A Blustery day

They said on the news that Saturday was going to be a very windy day. I hardly took notice knowing that it had nothing to do with me. Then about 1:15 pm everything in my house shut down. When this happens I usually hold my breath for a minute hoping that it will go back on fast enough to retain the programs on all my electronic stuff. When it lasted more than 5 minutes I thought Oh Shucks. I had already reset the clock and VCR (including adjusting the recording programs) upstairs to reflect the new time and would now have to do it again. Once I got over that disappointment I picked up a new book.

When I started to get hungry I went through all the usual, I'll just have..... Everything I was just going to have required a burner, microwave, toaster or something. So I waited. Maybe the power would come back on before long. It started to get dark.

Rita, who did not lose power, brought over a fluorescent lantern that she had and offered to take anything from my freezer that might spoil. Like if I had Ice Cream or anything. She wanted to make sure that I knew that ice cream wouldn't last very long so if I had ice cream she would take it for me. I assured her that I had no ice cream and as long as I didn't open the freezer everything should be fine. When she came over I had been reading by the light of two candles on my side table. The lantern was a bit better. The instructions said it should last 6 hours. After 3 hours the light was dim enough that the candle power beat it out. So I went back to candles.

I realized that I was still hungry and settled for crackers with peanut butter. The peanut butter jar was low. Did you ever try to scrape the bottom (and sides) of a peanut butter jar by candlelight? Just can't do a good job.

You want to see something funny? Picture an old lady who needs two handrails to make it safely upstairs trying to go upstairs with two lit candles and an open can of Pepsi. I left one candle burning as a night light figuring that even if it burned out, when I woke up it would be daylight. I woke up when the candle got far enough to the bottom that it shattered the candle holder and the pieces fell onto the desk. There was no flame by that time so not to worry.

It was daylight when I woke up, but still no power. I gleaned another couple of crackers worth of peanut butter out of the jar before I threw it away. Rather than sit around powerless all day I decided to go to the casino and took the windsor bus trip.

When I got home about 8 pm. the power was back and had been since about 5. Long enough to heat up the house and cool off everything in the fridge. The freezer stuff is just fine.

Now my TV is all messed up. The channels are coming in fuzzy and then disappear alltogether. The cable ones are not coming in at all right now. They were fine when I first reset the channels. I don't think there is much I can do about it tonight, I'll call the cable people tomorrow.

Drugs have worn off

My root has been cannelled and all the numbness is gone. Seems like a trip to the dentist used to leave one unable to eat or feel your lips for hours and hours. Even with the nitrous and novacain I still can't help crying. This Endodontist was a new person and he was feeling bad. He asked me if my eyes always tear up and I said "only when I cry".

I heard a piece on NPR about our Proposal 2, regarding a constitutional ammendment banning same sex marriages. It seems Michigan already has a law banning same and the passage of this proposition will not change things considerably. Nobody mentioned that without the ammendmant the existing law would be subject to challange in the courts.

I have received my official letter from the membership committee. As of November 1st I am on the waiting list for transfer to 34721 Spring Valley.

Racing again

I just saw a promo for and met the contestants on Amazing Race 6. It starts a week from Tuesday on the 16th. There is the requisite old couple in their 60s, more than one modeling couple, a sister team and some party people.

My hard drive has been periodically squeaking lately. Anybody know what that means. Also every once in a while (like this morning) the computer is off when I get up. I don't turn it off at night.

I've got about one more hour before I have to leave for the dentist and root canal. Yuch.

Immagine me, a guru

There is actually someone that knows less about computers than I do. I am Jeannette's computer guru. We got her all installed with aol tonight and she is happy as a clam. She has never really had actual internet with her Juno, just email. She is very excited that the aol welcome screen shows you the current weather etc.

She was here when I was talking to Adrienne on IM and couldn't believe we were able to have a "real time" conversation. She is excited about that and has already tried it with me since I got home.

Now, if we could only find a way to incorporate her existing address list. I showed her how to use the aol help and its on her to-do list for tomorrow to ask aol how to do that.

Thinking family

You guys are the best at thinking red. We have the St. Louis/Boston world series and now St. Louis doesn't have to win anything any more. We want Boston all the way. In 4 please. If St. Louis wins one the Bostonians will get nervous.

I ran into Susie (Suchy's cleaning lady) this morning and told her I was still in the market if she knew anybody. I had already asked her but she didn't have time to add new clients. She said she is thinking of getting a helper and taking more jobs. I told her to keep me in mind.

I did my absentee ballot yesterday. I hadn't heard one word about it but we have a proposal on the ballot for same sex marriage. It says "This proposal would amend the state constitution to provide that "the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose." Should this proposal be adopted?

I have zero trust in my fellow Michiganians to expect the correct outcome of this proposal.

Good Job, Keep Thinking Red

We did so good getting Boston the AL Pennant. Now we have to think red for the cardinals on the St. Louis uniforms.

Think Red

We all have to think Red for Boston tonight. I have always felt a little bit guilty since Detroit beat them out in 1968. Now they finally have another shot against many odds.

Baby Steps

I don't mean to steal Erika's thunder by posting this before she did but I am just so geeked. Jackson took two (count them - two) baby steps toward Lyle last night. He had been taking one a couple of times between the ottoman and chair and such, but he was examining the buttons on the DVD player last night and Lyle held out his arms and Jackson took two steps to him. It looked like he didn't even have to think about it.

I had such a great visit this weekend. Jackson is just wonderful. Look at me, I'm preaching to the choir.

We had Erika's movie thing at Sammy's house on Friday night. The movie we saw (Casa de los Babys) should only be seen for the purpose of having a discussion. If you see it on your own and have noone with which to share interpretations, there's just no point.

We went to the Casino and discovered that Harrah's has redecorated their lobby area and have added a 50s diner. We ate there on our way out and it was very good. So that will be our Indiana Casino of choice if we get to one while Adrienne is here.

I told Erika that Adrienne and I are driving down there with her (separate cars) the weekend after Thanksgiving so that if she and Lyle wanted to plan themselves an adult outing, Adrienne could handle the running around part of the babysitting and I can give the hugs.

transfer

I submitted my papers for transfer yesterday. After receiving all my quarterly investment statements I was armed with my financial information necessary to do that. The Unit I am requesting transfer to is Kitty-Korner from Rita and now all I have to do (assuming that my request is approved) is wait for the lady that lives there to move out or die.

Broken In

Finally broke in the dryer. For the first load I forgot a dryer sheet. First time in a long long time that has happened to me. This dryer has a cool down period before the buzzer goes off (oh, first time in a long long time for a buzzer too) so everything was nice and cool. I'm used to hot clothes. I just had to take out one nightgown and all the underwear came with it. If it had been dark out, I could have lit up the whole basement.

Toilet repair guy plunged and flushed. He didn't see any seeping water so I must have immagined it. The heck with them. What do I care if the floor gets ruined. One of the tiles behind the toilet is cracked to I don't think the seepage I noticed was the first time.

Today is Kelly's birthday. His email is kjsheedy@netzero.net

Wet and Dry

You teen people who don't post because nothing is going on in your lives just keep reading my blog and see how boring life can really be.

I lugged my laundry down (as far as the kitchen) this morning. I was going to use my new dryer for the first time. I have been feeling pretty good, leg-wise lately and figured I could do a few trips to the basement today. I am incredibly lazy and any misc. pain is a good excuse to put off most tasks. But today I get to be relatively pain free and still indulge my laziness.

I noticed last night that when I flush my upstairs toilet, the bowl fills up and then water seeps out onto the floor in the back. Not all the water, just some of it. So I called maintenance this morning and she is sending someone out, maybe even today. So, on the assumption that when they come they will have to turn the water off... and nobody wants the water to get shut off while they are doing laundry... See where I'm going?

The sacrifices I make.

Endurance and other TV

I have become a big fan of the Saturday morning kids show, Endurance 3. Its like a kids version of survivor except I think they are fed regularly and have sleeping quarters. They complete missions in teams of two (boy, girl) and the winners send two opposing teams to the Temple and only one team returns.

This week they picked their teammates and one poor girl had to team up with "girly boy", Marvin (or Melvin or something). He's way more "girly" than any of the girls and should provide some comic relief.

I don't mean to make fun of him, I'm sure his mother loves him and I would be very happy if he proves me wrong and wins the whole thing.

I liked the outcome of the Complex Malibu. Its not so much that I was hoping they would win, I just hoped nobody else would.

I also came across a show on TBS called The Mansion where a team of 8 or so are completing renovation challenges for prize money, and the foreman of each challenge has to distribute the money at their discretion in predetermined amounts. The last foreman kept all the money. She has some p-o'd teammates.

I'm Impressed

Finally some media political commentary that was actually helpful. Last night after the VP debate they showed a comment by Cheney saying that it was simply not true that he had ever accused Saddam Hussein of being responsible for 9/11. Then NBC cut to an interview on Meet the Press from 2003 where he said exactly that.

Then this morning on NPR they explained Cheney's comment that even though he was President of the Senate he had never met John Edwards until yesterday. They said that Cheney had met very few Democrats and that he mostly went to the senate to preside over the Republican luncheons.

Maybe I will start paying more attention to the media. Then again, maybe not. I managed to pick up these gems at my current level of attention.

In other news. The dryer saga continues. It seems that a delivery truck has damaged some shingles on our carport in Lot 12. Since I was the only one to have a delivery last Thursday (the damage was noticed on Friday) the consensus is that it was the Sears delivery truck at fault. I have called the delivery people and lodged the complaint but the problem is that no one saw it happen. The truck people said they would have someone contact me within 48 hours. When that didn't happen, I called them again and you'll never guess what. They had no record of my call. I gave them the name of the girl I talked to but that didn't help. Now I have a new name and they have another 48 hours to get back to me.

In health news. Last Saturday I determined that I would call the doctor on Monday about my neck pain. By Monday I no longer thought that was necessary. Today my neck and legs were in such good working order I even went shopping and I learned that my back pain is just waiting there in the wings for me to be able to walk far enough or stay on my feet long enough for it to engage. The good part about that is that when I sit down it goes away.

So life is good.

A Winters' Night

We just spent a great evening at Stephanie's. Rita came with me and we were the only ones there out of Steph's generation. They had about 10 friends over, most of whom were helping them cook and set up.

We had burgers and french fries and salad with all the trimmings for each. We had multiple choices of fruits and melons for desert and then in the middle of the Trivial Pursuit game she made some chocolate chip cookies. I was teamed with Bryant for the TP and we had the most pies when the game broke up.

She has a passable two bedroom apartment. It was very hard to find. The layout of the property reminds me of beach rentals and such. A low flat building with about 4 apartments in it built out behind the main house. It is enough in the country that they have horses next door.

The address of the main house is 14170 Huron River Drive, Romulus, MI. Her new phone number is 734 229 0325.

Arn is still working at the hospital and she is working at the airport doing menial work on Northwest airplanes. She didn't seem to get a lot of hours, and she said they didn't pay much. But after the probationary time, if she gets on full time, the benefits are pretty great. Including, but not limited to, free flying advantages for family members (grandparents included).

We can be proud of our Steph. She picked a good husband and has very nice friends.