Here we are… already in week 32 of the year. Week 31 was interesting…
How well do you know your customers?
I started off the week with a Walmart grocery delivery. While that in itself isn’t worth mentioning, my item substitution made me snicker. I thought I’d try “hello” deodorant, and chose their coconut scent. Out of stock, Walmart chose to replace my choice with “Unicorn Tween” scent instead.
Even with tons of data compiled about how to sell to customers — they obviously pay zero attention when it comes to serving them. Wouldn’t you think with the advancements in technology they could figure out their long-time customer’s preferences? 🙄
Woofing on behalf chocolate labs from around the world, Dharma would like to congratulate Elsie.
A recent article on Indy Star told the story of devoted lab, Elsie, who stayed by her 80 year-old owner — a woman with dementia — for 3 days and 2 nights until they were found and rescued.
Upcoming for week 32 of 2024 and beyond…
Perry is back to work and I now have a whole lot of ground to gain. Oura ring has a cool feature that notes your cardiovascular age compared to your real age. Prior to Perry’s vacation, my cardiovascular age was 6-years YOUNGER than my true age. It’s currently 1-year OLDER than my true age, meaning I aged 7 years in 2 weeks! My new schedule begins tomorrow.
Will there be a presidential debate after all? Trump has agreed to debate on Fox on 9/3. My hope is that Harris will accept (she’s been asking for it!), and both candidates will focus less on insulting the other and more on their actual campaign promises. I’ve already heard the adjectives “weird” and “crazy” enough in the past month to last a lifetime.
And finally, there’s a new documentary that explores the security failures that led to the assassination attempt on former President Trump that’s worth a look. The fact that it’s produced by TMZ is concerning. Noticing that Harvey Levin is covered in sweat during interviews amplified my concern. Still, I found it interesting — even though it leaves viewers with more questions than answers. You can watch it on TubiTV — Under Fire: The Trump Assassination Attempt.
Now you know: The largest and most expensive animatronic Disney developed, the Yeti in “Expedition Everest,” is stuck in stationary mode as the cement supporting the Yeti isn’t perfect and Disney doesn’t want to risk the animatronic moving and falling on guests.
You are NOT going to change someone’s mind by insulting them. You’re not!
What’s got my attention and my ire up is a meme with a comment that some of my friends — and former teachers — are sharing on FB.
Why not THINK before you insult?
There’s a meme that says: If you can’t join the military with a felony on your record, how can a person with a felony become Commander in Chief?
Stand alone, it’s thought provoking, for sure. I agree that everyone has a right to stand up for what they believe in — religion, politics, and everything else in between. No harm. No foul.
But what follows the meme… and is also being shared… is this:
Feel free to take as much time as you need to process this – even if it taxes your educational skills…
Think about this — if you catch the attention of a Trump supporter with the meme, why then insult them? You’ve officially shut the door on bringing them over to your side. If a person doesn’t jump to agree with you on something you believe, they’re automatically stupid?
Don’t be a bully — and if you’re an educator (or a former one), mentioning educational skills in this manner isn’t cool. 🙄
This is a beautiful spot. If you don’t agree, you’re dumb.
Take as much time as you need to process that these are flowers and not weeds in the photo below — even if it taxes your educational skills…
Now you know: The same person was the voice for Miss Piggy, Yoda, Cookie Monster, Grover, Fozzie Bear, and Bert!
I don’t know a single person on planet earth that doesn’t like peanut butter. Why is that? Because it’s amazing!
Get a jar and a spoon and watch a mediocre sunset — thank me later.
The US is the largest consumer of peanut butter, but it was invented by a Canadian.
While many believe George Washington Carver invented this delicious spread of protein, he did not. He played a significant role in promoting peanuts as a crop and developed numerous uses for peanuts, but Marcellus Gilmore Edson — a Canadian — is credited with the first patent for peanut butter (1884).
And it’s good for you!
Peanut butter is high in protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, as well as niacin, magnesium, and vitamin E. It’s linked to several health benefits, including heart health, improved weight management, and reduced risk of certain chronic diseases.
Now you know: Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, known for creating cornflakes, patented a process for making peanut butter from raw peanuts in 1895. He marketed it as a nutritious protein substitute for people who could not chew solid food.
My favorite brother’s birthday is on election day (November 4th). Mine is on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th). My pap-pa’s birthday is on Memorial Day – today, May 30th. Although in 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act — making Memorial Day the last Monday in May — I still remember May 30th. And I remember my Pap-pa.
Time is a crazy thing, isn’t it?
Pap-pa died in 1982. Sheesh… that’s been like… forever ago. I still think of him often. The older I get, the more I think about him. When I’m mowing in the hot sun 500 times every week, I often have a thought creep in of what caused his death.
Pap-pa had a heart attack while doing yardwork at his home in good ole’ C’ville. Maybe that thought is him out there somewhere telling me to take a break. But probably not. 😉
Switching gears… have y’all seen the Hoosier janitor that got a golden buzzer on AGT?
I’ve watched it like 10 times and I just love this guy — Richard Goodall. His first flight ever and he sings, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Reading a bit more, the school he works at (and lives near) is in a pretty poor part of the city of Terre Haute. You go, Richard! ❤️
Now you know: In 1824, the Indiana General Assembly established Allen County, and the 1830s brought about the construction of the Wabash and Erie Canal in Fort Wayne. This famous canal earned Fort Wayne the nickname “Summit City” because it was the highest point above sea level along the entire canal route.
Joe Calloway, a friend and former speaker, has shared one story on Facebook more than a few times throughout the years. I read it again today and smiled — just like every time before. So I’m sharing it with you today so you can smile too. 🙂
If you enjoy it, please repay me for the share by telling me what’s eating my hosta.
11:30.
Sunday afternoon, my 10 year old daughter, Jessica, asked me if she and her best friend, Emma, could set up a lemonade stand in our yard. It was a very drizzly, wet, cool day. But I thought a lesson could be learned about disappointment and realistic expectations, so I said “Sure.” They painted a sign (“50 Cents a Cup – All Proceeds to Benefit Animal Shelter”), made the lemonade, set up their table in the yard, and stood in the drizzle. I sighed the sigh that a wise parent sighs as his child is about to face disappointment.
Finally, a lone, soggy jogger stopped. Then a car. Then neighbors started coming over. THEN the Grey Line Tour bus comes to a screeching halt right in front of our house. (I‘m in Nashville. A music star lives in my neighborhood. Not unusual.) The tour bus driver opened his door, ordered a cup of lemonade, then invited the girls to bring their pitcher onto the bus and almost every passenger bought a cup.
After two hours the girls had made almost $60 for the animal shelter.
A valuable lesson was learned. Not by them. By me. The lesson was that sometimes, even when everything seems stacked against you, you just go. It’s just your time. Because you make it your time.
Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live once said, “We don’t start the show because we’re ready. We start the show because it’s 11:30.“
For Jessica and Emma, it was 11:30.
Look at your watch.
What time is it?
Now you know: Paul McCartney, Phil Collins and Michael Jackson are the only musicians who have sold over 100 million records both as solo artists and as members of a band.
