Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard

I guess you need to be of a certain age to know The 3 Stooges Movie where they played three doctors. Howard, Fine, and Howard. Jim loves slapstick comedy like that. He's always up for a good laugh and confined humor and pretty much anything. About a month ago, he found one of his beloved rubber ducks in the road. Wounded. Badly. Did he leave it there to float into oblivion? No he did not. He rescued it. Brought it back and showed me the poor fractured floatie, to which I gave him one of my famous eyerolls.

Jim fashioned the replacement piece that was missing between his eyes, repaired the tears and reconnected the little guy's head and broken heart. I have no idea how much time he spent applying rubber cement. That wasn't the point, I guess. The point was to fix it.

He does that with all sorts of things in life. Toasters. Water hoses. Pool pumps. Coughing cars. He's even tried to fix some people. That didn't work. Never does. But he generally leaves people better than when he finds them. His kindness, sincere concern for people, and his humors stand out from the norm. Not everyone gets his humor or how easily he is entertained, but that's okay. Maybe they'll smile later.

What's interesting now is that the little duck was in the road, broken head and fractures, and Jim put him back together again. It took patience and time. But, he felt it was worth it. Jim is rather like that little duck. Now we need the patience and time to let God and him do the repairs.

Currently, staples are out, and he is repairing the scalp incisions and sutures. Bone fractures. Brain trauma. Bruising. And in the last two days pneumonia.

He is still opening his eyes. Making connections. Squeezing fingers. Raising eyebrows. And lifting his head off the pillow to place it where he wants. He is working so hard.

And the medical staff has been wonderful, attentive and caring. The people at JPS ICU and Emergency are no comedy team. They're all pro. Thank you. All.

7 Minute Nap

Jim is a napper. He gets up early everyday, just because, sometimes having a chore to do, prep to run, call meeting, water the plants. He is always into something. His pile of things to do constantly grows, books to read list gets longer, and his sticky note reminders are plastered everywhere. It's how he rolls. 

When he needs it during the day, he will lie down on the sofa, or the floor with his cellphone on his chest. Alarm set for 7 minutes. A really annoying alarm sound. Kinda like his cellphone ring, which I call Clown Car. Sometimes he cheats and hits the snooze button. But,  this nap restores him, and then the Energizer Bunny is up and at it again.

Yesterday morning, he was agitated by some medical stuff. Things attached to him, people asking him to squeeze fingers, bright lights in his eyes, general discomfort. As he comes back online and more aware, there will be more annoyances. I don't like seeing him annoyed. But, in some weird way if it helps him come back, I'll install Clown Car on my phone. 

The afternoon was different. He responded to the Tony Bennett mix playing, the smells of tea tree oil, his body lotion and foot rubs. He was resting. He shut things down. Actually rested. Heart rate dropped. Oxygen levels up. Blood pressure very steady. All afternoon. Through dinner time. 

To him, it's his 7 minute nap. 

Blink

 The fever went away. All the cultures have not come back yet. It can take 24 to 48 hours, and then however long it takes us to find out from the team or nurse. But, they are saying no infections! Not even the trach area. Just irritations. Such a relief!

There is a thing called Neurostorming. The turmoil and business of the brain as it throws circuits back on, connects wires, and creates sparks. That's my vision of it. And, in Jim's case, with that big beautiful brain of his, it's going to be a lot of sparks. Neurostorming can cause fevers among other things. That's what they think it was.

And yesterday, you could see that more were put back together. His eyes were open, wide open, the greater part of the day, often connecting to a person. His daughter, a medical friend, nurse. He even watched a bit of a Tony Bennett video on YouTube singing the song Jim sings to me. " It Had to be You". I know he was singing in there.

Little things, like he used his thumb to carefully scratch under his left eye. That's Jim. And, he blinked. He didn't just crack open his eyes and stare. He opened his eyes wide, and blinked, changing focus and interest. And, I could see him trying to figure things out. What the heck happened? Ouch! Ouch, I said ouch!

He's there. Working with God. Healing. He has always been connected to God. He is a deeply spiritual man. I need to be calm. Patient. Faithful in belief of his complete restoration. I can't blink.

HITCH

 Jim had a setback yesterday. So, I have to admit, I did too. He had a fever set in, so it was obvious there's some Kind of infection going on. The chest x ray from the night before show changes, and the trach area definitely has something going on. That's what they tell me. They keep it simple, because they really don't know. But what's going on with him is not simple. It's a  layered, complex health puzzle, that really doesn't allow you to say anything that you know for sure. It's just for now. So he now has a broad spectrum of antibiotics to cover most likely candidates of bacteria. After cultures are in, they will have the exact culprits, if there are any, and so medications change accordingly.

What I saw was how uncomfortable and completely vulnerable he is. That big, strong, active man at the mercy of strangers and microscopic invaders. And there's not a darn thing I can do about it.

When Jim was first admitted, any medical person that came in to attend to him was just meeting him for the first time. They don't know how vital and alive he is as a man. So I pull out my phone, and I open up the screensaver that has my favorite photo of him. Half smile on his face, reaching to turn his ball cap around forward with his left hand and carrying his 7D Canon camera with the long lens in the right, cargo pants pockets surely full of heaven only knows, a white polo shirt that he sewed a Montana patch over the AT&T logo. Hiking shoes. Red rocks canyon in the background. I show everyone that photo.

" This is who you are treating. This is who you are dealing with. This is jim"

Sometimes, I have to look at the photo myself, to remind me. It's just been a week and a half. It's early in the recovery. He is in there. Healing. Tired but fighting. And, I tell him about all the people in his corner cheering and praying for him, and that is Superman cape is hanging in the closet, clean and ready to go, whenever he is.

Perception

Still Karen here. And, it will be for a while. 

Day 10. Every day, there are new developments. News about little things could seem like forward motion or falling back, depending on the color of your own glasses, rose color or otherwise. Jim opened his eyes Saturday for the first time! Perception: Forward motion. How can you take it any other way? His eyes opened only a tiny crack. Hardly enough to see his color. It's minimal forward motion from a medical viewpoint. To me, it's big.

And more on Sunday! Eyebrows raised responding to names or comments, music and birthday wishes. His eyes opened several times, and this time enough to see color and movement. Big, big.

Today. His eyes opened wide. About half way. Was he seeing me? You bet! And, I grabbed the nurse and made her look! Because if they don't see it, they can't document it as an event. Medically.

And, then in response to voices in the room, his brother, me, Jim made another appearance. Eye color showing. Looking and raising lids as if to clear his vision. His eyes stayed open for 2 to 3 minutes! There were more appearances throughout the afternoon. 

Little by little, equipment is being moved out of his room. Ventilator is gone. Oxygen is there, of course, to keep his levels up and help promote healing. No. He is not moving on his own. Yet. No. His lungs are not clear. Yet. Yes. He is better today than yesterday. Yes. He retreats to wherever that healing place is. No. He doesn't always respond to requests. He never does anyway. Yes. He's black and blue and purple and he has lots of staples in his scalp. 

Perception: how you see something is a choice. I like Jim's point of view. He always looks for the good in a situation or a person.

I'm going to continue to try to be more like that. Not to spend time wondering why or being angry. But, saying thank you for even the smallest thing. His eyes opened.

LOTTO!!!

It's Karen. Still in the writer's chair.

What are the odds to hit the lottery? A gazillion to one, or some astronomical equation. But, when Jim opened his eyes last evening, just briefly, just a crack, but trying ever so hard to track and focus.....lotto winner!! 

I can't imagine the strength that must have taken after what he has been through. I do know, I probably need to get his Superman cape cleaned and ready to go. He has been moving both arms and both legs some, so he must be practicing to fly again. I'm on it.

Happy birthday, Jim!! And thanks for the gifts you are giving us today. Not to be greedy, but more please!

911 Emergency

This is Karen. I am Jim's honey, as he calls me. Known here for my internationally famous eyeroll.

I'd like to be quippy or charming or entertaining, but this is not the time. But, it is still the time to be positive and have gratitude. Jim started this blog because he is always grateful for even the smallest thing. A shiny penny. A new lugnut. The opportunity to return a lost wallet or make someone smile.

Jim is in the hospital. ICU to be exact. Unconscious. Traumatic brain injury. 7 days now.

While on his daily run, last Saturday, April 15th at about 8 AM, while he was crossing an intersection, cars collided and sent Jim flying. He landed in the grassy area of the chapel located there.

People were quick to run to him to lend aid, including a local police officer who saw him running earlier, and we are grateful. Thank you.

Rushed to the hospital, he had emergency brain surgery to alleviate the swelling and pressure. There are several facial, a rib, pelvis and femur fractures, all of which do not require surgery at this time. So I can only attribute that to a large Angel who wrapped his wings around Jim and took the brunt of the impact. Thank you.

At the hospital, they found out about the blog. The nuts, bolts, coin and screw collection in his pockets. Threw their hands up and said, " That's why he had all that junk in his pockets!!" He'll love that when I can tell him.

We don't know what's going to happen. We take tiny signs or improvements as gifts. We stand on the belief that he will fully recover and be restored. And, we show gratitude for that which we have not seen..... yet.

I may try to slip in here, eyerolls and all,  and attempt to make sense of his fascination for crunched metal and rubber ducks. Until he can step back into the writer's chair.

That is my hope. That is my belief. That is my deep desire. Then, I can go back to just contributing eyerolls. 🙄

Make Your Move : 04 14 2023

 

     I saw the Trinity Metro ticket in the grass next to the sidewalk today and assumed, since the Smithfield TEXRail station is pretty close, it was for a ride from DFW Airport to downtown Ft Worth. Actually this ticket took somebody on the TEXRail's big brother the "Metro" from Dallas to FTW, which is no small feat. After all, this is Texas, the land of one man-one pick'em-up and it's our right to sit in traffic congestion or pay somebody else big bucks to use the troll lanes.  I do get a little steamed though when they gouge people during peak traffic times, they want you to pay an extra $20 to go 75mph instead of 45 for a few miles.  Funny also how the price of gas goes up for spring break or holiday travel times too.  Greedy greedy greedy.  Just a sec please.....hey ya dadblame kids, get offa the lawn!  Sorry, moving on, we have another fine piece of lumber here, it's a Dixon #2 Ticonderoga writing tool, and it's ready to help you pencil in all those important dates in your planner. You can find it in the 'Rundover' Store for $7.98 for a 48 pack, but don't wait.   During rush hour the price goes up to $59.95!  I was missing a coin to 'hit for the cycle' today and ran a little longer than I had planned, but it paid off (pun intended) when that quarter showed up. Make that an 'extended cycle' counting the socket and lug-nut I had already found.  Feeling very blessed today.  It was a really pretty day, there were coins, tools, fine writing utensils, what more could you ask for?  Well, actually, rubber duckie #35 and another $20 bill would be be fine too. 

Best Kind of Day : 04 13 2023

 

     The 'Rundover' Store has a couple of additions today, the first is a very solid metal license plate cover that was in the road on Rufe Snow, which will keep that black wheel cover I found over on Chapman Rd company.  Speaking of wheels, at the lower right is a very small wheel that was part of a kiddo's battery operated car which was no match for the wheel that ran it over.  Next time don't play in the road!  Something else that shouldn't be in the road is the little kid's 'Be Happy' sock which was a little too close to traffic for my liking.  That hitch ball just below the sock I should have stashed for later as I wasn't looking to lift weights until after the run.  Again I have 20-20 hindsight.  There were a few more tools to add to the collection today, a 10mm socket (a shock!), and a very large (3/8") and a very small (T10) driver-bit.  Both will be good additions to the 'Store' and have only been lightly driven over.  If you read Monday's 'Make Nerf Not War' blog you'll recognize three more Nerf Rivals squishy balls which I happened to find near the same spot in the road as last time.  I'll have to run (pun intended) them back by and hopefully leave them in the right yard.  The clear plastic ball next to them looks like it has an island pictured inside and although it doesn't say where it is, the writing on the inside mentions Chine so it may have to do with the British coast Isle of Wright and its chines.  And there's your history lesson for the day.  I was finding pig-iron all over the place today especially along MidCities Blvd and since it's falling off passing vehicles, there must have been some rough roads close by to shake all this stuff loose.  There was a large 'Lifting Eye' screw near a new sign that went up at a gas station and 'Da Googles' says it will lift 460 lbs and run you about 10 bucks.  Seems I'm finding all kinds of expensive pig-iron that I'm not sure what to do with.  I looked in a lot of places today but not too many coins found me.  But there was at least one of each so I 'hit for the cycle' and if you add in the sockets, and also if I count the very large spin nut as a lug-nut, then I 'hit for the extended cycle'.  I may have to leave that one for the judges to decide though.  It's funny, I found a penny along the curb about two minutes out and said a quick thank you that I'd at least have one thing to write about.  I never guessed I'd find all that other stuff.  So, thank you Creator for about the best kind of day to run outside I could ask for, thanks for the wherewithal to go out and beat the streets, and thank you for the shiny pennies that always find me.

Grunt-Slavian : 04 12 2023

      In all my runs I've only seen two angry people, one was an unbalanced man who was having a road-rage moment and the other was today.  I was circling a building on 377 and he was coming out of a field behind it and was yelling about something I didn't understand.  I wished him a good day and after he yelled a little more I decided he might understand Grunt-slavian a little better.  So I yelled back in Grunt-slavian but I'm a little rusty and I'm sure my pronunciation was probably a bit off because he was still pretty cranky.  I didn't hang around to trade recipes but I did send him good thoughts/blessings as I suspect he was living out in the open somewhere.  Bless his heart.  Moving on, I was planning on getting some yard work done later but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been a Ninja-flex or Gorilla-grip kinda day so I opted for the Maxi-flex work-glove.  No sense in overdoing it.  Those two cards to the left of 'Maxi' belong to someone named Pebbles.  No, really, the name on both the credit card and the State of Louisiana Medicaid card read 'Pebbles S.......'  Once again folks, I couldn't make some of this stuff up if I tried.  I'm not sure how I'm going to return these to Miss P but maybe the Louisiana State folks might have an idea.  There was another lug-nut with lug still attached and we've gone over this enough times that you know what comes next.  Just do it.  There were a few coins that found me this morning, not near enough to 'hit for the cycle' but I'm always thankful for what's there.  It was a really beautiful morning and there were, excepting for just one cranky pants, a lot of very friendly people that I passed by or that allowed me to pass.  Blessings all. 

PRICELESS : 04 11 2023

    Granted there will generally be some common things to be found on every run like pig-iron and change.  One of my favorite things though is there being something different out there every time I hit the streets.  That giant NutInTheRoad with bat ears was different from the others I've seen, it's a lot stouter that the stamped metal ones out there.  Moving to the right, 'Da Googles' says that squishy little football actually came from a Heartland RV shop and not some physical therapy place like the last little football I found.  And, the one before that was from an oil change place so go figure.  The blue ball, we don't know, we don't care. Next, in the story Dumbo, the little elephant had a feather that he held in his trunk that helped him fly.  Well, this morning I found a large Dumbo feather which unfortunately hasn't helped me run any faster (and with the size of my ears, flying's out of the question).  At the top is a reversible screwdriver tool and I think it's telling that I'm seeing more hardware that uses a star-end driver instead of a phillips head/straight blade.  In fact there was a little star-end Allen tool today as well. Lastly, there was lots of change today and I almost 'hit for the cycle' but the nickel I needed turned out to be a 1986 Canadian quarter, which is probably a little homesick.  You know, with today's exchange rate that quarter's worth 18¢ but as a symbol of the Creator's infinite abundance, it's priceless!

Make Nerf, Not War : 04 10 2023

     I found another credit card today, a Best Buy Visa, and it was kind of out of the way, down in the grass next to a sidewalk that doesn't get a lot of use.  And I'm guessing that Micah, the person that lost it, was probably stoked at having a credit card for a store with all those gadgets and temptation.   Let's take it a step further and surmise that 'Big M' was a clueless soul that didn't know enough to sign the back of the card, activate it, and tear the sticker off.  Bless his heart.  I called the Best Buy credit card center to report it lost but they're not necessarily geared to handle issues/questions that aren't on their script.  The customer service person I talked to was very nice and polite, and they even spoke English I could understand, but he said that it would already be deactivated and that the person who lost it would know, and that I could just cut it up.  Big M, Mister Clueless would know?  I suppose he would also know that he's getting charged "APR: 30.74% & Late Payment Fee: up to $41 for consumers who fail to make the minimum payment by the due date."   Just like I said, clueless.  Bless his heart.  Again.  Moving on, that yellow squishy ball I've run across before, 'Da Googles' says it's part of a Nerf Rival 50-Round Refill Pack.  Cool, make Nerf, not War!  Next, that wall plate at the right is the second one I've found in two days, and this guy I can use to replace an outlet cover that some un-named person had gotten that was a smidge off on the color.  Just a sec..........yes honey.  Un-named person.  Alright, Mr. Un-named person.  Sheesh, well I at least I got an internationally famous eye-roll.  Next, the lug-nut on the bottom left still had the lug attached and it makes me wonder.  What did it take, how many pot-holes or dips in the road was it for that untightened nut to shear off?   Once again folks......Snug The Lug!  Next, this is usually a route that has more 'stuff' than coins but once again it surprised me with 2 quarters, 2 dimes, and 10 pennies.  I didn't 'hit for the cycle' but thank you anyway Creator of all things for these 14 symbols of your infinite abundance.  And for a really nice morning that I unfortunately overdressed for and was 'sweating my pits off'.  Thank goodness for Sustain Sports Drink, and Amino Boost. 

Another Student Driver 04 09 2023

 

     Somewhere there is a student driver.  One that clearly has not mastered driving yet.  I'm thinking it would be wise for us all to give this person a REALLY wide berth.  Five or six lanes ought to be enough, bless their heart.  And I had to laugh, the last Student Driver sign I found was 4/18/22 and was unmarked.  I guess big brother/sister caught on a little quicker.  Moving on through today's potpourri, to the right of the warning sign looks to be a spare tire tie-down screw/bolt/whatever, reminiscent of the one I had on an old 1964 Chevy station wagon with a full size spare in a wheel-well in the cargo area.  Amazing how cars have changed since the dinosaurs ruled the Earth.  There were a couple of shop towels courtesy of, I'm guessing, Whitewater Express Car wash which had blown away and hadn't had a chance to get covered with grass & leaves & crapola that never want to come off (trust me, it's there forever!).  Next to the shop rags is a packet of 'secret sauce' and on any given day there's usually a few of them out there.  This happened to be one of about a dozen that were trying to escape the restaurant I was passing so I gave this hitchhiker a ride.  Today is Easter Sunday and the holiday traffic was much lighter, except for near the churches I passed which were definitely open for business.  Glad to see it.  As you can see below the student driver sign there's a ton of change that found me today.  Six quarters, eight dimes, a nickel, and twenty seven pennies, and add in the two lug-nuts and the 13mm socket and I 'hit for the extended cycle'!  (penny,nickel,dime, quarter,socket,lug-nut) Yah hoo!! I felt like the socket turned up in an unexpected place but I suppose all of this stuff is pretty much unexpected.  How do you predict a Student Driver sign, shop rags, secret sauce, or any and all of the shiny pennies that found me?  I never know the what or where, I just know the Will.

To Straint Again : 04 08 2023

 

     Running before sunrise on a Saturday has its advantages. Not a lot of cars out early so street crossings are a breeze, and I had a ball-cap headlight so I could see the shiny pennies, and they were out in force this morning.  The black thing at the bottom of the picture is two or three trash bags I found at a street crossing the interstate.  They were rolled up and although I could have used them to bring back LOTS of stuff, I did show some restraint and actually stashed them to pick up when I finished the route.  Just a sec..........yes honey, you did hear me say restraint.  As in 'to straint again.'  And....there's the internationally famous eye-roll, thanks honey, I guess you were paying attention after all.  Next, getting out to run early before the sun is up just seems a little more private to me.  I don't run with earbuds or listen to music, I feel the time's better spent focusing on what you're doing, or the things you need to be doing, or issues that you're working through, or just appreciating a beautiful crisp morning.  Anyway, there were a few more finds, a lighter that lights, a key-ring, and a really big washer which 'Da Googles' didn't have any good ideas about so I'm going to say it goes somewhere on a mower.   Lastly, I 'hit for the cycle' several times over today--woo hoo!  Three quarters, two nickels, six dimes, and twenty four pennies that found me even in the dark, even.  In the dark.  Of course I couldn't have been all that hard to find, I had a headlight on my hat and two flashing lights on my person so it wasn't like I was skulking about in the shadows.  And we only skulk on every third Tuesday at best.  Just sayin.

SUFFICIENT : 04 07 2023

 

    Occupational hazard today, I tripped on a wheel-cover steel ring today.  I stepped on it with the left foot and my right foot went through it and was stuck so I ended up going down and then rolling over my right shoulder.  It was kind of an elegant face-plant, and since it felt sort of graceful so I was expecting good marks from all the judges including the one from Romania that gave me a 4.0 last time.  9.4, 9.0, 8.9, 9.2, and 6.0 from you-know-who. Erk-jay!   Seems the 'glove-of-the day' today comes from our friends at FIRM-GRIP.  For those times when you really need a ....... firm grip.  That big hunk or iron on the left in the picture has a number of names, like Crosby Shackle, Bow Shackle, Screw Pin Anchor Shackle, and Clevis Shackle.  Having a tough time making up their minds it seems.  There wasn't much in terms of interesting stuff in the street today, a few NutsInTheRoad, there was another 'Round Stick' aka writing utensil aka regular ol' pen,.  But there were 3 shiny pennies that found me today so that definitely makes it a successful run.  In spite of the 'face plant.'  Which I've got a feeling my shoulder will be reminding me about tomorrow.  Fortunately, a sufficient amount of neck smooches will counteract any shoulder discomfort.  Sufficient is the operative word here.  Did you get that honey??

GOTCHA! : 04 06 2024

 

     I've found a lot of magnetic signs on these runs and that 11.5" U.S. Army sign even beats the 'Student Driver Please Be Patient' magnetic sign which was my previous favorite. I checked with 'Da Googles' and it comes from Magnets America who advertises it as being great for vehicles and refrigerators (probably helps make the beer colder).  The Army motto is "This We Will Defend" but it seems this sign gave up with just a minor struggle.  Next, with spring mostly here folks are outside working on the car, house, and yard and I'm starting to see work gloves.  Today's prize is a  Moto-Tech glove that no doubt came from a Moto-Head (and I mean that in a good way).  Above Mr Moto is another TX lotto 2nd chance scratcher, this one for a trip to Chicago to do the 'Warehouse Dash' for prizes galore!  I'm not holding my breath waiting around to see if any of my entry tickets for these things hits, but it could happen!  Next to the scratcher is a roll of some kind of tape I thought.  But 'Da Googles knew......it's Betty Crocker's orange and cherry Fruit by the Foot.  Yeah, but I bet it's more like Sugar by the Foot.  There were 6 pennies that found me this morning, thank you Creator for those little treasures. As for the two slugs-that-looked-like-quarters.......yeah, I know....gotcha!

I SEE YOU! : 04 05 2023

 

     I started seeing air I pressure stuff in a lane of traffic on Rufe Snow today and fortunately drivers did a good job of missing it. It's at the upper left and 'Da Googles' tells me it could be part of a WYNNsky Air Blowgun Accessory kit. Funny, I think of blowgun and I think of the Amazon.  And not the guys in the sprinter vans who deliver your dog food, video games, and yoga mats.  That's just me of course. Now at the right and bottom is more air equipment, found half a mile away. The gauge and that hose to the right are part of a Calgaz low pressure air regulator, not something you see every day.  Bottom left is the tiniest Tarot card I have ever seen!  I'm thinking it belonged to someone who's a little iffey about Tarot readings.  They're not 'all in' on Tarot and still probably still have somebody reading their palms and tea leaves just to hedge their bets.  There was another socket today, the shade tree mechanics have been busy this spring.  This short 12mm socket is kind of an odd find and will fill a hole in a new set I'm building.  Lots of pennies and dimes today, 7 dimes and 8 pennies, and a nickel for good measure.  Not too bad for a route that I run as often as this one which is usually once a week.  I normally try and space out where I run so that it's not the same streets every day which keeps things interesting.   There are 6 routes that I can usually count on hitting once a week with a few others I can weave in depending on where we are and what we've got going.  So you never know where you might see me....or I might see you!

On The Road Again : 04 04 2023

 

     Today I got 20 more entries in the the iHeartRadio CASH BLITZ 2nd Chance Promotion from the Texas Lottery.  Can you say yah hoo?  With any luck I could win $100, plus entry in another drawing and this one will maybe get you a VIP Trip Prize.  Or if I'm really really really lucky, a trip to that vacation paradise.....Austin TX!  And once in Austin we roll the dice a third time and get to play the 10 Bazillion Dollar Cash Blitz Challenge.  I don't think doing the Challenge thing necessarily means you win anything.  But I'm going to think positively, and maybe when I do win I can take Santa or the Easter Bunny to Austin with me.  I suspect the odds of taking one of them is probably better than winning the big bucks.  Just sayin.  I found three more lug-nuts today and I could have sworn that we have had the 'snug the lug' conversation numerous times before.  One more time, snug the lug but don't over tighten it or the first pothole you hit--BAM--and there'll be OneMoreNutInTheRoad.  Next, I found the key fob and the two smaller keys in the same place.  One key is from Uhaul and the other just has an obscure marking so no help there.  But 'Da Googles' ID'd the key fob as an aftermarket remote for select Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Mazda cars as well as quite a few trucks.  Guess I won't be using it with my CRV though.  In the center of the picture is something new, it's an anti-siphon vacuum breaker for an outside water faucet.  I know they're required to pass a building inspection for the city of North Richland Hills but oddly enough I didn't see one faucet in the street today.   Anyway, that 10mm socket just to the left of the anti-siphon whatsits is both a popular size, and was also the one voted most likely to travel the world by their high school class.  They seem to travel wherever I go at least.  I had to look in a few more places today but I eventually ended up 'hitting for the extended cycle' (penny,nickel,dime,quarter,socket,lug-nut).  Woo and hoo!  Granted it's just a few coins, but I still appreciate the little symbols of the Creator's infinite abundance.  Not to mention that today's 71¢ is about what a Class A Dedicated Driver makes per mile in Arizona.  Suddenly I'm hearing Willie sing, "On The Road Again....."

Squirrel Wacker :4 03 2023

 

     I wasn't sure at first which animal the scoopper was for, dog or cat?  But now I'm thinking it's a squirrel handler, for encouraging squirrels to hustle their furry little 'digging up the flower beds', 'chewing on the side of the house', tookuses down the street.  The openings on the shovel would let you swing faster which is key when dealing with those crafty little guys.  And.......this could actually be a big time saver on a run.  No more slowing down and bending over to snag that shiny lug-nut along the curb.  Just scoop-there it is, scoop-there it is......  Lets see, the scoop, coupled with a metal detector, coupled with a 'magnet-on-a stick' and I wouldn't miss anything.  And with all that extra stuff I'd get my weight lifting in as well.  I suppose I could take a lawn chair too for those really long traffic lights at street crossings.  And a gallon of lemonade and some snacks.  Yup, that's really going to speed things up.  Moving along, there were high school 'senior pictures' scattered all over this morning.  They were the little thumbnail ones and of lots of different people.  I was feeling bad for whoever lost these, I mean they're a big deal, it's a rite of passage and here they are discarded along the curb.  But for there to be be so many different photos, it couldn't have been one student losing theirs, it had to be the company that took them that made the oops.  OK, not as big a deal.  There was the usual stuff today, socket in the street, and various pig-iron scattered about, nothing new there.  I did pass a gas station today that had a new drive-in lane.  In fact someone had decided to drive right inside the store.  Let's hope it was only some distracted knucklehead and not someone that had a stroke and passed out when they reached the store.  Lastly, there were 8 little shiny pennies that found me this morning, thank you Creator for those little blessings.  I wonder......if, in addition to the magnet and metal detector, if I brought a shop vac too, I wouldn't have to slow down for the pennies either.  Nah, then I'd have to change the name of the blog to OneMoreNutPassedOutAlongTheRoadCauseHeWasCarryingAllThisCrapWithHim.blogspot

ELWOOD : 04 02 2023

 

      I love finding coins, I love finding tools, folding money and gift cards are pretty cool too, but my absolute favorite is finding rubber duckies in the road.  Today's find is #34 and he was at a street corner just behind the curb actually.  I'm wondering if I should start giving these little guys names?  Something to do with where I found them, how they look, maybe?  I'll think about that.  Moving on, there were a number of work gloves scattered about this morning and since there's so many in the 'found glove bag' already, I've been trying to be a little more picky about what I take.  Hold on a sec........ yes Honey, picky.  As in fastidious and excessively careful.  About what I take.  Looks like I'll have to wait for the internationally famous eye-roll until she stops laughing.  In the meantime, this wasn't just any work-glove, it was a Ninja!  And probably from a Ninja-In-Training, a full-fledged Ninja would leave no trace they were even there.  We probably shouldn't mention this again........ it never happened.  Ah, and finally here's the eye-roll, thanks Honey, now we're done with this.  Two weeks ago when I last ran this route there were shotgun shells in the road, mostly spent ones, and there weren't any more live ones today.  The one in the picture was one of probably half a dozen that were just up the street from the rubber duckies I've spotted the last two times out here.  Now that I think of it, duck hunting season isn't til the fall and rubber duckies are on the endangered list anyway.   I'll be watching for you Zippy!!   I found a golf ball along the road with a stamp from the course at Grapevine Lake which is 14 miles away, so this must have been some kind of mega slice!  In the tools category, I found another Allen wrench (thank you Allen) and a couple of drill bits, all of which will be in the 'Rundover' Store sometime soon.  That H-shaped thing just to the left of the thing we're not supposed to mention is used to secure a 1" piece of PVC to a wall and I just happened to have some PVC that needs a little support, so good find.  There's another writing utensil, and also another shop towel thanks to the local car wash.  There was another first today, there was a 2¢ Euro coin in with all the pennies that found me.   I didn't notice it was different until I was doing the picture and it took a while for 'Da Googles' to identify it, but seeing as it's a 2002 Euro coin from Portugal, it's quite valuable.  The exchange rate would make it worth 2.2¢ USD but if it's in good shape you might get a buck for it on eBay.  I'm just wondering how it got to be so far from home??  Lastly, there seemed to be coins everywhere I looked today.  Some in driveways, lots in the street, I even found one on the ground, in the dirt, behind a power company transformer that was nowhere near the road for cryin-out-loud.  Just makes me laugh!  There were 5 dimes, a nickel, 32 pennies, and also our little Euro buddy today.  Are we having fun out here or what?  Thank you Creator of all things for all this humor, for a nice day, and all the other little blessings You send!   Oh yeah.......#34, his name is Elwood.

This 'Old' Dog : 04 01 2023

 

     I see stainless steel bearings a lot and these three that were all along the curb 'Da Googles' says are used for paint, sliders, sports equipment, toys, and automotive.   And here I thought they were just regular old ball bearings.  There were a few tools out there today starting with a really small Allen wrench, and three Phillips head drill driver bits with an extension piece. Thanks again to the folks at Frost Bank for donating another pen. That giant hook we've seen before, it's a Clevis Safety Slip Hook, and oddly enough I found a pin for it yesterday.  There were 8 coins that found me today and those that I needed for the "cycle", were the 1st four I saw.  At the lower right is a very large lug-nut that had sheared off with lug still attached and looking at it, I thought the tapered end was supposed to go into the recess in the wheel.  Looks like this one was screwed on backwards, and since it sheared off, probably snugged on WAY too tight as well.  No worries, it's just more job security for the guys down at Discount Tire.  Lastly, I somehow forgot to bring the drink bottles with me today, I left them sitting on the kitchen counter.  I didn't always take branch chain Amino acids and Sustain sport electrolytes with me but since it made such a huge difference in hot weather, it just carried over to being everyday.  So yes, you can teach an 'old' dog a new trick.