Things that cross my mind this week:


We interrupt this bloggy post to provide a linky to another bloggy post, this time from the brand ambassador John Heald  It is his thoughts about the cruise ship crash.


We now resume your regularly scheduled bloggy post.  We hope you enjoyed the diversion.


Neighbors
snow plows
evolution of friends
spring
motorcycle rides and rallies
coffee makers

If you're my FB friend, you probably saw that first pic.  It's the pot of petunias that Val's mom gave to her last spring.  Mid November I brought it inside to see if it'd last/live thru the winter.  And so far it has.  It's been blooming all month, but it doesn't really look right...looks like the leaves are dusty.  I mist it occasionally, don't know if it helps or not.  We bought some of those watering bulbs at Menard's, $2 with a $2 rebate so the were free except for tax and a stamp and an envelope.  I've found that if you jam it into the dirt so that the dirt sort of plugs the hole, it will last several days.  If the hole is well developed, the water drips out pretty fast.  "jury is still out"


Middle pic?  Some bulbs that I planted to force.  I brought this pot out mid Jan, which is when I took the pic.  Today, the plants are mostly 6-7" tall and quite recognizable as to variety.  Well, maybe not variety, but a clever green thumb will know what plant they are.  IE tulip hyacinth daffyodil crocus amaryllis.


3rd pic?  Obviously it is the cat with a ball o yarn, taking a break from attempting to kill it.  He must have killed it and ate it too, we can't find it.


Motorcycle rallies.  Just got word on when the rally is in LaCrosse this year, MidJuly.  (Midwest Motorcycle Rally)  This is nice, since it does not interfere with our regional ride or Jerry's ride or the Ia rally.  (Across the Border Raid)  Also considering Hawgstock, but dunno.  Of course, I've heard the Davis Rally is also very nice...and it's close too.


Snow plows.  Seriously, people.  Respect the plow.  A friend posted on FB that she didn't know that snowplows didn't have to stop for stop signs.  Well, of course they do,but often it's easier if they don't.  Inertia, newton's law, gravity, that sort of thing.  Also....move your car so they can plow the entire street.  Do I need to say why?  Ok, just in case.....here's why.  When the street is free of cars, the plow can do a much better job....w/o having to swerve around cars, worry about smashing one, etc.  It is by better to have your street plowed once and be done with it than for them to keep coming back as the cars are moved out of the way.  It will save you money, too...by saving fuel and wages, they can keep the snowplow budget lower...fewer trips with the truck...etc.  You can imagine how much money you'll save.  


Friend evolution.  This one is interesting, I think.  A few years ago I had a bunch of friends that were married but had no kids.  Just like us.  But, unlike us, they felt the need to reproduce, and created some children.  Before kids,  we could go for coffee, have a beer, have a party, go out for lunch, a Pampered Chef party thingy, etc/so on, with no trouble at all.  Soon as a kid arrived...well...you know how things change.  Suddenly there's no time, no money, no clean clothes, no sitter, sitter didn't show up, weird stains on the sleeves, no money!  It's by far easier to make friends with people that already have kids than to stay friends with people that make kids during the friendship.  


Friend evolution.  Friends change jobs, and friendships evolve or dissolve.  Of course, they all say "we'll keep in touch!", but do they?  Usually not!  This is when you find out who your friends are and who is not really a friend.  I had a job for 3 months in 1999/2000 and still think fondly of some of those people.  Saw one in a restaurant couple months ago and talked with him for a while.  But to stop down there at the shop and talk?  Not going to happen.  I could stop in at the Printer shop where I worked for a spell, and I should.  No one that has left the bus barn has ever come back to see me as my friend.  For some reason, not too many people seem to like me there.  (I think I'm misunderstood.)  Oh, sure, there are some good smart people there, but....


Friend evolution.  Kids grow up.  Thank god or AlGore, one of them is responsible, but I'm not sure which one.  People that used to be busy all the time and broke all the time are a little more available but are still broke, due to the kids insatiable needs for phones, eye pods, ear pads, textings, fancy clothes, expensive lessons for this that or the other...cars, sports, etc.  No such thing as a $300 car any more.  Gotta add another 0 on the end just to get started.


Friend evolution...sometimes a guy meets a girl that has a couple kids.  Instant family.  Kinda interesting.  The folks I'm thinking of have been together for about a year and a half.  They seem to be quite happy, I wish them well.