1. Betty White is older than sliced bread.
Betty White was born in 1922. Sliced bread was introduced in 1928 by inventor Otto Frederick Rohwedder. Bread was sold in whole loaves since bakers didn't trust sliced bread could stay fresh.
2. Harvard University was founded before calculus was invented.
Harvard was established in 1636 and is the oldest institution of higher education in the U.S. The invention of calculus would come in the late 17th century (1684-1687).
3. The Chicago Cubs are win-less.
The Chicago Cubs haven't won a World Series since 1908.
4. The fax machine is older than you think.
The first fax machine was invented in 1843 by a Scottish mechanic named Alexander Bain.
5. Tiffany came before Italy.
Tiffany & Co. was formed in 1853. Italy became a country in 1861.
6. What do Star Wars and a France execution have in common?
The first Star Wars movie came out in 1977. The last time the guillotine was used in an execution in France was 1977.
Now you are better ready for Jeopardy!
My pampered cat looked at me as if to say, "Why do I need to go on a diet?" She sure has grown a LOT in the past year. She is spoiled, just like the dog. They are so easy to spoil, because they give unconditional love.
My big baby was picked up this afternoon by Bell Shell's Towing and taken to Mr, Fix It at his shop. Hopefully, tomorrow afternoon I will have a new power steering pump and she'll be ready to go for another 80,000 miles.
The weatherman said we are expecting more snow by the weekend and I depend on my truck in bad weather. I never know when I'll need the four-wheel drive feature on my snowy street.
More POWER to Mr. Fix It.
Good news for the day - DALE EARNHARDT JR - won the 2014 Daytona 500 race after rain delayed the race for almost eight hours. The day race turned into a night race as Dale won his second Daytona race in his career. Obviously, I was so happy for him. He sure acted excited when he won the checkered flag as the caution flag waved at the same time for a wreck behind him. Dale is going to do well this year!
Driving won't be so easy for me for the next couple days. My truck goes into the shop Monday for a major repair. On my way home Saturday afternoon, I was only three blocks from home when I lost all the power steering. After my mechanic friend checked it out Sunday afternoon, I learned that the shaft on the power steering pump to the pulley was broken. Since I have a hydro-boost braking system and four-wheel drive, it will be fixed at a Chevy dealership shop. A new power steering pump will be put on and I'll be back on the road again. The shock to my financial stability will wear off eventually. This too shall pass!
At least the truck will be fixed before my first eye surgery scheduled for next week. I am in for a busy March.
The starting lineup is set, but some will be forced to go to the back of the pack before the green flag drops. Danica Patrick, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte all blew engines in practice sessions for qualifying. But teams aren't allowed to change engines at that point, meaning the trio will start in the back.
The other six cars -- Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, Martin Truex Jr., Michael Waltrip, and David Ragan -- were involved in a last-lap crash in the second Duel race. They will also fall to the back to start the race.
Richard Childress of Richard Childress Racing is bringing back the #3 race car after 13 years of being in retirement since Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s death February 18, 2001 on the last lap of the Daytona 500 race. The number 3 will always be an icon for Dale Sr. Childress' grandson, Austin Dillon, will drive the new #3. Childress and Dale Sr. were very close friends during his racing career.
The lineup is as follows: (car number first, qualifying speed last)
1. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 196.019.
2. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Chevrolet, 195.852.
3. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 194.574.
4. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 194.477.
5. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 194.544.
6. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 195.042.
7. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 194.894.
8. (41) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 194.078.
9. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 195.211.
10. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 194.919.
11. (98) Josh Wise, Ford, 192.061.
12. (33) Brian Scott, Chevrolet, 194.776.
13. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, 194.658.
14. (21) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 194.334.
15. (47) A J Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 194.108.
16. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 194.41.
17. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, 193.736.
18. (40) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 193.732.
19. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 195.707.
20. (15) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 194.523.
21. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 193.365.
22. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 192.695.
23. (26) Cole Whitt, Toyota, 192.538.
24. (32) Terry Labonte, Ford, 192.135.
25. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 195.818.
26. (52) Bobby Labonte, Chevrolet, 191.493.
27. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, 194.38.
28. (13) Casey Mears, Chevrolet, 194.582.
29. (23) Alex Bowman, Toyota, 189.685.
30. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 195.712.
31. (55) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 192.798.
32. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 194.637.
33. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 195.296.
34. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, 195.004.
35. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, 194.582.
36. (7) Michael Annett, Chevrolet, 194.574.
37. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 194.502.
38. (4) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 194.422.
39. (36) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, 194.066.
40. (51) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 193.815.
41. (30) Parker Kligerman, Toyota, 193.594.
42. (66) Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 193.428.
43. (34) David Ragan, Ford, 192.328.
My summer passion is back...LET'S GO RACING GUYS!
In the NASCAR world, the season starts tomorrow with the Daytona 500 race. I have been 'patiently' waiting for the winter break to end and the year of racing to begin. I didn't miss watching a race last year, and I don't plan to miss any races this year. LOVIN' ME SOME NASCAR TIME!
GO HENDRICK MOTORS TEAM
When the temperatures warmed up just a bit Monday, the snow on the awning started melting. As the water dripped down, later in the afternoon the temperature dropped and icicles formed. I saw one longer icicle connect parts of my tea set wind chime. It connected the cup at the top to the teapot at the bottom. There would be no tea or tinkling of the chime until the temperature warmed up again.
The new five inch snowfall two days ago looked more like this in my yard:
I saw this video on Facebook recently. Someone who is tired of shoveling snow made his own solution. The jeep has been modified with the front plow. I wanted to see what the original looked like so I went on Amazon.com to see the item. It does not come with the plow on the front and the price is over $300. But it is a cute idea. If the snow was only that easy to remove!!!!
There would be only one reason someone would ring my door bell at 8:30 AM on Valentine's Day morning. I am NOT an early morning person and most people know this fact.
By the time I got up and to the door, a van was just driving away. But I looked on the porch to find a box and brought it inside. It was a delivery similar to last year's delivery on this date. FLOWERS. Last year was lilies; this year tulips are gracing the red vase.
My special friend remembered me, as he usually does. It was a happy day and my "tu-lips" were smiling!
INTERESTING VALENTINE'S DAY FACTS:
Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln. Thomas was a strong and determined pioneer who found a moderate level of prosperity and was well respected in the community. The couple had two other children: Abraham's older sister Sarah and younger brother Thomas, who died in infancy. Nancy Lincoln died when Abraham was just 9 years old. Lincoln eventually migrated to the small community of New Salem, Illinois where over a period of years he worked as a shopkeeper, postmaster, and eventually general store owner. It was here that Lincoln, working with the public, acquired social skills and honed story-telling talent that made him popular with the locals.
Abraham Lincoln began his political career and was elected to the Illinois state legislature in 1834 as a member of the Whig Party. He supported the Whig politics of government-sponsored infrastructure and protective tariffs. This political understanding led him to formulate his early views on slavery, not so much as a moral wrong, but as an impediment to economic development. It was around this time that he decided to become a lawyer, teaching himself the law.
Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842. The couple had four children, of which only one, Robert, survived to adulthood. Lincoln's nomination for president was due in part to his moderate views on slavery, his support for improving the national infrastructure, and the protective tariff.
The tired fairy shoveled a very small spot behind my vehicle, more toward the end of the driveway, and poof – was gone from sight.
Normally, the entire driveway would have been shoveled, because that is what the Second Chance workers are supposed to do – shovel snow for seniors who have no other resources – and work off their community service time for “doing a crime,” according to the court.
Last week Friday, I called the probation office and left a message on a voicemail inquiring whether there would be any workers on my street since the snow storm Wednesday night.
On Saturday at 12:20pm, I was sitting in my comfortable chair (which faces my front window) and I saw the Municipal Court van turn the circle at the end of my cul-de-sac and stop in front of my driveway. Oh, finally, I will get shoveled out, I thought. Wrong. Within a few seconds, they bypassed me and drove down the street to another senior single lady's house and shoveled her driveway. The single senior lady across the street paid to get hers three-quarter shoveled Friday (he didn't even do the width of her driveway, just a path for her car).
I was not thrilled at this rejection and promptly sent a Facebook message to the head probation officer of the court and told him what happened. I saw where he read the message a few minutes later, but got no reply. I figured the squeaky wheel would get some response.
If you look closely at the two photos I have posted, you will see that I have no clear path shoveled to GET TO my vehicle (in the second photo); in the first photo, the narrow slice of driveway that was shoveled seems less than the width of my truck and the snowplow-mound at the end of the driveway is (less) narrowly cleared. My truck would have to leap over the mound on the right or get stuck in it.
I have deduced that I should no longer rely on the free service offered to seniors by the city court system – you know – the “do the crime – do the time” probationers who are sentenced to community service work, because these snowflake fairies only do a fraction of what is needed or necessary and get away with it.
Moral of the story: I have made a phone call and hired someone to come and finish the job today. It will put off paying a small bill at the end of the month, but who cares, tight budget or not, I'm a survivor. And the workers got their revenge against the squeaky wheel.
As a trucker stops at a red light, a blonde catches up. She jumps out of her car, runs up to his truck, and knocks on the door.
The trucker lowers the window, and she says "Hi, my name is Heather and you're losing some of your load."
The trucker ignores her and proceeds down the street. When the truck stops for another red light, the girl catches up again.
She jumps out of her car, runs up and knocks on the door. Again, the trucker lowers the window. As if they've never spoken, the blonde says brightly, "Hi my name is Heather, and you are losing some of your load!"
Shaking his head, the trucker ignores her again and continues down the street. At the third red light, the same thing happens again.
All out of breath, the blonde gets out of her car, runs up, knocks on the truck door. The trucker lowers the window. Again she says "Hi, my name is Heather, and you are losing some of your load!"
When the light turns green the trucker revs up and races to the next light. When he stops this time, he hurriedly gets out of the truck, and runs back to the blonde's car. He knocks on her window, and she lowers it. He says "Hi, my name is Kevin. It's Winter in Ohio and I'm driving the SALT TRUCK!"
I know, I've been through it many times.
A friend of mine is just starting the process. Her mother died yesterday and the funeral is next week.
It was a rough day yesterday, but I feel better now. Time marches on and so does life. I decided I needed some laughter so I watched some videos.
I read a media article about the Amazon Prime Video feature not being utilized enough by Prime members. I decided to give it a try. I got out my Kindle Fire and watched seven back-to-back Jeff Dunham Show videos from 2009. I love Peanut, Achmed, and Walter, and Jeff makes me laugh. It was good to get my mind on brighter things today.
Last night I watched the opening ceremony of the Sochi Olympics. I was disappointed. The last winter Olympics opening was much better. NBC did a fair job of reporting it. I read in the media that they cut out certain parts, but I don't care. The overall experience was just not good. For one thing, there were way too many commercial breaks to show any continuity in presentation. (They did say that the Olympics cost more than 50 BILLION dollars this year, so I guess the sponsors had to have their MANY 30-seconds.)
The fireworks and the USA Team walking into the arena were the only bright parts in the show. I change the channel after the USA group walked the runway. It was impressive that the injured gal got up from her wheelchair and walked a while on her crutches. She was determined to be there to support her team.
The media horror stories of Sochi are scary...bad hotel rooms, bad water, hacking computers and cell phones, killing stray dogs, and the anti-gay bashing from the country is enough to keep people at home. (Even the Olympic rings are five different colors!)
I want to watch Gracie Gold skate and Shawn White snowboard, but other than that, I'm not a big winter Olympics fan. I wish them all well, I hope they bring home the gold medals, and just to have the experience is wonderful for all those who trained so long and hard.
*See, I can wish them all well, and yet not be a fan of the events!
James Douglas "Jay" Leno, who admits he's dyslexic, has a Bachelor's degree in speech therapy from Emerson College, was born in New Rochelle, New York, and has hosted The Tonight Show for the last 22 years, bid farewell to millions of friends, audience members, and viewers Thursday night. He gave an emotional speech about the fact that he would miss his NBC family and the past 22 years had been the best years of his life.
NBC decided to usher in a 'younger generation' demographic and made the executive decision to again oust Leno and replace him with Jimmy Fallon. Fallon appeared on Leno's show the night before to 'pass the torch' and Fallon said he would try to make him (Leno) proud after taking the reins (and moving the show to New York, instead of Burbank, California where Leno took over from Johnny Carson 22 years ago).
Leno, like Carson, is exiting the show "going out on top" as they say, remaining number one in the Neilson ratings for the last 17 years.
For those who watched his show, and loved him, Leno's farewell speech was heartfelt and touchingly emotional. I know it was for me. I will miss him. He can now be found at Jay Leno's Garage, where he owns 100 cars and 90 motorcycles in his prize collection. He will still do some stand-up comedy shows around the country, and I just hope he comes to Ohio so I can go see him. I wish him well. I also hope Fallon carries on the tradition of The Tonight Show and it remains top in the ratings.
If you missed his farewell speech on Thursday night, watch it by CLICKING HERE. Time marches on. Farewell.
Nine years have passed so quickly, but the memories remain. Mother went to Heaven to join my dad.
I like motorcycles and so does Jay Leno. I subscribe to Jay Leno's Garage on YouTube, but I found this video on another site. This is a great modified bike-style ride custom made by Randy Grubb who has his own website. Doors on a bike, what a concept. He is only custom making six of these three-wheeled Decopods at about $25,000 each. Randy and Jay go for a ride in Hollywood, California, turning heads everywhere on these Flash Gorden inspired bikes. They each have a 'stand upright' feature that holds them upright, but while running - at a stop sign you still have to put your feet down to keep them from tipping over.
Leno was scheduled to leave The Tonight Show six months from now. Then NBCUniversal decided to move up the exit date to the time of the Olympics broadcasts, when the show would not be on because of late night Olympics coverage.
In order for NBC's choice of Jimmy Fallon to take over, the show had to move from Los Angeles, California, to New York City, where Fallon is located.
I read that all 164 staff members, most of whom have been with Leno for the past 22 years, will be laid off from NBC during the next couple months. In 2012, Leno took a pay cut in order to save his staff's jobs, so when the end date of his show was changed, he was adamant about NBC paying his staff for the extra six months the show was supposed to run. NBC agreed.
Johnny Carson had the show for 30 years; Jay Leno has hosted the show for 22 years. Carson's show was number one in the ratings when Leno took over and has remained number one for the hand-off to Jimmy Fallon. Leno says the older generation has to make room for the younger generation. Fallon debuts his show on February 17.
When NBC had a brain-fart and tried to replace Leno with Conan O'Brien a few years ago, ratings fell and the network realized their mistake and brought Leno back. The ratings again went back to number one.
I have loved Leno's Headlines, Jay Walking, and other special show features. I have not made a firm decision on Fallon as yet. But I will give him some time to impress me before I stop or continue to watch his show.
The name of the show is changing from The Tonight Show With Jay Leno to The Tonight Show Staring Jimmy Fallon.
I love Leno's humor, his special stories, and his famous guests. Tonight's guest was a favorite, Betty White, and Jimmy Fallon to officially pass the torch (which he said he hoped didn't get intercepted by a Seahawk- to roars from the audience - for his reference to the Super Bowl). I will miss Jay very much after 22 years of being on top of the ratings. I don't like Letterman and can't stand O'Brien. But Jimmy, I'll give you a chance. I hope you can try to fill Jay's shoes when it comes to humor!
Four days ago, guest Bill Maher (who had been a guest on Leno's show 34 times over the past 22 years) had a surprise for Jay and had Seth McFarland join him for a Thanks For The Memories special version song for his fairwell.
Will the furry forecaster see his shadow when he steps out on Gobbler's Knob?
History shows his accuracy rate to be only 37%, so the decision is not hard. Whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow or not on this Groundhog Day, spring will still not officially start until March 20 of this year.
According to Punxsutawney Phil's website, he will emerge from his burrow at 7:20 AM to see or not see his shadow in the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania annual celebration by the Groundhog Club's Inner Circle.
The Inner Circle is a group of local dignitaries responsible for carrying on the tradition of Groundhog Day every year. They're the ones who are not only responsible for planning the events every year, but they're also responsible for the feeding and care of Phil himself!
I wonder if Buckeye Chuck, of Marion, Ohio, will do any better in his prediction.
A mechanic was removing a cylinder head from the motor of a Harley motorcycle when he spotted a well-known heart surgeon in his shop.
The surgeon was there, waiting for the service manager to come and take a look at his bike.
The mechanic shouted across the garage, "Hey, Doc, can I ask you a question?"
The surgeon a bit surprised, walked over to the mechanic working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and asked, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take valves out, fix 'em, put 'em back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I get such a small salary and you get the really big bucks, when you and I are doing basically the same work?"
The surgeon paused, smiled and leaned over, and whispered to the mechanic...
"Try doing it with the engine running."
