[Author's note: For now, the airport picture is late - see the pub ad instead. Next day - the pub sign was a popular post, so I left the jpeg here (below). The remaining pictures may not match the text, but this post got jumbled.]
Homeland security, my eye. We got Wallace to the airport but had no time for a coffee thanks to some alert level. (Like any self-respecting terrorist is going to go to the airport if he learns they are watching for him.) You step up to the e-ticket counter and punch in, except now you receive a message to wait until your name is called. This is so you can show your ID, thus negating the entire time savings gained by having the e-ticket system in the first place. Another classic example of how to pass the cost on to somebody else.
Back home, I tackled some of the database only to discover that the much-vaunted Vista has yet another unacceptable quirk. The 64-bit version of Excel (part of the Office 2007 suite) does not naturally produce a spreadsheet readable by any other version. It uses the extension sxls won’t even open with other software. I immediately called the car lot and told them not to continue entering data there until I find the workaround. I truly hope MS has shot itself in the foot this time.
My question is simple. What if he had been inside the store working late? That is not performance, ADT and police. The alarm company did not dispatch anyone or even call his house to ask if all was okay.
All my network computers are in operation, although I still have some non-functioning disk burners. I was in the shop all day getting the backlogs cleared up. I am making enough to upgrade to flatscreens but I think they will drop more in price within the month. Since we were all there, we decided to get the Runt (the new name for the G) off the airwaves and into a harmless list.
My music class has expanded 50% and the new people are not able to entirely keep up. I was asked if new people could join next week. I’ll have to think that one over. I can accommodate everybody but I may instead start a new class. My advanced students (to their wide-eyed amazement because three weeks ago they had never played music) are already jamming to Skynyrd and I don’t allow beginners after the second class.
As predicted, two of the girls can sing. This discovery always takes a while but introduces an interesting perspective. They know the music but have never listened to it, and are stunned by how meaningful fifty year old lyrics can be (both girls are fifteen). By mid-lesson they were singing “Hey Good Lookin’” and “Chatahoochie”. Again, these are people who a month ago never imagined they would be playing in a band.
Which brings up the question of finances. I cannot ignore the quantity of money rolling in from the music lessons. I tripled my income this week alone and I’m only charging half what I was getting in 1988. The only free evening left is Wednesday. What to do? I mean, if the School Board pays, I’ll teach in the day, but I would insist on an Honorary [teaching degree] to work full time. I didn’t insist last time and had to start over.
What? You want the daily trivia? Okay, let me scout around here. I’ve collected 160 reference books since I arrived in Florida, so I’ll find something. Here we go, the Tamiami Trail was completed in 1928. That’s all you get. Except that it completely destroyed the way of life of the Seminoles.
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