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Hey, have you heard the news? The world famous and critically acclaimed (hmmm… sorta reminds you of the expression “he’s a “legend in his own mind” doesn’t it?) What I Learned From… group writing project is back!

So set your calendars (sound of millions of calendar being set - hey, I’m nothing if not an optimist!) for Monday, November 5th, and drop by right here at the Middle Zone for details and instructions on how to enter.

I think this one’s gonna be good, folks - I can feel it! (Either that or my shorts are riding up again…)

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Yep, once again the sun sets on yet another exciting month here at the Zone. Thrills, chills, spills – and that’s just what’s happening at MY desk! Just imagine what else has been going on out there…

Note from the Proprietor: Oddly enough, there didn’t seem to be that much unusual stuff come across my desk this month. Probably not paying attention. But what the heck, here’s a few items that might tickle your fancy.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen – the time has come for another exciting edition of… OOB!
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Dept. of Transportation

(A tip o’ the hat to Dennis McMullin for bringing this to my attention.)

In case you missed it, Seattle made the news recently when a new streetcar came into use in the Cascade area that’s undergoing considerable renovation. Apparently the neighborhood is, um, less than thrilled about it. But in the spirit of cooperation, they’re showing remarkable support for the change, even printing and wearing commemorative T-shirts and everything.

Now, before you applaud their attitude, you might just want to know, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story.

See, the official name is the South Lake Union Streetcar (or S.L.U.S. for short). So far, so good, right? However, local residents swear by what they say was the original name for it (that is, until officials discovered the, er, unfortunate acronym): the South Lake Union Trolley (S.L.U.T.).

At least, that’s their story and their sticking to it!

More Than You Needed to Know Dept.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be a lot more careful when I travel. The Travelodge Hotels in London are reporting a 95% increase in customers’ sleepwalking! But that’s not the disturbing part – no, the problem is, most of them are, um, somewhat scantily clad!

Experts say that sleepwalking “can be brought on by stress, alcohol, eating cheese or consuming too much caffeine” (which, except for the alcohol, unfortunately sounds like the menu during every job-related trip I’ve ever been on).

Oh, well, I guess I better make sure Mrs. MZM packs the pajamas!

Music for Life Dept.

Next time your child complains about having to take music lessons, why not tell him how it just might save his life! Think I’m kidding?

In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a little boy on his way to school was hit by a speeding car, and if it hadn’t been for the violin case he was carrying (which took the brunt of the impact), he would have been much more seriously hurt!

As it was he only suffered minor cuts and bruises. Alas, still no word on how the violin made out.

Dept. of Self-Promotion

Did you know there’s a new installment of OOB every month? Yes indeedy! So if you’re interested in an even bigger helping of the strange, the unusual, and the just plain whacko (that is, as opposed to extraordinary whacko), you might want to check out previous editions.

Hey, it’s easy! Just go to the categories list over there on the left and click on “OOB”. In fact, I double-dog dare you! (But don’t say I didn’t warn you.)

(By the way, if you have any great suggestions for future OOB items, by all means drop me a line at rhruzek@sbcglobal.net. If I use one of your suggestions, to demonstrate my undying gratitude, I’ll mention your name and link to you.)

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Well, it’s the end of another month, and you know what that means, right? Yep, it’s time for another inspiring edition of Great Quotes. So, if you find yourself searching for some encouragement, inspiration or perhaps even just a chuckle or two, you’ve come to the right place!

I think you’ll agree they may even impart a bit of wisdom – along with a bit of fun. Check these out:

• Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in coveralls and looks like work. – Thomas A. Edison
• Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all. – George Christoph Lichtenberg
• Happiness makes up in height what it lacks in length. – Robert Frost
• All the world’s a stage, and most of us are desperately unrehearsed. – Sean O’Casey
• Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled “This could change your life.” – Helen Exley
• ‘Who are you, and how did you get in here?’ ‘I’m a locksmith. And, I’m a locksmith.’ – Leslie Nielsen
• When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them. – Rodney Dangerfield
• It is better for civilization to be going down the drain than coming up it. – Henry Allen
• None but a coward boasts that he has never known fear. – Ferdinand Foch
• The real hero is a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else. – Umberto Eco
• A friend is someone who will help you move. A real friend is someone who will help you move a body. – Unknown
• A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author. – G. K. Chesterton
• If you live to be a hundred, you’ve got it made. Very few people die past that age. – George Burns
• Age is… wisdom, if a man has lived his life properly. – Miriam Makeba
• History repeats itself. That’s one of the things wrong with history. – Clarence Darrow
• Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not. – Emerson
• I never cease being dumbfounded by the unbelievable things people believe. – Leo Rosten
• The greatest lesson we can learn from the past… is that freedom is at the core of every successful nation in the world. – Frederick Cheluba
• If you cannot get rid of the family skeleton, you might was well make it dance. – George Bernard Shaw
• As for me, except for an occasional heart attack, I feel as young as I ever did. – Peter Benchley
• When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package. – John Ruskin

And speaking of wrapping things up this month, here’s one last thought to ponder:

• Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death. – James F. Byrnes

Would you agree or disagree? Why or why not?

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Just a quickie for today, friends…

Isn’t it funny how some days things just seem to “click”? And then, of course, there’s days where nothin’ seems to go right. We’ve all been there, don’cha know.

A good friend of mine, Jerry Arledge used to put it this way:

“Some days, chickens; some days, feathers.”

But what is it that determines just what kind of a day it’s going to be for you? How do you know what kind of a day you’re going to have?

I’d like to submit to you that for the most part, it’s up to you!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

A couple of days ago Liz Strauss asked the question, Can you see the future?, and talked about how our cumulative experiences in life give us the ability to choose our own futures (thanks, Liz!). Several thoughts came to mind…

There’s a hallway junction in my office building that has one of those big round mirrors mounted up there near the ceiling. It’s there so we can see around corners, and to help prevent collisions with mail carts and, er, people in a hurry who don’t watch where there going (but it’s OK, I’m fine now).

But I got to thinking about that mirror (that rattling noise you hear), and wondering, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if we had a big round mirror with which we could look around the corner of our lives and see what was coming? It would sure make it a lot easier to choose a clear path forward.”

Interesting concept, don’t you think? Then I remembered something from a few months ago, when I went to my high school band reunion.

Now, before I go on, I’d just like to go on record as saying that I’ve always believed there were two kinds of people in the world: those that go to their high school reunions, and those who don’t. Me, I’m definitely the latter.

See, even the phrase “high school reunion” conjures up an image of five solid hours of putting on your best face, mingling with mostly total strangers, and all the while doing your best to stand up straight and hold in your stomach. Not my idea of fun!

The fact is, I was something of a wallflower during my high school years (still am, as a matter of fact – but at least now I can honestly say I’m a work in progress). And, because I didn’t really get to know many people in high school, I never made the effort to keep up once I left.

Oh, it’s not that I’m antisocial or anything; I can be as social as the next fellow – when I want to be, that is (see “work in progress” above). But as I mentioned, this was a band reunion, and they’re the folks I did hang around with.

So I surprised myself by going.

To tell you the truth, it was still a little like the above described ordeal. As expected, these people were practically total strangers! I mean, here we were, sitting in the same room, yet the only memories we had of each other were from 35 years in the past. It was an unusual experience for me, to say the least.

Even so, it went well. We began to ask questions and find out what each of us were up to, and even rejoiced in each other’s accomplishments. (Er, yes *ahem* – everyone was so proud of the space walk I did a few years back when I repaired that satellite that would have fallen on the Madison Square Garden, and by the way, saving the Earth as we know it.)

But I remember thinking about who we were (just a bunch of zany high school kids), and who we turned out to be (contributing members of society – despite dire predictions of various parents, not a mass murderer in the bunch!), and thinking, “How did this happen?”

Speaking for myself, I have to admit I kindof floundered around for a while, searching for what I wanted to do with my life, even dabbling in the engineering field with little or no conviction. But eventually I reached a point where it became a conscious decision to actually chose the career path I have today (ironically enough, in engineering).

So eventually I discovered the truth of what Liz is pointing out; that I finally chose my own future, instead of just letting it happen. Ah, but here’s where it gets good, though.

The end result, as it turns out, is this: Satisfaction with life, and excitement about the future!

Pretty cool, huh?

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Just to let ya know…

There’s been quite a clamor ever since I had to cancel October’s What I Learned From… group writing project (sound of one person clamoring). It’s no exaggeration when I say that at least a million one person wanted to know when WILF would be back.

Well, I just wanted you to know, the Middle Zone Musings monthly writing project will resume… (sound of drum riff) next month! (Sound of huge crowd cheering enthusiastically!) That’s right, folks; so mark your calendars now, ‘cause the next project kick-off date is Monday, November 5th.

What’s the topic this time? Well, I was thinkin’… (sound of gears grinding, followed by complete annihilation of gears)

Hey, I have a great idea! Why not leave it wide open this time! Yep, you read it right! This month you can write on any topic you choose. Well, sortof. (Hey, ya gotta have some requirements!)

All you need is a new post that describes some event, conversation, alien visitation – whatever –and illustrates something you personally learned from it/he/she/them.

As usual, there are only two rules:

• Keep it G-rated (should be self-explanatory, but ultimately determined by yours truly)
• Be nice!

Now, how hard is that, folks? So, get the writing instrument of your choice ready, and start thinkin’ now (sound of lots of gears grinding)!

Don’t forget to tune in on Monday, November 5th for the kick-off and all the details!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!

Sorry, but there’s nobody here today!

That’s because anyone and everyone has been invited over to Liz Strauss’ place to help her celebrate the 2th anniversary of Successful Blog (sound of crowd cheering enthusiastically)!

Why not drop by yourself? (Gee, that sounds weird - is that like being beside yourself?) Anyway, what I mean is, go on over and join the shindig! There’s virtual cake, cookies, ice cream, sodas - you name it, we got it!

The buffet’s open, and it’s open comments all day long! Y’all come on down!

You know, it would just be absolutely finer than a frogs hair if you would subscribe to my RSS feed!