WallyWorld Mission Impossible or The French (Vanilla Pudding) Connection

The other day my lovely bride lured me to WallyWorld on the pretense of buying only some dresses and couple of grocery items.  The funny thing is that after twenty-odd (some VERY odd!) years of marriage, I still fall for the line "Oh, we just need two or three things."  This time was no different, but I was even further deceived because we did not get a shopping cart (Hint: Guys, don't ever fall for that one.). My spouse really pulled the wool over my eyes this time when we actually made it through both her selection of dresses and getting "a few groceries" and were just about the get the last item - bananas. 

Suddenly she sprang the trap...."Oh, Honey, would you mind? Um...I forgot the pudding."  Her smile is so big and sweet that butter was melting in the dairy section nearly half a block away!  And I was doomed!  Every husband's worst nightmare...try to find a specific item, and the CORRECT specific item at a WALLYWORLD!!!!  I broke out in a cold sweat as Sweety went on to instruct me that I was looking FRENCH Vanilla pudding that was SUGAR FREE!  Nothing else would work.  Then she said, "I will be waiting at the check out. Now remember, FRENCH Vanilla pudding.  And it has to be SUGAR FREE!"

(Music from a certain sixties spy show begins playing in my head.)
....Your mission, should you decide to accept it...Make that French (Vanilla Sugar-Free Pudding) Connection. 
(How I wished Peter Graves was on hand when I needed him!)

I turned and dashed from the fresh produce section, heading toward the middle aisles where I thought jello and pudding would be located.  How hard could it be really? I mean, all I had to do was read the overhead signs until I found the Pudding and Jello aisle.  Easy...

I ran past the frozen food sections, then the Coffee and Tea aisles, still heading toward the middle aisles located only some fifteen hundred yards or so from the fresh produce. That famous music was still running through my head as I passed the Pasta aisle.  I forgot how much I liked the old Mission Impossible Theme!

I passed the Spices and Sauces aisle, still running, though I knew I must by now be getting close to the Pudding and Jello aisle.  Pulse was up, heartbeat was somewhat erratic, but I knew I could make it.  The entire banana pudding dessert depended on my making the French (Vanilla Sugar-Free Pudding) Connection.  I was still in pretty good condition as I passed the canned vegetable shelves, still breathing in a regular pattern as I sprinted past the Canned Meats aisle, then the Baking Goods aisle.

I had to find the pudding section soon, as the Theme From Mission Impossible was just about over. By now I had passed the Cereal aisle, the Baby Needs aisle, the Water and Fruit Drink aisle, and the Beer Aisle, and suddenly I was in the Dairy Case, where all the melted butter was on display.  There was no where else to go!  The Milk case and the delicatessen were against the far wall.  I had missed the Pudding and Jello aisle!  It was here I realized that my pulse was racing, breaths coming hard and ragged, and I had no idea where the Pudding and Jello aisle could be.  Should I ask a stocker? No, there was no time.  I had to find that pudding myself and quickly, or else. I took a second to wonder whether WallyWorld had installed AED's, but then I collected myself and raced back the way I had come, noting that it was a good five hundred yards to the Baking aisle, and I was not even sure that was where I needed to go!

I figured that by now Spouse had selected the bananas and was at the checkout stand.  That thought gave me some comfort as I knew from experience checkout would take much longer than actually shopping.  That's another story.  Reaching the Baking aisle, I began frantically searching for pudding and jello.  Why there was not a sign for pudding and jello I will never know.  I raced up and down the aisle, passing flour, sugar, lard (?), and many other sundries, but not spotting pudding anywhere!   I was getting desperate now, as I had restarted the Mission Impossible Theme twice!  I had to find that pudding, and soon!

Realizing my grave situation had now gotten REALLY serious, I did the unthinkable!  Seeing a stocker placing bags of brown sugar on some shelves nearby, I raced over to him.  "Sir," I said, though he was barely out of junior high, "Can you tell me where the Pudding and Jello aisle is located?"   Plucking an Ear Bud out of one ear, the stocker said, "The Pull-Ups aisle?" 

I began to see my life flashing before my eyes now, because Sweety wanted French Vanilla Pudding, not excuses! I shook the young man's shoulders in desperation.  "Please...I need to find some French Vanilla Pudding!"

The young stared blankly at me before responding, "Sir, I don't believe we have any imported pudding.  Sorry."  He placed the Ear Bud in his ear again and busied himself with more stocking.  I was near collapse at this moment, when a passing female shopper said, "The French Vanilla Pudding is here on the Baking Goods aisle." 

I was dumb-struck! "No, I am looking for instant pudding."

"Yes, it is right here, in the middle of this aisle."

And she was right.  Tucked almost invisibly in all the baking goods and seasonings, the sugars and flour, there was a very small segment of the shelves that contained instant pudding.  Now, mind you, on no store signs did it indicate that pudding or jello was sold anywhere within the WallyWorld

It was here I realized my good fortune. I had survived the mad dash across the forty acre WallyWorld building, actually located the pudding, and then managed to reach my wife at the distant checkout stand without the need for paramedics or oxygen therapy!  Everything would be alright.  Dessert was saved.  I had made the French (Vanilla Sugar-Free Pudding) Connection.  And it turned out the wait was much shorter, because we had "twenty items or less" and were able to use the express check.  I was a little leery of this at first because usually the express check is anything but!  But the young lady apparently saw the makings for banana pudding and expedited our passage through the checkout stand. 

I have been shopping with my wife now for nearly thirty years, but I have to confess that I still fall for that line, "Oh Honey, we just need a few things."  All that really means is that we will get out of WallyWorld for less than two hundred dollars, and that I will be sent to locate some obscure item in the grocery department that is not listed on the aisle heading signs or the cashier's check list, and that of course has no bar code.  It means I must be prepared for yet another WallyWorld Mission Impossible.

More Reasons I Don't Support Obama

For all the negative things that can be said about the Republican presidential candidates (and there IS a lot to be said), there are even more, or at least WORSE things to be said about President Obama, or rather about his beliefs and intentions.  A vote for Obama means these things will continue.  A vote AGAINST the Republican candidate is, in reality, a vote for Obama.  I know many Democrats sincerely believed in Obama and his "hope and change."  Some Republicans did as well, as did many independent voters.  Four years later, hope is dwindling and change has been for the worse, in many respects.

First, I will give credit where it is due.  I am most thankful and grateful to President Obama for his role in the SEAL attack that resulted in the death of Osama Bin Laden.  At least three other presidents, including two Republicans, had numerous chances to get Bin Laden, but did not.  Indeed, President Clinton has nearly made a second career out of pounding the pavement in New York and telling anyone who would listen about how close he came to getting Bin Laden so many times.  Both Presidents Bush also failed in their attempts to either bring Bin Laden to justice or eliminate him.  So again, I offer my sincere gratitude to President Obama for this accomplishment.

Now, having said all this, I will offer several reasons that Obama does not need another term in office. First, he has demonstrated over and over that he has little interest in the day to day responsibilities that befall the President of the United States.  For instance, he has played more golf than Presidents Bush, Clinton, and Bush combined.  Granted, a man with so much responsibility needs time to decompress, but Obama has not faced a crisis of any magnitude, as did his predecessor, Bush II.  True, BP created a crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, but a review of the events in the days following the disaster will show that Obama lost precious little time or sleep in "handling" that incident. 

Second, Obama has tried to force a healthcare initiative on the nation when it was apparent that the majority of people did not want the sweeping socialism expressed by Obamacare.  Again, I will be fair here and say that a Republican once attempted to force a similar healthcare system on America through Congress.  That Republican, Newt Gingrich, has since been turned out of the 2012 Presidential race.  Obama would have done well to have learned from Newt's fiasco, but he did not.

Third, Obama has been very UN-instrumental in promoting a political atmosphere in which the House and Senate can pass a budget.  True, Republicans have voted against many Obama proposals, but if you check the voting records of members of Congress, you will find that many Democrats have blocked Obama initiatives as well.  And three years later, we still have no budget.

Fourth, Obama has repeatedly demonstrated his utter contempt for the United States Constitution, the Law of This Land.  His Executives orders consistently circumvent due process and the constitutional rights of the people.  It is true that George W. Bush has done more than perhaps any president since Abraham Lincoln to gain government power and control at the expense of American civil liberties. And in Lincoln's defense, he was facing a situation no President has faced before or since. But President Obama has had four years to organize a Democrat controlled government and do away with Bush's attack on the Constitution, an attack also known as the USA PATRIOT Act.  Has Obama led a bipartisan effort to end USA PATRIOT?  No!  Obama has in fact gone above and beyond USA PATRIOT by using his Executive Orders to gut our constitutional rights and really grab some more power for the "Government."  For instance, Obama's Executive Order ordering the federal government to take action against faith-based charities and health providers who do not use their funds to provide abortions clearly violates the rights of these organizations.   Further, Obama has let us know that he has the right, as President, to decide when and where to kill American citizens who have not been charged or convicted of any crime.  Can you say Drone Attack in Pakistan?  It is just a matter of time until an American citizen is "Dronicided" on American soil.  Do you really want to re-elect the very person who may target you someday and send a missile crashing down on you and your loved-ones?
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Next, President Obama has created a Justice Department that prosecutes only White persons for "hate" crimes.  I am reasonably sure that people of all races can hate, just as people of all races can love.  But Obama has institutionalized the idea that only the White citizens of this nation can be guilty of "hate" crimes and that usually the victim of the "hate" crime is Black.  Yet President Obama, for at least fifteen years, sat in a church almost every Sunday and listened to a minister issue some of the most vile and hateful language ever heard in a Christian pulpit.  Am I making this up?  No, if you read the newspaper or surf the "Net" you will find news of the scandalous events in which it was reported that Obama paid huge sums of money to another person to persuade a certain Reverend to "tone down" his rhetoric, at least during the election season.  By the way, you will NOT find a lot of mainstream coverage of this situation.

Of all the things I could say here, the biggest reason I cannot support President Obama, and will not vote for him, is his well-deserved reputation as the most UNPATRIOTIC President this nation has ever seen.  President Obama has time after time publicly demonstrated his utter lack of patriotism and loyalty to this nation, to the very people who put their trust and faith in this man, electing him to the highest, most powerful political office in the world.  President Obama has repeatedly turned his back as the National Anthem was played and as the pledge of allegiance was said.  He has repeatedly refused to honor our nation emblem, the Star Spangled Banner.  This repulsive, sickening, and disgusting lack of patriotism warrants Obama nothing but swift and sure relegation to the Former Presidents' Club.  It is true that Obama "honored" a few vets recently, but this honor rings hollow given his lack of patriotism and the fact that the election is just a few months away.
  
I am blogging my own personal opinion here, as far as my reasons for not supporting Mr. Obama.  The facts, which are not my opinions, can be checked through various sources, both Internet-based and "hard" sources.  I understand that we all have free choice in the upcoming election, and that many people find the alternative to Obama unpalatable to them.  I cannot prove at this point that any other candidate will do a better job than Obama, but I have demonstrated that we cannot afford to give Obama four more years to continue his blatant attacks on the Constitution of the United States.  So you cannot STAND the thought of voting for a Republican?  The sad fact is that you can only vote in two ways; either FOR Obama or for the Republican nominee.  A vote for anyone else or no vote at all is a vote for Obama.  Are you a Democrat who will not vote for a Republican no matter what is at stake?  If so, you are in essence voting FOR all of the things I have described above.   And make no mistake, you WILL GET exactly what you vote for, if you vote for President Obama.

Saturday In The Park - For Second Annual The Stroke Awareness Walk

I had the pleasure today of attending and assisting in the Second Annual Midland Memorial Hospital's Stroke Awareness Walk.  I was actually pleased with my performance as I made several laps around Midland's Duck Pond on Garfield and Cuthbert.  There was a good-sized crowd and of course I was lapped several times before I completed my three laps.  I was extremely pleased that I did not need the services of the firemen and emergency medical techs that were on hand, courtesy of the Midland Fire Department.

My lovely bride, Sherron, is the Stroke Program Coordinator at Midland Memorial Hospital in Midland, Texas.  She created the Stroke Walk as an activity that would bring the message of stroke awareness to the community while providing a fun, non-threatening environment in which anyone can learn about the signs of stroke or ask questions about how to prevent strokes.  Literature is available for participants, as is a never ending supply of water to break the desert heat.  Sherron and her sister, Elizabeth, put on the event, with the help of other hospital employees as well.

With Golden Oldies pouring out of a portable PA system, walkers are able to hear their favorite songs at almost any point on the walk way.  Children are welcome, and many children come each year.  Pets - okay, dogs - are welcome as well, and many dogs do bring their parents to the Stroke Walk, much to the delight of the children who brought THEIR parents to the Stroke Awareness Walk.  The Duck Ponds offer many attractions and distractions for children of all ages.  Whether feeding the ducks or chasing them endlessly, the children all had a good time at today's event.

The Stroke Awareness Walk is only in its second year but is growing all the time.  While the walk itself is enjoyable, the bigger purpose is that people are drawn to the event so that they can be exposed to stroke education material, and can ask questions of the stroke expert while fresh on their minds.  It is such a good thing to see people suddenly aware of the dangers of stroke and to realize how simple it can be to notice the signs of stroke.  Their eyes light up as they realize they have been empowered to not only recognize the sypmtoms of a stroke, but also to change their lifestyles in such a way as to prevent or greatly reduce the chance that they will suffer a stroke.  Many people leave the event smiling because they are confident that they can detect when their loved one might be suffering a stroke, and take action immediately, thus reducing the damage done by a stroke, and greatly increasing the chance that the stroke victim will make an optimum recovery.

I am in great hope that this even will increase in size next year, and that many more people will benefit from the information and services provided.  I am so proud of my spouse for setting up this event, and I would like to thank everyone who helped in this event.  I would also like to thank all of those who came to walk in the event.  Ultimately, it is my hope that this event, and the other efforts of the Stroke Awareness Program at Midland Memorial Hospital,will heighten community awareness of the dangers of stroke, but also of the many and relatively easy ways to reduce the risk factors and those reduce the chances of suffering a stroke.  My kudos to Sherron and the Midland Stroke Awareness Program.

Goodbye To Donna Summer

One afternoon in late 1975 I had just walked into the house after a hum drum day at school. I turned on my portable 8-track player just to hear some good jam.  What I heard instead nearly made me go through puberty in less than five minutes! It was a lady singer I had never heard before singing a song that not only had I never heard before, but I was not entirely certain that it could be legally played before 11pm!  Of course you know I am talking about Donna Summer singing her scorching rendition of "Love To Love You, Baby."  And I DO mean SCORCHING! Donna Summer went on to become the undisputed Queen of Disco, remaining in that status throughout the disco era.

Donna branched out in different directions later in the 1980's, singing new wave music similar to that of Pat Benatar, as well as singing blues and ballads.  Miss Summers, always in demand in Europe, went back overseas and had much success there.  She also released various compilation albums in the United States during this time.  She never reached the heights of popularity again in the United States that she enjoyed during the Disco Era, but she remained in demand as a singer, and as an actress as well.  She appeared on Family Matters as Steve Urkle's aunt.

Donna Summer died today after losing her battle with lung cancer.  She was only 63 years old.  To me, that young man with the portable 8-track player so long ago, Donna Summer will always be that sexy Queen of Disco.  I know many people try to downplay or even deny their "participation" in the disco era, but that era was a part of our lives, and so was the sultry, sexy lady who gave us "Love To Love You, Baby," "On The Radio," "MacArthur Park," "I Feel Love," "Bad Girls," and "Last Dance," just to name a few.  Donna Summer leaves behind her husband and three daughters.  I send my prayers to her family and friends.  Goodbye, Donna, you will be missed, but your music will live on.

Desert Hot Air - Fairly Fair and Sort Of Balanced: Murders, Mexico, and US

In the tradition of balanced "news reporting" I feel obliged to place some perspective on Mexico's murder rate as President Calderon presses his "War On Drugs."  By the way, this blog comes on the heels of the announcement that forty-nine headless bodies were discovered near Monterrey, in the state of Nuevo Leon, Mexico. 

I have posted several blogs over the past two years concerning the chaos in Mexico and President Calderon's (failed) "War On Drugs."  In fairness, I feel I should provide a blog with information that puts a little perspective on the killings and the high murder rate in Mexico.  Currently there are more drug/organized crime-related deaths per year in Mexico than was the case in 2006 -2009.  But here is some interesting information concerning the appalling murder rate in Mexico and comparing it to the appalling murder rate here in the United States.

The last time the Mexican government released "official" statistics (2010), known drug-related deaths numbered 34,612.  Though no new "official" figures have been released since then, Mexican press sources agree that the current death toll is around 47,500 - and rising every day.  Many reporters are publicly stating that the major drug gangs operate with impunity in many cities around that nation.  There is no doubt that Mexico is a dangerous nation at the moment, particularly for members of rival drug cartels.  But there is another aspect of the killings that has caught media attention, though is not widely reported, especially in the United States.  Based on Mexican and American statistics, there are several locations in the United States, particular cities and parts of cities, that actually have higher murder rates than some of the Mexican "war zones" are currently experiencing.  As if to make this point, our own President Obama allowed his older daughter to make a Spring "excursion" to Mexico.  Let's be realistic about this one, though.  Obviously the Secret Service (those agents gallivanting with women of the evening notwithstanding) and Mexican federal forces maintained massive security for this visit.  Equally obvious, the cartels themselves wanted nothing to do with attacking Mr. Obama's daughter, as they realized such a stupid action would immediately result in the swift end of the War On Drugs, at least in Oaxaca.  By the way, why would someone send his or her thirteen-year-old child to Mexico for Spring Break!?  But I digress...

Mexican officials did their homework and were able to show that, for instance, certain locations in Houston, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana have higher annual murder rates than several locations in Northern Mexico where Calderon's government has mostly lost control of those cities and towns to the cartels.  These officials also pointed out that the vast majority of the drug war killings happen in the Northern states of Tamaulipas, Durango, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Sonora, Coahilia, and San Luis Potosi.  All of these states are listed on a United States Department of State bulletin as states that U.S. citizens should consider off limits.  The bulletin further warns that although most traditional tourist destinations are safe, travelers should stick to the "tourist trap" areas.  Commentators point out that Americans traveling to Mexico are statistically safe.  They also point out that anyone, whether  American, Mexican, Canadian, or of whatever nationality should not stray from such tourist destinations and should not participate in illegal activities that could attract the attention of gang members.

It was interesting to learn Mexico City has a lower murder rate than such American cities as Chicago and Miami.  And then there is New Orleans, the Big Easy.  The estimated total tourism for New Orleans last year was around 8 million people.  Yet New Orleans' murder rate, per capita, is triple that of the NATIONAL murder rate in Mexico, drug war or not.  There were 199 murders last year in New Orleans, or 6.8 per 100,000.  Maybe the State Department should put the Big Easy on the warning list, too!  When statistics are broken down into precincts or boroughs as the case may be, many cities in the United States contain sections in which the murder rate outstrips that of similar cities in Mexico.  Law-abiding people in those cities learn to avoid certain areas of their cities as a matter of course.

Mexican government and tourist officials also point out that such destinations as Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Vera Cruz are about as safe as always for Americans and other visitors.  The statistics collected by independent sources seem to bear this out.  The same Mexican officials chide the United States for over-reacting to the possible dangers that tourists might face.  These officials point out that even when killings occur in the tourist destinations, these appear to be "typical" crime of passion type murders or isolated robbery homicides.  According to available information, approximately five million American citizens visited Mexico last year, both in the tourist destinations and in the war-torn areas of Northern Mexico.  Mexican officials point out that of all the murders across the nation last year, only 126 Americans were killed.  Officials also point out that they could not conclusively determine which murdered Americans were engaged in illegal activity or possibly were in the employ of one of the drug cartels at the time of their murders.

I hope this blog has accomplished two things.  First I hope that it has provided a fair and balanced approach to my other blogs about Mexico's War On Drugs and the related killings and national chaos. Second, I hope that it has pointed out that many of the traditional tourists destinations in Mexico are still safe, as long as one applies common sense when going out beyond the motels or the beaches.

What Really Matters - Love for One of Our Own

There are all kinds of things I could write about today, big news stories, my political opinions, news from Mexico...the list goes on. Unfortunately, something more real and more important than any of these things is on my mind and my heart today.

The Class of 1979, Gatesville High School, stands together in sympathy and love for one of our own, Scott Stephens and his family.  Scott and Melody suffered the loss of their youngest son, Cody, this past Sunday.  Our sympathy is with Scott and Melody, and their children, Clay and Katie. 

The most tragic thing I can imagine for any parent is the loss of a child, at any age.  Cody Stephens was nearing the end of his high school years, and had already signed a letter of intent to play football at Tarleton State.  Cody was a star football player at Crosby High School.  His potential as a college football player was already well-known.  Cody had been featured in several football magazines and news articles during the past year. 

I must confess, even after a life-time, I am at a loss to understand the reason that children are taken from us, just in the prime of their life.  I know many preachers and many lay-people will have the usual platitudes to say, more because people don't really know what to say to those who have suffered such a great loss than because they have some great spiritual understanding.

I can only offer my deepest sympathy to Scott, Melody, Clay, and Katie.  I can only say that the Good Shepherd is at this very time carrying this family in his hands.  I know that Scott and Melody have many friends and loved-ones that will rally around them, and that Scott has his faith, as he has demonstrated over the years.  It is in some unknown way that this faith, this knowledge that the Good Shepherd holds all of us in his hand, that comfort, in some small way at first, but in floods as time goes on, will come to Scott and Melody and their children. 

So I will not offer a lot of platitudes, but only the love and the caring, the concern, and the sharing of the Class of 1979.  All of us, the members of the Class of '79, stand together with Scott and his family, and we all pray for their comfort and safety during this time of their loss. 

Scott, it is our prayer that you and your family feel the presence of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, during this time, and that you also know and feel the love and concern that we, the Class of 1979, Gatesville High School, have for you and your loved ones. 

May God bless you and your family. Amen