What I Heard This Week! 01-09-2020
On Christmas Eve, a couple in N.C. heard something or someone moving loudly around their house. They ran for their closet and called 911. Sheriff’s deputies searched the home only to find “Harry” their brand-new robot vacuum that was stuck, beeping and banging for someone to please help him get unstuck.
Twenty-two years after a 40-year-old Florida man went missing, a former neighbor of his happened to zoom in on their old neighborhood with Google Earth satellite images and noticed something submerged in a lake. He contacted another former homeowner who used a drone to confirm there was a car submerged in the retention pond behind his house. Sheriff’s investigators found the missing man’s skeletal remains in the car, when they pulled it out. The image on Google Earth had been available since 2007.
Krispy Kreme has added mini-donuts (less than 100 calories each) to their permanent menu – this way you can stick to your New Year’s resolutions and not feel so guilty. “A little Krispy Kreme goes a long way.”
The “affluenza teen” is in the news again…this time he is no longer a teen at 22 years old. At the time of his 2013 car crash, he was 16 and found to have a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit for adult drivers. This crash killed four people. He was spared prison, then later jailed after attending a party where alcohol was served, then he fled to Mexico with his mother to avoid punishment. While on probation, he had been closely monitored for alcohol and illegal substance use and was reported that a drug monitoring patch he wears returned a ‘weak positive’ result for THC. Hmmm. He is now in custody to ensure he doesn’t shave his head because a hair might be needed for a follow-up test. Perfect example of how one stupid decision can change your life forever. This kid has been like a cat with 9 lives.
The 58-year-old man who had been missing at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for 11 days, was located alive and in stable condition. Yikes, I remember from our family trip to the northern rim a couple of years ago, how cold it got in June once the sun dropped. I can’t imagine how he survived in late December with snow. What a story to tell.
It is 2020…I’m getting old. I am tired, and yet I still have so many unanswered questions. I haven’t found out who let the dogs out, where’s the beef, or how to get to Sesame Street. I don’t know why Dora doesn’t just use Google Maps, why all the flavors of fruit loops taste exactly the same, or how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop. Why eggs are packaged in a flimsy carton, but batteries are secured in plastic that’s tough as nails. What does the fox say or why is “abbreviated” such a long word? Why is there a D in ‘fridge’ but not in refrigerator, why lemon juice is made with artificial flavor, yet dish-washing liquid is made with real lemons. Or why they sterilize the needle for lethal injections & why do you have to “put your two cents in” but it’s only a “penny for your thoughts,” – where’s that extra penny going to? Why does The Alphabet Song & Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star have the same tune; in fact, so does Baa Baa Black Sheep. Why did you just try to sing those three previous songs? And just what exactly is Victoria’s secret? and where is Waldo? In addition, why do we park in the driveway and drive on the parkway? Can you hear me now? And do you really think I am this witty? I actually got this from a friend, who stole it from his brother’s girlfriend’s uncle’s cousin who lived next door to an old classmate’s mailman. Found on Facebook. Cheers to an amazing decade and unanswered questions…
Dash captain and all-time leading goal scorer, Kealia Ohai, has been traded to Chicago. Wait, that’s J.J. Watt’s girlfriend. I hope she’s not planning on taking him with her…
Prayers and actions are needed for Australia. It was explained to me like this, Australia is ‘about’ the size of the U.S. Imagine if most of our country was on fire. That’s what it’s like for Australia, either burned or burning. Firefighters from the U.S. and other countries are on their way to help. Sydney may be running out of drinking water. One billion animals are now estimated dead.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Author Anne Roiphe is 84. Author of Up the Sandbox, called “a feminist classic,” also a movie which starred Barbra Streisand in 1972. R&B singer John Edwards is 75. The Spinners. Singer Jimmy Buffett is 73. Actress Sissy Spacek is 70. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is 48. Actress Kim Basinger is 66. Actor Tommy Kirk is 78. Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, The Swiss Family Robinson,and many beach-party films of mid-60s. Baseball Hall of Fame Sandy Koufax is 84.
Folk singer Noel Paul Stookey is 82. Peter, Paul and Mary. Golfer Tiger Woods is 44. TV Director James Burrows is 79. Cheers. Author Mary Higgins Clark is 92. She has written more than 50 suspense novels. Singer Ricky Martin is 48. Author Stephanie Meyer is 46. Actress Barbara Rush is 93. Peyton Place and All My Children. Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula is 90. Actress Dyan Cannon is 81. Heaven Can Wait.
Journalist author Betty Rollin is 84. Actor Dabney Coleman is 88. The movie 9 to 5. Rock musician John Paul Jones is 74. Led Zeppelin. Actress Victoria Principal is 70. Pamela Barnes Ewing on Dallas. Actor director Mel Gibson is 64. NFL quarterback Eli Manning is 39. Actor John Amos is 80. Good Times and Roots.
My sister and I were talking, and I happened to mention that I had taken Gage shopping for jeans. I told her that I was surprised that three different pairs of Levi’s,the same size, fit three different ways – even the length was as much as two to three inches off. It sure makes it hard to buy jeans for my kids when they’re not there to try them on. My sister said it’s because all the jeans are now being made outside the U.S., in India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia, due to the availability of cheap, easy labor and raw materials. So, if each pair of jeans happened to be made in a different country, each one could be cut differently. Oh, I see. Levi Strauss& Co. was founded in 1853 when German immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Bavaria to San Francisco to open a branch of his brothers’ New York dry goods business. In March 2019, Levi Strauss went public at a price of $17 per share.
Beyoncé’s album, Lemonade, was named album of the decade by the Associated Press. Elton John has already been to Houston once for his ‘farewell’ tour, but it seems that the movie Rocketman rekindled interest in his music, so he has added two additional Houston farewell shows, June 30th and July 1st. The Who will play Houston on April 30th. The Eagles (minus Glenn Frey who died in 2016) will be here March 6th and 7th, with Vince Gill on guitar, along with Frey’s son, Deacon. On October 10th, Michael McDonald will join the Doobie Brothers. Chris and Rich Robinson as the Black Crows are coming in June. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts open for Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Poison in July. Whew. There’s more. Branford Marsalis at the Wortham, Marty Stuart at The Heights Theater, and Orville Peck at White Oak Music Hall. You may remember him as the cowboy wearing the fringed Long Ranger mask. He’s good. I think that Gladys Knight is in Houston tonight (the day this paper comes out.) So much music, so little time.
The 2-year-old girl that was struck by a foul ball during a Houston Astros game at Minute Maid Park continues to receive anti-seizure medication seven months after suffering a brain injury that could leave her at risk of seizures for life. Did the parents not realize they were sitting where balls are often thrown? My understanding is that it’s written on the tickets.
The new La Casona in Angleton has opened. Gage and I went to eat at their LJ location over the break. I had bacon-wrapped, jalapeno stuffed shrimp and one cheese enchilada on the side. Perfect. I just love their warm salsa. Olive Garden is scheduled to open on January 20th. There’s a big sign out front. There are whispers that Chipotle Mexican Grill is interested in finding a new location in LJ. Don’t you just love food.
Members of St. Anne Church in Cow Island, Louisiana, called crop dusters who loaded 100 gallons of holy water on to the planes and sprayed the town as their way of spreading their blessings to the community.
All I wanted for Christmas was a new pair of shoes. I bought them. To Lisa, From Lisa. My daughter bought me a beautiful blown glass tumbler and a hand-woven dishtowel that I will never use because it’s too pretty. My son ordered me a small coffee grinder. I was feeling pretty happy, satisfied and fortunate about this abundance of gifts until I read about what rapper All 50 Cent’s son received for Christmas. All this innocent little 7-year-old wanted was the ‘entire’Toys R Us store. So, that’s what his dad got him. Little Sire received a personal shopping spree costing a mere $100,000. Isn’t that sweet. (my momma always told me if you can’t say something nice then say nothing at all.) Yep, sweet.
The first vaping-related death in Galveston Co. was confirmed to be a woman in her early 30’s, who was being treated for lung injury related to e-cigarettes. Yale University School of Medicine had nearly 4,000 high school students fill out an anonymous survey and nearly 1/3 of them had tried e-cigarettes, with 18% saying they vape marijuana. Medical experts say a growing teenage brain could lose eight IQ points from long-term marijuana use. Don’t know about you but I could have used those extra points.
Starting February 1st, U-Haul wants to ensure that they have a healthier workforce,so in the 21 states that it’s legal to do so, they will not be hiring any more nicotine users. New applicants will be asked if they use nicotine products and those hired will need to agree to be screened in the future. Good.
Boys & Girls Club of Brazoria County is having Warren Moon, former Houston Oilers quarterback as their speaker at Great Futures Gala 2020 on January 11th. I think I told you this months ago, but here’s another reminder. Oh, and if that’s not enough to pique your interest, the Intercoastal Pirates will also be there. What’s not to like…helping kids, good music and Warren Moon.
The Dallas Cowboys picked Mike McCarthy as their new head coach. Good, but we still miss Tom Landry.
The times, they are a-changing…The Hershey Co. will soon retire their 26-foot long Kiss-mobiles (shaped like Hershey Kisses) that have toured the country since 1997. Replacement costs and safety were their main concern in the removal, but you can still visit the vehicles at AACA Museum in Hershey.
A landlord in Florida, knocked on the door of a house trailer for a planned appointment to assess some damage from a tenant that ‘knew she was coming.’ The tenant opened the front door, thinking she was going to be evicted and threw a “full bucket of human feces” in the landlord’s face. The tenant first told deputies, “My landlord broke into my house and assaulted me,”then changed her mind saying she meant to use a bucket of water but got the two buckets confused. The deputies called it, “a crappy situation.”
The Chartwell Estate – the Bel Air mansion featured in the Beverly Hillbillies in the 60’s, reportedly sold to Rupert Murdoch’s son for about $150 million, making it California’s most expensive home property ever sold. The home was never actually used in the filming of the series, except for the opening credits. Jed, Granny, Ellie Mae and Jethro would have been proud.
A good relationship should make you feel strong, productive, and able to take over the world…oh, wait. That’s coffee. Coffee does that.
Texas filmmaker Jim McKay, found an old VHS tape showing a baby taking his first steps, stuck in an old VCR that he bought in a resale shop. He launched a search to identify the baby. Now 26-years-old,teacher and coach, TyRe Alexander met McKay and was surprised to recognize his father’s handwriting on the tape’s label. It was such a feel-good.
Hope you have a lot of feel-goods in your life this week. Don’t forget that the Boat Show ends on Jan. 12th. That’s this weekend.
Lisa
