WFW-Slipping under the blankets

This weeks Words for Wednesday is again hosted by our friend River at Drifting through Life. The purpose of the words is to encourage us to write, a story, poem, or whatever comes to mind.

If you join in please stop by Rivers blog Drifting through Life and let everyone know where your post is so that everyone can enjoy it.

I am going to continue one that I started a few weeks back, if you missed the first three you can find the first one here Sitting on the window sill and the follow ups here Two miles from town. and The Broken Lock

This week's words are:

companionship, extenuating, complaisant (do not confuse with complacent), nuns, competition, computer

and/or:

bedevilment, concoction, splat, eaves, clutching, institute

Slipping under the blankets

Todd sank back into the vines hiding himself underneath the kudzu that covered the trees. Tammy was pretty smart tricking him into trapping himself in the trailer, but that was a stupid move on her part, he thought. He stood there clutching his right shoulder, it was going to be really sore for a while after having to break his way out of there, and just in time too, because there was the Cavalry.

I've got a wrecker coming to get that Nova, and one of the guys is looking in the creek where Tammy said she tossed the keys, Woody told Dan. Woody had sent one of the Deputies out to the road to flag down the tow company and show them the hidden road.

Woody and the remaining Deputies were searching the immediate area for Todd, it was almost like a competition but they were not going to find him because Todd was already gone, he was on a mission and his plan for the moment was to find some food and something to drive.

Elijah Jefferson was born right there in the same little shack in which he lived now. Everybody in town called him Eli or Old Man Jefferson, and even though he didn't go to town very often everybody knew him. He was thinking about that little girl he saw walking up the road, he felt bad about not stopping for her, he wasn't sure what was right, but he did know that she sure didn't need to be out there all by herself, that's why he called Woody.

Eli needed to get his squash and melons picked because tomorrow would be a big day at the Farmer's Market; he had a good crop and always sold out on Saturdays. He needed to get the truck loaded so he could get there at daylight like always. Folks his age were always there early, and they also bought the most. He liked coming here on weekends more for the companionship of people he knew than for the money.

He heard a sound and scanned the edge of the woods. Some critters had been munching on his garden, could be deer but it was too early for them, most likely rabbits he decided. Eli jumped up and turned around shaking his fist towards the direction of the sound, Get out a here you pesky critter, I ain't got time for your bedevilment today! He yelled and then laughed to himself, it was always funny to watch the little rabbits scurry back into the woods, he went back to picking squash.

Eli got a weird feeling like he was being watched, then someone cleared their throat, he turned around just in time to see the blur of the tree limb swinging towards his head, then he heard the splat of a melon splitting as his face landed in the dirt.

Todd searched the old man lying on the ground; he found a set of keys and a wallet with a drivers license and seventeen dollars in it. OK Mr. Elijah Jefferson lets see what cha got to eat inside, that's alright you don't have to get up, Todd laughed sarcastically as he picked up old man Jefferson's hat and walked towards the house.

Just inside the back door Todd found a small kitchen, he let the screen door slam as he walked through. There was some concoction in a pot sitting on the stove next to an iron skillet with cornbread in it, he placed his hand over the bread to find it still warm. Alright lunch is served, he said as he rubbed his hands together.

We are going to keep a watch on your house Dan, Woody was saying, I've already cleared it with the Sheriff and he said for one of us to keep Tammy in sight at all times. He wants Todd Vickers caught and he wants him caught soon. There are no extenuating circumstances that are getting him off this time, Todd is going to be located in the State Corrections Institute when this is all over with I promise you.

Sitting on her windowsill, Tammy felt so stupid; she had in fact jumped out the window and ran off with Todd in the first place. He was so nice to her, said they would have a great life together. Todd was always so peaceful and complaisant, he even said that he loved her, but if that is love she didn't want any more of it. How could he have done that to her? She decided it was all her fault and that she was to blame for all of this. She never wanted to leave her windowsill again.

Todd cruised around town in the old Ford pickup, it was cool being incognito in the old man's hat and truck. It was funny how many people waved as he drove by, even the nuns out in front of St. Mary's smiled at him. The trick was to keep the hat pulled low and to drive slow. He was going to need more than seventeen dollars though, and he just may take it from Tammy's Daddy tonight. Dan had pulled a shotgun on him once, and now Todd had one of his own, courtesy of old man Jefferson. Todd had found the old double barrel sitting behind the kitchen door when he raided the old man's pantry, and he shouldn't need more than two shots.

He smiled as he watched through the front window. It was both scary and thrilling being this close to all the action, only hidden by the shadow from the eaves. I bet I could crawl right through her window without old Woody ever knowing it, he whispered to himself. She would be going to bed soon. Todd moved back to the edge of the woods around the side of the house so he could watch Tammy change for bed through his binoculars, like had for the last two nights.

Dan listened to Tammy yell at Woody, she was scared and wanted to be somewhere safe. Why are you making me stay here while he is still out there? You're just sitting here doing nothing while he is probably watching me right now, you don't know him and you should be doing your job trying to catch him instead of sitting here playing on your computer and drinking up all of our coffee! Tammy ranted.

Dan and Woody just let her shout and scream, she needed to get some of the anger out of her system, and she needed to sleep also. She was slowly wearing herself down, and was looking really tired. It was nearly midnight when Dan suggested that Tammy go and get ready for bed.

Tammy went to her room and changed into her nightgown, she turned out the light and walked down the hall to the bathroom for what seemed like the hundredth time tonight. Finally ready for bed she kicked off her slippers and climbed under the blankets, she snuggled down in between the pillows and covered her head and then she drifted off to sleep.

Todd grabbed the window and gently pulled it open, he could see from the moonlight that Tammy was under the covers, he sat and listened for a while to make sure there was no sound coming from inside the house anywhere, he'd deal with Dan later, right now he was going to reacquaint himself with Tammy.

He slipped through the window and crept across the room to Tammy's bed, he kicked off his boots and propped the shotgun against her dresser, he dropped his pants and crawled underneath the covers, he whispered, Hey Tam if you know what's good for you, you won't be making any noise, I been looking for you girl and now I Gotcha.

Todd heard the metallic click click sound of a revolver cocking, and the cold hard cylindrical barrel of a gun suddenly pressed underneath his chin. Hello Todd I been looking for you too, and it looks like I finally got lucky, Woody said as Dan reached for the switch and turned the light on.

This is personal

We saw the news last night that there was a shooting in the town we had moved from. A young man who was suspended from school walked into Clovis Carver Public Library and started shooting, a 16 year old kid for Gods sake.

Two dead and four airlifted to Lubbock, Texas in unknown condition. The sad thing is we hear stuff like this on the news all the time, and we get numb to it because even though it is a terrible situation, it is never anyone you know, so we feel bad and say it's a shame.

Well folks we got calls a little later and the two who were killed are both people we know, both wonderful women who we have known for years.

Sorry it's not a happy post, but I am numb just not in the same way as when we normally hear stories like this.

This is personal and I really don't know how I feel.

We have to get a handle on this. If you get mad about something what are you gaining by taking it out on others, I know for a fact Wanda and Krissie didn't deserve this nor did the four who were wounded, I am so scared to learn the names of these people because we still don't know who they are.

People we are getting crazy, this has got to stop, too many people are being killed, killing someone is not the same as getting into a fistfight, when someone dies it is forever... poof, gone, not coming back, you can't say sorry and make it better.

I wish I had an answer but all I know to do is to show love and compassion for at least one person today, let someone you know that you love them, and do your best to not lash out in anger for any reason.

This is personal folks, we have to stop it...Now.

The Accordion Effect

On the freeway while riding with Cindy the brake lights on the car in front of us lit up, Cindy yells, What is she doing?, so being the helpful person that I am, I explained that the car in front of us was applying their brakes. I can see that she is hitting her brakes, but why? She asked.

That's the brakes, she is slowing down.

So to further explain the situation I told her it was because the car in front of her is driving slower than she is, Cindy shakes her head and says, Well that's dumb she could have changed lanes and went around, she didn't have to hit the brakes.

I then had to point out that this statement is coming from a woman who will nearly lock down her brakes when she sees the brake lights of another car two miles away. I don't do that! She said. Oh yes you do, you can see a brake light that is almost out of sight and nearly throw me through the windshield.

Cindy then began explaining it to me. I scan the road ahead, she said. You have to pay attention to your surroundings, especially when driving on the freeway, if I see somebody up ahead hit their brakes then I have to get prepared because it's like an accordion effect, every car behind that car will hit their brakes one at a time until it gets back to me, so I have to be ready. Then she took a breath and continued explaining, pointing, and motioning towards me and the traffic around us, I just know all the other drivers thought that I was really getting the law laid down to me.

She told me, If I am not paying attention then I could hit the car in front of me, and what if there is a wreck up ahead and nobody is paying attention then one by one we all will run into the car in front adding to that wreck, it's simple Jimmy you have to watch what is going on in front of you as much as behind.

I just looked at her a minute then said, Man that was a lot of words to make a simple statement, she laughed and added, that's why I pay attention to what's going on in front of me.

I asked her if paying attention to what's going on in front means you can see a wreck all the way into the next county, and it will then immediately accordion back to us? She stared at me with no expression on her face and said, You know that your a doofus...Right? I guess that was her way of saying that the conversation was over.

Hold on folks, we are passing him.

Just then a truck slowed in front of us...

What is he doing? Cindy yelled as she hit the turn signal, looked over her shoulder and pushed the accelerator to the floor.

I held on tight and looked out of the side mirror, I saw a line of turn signals come on as all the cars behind us began passing that same truck...yes I know, kind of like the accordion effect.

Tools of the trade

Rusty tin snips found in the field

I have found yet another tool in the field, I was closing the gate from one pasture to the other when I looked down and there it was lying partially buried in the dirt, a completely rusted out and frozen into place forever set of tin snips.

It is becoming a habit of mine to find things out in the field, I'm not nearly as consistent in finding things of value as my blogging buddy Val over at Unbagging the Cats  is with her pennies from heaven, and I shudder to think of tools falling from the sky, I am very happy for Val's pennies to continue coming from heaven, I just pray no tools are thrown my way when I am out standing in my field.

You remember Steve the tape measure?

You all remember my last find,  I wrote about the little tape measure I found while mowing the field in Where is Steve, and reaching back a ways The Forgotten Tool even though this one was under the house and not in the field at all, it was on the same property so that counts...Right?

Daisy Mfg Company Red Ryder medallion

Just the other day I found a medallion with Red Ryder of the Daisy BB gun fame, and a little Indian boy on the front with the dates 1938 and 1988 lying in the dirt at the edge of the field when I was opening the gate from the blacktop to the side pasture, although it is not a tool I thought it was nice anyways.

What are the tools of your trade?

There is a tool for most anything that we do. Before I retired from the water company I had a lot of tools that I depended on. Probably the most used tool was my meter key, this tool was used to open the water meter boxes, this simple tool was custom made, it was simply a railroad spike shaped piece of metal (sometimes we used an actual railroad spike, I can hear the gasps from the railroad as I write this) that had been cut and filed down to make a handle, this was welded to a rod to attain the length that you wanted, then the key was welded to the other end, "Voila" a custom made meter key like no one elses, a one of a kind tool.

The handle was then wrapped in electrical tape, isn't it amazing the different things you can use electrical tape for? Duct tape this is a whole story in itself, but no duct tape was used here. I completely wrapped the handle with electrical tape for comfort in the days I was a meter reader, this kind of padded the handle and also made it easier to use repeatedly opening meter boxes all day long to record the readings.

My custom water meter key I kept when I retired

It also made it easy to hold onto when that rogue dog snuck up on me when I was bent over reading a meter, and forced me into playing Zorro with the attacking dog, no dogs were ever hurt but a lot of swashbuckling and Zees were swished through the air until either the dog or I decided to run, most times we either ran from each other in opposite directions or the dog became my friend and followed me for the rest of the day.

This was just one simple tool from my days at the water company, I could bore you with many more from my meter shop or the tools in back of my truck, but no matter which job I did at the water company this simple meter key was always one of the tools I needed the most.

No matter what you do there are tools to help you along, even things you use for healthcare, for me a glucometer is a tool that I use several times a day, it tests my blood sugar to help me adjust my insulin dose, and without this tool my insulin doses would be just a guess, and anyone who is Diabetic knows that this doesn't work, so with this said healthcare items and anything used in the house is an important tool, yes guys I'm afraid that broom and mop are not just items the ladies torture us into using, they are actually tools of the trade called housework.

Now for an update on a tool I wrote about when I asked Will Cubby Survive  last week,  I want you to know Cubby Survived, I took a suggestion from our good buddy Arkansas Patti over at The New Sixty and skipped hauling Cubby all the way down to the Cub Cadet Service Center.

I took Cubby to "the vague guy who may or may not fix mowers" and found out he definitely fixes mowers. Daniel is a nice young man who has opened his own shop within the last six months, and is only about four miles from us, he gave me a very reasonable estimate, ordered the parts and stuck to the price he quoted, he only had my tractor one day and it runs and works better than it has in a long time, needless to say Daniel is my go to lawnmower guy now.

Cubby sporting his blade ready to move mountains

As soon as I got the tractor home there were mountains to be moved courtesy of the horse, so Cubby grabbed his blade and we moved mountains, now instead of mountains we have a nicely scraped area for Flash to fill back in and some well needed fertilizer for a few areas that I pushed it to.

Cubby ready to get back to cutting the mustard

The next day the deck was installed and the field opposite of the homestead was mowed, I tell you what the minute I pulled that PTO switch I thought a jet engine had fired, it is so nice when the equipment works like it is supposed to.

So I suppose Cubby just may be a tool of the trade of me being retired, because it is up to he and I to keep this place in shape.

Doctors and nurses have stethoscopes, surgeons have scaples, artists have brushes, and painters do too ( just bigger and broader), carpenters have their hammers, and I better stop right there because I know that I am likely to miss a whole lot of trades and tools. So I will just ask.

Whats in your...toolbox?

WFW-The Broken Lock

This weeks Words for Wednesday is hosted by our good friend River over at Drifting through life. The purpose of the words is to encourage us to write, a story, a poem, or whatever comes to mind.

If you post a story on your blog, please drop by Rivers blog at Drifting through life and let her know so everyone can read it.

I'm going to continue a story that I started a couple weeks ago, if you've missed them you can find the first one here Sitting on the window sill and the follow up here Two miles from town.

This week's words are:
dusk, apples, sauce, knitting, amethyst, window
and/or:
itching, silk, gossamer, security, exquisite, turbulent

Let the Creativity begin!  😎

The Broken Lock

Tammy walked about half way to town before she finally saw the front of a truck coming towards her; she was hoping that it was her father coming to take her home. The truck just blew right past her, the driver never seeming to notice her; it wasn't her Dads truck after all. She continued walking dropping pedals from the bouquet of wild flowers she had picked along the way.

Dan ran out the front door to his truck, he couldn't believe Tammy had called, he felt both panicked and relieved at the same time. He was now going to pick her up and was really itching to find out where she had been. At this point Dan didn't know if she had simply ran away by herself, or if Todd was somehow involved since no one had seen him in awhile.

Todd is an idiot as far as Dan was concerned, twenty-three years old and messing around with a teenager, gave her some fake plastic amethyst that she still thinks is real, if Dan had any proof he could get Ole Todd arrested for statutory rape, and if he had any part in Tammy's disappearance then that boy will be getting himself a surprise.

Dan had already ran the boy off late one night, caught him creeping up to Tammy's window it was kind of funny watching Todd fall all over himself trying to run back to his car and watch Dan's shotgun at the same time, that was the last time Dan had seen him, but he was positive that Tammy was still talking to him.

The sun was sitting high in the sky and it was really hot, if she were to step off the road and into the woods for shade her dad would never see her, so she decided to just keep walking, that’s when everything went black.

Driving toward him from the other direction Dan saw the blue lights on top of a Sheriffs car light up and at the same time he saw what looked like someone lying in the road, he slid his truck to a stop and jumped out to pick Tammy up from the hot pavement. The Sheriffs Departments Crown Victoria pulled up and stopped sideways blocking any oncoming traffic that may come by.

Deputy Woodrow Davis jumped out of his cruiser and sprinted towards Tammy while all the time yelling something into the microphone attached to his shoulder. Hey Woody give me a hand here, we gotta get her cooled down, can we put her in your car? Dan yelled to the Deputy. Woody replied, Just hold on Dan I have an ambulance coming, lets give them a chance to help her properly.

Dan had known Woody since he was a kid and was good friends with his dad. Old man Jefferson called in and said he saw a half naked girl staggering up the road here, said he passed her but didn't have time to stop. I wonder how she got all the way out on this side of town, Woody rambled to Dan.

I bet Todd is in on this, Dan said mostly to himself. Todd? What's this Todd's last name, Woody asked. Vickers, Todd Vickers Dan replied. Oh my Lord, we have to find that boy, he's bad news, every time I lock him up he gets out so fast it's like the jail cell has a broken lock on the door.

Todd had been in jail a good many times but always had an alibi good enough to get him released.

She has been smacked around pretty badly Dan, she is dehydrated, malnourished, scraped up, cut, bruised, and worn out completely, on top of being about fourteen weeks along, the Doctor told Dan. I'm going to keep her here a few days to get her hydrated and some food in her system. besides we need to get her some prenatal care started, How long has she been gone anyway Dan? Going on four months Doc, Dan replied to the floor.

Woody had questioned Tammy and she had confirmed Todd was the one that had taken her, she however was not answering any questions that pointed to where he was last seen. She smiled to herself thinking "Let the boy suffer for a few days and then I'll consider talking about it."

What are you smiling about Tammy? Dan playfully asked his daughter, she looked at her dad and said, I was just thinking how good it was going to feel once I get to sleep in my own bed again, she spooned another bite of the sauce from her tray, it was OK but it didn't taste much like apples.

Three days later Woody made a special trip out to Dan Hayes's house to talk with Tammy one more time. He waited until late in the day so he could devote his attention completely to her,  just at dusk Woody knocked on the door.

He began his questioning with; Tammy we really need to know where Todd was holding you. She offered no reply, Come on Tammy you haven't even told me if you know where it was or not, Why won't you talk to me about this? Woody asked. Tammy just shrugged her shoulders and looked away.

Woody pleaded, Tammy you want this baby growing up not knowing where its daddy is? Even as sorry as Todd is he should be made to at least help you support this child! Come on Tam help me out here, I'm trying to help you, but I can't do it if you won't talk! I'm beginning to think that you are protecting Todd!

Tammy suddenly became so angry that Woody could see the turbulent shake that his line of questioning was causing in her.

OK OK Woody! Todd's ass is locked up in the same damn trailer he kept me locked in! and I hope he has starved to death by now, or even better suffocated from the heat, do you know how hot it gets inside a little trailer when you have no electricity to even turn a fan, and all the windows are bolted shut? Tammy shouted, she continued shaking with anger.

Thank you Tammy, now relax and tell me where he is and we will go out there and pick him up, he won't be skipping out of jail on a technicality this time, I promise you that. Woody spoke to her quietly now. I can't tell you, but I can show you where it is, as long as you give me some kind of security and promise you won't let him see me. She whispered to herself as much as to Woody.

Three Sheriffs Department cruisers followed Woody's Crown Vic down the highway, Tammy sat in the back seat with her dad, pointing the way back down the road she had walked. There is a little creek off the road on the right hand side up here Woody, right there in the trees is a driveway that is really hard to see. She said out loud, Thanks Tam, I see it Woody replied.

The four Sheriffs Department cars drove slowly over the washed out road, twisting and turning, and creeping slowly through the kudzu vines that was covering the trees. Man it's dark in here Woody said, are you sure this is it Tammy? Yeah Woody just keep following the road and we will run right into it.

All of a sudden they drove into the clearing that held the little trailer, The Nova was still sitting where Tammy remembered, and Woody made note of the license plate number and exclaimed, Well I'll be damned.

What is it Woody? asked Dan. Woody laughed, We have been looking for this Nova for six months, it disappeared one day from Carlisle Auto sales, when somebody took it for a test drive and never came back, you know old Tom has been calling in everyday wanting to know if we have found it yet. It looks more like a piece of junk than "the exquisite classic muscle car" Tom described it as.

Woody gathered all the Deputies together and briefed them with his plan, they were going to surround the trailer and approach with their weapons drawn, just in case Todd caused any trouble, they would then break the lock, make entry, and then take Todd Vickers into custody.

They crept up to the trailer, giving hand signals to one another in precision, it was amazing how quiet they were as they moved through the gossamer of silk like webs the little spiders were knitting that covered the ground behind the trailer, they went around the sides from the back and then around front ready to break the front door and bring Todd in.

After about ten minutes Dan and Tammy saw Woody motion for them to approach. I don't want to see him Daddy! Tammy yelled, Woody waved for them to come to him, Please Daddy I don't want to see him! Dan took Tammy by the arm and marched to the front of the trailer.

Woody pointed, This is what we found Dan. Tammy looked and saw the front door hanging by the lock hasp with the hinges broken from the door, What, Whe.., How, W-Where is Todd? Tammy asked, He ain't here Tam. Woody answered, the door was like this when we got here, we already searched the place, and he ain't here. Tammy sank to her knees.

"Pleeesssee Daddy, I don't wanna see him" he mocked as he peered through the trees at the commotion in front of the trailer.

Earth shaking news

Did it really happen or not?

I was sitting quietly in our living room early Thursday morning when there was suddenly a hard jolt that shook my chair. It was another earthquake which is very common in Southern California.

Cindy had slept in and was not out of bed at the time. When she got up I asked, Did you feel the earthquake about ten minutes ago?, She said that she didn't and asked me to describe it. I felt like one of those random folks they interview after a tornado wipes out a trailer park, you know the one who attempts to describe the sound, and all the details while not using any of the correct words or noises that would make him properly understood. Well folks that was how my description went.

Anyways a little while later she says to me, Jimmy I think you imagined that whole earthquake thing, I had to ask, Why do you think I imagined it, heck I felt it shake the house, she replied, Because I can't find anything about it on Facebook. I asked her, So you are saying if it's not on Facebook then it's not real?, she grinned at me and said, You got it, if it ain't on Facebook then it didn't happen. OK what if it's on the morning news, did it happen then? she seriously then told me, Only if it's on Facebook, otherwise the news is fake.

Oh man we have fake news unless it's on Facebook! I don't agree with much that goes across social media, I guess that is why my Facebook account rarely gets updated, and I also rarely pay attention to the news. We have gotten to the point to where everything is on Social Media, it seems everyone has Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, Snap this, Snap that, I really don't know what is out there, or how to use any of them.

A lot of us depend on social media for our day to day information gathering, Cindy uses Facebook mainly to keep up with the kids, but the number of friends she has is something else, and yes she keeps up with a lot of them too, like I said I don't really use Facebook, I don't check the news feed to see who posted what there, but I do check my Blogger Reading List to see which of my friends have posted here.

I have like thirty three friends on my list of followers, less than that who comment regularly and whose blogs I visit and comment on, Cindy has a whole network of people she communicates with on Facebook, she looks like an air traffic controller when she is answering her messages, reading her friends updates, sending her own updates, playing her game, liking this, liking that, texting here, answering her phone, and doing it all at the same time...

I'll stick with blogging, it's much more relaxing and contrary to popular belief, a heck of a lot more real than Facebook will ever be in my opinion, besides I don't want to handle that many things at one time.

I wouldn't be able to juggle messages and read posts all synchronized and professional like Cindy does, heck I get confused if I'm reading one of your blog posts and a message pops up, I can't answer the message until I finish reading and I can't finish reading until I check the message, let's just say I'm no longer good at multitasking.

Earthquake Warning (Source)

And for an update; On Thursday night for kicks I checked on Earthquake Track to see the recent earthquake activity in our area, I found an entry for a 3.1 magnitude earthquake at Cabazon, California at the exact time I told Cindy that I had felt a jolt, that is like fifteen miles from here. I showed it to her, she just said, Hmm I wonder how they missed that on Facebook?

This was literally some earth shaking news and you are telling me that nobody posted it on Facebook? Just goes to show that there are real things in life outside of Facebook.

Coughing It Up

The story you are about to read is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent, in fact the only names used are Cindy's and mine, any involvement with any medical facility or organization is not implied here as I am not involved with any, unless my Doctor calls me for an appointment that is, and then I don’t remember what he tells me anyway, the subject of this post is strictly my opinion and just plain common sense told in story form...Enjoy!

My former Medic First Aid training tells us this about choking:

Choking is usually caused by food or an object stuck in the windpipe.

A person who is choking cannot talk, cough, or breathe, and may turn gray or blue. The Heimlich maneuver can help get the food or object out.

WARNING: Do not try the Heimlich maneuver unless you are sure the person is choking:

And my addition to all of this is that you should remain calm, calm, calm so that you don’t make the person who is choking more agitated than they already are, calm so you can think and take care of this person to the best of your ability, or even so calm that your chicken never gets cold.

Coughing it up

A while back Cindy and I went over to a friends house for supper, the wife whipped up a feast fit for a king, she even topped it off with a homemade German Chocolate cake. This made my blood sugar jump a couple hundred points by just watching her spread the frosting, it was so worth it at the end of the meal though.

She made an Italian Chicken dish, you know the type of meal that is so good no one is talking at the table. We were all sitting around shoveling in the feast when I hear the wife say, “Honey are you OK?” I look up and see he is starting to turn a bit red in the face, “Honey are you OK” I hear a squeak come out of his mouth and he grasps his throat, it appears that the fist full of noodles she added to his plate was not meant to be eaten in one bite.

He’s choking she yells, and another diner at the table immediately panics and begins yelling “Call 911 he’s choking, I think he’s dying, HELP!” maybe it wasn’t that dramatic but I’d say it was close, he’s holding his throat and attempting to cough with only a rumbling squeak coming out, Cindy looks at me and calmly says “Jimmy” she did this between forkfuls as she never stopped eating.

I rush around behind and wrap my arms around him in preparation to do the Heimlich, I ask him if he is OK, he is beginning to cough a bit now, he nods his head and begins a forceful cough that dislodges the food caught in his throat, I am still not sure if he coughed it up all on his own, or if the fact that I was behind him with my arms wrapped around him getting ready to give him a good squeeze had anything to do with it, this guy does have a phobia about Men hugging him from behind.

His wife rushes into the living room and gathers up the person who is readying themselves to wave in the paramedics, I am talking with him making sure he is breathing OK, and Cindy is finishing up her first plate of the fine Italian Chicken dish while eyeballing the German Chocolate cake.

Our choking victim glares at Cindy and says, “Some help you are, with all of your medical training you just looked and slowly said Jimmy but never stopped eating”, Cindy smiled and explained that with all of her medical training she could see that he was not exactly in trouble yet, and she also had witnessed me do the Heimlich more than once, so she was sending proper help his way, she knew remaining calm would be the best thing, and it sure would be a bad thing if she allowed this fine meal to get cold.

So always remember these points from Cindy and her vast medical knowledge:

If you don’t already have training, learn to do the Heimlich.

Learn when to properly do the Heimlich, as it’s not a good thing to do it too soon.

Remain calm in all emergency situations.

And never allow a good meal to get cold, when it’s not necessary.

WFW - Two miles from town

This weeks Words for Wednesday is again hosted by our good friend River over at Drifting through life. The purpose of the words is to encourage us to write, a story, a poem, or whatever comes to mind.

If you post an entry on your blog, drop by Rivers blog at Drifting through life and let her know so everyone can read it.

I'm going to continue a story that I started last week, if you missed it you can find it here Sitting on the window sill

This week's words are:
puffing, candles, confused, fishing, supreme, almost
and/or:
eight, despicable, banner, shave, flowers, frowning

Two miles from town

Tammy found herself sitting on a small couch with her legs crossed, she was staring out of a window on the opposite wall, which was only about eight feet away, and outside this window all she could see was trees. This wasn't the house Todd had promised her, no electricity, a Coleman stove to cook on, and a lantern or candles for lights, somehow this wasn't her definition of a nice house.

Since coming here Todd had said how they didn't need anyone, he claimed they could live off the land. He told Tammy that she was nothing without him, he would have her walk with him down to the stream so she could haul water back to the trailer, but no matter how much she brought back there was never enough to bathe in. Todd hadn't had a shave and his scraggly beard gave him a look that scared her. He was supposedly fishing in this stream, but Tammy hadn't seen any fish caught yet.

Todd walked through the door and said, "I need to go into town and get some groceries Babe, want to come along?" Tammy tried to smile and answered "Sure, but Todd, this ain't what I thought it would be like." Todd smiled "Never is Tam, this place'll grow on you." She looked down towards the floor and quietly said, "It's not what you told me it was, I'm worried about Dad, I want to go home."

Todd just looked at her, the smile melted away from his face, Frowning he growled, "What do you mean you want to go home?" Then he screamed, "Hell we got it good here, nobody bothering us, after all I've done for you and now this." Confused Tammy shrank down into the little couch and tried to back away from his shouting, the spittle from his lips hit her in the face as he ranted.

"You're going to love it here Tam, I'll make damned sure of that!" Todd stormed out the door and as he placed a padlock into a hatch on the outside of the door, he growled through the window "I'm making sure that you stay inside until I get back, I can't believe you are doing this to me now!" huffing and puffing Todd jumped into his Nova and sped away throwing dirt and rocks into the air.

Tammy looked out the window on the door and didn't see any sign of Todd, she turned the knob and pushed the door, it rattled slightly but was stuck in place, she was trapped in what he had told her was "Paradise", she slid down the door and sat on the floor, she was going to have to think now...

It took a week for Tammy to come up with a good plan, a foolproof plan, at that...

Every time Todd left he always locked the door, leaving her trapped inside. All the windows were small and solid, but one behind the couch was a little loose, Tammy thought that she could squeeze through the opening if she could only get the window out, which she did.

Todd left for town and locked Tammy inside once again, "I'm going to the store to grab some things, why don't you rest up so we can have some fun when I get back" he said to her in a sickening sweet voice, Tammy smiled as he closed the door and pad locked it shut. He really thought he was some big time supreme thinker, just wait until he finds out how smart I really am, she thought. When the car drove away Tammy reached behind the couch and pulled the small pane of glass loose and dropped it to the ground.

She slipped behind the couch and stuck her legs through the window, it was a tight fit and the metal frame tore into the skin of her hips and back scratching her until she bled, she really thought she was in trouble when she found herself literally hanging out of the window with the metal frame digging in below her breasts, they were sore enough anyway and now her shirt was bunched up nearly wedging her into place, just then she heard Todd's car pulling up in front of the trailer.

Tammy placed both feet against the wall and pushed as hard as she could, with a loud rip her shirt tore loose and she fell to the ground landing on her back with her hands stretched out above her head, she could hear Todd's keys rattling as he opened the padlock.

Tammy ran around to the front and peered around the corner, as the door closed she could hear Todd calling her name as he walked down the hall towards the bedroom. She grabbed the padlock, slipped it into the hasp, and snapped it closed. Todd had even left his keys hanging in the lock.

As Tammy walked away she smiled, Todd was too big to slip through any of those windows. It may be a despicable thing to do but Tammy decided right then to forget completely about Todd and where he was located. A banner day for getting one over on hostage takers, she thought to herself, score one for the good guys, she threw his keys into the stream and grabbed herself a handful of wild flowers.

When she reached the blacktop she saw that she had a weak signal on her phone, there was a highway sign and another showing that she was only two miles from town. That little flutter she had noticed in her stomach was acting up again, it was kind of scary and comforting at the same time. She punched in her Dad's number.

Dan had been calling the sheriff's office and searching the area for Tammy almost everyday, He was about to give up hope, but decided to call them once again today to ask what they were doing to find his daughter, just as he picked up his cell phone it rang.

Hello this is Dan Hayes.....Tammy!.....

Will Cubby survive?

Monty had been here so long that nobody could remember when he arrived, but he was no longer getting things done. It was time to make some changes.

Monty was slipping, he was no longer cutting the mustard (so to say and literally) so to save him from further embarrassment Mr. Ward was forced into retirement, thus creating a new position that needed to be filled. After reviewing and looking at several possible replacements, a decision was finally made.

The replacement had a given name, but like Monty (who never used his full name), the new guy was also given a nick name. To my knowledge ever since he started taking care of the place he has always been known as Cubby. He came on the scene eleven years ago, and has always done a terrific job.

He began by clearing off two sections of the land, taking down weed, grass and mustard taller than he was. Poor ole Monty just couldn't do it anymore, he had let the land get away from him simply because he couldn't cut it anymore. Cubby stepped in and cleared all the mess in one day.

Cubby at work

Cubby never failed to complete any task put in front of him, he pulled his weight and more. He was never asked to do more than was reasonably expected, and he always came out on top because he definitely mowed down the competition.

He was given everything that he needed. Cubby was provided with shelter from the elements, he was always cleaned up like new after every job, and allowed to cool down and rest, yes he had a comfortable place to live.

A few days ago Cubby was working in the field. He had not been at it long when suddenly something just didn't sound right, he began shaking and had an unusual sound coming from inside him, he completely shut down and came to a stop right there where he was working...

Now I have a decision to make, will Cubby make it or not? I am going to either have to rent a trailer to haul him to Riverside, CA which isn't really close but is the closest place that works on Cub Cadet Garden tractors, or I am going to have to force Cubby into retirement.

This is a picture of our little dog Dixie, she loves riding along on Cubby when we aren't working too hard. (This was back during my "show Cindy what's under my beard stage.")

I really don't want to lose Cubby, but John, Husky, and even some of Cubbys relatives along with several others are looking at taking over the job. Garden tractors can sure put on a show making themselves look good when the one you own has a problem.

So how expensive is this going to be, I think the PTO clutch is locked down which throws a safety switch which in turn stops the motor from running, and the transmission drive belt is cracking which is not an easy thing to get to.

The Cub Cadet manual has a section called "Replacing the Transmission belt" which only has one sentence underneath the title, "If Transmission drive line belt needs replaced, take to nearest Cub Cadet service center", I suppose that means I am not supposed to try and replace it myself.

Cubby sitting broken down in the garage

I have removed Cubbys deck, and checked everything over, filters, oil, battery, and still the motor is not turning, so what do I do now? I either take it to the service center and see what they tell me, or I could go with a guy Cindy's Brother used to know that may have, or maybe used to have a lawn mower shop.

Even if I go with my first decision Cindy's Brother at least has a truck we can load Cubby onto, I say we load him onto the truck, then make a decision, beats renting a trailer anyways.

I still say a new tractor would be nice, but man Ole Cubby sure has been a good one.

Our Grandson Benjamin from a few years ago

I found this picture taken a few years back and I wonder if Benjamin might want to come work for his Papa until I get the tractor fixed?

I guess she wasn't

When I was a kid we did a lot of swimming. Not Olympic type swimming but a lot of splashing around in the lake, swimming in deep holes in the river, or building dams in a creek to make the water deep enough to play in.

We lived in a little town called Alexis, North Carolina for a short time. During the summer Mom would pack a picnic, load up an old crank ice cream freezer, rock salt, and ice, then we would go to a spot on the river. There we could swim, and while we were swimming one of us kids would take a turn at cranking the ice cream freezer for Mom. I'm still not sure how she pulled off keeping enough ice to make a batch of ice cream on the river during the hot summer in North Carolina, but Moms can do amazing things.

Anyways one of us kids would crank while everyone else swam, then when the one cranking got tired we would switch off, and when Mom said it was ready, that was always the best ice cream ever.

Swimming in the river was great; the water flowed really fast along the bank. I learned to dive into the swift moving water, and once in the flow I would hold my breath as I was taken under the water and swept along the edge of the bank, if I kept my arms pointed straight out above my head and kicked my feet just enough to stay upright, I could keep moving in the flow until the water ran into an open area of the river where the water slowed down, it felt like I was underwater for a really long time, and moved for an extremely long distance, it was quite the rush and was a long walk back to where Mom was making ice cream.

Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash

Once I got really good at floating down the river my underwater swimming skills improved at the lake. I could swim underwater longer and further than anyone, all the kids were quite impressed with my swimming skills, it was good to be looked up to, king of swimming, and the guy to be with, a legend in my own mind as they say.

You all remember the pool that our daughter bought for Cindy's birthday, I'm happy to report that the mini pool is doing much better, now that it was upgraded to the bigger 10 ft pool and we added the pump and chlorine, we even added a cover to keep out all the unwanted stuff like leaves, bugs, and unidentifiable critters that crawl in the night.

Every morning I take the cover off, and turn the pump on, in the afternoon we float and talk, at night we cover it back up and make sure that I remember to shut the pump off. The water is still crystal clear and still inside the pool.

Thursday we weren't able to get our floating done until after supper, which was really nice. Cindy and I were talking about how much nicer the bigger pool was, when she said, "When it comes time to replace this one we will probably upgrade to one big enough to swim in."

In my mind I was immediately taken back to North Carolina, The banks of that river were curved not unlike our mini pool; I swam within the curves of that river, why can't I swim within the curves of the mini pool?

I said "This pool is big enough to swim in" Cindy laughed at me at which my response was to immediately bet her that I could do it, she said there was no way I had room, "I can swim completely around the edge, a complete circle, underwater even" I told her while holding my hand out expecting a shake, the only shake I got was her head.

I stood up and removed my fine straw hat, then my glasses, the pressure was on, I had opened my mouth. In my mind I went back to fifteen year old Jimmy figuring my approach into the swift moving water of the river.

Now I had to figure my approach into a 10 ft by 30 inch deep pool without hurting myself, we all know that you aren't supposed to do this so "Don't try this at home kids." And now I had to make a complete circle without stopping and stay underwater without drowning.

I found the swiftly moving water being blown into the pool by the pump; I made my mini dive in the mini pool and swam my way up against the wall and underneath the ring. I kicked my feet and kept my arms outstretched as I made my way around the pool, I passed the first pump inlet and prayed that I wouldn't be sucked up against the wall ruining my perfect style. Success, I made it past the first inlet, with that said I continued my stride past the second inlet and now I was half way around, it was pretty easy at this point, all I had to do was make it back to the swiftly moving water from the pump, just about that time I got a blast of water right into my right eye.

I had made it! One complete lap as I predicted, I just knew Cindy was going to be proud, she would be cheering and clapping, I would once again be king of swimming, the guy to be with, she was going to be as impressed as all the kids were with fifteen year old Jimmy.

But I guess she wasn't.

When I stood with both hands in the air like a champion, I look to Cindy and asked what she thought, she said, "I think it's time to put the cover on the pool".

I guess maybe fifteen year old Jimmy swimming the length of a river was more impressive than a man my age splashing around in a ten foot pool. Or maybe she was so impressed that she was at a loss for words...yeah I'm going with that one.

WFW- Sitting on the window sill.

This weeks Words for Wednesday is again hosted by River over at Drifting through life. The purpose of the words is to encourage us to write, a story, a poem, or whatever comes to mind.
If you post an entry on your own blog, drop by Rivers blog at Drifting through life. to let her know so everyone can read it.

This week's words are:
dynamic, longer, woods, mobile, landed, cellar
and/or:
alerted, flying, demeanor, lights, smoothly, filled

And as River says; Let the creativity begin!😎

Sitting on the window sill

She sat on the window sill in a brief moment of indecision and wondered if she could really do this, I mean this wasn't some dynamic diabolical plot against her Father it was just that she didn't want to be here any longer, she was going to be sixteen and a half next week and she figured that was long enough to be stuck at home.

Photo by Aidan Meyer on Unsplash

Todd had his own place up in North Carolina and she had never even been out of Anderson County, he told her about how beautiful it was there, how the stars filled the sky looking so unbelievably close that she would be able to reach out and almost touch them, and how the sound of the waterfall out on the backside of the property would peacefully lull her to sleep every night.

She was supposed to meet him at the end of their gravel road at midnight. Todd's car was too loud for him to drive any closer to the house without being heard. Between the sound of his glass packs and the tires crunching on the gravel, her Dad would certainly be alerted. Todd had already been lectured at the end of her Dad's shotgun when he tried to sneak up to the house late one night to be with her.

Dad had been canning vegetables that she had helped him pick from the garden earlier in the day, the jars were now cool enough to handle and Dad just couldn't leave them sitting on the counter overnight. "Tammy, get in here and help me!" He had shouted around eleven o'clock, "I know you aren't in bed yet, and we need to get these vegetables down in the cellar."

Now two hours later after lugging all those jars down the steps, the lights in Dad's room had finally gone out, and now she was waiting for the sound of his snoring to begin. She dreamed of the grand property and house Todd had told her about, he smoothly said "We can live here forever Tam, Queen of your own castle, you won't have to do anything, you will love it."

The loud rattles of Dads snoring started, and as it settled into an even rhythm, Tammy slid off of the window sill and quietly landed in the dewy wet grass outside, she grabbed her duffle bag from behind the hedges and ran fast as she could down the side of the gravel road.

Todd saw her step onto the blacktop looking all around, he flashed the headlights on his Nova and started the engine "About Damn Time" he muttered to himself, as she threw her duffle into the backseat, she excitedly giggled and said, "Hey Todd, lets do this."

He dropped the shifter into first gear, popped the clutch and now they were flying in the rusty Nova, onto the onramp of I-85 North, Tammy talked excitedly for the next two hours while Todd patiently listened, they were now off of the Interstate and on some narrow two lane road, Tammy had no idea where they were now, it was so dark and she was beginning to get scared.

The closer they got the more Todd's demeanor changed, he was now answering with one word responses, he was starting to get sharp and hateful sounding towards her. Tammy told herself that he was just tired, heck they had been up all night, and now it was almost dawn, they can sleep all day once they get to Todd's house.

Todd turned the wheel sharply to the right, guiding his Nova into a gap between two tree limbs, he slowly followed the narrow drive avoiding the deep ruts washed into the dirt by heavy rains, the road twisted and turned through a dark tunnel that was formed within the hanging tree limbs and kudzu vines. After a long curve in the road they drove out of the darkness, and suddenly everything seemed to open up revealing a beautiful clearing, like a hidden tropical world no one had ever seen.

"Welcome home darling" Todd whispered as he got out of the car, Tammy sat quietly staring at her cell phone; she saw that she had no service. Taking another look through the windshield to confirm that what she really saw was a tiny mobile home sitting buried in the woods.

Todd motioned for her to follow, while he walked toward the dilapidated trailer.

Photo by John-Mark Kuznietsov on Unsplash

She just sat there refusing to move as a tear ran down her face; Tammy wished that she were back home sitting on the windowsill.

Wordless Wednesday-Rainbow

Photo taken by Cindy S.

Linking up with Sandee over at Comedy Plus for Wordless Wednesday

Good ole boys

Cindy's Dad was feeling pretty good the other day and wanted to go out and get a new pair of shoes.

We took him down to the local sporting goods store, and in the shoe department found a young man carrying a bunch of shoe boxes. "Hello folks, is anyone helping you?" Cindy told him that her Dad needed a pair of 10 1/2 Wide shoes. "Give me just a second to put these boxes down and I'm your man"

This young man was so nice, he brought every wide shoe in Rays size, and was very helpful in making suggestions, when nothing they had was what Ray wanted, he said "I just thought of something, let me grab one more for you to try on" he took off toward the wall of the store, and I followed.

"We have some shoes over here that may work for him" he said, "I asked him, "Is this where you keep the wide shoes?" He replied, "Yep, they hide uh few uv em rite heah" he stopped and looked at me and said "oops sorry, my accent slipped out..."

Where are you from? I asked him, he said, "I was born and raised in West Virginia", I told him that I am from South Carolina, and then asked "What do you mean that your accent slipped out?" He looked around and then whispered, "I had to work really hard to get this job, I had to learn how to talk without an accent" he went on to say that he had to practice really hard to sound "Normal" because his accent was so strong that nobody would hire him. OK folks I want you to know that this ticked me off.

I want to warn you that I am about to pull out my soapbox.

I love to hear accents, an accent is definitely nothing to be ashamed of, because we all have one whether you think you do or not. It may not be a strong accent but the way you talk and sound signifies you as an individual and of where you are from, this sound is "Normal" for you. Being ashamed of your accent is the same as being ashamed of yourself, and you should never be ashamed of who you are.

My accent tells everyone that I am from somewhere in the Southern United States, South Carolina to be exact, a Texas accent is plain enough to say that you are from there, how about New Jersey, or Australia, or Great Britain? Why would you want to be from England and not talk with a British accent? (Actors do it all the time, but that's an entirely different post).

I'm going to talk mainly of  Southern accents because that is what I know. The principles behind what I am saying applies to everyone and in my opinion you should never be made to feel ashamed of you are.

Don Williams sang "Good Ole Boys Like Me" back in 1980, there is one line in this song that speaks on how Southerners are made to feel they should lose their accents to fit in, I know it's only one line in a song but to me it's seriously the way a lot of us are made to think.

But I was smarter than most and I could choose
Learned to talk like the man on the six o'clock news
When I was eighteen, Lord, I hit the road
But it really doesn't matter how far I go

I can still hear the soft Southern winds in the live oak trees
And those Williams boys they still mean a lot to me
Hank and Tennessee
I guess we're all gonna be what we're gonna be
So what do you do with good ole boys like me

To me this part of the song basically says that the smart ones choose to change the way they talk; "Learned to talk like the man on the six o'clock news" but why? I know from experience that our accents are the butt of a lot of jokes, heck I've even made fun of myself in Say That Again.

Our accents are who we are, when I left the South at 18 years old, "When I was eighteen, Lord, I hit the road" I started hearing things like, "Just where in hell is that accent from, are ewe a Tex-sun", "Say that again it sounds so funny when you say it",  "You're going to have to learn how to talk if you want to keep working here Boy!"

This is why it made me so mad, because I've been there. This young man was a perfect gentleman to us, he took care of Cindy's Dad and went out of his way to make sure that Ray was happy. He is a compassionate young man who takes pride in his job, so why should he be made to feel that he won't fit in because "He ain't from around here", and has to change the way he talks?

I know that the customers have to understand him but.... Why in hell in this day and age do we have to all fit into one mold?

Why can't we be ourselves, and why can't we be different?

To hell with the way the man on the six o'clock news talks, especially if he is being forced to talk this way! I shouldn't be made to feel that this is the way everyone should sound.

Just because you talk with a Southern accent doesn't make you stupid, and it doesn't make you a stereotypical hillbilly that they make fun of on TV, this way of thinking is just wrong.

People seriously think this way when they hear a Southern accent, I hate that this has gone on for so many years, and I think it's about time that we start accepting each other for who we are.

We can poke fun at one another in a good natured manner, this is expected of friends, but we should never make fun of someone and make them feel out of place simply because they talk differently.

When you move to other places naturally your accent will change some, I have been told by my family that I have lost mine, but still people I meet want to know where my accent is from and that's OK. Our Daughter picks up the Southern accent whenever she has gone to visit, and hearing Cindy now you would never guess she is from California.

I have no problem with natural changes like this, but when you are told by someone that you need to change your God given way of speaking..... Shame on them.

Be proud of yourself, because the Good Lord made you this way, and don't ever let anyone make you feel that you are not good enough because of the way you look or sound.

OK putting my soapbox away.

"I guess we're all gonna be what we're gonna be, So what do you do with good ole boys like me"

Calling it Coke

What do people call that fine carbonated beverage you are drinking?

What do you call this drink?

"Hey Joe grab me a coke out of that ice chest".

To which Joe replies "There ain't nothing but Sprite in here".

"Yeah that'll work", Jim tells him.

"But you said to get you a Coke".

"That's because you were right there by the ice chest".

"There aren't any Cokes in here Jim".

"Yes there are, I'll just get it myself".

Jim walks over, opens the ice chest and grabs himself a Sprite.

This is an example of two men raised in different areas, one uses the literal brand name Coke or Coca-Cola, the other just wants a carbonated beverages from the cooler. Get me a coke doesn't necessarily mean Coke.

In the Southern states where I was raised any carbonated beverage is referred to as coke, not Coke the brand but coke the beverage, I guess you just don't hear the lower case "c" when we are talking. But if we look to the Northeast and California soda is the common name that is used, and in the Midwest they call it pop.

That's three different names for the same drink right here in the United States. I wonder how many other names are out there? What about our friends in other countries, like our friends Down Under and in The UK, or our friends to the North in Canada and everyone else around the world? What does everyone call that carbonated beverage that I was raised to call coke?

Historically Coca-Cola originated in the South. Confederate Colonel John Pemberton created the original formula at his Eagle Drug and Chemical Company in Columbus, Georgia. He was wounded in the War Between the States and created what was first called coca wine, as a substitute for the morphine he had become addicted to.

In 1885 Pembertons French Wine Coca was a mixture of coca, kola nut, damiana, and cocaethylene (a mixture of cocaine and alcohol), which Pemberton registered as a nerve tonic.

In 1886 Atlanta and Fulton County, Georgia passed prohibition legislation. Pemberton responded by removing the cocaethylene from his formula, and renaming this non alcoholic version after the two main ingredients, coca and kola nut, with this recipe Pemberton introduced the very first version of Coca-Cola, which began selling for a nickel a glass at Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia on May 8th of that year.

Coca-Cola was advertised as a cure for everything from morphine addiction, and indigestion to headaches and impotence. A refreshing brain tonic so to say that helps with all physical and mental ailments. It's no wonder Coke became so popular.

Ok there is my little history lesson about Coke for today, just look at how far we have come since the creation of Coke, it's no wonder all other carbonated beverages are called coke, in the area where it was created anyways.

Of course I heard brand names growing up and I know the differences between them, but whenever my Mom said, "Hey Jimmy, go and get me a coke out of the refrigerator" I knew to bring her back a Pepsi-Cola because that is all she ever drank, and as a matter of fact Pepsi is still the cola she drinks but she still says "Please grab me a coke."

Cindy on the other hand is a Coke drinker. And growing up with a Father from Michigan, and a Mom from Missouri and being raised in California, she calls it both Soda and Pop, her Dad leans more toward Pop but she leaned more toward calling it Soda.

That is until being around me for this many years, now she asks for a Coke. I know that Coke is her brand of choice but all we have in the refrigerator as most of you know is Shasta, but she still asks for a coke when she wants me to grab a Shasta for her.

I did a quick Internet search to find some answers as to what people from different areas call Soft Drinks.

As we have already mentioned "Coke" is the favorite term across the Southern United States, from South Carolina all the way to New Mexico and even up to Southern Indiana.

They call it "Soda" on the East Coast all the way down to Florida (except for SC and Georgia who call it coke), and the West Coast which includes California, Nevada, and Arizona. Also states using the term "soda" are Missouri, Wisconsin, and Hawaii.

It seems "Pop" is the favorite across the Midwest, and Pacific Northwest, states from Oregon, and Washington and all the way over to Pennsylvania, basically everywhere else in the US.

I started getting vague answers when I began researching other Countries, and from what the fine world wide web says:

Our friends in Australia and the United Kingdom use the terms Fizzy Drink or Soft Drink, and in Canada our friends say Pop when asking for a carbonated beverage.

I trust what you say more than the www. Tell us what you think, what state, area, or country you are in and what name you use for a carbonated cola beverage?