What A Slacker!

Signs of the Times and the Missing Comma

Add comment June 1st, 2009

Below you will find two signs I happened across. Both of which are missing commas therefore making the meaning of the sign slightly different than intended. Not quite as much fun as the Blog of Unnecessary Quotes, but almost. I am not quite sure what an alcohol dog is and I have never heard of a drying vacuum either…

Decoration Day

Add comment May 25th, 2009

My grandfather used to call Memorial Day, Decoration Day. It was the day they would go to the cemetery and decorate the graves of the service men and other family members. So I thought I would wish everyone out there a happy Decoration Day and hop that you took some time out today to remember the reason you had off work today.

Someone on Twitter sent me a link to an interesting article on Memorial Day/Decoration Day (they say Decoration Day was a southern thing, but my grandfather was a PA Dutchman through and through). The article, Memorial Day — bivouac of the dead: hallowed, haunted Gettysburg, was written by MaryEllen O’Brien and has a more spiritual angle than military.

I just watched a really good program on PBS called Hallowed Ground. It is all about the US cemeteries through out Europe that mark the finally resting places of 40% of the men and women who fought for freedom in WWI and WWII.

 I did not know so many cemeteries were over there. It would make a very interesting group tour sometime.

People Pets and the Internet Pt2

Add comment May 3rd, 2009

People and their pets seem to be flocking to social networks. Most can be found on sites like Twitter and facebook, while many are still holding out over at MySpace although it is dropping in popularity.

Popping up all over the internet is a new breed of social networking sites. These new sites are catering specifically to the pet owner and their pets. Sites like YouPet, Cute as Hell and Pikapet are strictly on Topic pet only sites. And yes, your pet is welcome, actually expected, to have his own profile. There are other sites to like People Pets that are offshoots of the human centric sites. So if your pet, like mine, is so inclined set him up with his own profile on Twitter, facebook or the like and watch his virtual friends pile up.

People Pets and the Internet

Add comment May 2nd, 2009

Pets on the interwebs. Search any social network on the internet these days and you will most certainly find a bunch of pet lovers. Search MySpace, facebook or Twitter just a little harder and you will find the pets that belong to those very same pet lovers. Yes, there is a growing number of pets who blog or have their own web pages, and they connect with each other on these social networks.

Take my big boy Boris for example. I blog about him quite often, what is he does, his new toys, etc. When we first got him I even started a blog about his care and growth. Then we both got sick and the blog fell to the wayside. Recently I started dealing more with facebook and Twitter (as MySpace is yesterdays news) and found myself one night setting up accounts for Boris. So now you can follow the exploits of this kitty cat across the web via his blog (he took it over how), twitter and facebook.

I will continue to write about him here, as he is just too darn cote not too (besides he tends to ignore the fact that he has three older sisters who don’t play on the web — you know how it is for us older folks).

Target Pharmacy Closed in Middle of Day

Add comment April 30th, 2009

Target pharmacy has pissed me off. These days that is real easy to do (not that it isn’t pretty easy any old time, just more so now). Target no longer calls their customers — well, customers. They call them guests instead. I think it is to foster a better image, but it doesn’t work. All it does is allow them to ignore the age-old adage that the customer is always right (whoever heard of the guest is always right?) Heck, it even allows them to ignore the customer.

Well in my home the guest is treated with respect and gets pretty much what they want not so at Target especially the pharmacy. I went on Sunday; my only available day, to pick up my prescriptions and the pharmacy was closed for lunch! They can’t even man the pharmacy for the posted hours for their store. For god’s sake take people from other departments but don’t shut down in the middle of the day when people need to get their medications. I could not wait for it to re-open as I had to get to the hospital and it would be closed by the time I got home. I had to wait until my next day off to make a special trip in to Target just to pick up my pills. If I weren’t already boycotting CVS I would take my business there. Maybe I will see how the new Rite-aid does with my next Rx.

I’m just saying if you can’t be open during published hours then maybe you don’t deserve any business?

Stupid Laws: Shovel Snow Off The Grass

Add comment March 3rd, 2009

Our friends Gary and Faith were fined because they did not shovel their grass! Can you believe that? When I first heard about this from my friend Scott I thought it was the stupidest thing in the entire world then I saw the news tonight and I changed my position. Now I think the mayor of Laureldale is the stupidest thing in the entire world or at least his position on the fining of his constituents over not shoveling snow from the grass around their homes is. Anyone wanna place a bet that a certain mayor won’t be re-elected next term?

Well, this travesty of justice is no longer just a Reading news tidbit it has made it to the Philadelphia news (maybe we can take it national).

If there is no sidewalk then people should not be walking there in the first place. Heck, I would not want my lawn destroyed by people walking all over it let alone destroyed by having to shovel a bare spot in it. If the town wants people to have public walkways around their homes then they should put in sidewalks on all sides of all homes. Then and only then can I see enforcing a law about snow removal, but removal of snow from a yard, no way.

It is a little ridiculous to be digging out 50-year-old laws and sticking people with $110 fines without any warning. If Laureldale wants there to be a safe walkway there then put in a sidewalk, but don’t ask them to ruin their lawns by shoveling or even allowing people to trespass on their private property. No sidewalk makes it a private lawn not a public thoroughfare.

Watch the news clip and/or read the whole sad sorted story at 6ABC.com.

Pet Cemetery Makes It To Top Ten Places of Rest List

Add comment February 27th, 2009

The Hartsdale Pet Cemetery near New York City has made it to the Top 10 Places of Rest list “alongside the Taj Mahal in India and the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt” according to ZooToo Pet News website. Lonely Planet published the list in their book 2009 Best of Travel (I assume it is a book of lists about traveling in 2009). I don’t know about the rest of the book but this list in particular interests me quite a bit and I will be adding it to my TO DO LIST (which may or may not ever get done).

The Hartsdale Pet Cemetery is the world’s oldest operating pet cemetery started way back in 1896 by Dr. Samuel Johnson. It also happens to be America’s first pet cemetery.

Poking around their website they have a war dog memorial at the cemetery that I would really like to see at some point. Maybe this summer we can take a trip up there (if my car can make it that far).

Chasing Dogs on the Highway

Add comment February 13th, 2009

I spent a good part of my morning trying to save some dogs on the highway again! This is the second time in like 2 or 3 months. This time it was on the other end of 176. All of the sudden the traffic came to a screeching halt and I saw two dogs running back across the highway after almost being hit by a truck (who apparently couldn’t care less if he hit the dogs or not).

Three of us stopped and tried to save the scared pups. One was a st. bernard and the other a shepherd mix. We got them off the road but they wouldn’t come to anyone. They finally went through a hole in the fence and ran up through the woods.

There are two things I would like to see happen. 1) People would take better care with there animals and know where they are and 2) people on the roads would be a little cautious around animals no matter if it is a skunk, a deer or a dog.

Hospital Horrors

Add comment January 5th, 2009

I had to go to the hospital for tests (more ultrasounds on my legs because of the accident) the Friday after mom’s funeral. It was hard enough going back into a hospital only days after my mother just died in one, but given the reception (or lack there of) at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Reading it is a wonder I did not snap. My appointment was at 1pm, bad time because most likely everyone takes there lunch from 12 to 1. When I first arrived there was no one in the reception area that I was directed to for patient registration. So I popped out to ask the person at the window I had just passed, but she was now gone. As I was going back into the waiting area a couple was coming in as well. I held the door for them and said something about nobody being here. Just then a lady popped out of an office a started to take the couples info. When I spoke up about being there first she got downright nasty to me saying she saw them come in first (DUH, I held the door for them as I came back in the room). After a little argument with her she finally took me in first.

Yes, I could have waited a few minutes, but as I said it was bothering me even being in the hospital in the first place and her treatment of me become a real issue for me. Why would any hospital have someone with such a horrible disposition working the desk where patients need some kindness and compassion? She had no idea why I was there or what my back-story was yet she treated me like dirt. I could have been there for a very serious test and been extremely worried about my health and the outcome of said test. If that were the case I certainly should have been handled with kid gloves not in the harsh manner that I was. In fact ever person walking into that room should be treated in a kinder, gentler manner than how she addressed me since you never know why they are there in the first place.

Once I was finally registered (by another person thankfully) I was directed to another unmanned waiting area. After my last experience I decided to stay put this time and wait to see if anyone ever bothered to show up. Someone eventually did and took me back for my test.

The lady that gave me my ultrasound that day was so kind and personable that it almost made up for the treatment I received when I first walked in that hospital. While I was back there they called a code blue (you all know what that is) and I got really upset as the memories flooded back to me. I told her that my mother had just passed away to explain my tears. She reached out and touched my leg telling me how sorry she was. I could tell that she was showing genuine compassion for me. She also told me if she were me she would not be having this test done. (But I knew Mom wanted me to find out why my legs are still so bad even a year after the accident, so I went.)

After my test was over I thanked her repeatedly for her kindness and for explaining what she was seeing during the ultrasound (techs won’t usually do that they leave it to the doctors who don’t really tell you anything). I just wanted to make sure she knew how much I had appreciated her that day.

Now St. Joe’s needs to find a few more of her to deal with the patients as they walk through the door and get rid of that grouchy one they have now.

Harrowing experience on the highway this morning

Add comment November 15th, 2008

I was driving to work when all of the sudden on the road directly in front of me was a 5 gallon bucket. I was in the passing lane and said bucket was in the middle of that lane. The pickup truck in front of me was high enough to clear the bucket (it was on its side) otherwise I could have been hit by a flying bucket and had my wind shield broken. Unfortunately there was as no room to get around the bucket. A white porche was next to me and there was a steep hill to my left. So my choices were hit the bucket, hit the porche or roll my car down a hill. I went with hit the bucket.

It made a horrible sound and shot across the right lane just missing that porche. Needless to say I was extremely stressed out by the whole thing. I haven’t got the money to fix any damage to my car or anyone else s either.

Plus with my past experience I was pretty shook up even though it turned out to be a rather minor incident when all was said and done. Here’s hoping tomorrow’s commute goes better.

The Marvelous Marvel Ranch

Add comment October 18th, 2008

We recently discovered a little restaurant in the middle of town called the Marvel Ranch. It is at 4th and Penn in downtown Reading. We have been driving by this place for twenty odd years and thought it was a closed down dive. Well it isn’t either of those things.

The outside does present itself as a dive and perhaps the inside isn’t much better, but the food is good and inexpensive. It has a homey feel like Mel’s in Alice’s Restaurant. (We haven’t gone in enough times to know if The Marvel Ranch has its own version of Flo or not. But the locals and regulars add plenty of color and character to the overall atmosphere even without a Flo in the mix.)

The hours at the Marvel are a bit odd (this is why we assumed it was no longer in business). They open real early to catch the folks heading off to work something like 5:30 or 6: 00 (you won’ t catch me up that early). Then close around I:00 pm and 12:00pm on Sundays. You can get their entire menu at any time. So if you want a burger at 6 am you can get it or if you want the Marvel Mess at noon you can get that too. What is the Marvel Mess? It is an omelet that is pretty much a Marvel Ranch exclusive. It includes scrambled eggs, cheese, potatoes, ham, onions, and peppers all served up in a heap on your plate for only a few dollars. The also serve a smaller portion called the mini marvel mess. A stack of 3 pancakes is under 3 dollars.

Next time you find yourself in Reading in the morning looking for a good place for breakfast or an early lunch check out this hidden treasure that’s just across the Penn Street bridge. You’ll be pleasantly surprised. I know we were.

Dreams of Theaters, Bikers and Lesbians oh my

Add comment September 20th, 2008

I just had one of the weirdest dreams. But then again what dream isn’t a bit strange?

I am in a hotel room with about three other people. I think they are friends or family, but I never identify them in the dream I only feel familiar with them. We are on computers, working, playing who knows. Then we head to the cars to go to the movies. The guy I am with gets on a CB radio (do they even make those any more?) and is talking to a guy three cars down in the parking lot. End scene.

A group of people, me included, is sitting around discussing the movies we just saw. End scene. I never see the theater in this dream, which is kind of odd as I do have a reoccurring theater dream, but this dream did not include that theater.

I was sitting with a bunch of women discussing politics when in walks Sarah Palin. We were in my dead Grandmother’s living room. She and someone on her “team” started telling us about the opposition and that they were having a meeting with an online chat. We were told to go and disrupt the meetings in any way we saw fit. Since I absolutely hate smear campaigns (and that is all the republicans seem to be doing in at their own convention where they already had the support) thought this was horrible. I followed another woman back to the bathroom and asked her if she felt this was wrong and she totally agreed with me. End scene.

Moving down a road (3 or 4 lanes on every side) to a very busy intersection. I am not sure how we are moving, driving or walking. In front of us we hear all this screeching and screaming. It was a group of about twenty kids walking and running around in the middle of the highway pretending to be driving. We yell at them to be safe. End scene.

Walking toward a tight, high walled corridor with a large group of people next to that highway (so I guess we were walking too). We see a couple of bikers turn at the intersection. One had a rifle strapped to his hog. One of the kids from earlier yells, “he’s got a gun.” We are now in the corridor and I notice the people around me and I lean into one of the bigger, burlier looking biker dudes and said, “Yeah, so who doesn’t ride a bike and carry a gun.” He laughed at that and we keep walking. Then I am approached by a kind of hot biker chick (not as scary as the big guy, but a little tough) and we start chatting. She’s telling me about all the guys she is always with (hanging out with that is). We are walking toward a movie theater (second one in this dream sequence), but this one is more like a dingy basement or warehouse room with rows of sofas, a screen and projector in it than a real theater. As we get to the door my new friend is saying how the guys are nice and some are gay, but it is hard being a lesbian and meeting women. She then turns to me pointing out a sofa for me to get us seats. She wants me to sit between a lone girl and two other women who are sprawled across the sofa making out. So I go over ask the politely to let us sit there and sit down and wait for my new lesbian biker friend to come back. End scene.

At this point Boris (the 25 pound moose cat) jumps on my chest and wakes me up. He follows me into the bathroom where my thoughts oddly enough turn to thinking of what movies are playing down at our new IMAX Theater.

Boy Did I Call That One

Add comment July 6th, 2008

As I said on the fourth I spent not only the day in bed but just about the entire weekend. If it weren’t for my friend pulling me out of thehouse on Saturday I would have spent the entire weekend in bed.

Saturday we went to the Tiki Bar with my friend and her husband. We had a good time. Good company, nice view (sat by the river), saw wild life (mating — sun fish, bullfrog, turtle and dragonflies). While we did not really want to cook our own meal and pay high prices of a served meal it was still fun. And still cheaper than therapy.