Who's John Galt?

I can't believe in all my pop-culturey life that I've never been asked this question, nor seen it written as graffiti on a train or a bridge overpass. Those who have read Atlas Shrugged, published by Ayn Rand in 1957, know the phrase well, as it is oft repeated throughout the novel. Either this woman was amazingly insightful, or the more things change, the more they stay the same. It could have been written yesterday. The photo of Rand was gleaned from the answers.com website, where everything and more than you wanted to know about this author is available for viewing.

I was wondering how Patricia Claxton might feel about all my reporting on her condition after the motorcycle wreck, like I was airing her personal life, but then I felt a little better about it when I picked up the Snyder Daily News and saw the headline on top of the fold: Claxtons continue recovery at home; thankful for friends. I don't feel so bad now that the local news has also aired her private life. Apparently it's a trend.

The article announced that Western Texas College, where Trisha works, will be hosting a blood drive next Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and all blood donated will be used for the Claxtons as they continue to recover. This will take place in the Student Center on the Snyder campus.

Speaking of campuses, Heather Ward was named the 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year at Hobbs Alternative School. She's a math teacher, educating grades 9-12. You can read more about Ward in the Sweetwater Reporter.

Chris Kiser, former Fisher County resident, was recently named Assistant Fire Chief in Sweetwater, which can also be read about in the Reporter. Kiser has worked at the SFD for 18 years.

I want to mention that the Frank Cockrell Art Association will be meeting Aug. 10, 6 p.m. at the Williamson-Branson office in Roby. Anyone interested in art and community beautification is invited to attend.

Remember I told you we were erecting the rubber pond? Well, that only lasted one day, enough to get a serious sunburn and remind me why I hadn't put the dang thing up for the last two or three years. It's a lot of work to maintain and the cover I bought for it was too big and no one but me was interested in getting in it, and I couldn't since I was waiting for 40 layers of skin to peel off before I could be a bathing beauty, again (still peeling even as I speak).

So, we (meaning my husband) pumped the water out to barren places in the yard, then I started pulling it over to dump the rest out and to let it dry so it could be stored. The grass underneath had such a foul smell that it took my mind several turns before deciding where it was coming from. First I thought it was the dog, so she got a bath. Then I thought it was the septic tank, but as long as I can still flush the toilet and take a shower, a meteor could land in it and I would completely ignore anything to do with the waste system. That's just too icky for me to deal with.

Anyway, I finally ascertained that it was coming from beneath the pool. Mr. Husband had to take care of anything further to do with it, as I was feeling faint and had to go swoon on a chaise with an upraised hand holding a kerchief to my forehead. He sprayed it, mowed it, powdered it and perfumed it, and finally the reek has lessened. We are completely relieved of the need to fill up a big rubber pond with water, ever again.

The class ring mystery is still ongoing. I went to the school to find the name of the student whose initials are imprinted on the inside of the trinket, only to discover that there was no female graduate of that particular year. Whoops, there's another clue, that it is a ladies ring. I plan on calling one of the male graduates parents today to see if they can tell me of a girl who was in that particular class but didn't graduate that year, for some reason. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I always come across something weird that I don't really understand but has local names in it while I'm surfing the "interweb". Here's the one for this week - Supreme Court of Texas, 2006 case, City of Sweetwater v. a big list of folks. I'm sure it's old news (at least three years old), I'm always discovering something after the fact and getting overly excited about events that have already passed.

Yays: McDonald's coffee

Brays: People who won't work for a living

I had more Yays & Brays during the week, but they've faded away this morning. I can't remember anything if I don't write it down. Ya'll enjoy life and keep your eye to the sky. I saw the space shuttle the other night and it gave me chills, a little thrill in the night. You can participate in spotting the shuttle by checking out the schedule on the NASA Spaceflight page. I found it at Big Country homepage.com.