We don’t watch much network TV and tend toward cable. Two of the Science channel shows we enjoy is “The Unexplained Files”, another is “What on Earth”. The reason we like these is they find and show some really odd things, then set about with a variety of science and other experts trying to explain what is seen. In a case like I’ll get to in a moment, it’s truly weird and in other cases after exhausting all sorts of angles, if they can’t figure it out, they admit that rather than try to “force” an answer.

So, there was a lake near Bardstown, KY were not only was fire burning in multiple patches on top of the water, there was a 100+ foot pillar of flame. None of the firemen who responded had ever seen anything like it and they literally didn’t have the resources to put it out. The most they could do was protect the surrounding trees. Among the experts they went to (I don’t recall his exact field), was a guy who explained about “fire tornadoes”, then actually created one in his lab. Apparently, when wind conditions are precisely aligned, it can create this phenomenon. Not only does it look exactly like a tornado, it also burns hotter than most fires reaching up to 1,000 or more degrees. In this case, the way the trees were around he lake contributed to a “funneling effect” of the wind. While that explained the tornado, the next question was fuel. After all, there can be no fire without fuel,especially not with it burning on top of water. The obvious first answer is oil of some type except that wasn’t the case here.

Ready for this? Bardstown is home to some of the largest bourbon warehouses in the country. One of the warehouses with hundreds of thousands of gallons of bourbon had caught on fire from severe lightning strikes. Firefighters eventually got it under control, but what no one realized was a large quantity had drained out and the small lake was downhill and away from the warehouse. That was what later ignited in the lake and was feeding the fire. What a sad day for bourbon lovers.

I’m not saying driver-less cars are a bad idea or won’t happen at some point (even though we are still waiting for the flying cars), but adapting to technology at that level for individuals does come with drawbacks. I’ve acknowledged my marginal technical ability and that it often takes me multiple tries and explanations as I get new equipment. (I still don’t understand how to make the CD player work with the Smart TV.)

Anyway, I bought a new Ford Escape a couple of weeks ago. It doesn’t have all the really high tech options such as parallel parking itself. It does, however, have a Start/Stop button, a dial selector for Park, Reverse, etc., a button for the emergency brake, a fuel-efficiency system I’ll explain in a minute, and multiple blue-tooth functions I haven’t learned how to use yet. First, the fuel thing. This same feature is on Hubby’s Ranger and I had to ride in it for months before I was comfortable. What happens is when you idle over a certain number of seconds, the engine shuts off and restarts as you move again. Yes. Unless you are a total engineer you can understand why the concept made me nervous. I still don’t understand how this works or what on earth I’m supposed to do if the engine doesn’t restart the way it’s supposed to. I guess it would be the same as any other mechanical breakdown, but with basically no warning. Setting aside that possibility, there is also a gauge on my dashboard I can’t figure out. In the frustrating way of manuals, I can’t even find what it’s supposed to be because of the way they have sequenced things. I logically looked for “instrument cluster”, but Heaven forbid it would be there. (I’m sure I’ll find it eventually.)

On the do-love-it-side though, the remote control for the lift gate is really nice. The Fusion had the remote to unlock it, but not to fully open the trunk. I’ll keep everyone posted as I progress.

In another move more or less forward, the ShowBiz Entertainment Complex will re-open Thursday, June 18th under reduced capacity, but open nonetheless. I’m sure I posted about this place back in the Fall when the grand celebration took place. Even though they can only bring in 50% capacity, some of the theaters are quite large, so a lot of people can still fit. The issue will be the entertainment bowling and arcade, both of which are really popular and can hold far fewer people.

On the other hand, individuals who are ready to be out and about are looking for things to do, so it might be okay. The most unfortunate things are 1) the 120 new jobs they brought with them mean fewer than 50 can be brought back at this point; 2) the arcade and bowling proved to be more in demand than they expected so the two busiest parts of the complex will be the most impacted. We’re all hoping they can survive.

At the moment, I know for sure of one business that has folded downtown and have been told there have been maybe a dozen already. Others that wanted to open are on hold as it is extremely difficult to get all the necessary permits right now.

Multiple restaurants that had been waiting to partially open for dine-in service have done so and it looks odd to walk in with tables shoved off into a corner to allow for only enough to comply with the six-foot distance requirement. And it’s small things, too – no more salt and pepper shakers, etc.; on the tables to avoid having them handled by multiple people. One-time paper menus must be used, and I always share with whoever I’m at the table with to avoid having to throw away extras. Another issue is only 6 in a group can be together. One owner was talking about a woman who insisted her family of twelve couldn’t be separated. While not ideal, the restaurant owners are definitely not the ones making these rules. They are, however, the ones who can be shut down if they don’t enforce them.

We’ll see what the next month brings.

Borderline sociological alert. I’ve posted before about America loves an underdog. There have been countless books, movies, and plays of where the underdog wins, or at least gets close enough to where it is a measure of success, uplifting, and often transformative. In modern times, there is no better example of a movie than “Rocky”, the “underdog” movie for ten Oscar nominations as well. Even though the running up the steps to the Philadelphia Museum as the theme song soars is the most famous scene, there is a particularly poignant one the night before the infamous fight is to take place. Rocky is in bed with Adrianne. He admits he thinks he can’t win, but he wants “to go the distance” – as in making it all fifteen rounds. “No one has ever gone the distance with him,” he says. That, he recognizes would be a measure of success – not the win, but an acknowledged feat nonetheless. In the brutal last rounds both boxers have their own understanding of why they won’t allow the fight to be stopped.

The difference in the underdog and the individual who clings to victim status is the willingness to endure difficulty because of a belief one can “win” in whatever term that is. Maybe not the “big prize”, maybe instead something lesser, yet notable. I do not for one moment make light of those who are genuine victims – and sadly, there are so very many. Those, however, who hold they can’t overcome odds or they can only be successful if they quickly attain a status they define are not the same. In the work I do for the community paper, I interview a wide variety of individuals who begin life under terrible circumstances or encounter unforeseen and tragic situations that upend their lives. Often, not only do they persevere, but they then establish non-profit groups to help others. On the opposite side of the coin for example, are those who are regulars at food kitchens for years, unwilling to seek help that is available.

If one wishes to help and make the world “better”, recognizing the difference is important as a starting point.

I don’t have a clue how I managed to get a small blister on one of my toes. However, handling blisters is something I learned about many years ago. I’ve mentioned before that I wear a size 4.5 shoe. Those of us in South Florida joke about dreading to go places where we need closed-toe shoes again, and in my case it has extra meaning. I  can wear a size 5 in open-toe shoes which doesn’t give me a huge amount of choices when I go into a store, but I can find some. And as with other things in the world of on-line shopping, there are other sources. Finding combat boots to fit was an entirely different matter.

One of the issues of being a “pioneering female” was a lack of “off-sizes” whether one was very short or very  tall when it came to Army uniforms. That was especially true when I was taking ROTC and time came for our first in-the-woods exercise (that means simulated combat). The best they could do for me was a size 6, but hey, a couple of pairs of thick socks should help. That probably would have been true for only walking around. Tromping up and down in the woods for hours, and being Louisiana there was swampy ground involved, meant the end result of multiple large blisters, on both feet and ankles, some of which broke before I had a chance to get the boots off. The pain was indeed noticeable, but it was the persistent redness and swelling around the scabbed over flesh that finally caused me to go see the doctor. She took one look as I explained what happened and sighed at my lack of understanding. In giving me the prescription for antibiotics, she said I was close enough to blood poisoning that she wanted me back in the office in two days if the redness wasn’t diminishing. All did heal properly and there was a similar incident years later due to a ten-mile road march, but that’s another story. Oh, the Army did finally begin to make boots down to a size 4.

I have to admit, I was startled when the Facebook and Twitter posts came in yesterday of snow apparently from Canada down through at least Mass. I mean, sure, you expect this in May in like the mountains, but not so much the other places. We, however, as entering the rainy season which generally will be a combination – perhaps daily – of thunderstorms and downpours followed by sun and steam. We will have some socked-in days of clouds and rain, although not usually more than two in a row. The water levels are down and so no matter how inconvenient it may be, we do need the rain to replenish. By the same measure, we will now get into the point of our twice-monthly mowing may not be enough to keep up. Last year wasn’t so bad, but in years prior, the grass seemed to literally start growing again about an hour after the guys mowed and within a week, it would look terrible. The weeds of course will be sprouting even more and will get quickly out of control if allowed to do so.

You become accustomed to the cycle though and know how to adjust the schedule. This is also when umbrellas sales go up; not only to accommodate newcomers. Many of us dash into wherever we’re going, place our umbrellas in a stand, under the table or wherever, saying, “Don’t let me forget to take this”…., and then promptly do so. Most of us have an umbrella in each vehicle, plus another one or two around the house. Granted, it’s not like living in Seattle or London since we only deal with this for two-four months out of the whole year. And allegedly, the rainier the “wet season”, the milder the hurricane season. I’ll take that trade-off anytime.