From the East Wing, Talking "bout Out of Whack, Sopohia and the Tea Party, When the Winter Wind Came By

Greeting to all and welcome new friends to the East Wing.

In a light conversation with a client last week, he used the term “out of whack”. Afterwards I got to thinking ‘bout that “out of whack” and where’d it come from. It didn’t take much effort to find a fascinating story going back a couple hundred years.

It seems “out of whack” started as an opposite saying to “in fine whack”, which I’m sure all you know what “in fine whack” means. Well for that one person who reads this and doesn’t know, it simply means everything is going along in fine shape.

Over the years “whack has had several different meanings: a whack on the head, a share of the stolen loot, a full price paid for a purchase, a bargain price paid, an attempt at doing something, also an agreement amongst people. So in this sense, something that is "out of whack" would be "a bad bargain or an agreement that's gone awry." In other words, something that's out of kilter, and we all know ‘bout that “kilter thing” or do we????

Now when I was a kid in downtown Toto, we all knew ‘bout “whack” for sure. That’s what the closest adult done to ya when ya done something dumb, stupid or mean. They didn’t believe in giving a child a “time out” to consider their actions back then. They believed in “whack”. When ya got whacked, ya had plenty time afterwards to consider your actions, and develop a resolve to never do that again. Or at the very least, not in the presence of the whacker.

So it turns out that over the years “whack” has changed its meaning from time to time. With that meaning change in mind, I believe “whack” could be is a an onomatopoeia for the sound of an auctioneer's hammer's rap.

And to tell ya the truth, I’m doing all this talking ‘bout this “whack” thing just so I can use the big word “onomatopoeia” which simply means “a kid that grew up in Toto using a big word while typing on a computer”.

Whack was important when I grew up. Too bad it’s not practiced as such today, society maybe would be better off. To this day I occasionally see somebody who could use a good “whack”. I’m sure you see those from time to time too. Don’t ya just want to “whack” ‘em. (I was joking ‘bout the definition of onomatopoeia, look it up. You’ll be surprised)

I knew sooner or later the Republican Cat would get wind of the Tea Party thing. Well she has, and it seems she has known from the onset of that movement, but just now formulating her position after her work in the recent special election out east. After the annual meeting of the NRCCC (National Republican Calico Cat Committee) held in Nashville TN a few days ago, she met with a group from the Tea Party who were also in town for their first ever national meeting.

Now it turns out that the Tea Party people were trying to learn organizational skills from the NRCCC, since they’ve been around from the time of Herbert Hoover. ( and we all know how Sophia so worships her autographed picture of Herbert Hoover) With Sophia being the National Spokes Cat for the NRCCC, she was more than happy to meet with the Tea Party people in Nashville.

Sophia said they met at one of the Cracker Barrel Restaurants in Nashville. The Tea Party people had the Soup Beans and Cornbread, Sophia had white milk and mouse. Those Cracker Barrel people, they can feed just ‘bout anybody.

Later, back at the Grand Ole Nashville Hotel, Sophia presented a two hour seminar on the organizational skills honed and polished by the NRCCC over the last 7 decades. Skills that produce results and actions from people when it’s necessary to provide an informed electorate. She used the election of Senator Scott Brown as an example of NRCCC skills and effectiveness in producing end results.

While in Nashville, Sophia said she met Sarah Palin. I asked her what she though. She said “Sarah Plain’s just another pretty cat”. Sophia and Sarah are planning a road trip later this year. I expect we’ll all hear ‘bout that from the cat when the weather warms up and the politics of the off year election start to fill the air. The cat can’t wait.

I saw a neat thing last Tuesday evening late at night. Here in Indiana, we all woke up to snow on the ground Tuesday, and snow in the air, it snowed most all day. The weather forecast called for continued snow with wind picking up after dark. ‘Bout 11 o’clock or so, I was sitting in the East Wing, in the dark, with just the fireplace behind me and the computer screen in front, I’m looking out the south window of the East Wing toward the outside light on the tall NIPSCO Pole at the end of the yard, and then it happened.

I saw the wind come to the East Wing. Unlike the summer wind, which can come upon ya as a sudden blast of 50 mph, the winter wind tends to come on little cat feet. The air was total calm as I sat looking into the night, not a thing moved outside. The first sign of the Winter Wind was the slow motion turning of the very last clinging oak leaves from summer past. The wind had come by.

In no time at all a rhythm was in the leaves, the bare tree branches join sway and swing as the wind continued to gain strength, as if the trees themselves were encouraging the wind to blow even harder. The wind obliged, as the evergreens gave up their fresh coating of new fallen snow, only hours old. Snow is pulled from the branches of the evergreens into the outstretched invisible arms of the Winter Wind, and whisked away into the darkness. The worst winter weather conditions possible, the winter white out, had started, not the wind of summer preceding the thunder storm, but the cold winter wind that grows to such force to fill the air with snow so dense ya gotta tie strings to the 2girldogs collars just so ya can pull ‘em back inside when they go out to pee. Don’t worry ‘bout the Republican Cat in the white out, she has indoor plumbing.

I sat for hours just watching the winter storm swirling ‘round me and the East Wing. The 2girldogs and the 1wife were all sound asleep while just outside the window, Winter was putting on an outdoor magic show, while I watched from the comfort of the East Wing with the warm fireplace at my back and the cat on top of the chair. Some time into the night I went to sleep, wondering what the morning would bring. We’d spent a fun three hours just looking out my East Wing Window watching the Winter Wind shovel snow.

Seems I remember somewhere I heard someone say that if you’re looking out your window of life and all ya can see are the faults of others. It may be time to wash your window, from the inside. And that’s ‘bout as close as I’m coming to the gospel according to BobbyRay on this Valentine’s Day. You just make your own decision on whether your window needs washing or not. Lord knows mine does, ofter.

The first glimpse of daylight reveled both high snow drifts and bare ground. Last night’s magic show had relocated most every snow flake from the day before. Some were piled way too high and in some places the grass itself had been swept clean as if a vacuum cleaner ran over the lawn in the darkness. The roads were not plowed, so it was a good thing that I’d driven John’s 4-wheel SUV home. We went to work as usual, me and she.

Last Friday was Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday. Abe Lincoln was born on the morning of Sunday, February 12, 1809, in a one-room, 16x18-foot, log cabin with a dirt floor. Called Sinking Spring Farm close to Hodgenville, Kentucky. I went there one time to see Lincoln’s birth place, yep dirt floors, but they won’t let ya go inside, just look through the door. I guess they’re afraid too many would reach down and take the dirt. Then the first thing ya know, you’re in the basement of Lincoln’s home.

Very few people know that Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to have received a U.S. patent, for something he described in this way: "A new and improved manner of combining adjustable buoyant air chambers with a steamboat or other vessel for the purpose of enabling their draught of water to be readily lessened to enable them to pass over bars, or through shallow water, without discharging their cargoes.”

With that description from Abe Lincoln himself, his invention sounds like what an inner tube does when ya sit on one in your swimming pool. Keeps ya high in the water.

Such a beautiful Valentine’s Day for 2010. Sunshine and almost a hint, almost a hint of spring, not quite, but almost. Both Regina and I worked all day in town, I walked from my office to the florist without a coat. Like I said almost a hint. The second time I made that trip I did wear the coat.

In the Family of Howard, we start spring on March 1st every year, no matter what, cold or snow, rain or shine. Come March 1st we’re thinking and doing spring stuff. Two Weeks!!!

As usual, your company has been such a pleasure this evening. As all the girls in my life settle in for a warm winter’s night, the Pup Baby’s final twist on her couch before sleep has been completed and the Gray Lady curled into her favorite sleeping position, that being a ball, with the 1wife asleep on her couch, leaving only me and the cat to turn out the lights.

Sophia only goes to her lair after I turn out the lights of the East Wing. I don’t even like that cat, but one thing I’ll say is she’ll stand by me. I almost forgot to tell ya, now Sophia wants me to carry her downstairs in the morning when I come down for breakfast, so I do. (Damn Republican Cat)

Stay safe in Baghdad and Afghanistan, someday soon Lord, someday soon.

From the East Wing, Talking ‘bout Out of Whack, Sophia and the Tea Party, When the Winter Wind came by

I wish you well,
BobbyRay