Hello
Today we are going to Muse about the end of season. If this is your first visit, welcome to Musings. If you have been here before, welcome back. Over time we are going to talk about many things: the past, the present, perhaps the future, travel, art, society and more. Wherever my musing takes me. I hope you will come along with me.
Once again the winter residents are heading home. It happens each year about this time. Easter seems to be the trigger. Easter comes and people go.
With Easter being so late this year, many people stayed longer than normal. But that is changing. The other day I saw two extra long car transport trucks back to back loading up. I’ve seen several others on different days.
This means change down here: less traffic, less wait and summer restaurant specials. For those of us who live here most of the year its a sad-happy time. Sad to see our friends go, but happy to enjoy the trade-offs.
With the changing of the season comes the rain and humidity. Florida’s rainy season is said to start May 15. This year however, it came early. Like the other parts of the country we have had some severe weather the last several weeks. Each year, during the first week of May, West Palm Beach hosts SunFest, a five day music festival that draws thousands of people: locally, from the Fort Lauderdale area and Miami. This week they had heavy storms daily. Hmm! Those who attended reported that despite the rain and wind it was a great festival.
So, if you are seasonal, I wish you “happy trails”; if you are local, I say “Enjoy the specials”; if you are neither, I say “Come on down. You’ll like it”
On A Different Note
The following was sent to me. I cannot verify it. I do not know if I believe all of it. But, I thought you might find it interesting.
It’s time again for the annual ” Stella Awards”!
For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald’s in New Mexico, where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right?
That’s right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U.S.
Here are the Stella’s for this year:
SEVENTH PLACE
Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
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SIXTH PLACE *
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles, California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn’t notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor’s hubcaps.
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FIFTH PLACE *
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn’t re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut. Forced to sit for eight, count ’em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner’s insurance company claiming undue mental anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish.
FOURTH PLACE *
Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the
Stella’s when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next-door neighbor’s beagle – even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner’s fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
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THIRD PLACE *
Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tailbone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.
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*SECOND PLACE*
Kara Walton, of Claymont, Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000. Oh, yeah, plus dental expenses.
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FIRST PLACE *
This year’s runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , who purchased a new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver’s seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Also, not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner’s manual that she couldn’t actually leave the driver’s seat while the cruise control was set. The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?
$1,750,000. PLUS, a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.
So, what do you think?
more to come
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North County Road GREETING CARD
Thomas-Tribby.pixels.com is now offeringCoffee Mugs, Throw Pillows, Greeting Cards, Bath Towels, Hand Towels, Shower Curtains, Duvet Covers , Yoga Mats, Tote Bags,Women’s T Shirts, Men’s T Shirtsand more with reproductions of my artwork. If you want to check them out, here are the steps:
- 1. Click on this link: thomas-tribby.pixels.com.
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Have fun.
My work is available as traditional prints on canvas, paper or metal, but it also available on greeting cards, phone covers, tote bags, shower curtains, t-shirts and more. It makes for some very personalized gifts. Below is the link to the site. I hope you like it.
Click on: thomas-tribby.pixels.com
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Works on Paper
On The Waterfront
Impressions of Florida
Works at
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