Bag of Randomness for Tuesday, Aug 2, 2022

  • Today is my late father’s birthday, he would have been 99. I really could have used his counsel and support over the past year and a half. Even though he’s not alive, I think I might do something special in his honor next year. It could be something simple, like buying a cake for the kids to eat, or me jumping out of a plane.
  • According to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Scooby-Doo’s full first name is Scoobert. According to this Business Insider article, it’s true, but don’t fall for the rumor his last name is Doobert.
  • Did Hell freeze over recently? I’m shocked this happened, much less was successful, in Houston – City of Houston calls first annual gun buyback event a success – Lines of cars could be seen wrapped around the block at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in southeast Houston where the event was held. Officials collected 845 guns and say they gave out nearly $100,000 in gift cards throughout the event.
  • I wonder how many times former President Trump has changed his will over the past ten years. I’m better it’s in the teens.
  • I’ve got major trust issues. I often look back at my 18-year marriage, which ended in divorce. Sometimes, I have some significant memories that make me smile about something my ex said or did. But, somewhere along the line, she faked the sincerity and really stopped caring. I’m left wondering about compliments she gave me which I held close to my heart (like her saying I have a great way of talking to our children) were genuine, or just a lie to make her life easier. During the divorce, I lost a 27-year friendship with my closest friend. I used to tell others this guy was my most sincere friend, and we would tell each other we never needed to explain ourselves about something we said or did because of the substance we built over the years, and we knew each other’s heart. I always valued his direct criticism. He knew every secret about me. I trusted him more than my wife or my parents. At the start of the divorce, I would reach out to him often for moral support because the loneliness and isolation were killing me. I feared I was reaching out too often, interrupting his life. But when I asked, he said I could never be a bother, and he’s available 24/7. However, one day he emailed stating he wouldn’t have internet access for two weeks. At the end of those two weeks, I tried to contact him to no avail. One day I received an email from him asking me to read it with an open mind. In the blunt and direct letter, he pointed out how frustrating and annoying I was, how he’s been putting up with me for years, I was definitely interrupting his life, and he lied about not having internet access to get away from me. I was hurt, but did what he asked, I read it with an open mind. My counselor and I have been working on everything he addressed after I shared the email with him. I’m not going to say that friend is a backstabber, but I felt backstabed. Like my ex, I wonder about the stuff he did or said that I valued was genuine, and how long I’ve been holding on to a lie. So, last year, I not only mourned the loss of my best friend (my ex) but also my closest friend. These were people I thought I could trust, and their words and actions were sincere. I fell for the false sincerity hook, line, and sinker. Nowadays, I try to guard my heart and always question and wonder if someone is sincerely being nice to me, or are they faking it and I’m falling for it like I did with my best and closest friends. I hope I don’t turn into a cynic and will learn to trust again.
  • Lightning strikes
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Bag of Randomness for Monday, August 1, 2022

  • One of my newest friends has something akin to a bucket list. One the list was kayaking. I’ve always been hesitant to do it because my best friend drowned in a kayak accident one week before my wedding. But, I wanted to support my new friend, continue to do things I normally would not, and conquer a fear. Going into it, I had a really positive mindset. I planned on being careful, wearing a life jacket, had a feeling I was in a less sporty version of a kayak than my late friend, and the water was going to be nowhere near as rapid or choppy as it was where for him. My new friend did very well. Me, not so much. Despite following the instructions provided to me in a quick lesson, I never felt I was making any momentum paddling while my new friend was doing circles around me. I felt like I was Homer Simpson, weighing down a boat so much it became impossible to move. It was great seeing how happy it made my friend, but I grew frustrated and did my best not to ruin the moment for her and turned in about ten minutes early. Embarrassingly, I couldn’t make it back to the starting point. But the young guys running DFWSurf at Grapevine Lake were kind professionals and put any worry or concern I had at ease, and at least didn’t look annoyed that my kayak wasn’t close to the return area. They said it happens all the time.
  • Regarding my new friend, I’m trying to think of anyone I’ve met who is a better listener than her. She’s definitely gifted in that area.
  • One thing my ex didn’t have to go through to the extent I did was provide copies of statements, tax returns, and other fun stuff for like the past seven years. Looking back at it, I wish I would have asked my lawyer why I had to provide those docs since she filed for the divorce and had access to all our accounts and paperwork.
  • My local McDonald’s has two drive-thru lanes to order, and then one line is formed to get to the payment window. Yesterday, I took the dogs with me to grab lunch after church. The car in the lane next to me had a young girl in it with their dog. I called one of my pups over and made my dog wave to her dog. She lit up with a huge smile on her face and excitedly got her mom’s attention. They both grabbed their dog to make him or her wave back. It was a wholesome moment..
  • Group of Republicans and Democrats form new political party to appeal to moderates – I like their intention, something like this is needed. I always thought the Republican party would split in to, perhaps forming a MAGA political party. But, this group wants to be viable in 2024, and it makes me wonder how it’s going to affect the presidential election and what party is going to suffer the consequences of siphoned-off voters.
  • Taking Off a Condom Without Consent Is Rape, Canadian Supreme Court Rules
  • Pa. man hired to babysit facing animal sex charges after allegedly being caught on hidden camera
  • Kentucky Noah’s Ark sues insurance company over damage caused by heavy rains
  • Here’s the future replacement of fireworks shows. This was at Toyota Stadium in Frisco after the FC Dallas game this weekend.

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Bag of Randomness for Friday, July 29, 2022

  • I tried a trial subscription with the Dallas Morning News. It was a good deal. I think it was like a buck for three months, but then it was $18.99 recurring subscription and the only option of cancelling was calling in. I want to support local media, but I don’t like the sales tactic. It wasn’t so much having to call in, but once I said I wanted to cancel, they knocked the price down to $14.99. When I politely declined, they offered $9.99 and allowed the option of sharing my account with my household. I’d rather they just offer me the best deal at the forefront and I’d be more inclined to by rather than think I might be the sucker who’s paying the highest subscription because I wasn’t smart enough to game the system.
  • This story is behind a paywall, but there’s a lot to unpack here – A Dallas evangelist told his followers that an “anointed cake” baked by “hookers” turned a gay man straight. – The evangelist, Lance Wallnau, bills himself as a Christian consultant whose website says he helped get President Donald Trump elected with his book God’s Chaos Candidate.
  • Stephen King Is Getting His Own ‘Treehouse Of Horror’ Special On ‘The Simpsons’
  • This website will tell you how many people share your first and last name – HowManyOfMe.com. There’s only one Keith Geeding in the United States, and you’re reading his blog. But, I’m only one of 213 Geedings.
  • I can’t identify any of the local musician St. Vincent’s songs, but I love her name for some reason. She was on Colbert recently and spoke about Dallas. Poor thing was put on the spot, and much like her, I wouldn’t have a lot to say about it as a tourist destination. But I hope she gets to sing the national anthem at a Cowboys game.
  • There needs to be a story about this mental health coach.

  • No one tell this sheep he’s not a dog, it would break his heart.
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Bag of Randomness for Thursday, July 28, 2022

  • Most of you know DaughterGeeding has a pet bunny. He’s named “Buno” after Bono (I merely suggested the name, she was free to name it whatever she wanted). Somehow through the divorce, I got stuck caring for the damn thing. Yesterday, I decided to steam some broccoli and thought I’d give the scraps I trimmed off to the rabbit. I thought it would be harmless, afterall, I’m sure bunnies in the wild eat broccoli that’s being farmed. But, I did my due diligence and googled what you see above and laughed my arse off. I mean, not only does broccoli give rabbits gas, it specifically gives them “painful gas.” I couldn’t help but imagine what Buno’s face would look like trying to pass “painful gas”. Of course, all of this reminded me of Dumb and Dumber‘s Turbolax scene (sorry for the potato quality, it was the best I could find). No doubt, Jeff Daniels’ best work.
  • Do they allow loud laughing in Hawaii? Or just a low ha?
  • Sprite will no longer be sold in green bottles – Sprite is retiring its green plastic bottles after more than 60 years. Coca-Cola said Wednesday it’s changing the packaging from green to clear plastic beginning August 1 as part of broader efforts to become more environmentally responsible. Sprite’s current plastic contains green polyethylene terephthalate (PET), an additive that can’t be recycled into new bottles
  • Mom claims Alvin ISD said daughter with special needs consented before alleged sexual assault
  • I go to trivia night with my three of my closest friends every Tuesday night, but it really disappointed me in how I handled myself. We got third, but we should have had a better time. One friend was razzing me for how I ordered my meal, which confused our server. A lot of times, I feel this friend doesn’t know when to let things go and how his jokes may make those in the service industry feel uncomfortable at his expense. Part of my concern was that I didn’t want the server to feel she was being made fun of. But really, I should have played it cool, relaxed, and took some good-natured ribbing. As my dad said, you only tease the ones you love. I was being teased, and I took it as an insult when it wasn’t. One of my other friends, who knows me best, could tell I was becoming upset, let the other friend know, and questioned why I would be upset over this. I said it’s because everyone knows I’m the dumbest one at the table and he was exploiting it. I apologized to him on the spot, and at the end of the evening, telling him I’m sorry and I have a lot of growing to do. But in some ways, the damage was already done and it made me and I think all of us feel awkward about it. There’s a little history there. I think I take too much of his ribbing. Perhaps he doesn’t realize how I feel or how often I feel he does it. A lot of times, it’s liberal jabs, and he probably doesn’t know how tough it is having these convictions of supporting certain views in this heavily conservative dominated area. I feel like I let things go all the time. He’s also the type that if he disagrees with you, he won’t let it go. He will look it up on his phone right away to prove a point. Over time, that gets annoying. But in retrospect, it was over ordering a cheeseburger. I should have just said, “You’re right, I should have phrased it differently.” Like I said, it was over a cheeseburger and friendships are bigger than cheeseburgers. But, this is more likely a symptom of a bigger problem. Probably my insecurity, because I said I feel like everyone knows I’m the dumbest one at the table and he was exploiting that fact. To be fair, he said, and I’m paraphrasing, “Hey, just to clear the air. I don’t think you’re the dumbest one at the table and I didn’t mean to be insulting or anything like that.” That’s when I said my first apology, that I should have handled it better and I’m still growing. But I felt bad because it kinda set the mood for the rest of the night.
  • That problem made me realize the attachment issue I’ve been working on. I hold on to things I don’t want to let go, and hold on to things I want to let go but can’t, or unintentionally should, let go. These “things” aren’t always physical, but can be. Sometimes, our refusal to let go means that thing has ownership of us. It’s an interesting thing I’ve been exploring.
  • I bet some of you are screaming at me to check out mindfulness. Trust me, I’m working on it. Here are two great audio books on it you can listen to for free, The Power of Now, and 10% Happier (GoldenAudioBooks is an overlooked and undervalued site). My more religiously conservatives will tell me just focus on the Bible and not this new age stuff. But I argue this isn’t new aged, Jesus practiced it, and God is not limited to teaching us things solely through the Bible.
  • Life is meaningless, says the teacher, so says the book of Ecclesiastes. Yesterday I stumbled upon this book about it as I went down a Twitter worm hole. I may download a sample and give it a try.
  • I also know a lot of you are telling me just to act or think a certain way. Trust me, I want to, but it takes work to get there, so I have to blog about the bad so you can understand what I’m going through in order to grow and get there.
  • I find this old story amazing – Rotating the Indiana Bell building
    Between Oct. 12 and Nov. 14 1930 the eight-story 11,000-ton Indiana Bell building was shifted 52 feet south along Meridian St. and rotated 90 degrees to face New York St. Workmen used a concrete mat cushioned by Oregon fir timbers 75-ton, hydraulic jacks and rollers, as the mass moved off one roller workers placed another ahead of it. Every six strokes of the jacks would shift the building three-eights of an inch – moving it 15 inches per hour.

    Gas, electric heat, water and sewage were were maintained to the building all during the move. The 600 workers entered and left the traveling structure using a sheltered passageway that moved with the building. The employees never felt the building move and telephone service went on without interruption. And yes, the move took less than 30 days.

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