Temporary Leave

The Creative Mind of Carbo is
on vacation and returning (hopefully)

February 8, read responsibly!

Polished rocks

Finding new music has been a real bear this year already ... the television writers must also write songs because it has been slim pickings.

Luckily what is old is new again as Anne Murray headed back into the studio with some new singers, come country legends and even through modern technology a duet with Dusty Springfield (who is no longer with us).

The album does not break musical ground by any means, but it is a good listen. The song with her daughter Dawn is probably the best cut however, Shania Twain, Joan Arden and Martina McBride add much to new Murray renditions.

Few artists have albums on the horizon ... uggh... but Dolly Parton is slated for an end of February release. So are Dionne Warwick, k.d. lang, and Janet Jackson. So until then, it is old music as new ...

Happy Birthday to a Supermodel

The Creative Mind of Carbo pauses long enough to say Happy Birthday to Keli Everett, Fort Wayne's one and only supermodel as she celebrates with great joy her birthday. Everyone take a picture of her if you see her out this weekend.

From the library of Carbo

Yesterday, as a few members of my staff and I ate lunch, we asked those real important life questions of who would you like to meet that is famous, or best dining experience etc.

Well, the question came up as to which book do you enjoy and of course, being the heavy reader that I am, it took me a split second to spout off and say Corduroy! The book was written the year I was born, I have read this book so many times as a child that it just feels like an old friend.

The premise of this novel (he he) when a stuffed bear is all alone in the department store at night, he begins an adventure that sends him through the store to find a button off his overalls. (Never got overalls, but that is okay, it is only a book) When he discovers a button on a mattress he pulls and pulls until he falls off the bed, breaking a lamp and is slothed out by in store security. He is put on a shelf and he falls asleep to be purchased the next day by a girl name Lisa, who loves him and brings him home.

I have a sister Lisa, so I think I assumed I was Corduroy. Okay, I was a kid, give me a break. Well, I thought that until a few years ago. However the book celebrates 40 years and it is just as sweet now as it was back then. Pick up your copy.

"A Page Right Out of History"

From the town of Bedrock, They're a page right out of history.
Someday, maybe Fred will win the fight, And that cat will stay out for the night.

Well, perhaps lifted from the famous Flintstones closing song, but my political hopeful has taken his hat out of the ring (of fire).

So, now I begin my online crusade to get back his job on Law and Order! We need to write the television stations, everyone who was going to vote for Thompson for President, and let the stations know they need to solidify a deal with him to bring Arthur Branch back to the New York chair in Law and Order.

Oh, wait, I was the only one voting for Fred Thompson. Perhaps this campaign won't work either. Drats! Wilma!

Lightbrite in my house!

Growing up Carbo, one of my favorite toys beyond my Mickey Mouse record player was my lightbrite. Fun with glass pegs and electricity, what a novel concept for kids.

The other night when I woke up at my early morning hour, perhaps 3 or 4 am, I just sat up in my bed and looked around while I was petting Clyde. There was so much light that I had to think when did my house become child proofed for late night walks down the hall?

In my room alone, there is a light that is on the telephone while it charges, there is a light on the cell phone charger, there is a light on the IPOD docking station, there is a light on the power strip cord, there is the light that is on my computer to show the battery is either charged or not charged, there is the light from the Internet box, there is a light on the Direct Tv box, there is the light from the CD player to show that it has electricity but not one.

So then I went into the hallway, there is of course the nightlight in the bathroom, which I now realize I never need. The water cooler has a red light for hot and a blue light for cold, the 3 400 cd changers and the receiver have lights too. The smoke alarm has a light the clock on the microwave is lit as well as the security alarm pad.

If there was a way to turn off all these lights on all these items I doubt I would have an electrical bill. So, here is a tip, go green by taking out all these darn "just so you know I am working" lights.

All Kings Day ...

Burger King


The KING



Kingsize bed

Stephen King

King Tut

Martin Luther King Jr.

Old King Cole

Lion King.

I had a dream last night and when I woke up the part that I remembered was all of the Kings that need to be honored. Those who missed the list - The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, Larry King, Kings Island, King Cobra, King Kong, The King that never will be Prince Charles.

As you have your day off in honor of the Kings, or at work (not working) in honor of the Kings, remember there are many Kings who stood for something to someone, even if it may be trivial.

Speaking of checks ...

Tax time approaches and I have to pull all my documents together to show that I actually did give funds to not for profits. Tax laws require that you have actually proof and not so much the letter from the agency.

Well I have bank accounts with many lending institutions, but last year I set up an account with one bank that is only for not for profit donations. I thought it will be so easy to track. Well, yes it is much easier to track but I made fatal mistake. I did not get carbon copy checks or duplicate checks I guess is the term. Carbon copies dates back before my time.

Well, this institution that I am doing business sends a monthly statement and just states that the check has cleared. It does not show an image of the check. Not knowing that I would need true proof I never had a concern. Now that I do know, I have a concern.

I called the bank and asked for copies of the checks that I could not pull from online achieve. The guy said, "you are still using checking?" I thought, it is not like I just called to see if your pet dinosaur can come out to play with Clyde! You are a bank, it is something you offer, I can't be the last living person writing checks.

Well, I must be ... because he was baffled that I was a check writing person. He stated that in June or July checks will not be imaged by any bank because they will just shred them. What? Oh I am so entrenched in my ways I can not imagine my world without a check book.

Only goes to show I may have to break down and get an ATM card or Debit Card of whatever they are called now.

Stop laughing ...

Since the middle of November I have been doing home remodeling at a friends new place. New to him place that is, this home has been standing longer than I have been living - trust me that is getting older with each day.

I have learned skills I never thought I would or might or even desire to know. It has not inspired me to do my own addition and remodeling at my home, but it has been interesting to learn the art of putting in tile, and refinishing wood floors and priming and painting and patching holes that I would make in the walls (long story, but I learned to fix my mistakes).

A great friend of mine were on the phone yesterday morning and she asked what I have been doing with my free time. I paused and kinda laughed and said I have not had any free time and explained what I am doing with my nights and weekends. Then she started to laugh and she said "who is this" followed by "you've got to be kidding me".

Needless to say, I must have carved a strong image of the guy with the checkbook and no natural talents. Which is actually still very true. However, knowledge is power and I got it!

This upcoming week may be the conclusion of the entire house remodel. In the summer, I am going to help burn off paint from the siding. Burn off? I hope he has insurance, because this sounds like a mistake that won't be as easy to fix. Stay tuned.

Odd Lincoln Kennedy facts...

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.

John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.

John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.

Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford'.

Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'

Lincoln was shot in a theater and his assassin ran and hid in a warehouse.

Kennedy was shot from a warehouse and his assassin ran and hid in a theater.

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

All that glitters ...

I have always wanted to have a very nice set of dishes. Ironically with all the entertaining that I do, and did when married, we never had a good set of dishes. We had a half set of Phaltzgraff that I got at an outlet store, and a set of 48 of white plates for mass entertaining and some all glass plates which looked great the first year but look really bad now. I did have my mother's china and I had enormous chargers from Pier One but not a real set of dishes until now.

So at the annual Crate and Barrel giveaway sale, I purchased a set of dishes for 12 - dinner plate, smaller plate and a bowl. They rock!

So little by little I am rebuilding the house the way I want it. Today, a builder is coming out to work on a price for the kitchen remodel. It will take about three months for the work to be complete which means no kitchen for me for three months and that means no parties for three months.

So, it will be a long summer!

Just me and my IPOD

The clock is quickly ticking away to my first 2008 vacation. It is just a couple weeks away and I can say that I am in desperate need of a break.

The private island that I am headed to has no cars. It is not jam packed with people and there is one restaurant no grocery store and no bar (so I have to stock my room I guess).

What it does have is a nice shell beach, comfortable chairs and endless view of the horizon. My IPOD and I plan to be out there every day to catch some rays, feel the warmth and relax from head to toe.

After the island adventure I will make a stop to the 'rents too. This ten day excursion is going to be just what the doctor ordered, if my doctor was a travel agent. While I am taking my time off, Clyde is excited because he will be at his country home where everyone knows his name and where he can hide dog bones on the tapestry of the carpet.

Speaking of Tapestry ... today IPFW's Tapestry event will officially announce Marie Osmond as the keynote speaker and some other great stuff at the press conference.

Online romance?

Last evening I had a great dinner with a good friend at Chops. It was a "working" meeting because I had something that I needed her help with in order to meet a deadline.

Chops was bustling and it was great to see that on a Tuesday night considering American Idol was starting back up, the Michigan primaries would be reporting and it WAS Tuesday night. I enjoyed the New York strip steak and she enjoyed the surf and turf. We decided no dinner is complete without dessert, and since there were many options on the dessert menu we narrowed it down to two.

When the waitress returned and asked if we had made a decision we both spoke at the same time to say our selection, it became obvious which one of us was once married and the other one who aspired to be married. I said we would split the dessert and she said we should share the dessert.

We both kinda paused and I said it is funny because I think I believe that nothing is shared anymore it is divided. Quiet a revelation in my mind, and it took most of the ride home to realize that divorce did jade my way of thinking.

We bounced our conversation to online dating at one point and heard of a new website called Plentyoffish.com. Now, neither of us had signed up but it is interesting when you watch television or log onto your computer how many online computer sites exist.

The problem remains that some people need to be retrained on how to date, how to talk and how to think. Seems like this really should be part of a workforce development grant. This is more important training than learning how to go from making widgets to wiring a circuit board.

Today I am going to be more astute to how I say, what I say to see if I am salvageable in the marketplace.

New Feature ...

Seems as if people ask the same questions so the topics must be very important ... so I thought I would share the top 10 questions:

• 1. What was the last movie I saw?

Well, that was King Kong. I just have a heck of a time finding two or three hours consecutively and when I do I can not imagine sitting in a crowded place ass-to-ass with people I do not know or care to know. It is very rare that I hitch my wagon to the movie going crowd.

• 2. What is my favorite dinner item?

Well, if Swiss Cakes could be considered a main entree (legally) than it would be that, however, hands down it is tuna casserole. Always has and always will be! My mom makes the best and it is something one never finds on a restaurant menu.

• 3. What is your favorite song?

Well, I love music and have collected music since I was a kid. I have a challenge narrowing it down to just one song, but if I must it would be Piano in the Dark by Brenda Russell.

• 4. What is the best concert you have ever attended?

Even a more difficult questions but I can tell you that Tina Turner was fanf*c*intastic! She was one artist that I had always wanted to see and I did ... up close and personal.

• 5. What is my favorite color?

It had always been blue, but my house has become some variation of brown so maybe it is changing.

• 6. Favorite football team?

I am not a pro-football watcher, don't know much about the Colts or the Dolphins but I can tell the logos apart. I am an avid Michigan football fan and attend nearly every home game on the Ann Arbor campus.

• 7. What do you want to do when you grow up?

So simple, I don't want to grow up. I am enjoying my life as it is. Single, with my pup Clyde, doing what I want to do when I want to do it. I had always joked, and guess it was not that funny, but I said "I needed to get married, divorce, so I could live my life..." I have done that and the circle I am in is way too awesome to graduate from ...

• 8. Speaking of graduating, where did you?

Umm, well the first thought it is a very easy answer - Carroll High School. Deeper thought, says I began college at Ball State then went Indiana University Fort Wayne, then Indiana University Bloomington and then University of Saint Francis finally gave me a diploma and pretty much told me not to come back.

• 9. Best vacation?

Well, I have been to Paris and Hawaii ... I have been to Iowa and Ohio ... up to Saskatoon in Canada and down to some island while on a cruise (though I never saw it) but I would have to say that Nashville this past summer was a longing desire because it was 50 concerts I attended in 5 days. Can't get more on target than that ...

• 10. How many people read your blog?

Well, that is simple, one perhaps two. I don't have a counter on it - but I can only imagine that I read what I wrote and perhaps someone else stumbles across it. Sure takes the pressure off of the writing portion.

Mexican Adventure (s)

Friday night I joined some friends for a second time birthday party. This was not one of those occasions where the birthday person was holding on the same year, it just happened that last Friday we went out for her birthday too, but she was not with us. That happens often, doesn't it?

Topic of interesting talents each possess came up. One person could tie a cherry stem with her tongue. One person could stick her foot in her mouth up to the arch. One could ingest her fist. One could cover he nose portals with her lip. I struggled to think of my interesting talent. I still can't think of something that really is interesting that I have discovered about myself.

Last night, a group of us went to Las Lomos (the site of last weeks shooting, surely you know things like that do not happen twice -- and it did not). I can tell you that it was not busy at all. I am thinking that not all publicity is good publicity. The food was good, it was my first visit to this restaurant on the corner of Creighton and Fairfield. My car was still there too, anyway, the topic surfaced around death. Woohoo, lively topic, but we discussed near scares and scares with cancer and other things that would bring the end of us. I think I realized that my talent may be that I am not afraid to kick the bucket. If I found out that the clock was running low of batteries, I do not believe I would make or take the initiatives to do treatments for cancer or remove massive tumors.

It does make me wonder, is that a talent to look down the road and foresee that life has been good but it is okay to check out? I would not end my life by any mean -- trust me -- I lost a friend last April that way and I can tell you that is just a horrible residual effect on everyone. However, naturally, to expire everyone (though maybe sad) understand and expect/accept the uncertain timing. Perhaps if I had kids or a special someone in my life, I may have a different view of cheating "being halfway to dead (as my friend referred to it)".

Anyway, not the usual Carbo stream of thoughts, but it did stir much debate at the table. I am also the kook who leaves price tags on items I purchase that would be easy to resell on Ebay or at a garage sale too, but that is another topic for another time.

and when I woke up....

After five days of being dizzy, as one said, who would know --- thank you very much, I have finally pulled out of my Nyquil Coma.

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My mind is just as sharp as ever and you should see how great my body looks, okay, the medication will linger in my system for a bit longer than I may have known haha.

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So here is the deal, the Golden Globes have nothing to do with production quality or acting quality of the Hollywood elite, it has to do with fake implants, thus the clever name!

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Kelty's law team is bailing faster than the upper deck passengers on the Titanic. Wonder why? Hmm, only so much bad press even attorneys can handle.

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Word to the wise, do not drink Nyquil and Dayquil while listening to the Cure .... not a good cure!

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The writers have been on strike for months in Hollywood -- so we may see more reality TV. Huh? I thought most of what was on TV was reality tv ... beyond Law and Order and the CSI franchises I thought the only bad writing was done for Katie Curric.

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Coming up, in tomorrows entry was a two part birthday party ... the first part the birthday girl was not present but that did not stop us from breaking out the bubbly!

One oar short ...

So, for the record, I am alive but feel as if I should be pushing up daisies with my neighbor. This, whatever I have because cold sounds just too simple, is kicking me from here to there. I am busy at work, so I could not afford to take a day away.

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I took my lunch break at the nearest restaurant to the office which was the Venice. Wednesday they host a pizza bar which is great ... easy in and easy out. Well I had my pizza around 1:00 p.m. and a few other late lunch people were in the building when out of no where the sky was falling, rather raining.

The ceiling sprung a leak. first a small stream then the entire length of the room, down the center (I am sure there is a word for that but I barely recall much about geometry, let alone names ... but they were right, I would need it later in life and look, I am now a statistic)... Anyway, one staff person said "get a bus tub" while the person directing went to go get someone, the lady who had the directive to get a bus tub, got a piece of pizza first and then got the tub.

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Good to know that if the place was going to flood and she may not make it through life, that at least she had food in her stomach for the autopsy. I sat there watching this unfold thinking this is very odd! The lady who I thought went to get somebody came back with a white bucket and was "catching" water.

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Code red must have sounded and they began to remove artifacts from the table tops and kept mumbling "this is bad". I assume she meant her pizza she was eating was getting cold because I am sure as hell don't think it was about the water flowing in ... but I could be wrong.

Primary Colors of WHITE

Well, you will not find a street corner, a newspaper, a radio station and probably a quiet spot in a restaurant where you won't hear about the white people who won the primary in New Hampshire.

With tears in her eye, as if she was cutting an onion, Clinton spoke from the heart (and off a teleprompter) to get the lead votes in the democratic primary election. Though the percentages were close, Clinton grabbed 39% of the vote. The other guy, the first serious black candidate other than Hillary's husband, received 37%. This is what has my goat, when did Hillary become female only and Obama became only black. Compare and contrast the same. Big teeth to short hair? Huh? This is why I struggle with politics.

On the Republican side, well Fred Thompson may be getting his job back on Law and Order. No one has returned to Law and Order have they? He could be the first! I like Fred, I like Ron Paul and McCain is alright too I guess. Can't say I am whippy about any candidate but I do find it interesting that when Indiana gets to vote there will only bet one candidate on each ballot. However, we may hear about issues that each plan to hold dear. Perhaps.

Pushin pills

I have been fighting a cold for the past couple days but Monday afternoon it hit me like a ton of bricks. I got a lovely fever and I felt as if I was run over by a truck.

I came home and took a handful of pills and fell asleep. Woke up and felt lethargic and warm. Perhaps it was because it was 70 degrees outside in the dead of winter. Uggh! My poor snow cone factory.

I made some soup (from a can) and ate that and fell asleep again. Woke up long enough to haul Clyde outside and feel asleep again. Now I am awake, I think it is Tuesday but who knows, it could be Wednesday because I have not slept this long since the Carter administration.

I feel somewhat better but sound like Lauren Bacall. I am too busy to stop to be ill. So, it is off to the snow cone factory to see if I can shake out a nice snow storm :)

Oops ... she did it again...

All because of 6 million peanut sick-o's (or allergy suffers) have we found a new version of the nut. Why did we spend all this time how to develop a nut for allergy suffers when we could have spent that on better causes ... like cancer or helping Brit with her issues ...

Okay, how F**ked up is your life when Dr. Phil starts a public relations campaign around you? Only thing missing from this picture is the side view of the double wide! She can't raise her kids, her sister is popping out a baby like a peez machine and the mothers somehow I got a book deal to tell us (uninformed citizens how to raise children).

Burp!

Flashback to the 70's ... last evening I hosted a Tupperware party, because I could not because I had to. I have always wanted to have a party because I need a nice complete set of Tupperware that matches, has all the same lids and bottoms.

About a dozen of us gathered last night to hear the latest from the world of plastic burping organizing containers. Well, here is the deal, they don't burp anymore! Not only do that not burp, now they need us to let them know if they should be "heavier breathers". In my household, heavy breathing just does not happen, so I did not purchase those containers!

The other thing, which maybe you already knew this, Tupperware had a fire just before the holiday and lost a five week supply of merchandise. Fire can happen to friends and companies, now I am sad we did not decorate a tree for Tupperware too. Anyway, the items do not come in white or clear. They come in rainbow colors like red and orange and yellow and Miami Vice colors like vibrant blue and shocking pink. Of course I had to ask, don't you have anything that is white?

Well, I am sure she thought I was racist or something but my point was I did not want 8 different colors of bowls in my kitchen. If I did, I would buy different types of cool whip or cottage cheese and reserved them for my kitchen.

Pampered chef does come in white, someone told me. Hmm.... I wonder ... nah, I am done hosting parties where something is being sold. It was a lot of fun, I did buy some stuff and not one thing will burp. However, I did get some big containers for Jello shots! 42 cups baby! I have a feeling that I can create man-made burps.

Back to you ...

Not to drop names, but I just have to ... coming up this weekend on Indiana Newscenter's News Now program, stay tuned for Rachel Blakeman and I with the world-famous Linda Jackson. Our topic is Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana, YLNI!

Here is a teaser ... will one of these people announce a bid for a political office? Hmm, tune in to find out.

Growing up Carbo, I had my first on-air opportunity in the 70's when I was the spaghetti eating kid in a commercial for a local restaurant. I still remember to this day, that I was suppose to act like I was going to eat the food but don't eat it because they were going to take many angles. Well, guess who got a second bowl of spaghetti? Yep, I ate it all.

Time would pass until the early 90's when I joined Jane Hersha for her program to discuss the Bicentennial of Fort Wayne's Historic Book. Around the same time, I joined Sandy Thomson on her community affairs program to discuss the Bicentennial, but was overshadowed by Fabio who was on promoting himself on the cover of a romance novel. The Haunted Fort event put me behind the news desk with Lee Kelso and Karen Hensel too. What fun memories and great people I have met.

My aspirations took me down the path of being in broadcast, whether it be radio or television, but I took another road and the rest remains history. Luckily, during the All America City venture in the late 90's I was able to report for News Channel 15 with live remotes. Fun fun.

Well, it was great to be behind the desk at INC and you can't have anything but a good time when you sit next to Linda Jackson and fellow blogger http://bepartofthesolution.blogspot.com/ Rachel Blakeman.

Writing a song ...

I have always had a love for music. I even thought about writing a song some day, with my life, it could be a sad song or at least a good country song.

What I have noticed though that some of the sure fire hits are songs which you spell out a word in them. Like Cameo's "Word UP" or Village People's "YMCA" or Aretha Franklin's "RESPECT".

I thought I need to find that song that people want to spell. The Jackson's sang "ABC" and Tammy Wynette gave us "DIVORCE". Even patriotic song by Lee Greenwoood "God Bless the USA".

So over the year, my goal, my personal mission will be to write a song that spells out something in the lyrics. Stay tuned to your local radio!

Last Year's Calories ...

Ten people gathered for a 7 course dinner to toast the new year and drink away the old. Appetizers began with pretzel flats with a hot mustard dip, sure-good stand-by shrimp and cocktail sauce, sea salt bagels with a spinach dip, brie cheese with red raspberries, garlic stuffed olives, and black berries the size of a gorilla's knuckle.

The next course was soup. Either a crab corn chowder or a creamy tuna noodle mushroom soup (that rocked). Served with bread and butter.

The next course was either the wedge salad with the salad dressing in a pepper or a fruit salad over organic greens.

The chef's sampler was a beef tenderloin bit sauteed in a mustard glaze. Served on a tiny flat bottom spoon.

The pallet cleanser was an apple cranberry ice that bounced on the plates (wrong plate choice) but it added hours of fun for the guests.

Dinner was one of three options: Pork loin stuffed with pecans and apricots served with orange rice (which I would never make again) and a replacement of scalloped potatoes. Second entree choice was the seafood platter - a wasabi tuna, a crab cake, jalapeno pepper potatoes and creole shrimp. Finally the country chicken casserole served with vegetables and biscuit.

Dessert was a help yourself and your neighbor as different sides of the table had different desserts - a chocolate carmel brownie. A french vanilla pound cake with vanilla whipped cream with fire roasted apples, and a German (though it had no German in it ) chocolate pie that should win an award by the "damn this is rich society"

The evening began at 9:00 p.m. we ate until 11:45 and we saw Dick Clark and Hannah Montana and Carrie Underwood (who's voice was like fingernails on a chalk board) ... anyway we saw the "green ball" drop but then saw 1,000,000,000 piece of paper fly through the air so I think that negates the ball. All and all, we all shared our goal for 2008 and for many it was just to be alive. However, that goal was used up by the Bee Gee's in 1978 ... Stayin' Alive!