The Sound of Speed

by

July 8, 2018

The beautiful spring from hell continues around here. It’s a gorgeous morning, but intense storms tore through Monday and Tuesday evening. Both were of similar strength and came through right before dark; they were so similar it’s difficult to remember which storm did exactly what. On Monday straight line winds of nearly 70 mph toppled trees and knocked out power over several counties, and on Tuesday a storm only slightly weaker knocked out power and cable (i.e., internet) again. At my abode, lightning fried digital clocks, LED light bulbs, the dishwasher, two ceiling fans and two surge protectors. Thank you, surge protectors! You gave your all. I could not update the morning following either storm. Did I mention it’s a beautiful day today?

101 thoughts on “The Sound of Speed”

  1. Re 5-6-21 retro cartoon: For years, I have tried to assuage the fears of those who are frightened by the sound of thunder by telling them, “If you hear the thunder, the lightening has already missed you.” For some reason, that never seems to comfort them.

    • Lightning is not a one-time event though. Just because one bolt missed you, it doesn’t mean another won’t get you. Be safe.

    • During the 1970 football season, 17 high school & college players were struck by lightening on the practice or playing field. 16 died (including the brother of a friend from the next town over).

      Number 17 was my teammate.

      After seeing him before and after – I mean, he was destroyed, both physically & mentally – you’d better freakin’ believe my buttocks are under cover at the first hint of thunder or lightening, and remain there until I’m dern good and sure it’s gone!

  2. I am headed down to Seymour IN to compete in a marathon. Temperatures were forecasted to be in the lower 70’s, but fortunately as I neared the race date, the forecast has improved to 62°. I really feel great and my legs have felt fresh over the past couple of days. I plan to see my chiropractor tomorrow morning before I leave. I used to walk it in about 7 & 1/2 hours, but I am hoping to finish under 6:45. I kinda run each mile, but because of my hip replacement, I don’t want to run too much.

    I have been trying eliminate lactose and gluten from my diet, as well as including less sugar. It will be a process. I scheduled a colonoscopy even though the Dr. had given me 10 years when I had my last one 8 years ago. I hoping to discuss diet with the doctor as well.

    • Good luck in the marathon! I’m all admiration.

      Since I’m sensitive to both dairy and grains, I’ve been trying to eliminate them from my diet for many years, but it’s very hard! Good luck with that, too.

      • On the advice of my allergist, I’ve mostly eliminated my postnasal drip that was making life miserable by trying the FODMAPS diet and eliminating a lot of things… then after it obviously worked, I’ve cautiously reintroduced several favorite foods. But lactose isn’t coming back! Also grains with gluten.

  3. I am having excellent lab results for my cancer and cancer treatment with Lbrance and Fosladex. My leg is healing beautifully.

    Thank you to all who have sent prayer and concern. I am grateful.

    Thunder, lightning, wind all frighten me. Ghost holds Dickens during storms, he shakes and is terrified.

    Jimmy I worried about you. I am glad house and you and family survived, even damaged. Much love

    • Marcia’s dog Sadie is badly frightened by thunder, although a thunder-shirt helps. Leo, my cat, doesn’t mind it at all, although it sometimes startles him. Mostly, he just looks around to see where it’s coming from.

      • Rusty do you still want the Wooden Duck Kiwi Racer? I am trying to clear out boats again and we have that warehouse open enough to reach it. I know where mazts and boom are and I hope sails and lines are with mast! We are going to hopefully have a boat and tool sale after I clean boat shop.

        No rush unless you want to play with it now.

  4. YAYAYAYAY for the results, Jackie!!!!

    PS: I haven’t heard anything about anyone being anyone else lately; do we think that’s fixed? (Or is saying that going to be bad karma??!!)

  5. Suddenly I am NOBODY after being faithfully and correctly Jackie Monies for days. It just happened tonight after last post?

    Let’s see who I turn into.

  6. Ghost and I hope Jimmy is taking part in Pantless Friday tomorrow. I will find out at midnight tonight when A and J posts.

    Ghost was going to post about it. It is right in Jimmy’s style and plots.

  7. Steve
    Not to scare you but if you think you need test – get it done.
    .
    My brother wanted a test in less time than the DR. said. But waited,
    then the DR did not contact him for 4-5 Months while he was in Brazil.
    It cost him a section of bowel and nearly his life. So if you think you need a test,
    any test, (unless you are a hypochondriac) push for it.

    Nancy you hexed it – I am now TruckerRon – never was Trucker before-
    he did not post today yet even 🙂

  8. Spring storms are rough. When I still owned the printing company I had lighting hit nearby. It took out a 5000 dollar Mac, The only computer not on double or triple surge arresters. It took out the motor electronics of my Heidelberg. That was about 12 grand. Thank goodness for not skimping on insurance Along with hail damage from spring storms that have required 3 roofs on the home here and beat the crap out of my truck in its first year. I have been lucky otherwise. We had a tornado go by 2 blocks over. Could have been here.

  10. Jackie, Arlo didn’t go for no pants in that 2015 strip that ran today. And even though I haven’t posted here for a couple of days, I’m still me. (subject to change without notice)

  12. Well, sadly, Jimmy missed the opportunity to show us No Pants Arlo (meh); No Pants Janis (!); and No Pants Ludwig (oh, wait…).

  13. Rats! I did hex it–for both Jackie and Old Bear, at least. Who knew I was so powerful!!!

    And now as I got ready to submit this–MY name is gone!! Eek!!

  16. Rusty do you still want the Wooden Duck Kiwi Racer? I am trying to clear out boats again and we have that warehouse open enough to reach it. I know where mazts and boom are and I hope sails and lines are with mast! We are going to hopefully have a boat and tool sale after I clean boat shop.

    No rush unless you want to play with it now.

  19. This is Jackie and I am Ruth Anne today! Hey ya’ll!

    Anyone else experiencing the changes in identity? Ghost says it is just me but it is still on my phone and tablet.

    • Jackie, I followed your Eufaula page on Facebook religiously! That was such a good idea and now is no more. You’re missed! Helen

  23. Tonight I am no one, depressing thought!

    This is Jackie. I tried to organize five outfits to wear this week to Tulsa and south to McAlester for physical therapy. Naturally weather isn’t same on every day plus physical therapy I have to wear pants for leg exercises, very short or no sleeves for arm therapy and walking shoes for walking therapy.

    I can go up and down on a curb now with my basic walker, in and out of doorways and walk several hundred feet with walker. I can’t climb stairs or do inclines or declines. I walked gravel for a few feet Saturday in restaurant parking lot. Shifting surfaces are hard.

    Made my goal weight loss this week. Yea, me! Am now keeping my blood sugar at normal (90-115) with NO insulin. Yea, me!

    Broken leg is back as my “Good Leg” and unrepaired right leg is “bad leg” again. It is much worse now of course. Looking forward to knee surgery!

  26. Today’s cartoon (My 10, 2021): I wonder why Mayor JJ took so much trouble to show the Village that Janis was wearing some attire under her maroon shirt. Was that vital to his point in some way I missed?

  27. I was nobody the first two times I came here today. Now I’m myself again. Glad to hear of your progress Jackie. Keep it up. I hope Jimmy is getting his place cleaned up since we haven’t heard from him in a while.

  28. Jackie, glad that the treatment is helping! Today I’m Ghost, though I cleared the fields before saving my post.

  29. Well the last time that did this marathon, I completed it in an all time worst of 8:03:00 and at least 40 lbs heavier. That experience led me to lose the weight and the pandemic allowed me to walk ever day. Saturday I completed it in 6:35:01. I felt wonderful. I only ran about 30 seconds during each mile, so as not to put too much stress on the hips. I talked to a man that competed in a marathon in Grand Rapids with me last August and realized that he was 84 years old! As I started my last mile ( my fastest mile of the day) he was finishing. He walked fast the entire day.

    The weather was perfect. I was a little sore driving home 6 hours and today I am resting and stretching. But I feel like I am in great shape.

    • I sit in awe! What an accomplishment!
      .
      On a totally different note, a classmate’s grandson just received his Ph.D. in biochemistry. I’m also awed by researchers in that field.

      • Thanks curmudgeonly. We all do things that others can’t. Sometimes we accomplish things that even WE don’t think that we can do. I assumed that after my hip replacement 8 years ago, the joy of finishing a marathon was not possible. Much Much slower, but because I am walking 5 days a week, if I could only lose these pesky pounds, I would be nearly as good of shape as I was when I ran marathons.

        A PH.D. is a different kind of marathon and a great accomplishment. My daughter is getting her Master’s (virtually) at my all mater Purdue. She just got an A+ in Statistics, after spending the entire semester complaining about the class. Back in my day there were only A, B, C, D, and F’s or Pass/No-pass. So I told her that she did something that her Dad never accomplished. She still can’t beat my grade point average as we were on a 6 point scale, so I was able to finish above a 4.0!

  30. I’m drawing a blank on today’s (May 10th) real-time comic- gardening in one’s garden shouldn’t have been affected by COVID restrictions. Only think I can think of is that Janis might not have been able to get her seedlings last year due to the garden shop shutting down.

  35. May seems to be the month of deluge in East Texas. But the winds and the flooding aren’t the problem. East Texas vegetation laughs at mowers and bush hogs. One can mow, the tsunami goes through right after the equipment is put up, and two days later the weeds are 4′ high. Am considering a flame thrower.

  37. Today’s cartoon (My 11th) with Janis watering: Panel 2 ought to show her upper arm EITHER a) pointing outwards towards the viewer, with lower arm hanging vertically therefrom [if she is watering somewhat close to her side] OR b) hanging vertically, with lower arm horizontally forward [if she is watering a bit in front of herself, as seems to be the intent]. Having one’s upper arm extended horizontally to the front with the lower arm hanging vertically therefrom is approximately impossible. Try it.
    .
    If she is watering immediately at her side, both upper and lower arms can be hanging vertically as a 3rd possibility.
    .
    I am no one until I fill in the blanks….

  39. If you go to bing.com today (05.12.21), you will see a photo of “A view of the River Shannon in Limerick, County Limerick, Ireland.”

    Considering Jimmy’s love of limericks, I thought it was worthwhile mentioning.

  40. Jimmy, on another topic, I tried to forward you the article from the May 8th – 9th edition of the WSJ, but couldn’t. But there is good news for Gene and Mary Lou. Now small farming operations selling straight from their farm to individuals has been made easier with an app. I still have to read the article, but maybe you can find an issue for Gene!

  42. Well Janis. You started thinking about a condo a few weeks after I did! I found a perfect one for Ghost and me in Mississippi not far from his hometown!

  43. Today’s real-time comic makes me a little sad. Acknowledging that a beloved character is getting old means I’m getting old, too. I trust JJ will handle this transition deftly and humorously, but it still is a bit of a downer.

    • I just can’t relate to not still loving gardening. Maybe she’s planted more than she should have for it to be fun instead of work. Only took me one time to learn that lesson!

  44. Jimmy you have been staring in my window and following my Google searches! And Ghost uses Arlo’s theories too!

    Love, Jackie

  45. Heads up. Message from Jimmy on his FB appreciation page today: Hello, all! Remember me? I’m sure some of you who check in occasionally at the ol’ home site are wondering, What th’ hey? The site isn’t exactly down; the same post has been appearing for over a week now. It might as well be, though. I can’t log in to create posts or otherwise oversee things. The error message I receive is supposed to indicate trouble, usually temporary, on the server side. This means Earthlink, which is bad news. So far, this has been going on since Tuesday. I haven’t had time to work on the problem much this week, but I will. I’ll let you know. Thanks!

    And I have become TruckerRon today.

  50. Comments attributed to me above make it look like I was talking in my sleep. For now, I am me, the one and only original Mark in TTown. Accept no substitutes. All of you have a great and safe weekend.

  52. About cats and communication, my beautiful white shorthair, Fluffy Paws, used to visit the music studio next door and lie on the equally beautiful black grand piano as students played.

    No matter whether thundering or delicate notes, she peacefully slept. This was with permission of piano’s owner who loved having her visit as she taught.

    Anyone else experience cats and music?

  53. This is Jackie Monies back as Mark in TTOWN again! This is tiresome.

    I miss all our cat lovers who used to post here. I feel very alone mostly.

    Skipper has been attached to my body the last several days as I have been ill and mostly just sleeping round the clock. One night Ghost left him outdoors overnight alone with the wildlife last week. He was at door waiting and ran in, never turned loose of me for 24 hours.

  54. I love Ludwig. Jimmy could put him in every strip and I would be happy, even start a NEW strip called Ludwig. Forget those human children, grandchild and the farm.

    Cats do well as comic strip characters. Look at Garfield. I used to use Garfield drawn up scale to four, six and eight foot sizes onto Foamboard and cut out to become window, shop and floral cooler characters during time Garfield became a spokesperson for the floral industry.

    Once we designed a backyard patio with row of snoozing cats in our shop window on a privacy fence. Our three shop cats refused to join them, slept in wedding window!

    Wish I had been well enough to do our Boutique windows and done my odd sense of humor but I wasn’t and left to our sales lady.

  55. Have been eating 1200 per day calorie diet and exercising to lose weight before my knee surgery end of July. I have stayed on goal each week so far with a two pound loss.

    If I can maintain this rate I will reach my first loss goal the day before my surgery. My second goal will fall in November rigbt before anniversary of breaking my leg. One year to recovery from leg fracture was original prediction.

    Now that time includes the estimated time for me to recover from the second leg repair! Two legs instead of one.

    I have not been well but made both physical therapy days last week. Not sure about Monday morning.

    • Jackie, I wish you hadn’t used the word “fall” in the discussion of your autumnal anniversary. Hopefully the last of the recovery will be painless and quick!

  56. Hi Jackie. Good hearing from you again. People are still posting on your FB page asking about you and why you don’t post anymore. I told them Facebook locked you out without warning or explanation, which I understand is what happened. I told them that you were posting here and that they should put one here asking you to get in touch. I also explained that this site was mainly intended to discuss Jimmy’s strip and what we think about it, in hopes of getting them to look into it without taking over.

  58. Well I lost nearly 8 lbs. since I last weighed myself 24 hours ago. Some of that can be attributed to the natural fluctuations, but I started on a liquid diet and an “aide” so that I am clean for my colonoscopy tomorrow morning. As I mentioned above, I got a 10 year reprieve 8 years ago, but, along with my doctor, just think that it is a good idea to get it done. I am still keeping things positive but a friend posted that her husband went in early and they cut out a foot of his colon… not exactly what I wanted to hear, but her husband is very much alive and going in early saved his life. That is why I posted on Facebook and I was surprised to hear folks who have been impacted, including 2 friends who lost their mothers and a couple others who had major surgery.

    • Prep for a colonoscopy is never fun- it’s worse than the actual procedure and probably why most people avoid having it down, despite the obvious benefit of early detection of problems.

      I’m due in a few more years but my doctor tells me that it may be possible that in the near future those dreaded prep solutions may be a thing of a past for most people. There is now an effective home test, approved by most insurance companies, that can detect early signs of trouble- if the home test gives you a thumbs up, no need for the actual colonoscopy!

  59. Blinky, I had one of those and it was easy. You have a sample card that you put two specimens on, close it up and return it to your doctor. If they detect any blood in the stool sample, you get the full test. And there is the capsule endoscopy, where you swallow the miniature camera and recover it in the course of time. It too goes back to the doctor for analysis and hopefully nothing will require the complete test. I’ve had the whole thing done twice, and the prep is the worst part of it. You sleep through the procedure, but the preliminary…

    • As a veteran of 20 or 25 colonoscopies over the span of 41 years, from smaller sigmoidoscopes upwards, and having had a foot of colon removed “resection” in 2002, probably saving my life thereby, I encourage all people to keep tabs on their nether regions. Be observant and check with your gastroenterologist according to what s/he says. Today’s prep solutions are FAR better than what they used to be and not to be feared.
      .
      What I would NOT do is trust my life to what a small sample MIGHT tell an analyst or what a swallowed camera MIGHT just HAPPEN to see. I want human eyes & brain involved to view and recheck as necessary and to remove suspicious growths. Do it; it’s worth your life. [No backtalk!]

      • I would add that you might want not to use Frost Glacier Freeze Gatorade as a vehicle for Miralax (polyethylene glycol). Once you’ve knocked back the first eight ounces you realize that you have another 120 ounces do deal with. If your prep was like my most recent, the last half of the mix will be ingested at about 4 a.m.
        Frost Glacier Freeze is cloyingly sweet. It one of the clear Gatorade products so I thought it would be a good flavor to use. Wrong! It took every bit of my self control and determination to gag this stuff down. If I had to do it again, I would probably use plain water. Your mileage may vary.

  61. Not sure I should mention my first gastric tests were in 1961 or 62 at age 17 or 18. By late 1969 I had incurred three frankly bleeding ulcers and diverticulitis along with benign tumors at age 25.

    By then I had precancerous Barrett’s esophagitis also. I am a 60 year survivor of innumerable gastric tests and biopsies. In the old days these were done inpatient and were considered a serious life threatening procedure.

    That has all changed and it is far easier to have done. I have cancer but not the ones they kept looking for. My point is this is something that is not restricted to old people. Go at ANY age.

  62. This is second time tonight I have been Mark in Town on a phone and a tablet. I was Jackie then Mark then changed me back to Jackie on it’s own. Now here I was Jackie and Mark appeared.

    Wish Jimmy was back and blog was fixed. I am depressed but exercising a lot. I do that when I can’t sleep. I have muscles under fat rolls now.

    Love, Jackie Monies

  63. I had some annoying growths on my face and head over the last two years. When I had my inperson checkup this year I asked my primary VA doctor what could be done. He got me an appointment with a VA dermatologist who examined them thoroughly and then froze them with liquid nitrogen. For a couple of weeks I had some red patches very visible on my face, but things are healing now. Good news is they were precancerous and not cancer. Also discovered I had rosacea and got some prescription gel for that. Now, prevention and yearly follow-up to watch that those places don’t flare up again.

  64. I have a new health problem now: Achilles tendinitis. I had it looked at and was put on a prescription NSAID which helped some. And I do ice the area when possible. And I can live with it being an ongoing issue… compared to skin cancer and an SCA, it’s merely a mild annoyance.

  65. I noticed when I awoke this morning that I didn’t feel quite myself. A moment ago, when I started to post, I realized why. Today I am Nancy!

    But, as I mentioned previously, when I was Ruth Anne, I do feel pretty. 😀

  71. So…Alls well that ends well. One tiny polyp (I even got pictures) that after pathology will dictate whether I come back in 5 or 10 years.

    A funny moment was that they asked me 3-4 times what my name was and what procedure that I was going in for. When the scrub nurse asked me before I went it, I told her that when I had my hip replaced, I had to initial the left hip with a magic marker. I then said that I hope that I don’t have to do that today. She laughed and told me that I HAD to tell the Doctor. He enjoyed the comment and then commented something really funny….probably shouldn’t share it here! As I slept, I felt like I was on an airplane going up and down before finally descending for a landing. Even after eating, I am still at my pre-procedure weight. It sure would be nice to stay that way or lose even more.

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