This is guaranteed to put some stoppage into your giddy-yups. There was no wreck. There was a stalled car on the shoulder of the road, but TWO (not one, TWO) of the Highway Heroes (that's a real thing) blocked the left lane of the Interstate because of that. Beware the Ides of March MY ASS! Beware of traffic in central Texas at just about any time of the day or night. It sounds serious, right? Well, I admit it is a first world problem, but I needed to vent for just a second.I got home from the office a little bit early today, in anticipation of the traffic we closed the office a little bit early, what with SXSW in town and all... So, since I was home early, I decided to get a head start on painting the front barn. It was/is chilly (high 50s) and breezy, but it was all good until the skunk that lives under the barn decided to return home, much to the surprise of both of us. It could have been a lot worse, but suffice it to say I have no desire to be that close to the rosy (bright) red glow of a skunks butt (and other olfactory glands) ever again. Did I mention BRIGHT red? Really bright!
Bromide -- Noun. 1. a compound containing bromine. 2a. a tiresome person. b. a hackneyed statement or idea. "When things go badly wrong ... some ding-dong will trot out the bromide, 'Oh well: The best-laid plans of mice and men...'" Joe Quennan, The Wall Street Journal, November 26, 2014
Did You Know? After bromine was discovered in 1827, chemists could not resist experimenting with the new element. It didn't take long before they found uses for its compounds, in particular potassium bromide, which was used as a sedative to treat everything from epilepsy to sleeplessness, and by the 20th century, bromide was being used figuratively to apply to anything or anyone that might put one to sleep because of commonness or just plain dullness. Today, bromides are no longer an ingredient in sedative preparations, but we can still feel the effects of figurative bromides as we encounter them in our daily routines.
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