Quick! Kick Him While He's Down!

Someone sent me this news story and I just have to tell you about it.

Justin Hill of Rock Island, Tennessee, was turning in to his driveway last week when he made the critical error of executing that turn directly into the path of another vehicle, causing a serious accident.

Wouldn't want the guy to get away with anything.

You don't want to be doing that, mate.

This was only the first domino to fall, however.

When Justin's wife, inside their trailer cooking supper for him, heard what must have been the horrendous noise of the crash, she ran outside.  She left the stove on.

Wait for it!

The trailer caught fire and sustained extensive damage.  One can only imagine Mrs. Hill watching helplessly as her home burned, her husband simultaneously being airlifted from the scene of a bad wreck.

That he caused.

Which is why, when all the dust settled, Justin Hill got a ticket!  Wouldn't want the guy to get away with anything.

I'll bet you a cupcake he's gonna get sued, too.  The complaint will likely be in the mail before he gets home from the hospital, all time-stamped and official.

And his dog will probably never speak to him again.

Who knows what his wife is thinking.

Makes me want to send those two a loaf of my banana bread.

Surprise! Surprise!

"The best kind of prize is a surprise."  ~Willy Wonka

I love, love, love, love surprises!

The good kind, that is.

And boy, did I get a super-duper one today.

I was awakened shortly before six o'clock this morning by a clap of thunder/lightning and the resultant "angels' bowling alley" dark rumbling that seemed to go on forever.  I slept only fitfully after that, as the rain was being flung against the windows and the wind was howling.  I have to get up around seven thirty to make coffee and start getting ready for church anyway, so I didn't want to get too comfortable.  I avoided snuggling close to TG, as this would have gotten me all warm and comfy and I would surely have overslept.

One dozen lush, half-opened, creamy white roses surrounded by a cloud of baby's breath.

SUDDENLY!  My alarm clock sounded ... I thought ... and I began pounding on the little button that makes it stop, only it wouldn't stop!  At the same time I realized it had gone eight o'clock and I needed to get moving.  Silence, at last ... then it dawned on me (sorry): what woke me was not my alarm clock going off ... it hadn't even been set!  It was my cell phone, which was lying on my bedside table.  My standard state of mental confusion exacerbated by too little sleep had made me even muzzier than usual.  I grabbed my phone, flipped it open, and sure enough I had missed a call from Erica.  I pressed the button to call her back.

"Hey Mom!" her cheery voice came through loud and clear all the way from East Tennessee.  "Happy Mother's Day!"  We chatted awhile, rang off, and I got up to get that coffee going and take a shower.  About a half hour later I was sitting at the dining room table applying cosmetics to my face.  The only sound was a news channel on the TV in the kitchen, and the rain splattering on the windows.

SUDDENLY!  I heard what could only be our garage door going up.  Wha ....?  TG and Andrew had not yet emerged from their bedrooms, and no one was expected.  I was, frankly, a little bit scared.  Who had just opened our garage?  I walked with trepidation toward the door in the kitchen that leads to the garage.  A ginormous smile greeted me ... TWO ginormous smiles ... Erica and Daniel!  Erica was grinning behind a vaseful of the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen ... one dozen lush, half-opened, creamy white roses surrounded by a cloud of baby's breath.  And my baby girl ... she and Daniel set out from Knoxville before five a.m. and drove all the way in heavy rain.  When she called me she had been only 45 minutes from home!  What a wonderful Mother's Day gift.

We enjoyed attending church together, then had lunch at one of my favorite restaurants.  My two older daughters called to talk awhile and wish me a good day, and I talked to my own mother.  It's all been so exciting.

Gifts!  The girls gave me music, bath products, and the aforementioned roses.  Andrew bought me a massive indoor/outdoor clock to hang on the outside of the house, by the pool.  This is something I've been wanting and I spied this one at Sam's Club earlier in the week.  It's atomic and sets itself by some big mother-of-all clocks in Fort Collins, Colorado!  All I had to do was mention wanting this clock and my son made it happen.  That's the kind of kids I have, and I do not deserve them.

I was reflecting not long ago on a fact that always amazes me when I think about it: For all I have tried to teach my children, I have learned as much from them as they have learned from me.  Sometimes I think they have taught me lots more than I ever taught them.  They are wonderful people and I love them dearly.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!  If you haven't already, and if you're able ... call your mother.

Yes ... It Is Shameless Begging

Hey y'all ... I'm looking for subscribers to my blog.  You know ... if you subscribe, you'll get notification in an email or via the reader of your choice whenever a new post appears on I'm Having A Thought Here. 

You're getting sleepy ...

To sweeten the deal, if you decide to subscribe and are comfortable sending me your home (or work) address using the "Email Me!" link in my sidebar (of course I would never share that information with anyone), I will send you a special gift!  Yes!  And you will like it and tell all your friends it was worth it and that they should immediately follow suit!

So go now to the "Please Subscribe" link in my sidebar, click on "The Latest Whatever/RSS" and subscribe!  You know you want to!

Then drop me a line and let me know where to send your present.

You won't be sorry.

Honest.

Do it now.

Do not argue with me.

I will win this.

You're getting sleepy ...

Oh and, uhm ... just so you know what you're in for, check this out ...

Update on Friday, May 9, 2008 at 08:14PM by Jennifer

Something Is Very Wrong

Ever have one of those days when the wheels fall off right and left? I had one of those days yesterday.

What happened was, I went downtown to cover two depositions. Did a sound check as usual, just as the many lawyers were beginning to file in and disgorge the contents of their Redwelds all over the conference room table, and discovered to my horror that there were "issues" with the sound level on my Marantz digital recorder. This piece of equipment is a workhorse and frankly I baby it, so I concluded that the problem was nothing more than a low battery on my primary high-gain microphone. The one that perches in a clip in the middle of the table and records everything ... not just every spoken word but every sneeze, cough, sigh, paper rustle, beeper buzz, cellphone vibration, and candy-wrapper crinkle.

To its credit, it did not look at me indignantly when I removed it from its box; it merely played the tape with stunning clarity.

Now, due to the birth of our second grandchild on April 15th, necessitating my spending six days in North Carolina, followed by the week-long visit of my first grandchild at our home, during which I came down with a bad cold, and the subsequent out-of-town graduation earlier this week, I haven't worked in a month. Batteries sometimes wane in these circumstances.

So I changed the microphone's tiny button battery. Four times. Still, not much volume ... and decidedly not good.

Of course I have a smaller digital backup recorder with excellent sound quality (just not as easy to transcribe from) and my trusty Sony cassette tape recorder. No worries. The ambient sound in the room was virtually nil (sometimes air conditioning can be so loud I stifle the urge to place it under oath) and the proceedings were fairly low-key (the subject being false arrest for inadvertent use of counterfeit currency), so I wasn't too concerned. At least I'd be able to hear something.

Last night I loaded the four hours of testimony into my transcribing software and took a listen.

Nothing.

Nothing, that is, save my whispering on the track where I repeat everything that is said in the room. But I don't transcribe from that source; between marking exhibits and pausing to make notes, not to mention all the times people rudely talk over one another, I sometimes miss a sentence or two. I rely on the primary recording for transcription purposes.

So I'll be transcribing these 200 pages from old-fashioned tape, thank you very much ... and I am grateful for my Sony transcriber which has not seen the light of day in three years. To its credit, it did not look at me indignantly when I removed it from its box; it merely played the tape with stunning clarity through my earphones, making me grin real big in relief. And this machine cost less than a fourth of what the Marantz set me back.

Ah well. Have you ever noticed that the more you pay for something, the more trouble it is?

Speaking of which, the large HVAC unit that sits beside my house, keeping me cool in summer (which it already is, here ... daily highs are near 90), yesterday joined the ranks of balking machinery. When I arrived home last night from my depositions, it was 78 degrees in the house ... and climbing. The unit was running but nary a breath proceeded from the registers. I turned the whole thing off, located some fans, put my hair in a ponytail, and waited for TG to solve it.

The repairman has promised to come by this evening.

Stay cool, y'all. 

Update on Friday, May 9, 2008 at 08:44PM by Jennifer

The air conditioning is fixed!  It was nothing serious!  Thank you, JB!  Cool is the rule.

It's A Must-Read

I couldn't be more proud of my good friend June Anderson of Americus, Georgia, than I am today.  June's first book, To Catch A Fallen Star, was released a few days ago by Xulon Press. 

I met June nearly two years ago through somewhat unusual circumstances centering around our mutual admiration for Johnny Depp ... yeah, there's a lot more story there but that's all I'm going to give up for now.

Suffice to say, June was inspired to write the book, worked hard at it with the unwavering support of her wonderfully loving family, and now it is a reality.  I received an autographed copy in the mail today, and I'm fighting the urge to lodge myself in my easy chair tomorrow and read it in one sitting!

The book is available online from Amazon dot com and Target, and very soon it will be offered by Barnes & Noble and Borders.  June may even be visiting your town for a book signing!  If she does I highly recommend you grab the chance to meet her.  She is a delight.

The back cover of To Catch A Fallen Star gives this synopsis:

Holly Monroe has acrophobia. The thought of flying sends her into a panic, but she’s had enough, so today she’s setting out alone to conquer that fear as she steps onto a 767 bound for Amsterdam where she will enjoy a sight she has dreamed of since childhood: fields of tulips in bloom. She is quite nervous as she boards the plane, and to complicate matters her favorite actor, Chris Lapp, boards and takes a seat … beside Holly! As she soon realizes, Chris has troubles of his own, and they form a friendship that sees them through some harrowing times, but there’s something about her that puzzles him. She’s unlike anyone he’s ever met and it’s getting under his skin. What is it about this plain woman ... or “plane” woman ... that makes him question his eternity?  He is so intrigued by her that he asks to meet her family. They invite him to spend time with them in their small Georgia town, and he gladly accepts their invitation only to come face to face with a dangerous storm, a daunting decision, and a delightful woman. As a result of several challenging events, both Holly and Chris discover that God is true to His Word and more faithful than either could have imagined.

To visit June's web site, click on "Junebug" from the blogroll in my sidebar.

Congratulations, Joonie!

~Jenny