Maryland Flood Photos 9/7/11

 Main Street, Ellicott City

 Main Street, Ellicott City

 Parking lot in Ellicott City 

Snyder's Restaurant in Linthicum

Main Street, Ellicott City

Back yard in Ellicott City

Political Analysis by John S.

The political flow  chart: 
When  top level guys look down, they see only shitheads;
When  bottom level guys look up, they see only  assholes.


Never  seen a Flow Chart described so  clearly.

Short Story from John S.

Congratulations to John and Bosco for becoming a therapy dog team!

A college class was asked to write a shot story in as few words as possible. It had to contain three elements:

1. Religion

2. Sexuality

3. Mystery

The only A+ in the class went to this entry:

"Dear God, I am pregnant. I wonder who did it?"

Thank You, Bagel Bunch!

Thanks so much for the lovely card and book. So here are some serious and amusing quotes on friendship, as the book had no quotes about bagels!

A friend is never known until he's needed.

I am wealthy in my friends.

The only way to have a friend is to be one.

It's not so much our friends' help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.

It's important to our friends to believe that we are unreservedly frank with them, and important to friendship that we are not.

Thanks again, and yes, Doug, I'm sucking it up!

Bosco News!

I have big news about my 4 legged kid, Bosco.  He successfully passed the tests required to become a Therapy Dog.  I had all the confidence in the world that he would but I also had to pass and that was some real pressure but I squeaked through.  Only 2 out of 12 passed so we feel pretty good about ourselves.  As soon as his certificate comes in the mail we will be going to various nursing homes,  retirement homes etc. to help cheer up some folks as well as elementary schools where kids can read to him.  I am looking forward to spreading his happiness to others.-------------John

Relay for Life from Glenn

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=33568 

TO SEE WHAT THE RELAY IS, IT IS NOT A REAL RACE, BUT BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT CANCER NEVER SLEEPS! CLICK ON SIGN UP, THEN CLICK ON JOIN A TEAM AND JOIN GLENNSFRIENDS STOP OVER ANYTIME (AFTER THE BLOCK PARTY FOR THOSE TANGLEWOOD FOLKS), KIDS STUFF, THIS IS A CELEBRATION, NOT A FUND RAISING EVENT! IF YOU CANNOT MAKE IT, PLEASE CONSIDER A LUMINARY IN MEMORY OF SOMEONE YOU KNOW WHO IS BATTLING CANCER OR A SURVIVOR. THANKS!!

 

PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO ANYONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED, ESPECIALLY CANCER SURVIVOR'S THANKS,

Also, Doug S.'s Mom is having emergency bypass surgery, and Bill W. is in St. Agnes Hospital.

Please keep them in your prayers.

Luna Moth Sighting

Came home from Sam's this morning to find a rare Luna Moth on my front porch. This is a male, with a 4-5 inch wing span. These moths only live for a week, and don't  have mouths so they can't eat. They mate in the dark and then die, so I was really lucky to see one in the daylight.  He is probably either newly hatched from a green caterpillar, or at the end of his short life.

Adorable Kitten and Mommy Cat, Say Awww

From Alicia

Hi guys,

   I was going to join this walking/running training class until I broke my foot. Three of our Sam's members did join: Dorothy, Alicia and Marcia. If you want to support the cause for women's health and Sam's girls, see the link below.

Sue

Hey I was thinking if you want it might be cool to put a link to the fundraising for the 5K on the blog. I in no way want to pressure folks to donate but hey if anyone does they should do it in our groups honor.

http://bwc5k.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=441417&supid=326477925

All the money goes towards womens health initiatives.

Alicia

PS Dr. Mike, where are you? People want to know that you are OK.

A Cup of Tea

From our friend John S.

~A Cup of Tea ~

One day my mother was out, and my dad was in charge of me.

I was maybe 2 1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys.

Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought him a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my mom came home.

My dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!'  Mom waited, and sure enough, here I came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy; and she watched him drink it up.

Then she said, (as only a mother would know), "'Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

News from Rusty Nichols

New WWII Veterans Video

I'm sending this to everyone that I know. I only ask that
you consider sending it on to your mailing list.  It’s pretty
powerful, and will be emotional. 
Please watch this two-minute video about a documentary that's coming
in Novernber.

They are looking to get 50,000 hits by Memorial Day.

http://media.causes.com/1060527?p_id=175378540

News from Johel

Subject: happy mothers day!!!!!

hello sue this message is just to wish you a happy dia de la madre. i really hope you have a wonderful day today . and i send you a big hug from south america. i know i should be back by now , but i dont want to go . to be a volunteer is so amazing and if someone ever wants to volunteer in a school i recomend this place .
give a big hug to your mom from me . and to the otherones on sams bagels . i miss everybody so much and i hope everyone is having a good summer, now i am illigally in ecuador , because they allow me 90 days only and it is been more than that and i hope averything is gonna be ok . againg
" FELIZ DIA DE LA MADRE

Short Letters

Sue's Broken Foot Story Imagine you are lying home alone with your broken foot propped up as you were told. You are even being sending emails to the office while you are home recuperating. Suddenly, you hear a commotion from the dining room out of sight. And then Lucy the Cat chases a mouse out of the dining room.....into the kitchen......batting it with her paws. The mouse is literally hopping up and down, as Lucy skillfully herds it.....UNDER YOUR ARMCHAIR. I haven't seen it since. And Lucy is still waiting next to me for it to reappear. I am probably still trapped here in this chair when you read this. Help!!!! Lucy waits patiently..... Short Letters: Thanks to Dusty (Dorothy's husband) for these! Turns out everything is amusing when you're home with a broken foot! Dear Ugly People,  You're welcome.  Sincerely, Alcohol  Dear Noah,  We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5.  Sincerely,  Unicorns  Dear Icebergs,  Sorry to hear about the global warming.  Karma's a bitch.  Sincerely,  The Titanic  Dear America,  You produced Miley Cyrus. Bieber is your punishment.  Sincerely,  Canada  Dear Yahoo,  I've never heard anyone say, "I don't know, let's Yahoo! it..." just  saying... Sincerely,  Google  Dear 2010,  So I hear the best rapper is white and the president is black? WTF  happened?! Sincerely,  1985  Dear Windshield Wipers,  Can't touch this.  Sincerely,  That Little Triangle  Dear girls who have been dumped,  There are plenty of fish in the sea... Just kidding! They're all dead.  Sincerely,  BP  Dear Fox News,  So far, no news about foxes.  Sincerely,  Unimpressed  Dear Nickleback,  That's enough.  Sincerely, The World  Dear Skin-Colored Band Aids,  Please make one for every skin color.  Sincerely, Black people  Dear Osama Bin Laden,  Marco....  Sincerely, United States  Dear Batman,  What was your power again?  Sincerely, Superman  Dear Customers,  Yes, we ARE making fun of you in Vietnamese.  Sincerely, Nail Salon Ladies  Dear Mr. Gump  WTF are you talking about?  There's a little diagram on the lid that tells you EXACTLY what you're gonna get.... Sincerely, Jenny  Dear World,  Please stop freaking out about 2012. Our calendars ends there because  some Spanish d-bags invaded our country and we got a little busy OK? Sincerely,  The Mayans  Dear White People,  Don't you just hate immigrants?  Sincerely,  Native Americans  Dear iPhone,  Please stop spellchecking all of my rude words into nice words. You  piece of shut. Sincerely,  Every iPhone User  Dear Trash,  At least you get picked up...  Sincerely,  The Girls of Jersey Shore  Dear Man,  It's cute, but can you pick up peanuts with it?  Sincerely,  Elephant

The Marshmallow Tree

Congratulations to Mile and Scott for the photos and article

 about their baseball team in the Catonsville Times,

Here's Bill with the very rare Marshmallow Tree. You can see it at Sam's, we are waiting for it to ripen!

Play Fun Trivia With Me!

Daily FunTrivia for Apr 15 11:

1.    Asian Countries - Other: Brunei - The Green Heart of Borneo -- What is the currency that is used in Brunei? This currency has the same value as the Singapore dollar.

2.  Who Am I?: Laughing All the Way to the Bank -- This bad boy of boxing became World Heavyweight Champion (WBC version) at the age of just 20. Who is he?

3. Social History: Shoes, Glorious Shoes! -- The 1970s were a decade of "anything goes", but disco is forever remembered as the time when this shoe style reached its zenith. What shoe style is this?

4. Mixed Literature: Very Easy Literature Questions -- Who was the main character in J.D. Salinger's, "Catcher in the Rye?"

5. Toy Dogs: Cavalier King Charles Spaniels -- Alfie is going out for the weekend, he is leaving late on Saturday night, and coming back on Sunday morning.  What should Alfie NOT do with Scampi his Cavalier?

6. Players - Easy: Movie Links -- Who starred in all three of these films: 'Gangs Of New York', 'Titanic', 'Catch Me If You Can'?

7. Track & Field: Track & Cross Country -- What is the name of the stick that is passed in most relays?

8.   Mixed USA: American Christmas -- Out of the following, which is put on top of a Christmas tree most by American people?

9. Mixed Food and Drink: Who Wants Creme Brulee? -- What do meringues, macaroons, souffles, and angelfood cakes have in common?

10.    Presidential Trivia: U.S. Presidents -- Which U.S. president resigned from office and was succeeded by his vice-president?

*** Submit your answers now & compare scores:
http://www.funtrivia.com/email/play.cfm?egroup=761136&tmp=1302833137

News from Johel in Ecuador

Here is the school where Johel is volunteering for two months:
http://katitawa.blogspot.com/

volcan tungurahua,,, activo

Who Made This Mess?

From John, Bosco's and Sugar's Dad

Hilarious Video in Sammy's Memory

Welcome Home From China, John!

I returned last week from a great trip to China which could only have been better if Eileen could have gone also, but she could not because of Sjogren's disease .  I went there to visit my son, Dtr. in law, and two grandsons who live in Shanghai. It included  a side trip to Bejing to see  and climb the Great Wall, (for which I received a Chairman Mao cap, an official tee shirt and a plaque, at a small cost)  and visit Tienemen Square and  many other things of interest. Every day was an adventure and it was a perfect vacation   Some observations:   Traffic is "controlled chaos"  Not only cars, trucks and buses, but mopeds, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and even carts with two large wheels that looked like they were from the 16th century piled 12-15 feet high with who knows what. These were usually being pulled by a woman while the husband sat in the driver seat. As the old cart went down the street it would be passed by a $500,000 Lamborgini. I also observed a 3 wheel vehicle that was a taxi and could hold a driver  and one passenger.  It made the Smart car look like a large SUV. I heard more vehicle horns blown in my time in China than I have heard in my entire life in the US. My life was saved numerous times by my son and dtr. in law as I started to walk when I saw the "Walk" sign start flashing.  Pedestrians do not have the right of way and by the end of my trip I was getting pretty good at crossing the street with my head going in every direction at the same time.   The Chinese people are extremely friendly and like Americans.  They like the American lifestyle and are quickly grasping it.   Of the thousands of Chinese people I saw in my time there, I doubt if  more than 10 of them were overweight. Everyone is active and even the elderly are walking and exercising. The average longevity of the Chinese population in Shanghai is 82.   Most of the foreigners are Asian and European. I met a few Americans but not many.   Shanghai and Bejing seem to have as many Starbucks as there are in Balto. and I saw a few McDonalds and Burger Kings and even a Kenny Rogers ( must be the last one on the planet).   The only beggars I saw were legit.  Either double amputees or in very bad shape   My son said the only crime he has observed in his six years there are pick pockets. When someone does commit a crime and is caught he says you usually don't see them again.   My grandson, Harry is six and in the first grade at a private school that teaches Chinese and English. When ,I helped him with his homework it seemed like it was stuff I was learning in the 3rd or 4th grade many years ago.  They take education very seriously over there   Something funny---------------My dtr. in law, Thanh, is Vietnamese but she also speaks English and Chinese.  One day while my son was at work Thanh and I took off so she could buy Eileen some jade ear rings.  We went to many stores before she decided to try another day to find the perfect pair.  As we were walking down the street she said,  "Papa John, you see these people all stare at us?"  Being completely oblivious I said I hadn't noticed. She continued,  "They see young girl with old man and they think you my Daddy Sugar" in her Vietnamese accent.  Obviously I got a kick out that and when I told my son later he started calling me "Daddy Sugar"   It was a great vacation and I want to especially thank HK, Thanh, Harry & Eddie for being such great hosts.    John   PS--------I have over 800 pictures in my camera, most of which were taken by my son and as soon as I get them out of the camera and into the computer I will forward some of the best ones.        PPS----I would have sent this sooner but after being up for 30 straight hours on my return trip to Balto.  I caught a horrendous cold and was at the doctor's office the next day. I am finally feeling back to normal, whatever that is..