Wednesday and some midweek thoughts

When Monday is a holiday, hump day gets here in a hurry. Here it is Wednesday already. The Maine weather continues to make us very happy and will apparently do so right into Saturday. From what Kevin Mannix, the weather guy on NewsCenter 6 in the morning, says, it could get a little dicey here Saturday afternoon as the remnants of Hannah passes through.

But that’s still a few days away and a lot can happen in a few days. Yesterday was a busy one around Gatorland. We set out to paint Gator Wife’s bathroom and paint we did. We got the walls completed and will do the trim this morning. That won’t take very long. Putting up that blue tape will take longer than slapping on some white paint around the window and door.

Did I mention that GW is taking a day off today? As anyone who reads this with any regularity knows, she works a part time job three days a week, including Wednesdays, but not today. The company for which she works has a different way of figuring vacations and sick leave. Earned vacation and sick days are lumped together as personal time days under various names. Workers can use these days any way they wish, but when they’re gone, they’re gone. This seems to be a growing trend. GW is using one of hers today. Why? Because she wants to.

Yesterday afternoon GW and I were driving to our daughter’s house in Portland. That route takes us through the city on I-295 from the Scarborough Connector to Tukey’s Bridge. The speed limit on the highway through Portland is 50, but few drivers follow that speed. Most people continue the 55 they’re going as they cross the Portland/South Portland line. I usually am among those, and we are speeding. Yesterday a long line of cars were maintaining that speed when along came a Brunswick Police cruiser.

It was heading, apparently, back to Brunswick probably after making a deposit at the Cumberland County Jail just off I-295. Both those facts are speculation, but that cruiser passed all of us going considerably faster than the posted 50 MPH and considerably faster than the 55 most of us were travelling. The cars in the left lane were squeezing into the right lane causing potential problems because they saw a police car with its unlit light bar the only way it could be identified screaming up behind them.

That Brunswick Police car was not using its lights or siren; it was just speeding home. We see this type of police driving frequently. It is my thought that a police officer should be setting an example of proper driving not an example of illegal driving. There were no local nor State Police along that portion of the highway we travelled so the speeding was not stopped. I doubt it would have been even if he passed a local or state cruiser. And we wonder why we regular drivers have such disdain for traffic laws.

The Republican Convention sort of got back on track yesterday. Speeches last night were designed to rally the faithful. The highlight of the speeches tonight will be that of vice presidential nominee-to-be Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. It appears her selection has gotten the Democrats into a tizzy. The reaction and the innuendos being passed along by them gives an indication to me that they are now truly worried about the coronation of their Messiah.

Have you seen the published reports that Dirigo Health, which was supposed to be self-sustaining with no tax funding, is now 20-million dollars in debt? That debt, according to the reports, began last November or earlier. Yet the state told us it ended the year with a surplus. Interesting, isn’t it?

Hurricane Gustav was about as powerful as had been forecast, but the destruction appears to be considerably less than expected. Of course any destruction is terrible, but this one could have been worse. And there are at least three more tropical storms roaming around the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricane Hannah, soon-to-be one Ike, and another, Josephine, with much potential are all eyeing the United States, but on the East Coast. I think Kevin this morning said there was still another disturbance off the Africa coast trying to decide what to do.

As I said, GW is home today and there’s some more painting to do. She’ll probably do most of it, but she needs some help putting up the masking tape. So, it’s off to the chores. You enjoy your day.

GiM