Garbage pickup is today

Sadly, I have gone through my small container of Folgers Coffee. If we don't get more, than it is back to Maxwell house without the Folgers jump start I would get in the morning. Somehow I don't think Maxwell house has as high a caffeine amount as Folgers. The past couple of days New Smyrna Beach has been blessed with rain storms and lots of water. Today and tomorrow is suppose to be a drying out days so there would be only a small chance of rain. The weatherman says the rain would return by Saturday and Sunday. The water has been so disparately needed for the brown spots forming on every ones lawn including mine.

Yesterday, mom and I ate at this diner type restaurant called Ruthy's. The customers were few and the special was a Yankee Pot Roast. It came with a drink and pudding for 5 I forget the change part, but it seemed pretty close to 6 dollars. This seemed like good quality mom and daughter time in the middle of the hot afternoon. It had been my intention to go grocery shopping with mom after lunch. I didn't expect such a big lunch. I figured maybe some fried chicken or I saw on the menu a chicken sandwich with some fries. However, this was a better financial deal and it was a healthier menu. I could not turn it down. When the waitress came out with the meal, I was surprised at how much juice was in the pot roast. It was also cooked different than what my mom makes at home. Mom browns the meat by frying it. They did not do this step. Instead, the meat looked like it was boiled and the carrot slices were huge and the potatoes were small. We got cold dinner rolls to go with the meal and small packets of butter to go on the rolls or place on the small potatoes.

During the meal, mom and I heard the first thunder clap of the day. This thunder sounded close signaling the start of the first storm of the day. Mom went to the car and rolled up the windows as I stayed in and casually ate my king size meal. After finishing my meal, I ordered two chocolate puddings from the waitress. Plus, I asked her to get a to go box for all the meat mom didn't eat. The chocolate puddings tasted good, but we both could tell it was an instant mix. There was no cooking involved in making the puddings.

When we left Ruthy's, the worst of the storm was already out to sea. Mom and I tried to stop by the Flagler entrance to their ocean park to take a look at the ocean. However, we could not find a parking spot. It was crowded with people out swimming in the water. I thought how brave they were to defy the lighting and thunder looming near by in the ocean. These must be tourist and out of school kids who would risk life and limb just to get in a swim from New Smyrna Beach. I remembered how it use to be growing up as a kid at the beach. The lifeguards would be frantically blowing their whistles signaling everyone to come in and be safe. It was taboo to swim when you had the possibility of being hit by lighting.

Mom and I went home and were so hot. I was so glad to step inside the house which was air conditioned. I had to change my shirt, because it was soaked through with sweat. I drank several ice cold beverages. One was juice and the other was ice water to cool my insides down. I felt more normal after watching some TV. I didn't venture out the rest of the day.

The use of water seems to play a big role in our environment today. I know I need a lot of it everyday. Water is used for flushing toilets, baths, washing hands and brushing teeth. It is also used for washing dishes and washing clothes. I also count on it to help make my morning coffee. This is just me one person. If you times this one person by many, than lots of water is being used. Also, not to mention watering of lawns both commercial and private. Somethings are a big mystery to me, like how do they measure the amount of water which is in the aquifer? How do they know that watering your yard only twice a week for 45 minutes would be enough to keep it green?

Speaking about other water issues, I was watching TV in regards to the subject of Offshore Oil Drilling. This is an issue with many sides. I can not give the oil companies free liberal access to Florida's Coastline. I know our current President supports free oil company access, but his brother opposed it. Somehow seeing the Coastline littered with oil rigs doesn't sound too inviting. Plus, the TV reminded me about the oil spill in Alaska which seemed to take forever to clean up.

I wouldn't want something similar happening off of our Coastline.