WTF (Will Test Faith) Wednesday - Bike Paths

Where I live, we have a huge influx of tourists in the summer....living at the beach does have it's drawbacks.  And one of the local jokes is that there is a basket on the bridge where brains are left for the week.  But I'm wondering if it goes deeper than that.

Do people even know the rules of the road, the rules/laws of walking and biking in traffic?  I'm thinking it's a skill, a knowledge that is becoming lost.  I can't even begin to count the number of people walking in the road the wrong way, biking in the wrong direction and completely ignoring the multi-use path 3 ft from them.

So here we go, this is what I remember from when I was a kid and learning to share the road with cars:

1. If there is a sidewalk or path available....USE IT.  It's there to help keep you out of the path of vehicles being driven by distracted drivers.

2. Walk facing traffic, bike with traffic.  If you're walking with traffic and have earbuds with music, you'll never hear the car coming up behind you.  But if you're walking facing traffic, you give yourself the ability to step out of the way of oncoming traffic.

3. Walk facing traffic, bike with traffic.  Bikers you are to go with the flow of traffic but you need to be able to ride steadily and keep to the side of the road.

4. You are small and will break easily.  Your body vs a car...you will lose.  Be aware of traffic and where you are if you're going to use the road and not the path.  A distracted driver may not notice you stepping around a trash can into the lane of travel.  A puddle will not kill you, a car can.

5. Dress and equip yourself properly.  At night, have lights.  Wear light colored, bright colored clothing.  Have reflectors.  Use a flashlights.  The scariest moment for a driver is to be driving along and suddenly realize a mother has let her kids cross a darkened road in front of traffic.  True story.  The sign that says I have to yield right of way to you will not stop the laws of physics. Also true.

It just worries me to see grown people, adults that should have a little sense, that obviously have no clue.  For months, every morning, I saw a young(20-30), fit woman, out jogging...in the road, wearing earbuds, jogging right along with traffic....3 FEET FROM THE PATH.  And I wondered then and now...did she just not know?  Did she never learn what that path was for?  Is she unable to see all the other people using the path?  Maybe she thinks they have a special pass, had to pay for the privilege, or maybe it's only for tourists....who knows.

Be safe out there.

Finley....Fred and George

From Jan 2013

I got a fish.  He's a betta and completely cute.  And I adore him.
He's actually the second one I bought.  Friskies the 1st died within a couple days of joining my happy family.  No idea why, just came home to floating fish.  So like any sane person that just bought a bowl and rocks and a plant, I headed back to the store for Friskies the 2nd.
I came home with a different fish of a different color too.  Silvery blue instead of the typical red/blue combo...nothing against them, had a few myself, including Friskies the 1st.
After a week Friskies the 2nd had survived to earn his own moniker...so came Finley.  He's firty and funny and a pig.  He's a joy to have around.
And not only do the kitties like him, he loves the kitties!  He always will leave me and dried bloodworms (a wonderful fishy delicacy) and flit and flirt his way over to the kitty beside the tank.  Very daring...or seriously stupid.
Now Finley has graduated from a 1 gallon LED lit, no heater, no filter, with two plants to......4 roomy gallons of heated and filtered water. Day and moon LED lights.  About 6 plants and roommates!
That brings in my new funny fellows.  First there was Fred.  Fred is a yellow/golden mystery snail and he was so enchanting and Finley liked him so much, then quickly came George.  George is a black, most likely mystery snail.  I'm hoping they're boys.  I'm hoping for no more snails.
And who knew snails had personalities?  Not me.  Fred is a clown, very curious and very quick....for a snail.  George is quiet, shy and plays dead.
So welcome to my new obsession.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

p.s.  George is no more.  He never thrived the way Fred has and Finley liked to nip at him anyway...silly fish.  But Fred and Finley get along great and Fred is HUGE!  He's like the size of a ping pong ball.  And when his feelers are out, it's like he's doing ballet, waving back and forth.

Freak Out Friday

So much going round and round in my head. Sometimes things are best summed up in the music I'm listening to....today that's Joe Purdy's 'Rainy Day Lament'. Somehow it says it all.


Where do you go when your luck runs out
Yeah, where do you go
Where do you go now
And where do you go when you feel like cryin'
Where do you go
Where do you go now

Won't you come inside with me today
You could stay inside with me today
Can't you see it's gonna rain

And how do you feel when the lights go out
How do you feel
How do you feel alone
And how do you feel when there's no one there
On the other end of the phone

Won't you come inside with me today
You just stay inside with me today
Can't you see it's gonna rain
Yeah, can't you see it's gonna rain
Yeah, it's gonna rain

And don't you wanna get warm
And don't you wanna get dry
And don't you wanna stay
Can't you see it's gonna rain

So won't you come inside with me today'cause
I can see it's gonna rain
Yeah, I can see it's gonna rain
Can't you see it's gonna rain
Oh, I can see it's gonna rain





Gotta get my head together, yeah
Gotta get my thinkin' straight
Gotta keep my mind from racin'
But it might be too late
Well it might be too late

Cuz these demons in my head
They just won't wait
They just won't wait

I feel just like a failure
Well maybe I am
Say it and give you somethin' better
But I don't think I can
Well, I don't think I can

Cuz I got nothin' else
In my hands
Yeah in my hands

And all these things I'm feelin'
Maybe I don't wanna say
Maybe I'm just tired
Or maybe I'm not brave
Well maybe I'm not brave

Well maybe I'm afraid I can't
Maybe I'm afraid I can't

So come on over here
I don't wanna be alone
But if you're busy dear
I'll see you later on, yeah
I'll see you later on, yeah
I'll see you later

Happy Easter

It's Souful Sunday and today I'm on my other blog: Praying For Answers http://the911wave.blogspot.com/ . If you're interested stop by for a spell.

KDH Catt

Good Friday

"In Christ Alone"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2001 Kingsway ThankyouMusic

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone,
Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.




May your Easter weekend be blessed and safe.
KDH Catt

Freak-out Friday

Let's see....what am I freakin' out about today? Hmm, that would be my TV. It broke.

Now I know electronics break. They wear out and you have to replace them and all that good stuff. But what is DRIVING ME CRAZY is the fact the stupid thing is less than TWO YEARS OLD!!!!!

(deep breath......aaahhh. better? yes, thank you.)

I am totally put out that a $800 piece of equipment can't be depended on to last. I basically have a 60 lb, 37 inch paperweight. Great. Wonderful. Fabulous. And of course nobody works on TVs anymore. It used to be that there was an electronic repair shop on every corner. Now....none! Not one in OBX.

That could be the location (living here is sorta like living out in the boondocks), but I think it's more that nobody gets stuff fixed anymore. We live in a disposable world. It's easier to just go get a new one...and cheaper, too. Why pay $400-500 dollars to fix the broken one, when for a a few hundred more you can get a brand new shiny one. We, as a society, are always going for the new shiny.

And I'm definitely including myself in that statement. I love shiny!! And I love gadgets!! iPods make me drool. Everytime I see an iPhone commercial I break out in a sweat. And I have 3, count them, 3 iPods. One for every occasion. It's ridiculous. But you couldn't pry one of them from my cold dead hand. The thought of getting rid of one of them is anathema to me. My little "oh shiny!" brain just loves them all so much!

But back to the TV.....
Luckily, I had a spare TV I could hook up, otherwise, the world would not be able to deal with me. Lex Luther would have nothing on me. If I didn't have TV to rot my brain and fill every available free moment, world domination would be mine! HAHAHAHA! (evil laughter ensues)

So I guess it's good that there's TV and Facebook...the world is safe again from crazy blonds.
KDH Catt

LATE LAMENT

Breath deep, the gathering gloom,

Watch lights fade from every room.

Bedsitter people look back and lament,

Another day's useless energy spent.

Impassioned lovers wrestle as one,

Lonely man cries for love and has none,

New Mother picks up and suckles her Son,

Senior citizens wish they were young.

Cold hearted orb, that rules the night,

Removes the colours from our sight.

Red is gray, and yellow white,

But we decide which is right.

And which is an illusion???

Just because I like it.....