Scattershooting / And Then There Was Much Sputtering

Well, I again bid you welcome to this cozy respite known to you as Scattershooting. It's where I go here, there, and everywhere. While you're pondering your Christmas shopping endeavors, let me share with you all endeavors of another kind.

Mine, of course....

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Sooner or later, as good as my 2011 Toyota Camry was, it was just bound to happen. After all, it had been a well-run, well-maintained automobile that ran as smoothly and efficiently as any car could and should. Today, however, things changed. The engine and battery system began sputtering as I was taking it to a nearby garage, and before that, two panel lights were coming on and staying on, indicating that something was wrong. So, your writer is taking his time and spending (too much) money, after just undergoing a colonoscopy, getting something else checked out. But this was the best car I've ever driven in my life. Yes, sooner or later, a problem just had to come up, and there is never a good time for it.

Time will tell what the diagnosis is, as I'm having to stop at a new place since it was closer than my Toyota dealership would have been. In the meantime, I just happen to be enjoying a temporary ride in my rental car, a Dodge sedan. It's the latest model, and it's got some fancy bells and whistles you'd never thought you'd see in a car. Pushbutton starter. Back side viewer for backing out. Digital technology in the instrument panel. Yeah, this is the coming thing, and my next Toyota could be a lot like this Dodge.

Still, however, I get sentimental with cars like I would with people and other things I share lots of life with. I'll probably keep the current car for another 20,000 miles or so. By the way, it almost has 200,000 miles on it, achieved in almost seven years. Not too shabby. The sputtering that was erstwhile in its existence will be no more in just a couple of days.

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Just how much of your childhood does one wish to recapture during the magic that is the Christmas season? The number shouldn't really surprise anyone. Here's a link with an explanation:

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/52...dhood-holidays

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As I write this blog post, I'm getting a visit from Santa Claus.


Oh, yeah.

He's taking time out of his very busy North Pole schedule to roam my apartment complex on a Lewisville (Texas) Fire Department engine. All the kids in the neighborhood are flocking to him now.

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Major League Baseball's wheeling and dealing is underway. We've just seen Patrick Corbin sign with the Washington Nationals, reportedly to a six-year deal. He would have been a great fit for my Houston Astros, but general manager Jeff Luhnow apparently has other plans. The price tag would have been a bit high.

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Some obituaries to go over in the last week:

Ken Berry - You remember him from two memorable TV series, "Mayberry RFD" and "F Troop". He's gone now at 85. What great memories he left behind for us.

https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/ken...-d-1203071348/

And here are a few words from the great Carol Burnett, who knew Ken very well from his days on CBS-TV.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ne...ll-wax-1166013

Stephen Hillenburg - He created the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants, and it became a monster hit among children the past twenty years. This writer had even taken the time to watch several episodes and was briefly hooked with it. Hillenburg was just 57 when he passed after suffering from ALS. Born an Okie but grew up in Cali. His work was the fifth-longest-running cartoon in television history.

President George H.W. Bush - This country's 40th man to serve in the 41st presidential administration (Remember, now, Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms. That's why. Just saying...) in our history. I will actually remember him more for what we didn't see him do at the time that he did it, and that's play baseball. George Bush was a baseball man. Long before his venture into U.S. politics, he played hardball for Yale University and was even the captain of their team. He faithfully rooted for the same Houston Astros for so many years, especially after his presidency. He was (for the moment) the longest-living president in the history of America, leaving us at age 94.

Rest in peace.

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If you plan to own a bobcat and adopt same for a pet in the near future, then you'd best think twice about it. You won't want to go through what the following family has gone through in this matter.

https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/fa...r-court-battle

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Change has happened as Lubbock In The Loop has redesigned their website. Be sure to check out their new features.

http://www.lubbockintheloop.com/comi...bock/#now-open

And while I'm at it, here's a little peek at the very latest on the new Buddy Holly Hall Of Performing Arts And Sciences:

https://www.lepaa.org/

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Back to baseball now: Could it now be that the Oakland A's have finally settled on a new ballpark site? Some say "yes", as there's a new plan to build a waterfront park to (sort of) counter San Francisco's ballpark success. Maybe counter is a strong word here, but Oakland fans are getting weary of ballpark site searches. Nevertheless, the powers that be might actually be on to something this time around.

https://www.athleticsnation.com/2018...minal-coliseum

Howard Terminal is to be the site of the new yard, and it will integrate and mesh with the nearby community. It should pass an environmental study just fine.

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You should have seen my reaction when my personal physician, with whom I visited two weeks ago for an appointment, said this to me about fruit and its nutritional value: "Fruit is nothing but a dessert. Grapes have too much sugar. Apples have too much sugar. It's a dessert." Surprising? I thought so at the time, as he was explaining how to structure a daily diet while at work. He's a bigger fan of nuts than he is of natural fruits which grow from trees.

My doctor sez that fruit is a dessert. Doctors know best, right? Now, I've officially heard everything.

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And who would have imagined that two prominent people, pastor Jim Johnson of Frisco's Preston Trail Community Church, and radio legend Bruce Morrow (Cousin Brucie) would have the gall to mention climate change during the course of the day? Yep. On the same day. Johnson did it in his bi-weekly message, and Brucie mentioned something about it on his Saturday Night Party program. Neither blasted it, which is a shame. While both of them tried to avoid any notion of politics, only one has to wonder if there really was a motive.

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My goodness, are they talking about 2020 car models already? In this particular case, this car is a pickup. Pickups are the talk of the land right now. Here's something Chevrolet has up its sleeve.

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/the-202...shows-its-face

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Whether you plan to get a pickup or perfume or pantyhose or pillowcases for Christmas, please pause and remember the real reason for the season. Something to ponder plenty. May your holiday season be one to remember for now unto the ages. Cherish them.

And there you are.