Word of the Day

Bacne - Acne of the back. Acne located on the back of an individual's torso.

Vegas - Day 2

HTP and I had supper last night at Billy Bob's. I ordered a bottle of wine. HTP declined...even a sip. He'd already had two GIANT margaritas earlier in the day at Willy & Joses...and he'd ordered a fru-fru drink on top of that. He was feeling no pain. He commented that the last time he'd had so much fun was when MC Daughter and D Buddy got married. He was smilin'. Me? I only had two beers, half a GIANT beer, and a glass of red wine. Around 4 AM, it dawned on HTP and me that we didn't sign any comp papers for the dinner before we left. We calculated a tip for our server and left that but.... OMG! We actually left and didn't pay anyone. HTP took care of it this afternoon. No-one sent security after us.

Today is HTP and my 29th Anniversary! We've been married 29 years! We're going to celebrate tonight at Fellini's. At 4 PM, we went over to Billy Bob's and slurped down two dozen raw oysters. HTP had a Manhattan (Blech!). I had a dry martini with extra olives, Tanqueray Gin...of course. I hope we don't forget to pay the bill at Fellini's...actually, our dinner and beverages are comped but we still have to sign the check.

HTP is happy because he's actually ahead of the gambling curve. Money ahead. I wasn't doing so well but...I got a nice jackpot. Woohoo! No Royal Flush for me but I'm still money ahead. However, we've still got one more day to go. Lady Luck doesn't always smile.

Murphyism of the Day

McKee's Law

When you're not in a hurry, the traffic light will turn green as soon as your vehicle comes to a complete stop.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians. -- Charles De Gaulle (1890 - 1970)

Wake Up!

Word of the Day

Backspubble - Dishwater that disappears down one drain of a double sink and comes up the other.

We're in Vegas! There was a fairly long wait at The Dam. It's not all that surprising when dibs and dabs of tourist decide to cross the street at the designated areas at will. I find the ones that decide to stop, mid-street, to take pictures particularly annoying. There were three of them this time. *sigh*

HTP and I stopped at my folks' place to unload some of our stuff along with the dogs. Vegas was enjoying triple digit temperatures during this time. HTP and I have experienced warmer temperatures but there is a reason we spend our summers in Wisconsin where triple digit temperatures are rare.

So, this was our first night in Vegas. Two more to go and then we're off to Wisconsin. I'm not sure if I'll find the time to blog again while we're here or not. The dial-up speeds are pretty slow.

Murphyism of the Day

Lemar's Parking Postulate

After you have to park six blocks away, you will find two new parking spaces right in front of the building entrance.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Crime does not pay ... as well as politics. -- Alfred E. Newman

0 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Word of the Day

Awesomnity - The quantity or condition of being awesome

Zero? Well...at least I have today to finish up with things. I taped up the one box that I'm bringing along. I zipped up one of the large suitcases. I'll finish up packing the rest of my stuff tomorrow morning. I brought in all the glasstop tables and cushions from my patio furniture. Monsoon storms can pick up and toss glasstop tables. Glass doesn't usually survive well when it's tossed about, especially if it's slammed into a block wall or dropped back onto a concrete patio. I've learned not to leave anything outside that might get caught up into one of Arizona's monsoon storms. I brought in my rain gauge and my solar frog (his belly lights up after dark). I brought in my glass reflecting ball. I brought in the welcome mats. I brought in the grapevine wreath that hangs by my front door. I even unplugged the Malibu lights. HTP is returning our cable boxes. We'll live with the basic cable that comes along with our HOA dues for tonight. HTP will have our cable modem put on vacation...after we leave. I still have to bring a box of stuff from the fridge over to my neighbors' house. I hate to throw perfectly good food away.

HTP and I will pack up the SUV tonight. We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning. I'm not sure if I'll have the opportunity to blog for a while. We'll have the laptop but dial-up speed can make blogging rather difficult. We'll see. Vegas here we come.

Murphyism of the Day

Relativity for Children

Time moves slower in a fast-moving vehicle.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The only time people dislike gossip is when you gossip about them. --Will Rogers

1 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Word of the Day

Bananosecond - The time elapsed between slipping on a banana peel and hitting the ground.

The fountain is all drained and cleaned. I gave into temptation and read my book. Slurp! It's not like I had anything else to do. I can't pack anything more until tomorrow. I did arrange to find a home for whatever perishables that I might have in my fridge after dinner on Friday night. Six eggs. A couple of ripe tomatoes and a bit of lettuce. HTP and I are having some left-over lasagna tonight along with some stuffed green peppers. We're finishing up some stuff from the freezer. Friday night we'll have pizza.

So what am I doing today? I'm going out to lunch with a couple of my fellow musicians from church. I'll wait to bring in the lawn furniture and my rain gauge until tomorrow. We'll be loading the car tomorrow night.

Murphyism of the Day

Law of Life's Highway

If everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

He who builds a better mousetrap these days runs into material shortages, patent-infringement suits, work stoppages, collusive bidding, discount discrimination--and taxes." -- H. E. Martz

2 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Word of the Day

Automagically - Automatically by a process that one does not understand or cannot be bothered to explain to anyone else.

I'm at that magic point where I can't really pack anything without having to unpack it so I can use it. Instead of packing, I decided to go out and purchase the latest novel by one of my favorite authors, Amanda Quick/Jayne Ann Krentz. This is a historical. I'm going to try really hard to save it so I can read in Vegas...instead of losing money. However...it's calling me in such a seductive manner. To avoid the seduction, I'm going to go drain and clean out the fountain.

Murphyism of the Day

Grandpa Charnock's Law

You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Don't gamble; take all your savings and buy some good stock and hold it till it goes up, then sell it. If it don't go up, don't buy it. -- Will Rogers

3 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Word of the Day

Arrow-waster - One who does not immediately proceed when a left-turn arrow flashes green; preventing following motorists from making it through on the light.

The list-maker can be fallible. In the middle of the night I remembered that I hadn't packed any shorts or capris for the summer. Why was that? It wasn't on my list. Why wasn't it on my list? It wasn't on my list because when I started this list (the basic list that I use as a starting point to form all future "Packing for The Lake" lists) I didn't own any shorts or capris because my old ones had gone the way of the dinosaur and I planned to buy new ones somewhere, somehow, during the summer. One can't pack what one doesn't own. Only...this year...I do have shorts and capris. I needed to add another line to my packing list. And then I got to thinking about what else wasn't on The List.

I would have been able to sleep a lot better if I'd to start keeping a pencil and paper by my bed to write this sort of thing down so I wouldn't forget the stuff swirling around in my head. I would have been able to sleep a lot better if I'd thought about getting up out of my comfy bed to find a piece of paper and pencil so I could write this sort of swirling stuff down. I didn't. As a result, I got up at 5 AM to power up my computer so I could amend my list. At this point the dogs were totally confused and decided that it must be time to get up. One learns not to ignore the dogs when they claim they need to go out for a walk. Who trains who?

I've been trying to train the dogs not to get up so early. My folks are going to look after the dogs for me while we're in Vegas. My folks aren't used to dogs that feel like they should be walked and fed before 6 AM. Only...that's when they usually get walked and fed because I never seem to be able to sleep longer than 6 AM because some niggling thought that I don't want to forget to remember always ends up waking me up.

Niggling thoughts. This morning it was all about The List and the mental image of an overflowing suitcase. With all the additions to The List, I finally had to accept the fact that there was no way that all that stuff would fit into one large suitcase. I have two large suitcases but one of those suitcases will be filled with everything that I'll need for a seven-day road trip. Three nights in Vegas and three nights on the road. Seven days. There's a lot of stuff I need for seven days. I was a lot younger when I toured the country-side of Bolivia with only the clothes on my back, my hand-woven purse, my alpaca poncho, and little plaid bag. I don't travel so light these days. Though...I probably could if it came right down to it. The desire to do so just isn't there anymore.

Oh well...so I decided I needed to pack some of this stuff into a box. After the dogs were walked and fed, I dug one of those small packing boxes out of the garage. We keep our packing boxes. They come in handy for the long road trips we make to and fro each year. Eventually, HTP would like me to whittle down the items on my packing list so we would be able to fly to and fro but I haven't been able to manage this Herculean task as yet. There's just so much stuff that needs to be transported from here to there and from there to here. It's all my Moms fault. It's in the genes. If you think I have a long packing list, you should see my Mom's list.

Anyway, I think I have a handle on things now that I've given up trying to pack everything that I don't need until we get to The Lake into one large suitcase. Now that I've packed the one small packing box, I have plenty of room in that one large suitcase for the items that I remembered in the middle of the night that I had to add to The List. And...I'm not carrying any more to The Lake than I carried there last year. I was able to transfer most of the recipes from all those cookbooks that I used to carry to and fro to a file on my computer. See? I'm trying to whittle down The List.

Murphyism of the Day

Snider's Law

Nothing can be done in one trip.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

If time flies when you're having fun, it hits the afterburners when you don't think you're having enough. - Jef Mallett, Frazz, 08-01-05

4 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Word of the Day

Arrognorant - A person who thinks they know everything, but is usually wrong.

I've been busy. I dug out some old DD Daughter clothes from when she was a wee baby. I also dug out my dikey projects. I'm packing them because I don't have actual time to work on them right now. I've got a bit more time, right? I also found the sock project. I used to make special socks for my daughters. I made some nice bit of spare change when I continued that project and sold them at a friend's store where I worked. I think I'll work up a few pair for my new grandbaby. After consulting my lists, it looks like I've done all the packing I can do for right now. I've got two large suitcases, open on my guest bed. One suitcase is overflowing with things that I won't need until I get to The Lake. The other suitcase is almost empty.

Murphyism of the Day

Old Grey Frog's Rules on Packing for Trips

1. Always make lists.
2. Always start packing early so you don't forget stuff.
3. Never pack what you still might need.

HTP's Corollary on Old Grey's Rules on Packing

1. If you make a list, you'll lose it.
2. Lists are only as good as the person making the list.
3. If you start packing early, you'll have to unpack something at the bottom of the suitcase, thereby forcing you to unpack everything over and over again..
3. Anything item you have to unpack because you still need it, will be forgotten.
4. Regardless how organized you are, you will always have to unpack something.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer. -- Will Rogers

5 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Word of the Day

Aristonaut - Someone who bought their way into space with large amounts of money not available to the general masses.

The time has come to get cracking on the packing. I sent the leftovers from last night's Soprano's party home with my friends. I also refilled the liqueur bottles that brought back. I'm going to have to make some more strawberry liqueur this summer, and some wild raspberry liqueur...and blackberry. Mainly, I plan to make more wine but I'll still have to replenish my liqueurs. There's nothing like a little sip of liqueur after a meal...instead of dessert. My friends all thought the Arancello was wonderful. I sent some of that home with them too.

But...it's time to get packing. I'm not expecting to have to entertain anyone here at the house so I can leave my suitcases out and open for packing.

Murphyism of the Day

McFee's Maxim

Matter can neither be created nor destroyed. However, it can be lost.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Our constitution protects aliens, drunks and U.S. Senators. -- Will Rogers

6 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Word of the Day

Arbitraitor - A mediator who suddenly takes sides in a dispute.

I think the people who design and manufacture belts (the kind that hold up your pants) went to the people who design and manufacture blue jeans and worked out a deal. I can't find blue jeans anymore that sit high enough on my waist so that I can do without a belt. MC Daughter tells me that it's all due to an episode that Oprah had on her show. I guess that's why I can't find any jeans that come up and cover my belly button anymore. Curses! I don't give too much of an owl's hoot in double toothpicks about "fashion". I just want a comfortable pair of jeans that I can work in and not worry about bending down and showing my entire tattoo along with other stuff. It seems that I now have a choice of "mid-rise" jeans, or "low-rise" jeans. Forget the low-rise jeans. Me and razors don't get along at the best of times. My tattoo would be on display for all to see and I refuse to get a belly button ring to distract people from my tattoo. And...on a side note...I haven't been able to find t-shirts, regular, non-logo t-shirts, that will come down to cover my hips. Raise my arms, and oops!, there's my belly button on display...and the upper wing tips of my tattoo. I'm not embarrassed that I have a tattoo or anything but it's positioned a fair distance below my waist. Oh well...that's a whole other topic. Back to the blue jean and belt issue. I did finally break down and buy some blue jeans the other day. They do fit. Mid-rise. However, I found out almost immediately that I needed new belts. My old belts (which used to fit just fine on my old jeans) fit just fine around my waist. They don't fit just fine on mid-rise jeans. Plus, I think they made the belt loops bigger. I ended up having to buy these really wide leather belts (one brown, one black...I do go that far when it comes to appeasing the God of fashion). The belts remind me of another era. Back to the 60's when the mini-skirts were in style along with "hip-huggers". Yes, Virginia, I did wear hip-huggers. I was that daring back then when I was young. I even wore a mini-skirt or two. When I was young enough to pull something like that off. I'm a bit older now. Lots older. To those who don't understand 60's lingo, hip-huggers are what the fashion industry is now calling "mid-rise". They didn't have "low-rise" back then. I'm pretty sure that "low-rise" jeans were designed along with the manufacturers of women's underwear. Better to display on the outside that which I'd just as soon stay covered by outer clothing. I mean there is a reason the stuff is called "underwear". You're supposed to wear it under your clothing. I wear pretty lingerie for me and HTP. Anyway, the whole upshot of this is that I now have some new blue jeans AND I have some new belts to hold my new blue jeans up so I don't display my lingerie and my tattoo to all and sundry. It's all a conspiracy by the fashionistas to make me shell out more money.

Murphyism of the Day

Proof Techniques

1. Proof by referral to nonexistent authorities
2. Reduction ad nauseam
3. Proof by assignment
4. Method of least astonishment
5. Proof by handwaving
6. Proof by intimidation
7. Method of deferral until later in the course
8. Proof by reduction to a sequence of unrelated lemmas
9. Method of convergent irrelevancies

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I never expected to see the day when girls would get sunburned in the places they do today. -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Arachnijig - The involuntary dancing motion one makes when one accidentally walks into a spider web, or is told there's a spider on them.

7 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

I'm busy! I've got company coming tomorrow for dinner. I need to clean the bathrooms! I need to dust! HTP vacuumed and is outside right now cleaning the backyard patio. I did the grocery shopping. I'm whittling down stuff from my To Do List.

MC Daughter called from The Lake. D Buddy got the job. They're going to drive into the cities on Monday to do some preliminary apartment hunting. I think D Buddy will start work on Wednesday. Congrats, D Buddy!

I am not in panic mode....I am not in panic mode....I am not in panic mode. Everything is under control. (....nevermind that man behind the curtain....)

Murphyism of the Day

Horwood's Sixth Law

If you have the right data you have the wrong problem.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. --Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Arachnidiot - A person, who, having wandered into an "invisible" spider web begins gyrating and flailing about wildly.

8 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

I forgot to post my countdown to The Lake yesterday. My only excuse is that I'm starting to go into denial. It makes me feel a heck of a lot better about not dragging suitcases from the closet and printing out a hard copy of my packing list. I know that I probably could be doing a bit more on the packing front but I've got some friends coming over to have supper with us and watch The Sopranos on Saturday. I'm trying to convince myself that any serious packing is going to have to wait until Sunday.

HTP took the Gator in to the auto repair shop to have them clear it for cross-country travel. They replaced some stuff and (knock on wood) deemed The Gator "roadworthy". Knock on wood. HTP changed the air-filter, had the tires rotated, and filled up the gas tank. All we have to do now is give the Gator a bath. That'll have to wait until next week sometime. We've been having too many duststorms and "showers". It's best to hold off until Friday before we start loading up all that stuff that I haven't packed yet.

Murphyism of the Day

Alan's Law of Research

The theory is supported as long as the funds are.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.--Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Aqualibrium - 1. The point where the stream of drinking fountain water reaches the perfect height, thus relieving the drinker from either having to suck from the nozzle or from squirting him or herself in the eye. 2. The point at which the water in the bathtub is at just the right temperature.

HTP and I woke to the sounds of sirens and helicopters this morning. Early this morning. It was still dark outside. After speculating a bit, HTP and I decided that it might be safer if we closed our windows for the rest of the...night...morning. Often, because we live right at the edge of "free zone" for illegal aliens through the Indian reservation land, we see trucks and police cars and suspicious activities. Neighbors come back to find that someone was camping out in their backyard while they were away. Lawn furniture disappears. I have no idea why some of my neighbors don't bother to close their garages but inevitably when garage doors aren't closed, stuff disappears. Word to the wise here in Arizona, keep your doors locked and your garage doors closed. No point in inviting pests into your home. Anyway, HTP and I did find out that there was a head on collision with a fatality. A truck vs. a sports car. HTP and I have often noticed that the road that runs into the Indian Reservation is enjoyed by people who want to run drag races with their cars at full throttle. Late at night when the police have all gone to other locations. With windows open at night, it's hard to miss the sound of cars racing each other down that road which makes a great race track, not one block from our home. I'm not sure what happened last night. It was the helicopters and their searchlights that made me nervous. Hours of circling our neighborhood. I suspect that a couple of guys took their cars out to drag race on a deserted road in the middle of the night. I suspect one of the cars took off when he saw that his racing buddy hit that truck. Why was that pick-up truck on that fairly deserted road at 3:30 AM? I can only speculate and since I'm already speculating....I'll stop until I get further data.

#1 Son called us. His college just went on lockdown because of a bomb threat. The nuts are crawling out of the woodwork. Copycats. Crazies. In the news, there was a massacre of students at Virginia Tech. Since the massacre hit the news, copycats and crazies are wanting their own little bit of attention. I suspect that many think they're being humorous. I fail to see the humor. I'm glad #1 Son called us. The poor students who lost their lives at Virginia Tech, weren't afforded that luxury.

Murphyism of the Day

Bershader's Law

Experiment and theory often show remarkable agreement when performed in the same laboratory.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.-- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Aquafelinephobia - The fear of cats that can swim.

10 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

While other people shovel snow, I'll have to get out there an shovel "dust" today. We had another duststorm yesterday. I've got drifts of the stuff , front and back. Of course, our dust is nothing like the inches and feet of snow that others may get, but there's enough to make things look messy. Aside from that, "dust" doesn't melt. "Dust" remains and tends to make things look dirty and unkempt. I even have to clean up the stuff that drifted in around the windows and doors. We don't have sandstorms here in Arizona...at least there is some sand but that's not the big problem. We have "dust". "Dust" is this fine desert brown silt. It blows right on through weather-proofed windows and doors. It gets everywhere. When I dust the house, the dust is that same shade of brown.

Only a couple more laundry days until we leave for The Lake. Actually, there really is only one more laundry day (besides today)before we leave for The Lake but...knowing me and knowing HTP, I figure that I'll have to toss in a couple more loads on that day before we leave. Leaving Eve. Things are going to shift into manic-mode as of tomorrow. We'll be down to single-digits and I've got to get a move on with the packing. Only...I've got company coming to dinner on Saturday night so I'll have to wait until Sunday to do any serious, piles of stuff on the dining room table, suitcases out and open, packing.

Murphyism of the Day

Land's Lemma

When the experiment doesn't work, distrust the experiment; when the experiment works, distrust the theory.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what's going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House? -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Aquadextrous - Possessing the ability to turn the bathtub faucet on and off with your toes.

11 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

A good neighbor would have asked me if I would please trim my tree because it had started to droop into her yard after the last dust storm. The poor tree is still fairly young and laden with white flowers right now. It's having a hard time with all the wind. *sigh* I would have been more that happy to trim the tree if I'd only known that it apparently was driving her nuts. Why didn't she just say something? Don't you think that's what a good neighbor would do? I have some wonderful neighbors. Only...this neighbor, who I've never met, who lives in back of my house, across a six-foot block wall, decided to lop off several branches of my tree this morning and toss them across the block fence into my yard. Never a word to me that the tree was even encroaching on her yard. I would have been happy to take care of the problem. I wonder if she realizes what kind of impression her approach left on me and HTP? Oh well....only eleven days and a wake up. Oh...by the way, we're having another dust storm right now. My poor tree!

I got my hair done. I'm not grey anymore! I figure that my hair will look nice and not grey for about three weeks before the skunk-line starts reappearing. Only, this time I decided to have my hair "high-lighted" so the skunk-line will hopefully stay hidden...a bit. In the olden days....back when I was a lot younger...we called what I had done "frosting". She went with a vanilla color which doesn't match my grey but, what the heck, she thought I'd be better off with something that wouldn't scream, "Hey, LOOK EVERYONE! She's decided to start letting her hair go grey!" HTP didn't notice anything different so maybe she was right. Wouldn't want to startle HTP.

Murphyism of the Day

Westheimer's Discovery

A couple of months in the laboratory can frequently save a couple of hours in the library.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out. -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Appointed - To be thoroughly satisfied with something; the opposite of disappointed.

12 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

The ice is off the lake. There is no snow. I know this because MC Daughter and D Buddy are at The Lake. They're storing some of their stuff in our basement until they can find an apartment. They're also enjoying a weekend doing absolutely nothing that they don't want to do.

Our local deputy sheriff was quick to make sure that MC Daughter and D Buddy were who they said they were. Good to know he's keeping an eye out for us. I also know a bit more about what I need to purchase at the store in the city on our way to The Lake, inventory-wise. Ketchup. Salad Dressings. Ziplock bags. Paper towels. More vacuum bags. Sticky boards for the mice.

The mice were having a great deal of fun and frolic in the house at The Lake over the winter. D Buddy removed eight corpses (mouse corpses) from various locations. MC Daughter scrubbed down every surface where she found mouse "tracks". Ewwwww!!!!! She also has been busily vacuuming up ladybugs....a never ending job. I'm under no illusions that there won't be lots more when we get there.

Murphyism of the Day

Von Braun's Credo

Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh.-- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Applicating - The act of submitting applications.

13 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

MC Daughter and D Buddy called from The Lake last night. They'll be staying there for the weekend. D Buddy had to dispose of a few dead mice. MC Daughter decided to wash the sheets when she found D-Con buried in the guest bed. Yucko! Dead mice and D-Con. Such is life at The Lake. No matter how much HTP and I do to prevent the winter mice invasion, they still get in...somehow. Maybe they take the same route as the ladybugs that end up crawling all over the house and getting into everything while we're gone. At least MC Daughter and D Buddy tell me that the place doesn't stink. Thank you D-Con for that.

I hadn't left too many groceries over the winter other than the usual survival basics. I'm starting a shopping list...though I may have to consult with MC Daughter as to what remains in the pantry up at The Lake. This is why inventory lists are so important. Only....I think #1 Son might have raided the pantry after we left for the season (he had my permission) so my inventory list (I did make one)isn't as accurate as it once was...plus...MC Daughter and D Buddy will be using some stuff too. Oh well....this isn't a problem for our Arizona house since HTP and I are the only family remaining here in Arizona. I started an inventory list from here so I'll know what I need to bring back from the lake when HTP and I return here this Fall. I'm also refining my packing list. I think HTP has given up on the thought of being able to squeeze everything into the Chevy.

I also have a long To Do List...but most of this is stuff that will have to wait until my countdown is down to the single digits. I plan to enjoy my fountain for as long as possible before I have to drain and clean it.

Murphyism of the Day

Bate's Law of Research

Research is the process of going up alleys to see if they're blind.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat! -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Appendasm - The twitching, uncomfortable sensation that passes through a limb when it is awakened from an appendoze. Appendasms may last for some time and can be quite intense depending on the length and depth of the appendoze.

14 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

We got rain! The weather has cooled off with the temperatures here in the 70's. Nice. Really nice. Of course, I have to go out and sweep up again. Dust storms always come before rain.

MC Daughter and D Buddy called from Omaha, NE last night. MC Daughter told me that they were going to hook up with DD Daughter and GI Joe. Next stop? The Lake. I hope they can get in. From all that I've heard, there's been snow, cold, rain. Our driveway at The Lake is dirt. Dirt can turn into mud and mire which is why HTP and I have a 4x4.

My sister called yesterday. Hey, Sis! I found that beer that you wanted. I've added a case of it to the packing pile. The pile is starting to grow. HTP and I are still trying to figure out if we're going to take our new car to The Lake or our Gator. All depends upon how big The Pile gets.

Murphyism of the Day

Sy's Law of Science

Sometimes it takes several years to recognize the obvious.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save. - Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Appendoze - The phenomena in which a part of the body seems to go to sleep. This is due to the body part having restricted blood flow for an extended period. The re-awakening of the ailing limb is achieved by re-positioning it.

15 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

I normally toddle off to bed on or a bit before 10 PM each night. However...with MC Daughter and D Buddy out on the open road...I finally gave up on getting a "I'm safe in ____." call at midnight-thirty. The phone ran at midnight-fifty-eight. MC Daughter and D Buddy made it safe and sound to Sterling, CO at 2 AM (CO time). MC Daughter told me that they got stuck behind a house. This was a rather weird statement that I didn't ask about because I was half asleep and I didn't want to waste her cell phone minutes. It wasn't until this morning as I repeated the statement to HTP that I recalled that I myself have been stuck behind those weird wide-load trucks that are carrying those half houses that they assemble on someones land somewhere...pre-fab homes. Anyway, besides the house, she told us that there was a major accident which forced them all to take an hour long detour out of their way. After some discussion this morning over morning coffee (mulling over all the delays and factoring in our knowledge of MC Daughter and D Buddy), HTP and I figured that MC Daughter and D Buddy probably took their time leaving Albuquerque...in other words...they slept late and D Buddy probably had to do a double check on the truck leaks and I figured that they may have hit the open road yesterday at around 11 AM. I'm just glad she called because I slept a lot easier knowing that they were safe. Next stop? Somewhere in Iowa.

I found a place on the internet where I could order the special prescription dog food I need for my poor dog Mancha. She's elderly. kidney failure is fairly normal for elderly dogs. Part of the aging process. However, she never had a problem before I gave her that tainted dog food. The recall. I'm hearing now over 36,000 dogs and cats are suspected of losing their lives because of this tainted pet food. I'm sure we'll never know the exact numbers. How many explanations for failing kidneys will be blamed on age rather than the tainted food? How many pets have to spend the rest of their lives on special diets due to this tainted food? I'm curious to know the jump in sales figures for Hills Prescription Diet K/D since this tainted pet food hit the market. All I do know is that my elderly dog wasn't having any problems until I started giving her the tainted dog food. The minute I stopped giving her the tainted dog food and put her on the special prescription dog food, she's "night and day" better. Oh...by the way...they expanded the dates on the recalled pet food. I returned the unopened boxes of tainted pet food for a full refund. I've decided to keep the one started box of the stuff that I discovered is part of the expanded recall.

As for packing...I've started a pile of stuff that I don't want to forget to pack.

Murphyism of the Day

Rocky's Lemma of Innovation Prevention

Unless the results are known in advance, funding agencies will reject the proposal.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Why don't they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth. -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Apostrophascist - One of the army of self-righteous goons that jumps on others as soon as they veer even slightly away from the hideously outdated English grammar and punctuation standards laid down by the Victorians when they realized their mother tongue was a mutated to the point that it would never have the elegance of Latin or the precision of High German.

16 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Nope...I haven't started packing as yet. I'm doing a first past review of my packing list from last year. I've also started to "think" about making an inventory list. I do this so that I don't forget what I need to bring from Wisconsin to Arizona from The Lake. One tends to forget lots of things when one is gone from home for six months of the year. That's why I label my light switches. It would a lot easier if the two homes were exactly the same with the same kitchen, the same light switches, the same electrical outfits, the same bathroom, the same etc. Oh well...labels help.

I got a call from MC Daughter and D Buddy last night. They made it to Albuquerque. Woohoo! Safe! They made it through the first day of travel. I only have to hold my breath for three more days. Next stop....Sterling, CO.

Murphyism of the Day

Lerman's Law of Technology

Any technical problem can be overcome given enough time and money.

Lerman's Corollary

You are never given enough time or money.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The taxpayers are sending congressmen on expensive trips abroad. It might be worth it except they keep coming back! -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Apatheticist - One who advocates apathy as the only logical response towards unanswerable questions or ineluctable problems. Similarly: apatheticism (philos.)

I've tried holding my breath but there's no way that I can actually hold my breath for four days without passing out. I know that worrying about the Murphyisms of the world can't possibly help but telling me not to fret ain't gonna stop it. All this because....I can say, hopefully without jinxing things, that MC Daughter and D Buddy have left the building. The truck still seems to have a leak or two but...the U Haul was loaded up yesterday and D Buddy loaded up their luggage, cats, and etc and they hit the road about an hour ago. Is it wrong of me to pray that my phone doesn't ring for the next few days other than maybe the odd phone call to let me know that someone has reached their destination for the night, safe and sound?

In the meantime, I'm doing laundry. It's Tuesday. I'm also starting to think about editting my own packing list. In the meantime, let the countdown begin.

17 Days and a Wake Up Before We Head Back to The Lake

Murphyism of the Day

Vesilind's Law of Experimentation

1. If reproducibility may be a problem, conduct the test only once.

2. If a straight line fit is required, obtain only two data points.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Everything is changing. People are taking the comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke. -- Will Rogers

Word of the Day

Apatheist - One who denies the possible existence of a supreme being only because they have a lack of interest in discovering this for oneself. Often mistaken with an atheist who openly denies the existence of God or gods, and refuses to say otherwise.


DD Daughter just got her second ultrasound and.....

Drum Roll Please!

........


It's A Girl!


DD Daughter and GI Joe are going to have a girl! Sometime in late August, I'm going to have a Grand-daughter!


Murphyism of the Day

May's Law of Statigraphy

The quality of correlation is inversely proportional to the density of control.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Light tomorrow with today! -- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Word of the Day

Anxieapeek - The cautious opening of an envelope containing semester grades or other possibly dangerous material.


Happy Easter!



I got up at 4 AM, drove to the church at 4:45 AM, played for the sunrise service and returned home by 6:30 AM. There was plenty of time for me to make muffins and a breakfast casserole for Easter breakfast. I worked on and finished the Sudoku HTP left out for me from yesterday's paper.

MC Daughter is making a strawberry version of the much famed Italian Tiramisu. I've always loved tiramisu but have often wondered if a fruited marscapone dessert would be better than one flavored with coffee.

Me? I've got a ham in the oven. No big chore there. Scalloped potatoes. MC Daughter plans to make a fresh green bean dish. Something about a shallot/garlic sauce. Sounds wonderful.

Murphyism of the Day

Finagle's Creed

Science is true. Don't be misled by facts.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won't stay there. - Clarence W. Hall

Word of the Day

Anticluistic - Describing a person who actively repels any attempt at getting a clue.

MC Daughter and I went shopping while D Buddy took his truck over to a Checker Auto so he could reseal his "pumpkin". HTP got the shudders when he heard about D Buddy's plans but D Buddy seems to know what he's about when it comes to the truck. It's only when the auto shop got a hold of the truck that problems began occurring. Anyway(see Froggy knocking furiously on every wooden surface in the house), it now looks like everything is "good to go" for a Tuesday departure. Because tomorrow is Easter, MC Daughter and D Buddy have decided to stay for that one day of rest. Monday's plans are for them to pack everything into a U Haul trailer.

We're having hamburgers on the grill for supper tonight with freshly ground lean beef. I've got my alarm set for 4 AM. I have to be at the church at 5:15 AM tomorrow morning. *Groan*

Murphyism of the Day

Finagle's Rule

Teamwork is essential. It allows you to blame someone else.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with CHOCOLATE.
Linda Grayson, "The Pickwick Papers"

Word of the Day

Anticitickle

a. When one instinctively reacts to being tickled, before the tickle has actually occurred. Often, one is considered telepathically or telekinetically ticklish in cases like this.
b.When the anticipation of being tickled causes the afflicted to flinch and jerk around.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. MC Daughter and D Buddy got the truck back today. They just left to give it a work out and then get it washed. D Buddy plans to make sure that any signs of old leaks are removed so that they won't be mistaken as new leaks. However, it looks like I'll have MC Daughter and D Buddy here for Easter. If all goes well....I think they plan on departing the great state of Arizona early next week.

Murphyism of the Day

Ground Rule of Laboratory Workers

When you do not know what you are doing, do it neatly.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

"That was complicated, folks, so let's have a replay for all you fans scoring in bed." - hockey announcer Bob Kelly

Chit! Busy! I haven't had a chance to blog and I'm ready to head off to bed. D Buddy's truck which was supposed to be fixed...isn't. They towed it to another shop yesterday afternoon when D Buddy noticed a copious amount of fluid leaking under the truck. Tomorrow? They claim that they'll have the truck fixed and road worthy tomorrow. The auto shop had to order another transmission kit and start all over again. *sigh* Right now? MC Daughter, D Buddy, HTP and I are all reviewing old family photos. There's a lot of discussion and arguing about the actual dates that HTP and I have recorded for when the photos were take. Word to the wise? Always...ALWAYS...label and date your pictures!

Word of the Day

Anticiparcellate - Waiting until the mailman is several houses down the street before picking up the mail, so as not to appear too anxious.

Spring has sprung...and so has my nose (sprung a leak). My allergies are driving me insane. My nose is running all over the house and half way across town and back. I've gone through a box of tissues and still I'm sneezing my head off. I think it might be the Palo Verde trees. They're all bright yellow with blooms...but...I suppose it could be some other tree or plant that's causing an excess of histamines to plague my life. HTP and I went out to the store to replenish my seasonal supply of Benadryl and Alavert. I'm not sure which will work the best. I'm trying the Benadryl first.

I'm NOT going to say that MC Daughter and D Buddy's truck is fixed. Minnesota born natives should never tempt Murphy on that. Regardless of what the auto repair people say, MC Daughter and D Buddy have decided to road test the truck for a couple of days around town here to make sure the auto repair people didn't screw up...again. They'll head off to Minnesota as soon as they're confident that the truck will make it for the 2000 mile trip.

Murphyism of the Day

Law of Laboratory Work

Hot glass looks exactly the same as cold glass.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

"This is a delightful surprise to the extent that it is a surprise, and it is only a surprise to the extent that we anticipated." -- Secretary of State James Baker

Word of the Day

Anticiprecipitation - Any instance of anticiprecipitating. An expectation describing one who looks out a window in a persistent manner to see if there has been a change in the weather that is to their liking.

SCREEEAAAAMMMMM!!!!!! That was a primal scream that I'm keeping tamped down inside my mind. Total frustration. Not for me. For MC Daughter and D Buddy. I can only feel sorry for the total frustration they're going through.

So? I still have guests in my guest room. Plans keep changing. MC Daughter and D Buddy had hoped to hit the road by tomorrow morning. Maybe. Murphy's Law keeps rearing its ugly head over and over again. Delays. Auto repair shop screw-ups. Major auto repair shop screw-ups. Maybe...just maybe MC Daughter and D Buddy will be able to hit the road tomorrow...or more likely the next day...if the auto shop doesn't have to spring for a total transmission replacement because of some "forks" that the repair guys put in wrong after rebuilding the old manual transmission which may now have to be replaced with a automatic transmission (at the auto repair shops expense) because they don't make that manual transmission anymore and I have no idea what I'm talking about but am only repeating what I've been told by D Buddy who does know. Repairs like that may take longer. We'll see. HTP has gone off to the rescue which I'm sure can't sit well with MC Daughter or D Buddy. HTP's a wonder when it comes to tackling minor and major disasters but it's a heck of a lot nicer to be the rescuer than the rescuee no matter who's doing the rescuing....even if the rescuer is Dad.

Murphyism of the Day

Old Grey Frog's Opinion of Used Trucks

Anything that can go wrong with a used truck will.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I feel terrific since I've gone into denial.

Word of the Day

Anticiprecipitate - Looking out a window persistently while anticipating a change in the weather that is to one's liking.

Patience, thy name is NOT Froggy. I'm filtering Limoncello and Arancello today. They have to be filtered two times today. I already filtered them twice before I added the sugar. Today, I'm filtering them for the final two times before the final bottling and aging process. Unfortunately, this filtering process takes time. And, like the pot that never boils, it seems to take forever for this stuff to filter. This is where the patience comes into play. I haven't even started on the Arancello. *sigh*

I'm trying to get all this stuff filtered and ready for transport. MC Daughter and D Buddy have promised to transport some of this to The Lake when they head up to Minnesota. This will save HTP and me some room when we make our own journey up there later this month.

I'm actually going to keep half of my wine and liqueurs here in Arizona. I'm not going to load MC Daughter and D Buddy up too much. I promise.

Murphyism of the Day

Pavlu's Rules for Economy in Research

1. Deny the last-established truth on the list.
2. Add yours.
3. Pass the list.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

"They need help, and we have helped, and we are here to help. And we are helping, and we're going to continue to help." - Vice President Dan Quayle, discussing federal help in the Chicago floods

Word of the Day

Anticillation - A feeling of anticipated superficial stimulation while waiting for something exciting to happen.

Happy April Fool's Day! I suppose I could try to fool around a bit or invent some weird tale to fool you all with but I guess I stopped doing that sort of thing about the same time I stopped substituting salt for the sugar in the sugar bowl. I still remember the morning that I actually put salt from the sugar bowl on my cereal thinking that it would lend credence to my little joke. Hah! Joke was on me. My Mom made me eat every bite of that cereal. As I recall...she decided to have toast that morning.

I played at church today with the contemporary group. MC Daughter and D Buddy came to hear me play. We've spent the rest of the day doing nothing more exciting than recovering from getting to bed too late last night and getting up too early. Me? I've been re-reading one of my books. MC Daughter and D Buddy are taking a nap. Every now and then I take a break to let the dogs in or out depending upon their location at any given moment. My oldest dog seems to want to go out a lot but she wants to come back in a lot too. Oh well...good exercise for me.

I think MC Daughter and D Buddy will be heading off to Minnesota tomorrow....or Tuesday. They plan on connecting with friends tonight. HTP and I will dine on leftovers.

Murphyism of the Day

Felson's Law

To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

"Animals, which move, have limbs and muscles. The earth does not have limbs or muscles. Therefore, it does not move." - Scipio Chiaramonti, distinguished medieval scientist.