When you are building a house you need to go visit it often...really often. Oftener then once a week. We stopped by the new house today to check things out. Errors! Oops! Time for a frantic call to the builder. Despite the walk-thru and the checklist that we printed out for him and the diagrams and the photo's, we still have a couple of things that seem to be wrong. The drywall is installed and they "forgot" to move the ceiling vent in the living room as they promised. They also "forgot" to move the wiring for the speakers. Hopefully this won't be a big problem since they haven't started taping or doping the drywall as yet. Wait a minute...it hasn't even been a week since our walk-thru! I can see why the builder has decided on a policy of absolutely no changes with their future developments. The construction crews can't read the drawings and are easily confused when encountering even minor changes to the pattern. Heaven help the person who varies even slightly from a recipe. Unfortunately, I happen to be one of those persons who never can follow a recipe...to the letter. I guess I'm just too creative.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The hardest part about inventing the stapler wasn't the device itself, it was getting all those little staples to stick together. It wasn't until 1923 that Thomas Briggs, founder of the Boston Wire Stitcher Company (later shortened to Bostitch), figured out a way to glue the staples together into a long strip that could be loaded into a stapler. Bostitch still makes staplers today.

It's cold outside! OK. This shouldn't really surprise anyone since this is the winter. But it's really cold outside and this is Phoenix, Arizona I'm talking about. I just glanced at my indoor/outdoor thermometer and it reads 46°F. That's a bit chilly. Then I read my brother's blog and find that he's got me all beat there in Minnesota at -22°. However, the reason people visit Arizona in the winter is to get away from the cold so I guess I'll keep on complaining. And may I suggest to you Minnesotans, the time may have come for you all to reconsider your residency status because even though 46° may feel cold to me, it's a heck of a lot warmer then -22°...and I've got ducks swimming on my pond, not skating. But that ice castle thingie really looked cool...cold even.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Electricity was first introduced into homes in the 1880's, but every lamp or appliance had to be "hard-wired" into the wall by an electrician. We sure have come a long way. It should be interesting to see what comes next. Wireless?

I almost didn't get to blog today. My internet has been "off". I don't know why my internet wasn't working. I hate to think that it may have been anything to do with anything I may have written in my blog about.... I also noticed that my comment section isn't working. Again. Sorry. Those who know me know how to contact me.

It's my Dad's birthday today! Happy Birthday Dad! Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday Dear Dad, Happy Birthday to You. I bet he thought I'd forget.

My house is clean...kind of. I actually ended up having to clean up after my cleaners because they didn't do all that great of a job. I also went ahead and hired someone else who I think will do a better job to clean the house...in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, I'll bite the bullet and clean the house myself with the help of my husband and son. Poor husband and son.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Plastic wrap was invented by accident in 1933. Ralph Wiley, a researcher at Dow Chemical, was washing his lab equipment at the end of the day and found that a thin plastic film coating the inside of one vial wasn't coming off. The stuff was polyvinylidene chloride, and after further experimentation, Wiley found that the stuff was clingy, resisted chemicals, and was impervious to air and water. It was so tough, in fact, that he wanted to call it "eonite", after an imaginary indestructible substance in the Little Orphan Annie comic strip. Dow decided to call it Saran Wrap instead.

* I don't make these things up. I read the above bit of trivia almost word for word from Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.

I love to have someone else come and clean my house. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people who feel they must clean their house before the cleaners come. I'm afraid that I drove both my son and my husband crazy last night with my demands. I mean, what would these cleaners think if they came and found out how dirty my house has gotten? Horrors! I must admit that I also can't go into a public bathroom and exit without cleaning up after the mess someone else left behind. I'm always afraid that the next person who enters the room will think the mess was mine. I don't know what they call this phobia of mine but I'm sure that it probably has a name. They name every other phobia. There must be a name for a phobia that you may be blamed for a mess that isn't yours so you feel compelled to clean it up. Let's not get ridiculous. If the mess is huge, I just quietly go out and inform the management thus clearly establishing that the mess wasn't my fault. This morning I shook my head sadly as I showed the cleaners into my son's room (actually it was clean because I drove him insane last night with my cleanliness mania) thus establishing that this mess wasn't my fault either. I am resisting the urge to inform these guys that I do not take showers and the mess in the master bedroom shower is not my fault.

Despite these problems (all mental) , I love the feeling I get when this or any of my houses are professionally cleaned. I don't do a bad job but I'm not a professional by any means. The other thing about having someone come in and clean my house is that I feel guilty just sitting there and watching someone do all the work. Tomorrow I'll clear and cleanout all the cupboards in the kitchen and in the bathroom to allay this guilt. Having someone come and clean my house motivates me to clean even more. It's a win, win situation. My house will be clean. Really clean. If these guys do a good job, I'll have them come every month until the house sells. It'll motivate me to keep the house clean in the meantime.

I apologize in a advance if I can't find the time to blog every day from now until the house is sold. Don't worry. I haven't really been kidnapped by aliens.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

What happens when a congressman running for reelection accidentally discharges a gun at a neighborhood reception? He loses. In 2002, Republican Congressman Bob Barr attended a rally hosted by Bruce Widener, a local lobbyist and gun collector. As Widener handed Barr an antique .38-caliber pistol from his collection, it suddenly went off, shattering a glass door. Barr, a board member of the National Rifle Associationm, was in a tight primary battle against another congressman, John Linder, and the incident helped Linder paint Barr as an extremist. "We were handling it safely," Widener explained. "Except that it was loaded."

*The above story was taken from Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.

Old Grey Frog has either been kidnapped by aliens and forced to clean and organize until further notice or she's just too busy cleaning and organizing to blog. The house will be going on the market on February 4th. The new house is being built far faster then planned. I think The Old Grey Froggy would rather be kidnapped by aliens and forced to spend time in Vegas playing endless games of video poker. Should the Old Grey Frog escape from her captivity, she will blog.

I know I haven't blogged today but I've done just about everything else. I went to church and practiced with the orchestra for over an hour. I went to the new house to prepare for the walk-thru tomorrow afternoon. I packed up a bunch more stuff to send over to my daughter's place...and it's over there right now. I moved all the liquor from the liquor cabinet to the server and all the table linens from the server to the liquor cabinet which we moved to our bedroom.

Where did we get all this liquor? I know that I've asked this question before. And how many bottles of Creme de Menthe does one person need? I noticed that I was still dusting off liquor from my college days. Do I need to tell you that that was a long, long time ago? What is the expiration date on this stuff? I threw away ten bottles of assorted liquor (dibs and dabs of 1/4"-1/2" left in a bottle...and some stuff just looked yucky) but I couldn't throw away all of the liquor. I have an unstarted bottle of Johnnie Walker, Black Label...still in its original box. Needless to say, I'm not fond of the stuff but someone just may want some...someday. Just because that day hasn't arrived yet is no excuse to waste the stuff. I'm sure it was expensive. I'm also sure that someone gave it to us as a gift. One doesn't throw away gifts. I guess I'll have to have a party someday and make sure someone out there likes the stuff. It tastes like old car tires to me but who am I to say. I like gin. I'm told that gin tastes like pine trees. So sue me, I'd rather suck on a pine tree then an old tire. I kept my Tanqueray Gin. I kept the Pepper Vodka for my Bloody Mary's and I kept the tequila and the margarita mix. I kept the Amaretto and such too...and the wine and the champagne. We just don't drink all that much or often. Someday someone is going to blow the dust off of one of my bottles of champagne or wine (after I've passed to my reward) and make a fortune selling that bottle (or those bottles). A genuine bottle of Millenium champagne! OMG! Happy Meal toys and Beanie Babies too!

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

For the last time...Little Known Vocabulary Words

Anisognathous Having the upper and lower teeth unlike

Whipjack A beggar pretending to have been shipwrecked

Spodogenous Pertaining to or due to the presence of wate matter

Crapandina A mineral such as toadstone or bufonite said to have healing properties

Galligaskin Baggy trousers

Well that's the end of that crapadina.

It seems like just yesterday that I cleaned that pantry. I suppose that it has been a lot longer then I should have left it. Was it a whole year ago that I had that bug incident that made me really clean and clear the pantry? It might have even been longer then that. How awful! Awful that I've left it so long and awful that I had to clean and clear the pantry today. I'm exhausted! I didn't have any bugs this time. I did have lots of stuff that I'm getting rid of that I haven't used since we moved here four years ago. Why do I keep so much stuff? I'm certain that it's a hereditary problem. I remember my Grandmother G.'s house. My mother is somewhat better but... It's just so hard to throw things away. I've been able to get around this difficulty lately by giving boxes and boxes of stuff to my daughter. This way I can feel like I'm being helpful. My husband tells me that she won't want the stuff and that she'll throw it away. Hah! Who cares?! At least I'm not throwing it away. Problem solved. The ball is now in my daughter's court and it's up to her to find the fortitude to throw stuff out or donate it.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

For all you genealogists out there, atmatertera is a great-grandfather's grandmother's sister. See what you can learn if you read my blog? And if that weren't enough, balbriggan is a fine cotton used mainly for underwear.

It's funny how you only see the little things that are wrong with your house when you are ready to have the realtor come out and talk to you about selling. How did those floorboards get so dirty? Didn't I just dust yesterday? Where did those fingerprints on the light switches come from? That tablecloth has seen better days...maybe I need to get a new one. Maybe I should just show the house without the tablecloth. Dog hair! There's dog hair everywhere! I just swept that floor! This house will never sell! It will. I know I go through this same feeling of inadequecy every single time I sell a house. All my houses have sold. This house will sell too.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Little Known Words

Pismire An Ant

Valgus Bowlegged or knockkneed

Xystus An indoor porch for exercising in winter

Jumentous Having a strong animal smell

Saprostomous Having bad breath

I'm not sure if it is better to tell someone that he is jumentous or if he is saprostomous. I figure that he wouldn't know what you were talking about so you could get away with either without getting punched in the nose. But if you were punched in the nose you wouldn't have to worry about either one because you wouldn't be smelling anything for a while.

What did I tell you? The builder called today to set up the pre-drywall walk-thru. Monday. We've had rain for the last two days so I was hoping things would be delayed. I also have been coping with the flu...but apparently the builders are all very healthy. Construction marches on and despite the flu, I march on too...just slower.

On a side note, I just found out that Democrat hopeful John Kerry was a member of Skull & Bones. I wonder what happens if two Skull & Bones members vie for the same job?

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

More Little Known Vocabulary Words

Leptorrhinian Having a long narrow nose

Bridelope When the new bride is "both symbolically and physically swept off on horseback" to the husband's house.

Mundungus Garbage; stinky tobacco

Chirogymnast A finger exercise machine for pianists

Toxophily Love of archery

I strongly equate mundungus with cigars. Blech!

My son, as a senior in high school, takes a government class. Apparently, the teacher gave the students in his class a test to determine where they each stood on a scale of far right conservative and far left liberal. My son was surprised to discover that he rated as a conservative. I would be interested to see this test.
Last night my son was playing on his computer when the State of the Union Address was about to be made on television. I asked him if he was supposed to watch it for his government class. Yup! He was. I told him that this was one thing that he should watch firsthand and not wait until the playback and the indepth commentary. I always find it rather humorous to see how many interpretations for the same bit of news I see from the various news stations...conservative vs. liberal. I pity those who missed the State of the Union Address and were expected to make any sense out of it from the playback. I suppose it's like reading the cribnotes for a novel and expect to understand a novel only with a political twist.

Yesterday I told you that I've become addicted to talk radio. Right now I'm listening to Hannity. Mr. Liberal. He's always interesting to listen to. But I promised to go into the late night Coast to Coast AM paranoia factor and the Skull and Bones Society. I read the following from my favorite reference book, Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.

The Skull and Bones Society was founded at Yale University in 1833. Only 15 senior-year students are admitted annually; they meet twice a week in a grim, windowless building called the Tombs. Unlike most campus fraternities, Skull & Bones appears to focus on positioning its members for success after college. But no one knows for sure, because members are sworn to total secrecy for life. The names of past and current members include many of America's power elite: both George Bushes, William Howard Taft, as well as the descendants of such famous American families as the Pillsburys, Weyerhausers, Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and Whitneys.

What's wrong with a little good ol' boy club networking? Nothing, perhaps, but Skull & Bones members have also been accused of practicing satanic rites within the walls of the Tombs. Initiation reportedly requires pledges to lie down in coffins, confess sordid details of their sex lives, and endure painful torture so that he may "die to the world, to be born again into the Order." Like the Illuminati, the Order (as it's called by its members) supposedly works to create a world controlled and ruled by the elite--members of Skull & Bones.

MMMM. Interesting. Very interesting. Of course, according to the other night's show, we don't really have to worry about either of these organizations. China is going to take over the world and kill anyone who gets in their way.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

More Little Known Words to Add to your Vocabulary

Wem A stain, flaw or scar

Calcographer One who draw with chalk

Bodewash Cow dung

Twiddlepoop An effeminate-looking man

Liripoop A silly creature

The smell of the bodewash is often overwhelming here where I live, close to one of Arizona's dairies. I do not concider myself a liripoop just because I listen to talk radio. Now, you try to form your own sentences using these new words.

I've been listening to a lot of AM radio during the night. My mother got me hooked on it. I especially like to listen to Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell or George Noory. It's amazing what you can learn when you tune in late at night to this radio program. I've never listened to so much paranoia spouted by so many conspiracy theorists. I'm not sure who said, "It's not really paranoia if there really is someone out to get you." but I'm beginning to believe it. I read the following in my favorite book, Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader, so it must be true!

The Illuminati is a group founded in 1776 by Adam Weishaupt, a Jesuit priest, in Bavaria. HIs mission: to advance the 18th-century ideals of revolution, social reform, and rational thought (the name means "the Enlightened Ones" in Latin). Weishaupt and his cronies were fiercely opposed by the monarchs of Europe and by the Catholic Church, which is why they had to meet and communicate in secret. German author Johann Goethe was a member. In the United States, both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson were accused of being members and denied it, but both wrote favorably about Weishaupt and his efforts.

The Illuminati has been associated with more conspiracy theories than any other. Considered the silent evil behind such paranoid bugaboos as One World Government and the New World Order, the Illuminati have been blamed for starting the French and the Russian revolutions, as well as both world wars, and almost every global conflict in between. They are said to use bribery, blackmail, and murder to infiltrate every level of power in society--business, banking, and government--to achieve their ultimate goal: world domination.

My brother should stop blaming George Bush for getting us into this Iraq conflict. It's the Illuminati. Of course, President Bush or someone in his cabinet may be members but I heard mention of the Skull & Bones Society. I'll go into that tomorrow. Right now I have to hurry and finish this so I can listen to The State of the Union Address.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Little Known Words

Hobberdehoy A youth entertaining manhood.

Faffle To stutter or mumble

Cornobbled Hit with a fish

Dasypygal Having hairy buttocks

Collieshangie A noisy or confused fight

Now let's see if you can use the above words in a sentence. I particularly love the following. My brother-in-law was cornobbled when my sister caught that last bluegill of the season. What kind of sentences can you think up?

Happy Birthday Mom! My Mother is 80 years old today. Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday Dear Mom. Happy Birthday to You. I hope that all the wishes she makes today come true.

The news is all about politics these days. The Democratic Primary. I wonder who will get the nod in Iowa? I read this following bit in that book that I got for Christmas. Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader.

Politalks

"This is true...but not absolutely true."
Montreal Mayor Jean Drapeau

"My colleagues and I are upset by this blatant attempt to replace diversity with fairness."
N.J. assemblyman Joseph Doria

"Solar energy is not something that is going to come in overnight."
Gerald Ford

"Have we gone beyond the bounds of reasonable dishonesty?"
CIA memo

"You can't just let nature run wild."
Gov. Wally Hickel (AK)

"I intend to open this country up to democracy, and anyone who is against that, I will jail!"
President Joao Baptiste Figueiredo, Brazil

"Things happen more frequently in the future than they do in the past."
Gov. Booth Gardner (WA)

"Sometimes in order to make progress and move ahead, you have to stand up and do the wrong thing."
Rep. Gary Ackerman

"If you let that sort of thing go on, your bread and butter will be cut right out from under your feet."
British foreign minister Ernest Bevin

"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure."
Dan Quayle

"We're going to move left and right at the same time."
Gov. Jerry Brown (CA)

"Facts are stupid things."
Ronald Reagan

"First they tax our beer, then they tax cigarettes. Now they are going to increase the tax on gasoline. All that's left are our women."
Sen. John East

"Sixty years of progress, without change."
Saudi government's anniversary slogan


Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The phrase "tying the knot", originated from the traditional girdle worn by Roman brides during the wedding ceremony. The girdle was tied together with hundreds of knots. (Untying the knots was the responsibility of her new husband.)

My son and I had to play at church today for the Southwestern service. My son plays the trumpet. I play the clarinet. It was great fun! Of course, we had to get up this morning at 5:30 AM. Not so fun but you take the good with the bad. The good was the music and the fellowship. After the second service, we ran a few errands and then returned home.

My husband, who had been sleeping when we left the house in the morning, was up vacuuming. Unfortunately, when my husband decides to vacuum, he expects group participation. He doesn't like to see others not working when he is working. I often fall victim to this little bit of mania since I like to get up early to do all my daily chores while my husband is still in bed. Then he gets up and expects me to help him accomplish a completely different new list of chores.

This mania reminds me of a tale that my Grandmother used to tell us about how her sister and she were each given equal bags of candy. My Grandmother's sister would hurry to eat all her candy and then she'd expect my Grandmother to give her bits of her candy which my Grandmother had been saving savoring at a far slower pace. I suppose it is a bit of a jump to equate work with candy but somehow it seems to fit. I get up early so I can complete my chores and have a little time to enjoy with a book or a movie or the computer. My husband likes to sleep late and do his chores after breakfast...but he expects me to work on chores as if I had been sleeping all morning too (give him bits of my bits of candy).

So my son and I, having very little choice in the matter, started cleaning as things were either shoved into our arms or in response to, "Could you please get rid of that thing?" I then felt compeled to clean and clear off the countertops in the kitchen as well as the top of the stove because he was grumbling about what it would take to get the house ready so we could call a realtor. Apparently, while me and our son were at church, he was laying in bed thinking of all kinds of stuff that needed to bed done, immediately,though I don't think he actually started vacuuming until a few minutes before we walked back in the door at noon. As far as I'm concerned, my son and I had already been "working" since 5:30 AM and now we were supposed to work some more. And I hadn't even had the chance to more then put away the groceries. I was still in my church clothes.

I was just finishing up in the kitchen when I overhear my husband request about 30 minutes of our son's time. Alarm bells rang in my head. I go to check out the reason for this 30 minutes of time. My husband decided that this was a great time to drag the 20 foot ladder into our dining room so he could take the imported Italian chandelier down from the ceiling. We want to keep the chandelier so we can install it at our new home. This chandelier goes together and comes apart like a puzzle. A delicate puzzle made of handblown Murano glass. Each piece must come off and go on in a certain way or the whole thing could crash to the floor and shatter. Have you ever seen that game with the marbles supported by what looks like pickup sticks to me where each person must remove the rods that keep the marbles in place and yet not allow the marbles to drop? Every marble that falls counts against you. In the movie, The Man Who Knew Too Little, they were playing this game in one of the scenes. Great movie! After getting up at 5:30 AM, I had no desire to play this game and taking this chandelier down is a far more treacherous version of this game. One slip up and we'd lose a very valuable light fixture.

The chandelier came down and so far we have no breakage. I still have to wrap each of the pieces and pack them away until we're ready to install it again. I sure hope we can remember how this thing goes back together. I sure hope we haven't lost any pieces. I'm still in my church clothes. My husband just left to go pick up bubble wrap so I can wrap the individual pieces of the chandelier. I'm not sure if it's worth changing out of my church clothes at this point. They're all dusty and dirty. Maybe if I hurry up I can change into a clean non-church outfit that I can get all dusty and dirty too. Hopefully he won't decide that today is the day to clean and pack away all the outside planters.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

If a desperate bride's stingy father refused to give his daughter a dowry, friendly townspeople would "shower" her with gifts, allowing her to marry the man that she wanted. This is the origin of the "bridal shower".

I was just at the new house. If this place is supposed to close in late April or early May, these builders had better slow down. The electricity is being strung through the house and it looks like they have the outside all ready for stucco. Slow down! At this rate, they'll have the house ready for closing in March. That's not what we planned. The houses that are being built on either side of our house are at framing stage. We haven't received a call for our pre-drywall walk-thru but I wouldn't be surprised if we got that call within the next week. In the mid-time, I'd better continue working on sorting and tossing, sorting and tossing...but not my books.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The remains of more than 100 people have been shot into space by Celestis of Houston, Texas. They pack a small portion of cremated remains into a lipstick-sized aluminum container, load it into a NASA spacecraft, and blast it into an Earth or moon orbit. Timothy Leary and Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry both chose this after-death option. Cost: $995- $12,500.

I love to read. I always have loved to read and can't remember a time when I didn't like to read. I jealously hoard and store my books so I can reread them at some future date when I have to endure an author's dryspell or just when I want to reread a past favorite. It becomes painfully obvious when I have to pack up my books every time that we move, that I have a real problem getting rid of even one of my books. It's a painful wrench to my soul when I pack up even the most poorly written books for a donation box. I still have all my old Golden Books. Apparently some of them have become quite valuable. I always knew that they were. I've got my Laura Ingalls Wilder books. The entire collection. I have all my Man From U.N.C.L.E. books. I have my Get Smart books. I have my old Georgette Heyer books too which have become well worn and well read over the years. I just don't have the ability to donate my favorite books and companions.

Yesterday, I spent the day packing up my ever increasing collection of books. I have the sore muscles to show for it today. They took up eighteen small book boxes. I haven't even started packing up my cookbooks...or my favorite "keepers" which I can't stand parting with for the few months that it will take to sell this house. I went out and bought three more books this morning. I already read one of them while I recuperate from the sore muscles created from my book packing of yesterday. I read fast...too bad my muscles don't recover as fast as I read. The book is another "keeper". Single White Vampire by Lynsay Sands. One of the other books that I bought is written by Lynsay Sands too. All of my limited will-power is necessary to resist starting on the other two books that I purchased. I'll be good. I may have to hide them for a few days. I may have to go out to a used book store to see if I can find any more books by Lynsay Sands that I can add to my collection.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Fruit Bat Soup is a delicacy from Micronesia made with fruit bats. For the soup, the meat of the fruit bat is simmered in water, ginger, and onion and topped off with scallions, soy sauce, and coconut cream. Sounds much better then the fruit soup that I was forced to eat as a child.

I've been busy packing up stuff here at the house so my creative juices are a bit dry right now. Please enjoy the following "funny" that came from Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader. This is a really great book!

Actual Headlines Part II

Summer Schools Boost Scrores

Study Says Snoring Drivers Have More Accidents

Women Bowlers Vote To Keep Their Skirts On

Hillary Clinton On Welfare

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While

Astronaut Takes Blame For Gas in Spacecraft

New Study Of Obesity Looks For Larger Test Group

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Pataki Proposes Allowing Pickups on State Parkways

Montezuma Mourns Banker Slain in Attack With Flowers

Real Estate Executive Sold On City Market

Pecan Scab Disease Causing Nuts To Fall Off

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The praying mantis is the official state insect of Connecticut.

Actual Headlines

Infertility Unlikely to Be Passed On

Critics Say Sunken Ships Not Seaworthy

Study Finds Sex, Pregnancy Link

Air Head Fired

Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted

Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents

State Says Cost of Saving Money Too High

Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms

Man Steals Clock, Faces Time

Bank Drive-in Window Blocked By Board

Elizabeth Dole Had No Choice But To Run As a Woman

Deer And Turkey Hunt For Disabled People

Axe For Media School's Head


Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The hairs on the butt of a cockroach are so sensitive that they can detect air currents made by the onrushing tongue of a toad. What I want to know is...who paid for the study that discovered and proved this?

I have clean windows and a new computer built by my husband! I'm in ecstasy! Even though I have cable modem, my old hand-me-down computer ran at dial-up modem speed. Slower then average dial-up modem speed. It became painfully obvious that something wasn't quite right with my system when I commented that the speed of our laptop, using the dial-up modem while we were in Vegas, was a lot faster then my home computer. I mentioned this to my husband. He thought I was kidding. My poor old computer never, ever operated at cable modem speed. It's always moved slowly. I thought that was "just the way things were." My husband took a look at my computer and saw. I mean he really saw how slow my system wasn't working. It would freeze on a regular basis too. Is it any wonder that I'm in ecstasy right now? And I can see too...through my clean windows! Now if those stupid birds will just leave the windows alone I can finish the laundry, play my Pogo, and finish getting this house ready so we can put it up for sale.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The word "bug" started out as the Anglo-Saxon word "bugge" or "bough", meaning 'a terror, a devil, or a ghost.' Deerfly, mosquitoes, and no-see'em's must have played a major role when they aptly chose this word.

It's a beautiful day today. It almost makes me regret that we're going to be selling this house. I must have had 60 beautiful white cranes soaring and gliding and perching by the pond, right outside my windows this morning. Widgeons and mallards were gliding on the still waters. So scenic. So serene. Of course with the birds comes the mess. I had 20 of those scenic big white birds white washing my roof yesterday morning. I didn't go out and count them this morning. I'm having the windows washed tomorrow morning. I hope that I can keep them clean and clear of white wash while this house is on the market. I may have told you in a past blog that the ducks like to harass our dogs. I saw them chasing a black cat the other day by the shore. I don't suppose it would have been so amusing if I was the owner of that poor black cat. Those ducks can be mean little buggers. But let's not tell the future buyers anything about this, shall we? Let them admire the serenity of the wildlife without any reality drawbacks to gum up the works.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head like a human.

I've decided that I've really got to do a better job at reading my emails. Don't get me wrong. I read every single email that comes my way. OK. Not the Spam, but that doesn't count. I don't read the junk mail that comes in the snail mail box either. But I really need to READ my incoming emails better. The emails that count. If I'd read the email that the contemporary group leader had sent a little better, I would have known that she'd changed the time of our rehearsal from 7:45 AM this morning to 10:30 AM this morning. I wouldn't have had to get up so early. I wouldn't have had to drag my son out of bed so early. I wouldn't have had to drive to church so early. I wouldn't have encountered an empty, darkened practice room so early this morning. I could have had another few cups of coffee. I'm sure my son will eventually forgive me for dragging him from his warm bed at such an early hour. Eventually. I bet he makes sure that I have the correct time the next time I drag him out of bed in the morning. Our rehearsals are always at 7:45 AM on the Sunday before the Sunday that we perform. Or at least that's the way it has always been since I've been playing with this group. When I saw the email that she sent, I just assumed that she was reminding us all that we had a rehearsal this morning. When I got back home this morning at 8:15 AM, I re-read the email that she had sent...last year. December 28th. Yes, I'm really going to have to read my emails better. This year I will and I think I'd better throw that word "assume" out the window too.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

25 years equals the time the average American spends asleep in a lifetime.

I've always felt that the English language is a strange and difficult language. There are so many words that sound the same and yet have totally different meanings. To make things even more difficult, some words are spelled the same and still have different meanings. Right? No...turn left. That's right. I write the right way. Which witch is which? I don't know whether the weather will allow me to go out today. I read the red book. Of course that particular sentence could be in the present tense or the past tense and you'd never know unless you reasoned it out by reading the surrounding sentences. Pitted olives have no pits. Boned chicken has no bones. Shall we discuss the word "cleave"? Quite frankly, I'm happy I never had to learn English as a second language.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

"Any dictionary maker can put Webster's in the name, because book titles can't be copyrighted." says M. Hirsh Goldberg in The Book of Lies . To know if your Webster's is authentic, make sure it's published by Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Kudos to me. I finally managed to divest my living room of most of the Christmas decorations. All the Christmas cookies are gone. I won't tell you how those were put away. Let's just say that now that the cookies are gone, our diet may stand some kind of slim chance. I don't think I'll decorate the house for Valentine's Day or St. Patrick's Day or Easter this year. Instead I'll aim for a politically correct neutral atmosphere for our realtor and the future purchaser of our house. The house is not up for sale yet but I'm shooting for this month or early next month.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia *

It would take 91 days, 7 hours, 26 minutes, and 24 seconds for the Earth to fall into the Sun if it loses its orbit.

*Please note: Most of the trivia that has been coming to you since Christmas is taken from my new Bathroom Reader. Uncle John's Unstoppable Bathroom Reader by the Bathroom Readers' Institute. Thank you Mom and Dad.

I would have packed away all my Christmas decorations by now if it weren't for the fact that we'll be moving. I did pack away the tree this morning. I'll tackle the snowglobes tomorrow. I have a lot of snowglobes. There's a good possibility that I have too many by now. I collect the things and I add a new one to my collection every Christmas. I have Easter snowglobes and Halloween snowglobes too. Yes, I have seen snow at Easter and Halloween so I can justify my purchases. Actually, the Halloween snowglobes don't have snow. They have bats. And the Easter snowglobes have glitter. I have some frog snowglobes too. Glitter. I collect frogs too. Lots and lots of frogs. A frog snowglobe is a cross-collectible. Since we're going to be moving, I have to pack the "snowglobes" a little more carefully for a move then if I were to pack them away in the closet for a year. Afterall, if I do this the right way, I won't have to unpack them until Christmas 2004, in our new home.

My husband (the engineer) wants me to give all the packing boxes a 3-digit code with all the contents of each box listed on a spreadsheet. This is supposed to simplify things for me. Sharpie markers have always worked in the past. They've worked for our moves from Minnesota to Arizona, Arizona to Arizona, Arizona to Oregon, Oregon to Arizona, and Arizona to Arizona. I've never lost a thing! I know where everything is and where everything goes for the most part. I tried to tell him that it would be better to just write what is in each box on the packing box and where the contents came from with a sharpie marker. He wants me to make a computerized spreadsheet. I think my earlier moves when he was still working were a lot easier. I'm afraid packing is going to take twice as long doing it his way. But, I'm told that I'll thank him for this...eventually. I'm going to compromise. I'm going to use my system and he can stick his 3-digit numbers wherever he wants as long as he doesn't get in my way.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

It took 6 days, according to the Bible, to create the universe.

It takes 7 days for a newborn baby to wet or soil 80 diapers.

It takes 19 days until baby cardinals make their first flight.

It took 25 days for Handel to compose "The Messiah".

There are 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes, and 3 seconds, from a new moon to a new moon.

It takes 30 days for a human hair to grow half an inch.

It takes 35 days for a mouse to reach sexual maturity.

It takes 38 days for a slow boat to get to China (from New York).

They're almost done painting my house. One more day. At least the windows aren't all sealed off anymore. I expect I'll get a letter in the mail really soon from the HOA about the paint trailer that's been parked in front of my house for the last few days. By the time I get it, the trailer will be gone.
The next thing on the list for selling this house is the windows. I've scheduled the window cleaners for next week. I'm also interviewing house cleaners. I need to have someone CLEAN the house. I can clean the house. I need someone to CLEAN the house. There is a difference. The showers (which I don't use) need to be scrubbed with industrial strength cleaners that will eat the lining out of your lungs. The floors need to be scrubbed. The woodwork in the kitchen needs to be scrubbed. The whole place needs to be dusted too. After this is done, I can call the realtor. Then I have another whole list of stuff that needs to be done. I pretty much have this list memorized by now. This isn't the first house that I've sold. It probably won't be the last.

I really need to get these Christmas decorations put away. Before my Mother's birthday. I think I'm pushing the 12 Days of Christmas a bit. I haven't had anyone offer to help me yet. I guess it's up to me again. Where does everyone disappear to when the house needs decorating or undecorating? Come to think of it, where does everyone go when the house needs cleaning?

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

It takes 58 seconds for the elevator in Toronto's CN Tower to reach the top (1,815 feet)

It takes 1 minute for a newborn baby's brain to grow 1.5 mg.

It takes 45 minutes to reach an actual person when calling the IRS during tax time.

It took 4 hours for the Titanic to sink after it struck the iceberg.

It takes 4 hours and 30 minutes to cook a 20# turkey at 325°F.

It takes 92 hours to read both the Old and New Testaments aloud.

It takes 96 hours to completely recover from jet lag.

I'm not really claustrophobic. I'm not fond of elevators but I do get in them and use them on a fairly regular basis. I know that if we're only talking about a couple or three floors, I'll use the stairs if there are stairs available or an escalator. I'm not fond of escalators either. All those disappearing stairs. When do you make that step on or off? I'm not too fond of planes either. You can't open the windows. I usually end up turning those little tiny adjustable air thingies up full on my face. It might get a bit cold up there when the plane levels out at its top altitude but that's what those tiny airplane blankets are for or maybe you all should have worn a sweater like I did. I hated it when public buses came out with windows that couldn't be opened. I remember taking the bus, getting off halfway so I could breath and then catching the next available bus on the line going to my destination. I'm not claustrophobic. I just like to be able to breath. Fresh air. I don't like driving in the car if the heater is on. The hot air seems to suck all the oxygen right out of the car. If I can get away with it, I crack open a window when no-one is looking. So what if it's snowing outside. Good thing I live in Arizona during the winter months. Anyway, I'm not claustrophic. Our house is being painted today. Gradually, the painters are taping off all the windows with plastic and tape. I've had to turn on the lights. It's looking a bit dark in here. But that's OK, because I'm not claustrophobic. But I sure will be glad when they take the plastic off the windows and the sliding glass doors. The dogs want to go out for a walk and I can't get out.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

It takes 1 second for a hummingbird's wings to beat 70 times.

It takes 1.25 seconds for light to travel from the moon to Earth.

It takes 3 seconds for 475 lawsuits to be filed around the world.

It takes 4 seconds for 3,000,000 gallons of water to flow over Niagara Falls.

It takes 10 seconds for 50 people to be born.

It takes 20 seconds for a fast talker to say 100 words.

As usual, I sit in blank silence, staring at this screen, waiting for a writing idea to hit me. I made the marmalade. I decided to stick with a usual name for an unusual marmalade. Tangelo/Lemon Marmalade and Pineapple Tangelo/Lemon Marmalade. I tasted it and it was good.

I started the morning with a call from our security gate. Our house painters had arrived. At 6:30 AM. It was still dark. I don't know why they felt compelled to arrive in the dark. They didn't start work until the sun came up. Oh well, I was planning on getting up anyway and I made all of the Tangelo/Lemon Marmalade and a batch of the Pineapple Tangelo/Lemon Marmalade before my husband wanted me to start breakfast. Let's not get stupid. I made my coffee first thing...after I finished up the mug that was leftover from the day before. Waste not, want not.

My son-in-law has his new teeth. I won't go there. The very thought of having all the teeth ripped from my mouth at one sitting while only under the influence of novacaine and laughing gas....well...I won't go there. He did. Today. I haven't seen him yet with his new teeth. My daughter says that he was very happy, and sleeping.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

It takes .05 seconds for a human muscle to respond to stimulus.

It takes .06 seconds for an automobile airbag to fully inflate.

It takes .2 seconds for the International Space Station to travel 1 mile.

It takes .46 seconds for a 90 mph fastball to reach home plate.

It takes .6 seconds for an adult to walk one step.

We've got a roof. They've put the roof on the new house. At this rate the house will be finished a long time before the April closing date that we want. We haven't even talked to a realtor about selling this house. We walked through the new home today. My husband documented the contruction with our digital camera. We already can see where there may be a few problems. It will be interesting to see how tactfully we can get these problems fixed and how soon. One whole doorway was missing. This they can fix since we're just at framing stage but I don't know what they're going to do about the water pipe that they set into the concrete slab and which will take a good 4 " away from our office room when the drywall has to be put up. This water pipe is for the hosebib for the outside! What is it doing leaning so far into the room? I don't want to think about the fact that this is also exactly where all the electrical and phone lines are supposed to be placed. I'm afraid our new computer room/office is going to be vulnerable to any and all electrical storms in the area. I won't share the many choice words my husband had to say about this situation. I'm putting my computer in the bedroom...but that's what was on the plan from the start.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

There is no sound in space. That's because sound has to travel as a vibration in some material such as air or water or even stone. Since space is essentially empty, it cannot carry sound, at least not the sort of sound that we are used to.

I'm making marmalade. No raspberries here in Arizona. At least none at this time of year and none that I know about outside of the grocery store. Domesticated raspberries are all well and good but there really isn't anything better then raspberry jam made with real wild raspberries. What I do have in abundance is tangelos from my tangelo tree in the backyard and lemons from my lemon tree. I made lemon bread for Christmas but that was before the New Year. We're back on our diet with a vengence. So I'm making sugarfree orange marmalade with tangelos and lemons. I know that technically it really isn't orange marmalade if there aren't any oranges in it but that's neither here nor there. I'm not going to go out and buy oranges when I have a perfectly good orange colored substitute. I'll think of something else to call it by the time I have it all in jars. Tangled Lemon Marmalade? Limontangelo Marmalade? It doesn't really matter as long as it tastes good and I won't know that until it's made and tasted. I'll let you know.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Ancient Greeks named amber from the word "electron" because rubbing amber gives off static electricity.

Don't be fooled. Just because it was Friday today and you may have planned on traveling away from Las Vegas, it doesn't mean that the traffic crossing Hoover Dam will be light. I think everyone in Las Vegas decided to leave town today so they would beat the traffic on Sunday. Hah! The laugh's on us. The line to cross the Dam (expletive, expletive, expletive Dam) started just outside of Boulder City. If my son had been more energetic, he could have climbed out of the car which was traveling at a little less then 1 mph, and he could have walked to the Dam, taken a whole roll of pictures with his camera, and still have been waiting for us. There is a Dam bypass in the works but it will be years before it is completed. In the meantime, all traffic coming and going over the Dam must pass through security checkpoints. I'm not complaining about this (though I'd love to string a certain group of terrorists up by their toes and let the Dam catfish feed on them..slowly. I think they'd make perfect stinkbait.). What I want to know is why this bypass wasn't built years and years ago? Oh well. Stay away from Hoover Dam on weekends and anytime close to a holiday unless you like standing in line or unless you just can't help it.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Legend has it that Cupid cut Venus' fingernails while she was sleeping and left the clippings scattered on the ground. The Fates turned them into stone so that no part of Venus would ever disappear. The stone is called onyx which is Greek for "fingernail".

Happy New Year! Out with the old and in with the new. It's truly amazing how nice everyone becomes at New Year's time. Total strangers will come up and feel free to kiss and hug. Now this can be a good thing and this can be a bad thing. I prefer to think of it as a good thing. Too bad that feeling will have passed into the hangover of the morning after.

Today's Little Bit of Trivia

Hey! I told you that I wasn't going to write this section of my blog until I get back to Arizona! Go away! Oh, and Happy New Year! Hugs!