Primary Election Day

Well, it is a cold, slainy-slicy day (a combination of raining/ sleeting/ snowing,/icy) weather. Saw Gene and Lois at the polls during the afternoon, but it wasn't very crowded when we voted. The polls are still open as I write this. Harold is stuck in Annapolis (the bridge and Route 50 were closed due to icy conditions), so he missed voting for the first time ever. Jean has retired from being an election judge this year, and I am glad that she is home safe. The polls will remain open until 9:30 tonight due to the weather. Be safe, everyone.

The Blog Map Grows

Hi, as you can see, we have more pins in the map! Sam's has added readers in Ireland, Germany, Texas, Nevada, Arizona and new locations in Maryland including Columbia, Potomac and Annapolis.

Has Dimitri Driven Here?

READ THE STORY OF THIS TUNNEL IN RUSSIA BEFORE YOU PLAY THE MOVIE.
(Submitted by former local Tom, now living in Las Vegas)

This tunnel in Russia is the longest in-city tunnel of Europe. There is a river running over it, and water leaks at various points. When the temperature reaches minus-38 degrees like it did this particular winter, the road freezes, and the result is what you see in the attached video. This video was taken during A SINGLE DAY with the tunnel camera. Congratulations to the dual-bus driver .... this is better than turn 4 at Daytona. Remember-- this is only ONE day of video. All I can say is, it makes our Baltimore tunnels seem tame. And, thank goodness -- this tunnel is only one way.

Today We Mourn

Today We Mourn (Submitted by John Sherin)

Obituary of the late Mr. Common Sense: Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.


He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
Knowing when to come in out of the rain; Why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6 -year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Calpol, sun lotion or a band-aid to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 3 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, Someone Else Is To Blame, and I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

Sunday Scenes

Gladys recalled buying delicious Dad's Cookies from their shop on Winter's Lane during the 1950's. The company still exists in St. Louis and you can read about the company's history at http://www.dadscookies.com/.

Now you can bake Dad's favorite oatmeal cookies for yourself. See the recipe below or visit http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Dads-Oatmeal-Cookies/Detail.aspx. If you bake them, bring them to Sam's to share with everyone.

Dad's Oatmeal Cookies

SUBMITTED BY: kedend

"A delightful childhood memory of buying cookies after school for a penny a piece is what I envision when someone says Dad's Cookies. They were baked on Winters Lane in Catonsville, Md. during my childhood days and then on Pratt St. in Baltimore before being bought by a New York company."

SERVINGS & SCALING Original recipe yield: 5 dozen US METRIC

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 teaspoons ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups quick cooking oats

DIRECTIONS

Cream first three ingredients until fluffy, add eggs and vanilla.

Mix all dry ingredients into butter mixture.

Stir in oats.

Let dough stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets.

Flatten cookies slightly and bake for 10 minutes.

Do not overbake. Take cookies from the oven when still puffy and edges are just beginning to brown.

Let cookies cool a minute or two on cookie sheets before removing. Cool completely on racks.

They are fragile and difficult to remove from the cookie sheets when they are still warm, so work gently.

Sam's Blog Goes International!

Today the blog got a hit from Ireland, so we are officially international!

And speaking of faraway places, Harold is in Durango, Colorado this weekend. There are only two states he hasn't been to yet for work. In the past few months he has been to Alaska, Minnesota, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Emmittsburg (MD), Ohio and Wyoming. So I have decided to invest in a houseplant, a wandering jew, to keep in the bedroom. I'm going to hang one of Harold's ID badges on it and I'm going to let it hold the TV remote. Hopefully it will produce more oxygen than dirty laundry!

It's a Wonderful Knife

• The discussion today started with the new plastic knives. Since they are rather flexible, we wondered if they were prison stock or perhaps from the suicide watch wards at the Grove. The knives even caused Doug to change his order from his trademark scoopable bagel to one that could be eaten as a sandwich. Viagra was suggested as a cure for the limp knives. However, the new salt and pepper shakers were admired.

• Breakfast at the Grove Cafe two Saturdays from now at 8 am on February 23rd. We'll save Dr. Mike a cold bike ride in the wintry months.



• Now we are tossing around the idea of a Sam's bus trip. Don wants a group to stop off at the Loved Ones store to see what's new in sexy gadgets and lingerie. Please -PLEASE- let's hear some other suggestions. Where would we go, and more importantly, why?

Help A Friend Win a Car

Hey bloggers,
My dear friend, Joan, is trying to help her husband win a car make-over. All you have to do is click on the link below to vote for him and help him win this contest in New Jersey ! Thanks for your help!
http://forms.pressofac.com/carcontest/viewimage.aspx?id=189

Map of Blog Visitors

You may have noticed the counter to the right that is now counting visitors to the blog. I found a free service that not only counts visitors, but shows their general location. I was surprised to see that blog readers are in California, New York, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Virginia, Michigan, Alabama, and Tennessee in addition to the Maryland folks. So tell some of your friends and relatives to check the blog once and we can add more pins to the map!

The gang on our trip to the Grove Cafe

• Talk about reserving sidewalk space for the parade had neighbors Jeff and Doug reminiscing about parking spaces in front of their homes. They soon were recalling pranks played on each other. One day, Doug raked all of the leaves in his yard until not a leaf remained. After Doug went out, Jeff raked all of his own leaves and dumped them back into Doug's bare-grass yard. Doug returned to find his yard filled with leaves again . Later, when Jeff came home, he discovered ten bags full of leaves hanging in his tree like giant Christmas ornaments.





• Once Doug got a parking citation and thoughtfully left it on Jeff's windshield. When Jeff found the ticket, he began to rant and rave. Doug let him get really worked up, then called him on the phone and asked what was wrong. He let Jeff complain about the police, etc. before asking Jeff to read the citation to him. That's when Jeff discovered that the ticket was really in Doug's name!

News from Gwen

• Well I did it! I got my first free cup of coffee at Sam's today with my card. Andrea and the gang clapped for me. I combined this with my birthday present, a gift card to Sam's in the amount of my years (Yes, it's worth $100) and I had a free breakfast. Wow, doesn't take much to make me happy.



• Gladys had a card from Gwen , who has relocated to Ft. Myers, Florida. (Gwen used to work behind the counter at the old Sam's building, then became a Sam's regular). She enclosed an article from the Ft. Myers news-press.com/ edison paper that she felt would be helpful to Catonsville folks in preparation for 4th of July. Seems that they have an annual event known as the Edison Grand Parade of Lights. For the past fifty years, people have used duct tape on the sidewalks to reserve their spots for the parade days in advance. This year, people began to resort to spray-painting their names on the sidewalks because, they claimed, others had ripped off their duct tape. This type of vandalism can result in a $150 fine. Luckily for the police, the vandals were kind enough to spray paint their last names on the sidewalk . Unluckily for the police, they won't be able to collect the fines unless they witnessed the spray-painting personally. Ft. Myers also sells street and VIP seating for the parades for prices ranging up to $55 per person. Could this spark a new trend here in Catonsville? Will premium sites be sold for viewing the 4th of July parade or will residents duct tape or spray paint their names on lawns and sidewalks? Or will we treasure the time-honored tradition of putting up lawn chairs only to have them stolen, smashed or moved?

It's February, This Could be Us

Seventy Degrees Today!

Hi everybody,

Spoke with Jeff this morning and he told me that my last post had crazy formatting and big fonts so it looked like I was yelling at you! That is so weird, because the post and text look normal on my laptop view of the blog. Sorry about that, I didn't intend to have crazy-looking fonts, some formatting code must have been embedded by mistake. So glad to hear from some of you that you still enjoy the blog. So send some news, photos, etc. about yourselves so you won't have to listen to just my point of view. Thanks to Don for the funny video featuring Bailey the snow-loving dog.

This morning one of my elementary school classmates from St.Mark's stopped in to buy bagels for her Dad. Barb and I got laughing about how times have changed. We had 52 kids in our class (yes I mean 52 in 1 classroom with 1 teacher), 208 kids in our grade with just four teachers, usually nuns. We didn't change classes until 5th grade. When it was time for art, we just took the crayons out of our desk and stayed put. When it was time for lunch, we got our lunches from the cloak room, bought milk for a nickel and ate....at our desks. For recess, we could run around the paved parking lots which resulted in frequent skinned knees. Music class consisted of singing as Sr. Benetia played the piano, singing such classics as "Oh, Dem Golden Slippers". Didn't even get a gyn teacher until 6th grade. For that, we got to go to the auditorium and do sit-ups and jumping jacks. Girls got to wear shorts to gym....under their plaid uniforms. (At least Mr. Misculinik was the first man we'd seen at school besides the priests, and he was cute) Best of all, when we were really, really good, the nuns would LET us go to the convent...and wash their window screens or woodwork! Yet somehow we all learned to read and add and spell without anyone even paying us to pass those Iowa Basic Standardized Tests!

Dancing Don

How the Kilt was Kill't

Comment or Email the Blog! Please!

You know, I have come to Sam's occasionally over the past 12 years, and I now have 9 coffee stamps on my buy 10-get a free cup of coffee card.......for the first time. IF I get my tenth stamp and turn in my card, that will be my first free cup of coffee...ever. So if you see me, remind me to turn my card in. Think I've earned a free cup!

I am having a mid-winter blog slump. I don't even know if anybody out there is still reading this and I'm losing my motivation. When there are few comments, I start to feel like I am talking to myself, possibly because I am.... A blog is meant to be interactive. It makes it much more interesting to publish messages, videos, pictures etc. from many of Sam's patrons, and I am happy to do so. However, as I am not yet psychic, you actually need to email them to me! So don't complain that I am posting more items from Don and Glenn than anyone else, because they have been the most active contributers. If you have news to share, email me at shockaglow@gmail.com. You must send photos and videos as attachments that I can download (not embedded in the email message).

To leave a comment,just click on "Comment" at the end of each post. The number tells you how many, if any, comments are posted for each item. Just type your message in the pop-up window. You can choose to use a nickname, your own name, or to remain anonymous. When you click on the orange "Publish" button, your comment will appear on the blog. You can comment on other comments too! So get involved - email or comment! It could get interesting!

Homestead Property Tax Credit

Tax Info from Glenn

TO: THE PEOPLE OF LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 8 FYI: Here is the link to the application which needs to be mailed by April 1, 2008 in order to receive the tax credit. Even if you have completed and mailed one in previous years, you will need to renew it by sending in a new, completed application. And even though it says it applies to persons who bought property before 12/30/07, it applies to ALL homeowners, regardless of when the property was purchased (or so says the person who answered the phone at the Dept. of Assessments and Taxation)

From: Delegate Eric Bromwell [mailto:eric.bromwell@house.state.md.us] Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 1:24 PM To: Popp, Karen
Subject: Periodic Update: REMINDER-FILL OUT HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT APP.

Dear Constituent,
The purpose of this e-mail is to provide information on a specific issue. This update may be a copy of a letter or press releas e that I have sent to local news editors, or just a quick note to let you know what is going on in Annapolis. I hope you find the information useful. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or comments. I hope all is well and as always, I look forward to your feedback.
Sincerely,
Eric Bromwell

If you would like to read past press releases and letters to the editor please visit http://www.ericbromwell.com/

TO: THE PEOPLE OF LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 8 A REMINDER TO FILL OUT YOUR HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAX CREDIT APPLICATION If you are among the one-third of Marylanders who received your property assessment bill in December 2007, you also received an application to renew the Homestead Property Tax Credit. The one-time application must be filled out and submitted by April 1, or you will lose your tax credit. Anyone who bought a new home before December 31, 2007, OR after December 31, 2007, but before December 31, 2012, has 180 days after the date the home is transferred to the new owner to file the Homestead tax credit application. Thirty years ago, the Homestead tax credit was enacted to give homeowners relief from rapidly rising property tax assessments. The credit, given automatically, applies only to the homeowner's primary residence. Homeowners in the Homestead program can lock in the assessed value of their tax increases by no more than the cap set by each county. The law requires that the cap be set at 10% or less. In Baltimore County, the cap is set at 4%. Without the tax credit, the taxable assessed value of the home will increase by the full amount. Although 48 states have some type of property tax cred it, only 13 states have no verification process to determine that the homeowner is seeking the tax credit for a property that is a primary owner-occupied residence. Maryland had no verification process until the 2007 General approved law to establish a one-time application process to screen out property owners seeking the tax credit for vacation homes and rental properties. To apply for the state Homestead Property Tax Credit: Print and mail the application on the state Web site at www.dat.state.md.us Mail the application to the Department of Assessment and Taxation Apply online at https://sdathtc.resiusa.org/homestead Call 410-767-2165 or 1-866-650-8783 Electronic applications will be accepted through April l. Paper applications will be accepted for a short time after that dated. Please do not hesitate to contact me on this or any other legislative issue of concern to you. As always, I encourage and welcome your input.

Don's Best Story of the Week

(By the way, the word for today is disputatious, given to arguing or starting an argument. For example, the disputatious swim coach who could give you an argument on just about anything.)


A man was being tailgated by a stressed out by a woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally... I assumed you had stolen the car."

Been offline due to a long bout of the flu and/or sinus infection. Hope everyone else is healthy, or I will suspect poisoned bagels after our "field trip" last weekend! Looking forward to seeing all of you and laughing, my immune system needs the boost.

25 REASONS I OWE MY MOTHER (Submitted by Don)

• 1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE . 'If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning.'
• 2. My mother taught me RELIGION. 'You better pray that will come out of the carpet.'
• 3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL . 'If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!'
• 4. My mother taught me LOGIC. ' Because I said so, that's why.'
• 5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. 'If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me.'
• 6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. 'Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident.'
• 7. My mother taught me IRONY 'Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about.'
• 8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. 'Shut your mouth and eat your supper.'
• 9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. 'Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!'
• 10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. 'You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone.'
• 11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. 'This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it.'
• 12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. 'If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!'
• 13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. 'I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.'
• 14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION. 'Stop acting like your father!'
• 15. My mother taught me about ENVY . 'There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do.'
• 16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. 'Just wait until we get home.'
• 17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING . 'You are going to get it when you get home!'
• 18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. 'If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way.'
• 19. My mother taught me ESP. 'Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?'
• 20. My mother taught me HUMOUR. 'When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me.'
• 21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT . 'If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up.'
• 22. My mother taught me GENETICS. 'You're just like your father.'
• 23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. 'Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?'
• 24. My mother taught me WISDOM. 'When you get to be my age, you'll understand.'
• 25. And my favorite: My mother taught me about JUSTICE 'One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you

Cellular-itis

(Ah, my memories of one year ago)

• We had a fun trip Saturday morning to Spring Grove, and nobody was committed (as in against their will). Scott brought both of his daughters to breakfast and Dr. Mike was a gracious host. Mazel Tov to Jeff on the Bar Mitzvah of his son, Joey, last weekend. While I'm sure that Joey did a great job with the ceremony, most of the guys raved about the fun sports theme party held later that evening. (See Scott for details about the delicious ballpark food - that man could have been a food critic).

• But it was back to Sam's on Sunday morning. The conversation turned to cell phones, where there clearly was a division along age lines. While some younger folks use cell phones exclusively and don't even have land lines at home, others carry cell phones around but never turn them on.......to save the batteries! (Bill commented that he hoped Jack wasn't similarly saving the batteries in his new pacemaker) They plan to use cell phones only in case of emergency - their own emergency - since you can't call them if YOU are in trouble. One reportedly keeps her cell phone at home....charging. Her husband calls it occasionally and leaves messages that he could be talking to her IF the phone was with her. When Pat's daughter Jo Ann came in, she immediately accused her mother of never turning her cell phone on either. However, Gladys just paid her cell phone bill for the year, and she only owed $11. Maybe keeping the phone off has some rewards.

• In conclusion, here is your vocabulary lesson. A cell phone that is turned off or left at home is, in many words: useless, abortive, bootless, counterproductive, disadvantageous, dysfunctional, expendable, feckless, fruitless, futile, good-for-nothing*, hopeless, idle, impracticable, impractical, incompetent, ineffective, ineffectual, inept, inoperative, inutile, meaningless, no good, nonfunctional, pointless, profitless, purposeless, scrap, stupid*, unavailable, unavailing, unfunctional, unproductive, unprofitable, unpurposed, unusable, unworkable, vain, valueless, waste, weak, and/or worthless.

Some Things Never Change

The official History of Spring Grove Hospital lists "the supposed causes of Insanity, in order of prevalence among the 143 patients at the Maryland Hospital in the year 1844" as: Intemperance (27), Ill Health (12), Masturbation (9), Constitutional (9), Domestic Trouble (6), Religious Excitement (4), Pecuniary Loss (4), Love Affair (3), Puerperal [related to childbirth] (3), Loss of Friends (2), Disappointed Ambition (1), Mortified Pride (1), Remorse (1), Political Excitement (1), Want of Employment (1), Unknown (59).

A little game of badminton sounds nice right about now.