Power Saw and Katrina

I live in Birmingham, Alabama and we still have 2 days later over 100,000 people in the Greater Birmingham area without power. I have power that blinked a time or two but got up Tuesday morning thinking we have escaped Katrina.

They said on the radio we could have winds in the 45 to 55 mpg catagory with gusts over 60 mph in places. My yard must have been the place! I got up early Tuesday before dawn and went about my normal routine of making coffee for me and Karen and getting the paper and reading my email.

I got Karen up and got her cup and refilled mine. It was still dark outside and I had looked out the front windows in the living room seeing nothing but trash, leaves, and pine straw strewed all over my front yard. It was not until I went to the kitchen the third time when Karen was ready for work did I see the tree up against the house against our deck.

It was now light enough to see and we have two trees down and one is being held up by one corner and railing of our deck. The top of the oak tree is over the gutters and gutter toppers and resting on a nearly brand new roof. Karen and I both called out bosses as we knew this had to be taken care of today.

Karen and I both changed and I got on the phone with State Farm insurance. David gave me 2 phone numbers of tree service companies they have used and I called Jason's tree service. David said he wanted the part on the house off the house as soon as possible to make sure there is no further damage.

We were working in the yard about 11:00am when a 350 4 Door Dodge Ram diesel pulled into the cirlce and out came Jason. He and I assessed the damage and immediately got the part against the deck cut so it flipped into the backyard and off the house. It looks like the gutters got some paint knocked off and a dent or two here and there but the roof was not damaged.

Jason and I talked and since he had so many calls with trees on homes and cars, he ask if he could come back Thursday after getting these other people cared for as he did me so promptly this Tuesday morning. He said I would not have to be here but his crew would cut up and two trees and leave me a bill for State Farm.

I was lucky. But so, so many people have been hurt real bad by Katrina. The death toll last night crossed over 100, making Katrina one of the 'deadliest' storms in history. Two trees and a whole day of cleaning up....i'll take my fate compared to so many that lost loved ones....Jeff

PS. I was listening to the radio and the James out local weatherman, had a tree down in his back yard. He said "Have you ever felt Chain Saw inadequate?" He went on to say, "I was cutting the limbs off the fallen tree with my 16" inch Poulan when my neighbor shows up with his 30" McCollough. Boy, did I feel 'inadequate!"

The World's Oil Is Limited!

It is the year 2025. Crude oil is now $100.00 per barrel when available and gasoline is $5.99/gallon. There are ancient SUV's built in the early part of this milleum now rusting into dust. Ten years ago, the oil producing countries saw this coming and built state of the oil refineries and now sell not crude oil but gasoline, diesel fuel and heating oil on the open market.

The world's demand for refined oil products has doubled in the last 20 years with China and other emerging economic nations outbiding the once powerful west for the available fuels on the open market. America is now 3rd or 4th as far as strength of economies is concerned and there once powerful industries are now quiet.

The last of the remaining 'Big 3' in Detroit closed it's door just weeks ago. Honda, Toyota, Hyundia, and Kia are now the "Big 4" with some plants in America but most now come out of Mexico, Korea, and Japan. Detroit had an opportunity back at the turn of the 21st century to make economical vehicles but the then driving public demanded the SUV's and Lincolns and Cadillacs with huge V8 engines when gas was cheap and then plentiful.

China is now producing fuel efficient automobile and hybrids to meet the demand of the now quasi-market driven economy. The Chinese government once had a strangle hold on their people but now the money is flowing and the demand side of this now strong economy is now market driven. Their people are buying cars, living in air conditioned homes, now using the gasoline and diesel fuel and heating oils like the west did some 20 years ago.

America is in turmoil over the change of events over the last decade. The wars drained out economies and we now are paying high interest rates to countries who have held our debt and money over these wasteful periods. This has caused inflation and high prices and his interest rates to borrow money as the banks are now, for the most part, control by countries outside the US of A. The US thought once our service economy was the answer to the worlds needs but soon India and China and pacific rim nations outbided us for this business.

We, the US, could once control our own destiny but now we are at the mercy of the then emerging nations and economies. America is on the brink of bankrupcy, not knowing which way to turn. We have wasted our oil reserves and almost all our coal. Our industry is quiet and we have so little now to offer the world from this once most powerful nation in the world. If we had only acted responsibly back some 20 or 30 years ago and begun to make everything fuel efficient from our cars to our homes to our industry, we only may have avoided this delimia.

Why did our leaders not see this coming? Why did we not have statemen rather than politicians that made decision for the greater good rather than selfish motives to help line their pockets and satisfy their voters back home. If we had only.....

My Olive Drab Handkerchief

GI's during WWII were issued this olive drab handkerchif as part of their uniform. I have one that belong to my uncle Enoch who served in the European theater. I have several things he chose to give to this person, his then 8 or 9 year old nephew.

He came home from England with a Welch war bride, my aunt Mary who I soon grew to adore. He and his wife lived with my mom and dad for a few months after the war when he was finishing his last year at the University of Alabama getting his pre-law degree. I was fortunate enough to hear his stories of this terrible war and his time in a POW camp while being held by the Germans. The stories of his friends he fought with and some paid the ultimate price for our freedom we enjoy.

He shared stories and gave me this handkerchief, one set of captains bars, the crossed rifles of the infantry and the US insignia that adorned the collar of his uniform. I have pictures of him and his buddies during the war that he mailed to my mom, his sister, to let us know he was OK. Oh yes, a compass, made by Wittnaur watch company.

One terrible morning during the war, the war department sent a telegram to my mother telling of my uncle 'missing in action'. I remember riding in the back seat of daddy's 40 Dodge and mom and dad telling his mom and dad of this bad news. This is engraved into my memory like no experience I can remember.

Weeks and months went by and we got no news from the war department as to whether he was living or dead! It was a terrible time. One day, another telegram, and Germany and American had exchanged prisioner information and there was my uncle Enoch, a POW in Germany. I remember tears and laughter mixed over this change of events as he was in harms way but he was alive! The olive drab handkerchief in my dresser drawer remind me daily of some of these terrible times.

We were in constant contact with the Red Cross and soon had information of POW packages we could send that hopefully would reach our loved one. The list had items like hard candy, cigarettes, chewing gum, bandaids, bottles of iodine, tape, bars of soap, and a short note on the lightest of paper that looked like onion skin. We were given his camp number OFLAG 96 and addressed it to his name and rank as directed. That with the single sheet note was all we could send only hoping he would get it.

We learned after the war he got one of these packages. The German's opened the POW packages and any with cigarettes never made it to our held GI's. Some GI may have gotten one or more of the packages my dad disguised. He bought a box of Bell Camp candies made in Birmingham. When he went to the Bell Camp shop on 19th Street, he ask if they would let him hide some cigarettes in the box. They gave dad a box, and he took the top layer out, removed the bottom layer and replaced that layer with about 6 packs of Camels. He replaced the top layer and Bell Camp resealed the box with the cellophane. He hoped Enoch or some American GI just might get this one that had the cigarettes...I learned from Enoch after the war, someone did!

War is Hell! There is no getting around this terrible fact of life. When man does inhuman things against his fellow man, we have a history of stepping into the gap to try to free men who have lost that freedom. The graves of our loved ones lie silent as testimony to this all over the world. Some graves are unmarked and our monument , "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" is at Arlington in Washington, DC to testify to this.

Cindy Sheehan troubles this writer who had a dad who served in WWI, 3 uncles in WWII, 2 uncles in the Korean War and 2 in Vietnam. All served with honor, and God in his infinite wisdom and grace let all of them come home. Ms Sheehan, I grant you the right of disagree with our President and with this terrible conflict we are currently fighting in Iraq and in Afganistan. But Al Jerizza and Al Quada do us less harm than what you are doing to our wonderful service men and women right now. Money could not buy the air time the broadcast and cable networks have afforded you in your right to free speech.

Do you realize you are dishonoring our fallen, and your son Casey is one of them. Look into your heart and see your son there and ask him if he wants you to do this. Casey may still have buddies fighting right now and ask yourself how they feel about your statements that only encourage the insurgents. When you give help and comfort and assistant to our enemies during wartime, this could be described as treason. I wish there was a kinder word to use, but "Treason" is the only word that fits your actions right now.

This is written by someone whose dad and uncles were all 'volunteers' during world wars and conflicts. They were not drafted, but chose to serve as did I. You do me and my family a terrible injustice but I refuse to let you hurt the memory of the fallen who paid the ultimate price for your freedom to do as you are doing right now. I can only wish you would not help our enemy!

Hate to Shop!

I am not a shopper! I hate the department stores and avoid the Galleria and the huge shopping centers here with a plague. But in my need to buy or replace some sport jackets or slacks, I decide to visit Overstock.com. Please...this is not an advertisement for Overstock as I shop Sears and Lands End and Coldwater Creek the same way, sitting here at this laptop.

But when success is in the mix, I wanted to share my experience. The first time with O, I needed a blue/black 44L herringbone sport jacket and was leaving for NC in a day or two. I found the jacket and it had a bill to, ship to address. I had it FedEx to Hickory, NC and the jacket beat me and Karen there! Wow!

I had a peacoat when I was in the Coast Guard and really loved it. I gave it to my son Jason when he moved to NYC and the winters howled around his head. He told me how much it meant to him when he chose to walk to work and/or take the bus or subway during the winter. This last spring O had a blue or black, 100% wool, peacoat on sale for less than $50.00 and $1.00 shipping. I got it in 5 days and it is just like my govermnet issue model I gave away too many years ago. I hate it that it as the weather here in the south is so very mild.

Recently, I was looking at sport jackets again and found a black Bill Blass wool and silk jacket, looked at it, and only $71.00. They offered gray slack, also Bill Blass, for $30.00. I got it yesterday and with a white shirt, black or gray tie, it fits almost perfectly. You don't get a top shelf outfit for about $105.00 delivered as I can't drive to the mall and shop for this deal.

I have had similar luck with Lands End and Coldwater Creek and all have great return or customer satisfaction policies. I was watching something with Karen this last week and there was Lauren Hutton hawking her cosmetics in a paid ad, I am sure. Karen loved the way it looked, and was looking to for a change in her cosmetics. I looked at the website indicated and her new LH makeup will be here in a day or two. I will do a follow up as to how she likes it.

Thanks for reading my ramblings this am. Have a wonderful week....and most of all "may God bless!"

It's Raining, Slow Down!

I don't know how the weather is in August where you live, but in Alabama, it is thunder showers almost every afternoon. You can almost set your clock by them. I have been caught in several of these showers and have been amazed and surprised by how people drive.

First let me say, I have lost one car off the interstate back in AUGUST of 1985, landing in John Wayne Davis cow pasture. You flip and roll a car one time and walk away from it, you are branded for life.

Two times in as many weeks, it has been the newer, what I call muscle, man trucks that have been the victims and how they ended up in one of these squalls that spring up here. The first was on I459 traveling south and this guy passed me going at least 20 mph faster than I was traveling at the time. It was a 4 door Toyota Tundra, big tires, 4 doors, tool box, fully chromed to the gills. I watched him pull away for me in the far left lane and soon he was out of site. Shortly I came into a curve and there was steam and smoke about a mile or so ahead of me.

All the traffic in all lanes had slowed or come to a complete stop. The Tundra was sitting with the rear tires up on the 4 foot high median separating the North and South bound lanes. He was climbing out of the cab and fortunately was the sole occupant. But his muscle truck was bent in the middle, sitting 4 feet or more in the rear, hanging off the concete barrier. He was shook up and cars in the far left lanes had stopped and were helping him and making that cell phone call to 911 to get him help. He was lucky.

Let's call this guy lucky #2. Again, same senario, but this time a black, 4 door, Ford 150 and with the dealer tag still on it. He was traveling south on I65 with an Adamson Ford dealship tag flapping as he scurried by me. The rain had just started and it looked like this young man was taking his new truck home or about to show it off to friends. I watched him leaving me in his wake, when all of a sudden, his tires turned loose in the rear, and he began spinning around, taking out two or three smaller cars traveling along with him. He snagged on one of them and flipped on the passenger side, sliding along until it came to rest up against the concrete barrier.

Help was directing behind him and three guys climbed on the truck on the drivers side and lifted the door so he could get out. All the lanes stopped as his truck knocked the smaller cars all over the place. I pulled off on the far right but again the driver was lucky and was only shook up. It appeared all the other cars were OK, but all would need towning. Everyone appeared to be OK and soon he was standing beside his truck and I can only imagine the words coming out of his mouth.

Slow down folks. That is oil and grease on the I/S and it slicker than owl manure until it has rained enough to wash it off. Drive safe! Jeff

Changing Someone's Day! Chap.II

Karen and I were leaving my mom's Saturday and we had not eaten lunch. I suggested the Cracker Barrel near Bessemer off I/20, I/59. We were talking about mom as we drove but just as we passed under the interstate, there stood a guy on the median across from the light, with a sign! He was out there holding up an announcement about the Winn Dixie stores closing here in Alabama.

Karen and I spoke almost at the same time. We passed by this man and there was an empty water bottle, and it was over 90 degrees outside. We drove past our turn and made our way to the Shop a Snack at the next intersection.

I had some a 2 packs of Cheese crackers I had in the trunk and Karen went in and got a big cup of ice, a large cold bottle of water, and she too, had some snack crackers. We drove back down to where he was standing and I lowered my window and whistled at him to get his attention. He looked my way as I held the cup of ice out the window.

The guy came over to the car and took all this from us thanking us for thinking about him. As Karen and I drove down to make a U turn to get to cracker barrel, I ask her if she noticed anything special about this guy working like this, where it was so, so very hot and so few would ever do this? The Cross around his neck, and both of us spoke at the same time!

I hope we made little change in his day and made it a little more comfortable. When we made the U turn, he was already taking a big drink out of that cup of cold water. I wonder how long he was there without water in this 90 degree plus weather. There was no car and someone had dropped him off there and did they not know he needed this? I wonder?

Changing Someone's Day?

We live each day sometimes without thinking about who we touched or possibly had some affect upon. I know I do. Do I live my life trying to make those around me feel better, more comfortable, or are they glad to see me leave because I make them unhappy? This is a question constantly on my mine about my travels through this life.

I am getting a little too deep for me, so I will get down to last Saturday and some errands and two events that followed each other in quick succession. Karen and I had decided on a lazy weekend and I have a movie pass from Blockbuster and can take out 2 movies at a time, anytime. I got two movies Friday am and we watched them and now I was back for two more. I did this first as I had some groceries to get at Foodworld and it was hot and I did not want the perishables to spoil in this hot August weather. The Blockbuster stop was fine with no incidents but Foodworld was my first encounter I wanted to share with you the reader.

I had only a few things to get and I only took a basket from up front and did my shopping and was now in the checkout line. The checker was someone I knew and Ron the store manager came up and told her to take care as I was his "Zeigler man". She checked me out with no incident yet we talked as she worked. Karen wanted something special I could not find and I had a $3.00 coupon on it and this coupon, this search leads to the first encounter in my story.

There was a young lady behind me and she was very pretty, dark hair and eyes, a somewhat round or cupid face that I found enchanting. The beautiful part about being 67 years old and young women, they know I am not flirting with them. I don't know if this good or bad on my part? But....We started talking and I noticed she was not smiling or did not appear happy for some reason. She said her car, her older Jeep Cherokee was giving her some trouble and she took it in for repair that she was told was minor and would take less than an hour. You are ahead of me,,,as she said, "I waited over 3 hours and the bill was almost 3 times what they told me but it had to be fixed as it is my only transportation!"

I understood totally where she was coming from as this unfortunately happens to all of us at sometime or another. The checker returned shortly with my elusive item and she finished checking me out. I told the young lady that it was good to talk to her and wished her the best with her car. I then asked her if she had a Foodworld discount card? She said "No". I ask the checker if she would scan my card so this young lady who needed a little help, could now get any discount only available with the Foodworld discount card. The checker smiled at me and told me this would be fine...Saying "This is your daughter, is she not?"...I of course said "Yes".

I told everyone goodbye and soon had all my groceries loaded in the trunk of my car. As I was walking around to get in, the young lady I had helped was returning her buggy and she said..."Thank you Mr. Nutter, you saved me over $2.00 on my groceries and Ron the store manager bagged my groceries and he said to the checker, "I want to give her the 2 liter Pepsi "free"! Ron apparently had overheard part of my conversation with this young lady and this was his way of helping her too.
The young lady had asked Ron my name and who I worked for. She thanked me for helping her in this so very small way and she turned and "smiled" as she got in her Jeep, the smile that was missing just minutes ago. You never know!

I said earlier this was a lazy weekend for us so I called Karen if a McDonald's Quarter pounder and fries would be to her liking. I learned this comes on a sesame seed bun and if you ask for a plain top bun, they have to fix this "fresh" off the grill for you...I was third in line and a young lady was having great difficulty with a customer whose order was late, but not her fault, and she was getting the blunt of his ire and shortly bringing the manager into the fray. By the time she got to me, she was truly flustered and I could see beads of sweat on the edge of her forehead and her lips were trembling.

She took my order and while it was being prepared I shared something with her and wrote it on the back of my business card as I told her this secret someone shared with me too many years ago....The back of the card read "I DO NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO MAKE ME UNHAPPY!" I saw no one was behind me and I explained how a psychology professor shared this with me decades ago. I told her as he said "your own happiness is within and you must never give anyone permission to change how you feel about yourself. That is giving someone else power over your life and this you must never let happy, ever!"...She took the card and I told her to put it somewhere (as I did) and read it, and reread it, and reread it, until it is part of your life. She said she would.

I fixed my drinks to take home and as I walked across to the door, I looked back and a young lady was looking at me...Smiling! Thanks for putting me in the path of these two young ladies last week that maybe, only maybe, I made a little positive change in their life or possibly gave one the tools to possibly take control of her emotional life...Jeff