Bag of Randomness for Thursday, April 20, 2017

  • There was news yesterday of Russia’s new base in Iceland, which reminded me of an award or some sort of Army recognition my father received for helping construct something in either Greenland or Iceland (most likely Greenland). I couldn’t find the paperwork but I did come across these photos of my father. When I saw the first one, probably when I was ten years old, I told my father he looked sad. He said he wasn’t sad, he was just freezing his “jewels” off because he was in Greenland/Iceland. When I saw the second picture, I told him his mustache looked funny. He said he didn’t care what he looked like at the time, he was trying to keep his upper lip warm. Him being sensitive to the cold was surprising since he grew up in Cincinnati.
  • Even though I didn’t find the paperwork I was looking for, I did come across this framed item. I’m sure they were a dime a dozen at the end of WWII when a plethora of servicemen was being discharged, and autopen was certainly used. But these “personalized” letters of recognition from the Secretary of the Navy and President Truman meant enough for my father to have them side by side.
  • As you know, OtherDogGeeding has had some major ear problems. The vet recommended an ear flush and a culture be sent to the lab, but the ear cleaning would require sedation. I dropped him off early yesterday morning and I expected to get a call around noon saying he would be available for pickup, but I didn’t get a call until after 2:00 PM. It was the vet’s assistant and the first words, verbatim, out of her mouth, after a deep breath and a pause, were, “Mr. Geeding, I want to apologize . . . I’m sorry . . . but we weren’t able to get to OtherDogGeeding in time.” Now, I’ve been preparing for his death for quite some time and didn’t expect that emotional gut punch when you get bad news, but it hit me hard. However, she follows up with, “You can pick him up after 4:00 PM.” I told her I thought she was telling me he died, and the poor girl apologized profusely. Maybe it was her wording or the tone in her voice, but for a good twenty seconds, I thought I lost my little buddy.
  • I do goofy things for my friends. For instance, I’ll call some of them a minute after minute on their birthday just so I can be the first to wish them a happy birthday. One recently told me that other than his mother, I was the only one that wished him a happy birthday on his actually birthday. He’s not on Facebook and neither am I, so he said it means more.
  • That same friend shared a story of him recently sharing my favorite poem with someone and how it really touched him. Men or women, but who remembers a friend’s favorite poem? That meant a lot to me, it tells you our relationship is full of substance or he’s some freak with a wicked memory. In case you are wondering, The poem is IF, by Rudyard Kipling. My high school drama teacher made all her students memorize it and stanzas often pop in my head during moments of stress breaking in on the walls of fortitude.
  • No Spoilers, I Promise – Last night the new season of ‘Fargo’ aired and they snuck in an image of Sisyphus.
    • I see a lot of similarities to ‘Better Call Saul’. You have a “loser” brother vs a successful brother, obscure settings (both a character in themselves) but beautiful use it with the cinematography, they are both predate another series, and the name Ehrmantraut was used.
  • Last night’s ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ was the one in which Hervé Villechaize (Tatu from ‘Fantasy Island’) made a guest appearance. Arnold rang the doorbell to an apartment and he answered. Arnold then asked, “Excuse me little boy, are your parents home.” Not a lot of folks can relate to one another like those two actors forever remembered by their height. But the uniqueness of that joke reminded me of this letter JFK sent Ike, which I found in my book about the relationships between presidents.
  • Life Pro Tip For Men – Put a guard on your clippers and trim your arm and leg hairs. You’ll be surprised, but it’s easier to apply sunscreen without all the excess hair absorbing it.
Posted in Personal | 8 Comments

Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, April 19, 2017

  • Sometimes we take OtherDogGeeding on the ride to school, and when we do, they buckle him up.
  • Last night’s ‘Fresh Off The Boat’ on ABC was heavily focused on half-Asians which made it the greatest episode in half-Asian history.
  • I asked one of DaughterGeeding’s friends if his parents ever allow him to play on their mobile phones. His reply, “No, they won’t give me the phone number to get into it.” I didn’t explain the difference between a PIN and an actual phone number to him, but I wish I could be there when the epiphany hits.
  • I remember when all product commercials used to offer COD and me not knowing what that meant for the longest time. Those commercials used to also have a blue screen at the end, I think, with yellow phone numbers.
  • Because of an upcoming exam, DaughterGeeding was working on a practice worksheet which didn’t need to be turned in. As I was helping her, I noticed the left-hander was writing with her right hand. When I asked her about it, she said she simply wanted to learn how to write with her right hand and since this worksheet didn’t need to be turned in, it was a good time for her to practice.
  • “Exam” sounds so much more serious than “test”.
  • University Instructor Takes Notes On Her Students’ Web Browsing Habits During Class,
  • Buzzfeed – Jay Pharoah Talks About Being Fired From SNL
  • This is a great image improvement move, but traditional Baptists are rolling over in their graves – In wake of sexual assault scandal, Baylor names its first female president
    • She served as the dean of Pepperdine’s school of business (2002-2014) when Ken Starr served as the dean of Pepperdine’s law school (2004-2010). Not that that is a judgment or indication of her future work, but I’m just curious how close she is to Starr.
  • I friend suggested we eat at a certain Mederterrian restaurant soon and I told him the last time I went, someone vomited in the bathroom sink, I informed the staff, and for the next half-hour no one cleaned it up. His reply, “So you’re telling me they aren’t the Buc-ee’s of the Mederterrian world.”
  • U2 Release Brassy New Version of Joshua Tree’s “Red Hill Mining Town”
  • The tour doesn’t start until May 12 in Vancouver, but Houston’s NRG had some practice space available – Footage of U2’s Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary Tour Stage Surfaces
  • Here are eight minutes of your life you’ll never get back. WifeGeeding likes to pull teeth, she got to do that often as a kindergarten teacher (of course, with parental permission). So far, DaughterGeeding has lost six teeth, but none of them pulled once by her mother. Last night we put her to bed and about 15-minutes later she comes out of her room ready for her mother to pull her tooth.
    • Despite wanting to do it, she stalls for a frustratingly long time.
    • A nervous toot is accidentally released around the 2:30 mark.
    • I lose my patience around the 6:40 mark and speak, telling her it’s time to stop the whining.
    • The tooth actually is pulled around the 7:29 mark.

Posted in Personal | Comments Off on Bag of Randomness for Wednesday, April 19, 2017