Kokomo's Korner

New Washer and Drier - Finally

Yesterday the delivery truck and installers came and put in my new washer and drier. Also they hauled away the old ones. Pretty cool, huh?

Now all I gotta do is con somebody into actually doing all this laundry thats been piling up.

The Summer of '56 - I Was Ruined

During the summer of 1956, I was just out of Miller Park grade school where I attended grades K through 8. We didn't have Junior High School yet where I lived, so I went from Miller Park school to become a freshman 9th grader at North High school. It was that summer that the Andersen family gathered at our house in Omaha to visit. The way it went was the folks from the South drove up and the folks from the North came down and all met in the middle for a visit. I don't remember a lot of the details of how that all worked out, but I do remember this part.

I was just 14 years old then, and everything was a big deal to me. I was all excited about seeing all the Andersen folks. Some, I hadn't seen in a long while. But I just wasn't expecting my cousin Lewis Andersen, (better known to most as Andy) to come driving in the driveway in a shinny red 1954 Corvette! That, was just beyond my imagination. I was afraid to even touch it. I didn't know anyone who drove a car like that... This just wasn't normal in the Andersen family. What if the driveway should cave in? The little corvette could get damaged or something!

Before it was over with though, I was in it, under it, and all over it. Cousin Andy had me out there with a can of wax helping him get it cleaned up and I was happier than Mr. Wagtail with a new bevel fetcher.

And riding in it? Oh yeah! Better than PB and J.

I found pictures of Andy and his dad going out for a spin. His dad is driving. He's got on this hat... You gotta have one of those when you drive a red Corvette.

Click pictures to enlarge.

Click back button to return.

I went on and started North High in the fall, but my mind was on that Vette. I was ruined forever and ever.

It took a very long time to get those experiences out of my mind. I guess that's why I'm writing about it now.

I never really got over it at all. 

-dale

Two Short Beeps or Three Long Ones

Back in 2001, when I bought this home, I moved in with a new micro wave oven. My other house had a micro wave that was quite large and didn't really fit into the new kitchen. The old one was one of the first models to come on the market. I remember I bought it at Sears; mainly because I had a Sears charge card. In those days if I had cash in my pocket it was because I had forgotten to pay something, or was executing some sort of insane rob Peter to pay Paul plan. Only thing I can say is, it took me forever to discover my plans never worked longer than a few seconds and then I was empty handed again. But that's a whole horror story by itself. It gives me the willies just thinking about it. This story is about the new micro wave oven that I bought to better fit into my new house.

This oven was more compact, and weighed a whole lot less than the old one. It fit nicely on the new kitchen counter top without hanging over the edge and all that. One thing I noticed about it was the sound the door made when I closed it. The door on my old oven had the sound of a fine luxury automobile when it went closed. This new one sounded like closing the door on a 1951 Henry J. It had a distinct sound to it. Much like throwing a tin can into an empty metal garbage can, only louder.

Anyway I was all thrilled with it; I plugged it in and tried it out. When the time was up, the thing let out 3 long and very loud beeps. I think they designed it for use in a 64 room house. No matter where you would be in the house when it timed out; it would be audible. Even in the farthest room away from the kitchen; or in the outdoor kennel section where the guard dogs would be kept to patrol the property at night. I made a mental note to post warning signs. WARNING! Do not be startled by loud timer beeper on micro wave. If startled; check around the yard for your socks.

I was always going to get into the task of disabling that beeper; but never got around to it. In the meantime I started giving the ' stop cook ' button a couple of very quick short presses. That way the beeper goes a fast "be-beep" instead of BEEEEEEP...BEEEEEEP...BEEEEEEP... and I don't have to wear ear protection anymore. Pretty good deal eh?

-dale

Cubs 6 - Mariners 5

Sorry Seattle fans,

I couldn't resist...

-dale

MLB Spring Training 2007

Today was the first of the spring training games I have watched this season. Major League Baseball is cranking up for 2007. The dreaded Chicago White Sox beat my Chicago Cubs 13 - 2 in the Cactus League's game played in Mesa, Arizona.

Tomorrow the Cubs will play the Seattle Mariners at Peoria, AZ. (too bad for Mariners fans... heh, heh, heh.)

-dale

What About March?

What is it they say? In like a lateral run for a septic system; out like lemon aid? Nope, it's more like this:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/weather/2006/02/origin_of_in_li.html

Thanks Weather Guys for clearing that up for us.

When the news on TV mentioned that Caulfield, MO had a tornado; that got my attention. That's getting very close to my cousin's neck of the woods. Sadly the news reported one fatality and four injuries at Caulfield today.

-dale