December in Altus, America

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https://guelph-real-estate.ca/crbytbvae17 Snow is falling on this chilly fall night, causing me to shift gears from Thanksgiving clean-up to Christmas preparations. Amy Grant will sing about a “Tender Tennessee Christmas”. Those boys from Alabama serenade us with “Christmas in Dixie.” Becky Hobbs will sing the song she penned, “Oklahoma Christmas”.  The rest of us enjoy singing our favorite Christmas carols at church over the next few weeks, counting down to the day we celebrate the birth of Christ.

https://getdarker.com/editorial/articles/tc4hg0tp The song that will best describe me this year is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” . . . if only in my dreams. My husband and I established our home in rural Indiana shortly after tying the knot at Tulsa in 1988. Even though I am very happy here, Southwestern Oklahoma will always hold a special place in my heart. With that in mind, it’s time for another visit to the red dirt area of Altus – even if it’s only in my dreams.  (Cue the wavy screen effect)

source url So, what is so special about Altus this time of year? Too many memories for me to recount here, instead let’s take a peek at some of the current Christmas celebrations happening this month.

follow url Jimmy Geigle has organized the 3rd annual Toy Run for motorcyclist this year. It is scheduled to take place Saturday, December 1 at 12:30 pm. Riders from across the state will join the run with a parade escort to deliver toys to the Altus Fire Department. The toys will be distributed by the Salvation Army and DHS.  Folks around Altus are generous to a fault, but it never ceases to amaze me when the pictures from the Toy Run are posted. Many of the motorcycles look like they are carrying the entire contents of Santa’s sleigh!

https://danivoiceovers.com/3gl8iph The annual Christmas Parade steps off from the parking lot of Western Oklahoma State College. on Sunday, December 2, at 3 p.m., Complete with a police escort, marching bands, floats, and of course, Santa’s grand arrival via Altus Fire Truck, the parade is a ton of fun for people of all ages. While the Altus Times reports this as the 32nd annual Christmas Parade, it has been going on for much longer. From watching it as a child, sometimes perched on Papa’s shoulders, to riding a motorcycle in the parade for several years during the 1970s, memories of the Christmas parade fill my mind with happiness untold.

go to site Christmas would not be Christmas without cantatas and candle-lit services. Tabernacle Baptist Church will present a cantata on Sunday, December 16. Southside Baptist Church will share their cantata on Sunday morning, December 23. Emmanuel Baptist Church will celebrate the Reason for the Season with a candle-light service on Christmas Eve. A quick google search gave the above information – there are probably other churches in town with their own Christmas celebrations. Take time this season to remember that Christ’s birth is the reason for the season.

follow site The Christmas lights of Altus shine brightly this time of year. Families and businesses deck the halls with many gorgeous displays, making a drive thru town at night a festive affair. Nothing, however, can top the “Christmas in the Park” display at the Altus City Park, located on East Broadway, between Park Lane and Park Avenue. The park becomes a magical mix of vision, love, labor and lights, a tradition that began around thirty years ago, with the vision of Sonny Tims and a handful of other longtime Altusans.

https://www.elevators.com/qaaafr0w Rumors abound that this could be the last year for the lights, due to vandalism. Thanks to a handful of dedicated elves, this year’s show is now in progress nightly. Park your car or truck at the Altus High School parking lot, and take a stroll thru the park. Enjoy the work of the elves as you gaze at the lighted Christmas trees and animated displays while creating some new memories for you and your family.

https://www.marineetstamp.com/w7bohxhuto9 Before or after enjoying these treats that Altus has to offer during December, take time to patronize some of the locally owned businesses and restaurants. Some favorite stops along the way are the Sunshine Café and Roberts’ Drive-In (which is now a sit-in diner) on East Broadway. The Grapevine Café or Benny’s Pizza & Mexican Restaurant on North main are also quite tasty. To finish off your shopping list, visit Petal Pushers, Scott Farms (for your “Made In Oklahoma” gifts) or the Sandyland Vineyard.

https://mocicc.org/agricultura/yy6cxdxd5 (Cue the wavy screen effect)

Uk Tramadol Online Looks like I have been off in dreamland way too long now. It is time to get bundled up, go outside and shovel some snow. Wonder if I’ll see some Christmas lights out there?

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https://paradiseperformingartscenter.com/tnc19hacqr Sources:

go here Jimmy Geigle
http://www.altustimes.com/view/full_story/1390548/article-3rd-annual-Toy-Run-for-Kids-to-be-held-Saturday

https://www.mbtn.net/?p=u7naciu http://www.altustimes.com/pages/full_story/push?article-Altus+Christmas+Parade+registration+being+held%20&id=20929552&instance=top_stories

https://lpgventures.com/4jsfckb http://sandylandvineyard.com/SandyLand_Vineyard/Welcome.html

https://www.mbtn.net/?p=v3nhlrr35k http://scottfarms.net/default.html

https://paradiseperformingartscenter.com/ghiwyot3yt http://www.petalpushersflowers.com/

On the Horizon: Ag Grads Needed

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see url Agriculture has always been a part of my life. Growing up on a farm and knowing the importance of where our food comes from is something that my parents and grandparents instilled in me since I was young. When the time came to look into colleges, I knew I wanted to do something with media and if possible also gain a better understanding of agriculture and the world around me. Agricultural Communications seemed like the obvious solution.

enter site Upon coming to the conclusion that this degree choice was for me, I looked more in-depth at how I could benefit from studying this topic and was pleasantly surprised to find out that graduates with an agricultural degree have a higher job placement rate than many other degree choices.

https://danivoiceovers.com/nsjc5raj6 In this week’s video blog, see how a demand for agricultural graduates in today’s workforce is causing an increase in enrollment numbers at colleges.
Kela Kelln

Fritos and Raindrops

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https://www.mreavoice.org/fhwmedbzmx Tonight I was working with my daughter’s friend on a project we’ve had “in process” for six and one-half years.  We had just finished our last review when a young man she was dating showed up at the door.  He had venison in tow, and they were going to make deer chili for dinner.

see I was lost in the world of placing orders on the internet when a piece of conversation rushed through the air and broke apart the mental fog covering my head.

https://onlineconferenceformusictherapy.com/2025/02/22/z7ssq77r77 “…well, you could have some Fritos with it, or some cheese…”

follow url “I think I’ll have some Fritos AND some cheese…”

https://getdarker.com/editorial/articles/2nsvldk For some reason I can only attribute to my weariness level, I fixated on the word “Fritos.”  I thought about the fact that we have half a bag at home, closed with a rubber band, and that I should probably make some chili too.

https://www.brigantesenglishwalks.com/8tt7oi2i0m3 Then I thought about a time when I was very young, and I was in a car parked in my grandpa’s pasture beside his farm pond.  We had gone there to fish, and someone – either my grandpa, or my uncle, or someone in my family – was telling me that the fishing was always better in the rain.  They had a bag of Fritos in the car and offered me some.

https://www.elevators.com/lywza39ge4g I felt safe in the car, learning the basics of fishing from someone whom I assumed knew it all.  Me, a family member, a bag of Fritos, and a rainy day….

https://www.yolascafe.com/s79xl8hf6 I snapped out of my day dreaming and smiled.  I don’t know where that memory came from, but I needed it.  I closed my eyes and thought about the raindrops coming down onto the surface of the pond that day.

https://mocicc.org/agricultura/zmr1vig I love Fritos.

click here But I really, really love little memories like that one.

I Won’t Tell You One of My Secrets

I sometimes wonder if I absorbed too many of the ideals within childhood novels like “Mandy” and “The Secret Garden.”  I certainly understand the longing of both protagonists to have their own “bit of earth.” Or to discover, clean and claim as their own…. a remote “Seashell Cottage” hidden deep within the woods somewhere.

I think those novels, plus a culmination of my years of being a dreamer influenced me to truly embrace the historical home we bought downtown in 1990. And to truly grieve when we sold it and moved back to Suburbia.

I love old homes; my mind erupts with the possibilities of the lives, conversations, and events that transpired within their walls.  When I walk through one, it’s as if my spirit communes with the ghosts of past conversations still living in the air, in the wood and emitting from the beams or chimneys.

That’s why I take time to walk through a few of them every year.  Sometimes when there’s an open house I’ll duck into it upon a whim.  Other times, there might be one for sale and I just might call the realtor to see if they happen to be visiting the property, and when, and…if I “could meet them there to do a walk-through…and, no, I’m really not interested, but I might be someday…and I might run into someone who is.”

That’s how I found my most recent muse.  It’s my secret house.  But I can’t tell you about it, really, because if I did I might give away all the research I’ve already done on the house. And then if I do, it wouldn’t be my secret world anymore, right?

So, I won’t tell you about a home on Northeast 36th Street in Forest Park, Oklahoma.  I won’t tell you that it’s involved in a long, drawn-out foreclosure process that is taking the maximum amount of time possible so that the poor house is falling into more and more disrepair as each day goes by.  I won’t tell you that the entire police force of Forest Park has taken it upon themselves to keep an eye on the place because they want to protect the property for the person who eventually does buy it.

I won’t tell you that the home sits on a five acre lot right in the center of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area, nor that not only is the house huge but there is a second home on the property that appears to have been built around 1945-1960, based upon the wood paneling and style inside.

I won’t tell you that there are numerous animal cages, sheds, and a ton of junk hiding behind the trees and bamboo growing on the property…and that the cleanup process would probably reach over the $50K mark.

I won’t tell you that if you crawl over the rock wall Continue reading I Won’t Tell You One of My Secrets

“Your Financial Obligation is to Obey the Speed Limits”

There’s something you should know about me.  I am a very effective driver.

What I mean by “effective” is that I don’t generally speed in vast way, but I always drive at least the speed limit.  I never get tickets, and I haven’t been involved in a wreck since my youthful days.  I turned thirty, and for some reason my need for speed disappeared.  Well, unless I was test driving a really cool car.  And, well, until today.

I’m off work today and one of my tasks was to meet with my doctoral advisor.  We have a laundry list of tasks to complete and I was driving to the university too quickly.  I suppose I just wanted to get to Stillwater, “get ‘er done” and get home.  It’s Thanksgiving Eve, for crying out loud.

Then my husband called while I was en route.  He was headed to the golf course and though he left his prescription eye glasses in my car.  Could I look?

“Oh, sure babe…I’d love too, but right now I’m getting pulled over by the highway patrol.  I’ll call you back.”

“Uh…okay.”

I pulled over in an efficient manner.  I unzipped my backpack quickly, immediately found my driver’s license and insurance card, and had both the drivers and passenger windows completely down before the patrolman even reached my car. If you find yourself in a situation involving a DUI, DUI Lawyers Fort Myers can provide expert legal representation to help you through the process.

As he leaned down, he was met with the sight of my arm fully extended, offering him my identification and promise that I was keeping myself and others protected with insurance.  He looked like he was about to say something so I just jumped in and cut him off.

“It’s completely my fault.  I was speeding.  I’m going to a meeting at the university and I got in a hurry.  I’m very sorry and this is totally a “NO CONTEST” situation.  You’re right, I was wrong.  Here’s all the information you need.”

He hesitated for about 2 seconds.  Then said, “Uh, ma’am, I clocked you going 83 in a 75 zone.”

“I have no doubt that you did. Continue reading “Your Financial Obligation is to Obey the Speed Limits”

Waste Not, Want Not: Sunday Night Quiche Tradition-Building

Last week I started a tradition I think I’m going to like.

We generally go grocery shopping every Sunday afternoon to prepare for the upcoming work week.  But then…there’s the refrigerator clean-out process that comes along with the stocking task.  And invariably, I find forgotten food tucked in the deep corners of our fridge that is generally still good but needs to be used ASAP.

Hence, the birth of my Sunday Night “Empty the Fridge” Quiche.  Last week, it consisted of: broccoli, about 1/3 of an onion, a small piece of smoked cheddar block I had to “de-mold” prior to grating, a bit of buttermilk, and 1/3 container of cottage cheese.  Oh, and eggs.

This week, I found half an old bag of frozen chopped spinach, I had some bacon that needed to be cooked, and I had local pullet eggs going out of date in three days.  I threw in about one cup of good shredded cheddar and I must say, it’s delicious (see the top featured photo above).

So, should you wish to follow suit and have breakfast ready to heat up every work day morning the following week, here is all you need:

1) Use your favorite pie crust recipe.  Make only enough for one crust. Continue reading Waste Not, Want Not: Sunday Night Quiche Tradition-Building

On the Horizon: Cash It In–Tribal Impact

We all see them as we drive down the road. Huge buildings, with flashing lights, and parking lots that are always full – casinos. Once inside, the sound of slot gacor machines turning and cards shuffling offers an appealing atmosphere to those who wish to participate. While an individual hopes to win the next mega jackpot, Native American tribes automatically win money every time someone walks through the door. And with every dollar made from the casinos, Oklahoma’s economy grows too. If you also want to access various casino games anytime, there are online situs slot gacor games you can play. A premier online gaming platform such as daftar mpo888 is providing a wide range of entertainment options, including slot games, live casinos, and sports betting.

In this week’s video blog, we take a look at the how the gaming industry brings growth and entertainment to the state.
Andy Barth

On the Horizon: Hire Our Veterans!

Many of our veterans are returning to civilian life but what are they returning to? Jobs that had been promised to them just aren’t there. I’m not sure really how employers are getting away with that. Yes they did hire someone to replace that man or woman who willing placed themselves in harm’s way for our freedoms but shouldn’t they have been told this is a temporary hire and as soon as that brave soul returns from wherever they have been stationed, the job will be theirs. Now yes, that would displace them, but if they were told upfront that it was only temporary, they would be expecting it and have a chance to begin looking for another job as soon as they heard the veteran was returning.

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case and in this economy, jobs are scarce. So what’s a veteran to do? Well a group of Oklahomans was concerned about that very problem and decided to do something about it. The Oklahoma Department of CareerTech partnered with several other state agencies and entities across the State of Oklahoma to create a one of a kind hiring event geared towards Military personnel preparing for separation from active service, Guard & Reserve members and veterans (anyone who has ever served in the U.S. Military and received an honorable discharge).

In this week’s video blog, see how they are helping those who served our country and sacrificed all they had, including their jobs, to do so.
Alisa Hines

On the Horizon: Dust to Dust

I am really looking forward to the upcoming Ken Burns PBS film on the Dust Bowl. I grew up hearing the stories of the “Dirty Thirties” from my parents who lived through what is referred to in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name as the “worst hard times.”

While such hardships are a lifetime away, I believe we can learn valuable lessons from the Dust Bowl. The calamitous dust storms did wreak havoc, but the great migration depicted in “The Grapes of Wrath” was just as much about the economy as it was the environment.

In truth, less than seven percent of the migrants who moved to California did so because of the wind-ravaged Dust Bowl; the majority were refugees of a changing economy. A recession in farm country had farmers borrowing on the easy credit of the 1920s. Then in the 1930s, landowners began phasing out tenant farming and the sharecroppers it supported in favor of seasonal wage labor.

With unemployment during the Great Depression hovering around 30 percent, there were just no jobs to be had. Such an unforgiving economy had little room for the downtrodden, let alone an environmental disaster. We slipped into one of the bleakest moments in our nation’s history.

Today, we face our own set of challenges — probably nothing as severe as we saw in the 1930s, but still a transitioning economy. Jobs that once supported entire families on a single income have been blown away by the winds of change. A global economy and the rapid rise in technology have made today’s workplace quite different than the one I entered not that long ago.

As we continue to emerge from what was the worst recession since the 1930s, I can only hope we rise to the occasion as Americans, dust ourselves off, and face the challenges of today with the same character our forefathers showed.

In this week’s video blog, I want to share my family’s personal story of the Dust Bowl. My parents still inspire me. I hope they will inspire you too.
Rob McClendon

On the Horizon: Chicken or the Egg

There’s a natural gas boom under way – and an interesting dilemma comes with it.
The United States produced a record amount of natural gas in 2011 – twenty-three trillion cubic feet — largely because of hydraulic fracking and horizontal drilling. Pennsylvania more than quadrupled its natural gas output between 2000 and 2010 to 573 billion cubic feet – enough to heat every home in the state for eighteen months. Shale gas well output grew faster still, quadrupling nationwide between 2007 and 2010.

For the first time in my lifetime, it is possible that our country could become energy independent. American natural gas has the potential to fuel our cars and heat our homes. At less than half the price of imported gasoline, it will be a welcome relief at the pump.

But here is the dilemma. Which comes first, the cars that run on CNG or the gas stations that will carry it? CNG must be piped in rather than trucked, so every CNG pump along the side of the road needs significant infrastructure to get fuel. Oklahoma is leading the way in making the transition. With 90 fueling stations statewide, the state has per capita more than anyone else.

In this week’s video blog, we look at how state government and private industry are working together to take some of the pain out of the pump.
Rob McClendon

One Perfect Day. Or Seven.

Today when Mick and I were driving to church, we spied two hot air balloons floating peacefully toward the ground. The colors juxtaposed against the robin egg blue sky were brilliant, it was 49 degrees with no wind, and the sunlight glinted against everything it struck.

Later today I was power walking down the road in front of our house and I noticed that as my center of gravity lifted with each step, then struck against the asphalt, my hair bounced to a rhythm that best matched the tune to “How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria?” As I step-step-stepped, the tune looped over and over in my head:

Many a thing you know you’d like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand

Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?

Earlier today we had lunch with my younger daughter. Later this afternoon I cooked a roast. First thing this morning, it was doughnut Sunday at church. Late tonight I pulled a perfectly cooked roast and vegetables from the crock pot for meals this week. Sometime mid-evening an old neighbor of ours stopped by the house and took Mick to the Thunder game for a dude night out; I got to stay at home, code research, and watch three episodes of Alli McBeal on Netflix.

And right now? I’m writing a prayer to God, telling Him how grateful I am for the weather we’ve been having, the leaves that are turning, my legs that can walk, balloons that fly, a church that cares, children whom we love and songs in my head.

Peace to you.

Five Thanksgiving Menu Solutions for Unexpected Surprises

Being thrown for a loop during a meal or party preparation is never awesome, but it happens. If there are people involved, and cooking food for those people is also involved, unexpected surprises are almost guaranteed.

Twists or turns for a meal on Thanksgiving are especially tricky because the grocery stores are closed, and you find out about these surprises many times right before meal time.

If a few extra people show up, the solution could be as easy as opening an extra can of corn.

Sidebar: Every time I hear, “Can o’ corn” I think about this scene in The Longest Yard:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJxQbgiLpks]

However, most Thanksgiving meals are so large a few extra people isn’t usually the problem. But other possibilities DO exist. So, I’ve developed a “crisis management” list for you to handle many of the possible, random or even probable surprises lurking in the wings for the upcoming holiday. Here we go…

1. https://onlineconferenceformusictherapy.com/2025/02/22/u76xsek A few days, or even hours prior to your meal, you get this message: “Okay, truth, no one in our family likes dressing. Can we PLEASE forego the dressing?” Great. It’s your turn to cook. You even called for your aunt’s dressing recipe because that’s what has always been served, and no one likes it? Here’s a great substitute that’s easy, it uses your cornbread mix, the big foil pan you had prepped for the dressing, and (in my opinion) tastes better:

https://www.mreavoice.org/dth2gk8tps Jalapeno Cornbread

In a large bowl combine four packets of cornbread mix (not corn muffin mix). Quickly clean/core 20 jalapeno peppers and shred them in a food processor. Add the peppers, a small bag of frozen corn [thawed], one extra egg over what the mixes call for, two bags of shredded sharp cheddar cheese (16 total oz.), and use buttermilk for the mix rather than regular milk. Please use about 10% extra buttermilk over what the mix calls for as it’s a little thicker. Mix thoroughly (don’t overmix; just until all the ingredients are wet and well blended), transfer to your large foil pan you had prepped for dressing (make sure and coat with non-stick spray prior to filling), and bake in a 390F oven for about 35-40 minutes. Check at 30 minutes. The edges should be nicely brown and pulling from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. This recipe feeds 25 people easily, takes less than an hour from beginning to end, costs about $8.25, and is about .34 cents or less per serving. One other thing – it’s delicious.

Continue reading Five Thanksgiving Menu Solutions for Unexpected Surprises

Why English is Hard, or, “How to Speak Starbucks-ese” in the Mornings

What are blogs for if not for their authors to share true confessions?

And if that were not the case,

and voyeurism were completely dead,

AND those crafting the entries among said blogs only did so for improving and sharing their holy discipline of writing…

well…then I’d be out of here.

But I’m here, and ready today to deliver a rare true confession: I am a food snob.

Here’s another: I actually like Starbucks most days.

AND YET… another: I make fun of food snobs and those who like Starbucks.

In other words, I laugh at that with which I deeply identify. Take this scene for example. The first time I saw it I felt as though someone had secretly invaded my soul and written the secrets they stole into a script for this particular segment:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnlm2e3EN78]

As I watched that snippet alongside my c. 1989 hubby, I longed for the world to stop so I could run up, kiss the screen and scream, “THANK YOU. Thank you SO much, Sally, for articulating the choices in my head about the food I eat!” I felt empowered, validated…and, I was prepared to access my new-found confidence.

The very next day, when I ordered my salad dressing “On the Side” rather than digging it out of my bowl or sopping it up with a napkin, I smiled. And then I prayed a second time for the food I was about to receive.

Another true confession: I have been a very particular orderer ever since. Which leads me to my main topic: When I go to Starbucks in the morning and order a breakfast sandwich, it goes something like this between the cashier and I…

“I would like a Bacon Gouda Sandwich toasted open-faced please.”

[I painstakingly make sure the waiter is making eye contact with me while I do this so they can also see that I am holding my hands in front of me, praying style, then opening them as I say the words “open faced” so they understand that I do indeed mean when I said.]

“Okay, that’s a Bacon Gouda…anything else?”

“Open faced, right?”

“Yeah, right. [ pause ] You mean, you don’t want the bun on top?” Continue reading Why English is Hard, or, “How to Speak Starbucks-ese” in the Mornings

Barf Bag Throwdown: Delta Delivers, American Airlines Left on the Tarmac

A gracious traveler in the Minnesota airport allowed me to photograph his shirt for this article.

It’s election day, I’m traveling, and all of the sudden competition and sports metaphors are running through my head like Dez Bryant on an 84-yard tear to the end zone.  Here’s one of my favorite by Candy Crowley written about the 2008 presidential candidate, Fred Thompson:

https://lpgventures.com/tger6g2g Candy Crowley: “The bass haven’t been biting because Fred Thompson hasn’t been fishing with nightcrawlers. He’s been fishing with gummi worms, and the voters know it.”

Kudos to the Huff Post for putting a great list together about that particular competition.  And speaking of competitions, yesterday I walked into a doozy I didn’t even realize had commenced: the airline Barf Bag Throwdown.  Ever since my last flight to Atlanta, I guess air sickness bags have move up to a higher priority in my gray matter. Click here for 101 Uses for a Delta Airlines Barf-Bag, #93.

The contest made itself known when I decided to visit the “lavatory” (who SAYS that word?) somewhere in the air between Oklahoma City and Chicago yesterday afternoon.  Thankful I have learned to keep my camera with me WHEREVER I go, I spied this little compartment upon entering the “facilities.”

Hmmmm….an “Air Sickness Bag” compartment!

Well, all of the sudden I felt like one of those nosy people on a sitcom who begins trolling through the bathroom cabinets of the protagonist’s abode.  I had to look!  While I expected to be met with a box of bags, or a nice little neat stack of plastic-coated amenities, here’s what I found instead:

Feminine products? Check. Handi-Wipes? Check. Little bags for disposing of feminine products. Check. Barf bags? Nowhere to be found…

Well, first of all. Sympathies all around to any man who feels like he’s going to hurl, runs to the lavatory and finds THAT stack of supplies! Secondly, the air sickness bag subject had just moved to the tip-top of my gray matter and now I was curious.  I headed back to my seat and began digging.  And digging.  Then I removed the magazines and finally found my own personal barf bag in the very bottom of that oh-so-important seat-back compartment we travelers use for many more things than reading materials.  I pulled it out and heard a little deflating, “bummer-like” cartoon noise in my head: “Wah, wah, wahhhh.”

The bag was wrinkled, worn and the built-in twist-tie topper was tearing on both ends.  I thought back to my experience with Delta.  Their bags were visible, sturdy and in my distorted and biased view because I had been saved by them, the leading competitor in Kelly’s private in-her-head Barf Bag Throwdown.

I narrowed my eyes, wrinkled my nose and stuffed the offending bag back into the seat compartment making sure the tattered top was showing for someone who might need it.  Delta had fished with night crawlers, and American Airlines was just out there messing around with gummi worms.  Score one for the Atlanta-based airline, my clear winner in this unseemly battle.

My look of resolve and deep intrigue was not private, however, because as I settled back with into my seat I glanced around the cabin to find my seatmate looking at me with more than a slight air of concern.  I smiled at her, got out my book and began reading.