From the city, Good morning all:

“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.” — Redd Foxx

It’s the fight nobody talks about, not even the participants. It’s the new season where ‘punches’ are thrown sneakily, unseen, and unspoken. I am talking about the new heating season where one of the participants keeps jacking up the thermostat and the other, just as stealthily, keeps cranking it back down.

This morning I woke up at a ridiculous hour barely able to breathe. So, even before the coffee was made, I first had to ‘adjust’ the thermostat. Finally I can get about the business of enjoying my morning cup.

Before I receive a series of notes talking about how readily available variable setting electronic thermostats are—save your two fingers from pecking anything. The fact is that we have a thermostat with more setting capabilities than many. The issue is that all that stuff is worthless. It’s not the settings or their variability. For example, right now, it could be functioning in the weekend/Saturday-morning/start-up mode. No the issue is due to a single button which some sinister Chinese worker glued to the thing; it’s called the “override” button. It makes all the time spent calibrating and adjusting the thing to perfection absolutely worthless. Hence all our “backs” and “forths” temperature wise.

Part of the reason for the excess heating this morning is that I picked up Kirstin at the airport yesterday. She is experiencing a 45 degree temperature differential, something we discovered when we noted her talking with us while standing on a heat register.

Nevertheless, all evening she enjoyed little Vaioleti perform her best tricks. My favorite, now hers too, is Vai doing her pretend ‘sleep’ on her little blanket—when asked to do so in Tongan. Kirstin is here for the weekend experiencing the “change of seasons” and naturally we’re part of that. Also, the sisters needed some together time and last night that started and lasted till neither Adrianne nor Kirstin could keep their eyes open.

Her very cheap Southwest Airlines non-stop fare meant that I spent more time driving to pick her up in Columbus than she did in the air. But, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. Just thinking though, when, oh when, will Southwest start flying into “Nati town and undo the lock Delta has on flights and fares? In case you were unaware, year after year we are the most expensive major airport in the nation—yes, we are oh so grateful.

This was the week where I, again, shook my head. This time it’s at the sages running our schools by battling criminals through the expulsion of a couple of scouts. Authorities full of knowledge and absolutely no wisdom.

In case you hadn’t heard, the one incident dealt with a 6 year old cub scout who proudly took his camping utensil (given to him by his grandfather) to use during school lunch—a combination fork, spoon, and the “weapon” a knife. Verdict: expulsion to a remedial facility! (After much to-do this verdict was reversed a day or two later)

The other case is even better. An ‘A’ student and Eagle Scout high School senior was asked by his vice principal whether he had a knife. Yes he did, but not in school. He volunteered that he took his preparedness scouting oath seriously and therefore, in the locked trunk of his car, he had exactly what he needed for any emergency, several items such as; a collapsible shovel, sleeping bag, flares, and a kit which also contained a 2” pocket knife. 20 days expulsion was the verdict!

Hey kids, this is done only to better prepare you for the adult world when you get to deal with the cast of characters manning the TSA. Seriously though, what’s happened? How have we allowed a culture that can’t make common sense judgments and distinctions to become so entrenched? Has this nonsensical bungling about become so prevalent that it’s now the accepted norm?

Mentioning ‘bumbling about’, this occurred the other evening. I was on regular Citizens on Patrol walk. Our team made the decision to hold a slow walking patrol through a problematic Section-8 housing complex (a fatal drive by shooting had occurred a week or so before). I had the radio and alerted dispatch that we were entering the complex. Seconds later my radio crackled. An undercover police team member whispered that we were immediately in front of their stake-out position. We had not been informed of anything going down in the complex. And, yup, we did an about face and left the complex. I never did see any member of the undercover team—those guys are good.

Okay, its time to get ready for a full weekend. There is a library book sale, outdoor market, much football and soccer, and assuming the weather shapes up, maybe a color tour followed by a glass of wine. All that plus a cold I am trying to get over. I think we should first ask Kirstin what she wants to do. In the meantime, I do want to refill my coffee mug.

Make it a great week everyone. For today though I think I’ve tried your patience long enough.

Cheers,

Dirk

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