The experiences, lessons, and influences we encounter in our formative years significantly shape our perspectives, beliefs, and behaviors as we grow older. Therefore, how you approach just about everything you’ll encounter in life begins when you’re young.
If you’re going to do it, do it right!
That was one of my Momma’s favorites. Experience has taught me that lesson was a good one. If you do things right the first time — it will save you time down the road. Before the really cold and windy days of winter, I took care of the hot tub knowing we wouldn’t use it during that time. It opened looking like this:
Perry took care of the pool — closing it for the winter. It opened like this:
It’s not his Momma’s fault — and it’s partly not his fault either.
The pool cover blew off and he put it back multiple times. In the dead of winter, Perry couldn’t go out there and totally rework how it was secured, but that doesn’t change the fact that at this point, there’s a ton of work to get it ready for swimming.
Perry has a bajillion amazing qualities… but he doesn’t always care about doing things right the first time — he often concentrates on simply getting it done. He’s also not the best at putting things back after using them. 😏
Now you know: When “Star Wars” officially debuted in theatres on May 25th, 1977, George Lucas was so busy approving the film’s advertising campaigns that he forgot the film opened that day. That same evening, he went out for dinner in L.A. with his wife and saw crowds lining up to see the movie.
Perry used his master Pit Boss skills on a 12 pound pork butt yesterday. While the smoker was warming up, he covered the meat (and my countertop) with Weber’s cowboy rub.
After around 8 hours with applewood smoke, the meat was done and ready for me to tear apart. After covering it with my secret homemade bbq sauce, I popped it in the oven for around 30 minutes.
Next, I called the Pesky neighbors and invited them to eat with us. They were here in 10 seconds flat. Seriously… like sliding in the gravel driveway and jogging to the front door fast. 😉
What came next was predictable.
When bellies are full, some menfolk think it’s nap time. Mr. Pesky, for example, couldn’t hold his eyes open. That’s what happens when you get a belly full of restaurant quality smoked🐷butt.
Now you know: Hummingbirds, with their tiny bodies and high levels of activity, have the highest metabolic rates of any animals — roughly a dozen times that of a pigeon and a hundred times that of an elephant. To maintain those rates, hummers have to consume about their weight in nectar daily.
Early this week, I went to the bank to do a cash deposit. It took forever for them to count my money so I grabbed a dum dum sucker while I waited. On the way home, I tossed the stick out the car window. (It was such a tiny littering infraction… please don’t judge me.)
I had the push mowing done when Carl showed up with his mower and helped me finish in record time. Then, he came inside so I could fix a container of cherry cobbler I made — along with another container of ice-cream — that he could take home with him. He even stayed long enough to pay attention to the two hounds.
Perry arrived a short time later. He sat within 6 feet of me for about 3 hours. That’s when I fired up the tanning bed because it’s the one thing that helps my back feel better.
After about 10 minutes getting hotter by the second, I raised my arms and felt something strange on my head. It was that darned sucker stick! It must’ve blown back in the window and got tangled in my hair.
How on earth could neither man see a white stick dangling off my head??
Because I’m invisible. That’s why. 😩
All you need to do to find out if you’re also invisible is to stick a foreign object on your head and walk around for hours. If no one notices, you’ll know we share the same super power.
Now you know: The same man, William A. Mitchell, invented Tang, Cool Whip, and Pop Rocks.
I shared photos of my family the other day taken when my favorite brother visited, but have another I didn’t share…
I’m sharing it now because it’s proof that with AI, you can go anywhere. The best example is our recent rafting expedition in a faraway swamp.
AI algorithms can produce highly realistic and convincing outputs.
As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies continue to advance, it’s becoming more difficult to distinguish between what’s real and what’s digitally created. The above photo took me about 2 minutes with Photoshop, and y’all know it’s fake — but there’s a whole lot out there that’s so realistic it’s hard to tell the difference.
Seeing isn’t always believing anymore.
Be careful not to assume everything you see on the internet — or read — is factual. 🙂
You CAN believe it when I tell you my back is losing the barndo’s landscaping battle. The yard improvement posts I shared on shelleyerwin.com over the past 2 days is as real as it gets. How long before yardwork can be done with AI? (My poor ole’ back wants to know.)
Now you know: In 2001, a 13-year-old Boy Scout named Cody Clawson went missing for over 18 hours near Yellowstone Park. Clawson resorted to using his belt buckle to signal to planes overhead. Eventually, he got a pilot’s attention – and that pilot was none other than Harrison Ford.
The other day, I took Mr. Pesky for eye surgery. I always take a selfie at every trip to a doctor or hospital — and this latest excursion was no exception. I didn’t share the photo here because Carl’s head looked like a watermelon.
Family photos taken with my trusty iPhone…
My favorite brother visited today and I set the iPhone up to take a few family shots. Notice how Mom appears larger than her tiny self — and Perry looks like he’ll be challenging HHH in the next WWE event?
Because of my most recent two photo experiences, I have a pro tip for you!
In group photos taken with an iPhone, stand in the middle of the group.
Notice in the photo below that Mom appears to have lost 35 pounds and I found every single one of them. And Mr. Pesky appears larger than in the photo above too — all because of positioning (ok, so partly because of positioning). 😉
Here are a couple more candid shots where the tip doesn’t apply…
It sure is nice to have my brother back in Indiana!
I know it’s not permanent, but it sure is awesome for now. 🙂
Now you know: Bootlegger Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton killed himself rather than report to federal prison after being convicted of moonshining offences. He prepared his grave footstone years in advance and had it by his front porch and kept his casket in his living room. The epitaph read, “Popcorn Said Fuck You.”
