Did not have anything on today, I have just been trying to catch up on things at home.
I am also making an effort to get an Oklahoma driving licence, and in preparation for the driving test have been practicing the test questions which I can access online. I presented myself a couple or so years ago for a driving test and couldn't take it, because I didn't have my social security card, I'd lost it and was waiting for a replacement at the time. We don't have to send away for test appointments here, we just turn up and wait in line, so as soon as I can answer all the test questions a bit better than I am at the moment, I will go along.
I wonder how illegal immigrants get by in this country without social security cards, because they are needed for driving licences and motor insurance.
When I got back here from my trip there were all sorts of scandals going on. One of them, which seems to be dominating the news at the moment, is the fact that it has emerged that phone calls and e-mails are being monitored by the government - a national security agency - and it has been explained that this surveillance is necessary to combat terrorism. It doesn't worry me, but then Americans are far more hung up on their civil liberties than we are, and there are all sorts of angry debates going on.
But on the subject - I don't think they are just looking at e-mails and listening to phone calls, they are reading blogs as well. I have been very taken aback at the number of people reading my blog. I don't know who they are, I just get the statistics, and they are astonishing. Far more people are looking at the current blog, than the previous one. And there are more people in the US reading it than in the UK. From June 2nd until the 9th there were 70 people in the US, and 57 in the UK and - get this - 15 in Russia!! I think it must be because I am the new kid on the block and they will soon give up, my loved ones might like to know what I am doing but I can't imagine the rest of the population, especially in Russia, being very interested.
From the holiday snaps......
Tim, Nicky and Marie at the lunch Tim hosted for me.
Jeremy at Naseby, the decisive battle in the Civil War. I think this was taken from Fairford's lookout, the Commander of the Parliamentarian forces. Then we went on to Prince Rupert's lookout.
The Star Inn at Alfriston. I hadn't realised it was one of the oldest inns in the country, built in the 1260s, it was originally run by the monks of Battle Abbey - and called The Star of Bethlehem - for the pilgrims travelling between Battle and the shrine of St Richard at Chichester. I think it became an inn in the 1520s.
Eventually emerged from the fog I was in, following my migraine.
Summer is here. The weather is hot. A thermometer I passed in town said it was 74, but it was lying, it felt like 90. And I need to take the car to Terry to make the air conditioning colder.
I set off on a little trip, just 13 miles to the next town, but for someone who seldom leaves Shawnee a little trip can be an adventure. I went to sus out Carla's new church, as I decided to go there on Sunday, her first Sunday there, and thought I'd find out how far, and exactly where it was.
I didn't see inside the church, but it looks lovely, very big. Carla was just coming out of the Parsonage next door when I pulled up, and she invited me inside and showed me round. Of course there were boxes piled up in all the rooms, she's just moved in, but I could see it was a really lovely, very spacious home, and with a big garden round it that she and her grandchildren are thrilled with. She is also thrilled to have a deck just outside the lounge, and said some garden furniture for it is going to be her first priority.
The church and Parsonage are on the edge of the country, beyond the garden there's a pond - also a source of excitement for the grandchildren - with trees and fields. I told her I'd be there on Sunday and I'm looking forward to it.
On the way back I stopped at the friendly Harvest Creek Store, and had a little lunch there. Have spent the rest of the day quietly reading.
The next big murder trial is lining up to start on Monday, picking the jury. They only have six jurors in Florida (unless it is a murder 1 trial, and this isn't, it wasn't premeditated) so it should be quicker, I'd have thought, to come to some agreement on a verdict.
The victim was a young lad of 17 walking home from a convenience store, wearing a hoodie, which is BAD thing, as usually only people up to no good wear hoodies, and they are very into stereotypes here. The defendant was a self appointed Neighborhood Watchman who called the cops and reported this young lad walking home, who seemed 'up to no good'. The police told him to back off, they would be there.
How would the following scenario have unfolded in Britain? The defendant would have backed off, the unarmed police officer would turn up in his patrol car, talk to the lad, talk to the defendant, send them both on their way, and the whole incident would have long since been forgotten. The kid would still be alive and the middle aged defendant would not be facing 20 years behind bars. Am I right?
But what happens in this gun crazy country? Defendant pulls out a gun, the kid is shot, and absolutely no one really knows what happened because there were no witnesses. The defendant - who has cuts on his head and face - said he was attacked and was defending himself with his gun. In Florida there is what they call 'a stand your ground rule' that is, anyone can pull out a gun and shoot dead anyone they think is threatening them. And obviously they do.
In the call to the police there can be heard the sound of someone in the background screaming for help. And this is a critical piece of evidence the judge has to decide on Monday whether to allow. Audio voice experts for both sides have listened to it over and over again, and can't agree - because it is too fragmentary - whether it was the victim or the defendant.
From the holiday snaps...
Jeremy and I in the Botanical Gardens in Cambridge.
Have not felt too well lately. I had a migraine yesterday which prevented me from going to Communion and lunch at Emmanuel. I took something for it, and slept most of the rest of the day.
Perhaps I'll be back tonight.
I was up and about early this morning wide awake at 5.30. I made some little fruit cakes for the Kiwani bake sale this morning. I had prepared the tins and ingredients last night, it didn't take long to put them in the oven.
I packaged them as English fruit cakes to give them a little more 'cachet', ha, ha. I knew Phyllis would not be in to fall about laughing. And the 'moist' comes from the tin of crushed pineapple in them.
I had intended making some little apple pie cakes, but I was glad I didn't, because, unusually, there were a lot of cakes left over today - the reason being that it was raining very heavily this morning, so there were far fewer people than usual in the Senior Centre. I was glad to see though that none of mine were left. Market them as 'English', that's obviously the secret.
Apart from making some soup for supper that was my cooking for the day. I had breakfast at the Senior Centre, and lunch at the hospital after my chaplaincy round in ICU.
I haven't really looked at the weather and television this evening, but I did hear that it was going to be quite bad on Wednesday, although we are not expecting tornadoes, or I would have been paying attention. I have been sorting through all the digital photos of my trip.
I had the following e-mail from my friend Paul in North Carolina.
The National Weather Service has upgraded the tornado that struck El Reno, Okla. on Friday to EF5,
and with a width of 2.6 miles, it is now the largest tornado on record, packing radar-estimated winds of at least 296 mph
This is from my weather channel ...
You're a survivor!
Wow, he makes it sound like a badge of honour!! And the largest tornado on record, no wonder I was nervous.
It has been a nice day, I noticed the temperature was 87 as I drove through town. I have really just been busy in the house, sorting out the computer. Phyllis stopped by for a chat.
Some of the photos I took while I was away I couldn't find, I planned to do a little presentation on Alfriston for Kiwanis and they were among the missing, but I was very happy today when they turned up.
I think the weather is going to be bad again about Wednesday with threats of thunderstorms.
This was very sad. The storm chasers are very brave, they are on the road, chasing the tornadoes and sending reports and video back from the ground to the Weather Centre, who are tracking it with their radar.
It seems in this case the vehicle they were in was lifted
up into the vortex of the tornado, and just spun round and round. The
debris from the car, the parts of it, were strewn across a half mile
area. One guy was still inside, with his seat belt on, and the other
two were sucked, or thrown out.
The remains of the car.
This is going to be short tonight. I need to go to bed to be up early for the Kiwani bake sale in the morning.
The weather has calmed down and yesterday, Saturday, was a fine day which turned into a lovely, summer evening. I went out to dinner with Bruce and Rosalyn which was very enjoyable. We went to the Mexican restaurant in Tecumseh, which I like best of all the Mexican restaurants locally. I know I will always get something I like there without nervously wondering if it is going to be spicy.
Afterwards we went for dessert to a frozen yoghourt bar. Although Pink Swirls has closed there is still one left, Cherry Berry.
One starts off with a pot and selects the yoghourt, then the toppings in the first picture. And beside the checkout there is another counter with lots of dishes of chopped fresh fruits. It was all very nice, and a lovely evening after the traumas of the tornadoes.
This morning was the first day of the summer schedule at Emmanuel, with just one service at 9.30 which today was from Cranmer's Prayer Book of 1662, which all Anglican churches here and in England use at 8.30 - this gives the organist and choir at Emmanuel a little holiday on alternate weeks. Next Sunday follows the usual 10.30 Service, which I think here in the Episcopal Church follows a 1979 Prayer book. In England, in our main services, we have the Book of Common Worship which was launched in 2000.
My only other outing was to pick up a lunch from the Golden Corrall buffet. I have spent quite a bit of the day on the computer which I decided to take to Staples for a tune up. The tune up is free if there is nothing wrong with it, but I expect they will find something. I have been going through files, documents and photos deleting a lot, it is surprising how much unnecessary stuff piles up.
I was going to take the computer tomorrow, but I haven't finished, it might be more like the middle of the week. It is a bit of a departure for me, unplugging everything and carrying it to the store instead of a house call from the computer place down the road. I certainly needed house calls when desk top pc's were big and heavy, but this computer is very small and light, so I looked at the plugs at the back and thought I could probably draw a diagram of them, so I will know how to put them all back. Wish me luck.
It seems to be generally agreed that the tornadoes which came down yesterday, Friday, in central Oklahoma were the worst they have known. One factor was that the tornadoes were wrapped in rain clouds, which made it particularly difficult for those who were out, to see where they were going. Another hazard was that they touched down at rush hour, on a Friday night, and brought all the cars packed on the interstate to a standstill. A young mother and a child were sucked out of their car and thrown up in the air with the debris swirling around. So far there are 9 fatalities, hundreds of injured. Because of the heavy rain and flooding, and cars parked on the interstate, first responders weren't able to get to the injured, another unfortunate factor in this mix.
I watched the tornadoes touch down at El Reno, west of OK City, then advance along the interstate towards Shawnee, and I think that was one of the most nerve wracking experiences of my life. It doesn't help when they are screaming in the Weather Centre "if you live in this area, it is time to get into your safe place NOW, put on your helmet and shatter proof goggles, long sleeves and shoes". I'm thinking 'I hope no one sees me dressed like that'.
The tornado didn't reach Shawnee but we had a very severe thunderstorm all night, with the heaviest rain ever. And the ominous sound of - what sounded like - baseball size hail hitting my car - but I was relieved to see this morning that the car was alright.
