To remember all the good things about our life when we are awakened by a car alarm indicating that Russell's truck has been broken into and the DVD/TV is missing (along with sundry other items).
The cops aren't even going to try to find out who did it. They merely took a report for insurance purposes. We'll be parking in the garage from now on. And here I thought it was because people wanted their cars to stay cool.
The dogs? Not a peep until I leaped up and ran to the door. Nice.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Saturday, October 23, 2004
Slack-be-gone
I start my new job on Monday. Here. I'm pretty stinkin' excited and more than a little nervous. I'm starting out as a supervisor, and I don't know the people or the stores! I'm very happy about being back around people again, and not sitting behind a computer all day. And just look at the place. One of my favourite shops. They don't sell music, but I'll get to listen to canned jazz and world music all day long. How happy am I? Of course even with a slight raise over my salary in OKC, I'll be bringing home less money, as I will get 25% off store goods (excepting food/wine)! Oh, and there is a Pier One on one side of us, and a Nordstrom Rack on the other! We'll never be able to afford a Mini. *sigh*
And the odd and surprising fact that now that I will have less free time, I'll get a lot more done. It's a strange fact of life for me that my productivity is in direct dis-proportion to the amount of free time I have. i.e: The more I have to do, the more I get done. I will bitch about not having free time anymore, and I'll mourn the lost days of slackdom, but deep inside I'll be thriving on the constant running and exhaustion of being a honey, a momma, a breadwinner, a housekeeper, a cook, and a chick (and whatever other roles are presented!).
So. This is my last weekend of real freedom before retail holiday hell ensues. I want to play some WoW and then we're going to rent Van Helsing. It's quite nice out; perhaps I'll get motivated and take Bucket for a bike ride!
And the odd and surprising fact that now that I will have less free time, I'll get a lot more done. It's a strange fact of life for me that my productivity is in direct dis-proportion to the amount of free time I have. i.e: The more I have to do, the more I get done. I will bitch about not having free time anymore, and I'll mourn the lost days of slackdom, but deep inside I'll be thriving on the constant running and exhaustion of being a honey, a momma, a breadwinner, a housekeeper, a cook, and a chick (and whatever other roles are presented!).
So. This is my last weekend of real freedom before retail holiday hell ensues. I want to play some WoW and then we're going to rent Van Helsing. It's quite nice out; perhaps I'll get motivated and take Bucket for a bike ride!
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Nostalgia
It's windy today and slightly cool, and I was waxing nostalgic for Oklahoma. Yes, that's right. Wind in the desert, however, is slightly different. It has the consistency of sandpaper. So while it is tousling your hair and wreaking havoc with the lawn ornaments, it is also abrading the very skin from your bones.
It hasn't rained yet, although it's supposed to. I should tarp the rocking lawn bench we looted from the neighbour's trash. I'm sanding it down with high hopes. Probably oughtn't let it get wet.
It hasn't rained yet, although it's supposed to. I should tarp the rocking lawn bench we looted from the neighbour's trash. I'm sanding it down with high hopes. Probably oughtn't let it get wet.
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Levity
Try this recipe. Sounds atrocious. Isn't. Sounds super easy. Is. These cookies are so good!
I've made them twice. They never come out as pretty as the picture, but they sure are tasty. I use vanilla extract instead of almond. You can use whatever tickles your fancy.
Oh, and Bucket is learning to run alongside my bicycle. He's only nearly killed me twice. Good boy.
I've made them twice. They never come out as pretty as the picture, but they sure are tasty. I use vanilla extract instead of almond. You can use whatever tickles your fancy.
Oh, and Bucket is learning to run alongside my bicycle. He's only nearly killed me twice. Good boy.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
I like Dan Brown
Here are some things I really dug from Angels & Demons:
"Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. in the end we are all just searching for the truth, that which is greater than ourselves."
Regarding the ongoing battle between Science and Religion (the camerlengo speaking to scientists):
"You have won. But you have not won fairly. You have not won by providing answers. You have won by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opesn doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure scientific progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual void. We cry out for meaning...we see UFOs, engage in channelling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests--all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. The are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by it's own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.
...
"Science, you say, will sve us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, the church has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species moving down the path of destruction.
...
"Who is this God science? Who is the God who offers his people power but no moral framework to tell you how to use that power? What kind of God gives a child fire but does not warn the child of its dangers? The language of science comes with no signposts about good and bad. Science textbooks tell us how to create a nuclear reaction, and yet they contain no chapter asking us if it is a good or a bad idea.
"To science, I say this. The church is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campaign to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. We ask not why you will not govern yourselves, but how can you? Your world moves so fast that if you stop even for an instant to consider the implications of your actions, someone more efficient will whip past you in a blur. So you move on. You proliferate weapons of mass destruction, but it is the Pope who travels the world beseeching leaders to use restraint. You clong living creatures, but it is the church reminding us to consider the moral implications of our actions. You encourage people to interact on phones, video screens, and computers, but it is the church who opens its doors and reminds us to commune in person as we were meant to do.
...
"Show me proof there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes and look to the heavens, and tell me now there could not be a God!...You ask what does God look like. I say, where did that question come from? The answers are one and the same. Do you not see God in your science? How can you miss Him! You proclaim that even the slightest change in the force of gravity or the weight of an atom would have rendered our universe a lifeless mist rather than our magnificent sea of heavenly bodies, and yet you fail to see God's hand in this? Is it really so much easier to believe that we chose the right card from a deck of billions? Have we become so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greater than us?
"Whether or not you believe in God, you must believe this. When we as a species abandon our trust in the power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faith...all faiths...are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable...With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth."
If you know me, you know that I am NOT a church goer. I have serious issues with organised religion...primarily Christianity and its need to force everyone to believe that there is only one God and every other religion is crap. However, I do have to believe that there is something greater than me out there. Dunno what it is. Not sure if I want to know. It's enough for me to have someone to talk to.
At any rate, I really like what is being said about science here. They are thoughts I've often had, but have difficulty expressing. There is another book by Daniel Quinn called Ishmael that puts forward the same notions...that science, despite all of the wonderful things that come of it, is progressing too quickly and errantly. He likens our path to that of a bicycle being peddaled off a cliff. At first we feel like we are flying, because in those few seconds before gravity really catches hold, we certainly are...but then the inevitable downfall commences, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop or even slow it. Our civilisation, Quinn says, has just left the cliff's edge on our little bicycle. We are thrilled with the gifts technology has given us and feel as though we can do anything and go anywhere. The universe is our oyster! Science proceeds with little thought to the implications. The whole X Prize thing scares the hell out of me. Just what we need--a bunch of rich tourists zooming around in space. Who knows what kind of pollution that will generate. What will it do to our atmosphere?
Gravity.
Anyway. Just thought I'd give you something to chew on since I'm usually spouting drivel. (And yes, I'm well aware of the irony of me writing this treatise against technology on a shiny new laptop while sitting in my airconditioned hom and broadcasting my thoughts to a world of strangers over the World Wide Web!)
"Faith is universal. Our specific methods for understanding it are arbitrary. Some of us pray to Jesus, some of us go to Mecca, some of us study subatomic particles. in the end we are all just searching for the truth, that which is greater than ourselves."
Regarding the ongoing battle between Science and Religion (the camerlengo speaking to scientists):
"You have won. But you have not won fairly. You have not won by providing answers. You have won by so radically reorienting our society that the truths we once saw as signposts now seem inapplicable. Religion cannot keep up. Scientific growth is exponential. It feeds on itself like a virus. Every new breakthrough opesn doors for new breakthroughs. Mankind took thousands of years to progress from the wheel to the car. Yet only decades from the car into space. Now we measure scientific progress in weeks. We are spinning out of control. The rift between us grows deeper and deeper, and as religion is left behind, people find themselves in a spiritual void. We cry out for meaning...we see UFOs, engage in channelling, spirit contact, out-of-body experiences, mindquests--all these eccentric ideas have a scientific veneer, but they are unashamedly irrational. The are the desperate cry of the modern soul, lonely and tormented, crippled by it's own enlightenment and its inability to accept meaning in anything removed from technology.
...
"Science, you say, will sve us. Science, I say, has destroyed us. Since the days of Galileo, the church has tried to slow the relentless march of science, sometimes with misguided means, but always with benevolent intention. Even so, the temptations are too great for man to resist. I warn you, look around yourselves. The promises of science have not been kept. Promises of efficiency and simplicity have bred nothing but pollution and chaos. We are a fractured and frantic species moving down the path of destruction.
...
"Who is this God science? Who is the God who offers his people power but no moral framework to tell you how to use that power? What kind of God gives a child fire but does not warn the child of its dangers? The language of science comes with no signposts about good and bad. Science textbooks tell us how to create a nuclear reaction, and yet they contain no chapter asking us if it is a good or a bad idea.
"To science, I say this. The church is tired. We are exhausted from trying to be your signposts. Our resources are drying up from our campaign to be the voice of balance as you plow blindly on in your quest for smaller chips and larger profits. We ask not why you will not govern yourselves, but how can you? Your world moves so fast that if you stop even for an instant to consider the implications of your actions, someone more efficient will whip past you in a blur. So you move on. You proliferate weapons of mass destruction, but it is the Pope who travels the world beseeching leaders to use restraint. You clong living creatures, but it is the church reminding us to consider the moral implications of our actions. You encourage people to interact on phones, video screens, and computers, but it is the church who opens its doors and reminds us to commune in person as we were meant to do.
...
"Show me proof there is a God, you say. I say use your telescopes and look to the heavens, and tell me now there could not be a God!...You ask what does God look like. I say, where did that question come from? The answers are one and the same. Do you not see God in your science? How can you miss Him! You proclaim that even the slightest change in the force of gravity or the weight of an atom would have rendered our universe a lifeless mist rather than our magnificent sea of heavenly bodies, and yet you fail to see God's hand in this? Is it really so much easier to believe that we chose the right card from a deck of billions? Have we become so spiritually bankrupt that we would rather believe in mathematical impossibility than in a power greater than us?
"Whether or not you believe in God, you must believe this. When we as a species abandon our trust in the power greater than us, we abandon our sense of accountability. Faith...all faiths...are admonitions that there is something we cannot understand, something to which we are accountable...With faith we are accountable to each other, to ourselves, and to a higher truth."
If you know me, you know that I am NOT a church goer. I have serious issues with organised religion...primarily Christianity and its need to force everyone to believe that there is only one God and every other religion is crap. However, I do have to believe that there is something greater than me out there. Dunno what it is. Not sure if I want to know. It's enough for me to have someone to talk to.
At any rate, I really like what is being said about science here. They are thoughts I've often had, but have difficulty expressing. There is another book by Daniel Quinn called Ishmael that puts forward the same notions...that science, despite all of the wonderful things that come of it, is progressing too quickly and errantly. He likens our path to that of a bicycle being peddaled off a cliff. At first we feel like we are flying, because in those few seconds before gravity really catches hold, we certainly are...but then the inevitable downfall commences, and there is nothing anyone can do to stop or even slow it. Our civilisation, Quinn says, has just left the cliff's edge on our little bicycle. We are thrilled with the gifts technology has given us and feel as though we can do anything and go anywhere. The universe is our oyster! Science proceeds with little thought to the implications. The whole X Prize thing scares the hell out of me. Just what we need--a bunch of rich tourists zooming around in space. Who knows what kind of pollution that will generate. What will it do to our atmosphere?
Gravity.
Anyway. Just thought I'd give you something to chew on since I'm usually spouting drivel. (And yes, I'm well aware of the irony of me writing this treatise against technology on a shiny new laptop while sitting in my airconditioned hom and broadcasting my thoughts to a world of strangers over the World Wide Web!)
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Still
Love this blog.
Though not as much as I love my honey Russell who is nothing but a bright shining bit of my life right now. I've been so depressed and glum and he just keeps cheering me on and telling me how everything will be fine. I honestly don't know how he does it.
We took a Mini Cooper S Convertible on a test drive yesterday and I'm more in love with them than ever (although still not as much as I love Russell). The S has quite a bit of pep, and handles very well--I got to test out the great response when we were nearly broadsided by a guy turning through his light. Apparently they are hard to come by--there is a "call list" (NOT a "waiting list", and don't you forget it) for when they come in. We want specifics, though so we're toying with ordering one. Hell, by they time it comes in I might actually have a job, hey?
Really, though, Russell's boss hooked us up with a friend of theirs who runs a Nissan dealership, so we might check that out for some inexpensive wheels.
Arizona ate my truck battery! We bought a new one yesterday and it seems to be working fine now. Sigh of relief that it wasn't the alternator, which was the big fear. But still. It's time to turn in the Sonoma. He's served me well and I'm sure we'll find a nice pasture for him.
Next on the dog and pony show: Excepts from the great book I just finished.
Though not as much as I love my honey Russell who is nothing but a bright shining bit of my life right now. I've been so depressed and glum and he just keeps cheering me on and telling me how everything will be fine. I honestly don't know how he does it.
We took a Mini Cooper S Convertible on a test drive yesterday and I'm more in love with them than ever (although still not as much as I love Russell). The S has quite a bit of pep, and handles very well--I got to test out the great response when we were nearly broadsided by a guy turning through his light. Apparently they are hard to come by--there is a "call list" (NOT a "waiting list", and don't you forget it) for when they come in. We want specifics, though so we're toying with ordering one. Hell, by they time it comes in I might actually have a job, hey?
Really, though, Russell's boss hooked us up with a friend of theirs who runs a Nissan dealership, so we might check that out for some inexpensive wheels.
Arizona ate my truck battery! We bought a new one yesterday and it seems to be working fine now. Sigh of relief that it wasn't the alternator, which was the big fear. But still. It's time to turn in the Sonoma. He's served me well and I'm sure we'll find a nice pasture for him.
Next on the dog and pony show: Excepts from the great book I just finished.
Friday, October 15, 2004
Toys
Todd McFarlane is opening up a shop in Tempe. It's more of a showroom, so he says, but it is open to the public, and purchases are allowed and probably encouraged. The grand opening is tomorrow, so put that on the To Do list alongside of 1) Test driving the Mini 2) Getting the alternator of my truck checked and replaced OR buying a new battery 3) Going to the Laundromat even though we are SUPPOSED to have a functioning washer here at the house (long story) 4) Accompanying Russell to work for a bit 5) Seeing "Team America".
I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
I'm exhausted just thinking about it.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
I'm in trouble
Some days are better than others, and this is definitely one of the more down-trodden. I need to check my charts, because I'm pretty sure there is some sort of Mercurial mis-alignment going on. It started a couple days ago with me dropping everything I touched. The big thing was dumping nearly an entire pot of pasta in the sink as I tried to drain it. I've spilled two cups of tea in the last two days, tossed a few bags of groceries around, and fumbled more than my usual share of random household items.
Today it all came to a head as I got in my truck to begin the final leg of of my trip home. I've been working a temp job for the past couple of days, and I had stopped on my way home tonight for some grocery shopping. I managed to get all three of my bags (laden with frozen and refrigerated goods, of course) into the cab without any spillage, and put the key in the ignition. Instant death. Nothing going on in this engine. No spark. No rumbling. Nothing. Russell is in a business meeting and really can't get away. I call sister Kristy who, unbeknownst to me, is in Washington DC for a week. bzzt. Sister Cindy is home but volunteers the services of her honey Roger, who is on his way home. He'll need to stop for some cables, but he'll be by to save the day. He did. At least temporarily. The truck started with a jump, but when I turned the lights on, instant death again. Another jump, this time including the lights, and I'm back in business. I actually made it all the way home at least, but as soon as I turned the key off I knew I was doomed. We are told that Arizona eats car batteries, and we're hoping that's all it is. In the mean time, we are going to have to carpool in the morning, and don't ask me how excited I am about trying to wake Russell up in time for that! :P
Anyway. I got home all KINDS of pissed off and frustrated and after rescuing the muttleys from the horror of 11+ hours in their crates all I wanted to do was play WoW for a bit and have a little escapism. Wasn't it just the icing on the cake to find out that the servers are down until tomorrow evening?? Jeesus.
I have a good book to read (Dan Brown's Angels & Demons), and Russell surprised me with Chubby Hubby ice cream and an appointment to test drive a Mini on Saturday, so all is not lost.
Today it all came to a head as I got in my truck to begin the final leg of of my trip home. I've been working a temp job for the past couple of days, and I had stopped on my way home tonight for some grocery shopping. I managed to get all three of my bags (laden with frozen and refrigerated goods, of course) into the cab without any spillage, and put the key in the ignition. Instant death. Nothing going on in this engine. No spark. No rumbling. Nothing. Russell is in a business meeting and really can't get away. I call sister Kristy who, unbeknownst to me, is in Washington DC for a week. bzzt. Sister Cindy is home but volunteers the services of her honey Roger, who is on his way home. He'll need to stop for some cables, but he'll be by to save the day. He did. At least temporarily. The truck started with a jump, but when I turned the lights on, instant death again. Another jump, this time including the lights, and I'm back in business. I actually made it all the way home at least, but as soon as I turned the key off I knew I was doomed. We are told that Arizona eats car batteries, and we're hoping that's all it is. In the mean time, we are going to have to carpool in the morning, and don't ask me how excited I am about trying to wake Russell up in time for that! :P
Anyway. I got home all KINDS of pissed off and frustrated and after rescuing the muttleys from the horror of 11+ hours in their crates all I wanted to do was play WoW for a bit and have a little escapism. Wasn't it just the icing on the cake to find out that the servers are down until tomorrow evening?? Jeesus.
I have a good book to read (Dan Brown's Angels & Demons), and Russell surprised me with Chubby Hubby ice cream and an appointment to test drive a Mini on Saturday, so all is not lost.
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Funkytown
I am sinking in the mire.
I think I'm going into a post-move depression. Or maybe it's just girl stuff. Yeah, that's probably it, honestly. But the fact of the matter is that I am simply unmotivated to do anything, I want to sleep all the time, and I'm feeling rather down about the job prospects here. I find it difficult to believe that someone with my maturity and job experience doesn't have folks beating down her door.
I always do this--start out feeling very confident and excited about finding a new job. The world is my oyster and I can do anything! Then after about the 10th resume/application I start to question my self-worth. Most places don't even bother to call me back. Every now and then I'll get a postcard or email saying "Thanks, but no thanks." This week it was the American Heart Association (hiring a Project/Event coordinator) and a place called CapPlus Technologies (hiring a front office/admin...but hey, they're *really* close by). The bottom line is that I want and need a job, and although I am fantastic, I can't find a job. This upsets me.
Give me about a week or so, and I'll probably still be unemployed, but my mood will be much better. :P
In other news, our little man Bucket has had The Operation. He is now officially an "It". I will never again refer to him as such, but it is true that he has been neutered. I was running errands Tuesday and came across a clinic for low-cost spay/neuters...we'd been meaning to have him done for a while now so we jumped at the chance. He's handling it surprisingly well. The hardest part is keeping him from playing and acting crazy; he feels well enough to roughhouse, but that's a strict no-no. I've been trying to occupy him by teaching him how to hold a treat on his nose. It's not a tug-of-war, but it seems to wear him out just the same.
and with that, I'm off.
I think I'm going into a post-move depression. Or maybe it's just girl stuff. Yeah, that's probably it, honestly. But the fact of the matter is that I am simply unmotivated to do anything, I want to sleep all the time, and I'm feeling rather down about the job prospects here. I find it difficult to believe that someone with my maturity and job experience doesn't have folks beating down her door.
I always do this--start out feeling very confident and excited about finding a new job. The world is my oyster and I can do anything! Then after about the 10th resume/application I start to question my self-worth. Most places don't even bother to call me back. Every now and then I'll get a postcard or email saying "Thanks, but no thanks." This week it was the American Heart Association (hiring a Project/Event coordinator) and a place called CapPlus Technologies (hiring a front office/admin...but hey, they're *really* close by). The bottom line is that I want and need a job, and although I am fantastic, I can't find a job. This upsets me.
Give me about a week or so, and I'll probably still be unemployed, but my mood will be much better. :P
In other news, our little man Bucket has had The Operation. He is now officially an "It". I will never again refer to him as such, but it is true that he has been neutered. I was running errands Tuesday and came across a clinic for low-cost spay/neuters...we'd been meaning to have him done for a while now so we jumped at the chance. He's handling it surprisingly well. The hardest part is keeping him from playing and acting crazy; he feels well enough to roughhouse, but that's a strict no-no. I've been trying to occupy him by teaching him how to hold a treat on his nose. It's not a tug-of-war, but it seems to wear him out just the same.
and with that, I'm off.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
Addendum
David--can I call you David?--I always love reading your comments, because you challenge me. I don't always feel up to the task, whatever it may be, but I'm feeling punchy tonight, so before I slip off to dreamland I thought I'd respond to request or two.
Dooce? And my aspirations? She is clever, amusing, and concise. I enjoy reading her blog, like yours, although I have no connection to her in real life whatsoever. Something in her words connects with me. I want to have that effect on other people.
Spongy bike? Yes. I've ridden a rigid for ages, and my body takes a beating for it. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the type of riding about which I write! I'm not liesurely peddling through the neighbourhoods. I'm battling streams and drops and 12% climbs. I'm hopping logs (well, boulders now that I live in a place bereft of trees). I have padded bike shorts, and I have ridden with a gel seat, but when you are being jiggled to bits by the likes of some golf-to-softball sized rocks beneath your tires, it becomes more sensible to go for shocks. I have been a purist for 14 years now. I'm old. I want suspension!
The rocks here are interesting. Perhaps not in the same way as the business cards you photographed. And it's probably illegal to pick up rocks from the desert here. At any rate if I did decide on some sort of interactive art project with them, I'd be hard pressed to engage passerby...because there are no passerby in the desert! I am going in a moment to rescue the digicam from Russell's truck. At some point expect to see photos of these most interesting rocks. Little shiny ones, large smooth round river rocks. Lava-looking rocks. There really is an astonishing array of stone around here. I used to marvel that folks back home used two or three different types of grass in their yards for effect. Now I catch myself noticing the same tendency in rock usage here. Strange world.
And with that, goodnight.
Dooce? And my aspirations? She is clever, amusing, and concise. I enjoy reading her blog, like yours, although I have no connection to her in real life whatsoever. Something in her words connects with me. I want to have that effect on other people.
Spongy bike? Yes. I've ridden a rigid for ages, and my body takes a beating for it. I'm not sure if you are familiar with the type of riding about which I write! I'm not liesurely peddling through the neighbourhoods. I'm battling streams and drops and 12% climbs. I'm hopping logs (well, boulders now that I live in a place bereft of trees). I have padded bike shorts, and I have ridden with a gel seat, but when you are being jiggled to bits by the likes of some golf-to-softball sized rocks beneath your tires, it becomes more sensible to go for shocks. I have been a purist for 14 years now. I'm old. I want suspension!
The rocks here are interesting. Perhaps not in the same way as the business cards you photographed. And it's probably illegal to pick up rocks from the desert here. At any rate if I did decide on some sort of interactive art project with them, I'd be hard pressed to engage passerby...because there are no passerby in the desert! I am going in a moment to rescue the digicam from Russell's truck. At some point expect to see photos of these most interesting rocks. Little shiny ones, large smooth round river rocks. Lava-looking rocks. There really is an astonishing array of stone around here. I used to marvel that folks back home used two or three different types of grass in their yards for effect. Now I catch myself noticing the same tendency in rock usage here. Strange world.
And with that, goodnight.
Monday, October 04, 2004
dooce!
Again I have to thank Novidavid for a new, brilliant read. I believe my new goal will be to write things up to par with dooce. I went to see how things are with Novidavid and noted a link to her site. I think the "Now with more cowbell" line is what really caught my eye. Then I just read. And read. And read. It's good stuff. You should too.
So, yeah.
It's a vengeful Monday morning, complete with a call from the washing machine repair place informing me that the tech that was scheduled to come out suddenly has the flu and they will have to reschedule for tomorrow. After heaving a sigh of relief that I did most of the laundry at the 'Mat last night, I forced him to agree to send his guy out to our house first thing on the morrow. After all, I stayed home for this!
My butt is sore today because after months of sloth, I finally took my bike out yesterday morning. Imagine my thrill when I discovered not only a wealth of utility access roads in the desert behind the house, but an actual TRAIL! I even passed two other cyclists. Fantastic! I was only out for 30 minutes, which was plenty--for 8:30am it was grotesquely hot. Plus the aforementioned sore butt thing. It will take some time to de-sensitize the area. And a full-suspension bike is definitely on my wish list now. Here it is not a luxury, but a necessity. Gone are the smooth single track trails of hard pack and the occasional rock. Arizona is brutally rocky, sandy, and gravelly. Arizona is HARD. Woe is me the first time I take a fall. I'll miss falling on a pine cone or oak branch. When my butt is full of cactus spines I'll be crying for the rose rocks of Oklahoma. Definitely taking it slow out here.
Another interesting phenom of the Arizona desert: I was fooled into thinking that every inch of my initial path was strewn with bits of glass. Knowing that I need new tires at any rate I tried not to stress over it; it was more that I was astounded at the sheer volume of shattered glass in the middle of nowhere. And then it hit me. The rocks have quartz in them. Or something. The rocks were reflecting the morning sun! How relieved was I!
And my tip of the day for you? Go see Shaun of the Dead. Easily one of the funniest movies I've seen in ages. Clever clever. Those crazy brits, you know. And if you are a fan of The Office, you'll see some familiar faces. ;)
Since I don't have to sit around all day waiting for the washer fixer guy, I think I'll get busy looking for a job and playing happy homemaker.
Bye now
So, yeah.
It's a vengeful Monday morning, complete with a call from the washing machine repair place informing me that the tech that was scheduled to come out suddenly has the flu and they will have to reschedule for tomorrow. After heaving a sigh of relief that I did most of the laundry at the 'Mat last night, I forced him to agree to send his guy out to our house first thing on the morrow. After all, I stayed home for this!
My butt is sore today because after months of sloth, I finally took my bike out yesterday morning. Imagine my thrill when I discovered not only a wealth of utility access roads in the desert behind the house, but an actual TRAIL! I even passed two other cyclists. Fantastic! I was only out for 30 minutes, which was plenty--for 8:30am it was grotesquely hot. Plus the aforementioned sore butt thing. It will take some time to de-sensitize the area. And a full-suspension bike is definitely on my wish list now. Here it is not a luxury, but a necessity. Gone are the smooth single track trails of hard pack and the occasional rock. Arizona is brutally rocky, sandy, and gravelly. Arizona is HARD. Woe is me the first time I take a fall. I'll miss falling on a pine cone or oak branch. When my butt is full of cactus spines I'll be crying for the rose rocks of Oklahoma. Definitely taking it slow out here.
Another interesting phenom of the Arizona desert: I was fooled into thinking that every inch of my initial path was strewn with bits of glass. Knowing that I need new tires at any rate I tried not to stress over it; it was more that I was astounded at the sheer volume of shattered glass in the middle of nowhere. And then it hit me. The rocks have quartz in them. Or something. The rocks were reflecting the morning sun! How relieved was I!
And my tip of the day for you? Go see Shaun of the Dead. Easily one of the funniest movies I've seen in ages. Clever clever. Those crazy brits, you know. And if you are a fan of The Office, you'll see some familiar faces. ;)
Since I don't have to sit around all day waiting for the washer fixer guy, I think I'll get busy looking for a job and playing happy homemaker.
Bye now
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Must be Tuesday
The days become blurry when you're not working for The Man. I'm pretty certain it's Tuesday, though.
So we did happen into some shops with the mist-stuff over the weekend. Madness, I still say, but it was quite novel. I can just imagine the looks on people's faces "back home" when I tell them that they inject the air with humidity here! My glasses did get a bit spotty, but only because I was too slow on the draw. Nothing a little t-shirt wiping couldn't take care of.
We were over in Scottsdale having a look at the Mini convertables. I've been pining for a Mini for ages, and when BMW started making the american versions I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Russell initially hated them, but after seeing one in person (especially the convertable) I think he's quite taken in. The other car he really likes is the PT Cruiser, which I *don't* like. We were going to go have a look at them the same day, but our hunger overtook us and by the time we'd finished eating we were fed up with being out and about. At any rate, we want to trade in the Behemoth for something a little smaller and more fuel efficient, and I just need an upgrade on my clunker. First things first, however...I need a job.
To that end, I have an interview today with Management Recruiters International in Scottsdale. I've applied online at several other places, but no one wants me so far. Looks like contract work for me again, at least for a bit.
Perhaps later an entry a bit more introspective. And I still mean to get the digicam from Russell so I can show you my new world. Now, though, I have to go mow the lawn before the heat strikes down hard.
Ciao!
So we did happen into some shops with the mist-stuff over the weekend. Madness, I still say, but it was quite novel. I can just imagine the looks on people's faces "back home" when I tell them that they inject the air with humidity here! My glasses did get a bit spotty, but only because I was too slow on the draw. Nothing a little t-shirt wiping couldn't take care of.
We were over in Scottsdale having a look at the Mini convertables. I've been pining for a Mini for ages, and when BMW started making the american versions I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Russell initially hated them, but after seeing one in person (especially the convertable) I think he's quite taken in. The other car he really likes is the PT Cruiser, which I *don't* like. We were going to go have a look at them the same day, but our hunger overtook us and by the time we'd finished eating we were fed up with being out and about. At any rate, we want to trade in the Behemoth for something a little smaller and more fuel efficient, and I just need an upgrade on my clunker. First things first, however...I need a job.
To that end, I have an interview today with Management Recruiters International in Scottsdale. I've applied online at several other places, but no one wants me so far. Looks like contract work for me again, at least for a bit.
Perhaps later an entry a bit more introspective. And I still mean to get the digicam from Russell so I can show you my new world. Now, though, I have to go mow the lawn before the heat strikes down hard.
Ciao!
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Misty-doored Shops?
Why no, I haven't come across these yet. Sounds rather...messy. I wear glasses and my immediate thought (besides "ugh! humidity!") was that I would have to be sure to remove them before entering said shops. Who ever thought that humidity might be a luxury? I have to admit that it really isn't as stifling here as it can get in Oklahoma--because of the lack of moisture in the air. Then again, my skin, lips, and hair are shrivelling up as I type. Even Russell drinks massive quantities of water now. I have to fill the dogs' water bowl 2-3 times a day. Madness!
And did I mention the freakish lack of bugs? There are crickets and teeny spiders, but a very noticable dearth of flying critters. I can actually go walking with Russell and the pups at 8:30 or 9:00 at night without fear of becoming some mother-to-be mosquito's main course. When the dogs run out for a late nite poo, I can stand at the open door and not have to bat away moths. It's fantastic!
Not so fantastic is the job search. I hate looking for new jobs. Putting myself out there, having to dress up and be someone I'm not just long enough to get in the door. Bleh. I did online applications yesterday at 5 different places (OMG Bucket just made the NASTIEST poot!), and got one call back from Management Recruiters International. Of course the want me to consider some contract and temp-to-hire positions. I need to spiff up my resume and get it over to them. I hate my resume, but I'm too embarrassed about it to show it to someone for critiqueing (how the hell is that word spelled?). And yet I'll send it to a potential employer? How is that right? I did get a call from GameStop yesterday--they'd seen my resume on Monster and were interested in training me for an ASM or Management position. All well and good, but it was the OKC location! I hadn't changed my resume address to Phoenix yet! The fellow did say that I should check with the local District Manager if I was interested; I'm planning to give him or her a call today.
*sigh*
I really like not working outside the home right now. It will get boring, I know, but for now it is so nice to be able to work on unpacking and cleaning and just being a domestic. How ridiculous does that sound coming from my mouth?? Ha.
And did I mention the freakish lack of bugs? There are crickets and teeny spiders, but a very noticable dearth of flying critters. I can actually go walking with Russell and the pups at 8:30 or 9:00 at night without fear of becoming some mother-to-be mosquito's main course. When the dogs run out for a late nite poo, I can stand at the open door and not have to bat away moths. It's fantastic!
Not so fantastic is the job search. I hate looking for new jobs. Putting myself out there, having to dress up and be someone I'm not just long enough to get in the door. Bleh. I did online applications yesterday at 5 different places (OMG Bucket just made the NASTIEST poot!), and got one call back from Management Recruiters International. Of course the want me to consider some contract and temp-to-hire positions. I need to spiff up my resume and get it over to them. I hate my resume, but I'm too embarrassed about it to show it to someone for critiqueing (how the hell is that word spelled?). And yet I'll send it to a potential employer? How is that right? I did get a call from GameStop yesterday--they'd seen my resume on Monster and were interested in training me for an ASM or Management position. All well and good, but it was the OKC location! I hadn't changed my resume address to Phoenix yet! The fellow did say that I should check with the local District Manager if I was interested; I'm planning to give him or her a call today.
*sigh*
I really like not working outside the home right now. It will get boring, I know, but for now it is so nice to be able to work on unpacking and cleaning and just being a domestic. How ridiculous does that sound coming from my mouth?? Ha.
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Further Observations
I love the mountains that surround us. Anywhere you go in Phoenix, there is a mountain (or range) in sight. They're pretty. And I'm dieing to go climb and/or bike them!
The recycle bins here are full-sized. None of that dinky tub crap. Big tall bin with wheels--like a proper trash bin. And they take just about anything. And you can toss it all in together. And they come get it from your curb. How cool is that??
And yes, in the shade, it's really not bad here. Step out of the shade and you will be charred into an ugly little crisp in seconds...but the shade? It's nice.
It was actually chilly here last night. Quite gorgeous, really. It's only supposed to be around 95 for the rest of this week, which I'm quite happy about. We are trying to figure when and where to get my A/C fixed. Or whether we can somehow just get a new(er) vehicle for me altogether. The main sticking point with that is my current lack of income and the related fact that most banks are a bit reluctanct to loan out significant sums of money to slackers. Perhaps I should trot over to Monster.com for a job search instead of yakking away here.
The recycle bins here are full-sized. None of that dinky tub crap. Big tall bin with wheels--like a proper trash bin. And they take just about anything. And you can toss it all in together. And they come get it from your curb. How cool is that??
And yes, in the shade, it's really not bad here. Step out of the shade and you will be charred into an ugly little crisp in seconds...but the shade? It's nice.
It was actually chilly here last night. Quite gorgeous, really. It's only supposed to be around 95 for the rest of this week, which I'm quite happy about. We are trying to figure when and where to get my A/C fixed. Or whether we can somehow just get a new(er) vehicle for me altogether. The main sticking point with that is my current lack of income and the related fact that most banks are a bit reluctanct to loan out significant sums of money to slackers. Perhaps I should trot over to Monster.com for a job search instead of yakking away here.
Monday, September 20, 2004
Observations and Diversions
Diversions first, please. For anyone with a love of linguistics and twisted sense of humour, check out this nifty site! It's a world of giggles under one domain name. Can't go wrong with that, now can you?
And on to some observations I've made.
All this talk about Arizona being dry and desert-y? Load of crap. It poured down rain yesterday. There are puddles and rivulets everywhere. We had to don raingear to take the muttleys out for a walk last night. I'm constantly having to wipe their paws off when we come in from outside. Which leads me to Observation #2.
The "dirt" here is a royal pain in the butt. It's not lovely sticky clay such as we had in Oklahoma. The kind that will stick to you if you look at it cross-eyed and then dye whatever it comes into contact with that lovely orange colour.... NO! Arizona dirt is gravelly, sandy, gritty stuff that gets into EVERY nook and cranny in order to gain access to the house, but as soon as it hits tile or carpet, it sheds quite easily into neat little piles.
# 3: Alcohol is available at every grocery store. In abundance. I'm not talking an aisle or two of fine wine or cooking sherry. NO! It's row upon row of liquor, liqueur, wine, beer, spirits and any other imaginable imbibable I've left off. Stuff from Spain, Australia, Europe, South America... This is a full on liquor store, folks. I guess you gotta stay hydrated here somehow, and since (Observation #4)...you gotta have something...
You can't drink the tap water! Now granted, I'm not certain if this is "You can't drink the tap water because it will make you ill" or "You can't drink the tap water because it tastes like ass", but I'm going to take their word for it (they being my relatives here as well as some of the folks Russell lived with) and stick to bottled water. In fact, I'm off to the shops in a bit to see about purchasing a filter for the faucet. Which brings me to:
Observation #5. I am astounded, as I head out for my shopping excursion, at the number of things that we don't have. We have a house stacked high with boxes. We filled up a 25 foot truck--AFTER--sending Russell's truck and a U-Haul trailer out some months ago. And yet I have to go shopping for things like brooms, a vacuum, toilet brushes, and the like. There are other things on my list. How do we not have these things? We kept the Buddy Christ statuette, but not the brooms? I packed up a box of receipts and old bills, but neglected to grab the toilet brush? Eeesh.
Observation #6. It's nearly 10am, and if I don't get out of here REALLY soon, it's going to be unbearably hot out, so I'm going to get a move on.
ciao.
And on to some observations I've made.
All this talk about Arizona being dry and desert-y? Load of crap. It poured down rain yesterday. There are puddles and rivulets everywhere. We had to don raingear to take the muttleys out for a walk last night. I'm constantly having to wipe their paws off when we come in from outside. Which leads me to Observation #2.
The "dirt" here is a royal pain in the butt. It's not lovely sticky clay such as we had in Oklahoma. The kind that will stick to you if you look at it cross-eyed and then dye whatever it comes into contact with that lovely orange colour.... NO! Arizona dirt is gravelly, sandy, gritty stuff that gets into EVERY nook and cranny in order to gain access to the house, but as soon as it hits tile or carpet, it sheds quite easily into neat little piles.
# 3: Alcohol is available at every grocery store. In abundance. I'm not talking an aisle or two of fine wine or cooking sherry. NO! It's row upon row of liquor, liqueur, wine, beer, spirits and any other imaginable imbibable I've left off. Stuff from Spain, Australia, Europe, South America... This is a full on liquor store, folks. I guess you gotta stay hydrated here somehow, and since (Observation #4)...you gotta have something...
You can't drink the tap water! Now granted, I'm not certain if this is "You can't drink the tap water because it will make you ill" or "You can't drink the tap water because it tastes like ass", but I'm going to take their word for it (they being my relatives here as well as some of the folks Russell lived with) and stick to bottled water. In fact, I'm off to the shops in a bit to see about purchasing a filter for the faucet. Which brings me to:
Observation #5. I am astounded, as I head out for my shopping excursion, at the number of things that we don't have. We have a house stacked high with boxes. We filled up a 25 foot truck--AFTER--sending Russell's truck and a U-Haul trailer out some months ago. And yet I have to go shopping for things like brooms, a vacuum, toilet brushes, and the like. There are other things on my list. How do we not have these things? We kept the Buddy Christ statuette, but not the brooms? I packed up a box of receipts and old bills, but neglected to grab the toilet brush? Eeesh.
Observation #6. It's nearly 10am, and if I don't get out of here REALLY soon, it's going to be unbearably hot out, so I'm going to get a move on.
ciao.
Sunday, September 19, 2004
BackTracking
So it's Sunday afternoon and I haven't written in over a week. There are perfectly good reasons for this, as you well know. We got our cable hooked up here last Wednesday evening, however, and at that point I was feeling far too overwhelmed to put any thoughts into digital form. It has only compounded since then. Shannon hasn't started shouting at me yet, though, so I figured I'd jump back on board before the tirade begins! :)
Okay, so I'm officially in Phoenix now, and I hold with my original impressions: It's hot and brown! Actually yesterday we had a "monsoon"/dust storm, so that was a bit....odd... but for the most part it has been excruciatingly sunny and dry. Delilah loves it; will lay out in the yard for hours on end, just sunbathing. Bucket, on the other hand, takes after his mummy and can't stand it for more than a few minutes at a time.
Anyway, here's the short story:
Saturday and Sunday last we spent frantically packing and finishing up with the repairs (which, incidentally cost us around $350, since I did a lot of it myself). We had movers come over Sunday morning to help out with the big stuff, and we finished up the rest of it ourselves. There was a bit of panic about whether we'd have room for everything, and in the end we sold the washer and dryer to our friend Jinger. There is a set here (albeit nasty and disfunctional), so we really didn't need them as much as we needed the space.
We signed as scheduled on Monday afternoon, and walked away with twice as much money as we'd thought we would. What a blessing that would turn out to be!! Signing the house away was so much less painful than buying it! What a relief. From now on, I can call someone else when something breaks, leaks, or otherwise stops working.
We got on the road to Phoenix at around 3pm on Monday. Russell, Delilah, and Russell's dad rode in the Big Truck, while Bucket and I took up in the Sonoma. Despite Bucket's restlessness, all was well until white smoke and stink started coming out of my a/c vents. Ack. I pulled over and discovered that as long as I didn't turn on the air, everything seemed to work fine. Funny that my air worked all summer long, and the DAY I leave for Sauna-Town, it stops. At least the car itself is still running!
After that pause in the action, we were anxious to make some good time, so off we went, Bucket and I enjoying the fresh air and noise of open windows. Thankfully the air was cool and tolerable, even though we were driving into the sunset. Our progress took another detour a bit later when the Big Truck ran out of gas. Apparently Big Truck gauges can't be trusted and ours had gone from 1/4 tank to fumes in the space of about 3 miles. Luckily, I had a gas can in the back of my truck, so off I sped to the next town to fill up for the rescue.
After those timesucks, we were mentally exhausted, but we drove and drove and drove until we hit Albuquerque. At 3am. I forgot to mention that the Big Truck had a governor on it which prevented us from going more than 65mph. In retrospect, a good thing--especially considering the mountains of Flagstaff--but at the time highly frustrating. So at 3am in Albuquerque we decided to succumb to sleep. We found a pet-friendly hotel and paid $44 for a shower and 3 hours of sleep. Moving is expensive!
We made it into Phoenix around 3pm on Tuesday, and Russell and I raced off to the leasing office to sign papers while his dad babysat the pups for us. Phoenix traffic is...a lot. There are a lot of cars here. Driving around on the 101 in the middle of the day for what?? Just to take up space and to make our trip in my now un-airconditioned truck a little *more* miserable? Ha! By the time we got to the office we were sweaty and smelly and disheveled. I'm surprised they agreed to give us the keys!
They did, though. We got home and proceeded to unload. I probably don't have to tell you how exhausted we all were at that point, but unload we did. My sisters and nephews came over to help with the big stuff (HOLY COW! It's raining again!!), and we got everything off the truck that night. whew.
After that, it's just been moving in, unpacking and getting acclimated. I haven't been out much, owing to the lack of a/c in my truck, but have had plenty to do here. Russell went in to work for a bit this morning, but we are planning to go see Sky Captain this afternoon and do some shopping.
Now that you are caught up--somewhat--I'll be able to recommence with proper blogging. Look for that in the near future. I'll also try to get some photos of the new digs for you. It's quite a nice place, and the neighbourhood seems great. Nice jogging/dog walking path that we discovered about the place, too. Now, if I could just figure out how to get to those mountains....
Okay, so I'm officially in Phoenix now, and I hold with my original impressions: It's hot and brown! Actually yesterday we had a "monsoon"/dust storm, so that was a bit....odd... but for the most part it has been excruciatingly sunny and dry. Delilah loves it; will lay out in the yard for hours on end, just sunbathing. Bucket, on the other hand, takes after his mummy and can't stand it for more than a few minutes at a time.
Anyway, here's the short story:
Saturday and Sunday last we spent frantically packing and finishing up with the repairs (which, incidentally cost us around $350, since I did a lot of it myself). We had movers come over Sunday morning to help out with the big stuff, and we finished up the rest of it ourselves. There was a bit of panic about whether we'd have room for everything, and in the end we sold the washer and dryer to our friend Jinger. There is a set here (albeit nasty and disfunctional), so we really didn't need them as much as we needed the space.
We signed as scheduled on Monday afternoon, and walked away with twice as much money as we'd thought we would. What a blessing that would turn out to be!! Signing the house away was so much less painful than buying it! What a relief. From now on, I can call someone else when something breaks, leaks, or otherwise stops working.
We got on the road to Phoenix at around 3pm on Monday. Russell, Delilah, and Russell's dad rode in the Big Truck, while Bucket and I took up in the Sonoma. Despite Bucket's restlessness, all was well until white smoke and stink started coming out of my a/c vents. Ack. I pulled over and discovered that as long as I didn't turn on the air, everything seemed to work fine. Funny that my air worked all summer long, and the DAY I leave for Sauna-Town, it stops. At least the car itself is still running!
After that pause in the action, we were anxious to make some good time, so off we went, Bucket and I enjoying the fresh air and noise of open windows. Thankfully the air was cool and tolerable, even though we were driving into the sunset. Our progress took another detour a bit later when the Big Truck ran out of gas. Apparently Big Truck gauges can't be trusted and ours had gone from 1/4 tank to fumes in the space of about 3 miles. Luckily, I had a gas can in the back of my truck, so off I sped to the next town to fill up for the rescue.
After those timesucks, we were mentally exhausted, but we drove and drove and drove until we hit Albuquerque. At 3am. I forgot to mention that the Big Truck had a governor on it which prevented us from going more than 65mph. In retrospect, a good thing--especially considering the mountains of Flagstaff--but at the time highly frustrating. So at 3am in Albuquerque we decided to succumb to sleep. We found a pet-friendly hotel and paid $44 for a shower and 3 hours of sleep. Moving is expensive!
We made it into Phoenix around 3pm on Tuesday, and Russell and I raced off to the leasing office to sign papers while his dad babysat the pups for us. Phoenix traffic is...a lot. There are a lot of cars here. Driving around on the 101 in the middle of the day for what?? Just to take up space and to make our trip in my now un-airconditioned truck a little *more* miserable? Ha! By the time we got to the office we were sweaty and smelly and disheveled. I'm surprised they agreed to give us the keys!
They did, though. We got home and proceeded to unload. I probably don't have to tell you how exhausted we all were at that point, but unload we did. My sisters and nephews came over to help with the big stuff (HOLY COW! It's raining again!!), and we got everything off the truck that night. whew.
After that, it's just been moving in, unpacking and getting acclimated. I haven't been out much, owing to the lack of a/c in my truck, but have had plenty to do here. Russell went in to work for a bit this morning, but we are planning to go see Sky Captain this afternoon and do some shopping.
Now that you are caught up--somewhat--I'll be able to recommence with proper blogging. Look for that in the near future. I'll also try to get some photos of the new digs for you. It's quite a nice place, and the neighbourhood seems great. Nice jogging/dog walking path that we discovered about the place, too. Now, if I could just figure out how to get to those mountains....
Saturday, September 11, 2004
Murphy Built This House
In the fine tradition of "If a thing can go wrong, it will"...
The plumber never showed up Thursday evening for the preliminary check.
On the way to pick up Russell on Thursday night, I blew out a tire!
When I called the plumber Friday morning to check, he said "This is the first I've heard about it." Mind you, this is the same guy that the neighbours across the street highly recommended. Perhaps they don't want us to move! Monica hooked us up with a friend of hers who managed to come out yesterday afternoon to start some stuff. He was minus a part, so is *supposed* to come out tomorrow to finish.
At my farewell luncheon I had to leave to take a phone call (I find it very rude when people take phone calls at the table!), and instead of ordering me Fajita Chicken Quesadillas as I had indicated, my co-workers ordered me Chicken Fajitas.
Russell took the truck in Friday afternoon to have the tire replaced, the oil changed, and the tires balanced, and found out that I have two truck tires and two car tires. Not only that, but one of them was the wrong size!! Mind you, he took it to the place that I've always gone for tires, so... At any rate, they sold us two tires, checked the spare and said we should just keep it in lieu of the mis-sized one, balanced 'em out, changed the oil and checked everything out, and charged Russell about $250. Not bad for all that, I think.
Next. Actually a very cool thing. Had farewell cake and ice cream, and the folks in my department got together and gave Russell and I $130! I opened up the card and exclaimed "Holy Shit" to a roomful people. Nice. But it was so cool, and given the fact that Russell was in the shop at that moment with my truck, it was very helpful!
I actually ended up working until nearly 6pm because everyone kept coming by to say goodbye. I couldn't get anything done!
Now, as I type, the sprinkler system guy is working up the ticket. That is such a long story that I don't even want to get started. Suffice it to say that we did what was required. Wonder what the damage will be? . . . $275 for 5 hours of irrigation work. Doesn't seem all that bad, but it is over half of our repair budget. Good thing I was able to do most of the rest of it myself for nearly nothing. I just found out that they are doing a walk-through tomorrow night (Something we never got to do), so now I'm all stressed that they'll see something *else* they want fixed. Or decide that we didn't do something "right". All we can do is wait and hope for the best at this point, I suppose.
Anyway. Russell is outside painting. I'm about to head to the attic to put a screen on the lint thing for the dryer. I've never looked more forward to a 15 hour road trip, but when we finally get out of here it's going to be such a relief!
so...yeah...
The plumber never showed up Thursday evening for the preliminary check.
On the way to pick up Russell on Thursday night, I blew out a tire!
When I called the plumber Friday morning to check, he said "This is the first I've heard about it." Mind you, this is the same guy that the neighbours across the street highly recommended. Perhaps they don't want us to move! Monica hooked us up with a friend of hers who managed to come out yesterday afternoon to start some stuff. He was minus a part, so is *supposed* to come out tomorrow to finish.
At my farewell luncheon I had to leave to take a phone call (I find it very rude when people take phone calls at the table!), and instead of ordering me Fajita Chicken Quesadillas as I had indicated, my co-workers ordered me Chicken Fajitas.
Russell took the truck in Friday afternoon to have the tire replaced, the oil changed, and the tires balanced, and found out that I have two truck tires and two car tires. Not only that, but one of them was the wrong size!! Mind you, he took it to the place that I've always gone for tires, so... At any rate, they sold us two tires, checked the spare and said we should just keep it in lieu of the mis-sized one, balanced 'em out, changed the oil and checked everything out, and charged Russell about $250. Not bad for all that, I think.
Next. Actually a very cool thing. Had farewell cake and ice cream, and the folks in my department got together and gave Russell and I $130! I opened up the card and exclaimed "Holy Shit" to a roomful people. Nice. But it was so cool, and given the fact that Russell was in the shop at that moment with my truck, it was very helpful!
I actually ended up working until nearly 6pm because everyone kept coming by to say goodbye. I couldn't get anything done!
Now, as I type, the sprinkler system guy is working up the ticket. That is such a long story that I don't even want to get started. Suffice it to say that we did what was required. Wonder what the damage will be? . . . $275 for 5 hours of irrigation work. Doesn't seem all that bad, but it is over half of our repair budget. Good thing I was able to do most of the rest of it myself for nearly nothing. I just found out that they are doing a walk-through tomorrow night (Something we never got to do), so now I'm all stressed that they'll see something *else* they want fixed. Or decide that we didn't do something "right". All we can do is wait and hope for the best at this point, I suppose.
Anyway. Russell is outside painting. I'm about to head to the attic to put a screen on the lint thing for the dryer. I've never looked more forward to a 15 hour road trip, but when we finally get out of here it's going to be such a relief!
so...yeah...
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Epiphany
Let me first just say that I have been trying to get the Saga of Tuesday to publish since, well, Tuesday. Not sure what's going on with the laptop--or Blogger, for that matter--but I could NOT get it to publish from home. So now you get a double whammy.
So I had a minor epiphany last night while playing WoW. I realised that it is an escape for me in more than just the respect of "I'm playing a fantasy game that allows me to not think about real life for a couple hours"... When I play I nearly always team up with other players or guildmates with a lot more experience than me. They are always leading me around and showing me things--basically holding my hand through the entire thing. And I like it! This is unusual for me in that irl ("in-real-life" for those of you not versed in WoW-ese) I'm an utter control freak. And particularly lately I've had to handle a lot of stuff by myself, from getting a Realtor (not my finest moment, by all evidences), to packing, cleaning, getting repairs done, and being a single mom to two crackerdogs. Not to mention having to train my replacement at work and tie up all the loose ends here. It's so nice to log into the game and just become someone's puppy for a while. I follow them around and they tell me what to do and it gets done and I haven't had to exert a whole lot of effort in the process. That might be what I love about the game most right now. Imagine the shock of my online gaming buddies if they met me in real life and found out what a domineering girl I am!
Anyway. Plumber coming over tonight to have a look-see at the guest faucet. Sprinkler guy coming over Saturday morning to have a look-see at the sprinklers (and gushers). Russell coming in TONIGHT to save the day! His flight comes in late--11:41pm (yawn)--so I will at least have some time to get some more stuff done before having to go pick him up. Tomorrow will be a dreadful zombie day, as I try to make it through my last day of work on probably a handful of sleep hours.
After waiting so long, it's all happening so fast. I'm excited. A little nervous. Not really looking forward to 15 hours in the truck with the pups, but the end result will be worth it!
No lattes here, but work does beckon, and away I run...
So I had a minor epiphany last night while playing WoW. I realised that it is an escape for me in more than just the respect of "I'm playing a fantasy game that allows me to not think about real life for a couple hours"... When I play I nearly always team up with other players or guildmates with a lot more experience than me. They are always leading me around and showing me things--basically holding my hand through the entire thing. And I like it! This is unusual for me in that irl ("in-real-life" for those of you not versed in WoW-ese) I'm an utter control freak. And particularly lately I've had to handle a lot of stuff by myself, from getting a Realtor (not my finest moment, by all evidences), to packing, cleaning, getting repairs done, and being a single mom to two crackerdogs. Not to mention having to train my replacement at work and tie up all the loose ends here. It's so nice to log into the game and just become someone's puppy for a while. I follow them around and they tell me what to do and it gets done and I haven't had to exert a whole lot of effort in the process. That might be what I love about the game most right now. Imagine the shock of my online gaming buddies if they met me in real life and found out what a domineering girl I am!
Anyway. Plumber coming over tonight to have a look-see at the guest faucet. Sprinkler guy coming over Saturday morning to have a look-see at the sprinklers (and gushers). Russell coming in TONIGHT to save the day! His flight comes in late--11:41pm (yawn)--so I will at least have some time to get some more stuff done before having to go pick him up. Tomorrow will be a dreadful zombie day, as I try to make it through my last day of work on probably a handful of sleep hours.
After waiting so long, it's all happening so fast. I'm excited. A little nervous. Not really looking forward to 15 hours in the truck with the pups, but the end result will be worth it!
No lattes here, but work does beckon, and away I run...
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
A Comedy of Tragedies
The day started normally enough. Up with the son (whinypooch Bucket), let the dogs out, let the dogs in, feed the dogs, bathe...let the dogs out, let the dogs in, leave for work. Muddle through work, wild with anticipation about whether we'd be approved for the house in Phoenixand wonder how the Structural Engineer found things.
Lunchtime comes and I arrive home to let the dogs out and call Monica to see if she'd heard anything. No answer, leave a message. I start to fix lunch, only to find that I have no water. No water!? What the hell? So I call and leave another message with her asking if she had any ideas why I might not have water. Then I spend the next 20 minutes on hold with the water company to see if they might know what is going on. They don't have anyone working in the area, but they'll send someone by to check things out. hmph. I let the dogs back in, give them some ice cubes to play with, and head back to work.
As I'm pulling into the parking lot at work I get a call back from Monica. Looks like the spigot on the front of the house was gushing water, so they turned the water off for me, but didn't bother to mention it to anyone. Also, it's sounding like the Engineer is going to suggest piers for the house. Of course this is about all I can take, and I explode a bitch bomb onto Monica and subsequently burst into tears. I leave an indecipherable message on Deb's (our Admin) voicemail, letting her know that I am heading back home to sort some things (and myself) out.
I get home and let the dogs out and then again let Bucket in. Momma's boy. I sit down to play a bit (escapism at it's finest) and the doorbell rings. It's the City Water guy, wanting my signature saying he can have access to my water main. I step outside the door to talk to him, and Bucket pushes the door closed behind me. That's right. I'm now locked out of my house. The water guy is really nice and backs his truck up so I can climb over the fence into the back yard. I carefully unlock the front door and go back out to talk to him about the water. I'm convinced that the people were idiots, and have him turn the water back on. Sure enough, water is pouring--not just dripping--out of the spigot. Damn. Back off it goes, and he shows me how to turn it off and on in the event that I need to, oh, take a shower, or go to the bathroom at some point. I sit at home for a while longer and get another call from Monica. The piers are a non-issue, apparently. His official report will be that the home may need them sometime in the future, but he's not recommending them at the moment. We will not have to put piers in. Huge sigh of relief and back to work I go.
A short time after I get back to work, Russell calls and listens to my sob story. He then gleefully tells me that we've been approved for the house! He was going to tease me and tell me we didn't get it (he's mean like that!), but after hearing how shitty my day had been, decided against it. This is why I love him. When he told me that the house was ours, it was as though a huge 1000 pound black cloud had been lifted from me. We won't be homeless when we move to Phoenix. The dogs will have a yard. With real grass. We have a garage, and a kitchen, and 2.5 baths! We have landlords, but we also don't have to do ANY REPAIRS! Wheeee.
To shorten the rest of the story, I went by Lowe's on the way home to pick up a thingymabob for the spigot so I can at least turn the water on until I can get it properly fixed.. Also got a box cover for the electrical thing in the attic and got that done. Talked to my dad about the dryer vent and the spigot...sounds like I can handle all of that. :) Came home, had neighbour Brad help me out with the spigot ( a quick fix until I can take it apart and get the real job done), put the box cover on, emptied the attic, fed the dogs, played WoW for about an hour until the server crashed, and here I am. Exhausted. But not homeless.
Anyway.
Lunchtime comes and I arrive home to let the dogs out and call Monica to see if she'd heard anything. No answer, leave a message. I start to fix lunch, only to find that I have no water. No water!? What the hell? So I call and leave another message with her asking if she had any ideas why I might not have water. Then I spend the next 20 minutes on hold with the water company to see if they might know what is going on. They don't have anyone working in the area, but they'll send someone by to check things out. hmph. I let the dogs back in, give them some ice cubes to play with, and head back to work.
As I'm pulling into the parking lot at work I get a call back from Monica. Looks like the spigot on the front of the house was gushing water, so they turned the water off for me, but didn't bother to mention it to anyone. Also, it's sounding like the Engineer is going to suggest piers for the house. Of course this is about all I can take, and I explode a bitch bomb onto Monica and subsequently burst into tears. I leave an indecipherable message on Deb's (our Admin) voicemail, letting her know that I am heading back home to sort some things (and myself) out.
I get home and let the dogs out and then again let Bucket in. Momma's boy. I sit down to play a bit (escapism at it's finest) and the doorbell rings. It's the City Water guy, wanting my signature saying he can have access to my water main. I step outside the door to talk to him, and Bucket pushes the door closed behind me. That's right. I'm now locked out of my house. The water guy is really nice and backs his truck up so I can climb over the fence into the back yard. I carefully unlock the front door and go back out to talk to him about the water. I'm convinced that the people were idiots, and have him turn the water back on. Sure enough, water is pouring--not just dripping--out of the spigot. Damn. Back off it goes, and he shows me how to turn it off and on in the event that I need to, oh, take a shower, or go to the bathroom at some point. I sit at home for a while longer and get another call from Monica. The piers are a non-issue, apparently. His official report will be that the home may need them sometime in the future, but he's not recommending them at the moment. We will not have to put piers in. Huge sigh of relief and back to work I go.
A short time after I get back to work, Russell calls and listens to my sob story. He then gleefully tells me that we've been approved for the house! He was going to tease me and tell me we didn't get it (he's mean like that!), but after hearing how shitty my day had been, decided against it. This is why I love him. When he told me that the house was ours, it was as though a huge 1000 pound black cloud had been lifted from me. We won't be homeless when we move to Phoenix. The dogs will have a yard. With real grass. We have a garage, and a kitchen, and 2.5 baths! We have landlords, but we also don't have to do ANY REPAIRS! Wheeee.
To shorten the rest of the story, I went by Lowe's on the way home to pick up a thingymabob for the spigot so I can at least turn the water on until I can get it properly fixed.. Also got a box cover for the electrical thing in the attic and got that done. Talked to my dad about the dryer vent and the spigot...sounds like I can handle all of that. :) Came home, had neighbour Brad help me out with the spigot ( a quick fix until I can take it apart and get the real job done), put the box cover on, emptied the attic, fed the dogs, played WoW for about an hour until the server crashed, and here I am. Exhausted. But not homeless.
Anyway.
Monday, September 06, 2004
Labour Day
Funny, isn't it, how on Labo(u)r Day we have the day off work?
I'd forgotten just how wonderful 3 day weekends are. On the first day you get stuff done. On the second day you relax (and cram a few more odd jobs in). And on the third day you say "Holy Shit! I overslept! I gotta go....oh.wait..." Big sigh of relief, and you relax some more.
Except in my case I didn't oversleep. Not an option with Bucket the Bottomless in the house. He is forever starving to death. And he reallys knows his clocks, too. Every morning he must be fed by 6:30-6:45, and every evening at the same time. He can be perfectly fine--playing with Delilah, chillin' at my feet, or dozing in the next room--but let the clock strike 6:45 without food on the floor and he becomes a whiney, cranky monster. Shoves his face in my lap, mopes around whining, gives me those "Oh-woe-is-me-my-momma-hates-me-and-won't-give-me-any-supper" looks. So, yeah. I was up at the butt crack of dawn this morning.
And it was COLD outside! I actually put on my swishy pants to sit out on the deck and read for a bit. Left them on to take the dogs for a walk. Insanity. When it came time to continue the expanding foam sealant job on the fascia boards (one of the repairs we have to do to seal the deal), however, I chucked the pants for ratty soccer shorts. Latex foam is more forgivable on 15 year old shorts than on brand new (everything's relative) swishy pants.
Anyway I'm a little sore today, but it probably has to do with stepping through the ceiling yesterday. Oh, I didn't blog specifically about that? Chalk it up to embarrassment. I was up there cleaning out the lint vent from the dryer (yet another repair on the list). There is a small section right above....something. It's not the water heater, it's the other big appliance that you keep in the garage or somewheres out of sight. Anyway. There is a small section of attic ceiling that is only drywall--no plywood decking. After the new roof went on last fall, the attic became a pit of dust and (wait--can an attic become a pit?) nails and wood bits...it all looked the same. I couldn't tell that this one little 12x12 bit was not safe to bear weight. Luckily I only had one foot on it, but I went through up to my hip. I can tell you, it was one of the scariest things I've done in a long while. Not because I was scared of being hurt, mind you. I was terrified that I'd just put a huge hole in the ceiling of the laundry room! Thankfully, the chunk of drywall broke off cleanly inside that utility closet, and there was already a huge vent hole cut out, so it's not really even noticeable. Whew. Anyway, I'm sore.
The dogs are crackers outside.
I've been trying to clean up the house a little bit because I'm sure the Structural Engineer person will need to come inside to check for cracks or other evidence of...whatever happens to stucturally unsound homes. I think that at least one of the buyers will probably be here too, so I don't want to have the house all trashy. Like somewhere in my little brain I actually think they might cancel the deal because there is a bit more dog hair on the floor than they remember? Eesh.
So tomorrow we find out A) if the house passes structural muster and B) whether we have a home to move to in Phoenix. I'm a bit nervous about all of it, honestly. Keep us in your good mojo thoughts, won't you?
I'd forgotten just how wonderful 3 day weekends are. On the first day you get stuff done. On the second day you relax (and cram a few more odd jobs in). And on the third day you say "Holy Shit! I overslept! I gotta go....oh.wait..." Big sigh of relief, and you relax some more.
Except in my case I didn't oversleep. Not an option with Bucket the Bottomless in the house. He is forever starving to death. And he reallys knows his clocks, too. Every morning he must be fed by 6:30-6:45, and every evening at the same time. He can be perfectly fine--playing with Delilah, chillin' at my feet, or dozing in the next room--but let the clock strike 6:45 without food on the floor and he becomes a whiney, cranky monster. Shoves his face in my lap, mopes around whining, gives me those "Oh-woe-is-me-my-momma-hates-me-and-won't-give-me-any-supper" looks. So, yeah. I was up at the butt crack of dawn this morning.
And it was COLD outside! I actually put on my swishy pants to sit out on the deck and read for a bit. Left them on to take the dogs for a walk. Insanity. When it came time to continue the expanding foam sealant job on the fascia boards (one of the repairs we have to do to seal the deal), however, I chucked the pants for ratty soccer shorts. Latex foam is more forgivable on 15 year old shorts than on brand new (everything's relative) swishy pants.
Anyway I'm a little sore today, but it probably has to do with stepping through the ceiling yesterday. Oh, I didn't blog specifically about that? Chalk it up to embarrassment. I was up there cleaning out the lint vent from the dryer (yet another repair on the list). There is a small section right above....something. It's not the water heater, it's the other big appliance that you keep in the garage or somewheres out of sight. Anyway. There is a small section of attic ceiling that is only drywall--no plywood decking. After the new roof went on last fall, the attic became a pit of dust and (wait--can an attic become a pit?) nails and wood bits...it all looked the same. I couldn't tell that this one little 12x12 bit was not safe to bear weight. Luckily I only had one foot on it, but I went through up to my hip. I can tell you, it was one of the scariest things I've done in a long while. Not because I was scared of being hurt, mind you. I was terrified that I'd just put a huge hole in the ceiling of the laundry room! Thankfully, the chunk of drywall broke off cleanly inside that utility closet, and there was already a huge vent hole cut out, so it's not really even noticeable. Whew. Anyway, I'm sore.
The dogs are crackers outside.
I've been trying to clean up the house a little bit because I'm sure the Structural Engineer person will need to come inside to check for cracks or other evidence of...whatever happens to stucturally unsound homes. I think that at least one of the buyers will probably be here too, so I don't want to have the house all trashy. Like somewhere in my little brain I actually think they might cancel the deal because there is a bit more dog hair on the floor than they remember? Eesh.
So tomorrow we find out A) if the house passes structural muster and B) whether we have a home to move to in Phoenix. I'm a bit nervous about all of it, honestly. Keep us in your good mojo thoughts, won't you?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)