A little this and that

New shower curtain

Went to BBB this morning to pick up a couple of things. Bill and I went there on Sunday so he could buy a new pillow for himself. While there, he saw something called a BackJoy Relief seat. He said it would be great for the kayak. I told him, hold off and I'll pick it up later for his birthday next month. So I went this morning without him to pick it up and STICKER shock! It was $39.99!
I picked up a couple of bath towels, face cloths and hand towels for Rachel for school in a nice teal blue. I happened to see a Tervis tumbler with Georgia Southern Eagles emblazoned on the side and just HAD to get it, too. Then, I figured it was time to update the downstairs bathroom shower curtain. It still has a Paris feel, but no more of the frilly stuff. Bill will be thrilled, I'm sure. Finally to wrap it all up, a coupon came in the mail for 20% of entire purchase at BBB so, while I saved $25, I will NOT say how much I spent;-)

Go Georgia Southern Eagles

Another day

Notice something about the pole

Over the weekend, we had some horrendous rain storms. I'm not sure if that is what lead up to this, but if it didn't then it was likely some fool running a red light. Anyway, that pole was hit HARD and the lines were hanging low. Also, the hydrant was knocked a-kilter. I asked the lady that runs the convenience store at that intersection if she knew what had happened but she didn't. She hadn't even noticed the leaning pole, the orange flags or even the crews out there...
Met a nice couple and their dog from Michigan this morning at Starbucks. They were thinking about moving here. I told them, it may be a nice place to visit, but there are NO jobs. The husband noticed my Patriot's coffee mug. Said he was a fan of Tom Brady (Brady attended college in Michigan). Funny how little things can start a conversation.

The truck is NOT touching the pole. It is close to it.

Fireworks

Well, I hope everyone has an uneventful Fourth of July.  As for us, we stayed home.  The fools at the BP station, were blowing off fireworks. Yes, that is correct. At the GAS station, the knuckleheads light off fireworks. We keep an eye on things, like our roof, Bill's truck in the back yard. 
Then, there was the gunfire... Yup, they are crazy out there. You could hear pistols and what sounded like automatic weapons, too. Amazingly we did not hear about anyone being injured. Sometimes God protects fools.
Tonight, just before Bill walked out for the 8 pm walk with Chip, we heard gunfire real close to our house. A few minutes later as Bill and Chip were walking across Barnard, a policewoman stopped and asked Bill if he had heard gunfire. He said, yup, over by Dirty South Records. You would think the police could pull this stuff up on the video camera at the intersection. This just shows that no one really looks at those cameras. Why spend our tax dollars on cameras if they aren't even going to use them?

Starbucks Dude Part II

OK, so I'll finish the story about the dude I was talking to uptown. Anyone who knows me, knows I can't remember names. So the guy tells me his name, but it goes whoosh, right through my brain. Then, he points to his arms. He has tattoos that look like Tony the Tiger stripes on them. That's when he tells me "Everyone calls me Tiger." Really?! Says he is from Maryland, his father is a Native American medicine man and his mother is a white woman that is a witch. Interesting.
Then he drops a bomb. Says he is a necromancer. For the uninitiated:
1. a method of divination through alleged communication with the dead; black art . 2. magic in general, especially that practiced by a witch or sorcerer; sorcery.
I told him be careful about talking about like that in the bible belt!

Starbucks uptown

People often ask me, why do I go to the Starbucks up town when parking is so much easier elsewhere? Well, I'll tell you. It's because you never know who you will end up seeing or talking to. There's the local "crazies" (yeah, I know, it isn't politically correct to say it, but what the hell?, Crazy is Crazy!). Then, we get the tourists that I enjoy talking to. Then, you meet someone like I met on Tuesday. Not local,  not totally tilting at windmills. I'll let the reader decide.
This young man, I'd say in his twenties, was wearing a backpack and what, at first glance I thought was a piece of rebar, and holding a Styrofoam box, when he asked me for money. I asked him instead, what was the story with the rebar. He said it was an antenna- like the kind a trucker uses for a CB radio. He uses it for street fighting demonstrations for martial arts. Okayyyy... Next, I asked what was the deal with the box. Well, he opened it up and shows me a BAT! Says he found this vampire bat and he needs to go to the library to find out what to feed it. Okayyyyy... Gets better. Then I asked where is he from. Stop me if you heard this one before... He is from Maryland. On probation from ....SAVANNAH.... Brought down from MD to GA in a white van in handcuffs... After going to court, was released to the wilds of Savannah with no money, no ride home... Ha Ha Ha! I gave him a buck and told him where to get a free meal from the mission. I'll tell you more of his story later...

Steal a flag

Former Old Glory

Who would stoop so low as to steal an American flag? I don't know but I'm hoping the neighbor's video camera will show it. I am angry that someone would walk up on my porch and take my flag. I know it only cost $30 at WalMart plus another $10 for the pole, but it isn't the money. It's MY FLAG. So, I made a police report, again, it isn't about the money. Not like I can make an insurance claim... I'm just pissed.

Mostly Quiet here

WTF? SNAKE!

Been a little quiet here. I've been spending my days studying and job hunting.
Lila sent me this photo of a LARGE snake on the rafters of the garage at work. It was eating birds. The garage is about a mile as the crow flies (or the snake crawls) from her house. Mr/Ms Snake came from somewhere. He/She has parents, siblings, babies... get my point. I'm staying far far away!

Knucklehead move here

Rachel paid some dudes 2 blocks from our house, to wash the outside and detail the inside of her car. Well, Miss knucklehead was watching when it started raining so she decided to sit in the car. The keys were on the console. Can you guess what happened next? OK, I'll just say it. She got out of the car, closed the doors.... The doors locked. Where are the keys? Did I mention they are on the console? Damn Honda. You can Never lock the keys in the Subaru. It just won't let you. One of the guys told Rachel it would cost $60 for "Pop A Lock" to open the door. She said that was too much. So the guy took a screwdriver and tried to pry open the window to get a coat hanger in the window. Well, POP when the side glass. Nice. Cost for replacement? about $135 from the cheapest place! Expensive car wash. And let's not forget, she called me, and I said, well that is what Roadside Assistance is for. Really! It could have cost her NOTHING if she just waited for me (I was, after all, only 2 blocks away). Knucklehead.

Rachel's Big Day

On Friday @ 5, Rachel's car was finally ready. I am so glad I don't have to keep shuttling her around any more.
The big thing today of course, is Rachel graduated! But we had a little fun at her expense. I sent Rachel a text while she was at practice, saying that it was too hot and Bill decided to wear his kilt. She was appalled to say the least! I said the kilt is "dressy" and told her Bill even had a matching hat, how cool! This went on and on, building up to me sending her a picture of Bill in his kilt to her phone just as we were leaving. She was frantic. I didn't say anything more. Then, when it was over and she saw that Bill was wearing a suit, she was so relieved. It was the best April Fools joke in June EVER!

Rachel and Grandpa Foster

The Grad

Grrr. Not a Happy Day

Rachel is PISSED as her car is still not done. It has been in the shop since last week. My mechanic changed the auto transmission fluid then used a hand held device that said the car needed a module for the transmission. Once that was done, it still wouldn't shift properly. Said it would need a transmission. Well, the damn Honda turns out that it needs some RARE transmission. A v-6, auto, coupe, made in USA, 2003 tranny. It turns out this tranny is a piece of crap so there aren't many used ones out there. For about $1400 we could pick up a used one here in Sav. But, a shop here will rebuild it for $2000 and give a 3 year warranty. Sounds good, but the car has been in the tranny shop since Monday. Dude said it would be done late Wednesday or early Thursday. Here it is Thursday afternoon, no car. Said due to the tropical storm, parts did not get here. DAMN, Rachel is flipping out.
Then some dude on Craigslist offered her $60 for her subwoofer and amp. Wow. Christian paid $250 for it and she paid him $100 for it. So, she isn't selling. No offers on any of the gowns or jewelry we put on Craigslist or EBay either. Double Damn. Can't get any money in.

Rachel's 18th Birthday Today!

Today is the big one! 18 years old today. Now she can buy cigarettes without using someone else's ID.

Rachel's car. What can I say? That thing. I hate it. She had to buy another Honda Accord. Last week, it was intermittently not starting. Finally on Tuesday night, it wouldn't start at all. She left it on the islands. I went there in the morning and had it towed to Dave's garage. After installing the neutral safety switch, it was not that. So, he took it out and replaced the starter. Voila!It starts! Then as she drives away, she calls me. The radio is not working. Damn. Go back. The battery had died and the radio needs to have a code entered. OK, where is the owner's manual, Rachel? Oh, she left it at someone's house. Really? Mechanic said she would need to remove radio to get serial number and take it and VIN # to Honda to get them to look up code in the computer. She was pissed.
She drove to Honda. Turns out, the original owner had pasted the code into the glove box. They entered the 4 digit # and it worked. Happy Day Thursday.

Then, Thursday night, Rachel goes out drinking with her boyfriend. She gets drunk. He can't find the car. After wandering around up town, he LOSES Rachel. She fell down and hit her temple. Blacked out! He finds her, calls a cab and takes her to his apartment. In the morning she calls me crying. Can't remember anything and her head hurts. I pick her up, see the bruise on her temple, and rush her to the emergency room.

She had a CAT scan and is OK, but keep an eye on her.

Sunday, Rachel is driving the car to work, when the RPM's keep going up, but the speed is going down... That's ugly. She calls me crying. She did make it to work. I tell her leave the car and I'll pick you up after work.
9 pm. She calls. She has a ride. 9:40. Ride is still working. Damn it, she is going to drive home. Please no, I said. Well, you can guess... She gets as far as the frigging Wilmington Bridge. The car won't go up hill. Second tow in 5 days.
We were thinking it was the transmission. Dave looked at it this morning. Checked the engine codes. Thank God, it just needs a sensor. So, another $150 day but she will have it back tomorrow.

Pray that the drama is over...

Rachel

Wise Woman

 “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”

― Helen Keller

I must have a lot of character... 

Look what happened just before I came home!

Dude - Shawn Blige
 Dude- James Baggs III
Dude- Michael Gibbs, Jr.

Prostitution bust

Eight people are arrested May 14 in connection with a prostitution bust in the Jefferson Street area. 

Alleged prostitutes, some men dressed as women, were arrested after a sting operation in one of Savannah's prostitution hot beds. Neighbors and businesses say it's about time.

They also were a little surprised to find out some of the "ladies" weren't really ladies. 

The arrests came after an investigation into prostitution in the Jefferson and Bull Street areas from 36th Street up to 42nd Street. Neighbors had complained to city leaders, who notified Chief Willie Lovett. 

The police say it's not exactly a growing problem, but a quality of life problem which is not going away. Most neighbors WTOC spoke to were not surprised by the arrests and crackdown, as they were familiar with the faces who had been put behind bars.

You have three men, posing as women. Some of these residents said they thought the men were women until certain mannerisms gave them away. Shawn Blige, 31, Michael Gibbs, 29, and James Baggs, 48, were arrested for prostitution. Also arrested was the only actual female of the group, according to police reports, Ruth Ann Robinson, 48.