short landline report

 as stated previously, I have been unplugging my landline for 24 hours or so.   This has cut into my spam calls and so forth.   It  seems to be working except for:

New Medicare scams.  They always have a new approach.  You can't change Medicare till the end of the year - so these folks must be looking for something else - like getting your Social Security Number -  they have a need to verify your number for the govt.  

Interesting {to me) is that my wife and I have almost identical SS numbers.  Raised in Levelland across town apparently our parents saw that we got our cards close to the same time.  I don't remember getting it at all.   Our numbers are 29 digits apart.  That may not be exciting to others who are raised in the same small town - but, still, at my age most things are exciting.

The word "Interesting" above -- I had to type that word 4 times before my fingers worked.  I kept getting extra lettteerrss.   go figure.

I was a whiz in typing class in high school.  I believe it is because I play musical instruments and had already taught my fingers to communicate.   Others, who had only taught their fingers to eat finger foods or pick their nose, they had to adjust.  I thought I was quite good of course.  However, when it came time for the typing teacher to select participants in the UIL typing contest - held in Canyon, TX - I was overlooked.  Sad, really.   On the other hand, my future wife was selected to compete in the short hand competition.  She won the Regional event.  The medal is still in her collection of prized objects.

I remember when she returned - they had a banquet up there to announce winners - she was dressed in a very fancy dress you might wear to a prom - she ran up to me and was just beaming.  I don't think she was that excited when we finalized getting married.  Of course marriage had always been a projection - nothing as a surprise.  I  was quite happy for her - but, she, in all her modest ways, she was - how do you spell estatic?

I had a job in h.s.  I was the night janitor for the h.s. band and choir rooms.  Every night, I would sweep, empty trash, arrange the chairs for the next day.   Sometimes I would even make an effort to clean the rest room.  I had my own key to the H.S.  Got paid minimum wage.   That was what I was doing when she returned from Canyon.

Having a key, I could practice in the band room  - or bring in other jazzers and have a little band rehearsal of my own.  It really was quite powerful for a H.S. kid to have a key to the entire building.  It was a good treat for a h.s. kid.  My brother JIM did it for 2 years before I did.  We had a lot of great jam sessions back then.

Through babbling.   Might mention that I loved all the fireworks and celebrations yesterday.  Our neighborhood is not in the city limits.  We have no restrictions on fireworks.  They start shooting them about 5 or so - and it goes till midnight - every year - all the time.   Whiz Bang Boom!!!

see ya, Mike  

p.s. the reason I was not selected for typing competition was that - although fast - I was not always accurate.  Y'know, if you are in a wild west shootout, it is not always the fastest gun who wins.  You have to hit your target.