We Scour the Web, so You Don't Have To!
I’m turning things over to Gus today to host the Open Mic. He’s a tough moderator, but he’s in a pretty good mood this morning. He hasn’t gotten into his stocking yet.
So, enjoy yourselves today and don’t eat too much. I hope you got everything you wanted for Christmas and I hope that whatever you do today brings you joy.
Peace!
About a week ago I asked you readers of B&P to post in a comment where you were from. That post received 372 comments and they’re still coming in – a few a day. Just a couple people didn’t follow the instructions given. But everyone else did. The results were amazing.
You are from all over the world. 38 different states plus the District of Columbia here in the United States were represented along with people from 49 countries around the world. I know there are thousands more who didn’t post a comment about their location. Most of them have never commented, but they’re regular readers.
Here’s a breakdown of those who responded: —->
I’m in awe of the global reach that Bits & Pieces has attained. I find it incredibly amazing as I sit here in St. Louis Missouri and post things that I come across that I find funny or just interesting to me and that there are so many of you out there that are just as warped as I am. 🙂
I know sometimes I miss the mark or I see something differently than you do, but still there must be plenty that you do enjoy that you keep coming back. I appreciate that.
At this holiday season I am thankful for your support. I especially enjoyed meeting a few of you in person and hope to meet more of you next year. (I really am planning the Big Ass BBQ for next summer.)
What a great global neighborhood we’ve created here! It couldn’t have happened without you! Thank you very much.
I’m also appreciative of my fellow bloggers, from whom I borrow content for the posts here. It couldn’t happen without them either. Thank you – Thank you!
I hope you all have a joyous and safe holiday!
I made this video as a tribute to my friend Mel who died a few weeks ago.
Yesterday I was at the club I belong to and we were painting a room. We needed an item from Home Depot so I volunteered to run over and get it. I found the item and it was $10.99. I got to the check-out and the total was $11.72 with tax. I handed the cashier a $20 bill and said I had some change. I also gave him three quarters and two pennies which is 77 cents. Total tendered $20.77
He proceeds to put the cash in the drawer and closes it. I stick my hand out and before I could say I’d like my change, he shakes my hand. I chuckle and say,” I didn’t get my change”. Like a deer that has just been blasted with the headlights of an oncoming car, he froze. It was like he was in a Sci Fi movie and his world froze in time. After a moment he started pushing buttons on his register touchscreen but to no avail. Nothing he did would open the drawer. He then asked, “Could you wait just a minute?” I said I would.
He turned to the couple behind me in line and rang up their six or eight home improvement needs. He gave them the total and they swiped their credit card in the card terminal. Well, the cash drawer doesn’t open for a credit transaction.
He seemed even more flustered. Rather than call a supervisor to open the drawer he grabbed a screwdriver from a display on the counter and scanned it as a sale. He completed that sale and finally the drawer opened. He reached in and gave me a quarter. I handed it back to him and said, “This is a quarter, you just owe me is a nickel. It’s only a nickel, but it’s my nickel.” He takes the quarter and gives me my nickel.
I left the store chuckling to myself. I wasn’t angry, everybody makes mistakes, but to not know that he owed me a nickel instead of a quarter made me wonder about him. Anyway, I had gotten my nickel. It was the principle of the thing.
As I was returning with the item I bought I just realized I had given the cashier a $20 bill and only got a nickel back. Where was my $9? I checked my pockets and sure enough I didn’t have $9 on me, so I know he didn’t give that to me either. I’m sure he had no clue that he got me for $9.00.
But, I got my damn nickel! …. And a $9 handshake!
Mike McNeill, the anchor and Executive Producer of KEBT’s FOX 4 Good Day in Beaumont Texas writes:
Just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU! Since finding your site, my job of producing the clip of the week has become MUCH easier!If you are ever down Texas way, be sure to give me a call! We would love to have you on the show.We talked about you this AM.. take a look:
Yesterday we went out for breakfast at Bob Evans, of course, where she always gets a small bowl of gravy and one biscuit. I had two eggs, a slice of ham and toast. After breakfast we go for our usual drive out to the end of Harbor Blvd. to Port Charlotte Beach Park. We don’t get out of the car, just make a big u-turn at the boat launching ramp. Then we slowly drive back looking at all the expensive homes along the way. We then do a drive-by of her old mobile home park where she tells the stories I’ve heard before, but don’t get tired of hearing, of who lived here and who lived there and how they’ve all died and that she hardly knows anyone there except a couple of people. I ask if she’d like to stop and visit some of the few she knows and she always says no. But she enjoys the drive through. When I go through there I recall the incredible sight of all the damage from Hurrican Charley when I arrived there two days later to rescue her. It was amazing to witness.
Sometimes we go across the Peace River bridge into Punta Gorda and over to Punta Gorda Isles. Another area of very nice homes. My aunt did house cleaning for quite a few people over there years ago. We never go too far away from home base though.
Today we went to the Panda Buffet for lunch. She hasn’t been there since she moved into her assisted living place 4 or 5 years ago. I don’t eat Chinese often because so much of it has onions in it and I’m allergic to onions. So, I’ve just avoided it in the past. I was talked into going to a Chinese place back home and I found a few things there that were onionless, so I thought we’d try it here since I know she likes it. It was great. I had five of six varieties of chicken most of which were unidentifiable to me but very good.
One of our other short rides is to the cemetery which we did after lunch. There she gets out of the car and visits her final resting place, a niche in an above ground wall of niches where her cremated remains will sit along with a Mr H whom she doesn’t know. She bought the niche from a woman through an ad in the paper… possibly from a disgruntled Mrs. H. but who knows? Then we walk across the lawn where we visit her Dad who died back in 1979 and is in another above ground wall of graves (not sure what it’s called) stacked up about 6 or 8 high. She always enjoys doing this.
Then it’s back to her apartment where we sit for a while and talk. I leave for a while because she tires easily. She enjoys company but in short doses.
Since she’s been in assisted living I always thought she had about 90% or her mental abilities that she had years ago. She’s declined more physically than mentally that’s for sure. But Tuesday and Wednesday, she just seemed to be quite rattled and out of it. But today she seemed much better and looked better than she has in a while.
I guess I’ve rattled on long enough. I’m going back over there in a bit before she goes to bed for a visit.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff and Sonya this evening. They are a very nice couple who are B&P fans (Sonya a little more than Jeff.. OK a lot more). We met at Sharkey’s on the Pier in the beautiful little town of Venice Florida about 25 miles up the coast from Port Charlotte.
Sonya has been a long time reader and ocassional commenter (WifeMotherMe) of B&P and says it’s the first site she visits every morning. They were very personable and easy to talk to. Jeff grew up in Florida but Sonya has only been here for 9 years after living in Tennessee. She is a lovely southern belle with the cutest little Tennessee accent. We had a great meal and good conversation for about two and a half hours. Thanks you guys! It was a pleasure to meet you.
Sharkey’s from the pier.
A friend and I are going to be traveling to Paragould Arkansas today to visit with another friend from our youth. It’s about a 4 hour drive each way.
