The Web site you seek
cannot be located, but
countless more exist.
Chaos reigns within.
Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.
Program aborting:
Close all that you have worked on.
You ask far too much.
Windows NT crashed.
I am the Blue Screen of Death.
No one hears your screams.
Yesterday it worked.
Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.
Your file was so big.
It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.
Stay the patient course.
Of little worth is your ire.
The network is down.
A crash reduces
your expensive computer
to a simple stone.
Three things are certain:
Death, taxes and lost data.
Guess which has occurred.
You step in the stream,
but the water has moved on.
This page is not here.
Out of memory.
We wish to hold the whole sky,
but we never will.
Having been erased,
The document you're seeking
must now be retyped.
Serious error.
All shortcuts have disappeared.
Screen. Mind. Both are blank.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
No More Boot!
I went to the orthopedic surgeon again today. I got rid of the ugly boot! Yay! I now have a smaller ankle brace that fits inside my shoe. More or less. It felt really weird to wear a shoe on my right foot. My toes were freaking out.
I'll show you a picture later. I was busy trying to get pictures of someone's nether regions tonight and didn't get a picture of my ankle while it was still dressed.
I'm tired now and my ankle hurts, so I'm going to bed.
I'll show you a picture later. I was busy trying to get pictures of someone's nether regions tonight and didn't get a picture of my ankle while it was still dressed.
I'm tired now and my ankle hurts, so I'm going to bed.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Kitty Porn
No seriously, this is KITTY porn.
Don't look if you don't want to see real kitty porn.
Zinger had the big snip yesterday. I thought you all might like to see.
Before
After
Don't look if you don't want to see real kitty porn.
Zinger had the big snip yesterday. I thought you all might like to see.
Before
After
Just More Stuff
I have lots of random thoughts floating around in my head today. I thought I would share them in one post rather than 15 little different ones. You all love it when I do this, don’t you?
1. Ever wanted your very own stuffed bedbug? How about a plush representation of Lyme Disease? The common cold? Black Death and other calamities? Check out Giant Microbes. I about laughed my butt off. I wish the bookworm was cuter, because I would get one if it was.
2. I love this time of year. I have really, really bad “fall fever" today. That's kind of like ""spring fever" but in September instead of April. It’s beautiful and sunny out, nice and warm with a vaguely nippy breeze… perfect weather for being outside. Not weather conducive to making me want to stay inside and work.
3. I went to the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival with Melanie (Maiden1974) and her kids on Saturday. This is an annual festival that celebrates all forms of fibers.
There is the living fiber section that consists of, well, the living fiber – the sheep, rabbits, goats, llamas, and alpacas. The llamas were my favorites. I wish I had taken a picture of this one llama that really caught my eye. He was a tall brown llama with big soft brown eyes and ridiculously long eyelashes. He (or she, I don’t know how to tell them apart) was very handsome.
Then there is the unprocessed fiber section, which is the area for judging the wool or hair or whatever before it is processed.
Then there was the vendor section that had every form of fiber you could think of…woven, yarn, thread, died and ready to spin, as well as lots of spinning, weaving, knitting/crocheting/knotting tools and objects of all kinds. It was really amazing. There were also lots and lots of classes offered, but I didn’t take any.
It was really quite fun. I managed not to get addicted to a new hobby (weaving, spinning, or anything else to do with making/using yard), spend any money, and got 3 letterboxes. A perfect day!
4. I don't know what's been wrong with me the last couple of days, but I can't settle in to anything. I'm all depressed and just want to laze about and do nothing. What do you think this means? And how do I get rid of it to get back on track with my normal life?
5. Zinger is getting the big snip tomorrow morning. Everyone pray for his safe recovery. Ever since I lost a kitty under anethesia I get very, very nervous when one of my babies has any kind of procedure.
This is a picture of took of him tonight. Hasn't he gotten big?
This is a picture of him beating up Cleo.
I guess that's it for tonight.
1. Ever wanted your very own stuffed bedbug? How about a plush representation of Lyme Disease? The common cold? Black Death and other calamities? Check out Giant Microbes. I about laughed my butt off. I wish the bookworm was cuter, because I would get one if it was.
2. I love this time of year. I have really, really bad “fall fever" today. That's kind of like ""spring fever" but in September instead of April. It’s beautiful and sunny out, nice and warm with a vaguely nippy breeze… perfect weather for being outside. Not weather conducive to making me want to stay inside and work.
3. I went to the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival with Melanie (Maiden1974) and her kids on Saturday. This is an annual festival that celebrates all forms of fibers.
There is the living fiber section that consists of, well, the living fiber – the sheep, rabbits, goats, llamas, and alpacas. The llamas were my favorites. I wish I had taken a picture of this one llama that really caught my eye. He was a tall brown llama with big soft brown eyes and ridiculously long eyelashes. He (or she, I don’t know how to tell them apart) was very handsome.
Then there is the unprocessed fiber section, which is the area for judging the wool or hair or whatever before it is processed.
Then there was the vendor section that had every form of fiber you could think of…woven, yarn, thread, died and ready to spin, as well as lots of spinning, weaving, knitting/crocheting/knotting tools and objects of all kinds. It was really amazing. There were also lots and lots of classes offered, but I didn’t take any.
It was really quite fun. I managed not to get addicted to a new hobby (weaving, spinning, or anything else to do with making/using yard), spend any money, and got 3 letterboxes. A perfect day!
4. I don't know what's been wrong with me the last couple of days, but I can't settle in to anything. I'm all depressed and just want to laze about and do nothing. What do you think this means? And how do I get rid of it to get back on track with my normal life?
5. Zinger is getting the big snip tomorrow morning. Everyone pray for his safe recovery. Ever since I lost a kitty under anethesia I get very, very nervous when one of my babies has any kind of procedure.
This is a picture of took of him tonight. Hasn't he gotten big?
This is a picture of him beating up Cleo.
I guess that's it for tonight.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
I Am A Five! I Am A Five!
Did you see that the five dollar bill is getting a new look? Here, here, and here are some stories about it.
I love this quote from the first article I linked:
Um, dude? I don’t know about you, but I have never in my life confused a $5 and a $100 bill. I’m pretty sure that is a mistake I would never make. Yep. Pretty darned sure.
Okay, Larry was making a point about counterfeiters bleaching $5s and reprinting them as $100s because the security features are the same, but my joke was way funnier if I didn’t explain that.
I think the new money looks nice, don’t you? I wish I saw more of it in person. Especially the ones with Mr. Franklin on them. Oh, wait. They haven’t redesigned those yet. Okay, I want to see lots and lots more of Mr. Grant then. But I wouldn’t mind the old plain green Franklins.
Since I was looking at the money site, I thought I’d look and see who was on the really big bills. Here’s what I found:
$500 Blue seal - John Marshall (1918)
Green seal - William McKinley (1928 & 1934)
$1,000 Blue seal – Alexander Hamilton (1918)
Green seal – Grover Cleveland (1928)
$5,000 James Madison
$10,000 Salmon P. Chase (secretary of the treasury 1861-1864)
$100,000 Woodrow Wilson
These large denominations were last printed in 1945 and discontinued in 1969. Interesting, huh? And who decides who gets put on which denomination bill? Thoughts to ponder.
I love this quote from the first article I linked:
"We wanted this redesigned bill to scream, 'I am a five. I am a five,"' Larry Felix, director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We wanted to eliminate any similarity or confusion on the part of the public between the $5 bill and the $100 bill."
Um, dude? I don’t know about you, but I have never in my life confused a $5 and a $100 bill. I’m pretty sure that is a mistake I would never make. Yep. Pretty darned sure.
Okay, Larry was making a point about counterfeiters bleaching $5s and reprinting them as $100s because the security features are the same, but my joke was way funnier if I didn’t explain that.
I think the new money looks nice, don’t you? I wish I saw more of it in person. Especially the ones with Mr. Franklin on them. Oh, wait. They haven’t redesigned those yet. Okay, I want to see lots and lots more of Mr. Grant then. But I wouldn’t mind the old plain green Franklins.
Since I was looking at the money site, I thought I’d look and see who was on the really big bills. Here’s what I found:
$500 Blue seal - John Marshall (1918)
Green seal - William McKinley (1928 & 1934)
$1,000 Blue seal – Alexander Hamilton (1918)
Green seal – Grover Cleveland (1928)
$5,000 James Madison
$10,000 Salmon P. Chase (secretary of the treasury 1861-1864)
$100,000 Woodrow Wilson
These large denominations were last printed in 1945 and discontinued in 1969. Interesting, huh? And who decides who gets put on which denomination bill? Thoughts to ponder.
Talk Like A Pirate Day
Yesterday was International Talk Like a Pirate Day. I meant to put this info up for you then, but I didn’t get around to it. So here is a really, really bad joke from the Oregonian yesterday:
Groan!
TOP 12 SONGS TO PLAY ON TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY
12. "Arrrr! You're Lonesome Tonight!"
11. "I Want to Hold Your Hook"
10. "Who Poured the Grog Out?"
9. "Hot Pegs"
8. "Planks for the Enemies"
7. "Born to Rum"
6. "Me Hearties Will Go On"
5. "Papa's Got a Brand New Hook"
4. "Can't Take My Eye Off of You"
3. "I Guess That's Why They Call 'Em Doubloons"
2. "Mateys, I'm Amazed"
1. "I Still Haven't Found What This Hook Is For"
-- topfive.com
Leah went on this site and got pirate names for all us girls at work. We are all known as:
Kris: Keel-Haulin' Lea Dread
Michele: Not-So-Keen-On-the-Womenfolk Cynthia
Ritha: Cap'n Jen Snaggletooth
Christine: "Fancypants" Ursula Cutty
Diane M: Cannon-Balls Nancy
Leah: Cap'n Nadine Knockboots
Charlene: Mast Hugger Roberta
In case you haven't had enough yet, here are the family's pirate names:
Zinger = Pirate Laszlo the Engorged
Greg = Noseless Joe Barbossa
Carmen = Pirate Helga the Fruit
Sophie = Barnacle Breath Amora
Hope you did something to celebrate yesterday!
Lame Pirate Joke du Jour
A pirate captain was out to retrieve his treasure, which he'd buried years before in a swamp in the middle of an island. After months of hard sailing, his ship reached the island, and the captain and his first mate set out for the swamp.
As they entered the bog, the swamp began to get deeper, and the pirates soon found themselves sunk to the knees in the marsh. It was at that time that the captain banged his shin against something hard, reached down and pulled up a treasure chest.
Prying the lock open, they found the chest full of gold and jewels. The captain turned to his first mate and said, "Arrrr, matey, that just goes to show ye, that booty is only shin deep!"
Groan!
TOP 12 SONGS TO PLAY ON TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY
12. "Arrrr! You're Lonesome Tonight!"
11. "I Want to Hold Your Hook"
10. "Who Poured the Grog Out?"
9. "Hot Pegs"
8. "Planks for the Enemies"
7. "Born to Rum"
6. "Me Hearties Will Go On"
5. "Papa's Got a Brand New Hook"
4. "Can't Take My Eye Off of You"
3. "I Guess That's Why They Call 'Em Doubloons"
2. "Mateys, I'm Amazed"
1. "I Still Haven't Found What This Hook Is For"
-- topfive.com
Leah went on this site and got pirate names for all us girls at work. We are all known as:
Kris: Keel-Haulin' Lea Dread
Michele: Not-So-Keen-On-the-Womenfolk Cynthia
Ritha: Cap'n Jen Snaggletooth
Christine: "Fancypants" Ursula Cutty
Diane M: Cannon-Balls Nancy
Leah: Cap'n Nadine Knockboots
Charlene: Mast Hugger Roberta
In case you haven't had enough yet, here are the family's pirate names:
Zinger = Pirate Laszlo the Engorged
Greg = Noseless Joe Barbossa
Carmen = Pirate Helga the Fruit
Sophie = Barnacle Breath Amora
Hope you did something to celebrate yesterday!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
A Public Service Announcement
Just so you all don't miss it this year, September 19th is International Talk Like A Pirate Day.
Remember, fun is never a waste of time.
Remember, fun is never a waste of time.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
GF = Greg Factor
Loosely defined, the Greg Factor is related to “Murphy’s Law” which states whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. The Greg Factor is technically a “force” in the universe, much stronger than a mere law, which tracks a pattern of negativity with absolute value equal to the exact cosmic opposite of the Pierce-Osborn Syndrome (aka, POS) of positivism (in which 99.99999% of events culminate in a positive outcome) thereby best describing GF as, “compared to Greg, Murphy was an optimist”, because 99.99999% of things will result in a negative outcome.
Can You Name the Presidents?
Okay, here are the answers to the quiz about the presidents I posted a while back. I know you have all been waiting for the answers with baited breath, so here we go!
1. Including the current President, how many Presidents have we had in the U.S.?
43
2. Name the FIRST four Presidents of the U.S., in order of their Presidency.
Who was the first President? George Washington
Who was the second President? John Adams
Who was the third President? Thomas Jefferson
Who was the fourth President? James Madison
3. Can you name any of the next four Presidents of the U.S., that is Presidents #5 through #8.
James Monroe
John Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
4. From what you know, which President was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
5. From what you know, which President was the main author of the U.S. Constitution?
James Madison
6. From what you know, what President served as the General over the Continental Army, leading the Revolutionary War?
George Washington
7. Aside from George Bush and George W. Bush, do you know if there has ever been another Father-son pair of Presidents?
Yes
8. Who was that pair of Presidents?
John Adams and John Quincy Adams
9. From what you know, which President won the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812?
Andrew Jackson
10. Can you name the four Presidents whose faces are carved on Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota?
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Jefferson
Teddy Roosevelt
11. Without looking at any coins, do you know which President is featured on the penny?
Abraham Lincoln
12. How about the nickel?
Thomas Jefferson
I hope you did better than I did. I only got about 7 answers right.
1. Including the current President, how many Presidents have we had in the U.S.?
43
2. Name the FIRST four Presidents of the U.S., in order of their Presidency.
Who was the first President? George Washington
Who was the second President? John Adams
Who was the third President? Thomas Jefferson
Who was the fourth President? James Madison
3. Can you name any of the next four Presidents of the U.S., that is Presidents #5 through #8.
James Monroe
John Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
4. From what you know, which President was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
5. From what you know, which President was the main author of the U.S. Constitution?
James Madison
6. From what you know, what President served as the General over the Continental Army, leading the Revolutionary War?
George Washington
7. Aside from George Bush and George W. Bush, do you know if there has ever been another Father-son pair of Presidents?
Yes
8. Who was that pair of Presidents?
John Adams and John Quincy Adams
9. From what you know, which President won the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812?
Andrew Jackson
10. Can you name the four Presidents whose faces are carved on Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota?
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Thomas Jefferson
Teddy Roosevelt
11. Without looking at any coins, do you know which President is featured on the penny?
Abraham Lincoln
12. How about the nickel?
Thomas Jefferson
I hope you did better than I did. I only got about 7 answers right.
Updates
Remember back in December I listed my goals for 2007. I then updated them in April. Here is the current update:
1. Read 125 books
4/29/07 - Have read 44 books
9/13/07 – Have read 98 books
2. Listen to 125 books on tape
4/29/07 - Have listened to 33 audio books
9/13/07 – Have listened to 78 audio books
3. Find 250 letterboxes
4/29/07 - Have found 113 letterboxes
9/13/07 – Have found not many more letterboxes...maybe 125?
4. Get back to Flying
4/29/07 - Um, I printed out my daily lists, but that's about it. Need to work harder on this one!
9/13/0 – I’ve been working on it, but I could do better.
5. Finish some open craft projects
4/29/07 - Not even close. I should have made this one more specific.
9/13/07 – Haven’t done a single thing on this. I might as well delete it from my goals.
Hmm, I think I could be doing a lot better, don't you?
1. Read 125 books
4/29/07 - Have read 44 books
9/13/07 – Have read 98 books
2. Listen to 125 books on tape
4/29/07 - Have listened to 33 audio books
9/13/07 – Have listened to 78 audio books
3. Find 250 letterboxes
4/29/07 - Have found 113 letterboxes
9/13/07 – Have found not many more letterboxes...maybe 125?
4. Get back to Flying
4/29/07 - Um, I printed out my daily lists, but that's about it. Need to work harder on this one!
9/13/0 – I’ve been working on it, but I could do better.
5. Finish some open craft projects
4/29/07 - Not even close. I should have made this one more specific.
9/13/07 – Haven’t done a single thing on this. I might as well delete it from my goals.
Hmm, I think I could be doing a lot better, don't you?
Monday, September 10, 2007
In Memory...
Today is September 11th. I will always remember where I was September 11, 2001. I thought I would never forget how I felt that day when I found out we had been attacked by terrorists, but when I was looking for this slide show I've linked to below, I found that I had forgotten the depth of the horror and sadness that day brought into the heart of every American.
This is a terrific 9/11 tribute. It is long, but it has some poignant pictures that bring it all back. I hope you'll take the time to watch it and remember those that lost their lives in this tragedy.
Despite what you may believe politically, this was an atrocity. These people got up and went to work just like they did every day of their working lives. Think of today. You got up, did your morning routine, came to work and started doing what you are paid to do. You aren't thinking about religion or politics or dying for a cause, you are just going about your life as usual, just like the thousands of people that lost their lives that day.
Here is another tribute that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. This one even lists the lyrics.
I hope you will take a moment today to thank God for all the blessings in your life.
This is a terrific 9/11 tribute. It is long, but it has some poignant pictures that bring it all back. I hope you'll take the time to watch it and remember those that lost their lives in this tragedy.
Despite what you may believe politically, this was an atrocity. These people got up and went to work just like they did every day of their working lives. Think of today. You got up, did your morning routine, came to work and started doing what you are paid to do. You aren't thinking about religion or politics or dying for a cause, you are just going about your life as usual, just like the thousands of people that lost their lives that day.
Here is another tribute that never fails to bring tears to my eyes. This one even lists the lyrics.
I hope you will take a moment today to thank God for all the blessings in your life.
Not Your Mama's Chili
A funny for you....
A young cowboy walks into the town cafe. He sits at the counter and notices an old cowboy with his arms folded, staring blankly at a full bowl of chili.
After fifteen minutes of just sitting there staring at it, the young cowboy bravely asked the old cowpoke, 'If you ain't gonna eat that, mind if I do?'
The older cowboy slowly turns his head toward the young wrangler and in his best cowboy manner says, 'Nah, go ahead.'
Eagerly, the young cowboy reaches over and slides the bowl over to his place and starts spooning in it with delight. He gets nearly down to the bottom and notices a dead mouse in the chili. The sight was shocking and he immediately barfs up the chili into the bowl.
The old cowboy quietly says, 'Yep, that's as far as I got, too.'
A young cowboy walks into the town cafe. He sits at the counter and notices an old cowboy with his arms folded, staring blankly at a full bowl of chili.
After fifteen minutes of just sitting there staring at it, the young cowboy bravely asked the old cowpoke, 'If you ain't gonna eat that, mind if I do?'
The older cowboy slowly turns his head toward the young wrangler and in his best cowboy manner says, 'Nah, go ahead.'
Eagerly, the young cowboy reaches over and slides the bowl over to his place and starts spooning in it with delight. He gets nearly down to the bottom and notices a dead mouse in the chili. The sight was shocking and he immediately barfs up the chili into the bowl.
The old cowboy quietly says, 'Yep, that's as far as I got, too.'
Whew!
Things I have to tell you:
1.Good news! I didn't hurt my ankle any worse when I fell. They took x-rays for me and the doctor says the break looks fine. In fact it looks better than it did when they took x-rays 10 days ago. He thinks I probably did some "soft tissue damage" when I fell. It feels a lot better this week so I'm not going to worry about it. X-ray picture to follow when I get it scanned.
2. Zinger went in for his 3rd kitten shot series and his first rabies shot. He now weighs 4.8 pounds and we figure he is about 3 1/2 months old. I also made an appointment for him to get the big snip on the 25th. I'm sure he'll be thrilled. I'm amazed at how big those things are already. Want to see a picture? I can post one!
3. My friend Charlene from work broke her ankle this weekend. The right fibula, just like mine. She did it stepping on the part of the sidewalk that dips in to the grass. Just like me. Some people just don't learn from other people's mistakes. Sheesh. I'm sure she'll post on her blog the whole story and a copy of her x-ray. Check out "Charlene's Blog" link below. She came in to work today and got yelled at by her co-workers (especially me) and her doctor for not being home getting that swelling down, so she went home to put her foot up. Silly girl!
4. Fashion don'ts: Racer back tank tops with a regular bra. Tacky, tacky, tacky. Did I mention that is a very unattractive look?
I guess that's all for now.
1.Good news! I didn't hurt my ankle any worse when I fell. They took x-rays for me and the doctor says the break looks fine. In fact it looks better than it did when they took x-rays 10 days ago. He thinks I probably did some "soft tissue damage" when I fell. It feels a lot better this week so I'm not going to worry about it. X-ray picture to follow when I get it scanned.
2. Zinger went in for his 3rd kitten shot series and his first rabies shot. He now weighs 4.8 pounds and we figure he is about 3 1/2 months old. I also made an appointment for him to get the big snip on the 25th. I'm sure he'll be thrilled. I'm amazed at how big those things are already. Want to see a picture? I can post one!
3. My friend Charlene from work broke her ankle this weekend. The right fibula, just like mine. She did it stepping on the part of the sidewalk that dips in to the grass. Just like me. Some people just don't learn from other people's mistakes. Sheesh. I'm sure she'll post on her blog the whole story and a copy of her x-ray. Check out "Charlene's Blog" link below. She came in to work today and got yelled at by her co-workers (especially me) and her doctor for not being home getting that swelling down, so she went home to put her foot up. Silly girl!
4. Fashion don'ts: Racer back tank tops with a regular bra. Tacky, tacky, tacky. Did I mention that is a very unattractive look?
I guess that's all for now.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
World's Smallest Park
Did you know the World's Smallest Park is in Portland, Oregon? I had no idea. I was downtown for a class today and since I was only a few blocks away went to see it. How often do you get to see something like that??
It's called Mill Ends Park. If you click on the picture below of the sign you can read the whole thing.
I didn't realize that there would be a shadow on the pictures, so they didn't turn out great, but you can see the whole park there. Right in the middle of the street. Kind of wild.
It amazes me the things that are in my own backyard that I never knew about.
It's called Mill Ends Park. If you click on the picture below of the sign you can read the whole thing.
I didn't realize that there would be a shadow on the pictures, so they didn't turn out great, but you can see the whole park there. Right in the middle of the street. Kind of wild.
It amazes me the things that are in my own backyard that I never knew about.
RIP Shed
Here is what our shed used to look like (but not this tidy!)
Here are some more pictures of the stuff from the fire.
The lawnmower. Isn't it festive?
The fence.
Lawnmower side view.
What's left of the walls.
More walls.
Cleo supervising the photo shoot.
We haven't heard back from the arson investigator. When they left (he called in another guy) last night, they were calling it "undetermined." There were a few things that looked funky to them, I guess, so they were going to do some more research and let us know their final determination.
Stay tuned for updates.
Here are some more pictures of the stuff from the fire.
The lawnmower. Isn't it festive?
The fence.
Lawnmower side view.
What's left of the walls.
More walls.
Cleo supervising the photo shoot.
We haven't heard back from the arson investigator. When they left (he called in another guy) last night, they were calling it "undetermined." There were a few things that looked funky to them, I guess, so they were going to do some more research and let us know their final determination.
Stay tuned for updates.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Okay, Who Brought the Marshmallows?
Have I mentioned lately that things aren't going so well for us? In June I broke my ankle. In July Carmen was attacked at the dog park. In August Greg had to have the steroid injection in his back. Remember how I said I hoped September was going to be better than August? Remember that? Well, it's not.
We were sitting in the office tonight just doing our usual evening stuff when the doorbell rang and someone knocked on the door. Greg was on the cell phone with his mom, but headed downstairs to yell at whoever was pounding on the door about the meaning of our no soliciting sign. He opened the door, then ran back in to the house for a shirt and ran back out yelling, "Call 9-1-1! The house is on fire!"
Well, there aren't too many words that can really get the blood pumping, but that sure is one of them. So I went back in to the office and dialled 9-1-1. I never know what to say to those people. I think I said something stupid like "Hello, my house is on fire and I was wondering if you could send the fire department over?" The operator asked me a bunch of questions that I couldn't answer like, "What part of the house is on fire?"
"Um, I don't know. My husband just yelled for me to call 9-1-1 and report the fire."
"Do you see flames or smoke?"
"No."
"Can you go look?"
"Well, no not really. I am recovering from a broken ankle and can't move very fast. Can you just send the fire department, please?"
So she tells me to get out of the house and the fire department are on their way. I grabbed my purse and Cleo and ran (okay, I didn't run because of my ankle, but I limped quickly) out to the car. Cleo was freaked and jumped out of the car as soon as I put her down, so I had to chase her around the yard. I finally had to tackle her like she was a football before I could get a hold of her. Here's a tip for you: don't play cat football when recovering from a broken ankle.
At this point I still have no idea what is going on. I ran (limped) back inside for the dogs and then again for Zinger, who was way less freaked that Cleo.
Finally, I made it around to the side of the house and see this:
Those are my neighbors and Greg and what used to be our plastic shed. Apparently Melissa, the girl that lives next door, was watching TV and smelled smoke. She went outside and saw the flames and ran over to knock on our door and then went to get the garden hose. Our good friends across the street, Wayne, was taking in his trash and saw the smoke and ran over and grabbed our hose. The neighbors that live behind us saw the smoke, jumped the fence, and put THEIR hose on it.
By the time I got there, the excitement was over. Then the firemen came. They are less than a mile away, so I really don't know what took them so long. There was no real sense of urgency that I could see. They wandered over and looked at the shed and determined the fire was out.
Since the firemen couldn't figure out why the fire started, they called the arson investigator. He's been here about 2 hours and hasn't come up with a reason for the fire to start. We stored the usual stuff in the shed: lawnmower, weedwacker (electric), bug spray, tools, wood, fertilizer, gloves, that kind of stuff. The gasoline wasn't inside the shed. None of the fertilizer or bug spray was burned. Weird.
So here's what the shed looks like now. Note the unburned bottles of weed killer and bug spray.
This is the lawnmower. That blue thing on the top is Greg's wet suit (don't ask me why that was out there, I have no idea). That big can on the right is a big can of fence stain.
Here are some pictures of the firemen. They brought out their folding chairs and waited around "keeping an eye on the area to make sure the fire didn't start up again and keeping people away" until the arson investigator showed up. They were nice enough, but gave me a lecture about how it's okay to call 9-1-1 back and tell them the house isn't really on fire. Um, see this black thing on my leg, fireman dude? Not moving fast enough and you only are a mile away!
Then another fireman told me it was a good thing we called because if we had waited any longer the house would definitley have caught fire. Then we would really have had a problem. I'm sure they enjoyed the hour of sitting around shooting the bull while they waited for the investigator on the clock.
Here's Zinger in the car. I guess he was scared and climbed up behind the pedals. I thought he looked cute.
So that was my exciting evening. It's now 9:35. Greg is still outside with the arson investigator, so I think I'll go see what's happening.
We were sitting in the office tonight just doing our usual evening stuff when the doorbell rang and someone knocked on the door. Greg was on the cell phone with his mom, but headed downstairs to yell at whoever was pounding on the door about the meaning of our no soliciting sign. He opened the door, then ran back in to the house for a shirt and ran back out yelling, "Call 9-1-1! The house is on fire!"
Well, there aren't too many words that can really get the blood pumping, but that sure is one of them. So I went back in to the office and dialled 9-1-1. I never know what to say to those people. I think I said something stupid like "Hello, my house is on fire and I was wondering if you could send the fire department over?" The operator asked me a bunch of questions that I couldn't answer like, "What part of the house is on fire?"
"Um, I don't know. My husband just yelled for me to call 9-1-1 and report the fire."
"Do you see flames or smoke?"
"No."
"Can you go look?"
"Well, no not really. I am recovering from a broken ankle and can't move very fast. Can you just send the fire department, please?"
So she tells me to get out of the house and the fire department are on their way. I grabbed my purse and Cleo and ran (okay, I didn't run because of my ankle, but I limped quickly) out to the car. Cleo was freaked and jumped out of the car as soon as I put her down, so I had to chase her around the yard. I finally had to tackle her like she was a football before I could get a hold of her. Here's a tip for you: don't play cat football when recovering from a broken ankle.
At this point I still have no idea what is going on. I ran (limped) back inside for the dogs and then again for Zinger, who was way less freaked that Cleo.
Finally, I made it around to the side of the house and see this:
Those are my neighbors and Greg and what used to be our plastic shed. Apparently Melissa, the girl that lives next door, was watching TV and smelled smoke. She went outside and saw the flames and ran over to knock on our door and then went to get the garden hose. Our good friends across the street, Wayne, was taking in his trash and saw the smoke and ran over and grabbed our hose. The neighbors that live behind us saw the smoke, jumped the fence, and put THEIR hose on it.
By the time I got there, the excitement was over. Then the firemen came. They are less than a mile away, so I really don't know what took them so long. There was no real sense of urgency that I could see. They wandered over and looked at the shed and determined the fire was out.
Since the firemen couldn't figure out why the fire started, they called the arson investigator. He's been here about 2 hours and hasn't come up with a reason for the fire to start. We stored the usual stuff in the shed: lawnmower, weedwacker (electric), bug spray, tools, wood, fertilizer, gloves, that kind of stuff. The gasoline wasn't inside the shed. None of the fertilizer or bug spray was burned. Weird.
So here's what the shed looks like now. Note the unburned bottles of weed killer and bug spray.
This is the lawnmower. That blue thing on the top is Greg's wet suit (don't ask me why that was out there, I have no idea). That big can on the right is a big can of fence stain.
Here are some pictures of the firemen. They brought out their folding chairs and waited around "keeping an eye on the area to make sure the fire didn't start up again and keeping people away" until the arson investigator showed up. They were nice enough, but gave me a lecture about how it's okay to call 9-1-1 back and tell them the house isn't really on fire. Um, see this black thing on my leg, fireman dude? Not moving fast enough and you only are a mile away!
Then another fireman told me it was a good thing we called because if we had waited any longer the house would definitley have caught fire. Then we would really have had a problem. I'm sure they enjoyed the hour of sitting around shooting the bull while they waited for the investigator on the clock.
Here's Zinger in the car. I guess he was scared and climbed up behind the pedals. I thought he looked cute.
So that was my exciting evening. It's now 9:35. Greg is still outside with the arson investigator, so I think I'll go see what's happening.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
HOT!
Work was so miserable today. There was some power surge or something that knocked out the power at City Hall over the weekend. So there was no AC for several days over the 3-day weekend. When I came in to work it was stifling, but I figured it would soon cool off. Something major must have happened, because they kept telling us to turn off our computers because the power was going off. The air finally came on at 3:00 on my end of the building. My fish tank had the only thermometer around and it read 80 degrees. I hate sitting at work sweating.
Thankfully it wasn't hot outside, only in the 70s. If it had been really hot out we would have been screwed. Big time. Worse than we were.
I'm afraid this was all my fault because before I went to work I was bragging to Deb that it was raining and cool here when she was saying the temperatures in San Diego had been in the triple digits. I wrote Deb later this morning and told her what had happened. She laughed and said it was Karma.
Karma is a bitch.
Thankfully it wasn't hot outside, only in the 70s. If it had been really hot out we would have been screwed. Big time. Worse than we were.
I'm afraid this was all my fault because before I went to work I was bragging to Deb that it was raining and cool here when she was saying the temperatures in San Diego had been in the triple digits. I wrote Deb later this morning and told her what had happened. She laughed and said it was Karma.
Karma is a bitch.
Hurricane Rules
Since we just had the anniversary of Katrina, it seemed a good time to review the Hurricane Rules. No one seems to know the exact origin of these “rules”, but rest assured they are not from George Carlin!
Been sitting here wanting to speak out about the bull going on in New Orleans. For the people of New Orleans... First we would like to say, Sorry for your loss. With that said, let’s go through a few hurricane rules: (Unlike an earthquake, we know it's coming)
#1. A mandatory evacuation means just that…Get the hell out. Don't blame the Government after they tell you to go. If they hadn't said anything, I can see the argument. They said get out... if you didn't, it's your fault, not theirs. (We don't want to hear it, even if you don't have a car, you can get out.)
#2. If there is an emergency, stock up on water and non perishables. If you didn't do this, it's not the Government's fault you're starving.
#2a. If you run out of food and water, find a store that has some. (Remember, shoes, TV's, DVD's and CD's are not edible. Leave them alone.)
#2b. If the local store has been looted of food or water, leave your neighbor's TV and stereo alone. (See # 2a) They worked hard to get their stuff. Just because they were smart enough to leave during a mandatory evacuation, doesn't give you the right to take their stuff...it's theirs, not yours.
#3. If someone comes in to help you, don't shoot at them and then complain no one is helping you. I'm not getting shot to help save some dumbass who didn't leave when told to do so.
#4. If you are in your house that is completely under water, your belongings are probably too far gone for anyone to want them. If someone does want them, let them have them and hopefully they'll die in the filth. Just leave! (It's New Orleans, find a voodoo warrior and put a curse on them)
#5. My tax money should not pay to rebuild a 2 million dollar house, a sports stadium or a floating casino. Also, my tax money shouldn't go to rebuild a city that is under sea level. You wouldn't build your house on quicksand would you? You want to live below sea-level, do your country some good and join the Navy.
#6. Regardless of what the Poverty Pimps Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton want you to believe, The US Government didn't create the Hurricane as a way to eradicate the black people of New Orleans; (Neither did Russia as a way to destroy America). The US Government didn't cause global warming that caused the hurricane (We've been coming out of an ice age for over a million years).
#7. The government isn't responsible for giving you anything. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but you gotta work for what you want. McDonalds and Wal-Mart are always hiring, get a damn job and stop spooning off the people who are actually working for a living. President Kennedy said it best..."Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Been sitting here wanting to speak out about the bull going on in New Orleans. For the people of New Orleans... First we would like to say, Sorry for your loss. With that said, let’s go through a few hurricane rules: (Unlike an earthquake, we know it's coming)
#1. A mandatory evacuation means just that…Get the hell out. Don't blame the Government after they tell you to go. If they hadn't said anything, I can see the argument. They said get out... if you didn't, it's your fault, not theirs. (We don't want to hear it, even if you don't have a car, you can get out.)
#2. If there is an emergency, stock up on water and non perishables. If you didn't do this, it's not the Government's fault you're starving.
#2a. If you run out of food and water, find a store that has some. (Remember, shoes, TV's, DVD's and CD's are not edible. Leave them alone.)
#2b. If the local store has been looted of food or water, leave your neighbor's TV and stereo alone. (See # 2a) They worked hard to get their stuff. Just because they were smart enough to leave during a mandatory evacuation, doesn't give you the right to take their stuff...it's theirs, not yours.
#3. If someone comes in to help you, don't shoot at them and then complain no one is helping you. I'm not getting shot to help save some dumbass who didn't leave when told to do so.
#4. If you are in your house that is completely under water, your belongings are probably too far gone for anyone to want them. If someone does want them, let them have them and hopefully they'll die in the filth. Just leave! (It's New Orleans, find a voodoo warrior and put a curse on them)
#5. My tax money should not pay to rebuild a 2 million dollar house, a sports stadium or a floating casino. Also, my tax money shouldn't go to rebuild a city that is under sea level. You wouldn't build your house on quicksand would you? You want to live below sea-level, do your country some good and join the Navy.
#6. Regardless of what the Poverty Pimps Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton want you to believe, The US Government didn't create the Hurricane as a way to eradicate the black people of New Orleans; (Neither did Russia as a way to destroy America). The US Government didn't cause global warming that caused the hurricane (We've been coming out of an ice age for over a million years).
#7. The government isn't responsible for giving you anything. This is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but you gotta work for what you want. McDonalds and Wal-Mart are always hiring, get a damn job and stop spooning off the people who are actually working for a living. President Kennedy said it best..."Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Monday, September 03, 2007
A Test for You
Greg just sent me this test. I utterly failed it. Without cheating take this test and let me know how you do. I'll post the answers later.
Can You Name the Presidents?
1. Including the current President, how many Presidents have we had in the U.S.?
2. Name the FIRST four Presidents of the U.S., in order of their Presidency.
Who was the first President?
Who was the second President?
Who was the third President?
Who was the fourth President?
3. Can you name any of the next four Presidents of the U.S., that is Presidents #5 through #8.
4. From what you know, which President was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?
5. From what you know, which President was the main author of the U.S. Constitution?
6. From what you know, what President served as the General over the Continental Army, leading the Revolutionary War?
7. Aside from George Bush and George W. Bush, do you know if there has ever been another Father-son pair of Presidents?
8. Who was that pair of Presidents?
9. From what you know, which President won the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812?
10. Can you name the four Presidents whose faces are carved on Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota?
11. Without looking at any coins, do you know which President is featured on the penny?
12. How about the nickel?
Can You Name the Presidents?
1. Including the current President, how many Presidents have we had in the U.S.?
2. Name the FIRST four Presidents of the U.S., in order of their Presidency.
Who was the first President?
Who was the second President?
Who was the third President?
Who was the fourth President?
3. Can you name any of the next four Presidents of the U.S., that is Presidents #5 through #8.
4. From what you know, which President was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?
5. From what you know, which President was the main author of the U.S. Constitution?
6. From what you know, what President served as the General over the Continental Army, leading the Revolutionary War?
7. Aside from George Bush and George W. Bush, do you know if there has ever been another Father-son pair of Presidents?
8. Who was that pair of Presidents?
9. From what you know, which President won the Battle of New Orleans in the War of 1812?
10. Can you name the four Presidents whose faces are carved on Mt. Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota?
11. Without looking at any coins, do you know which President is featured on the penny?
12. How about the nickel?
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