— A Random Five post [006], This and That —

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Night Scene in Jim's Backyard

My new camera is running on full automatic.  I think to take moon pictures (I covet all those) there must be special settings made.

Anyway, the moon wasn't peeking out the other night so I got this for you.  Picasa helped me with the effect.

==> I am linked up today with Nancy at A Rural Journal. She conducts her "A Random Five" blog hop there. Click that link to read other "A Random Five" posts or join in with your own.

Sign found at Troon, .. . .. .

 Ayreshire, Scotland .. . . . .

(link to Jim's earlier blog) . . .

1.  How does one become aware when he or she is getting old?  For me it was gradual.  I was back in college and the banks had special life-time no-fee account for college kids.  They must be under 30.

Why not 35?  That bothered me but one day they did change to 35.  But by then I was over 35 (still in college, when I went back I spent eleven years going to night school for three degrees).  Getting old.

If you went to college back when I did there were long lines of us out amongst the trees waiting for our turn to pull class cards.  Our lines were arranged by alphabetical order. 

This particular time when I was given my class cards one of the young ladies whom I considered my contemporary and would like sit somewhere near in class surprised me.  She addressed me as "Sir."  Getting old.

Those eleven years and three degrees were a signal that I should stop taking classes.  I did vow to take a Shakespeare Literature class but haven't done that yet. I soon began to teach a Business Law evening class at the community college where I got the first of those three degrees.  In about three years I was offered a professor job there, teaching a full load.
 
One of my classroom innovations was to move around to the front of the teacher desk and sit up on it so students on their way out could stop and talk, make an office appointment, perhaps give me a thumbs up, or whatever.
 
I don't know if it was a conspiracy or not, but it all happened at one time, like when I was still in school they called me "Sir."  The students began patting my leg.  Getting old.

Now, I get patted a lot. The patting is mostly done by women but a few men pat me.  Shoulders or when sitting my legs are their favorites. 
 
Last week I went to see my dermatologist about some sores and rashes that I could not get rid of.  One of of those involved a drop-your-drawers-so-I-can-see episode.  I thought his nurse might leave but she stayed busy over by the lavatory. 

After my doctor was finished and gave me a new prescription (and my pants were back up) I saw the nurse  throwing away my older prescription tube of medicine.
 
I said to her, "You are throwing my medicine away."  She smartly said, "It says 1999 on the tube."  End of that.  But on the way out, she gave me the nicest pat I have had for a long time.  Getting old.
 
2.  Got gas for Mrs. Jim last week and this car was ahead of me.  I decided this would make a nice "Read your car" feature.

Back a couple of years a had a weekend feature called "Read Your Car." It didn't go over real big so I stopped doing it. (link)

I could see that the driver was a lady.  A lady who was lazy and wasn't too into getting it done very fast as she was sitting inside her car.  She should have been washing her bug smeared windows or watching for the filling to finish.  I felt like honking at her to get her attention and then ask if it was still filling or wasn't maybe she was finished.  She must have had it on slow.

I don't fault her for not buy American.  That has gone out of style now for a long time and Honda does make a good car.  Most now are made in American but the profits go to Japan.  I still buy American.

Did you notice the fish symbol on the back of her car?  But the words inside say "Darwin."  I had not seen one of these before (see picture below).  Her blatant fish says she is one of the of many vocal evolutionists.  Personally if I had a fish it would be telling the world the standard fish message of Biblical origin which includes the world being created by God in seven days.  To me that is a Big Bang if I ever could dream of one and I believe it (creation theories search).

Note also the license plate frame, saying "Harley Davidson."  The lady might be a biker but I am thinking her husband or male friend put that on for her. 

Can you read the price of gas?  It was $3.02 here that day.  The locals are having a little gas war because a new grocery store (H.E.B) has moved in.
 
This gas was from Kroger and was $3.22 before my 20¢ off.  Still though, 16 gallons cost a lot.  In our car $48 will get us about 320 miles.
 
 
  
3.  You know you are getting old when your friends are having their 50th wedding anniversaries.  Our friend decided she could not get into her wedding dress anymore.  Can you?

Guy stuff, I don't even have my wedding suit.  I grew and it shrank.

4.  I played golf with my friend  on Wednesday.  We played at Panorama Village and the course was nice (link).  My ball was in front of this tree and a little squirrel was watching me from in back of the tree.

The squirrel's brother later tried to steal my peanut butter and cracker sandwiches.  He didn't get away with that but he did contaminate my food.

5. I read a lot of stuff on my computer besides blogs, Facebooks, e-mail, etc. My computer starts up every morning with MSN News. Then the news items change as the day goes along.

This item came along on Wednesday. I am a big fan of Van Gogh (my blogs) and really like this video.  It was neat:
Check out this great MSN video - Van Gogh's paintings come to life