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THE LONGEST HOUR / THE SHORTEST HOUR 

For me, the longest hour of the day is between six PM and seven PM. Trust me; I know every hour is precisely 60 minutes long; therefore they are all exactly the same length.

Doesn’t matter! That hour still takes longer to go by than all the rest of them.

Let me explain…. We generally eat our dinner shortly after 7 PM each evening. Usually, by 5:30 I’m getting hungry. By six, I’m starving and by seven, I can eat the container that dinner comes in. That last half hour from 6:30 to 7:00 feels like it takes at least a week to go by.

Then 7 o’clock finally gets here and we sit down to our dinner.  It’s all over in a matter of minutes and I’m wondering why was I so anxious. By 8:00 I’m ready for our evening snack, but Sweetie doesn’t allow me to have it until 8:30. That said however, I have to say that it goes by a hell of a lot faster than it would if it fell between 6 and 7 PM.

Conversely, I generally get up each morning right around 7 AM.  At my age, I rarely sleep through the entire night without having to make a trip to the bathroom (sometimes more than one) which usually takes place between 5:30 and 6 AM.  That means that I still have roughly an hour to lie there and revel in the fact that I still don’t have to get up yet. There isn’t an hour in my day that I enjoy as much as that one. I just love crawling back into bed and cuddling up to my body pillow which is usually still warm.  Unfortunately not a single hour during my day goes by as fast as this one seems to.  It feels like I just get settled in when the clock strikes seven and it’s time to get up. My fondest wish would be that these two hours on the clock could somehow reverse themselves.   Any suggestions?

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 Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #215

About: Fighting

“When there’s a fight loomin,
most times the smartest thing to do,
is to sit down   ….an SHUT UP! ”

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From The Hints Book Almanac II
©R. L. King & Donna Hale Chandler

AUTOMOTIVE HINTS – Exit signs – Something I recently discovered,,,, Those big green signs on the major highways that show your exit is coming up,,,, If the little exit sign at the top of the big sign is on the left side it means the exit is on the left. On the right side means exit right.

Another little tid-bit that I recently heard was how to get Free air – At Shell® gas stations, I’ve been told if you press the button on the side of the air pump three times,  The pump will start without having to insert coins.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS
©By: Richard L. King
From the book Memories & Time

Memories from the past, rarely dead and gone,
keep comin back, in the words of country songs.

lots of those memories, truly weren’t that great,
some things from those days, he didn’t really appreciate.

Yes, some of the more fond memories, he misses a lot,
but that old two hole crapper, ain’t a fond one he’s got.

Then the Sears catalog, served its most valued purpose,
though not the glossy pages, they were next to worthless.

We couldn’t afford to buy the things we saw in its pages
cause other bills ate up most of our “Old Man’s” wages.

He don’t miss that old well, where they pumped their water
or the electric heater they used, to make the water hotter.

He don’t miss the galvanized tub, where they took their bathes,
six of them, but only one tub, you can do the math.

He don’t miss cuttin wood, nor splittin it either,
don’t miss carryin it in, he never caught that fever.

He don’t miss killin chickens, to put food on the table,
or pickin their stinkin feathers, soon as he was able.

He don’t miss hand me downs, coats two sizes too big,
or that old home brew, but he’d sure like one more swig.

He don’t miss hayin season, pants with the knees all worn
and he don’t miss mendin the fence nor the shockin of corn.

He don’t miss sloppin hogs or diggin taters,
don’t miss pickin pickles, or cannin all those tamaters.

His memories of the old days, are really very chancy,
much about those days, never quite caught his fancy.

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Gramps use’ta say
R.L.King2012 #326

About: Education

  “It’s a proven fact,
you learn much faster
with your mouth shut.”

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From The Hints Book Almanac II
©R. L. King & Donna Hale Chandler

AUTOMOTIVE HINTS – Door protection – Use one of those little floaty noodles from the swimming pool to protect your car door in your garage. Slice it down the middle and glue it to the wall where the door normally would strike when opened too widely.

 

By Richard L. King

I never did lose a lot of sleep over my concerns about identity theft, but since reading this posting in my email several years back, I lose even less. If you read this and follow the suggestions, I’m sure you’ll sleep better too.  I’d also suggest that you make a copy for your files in case you need to refer to it someday.  It’s supposed to have originated from a corporate attorney who sent it out to the employees in his company:

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put ‘PHOTO ID REQUIRED.’
2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the ‘For’ line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it.
3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks.  You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.
4. Place the contents of your wallet on photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.
5. I also carry a photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We’ve all heard horror stories about fraud that’s committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.
6. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
7. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).      But here’s what is perhaps most important of all:
8. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over the Internet in my name.  The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

 

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #295

About: Mistakes

“Knowin better and doin better
ain’t even close to the same.”

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From The Hints Book Almanac II
©R. L. King & Donna Hale Chandler

AUTOMOTIVE HINTS – Trunk liner – Stash an old shower curtain in your car’s trunk to line it when carting potentially messy plants, picnic coolers, or beach gear in the summer. It also works well as a drop cloth to put down if you have to crawl under the car.

With the arrival of hurricane season, I felt it might be appropriate to bring out this poem from a few years back.  It’s probably more timely for those of us in the deep south.

STORM’S A COMIN
©By: Richard L. King
From the book Memories & Time

Batten down the hatches, preparin for the storm,
durin hurricane season in the south, often that’s our norm.

Bein near the water has many nice rewards,
but when a storm’s a comin, we cover up with boards.

Head to the grocery store, stock up for your needs,
lots of canned goods and things you might want to read.

Batteries for our radios, portable fans and our lights,
we’ll need them to get us through all those powerless nights.

Extra bags of charcoal, plenty of beer and wine,
gas up the vehicles, hurry now, get into the line.

Get extra ice for those days after the storm
you’ll need it for the beer,,, wine you can always drink warm.

Lay in extra water, needed for flushing the toilet
and some of the bottled kind, so you won’t have to boil it.

You may not need extra supplies, hopefully you won’t,
but needin and not havin, is most definitely a don’t.

Neighbors help each other, but it ain’t like charity,
I’ll do what I can for you; you do the same for me.

After the storm passes the power’s bound to be out,
you’ll be cookin with charcoal, like neighbors all about.

The lucky ones with generators, had a better plan,
but they’ll charge your phone and do whatever else they can.

You’ll be wet and dirty when the weather gets crappy,
but preparation helps your chances of coming out of it happy.

(…. As does plenty of beer & wine.)

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Gramps use’ta say
©R.L.King2012 #319

About: Casual Sex

“You cain’t un-say and she cain’t un-hear,
so be careful of the words you whisper in her ear.”

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From The Hints Book Almanac II
For today’s tip, we’ll be you your home office…

 HOME/OFFICE – Bill paying – Write the due date on the back of return envelopes that accompany bills. Place the envelopes in sequential order in a clip then pay them a week before they’re due.   Clean your keyboard, phone, microphone – Use a squeeze-ketchup bottle top with your shop-vac to clean your keyboard, phone, microphone or other nook on an electronic device. – Computer – When trying to read small print, (email, internet or word processor, etc.) it’s very useful if you hold down the Ctrl key on your key board and then turn the small wheel in the middle of your mouse away from you or towards you, the print size will change – it will either get larger or smaller, depending on which way you turn the wheel. I absolutely love this and use it all of the time. Another Computer suggestion – When cleaning your computer or TV screen, spray the cleaner onto a soft cloth and then wipe the screen. Never spray directly on to the glass, the cleaner may drip down the screen and damage the components. Computer – When you want to save an email, but you want to “clean” it up first, forward it to yourself. Before you hit send, you can make changes. Computer software – Can’t afford Microsoft Word®? “Open Office” is much the same and it’s free, plus it’s said to have more features.

 

 

SHIFTING SANDS
©By: Richard L. King
From the book Memories & Time

Like the shifting sands of the sea, at the whim of incoming tide,
our lives are ever changing, as are the rules by which we abide.

The years just keep on coming, like the waves upon the shore,
each with the anticipation, there could be something more.

It might be a trove of pleasure, as they follow one another,
or it could become unbearable, as more secrets they uncover.

Yet, always they keep coming, shifting dreams like sand,
constantly changing landscapes, creating obstacles to the plan.

Somewhere in those words lie lessons you might desire,
passing years can be great teachers if you allow them to inspire.

 “Like the shifting sands of the sea, at the whim of incoming tide,
our lives are ever changing, as are the rules by which we abide.”

 Find your wave….

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Gramps use’ta say
R.L.King2012 #322

About: Actin right

“Don’t do nothing durin the day
that’ll keep you up durin the night.”

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From The Hints Book Almanac II
More about cleaning your kitchen appliances

 CLEANING/KITCHEN – Refrigerators – To clean & sanitize the inside if your refrigerator, sprinkle a little salt and a little baking soda on a damp sponge and wipe it down. To clean, brighten and remove embedded strong odors in refrigerators, non-abrasive toothpaste helps without the scratching properties of most household cleansers. Apply liberally with a sponge or rag and scrub until stains disappear. Rinse with a clean rag and warm water.   Or you can clean and deodorize the inside of your refrigerator by wiping it down with a cloth wet with a solution of 1 tablespoon Borax and 1 quart of warm water. Rinse with cold water. To dust under your refrigerator, duct tape an old sock to the end of a yard stick. If you live in the north, the brush on the other end of your car’s ice scraper is just the right size for getting under your refrigerator and/or dusting the coils on the back.