That Goose Was Cooked!

And now it’s time for another edition of “This Stuff Only Can Happen to Me!”

This is the kind of true story that always made for great stuff when I worked on the radio. It is so ridiculous, but it is true!

I was driving into work last night and I was about 2 miles from my exit minding my own business when it happened. A “Kamikaze Goose” flew directly into my front end. To say that I was freaked out would be an understatement! It happened so fast! There was an explosion of feathers and a God awful sound when it hit my car. According to Google, these birds tend to fly about 40 mph. I am far from a math wizard, but if I had my cruise control set to 75 mph, that had to be one heck of an impact!

There were cars on both sides of me while I was driving, so I couldn’t swerve or anything. After the impact, I got to the right lane and got ready to exit the expressway. The car seemed to be driving ok, but I wanted to pull over and check. This may sound morbid, but I really didn’t know if the goose was still on the front of the car. Once off the expressway, I pulled into a parking lot and took a look at the car.

I was surprised that there seemed to be minimal damage. I saw a decent chunk out of the bumper, the grill looked like it had come apart, and there were a few feathers stuck to the front of the car. That’s when I noticed (and smelled) the antifreeze. It was gushing from the bottom of the car. The radiator is in the front of the car, so it became apparent that there was more damage than I could see.

I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to drive the car, so I called into work. I was 70 miles from home. I didn’t realize that we didn’t have towing on our insurance, so I had to call a wrecker and had to pay out of pocket. My father-in-law’s house is close, so I had it towed there and he drove me home.

When I got home, I called our insurance company and began the claim. I was happy to find out that since it was an animal that caused the damage, it was covered under comprehensive. Our comprehensive carries no deductible, so there will be no further out of pocket costs to us. The $300 towing bill should be all that we have to pay.

I was told that since the car can’t be driven that they were sending me a link to an app to download. Once I got to my in-law’s today, I opened the app and the adjuster pops up on the screen and it is like Facetime. He said, “It looks like you hit an animal.” I asked if that could be the way it is worded and he laughed and asked why. “Believe it or not, a goose flew into my car!” He got a chuckle out of that.

He asked if the air bags deployed. I never even thought about that. I’m sure that if that happened, they probably would have totaled the car. Anyway, using my phone, I showed him the damage. He took pictures as I walked around the vehicle and then sent the estimate. All I had to do was tell him where I wanted the vehicle taken for repairs. The whole thing took like 10 minutes tops.

Later, I got a call from the tow truck who was taking the vehicle to the repair shop. The driver says, “Oh that’s a Chevy dealer, they won’t take your Hyundai there. Do you want me to take it to the Hyundai dealer?” I figured this guy knew what he was talking about, so I said he could. I sent off an email to the insurance company to say that it was going to a different place and they said ok.

I picked up the phone to call the Hyundai place to tell them to expect the vehicle. They guy tells me that they don’t have a body shop there and that all of that kind of work happens at the Chevy dealer. So I call the tow truck driver back and tell him they didn’t have a body shop at the Hyundai dealer (which he is pulling into as I call). He assures me it is no problem to turn around and take it back to the Chevy place.

I had to work tonight, so I went and napped after dealing with all of that stuff. When I woke up, there was a message from the body shop saying that the car was there, but the insurance company had cancelled it going there. He did some legwork and I guess he was waiting for new paperwork to arrive so he could start the work.

Long story short – I will be without a car for probably 2 or 3 weeks. I hope that the damage isn’t anything that will cause it to be there longer than that.

Kamikaze Geese! Who knew?!

Book Recommendation: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Not too long ago I posted about two books by Anthony Horowitz (Magpie Murders and Moonflower Murders) which were truly unique in that there was a book within a book in each one. The whole idea of a murder mystery connecting with another murder mystery story was such an interesting concept. The stories were very intriguing and enjoyable at the same time.

I love your typical whodunit mystery stories where somebody gets killed and a detective, private investigator, or some innocent person gathers clues and finds out who did it in the end. The formula has worked for some of the great mystery writers like Agatha Christie, Earl Stanley Gardner, and others.

I remember reading a book about the TV series Columbo. One of the things that TV networks were concerned about was the fact that they show who the murderer is right from the get-go. They didn’t think anyone would want to watch a detective try to figure out who did it, when the audiences would already know the guilty party. That changed up the presentation of the murder mystery format.

The book that I just finished reading changes it up even more so. In all honesty, it goes against all mystery logic, but that’s what made it a fun read. Let me tell you a little bit about Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

“Can you stop a murder after it’s already happened?

Late October. After midnight. You’re waiting up for your eighteen-year-old son. He’s past curfew. As you watch from the window, he emerges, and you realize he isn’t alone: he’s walking toward a man, and he’s armed.

You can’t believe it when you see him do it: your funny, happy teenage son, he kills a stranger, right there on the street outside your house. You don’t know who. You don’t know why. You only know your son is now in custody, his future shattered.

That night you fall asleep in despair. All is lost.

Until you wake . . .

. . . and it is yesterday.

And then you wake again . . .

. . . and it is the day before yesterday.

Every morning you wake up a day earlier, another day before the murder. With another chance to stop it. Somewhere in the past lies an answer. The trigger for this crime–and you don’t have a choice but to find it . . .“

What an interesting way to solve a crime! Each time she wakes up the main character finds a different piece to the puzzle. Along the way she finds out things aren’t as the seem in the present. As she continues to go back day by day, week by week, she discovers more of the events, characters, and clues that led to the murder.

The fact that I enjoy time travel stories is known to anyone who reads this blog. Using the “forced” time travel aspect in this story brought about some extra suspense. The character has no idea how long she will travel back in time OR for how long. She also has no idea if she will ever make it back to the present or just go back so far that she stops existing.

There were times during the story that my jaw actually dropped open because of something I didn’t see coming. It was a great story that at times caused me to pause and reflect on things the main character was feeling. There were things that really made me think about how I approach each day as well.

Does she figure it out? Does she stop the murder? Does she save her son? Does she ever make it back to the present? I highly recommend this book!!

5 out of 5 stars from me!

Heading into the Weekend

Ah, Saturday! A day of rest and relaxation, right? The weekend is here and there is nothing to do, right? Well, not for me. It’s gonna be a pretty busy weekend.

This week was full of events for our family. Big changes and some stress (no need to talk about my wallet anymore!).

The biggest news was the addition of our dog, Maizy. If you missed that blog – here it is:

We’ve Gone to the Dogs!

I’m happy to say that she is fitting in quite well. She’s making the place her own, and getting up on the furniture …

She loves to cuddle up to us. She and Sam seem to be getting along nicely.

And Ella loves that Maizy will sleep in her room with her at “quiet time”.

Andrew just gets really excited to be around her. Especially when we’re outside. As a matter of fact, I’m not sure who is harder to get to come in – Maizy or Andrew.

Maizy loves to run around in the yard. She especially loves to play fetch with a ball.

She waits with baited breath for me to chuck it out in the backyard.

I don’t mind being outside with her. The baseball team has been outside practicing and getting ready for the season. One of the best things about our backyard is the free admission to watch a good game –

Of course, Maizy LOVES when the kids are eating. There is NO shortage of food that falls on the floor, unless it is peanut butter. That peanut butter pretty much gets worn by the kids….

Maizy became a member of our family from the onset. What a blessing she is to our home.

The rest of the weekend is loaded with some projects. I’m hoping to finish painting the nook we built and then we’re grabbing one of those playscapes from a friend of Sam’s and moving it to our yard. In between all of that, we’ve got people coming to give us estimates on what a fence is going to cost. Busy Busy!!

Have a great weekend!!

Friday Photo Flashback

This week marked the 29th anniversary of the passing of my grandfather. In 2018, I wrote a blog about him on his birthday. You can read it here:

Happy Birthday, Pops.

My dad sent a photo to me and my brother this week of my Great Grandma (Grandpa’s mom) that I’d never seen before. That got me to thinking about the last time I saw my Great Grandma. It was at my high school graduation party where today’s photo was taken.

This is a truly amazing photo, as it marked one of the few times all of these family members were together.

In the front row from left to right – me, my Great Grandma, and my brother (sporting the pink Miami Vice jacket). In the back row from left to right – Grandpa P, his sister Marietta, Grandma D, Mom, Dad, Grandma P, and my Great Aunt Rose.

This photo was probably taken close to the end of the part, as my dad and grandpa have their suit jackets off. My grandpa came wearing what we called his Century 21 coat. For those who don’t remember, the real estate agents from century 21 used to always wear these gold colored jackets.

Here is a story about my Great Grandma that still makes me laugh. We used to call her “Light Finger Louie” because she had a very bad habit of swiping things from people and then giving then to my Grandpa. They weren’t necessarily big or expensive things (most of the time), but there were watches, Zippo lighters, cuff links, and such that would miraculously appear in my grandfather’s hands (or pockets) as he was leaving his visits from Great Grandma!

I think the saddest thing about finding old photos like these is the realization that those people are no longer with us physically. The only ones still around in that photo are my brother, my dad, and me.

I get ribbed a lot about all the photos I take of the kids. This week on Facebook, when I posted about my grandpa, I stated that the reason I take so many pictures is “because one day those pictures, and the memories from them, are all we have left.”

A Happy Ending

Remember yesterday when I was talking about how stupid I was for losing my wallet? Well, the continuation of the story proves that I am even more stupid that previously stated.

I decided that on my way home this morning I would stop again at Walmart to see if someone had turned it in. The guy at the service desk went to the back and as he came back out he had a wallet in his hand. “Is this it?” he asked. My heart jumped for a minute and then the disappointment returned as I realized that it was not my wallet.

As I walked back to my car, a breeze caught the top of my head. It was then that I realized I wasn’t wearing my hat. It was warm when I left for work yesterday, so I never grabbed it. However, the day before I had been wearing it. I remembered wearing it that morning I stopped at Walmart.

When I walked in the door a few minutes later than usual, Sam asked if I had stopped at Walmart. I told her I had and asked if she had seen my hat. She said she hadn’t, so I started looking for it.

The shoe rack outside our bedroom door serves many purposes. Yes, it has about 12-16 cubbies for pairs of shoes. It also is where we set the un opened boxes of diapers, pull ups, and baby wipes. Recently, Sam had pulled a bunch of the clothes that were too small for the kids and placed them in a box and set the box on top of the shoe rack. Also on top of the shoe rack, was my hat.

Lo and behold – under my hat ….

To say I was relieved is an understatement! At the same time, I also felt like a bigger dummy than I did yesterday!!

The first thing I did was go into the various banking and credit card apps on my phone and unlocked all the cards. Then I started looking online for those AirLink things that people were telling me about. I will definitely be looking to get one of those things just in case something like this ever happens again!

The story ends with a chuckle –

My birthday and Sam’s birthday are within a month of each other. We got our “birthday cards” from the Secretary of State saying we were due. Sam gave me the debit card from our savings account and told me to take care of them on my way to work or on my way home. As she handed it to me, she says, “Put this in your wallet … and try not to lose it before you get home tomorrow!”

I deserved that!

Another Good Read: This Time Tomorrow

If it seems like my blog has become a lot of book recommendations, I’m sorry. I’m doing more reading than I have ever done. I suppose my desire to read comes and goes, but every book I have read lately has had something in the plot summary that peaked my interest. It’s been fun to read stuff from new authors, too.

I literally just finished This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub. She is not a “new” author in that she has written many other books. I did find it interesting to know that her and her husband own their own book store in Brooklyn, New York.

If you have followed my blog for any length of time, I have mentioned my love for time travel stories. The thought of being able to go back in time and visit some famous event or to the future is intriguing. The Back to the Future movies, The Twilight Zone, Time Tunnel, and even the short lived series Timeless will always be fun to watch.

This book has a bit of time travel in it (and coincidentally, so does my next read). Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

“What if you could take a vacation to your past?

With her celebrated humor, insight, and heart, beloved New York Times bestseller Emma Straub offers her own twist on traditional time travel tropes, and a different kind of love story.

On the eve of her 40th birthday, Alice’s life isn’t terrible. She likes her job, even if it isn’t exactly the one she expected. She’s happy with her apartment, her romantic status, her independence, and she adores her lifelong best friend. But her father is ailing, and it feels to her as if something is missing. When she wakes up the next morning she finds herself back in 1996, reliving her 16th birthday. But it isn’t just her adolescent body that shocks her, or seeing her high school crush, it’s her dad: the vital, charming, 40-something version of her father with whom she is reunited. Now armed with a new perspective on her own life and his, some past events take on new meaning. Is there anything that she would change if she could?“

What I love about the premise of the story is that even though she wakes up on her 16th birthday, she is very aware that she just turned 40. This is an important part of the story. It is kind of the “If I knew then what I know now” sort of thing. Tiny Spoiler Alert: There is a “Groundhog Day” feel to the story as she repeats the same day more than once. Knowing that won’t spoil too much for you.

The love story eluded to in the synopsis is not the ordinary love story. It is the love between a daughter and her father. That love is really what drives the story.

It really wound up being a thought provoking story. I could easily see this being something that would be a good Book Club read or even something that would make a great movie.

An Unwanted Headache

I’m going to beat myself up a bit. Why? Because I know better. I did a very dumb thing today. Here is my story.

Have you ever misplaced your cell phone? Sometimes you haven’t misplaced it, but the shot of total fear that you may have lost it will cause you to freak out. Right? I’ve done that countless times. Sheer panic! “Where’s my phone!?” You pat your pockets, look on the front seat of your car, pull laundry out of the washer (just in case it was still in a pocket of your jeans, etc. The panic is real. I only wish that it was my phone that I had misplaced, but it wasn’t. It was my wallet.

When I got out of work this morning, I was driving home and my wife had said the dog was up early to go outside. I told her that I would stop at Walmart on my way home and get one of those cables you can attach to her collar, so she could run out to the back yard without her having to stand there with her. I know that Walmart was the last place I had my wallet, because I did make the purchase and headed home.

Once I was home, I set up the cable and had the dog outside. I played with her a big and had her running around the backyard. I was throwing a ball for her to fetch and just playing around. Once she came inside, I took off my scrubs and went to bed.

Once I woke up, Sam told me that my new driver’s license had some in the mail. I opened the envelope and took it out. I had a cup of coffee. I looked where I normally put my wallet and it wasn’t there. So I figured I must have left it in the car. I took the dog outside with the kids. I looked in my car and it wasn’t there. When I came back inside, I checked my work bag and my lunch bag. Nothing. Now I started to panic even more.

By this time, it had been almost 8 hours since I was at Walmart. I tried to call there and the phone just rang and rang. I finally drove up there and asked if anyone had turned in a wallet. They asked a manager who came out (looking just thrilled to be there – NOT) and said that no one had turned in a wallet. She told me in a dull and drab voice that if it had been left in the store, an associate would usually be the one to find it and turn it in. If it was lost in the parking lot “it is probably gone.”

This poor excuse for a manager then told me that I was welcome to check all the trash cans in the parking lot near where I had parked and brushed me off. It was actually the gal at the service desk who offered to take my name and number in case someone did turn it in. For that, I was grateful.

We’ve tore the house apart. I have looked in my car more times than I want to count. I cannot find it. Deep down I know it is lost. I am such a dummy!

I have put locks on a couple of my credit cards and my bank debit cards. However, my FSA card is in there as well as another credit card I have never used. My old driver’s license, my health insurance cards, and much more. The biggest problem is – I don’t really know exactly what all was in there. There was no cash, but I am sure account numbers “rewards” cards from Bigbee, Tim Horton’s, etc.. were in there too. It just makes me vey angry.

Did I leave it at the self check out? Did it fall out of my pocket? Was a pick pocketed? I have no clue. I was probably too tired to know and obviously too tired to remember. My stomach is in knots just thinking about it.

I truly hope that if someone did find it (1) they didn’t throw it in a trashcan and (2) are honest enough to turn it in or drop it in a mailbox. Lord knows that the amount of honest people in the world is on the decline ….

Sigh. An honest person has it, right?

Thoughts on “The Maid”

I have an account on Goodreads. If you are looking for a book, they have many lists that you can browse. “Best books of the 20th Century,” “Best Thrillers of the Past Year,” “Books You Should Read at Least Once in Your Life,” Etc…

Every year they have a “Best of” list for the various genres and The Maid by Nita Prose was the winner for Best Mystery. I kept seeing it come up in my friend’s books as well, so I decided to have the library get me a copy.

I read this book in about 2 days. It was one that I enjoyed, but not everyone felt the way I did based on some of the reviews on Goodreads. Let me give you the synopsis and then I will explain.

From Goodreads:

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

Notice the first sentence? “Molly is not like everyone else.” I could tell right from the get go that this character might have been autistic. Some reviewers called her “neurodivergent.” This term was new to me. It means “differing in mental or neurological function from what is considered typical or normal (frequently used with reference to autism spectrum disorders); not neurotypical.”

The story is told from Molly’s perspective. The words “autistic” or “neurodivergent” are never mentioned. Molly is, well, Molly. She very well may be one of those things, but she never mentions it. The way she approaches the world, and her job is not in any way odd to her. To me, this is the biggest hang up that people had about the book. It didn’t bother me at all.

My oldest son is on the Autism Spectrum (Asperger’s). I know many people who are also on the spectrum. Because of the therapies and people I have come to know through Autism support groups and such, I found myself completely understanding how the character thought and how she reacted to situations. I didn’t find her odd in any way. As a matter of fact, her personality plays a key element to the story.

There were some surprises in the book and I found it to be a good read. It may not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it.

We’ve Gone to the Dogs!

We’ve talked about getting a dog for some time. Sam has always wanted a dog, but there were so many things that we needed to do first. We don’t have a fully fenced in yard, for example. We also were concerned with how the dog would react to the kids – not to mention our cat. We always knew that at some point, we’d be getting a dog. However, I don’t think either one of us thought it would be … well, today!

Here’s the scoop. Yesterday before Sam left for work, her sister texted. She asked if we would be interested in a four year old lab who is good with kids. The story behind this is that her friend’s daughter had diabetes and epilepsy. It was recommended that they get her a service dog. I guess the dogs didn’t really get along. So her owner wanted her to have a loving home.

Her owner said that if things don’t work out, she will gladly take her back and try to find a home for her. They obviously love this dog a lot. I think we both figured that it would be a trial run, but we knew pretty quickly that this will be her new home.

This is Maizy. Coincidentally, Maizey is also our cat’s name. She made herself at home after sniffing around a lot. The kids were MORE than excited to have a “puppy friend” of their own!

I guess by the look on my face, I was pretty excited, too.

The one thing I worry about is that when the kids are at my mother in law’s, they can lay on top of their golden retriever. They climb all over her and she takes every bit of it. I’m not sure Maizy will be as happy about it. So we have to tell the kids to be very careful with her and to use nice hands.

After she got used to all of us, we piled into the van and headed to PetSmart. We had to get food, food and water dishes, a lead for her to run around in the backyard until the fence goes in, and a pet bed. It was an expensive trip, but we expected that.

She is making herself at home and at one point curled up in front of me and fell asleep … and so did my leg!

The only one who is still not too sure about our newest family member is Maizey our cat. That hasn’t stopped her from sneaking up on her while she is asleep to check her out and make sure she is ok …

I laughed when I told Sam, “Well, one thing is for sure. We won’t have to worry about cleaning up food on the floor anymore ….”

We are all looking forward to having our new puppy friend living at our house!

Book Recommendation: Moonflower Murders

I just finished another of Anthony Horowitz’ books and I have come to really enjoy them. This is a follow up to The Magpie Murders, which has a similar premise. It’s a book – with a book inside. Does that make sense? It’s two murder mysteries for the price of one.

Here is the Amazon/Goodreads synopsis:

Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is living the good life. She is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her long-term boyfriend Andreas. It should be everything she’s always wanted. But is it? She’s exhausted with the responsibilities of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, and truth be told she’s beginning to miss London.

And then the Trehearnes come to stay. The strange and mysterious story they tell, about an unfortunate murder that took place on the same day and in the same hotel in which their daughter was married—a picturesque inn on the Suffolk coast named Farlingaye Hall—fascinates Susan and piques her editor’s instincts.

One of her former writers, the late Alan Conway, author of the fictional Magpie Murders, knew the murder victim—an advertising executive named Frank Parris—and once visited Farlingaye Hall. Conway based the third book in his detective series, Atticus Pund Takes the Case, on that very crime.

The Trehearne’s, daughter, Cecily, read Conway’s mystery and believed the book proves that the man convicted of Parris’s murder—a Romanian immigrant who was the hotel’s handyman—is innocent. When the Trehearnes reveal that Cecily is now missing, Susan knows that she must return to England and find out what really happened.

Brilliantly clever, relentlessly suspenseful, full of twists that will keep readers guessing with each revelation and clue, Moonflower Murders is a deviously dark take on vintage English crime fiction from one of its greatest masterminds, Anthony Horowitz.

When I read Magpie Murders the concept of the book within a book threw me. The way it all wrapped up was surprising and satisfying. With Moonflower Murders, it is very similar and it worked just as well. If there is a third book in this series, I will certainly be reading it.