May 13, 2008
Wonderful dude was just here and replaced the window for $75. Sunset Glass in Pasadena. I can highly recommend them! And he was over an hour early. Took him about 20 minutes to get the old glass out and cut and seat the new pane.
So that's that. I changed all my passwords for my accounts and set a password with the bank, so nobody can access my stuff. I also signed on with Lifelock for a year's monitoring of my credit. They were actually recommended to us by both one of the cops who came last night and my parents' insurance guy, who has handled their accounts for years and is a good dude. So money well spent, I suppose.
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And I still hope they find those assholes.Just know this, you left enough of yourself behind that the cops should be knocking on your door soon.
So just bring back the laptop and we'll call it even. Leave it on the front porch. I'll let the cops know you did the right thing.
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May 01, 2008
Tuesday night we cleaned the house in preparation for an out-of-town guest. After we finished putting things away, vacuuming, and changing the sheets on the guest bed, we decided a shower was in order. Usually, since it's just the 2 of us, I turn on the shower, jump in and wash and step out, then DH jumps in and turns off the shower. Except the goddamned thing wouldn't turn off all the way. So hubby hauled out the tools and stripped the hot water handle back to the stem, then used pliers to get the stem turned off.
For those of you keeping score, this is the THIRD problem with the shower/tub handles since we bought the house. THIRD. By this time, however, it's well after midnight, and there's little that can be done except to get the water turned off and go to bed.
Wednesday, I got up and went to work, and then picked up my friend from the airport. We went straight from LAX to the beach, as she'd never put her tootsies in the Pacific. We had lunch at the Kettle (my favorite MB comfort food place) and then walked down to the waves. After goofing around for about 15 minutes and introducing her to the joys of squishing kelp bobbers, we walked back up to the car and made our way back to the casa. We got her gear stowed, watched some TV and went to choir rehearsal.
Thursday I dragged her to school with me, and she got to sit in for the final fetal pig lab of the year. Of course her patience was rewarded with a trip out to Melrose to shop at Fluevog and Kidrobot and lunch at Johnny Rocket's.
Friday we went to the Dodger game (Joe Torre Bobblehead night!).
Saturday was plumbing day 1. We took the access panel off the wall to see how difficult it would be to replace the diverter/valve/handle thingy. As usual, it wasn't that simple. As with the dishwasher, one plumbing job quickly became three, as we discovered that the water shutoff valves for the shower were broken OPEN. So we had to turn all of the house water off to replace those. AND we discovered that the shower would take a hell of a lot more work to replace... so we decided to cap the leaking valves and put the rest off, as we were having people over for a BBQ so that our friends could meet our guest. Much meat and wine took the edge off of the plumbing mess.
Sunday we went to see the Big Fat Rat. It turns out that was an excellent day to go. Not terribly hot, and not terribly crowded either. We rode all the big rides, and most of the smaller ones, too. The longest line we stood in was 45 minutes, for the Nemo submarines. Everything else was 20 minutes or less, including Indy! We had "linner" at the Blue Bayou (yum!) and went to Downtown Disney to the Lego Store via Monorail. We left at 9 because Monday is a work day, but everyone was exhausted by then anyway.
Monday was plumbing day 2. We fixed the valves and tackled the shower/diverter replacement. It quickly became evident that the geometry of the house made it IMPOSSIBLE to remove the pipes via the access panel. So we cut a hole in the side of the house! Extreme, but it was either that or rip out the fiberglass shower surround. And anyway, our house is covered in flat wood panels (1x 12's) with wood shingle siding attached, so what we cut out came out in one single piece (which we screwed back on when we were done). Once we could actually REACH the plumbing, the shower replacement was a piece of cake. And now it works great. YAY Hubby!
Tuesday was my class's final, and then another trip to Kidrobot and a tour of Hollywood Boulevard.
Wednesday I dropped my friend back at LAX, and our whirlwind week was over. Back to real life, and fast. I got a hell of a curve ball at work, and then I had to grade exams.
Today I finally got to do my ACTUAL job. Wow.
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April 23, 2008
And on a personal note, I am SO loving the Democrat debacle, aren't you?
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April 09, 2008
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April 04, 2008
If I see this so-called "pregnant man" again, I think I am going to puke.
Gender politics aside, this is NOT a man. Legally, sure. I can agree with that. Phenotypically, even. I can agree he's a man.
But don't fucking go around trumpeting that you're a MAN and you're pregnant. That's not the case, except perhaps on paper. And it's no fucking miracle. You stopped taking your testosterone and the female hormones made by your INTACT OVARIES AND UTERUS THAT YOU WERE BORN WITH started working again. There's no miracle there. That's how your body is supposed to work.
Then you inserted sperm, and voila! The process worked the way it was designed to. Funny that. You got pregnant the same way that every other person born with a uterus tries to. In fact, from what I understand, you had an easier time than a lot of us uterus-bearers, whatever gender our driver's license says we are.
You're not a pregnant man. You are a pregnant ex-female who chose to remain reproductively intact despite partial gender reassignment surgery. Let's be clear on the terminology.
A pregnant man WOULD be worth shouting about, and it would be a miracle. Seeing as how MEN are born without the means of conceiving and carrying a baby INSIDE their body. A pregnant MAN worth studying would be someone who is able to carry a fetus on the inside, and is born with sex chromosomes that say "XY" instead of "XX", and who are born with testes, and vas deferens and a prostate and a penis . Not a "man" born with a uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and a vagina.
That's no reason to get on Oprah and every other fucking show on TV, ok?
And before you fucking go off on me about being insensitive to transgender people, please understand that I could care less which set of chromosomes you were born with, and whether they match what you show on the outside. Just keep your crotch out of my face. When you go around showing pictures of your beard and man's chest and pregnant stomach, that's tantamount to waving your nuts in my face, which I don't appreciate. And don't go around acting like you got pregnant from sperm inserted up your fake dick, whether you have one or not, when you got pregnant the same way everyone else does. That's nothing to write home about.
All that being said, I wish you and your wife a lifetime of happiness and the blessings of a healthy child, as every family deserves happiness and health. Just not in my face. If nothing else, out of respect for your child's well-being.
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March 31, 2008
For example, I have sent a number of critical emails, both work and personal, arranged the appointment for the puppy's spay (next Monday, poor puppy) and gotten the sheets off the bed to be changed as soon as the mattress cover comes out of the dryer. I also showered and sorted and started a load of laundry. Also on the work front, I read through a number of documents regarding our upcoming accreditation review.
AND I have been blog reading and twitter-ing AND watching baseball.(KC vs DET on ESPN).
AND I only got up 2.5 hours ago.
If I was at work I would have: commuted, made photocopies, and sent some emails.
I love working from home.
Oh, and for the record, you can also keep up with me courtesy of my twitter page.
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March 18, 2008
And yet I can't think of a better word to describe the last week.
It started out great. I was very productive at work, got through my "pre-Friday" to-do list on Wednesday, if you can believe it, and got my classes back on schedule. No mean feat, I assure you. Wednesday night I went to rehearsal, we went out to dinner and did some shopping, and then we had a quiet evening in front of the TV.
Thursday we awoke to what sounded like a helicopter hovering over the house. And then, as we both got up and began to move about, we noticed that the water pressure in the house seemed very low. But, neither of us needed a shower, and we both had to be out of the house early, so we put it on the mental back burner.
Until I opened the front door to go out to the car. I was greeted by a fountain and a flood.
Some IDIOT thought it would be funny to break our hosepipe off at the top of the dirt. Oh well, they got theirs...a face full of water. HA. MORON. You could see where they were standing... clearly they were in the path of the fountain.
But seriously, what kind of IDIOT doesn't know that there's water in water pipes. No shit.
We called the police, and the officers who came out were highly amused. To say the least. Like us, they figure it was probably a kid. Especially since Hubby had a kid threaten to egg our house earlier in the week. This is being followed up by the PD and at the school.
Friday was a boring day. I can't remember what I did. No kidding.
Saturday we worked all day in the yard, doing a lot of ripping and planting. We had IHOP green eggs and ham and Who Cakes for breakfast. YUMMY!
Sunday I woke up sick. SICK. Like bad tummy sick. If that wasn't bad enough, I had to be at a "work retreat" at 5pm.
I am still moderately queasy. So I am staying home today.
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March 14, 2008
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March 08, 2008
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March 07, 2008
Welcome to the over the hill gang,my friend!
That box'll get there as soon as it gets over its gout.....
Update: link fixed. Must be my OLD ARTHRITIC FINGERS.
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March 06, 2008
Hi CTG,
We're hoping it's just a temporary issue. Emily's working on it but we're both snowed under with work. Meanwhile, the lovely and talented Mr. Bingley has given us temporary refuge here: http://www.coalitionoftheswilling.net
If things aren't back to normal by tomorrow, the FFOT will be there or a link to wherever it is.
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February 19, 2008
1. If I was a Kellogg's corn flake I'd be floating in my bowl doing what exactly? And to whom would I be talking?
taking movies.. Relaxing a while, livin' in style. Talking to a raisin who occasionally plays LA, casually glancing at his toupee..... (Punky's Dilemma, 1968, Bookends)
2. Someone told me it's all happening where?
At the zoo (At the Zoo, 1968, Bookends)
3. Can you imagine us years from today, sharing a park bench quietly? How Terribly strange to be (how old???)...
Seventy (Old Friends, 1968, Bookends)
4.People say she's crazy, why?
She's got Diamonds on the soles of her shoes (Diamonds On the Soles of Her Shoes, 1986, Graceland)
5.If you take two bodies and you twirl them into one, what won't come undone?
Their Hearts and their Bones. (Hearts and Bones, 1983, Hearts and Bones)
6.How far away is the Mother and Child reunion?
Only a moment away. (Or a motion, depending on the verse) (Mother and Child Reunion, 1972, Paul Simon)
7. The sign said the words of the prophets are written where?
On the subway walls, and tenement halls (Sounds of Silence, 1964, Wednesday Morning 3 A.M.)
8.Where are you going with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme?
Scarborough Fair (Scarborough Fair and Canticle, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme, 1966)
9. What do Rene and Georgette Magritte have hidden away in the cabinet cold of their hearts?
The Penguins, the Moonglows, the Orioles, and the Five Satins (Rene and Georgette Magritte with their Dog After the War, 1983, Hearts and Bones)
10. The Mississippi Delta shines like what on the way to Graceland?
A National Guitar (Graceland, 1986, Graceland)
BONUS:
My father was a fisherman, my mama was a fisherman's friend. What's my name?
Lincoln Duncan (Duncan, 1972, Paul Simon)
How many ways are there to leave your lover? (Just ask Jack, Stan, Roy, Gus, Lee.....)
Fifty (Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover, 1975, Still Crazy After All These Years)
The fog's rolling in off the East River Bank. It covers which street?
Bleecker Street (Bleecker Street, 1964, Wednesday Morning 3 A.M.)
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JUST NOW. RIGHT THIS MINUTE. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HER LIFE.
Proud of this country and proud to be an American.
Give me a f*cking break, Michelle. Do you have pride in your position, your career? Your ability to go and come as you please? The wealth you and Barry have amassed?
Sounds like pride in your country to me. Because, really, did you ever stop to consider than you wouldn't have ANY of those things if you DIDN'T live in this country??
But Pete puts it more succinctly:
I am retired from a job that no honest man could ever expect to become rich. Honest men in foreign countries in my line of work live in small apartments and bicycle to work. I live in a paid for home on a half acre near the lake. My car is paid for. We are officially in the lower third of income levels here and I am writing on a (paid for) computer. Suppose Mrs. Obama was living where her husband's father lived. Suppose too that she were not wealthy. Would she have a good job? Would she even have all her girl parts?Read the rest, and let Pete know what you think!
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February 13, 2008
There's a fundraiser for the family of slain SWAT officer Randall Simmons today, all day at the Burger King at Cesar Chavez and Grand Avenue in Downtown LA.
The franchise owners are donating 100% of today's take to the Simmons family, and there's also a donation box if you'd like to contribute more than just the price of a burger.
By all accounts, Officer Simmons was one of the good guys. Please consider stopping by and showing your support for his family and the LAPD SWAT team.
I'll be there this afternoon on my way home from school.
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February 12, 2008
If the answer to both questions is YES, have I got a deal for you!
Today, February 12 is IHOP's celebration of National Pancake Day, and today, from 7am to 10pm they are offering a free short stack (3) of pancakes to anyone who drops in. All they ask is that you consider making a donation to the Children's Miracle Network.
That's a damn good trade: free pancakes for helping sick kids.
I suspect I see an IHOP in my future tonight...... YUMMY.
h/t wRitErsbLock
Yes, comments are still down. Which sucks.
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February 08, 2008
If you're up to date with this week's episode you have nothing to fear from the news from Fashion Week!
All 5 remaining Designers showed a collection!
As expected I am deep in smit** with Chris March's collection, although I suspect Christian will be the winner.....
Pictures are at Blogging Project Runway:
Christian
Rami
Sweet P
Chris
Jillian
** bonus points if you pick up the movie reference here...
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February 05, 2008
Steve of Hog on Ice sums up my feelings on the Democratic primary today quite succinctly, and honestly, far better than I imagined I'd ever read on the interwebnetoobs:
It looks like Hillsy may get her big butt beat in today's elections.yep. pretty much.
I find myself having mixed emotions about this. On the one hand, Obama is kind of a zero, and he's also a socialist, and socialism is evil and stupid and causes terrible suffering. On the other, you have to feel good, seeing a black candidate do this well. I mean, hell, this is progress. As long as he doesn't win, I mean. Socialist and all that.
And then there is the pleasure of seeing a Clinton eat it.
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Make up your own damn mind.
I'm going to at least try to get my vote counted.
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Oh wait, wrong post. Today is Über Tuesday, the biggest primary election day in US history, as the reporter so breathlessly spewed on the AM news show today.
In the past, the single best thing about the-election-day-formerly-known-as-Super Tuesday was that it meant the END of the primary campaign. Most years, the nominee is well and established by the end of TEDFKAS Tuesday.
So I find it more than ironic that the closest primaries in many years come down to what I will henceforth refer to as "Breathless Tuesday", given all the hype.
I suspect that this means that the few states that actually chose to hold later primaries are doing the "Nyah Nyah" routine. We shall see.
From my sheltered vantage, high on the cliffs of denial, it looks like McCain is a shoe-in over Mitt Slick-ney and I am really unsure where the Democrats are going. If anything, I suspect the "blue" picture will be MORE muddled than previously, after today.
Speaking of the Democraps, I heard a mind-blowing commercial this morning. The gist of it was "Vote for Hillary, because she is not beholden to special interests"
I literally sat up in bed and screamed at the radio (at 5:30 AM, mind you): "What the fuck kind of crack are you smoking and where do I get some? Do you know what the fuck you just said?"
The (still dozing) hub was clearly not amused. Of course, at the end of the commercial, the speaker introduced himself as a descendant of Cesar Chavez and announced that Hillary loves farmworkers and poor people, so vote for her. And I had this moment of clarity.
Of course he doesn't see her as beholden to special interests! He IS one. Know your source, peeps. Know your source.
On the other hand, the same morning news show provided what was perhaps the single most insightful news story of the election. On the ballot today in CA are a series of propositions (94-97) which would force four very large indian tribes here (mostly in SoCal) to hand over a LARGE chunk of their profits to the state in return for being allowed to install more slot machines. Most folks are actually FOR these measures in that together they will bring the state several hundred million dollars in new revenue without raising taxes on ANYONE (except the gamblers, so to speak). The opposition is mostly funded by some Vegas casino owners and some racetracks that also have gaming. Clearly, this would be HUGE competition for them, so they are naturally against it.
Both parties are officially "neutral" on these propositions, and a lot of people are confused as to what they mean. So the local NBC channel did some investigating...
What amused me, though, was that the reporter cut right through the BS in reporting the story. He explained the meat of the propositions, laid out who the supporters and detractors are, pointed out that the propositions require state audits of the casinos, and summed it up by saying "Some people say we should ask the casinos to give the state MORE of their profits, but supporters point out, this is more $$ than the state is getting now"
But back to Breathless Tuesday. I will likely not vote, as my registration is not updated, and even after filling out the proper forms at my old polling place, LA county would likely discount my vote anyway. But we shall see.
If I were voting today, this is what I would be voting for:
President: John McCain (but with much regret. FREEEEEEEEDDDDD!)
Prop 91: No
Prop 92: No
Prop 93: No
Prop 94-97: YES
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