More fun with science

Ok, kids today we will learn about velocity and mass.

How fast does a vehicle need to be travelling(V) to move an object of a specific weight (M) a certain distance (D)?

To test this equation - someone drove through our stone wall last evening, how convenient.
Let's review that sentence.
The key phrases are 'drove through' and 'stone wall'.

Please view the test data below. Note that we were not home at the time of the incident (rats).

Here is the scene:


The most likely approach (V):


Gaping hole:


Hmm, the gaping hole seems to be approximately the size of a midsized Toyota:


My flipflop included to show size of a moved object(M):


Distance (D):



wow.

Oops - I heard some news

When I take the long commute into the office once a week or so I tune to the local news station to grab a traffic report so I can choose my route.

Sometimes... inadvertently I end up hearing some of the news.

This morning I heard some thick headed, dimwitted Yoga instructors have applied for a U.S. Patent on their yoga positions.

Seriously.

I am so embarrased to be an American.

nature... it plays with us

One afternoon last week my able-bodied wife and I were in the back yard collecting some branches and limbs for the fire-pit we planned to light later that night.
As I was bending over to pick up sticks I saw a squirrel tail...with the rest of the body tucked under some overgrowth.
I protectively grabbed my distracted wife's arm and held her back.
'Stand back!' I declared, pointing to the tail end of the deceased animal.

Feeling all bravado from saving my wife - I went to get a shovel to bury the poor little guy. I bury any animals I may find around the yard, or those that our pets may have killed. After so many years here we now have a pretty full cemetery of birds, mice and chipmunks, and the like. I feel it's the proper Christian thing to do. Even tho I myself and not a religious person - far be it for me to judge anyone elses faith. I also make it a point to get them into the ground before dusk... should they be Jewish.

As I grabbed the shovel off its hook, I wondered off-handedly why the FREE dog hadn't found this little treasure yet. Seemed odd. O well.

I had some trouble digging the hole - kept running into roots and rocks. After 3 attempts I finally had a hole that satisfied my needs.
So I returned to the dead animal to scoop it up.
Seemed light as I slid the shovel under him. This was odd...the fur looked fresh so it could not have been there long - I would have expected a little more heft.
As I pulled it out of its hiding spot I noticed that the fur was in remarkable shape, and wait... is that eye actually open! Wait a minute wait a minute - whats with the stitches on the paws, and is it leaking... stuffing...
Doh.

To the point

I am often rather direct. This can hurt people's feelings.
It is not intended to do so. Nor does it bother me when it does.
That's really just your own mind games - and has nothing to do with what I am saying or doing. But I suppose that in and of itself is a whole 'nother post.

So - to the point then.

If you are currently watering your lawn, or washing your car, or perhaps rinsing off the driveway - please stop.
It's rude, selfish and unnecessary most of the time, but even more so while we are having a dry heat wave.

Thank you.

Science time!

Not too long ago we studied the melting point of chocolate here in my warm attic office.

Luckily I have an air conditioner up here with me today.
I can now eat chocolate freely.


For today's melting experiments:

What is the melting point of candle wax?


anyone...anyone...


From further data we can hypothesize that it's lower than that of a large, black, FREE dog*.


Let's get this into perspective - shall we -


*she went out there willingly... never said she was bright.
also - yes the grass is dead. I like to call it summer dormancy.

the end of an era?

I have just found out that the Cedar Brook Cafe will be closing.
It is rumoured to be the oldest gay bar in the nation.
Tho somehow I doubt that.
It is old. And in seriously rough shape.

It was old and in rough shape when I was going there, and that folks was in the 80's.

I started going when I was in college.
It was my first gay bar.
I was a regular.
I was there on Fridays and Saturdays, made most Sunday T's, and even went on the occasional Thursday.
There was a good crowd there back then. Lots of wonderfully good looking women, and the men were handsome, buff, tan and great dancers.

I dated the bouncer for a time, and the bartender always had my Michelob ready before I even made it over to the bar.
Back in those days, I never went with anyone - tho I rarely left alone. I eschewed the dance floor and ran the pool table. I flirted, I drank, I cheated*, I smoked, I dated several woman at once...
oh the good times.
ah to be young.

Years later, hmm, well...not many years later - still in my 20's I started dating a terribly attractive woman.
Some of our first dates were at the Cedar Brook Cafe, we called it The Brook.
Turns out we would go there for several years together. I gave up running the pool table so that I could dance with this lovely lady.
Clearly, I was rather smitten.
In fact, I think we stopped going mostly because of the birth of our second child.

And so this rugged little bar has many fond memories for me... for us.

They are having a closing party this Saturday night.
We talked about going, my AARP member-wife and I. But I think we'll pass.

The Brook was our place.
A long time ago.
I'll let it stay that way in my heart and in my memory.

We've lived a whole life since then.
It's not our place anymore - it belongs to a younger, firmer crowd.
We'll let them sweep up and lock the door.

Cheers.


* never at pool

How Showtime broke my heart

Look - let's be frank here, most everything on television today is just awful.
C'mon - admit it.
Even if you are addicted to it. It’s bad.
I mean… some people are addicted to Big Macs, right? Well, this proves you can be addicted to crap.

That said - we have been pleased to find some clever, entertaining programming on the big cable networks. While it's not Emerson - it's not Dancing with the Stars or C.S.I. AnyTown.

Nurse Jackie has been a delight this year. I have enjoyed the last several seasons of Weeds, Dexter and of course the classics - Sopranos, 6 Feet Under.

Even though it had its critics, I have always been a staunch supporter of the LWord.
So many middle American lesbians complained that it was too far fetched and that these gorgeous women couldn't possibly represent our population. Which is of course exactly what I loved about the show.
It's why I watch television.
Think about it.. do you live next door to Tony Soprano, how about Nancy Botwin or how about Dexter Morgan (well I suppose that’s somewhat possible in a scary, freaky way).

No.

It's TV people. Why watch real life on TV? If you want to watch real life, get the hell out of your armchair.

So... Showtime has now come out with a new show called The 'Real' LWord.
The show claims to be about 'real' lesbians living in Los Angeles.
I was skeptical - but hopeful. It is cable, after all.

So we watched last night.

Keeping in mind the things I loved about the original show -- which were its impossibly attractive cast, the outlandish predicaments they got themselves into, and the tangled web of sex, love and well....sex -- I am sorry to report that I can't even begin to critique this show.

It's simply overwhelming.

I will tell you this. We pressed 'Stop' followed by 'Delete' less than half way through the first show.

Could it be the universe telling me to get the hell out of my armchair?
I'll take that hint.

what would your super power be?

We were sitting around the table last night with Ferris and one of his friends enjoying a glass of Cabernet in the gloaming.
As often happens, the conversation drifted to what would you want your super power to be.

Ferris berated his friend, a petite flower of a girl - who thought being a fairy replete with pixie dust would be her choice. He said it was completely impractical.

Ferris wants to be able to turn his skin to steel - which he believes to be much more useful. Especially if say... there were zombies roaming around.
He also desires the ability to throw any object with precision accuracy and lethal force. Tho this he says is more of a practiced skill than an actual super power.

For my super power I chose a fast metabolism.

:)

Birds of a feather

We went to see La Ca ge aux Fol les on Broad way this weekend.

Fantastic.

I can't say enough good things about the show, and also ...the day, our lunch, the bottle of prosecco we had with lunch, the wine we had in Bryant Park after the show, the weather, the Two Boots pizza slice and ice cold Bud I had on the train ride home... really all in all a spectacular day.

Our seats were quite nice. 3 rows from the stage. We were pleased.

At intermission a woman and her friend, about my mothers age, sitting behind us were just glowing about the show. One of the women was from the mid-west and told us she saw the very first one on Broadway in the 80's. In fact she sees all the Broadway shows.
She was very cute.

The show ends on a touching high note and the whole audience is kinda charged up. Very fun.
Again we turned to chat with the women sitting behind us. They could not say enough nice things about the show, and that it was so much better than the other production.

The midwest woman asked where I was from... and we exchanged pleasantries. Then they turned to my wife and asked where she was from. I cut in and said - she's my wife.
The women glowed.

"Oh! That's wonderful!"
"How long have you been married?" They asked excitedly.

I explained we were married just over a year, tho we had over 25 years together. I went on to tell them about our grown children that one was near 30 now... and our son just out of college...

They were practically giddy.

The woman from the midwest again went on to say how much she loved the show and the day and that we... my wife and I...

"You two are the icing on my the cake today!"

We all hugged and parted ways... everyone feeling the glow of the day.

ants

We've been here in our house a long time. Luckily we moved in about a month before Ferris was born - so its always easy to remember how long we have been here.

Here we are on the day we moved in, all twenty-something and naive.
You can't really tell from this picture, but my round-wife is very pregnant. Doncha just love the flash-dance leggings and socks.

See the aluminum awning. My very-pregnant-nesting-wife made me take it down that very afternoon. We also ended up pretty much ripping off the front room and re-doing it.
Not to mention we have moved almost every window and door in the house over all these years...there's new siding, new roof, new furnace, new... don't even get me started on how my wife moves shrubs like they are folding chairs.

Ah.... I digress.

Being in one place for such a long time gives you the opportunity to see trends.
Over the years I have noticed that each summer season there is a plant and insect and and animal that seem to swell in numbers.

Last year we had this most pervasive weed ... It was easy enough to eradicate from the lawn and gardens, but I feared for the wildflowers and grasses out in our meadow. Remarkably, this year its practically non-existent.
Then there was the year we had so many so many slugs there was slug slime everywhere.
We put out cups and cups of beer that year. Oddly, Free Dog also put on about 5 pounds that summer. They too have all but disappeared.
huh.

This year, it ants. They are everywhere. I was sweeping the front walk and the next thing I knew my leg was swarmed. I was cutting the side lawn and noticed it looked like the ground was moving there was so many of them.
ick.

So ...while I may shepperd a single bug out of the house on scrap of paper or toss them one out the bathroom window in a cup... somehow I make peace with the mass genocide of the hose end sprayer.
go figure.

i so dislike the grid

Last week I took down my Facebk page.
Sorry to all you people out there who love it.

I find it utter nonsense, best left to the high schoolers it was designed for.

I have heard many people say that they use it to keep in touch with family and friends, which is great -if that's what works for you.
I don't generally want to know what anyone is doing every minute. If I want to catch up with you I very much prefer to see you in person - speak to you, look into your eyes, wrap my arms around you - yes, I'm a hugger.

I certainly don't want people from my past dredging me up because they have nothing better to do than surf the web. If I wanted to stay in touch... well...

The whole friending/un-friending thing sounds simply ghastly.

So its gone.

You can still get in touch with us in several ways:

• We have a house phone and are listed in the phone book. That phone has an answering machine. If we are not home - please leave us a message.


• I actually have a cell phone (my way-off-the-grid wife does not) tho I use that primarily for work. If I am not at work or travelling its most likely in a drawer - and so I would advise sticking to the house phone.


• Please feel free to post a letter to me. How I miss letters.


• I also respond to email, as I am not completely off the grid. I rather like email in that I can read it when I get around to it, and can respond at my leisure. It's not unlike a letter in my mail box, except less tactile. Keep in mind - I don't usually check email on the weekends.
  
  Ah but there is always the house phone...

In other news

more happenings from the break

This strapping young man not only turned 22 - but ....

Friday

tip-o-day

It's Friday afternoon.
Grab a refreshing drink and go outside.

Breathe.

while i was away...

Some milestones passed while I was not blogging.

I will jot them down- lest I forget.

First, I am now married to a bonafide member of the AARP.
(and yes...it's the same woman I have always been married to).

She was giddy when she got her membership card in the mail.

Happy Birthday (in April) my love.

Hey...where is my flyover?

We went to TWO Memorial Day parades this weekend.
TWO!
We sat through endless Brownies, Cub Scouts, Daisy Girls and lots and lots of Shriners in little vehicles.
And not ONE flyover.
No jets.
No Blackhawks.

nada.

sheesh.

what would weese do?

freak little storm blew threw here last night and limbed this pear tree.



The answer that is poised on your lips is... she would go get her chainsaw and have that taken care of by lunch time.

But you know what?
weese is tired.
We have dozens of trees and have had many limbs come down over the 22 years we've been here.
It's heavy work.

Meh.

All this butchy yard work was fun at one time.
It's getting old now.
Or wait... maybe that's me.

I think instead of picking up my saw, I'll pick up the phone.

Highs in the lower 90's

I haven't had the chance to pick up that little room sized A/C that would fit nicely into my office window here.
Here in the attic.
Today should be interesting.

I have a little piece of Dove chocolate on my desk.
Currently, at 9:30 E.S.T., its 70 degrees in here and the chocolate is nice and firm.

Let's check back in later...shall we.

-------------------------------------------------------
1:00 p.m. update
It's actually not too uncomfortable up here.
It's 77 degrees, and I have a fan going.

However, my chocolate is getting soft.
(notice the indent where I pressed my finger)



-------------------------------------------------------
3:37 p.m. update
temperature has reached 85°.

Did you know chocolate melts at 85°?

(clearly not swiss chocolate, Sage)

Let sleeping dogs lie

When we last left the FREE dog she was passed out from exhaustion after spending a couple days with the babies.
Since that time the babies have been back for another weekend stay!

They change so quickly at this age, and now that the girls are getting older their food selection has become even more palatable to the FREE dog. Not only that - but the girls are feeding themselves more and more. The variety of foods available on the floor at any given moment is staggering.
The girls squeal with delight when they feel her furry back on their bare feet as she laps up remains under their high chairs - at least that why I think they keep dropping their food down there.

As the girls master the use of 'the spoon' - we've found there can also be collateral dolloping on vertical surfaces - this is not a problem for an alert FREE dog.

FREE dog has made clean up a breeze.

So yes, she crashes after they leave. Which is good. It gives me time to disinfect the floors, the cabinets, the furniture...
(Don't worry mom... we washed the babies before we brought them back... because she licks them too.)

and so i blog

I am back.
I am back to blog.

I had to wait. I had to wait until the blogging was for me.

It is now.
It's basically all about me.

I am going to spend this week catching up on events that happened during my hiatus.

Friday

tip-o-day

Here I am.
And isn't it appropriate that I return with a tip!

Have you ever had a get together at your home with friends who bring along a favorite dish to share...then you start drinking and eating and chatting and one thing leads to another and they leave their dish and go home.
Or perhaps your nephews came for a visit and the left behind a hat,a toy car or their new puppy.
So ... you make a mental note to yourself to remember to return it the next time you see them.
And ...inevitably you forget.

Try this.
Create a 'Don't forget' shelf, or spot, preferably somewhere near the door. So anytime someone forgets something at your house or even if it's just a coupon you want to remember to bring to your daughter -- put it in this spot.
Then every time you're heading out the door, take a quick scan of the shelf for items you may want to bring with you.
This is especially handy for folks you don't see all that often.
You can also put your reusable shopping bags here after you unload your groceries.

Zzzzz

After the babies left.

kids

It seems like so many new blogs I encounter these days are young lesbians trying to have babies. Why-o-why do all these lesbians want children - don't they realize how expensive college is these days?

Ok ok... the rewards may outweigh expenses... for example -perhaps one day, far in the future - you're 21 year old may roll out of bed... rather late one Sunday morning, possibly a little hung over, and tell you to get in the car cuz you are taking him to a movie... right now. A 3D movie. And he wants Milk Duds.

This is something you don't question. You simply put down whatever it is that you're doing and get in the car. Where he may already be sitting...waiting... revving your engine impatiently.

And when we ...the parents... start to bicker over what really is the superior movie snack, Milk Dud's or popcorn - he'll smile and say
"Ah.. now that's just how I remember it."
And of course - we get both.

That was our Sunday.
If he weren't 6 feet tall I'd swear he was 10.
Ahhh. Kids.

Today... he is lolling on a beach in the Bahamas swilling foofy cocktails, surrounded by scantily clad co-ed, waiting for the beer-chugging contest to begin.
Ahh. Spring Break.

critical mass

I am currently working on a project in the basement.

Our basement is stone, and most likely used to have a dirt floor. It now has a thin layer of cement for the floor which I painted last winter.

As they often did in old basements the stone work was 'parged'. Which is a white plastery type material spread over the stone to help with moisture and to retain integrity. Over the many years we have been here this parging is breaking down and crumbling.

To tidy things up down there and make the basement presentable to potential buyers (we will move someday) I now spend my spare time painting rocks.
I am using a special water blocking paint.The white walls make the room look bright and clean.
Its a slow, yet gratifying process.



The wine cellar is now very approachable.


Since I work primarily at home now -I have been putting on my paint clothes in the morning - and paint on my lunch hour.
Yesterday afternoon I glanced down at my paint covered jeans thoughtfully. They are well worn - have that perfect fade - and they fit well. So I wondered why I ever let them become paint pants in the first place.

It only took a few moments to remember. These pants were downgraded to work clothes some time ago ...because they were so large.

oh shit.

environmental waste

I was thrilled to receive a package recently with those corn starch packing peanuts - as you may know I have a very strong aversion to styrofoam.

The insert in the package said they would easily dissolve in water. Of course I immediately put one in the sink. It dissolved pretty quick with warm water.
Awesome.
So I tossed the rest out the back door. I figured its pretty wet outside - so eventually they would dissolve.

Of course, since that time we have had one snow after another and we've not seen bare ground in several weeks.
Ah, but Spring nears and yesterday, we had a huge melt.

Hmm.

a final word on curling

Ferris came home from his big state university for the weekend.
When he wasn't out catching up with his buddies we enjoyed some quality family time watching curling.
Ferris has been studying the sport - from the sofa...and feels he could pretty much stand up, walk out onto the ice, and beat the US men's team.
His goal is to start a curling team for Italy. He has been perusing IOC websites to find out what he needs to do to qualify as an Italian.

So if you notice there is an Italian curling team in 2014 ... look for me and my proud wife in the stands yelling - Go Italia!
I hope I can help pick out the uniforms.

More Olympic goodness

Four man bobsled.
What do the two guys in the middle do?

No really... do they do anything at all? Or do they just sit there?

Cuz I am really not sure if I would want my big golden Olympic moment to be acting as human ballast.

How would I respond to questions about earning a medal.
"Well, I jump into a bobsled really fast, then I crouch down really low."

ooh the athleticism.

Friday

tip-o-day

I know its February and there is still snow on the ground in most of the country (even in Texas?).
But - spring is in the air people.

To bring it into the house - now is a great time to bring in flowering trees or shrubs and force them into bloom. We like to bring in the forsythias and within a couple days they explode in yellow spring happiness. This year we brought in some magnolia branches and it looks like those will bloom too.
Also - hang out your comforters and pillows, or even your curtains. You'll be surprised how the strong smell of spring air fills the house and lifts your spirits.

Suddenly

I am a huge Curling fan.

and really... its not just the outfits.





watching women's curling now...
I have to say - our women's curling uniforms are rather blah-zay.
Denmark on the other hand - well now, there's another reason to love curling.
(tried to find a pic...sorry)

speaking of DC

We are driving down there today.

Is that dumb?

Thanks DC

O sure. I can't even complain about our mini blizzard yesterday.
What's another 6 inches when all those mid-atlantic people are buried under feet of this stuff.
harumpf.
I'll just go out and shovel quietly now.

The Met

Tonight... tonight will be about the sex.
And apparently some violence... and drama...

my name is weese, and I am a Saints fan

'nuff said.

Friday

tip-o-day

We have all been couped up quite a bit for the last couple months, and even tho its not quite time for spring cleaning - its good to just do a quick dust/wipe of your corners and crown moldings. Cobwebs form more readily when homes are closed up and air movement is slow. They're also almost impossible to see unless the light hits them just right or when guests arrive.

This is one of the best uses for those long handled swiffery dusters things. But if you don't have one, no worries. Simply take a dishrag and wrap it around a broom or other long handled tool. Then just whisk it around the top of the room. Do a quick sweep of hanging lamps and fans at this time too.

Hi, my name is weese, and I am a Saints fan

I have been a Saints fan for over 25 years.
It began innocently enough - those smashing gold and black uniforms caught my eye. And who doesn't just love the fleur de lis.

I always say ..if you look good, you play good.

Meaning -- that by looking smart and tidy in your uniform you'll feel more confident. If you are confident you will play better.

Granted this has not always worked for the Saints. In fact, perhaps not at all.

But weese is nothing if not loyal.
I picked them, and so for all these years I have stuck with them.
I have never swayed.
I have never turned my back.
In fact it was during some of their lowest years when my kids surprised me with this.


So many years I put this jersey away before the playoffs.
I am thrilled to be able to wear it for the first time on Superbowl Sunday.
They'll be no party here. No laughing and joking or story telling with wild drinking or fraternizing going on in our living room this year (well...except for some light drinking and fraternizing with my dallas-cowboy-fan wife).

We are watching the game.
Game on.

I don't get it.

Just today I found out there's more than one groundhog.
It's kinda like when I was small and saw Santa Claus twice at the mall. In different places. Within seconds.
Shattering really.

So how does this work? Is the forecast regional? Where are the boundaries?

The timing of it never really gelled for me anyway. I mean no matter how you look at it spring in New England is never going to come in the first two weeks of March. Hell - folks in Maine are still waiting in May sometimes.
So this whole concept of an early spring (i.e. less than 6 weeks away) really makes no sense.

I shouldn't think so much about these things. I get so disillusioned.
I am going to go write a letter to the Easter Bunny to make myself feel better.
Because giant rabbits delivering eggs to celebrate the resurrection of the son of G-d makes sense to me.

Round is a shape

Have you ever been to Italy and seen those tall, dark, thin women - o so impeccably dressed, and terribly attractive.

Must be a regional thing... my people are the short, round island people that live below the boot. We Sicilians are adorable - without all that annoying attractive Euro-ness to worry about.

Look at my family for goodness sakes.

This is my mother and father on their wedding day. My Italian paternal grandparents flank them. Mom is all of 5'2", clearly you can see we are not a tall people. See my cute, round grandma there. Yeah... I got those genes. Tho I have no white gloves for special occasions.

And so as is traditional for this time of year. Its time to reign in the maddness and drop a couple pounds. My svelt wife will join me in this quest, albiet on a smaller scale.

This morning she told me on her way out to work "I am not going to the grocery store until we both lose 5 pounds."

Uh o.

weese is hibernating.

Friday

tip-o-day

Have you had occasion to have a service/repair person over to the house who gave you such great service that you just wanted to run up and hug them?

I like to keep a couple *bucks cards in small denominations tucked in a drawer.
That way - I can thank such a person instantly (without the hugging).

Instead of tipping with money I can say:
Hey - thanks so much... can I buy you a cup of coffee.

my shovel is poised

They tell me more snow is coming tomorrow.
I am immune.
Clearly it's going to be one of 'those' winters.
Which is fine since I don't belong to a gym.

My warm-weather-lovin' wife on the other hand said quietly to herself as she placed her shovel down after the last storm.
"That's the last time I do that."

She is sending me links now from realtor.com.

I suppose I better find some boxes.

Is the whole world sick?

What's going on out there?

I went to get a prescription filled yesterday and there were lines out the door.
My sniffly wife is not well, and I watched Ferris succumb to a fever last night right before my eyes.
When his buddy called, I actually told him that he had to stay in because he was sick. I didn't expect him to listen. In fact, I expected him to flip me the bird.
He must be very sick tho, because he never made it out. He's a college boy. Almost nothing can stop him.

I am still holding up. I attribute that to the antibiotics I am on for my tooth. While unlikely - its all I've got going for me right now. That... and some green tea and M&M's.

Are you sick?


This just in - the doctor just confirmed bronchitis in my wheezie wife.

off we go then

It's a new year.

We had our hands full at the tail end of 2009.


It takes several hands with twins.

One morning I had to drive Ferris to the airport.
My clever wife set up this arrangement while I was gone.
Had some Cheerios on hand and found Shrek on TV.


The girls spent New Years Eve with us.
Let me tell you - these kids par-taaayy.

Because it could be you... or me....

The next time you see a woman in a store somewhere looking a bit disheveled - perhaps she is in sweats... maybe they look stained, or even wet. Her hair might lack brushing, her coat is buttoned wrong, her eyes glassy with bags.
Don't judge.

;)

Happy!

The "Holidays" are upon us.

I understand that this can be a difficult time of year.
Try not to stress. Don't let others expectations make you tense.

Drink wine, be merry.
Eat too much, loosen your belt.
Give freely of your heart.
Presents are optional.

We've had a decoration malfunction

Or more accuratly we have had a complete and utter Christmas tree failure.

I have never seen anything quite like this. But every single needle...every one... fell off this tree.

When we first discoved the problem, we started to take the lights off.


Before we even got them all off - there were no needles left.


We literally had to shovel out bags full of needles.



____
I suppose I should add. I went back to the Christmas tree place yesterday. It's a local farm where you can cut your own or they have some pre-cuts. We have been going there for years. The fated tree was a cut your own. Ferris cut it down for us, and when we got it home it seemed perfectly fine.
Guess it wanted to stay in the forest. Who knew.
The guy there said he never heard of such a thing, where every needle came off- but quickly helped me pick out a new tree and got it into my trunk.
All is well and Christmas is saved.

Can I get workman's comp?

During the course of the day I spend a great deal of time on conference calls.
I had been using speaker phone, but recently I got a new headset.
I just love it.

I have also developed a re-newed love for Orbit bubble mint gum.
It's tasty and refreshing, plus I can blow bubbles with it.

This, however, is not a suggested activity when wearing a headset on a conference call.

Really... in Connecticut... I mean really?

I have seen this article referred to on several blogs now.
I wanted to post this picture - because it's incredible, and it's close to home.

These guys showed up at a menorah lighting ceremony of a local town green.



I mean seriously... how stupid are these guys. First of all they have masks on. Clearly they are not very proud of what they are doing.
At least those wacky 'family first' people at the gay rights demonstrations show their faces.
So then, when people start yelling at them and joining the group lighting the menorah to show support - these three knuckles heads get in their car and take off.

Um... if you're gonna protest something shouldn't you at least stick around.

My gentile wife and I are hoping to attend the lighting on Wednesday evening. We would like to show our support of this wonderful tradition which celebrates light and hope - and that hate of any kind will not be tolerated.

Those boys better watch out if she has her wooden spoon with her.

Friday

tip-o-day

Don't let these early snow storms fool you.
Many people here decided this snow was too early to worry about. They assumed the following warm days following would melt it all away.

They are mistaken. In fact, it's quite the opposite.
Allow me to explain.

This storm was an excellent example.

We woke to about 6 inches of snow on Wednesday morning.
By the time I finished my first cup of coffee the precipitation had turned to rain.
This is where most folks sat down with newspaper and got a second cup.

I sprang to action.
You see. The rain got those 6 inches of snow very wet. It was too much snow to be washed away. So the snow simply absorbed as much rain as it could and the rest sat underneath puddling.
Overnight the temps drop. With so much snow mixed with the rain, the temps don't even need to be that low.
Now ..if this were powdery snow - no worries. But this was basically water disguised as snow. So what we got was a solid freeze.
Ice.
And if you didn't shovel.
Several inches of it.

This ice is gonna be around for awhile.

It's also a great time to remind you to make sure and clear the snow several inches off the paved surfaces, well into your lawn. That way any melting that happens during the day gets absorbed. If allowed to melt out onto your driveway - those rivers and puddles freeze up overnight for slick conditions for many, many mornings.

2010 nears

We have no calendar for next year ... so of course this means we can't make any plans past December.

I really need to get out to a store today.

open studio sunday

There was wine - there was paint - there was knitting.













A good time was had by all. If you consider black dogs with purple paint a good time.
(think Cat in the Hat)

how to make weese happy

The technician who came to diagnose our heating problems this week has been to our house several times over the years for parts replacements and general service. He is familiar with our system and our old house. He often notices changes we've made and will compliments us on our choices. He seems wise and considerate in his care.

After he had a good look at the problem and fiddled with some parts and made some adjustments, he stood and looked thoughtfully at our 30 year old system.

He placed his hand tenderly on the boiler and told me it might just be time to replace the whole thing now.
I gulped.
He gently showed me all the different issues we were dealing with and how if we were to fix many of these we would most likely have to do all that work again when the unit finally stopped working. And that day was inevitable.

He turned and panned the room and said - "You know, really - its not that hard of a job, maybe 4 or 5 hours. The biggest concern of mine would be ...your basement floor is so clean."

It's only money

My frugal wife and I were discussing an important matter over email yesterday.
After much back and forth, a little research, and some calculating, we had come to a decision... she replies:

"We've been fortunate.

Although, a cruise would have been fun..."


So, rather than a cruise with foofy cocktails and warm beaches, we'll instead warm our souls... or the living room as it were -

We expect her on Thursday. We are busily preparing for her arrival.

why?

Why would you put music on your website?
Do you really think anyone wants to hear your music?

We don't.

Just so you know.

They're back!

What to do when the day care closes for a week?
Hmm.
Call the aunties with large amounts of accrued vacation days of course!

On our first night we had a tandem bath time with grandma.


Then at 5 a.m. this morning I sang Christmas carols over coffee.
With blinking antlers of course.

Friday

tip-o-day

Are you busy doing some holiday cleaning?

Remember to clean under your furniture and especially make sure it's pristine under your sofa and chair cushions.

You can be sure a nephew will lose a binky, your uncle will drop his swizzle stick or the toddlers just might want to make a cushion fort.
If so, you'll be ready!

Real life IS like the LWord

I wrote once about how surreal (and fantastic) it was that on the LWord show UPS delivery people were all women, hot - and oh, just happened to be lesbians.
And of course they would sleep with you if you were so lucky as to be home when your package was delivered.

So I had to laugh today - I was out in the front lawn tending to the fall leaves.
Here I am cruising around on my 15HP lawn tractor, in the requisite barn coat with heavy gloves -check, work boots -check... also sporting an incredibly cute hat.

I notice a UPS truck driving up the street. Its slows. Sure enough... it comes to a stop in front of our house. The driver jumps down off her seat and gives me a wave as she goes into the back of her truck... whooo weeee. Stunning.

Of course, I leap off my tractor (lucky me ...didn't fall off) to retrieve the package.
And oh my...that smile, those eyes.

Here is where the story deviates...ya know, slightly... at least in real life. I toss the package on the porch and jump back on the tractor as the UPS truck pulls away.

Isn't life grand.

it does what!?

That's what I said to my mother the other night when she recommended a neti pot for my current sinus stuffiness. I had never heard of one... because yes, I do live under a rock and am very happy there, thank you very much.

So she described to me what it would do. The whole in one side out the other concept.
It completely fascintated me.
So of course - I ran right out and got one.

wow.

Have you ever used one of these things.
Freaky...
and mildly addictive.

more reality TV... really... I mean really

People - please stop watching this trash on television, making it so popular that they continue to come out with ideas one more stupid than the other.

Only we can make a difference.

Open your windows, pick up your TV and heave it right out the window.
(for those of you with large screen HD TV's - you may need to open the door).

You must realize we are a few seasons away from The Running Man* -- don't you?




*...the novel describes a science fiction dystopia where market capitalism and television game shows have spiraled out of control...

Friday

tip-o-day

When raking leaves, try to pick the windiest day possible.

Give your neighbors a good laugh.

a follow up

where do you go when you are all dressed up?

to the liquor store of course!

What I found disturbing about my chipmunk-ness was just how well my normal wardrobe fit into the costume.
I dress ...like a chipmunk.

we were supposed to be raking

The leaves were wet on Saturday.
And it was showering intermittently.

So my creative wife decided to have some Halloween fun.


After she finished painting herself...

She helped me to release my inner chipmunk.


Happy Halloween

Friday

tip-o-day

It surprises me when I hear people saying they 'hate' to do laundry.
Then I realize that if I spent and entire day doing laundry I might feel the same way.

Instead of spending all day Saturday running loads of laundry and folding and stacking and storing, try this --do one load each evening or every other evening during the week.

To do one load of laundry takes only several minutes over the course of your regular evening. Here are some tips to make the whole process seamless.

- Gather your load in the morning and toss it in the machine in your way out to work.

- When you get home - flip on the washer and go make dinner.

- After dinner - toss the clothes in the dryer and go tidy the kitchen.

- When you get ready to sit down for the evening, grab the load from the dryer and fold while you watch a show, help with homework or listen to music.

- Just stack the folded clothes in the basket and set them near the stairs or hallway to your room.

- When you head to bed, take the basket and stick those couple items away in drawers and closets.

Without really doing much extra - you're done. By the time the weekend comes, the laundry is under control leaving you time to go do something fun.

happy happy day

29.
o my.

you do realize that now you can say "pushing 30"

Happy Birthday - TheDaughterTheTherapist!

Does anyone else see the interest in the fact that these kids just purchased a station wagon?
hmmm.

Friday

tip-o-day

Don't forget to clean your washer and dryer as you do your other appliances.

Just because your machines may be tucked away in a closet or the basement is no reason to let grime and lint build up.

You don't want your home laundry to look like an unkempt public laundry mat. Any place were cleaning is the primary purpose (such as your bathroom and kitchens) should be maintained to the highest of standards.

An excellent example of this is when Ferris comes home from his college apartment* and says "Why do I feel so much cleaner when I get out of our shower here at home."

For top loading washers - wipe the area around the tub and up under the lid. Any dirt left here can be transferred to your clean clothes. For front loaders - be sure to occasionally wipe the inside of the glass door and all around and under the door gasket. Mold and mildew can develop here if left moist. Also with front loaders be sure to run bleach loads regularly. Clean the top and around the dials of both types of machines to keep them looking new and shiny.

For the dryer - lint is really the enemy. To keep lint at a minimum, be sure not to use too much detergent. Clean the lint after EVERY load. And every so often vacuum out any areas you can reach where lint may collect. You can even buy a special attachment for the vacuum to reach way in under the lint screen.
Remember excess lint in the dryer is a fire hazard.

The outside of the dryer should only require the occasional wiping off. If you have laundry detergent spills there ...for goodness sakes - wipe them up immediately.

Your laundry machines take very little exterior abuse, and can look like new even after a decade of use with minimal care.

* a most tidy college apartment I might add

umm...

Today the house is filling up with ladybugs.

What the hell...
What's with all 'the nature'

Perhaps this is Mother Nature's way of making me look forward to the dead of winter.

Nice try.
I'll just get out the vacuum now.

please just tell me to shut up

but seriously.
How many chipmunks do you see in a day?
No, really -- I want to know.

I have seen 4 so far today.
It's 1:00 pm.
And I have been inside most of the day.

This can't be good.


*note... the chipmunks I saw were outside

Picture this

If you haven't read yesterday's post, please do first.
Go ahead, I'll wait.........

It's a beautiful day out, so we've let the fire in the wood stove die down for the day. I went out to gather more firewood for tonight, as I anticipate it will get chilly when the sun sets.

I am being very cautious as I take each log - as you can well imagine.
My cell phone was in my pocket.
On vibrate.

Do you have a visual?

a chipmunk encounter

I am getting really tired of rodents around here.

This morning I went out to the wood pile... ya know, to gather wood.
We have a rather large wood pile left over from last seasons stocking up extravaganza.
So, granted the wood has been there for awhile.

There was a chipmunk under the last log I grabbed to fill my cart. I screamed - he ran.
We both moved on with our day.

A few minutes later, safely back in the house I realize I had forgotten the ash drawer down by the wood pile. As I rounded the corner of the garage to approach the wood storage area - a chipmunk screamed at me. Have you ever heard one? They sort of chirp. This chirping rodent was clearly not happy.

As you may know we have already spent some time attempting to decrease the chipmunk population around here.
There is really only one thing left to do.

Yes... I spent the afternoon surfing realtor dot com.