Frozen Ice Drops On Boat Cover*

Went to the marina today to check on the boat. Although temperatures are below freezing, there is no wind and plenty of sunshine. I contemplated taking the boat out for a New Year's Eve cruise and wanted to make sure she was ready. However, when I advised the Captain of the Double Jack, he said Are you crazy?

I made sure the electricity was on and the lines were okay. (The level of the lake changes. It's two feet lower in the Winter and ours is not a floating dock.)

While I was verifying the information on the change in water level, I came across this site about submerged wreckage in Lake Washington. Pretty cool stuff and some interesting pictures, mostly of submerged aircraft.

*Not our boat cover, btw.

Seattle's zoo loses a sloth bear to liver cancer

Local News | Seattle's zoo loses a sloth bear to liver cancer | Seattle Times Newspaper

The bear died during a health examination to evaluate symptoms of lethargy... . "When keepers noticed a sudden, drastic decrease in the bear's activity, we immediately scheduled a health examination... ."

What constitutes a drastic decrease in activity in a sloth?

Coulda been the booze.

NYE

I went for the most beautiful walk this morning (and washed it down with two leftover cookies afterward, the last of which shall not remain uneaten if I have anything to say about it). My weather widget advised it was an atypical 21 degrees but with the proper clothing and a mindset that oxygen isn't strictly necessary, I ventured out.

Absolutely worth it.

Brrr

From Drop Box

A little chilly on my walk this morning. Taken with my phone's camera (HTC EVO).

Notice

Due to technical difficulties I will not be working today. I've tried signing in. Really, I have. But I keep getting kicked out or blocked from signing in and so now I'm giving up.

Blogger and Facebook are working fine.

Clairvoyant Dream

The other night I had a dream that my stepson showed up at my house at 7:49 am - 41 minutes before I was expecting him.

The next morning, he showed up at 7:48 am. That really happened.

Next, I'll try dreaming about winning the lottery.

Important Distinctions

From Ron's Log in Desert Hot Springs.

Nice Story

Fairies

are good. As are cookies. If one is visited by a Cookie Fairy, well, there's nothing better.


I didn't make any cookies this year. (The truth is, I made five dozen inedible cookies, so that doesn't count. I didn't eat them.) But right now on my kitchen counter I have red and green sugar-coated butter cookies, brittle, peppermint brittle, chocolate covered pretzels, peanut butter kisses, oatmeal, sugar cookies, and cookies for which I know not the names.


What to do now but eat them? Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between.


Good thing I got those walking shoes because I'm going to need them.

Cleaned Up

Before and After

What Is Meatless Chicken Anyway?

Kung Pao Chicken is on the left under Poultry and on the right under Meatless Chicken Dinners. This confuses me. Get this - the meatless chicken Kung Pao Chicken is MORE than the meatful Kung Pao Chicken.

Better get pizza.

Bummer

Another Way To Look At It

Winter Solstice is just another name for Beginning of Summer. Here, where I've now lived more than half my life, Summer takes a while to ramp up. Might as well start now.

Re Do

I put my underwear on inside out this morning. Not on purpose, mind you. And not backward, either, which would have presented a whole different set of uncomfortable issues. I was nearly dressed when I discovered the error and the question at that point was, Who cares? And, Should I leave them that way or fix them? Or, Should I wear them again tomorrow?

No one.

Fix them.

No.

I'm glad there will be more daylight in the coming days.

The Light

What if the Light you see at the End Of The Tunnel is just the bedside lamp? Or the one in the ceiling over your hospital bed? It makes sense that would be the last thing you see before it's "lights out, " as they say.

I imagine it could be disappointing to think of The End this way, that The Light is nothing more than an ordinary light bulb. Worse yet, that we are simply moths.

Solstice

I don't like to look at it as the First Day of Winter. Too depressing. Makes me want to hibernate. No, I like to think of it as The Last Day that Days Get Shorter. More hopeful than Three More Months of Shitty Weather.

Yum

(Image from here.)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is the best pie ever (if you're not averse to alcohol).

Vaginal steam bath finds a place among Southern California spa options - latimes.com

Vaginal steam bath finds a place among Southern California spa options - latimes.com

"...There's a bigger picture that we're really missing."

Well, we are talking about Southern California here.

Dresses And Asses

Laurasmagicday writes:

It's been forever since I bought a new holiday dress. The invitation says "semi-formal." So I walk up to my closet and check out what made it up north and isn't in storage in LA. Hmmm. I stick my arm into the wall of hanging clothes and practically pull a muscle to give them room to breathe. Slide. Slide. Slide go the hangers as I asses in seconds whether the dress in my paw will work, or not.

I really want a new dress too. I found it about five minutes before I was supposed to be dressed and ready for the office holiday party, having lost all track of time. My husband called wondering where I was. I dropped the dress and ran out of the store, went home to don what-I-always-wear, and made it to the party a half hour late.

Did I mention I was hosting?

I've since been back to the store, but "my" dress was gone. Maybe next year.

"...I asses in seconds..." Me, too. I often feel like I have more than one ass so my New Year's Resolution is to narrow it down to just one ass. I bought those goofy walking shoes - the kind that have soles shaped like boat hulls - and will try to get out to walk every day.

This may not seem like such an accomplishment where you are but it's dark and wet here so I'm giving myself points for adding the requirement that my walking must be done outside. There's really no need for this requirement as I own a very expensive and equally dusty treadmill. Even in the rain I'd rather be outside so that's the plan.

To my friend, Laura, congrats on the new dress. Sorry about the asses.

Windy

That's not shrubbery. That's the top of the neighbor's tree in our yard. Missed the house by about a foot.

Gold To Go

http://www.gold-to-go.com/en/

In case you haven't finished your shopping.

Dancing

Contributed by Phil (messing around with the fire pics)

The Institution

Found this on Facebook. I don't know if my friend Teja wrote it or if she got it from somewhere else....

So let me get this straight... Larry King is on his 8th divorce, Elizabeth Taylor is possibly getting married for a 9th time, Britney Spears had a 55-hour marriage, Jesse James and Tiger Woods, while married, were having sex with everyone; and yet the idea of same-sex marriage is still going to destroy the institution of marriage? Really?

Let It Rain

We've had 5.68 inches of rain so far in December. At least it's not snow.

Humbug

One of the problems of goofing off all week is having to make up for it on the weekend and you can see how well that's going so far. Further, a downside of belonging to social clubs is the expectation that you will be social. It's been an exhausting week of holiday parties and holiday bazaars and now I'm paying the price.

To be truthful, I was only involved in one holiday bazaar but it seemed like several and it was a partial disaster. I agreed to bring red and green sugar-coated butter cookies made from a recipe that has been in the family since forever. I decided that for the freshest cookies, I should wait until the day before the bazaar to make the cookies which is exactly when I realized I couldn't find the recipe. It was there the day before, I promise. I obtained another copy of the recipe just in time to discover the sugar in my pantry was really flour. This necessitated a late night trip to the grocery store and frantic mixing of dough the following morning. I found that red and green sugar crystals were hard to come by but, fortunately, I only had to go to two stores to complete the shopping list.

I made five dozen cookies before I tried even one and when I finally tested for quality I found them wholly unacceptable. The only way I would sell these cookies would be anonymously. Still, I couldn't bring myself to share them. My stepson pronounced them fit for human consumption and so he got them all. Sucking up to the cook never hurts.

The other project for the bazaar was to produce cards (of the greeting variety) from some of my photos. I printed a total of sixty on card stock and sold some as a collection of six for five dollars, with smaller cards sold individually for one dollar. I sold twenty-one (with envelopes).

When printing the cards, I had some expectations of what would sell and selected my images accordingly. I favored winter themed photos and boating related photos and was completely surprised when I sold none in those categories. The images above were selected for the winter cards. There were fifteen of the first image, and five of the second, all of which came home with me (which is to say if you receive one of these from me in the mail, you are receiving a reject).

All of the boating-related cards had captions on the reverse side indicating where the photo was taken and I thought that would interest the boating-related audience that made up the shoppers at the bazaar. They were smaller cards, sold individually for one-dollar. I only sold one of these but I didn't keep track of how many copies of each image I printed so I'm not entirely sure which image sold. I thought these would have sold better considering the bazaar was at the yacht club.

I thought wrong. The images that sold best were from my Fallen collection (on the Photos page). I selected five images, printed four of each, and sold them all. These were, in fact, some of my favorite images but ones that I thought wouldn't sell because we are beyond Fall and I printed them on a darker card stock which (I thought) did not enhance the image. Who knew?

Live and learn and better luck next time. It was a fun experiment and I look forward to trying it again. In the meantime, I should probably get to work.

(I've published the rejected photos are on the Photos page.)

Mmmm

Need I say more?

Introducing the Hot New Social Network, PhoneBook « Borowitz Report

Introducing the Hot New Social Network, PhoneBook « Borowitz Report

We No Speak Americano ft. Cleary & Harding

We No Speak Americano ft. Cleary & Harding from vepaks on Vimeo.

The Wackness

See this movie.

My Favorite Things

I lost a favorite mug nearly eleven months ago but have managed to replace it with two others that will never replace its memory but will comfort me in my quest for not only a good cup of coffee but one that delivers. What, you ask? Satisfaction, my friend. Java should never be taken lightly - neither in its composition nor in it's delivery.

The new cups are:

1. A plain white one that features Snoopy on one side, lying on the red roof of his doghouse, which satisfies my need for whimsy at any hour, and
2. A tiny cup and saucer that I purchased from an antique shop in Poulsbo, which replaces the Starbucks shot glass I broke and satisfies my need to draw a shot of espresso in something that isn't labeled with a logo.

I'm behind on posting photos but I have several that I would like to get organized and posted.

Stay tuned.

Home Again

Travel day today. Goodbye, sunshine. Hello, rain.

(Wish our extra hour was in Southern California.)

No Pot For You

No more psychics or bail bonds paid for by the California welfare system. No more bingo halls, gun shops, bars, race tracks, smoking shops, tattoo parlors or cruise ships either. Where's the fun in that?

Pumpkin

Just finishing my first cup of coffee, lounging around in bed, wearing a yam and pumpkin enzyme peel on my face. Great way to start the day.

Yesterday's headlines in The Desert Sun included:

Suit Filed By Man Accused in Priest Attack

Police Search Plaza After Copper Theft Attempt

Was the white collared man violent? Did he hurl insults? It's dangerous to be Catholic anymore.... (You can find this article in several papers but I couldn't find the one linked to The Desert Sun.)

I actually had to read the second one to realize a police officer wasn't either the perpetrator or the victim.

The coffee fairy just showed up to refill my cup and I've moved on to a tomato lycopene masque. Feeling lazy, are we? I usually have several hundred words written by this time but I haven't even started yet. But my skin will radiate so that's something, right?

Nothing planned for the day. I'm thinking about hopping a local bus just to see where it takes me. Cheap entertainment, and the buses are air conditioned. Yesterday was The Living Desert which was fabulous and the day before was putt-putt golf. Meanwhile, we've been eating and drinking ourselves across all of the Palm Springs/Palm Desert area and counting ping pong as our exercise.

Death Is For Old People

Another thing I like about the print edition of The Desert Sun is the obituaries are printed in a larger font than the rest of the newsprint. I suppose that makes it easier to read for the bifocal set.

Anonymous

The print edition of The Desert Sun reports in the Community Calendar the following:

Debtors Anonymous meeting,

Mondays except on bank holidays.

5:30pm at U.S. Bank

Isn't that something something like a Tax Evaders Anonymous hosted by the IRS?

Officials barely address naked officer questions

Guess we better keep the noise down to a minimum or we could end up with a naked policeman in our pool.

Flotsam At Night

Palm Desert

Apps

I have this credit at the app store - woo hoo! So far, I have:

• Facebook
• Jared
• Angry Birds
• My Very First App
• iBooks
• Scrabble
• Sudoku

Some of these were free but the point is, I am very well entertained.

Hearty

I received a coupon for Hearty Sausage Crumbles which look pretty disgusting. They actually look better on the Jimmy Dean website than they do in the coupon. In the promo I received, the product looks disturbingly like dog food. In fact, I thought it was dog food until I read the copy.

I think they might want to consider a new campaign.

NaNoWriMo

I'm on a quest to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That's 1666 and two-thirds words per day, if you would like the math on that, although I don't know what qualifies as a two-thirds w .

But just to make things interesting and to add a little challenge (not to mention true Avoidance fashion), I've scheduled a vacation for the first week of November. Now, this could be a good thing, or a very distracting thing. We'll find out.

I will have a laptop with me, however I will have to share it. And, we are sharing accommodations with two other couples which makes sneaking off to one's Happy Place (Creative Corner, whatever) a little less subtle.

I did purchase a new spiral bound notebook - if I can only remember where I put it - so I have a backup for the laptop dilemma and which I can use to draft story ideas and characters poolside where I might have much inspiration to draw from.

I'll try to keep you posted on my progress at Once Upon A Time with weekly word totals, perhaps.

Or, I will go am completely insane.

To Do

As if you needed to ask, never - ever - post your To Do List anywhere. What was I thinking?

I've added another page entitled "What's Sayin'" and I'm pretty much bored with it already. I did see a spike in ratings using key words such as Brangelina and Jessica Simpson but is it really worth it? Isn't it a bit like selling out? It wouldn't be so bad if there was some actual selling going on here but there isn't so, again, what was the point again?

I did have another entry I was going to add about Britney Spears but I can just save myself the trouble by dropping her name right here. Done.

Added comments. Done.

Added a Story Ideas page. Done. See Once Upon A Time.

Don't Get Me Started

I have a habit of sticking it to banks whenever possible. It's not only legal, it's at their own suggestion. It's a bit of a pain in the ass, but when they offer me $100 to open an account - well, I take their offer. It's free money! I open the account, stand on my head, and wait. When I qualify for their offer and they pay me, I have a nice steak dinner and move on. I got my iPod Touch this way, thank you very much.

But they - the banks - have the last laugh, I guess. What's really frustrating is I know I'm not the only one. I can't imagine what it's like for the poor guy who gets jacked around every day. And it happens, I have no doubt.

I had a $3 ATM fee the last time I used my card. This was the first, only, and last time I've used this debit card to extract cash and it was issued by the same bank that issued my Touch. Which is to say we don't have a long and mutually satisfying relationship. Those fees piss me off but at least the machine gave me notice and the opportunity to back out if I didn't agree to highway robbery. (Usually, in such circumstances I withdraw about a year's worth of cash to minimize the fee's effect on a percentage basis and make future withdrawals from beneath my mattress instead.) What really hacked me off is when I got my monthly statement there was an additional $2 for using an ATM not belonging to the issuing bank. What? $5 to get my own money from a non-interest bearing account? You should be paying me!

The bank, when I called them, disagreed and told me to have a nice day.

Okay, so $5 isn't so bad. Especially if you want to throw the Touch into the mix. But how's this one? A credit card company just took a very large sum of money from me by mistake. This was one of those deals where they offered me credit for a year for 0% interest if I would please roll over the balance of another card. I've done this before so sure, I love free money. When the year was up I got two more similar offers for another year. One from a different credit card company and one from the very same credit card company.

So I call my credit card company and say, why don't you just extend your current offer and we can both have a very nice day. Nope. We don't value your existing business. Only the business we have not yet attained. Fine, I said, I will have a very nice day with this other credit card company and so paid off the entire balance by rolling it to Other Credit Card Company.

After I paid off the balance - and confirmed said balance was paid - I changed the monthly payment plan on this card to Pay In Full which is my usual arrangement. I received in writing that my payment plan had changed and that my balance was zero. So the next due day how much do you think they took from my checking account? Zero? Nope, they took the entire balance again. How much was it? Mucho dinero is how much it was! Times two!

So now I have this massive credit on my credit card and my checking account is drained. Completely. If that's not crazy enough, I checked the balance the day it happened and called the credit card company right away. I was told the electronic blips were all in place to make the transaction as of midnight that night. Great! Just reverse the blips and we're good, right? It hasn't happened, right?

I can't remember what they told me but no, it wasn't that easy. They would get a supervisor on it right away - yada yada - and it would take two or three business days - yada yada - but as a special thank you they will give me extra miles on all future purchases. Are you kidding me? How about just giving me back my freaking money?!

Today is three business days later and guess what? No money. Called them back and said WTF? So, sorry it's really two or three days from today this will happen. Not two or three days from when they stole my money. Get this! They couldn't return money they stole until the stolen money cleared the bank! Now that it has, they can give it back.

Have a nice day.

Click.

If It's Going To Happen It's Got To Happen Before Noon

But of course it never does. I don't get up until the sun does. (Why, exactly, should I?) But by the time I have my coffee and a shower, it's lunchtime and nothing's been accomplished.

I want to make a few changes to Chocolate Chip Mint:

• I'd like to post here more often. Does thinking about it count?
• I'm thinking of changing the Home tab to "What's Doin'" and adding a "What's Sayin'" page. (Or, "Cheap Talk" or "Who Cares?") The general idea of the new page is to see if I can spike my ratings from two to maybe four by mentioning Brangelina as often as possible.
• NaNoWriMo is around the corner so I'm thinking about story ideas and how to write 50,000 words in a month.
• I want to add a Comments area to my Photos page and any others I might add.
• Thinking about adding a Story Ideas page. I have two cooking right now and another I'm saving, maybe, for November. A story I started earlier entitled "Now & Then" (mostly because I like the title) has fizzled out for the time being. I've started another and am trying to write 1,000 words per day - which for the three days I've been writing, I've managed to do. This is what I usually do during nap time which is the current time here so that's what I'm supposed to be doing right now.

There's only an hour left of nap time and 1,000 words to write. Probably should get on that....

And I would, too, except my computer seems to be napping, too.... I think my nephew has hijacked my router so I can't even write! (Keeping my Work in Progress in Google Docs for the time being.) I guess it's pen and paper for me today which is cool. I like retro.

Because I Can

Blogging from Starbucks....

Pop

If one has to sew on the same button over and over, the issue may not be the button but the belly it tries to contain.

Finally

It took me all morning but I'm connected to the internet and am posting from my new iPod Touch which finally arrived yesterday. Getting acqUainted with this touch screen keyboard, as you can see. It'll take days before I figure out what this puppy can do. Meanwhile, looks like I'm late for work.

Tiny Tank

Having the world's smallest bladder, it seems to me anyway, I have made an extensive study of public restrooms. There are those of the industrial variety that reminds one, oddly, of the workplace cubical. A row of uniform boxes for doing one's duty.

But some establishments have a restroom where only one person goes at a time. It's these types that confound me .

I would think it would occur to someone that, generally speaking, a woman is rarely empty handed. If not a simple phone, she carries a purse. Sometimes, shopping bags, or even a diaper bag in one arm and a baby in the other. Does it not occur to the architect that she will need to put these items down? I don't know how you guys do it, but functions performed in this location will require the use of her hands, is that not correct?

A hook on the door, at the very least, would be appreciated as one DOES NOT want to put one's ANYTHING on the floor of a public toilet. Please. What really galls me is the coffee shop, of all places, that locks its restroom door to all but its customers. One must ask for a key for the privilege of recycling the shoppe's wares which, it turns out, THEY KEEP ON A HOOK. Only to find there is no similar accoutrement in the bathroom for same said key. Is this not irony at its finest?

Maybe I should invent the Universal Over-The-Door Purse Hook for situations like these. Or a portable luggage rack of sorts. For the Super Woman in you, there's the Crossbow Launched Grapnel Hook one can shoot into the ceiling of the restroom or restaurant - or wherever one likes - to affix a pulley to hoist one's necessary Day Luggage.

Perhaps I'm getting carried away.

Maybe Depends. Maybe that's the way to go.

Thought You Might Like This

(You know who you are....)

Priceless

Don't you love it when technology sites can't keep up with technology? I'm trying to read an article on PC.mag entitled Windows 7: The Top 10 Hidden Features but the site's all hinky and that little blue circle just keeps going round and round.....

So as I'm waiting for the Number 4 Hidden Feature, I'm writing this. And as I'm writing this, the Fourth item finally loads....

When your system's acting flaky and you're trying to figure out what's going on, the Reliability Monitor may help.

I can't wait to see what Number 5 is.

And On It Goes

Do you ever buy one of those value packs of meat? The kind you have to repackage and freeze because you can't possible eat it all in one sitting? I always open the package with my hands because, at the time, it seems easier.

It's usually right after I've touched raw meat that I realize that the meat's destination is unknown. I haven't put out plastic wrap or I've retrieved a Ziploc from it's drawer only to find that it's zipped tight and I can't put anything in it.

Naturally, I need to wash my hands before I can remedy the situation only to find out the soap is in need of refilling....

Really? Does it have to be so complicated?

10-01-10

It's a binary thing.

BMWHEE

I've been looking for a new car. Really, a used one, but new to me. I've become the primary caregiver to Lil' C Dot and while it's not illegal to drive him around in a two-seater convertible, it's probably not real safe either. I got the Z when I got out of the child rearing business and now I'm suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly) back in it. I need a bigger car.

The problem is it's the time of year when convertibles are hard to sell. The weather is cooler and we are seeing less sunshine and more rain. But it's also the time of year that is still peppered with occasional sunny days, reminders of the Summer we didn't get this year. Either way, it's not been easy to let go of my Z.

Today is one of those sunny Fall days. So I dropped the top and drove amid the smell of newly fallen leaves, and the drone of leaf blowers as I passed landscaper after landscaper on my way to work. My Z is fun to drive. Not fast, she's nimble and quick, and makes me want to put both hands in the air as if I'm riding a roller coaster, just for the fun of it. And I would, too, except the drivers behind me get nervous when I do that.

All that, and Elton John was on the radio singing, "Don't let sun go down on me..." Doesn't get much better than that.

National Coffee Day

I don't know how I missed this one. Better believe it's on my calendar for next year already.

Who decides these things anyway? I thought every day was National Coffee Day. I know I sure as heck celebrate it every day - although not exactly on a nationwide scale.

Indyposted provided the image, as well as 10 Coffee Facts for National Coffee Day.

An Island Called Liberty

My nephew's having a baby. To be truthful, it's his wife who's having the baby but you know what I mean. He used to live with us, this nephew, so I've heard him express his many views, political or otherwise. And, believe me, he has some pretty strong views. Since then, I've been wishing that someday he would have a house full of pretty, pink girls, all silly and giggly, and Democrats to boot.

Ultrasound today reveals they are having a boy so all I can hope for now is a commie Leftist.

Alas, he's already picking out his son's literature.

…adults will enjoy the strong message that speaks in favor of free markets and against excessive government regulation, bureaucracy, and taxation.

What good fun!

Plus, its fun to read your progressive friends and watch them self-destruct trying to deflect the obvious results of their failed attempts to control and manipulate the lives of free men.

Due date is Valentine's Day.

What's The Point?

I show up to work today - relatively close to "on time" - and there's a line at the coffee maker! Okay, these things happen but then when I finally get my cup of coffee, the computer crashes. What was the point of coming to work again?

So, here I am, goofing off - just after I got finished explaining to my supervisors that I promise to keep my goofing off to goofing off time....

That didn't last long.

Channeling Audrey Hepburn, Almost

Wore my hair in a high french twist, pearls, large sunglasses, and a scarf to cover protect my coif. Dropped the top, and drove the Z to work today.

In the cup holder - C's bottle full of milk for nap time later this afternoon. (His, not mine.) So elegant. So practical.

(Image from here.)

Lynn C Dot's Little Book of Photos

The book arrived and I'm very excited about it. I think it turned out even better than expected. If you haven't already previewed it, check out the Photos page. (Link at top of page.)

In case you wondering how pick up a pirate, click here.



And from Chuckle Bros:

Summer in Seattle

Pretty corny video but fairly accurate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09tb8luF82c

Autumn Leaves

What's that all about? I was driving around today and saw leaves. Falling. From trees. Wasn't it Summer just like yesterday?

What ever happened to Summer? Didn't it just started the day before yesterday? Before you know it, it'll be Christmas or some such thing.

Chairs

New photos on the Photo Page.

Chrome

Evening

Apocalypse

This is what's in my survival kit:

• Shopping cart
• Gun
• Sunglasses

Okay, all I really have are the sunglasses. But I've seen the moving The Book of Eli and read The Road by Coumac McCarthy and that seems to be the essential list of survival gear.

Book of Eli is interesting visually, if nothing else. A modern Western, it makes interesting use of color. (Actually, the lack thereof.)

Joe

The first cup of coffee in the morning is like a first love. The second isn't quite as good somehow - not as sweet, decadent, satisfying. All others that follow are compared to the first and never measure up. When the first one is gone, one longs for it and assumes taking another will fill the longing but it never does. No, it never does.

Seeing the empty cup reminds one of the time together, shared in quiet moments, intimate mornings. Oh, the longing for night for afterwards is another First Cup of Coffee.

Ski Rope

Photo by Kellie at Kelly's Hardware, Chelan WA

Pearls Before Swine

(Comic strip from here.)

Deer Harbor

Previously Published on 76003.1414

Photo by Lynn C Dot

Under Construction

Chocolate Chip Mint (2)

Not sure where we're going with this. Just playing around.

Yoga Bare

That's what I call my bikram yoga studio that gets so hot you have to take your clothes off.

Sand Wench

That's what I call my sand sculpture of a woman hoisting beer steins.

Dolls

Daycare has inAction Figures. Actually, they are disabled dolls. Not in the missing parts way. In the canes, wheelchairs, and walkers way.

Toddlers playing, Let's Be Old.

Not kidding....

Dogs

Saw a woman out running with her tiny chihuahua today. She had to stop every couple of feet to let the little guy catch up.

Not much of a workout.

Notebook, Dogs, and Dolls

I bought a little spiral bound notebook today which is so retro but feels comfortable, trusted. A way to keep track of all my thoughts and random musings and access them without power or cords, without needing to be at one computer or another. I know, I know - I could have a smart phone or an iPad or some such device that would be infinitely more cool but writing with a pen is so much faster than typing on a teeny weeny keyboard. Besides, my investment was in the neighborhood of $3 and came with pink flowers on the front and back covers. I'm thinking, good investment.

So I've already filled the first page, which included the following list:

Notebook
Dogs
Dolls

...among other things. So I guess I'll have to tell you about Dogs and Dolls.

Ghost

Cute Little Boy

Someone asked me Who's the little boy in your FB profile picture?

Well, that's not a little boy. That's me.

It's not the first time I've been confused for a boy. In fact, just a year ago (when my hair was much shorter) one of my friends said I was wondering who that boy was on your boat, until I realized it was you!

The first time I remember being called a boy (my brother remembers this story) was when we were little, my brother and I, and we were playing on some playground somewhere - back in the day when you could leave your house on bikes without Mom or Dad and no one worried about sexual predators or stranger danger. I think we were swinging on swings and some elderly person (presumably with poor eyesight, maybe?) said something along the lines of Cute boys....

Well, after that, I grew my hair long. Kept it that way for a very long time. Cut it short and there you go - I look like a boy.

Guess it's time to change my profile picture.....

Ladies Room

I was in a hardware store the other day and stopped in the ladies room. Guess what? No line. In fact, no other ladies in the restroom at all. A dozen stalls, two of those communal washing stations, no women. It seems such a waste to be in an out in a couple of minutes. A whole big restroom to myself and, what? No conversations to strike up, no gossip, just using a restroom for what it was intended.

This, in stark contrast to a state park I visited last month. It's an island, with no vehicles, no bridge, no way to get there except by boat. There's no hotel, no cabins, just tent camping if you're willing to trek it there by boat and then hike it to your site. It's all of 475 acres. You can walk the five miles around it practically without seeing another human being until, of course, you come to the ladies room in the middle of the island. Then, there's a line. Seriously.

Football games are sweet revenge when the lines are outside the men's room.

Your Call Is Very Important ... Please Hold

Have you ever called someone to listen to the "hold" music or message? I did that yesterday but someone actually answered the phone. So then I had to explain that I didn't really call to talk to anyone. I called to be on hold. Right... Crazy lady.....

There's a reason, actually. When I called yesterday, the first thing I heard, in a whisper, was Choose your words carefully .... and then it went to cheerful music and eventually a recorded message advising me that my call was very important, blah, blah..... It was so weird I thought I might have imagined it. Creepy.

I explained all this to hubby later that evening and, to prove it, I called the number again. Only, this time, someone actually answered the phone. After thoroughly embarrassing myself trying to explain that I would like to be placed on hold, we disconnected without solving the mystery.

It was then I discovered the irony: Only when the business was closed was there anyone available to answer the phone.

Angel On The Water

I haven't really seen any angels lately. Of course, I haven't really been looking for any either. Then again, there are angels that are in my life every day that I tend to overlook and take for granted.

But a new one showed up the other day and washed my boat. I don't know who did it but when I got there, I found the cockpit carpeting was soaking wet. No note, not business card, just clean carpets.

The cockpit cover was on the boat so it was all buttoned down when we left it, and it was all covered up when we came back so whoever it was either had to crawl in underneath the cover or, more likely, took the cover off.

What I'm thinking is, the angel cleaned the wrong boat. The good news, as if that wasn't enough, is that we'll probably get another year out of these carpets. We were planning on replacing them this year. They still need to get replaced (the rubber backing is falling apart and making a mess) but now they look good enough to go another year.

There's a 40' Formula PC on the same dock, same color as ours. I'm thinking the Evening Rose maybe is wondering why her carpets aren't clean....

Speaking of angels, Blue Angels will be here this week....

Space Needle

Boat Names

When we're on the water, we always monitor our VHF radio and it gets me to thinking about boat names. Can you imagine calling out one these names on the radio?

Roger, Out
One Ringhy Dinghy
Free Beer
Uh Oh

The last one I got from this site on boating safety. It's a good review of the use - and misuse - of your boat's VHF.

Help Wanted

Someone To Goof Off For Me - Must have prior experience, sense of humor, and strong Work Avoidance skills. Responsible for surfing the net, posting to FB, blogging, writing, napping, and excessive photography. Daily Occasional Random No reporting of activities, or lack thereof, required to feed vicarious experience. Manage Be aware of Ignore schedule, logins, and passwords, for optimal Work Avoidance. Logins and passwords will be provided. Replacing individual who isn't goofing off enough. Starts immediately. No pay. Will be praised. Open bar.

Construction With A View

Words I Love

People who know me, know I love:

Howdy

Groovy

Y'All

and the plural of Y'All which is All Y'All

and of course, Chocolate Chip Mint

Abandoned

Where Am I?

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and wonder where I am. This used to happen more often when we traveled by RV but it still happens in the boat. The game I play is to try to remember before I open my eyes. For bonus points, I try to remember where I left the boat (previously, RV).

In the first few seconds of wakefulness, I have to guess whether I'm in my bed at home or on my boat. If I guess that I'm on the boat, then I have to remember what marina or bay I'm in. If I can also remember which way the boat/RV was headed when I docked/parked it, then I figure I've got my wits pretty much about me and it's safe to open my eyes.

Beaches

Mt. Rainier From Blake Island

Coast Guard, This Is Double Jack

There's a first time for everything, they say. Hopefully, there's a last time, too.

We were cruising yesterday with two other boats from Blake Island to Gig Harbor only a few miles away but only 15 minutes into the trip, one of the boats stopped and was spewing smoke. We were in the middle, and the smoking boat was in the rear. Behind us was Hubby's brother and wife in the boat they purchased all of three weeks ago, used. This was their first trip into salt water.

I have to say that everything went pretty much according to Hoyle from that point forward. The first concern was whether or not there was a fire and since they didn't want to raise the engine hatch, we had to assume there was one. Their halon fire suppression hadn't automatically detonated (which was probably a clue that there wasn't a fire) but we told them to detonate it manually under the category better safe than very, very sorry. Next, life preservers were donned by all.

We decided there was no fire and tied up alongside, and made the radio call to the Coast Guard. Our lead boat, which was out of sight at that point, heard the radio call and waited. Coast Guard determined there was no immediate danger to life or property and so advised us to tow the distressed vessel back to where we started. Our lead boat turned around and headed back.

The rest of our friends (another four boats) were still at the docks and helped us in, saving dock space for us at this State park. Hubby did an excellent job getting us back and getting the disabled boat to the dock and then docking our own. Everyone was safe and sound, and relieved.

One of our group members is a boat mechanic, so it happens, and another works for a boat dealership so we had access to labor and parts. The State park is connected to Seattle via ferry and we were able to arrange to have the parts delivered to the ferry terminus for today's crossing. The problem was we couldn't get all the parts so we decided to make another plan.

What happened was a hose from a hydraulic pump failed and when it did, hydraulic fluid shot all over the hot engine which caused all the smoke. There was no fire but it was scary nonetheless. The pump, the hose, a melted dipstick, a washer for the stern drive ram - all need to be replaced.

Tomorrow, we'll tow them to the nearest boat launch ramp - about 4 miles from here - where someone with a trailer will meet us to pull the other boat out of the water for repairs. We'll continue on back to the Lake where we'll float for another couple days before heading back to the dock.

All is well. The trip has been good in spite of yesterday's drama. Bro & Sis-in-Law are so grateful for all the help that they will join the club as a result. The weather is great and the scenery is beautiful. I have lots of pictures of boats, the City, and Mt. Rainier. All to follow.

Could It Be?

They say around here "Summer doesn't start in Seattle until the Fourth of July." This year presents a perfect example. Before the official start of Summer on June 21, the Seattle area only saw five days of weather temperatures above 70 degrees. Since then, we've had five more.

But now, after the fireworks are over the forecast is for ten more days of 70-plus weather - in a row! More than half of those are predicted to be over 80 and the warmest is predicted to be a mere degree from 90!

Are you kidding me? Do you know what happens when you add hot water to a frozen glass? I don't mean to complain here but I don't think we're prepared for this. Whine all you will about all the damp weather we've been having but I guarantee we'll be complaining about the heat in a week's time. (Not to mention local drivers who now have to adjust to a new adverse driving condition known elsewhere as sun.)

Which is not to say I don't plan on taking full advantage. Went threw the locks yesterday, and am sitting on my boat in the sunshine right now with my second cup of coffee (which is dangerously close to empty). We'll spend a day or two here on Blake Island, and then head further south in Puget Sound.

Photos will follow.

Line?

When my husband came home today, I hoped to pleasantly surprise him by making his favorite dinner: red spaghetti. Now, I have to tell you that red spaghetti is probably my least favorite meal. Plus, we are planning to leave tomorrow for a week long cruise on our boat. So, I wasn't going to make it from scratch but I did buy some mushrooms and a nice jarred sauce and, still, thought he'd be pleased.

He said, "What? No carrots? No celery?"

Usually, he's pretty good about memorizing his lines. But I help him out occasionally. Like when I need a little help to feel pretty, I tell him, "Tell me I'm pretty." Or, after I've vacuumed, I'll say, "Tell me the house looks great." And he always obliges. Hard for him to fail to meet my expectations that way, right?

And, when he's not sure what he's supposed to say, he says, "Line?"

So I reminded him, his line was "Thank you, darling. I'm so lucky!"

Later, I thought I would give him a little test. He was off somewhere else in the house while I was in the kitchen baking cookies (the lucky bastard) and I shouted "Why, yes, darling! I'd love one."

My friend, Jack, appeared a short time later.

Good man.

oPhones

I'm talking several generations from the iPhone here but I was noticing how they've been getting bigger, phones. They used to be as big as bricks. But, now, my current flip-phone just about fits in the palm of my hand. I checked a new "smart" phone from Sprint and it seemed HUGE compared to what I'm carrying now.

I've noticed that sometimes that's all a person needs, one's phone. Women, in particular. They leave their purses behind and just carry their handful-sized phones in their hand, or sometimes a pocket (if the jeans aren't too tight).

So, I'm thinking - This is brilliant. What's a purse for anyway but to lug around stuff that's usually not necessary. Why not let your phone handle everything? Now, that would truly be a smart phone.

First, I think the cover - since it appears every phone now requires one - should double as a lint brush. Second, there should be a slide out hair brush. All the bristles would fold flat to about the size of a credit card and slide into a thin slot (Go-Go Gadget style). Third, some models could have either a Velcro attachment for one's ChapStick, or perhaps a refillable reservoir for lip gloss. Last night, I watched a show on TV wherein a woman whipped out a pack of dental floss from her purse. So, why not a dispenser in your phone?

Naturally, it would also store all your banking information. No need to carry a wallet, if you're already carrying a phone. Security would be handled by a wireless key, like my car. I don't need to put my key into the ignition to start the car. I don't even need to get it out of my pocket to unlock the doors. Why not do the same thing for your phone? The "key" could be any tiny device that transmits a signal to the phone and must be within a certain proximity to unlock its most sensitive features. The device could be small enough to be embedded under the skin, made into jewelry, or carried like a coin in a separate pocket. As long as you don't lose the phone and the key together, all the banking info (or anything else you want locked) is safe.

Finally, there should be cameras on both sides of the phone so you can view and/or record video of yourself. This doubles as one's pocket mirror. This particular feature wold be called Mirror, Mirror and would be voiced activated. Naturally, the user would have a choice of the responding voice.

Watch out, Apple....

Batshitcrazy

...I-1069, which "would require the Washington State Seal to depict a tapeworm attached to a taxpayer's intestine, encircled by the words: Committed to sucking the life blood out of each and every taxpayer."

Pissed at Lawmakers in Olympia, Washington Residents File a Record Number of Initiatives

Words To Live By

If you have a dunk mug
so much the better.

Happy Father's Day

Original Photo Credit: Dad

Thinking Geeky

More info here.

Personal Use

Snapped a couple quick pics this morning and hauled my camera to work (which is where I do my best Avoidance) so that I could post them here and - screech - turns out my at-work computer isn't equipped with goofing off devices! What's this?? No USB, no card reader!

Guess I'll have to do this the old fashioned way. I'll have to drag my netbook to work. (You don't think I'd interrupt my goofing off time to goof off, do you?)

Hardly

What do Aprill 19, May 14, May 16, May 17, May 19, and June 12 have in common? These are unique to the Seattle area as they are the only dates in 2010 that have seen temperatures in excess of 70 degrees. Seriously. Five days. That's it. Right now it's 55 degrees and I'm wearing a scarf.

Already in June, we've had 2.32 inches of rain - which is half the average for January, people. My wall calendar tells me it's Summer. The regionally adjusted Seattle calendar, however, says it's still Winter.

Just to top it off, days are now getting shorter. What happened!? How can they be getting shorter already? We haven't even started to warm up!

Thinking about trading in the boat for a submarine.

Disturbing

From Q13 Fox News (link):

This may seem like a far-fetched scenario, but the leading cause of flood-related deaths in Washington state and country is people who drown in their cars.

In their cars!

Lot's of water, here in Washington. This video shows you what to do if you find yourself in that situation:


I think I need one of those window-breaking devices!

Tsk Tsk

We wouldn't want inappropriate brakes, now would we? I, for one, would not. Espcially, if the brakes were on a hospital stretcher. You can't tell from the picture but that's where I found this sign on a recent visit to the hospital.

Bad, brakes!

Have you notice I'm posting more often? That's because I'm back at Avoiding Work.

Wake Up!

Image found here.

Sailing Away

Got out on the boat Saturday and stayed until late Sunday night. While floating with some friends, someone got the bright idea of powering up the netbook and logging into YouTube for some karaoke. (Someone said that was my idea, but I'm denying it.)

Someone else had portable speakers to attach to the netbook and before you knew it, there were four screeching voices carried on the wind trailing behind our boat. I'm afraid we were not well received, as there followed a rapid exodus from the Bay as one boat after another pulled anchor and left. Some simply moved away and reset their anchors elsewhere. Farther away. Yes, we are that bad.

There is a possibility they moved because they were concerned for their safety. While we were straining to reach the high notes as performed by ABBA in Dancing Queen, it turns out that our anchor had lost its hold and our small flotilla (of two) was adrift in moderately high winds. We figured this out long before we came close to anyone else and reset both our anchors which later became tangled and was the source of much consternation as we tried to call it a night.

We sang until the netbook batteries gave up the ghost. (Speaking of which, what do ghosts drink? Spirits. Ba DA dum.) We opened another bottle of wine, fired up the generator and sang some more - until there were no other boaters left in the Bay to entertain.

Maybe we need more practice.

Simple Economics

Hello?

The State of Washington has passed a new law prohibiting cell phone use while driving. Specifically, texting is out under all circumstances.

However, there are several exceptions to the no-talking-on-the-phone part of the law. My favorites are these: You can answer a phone, dial a phone, and talk on the phone so long as you don't hold it to your ear. Plus, if you wear a hearing aid, go ahead and hold it right up to your head and drive, old man. If I can dial a phone and hold it in one hand, what difference does it make if it's next to my head or not?

Personally, I think it's a good idea to keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel while you're driving. So I think a better law would include prohibitions against reading books, eating, shaving, or applying makeup while driving. Although having sex while driving isn't prohibited, embracing is.

So go ahead, have sex, take photos of yourselves doing it, have a snack, and get dressed on your way to work. Just don't sext me or call me to tell me about it. I'm really not that interested anyway.

You can be pulled over and ticketed for holding a phone to your ear or for texting, however this information is not made available to your insurance company or your employer.

Yet.

FAQ's here.

The currently amended law, here.

Don't Laugh

I love to laugh. I like to sing, too. I think they may use the same muscles. Not sure about that but I feel good when I do them.

I used to have a boss - a long, long time ago - who didn't like to smile or laugh because she was worried about the wrinkles that would create. I say, if you have to have wrinkles, those are the best kind.

Except after Spa Day. Whenever I laugh after a Spa Day, my husband tells me to stop that because I'll ruin my expensive facial!

Laughter, facial, laughter, facial. Could be a lot worse.

Spa Day

If you're keeping score at home, this happens every four weeks - like clockwork.

Getting a facial is like going to the orthodontist - in a way. You have to go periodically to get the screws tightened, right? Smooths everything out. Look, no wrinkles.

Frankenstein might have had those screws for just that purpose. He didn't have wrinkles, did he? And what about that complexion? Blemish free. That green? Probably just an avocado scrub....

I also figure that with what I spend on skincare I will ultimately save on embalming. Don't need good skin then, do I? Might as well get it now.

Anyway, that's what I'm telling my husband when he sees the checkbook.

He's Baaaack

The Two-Foot Hurricane is a whirling dervish once more. Solid foods today, more liquids, smiles, and play, play, play. All around, good day.

Glad he's back.

Sprung

It's been a long week. Already. And it's only Monday.

Actually, this week is just blending in with the last one. Last week was Grandma duty. Great fun, but exhausting, especially when the duty's charge is sick. A two-year old with a runny nose, then a cough and a fever, two visits to the doctor, x-rays, blood tests, a trip to the emergency room, and a two-night stay in the hospital.

Little One was sprung last night. He was so happy to be outside after being sequestered in isolation. So happy to breath outdoor air, to run, and to see our unmasked faces. He's home now, sleeping.

He had: Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), which lead to pneumonia, neutropenia, and hypoxemia (low blood oxygen). Most of this is not very serious in an otherwise healthy person. But the Little One was eleven weeks premature which places him at high-risk for respiratory issues.

He should be on the mend now, but he's still highly contagious so I'm back on Grandma duty since daycare is out of the question. I'm wearing a medical face mask when I'm in close proximity to keep us both healthy. He has a prescription, which seems to be working.

He had very good care at the hospital. But we're all happy he's home.

Goodbye, Rocky

Rocky was my brother's dog. For 13 years. Probably the most important relationship in each other's lives. They loved each other, took care of each other, and were there for each other through the course of ups and downs where life naturally leads.

But life's journey always ends and even in that, they were together.

He was named for the Rocky Mountains, aside which he lived with his owner. Sometimes in small apartments. Sometimes on properties with lots of land where Rocky could roam and play, and take care of his people and animal friends. He watched over horses and took naps with the barn cat.

They hiked and fished and travelled as far as Boston.

His absence leaves an aching hole in my brother's heart. Rocky had a good life and my brother's life was enriched by it.

Rocky will be missed.

Sick Munchkin

The Little One got admitted to the hospital yesterday for pneumonia. Pretty rough day for him. X-rays, blood tests, nose draining, and and I.V. Sad, little boy. But such a trooper.

He'll be okay, I'm sure. But they need to keep him for a couple of days until all the results are back. Low white blood count (probably viral and bacterial infection at this point) and low blood oxygenation.

We were at the hospital last night for about six hours: from ER to room admittance. (This, after we attended doctor appointments yesterday and the day before, X-ray and blood tests on Thursday.) Mom spent the night there and we were back at 8am sharp this morning. Took a break for some errands and food, and to let others visit. We'll go back this afternoon.

He has a monitor on his toe, three monitors on his chest an belly, and an I.V and he's handling it pretty well for a little guy. We brought him his toys and lots of love to help him through it.

He should be released tomorrow. All should be well. Mom and Dad are doing fine.

Summertime

Not quite. We went camping for Memorial Day Weekend and according to some sort of Weather Law (applying to camping, long weekends, or both), it rained the entire time. Actually, we were boating but it seemed a lot like camping because the canvas leaks. drip ... drip ... Oh, and the microwave conked out so cooking was limited to our one-burner butane stove for the most part. Oh yea, weenies. Again.

You either have to hole up in the tent/boat for days on end or you have to gear up and venture out. I didn't have rain pants or another pair of shoes so even though I had plenty of socks, hats, and rain jackets, I was always somewhere on the scale between damp and damper. (Good thing it wasn't very cold or things could have been really miserable.)

We left Thursday, got home Monday, all our clothes wet. The boat is even wetter. Between the drips and the comings and goings, there was no way to keep the cockpit dry. It stayed pretty warm and dry down below but if it doesn't stop raining soon, the outdoor carpeting will sour something nasty. We'll take warm showers, wash our clothes, dry out. But I can't imagine the boat ever drying out. (I'm thinking it may be easier to buy a new boat than to clean this one after the long, wet weekend.)

For all the rain, we still had a good time. I read a lot but I also managed to take something like 300 photos. We cruised with close to 50 other boats and approximately 250 people. We wore funny hats, roasted 30 whole salmon on planks over a giant fire pit, had pony rides for the kids (no kidding), had toy sailboat races, potluck dinner, pancake breakfast, 500 hot dogs, and more beer than we could drink. It took a small U-Haul to deliver all the food. Although everyone probably has a runny nose, no one got hurt, no one fell in the water. (This group wasn't so lucky last year.)

I've already uploaded over 200 photos to a Shutterfly account. I'll do the rest right after I take a shower and put on something cozy. We're home now and mostly unpacked. Ate lunch and will get the laundry started. Time to get ready for the work week.

But here's a hint for next time: If you come home with clean underwear it means whatever you're wearing probably isn't.

Pearly Greys

Got a pat on the back from my dental hygienist today. She complimented me on my fine job of flossing in the last six months. This, just before scraping them until my gums bled. What's the point, I wondered, of setting a Floss Alarm?

True, my phone is set to ring every night at 9 pm to remind me to floss because my brain seems hardwired to overlook this daily task, much like taking multi-vitamins.

Ring, ring.
Is that your phone ringing?
No, floss alarm....

Who still goes to the dentist, every six months, besides me? I have to image that unless you have dental coverage under some insurance plan the answer is Nobody. I pondered this question while contemplating how to swallow with an assortment of fingers and instruments hanging out of my mouth. I wondered why I wasn't seeing someone in cosmetic dentistry rather than my family dentist. As it turns out I'm the only one in the family that sees this dentist, so why not? It sure sounds preferable to scraping plaque. Cosmetic dentistry sounds spa-like - and you know how I like my spa time.

According to the Consumer Guide to Dentistry:

...traditional dentistry focuses on oral hygiene and preventing, diagnosing and treating oral disease, cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a person's teeth, mouth and smile.

Doesn't that seem less painful? Doesn't that appeal to your my vanity? Why bother with oral hygiene and preventing, diagnosing and treating oral disease (scrape, scrape, scrape), when I could have a pretty smile? (As if those two goals were mutually exclusive....)

What difference would it make? Right after I got my pearly whites all polished up (for which I paid, out of pocket, good money), I had a nice cup of coffee just for spite, followed by a glass of red wine with dinner. I don't know why I did this, exactly. Maybe it's because all I got was a blue toothbrush and some floss in my goody bag. (Yes, they still give those out even if you're well past the age of eleven.)

Maybe if I didn't rush to stain them, I'd get a lollipop as well.

Cheers.