packerfan

My furnace sometimes works *** backwards. For instance, when I woke up this morning, it was in the low 30s outside (F) and my furnace wouldn't kick in unless I set the thermostat higher than what normally keep it set at. It's now in the low 40s outside and I've set the thermostat back down to where I normally keep it.

Now, the furnace is kicking in like crazy. I have a professional check the furnace before every heating season, and recently had a new thermostat installed.

I don't get it.

Or the difference between "your" and "you're," or "too" and "to," or "there," "their" and "they're?"

I went to a small school in the middle of nowhere, but we were taught all this in our English classes.

I just watched Shawshank Redemption again today. I think it's a little drawn out, but yet a worthwhile flick. Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman were great.

But today I was wondering, "How did Andy put the poster back on the wall after he entered the tunnel he had dug?"

Do the receivers go to hell? Or do they go to heaven, only with limited benefits (no dessert after dinner, etc.)? Are welfare recipients destined for hell? This question was once posed by the late George Carlin and has always intrigued me. I give generously, but should I refuse all gifts in the future? What if my mom sends me a batch of homemade cookies? Do I hurt her feelings by sending them back, or face eternal damnation?

I always see lawyers on TV advertising how they can help people with their Social Security and disability claims. But how are the people who hire them able to pay them? They don't have any money yet, and if they win, they'll be making very little. Most of the people I know who collect disability benefits seem to be broke just a week or two after getting their monthly checks. Do these attorneys offer long-term installment plans and/or very low fees?

All throughout the Cold War, we Americans would commonly refer to the Soviet Union as "Russia." But my understanding is that Russia was only part of the Soviet Union. To put it another way, my thinking is that all Russians were Soviets, but not all Soviets were Russian. Does anyone agree?

A little over 5 years ago, I was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia--a misdemeanor. I went up in front of a judge, plead guilty and was fined. I paid the fine, and that was the end of it.

When a job application has the question "Have you ever been convicted of a misdemeanor?" and I answer "no", am I lying?

This weekend, I'll be attending my great uncle's 80th birthday party in Chicago. His children are throwing it, and they're going all out--orchestra, jackets, ties, dresses..the whole nine yards. Uncle Bob's a fan of big band music, so that's gonna be the theme. I'm taking my new girlfiend there, who's kinda shy, but if I knew some old dance moves and were to lead her on the floor, she'd have a lot of fun. And I really, really wanna show her a good time doing something different. Any quick advice on how to dance to the music? I've been listening to old big band music, so I'm learning the songs. I really want to entertain my new sweety! Plus, the older gals from my family will probably want to cut in, too.

As my anti-virus protection, I have McAfee through Comcast. Whenever it performs a scan, it takes forever. This wouldn't bother me much, but this slows my computer down until the scan is complete. This makes internet usage a pain in the butt. Does anyone have similar problems? Could it just be my computer?

When I was in the Army, I was in an attack helicopter battalion. In the hangar next to ours was an air cavalry unit. Both had the same types of aircraft and our personnel had the same training in the same specialties. What was the main difference between the two? Besides the fact that we were divided into companies and they were divided into "troops".

I don't know why I didn't ask this question when I was in.

I've planned a trip to Chicago to see my relatives. My cousin tells me she got us VIP seats at Wrigley Field. Where would these be located on the seating diagram? Club box, perhaps?

I remember seeing this movie on HBO in the late 80s. It was low-budget and had no big-name actors, as I recall. The main character works for the Mafia in NYC and justifiably kills his boss' obnoxious, big-mouthed son in the heat of the moment. Knowing the boss would then order him to be murdered, the main character flees west, ending up possibly in Oregon or Washington state, finding work as a logger. In his new home, he gets the cliched "you're new in this town so we gotta kick your ***" treatment. He falls in love with one of the local gals and eventually the Mafia tracks him down, leading to the film's climax.

Although it's been over 20 years since I've seen it, I'm pretty sure I've covered the basics. Does anyone have at least a clue?

I find most chain restaurants to be bland. It's the mom and pop restaurants that help give cities their own identities. Here in Lansing, MI, chains have taken over and I hate it. I am asking people to boycott places like Applebee's, Outback, Bennigan's. Just because a place is advertised on TV doesn't mean they have good food. I'm not counting fast food--that's just something you do for a quick lunch. I'm talking about sit-down restaurants--places where you'd go if you were out for the evening.

A McDonald's near my house advertises a 24-hour drive thru, but sometimes when I pull up to the speaker late at night, they tell me they're closed and won't say why. Does this happen to people at other locations?

It had to be either 1978 or 79. I was a kid visiting relatives in Downer's Grove, Illinois. I remember seeing a McDonald's ad for "Arctic Orange" shakes. The ad featured a man dressed as an eskimo with the Chicago skyline behind him. I believe the ad mentioned that the shake was available only for a limited time and only in the greater Chicago area. I even had the opportunity to try one. Anybody else remember this?

Back in the eighties, I remember going to a Dairy Queen and ordering burgers. The name Brazier rings a bell. I went to a Dairy Queen recently and the only non ice cream food item I saw on the menu was a foot long hot dog. Has Dairy Queen given up burgers, or do they only serve them at certain locations?

The house next door to me is inhabited by (yes) three men and a baby. The child will be 2 years old in January. The boy's mother previously had 4 children taken away from her by the state and she's out of the picture with this one as well. The father, I'm convinced, wanted the child (his only one, as far as I know) mainly for the welfare benefits. He occasionally works for cash under the table, but seems to spend what little cash he makes all on beer. The guy who's name is on the lease was injured in a motorcycling accident and collects disability benefits and pays the rent (doesn't drink), but relies on the dad to take care of the utilities. The dad (whom I refer to as "Beer-Before-Utilities") doesn't seem to pay a dime toward living expenses and assumes that his young son is his "ace in the hole," thinking that because he has a dependent, the state or some charitable organization will pick up the tab whenever he needs help. This help is often slow in coming, since the economy in Michigan is horrible these days and the tax base is ever shrinking. Since the spring, they've been without gas for a time, have had their water shut off twice and now have neither water or electricity. I want to call Social Services for the child's sake, but I'm afraid the city would then be forced to condemn the house and leave the non-drinker homeless. He's a good honest guy who's just made some bad decisions. I could care less, though, about Beer-Before-Utilities. The child is still young enough that there must be a nice couple somewhere out there willing to adopt him. My guess is that the state will eventually take the child from his custody anyway--but who knows when? How could I help the child without causing further problems for the disabled adult?

My mother died unexpectedly in early May this year, just 11 days before her 61st birthday. I continue to have difficulty sleeping because of it. Her sisters seem to have gotten over it, but I certainly haven't. If any of you have been in this situation, how did you get over it--or haven't you? As I am not a religious person, I kindly ask that those of you who would suggest things like prayer keep those comments to yourself. I mean no disrespect.

My mother passed away in early May this year. She was about to turn 61 later that month, but died unexpectedly. When her parents (whom I was also very close to) passed away, I began to see them in my dreams right away--the same thing with deceased pets. But only recently have I finally seen my mother in a dream. I wonder why it took so long and until then, I was wondering if I would ever see her in a dream period. Any thoughts on this?