Archive for the ‘Useless Crap’ Category

08-31-2013   Leave a comment

Since today is Sunday and a day of rest for many of you, I thought a few miscellaneous items and a little humor might be the thing to do.  It’s a late Summer’s day on a holiday weekend that begins to prepare us for what’s coming, SNOW.

My better-half and I are looking forward to the upcoming Fryeburg Fair which we attend every year. It’s a huge gathering of every farmer and their livestock from across the country.  This year will be the first visit for her new grandson and she can’t wait to drag his little butt there to look at the pigs.  As I’ve mentioned previously my better-half has something of a pig fetish.  We’ll spend between eight and ten hours eating terribly unhealthy food, walking miles and miles through huge crowds, and attending the Pig Scramble and Woodsman contests.  I know it sounds a little lame but it really isn’t.  It’s one of the few things we both enjoy a great deal.

We’re also looking forward to taking hundreds of photographs of the Fall season whose beauty never ceases to amaze.  Actually Fall has slowly over the years become my favorite time of the year.  We’ll have the harvest season, Fall foliage, and many small local fairs to visit on most weekends. You can say what you want but small local fairs are the best. It will again be a great time for our family and friends.

My first item today is a joke I stumbled on recently. It is laugh-out-loud funny and I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University.

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant’s foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.

Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn’t help wondering if this was the same elephant.

Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe’ s legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly .

Probably wasn’t the same elephant.

* * *

I would also like to take a few minutes to thank these new followers to this blog.  I include their links as well and I hope you give their blogs a look-see and enjoy reading them as much as I do. Thanks to them all.

Eric Carlson, Karen Ellis, dmmd1983, L-Jay Health, What Happens to Us, mr688475, growupproper, mychangeviews, Nate Ollie, adoptingjames, Rein, jasminekeclipse, projectlighttolife, Gabriel Lucatero.

HAVE A GREAT LABOR DAY WEEKEND

08-30-2013   Leave a comment

Have you ever just been standing around people watching and wondering about things?  I have.  Do certain things you see and hear make you wonder what the hell is going on?  I thought it only right that I look into some of these matter because they bother the hell out of me.

Take a moment and come  up with a few of your own.  They are every where it seems and no one has any answers as to why.

  • Why is it that women show up at Walmart in a pink sweat-suit that’s two sizes too small with “Hot & Juicy” stitched across the butt?
  • Why does the sun lightens our hair, but darken our skin?
  • Why can’t women put on mascara without opening their mouths?
  • Why are they are called apartments when they are all stuck together?
  • If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of Progress?
  • Why must you click on "Start" to stop Windows 7?
  • Why is it that lemon juice is made with artificial flavor, while dishwashing liquid is made with real lemons?
  • Why haven’t we ever seen the headline "Psychic Wins Lottery"?
  • Why does a fiftyish man have a comb over more than 5 inches long and things no one notices?
  • Why is "abbreviated" such a long word?
  • What possesses a person to paint his house pink?
  • Why do doctors call what they do "practice"?
  • Why aren’t planes made from the same material used for the indestructible black boxes ?
  • Why did they ever decide to name the airport "The Terminal"?
  • What thought process occurs to cause an beautiful and intelligent young lady to streak her hair red and pierce her nose in three different places?
  • Why isn’t there a mouse-flavored cat food and what person tastes dog food when it has a "New & Improved" flavor?
  • Why do they bother to sterilize the needles used for lethal injections?

Who can answer these questions?  I need some answers and I need them now?  How can I be convinced that your basic average human being is intelligent and right-thinking when I see hundreds of these types of things every week. It just doesn’t fill me with much confidence that the human race can survive itself.  It’s just more than a little scary.

08-29-2013   Leave a comment

CLASS IS NOW IN SESSION

It’s time for two more lessons from those super dedicated and intelligent teachers from Every Useless Thing University.  The source of endless supplies of knowledge mostly forgotten by the every-day citizen.  Take detailed notes because our tests are tough and the failure rate has been climbing in recent years. 

* * *

Lesson #9 – What is Snot and Why is it Sometimes Green?

Snot is a slang term for mucus, a thin and slippery material comprising musins and inorganic salts suspended in water that’s produced by the mucous membranes inside the nose. It serves to moisten and protect the nose and throat while also trapping inhaled foreign matter, keeping it in the nose and thus preventing dangerous particles and germs from reaching the lungs, where they could cause damage. Mucus surrounds any foreign matter that is trapped and dries around it, producing a hardened piece of snot.

Mucus production is normal and healthy, but increased production in the respiratory tract is often a sign of a disease, such as the common cold.

When snot appears green or yellow, this is usually because the body has a bacterial infection, causing it to produce thick mucus containing pus excreted by the bacteria. When the body’s immune system detects the infection, it produces an enzyme called myeloperoxidase, which kills the bacteria in the mucus and expels it through the nose.

The nose produces almost a cupful of snot every day.

* * *

Lesson #10 – Does Penis Size Vary by Race?

The penis sizes of men are frequently discussed and joked about. A large penis is coveted by many, considered a symbol of masculinity and thought to be an attractive quality to women. The size of a man’s penis is influenced by a number of factors, such as cold temperatures, which generally reduce the size of the flaccid penis to a lack of blood flow causing it to shrink.

One study found that the average length of the stretched, flaccid penis was 5.2 inches for White men, 5.7 inches Black men, and 4.2 inches for Asian men. Another study, meanwhile, found the average length of the unstretched, flaccid penis is 4 inches for White men and 4.3 for Black men. Black men’s penises were also found to be longer when erect, but only by 1 inch, while their circumferences were found to be in average 0.1 inch larger.

On the basis of these studies it is evident that the average black man’s penis is larger than the average white man’s which is in turn is larger than the average Asian man’s. Corroborating the latter part of this conclusion is a further finding that American condoms are 7.1 inches long, whereas Japanese condoms are 6.3 inches long. For this reason, at one time travel-guides recommended that male travelers should take their own condoms when visiting Asia.

* * *

What have we learned today?  First, snotty noses serve a useful purpose but wiping them is still mandatory so as not to gross out others.

Second, for you female students who overly concern  themselves with penis size, the information contained in Lesson #10 should be helpful.  You should always remember this important and useful adage to further assist you when choosing a possible boyfriend or mate,  “It’s not the size of the club but how it’s wielded.”

CLASS DISMISSED

08-26-2013   3 comments

It feels like a good day for a journal entry.  As the summer winds down my better-half and I have been very busy with the garden and the canning of everything possible.  Even though the weather’s been a little strange at times this summer overall it’s still been very productive.

I’ve been forced to work very hard this week due to the subpar garden fabric I purchased at Home Depot earlier his year.  Because of the failure of the fabric to eliminate the ever present weeds I’m now faced with several days of back breaking work to clean up weeds and begin to remove plants that have run their course.  I worked on my hands and knees for three hours removing weeds and pieces of surviving fabric and being ever so careful not to damage the hot pepper plants that are still producing.  I have a small trailer for my lawn tractor and I filled it twice with weeds in almost no time.

The Cayenne, Serrano, and bell peppers are still going strong and should continue for a few more weeks.  The cold nights aren’t helping but what can I do? I’ve removed fifty percent of the cucumber plants because we are becoming overwhelmed with them.  I canned more than forty pints of hot Bread & Butter pickles and could have done at least that many more.  Truthfully I ‘m just tired of looking at them.  I found myself dreaming about pickles a couple of recent nights which was a little disturbing to say the least. I’ve taken three handful of rhubarb seeds and planted an area behind the house with them.  If we’re lucky next spring might bring us an entire new patch of rhubarb.  The plants from last year have done well and next summer we’ll be making some killer strawberry-rhubarb jam.

I’m really tired of this weeding.  I’ll need to check with a nearby friend for advice on what fabric to buy for next year. I don’t plan on ever doing this again even if it cost me a few additional dollars.

We’ve successfully filled the larder with pickles, relishes, herb flavored vinegars, vegetable mixes (for stir-fry’s), spicy pasta sauce, salsa (2 large batches), and three batches of jams.  We spent one recent day at our favorite blackberry patch and within a half hour collected close to three quarts of blackberries.  The triple-berry jam recipe is to die for and we’ll now have more than enough for the winter and as gifts for friends.  I might even consider a small batch of black berry wine if we have enough berries.

All in all a very successful summer.  We’ve now started winding down in preparation for winter and it already feels like Fall and it’s still only August. I’m planning on rebuilding a portion of the garden and changing things around a little.  Then it’s soil preparation, fertilizing, and waiting for the snow to fly.

I’d like to chat further but I’ve got more work to do before my better-half gets home from work.

* * *

Just as an afterthought here’s a little something I just received from my sister. It made me laugh out loud and that’s always a good thing.  Enjoy.

HOW IS NORMA?

A sweet grandmother telephoned St. Joseph ‘s Hospital. She timidly asked,
"Is it possible to speak to someone who can tell me how a patient is doing ?"

The operator said,
"I’ll be glad to help, dear. What’s the name and room number of the patient ?"

The grandmother in her weak, tremulous voice said "Norma Findlay, Room 302."

The operator replied,
"Let me put you on hold while I check with the nurse’s station for that room."

After a few minutes, the operator returned to the phone and said, "I have good news. Her nurse just told me that Norma is doing well. Her blood pressure is fine; her blood work just came back normal and her physician, Dr. Cohen, has scheduled her to be discharged tomorrow."

The grandmother said,
"Thank you. That’s wonderful. I was so worried. God bless you for the good news."

The operator replied,
"You’re more than welcome. Is Norma your daughter ?"

The grandmother said,
"No, I’m Norma Findlay in Room 302. No one tells me shit."

08-23-2013   Leave a comment

This has been one helluva week.  One more fact that will help you understand what I mean by that statement is I hate doctors, hospitals, blood tests, and personal examinations.  I can put up with a nurse every once in while but only as potential dating material. If past history tells me anything it’s stay away from nurses. The last nurse I dated (SLEPT WITH) had a tank of nitrous oxide next to her bed and spent every other stroke huffing on it with a face mask.

This week began with my blood tests.  Normally it’s just one tube of blood used to check whatever.  Because of Obamacare my doctor of ten years has given up his practice and now I’m once again "fresh meat" for the "new guy".  He needs four tubes of blood so he knows where I’m coming from.  That’s his statement not mine.  My previous doctor had a lab as part of his practice where I could easily get blood drawn but not this "new guy".  I was forced to get out of bed much earlier than I like, drive forty minutes to the hospital, to stand in line behind thirty other idiots. I felt like a freaking day laborer. A young lady called me into her room, sat me down, stuck me in the arm, sucked out the blood, and walked away shouting "Next!" at the top her lungs.  Nothing like personal service.

Four days later I returned to the doctors office for my annual physical.  The "new guy" arrived forty minutes late as I sat in this telephone booth sized room in my hospital gown freezing my nuts off.  He looks about twenty-five years old and he’s from Peru.  His accent was minimal, thank God, and I could understand almost everything he had to say.  One handshake and he opens his laptop and begins to take notes.  My computer file covers more than twelve years, two surgeries, and four colonoscopies but he has additional questions.  I felt like I was on Jeopardy and I’m sure Alex Trebek would have been more fun.

He first tells me that prostate exams are for the most part unnecessary and then bends me over the table and shoves his ever so long latex covered finger right up my ass.  No dinner, no chit chat, no wine, just "wham bang, thank you man".  For such a little guy he has quite the large digits.

An hour later and we’re still doing paperwork so I can have another colonoscopy in December (MY FIRST XMAS GIFT) and an introduction to my new mandatory diet.  I found out in short order that going forward I’m only permitted to eat rabbit food and drink black coffee.  Read the labels he tells me, no fat, no calories, no dairy, no candy, no sugar, no soda, no flavored water, and no smoothies.  The translation to that line of BS is I will never be permitted to eat anything that tastes good or even has flavor of any kind ever again.

A pat on the head, a "nice to meet ya"’ and he scampers away.  A nurse hands me the date for my next appointment and I’m out the door and back on the street.  That hour and a half probably will cost me upwards of $500.00 including the blood work up and a hundred of that will be out of pocket.  Isn’t life just freaking wonderful?

Now I get to wait six more months for another hour of quality time with the "new guy" which will probably consist of stepping onto a scale to measure my weight loss.  Really, can’t I just call it in? That would then only cost $495.00.

Shoot me now!

08-22-2013   Leave a comment

"I’m sarcastic, it isn’t going to change, so get over it.” I should have that sentence made into a really long bumper sticker.  Those of you out there who are my brothers and sisters in sarcasm will understand completely.  Those of you who are immune to sarcasm, you have my deepest sympathies (NOT TRUE).

I came by my ability honestly to turn almost anything said to me into a reciprocal sarcastic reply with little or no effort.  I began developing this superpower at age ten when I discovered that I could deflect parents, adults, and bullies with sarcasm which in turn kept me from being beaten, spanked, and bothered.  I decided then and there that using wit, sarcasm, and glib remarks was a valuable tool and I should refine it.  If used properly and politely along with clever conversation it can also make you a bit more desirable to the ladies (PROVEN FACT).  That in itself justified all of the time and effort I put into becoming a sarcasm expert.

As always when I write about things I try to research the meanings of the words I’m using.  All of the intellectuals who are responsible for compiling dictionaries and encyclopedias describe sarcasm very clinically and for  the most part in a negative fashion as this will clearly show:

* * *

In sarcasm, ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously (NOT ALWAYS TRUE), for destructive purposes (NEVER). It may be used in an indirect manner and have the form of irony (THIS WOULD BE ME), as in "Your ass really looks great in that dress or ”What a fine musician you turned out to be!". It may also be used in the form of a direct statement, "You couldn’t play one piece correctly if you had two assistants." The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal intonation.

Hostile, critical comments may be expressed in an ironic way, such as saying "don’t work too hard" to a lazy worker (BEEN THERE, DONE THAT). The use of irony introduces an element of humour which may make the criticism seem more polite and less aggressive (ME AGAIN). Sarcasm can frequently be unnoticed in print form, oftentimes requiring the intonation or tone of voice to indicate the quip or a note added to let people know (SEE BELOW).

* * *

Sarcasm is a tool and a god-given talent for some but really gets no respect (ME) and viewing sarcasm as a negative really doesn’t get to the truth of it.  There are some people, highly intelligent and educated, who just don’t get sarcasm.  I throw sarcasm into a conversation for good reason.  It allows me to gauge who understands my humor and those who don’t.  It also identifies those who may be potential targets without even being aware of it. 

I try (MOST OF THE TIME) not to be disrespectful during those occasions because I never want to be perceived as mean or rude.  I like a lot of laughter in my life and when the people around me don’t bring anything to the table I’ll create it for them (AT THEIR EXPENSE IF NECESSARY).

AND SO TO ALL OF YOU OUT THERE, HAVE A WONDERFUL AND GLORIOUS DAY (SARCASM OFF)

08-20-2013   Leave a comment

I love supplying all of you with tons of useless trivia but today I think I’ll change things up a little.  I’ll be asking the questions and hopefully some of you will supply the correct answers.

We’ve all been raised sitting in front of the television and I don’t see that lessening any time soon.  With the addition of smartphones and tablets it should increase every year for the foreseeable future.

With that in mind I’m supply you with twenty trivia questions concerning television over the last fifty years.  Let’s see just how well you can do with them.  I’ll supply the answers tomorrow and you can see just how well or how badly you’ve done. Lets begin.

* * *

  1. What are the names of the two old codgers who wisecrack from their box seats on the Muppet Show?
  2. What was Johnny Carson’s famous reply when a reporter asked what he would his epithet to be?
  3. What 1949 television program was the very first coast-to-coast network show?
  4. Who played Beau Maverick on the TV western comedy series Maverick?
  5. What were the only words spoken by Clarabell the clown on the Howdy Doody Show?
  6. What was the address of Big Birds nest on TV’s Sesame Street?
  7. What popular stand-up comic turned down the role of Trapper John McIntyre in the TV sitcom M*A*S*H before Wayne Rogers signed on for the part?
  8. How many opening monologues did Johnny Carson deliver during his 30 years as host of the Tonight Show?
  9. What role did Art Carney play in Jackie Gleason’s very first Honeymooners sketch?

10.  Who was the first mystery guest to appear on the TV quiz show What’s My Line in 1950?

11.  What TV sitcom family lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane?

12.  What was the theme song Jack Benny played off-key on his violin?

13.  What character actress provides the voice of mother Marge on TVs animated sitcom The Simpsons?

14.  What car did TVs Archie Bunker recall fondly in “Those Were the Days”, the theme song of the sitcom All in the Family?

15.  On what TV show did Robert Guillaume first portray the sharp-witted, sharp-tongued butler Benson?

16.  Who played Kato, the faithful Philippine valet-chauffeur, on the TV show The Green Hornet?

17.  Who portrayed Arnold Ziffel on Green Acres, the late 1960s TV sitcom that starred Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor?

18.  How many cases did Perry Mason lose in the nine seasons Raymond Burr appeared on TV as the ace defensive lawyer?

19.  What were the names of the three sons in the TV sitcom My Three Sons, which featured Fred Mc Murray as widower Steve Douglas?

20. What is the meaning of kemo sabe the words Tonto used to address the Lone Ranger?

Bonus Question (Worth 2 Points): What actress’s unpublished home telephone number did comedienne Joan Rivers give out on national TV in 1986 when she was hosting The Late Show Starring Joan Rivers?

So how do you think you did? I won’t tell you my score because it sucked.  I thought I knew a lot but once again I may have been mistaken.  The answers will follow tomorrow.

08-19-2013   Leave a comment

I was standing in a line at a nearby Subway Shop yesterday and listened to three young ladies chitchatting about this and that almost nonstop.  They discussed a few friends, made a derogatory comment or two about a certain person they disliked, and then complained about starting school in a week or two. As I stood in line behind them I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation intermixed with the receiving and sending of text messages from other friends.

I had to smile thinking how different things are these days for our younger generations.  The one thing that held my interest today was their use or misuse of the language.  Almost every child learns early on how to have a little fun at the expense of the adults in their life. These newer generations have adopted the never-ending use of the word "Like".  As I stood in that long line behind these young girls I was able to count no less than twenty-five uses of the word "Like".  It actually made me grin a little.

I could make fun of them or quote some of their silly comments but that isn’t at all what I was thinking at the time.  I agree that their use of the word was cute and possibly funny but it seemed to bother the older women standing to my left a great deal more than it did me. She was shuffling her feet and rolling her eyes the entire time which I’m sure was the effect they were shooting for.  Growing up these days still requires those developing children to irritate the older generations just enough to show them their newly found desire for independence.  It’s where they begin to carve out their own niche as soon-to-be adults and push and shove to take their place with the rest of us.  They were giggling and chatting like kids do and it was fun to watch.

Every generation has certain words and phrases they over-use and I have no idea how that happens with almost every generation.  When I was growing up the word "Okay" was overused constantly and later “Cool” was the word of choice.  After a little research I discovered the following information on the word "Okay" since that was my generation’s word choice.

As tends to be the case with the origins of sayings or words, the starting point of OK is a matter of contention. Many explanations have been offered and here are three samples of which none are believable.

  • The wood out of which British ships were built, oak, which is a durable wood gave rise to the saying that such wood was “oak-a”.
  • US military records stating that there were no casualties – that is, zero killed (OK).
  • The ancient Greek schooling practice of marking the letters on exceptional papers, indicating that they were ola kala (literally “it is good”).

* * *

The most favored derivation, however, probably because it is supported by documentary evidence, is that the word OK stems from a phrase used in the 19th century. It was a fad during the 1830’s in Boston for newspapers to use comical expressions such as KY for “know yuse”, OW for “oll wright”, NS for “nuff said”, and notably, OK for “oll korrect”. OK became more popular in 1840 when the supporters of the Democratic politician, Martin Van Buren formed the OK Club. In this case, the letters stood for “Old Kinderhook” (Kinderhook, New York being Van Buren’s place of birth), and it’s thought that it was through this use of the letters that brought OK into mainstream usage.

* * *

I’m sure that in the day I was able to make my parents cringe every time I used the term “OK” sarcastically just as “Like and Whatever” are accomplishing these days.   Rule #1 for kids: As always, find an adult’s annoyance button and then push it over and over again.  I wonder what the next generation will come up in a few years to irritate these three young ladies.  That’s makes me grin too!

08-14-2013   Leave a comment

During my wanderings yesterday I stumbled on a new treasure trove of absolutely useless information expanded to include virtually every country on the planet.  I felt just like a little kid in a candy store.  These factoids and tidbits are much more interesting than some I’ve previously found and I’m happy to be sending them along to you.  Where I can I’ll note the source of the material and if you dispute the information call them.

There is no rhyme or reason as to how they are listed so just wade on through and enjoy.

  • At birth, most babies cry at C or C Sharp. – Financial Times
  • Five people were killed by falling icicles in the central Russian town of Samara between February 23 and 25, 2008. – Reuters
  • On a QWERTY keyboard, 32% of keystrokes take place on the middle row, 52% on the upper row, and 16% on the bottom row. – Discover Magazine
  • In ninety days a single toad can consume nearly 10,000 insects. – State of the World
  • Hitler was on the short list for the 1938 Nobel Peace Prize. – The Guardian
  • Two thirds of the world’s people have never seen snow. – Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar
  • The average British woman spends two years of her life gazing in the mirror. – The Times
  • Every year, an average of twelve Japanese tourists in Paris have to be repatriated due to severe culture shock. – Foreign Policy Passport
  • Henry David Thoreau once burned down three hundred acres of forest trying to cook a fish he had caught for supper. – The Times
  • On an average day, about 3.3% of the worlds population has sex.  Less than 0.4% of these acts result in births. – Financial Times
  • Asians make up 35% of the undergraduate body at MIT but only 4% of the US population. – New York Book Review
  • There are an estimated 10,000 trillion ants on earth – roughly 1.6 million for each human.  Their combined weight is equivalent to that of the entire human population. – MSN
  • Spammers typically need to send one million emails to get fifteen positive responses. – The New Yorker
  • Jack Bauer, the lead character from the series 24, personally killed 112 people in the first five seasons of the show. – The Guardian
  • About 85% of Chinese people share only a hundred surnames.  Wang is the most popular (with 93 million people), followed by Li (92 million) and Zhang (88 million). At least 100,000 people are named “Wang Tao,” making it the most popular full name. – China Daily

There you have it.  The first installment of International Trivia.  It’s nice to see that we Americans are not alone when it comes to weirdness and odd behavior.  Carry on.

08-08-2013   Leave a comment

It’s time for another one of my boring journal entries.  Today was the day I was to spend some real quality time with my better-half and a host of smarmy, smooth talking, used car salesmen.  We spent the day driving from car dealership to car dealership, test driving, and sitting in way too many vehicles.

I’ve never been much of a car person.  I never found it necessary as a young man to base my self-worth on the newness or expensiveness of a car.  I’ve always had decent enough cars but never concerned myself with what others thought about the color, size, or coolness.  Cars to me  are just tools to be purchased, used, maintained and after a reasonable time, scrapped. 

I’ve had so many different vehicles over the years I have a hard time remembering them all.  So when assisting my better-half in obtaining another vehicle I’m what you might call, unemotional.  Cars are either, poor, good, or very good based solely on mileage, comfort, and of course, cost.  Not so for her though.

My better-half has an ability to fall into an immediate emotional relationship not just with cars but any inanimate object she comes in contact with.  It drives me absolutely crazy.  We first made a trip the body shop where the corpse of “her baby” was being stored.  We were there to retrieve the license plates and to remove any of her remaining possessions.  It was a short and silent ride to  the lot and I jumped out immediately to begin the process.  I began removing the plates and  looking for other stuff as fast as I could.  I wanted to get in, get the job done, and get out before she broke down and started crying.  She did better than I expected but she was really hurting as we drove away for the final time.  She actually rescued the cigarette lighter and stuffed it in her purse.  Just another crazy keepsake for her Woman Cave.

Just after the accident she actually considered refusing the settlement from the insurance company, bringing the car home, and spending a great deal of money to repair it.  It took me quite some time to explain that she was thinking about spending  almost twice what the car was worth to repair it. Then we would have a ten year old partially rusted POS. I was on the verge of losing my freaking mind.

Thank God she finally was able to think it through and make the decision to move on with her life without “her baby”.  Our day with the car dealerships was just as you would imagine, a lot of smooth talking BS mixed in with a few semi-truthful facts to help confuse the issue.  We found a couple of possible candidates and hopefully within a week she’ll make her final decision.  The accident was bad enough but another day of car hunting and car salesmen could persuade me to violence.

OMG