Word of the Day
Milk of amnesia - A remedy for unclogging mental blockage.
I got off my duff and packed up some care packages this morning. Since some of the stuff didn't fit into the boxes, I've got a start on the next care packages too. So...I headed off to the post office with addresses in hand and a list of contents. Normally I'd have all the customs forms all filled out but the old customs forms have been replaced with new customs forms. They look exactly the same but now there are 6 copies. Apparently, a sixth level of bureaucracy was born along with the baby New Year and they want their copy of exactly what I'm sending to GI Joe and the troops. Anyway, it took forever to fill out the forms and stuff but...it's done.
Errands. After the post office, I headed out to the grocery store and then the bank. I try to get all the stuff that needs doing in one fell swoop. We only have the one car. Heck! We only NEED the one car. But, I hate to hog it. HTP hates running around for trivial stuff like groceries. I'm not fond of it but one does have to eat. Our diet requires lots of trips to the grocery store to get fresh veggies. Unfortunately that stuff goes bad so you can't purchase that sort of thing on a monthly basis. I needed more eggs, milk and bread too. Then on to the bank so that I could deposit the lottery credit that the state of Wisconsin sent me. You'd think that it would have been a huge amount, given the hype that surrounds this credit. My check totaled all of $57. Hold me back! My lottery credit has me longing for a huge spending spree. McDonald's anyone?
Murphyism of the Day
Flugg's Law
It's when you need to knock on wood, you realize that the world is composed of aluminum and vinyl.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
Word of the Day
Migitized - Taking an object of standard size and finding a smaller version of it.
5 Winning Smart Ass Answers For 2005 Because I just can't think of anything else to write about.
Smart Ass Answer #5
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets.
As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed at her.
Without missing a beat....she said, "Sir, I need to see your ticket not your stub."
*****************
Smart Ass Answer #4
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."
*******************
Smart Ass Answer #3
The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding, rolled down his window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said.
The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
*******************
Smart Ass Answer #2
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway.
A sign comes up that reads, "Low Bridge Ahead."
Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge.
Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally, a police car comes up.
The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
*******************
#1 SMART ASS ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2005.......................
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam.
"Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury or illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!"
A smart ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, "What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?"
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering.
When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shaking her head and sweetly said "Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand."
Murphyism of the Day
Ducharme's Precept
Opportunity always knocks at the least opportune moments.
Migitized - Taking an object of standard size and finding a smaller version of it.
5 Winning Smart Ass Answers For 2005 Because I just can't think of anything else to write about.
Smart Ass Answer #5
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets.
As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed at her.
Without missing a beat....she said, "Sir, I need to see your ticket not your stub."
*****************
Smart Ass Answer #4
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."
*******************
Smart Ass Answer #3
The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding, rolled down his window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said.
The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
*******************
Smart Ass Answer #2
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway.
A sign comes up that reads, "Low Bridge Ahead."
Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge.
Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally, a police car comes up.
The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
*******************
#1 SMART ASS ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2005.......................
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam.
"Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury or illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!"
A smart ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, "What would you say if tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?"
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering.
When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shaking her head and sweetly said "Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand."
Murphyism of the Day
Ducharme's Precept
Opportunity always knocks at the least opportune moments.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Word of the Day
Microanarchy - The act of microwaving something that has conventional oven heating instructions only.
Bad Froggy! I got too lazy to blog yesterday. Yesterday was spent lazing about. I got my hair done. I met Arizona daughter at the mall for some birthday shopping. Her birthday...and mine. HTP and I got Arizona daughter some silverware for her birthday and Arizona daughter got me a carving knife and fork for my birthday. We celebrated at Cork 'N Cleaver for supper.
Today? More lazing about. Is it any wonder that I didn't blog?
I did finish the first book that I needed to read for the contest. Sorry. It wasn't my thing. It was a really boring story which leapt from the starting line with lots of sex and then a proposal of marriage with nothing to explain the whys or the what?! Oh, there were sex scenes but it was like the author was trying desperately trying to find a story to go with the sex scenes. There wasn't a story. I'm not a prude. I like a little spice in a story. I guess the best way for me to illustrate this is , I'm making a beef roast for supper tonight. Let my beef roast be a metaphor for "the story" in a book. I seasoned my beef roast with garlic salt and pepper. Let the garlic salt and pepper represent the sex scenes for "the story". Now, substitute my nice rolled rump roast with a hot dog, keep the garlic salt and pepper and that's a fair description of the first book that I read. Three more books to go and from what I'm seeing from the story descriptions on the other books, I wouldn't have willingly purchased a single one of them.
Murphyism of the Day
Langsam's Laws
1. Everything depends.
2. Nothing is always.
3. Everything is sometimes.
Microanarchy - The act of microwaving something that has conventional oven heating instructions only.
Bad Froggy! I got too lazy to blog yesterday. Yesterday was spent lazing about. I got my hair done. I met Arizona daughter at the mall for some birthday shopping. Her birthday...and mine. HTP and I got Arizona daughter some silverware for her birthday and Arizona daughter got me a carving knife and fork for my birthday. We celebrated at Cork 'N Cleaver for supper.
Today? More lazing about. Is it any wonder that I didn't blog?
I did finish the first book that I needed to read for the contest. Sorry. It wasn't my thing. It was a really boring story which leapt from the starting line with lots of sex and then a proposal of marriage with nothing to explain the whys or the what?! Oh, there were sex scenes but it was like the author was trying desperately trying to find a story to go with the sex scenes. There wasn't a story. I'm not a prude. I like a little spice in a story. I guess the best way for me to illustrate this is , I'm making a beef roast for supper tonight. Let my beef roast be a metaphor for "the story" in a book. I seasoned my beef roast with garlic salt and pepper. Let the garlic salt and pepper represent the sex scenes for "the story". Now, substitute my nice rolled rump roast with a hot dog, keep the garlic salt and pepper and that's a fair description of the first book that I read. Three more books to go and from what I'm seeing from the story descriptions on the other books, I wouldn't have willingly purchased a single one of them.
Murphyism of the Day
Langsam's Laws
1. Everything depends.
2. Nothing is always.
3. Everything is sometimes.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Word of the Day
Mewsworthy - News about cats.
Nothing Mewsworthy here. As a matter of fact, we are a mewsless household. You'd have to check with Devil Dog Daughter or Arizona Daughter for any Mews that might be worthy of noting. I've just got a couple of obnoxious dogs that can't decide whether they want to be outside or inside so I'm popping up and down every few moments to cater to their demands.
I started reading the first of the four books that I need to judge. After reading the first chapter of the first book, I decided to check and see what category I'm judging this year. Last year it was the Paranormal, Time Travel, Fantasy Category. This year it turns out that I'm to judging for the Hot, Sexy, Sensuous Category. Yup! That's the impression I got and I haven't even finished the first chapter. You don't get to pick your category. Guess I lucked out.
Murphyism of the Day
Keyes First Axiom
Any quotation that can be altered (nix that) changed will be.
Mewsworthy - News about cats.
Nothing Mewsworthy here. As a matter of fact, we are a mewsless household. You'd have to check with Devil Dog Daughter or Arizona Daughter for any Mews that might be worthy of noting. I've just got a couple of obnoxious dogs that can't decide whether they want to be outside or inside so I'm popping up and down every few moments to cater to their demands.
I started reading the first of the four books that I need to judge. After reading the first chapter of the first book, I decided to check and see what category I'm judging this year. Last year it was the Paranormal, Time Travel, Fantasy Category. This year it turns out that I'm to judging for the Hot, Sexy, Sensuous Category. Yup! That's the impression I got and I haven't even finished the first chapter. You don't get to pick your category. Guess I lucked out.
Murphyism of the Day
Keyes First Axiom
Any quotation that can be altered (nix that) changed will be.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Word of the Day
Mercy buckets - Bilingual slang for French term merci beaucoup.
I'd rather be playing Sudoku. My Mom got me hooked on it. It's kind of like a wordless crossword puzzle. The more I play it, the more I learn stuff that help solve the next puzzles. I should be doing other things. There are loads of things that I should be doing. I've got four books that I need to read and judge for the Golden Quill Awards. I think I'll start on that tomorrow. I just got the books today. I'd rather play Sudoku.
Murphyism of the Day
The Law of Eponymy
Any given Law will not be named for the person who created it.
Corollary
It's not who said it, it's who named it.
Mercy buckets - Bilingual slang for French term merci beaucoup.
I'd rather be playing Sudoku. My Mom got me hooked on it. It's kind of like a wordless crossword puzzle. The more I play it, the more I learn stuff that help solve the next puzzles. I should be doing other things. There are loads of things that I should be doing. I've got four books that I need to read and judge for the Golden Quill Awards. I think I'll start on that tomorrow. I just got the books today. I'd rather play Sudoku.
Murphyism of the Day
The Law of Eponymy
Any given Law will not be named for the person who created it.
Corollary
It's not who said it, it's who named it.
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Word of the Day
Meocentric - A person who feels that the world revolves around them.
Happy Birthday Arizona Daughter! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday Dear Arizona Daughter! Happy Birthday to You!
We've decided to celebrate my birthday and her birthday on Saturday night. Go us!
My friend and I were discussing the lack of preparedness of most people in the case of an emergency. Katrina and this modern world. She told me that she had enough food and water in her house to last three days. And most of that was frozen food to go with her bottled water. Gasp! My friend is not prepared. She only thinks that she's prepared. Moan.
Me? I think HTP and I could probably last a month, maybe longer. Though I have food in the freezer, you can't really depend on that because without electricity, anything in the freezer and fridge wouldn't last long. I have food in the pantry. Lots of food. Lots and lots of food.
I guess I can thank my Mom and Grandmother for my pack-rat mentality when it comes to "stocking up". Could it be in the my genes? In my TWO pantries...yes, TWO, I have flour, sugar, salt, dried beans, all kinds of canned goods, dried and canned milk, rice, canned tuna...etc. etc. And if I got even the hint of warning I'd run out and buy more dried beans, flour, sugar, salt and yeast. You know...the basics. Maybe I'd buy more canned fruit. After doing a mental inventory, I think I need to put that on the list along with more dried fruits.
I have candles and matches. Extra batteries. A radio. I lost count of the number of flashlights we have. Water? Coming from Minnesota, I've learned that the second an emergency is even hinted, you fill the tub and all the wash basins with water along with all the coolers and the pitchers and buckets and whatever else that'll hold water. Just in case. I'm not a firm believer of running out to buy water.
I'm not sure what I'm preparing for but I'm prepared. I have First Aid supplies a plenty too. Again, I'm not sure why I feel that I need to have all this stuff but as I said, blame my Mom and Grandmother. Maybe all this preparedness is a result of The Depression.
I think my Mom is still finishing up my Grandmother's jams and preserves. And me? I make my own jams and canned foods too. Mom is still using up pickling salt and dried laundry detergent too. Me? I always keep enough laundry detergent around...just in case. That and coffee. The second I'm down to the last of something in my pantry, I feel I have to run out and buy a spare. One ketchup should be in the fridge, one ketchup in the pantry and one ketchup on the shopping list. Canned vegetables? I stock up whenever they're on sale. 4/$1 will see me running out to buy and replenish my supply even if I have plenty. You can't have enough canned vegetables. I can my own but you can't even grow and can them for 4/$1. No wonder I need TWO pantries. And I've had to put some stuff in the cupboard in the guest room too. Not everything fits into the pantries. But that's just here in Arizona. I have more storage space in Wisconsin.
I have two working fireplaces in Wisconsin with a cord of dry firewood stored in the garage. Wood is no problem as we live in a forest of wood. We have a generator that runs on propane should our electricity fail. We have a 1000 gallon tank of propane that runs the generator when needed and the stove. And...I know how to cook over an open campfire. We live on a lake. I know how to dig for bait. I know how to fish. And I'm the one who knows how to clean those fish. And I have a garden.
Of course, none of this preparedness is really necessary...I hope... It's just that I thought everyone was like me and my Mom and my sister. Schooled from birth with these survival skills taught to us by my Mom and my Mom's Mom. My Grandmother. I mean...we laugh at the fact that my Mom and Dad are still finishing up all the stuff that my Grandparents had put by...I mean...tapioca? What in the heck did she need with all that tapioca? And I'll never understand the thermometer covers even if they can be used to extend old nubby pencils. But...maybe even though we didn't need those thermometer covers, I learned to be prepared. Then again, I don't understand my Mother's obsession with twist-ties. If there is ever a freshness emergency in our country, my Mom is prepared. Me? Because of my Mom's obsession, I feel guilty whenever I throw away a rubberband or twist-tie but I figure I can get by with the twenty that I never seem to be able to bring myself to throw away. I've learned that the second you throw something away...you'll need it.
Anyway...the point is...I'm prepared. I just hope I never have to use all the stuff in my pantry. Or all my twist-ties, or garbage bags, or...
Murphyism of the Day
Meinick's Law
If at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished.
Meocentric - A person who feels that the world revolves around them.
Happy Birthday Arizona Daughter! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday Dear Arizona Daughter! Happy Birthday to You!
We've decided to celebrate my birthday and her birthday on Saturday night. Go us!
My friend and I were discussing the lack of preparedness of most people in the case of an emergency. Katrina and this modern world. She told me that she had enough food and water in her house to last three days. And most of that was frozen food to go with her bottled water. Gasp! My friend is not prepared. She only thinks that she's prepared. Moan.
Me? I think HTP and I could probably last a month, maybe longer. Though I have food in the freezer, you can't really depend on that because without electricity, anything in the freezer and fridge wouldn't last long. I have food in the pantry. Lots of food. Lots and lots of food.
I guess I can thank my Mom and Grandmother for my pack-rat mentality when it comes to "stocking up". Could it be in the my genes? In my TWO pantries...yes, TWO, I have flour, sugar, salt, dried beans, all kinds of canned goods, dried and canned milk, rice, canned tuna...etc. etc. And if I got even the hint of warning I'd run out and buy more dried beans, flour, sugar, salt and yeast. You know...the basics. Maybe I'd buy more canned fruit. After doing a mental inventory, I think I need to put that on the list along with more dried fruits.
I have candles and matches. Extra batteries. A radio. I lost count of the number of flashlights we have. Water? Coming from Minnesota, I've learned that the second an emergency is even hinted, you fill the tub and all the wash basins with water along with all the coolers and the pitchers and buckets and whatever else that'll hold water. Just in case. I'm not a firm believer of running out to buy water.
I'm not sure what I'm preparing for but I'm prepared. I have First Aid supplies a plenty too. Again, I'm not sure why I feel that I need to have all this stuff but as I said, blame my Mom and Grandmother. Maybe all this preparedness is a result of The Depression.
I think my Mom is still finishing up my Grandmother's jams and preserves. And me? I make my own jams and canned foods too. Mom is still using up pickling salt and dried laundry detergent too. Me? I always keep enough laundry detergent around...just in case. That and coffee. The second I'm down to the last of something in my pantry, I feel I have to run out and buy a spare. One ketchup should be in the fridge, one ketchup in the pantry and one ketchup on the shopping list. Canned vegetables? I stock up whenever they're on sale. 4/$1 will see me running out to buy and replenish my supply even if I have plenty. You can't have enough canned vegetables. I can my own but you can't even grow and can them for 4/$1. No wonder I need TWO pantries. And I've had to put some stuff in the cupboard in the guest room too. Not everything fits into the pantries. But that's just here in Arizona. I have more storage space in Wisconsin.
I have two working fireplaces in Wisconsin with a cord of dry firewood stored in the garage. Wood is no problem as we live in a forest of wood. We have a generator that runs on propane should our electricity fail. We have a 1000 gallon tank of propane that runs the generator when needed and the stove. And...I know how to cook over an open campfire. We live on a lake. I know how to dig for bait. I know how to fish. And I'm the one who knows how to clean those fish. And I have a garden.
Of course, none of this preparedness is really necessary...I hope... It's just that I thought everyone was like me and my Mom and my sister. Schooled from birth with these survival skills taught to us by my Mom and my Mom's Mom. My Grandmother. I mean...we laugh at the fact that my Mom and Dad are still finishing up all the stuff that my Grandparents had put by...I mean...tapioca? What in the heck did she need with all that tapioca? And I'll never understand the thermometer covers even if they can be used to extend old nubby pencils. But...maybe even though we didn't need those thermometer covers, I learned to be prepared. Then again, I don't understand my Mother's obsession with twist-ties. If there is ever a freshness emergency in our country, my Mom is prepared. Me? Because of my Mom's obsession, I feel guilty whenever I throw away a rubberband or twist-tie but I figure I can get by with the twenty that I never seem to be able to bring myself to throw away. I've learned that the second you throw something away...you'll need it.
Anyway...the point is...I'm prepared. I just hope I never have to use all the stuff in my pantry. Or all my twist-ties, or garbage bags, or...
Murphyism of the Day
Meinick's Law
If at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Word of the Day
Menoclaus - The change of life for Santa's wife.
Catch up time. I got back from Vegas yesterday. While in Vegas, I made a concerted effort to stay away from the computer...thus...no blog. Anyway, time to catch you up on stuff.
On Friday, HTP drove me over to my friend's house and dropped me off with all my luggage. My friend and I took off for Vegas at 9 AM. Traffic wasn't bad until... Yup. You guessed it. We arrived at mile marker 4, four miles from The Dam, when traffic came to a dead stop. HTP had promised that this wouldn't happen. HTP couldn't predict accidents. My friend and I wouldn't know about the accident for a full two hours. That's how long we ended up waiting in a parked car four miles from The Dam. When we finally were able to shift into drive again and actually reach The Dam, someone ran up to the car and told us about the accident. A gravel truck lost a wheel and dumped its load of gravel all over the road. Traffic was stopped from both directions until the mess was cleared and the truck was towed away.
My friend and I stopped at my folks place. Pit stop. We both raced in and took advantage of my folks' bathrooms. Neither of us planned on such a long Dam wait. Besides, I needed to bring my Mom a set of double-pointed knitting needles that she wanted to borrow.
After settling into our rooms at Sam's Town, my friend and I decided to take in the Friday Seafood Buffet. Yummy. I filled my plate with more than two dozen raw oysters. And then after consuming these, I filled my plate with snow crab. I finished with rocky road ice cream.
After supper, my friend and I tried our luck. She played Frog Prince. I played video poker. I didn't win but I didn't lose too badly. She won. And then she headed on to bed while I continued on. And I played, and I played. I gave up when I finally broke even at 2:30 AM.
And so...I got up at 6 AM. Let's see...that's a total of 3 1/2 hours of sleep. My friend and I went down to have breakfast at the buffet. Champagne brunch. I had a mimosa. Coffee. Smoked salmon and bagels. More coffee. After breakfast we returned to the room to fire up the computer so we could check on our Denver friend's flight. Interesting. No mention of the flight. We called the airline. Our friend's flight was delayed. We returned to the casino to try our luck. I decided to play Frog Prince with my friend. Then I coached her on nickel video poker. She did pretty good. I won. Go me!
Then I got a call from Devil Dog Daughter. Her replacement for guard duty hadn't shown up as yet and she figured that she would be able to join us until later in the afternoon. We were still waiting for our Denver friend. With all the delays, our Denver friend didn't show up until around 2 PM at which point we took her for a quick bite to eat before we drove over to get tickets for a show at the Riviera for that night.
Devil Dog Daughter arrived at the casino at around the same time that we returned to the casino. Hugs all around. We grabbed her and headed for a quick meal before the show. A sluggish wait staff caused us to lose our chance at front row seats at the show. GRRRR. Oh well...we got a fair view of La Cage at the Riviera. While we were at the Riviera, we tried our luck at The Wheel of Fortune slots. I won $500. Woohoo! Go me!
We returned to Sam's Town after the show. Devil Dog Daughter and my Vegas Gal friends headed straight to bed. I decided to play a bit more...feeling lucky. I won. Woohoo! Go me! Nothing huge. Minor wins but these things add up and keep you going. Anyway, I got back up to the room at 1:30 AM.
We got up at 7:40 AM. A bit more than six hours of sleep. Not bad. After a champagne brunch, we drove out to The Valley of Fire. As we drove along, we encountered a drizzle of rain but nothing that was bad enough to send us back to the casino. We were determined to go hiking and see petroglyphs. Pretty soon the drizzle of rain became snowflurries. Good thing I brought my USMC hoodie that Devil Dog Daughter gave me for my birthday. It was COLD!
We hiked. Not too far but we hiked. The Valley of Fire is worth seeing. Indian graffiti. Petroglyphs. More than you can really take in or see. It was great!
After our hike, we returned to Vegas and headed for Mandalay Bay with the intention of seeing The Shark Reef. Unfortunately, the line to purchase tickets was REALLY long. Change of plans. Instead of going to see Shark Reef, we decided that we'd go see The Bellagio since Devil Dog Daughter had never seen it. We also decided to have supper at Paris' Buffet. Wonderful. Really wonderful food.
So by this time our feet were really tired, legs too. We decided that all our hiking earned us a break and a taxi ride back to the Mandalay Bay where the car was parked. $10 for a cab ride was well worth the cost.
At this point we discovered that the line to see Shark Reef had cleared so we decided to hike through the aquarium. It was worth the $16 ticket price and the added wear and tear on worn feet and legs.
Upon returning to Sam's Town, we all hugged and said goodbye to Denver friend who had an early flight. She had to leave at 3 AM for the airport?! Devil Dog Daughter and I decided to indulge in a nightcap at the Ram's Head bar in the park before trying our luck at the machines. I coached her on Double Bonus Video Poker. And then, Devil Dog Daughter won. I didn't. Go Devil Dog Daughter! And then it was back to our room, packing, and bed.
The next morning we all had breakfast at the buffet. Adequate but nothing special. No champagne during the week. Check-out. And then a non-noteworthy return to Arizona for my friend and me and back to base for Devil Dog Daughter.
Unpacking. Chinese takeout for supper. Bed. And so ends my Vegas Gal Adventure.
Laundry Day today. And now...you're all caught up with all the events of the last few blogless days. Time for supper. Left-over Chinese takeout.
Murphyism of the Day
Barber's Rule
Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess.
Menoclaus - The change of life for Santa's wife.
Catch up time. I got back from Vegas yesterday. While in Vegas, I made a concerted effort to stay away from the computer...thus...no blog. Anyway, time to catch you up on stuff.
On Friday, HTP drove me over to my friend's house and dropped me off with all my luggage. My friend and I took off for Vegas at 9 AM. Traffic wasn't bad until... Yup. You guessed it. We arrived at mile marker 4, four miles from The Dam, when traffic came to a dead stop. HTP had promised that this wouldn't happen. HTP couldn't predict accidents. My friend and I wouldn't know about the accident for a full two hours. That's how long we ended up waiting in a parked car four miles from The Dam. When we finally were able to shift into drive again and actually reach The Dam, someone ran up to the car and told us about the accident. A gravel truck lost a wheel and dumped its load of gravel all over the road. Traffic was stopped from both directions until the mess was cleared and the truck was towed away.
My friend and I stopped at my folks place. Pit stop. We both raced in and took advantage of my folks' bathrooms. Neither of us planned on such a long Dam wait. Besides, I needed to bring my Mom a set of double-pointed knitting needles that she wanted to borrow.
After settling into our rooms at Sam's Town, my friend and I decided to take in the Friday Seafood Buffet. Yummy. I filled my plate with more than two dozen raw oysters. And then after consuming these, I filled my plate with snow crab. I finished with rocky road ice cream.
After supper, my friend and I tried our luck. She played Frog Prince. I played video poker. I didn't win but I didn't lose too badly. She won. And then she headed on to bed while I continued on. And I played, and I played. I gave up when I finally broke even at 2:30 AM.
And so...I got up at 6 AM. Let's see...that's a total of 3 1/2 hours of sleep. My friend and I went down to have breakfast at the buffet. Champagne brunch. I had a mimosa. Coffee. Smoked salmon and bagels. More coffee. After breakfast we returned to the room to fire up the computer so we could check on our Denver friend's flight. Interesting. No mention of the flight. We called the airline. Our friend's flight was delayed. We returned to the casino to try our luck. I decided to play Frog Prince with my friend. Then I coached her on nickel video poker. She did pretty good. I won. Go me!
Then I got a call from Devil Dog Daughter. Her replacement for guard duty hadn't shown up as yet and she figured that she would be able to join us until later in the afternoon. We were still waiting for our Denver friend. With all the delays, our Denver friend didn't show up until around 2 PM at which point we took her for a quick bite to eat before we drove over to get tickets for a show at the Riviera for that night.
Devil Dog Daughter arrived at the casino at around the same time that we returned to the casino. Hugs all around. We grabbed her and headed for a quick meal before the show. A sluggish wait staff caused us to lose our chance at front row seats at the show. GRRRR. Oh well...we got a fair view of La Cage at the Riviera. While we were at the Riviera, we tried our luck at The Wheel of Fortune slots. I won $500. Woohoo! Go me!
We returned to Sam's Town after the show. Devil Dog Daughter and my Vegas Gal friends headed straight to bed. I decided to play a bit more...feeling lucky. I won. Woohoo! Go me! Nothing huge. Minor wins but these things add up and keep you going. Anyway, I got back up to the room at 1:30 AM.
We got up at 7:40 AM. A bit more than six hours of sleep. Not bad. After a champagne brunch, we drove out to The Valley of Fire. As we drove along, we encountered a drizzle of rain but nothing that was bad enough to send us back to the casino. We were determined to go hiking and see petroglyphs. Pretty soon the drizzle of rain became snowflurries. Good thing I brought my USMC hoodie that Devil Dog Daughter gave me for my birthday. It was COLD!
We hiked. Not too far but we hiked. The Valley of Fire is worth seeing. Indian graffiti. Petroglyphs. More than you can really take in or see. It was great!
After our hike, we returned to Vegas and headed for Mandalay Bay with the intention of seeing The Shark Reef. Unfortunately, the line to purchase tickets was REALLY long. Change of plans. Instead of going to see Shark Reef, we decided that we'd go see The Bellagio since Devil Dog Daughter had never seen it. We also decided to have supper at Paris' Buffet. Wonderful. Really wonderful food.
So by this time our feet were really tired, legs too. We decided that all our hiking earned us a break and a taxi ride back to the Mandalay Bay where the car was parked. $10 for a cab ride was well worth the cost.
At this point we discovered that the line to see Shark Reef had cleared so we decided to hike through the aquarium. It was worth the $16 ticket price and the added wear and tear on worn feet and legs.
Upon returning to Sam's Town, we all hugged and said goodbye to Denver friend who had an early flight. She had to leave at 3 AM for the airport?! Devil Dog Daughter and I decided to indulge in a nightcap at the Ram's Head bar in the park before trying our luck at the machines. I coached her on Double Bonus Video Poker. And then, Devil Dog Daughter won. I didn't. Go Devil Dog Daughter! And then it was back to our room, packing, and bed.
The next morning we all had breakfast at the buffet. Adequate but nothing special. No champagne during the week. Check-out. And then a non-noteworthy return to Arizona for my friend and me and back to base for Devil Dog Daughter.
Unpacking. Chinese takeout for supper. Bed. And so ends my Vegas Gal Adventure.
Laundry Day today. And now...you're all caught up with all the events of the last few blogless days. Time for supper. Left-over Chinese takeout.
Murphyism of the Day
Barber's Rule
Anything worth doing is worth doing to excess.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Word of the Day
Mechmanic - Manic mechanic.
I was packing. And then I took a look at my poor old purse, and worse yet, my wallet. Actually, my purse looks pretty good. It's just that I'm tired of it. It's red. I'm tired of toting around a red purse. So...this morning I switched all my purse stuff over to a tan colored purse that I have. Same model, different color. However, more drastic measures needed to be taken about the wallet. So I hopped into the car and went shopping. Hunting. I bought a new wallet. I'm not sure if I'm totally thrilled with my choice but at least I don't have to worry about losing my credit cards anymore and there won't be problems should I have to retrieve my driver's license at moments notice. It's not easy to find just the right wallet. Oh well... if this one doesn't work out, I'll get another. I didn't invest too much money on this one. It was a Target special.
Ouch! That sound so incredibly snobby. I love Target. This new wallet looks really classy and yet didn't cost an arm and a leg like my Coach purse. I'm just concerned about the durability of the clasp...not the look. One of those minor things in life that can irritate me to all get out is a wallet that won't close properly. My last wallet lasted for years but it finally pushed me too far when it flopped open and all my stuff fell out all over. The clasp wore out. The credit card sections were starting to rip.
I'm leaving for Vegas tomorrow morning. That's the reason for the packing and the decision to run out and fix the wallet issue. I'll be bringing my laptop but I'm not sure if I'll actually have a chance or want to take the time to blog. I'm looking forward to spending a stress-free weekend with a couple of my very best friends and my Devil Dog Daughter who is going to join us as an honorary Vegas Gal. Hiking....if it doesn't rain. Maybe a show or two. Eating. And lots of talking and talking and laughter. Maybe I'll gamble some too. Wish me luck.
Murphyism of the Day
Naeser's Law
You can make something foolproof, but you can't make it damnfool proof.
Mechmanic - Manic mechanic.
I was packing. And then I took a look at my poor old purse, and worse yet, my wallet. Actually, my purse looks pretty good. It's just that I'm tired of it. It's red. I'm tired of toting around a red purse. So...this morning I switched all my purse stuff over to a tan colored purse that I have. Same model, different color. However, more drastic measures needed to be taken about the wallet. So I hopped into the car and went shopping. Hunting. I bought a new wallet. I'm not sure if I'm totally thrilled with my choice but at least I don't have to worry about losing my credit cards anymore and there won't be problems should I have to retrieve my driver's license at moments notice. It's not easy to find just the right wallet. Oh well... if this one doesn't work out, I'll get another. I didn't invest too much money on this one. It was a Target special.
Ouch! That sound so incredibly snobby. I love Target. This new wallet looks really classy and yet didn't cost an arm and a leg like my Coach purse. I'm just concerned about the durability of the clasp...not the look. One of those minor things in life that can irritate me to all get out is a wallet that won't close properly. My last wallet lasted for years but it finally pushed me too far when it flopped open and all my stuff fell out all over. The clasp wore out. The credit card sections were starting to rip.
I'm leaving for Vegas tomorrow morning. That's the reason for the packing and the decision to run out and fix the wallet issue. I'll be bringing my laptop but I'm not sure if I'll actually have a chance or want to take the time to blog. I'm looking forward to spending a stress-free weekend with a couple of my very best friends and my Devil Dog Daughter who is going to join us as an honorary Vegas Gal. Hiking....if it doesn't rain. Maybe a show or two. Eating. And lots of talking and talking and laughter. Maybe I'll gamble some too. Wish me luck.
Murphyism of the Day
Naeser's Law
You can make something foolproof, but you can't make it damnfool proof.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Word of the Day
Meatwave - Cattle stampede.
Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday Old Grey Frog Who Ain't What She Used to Be! Happy Birthday to Me!
I'm not really a whole year older. In all actuality, I'm only one day older than I was yesterday. It's just that I'm 365 days older than I was last year at this time. I know...that's a bit of nitpicking but on has to grasp onto all the nits one can when they reach my age. I've aged another four minutes since I started blogging this morning. Actually, maybe I'd rather not nitpick about birthdays. Until this morning I could still claim to be one whole year younger.
So...what does everyone else do on their birthdays? I cleaned the toilet after I took care of the dogs. I treated myself to a bowl of fresh raspberries for breakfast which I didn't even start making until 10 AM. I played Pogo. I grabbed the Sudoku puzzle...my Mom got me hooked on them and I think I'm finally getting the hang of them. And then? I sorted out my medicines into one of those two week medicine boxes. I've got to do that because otherwise I'd forget to take them because I'd be in constant angst about whether or not I missed a dose or overdosed. Actually, all of my "medicines" are vitamins and supplements right now but when you get to be older these things seem to become more necessary. Anyway, I think I'll listen to Rush for a while and play Pogo again. Tonight I think we're going out to dinner. Nothing's better than kicking back and doing absolutely nothing earthshaking on your birthday. I didn't even make the bed. HTP took care of that. OK. I did clean the toilet but I refuse to clean the microwave.
Murphyism of the Day
Siwiak's Rule
The only way to make something foolproof is to keep it away from fools.
Meatwave - Cattle stampede.
Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday Old Grey Frog Who Ain't What She Used to Be! Happy Birthday to Me!
I'm not really a whole year older. In all actuality, I'm only one day older than I was yesterday. It's just that I'm 365 days older than I was last year at this time. I know...that's a bit of nitpicking but on has to grasp onto all the nits one can when they reach my age. I've aged another four minutes since I started blogging this morning. Actually, maybe I'd rather not nitpick about birthdays. Until this morning I could still claim to be one whole year younger.
So...what does everyone else do on their birthdays? I cleaned the toilet after I took care of the dogs. I treated myself to a bowl of fresh raspberries for breakfast which I didn't even start making until 10 AM. I played Pogo. I grabbed the Sudoku puzzle...my Mom got me hooked on them and I think I'm finally getting the hang of them. And then? I sorted out my medicines into one of those two week medicine boxes. I've got to do that because otherwise I'd forget to take them because I'd be in constant angst about whether or not I missed a dose or overdosed. Actually, all of my "medicines" are vitamins and supplements right now but when you get to be older these things seem to become more necessary. Anyway, I think I'll listen to Rush for a while and play Pogo again. Tonight I think we're going out to dinner. Nothing's better than kicking back and doing absolutely nothing earthshaking on your birthday. I didn't even make the bed. HTP took care of that. OK. I did clean the toilet but I refuse to clean the microwave.
Murphyism of the Day
Siwiak's Rule
The only way to make something foolproof is to keep it away from fools.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Word of the Day
M.E.A.B.A. - Internet slang for 'My Eyes Are Bleeding Again'.
Happy Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone. I hope you've had a wonderful day. We're going to celebrate by tossing our diet out the window. I've got a "no carbs barred" steak dinner planned for tonight complete with wine and champagne. I even have dessert planned. I'd better put out the shrimp cocktail. With all the food that I plan to serve, I think we'll need to pace ourselves.
Murphyism of the Day
Gilbertson's Law
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
M.E.A.B.A. - Internet slang for 'My Eyes Are Bleeding Again'.
Happy Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone. I hope you've had a wonderful day. We're going to celebrate by tossing our diet out the window. I've got a "no carbs barred" steak dinner planned for tonight complete with wine and champagne. I even have dessert planned. I'd better put out the shrimp cocktail. With all the food that I plan to serve, I think we'll need to pace ourselves.
Murphyism of the Day
Gilbertson's Law
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Monday, February 13, 2006
Word of the Day
McFury - The anger that comes from a frustrated McDonalds™ worker.
It's been a beautiful day today. There are still no signs of life from what looks like my winter-killed trees and bushes. I washed them off today. Maybe that will help. If not I'll be hunting for some new trees to replace these. I've been doing some research to see what will take both the cold and the heat. If I have to replace these trees, I don't want to replace them with something that I'll have to pamper when the temps drop to freezing and below.
Murphyism of the Day
Dunn's Law
Careful planning is no substitute for dumb luck.
McFury - The anger that comes from a frustrated McDonalds™ worker.
It's been a beautiful day today. There are still no signs of life from what looks like my winter-killed trees and bushes. I washed them off today. Maybe that will help. If not I'll be hunting for some new trees to replace these. I've been doing some research to see what will take both the cold and the heat. If I have to replace these trees, I don't want to replace them with something that I'll have to pamper when the temps drop to freezing and below.
Murphyism of the Day
Dunn's Law
Careful planning is no substitute for dumb luck.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Word of the Day
Mayhaps - Maybe and perhaps.
Let's see....
I didn't wash my hair so I had to put it up on top of my head in a mock French twist for church. That's what I do when my hair isn't too bad but it still looks bad when it's draggling down my back. Actually, I feel pretty good about the fact that I didn't let myself get bullied into washing my hair, even if I was the only bully. Hah! I progress. Tiny baby steps toward correcting my wimpy weenie image. But anyway, I played a solo at church. Two services. I won't take any bows because it was a real easy solo. Slow and only three sharps. I like slow songs. I love ballads and dirges. Picture me as Eeyore.
After church I went grocery shopping. I forgot to buy the laundry detergent. Oh well, I think I have enough for Tuesday's wash. I did buy two porterhouse steaks. Two baking potatoes. Some fresh raspberries and a double chocolate cake. Salad fixings. And I bought some wine and champagne. Valentine's Day. I bought tons of cards but HTP and I decided that we wouldn't get each other cards this year. No chocolate either. The chocolate cake doesn't count. I got the cards for some of the Marines and GI Joe who are in Iraq right now. They'll be late but it's the thought that counts. I got tons of cards. Now I just have to get off my butt and get them sent before everyone comes home. Soon. I promise. Where did I put those stamps?
It's Snowing! No here...out East! New York. Washington...not the state. Ohio. Not Arizona. We need rain! I told my fellow orchestra members that they need to go out and wash their cars. Maybe that will work.
Murphyism of the Day
Hofstadter's Law
Things always take longer than you anticipate, even if you take into account Hofstadter's Law.
Mayhaps - Maybe and perhaps.
Let's see....
I didn't wash my hair so I had to put it up on top of my head in a mock French twist for church. That's what I do when my hair isn't too bad but it still looks bad when it's draggling down my back. Actually, I feel pretty good about the fact that I didn't let myself get bullied into washing my hair, even if I was the only bully. Hah! I progress. Tiny baby steps toward correcting my wimpy weenie image. But anyway, I played a solo at church. Two services. I won't take any bows because it was a real easy solo. Slow and only three sharps. I like slow songs. I love ballads and dirges. Picture me as Eeyore.
After church I went grocery shopping. I forgot to buy the laundry detergent. Oh well, I think I have enough for Tuesday's wash. I did buy two porterhouse steaks. Two baking potatoes. Some fresh raspberries and a double chocolate cake. Salad fixings. And I bought some wine and champagne. Valentine's Day. I bought tons of cards but HTP and I decided that we wouldn't get each other cards this year. No chocolate either. The chocolate cake doesn't count. I got the cards for some of the Marines and GI Joe who are in Iraq right now. They'll be late but it's the thought that counts. I got tons of cards. Now I just have to get off my butt and get them sent before everyone comes home. Soon. I promise. Where did I put those stamps?
It's Snowing! No here...out East! New York. Washington...not the state. Ohio. Not Arizona. We need rain! I told my fellow orchestra members that they need to go out and wash their cars. Maybe that will work.
Murphyism of the Day
Hofstadter's Law
Things always take longer than you anticipate, even if you take into account Hofstadter's Law.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Word of the Day
Matrimoney - A married couple's joint bank account.
Well, here I go again. Letting others bully me into doing what I don't really want to do. Now I have to go in for a cat-scan. Will they never leave me alone? And then tonight when I was making supper, the microwave kept beeping at me. I knew the broccoli was done. I didn't need a microwave to keep beeping at me. I opened the microwave door and shut it again. It stopped beeping. Sometimes you just have to say "No".
I didn't want to blog but I did. I didn't want to wash my hair and I didn't. It'll look really great tomorrow when I go to church. I should have washed my hair. I can't wash my hair now because it's too late and it wouldn't look any better than right now. I have to get up at 5:30 AM tomorrow and that will only give me enough time to throw on my clothes and jump into the car. I have to be at the church at 7:15 AM. That may seem like lots of time but it takes a while to drive from our place out here as far south as you can get without leaving the city.
Murphyism of the Day
Wolf's Law of Planning
A good place to start from is where you are.
Matrimoney - A married couple's joint bank account.
Well, here I go again. Letting others bully me into doing what I don't really want to do. Now I have to go in for a cat-scan. Will they never leave me alone? And then tonight when I was making supper, the microwave kept beeping at me. I knew the broccoli was done. I didn't need a microwave to keep beeping at me. I opened the microwave door and shut it again. It stopped beeping. Sometimes you just have to say "No".
I didn't want to blog but I did. I didn't want to wash my hair and I didn't. It'll look really great tomorrow when I go to church. I should have washed my hair. I can't wash my hair now because it's too late and it wouldn't look any better than right now. I have to get up at 5:30 AM tomorrow and that will only give me enough time to throw on my clothes and jump into the car. I have to be at the church at 7:15 AM. That may seem like lots of time but it takes a while to drive from our place out here as far south as you can get without leaving the city.
Murphyism of the Day
Wolf's Law of Planning
A good place to start from is where you are.
Friday, February 10, 2006
Word of the Day
Mathological - Why high school arithmetic makes sense.
I'm the type of person that allows other people take advantage of me. I will even go so far as to say that I let people bully me into doing all kinds of stuff that I just don't want to do, that I'd never want to do. I'm aware of this. It's not that I'm a really nice person even though I am. I think it's a measure of laziness on my part. It just takes too much energy to say "No". Guilt and arguments just take so much out of you. It's just so much easier to say "Yes" and slog through it then to say "No" sometimes. Actually, my best defense is to disappear before anyone can ask me to do anything that I'd really like to say "No" to. I can actually hear this little voice in my head screaming "Run! Run Away!" when I see that certain look in some people's eyes.
Anyway, I figure that I've hit an all time low. Today I let my coffee-maker bully me. For days I've been fighting back but it continued to flash "Clean" on its tiny screen. "Clean Me! Clean Me Now!" It's taken a lot out of me to ignore the demands from this kitchen appliance. It's a kitchen appliance! It's not the minister's wife! I can say "No". What kind of weenie have I become?! I mean, I've cleaned the dang thing twice since we've been back here in Arizona. My coffee-maker in Wisconsin isn't this demanding. I never hear a single complaint from my coffee-maker in Wisconsin.
OK. I give! I'm addicted to coffee. I don't want to find out that my Arizona coffee-maker decides to go on strike some morning because I ignored all the "Clean" demands. I don't think there's a "Broken" or "Hopelessly Clogged" notice on its screen. I had to dig out the cleaning instructions. Read them. Interpret them. Who writes these instructions? I think this is another case of out-sourcing. Oh well, since I refuse to run out to the store to find that special Mr. Coffee Coffee-maker cleaner, I had to dig out the white vinegar. ONE QUART!!!!????? I have to waste one whole quart of white vinegar to clean this dang thing?! Thank goodness I buy my vinegar by the gallon. I'm sure that vinegar is a lot cheaper than having to buy Mr. Coffee Coffee-maker cleaner which, quite frankly, I doubt I'd be able to find. Afterall, I couldn't find the Mr. Coffee filters and I went to two stores. Anyway, now my kitchen smells like a pickle factory and I don't have any pickles to show for it. But my coffee-maker isn't flashing that stupid "clean" notice anymore. I suppose I'll have to clean the microwave now or it'll be jealous. And then the oven? And the refrigerator? Will it never end?
Murphyism of the Day
Philo's Law
To learn from your mistakes, you must first realize that you are making mistakes.
Mathological - Why high school arithmetic makes sense.
I'm the type of person that allows other people take advantage of me. I will even go so far as to say that I let people bully me into doing all kinds of stuff that I just don't want to do, that I'd never want to do. I'm aware of this. It's not that I'm a really nice person even though I am. I think it's a measure of laziness on my part. It just takes too much energy to say "No". Guilt and arguments just take so much out of you. It's just so much easier to say "Yes" and slog through it then to say "No" sometimes. Actually, my best defense is to disappear before anyone can ask me to do anything that I'd really like to say "No" to. I can actually hear this little voice in my head screaming "Run! Run Away!" when I see that certain look in some people's eyes.
Anyway, I figure that I've hit an all time low. Today I let my coffee-maker bully me. For days I've been fighting back but it continued to flash "Clean" on its tiny screen. "Clean Me! Clean Me Now!" It's taken a lot out of me to ignore the demands from this kitchen appliance. It's a kitchen appliance! It's not the minister's wife! I can say "No". What kind of weenie have I become?! I mean, I've cleaned the dang thing twice since we've been back here in Arizona. My coffee-maker in Wisconsin isn't this demanding. I never hear a single complaint from my coffee-maker in Wisconsin.
OK. I give! I'm addicted to coffee. I don't want to find out that my Arizona coffee-maker decides to go on strike some morning because I ignored all the "Clean" demands. I don't think there's a "Broken" or "Hopelessly Clogged" notice on its screen. I had to dig out the cleaning instructions. Read them. Interpret them. Who writes these instructions? I think this is another case of out-sourcing. Oh well, since I refuse to run out to the store to find that special Mr. Coffee Coffee-maker cleaner, I had to dig out the white vinegar. ONE QUART!!!!????? I have to waste one whole quart of white vinegar to clean this dang thing?! Thank goodness I buy my vinegar by the gallon. I'm sure that vinegar is a lot cheaper than having to buy Mr. Coffee Coffee-maker cleaner which, quite frankly, I doubt I'd be able to find. Afterall, I couldn't find the Mr. Coffee filters and I went to two stores. Anyway, now my kitchen smells like a pickle factory and I don't have any pickles to show for it. But my coffee-maker isn't flashing that stupid "clean" notice anymore. I suppose I'll have to clean the microwave now or it'll be jealous. And then the oven? And the refrigerator? Will it never end?
Murphyism of the Day
Philo's Law
To learn from your mistakes, you must first realize that you are making mistakes.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Word of the Day
Mathfictition - One who cannot add correctly.
I'm addicted to chocolate. HTP and I are back on our strict diet but I have chocolate candy singing like mythical sirens, tempting me to run ashore of the jagged cliffs that edge the Isle of Diet Failure. I snuck a piece, and then another, and another and then... You can't just eat one. I LOVE CHOCOLATE! I NEED CHOCOLATE! OK. I stopped at six pieces. That's not too bad. Could be worse. I didn't sit down an wolf down two whole boxes. Maybe I should have because then it wouldn't still be singing from the freezer where I thought I'd muffled its siren song. FYI, frozen chocolate tastes just as good as the non-frozen stuff. I'll do better tomorrow. Sometimes you just need to give into temptation.
Murphyism of the Day
Cooke's Law
It is always hard to notice what isn't there.
Mathfictition - One who cannot add correctly.
I'm addicted to chocolate. HTP and I are back on our strict diet but I have chocolate candy singing like mythical sirens, tempting me to run ashore of the jagged cliffs that edge the Isle of Diet Failure. I snuck a piece, and then another, and another and then... You can't just eat one. I LOVE CHOCOLATE! I NEED CHOCOLATE! OK. I stopped at six pieces. That's not too bad. Could be worse. I didn't sit down an wolf down two whole boxes. Maybe I should have because then it wouldn't still be singing from the freezer where I thought I'd muffled its siren song. FYI, frozen chocolate tastes just as good as the non-frozen stuff. I'll do better tomorrow. Sometimes you just need to give into temptation.
Murphyism of the Day
Cooke's Law
It is always hard to notice what isn't there.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Word of the Day
Marbleous - Feeling of wonder of a piece of sculpture made from marble.
I fasted last night and this morning until after my ultrasound. That means no coffee for me this morning. I survived. The ultrasound? I won't know for at least three days. I don't expect that anything will be found. Strike One. Then when HTP and I went to break our fast (HTP fasted in sympathy) at our favorite sushi restaurant, we discovered that they've gone out of business. Strike Two. We drove to another sushi restaurant but that one charged more than we were willing to pay. Strike Three. Oh well...we had lunch over at Valle Luna, a Mexican restaurant. The food was wonderful. I bought some sushi-grade ahi tuna at Sprout's after our lunch. We'll have "sushi" tonight at supper...well...almost. I plan to pan-sear it but really, really, rare and serve it with wasabi and soy sauce. Sushi without the rice. I picked up some nice asparagus to go with our meal. HTP and I will have to search around and see if we can find a new favorite sushi restaurant.
Murphyism of the Day
Golden Principle
Nothing will be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
Marbleous - Feeling of wonder of a piece of sculpture made from marble.
I fasted last night and this morning until after my ultrasound. That means no coffee for me this morning. I survived. The ultrasound? I won't know for at least three days. I don't expect that anything will be found. Strike One. Then when HTP and I went to break our fast (HTP fasted in sympathy) at our favorite sushi restaurant, we discovered that they've gone out of business. Strike Two. We drove to another sushi restaurant but that one charged more than we were willing to pay. Strike Three. Oh well...we had lunch over at Valle Luna, a Mexican restaurant. The food was wonderful. I bought some sushi-grade ahi tuna at Sprout's after our lunch. We'll have "sushi" tonight at supper...well...almost. I plan to pan-sear it but really, really, rare and serve it with wasabi and soy sauce. Sushi without the rice. I picked up some nice asparagus to go with our meal. HTP and I will have to search around and see if we can find a new favorite sushi restaurant.
Murphyism of the Day
Golden Principle
Nothing will be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Word of the Day
Mandals - Sandals for men.
I've thrown open the windows to let the fresh air in. According to my wireless thermometer, it's 79°F outside right now, and that's in the shade. My backyard sensor is always in the shade. Everyday I've been closely examining my ficus nitida for signs of life. None so far. My only hope is that budding will occur sometime between now and mid-March. Failing that, I'll be replacing four large trees (ficus nitida), one small tree (thevetia), and one hibiscus. There may be other plants that need replacing but those are the most obvious that took the full brunt of our cold winter temperatures.
I'm really getting tired of the Islamic cartoon hoopla. It seems to me the rioters are just reinforcing an image that the cartoonist drew. As far as I'm concerned the cartoonist didn't need to draw these cartoons. The violent actions of these Islamists have gone a long way toward drawing these images in most of our minds. When I saw that cartoon, I saw a certain amount of truth. Sad truth. How else am I to interpret jets being flown into buildings where thousands died, honor killings and rapes, stonings, Bibles shredded, intolerance of all but your supposed true religion, be-headings, flag-burning, bombs, suicide bombers, and these riots that tell me that I'm not free to write in many minds even that which I've written so far in this last paragraph much less draw a picture that illustrates the evil far more clearly than I ever could? Word of advice. If you want me to respect Islam as a religion of peace, stop killing people in the name of God. Stop beating people up in the name of God. In my humble opinion, God has absolutely nothing to do with your violent and evil actions. I'm told that the majority of Muslims are horrified by the actions of a few. I'm told that Islam is truly a religion of peace. Sorry guys, that's not what I've seen so far. You'll have to show me. I'd love to have you show me all about it.
Well there I go again. Politics and religion are things that I promised myself that I wouldn't write about. Sorry. Sometimes events occur that warrant a divergence from the norm. Just because I don't write my thoughts on a subject doesn't mean that I have none.
Murphyism of the Day
Baldridge's Law
If we knew what we were getting into we would never get into anything.
Mandals - Sandals for men.
I've thrown open the windows to let the fresh air in. According to my wireless thermometer, it's 79°F outside right now, and that's in the shade. My backyard sensor is always in the shade. Everyday I've been closely examining my ficus nitida for signs of life. None so far. My only hope is that budding will occur sometime between now and mid-March. Failing that, I'll be replacing four large trees (ficus nitida), one small tree (thevetia), and one hibiscus. There may be other plants that need replacing but those are the most obvious that took the full brunt of our cold winter temperatures.
I'm really getting tired of the Islamic cartoon hoopla. It seems to me the rioters are just reinforcing an image that the cartoonist drew. As far as I'm concerned the cartoonist didn't need to draw these cartoons. The violent actions of these Islamists have gone a long way toward drawing these images in most of our minds. When I saw that cartoon, I saw a certain amount of truth. Sad truth. How else am I to interpret jets being flown into buildings where thousands died, honor killings and rapes, stonings, Bibles shredded, intolerance of all but your supposed true religion, be-headings, flag-burning, bombs, suicide bombers, and these riots that tell me that I'm not free to write in many minds even that which I've written so far in this last paragraph much less draw a picture that illustrates the evil far more clearly than I ever could? Word of advice. If you want me to respect Islam as a religion of peace, stop killing people in the name of God. Stop beating people up in the name of God. In my humble opinion, God has absolutely nothing to do with your violent and evil actions. I'm told that the majority of Muslims are horrified by the actions of a few. I'm told that Islam is truly a religion of peace. Sorry guys, that's not what I've seen so far. You'll have to show me. I'd love to have you show me all about it.
Well there I go again. Politics and religion are things that I promised myself that I wouldn't write about. Sorry. Sometimes events occur that warrant a divergence from the norm. Just because I don't write my thoughts on a subject doesn't mean that I have none.
Murphyism of the Day
Baldridge's Law
If we knew what we were getting into we would never get into anything.
Monday, February 06, 2006
Word of the Day
Magnatricity-Being attracted to someone to such an extent it shocks you.
Cold/Flu - Screw it! Suffice it to say that it's been more than a month and I'm sick of being sick.
Maybe I'll get better fast if I stop keeping a running count. My friend, a nurse, tells me that if I have pleurisy like she thinks, it'll take a fair amount of time to get better. So, her recommendation? Are you taking an anti-inflammatory? Advil? I'm supposed to do that until it all goes away. Funny but I felt a lot better after she told me that. All I wanted was someone to tell me that it'll take four to six weeks before I'll be back to normal. Instead I spend all kinds of money to be scared about possible gall bladder, pancreas, liver, kidney, whatever disease. I still have to go and get an ultrasound on Wednesday because HTP won't let me cancel. But after Wednesday I refuse to pay any more for them to tell me what I don't have what I already know that I don't have.
Yesterday was the SuperBowl XL. I had to laugh at the XL part. The Pittsburgh Steelers won. I didn't watch. Maybe if Minnesota, Wisconsin or even Arizona were playing but even that would be a slim chance. I bet my Dad was watching. I know that my father-in-law was watching because we forgot about the game and HTP called them. I'm sure that HTP's Dad really appreciated the call. Oh well. HTP's Mom appreciated the call.
We met a new neighbor this morning. She came over to complain that our water was flowing into her yard. HTP and I discovered that we'd forgotten to readjust our watering schedule from its summer setting to its winter setting when we returned at the end of October. We changed the setting to a more reasonable winter setting on Saturday. After we told her this, we asked if there was still a problem. She told us that she didn't know since she hadn't looked since last week. We gave her our phone number and told her to call us if there was still a problem. Am I a bad neighbor because I'm hoping that she doesn't call and I'm fearing that this is going to become a problem? I sure hope this isn't one of those people who likes to complain and gripe about every little thing. Apparently she and her good friend moved into the house in November.
Murphyism of the Day
Fresco's Discovery
If you knew what you were doing you'd probably be bored.
Corollary
Just because you're bored doesn't mean you know what you're doing.
Magnatricity-Being attracted to someone to such an extent it shocks you.
Cold/Flu - Screw it! Suffice it to say that it's been more than a month and I'm sick of being sick.
Maybe I'll get better fast if I stop keeping a running count. My friend, a nurse, tells me that if I have pleurisy like she thinks, it'll take a fair amount of time to get better. So, her recommendation? Are you taking an anti-inflammatory? Advil? I'm supposed to do that until it all goes away. Funny but I felt a lot better after she told me that. All I wanted was someone to tell me that it'll take four to six weeks before I'll be back to normal. Instead I spend all kinds of money to be scared about possible gall bladder, pancreas, liver, kidney, whatever disease. I still have to go and get an ultrasound on Wednesday because HTP won't let me cancel. But after Wednesday I refuse to pay any more for them to tell me what I don't have what I already know that I don't have.
Yesterday was the SuperBowl XL. I had to laugh at the XL part. The Pittsburgh Steelers won. I didn't watch. Maybe if Minnesota, Wisconsin or even Arizona were playing but even that would be a slim chance. I bet my Dad was watching. I know that my father-in-law was watching because we forgot about the game and HTP called them. I'm sure that HTP's Dad really appreciated the call. Oh well. HTP's Mom appreciated the call.
We met a new neighbor this morning. She came over to complain that our water was flowing into her yard. HTP and I discovered that we'd forgotten to readjust our watering schedule from its summer setting to its winter setting when we returned at the end of October. We changed the setting to a more reasonable winter setting on Saturday. After we told her this, we asked if there was still a problem. She told us that she didn't know since she hadn't looked since last week. We gave her our phone number and told her to call us if there was still a problem. Am I a bad neighbor because I'm hoping that she doesn't call and I'm fearing that this is going to become a problem? I sure hope this isn't one of those people who likes to complain and gripe about every little thing. Apparently she and her good friend moved into the house in November.
Murphyism of the Day
Fresco's Discovery
If you knew what you were doing you'd probably be bored.
Corollary
Just because you're bored doesn't mean you know what you're doing.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Word of the Day
Lung-tied - Unable to breathe properly.
Cold/Flu - Day 34
I had an early morning practice at the church with the orchestra. We have to be at the church next Sunday at 7:15 AM. This means that I'll have to leave the house at 6:45 AM, which means that I'll have to get up at 5:30 AM. Lovely. I played with the contemporary group for one of the services. A lot of the music was new to me but I don't think I did too bad for a sight-reader. Ah well...the most forgiving audiences are at church. It's all about lifting a joyful noise unto the Lord.
There's a lot going on in the world right now. I hate to dwell on the negative so I tend to stay away from history-making events. Should I feel the urge I would tell you that President Bush is busily ducking the illegal immigration issue but that seems to be a bi-partisan habit. I would have to tell you that Iran has become a rather explosive issue...that's me down-playing things again.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary V
If two corollaries of Murphy's Law contradict each other, the one with the greater potential for damage takes precedence.
Lung-tied - Unable to breathe properly.
Cold/Flu - Day 34
I had an early morning practice at the church with the orchestra. We have to be at the church next Sunday at 7:15 AM. This means that I'll have to leave the house at 6:45 AM, which means that I'll have to get up at 5:30 AM. Lovely. I played with the contemporary group for one of the services. A lot of the music was new to me but I don't think I did too bad for a sight-reader. Ah well...the most forgiving audiences are at church. It's all about lifting a joyful noise unto the Lord.
There's a lot going on in the world right now. I hate to dwell on the negative so I tend to stay away from history-making events. Should I feel the urge I would tell you that President Bush is busily ducking the illegal immigration issue but that seems to be a bi-partisan habit. I would have to tell you that Iran has become a rather explosive issue...that's me down-playing things again.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary V
If two corollaries of Murphy's Law contradict each other, the one with the greater potential for damage takes precedence.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Word of the Day
Lucksury - Lottery winner.
Cold/Flu - Day 33
Yes, I've still got my cold/flu. It's not bad but it just seems to want to linger like that sensitive tooth that everyone tries to ignore because the dentist will only recommend that special toothpaste for people with sensitive teeth and that only after he's charged you tons of money for x-rays that you didn't need.
I haven't done anything today besides get up, make the bed, take care of the dogs, make coffee, make breakfast, lunch and dinner, and play Pogo. I didn't even go shopping for groceries. Tomorrow. I'll go shopping tomorrow after church. Despite the fact that I haven't seen any of the music, I'm supposed to play for one of the services tomorrow. I also have an orchestra practice. Sounds like one of those days when I'll end up with fat, sexy lips again.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary IV
If an outcome has a 50% chance of occurring, it's actual probability of happening is inversely proportional to the desirability of the outcome.
Lucksury - Lottery winner.
Cold/Flu - Day 33
Yes, I've still got my cold/flu. It's not bad but it just seems to want to linger like that sensitive tooth that everyone tries to ignore because the dentist will only recommend that special toothpaste for people with sensitive teeth and that only after he's charged you tons of money for x-rays that you didn't need.
I haven't done anything today besides get up, make the bed, take care of the dogs, make coffee, make breakfast, lunch and dinner, and play Pogo. I didn't even go shopping for groceries. Tomorrow. I'll go shopping tomorrow after church. Despite the fact that I haven't seen any of the music, I'm supposed to play for one of the services tomorrow. I also have an orchestra practice. Sounds like one of those days when I'll end up with fat, sexy lips again.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary IV
If an outcome has a 50% chance of occurring, it's actual probability of happening is inversely proportional to the desirability of the outcome.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Word of the Day
Looneytuniversity - School for cartoon characters.
Cold/Flu-Day 32
We're Home! It took 2 1/2 hours to drive from Wickenburg to our home in Chandler. Traffic was awful once we hit the northern part of Phoenix.
I picked up Chinese food for supper since the cupboards are somewhat bare and I didn't feel like cooking. My fortune cookie fortune said: "You will be traveling and coming into a fortune." I am going to be traveling to Vegas again later this month. I think I'll keep this fortune cookie fortune in hopes that it'll bring me luck. Of course, it may just mean that I'll be stopping for oriental food on the way to Vegas next time and I'll get another fortune cookie fortune. And what's the true definition of fortune?
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Corollary III
The magnitude of the catastrophe is exponentially proportional to the importance of the occasion.
Looneytuniversity - School for cartoon characters.
Cold/Flu-Day 32
We're Home! It took 2 1/2 hours to drive from Wickenburg to our home in Chandler. Traffic was awful once we hit the northern part of Phoenix.
I picked up Chinese food for supper since the cupboards are somewhat bare and I didn't feel like cooking. My fortune cookie fortune said: "You will be traveling and coming into a fortune." I am going to be traveling to Vegas again later this month. I think I'll keep this fortune cookie fortune in hopes that it'll bring me luck. Of course, it may just mean that I'll be stopping for oriental food on the way to Vegas next time and I'll get another fortune cookie fortune. And what's the true definition of fortune?
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Corollary III
The magnitude of the catastrophe is exponentially proportional to the importance of the occasion.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Word of the Day
Longth - How long something is.
Cold/Flu - Day 31
I'm back in the room. All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go... I've lost all the money that I plan to lose. I was standing in line at the Cashier so I could cash some traveler's checks. As I stood in line I could see the humanity that really shouldn't be in a casino. All with their welfare checks. It was really depressing. So...I'm up here in the room. I love coming to Vegas but sometimes enough is just enough.
HTP and I supper at Billy Bob's. Nothing worth writing about but the wine was OK. I brought my second glass of wine back to the room with me. It made the packing go down better. Kind of like that spoon full of sugar that makes the medicine go down. I prefer to pack as much as I can the night before we head on home. I'm not at my best in the morning without my first cuppa coffee.
We're heading back home to Chandler tomorrow after breakfast. We'll be stopping to pick up the dogs at my folks place. I hope that all went well with their water heater fiasco. My Dad woke up to a mess this morning. Their hot water heater decided to make its presence known by geysering water all over their garage. Hot water flowing in sheets down the driveway. The last I heard the plumber was on his way.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary II
The magnitude of the catastrophe is directly proportional to the number of people watching.
Longth - How long something is.
Cold/Flu - Day 31
I'm back in the room. All my bags are packed and I'm ready to go... I've lost all the money that I plan to lose. I was standing in line at the Cashier so I could cash some traveler's checks. As I stood in line I could see the humanity that really shouldn't be in a casino. All with their welfare checks. It was really depressing. So...I'm up here in the room. I love coming to Vegas but sometimes enough is just enough.
HTP and I supper at Billy Bob's. Nothing worth writing about but the wine was OK. I brought my second glass of wine back to the room with me. It made the packing go down better. Kind of like that spoon full of sugar that makes the medicine go down. I prefer to pack as much as I can the night before we head on home. I'm not at my best in the morning without my first cuppa coffee.
We're heading back home to Chandler tomorrow after breakfast. We'll be stopping to pick up the dogs at my folks place. I hope that all went well with their water heater fiasco. My Dad woke up to a mess this morning. Their hot water heater decided to make its presence known by geysering water all over their garage. Hot water flowing in sheets down the driveway. The last I heard the plumber was on his way.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary II
The magnitude of the catastrophe is directly proportional to the number of people watching.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Word of the Day
Lolfill - To type lol into an internet conversation to save having to type anything else or fill in for awkward silences.
Cold/Flu - Day 30
I'm still coughing but it may be because there are so many smokers here in the casino. I doubt it but what the heck...one can only hope that I'm better.
I didn't blog yesterday. I warned you. There was no waiting at the dam so I won't capitalize Dam. Mid-week, non-holiday, there is no real problems crossing the Hoover Dam. I don't expect that there will be any problems on Friday when we plan to cross the dam on our way home.
We dropped our dogs off at my folk's place before we continued on to Sam's Town. HTP tried to fix Dad's computer. It didn't get fixed but I think that it might be fixed today after a bit more work.
I didn't win a thing yesterday. Nothing. However, I did try. HTP and I had supper at Billy Bob's. Why? The only thing that they can't ruin is the raw oysters. I had a ribeye steak. At least it was juicy. I asked for it to be cooked rare. It was. Unfortunately the steak was so full of fat that there was little edible meat to be had. The best part of our meal? My order of raw oysters and my 32 oz. stein of Shiner Bock beer.
I'm up in the room right now waiting for a refrigerator. HTP and I ate at Fellini's tonight. Who can eat that much?! I mean, we really do try because our food and We polished off a bottle of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio but we had to have more than half of our meal packed up to "take home". Home right now is our room. We need a fridge. Housekeeping promised to bring us a fridge. Twenty minutes? That's OK. I can blog while I'm waiting for it to arrive. I had spumoni for dessert along with cafe con leche. HTP had Snickers Pie. Our favorite waiter always calls HTP's favorite dessert, Sneaker's Pie. That's how it sounds with an Italian accent.
The refrigerator is here, the refrigerator is here! HTP is here too. He decided that it was better to watch TV up here in the room than to lose more money down in the casino. I am free now to go down to test my luck down in the casino. I don't expect that I'll remain down in the casino for too long.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary I
Murphy's Law may be delayed or suspended for an indefinite period of time, provided that such delay or suspension will result in a greater catastrophe at a later date.
Lolfill - To type lol into an internet conversation to save having to type anything else or fill in for awkward silences.
Cold/Flu - Day 30
I'm still coughing but it may be because there are so many smokers here in the casino. I doubt it but what the heck...one can only hope that I'm better.
I didn't blog yesterday. I warned you. There was no waiting at the dam so I won't capitalize Dam. Mid-week, non-holiday, there is no real problems crossing the Hoover Dam. I don't expect that there will be any problems on Friday when we plan to cross the dam on our way home.
We dropped our dogs off at my folk's place before we continued on to Sam's Town. HTP tried to fix Dad's computer. It didn't get fixed but I think that it might be fixed today after a bit more work.
I didn't win a thing yesterday. Nothing. However, I did try. HTP and I had supper at Billy Bob's. Why? The only thing that they can't ruin is the raw oysters. I had a ribeye steak. At least it was juicy. I asked for it to be cooked rare. It was. Unfortunately the steak was so full of fat that there was little edible meat to be had. The best part of our meal? My order of raw oysters and my 32 oz. stein of Shiner Bock beer.
I'm up in the room right now waiting for a refrigerator. HTP and I ate at Fellini's tonight. Who can eat that much?! I mean, we really do try because our food and We polished off a bottle of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio but we had to have more than half of our meal packed up to "take home". Home right now is our room. We need a fridge. Housekeeping promised to bring us a fridge. Twenty minutes? That's OK. I can blog while I'm waiting for it to arrive. I had spumoni for dessert along with cafe con leche. HTP had Snickers Pie. Our favorite waiter always calls HTP's favorite dessert, Sneaker's Pie. That's how it sounds with an Italian accent.
The refrigerator is here, the refrigerator is here! HTP is here too. He decided that it was better to watch TV up here in the room than to lose more money down in the casino. I am free now to go down to test my luck down in the casino. I don't expect that I'll remain down in the casino for too long.
Murphyism of the Day
Stewart's Murphy Corollary I
Murphy's Law may be delayed or suspended for an indefinite period of time, provided that such delay or suspension will result in a greater catastrophe at a later date.