The Case of the Haunted Golf Club. How can you make people better at sports? Tell them they're using equipment that previously belonged to a professional athlete. No, really.....
Dumb Law of the Week: In Maine, it is illegal having your shoelaces untied!
Our British friend Geoff, after years of complaining about the States and how much he hates it, has finally made the decision to go back to Europe. Of course, in typical Geoff fashion, he is waiting until next year to do it. Something about seeing who moves in next door to his apartment. What exactly that has to do with the decision to go, I don't really understand. He's not sure whether he wants to live in Spain or the south of France. He last lived in Benidorm, Spain before coming to the US, and he plans to rent a place there before making a final decision. He hates city living, so will undoubtedly look for a place in the country with access to the amenities of a city. The good news for us is that we'll have someone else to visit in Europe, if we can ever go again. In my current state of health, I can't even think of a trip like that, but who knows what improvements time may provide?
It's just amazing what you can learn from the internet. The other day, a friend in France wrote on Twitter about celtuce. Celtuce is a lettuce family originating from southern China. It is named after its unique combination of characteristics, the celery-like stalks and the lettuce-like leaves. In China, the plant is grown mainly for the fat central stalk that is very crispy and tender. Young leaves can be used as lettuce for salads and stir-fry. Seeds do not germinate well at high temperature. It is suggested to sow seeds with seed trays in a cool area, and the seedling is transplanted later into open field.
Speaking of the amazing internet, I started reading The Hobbit online. I love the idea that I can do that, but the truth is, it's difficult for me to sit in front of my 'puter and read text for any length of time. Four or five years ago when my eyes were a lot better, it would have been fine, but not now. Another problem with the online book is the number of typos. I guess they don't have a proof reader. I ordered the book from the library. I'll continue to read online until the book arrives, and then I'll switch over.
Friday, Robb, Geoff and I drove to Maguire's Hill 16, an Irish pub and restaurant. We all had the fish 'n' chips. Geoff said they were the best he's ever had in the US. I was rather disappointed. First, instead of 'chips', we were served regular French fries. Real chips are more like slices of potato. Secondly, the fish was a huge piece of cod. I like cod, but this was just too big and I ended up giving most of it to Geoff, who ate his and most of mine. There are several interesting looking items on the menu, so if we ever go back, Robb and I will try one of those.
Wouldn't it be great if mobile phone makers got together and made the batteries, the chargers and the USB cords all exactly the same? Or at least interchangeable within their own line?
We wanted to get our Smart Car serviced, so Robb made a reservation with the Mercedes-Benz place up the road. Then, I got an advertisement that offered free service on our Smart if we would take a test drive in the 2012 Fiat 500. So off we went to Rick Case Fiat (which used to be Rick Case Smart, where we purchased our car). You've already guessed, right? Yep, we bought a 2012 Fiat 500. We had been talking about getting another car because, although I love the Smart, it's really too small and causes some problems when there is a third person involved in our plans. The Fiat has a back seat, something we didn't have with the Smart. It's rather small and cramped even for someone as small as Robb, but at least it's an option. I think the thing I like most about the Fiat, is the Bluetooth thingie. You simply turn it on and say, "Call Robb", then it asks, in a sexy female voice, "Do you want to call Robb?". You reply, "Yes" and it makes the call. I do kind of miss the automatic windshield wipers that came on when it started to rain, but I suppose I can get used to doing it manually.
Because we're about mid-way between its hangar and the baseball/football stadium, we get to see the Goodyear Blimp whenever a home game is scheduled. Usually, it's over near the ocean shoreline, so it's not all that easy to get a photo. But the other day, I was sitting on the balcon when I heard it and it seemed rather close. I looked up and it was passing nearly directly overhead.
Since my last comment about the euro, it has fallen to around $1.32. That's the lowest it has been in many years, and it appears the trend is continuing. It may soon be worth less than the dollar. The European Union countries are talking about dropping it. I think that would be a mistake for a couple of reasons. First, their own currency wasn't worth much before the euro. Secondly, it's makes it so convenient to travel to different countries without having to worry about exchanging the money. Of course, Italy has been talking about going back to the Lire since they first went to the euro, and that's one thing I'll never understand. Why would you want to go back to a currency for which you need a wheel-barrow to carry around enough to buy a loaf of bread?
