Monday, December 31, 2012

Another episode of Wonder Woman

Episode 1:  Freaky Friday
Episode 2:  Over-stove-microwave


Episode 3:

As I prepared to leave for work early one morning, the power to the house went off about 6:50.  Wonder Woman (who home schools our children) was still getting her beauty sleep.  I did not know if she had somewhere to be that morning but I did not want to leave without asking.  I gently nudged her and said "Hey sweetness, the power is off.  Do you need to get up early for any appointments this morning?"  She responded no they were staying home today. 

Later that day I returned home for lunch.  Wonder Woman could not wait for me to get in the house to tell me something.  As I entered the house she was already laughing.  What have you done? I asked.

This is the story she told.  

Not long after you left I started hearing noises in the living room.  I thought a squirrel had gotten in our Christmas tree like on Christmas Vacation.  Then Squirt came in our room wanting to know what the noise was too.  We then thought it might be you, maybe you had forgotten your wallet again.  But we heard more noise and it was more constant.  Squirt said that sounds like Will, our three year old neighbor, knocking on the door.  I suddenly realized she was right.  

I got out of bed, still in my pajamas, not understanding why a three year old would be knocking on our door this early in the morning.  As I walked through the living room, I grabbed the blanket off the couch and wrapped around me.  The knocking on the door continued.  I got to the door and opened it.  Will and his grandmother Meme were standing there.  

Meme started to ask if our power was off when she stopped and asked if she had woke me up.  I then realized I had on no makeup, I'm still in my pajamas, I'm wrapped in a blanket, my hair is lopsided, but the words out of my mouth...'NO - no you did not wake me up'.

Meme apologized for waking me up.  I said again, 'No I was up'.  Meme asked about the power again.  I told her yes our power was out.  Kipp had woke me up early this morning before he left for work to let me know the power was out.  Meme said well when got here at 8:15 the power was off and we know Kirk (Will's Dad) has had some issues with his electricity in this house.  There must be a short somewhere.  So we just wanted to make sure it was the whole neighborhood.  Again, I am so sorry for waking you up.  

Kipp - I was not asleep I was awake...
Wonder Woman paused for a moment so I jumped in.

Kipp: that IS funny you lied to Meme about three times.
Wonder Woman: I was NOT asleep!  I was SNOOZING!  Can I finish my story?!
Kipp: Oh no, there is more?

Wonder Woman goes on...
So of course I go ahead and get my shower and get dressed.  We get school started about 8:45, right after the power came back on, and then about 10:30 I let the girls out to play before lunch.  When Gumpy (Will's grandfather) waves to me from Kirk's driveway and asked me to come over.  He is sitting in a chair with his foot* propped up.  He has this little smile on his face and tells me he is in big trouble.  I asked what for.  

He said he was the one that suggested Meme and Will check with me about the power being out and she is very upset with him for sending her over and waking you up.  I told him, 'I was not asleep!'  Ignoring me, he smiled and said she scolded him good because she knew better than to make a visit so early in the morning.  Gumpy it's OK, she did not wake me up, I was not asleep!  He just laughed at me.

Kipp: ~Laughing~ you should be ashamed of yourself for lying so many times to grandparents.  
Wonder Woman: I WAS SNOOZING!

* Gumpy had dropped a cinder block on his foot the night before.  According to Wonder Woman it was swollen and nasty looking, very painful to look at.  But the morning report from Meme was enough to take Gumpy's mind off of his apparent pain.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Dont text and drive.

The texting and driving campaign has gained some steam over the last year or so.  I was discussing the issue with some friends and remembered the documentary from AT&T I had on the 'Thought Burst' page of my blog.  When I clicked the link it did not go to the video anymore.  I have updated the link to go to the correct video.

For those that have not seen it here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DebhWD6ljZs&feature=player_embedded

Share this with your friends and family.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

daydreaming about a bio

I recently attended a business conference.  As one of the breakout sessions started the MC began introducing a very illustrious, educated, and well dressed speaker.  The biography was a bit lengthy with the number of Board of Director assignments, degree after degree leading up his last at Harvard and etc.  The list went on and on, even listed his work with the Boy Scouts.  As she read over it, she even stopped and said "With all this education and civic duty listed, when did you have time to work?"  He just smiled.  My question was, unless he is about to teach us how to tie a knot, will he saying anything I will understand?

Well I admit it, I liked him.  He was charismatic, fun, serious, emotional, informative, and thought provoking.  He dropped it down to a level low enough for me to understand.  He threw in quotes from his favorite philosopher often.  Aristotle seemed to a pretty smart fellow for his time.  

He nearly preached to us about his topic - Ethics.  He inspired us to to strive for integrity in our lives.  Living by a code of ethics, values, and principles mixed in with personal integrity, he suggested, will hopefully take us and others on a journey fit for a king.  Impressive as his presentation was, I still could not help to but to daydream about the biography.  What would mine sound like if I was asked to give a presentation?

"He has worked since he was 12.  He worked part time jobs (life guarding, janitorial, activities director, etc.)  to help pay for his college education.  He took more than four years to complete his degree.  He was not a member of any club, because...he was busy working.  He loves the outdoors - though he cannot tie a knot (remember no clubs, not even Boy Scouts).  He knows exactly what crow tastes like.  He is a very lucky husband ...wait, that did not sound right...he has a better wife than he deserves and two children that he adores.  He hosts a blog called 'rockbottom' and has self published an ebook under the same title.  Please welcome Kipp Bedford."

With spin:  "He has worked in fortune 500 companies during his 20+ working career.  He majored in Business Administration with minors in numerous other business schools, too many to list here.  His civic duties include the Red Cross where he saved lives life guarding, mentored many young lives, and served those in need well.  His wife is registered on the National Collegiate Who's Who's Dean's List, she was also a highly respected Trust Officer in the financial world before retiring to take care of their two adorable daughters.  Mr. Bedford is a published author with another successful book on the way.  Please welcome..."  

What it would really sound like if it ever happened: "Please join me in welcoming our guest speaker today; Skip Bradford."      
     

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Yes this is you

If you have ever wondered what you look like to an Information Technology technician (IT guy) or to the Geek Squad or to your children when you purchase new technology (VCR, iPhone, flat screen TV, DVR) or it is your first day at a new job and the computer is 'different than one you had at your last job'.  Watch this video...you are represented by the person on the right.




Sunday, September 16, 2012

tricky tricky white boy


I got Squirt to go with me...while I tried to find new locations to take pictures. 
She is such a good assistant photographer, so patient.  


This was my favorite :-)




Saturday, September 1, 2012

"Never" is a bad word

Part I

They say you should never say "never".  Well I said it about two years ago. 
"I will never leave the country.  I do not want to travel outside the United States, it is just asking for trouble."  

Technically I had been to Canada.  But walking across the border to do a bit of shopping, in my mind, does not qualify as being "in country".  My next qualifier for out of country would be Hawaii.  Several years ago I got to visit the island on business.  Yes I understand it is one of our states, but it is not like you can get in your car and drive over for the weekend now is it?  Plus they have a rich heritage and culture that is a bit different than most of ours in the continental states.  

I should have known my comment would come back to haunt me.  After a happenstance meeting and a few discussions later, I was booked on a plane to Beijing.  Well if you are going to go, might as well go big right?   

Longest flight evar.  Detroit to Beijing was a gazillion hours long.  The food served on Devil airlines was exactly what you would imagine food microwaved to within a second of bursting into flames, in small plastic containers, prepared by people who also like to sew, that was left sitting in a larger container out on a concrete desert for a few days would taste like.  

Why do I call them "Devil" airlines?  They lie.  The only words they speak that are trustworthy is "Now boarding".  Our original flight plans were from Atlanta to Tokyo to Beijing.  This would have been cool since I have never been to Japan.  But due to "extreme mechanical issues" with the equipment the estimated 5 hour delay would have caused us to miss our connecting flight in Tokyo.  So they routed us to Detroit then to Beijing.  Cool right - at least it is a direct flight.  You can sleep on the plane right?  Devil airlines will be sure to transfer your luggage to the plane you are flying on right?  

We arrived in Beijing before the sun went down, but it sure felt like two or three days past.  The gift provided us by Devil airlines for traveling with them - no luggage.  Ever been a foreign country with no luggage?  OK then.  But have you ever been in a foreign country with no luggage during a tropical storm? Thank you it was horrible.  My traveling companions, by the time we all got our luggage, had been wearing the same clothes for 4 days.  We started our trip on Thursday morning.  We got our luggage Monday morning at 1 am.   

If I could give you people one practical piece of advice - always take a change of clothes and a travel size deodorant with you on the plane no matter where you are traveling.  I do on every trip. 







Saturday, August 25, 2012

Questions




Why can it be so difficult to uncover the truth?








Brings to mind the famous lines from "A Few Good Men":



"I WANT THE TRUTH!"





"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"







Which only brings me to yet another question.  



Who decides who can handle the truth?