SUNDAY FUNDAY, SUNDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2022

 SUNDAY FUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2022

WARM-UP

Actually, it would be nice to warm up!!!  Some cold days in our forecast.  Of course, it could be like my experiences up north growing up.  Some days the temperature was zero - NO TEMPERATURE AT ALL!!!!  (Wooo!!!)

“Just 0.03″ of ice can, and has, shut down the City of Austin. If we get 0.25″-0.50″ of ice, or even isolated amounts of 0.75″, that will add hundreds of pounds to tree limbs and power lines. We will face a threat of power outages not only from the near-record demand forecast on the ERCOT power grid but from fallen trees and ice-laden power lines blowing in the wind.  (From one of the local TV stations)”

And, we got it - about 0.1 inch of ice - which shut the area down.  But that was Thursday and the weather front moved on - but left a bitter cold over the area.  (Note to my friends who have lived through minus 20 to minus 40 temperatures in South Dakota, and other places.  Bitter cold in the Austin Texas area is 15 degrees above zero!!!)

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TOP SECRET - HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON HEATING AND COOLING

(Psst - don’t share with others)

When I lived in a house with a huge attic, on the coldest days of the year I would take the big industrial-sized black contractor’s trash bags out into the yard and fill up with super cold air.

Then in the summer when it got hot, I would retrieve a few bags and open them up in the house and let that frigid air cool off the house.

Then I would take the empty black trash bags on the hottest days of the year and fill them in the yard with super hot air.  In the winter, I could open a few bags and let the hot air out.  

<Just one caveat - store the bags on different sides of your attic for more efficient use of the air>

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MEMORIES:

During the summers while I was in college I worked.  The summer before college I worked as an assistant delivering furniture.  I was with Bill.  

Now, Bill was a guy in his 50th - always a truck driver - and quite a bit different than my life as a high school student and my family.  Every afternoon we stopped at a cafe and had a beverage and a slice of pie.  Bill had coffee and I had soda (but, in Iowa, that was “pop”).  This was 1965 and you could smoke in cafes and restaurants then, so Bill had a cigarette while I finished my pie.  Most days we were local to Cedar Rapids, Iowa but on Thursdays, we delivered furniture out of town.

I “knew” that Bill was dumb; Bill was just an old truck driver; I was going off to college and Bill would still be delivering furniture.  I was smart and Bill wasn’t.  (Yes, I could be a bit judgemental then).  

One day Bill suggested a game.  Whoever lost the game had to pay for the drinks and pie.  Duh, I was smart, and Bill wasn’t - this was going to be a piece of cake (or … a piece of pie).  He put 15 match sticks on the table and alternating turns, a person could take 1, 2, or 3 match sticks.  BUT - whoever took the last match stick lost and would pay for our refreshments.  

So, we played - and I lost.  I was trying to save money for college and I really didn’t want to pay for both of our desserts.  Just luck I thought.

The next day, we played again - and again - I lost.  (Maybe I wasn’t so smart or lucky).  Every day that week, we played - and every day I lost and every day there was a dollar or two less in my college fund.  By the end of the week, (slow learner), I figured out there must be a process so a person could win every time.  

That weekend, I worked on this puzzle and I was ready for Bill on Monday!!  (I tried not to be too eager).  I went first and took two match sticks - and WON!!!  

We didn’t play that game anymore.  It is such that you can win every time (particularly if you go first).  I have used this game in classes over the years and tricked students many times.  (I eventually told them the secret once somebody knew and beat me a few times).  You might want to try me sometime!!!

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Fortunately, we didn’t have to carry hide-a-bed sofas up to fourth-floor apartments, but it was a learning summer - and my biggest lesson was not to judge old truck drivers as ‘dumb’!!!  All people are worthy of respect and love!!!

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OOPS - I made a mistake earlier this week - I had “ground beef”, and not “ground hog”

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JOKES

When my local barista handed me my change, one coin stood out. “Look at that. You rarely get one of these old wheat pennies nowadays,” I said, tapping the sheaf of-wheat design. I handed her the penny. Turning it over and over in her hand, she said, “You know, I always thought they were made of copper.”  

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Two ships collided. One was carrying a load of red paint, the other a load of blue paint. All the passengers were marooned.

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A man is at the funeral of an old friend. He tentatively approaches the deceased’s wife and asks whether he can say a word. The widow nods. The man clears his throat and says, “Plethora.” The widow smiles appreciatively. “Thank you,” she says. “That means a lot.”

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When I was teaching high school in the ’70s, One of my students said he’d just heard his favorite group on the radio, Carrying Grain. The band was Hall & Oates.

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Joe is a new man on a construction crew. The first day on the job, he opens his lunch box and mumbles, “Oh no, peanut butter!” The next day, “Peanut butter again!” This goes on for days, until another worker says, “Why don’t you ask your wife to make a different lunch?” Joe replies, “I’m not married. I make my own lunch.” 

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I tried having my mother’s phone disconnected, but the customer service rep told me that since the account was in my dad’s name, he’d have to be the one to put in the request. The fact that he’d been dead for 40 years didn’t sway her. Then a solution hit me: “If I stop paying the bill, you can turn off the service, right?” “Well, yes,” she said reluctantly. “But that would ruin his credit.”

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NATIONAL DAYS FOR THE NEXT WEEK

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TIME TO TALK DAY - February 6, 2022 - National Today

Time to Talk Day, February 6, draws attention to mental health and the importance of reaching out to others. The day aims to help people open up and be honest about mental health, without the fear and stigma often attached to the topic.

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NATIONAL MARRIAGE WEEK - February 7-14, 2022 - National Today

National Marriage Week is from February 7 to February 14.  Many of you (us) have had long marriages - so celebrate!!!

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NATIONAL BOY SCOUT DAY - February 8, 2022 - National Today

On February 8 we celebrate National Boy Scout Day to honor those who are trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. 

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READ IN THE BATHTUB DAY - February 9, 2022 - National Today

National Read In The Bathtub Day is a yearly observance on February 9. Reading a book in a warm bath guarantees a calm feeling of relief as the literature therapeutically works its magic. You don’t have to worry about what noises are out there or any disturbances while you’re in the bath. You just get to focus on what you’re reading for as long as you want. The relaxation and scented bath would grant you an unforgettable experience!  (Just try to keep the book dry!!)

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NATIONAL CREAM CHEESE BROWNIE DAY - February 10, 2022 - National Today

Cream cheese is a delicious dairy product obtained by mixing milk and cream. And when this is combined with chocolaty brownies, the result is an explosion of sweetness and creaminess and leaves your taste buds wanting more.

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NATIONAL GUITAR DAY - February 11, 2022 - National Today

I’ve known some awesome guitar players (BW is a friend who plays classical guitar).  The guitar is a versatile instrument - from acoustic guitar to electronic / rock guitar. And, February 11th is a great day to listen to some guitar music!!!

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ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY - February 12, 2022 - National Today

“Honest Abe” was maybe one of the best Presidents ever.  (And, so he got carved into the granite rock on Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota!!).  If you haven’t been to the Black Hills and to Mount Rushmore - put it on your list!!!

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WRAP-UP

February has some wonderful things about it.  The Superbowl (Cinncinati versus the Las Angeles Rams) is on February 13th, Valentine’s Day is on February 14th, Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12th, Washington’s Birthday on the 22nd.  

And, what do I remember about Washington’s Birthday from Math Class?  

George Washington was born in 1732 - and the square root of 3 (to three decimal places is 1.732!!

STAY WARM, DRIVE SAFELY

LOVE WINS!!!!

Karen

February 6, 2022