she must have just married someone from Oxford and she is really from New York or California.