A Blue Texas Monday With A Captured Barefoot Bandit

As you can see, from the view from my patio, it is a very blue Monday, currently, at my location in Texas, this second Monday of July.

I was dead tired real early Sunday. So, I went to bed before the sun did. And then got out of bed, this morning, before the sun did. Well, more accurately, I got up about the same time the sun did.

I have a lot of blogging fodder that should provide me some entertainment today. I hope.

Washington's notorious Barefoot Bandit, Colton-Harris Moore, was finally caught. Somehow managing to steal a plane in Indiana and fly it all the way to the Bahamas, where, eventually he was recognized, police called, with his capture after a high speed boat chase. When caught and arrested, Colton was still barefoot.

I did not know the Barefoot Bandit had been captured til Betty Jo Bouvier told me, suggesting it might be good blogging material. I'll get around to that later on my Washington blog.

But, before that, I believe it is time for my extremely salubrious early morning swim. You are welcome to join me. Monday's are clothing optional.

Wal-Mart & Its Possibly Criminal Bad Business Practices

I was having me a good Sunday. Long swim this morning. The successful, 2nd try, concocting of hummus. Another adventure with the Chase Bank ATM, which went better than the last one. A call to my sister in Phoenix, that started with talking to my brother-in-law, then talking to my sister while I walked in Village Creek Natural Historic Area.

And then, needing lemon juice, I went to the Eastchase Wal-Mart Supercenter in Fort Worth where I experienced the Wal-Mart Sucks Problem.

I had not experienced Wal-Mart Sucking for awhile.

But, today I got 6 items, in addition to the lemon juice.

One of the items was a box of 6 bars of soap. I knew the total for what I was buying would be about 11 dollars. When the checkout girl said it was $15 something I knew a mistake had been made. I hit the final button on the debit card thing.

She gave me the receipt. I quickly saw the soap had been added twice. The checkout girl told me she only saw it show once when she scanned the soap. I saw that too on the display facing the customer.

She told me I had to go to customer service to get my money back. In Wal-Mart, customer service is what I believe is known as an oxymoron.

I waited in line for maybe 5 minutes, had to sign a slip of paper, then money was returned to me. No, apology, no sorry for wasting your time, nothing.

As I left it occurred to me that this was a very wrong thing that had happened. I only bought a few items. What if I had a cartful, buying a couple hundred bucks worth of stuff? Would I have noticed something ringing up wrong?

It seems to me that taking extra money out of my bank account, by whatever means, is what is known as stealing. Yes, I got my money back. But I did not get the time stolen from me back.

And what about those people who don't notice that Wal-Mart has stolen from them? With them Wal-Mart succeeded in stealing extra money from their bank account.

I think it is HUGELY wrong that you have to go to customer service to get your money back in this type scenario. There should be someone who's only purpose is to take care of such supposed errors. And have the error quickly investigated to make sure there is not some sort of systematic mistake going on, like when Wal-Mart was not ringing up the correct milk price, system-wide.

I think until proven otherwise merchant errors of this sort should be treated as a criminal act no different than shoplifting.

But, until that happens, all I can do is blog about Wal-Mart sucking. I am not alone. Google "Wal-Mart Sucks" and you'll see what I mean.

2010 Parker County Peach Festival's Record Breaking Crowd With Bumper Crop Of Perfect Peaches

Well. The one day Parker County Peach Festival is over for another year. Ever since I made a webpage about the Parker County Peach Festival it causes the biggest one-day spike in my web stats.

And now that I've added a blog to the mix the same is true of the blog.

Both times that I've gone to the Parker County Peach Festival it was not a good year for peaches. And the temperature both times was in the 100 range.

This meant I spent a lot of time walking through the cooling misters, seeking shade under awnings, or seeking refuge in air-conditioned stores.

This year's bumper crop of high quality, extra juicy, extra sweet Parker County peaches, combined with perfect temperatures in the 70s and 80s, made for a huge crowd in Weatherford on Saturday.

Usually around 35,000 will show up to shop the vendors and have some peach ice cream, peach salsa, peach cobbler, peach smoothies, peach juleps, peach limeade and all sorts of other peach things, including just eating a fresh peach.

Saturday's Parker County Peach Festival attracted a crowd estimated to be in the 50,000 people range. I probably would have enjoyed being part of the plus-sized crowd. Maybe next year.

Up Late This Second Sunday Of July Thinking About Hummus & Going Swimming

You are looking at the view from my patio this, the 2nd Sunday of July. As you can see the sun has arrived and is lighting up the place, which is a good clue I slept in past dawn today. This does not happen too often.

It did not rain in copious amounts yesterday for the first time in a few days. I'm hoping the unseemly, out of the ordinary, extra wetness is done for the summer and we can dry the humidity out of the air and return to a more pleasant desert-like outdoor experience, instead of the current sauna bath.

A couple days ago I blogged about the Tex-Mess I made of trying to make hummus. Yesterday I threw my remaining garbanzo beans in the slow cooker, thinking slow cooking them would have a better result that my first attempt.

Last night Alan commented on my hummus making debacle with really good suggestions that make me think my second attempt will turn out better. Originally I had said there would be no second attempt at hummus, but, ironically, even though I somehow managed to make cement hummus, it is still quite tasty and I have been eating the stuff.

I am heading to the pool in a bit for a long long swim. What happens after that, this second Sunday of July, I have no idea.

Walking Fosdic Lake With Tootsie Tonasket & Baby Turtles

Last Saturday I was walking around Fosdic Lake, talking to Tootsie Tonasket, when I came upon a big turtle evacuating the lake.

This Saturday I was walking around Fosdic Lake, talking to Tootsie Tonasket, and I came upon another turtle evacuating Fosdic Lake.

Today's lake evacuee was a little turtle, obviously a pre-turtle puberty, so he was not off on some mating mission like I thought last week's bigger turtle might have been.

So, what's happened? Did the turtles get the memo that there are bad toxins in their home?

It's sort of disturbing seeing turtles out where they probably should not be.

Tootsie Tonasket was being particularly amusing today. I think she may have been being giddy because her zone of Eastern Washington is finally getting some hot temperatures. As in the 100s.

This morning I blogged about Winthrop. That's not a person, it's a tourist town near where Tootsie lives. I asked Tootsie when she was last in Winthrop, curious was I about what's changed since I was last there, at least 10 years ago. Tootsie had been in Winthrop in the past year, having burgers on the deck of one of the riverside restaurants.

Other than that, Tootsie did not have a lot of information for me about Winthrop.

I just got an emergency call from Miss Puerto Rico. She is out of ice. I guess I'll go cool her down.

J.D. Granger's Mom, Kay, Wants You To Cover Your Butt

That is the mother of J.D. Granger holding up a shirt in the picture.

J.D.'s mama is Fort Worth Congresswoman Kay Granger. Kay was born January 18, 1943. She looks very good at 67 years old.

Then again, I'm making that shallow judgment based on one photo that may have had some re-touching work done to it. I've not see Kay Granger in person, that I recollect.

Why is Miss Kay holding a t-shirt that advises "cover your butt"?

Is Miss Kay giving this shirt to her son? Advising J.D. that he should cover his butt regarding likely upcoming woes with the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle?

J.D. was in need of a job, so his mom decided to give the voters of Fort Worth a civics lesson and show them what nepotism is. Though he had no experience in running a big project, Miss Kay got J.D. put in charge of running the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

This is a good paying job. I don't know if J.D. had a good paying job before his mama got him this one.

I also don't know why this little act of nepotism has not been an issue among Miss Kay's colleagues in Washington, D.C.

Is it because those in Washington, D.C. know that Fort Worth is in a protective bubble, immune from the laws that govern the rest of America, making nepotism perfectly okay, where having outrageous conflicts of interest, such as with the Mayor of Fort Worth, Mike Moncrief, who makes over $600,000 a year from his holdings in the various Barnett Shale gas drillers poking holes in Fort Worth, is not understood to be criminal behavior?

Maybe Miss Kay is giving "Cover Your Butt" t-shirts to all people in positions of governance in the Fort Worth/Tarrant County zone. Like those who oversee Tarrant County College and its various boondoggles. And Fort Worth's mayor and all his minions. And of course all the Trinty River Vision Boondoggle good ol' boys.

I'd even like one for myself. There are plenty of times when I need to "cover my butt". Like right now.

Early Saturday Morning With The Parker County Peach Festival & My Supposedly Expired Fort Worth Library Card

The sun was just starting to light up the place when I stepped out on the patio this morning. As you can see, it is cloudy.

A lot of rain fell Friday afternoon at my location. With one extremely close, extremely loud, lightning strike.

The Parker County Peach Festival is today in Weatherford. I have gone to the Peach Festival twice. I don't think I'll be going today.

I've had some more vexation with the Fort Worth Library system. Last night I went to renew a book that is due today. The website would not let me renew.

Because my library card expires on July 12.

Why would my library card expire? All the years I lived in Mount Vernon, in Washington, my library card never expired. I think I've had this Fort Worth library card less than 5 years. It's not like a driver's license where they need to check my eyesight to make sure I am still able to read.

So, we have a town that cuts back library hours due to budget woes, yet wastes time and resources to re-issue library cards which are functioning fine?

Unlike my driver's license or a bank card I see no expiration date on my Fort Worth library card.

Very perplexing.

Getting Soaked By My Second Texas Downpour Of The Day

At noon I got soaked by a downpour on the Tandy Hills. Around 4 I left here, heading to a store to buy some stuff. When I got a view of the horizon I saw a wall of the blackest clouds I think I have ever seen.

I did not take a picture because the wall of black was in the direction I was heading. I figured I'd get a better picture option.

I was wrong.

I was soon in the black, getting hit with a heavy, torrential downpour.

I got to my destination. Ran in. Got my stuff. The noise inside was very loud. On leaving the store there was a cop standing guard. I asked if he was providing umbrella service. He had the gall to suggest I turn my baseball cap around so the bill could provide some protection from the rain.

I got back here to the wet view you see through my windshield, in the picture.

I made a run for it, got back behind closed doors and removed everything wet. I am now drying out for the second time today.

I woke up the computer to see email from Elsie Hotpepper asking if I'd dried out yet. Referencing the Tandy Hills soaking.

I called my mom today because I got gas, and as my one reader knows, when I get gas I call my mom. Mom was jealous of our chilly weather. And rain. She is eagerly awaiting a predicted monsoon rain to hit the Valley of the Sun, also known as the Phoenix area.

I am now seeing flashes and hearing thunder boom.

I am ready for this wet weather to return to the Pacific Northwest, where it belongs. And for Texas to get back to being reliably dry and HOT in summer. It is only 72 out there right now. If the rains stops I'll be opening the windows again.

Getting Soaked On The Tandy Hills & Confused At Chase Bank

That is not the early morning, dark view, from my patio. No, it's the noon view, looking north, on the Tandy Hills.

Hiking the Tandy Hills did not go well today. On the drive there a couple raindrops hit my windshield. But I did not think a rainstorm was imminent.

As I often am, I was wrong.

About 15 minutes into hiking it started to rain. And then it really started to rain. I then started to run. Then I had to stop running because the rain had made the trail slippery. I had not experienced that on the Tandy Hills before.

By the time I made it back to vehicular cover I was drenched.

Next stop. Chase Bank to make a deposit in the ATM. I usually make a deposit via the drive-thru, but I was wet, was in a hurry.

As I sat on Beach Street, waiting for the light to change to green, so I could turn left to the bank, I kept watching a guy in a pickup spend way too much time at the ATM, with a lot of interaction between him and the ATM. I sat there wondering what that guy's problem was.

The light changed just as the pickup finally pulled away from the ATM.

When I pulled in, beside the ATM, my first problem was I could not find any deposit envelopes. I've made a deposit at Chase via this means before, with the check stuck in an envelope.

After a couple minutes of being baffled, I decided to shove the bank card in the reader slot. That did not go well. Previously the ATMs simply took the card and gave it back when the transaction was completed. I kept getting an "unable to read card" message.

Then I realized it was now like swiping the card at a gas station. So, I quickly swiped it through the reader. After several more failures, success, now being asked to enter my PIN.

The PIN part went easy. Then I pushed the "deposit" button. I get told I can enter up to 25 checks into the check entry slot.

Huh?

A door opens, I stick in the check. I've not been asked to enter the amount of the deposit. I was getting very frustrated.

The ATM tells me it can not read the check, to please re-enter it correctly. I looked at the example on the ATM screen. I tried again. Still wrong. After I don't know how many attempts I was successful.

The ATM told me it had accepted a check deposit and said the amount and asked that I confirm it. Or reject the deposit if I wanted the check returned to me.

Next confusion was asking me what type receipt I wanted. I think there were 3 options, one of the options was a receipt with a photo image of the deposited check. I chose the just give me the damn receipt with the current balance on it option.

After what seemed another minute, the receipt showed up.

The next time I attempt to make a deposit in a Chase ATM I'm assuming I'll have an easier time of it. I hope.

I wish Washington Mutual had not had its meltdown. Their ATMs were so easy to use.

In Texas With A Hippie & Wee In Singapore

I went to school with the hippie in the picture, Tommy N.

Back then Tommy was a really skinny kid, a self-described socially misfitted geek, before geekiness turned cool.

I'd not heard anything about Tommy in years.

Til, this past week, when I heard from long lost Tommy N. and long lost Wee Cheng in Singapore.

I'm not much of a fan of Facebook, but I have sort of enjoyed some of these re-contacts caused by Facebook. Because it's interesting.

Wee now has 2 boys. Yesterday they helped Wee make sushi.

Wee asked me if I have any plans to visit Asia soon. And then asked me when it was she first invited me to Singapore. I told Wee it was way back late in the previous century.

Wee is a yoga instructor now. And has designed a line of yoga bags that she sells on the Internet.

As for Tommy N.

Well, those of you who remember him from our school years will likely be surprised to learn Tommy did a long stint in the navy, serving 6 month tours on the Kitty Hawk and Carl Vinson aircraft carriers. Plus submarine duty.

Tommy started being an electronics whiz way back in grade school. He continued to amp up his whizness after he got out of school. By the time he got out of the navy he had the electronics skills to work in Las Vegas and Reno as a slot machine fix-it guy.

At some point in time Tommy reproduced. A boy named Adam. And then Adam reproduced, thus turning Tommy N. into a grandpa.

I know no details regarding Tommy N.'s apparent hippie era. Except for the fact that it had to have taken place well after the hippie era heyday in the late 1960s.