Thursday, August 30, 2007

Something is amiss

I have been forgetful.
I am making mistakes because I'm not paying attention.
I've been dropping and spilling way more than usual.

I have been forgetful.
and sometimes i am rushing thru things so i make mistkes.
I just spilled my Diet Cream Soda on the floor.

There are times when I just don't remember stuff.
I really need to slow down and think more clearly.
I tho ardf...ah...eee...........

oops.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Adjusting

Signs that Ferris is adjusting to the new BIG school:

He has sampled at least 3 of the major dining halls.
"The food is good here"

He is getting along well with the new roomies.

He has crafted a velcro wall hanger for his Guitar Hero for easy access.

He made it to the biggest start-of-the-year party, as well as stop ins at various frat house parties.

His current Away message:
I'm currently in class, please do not IM me for i'm afraid it may damage the learning process of my fragel, eggshell mind.


This is all comforting.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Not my dog

On my way into work this morning I saw a dog poking around near the town green.
It was odd.
It shouldn’t have been odd because it was just a dog sniffing around – but as I thought more about it I realized that dogs don’t do that anymore.

Dogs are on leashes, behind intangible fences, in houses or cars… but not sniffing around… on their own… carefree and enjoying a fine summer morning.
When I was a kid you would see dogs. You would see dogs and kids, wandering all over the place. You thought nothing of it.

If your trash got knocked over by the neighbor’s dog you shook your fist, and put the lid on tighter next time, you didn’t call the police or a lawyer.
It was nothing to see a pack of 10 year olds come out of the woods looking like they had been in there for a week.
If you saw your neighbors kid climbing a utility pole you opened the window and yelled at them to get down before they killed themselves. Your neighbor was ok with that because they just chased your dog our of their garage.

They say the world is a different place now, that you can’t let your kids or dogs roam around without a leash and a GPS chip. But what made the world different?
Did the world really become such a bad place? Or did we just think it did?

I suppose I didn’t realize how much I miss seeing dogs wander around.

Monday, August 27, 2007

New Beginning

Ferris has been successfully installed at his new school... or so we hear.
Because he is a man now - he no longer needs his doting parents to help him move in and get settled. So we helped him stuff pack up his car and waved as he pulled out of our driveway.

I am perfectly fine with this. It shows a sense of adventure and independence. In fact, I applaud it.
ok ok... I'll 'fess. The Sister-In-Law and soon to be Brother-In-Law (impending nuptials) were with him. They both work at the BIG school.

We were both very comforted by the fact that he was in very good hands.

Of course move in day with Ferris would NEVER be without some excitement. I can tell you that there were police involved and Ferris did get to meet the hall director and other campus officials - who coincidentally play on the same campus softball team with the Sister-In-Law... its so nice to be connected.

Tragedy averted, no one was injured, and the attempted theft of his laptop was foiled.

We've heard his room is nice and the food is ok...
And so now we'll adjust to our, once again, empty house.

(woo hoo ;)

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Shopping!?!

Somebody shoot me.
Ferris has decided he wants new clothes before going off to his 'new' university (he has transferred to a BIG school for his sophmore year, I may at some point disclose the location of said university... or perhaps just keep watching the news and you'll figure it out yourselves.)

And... he's asked me to go along. Egad.

I will let you know how we survive make out.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Back to School

This is that week where they lift the sales tax so folks can get all their back to school shopping done.

Personally... I would rather pay the tax than deal with the crowds this is going to generate.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Friday

tip-o-day

Take a few moments every couple months to scrub out your outdoor trash cans (I do our recycling bin at the same time too). It really only takes a couple minutes. And if you store your cans in the garage as we do... its so much more pleasant if they are clean and odor free.

I use an old broom to the scrubbing. That way I don't have to reach in and get wet or dirty. In the past I have always used ammonia, but we were fresh out last night.
So I turned to my tidy wife's favorite - Simple Green.

It took all of five minutes to spray them down with the Simple Green, scrub the broom around inside and rinse with the garden hose.

I must say, the Simple Green did a marvelous job, and left the cans smelling extra fresh and clean.

Remember to tie up your bags securely and not to toss in loose garbage and your cans will stay clean longer.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

What would you do?

What would you do on a Thursday night if you found you had the house to yourself?

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

That's my gal

So I was having a somewhat trying morning at the office when my intuitive wife sends me this email.


So my tea bag fortune is “Your destiny is to merge with infinity.”
Why not just say, “One night you’re gonna fall asleep and never wake up”?

Phuckin’ genius.



Somehow she just knows when I need to lighten up.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Let's Go Mets

Just in case you were worried I wanted to let you know that there are still good people out there. Not hero’s or saints or do-gooders... just regular ole good folk.
Never let an incident pass where you don’t take notice of it.

Ferris went to a Mets game last week. It was a beautiful day for a ball game, but he ended up leaving the game a little early because he was worried he had left his car unlocked. Perhaps it was in his flustered departure that he lost his cell phone. He discovered the loss just before reaching his car on the shuttle to the parking lot.

He and his buddy repeatedly called his phone on their drive home. Hoping.
They were very surprised when a call came in from Ferris' phone!
The man on the phone said in a heavy accent,
“Hey, who’re you?”
Ferris explained that it was his phone, and that he had just lost it at the Mets game.
The man quickly gave Ferris his Brooklyn address.

Ferris called home and explained the story, and asking for advice.
what to do what do to....
I was trying to think quickly through all the scenarios.
I wasn't all that comfortable giving out our home address, and I didn't want to have this man have to pay for mailing it… while I was working my way through variations on the mailing scenario, my helpful and often too trusting wife shouts out -
"We'll go get it!"
I pause, my eyebrow raises curiously.
"Yah!, I am off tomorrow so Ferris and I can take a ride to Brooklyn to pick it up!"

Somewhat hesitantly I tell Ferris to call the guy back and tell him we'll come pick it up in the morning.
I hang up.
I have the immediate thought that this is a trap and my wife and son are going to be robbed and beaten on the bad streets of Brooklyn. So I start with my niggling nagging advice... don't get out of the car if it looks shady, leave your purse at home...and on and on I go. Sometimes… you really have to give the woman credit for just staying in the room with me.

Ferris speaks with the man from Brooklyn again – the man explains he will be working the next day, and will leave the phone with his father who lives in the same Brooklyn neighborhood just down the street.
In the mean time, my clever wife calls The Brother in Law With Brooklyn Friends to get the low down on the neighborhood.
His response was - it’s a safe neighborhood, tho not a nice neighborhood. We're not talking Park Slope here....

The two adventurers finally get to Brooklyn late the next morning after a couple of grueling hours on the heavily trafficked and under construction BQE.
Ferris, riding shotgun, shouts out to stop when he spies the street number they had been given. Unexpectedly, it’s an apartment building. They were only given a street number, not an apartment number.
Undaunted he approaches two women chatting on the stoop. He explains the story and while they are unsure exactly, they suggest he start on the fourth floor.
He got lucky. He again explained his story to an elderly woman behind the first door he knocked on. She seemed confused, having no idea about any phone – when a mans voice came barreling down the hall.
“The phone!? Yeah, I have the phone!.”

To thank him for his generosity, Ferris gave the man a brand new Mets hat he had gotten last year but never worn.
As Ferris was getting back in to the car with my waiting wife the old man comes out to wave them off.
“Look what I got” he calls out to the ladies on the stoop, smiling and proudly donning his new cap.

A good man in Brooklyn, raised his son to be a good man.
Not a hero. Simply a regular good guy.
It was just a cell phone.
But don't let even a small kindness go unnoticed.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Friday

tip-o-day

It's pouring here today, which reminds me to tell you...
pick up a couple of cheap, washable throw rugs at Walmart or Target.
Then on rainy days (or especially snowy days) you can toss these out as extra protection by your main entrance.
Once the sun comes out - give them a good shake or a wash if necessary, roll them up and stick them back in the closet or basement until next time.

I like the rubber backed rugs for saftey and durability - just don't toss them in the dryer, either stick them out on the line or over a drying rack.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

cha ching

I have no time for blogging.
I am buried in Quicken.
You know Quicken, that silly software program to help you figure out and subsequently track why you have no money in your wallet.

Well I am sucked in. I have just downloaded all my transactions since January '07, and I am categorizing them now.
I was hoping to be able to determine how much money we are spending on things like utilities, clothes and of course Ferris.
Instead, I find it's absolutely REMARKABLE how much money we have spent at the liquor store.

I do really like the whole categorizing thing... this should surprise no one.
I also really like that little cha-ching sound wave every time I enter a transaction. I wish my wallet made that sound every time I took out my debit card.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Because I really wonder about stuff like this...

We live on a busy, well traveled country road. The cars drive much too fast. I have a theory about people who drive too fast - but not only would that offend way too many of my friends, it's really fodder for another post.

On our busy road we have a double yellow line, and there are no stop signs, traffic lights or speed bumps to slow people anywhere near our house.

So it just makes me wonder how something like this...
could land in our driveway.


So I try to imagine the scenarios...

1) A kid is driving along, almost home and realizes Oh! wait... look what I'm still wearing...
~toss.

2) A couple, hopefully in the backseat, reaches climax say... 1/2 mile or so down the street. She lights up a smoke, he...
~toss.

3) A guy is driving home after a particularly busy night and is cleaning out the car on the way...
french fry box
~toss.
beer can
~toss.
you get the idea....

hmmm, what do you think?

Monday, August 06, 2007

Do you like seafood?

Well if you like seafood and happen to be in or near Connecticut - might I HIGHLY recommend this place.
Run by this woman...

(hey Suze...you might wanna get that website update...eh? :) )

Friday, August 03, 2007

Friday

tip-o-day

It's steamy here in the NorthEast this week.
To help keep you house cool remember to close the blinds, shades or curtains on windows where the sun will stream in. You will be surprised how much of a difference it can make. Even if you use central air this will help your unit run more efficiently.

Oh, and... if you have pets -please, please don't leave them in your car, or tied out in the yard.

oops... I forgot to mention. If you are closing the shades in the front of your house - always remember your curb appeal and be sure they are all at the same level. Makes for a tidy presentation.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

My name is weese and I....

...drink tap water.

Yes, I do.
In great quantities.
Right out of the faucet (well... I generally use a glass)
I have been drinking tap water all my life. Remember back in the day... they used to recommend it for kids because the water was fluoridated.
Mmmm, fluoride.

These days everyone, everywhere has a bottle of water with them.

While I do agree that bottled water is great if you are on the go - I just don't see the point of drinking it when I am sitting on the patio.

My ecologically sensitive wife sent me this link today from the Times and I couldn't agree more.
In Praise of Tap Water

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

The Police

I like being able to say 'police' in a post that's not about Ferris.

The concert was amazing. As was the tailgating.
It was the consumate, classic concert scene. Just like the 80's - same people too - we're just a little older now.

My lyrical wife and I are recouping on the patio this morning - laptop at hand and a cool drink by our side.