Chalkboard Chatterbox

Man burns down hotel to avoid tying knot

Amanda Millard — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:38:46 GMT

This is one of the most bizarre stories I've read.

A guy in Japan opted to burn down a hotel to get out of getting married.

You can read the story here.

The hotel sustained minimal damage.

Wouldn't it just be easier to say, "Honey, I think we should call this off."

Sheesh.

how old were you when you got married?

Amanda Millard — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:11:56 GMT

When I get married next June, I'll be 27 and Matt will be 31.

We're both above the average age that men and women in the U.S. first tie the knot.

I'm doing a story that looks at how the age people are when they first get married has increased in the last 100+ years.

I'm looking for some people who married young and some who waited until they were a bit older to talk about some of the pros and cons.

Want to share your story?

Call me at 704-869-1839 or send me an e-mail at amillard@gastongazette.com.

You found WHAT in your hot dog bun?

Amanda Millard — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:46:37 GMT

People may question the ingredients in their hotdog.

Maybe they oughta start wondering about the bun, too.

A Charlotte man found what appears to be a mouse in his hot dog. (all together now - eeewwwww)

According to WCNC, the man called the Arnold bread company, who told him not to call BJ's Wholesale where he bought the bread.

Read the whole story here.

Sentimental gifts that don't cost a lot

Amanda Millard — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:25:52 GMT

National experts say this holiday season will have the slowest sales since 2002.

In this financial crunch, I wonder if people will be making their own gifts instead of going to the mall to buy them.

Do you have any advice for how to make sentimental gifts that mean more getting a gift card? Let me know by posting on my blog or giving me a call. I'm at 704-869-1839.

The best homemade gift I ever got was for my high school graduation. My Gramma made me a beautiful quilt with two pillow cases. It's a block pattern with shades of blue and white. It was on my bed through most of college and now it hangs on the wall above a bed. It's special because I know the love that went into every stitch and I'll treasure it forever.

The shaky wheel

Amanda Millard — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:17:42 GMT

It doesn't matter what shopping cart I pick.

I get the one with the shaky wheel that shutters as I push it down the aisle and rattles loudly if you walk at a normal pace.

Sheesh.

I spent my lunch hour at the Wal-Mart on Myrtle School Road getting groceries for a Halloween party. I've got some great creepy, icky recipes that I'm eager to try out but my bare cuppards meant I needed to run to the store.

I didn't take the cart that looked like it could have broken wheels. But the one I picked was the wrong one. I grimmaced in horror as the rattling wheel alerted anyone within 15 feet that I was coming down the aisle. Good to avoid run ins with another court, I suppose.

Does this happen to you? Or something similar. Let me know!

Snap, crackle...sigh

Amanda Millard — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 23:58:57 GMT

Logs burning in my fireplace reminds me of home.

My gramma and grampa's house had a wood stove near the center of the room. It was so nice to lean on after being out in the cold, though you couldn't stay too close for long or you'd burn your bottom.

When I'd spend the night as a little girl I slept on the foldout couch in the living room. The sound of Grampa loading the stove with wood and the clomp of his boots on the linoleum were some of the first sounds I'd hear when I woke up. I used to take the little sweeper brush and busy myself by sweeping up some fallen ashes and bits of bark. Gramma used to lean on that stove with a pillow on top of it when it wasn't running. We gathered around that stove.

I was reminded of that yesterday when I had a fire going in my own fireplace. I'd hear the pops and crackles and see the wood turning to embers. I felt the heat from the fire and it almost felt like it was warming my soul.

I miss that feeling of warmth. I'm just glad that I can experience again, though it's in a different time and place.

No quizzing McCain for me

Amanda Millard — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:41:20 GMT

I should have shouted out when Sen. John McCain walked down the stairs from his Straight Talk Express:

"Mr. McCain, I saw you on Letterman last night!"

But I didn't.

Instead I walked him walk down the staircase, head down, purple striped tie jostling in the breeze, with Cindy by his side.

They got into a taupe colored four-door suburban and then McCain was on his blackberry or some other kind of big phone device.

Then all his people, media and the rest of the show trickled out of the plane. Some got into cars. Others in buses. Then a long line of cars formed, McCain's car ibehind the lead car and then they were gone.

So much for that media appearance.

I'd heard that McCain would be in Charlotte, but I was thinking this meant he'd actually stop and chat. Shake hands with some supporters.

But I was wrong.

It was more of a B-roll for talking about the campaign than an actual campaign stop.

Oh, well, better luck next time.

In the meantime, he's a clip from McCain's Letterman visit. Enjoy.

Pumpkins, mums and pretty things

Amanda Millard — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 01:56:56 GMT

I hate that it's fall already.

I don't feel like I had much of a summer break, though I do faintly remember the hot days and mosquito bites of yore.

Now that it's fall, though, I do get to break out the comfy long sleeve shirts and sweaters. I get cold easily so when the A/C's turned up, I'm the one in the corner with her teeth chattering. Now at least I don't look like fool for being cold because it actually does feel a bit chilly.

I'm not much of a "decorate for every holiday" gal, but I do like to have a few pumpkins and such for fall and Halloween. I even have a miniature pumpkin my mom sent me sitting in the corner of my cubicle. The others are sitting on my fireplace mantle at home.

One thing on my to buy list is mums. A neighbor on my street has two bright yellow plants of mums and they add a nice burst of color. I'm thinking of getting some burgandy ones, or maybe orange. Seeing other people's pretty fall decorations make me want to get creative.

I'm also going to try my hand at jack-o-lantern carving this year. I've seen some neat designs -- like these -- that I want to carve up.

Hopefully my enthusiasm for fall decorating will help me ease into the cold months I know are to come.

Hear music Saturday at the Pavilion

Amanda Millard — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:38:48 GMT

Looking for something to do on Saturday?

Head out to the Rotary Pavilion in downtown Gastonia for York Chester Middle School's 4th Annual Cougar Culture Fest.

The celebration of arts in the York Chester community and beyond runs from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11.

Music will be provided by the York Chester Middle School Chorus, band and Jazz Band; Mount Zion Restoration Baptist Church; Blessed Assurance Outreach Ministries; Unity Baptist Church; Friendz Jazz Ban; Tommy Lopez and Flute Praise and many others.

Harvest Time Church of God and Blessed Assurance Ministries will present drama and dance performances.

Carrington’s will provide concessions and inflatable bouncers for youth.

I'm working Saturday, so you might see me out there. Come on out and say hello.

This photo is from last year's event.

It's moved from the school to the Rotary Pavilion this year.

Safe haven law has unintended consequences

Amanda Millard — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:11:54 GMT

Here's some news from the Cornhusker state.

Lawmakers there passed a safe haven law that allows children to be dropped off at hospitals without their guardians facing abandonment charges.

The law was designed to protect infants.

But the law uses the word child without giving a definition. Since the state law passed in July, 17 children have been abandoned, including nine children dropped off by a father and a a 14-year-old Iowa girl later reclaimed by her grandparents. None of them have been infants.

North Carolina's safe haven law allows a parent to abandon a child less than seven days old by delivering them the following places:

hospital
health department
community health center
police or sheriff department
social services department
fire or emergency services station

The parent can also leave the infant with:

a healthcare provider
law enforcement officer
social worker
certified E.M.S. worker

Lawmakers in Nebraska say the law's being used in a way it wasn't intended. They could go back and have a special session for the newly created law, but looks like they'll tackle it when the go back in session in January.

Any opinions?