Zorya sits on the porch and thinks

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:44:26 GMT

I don't remember if I posted this picture before or not. I'm using it wallpaper on my laptop. :-)

I'm not sure if this is Apple or Tabu. But only a cat could be comfortable in this position. :-)

Yea! A new Jibjab political cartoon video!

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:43:19 GMT

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

After Thoughts

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:18:39 GMT

Well, it could have been handled worse. Could have been handled better, though.

I got down to Democratic HQ in downtown Dayton around 3:45. I had to take the Element to Hidy Honda for an oil change at 2:30 and it took a little over 45 minutes. When Kyle and I got there the place had a line of people stretching for over 2 blocks. I couldn't park near the building so I dropped off Kyle and told him to find Mary and tell her I was looking for a parking spot. Saw her just about the time Kyle found her so I hollered out the window and got her attention. She said she would put him to work with the folks handing out water and good luck finding a parking place. I found one about two blocks away on 5th next to the Sinclair parking tower. So far so good.

We were there a little over 2 hours. Kyle handed out water until they ran out of cups and bottled water and I helped with traffic control at the tables where they were doling out the tickets. There was still a two block line when they ran out of tickets. People were very disappointed and Mayor Rhine McLin called to ask if she needed to send some police to help disperse the crowd.

Not necessary - the folks broke up peacefully - even the ones who had been waiting in line for hours. With such a limited number of tickets I don't think that making a general announcement like that was the best way to distribute them. When Obama came in February for a rally at the Nutter Center the place was packed. If he could get 14,000 people to show up for that the folks running the campaign here should have realized that even with a short notice that there would be a big crowd showing up for the townhall.

I am sure that they are doing their best but this was not a good way to build goodwill.

I didn't get a ticket either, but I knew it was iffy. It was an interesting experience for Kyle and me.

Get yer tickets!

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:32:44 GMT

Sen Obama is going to hold a townhall meeting at Stivers tomorrow morning. Tickets are available at the downtown Democratic Headquarters at 5th and Wilkinson St. They will start handing them out at 4 pm and they will be first come, first serve.

I am going to be down there helping out - hoping to get a ticket or two for me and Kris.

I've told them that I can give them a couple of afternoons a week until school starts, then I can come in more often during school hours. September, October and November should be very interesting. ;->

Turned out to be an easy fix

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:56:42 GMT

When Tom called from Philly he was able to help me get the printer and the MacBook talking to each other. Yea!

The dryer wasn't as big a problem as I feared. I had to pull it out a bit to keep the hose from being kinked up. Tom says that should fix it but if it smells odd when I start it up again to just wait for him to come home and pull it apart.

Yup, it all happens when hubby is out of town

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:05:49 GMT

Not too much this time, but still annoying.

I can't get to the color printer from my laptop as Tom forgot to reset the connection when he fiddled with the network this weekend. I have to print 20 copies of the newsletter to take to Sinclair this week.

it appears that the lint has built up in the hoses to the dryer again. There was a burning smell in the kitchen just now and the 3 towels that were in the dryer aren't - dry that is. The last time this happened Tom pulled things apart and cleaned out the built up fuzz. If I remember correctly he had to do more than just pull the hose off the back and clean it out.

He's suppose to call when he lands in Philly. I think he can talk me though reconnecting the printer but I am afraid the dryer is going to have to wait til he gets home.

That was interesting!

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:52:03 GMT

Kyle and I were out doing a fitness walk in the park today. Getting home was a bit of a trip, though.

A semi crashed into the bridge supports where 235 crosses over Hwy 4. The police had Chambersburg blocked at Belfountaine as well as all the Chambersburg exits from Hwy 4 to 235 and well as westbound 235 from Fairborn to Huber Heights.

Tom called the police station and they assured him that I could get home - just get back on C'burg going east and ask the officer at Belfountaine to let me through to go home. No one there, so I just went around the barrier. The dogs were very happy to see us.

Wish I had known I could go through before I tried every other access point to get home. But we got here eventually.

I find this an interesting juxtaposition

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:14:03 GMT

It's not unusual for two well known people to pass away in the same week, particularly when they are in their 80's.

However, with no disrespect intended, I find this a bit interesting:

Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dead at 83

Former Sen. Jesse Helms dies at 86

May the gods bless both of them and welcome them into whatever afterlife to which they subscribed.

Giving Democrats a chance

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:21:31 GMT

I'm going to be helping the local Democrats this morning by stuffing envelopes at the downtown headquarters. I am a more behind the scenes type person and would rather work on the logistics than the out in front stuff.

I don't do door-to-door canvassing very well because the arthritis in my feet makes it difficult to walk long distances. I'm not too interested in doing voter registration drives at public venues, especially since there are other volunteers who are willing to do that.

I don't mind answering phones, email, stuffing envelopes, general office work and kitchen volunteer. Someone has to clean up and do the other grunt work.

I'll see what I think about giving them more than a couple of hours a week.

Dogs can be a pain

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:02:23 GMT

At least, when it's a 60 lb hairy mutt who is deathly afraid of thunder and lightning. That silly beastie kept us up half the night freaking out over the storms that blew through after we went to bed.

Hot huffing doggie breath in my face is not my favorite way of being awakened - particularly at 3 am.

What a wimp. The dog, not me. :-)

Oh yeah, I'm home

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:13:11 GMT

Meant to post something yesterday, but I was beat by the time I got home. Wanted to post during the layover at Atlanta but I wasn't willing to pay for access.

Dayton is very progressive, apparently. The airport has free WiFi, as well as a big section of downtown.

I think I'm going to email the teacher of my CHS class and tell her I won't be in the chat session tonight. I don't have the mental and emotional energy to sit through it.

Done and done

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:14:24 GMT

We finished working on the house around 7pm yesterday. I spent a lot of time taking pictures out of old albums and putting them in envelopes - no need shipping albums that are falling apart. Found some of the artwork I was looking for but not a couple of items he had made when we were first married. Sue is going to keep her eyes open for them but they may be long gone.

Today we boxed up the things I wanted to send home and shipped them through UPS. We also went over to the National Cemetery at Ft Sam Houston and put flowers on my mother and father's grave, Jesse's grave and Dwayne's grave (Sue's husband. Died 3 years ago from liver disease). I also brought a cup of coffee for Mom and Dad to share. Mom loved her coffee. Yes, it's a pagany type of libration to the departed.

I helped Sue search for the names/addresses/phone numbers of estate liquidators to call about handling the remaining stuff and the house. Now that I have taken what I think the boys would want there is really no excuse to hold off on moving the house anymore. It's not in great shape but I have hopes that we will get at least what he paid for it 9 years ago.

I'll be leaving San Antonio on a 6:45 am flight tomorrow. I couldn't get an e-boarding pass through the carrier's website so I plan to get there early. Add the rental car turn in and I'll will probably beat the sun up.

Goodnight, all.

Day One in SAT

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:15:33 GMT

Flights in were not bad. I swear the seats in coach class are getting smaller, though. I felt like a sardine. The connection from Detroit left a little late so we got into San Antonio at 4:30 Central. I upgraded the rental car to a Prius for $8 more a day. It's an,,,interesting car. Lot of fun to drive. Has nice acceleration, but not a spot on my Accord. Better than the subcompact I was going to get, though and when you drive in San Antonio you want something that has giddyup.

Since this will probably be my last trip for a while I went a little upscale on the hotel. I'm staying at the Hyatt near the airport. Very nice! Worth the extra money, and since I have an early morning flight home I won't have to get up at some ungodly time to get the rental car turned in and get to the airport in time.

I'll be going down to check out the breakfast bar and then I'll go pick up Sue so we can hit the house. I'm not dreading this. Not exactly. But I am not looking forward to it.

Waiting in the airport

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:08:51 GMT

I'm waiting to board the first leg of my flight to San Antonio. The lines through the TSA checkpoint were very short - a pleasant surprise.

I have to change planes in Detroit. I have never been through that airport so I hope the gate for my second flight is close to my arrival gate. I don't think I could do a sprint across the airport terminal today.

The Dayton airport has one up on the Dallas airport (which I have been through way too often) in that the WiFi is free. How cool is that?

I got a flight/hotel/rental car package through Expedia for a very reasonable rate. I could have stayed with Sue and used her car, but this way I can maintain some space from the house project when I need a break.

We should be loading in a few minutes so I need to stow the laptop in my backpack.

Ok, so where was this Al Gore in 2000?

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:07:32 GMT

This is an awesome speech. Al Gore has discovered his passion in the past 8 years.

Thoughtful day

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:20:59 GMT

Today would have been my mother's 85th birthday.

It is also the day that same sex couples could marry legally.

My mother had told my brother and his partner, Freddie, that if they ever get married that she would be proud to attend as the mother of the grooms.

Somehow I think that Mom would have had a good chuckle, and if she had been able to make the trip would have talked to Bob and Freddie about going to California to see them tie the knot.

Happy Father's Day

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:51:19 GMT

Wishing a Happy Father's Day to the fathers I know - on both sides of the veil

Tom
Jesse
Jim P
Ray
Mike
my Dad
Jesse the Elder
Dwayne
Raymond L

And Bob and Freddie, who are puppy daddies. :-)

Good cat news

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 22:10:13 GMT

The current oldest house cat, Koko went in for his annual checkup on Wednesday. Dr Dorothy got a blood sample and sent it out for a complete analysis. He's over 16 and it's been a year since his last test.

The results came back yesterday and while one of the kidney indicators was a touch high, it wasn't enough for medication. He's old, cranky and a pest, but he hasn't developed a chronic illness.

Koko is on the right. The black contortionist is one of the twins.

The Great Cat Marathon

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:18:23 GMT

Today is the day that most of the wee beasties go into the vet for their annual check ups and vaccinations. Which means I spend most of the day schlepping cats back and forth.

The way it works is I grab the two nearest cats and shove them in carriers. They go for check ups and then I grab two more cats (or in the case of Shelbee and Bitsy, Kris came over and boxed them for me) Koko has his very own appointment for tomorrow as he will need some blood work to check for the typical illnesses that geriatric cats are prone to develop.

So far Neko and Enzo went in on the 9 am appointment, and Shelbee and Bitsy went at 10:30. The twins will go at 2 pm and I hope I can box them without too much trouble. Dr Dorothy discovered that Shelbee and Bits had tapeworms and recommended that all the cats get the treatment. I'll be getting pills for Enzo and Neko, but they were able to give the growly girls injections. I'm thinking of asking her to give the twins injections when they come in. We have been able to pill them successfully, but it's a thankless job.

Rikku isn't due an annual until the fall, but she'll need tape worm meds also.

Meanwhile I need to fit in bill paying and toting boxes of stuff back into the kitchen to put away. Oh, I forgot to post here - the countertop is in! Yea!

I want this!

Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:44:58 GMT

They can be found here for $3.95 each

Bulk purchases get you a discount - anyone else interested?

Susie B

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:29:29 GMT

Tom has taken Susie up to the vet. I know that Dr Dorothy will make her passing as painless and as peaceful as possible.

I will light a candle for her sweet spirit's passing tonight. May the Lord and Lady guide her to the Rainbow Bridge where she can play with Tigger and Hiway until we meet again.

Shelbee on left, Susan B Anthony on right

Trying to say goodbye

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:01:13 GMT

I got back from the vet about a half hour ago. Dr Dorothy says that Susie is having some breathing problems (as evidence by the way she is sitting/crouching) and that she's showing signs of heart problems related to her kidney disease.

She's not feeling very good - I can feel a change in her energy/aura. Dr Dorothy said that it's not her place to tell me that it's time to let her go, but that I need to realize that we are keeping her going by artificial means. Which I understand to mean that if we weren't giving her daily fluids and her thyroid medicine that she would be gone already.

Tom is leaving for Philly tomorrow. I need to talk to him when he comes home for lunch and see if he wants me to keep her going until he gets back on Friday or if we are going to let her go today.

I still ain't dead yet

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:42:04 GMT

Just been busy and not feeling much initiative to post right now.

Almost done with the kitchen. Countertops should be ready to install this week, but I am going to have to ask them to come in next Monday so Tom can handle taking out the temp connections for the sink and hooking it up again when the countertop is complete. He's going to be in Philly this week.

Susie (the 16 1/2 yr old female cat) is going in for an evaluation by our vet. She is not looking very good and I need to know if her kidney disease has progressed.

School's out for summer on June 5th. Home for 3 months with a 13 yr old - joy. Still need to set up a trip to San Antonio to get mementos for the boys from their father's house. I think I've convinced my sister in law to turn the whole thing over to a reputable estate agent. This would be the sort of company that handles everything from auctioning the household goods we don't keep to selling the house. It costs a bit more this way but I don't have the time to go down and handle it, one sil is still recovering from the depression she developed when Jesse died and the other sil is legally blind and limited on what she can do. Besides, Sue and Debbe are the executors of the will and I legally I would only be a kibitzer and moral support system.

It's been a year since we lost Jesse. Dad's birthday was last week, and the anniversary of his passing will be about 6 weeks from now. The progressing Spring and promising Summer are pushing me to finish mourning and turn the page of my life. I still miss my mother terribly. I miss Dad, too, but not the same way as he was suffering from dementia since 2003 and we had pretty much lost the person we knew a long time before he passed on.

Memorial Day

Mon, 26 May 2008 17:08:52 GMT

My mother and father were both veterans. Mom was in the WAVES during WWII and continued in the Naval Reserves until 1952. My dad was drafted into the Army during WWII, and was moved into the Army Air Corps to train as a pilot. His service continued as an Air Force pilot for a total of 31 years. I remember that he flew B-52's, C-124's, and C-130's.

I miss them both and honor their service to the country.

My grandfather was also in the military - the US Army. I never knew him, as he died from complications with Hodgkin's Disease when my mother was very young. Family history holds that her grandfather and great grandfather were in the Army, and that we had family on both sides of the Civil War. I haven't been able to confirm it, but apparently we have ancestors who were in the Sons of Liberty during the Revolutionary War.

Some day I intend to take some time to research that.

Tin Ear

Sat, 24 May 2008 15:54:17 GMT

Well, this certainly will be the talk of the Memorial Day Weekend

With all the interesting gaffes from the McCain camp, embarrassing endorsements and Mrs McCain's income tax disclosure that we could be talking about, the press is going to be yapping about whether Sen Clinton is waiting around for Sen Obama to be assassinated in June or if she merely has a tin ear.

I think that if I can talk Tom into it I'll go to the new Indiana Jones movie instead.