Okaaaaay, so it wasn't a couple of hundred tulip bulbs. After cleaning and dividing them, it was a couple of thousand! If they're all mature enough to bloom next year, my front yard will look like the aftermath of an explosion in a candy cane factory. They're red and white, and I didn't have a clue which was which. I'm tired and sore, but I think I'll be OK for work tomorrow.
Anytulips, I was blog hopping this morning, and I came across this from Earthbound Misfit:
http://eb-misfit.blogspot.com/2011/05/very-good-reason-to-pursue-alternative.html
Now I'm pretty sure the U.S. is going to be using fossil fuels until they're completely gone. But it would be a damn good thing if we really got with the program, and started actively using less. I, for one, would love to thumb my nose at middle eastern royalty. Why can't we, in the next ten or twenty years, have solar panels on millions of roofs, and wind turbines in millions of yards? (With millions of hybrid or all-electric cars plugged into that power?) Are they really any uglier than utility lines and poles? It wouldn't end our dependence on foreign oil, but it sure would reduce it. (I wouldn't mind thumbing my nose at the electric company too.)
Monday, May 30, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
It's Alive!
Whew! I'm finally feeling human again, just in time for a 3 day weekend! I've gotten myself sucked in to an addictive Facebook game called Gardens of Time - hidden pictures, Victorian gardens, Egyptology theme, I'm toast. Fortunately it limits me. I refuse to ask my friends to become "neighbors," and I'm sure not going to buy "energy." So I can only play a little at a time. No doubt that's a good thing.
I have also recently stumbles across a couple of noteworthy new blogs: http://unusualincident.wordpress.com/
and
http://viewsfrommysquadcar.blogspot.com/
Thoughtful and funny, respectively.
I've been trying to put a badge on my sidebar for http://johnshore.com/
It's the only religious site I follow. I like how John sees Christianity, and his commenters are among the best anywhere. Check him out if you're so inclined. He has a great sense of humor, loves words, and he's honest. He's published a couple of short books on theology, but believe me - churches DON'T buy them. He hates bullies, and he's not afraid to criticize modern Christianity for bullying. He often writes about how the church treats homosexuality. Like me, he's a hetero who sees the utter hypocrisy in the church's views on it. I won't go into it, simply because I couldn't say it as well as he does. He has a bit more reverence than I do, for the Bible and a few other traditions, but I'm cool with that. Also like me, when Christianity contradicts Christ, he listens to Christ. Duh. Otherwise, what's the point of being Christian?
PFC is loving his work and his home in CA, and he just bought himself a mid 80's macho car. It needs some work, but it'll be a great learning experience. He also bought a mountain bike. Smart boy.
BH is seriously considering going back to work for the Airline. His current job is pretty good right now, but not necessarily all that secure. If he goes back to the Big One, his pay and bennies will nearly double. And we'll have flight benefits again. Hello PFC!!! Almost a no-brainer, but he'd have to work in another city. Kind of a hassle, especially if he gets a formerly-laid-off-with-a home-elsewhere-just-like-him roomie, but financially, we'd still come out ahead. We'd see each other on weekends, which is not too different from some weeks now, and we could probably afford for me to quit working. Now that I finally have a job worth keeping. My inclination is to keep working and build up some savings, at least until he retires. On the other hand, if I quit working, I could seriously focus on my health. It would be nice to have the time to actively build up some strength, a necessity that has hit home all over again this past month. (I'm presently as weak as I was 4 years ago, after that nasty "cold." I hope to God I haven't lost all the progress I've made this past year. Scary thoughts.) I'm sure we could sell this place eventually, and I could move to where he works, if the cost of living is reasonable.
I'm going to try to get outside and putter in the yard this weekend. I promised myself today as a do-nothing day, but I scavenged a few hundred free tulip bulbs a few weeks back, and I really should get them into the ground. They came from the compost pile at Hooterville University; so nice to know someone in this county can afford to throw money away. And hey. I'm not too proud to take scraps.
One more link. Beat and release has done a great analysis of the Jose Guerena killing in Arizona. I highly recommend reading it, several posts worth:
http://beatandrelease.blogspot.com/
Oh. And here's the image from John Shore's badge. Gotta love it!
I have also recently stumbles across a couple of noteworthy new blogs: http://unusualincident.wordpress.com/
and
http://viewsfrommysquadcar.blogspot.com/
Thoughtful and funny, respectively.
I've been trying to put a badge on my sidebar for http://johnshore.com/
It's the only religious site I follow. I like how John sees Christianity, and his commenters are among the best anywhere. Check him out if you're so inclined. He has a great sense of humor, loves words, and he's honest. He's published a couple of short books on theology, but believe me - churches DON'T buy them. He hates bullies, and he's not afraid to criticize modern Christianity for bullying. He often writes about how the church treats homosexuality. Like me, he's a hetero who sees the utter hypocrisy in the church's views on it. I won't go into it, simply because I couldn't say it as well as he does. He has a bit more reverence than I do, for the Bible and a few other traditions, but I'm cool with that. Also like me, when Christianity contradicts Christ, he listens to Christ. Duh. Otherwise, what's the point of being Christian?
PFC is loving his work and his home in CA, and he just bought himself a mid 80's macho car. It needs some work, but it'll be a great learning experience. He also bought a mountain bike. Smart boy.
BH is seriously considering going back to work for the Airline. His current job is pretty good right now, but not necessarily all that secure. If he goes back to the Big One, his pay and bennies will nearly double. And we'll have flight benefits again. Hello PFC!!! Almost a no-brainer, but he'd have to work in another city. Kind of a hassle, especially if he gets a formerly-laid-off-with-a home-elsewhere-just-like-him roomie, but financially, we'd still come out ahead. We'd see each other on weekends, which is not too different from some weeks now, and we could probably afford for me to quit working. Now that I finally have a job worth keeping. My inclination is to keep working and build up some savings, at least until he retires. On the other hand, if I quit working, I could seriously focus on my health. It would be nice to have the time to actively build up some strength, a necessity that has hit home all over again this past month. (I'm presently as weak as I was 4 years ago, after that nasty "cold." I hope to God I haven't lost all the progress I've made this past year. Scary thoughts.) I'm sure we could sell this place eventually, and I could move to where he works, if the cost of living is reasonable.
I'm going to try to get outside and putter in the yard this weekend. I promised myself today as a do-nothing day, but I scavenged a few hundred free tulip bulbs a few weeks back, and I really should get them into the ground. They came from the compost pile at Hooterville University; so nice to know someone in this county can afford to throw money away. And hey. I'm not too proud to take scraps.
One more link. Beat and release has done a great analysis of the Jose Guerena killing in Arizona. I highly recommend reading it, several posts worth:
http://beatandrelease.blogspot.com/
Oh. And here's the image from John Shore's badge. Gotta love it!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Nuthin' Much
I don't know why I'm up; it's past my bedtime. PFC is settled in over in CA, barracks on the beach (half a mile jog from the water .) I hope he likes his work. I'm reading the original 1989 edition of "Armed and Female," and it's much better than I expected. I'm still a little sick, but much better, and Maxine came in to work the other day and used my notes to do the summer schedule. It took her all of ten minutes, and would have taken me at least an hour. I still have to proofread and print but I'm really grateful - a new challenge isn't all that compatible with being under the weather...
One of these days, I'll introduce you to the rest of the four-leggers, and I'm brewing a big fat rant on political partisanship. It might make me too angry to finish - ugh! Negative emotions wear me out, but I'm thinkin' I just might have something to say!
One of these days, I'll introduce you to the rest of the four-leggers, and I'm brewing a big fat rant on political partisanship. It might make me too angry to finish - ugh! Negative emotions wear me out, but I'm thinkin' I just might have something to say!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Why Blogger Went Down
Blame me and the curse of Suzy. This is typical of my luck. Yesterday, I received something super super special in the mail, and I couldn't blog about it!!!!!
Here it is.....
Ta Daaaa!
(Okay, see, here's more of the curse. The photo won't load!)
Anybrokenlink, I received my prize from Pax, at Marion's Meepings! My very own Australian Army slouch hat stick-pin! The following is the text on the back of the card to which it's attached:
The Australian Army's slouch hat, made famous by several generations of Diggers, has been standard headdress for more than a century and Australian soldiers can be identified worldwide by the distinctive wide-brimmed felt hat.
The slouch hat was worn by the Australians during the Boer War - with brim turned down to protect against sun and rain. It became renowned in WW1 and has been a part of the Australian Army uniform ever since - a symbol of distinction and pride.
To present a foreigner with a slouch hat is regarded as a token of true friendship.
Thank you, Pax, from the bottom of my heart, and thanks also to Coffeypot for the link to Marion's Meepings! Here it is again:
http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/
...and a great big YAY! for military supporters! Pax sends love, laughs and encouragement to warriors from all over!
Here it is.....
Ta Daaaa!
(Okay, see, here's more of the curse. The photo won't load!)
Anybrokenlink, I received my prize from Pax, at Marion's Meepings! My very own Australian Army slouch hat stick-pin! The following is the text on the back of the card to which it's attached:
The Australian Army's slouch hat, made famous by several generations of Diggers, has been standard headdress for more than a century and Australian soldiers can be identified worldwide by the distinctive wide-brimmed felt hat.
The slouch hat was worn by the Australians during the Boer War - with brim turned down to protect against sun and rain. It became renowned in WW1 and has been a part of the Australian Army uniform ever since - a symbol of distinction and pride.
To present a foreigner with a slouch hat is regarded as a token of true friendship.
Thank you, Pax, from the bottom of my heart, and thanks also to Coffeypot for the link to Marion's Meepings! Here it is again:
http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/
...and a great big YAY! for military supporters! Pax sends love, laughs and encouragement to warriors from all over!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Crappy
I'm sick. I thought the coughing was just hayfever, but last night I had a real fever. Gotta work today, but I do feel a little better this morning. I also ended Mothers' day on a lousy note: PFC called, and the PTB's are probably cancelling his 7 days travel time and sending him straight to CA - no visit home! If we'd known that, we wouldn't have cancelled our trip to VA! So we'll be lucky if we see him before Christmas...
OK. Done with the pity party.
OK. Done with the pity party.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
One More Glitch?
I have the blog on an all new account, and when I deleted it from the old one, it disappeared from the new one as well. GRRR! Good thing it's easy to get it back! I've saved it on my flash drive just in case my original e-mail disappears and takes the blog with it. I'm also making blackhound44@gmail.com my primary e-mail again; it's not the soon-to-be-defunct one. There's still a chance I could lose the whole thing, so maybe I'll save the text in Word. Hmmm. I've learned more about computer crap in the last two weeks than I ever wanted to know!
Cal
Dumb-ass
...our senior pup. He was a leftover from a neighbor's litter; we let him hang around for a few years, then finally did the responsible thing, neutering and vaccinating. He turned into a very good house dog, probably because he's afraid to be anything else. A textbook Omega dog, he's afraid of his shadow. We named him Calico because a wussy kitty name suited his wussy kitty personality, and he was the right color. During thunderstorms, he crawls under the bed and tries to dig a hole to China. Then I pick him up and snuggle with him, and he drools, pants, and trembles. You'd think by now (he's 12) he'd know he's safe! He has good, predictable pack manners, and he's the last puppy to be raised by Princess Goldenpaws. Someday I'll cry my way through a tribute to her - she was a great dog. (PFC was her first puppy, and what a mom she was!)
Cal usually allows Sadie her "me first" shenanigans, but he holds his own, and she rarely crosses him. He's afraid of Scooter-evil-kitty, (we all should be) he tolerates Ollie, (my profile pic) and he worships little Lizzie. She's an independent predator with extra toes, but she plays very gently with the old man. He's a good boy, and yet another unexciting aspect of my, um, rather unexciting life. Not that I mind.
Dumb as dirt, sweet as pie.
...our senior pup. He was a leftover from a neighbor's litter; we let him hang around for a few years, then finally did the responsible thing, neutering and vaccinating. He turned into a very good house dog, probably because he's afraid to be anything else. A textbook Omega dog, he's afraid of his shadow. We named him Calico because a wussy kitty name suited his wussy kitty personality, and he was the right color. During thunderstorms, he crawls under the bed and tries to dig a hole to China. Then I pick him up and snuggle with him, and he drools, pants, and trembles. You'd think by now (he's 12) he'd know he's safe! He has good, predictable pack manners, and he's the last puppy to be raised by Princess Goldenpaws. Someday I'll cry my way through a tribute to her - she was a great dog. (PFC was her first puppy, and what a mom she was!)
Cal usually allows Sadie her "me first" shenanigans, but he holds his own, and she rarely crosses him. He's afraid of Scooter-evil-kitty, (we all should be) he tolerates Ollie, (my profile pic) and he worships little Lizzie. She's an independent predator with extra toes, but she plays very gently with the old man. He's a good boy, and yet another unexciting aspect of my, um, rather unexciting life. Not that I mind.
Dumb as dirt, sweet as pie.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Big Yellow Food Processor
Sadie
Don't let her fool you. She just ate, and not in the bedroom, but she likes to sneak off with Cal's dish. Her's is too big to pick up. She's a big sweetie, but a little clingy. I'm pretty sure if I closed the bathroom door, she'd break it down to get to me. What she doesn't know is that away from home, I can use the toilet rather competently with no assistance whatsoever!
Being a lab, she's not only an eating machine, she's a methane factory. Often a noisy one. I can't decide if it smells worse coming out the back or the front, but she can fog me right out of a room! I think the belches are worse, but that may be a matter of volume. I literally burp her after every meal, because her belly blows up like a beach ball, and sometimes it hurts enough to make her cry. Then it comes out and makes me cry!
I've tried several different foods, including home-cooked rice and meat, and also supplements, but nothing helps for long. Fortunately, when she's belching, I know it's not Bloat, and when she's farting, I can find her in the dark!
But she's worth it...
Don't let her fool you. She just ate, and not in the bedroom, but she likes to sneak off with Cal's dish. Her's is too big to pick up. She's a big sweetie, but a little clingy. I'm pretty sure if I closed the bathroom door, she'd break it down to get to me. What she doesn't know is that away from home, I can use the toilet rather competently with no assistance whatsoever!
Being a lab, she's not only an eating machine, she's a methane factory. Often a noisy one. I can't decide if it smells worse coming out the back or the front, but she can fog me right out of a room! I think the belches are worse, but that may be a matter of volume. I literally burp her after every meal, because her belly blows up like a beach ball, and sometimes it hurts enough to make her cry. Then it comes out and makes me cry!
I've tried several different foods, including home-cooked rice and meat, and also supplements, but nothing helps for long. Fortunately, when she's belching, I know it's not Bloat, and when she's farting, I can find her in the dark!
But she's worth it...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tech Wizard Pffft!
I did it! I transferred my blog to a new account! My contact e-mail has changed to:
driversuz44@gmail.com
Google help gives good instructions! Yay!
driversuz44@gmail.com
Google help gives good instructions! Yay!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Hey! I Won!
How cool is that?
First, I'd like to thank the Academy.... Ooops! wrong speech.
I won a drawing over at Pax's blog, for a "slouch hat" pin! (coming from Australia -can't wait!)
This was in honor of ANZAC Day -(Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,) a Vetrans/Memiorial holiday, which was April 25. Go check out Marion's Meepings, an Aussie military support blog.
http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much, Paxford!
OK, back to work - the after school DVD rush!
First, I'd like to thank the Academy.... Ooops! wrong speech.
I won a drawing over at Pax's blog, for a "slouch hat" pin! (coming from Australia -can't wait!)
This was in honor of ANZAC Day -(Australian and New Zealand Army Corps,) a Vetrans/Memiorial holiday, which was April 25. Go check out Marion's Meepings, an Aussie military support blog.
http://marionsmeepings.blogspot.com/
Thank you so much, Paxford!
OK, back to work - the after school DVD rush!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Internet Withdrawl
Wow. Any idea how many games of FreeCell I've played during the last two weeks? And I've read three novels, all while waiting for pages to open on my computer screen. About a month ago, BH and I decided to sign up for a "package," internet, phone and satellite. We've been happy with our internet, but Dish keeps raising the price, and the phone company was bought out, which doubled our bill because they no longer offered a "no long distance" package. When the telemarketer called about the new package, I was polite, but I told her we were considering discontinuing the home phone service, since we rarely use it. Now after doing the math, we're taking the plunge. And the timing couldn't be better, since our current internet has been on the fritz for over two weeks. I hesitate to leave our provider, because their customer service department has always been so responsive, but they obviously have serious technical issues; bad weather frequently blows stuff up.
D-day is next Thursday, and in the meantime I have to give everybody my Blogger e-mail, and rearrange my Google account, since I'm losing my main e-mail account. Add spring cleaning to the mix, and I won't be on line much for a few days...
And Ben, whatever's happening in your professional life, I hope it's good!
D-day is next Thursday, and in the meantime I have to give everybody my Blogger e-mail, and rearrange my Google account, since I'm losing my main e-mail account. Add spring cleaning to the mix, and I won't be on line much for a few days...
And Ben, whatever's happening in your professional life, I hope it's good!
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