The Answer

Why won't rubber tires stay buried?

Most people, having never tried to bury a tire, are not aware that one will not stay in the ground. In fact, if you bury a tire five feet below the surface, it will—under normal conditions—rise to the top in about ten years.
The reason for this is as follows. The rubber tire, being resilient, is constantly pushing back against the soil around it. And since the pressure above the tire is less than that below it, the tire has more success pushing up than it does pushing down. As this pushing proceeds, small particles of soil around the tire are dislodged and fall down through cracks and crevices too small for the tire itself to fit through, a process that is accelerated somewhat by the slight movement of the tire as it expands and contracts with changes in temperature. Thus, as the tire pushes upward and the soil around it slowly moves down, the tire migrates toward the surface.

~source used: "Ever Wonder Why?" by Douglas B. Smith

.This story is like a rubber tire. I first posted it 4 years ago, now it has resurrected itself. 

Water Towers and Big Bottles

My Grandson-in-law, Jim posted some pictures of a tower on his
web site and it reminded me that I always wanted to know the answer to this, but thought I would sound too dumb to ask.
“Why on earth do they make water tanks that are set on stilts that almost reach the moon”
Did they explain it in school or did I drift off and miss out. So now that it is easy to find answers I looked it up on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia on the world wide web.


A water tower or elevated water tower is a large elevated drinking water storage container constructed to hold a water supply at a height sufficient to pressurize a water distribution system.
It has something to do with gravity and pressure and all that boring stuff. However the article led me to the worlds largest catsup bottle. Something I know you are dying to know about. I mean who wouldn’t want to know about the world’s largest catsup bottle. It seems to be very well known, but I had never heard about it before.  The Bottle

Life in the Fast Lane

 

This is an old picture of my husband and myself leaving town. I honestly don't remember where we were going. I know it's a plane station, but I'm not sure where. My husband became very deaf in his older age and conversing with him in a public place was almost impossible. He even had a hearing aide. 
 One time we were sitting in the bus depot waiting for somebody to arrive on the bus. The place was crowded and we were just people watching while we waited. I noticed somebody rather strange looking so I leaned over to my husband and said in a low voice, "If I looked like that, I'd wanna get outta town too." He said, "What?" I said, "IF I LOOKED LIKE THAT, I'D WANNA GET OUTTA TOWN TOO." We got some attention for a couple minutes. Everybody was looking at us. I didn't think I was raising my voice that much. And nobody thought it was funny.


 I actually accomplished something today. I set out two tomato plants in pots on the patio. All I have to do is water them and watch them grow. That sounds so simple, but it was a major project for me. Go to the store and buy the things. I took out the old soil and put in new soil. Get the hose out of the shed and hook it up and clean off the patio.While I was out there I reset the automatic sprinklers. They have been coming on in the late afternoon when the wind is blowing like crazy. I don't know how they got set on PM in the first place. 
Just another day of my life in the fast lane.

Bring Back the Tap Dancers

Whatever happened to tap dancing? People love watching “Dancing with the Stars”
Now it’s “Skating with the Stars”. I love the rhythm of music and watching the foot work of the Dancer or Skater keeping time with the music.
Count Basie once said,."If you play a tune and a person don't tap their feet, don't play the tune."

It seems to be a natural feeling in all of us to feel the urge to move with the sound. I sometimes like to watch something a little more soothing and calming on TV than the wild antics of some of the skaters and dancers. You can’t totally relax to the music if you’re constantly worried about the dancer throwing their partner out into the audience. Give us a break and tone it down a little. I mean why should they risk their lives just to entertain us.

Tap dancing is much safer for the viewer and the dancer. Not to mention how much more relaxing it is. I think it’s a fantastic skill. Does anybody remember Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly. Do you know that Tony Curtis could also cut a rug. That must be an expression from my former life.

Did you know in the early days the slave trade in America caused a lot of panic when it was discovered that Africans could communicate with each other from a far distance with the use of drums. The article I read said the Africans were not allowed to use drums in their religious ceremonies. That makes me stop and ponder a bit. How would that go over today? What right wing or left wing decided it was okay to step on their religious toes and interfere with how they worshiped. We came a long way, Baby.

Anyway all this beating rhythm has created a multitude of different dances.
The British clogging steps combined their footwork with the Irish and created a style called “buck and wing, which became tap dancing. I never see any of it on TV. Maybe it’s there and I haven’t found it yet.
Little kids used to take tap dancing lessons and they loved it. Now it seems to be that Ballet is all that I ever hear about. Am I the only one that likes tap dancing?

What Do You Collect?

Why do people collect things? The collection can be anything from a particular piece of glassware to old milk cans. My sister started collecting cows when she was young. I think she must now have close to a million of those four-legged critters. These are not just any old cow. They seem to be black and white and made out of anything from paper to concrete. She has not received a surprise gift since it all started. She knows when the gift is opened, it will be another cow. A cow cookie jar, a cow flower vase, a cow plate, here a cow, there a cow, everywhere a cow cow. At one time they were in the dairy business so that might explain why it started.

My daughter collects Mickey Mouse figurines. I think it started when she was in highschool. For her College graduation gift, we bought her a Mickey Mouse telephone. It’s a real phone that still works and is in her living room. Not to give away her age or anything, it even has the rotary dial. When Mickey Mouse overran the house, she changed her collection to Thimbles. They take up much less room. There is a lighthouse thimble, a crocheted thimble, a Christmas tree thimble and the list goes on.
My son-in-law collects squirt guns. I sent him an email to authenticate the accuracy of my tale about his collection so I will include the return email.
Dear Editor and Chief,
The current count is 641 and rising (I hope).
My overall favorite is my Python, it is a remote control truck, that with the push of a button a snake head comes up and shoots water.
I have several old squirt toys that are from Occupied Japan, which means they are from the late 40's. Some older ones in the shape of a ship, airplane and locomotive.
Another of my favorites to use on people is a cell phone. You push the top buttons and water squirts out of the antenna. When you shoot people they always say let me see it. You give it to them and tell them to push the bottom buttons to get it to squirt, they always think "you fool, now it is my turn to get you. However, when you push the bottom buttons the water comes out the mouthpiece, you get to squirt them twice.
SIL

I have a collection of dolls. You know where they ended up. The top of the closet, the bottom of the closet, the dresser drawers, the garage, the guest bedroom has dolls decorating the entire top of the dresser and nightstands and I’m sure my many (2) guest must feel like they are in a wax museum when they spend the night. This collection probably stems from my childhood, when I didn’t get that Shirley Temple doll for Christmas.
What do you collect? Doesn’t everybody have a collection?

Candy Corn

Candy Corn



My friends on Facebook started going on about how much candy corn they ate and other clever comments like that, and I got a craving for candy corn. It was just one of those things that hit us from time to time. I went to Wal-Mart to buy some groceries so while there I remembered the craving. Would you believe I couldn’t find one kernel of candy corn in that stupid Wal-Mart store. What is the matter with those people!
Corn is a vegetable, isn’t it?




I also looked in the candy department. I went up and down that candy aisle three or four times. They did not have any.

Spring has Sprung

After shrub removal

I don't have a before picture.

Do you think this shrub needs to be trimmed?

Could it go another five years or so?

I finally made the decision. The carpet has to be professional cleaned. I closed my eyes and made the appointment. I always dread having it done because it’s a lot of work for me. All those little things like end tables, lamps and magazine racks and anything else that is movable needs to be moved out. He told me on the phone to move any knickknacks off of tables, and he will move them. I may take him up on that because those end tables are heavy. I have a small carpet cleaner, but there comes a time when it needs a good wall to wall cleaning. Spring is a good time of the year for that.
I also had an evergreen shrub taken out last week. It was in front of my living room window and I failed to have it trimmed for a couple years and it almost turned into a tree.
I was very happy to have it moved out of the way. It should also help reduce the spider population. He is coming back this week and trimming the shrubs in the back of the house.
Now I will be ready for spring. Bring it on!!!!

Just My Opinion

What is the big deal? So the food manufactures don’t put an accurate calorie count on the frozen dinners. I would much rather they would put something edible in their boxes, and forget the calorie count. I just attempted to eat some Swedish meatballs with pasta and real sour cream. There were four small meatballs in the whole box. I hate eating out of a box so I transfer it to a dish before eating. It doesn’t improve the taste any, it’s just one of my quirky habits. I do find some TV dinners that are rather tasty, but you do get what you pay for.
That is my thought on that subject.
How do you like commercials? Some are funny or clever and you can watch them over and over without wanting to throw up. There are the exceptions, however. Those old people that decided they are going to retire is on the top of my list of irritating commercials. I haven’t seen it for awhile so maybe they have pulled it off the air.
I am getting a little sick of Wilford Brimley and his Liberty medical ads. I personally wish he would ride off into the sunset in his motor home and stay away, but that’s just me.

Wordless Wednesday

It's The Law

When I got my first computer, Email was the fascinating new technology of the day. Every stupid joke that was ever thought of was emailed to you. I even remember getting excited when I thought Bill Gates was going to send me $250 for forwarding the letter on to 20 more people. I’m still waiting, Bill.

Now it's all about texting. They even pass laws that you cannot text while driving? Think how stupid that will sound to future generations.

Here are few examples of old laws that are still on the books:

Do not hunt birds from an airplane in Tennessee; it's illegal.
Don't think of popping a champagne cork in Colorado on Christmas Day.
Forgetting to close a gate in Nevada is against the law.
You can't sell perfume as a drink in Delaware.
Wisconsin law prohibits margarine from being substituted for butter in restaurants unless requested by the customer.
Kentucky law requires that residents bathe at least once a year. (Hey, nothing wrong with that law)

KABOOM

Early this morning as I was reading my newspaper about all the war things that are going on, I nearly jumped through the ceiling as a very loud explosion sound invaded the morning silence. It sounds like the war has come to my neighborhood. I jumped up and looked outside, up and down the street and didn’t see anything going on. I put it out of my mind and continued to read all the good news in the paper.
Later in the day I heard another strange unfamiliar sound. It was a high pitch noise that just kept going on so I had to go look outside again. Now, I think I know where the morning explosion sound came from. Somebody had hired a chimney sweep and they were cleaning the chimney of the duplex that is across the street and down two houses.
I don’t know for sure, but I am thinking they may be the ones that had the explosion. If so, I guess nobody was hurt. I wonder if that sort of thing damages your walls or anything.
I hate to sound so ignorant, but do you have to have a fireplace for the soot to accumulate like that or does it happen with gas heat also. I wonder if I should do as the neighbors do, and hire one of those places.
I sure would hate to be roused out of bed in the middle of the night to the tune of my chimney exploding. I’ll bet I wouldn’t have any trouble getting out of bed if it happened.

Another Day in the Wild West

Now that I have a new chair, I thought I would sell my old one. Anybody interested? Just kidding of course, and if you would like to know why somebody went to the trouble, visit this web site .
Fall has fallen on us and it makes me think of Chili so I decided to make some. I hate to make anything that calls for chopped onions. I always get so emotional when I chop onions. I just can't help it, I cry all the way though the process. Yes, I have a food processor, but they need to be chopped a little before they fit into it. Anyway, the Chili didn't taste much like Chili, but it's pretty good anyway. I hate cooking.
I had to get the dreaded blood draw this week and it was the same old dance. The needle goes into the arm and they didn't strike blood so it ends up in the back of the hand. I am not blaming the nurse, I know my veins are hard to find or they just disappear all together.

I like this cool weather for a change.

A New Lease on Life

Life has just taken on new meaning. Just when I thought there was nothing more to live for I became the surprised owner of a new recliner. It almost materialized out of thin air. One day I woke up out of a restless nap in a recliner that refuses to recline anymore and heard a sound outside. When I looked outside a delivery truck had backed into my driveway and before my very eyes a vision appeared. It was a vision of a large blue recliner. Wait! It’s not a vision, it’s the real McCoy. A real honest to goodness recliner that not only reclines, but it lifts you up and dumps you out. Now, what more could I possible want to live for. This chair has brains. If you desire a nap, just press the button and you are in a reclining position. If you want out of the chair you press a button and it stands you on your feet. I remember back when I was employed, I worked in and office and this was the era before computers. When the telephone rang it usually meant you would soon be on your feet and across the room looking in a filing cabinet. One day I remember telling a co-worker that I wished I had one of those chairs that would lift me up and out. Now my wish has come true. The credit goes to Kenny and Chris. Now, I have a car to drive and a chair to sit in, and an oven door with a handle. What more could I ask for.

I guess I should explain about the oven door. I had blogged before about the handle falling off of my oven door and I thought it was unfixable. Kenny glued it back on with JD Weld (JD Weld is not a person, but a glue) and I can tell you that it is not going to fall off again in my lifetime. Spellcheck tells me that unfixable is not a word. Maybe they don't know what it means, but I'll bet you do.

Too Scared To Run

Can you remember scary events that happened to you as a child? Now we wonder why we thought it was so frightening. I had one scary thing that happened to me and I still think it was about the scariest thing that ever happened to me.
I was about four years old and we lived in the country on a farm. We had neighbors that lived about a quarter of a mile away. The family had two girls, one was about my age and the other girl was about 8 years old. They had walked down to play with me for the afternoon.

When it came time for them to leave, they wanted me to walk home with them, but my mother said, “No, I don’t think it's a good idea.” She went on about her business and the girls went outside and I went outside with them. They still wanted me to walk home with them. They told me that my mother didn’t really care, and it would be okay. I guess I was rather gullible in my childhood because I believed them and we went to their house. On the road to their house we walked on a little country road and one area of it had huge trees on each side of it and a bridge crossed over a creek. Then we walked up a hill to their house. This place was always called ‘The Sixty’. I suppose it was a sixty acre plot of ground.

Anyway we played and they showed me all their toys and that sort of thing and I noticed it was getting sort of dark and I knew I had to walk home by myself. I was scared and I kept putting it off until it was getting very dark. Their mother told me I better head for home because it was getting dark.

I knew I had no choice, and I have never been so scared in all my 81 years. I kept walking and the area where the trees were was so dark that I thought I was going to meet my doom any second. I even thought I could hear something. I didn’t run, because I didn’t want to make any noise, but I walked as fast as my four year old legs would carry me. I even remember my heart was pounding.

When I finally got home, my mother had a little switch she had pulled off of a tree and I received the only spanking I ever received from my mother. I was so glad to be home safe and sound, I hardly noticed.

Over The Edge

I would give almost anything to know how to draw, but I keep trying anyway. Chris and I were talking on the phone and she asked if I need anything from the store. I am still without a car and my feet are still messed up and it is hard to walk. I told her that I would like to go to the store too and she said it was a good idea because I could ride in a cart. Of course, she meant an electric cart, but I visualized a cart that the toddlers ride in with their legs hanging out. I told her I didn’t think I could get my legs through the holes. She said, "What?" I said, "If I could just get in it, you could push me around the store." We ended up having a few giggles over the picture we conjured up in our minds. So the above picture is my version of it. I didn’t have room to put her in the picture. I hope you don’t mind my attempt at humor, I just have so much time on my hands I will soon be baying at the moon if I go without a car much longer. I know how a prisoner feels and I’ve only served 42 days.

Never mind

Never mind the hair, I'm having a bad lip day.

Can you find Waldo?

If three is a crowd, what would you call this? They even appear to be dancing. Maybe it’s a square dance. I think Waldo is in there somewhere. Anyway it’s my blog contribution for today..

My Speed Bump

My life doesn’t seem to be moving very fast lately, I seem to be in a holding pattern. Yesterday it rained off and on most of the day. It sure freshened up everything and we needed it. I don’t feel like standing on my feet and trying to cook much of anything so I have been living on TV dinners. They leave a little something to be desired. The pictures look great, but the finished product usually doesn’t resemble the picture. Some of them have a thimble full of desert, which is very good. That is about all I can say for them.
Now that I am down about as low as I can get everything is wearing out and breaking. My vacuum cleaner burned out a bearing or something. My recliner has decided it only has one position, and it’s straight up. My over door handle fell off in my hand. It is unfixable. My kitchen TV is acting crazy. Sometimes it won’t come on until I unplug it and plug it in again. Or it has nothing but static and I need to unplug it again. What causes that? My cell phone is plugged in and charging next to it. Maybe it’s interfering with it somehow so I moved the phone. Could they be like people and they just don’t like each other for some reason? I was able to turn on the TV this morning without a problem. Nancy, my daughter-in-law said her printer and computer are not on speaking terms. They just won’t communicate with each other. What’s with these stupid appliances, are they trying to run the world? Maybe they need to put a chip in them that says, " You WILL get along with your neighbor".
This is it for now.

How True It Is

Rambling Brain

Rambling Brain


Here I am and there you are. Life goes on and on and on. So what???
Does anything really mean anything? Sometimes I wonder !!! Doesn’t everybody? Where does it really begin from? Why can’t we remember? Is there really a reason why certain things happen? Why do some people always come out smelling like roses and others are like being on treadmills. Never really going any place, but trying so hard. Always trying so hard. Can there be any kind of reward for that? When does the reward come? If it ever comes will we recognize or remember the effort it took? If we don’t remember anything what is the point? If you don’t like the concept of the whole matter, what can you do about it? So you just stay on the treadmill until someday you fly off of it. Will the discovery come at that time? Lets wait and see. Do we have an option?
My thoughts this day, Sunday July 6th 1997.
Lorrene,Mom, Grandma, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Niece, Friend, Enemy, Neighbor, Customer, Client, Member, Senior, Patient, Statistic.