Word of the Day

Uggling - Hanging out with friends in a relaxed, carefree manner.

I'm sitting here with the windows open, listening to the fountain as the water falls rather noisily into its basin. I hope the neighbors don't complain. I love it. The sounds here in Arizona are so much different than those at The Lake. I can hear the sounds of numerous cars as they pass by on the busy street a mere block away. Overhead I hear the sound of either helicopters or small planes...sometimes both. I haven't seen any military helicopters as yet but I used to see those last year.

I haven't heard any big trucks! When HTP and I were driving home, we noticed some new signs that may explain the blessed lack of trucks jake-braking as they near the stop sign on the main drag outside our development. No trucks over 5 tons, D.V.M. I imagine that the folks that live in the houses right across the street from us are jumping up and down with joy. I know I am. HTP was always cranking about those trucks.

Yesterday, as HTP was cutting up pruning debris (his choice...I would have done it), and I was sitting here at my computer feeling guilty, he looks up at me from where he's working with a decided cranky expression and asks, "Why aren't you answering the phone?" Blink. The phone wasn't ringing...at least OUR phone wasn't ringing. We have a really tiny backyard. You could spit watermelon seeds from my back door to our back wall. Oh well...less to take care of while we're enjoying the desert heat or lack thereof.

We're really going to have to get used to having CLOSE neighbors again. When you are outside on our patio you can hear everyone's phones ringing, their raised voices and conversations, cupboards slamming, vacuum cleaners running, dogs barking, visiting grandchildren laughing, squealing and crying, and closed windows don't muffle the sounds if someone is yelling at someone else. We're back to the city.

And I'm ordering new batteries for my dogs bark collars before anyone starts to complain...other than HTP. Right now I've got the dogs faked out by putting the bark collars on with the old dead batteries. The dogs haven't figured out as yet that they don't work so they won't get zapped when they bark. I thought it was worth a try. Actually, no-one here has complained about my dogs barking. Not in this neighborhood. I figure that if I don't complain about other dogs barking, why should someone complain about my dogs barking? Most people share my philosophy here. I think it may be that I live in a retirement community. No-one here has to get up early in the morning to go to work so they aren't so cranky about late night barking dogs. Actually, there aren't any boredom barkers here. Most dogs here get lots of attention from their owners who treat them like children who will never grow up and leave the nest. Despite this, I prefer not to risk the wrath of some dog-hating neighbor who I haven't met. I know that such people exist. Besides, keeping the dogs from barking will keep HTP happy too.

Murphyism of the Day

Fox on Levelology

What will get you promoted on one level will get you killed on another.