Low flying in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Yesterday was 9/11 & we had good weather. The 4-day heat wave broke, humidity was down, it was sunny, & most importantly, winds were calm. That meant I went out in the late afternoon to go help Barry fly the flag.
Why does he need help flying his flag? Because it’s a flag balloon, a really big flag balloon!

As I enter the expressway, there’s a tree to my left in the median. Coming around the tree is something that catches my eye. Make that somethings (plural); 6 or 8 birds. There’s traffic, a curve, I’m merging; I can’t just lock up the brakes. I hear a noise & see a mark on the windshield. Yup, I was in a hit-&-fly tonight. :eek:

When I got to the field, I was accused of being Sully, but I corrected the person that it hit my windshield, not my engine. :dubious:

Before going off on a tangent, did you do anything special for 9/11 &/or what have you hit in/on a vehicle?

2

I celebrate only happy anniversaries and I’ve only hit a snowbank with my car.

3

blurf. And second!

I hit a dog many, many years ago when I was a teen driver. I cried for days. Here, we have endangered Key Deer which manage to get themselves run over often. There is even a scoreboard of how many have died year to date. I have never hit one but have had to slam on the brakes many times.

Cool balloon Spidey

4

Happy Moonday!

Up early because today the truck goes into the shop for 4-5 days, so I will be stuck at home. It’s funny how I never go anywhere anyway but the thought that I can’t disturbs me.

It’s a nice cool 60 degrees outside, so the window is open and the fan is on.

Cool balloon Spidey!

Most days are just another day to me, so no celebration or remembrances for me.

I once had a pigeon fly into my windshield. Caught another bird in the grill of my truck. That all happened years ago.
However, when I delivered papers… a cat (probably feral), a fox, a raccoon, numerous birds (I expected them to fly out of the way, not just sit there), a snake, a rabbit… and probably a few others I’ve forgotten.
I came close a few times with deer, but most of the deer in that area look both ways before crossing the street.
I almost hit an osprey that had just caught a fish and was having trouble getting enough lift for me to drive under him. One night when I was in Delaware a hawk almost flew into my windshield - enough to scare the hell out of my passenger.

I’m just a killer I guess.

Don’t know what all I’ll be doing today after I get back from the dealership. I have ground beef thawing in the fridge, so something with that. Irk of course. Sah-son’s paper is due today, so I’ll be doing the final proofread. Then there’s the usual cleaning and straightening that never ends.

So much excitement in my life, I don’t know how I do it.

5

blurf.
I commemorated the anniversary of the fall of the Towers by sitting quietly at my desk, with no radio or TV, at 8:45 am, and thinking about those who lost lives and/or loved ones that day.

I was quite impressed with this take on the whole phenomena

[QUOTE=Jim Wright on Facebook]
"You’re expecting some kind of obligatory 9-11 post, aren’t you?

Here it is, but you’re not gonna like it.

15 years ago today 19 shitheads attacked America.

They killed 3000 of us.

And then … America got its revenge for 9-11.

Yes we did. Many times over. We killed them. We killed them all. We killed their families. We killed their wives and their kids and all their neighbors. We killed whole nations that weren’t even involved just to make goddamned sure. We bombed their cities into rubble. We burned down their countries.

They killed 3000 of us, we killed 300,000 of them or more.

8000 of us came home in body bags, but we got our revenge. Yes we did.

We’re still here. They aren’t.

We win. USA! USA! USA!

Right?

You goddamned right. We. Win.

Except…

Every year on this day we bath in the blood of that day yet again. We watch the towers fall over and over. It’s been 15 goddamned years, but we just can’t get enough. We’ve just got to watch it again and again.

It’s funny how we never show those videos of the bombs falling on Baghdad today. Or the dead in the streets of Afghanistan. We got our revenge, but we never talk about that today. No, we just sit and watch the towers fall yet again.

Somewhere out there on the bottom of the sea are the rotting remains of the evil son of bitch who masterminded the attack. It took a decade, but we hunted him down and put a bullet in his brain. Sure. We got him. Right? That’s what we wanted. that’s what our leaders promised us, 15 years ago today.

And today those howling the loudest for revenge shrug and say, well, yeah, that. That doesn’t matter, because, um, yeah, the guy in the White House, um, see, well, he’s not an American, he’s the enemy see? He’s not doing enough. So, whatever. What about that over there? And that? And…

Yeah.

15 years ago our leaders, left and right, stood on the steps of the Capitol and gave us their solemn promise to work together, to stand as one, for all Americans.

How’d that promise work out?

How much are their words worth? Today, 15 years later?

It’s 15 years later and we’re STILL afraid. We’re still terrorized. Still wallowing in conspiracy theories and peering suspiciously out of our bunkers at our neighbors. Sure we won. Sure we did. We became a nation that tortures our enemies – and our own citizens for that matter. We’re a nation of warrantless wiretaps and rendition and we’ve gotten used to being strip searched in our own airports. And how is the world a better place for it all?

And now we’re talking about more war, more blood.

But, yeah, we won. Sure. You bet.

Frankly, I have had enough of 9-11. Fuck 9-11. I’m not going to watch the shows. I’m not going to any of the memorials. I’m not going to the 9-11 sales at Wal-Mart. I don’t want to hear about 9-11. I for damned sure am not interested in watching politicians of either party try to out 9-11 each other. I’m tired of this national 9-11 PTSD. I did my bit for revenge, I went to war, I’ll remember the dead in my own time in my own way.

I’m not going to shed a damned tear today.

We got our revenge. Many times over, for whatever good it did us.

I’m going to go to a picnic and enjoy my day. Enjoy this victory we’ve won.

I suggest you do the same."

  • Jim Wright
    [/QUOTE]
    Facebook removed his post after several people reported him.
6

We did nothing special yesterday and I did my best to avoid and and all sappy 9-11 remembrances. It was a horrible day. I remember where I was. I remember the several days after. I don’t want to dwell on it. I don’t want to see a photo montage with sad music playing in the background.

As for hitting critters with a vehicle, while I can’t possibly compete with **sari **:eek: I’ve run over a squirrel (I think it was suicidal) and I hit 2 different deer in two different vehicles on 2 different roads, altho in the dark of the morning both times. I may have hit a bird or two over the years.

And now it’s Moanday. I have nothing to do since the boss left early on Firday without giving me another project. So I’ll tidy my desk and make sure my assorted electronic folders are in order and lalalalalalalalala.

Happy Moanday!

7

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 73 Amurrkin out and cloudy with a predicted high of 89 and mostly cloudy for the day and maybe rain this afternoon. We shall see. No big plans other than makin’ a beastloaf for dindin. I need to decide on vegetative and side matter still.

Spidey way cool balloon! :cool: As far as things I have hit with my vehicle, a few birds and some squirrels because squirrels are suicidal. I’ve come close to hittin’ deer before and once I encountered a cow moseyin’ out into the road but was able to avoid her.

OK, that’s all I got. I need more caffeine and rumbly tummy wants food. I also need to purtify up somewhat as bug man is comin’ at eight to do the monthly kill the icky critters thing. One must be presentable for one’s bug man.

Happy Moanday Y’all!

8

My toll is one deer, a raccoon, several squirrels, a snake and a turtle. For 48 years of driving, not to bad. Never had a close encounter of the Avian kind, though.

Nothing special for 9-11, I was still recovering from my exertions of 9-10.

Today should also be quiet, but have my last roof replacement quote on 2Day, then I’ll have to make a decision on it.

Oh, and awake at 0500…BLURF

9

I’ve also involuntarily assisted a squirrel suicide. I’ve also twice been a passenger when the vehicle I was in hit a deer.

10

Up, caffeinated ,and sheveled. I’m going to take a couple of the wedding guests to the airport on the way to work. On the way back from Lawn Guyland, I had a butterfly flying into my path as I was going 70. My first thought was “Well, that’s one less hurricane”:smiley:

As far as 9-11. it’s kind of a somber occasion ,as we lost 3 friends from our hockey group, and one of our group was a First Responder, and was the guy who had to tow the firetruck in the 9-11 museum to the hanger.:frowning:

sari, glad I don’t live around you. :eek::wink:

11

I’ll take that second part having already related the first.

A few years ago we were making one of our normal trips to Knoebels. As I was getting ready to get in the car, a passing bird took a dump on my head. I went in and did a sink wash job fast and as we finally started down the street we nailed a bird with the windshield. HAH — revenge!!! We got about 30 miles along the trip and nailed another bird with the antennae; 20 miles after that we got another with the grill - 20 miles after that another with the windshield. In say 350 miles we killed 6 birds and got the car crapped on several times judging by the evidence when we hit Danville. We both decided that if we saw a fat guy with a distinctive outline that “good evening” we were running and hiding somewhere. :wink:

Another bird but on the Sportster. I was going to see a couple friends shortly before Thanksgiving when this large thing smacked into me in the triple-tree and cracked my wind screen. It was a frikkin turkey! On the wing! I rigged it across the sissy bar and took it to our friends house where I dressed it out. It dressed out at about 20 to 25 pounds and became their Thanksgiving dinner; I got some leftovers for sandwiches. And they floated the cost of replacing my plexiglass. This was the same year the president of our motorcycle club caught a bird in the exhaust system of his Ducati, killing it and cooking it as he road along not noticing anything but an odd smell. An accomplishment that earned him a bottle of wing sauce (as a fast collective gift) at our next gas stop. :stuck_out_tongue:

One in retrospect that I don’t take with much of a wink or a smile ----- back in the carefree days of my youth I had planned a motorcycle trip/ride of several hundred miles with some friends. When I left my Dad’s the meeting point was say 15 miles away. I hit and killed 4 rabbits (the only rabbits I have ever road-killed in my life) almost crashing on three of them. I got to the diner and decided the whole thing felt like bad juju to me and decided to skip the trip. “Guys – I just ain’t feeling it”. Something happened and the pack went down - 4 died and everyone else basically ended up at least injured. Since then I tend to follow what my juju says.

12

Since I’m remembering my youth ------ there was a guy who used to get his bikes and repair work at the shop where I worked; we’ll call him Joe-Joe because we called him Joe-Joe. Joe-Joe was a terrible rider and crashed a lot but never seemed to get hurt more than say a broken finger. He crashed into a parked car. He crashed into a parked semi. When Joe-Joe crashed into a parked boat Harry (the owner of the shop) banned him for life and refused to do any business with him, parts or service, ever again. Flash forward to about 20 years ago — I’m watching the news and here is Joe-Joe. Another crash. Into a house! And he walked away uninjured. Dude has got to have one kick-ass Guardian Angel.

Oh – and while we’re on the subject. My favorite-female-cousin-of-my-generation hit a deer with her car. The deer managed to at least run off; it may have died or maybe not. The car however was dead - totaled. It was an Audi Fox. Well, she should have known a deer could beat a fox! :smiley:

13

I posted this pictureon my FB with the following…

This Bible was found at Ground zero, permanently melded to a piece of metal, it is forever turned to Matthew 5:38. . Our Savior reminds us that we are to do good to all people, regardless of how they treat us, the color of their skin, their bank account, their lifestyle or beliefs… Christ makes no exceptions here. On this day that represents the consequences of hate, let us honor those who died, and the One who died on the stake, by remembering to love.

14

At last I have something to do - an entire cabinet!! Yeah, it’s a redesign of something that’s been done here before, but it’s still work to do. So yay! Took him long enough!! :stuck_out_tongue:

Lunch has been ingested. Time to get productive.

15

I’ve only ever hit three birdies driving, nothing else. All three on the same weekend, two 5 minutes apart, on back roads in New Zealand. Two goldfinches, which are kinda a pest there, and one fantail, which are one of my favourite birds, so I felt awful about that one.

I’ve been getting into bread making these last few days, I hate kneading, but the bread maker my landlord got given a while back has a dough setting, so I’ve been playing with that. It doesn’t make very nice loaves if you just let it do all of it; they’re square and dumpy and a bit underproved, but it seems to do fine at the dough makin’ bit!

16

Our moment of silence at heathenization yesterday was in memory of those killed in the towers, pentagon, Pennsylvania and the (endless) war since. Other than that, I, like Moooom, pretty much avoided the news blurbs. I’m all for remembering those who lost their lives, but getting on with life without the fear and hate that the event begat.

As for hitting things with the car, the last thing I hit was an alligator. I was driving home from work when I worked evenings when BAM! I felt something collide under the back side of the driver’s seat. I pulled off the parkway and looked. There was damage and a trail of remnents of a tractor-trailer tire scattered for several hundred yards. One of them was big enough for me to have to file an insurance claim. :smiley:

Before that, it was a blacksnake on a back road in the hills of southwest Virginia.

17

Howdy Y’all! I’ve been somewhat slothful today cause I can. However, I have accomplished the washin’ and dryin’ of a load of towels and made a beastloaf so there’s that. Dindin will be beastloaf, mac 'n cheese, peas, butter beans, and okra cooked together and cornbread cause I want me some cornbread. Oh and I made brownies from a mix (don’t judge!).

red I’ve hit a few of those types of gators in my life as well.

18

Would someone parse that for me? What is in the dish with the okra? :dubious:
Thanks.

19

Swampy ,have you posted your recipe for beastloaf before? I do not has, & am curious.** Flytrap**, I’m pretty sure it’s beastloaf separate, mac & cheese separate & veggies mixed together.

20

There’s not enough blurf in the world to describe how I’m feeling today.

For those keeping score at home, my ankle has been fucked up since last year. I have no good stories to explain how it’s fucked up, just that it is. It’s a ruptured posterior tibial tendon, which is the little booger that connects part of your calf muscle to the bottom of your foot. Notice I said “your” foot. Mine decided that it doesn’t feel like being a productive, useful part of my body anymore. I and the orthopedist tried to be nice to it. We tried a cast, physical therapy, a brace, ice, heat, ibuprofen (if that doesn’t work, nothing else short of morphine will work). My tendon laughed. Now the orthopedist is going to make that little fucker behave. I’m waiting to schedule surgery. I won’t be able to drive for about six to eight weeks, so I will have to find a co-worker who lives close to ride to work with.

I need a drink.