MEMORIES: Found my notes of a 6/9/10 trip to WalMart

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Went to WalMart to get a cheap printer. Argh! FML. She said she was fine. We walked into WalMart form the handicapped space, walked the width of the store and she was getting shaky. Stupidly I didn’t suggest she take of the motorized carts. Stupidly I didn’t insist we leave. She dismissed me to go look for the printer, and I like fool went and got it. When I found it and brought it back to the dog food pile she was sitting on, she was gone. Argh! I caught up to her with the basket with a few items in it, looking for the table section. That should have been a tip off she was struggling. It was easy to find. She tired again and I sat her on a barstool. We headed for the checkout. She had to stop on the way. She sent me ahead to check out and like a fool I did it. I really thought she was just tiring. I was on line and I heard some commotion right behind me. When I turned around, it was her on the ground. Argh! FML. I left the cart and went to her straight away. Ripped the crotch of my pants getting there. Needless to say it was a mess. he’s OK. Once she got over the shock. They insisted she sit in a wheelchair. (Good response by the WalMart assistant manager, who really wanted to call 911. She was fit to be tied. But admitted she wasn’t up to walking out to the truck.) She has no memory of the events in WalMart. Only remembers being wheelchaired out to the truck.

We then went to the diner on the way home. She was still shaky. On the way there she checked her sugar and it was above 200. That means it was heart; not sugar. Argh! At the diner, she ordered a full dinner but hardly touched it. I’ve attempted once again to tell her to do less. But got told off, “I can’t do any less”.

Oh an the printer doesn’t work. It’s been used and repackaged. The contents aren’t right and the plastic was opened. FML I’m pissed that this is another example of a return sold as new. I didn’t think WalMart did that. I know Officemax, Staples, and Office Depot do. Back it goes today. Argh!

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Maybe H’s right. I need to collect all the stuff I’ve learned over the past year, or the past 5 years, or the past 40 years, and create “The Guide to Patient Advocacy”.

Argh!

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MEMORIES: Our Girl’s Name

Monday, March 14, 2011

Our Girl’s Name

Most folks don’t know that Frau Reinke was named after a cousin, Evlynn Mahoney, who died very young. Given that Our Girl had that high school ring from Saint Dominic’s in Jersey City, her namesake died after high school. Like a dummy, I don’t remember any of the details. That ring was carried in her jewelry box from place to place over the years. It was never lost or far from her thoughts. When diabetes swelled her hands, my class ring and her wedding ring joined that ring in her treasure chest. We got some much larger rings for her to wear and never talked much about the swelling and what it portended.

Her first battle over her “name” occurred when she hit Holy Family Academy in Bayonne. She showed up and gave her name “Evlynn”. Tilt! She’s told: “There’s no saint named ‘Ev Lynn’. No one ever got anywhere arguing with Nuns. So she registered as “Ev E Lynn”. Not happy but that’s life.

Fast forward about four years. She’s graduated from her beloved HFA and it’s time to get a job. Off to AT&T in NYC. I have no idea what led her there? It might be interesting to know. That decision predetermined so many other events. One wonders what might have happened.

So she gets the job and is filling out the forms. She has her diploma, social security card, and her birth certificate. No problem. Turns them into HR and is waiting get her I’d card. Tilt! Big hub bub and consternation. Finally it’s determined she’s not “Ev E Lynn”; she’s “Evlynn” as far as AT&T is concerned. (You really had to her tell the story!)

The story doesn’t end there!

I got in the habit whenever asked “Wife’s name?” to reply “First Name Evlynn Spelled Funny ‘E’ ‘V’ and ‘LYNN’ six letters only one E”.

When we bought our first house, despite all the reminders about name, the papers were all wrong. She had to go through, cross out every misspelling, and initial it. And, had to sign an affidavit to that effect. Boy was she <past tense synonym for urine output> off. She may have even said an Irish Prayer for the lady who did it.

When we bought the shore house, guess what happened?

Yup, another cross out and initial session.

Airline tickets, drivers license, auto title … none ever went easy.

But she was EV LYNN! And, never got rude with the paid help, no matter how they butchered her name. She was much more patient with it than I would be.

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FUN: Mars Needs Moms — Part 2

Monday, March 14, 2011

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/03/14/mars-needs-moms-may-be-one-of-hollywoods-biggest-bombs/?blog_id=120&post_id=64261

MARCH 14, 2011, 7:00 AM ET
‘Mars Needs Moms’ May Be One of Hollywood’s Biggest Bombs
By Anthony Kaufman

*** begin quote ***

Disney’s latest 3-D animated film “Mars Needs Moms” may be one of the biggest box office bombs of all time.

*** end quote ***

A smart ten year old told me all I needed to know about this stinker.

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INTERESTING: Luftwaffe Over New York; another alternative history

Monday, March 14, 2011

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/03/11/86523/

Luftwaffe Over New York, a WW2 Secret
March 11, 2011 posted by Veterans Today
The Most Dangerous Photo-Recon Mission of World War II
By Jim Newsom U.S.A.

*** begin quote ***

On August 27th 1943, a German Luftwaffe long-range photo reconnaissance bomber, a Junkers Ju-390 took off from its base in Norway and flew out across the Atlantic Ocean. Among its four man crew was a brave and daring woman Anna Kreisling, the ‘White Wolf of the Luftwaffe’. A nickname she had acquired because of her frost blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Anna was one of the top pilots in Germany and even though she was only the co-pilot on this mission, her flying ability was crucial to its success.

*** end quote ***

Wow, I never knew that. And, I was interested in WW2 as a child. Stunning revelation!

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Posted by reinkefj

MACBOOKAIR: Fails to resume from sleep

Monday, March 14, 2011

Argh! Twice yesterday. Need to be sure I never leave anything valuable unsaved.

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POLITICAL: BHO44’s Egypt policy called “flip, flop, flip”

Monday, March 14, 2011

LUDDITE FINALLY FORWARDED ME SOMETHING THAT WAS STUNNING.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9sMo-LTdSc

Naill Furgeson, a history prof from Harvard, (hardly a Fox News contributor), roasts President Obama about Egypt. The MSNBC hosts look like they got slapped upside the head by a 2×4. Obviously smart and deeply knowledgeable about the region and history, he just blew their socks off.

The most important quote: “The military is in charge and that’s not usually seen as a successful outcome of a democratic revolt.”

In a five minute segment, he shows how the American electorate made a mistake that will forever change the world. And, he slammed Hillary, Gates, and the Obama administration’s foreign policy staff as “not even second rate”.

Wow!

And, this made it on to MSNBC? The propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. The crown Jewel of Gooferment Electric. I’m sure there will be a strong memo to follow.

Hey, Fox News, you need to have this guy on more often. He’s as good as Dick Morris as calling folks out about facts.

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RANT: Bring the girls and boys home … now

Monday, March 14, 2011

http://dumpdc.wordpress.com/2011/03/14/secession-movement-spreads-well-beyond-texas-2/

Secession movement spreads well beyond Texas
By DAVE MONTGOMERY dmontgomery@star-telegram.com

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A campaign called “Bring the Guard Home” is pushing legislation in 23 states that would empower governors to recall state National Guard units from Iraq on the premise that the federal law authorizing such deployments has expired. “It’s gaining momentum, to say the least,” said Jim Draeger, program manager for Peace Action Wisconsin. He said the initiative has a respectable chance of passing the Legislature in his state.

*** end quote ***

Bring the girls and boys home under any excuse!

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EVLYNN: Today I stopped at the store …

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Del Monte grapefruit was on sale 2 cans for $3. Her favorite. It made me very sad.

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RANT: The meme of TOD; one label globally

Sunday, March 13, 2011

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_b28af7e2-4c32-11e0-a426-001cc4c03286.html

It’s that time again: Clocks change this weekend

By LEANNE ITALIE Associated Press | Posted: Friday, March 11, 2011 5:00 pm

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NEW YORK (AP) – It’s an annoying ritual to some: Clocks go back in the fall and ahead for spring, but why do we do it, when did it start and how does it affect our lives?

*** end quote ***

It’s a dumb idea.

And, serves no rational purpose.

I’d rather see the entire world on GMT.

When I had national responsibilities, time zones were annoying. When I had global responsibilities, time zones were impossible.

Who cares what label is applies for the time to get up or go to sleep.

We should have one label globally. One time, one date. Who cares about the Earth’s rotation anyway?

We’re not so smart in choosing our memes.

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MEMORIES: A young couple in aruba

Sunday, March 13, 2011

In the first of our too few trips to Aruba, we’d had a good time (Except for her sunburn, which I’ll cover another time.)

We’re in this Quonset hut of a “departure terminal”. In those days, like you see in the old movies, they push a mobile stairway up to the side of the plane and you board. The hut was long, aluminum and hot. So we were going through the various “stations” — US immigration, US agriculture, US passport control, US visa, US Customs — heck if I was a bureaucrat, I’d try and figure out a job in Aruba. Then Aruba passport control, visa, etc. etc.

So Frau Reinke and I are free to approach the last station, we discover that Aruba has a $20 / head departure tax. Payable in cash US$ only — no florins (amusing that their Gooferment wouldn’t take its own paper), no credit cards, no checks, no nothing — nothing but cash on the barrelhead.

Half way to the station, we see a young couple — obviously newlyweds — the girl is in tears and the guy looks like he pooped his pants. Naturally, Frau Reinke can’t MYOB. She steps up to the girl, who’s maybe a decade younger than she is, “What’s the matter, Hon.”

Thru the water works, we learn they have no money. They spent it all and had credit cards until they got home.

Frau Reinke says: “Not to worry, Hon. We were lucky this trip and have extra.” (I want to scream “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” We hadn’t won.) She whips out her roll and gives the boy money. 60$ US and says “Here’s two for the tax and one for lunch on us.” Then she turns to the girl, gives her two $50’s, and says “Here keep this. A girl should never be without her mad money.”

Of course, they wanted her address to repay her. She just said: “No, keep it. You’ll help someone else down the road.”

Never saw them again. And, she never told anyone the story. Like most of “her” stories, she never told any of them. She was embarrassed that someone might think she was bragging. I doubt I even know them all. But, I do know that she was the easiest touch for a sob story I ever knew.

Wonder how many people got helped “down the road” because of her?

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