May 2003 Archives
Well, the bad luck continues unabated. As I type, I am waiting on someone to come unclog my drain. I doubt that my roof is sealed as water-tight as that drain is right now. I have a dentist appointment in a couple of hours and I am hoping to be able to shower before I leave. Would like to get that Liquid Plumber smell off. You would think that someone would have invented a maintenance-free drain system by now or, at least, a maintenance-cheap one.
A SouthShore friend told me his tomato season is just about over but mine appears to be ten days to two weeks away from even starting. I'm usually a few weeks behind the SouthShore but I don't ever remember being this far behind. The plants look healthy enough but I'm afraid the hot part of July will get here before I've picked very many. Fingers are crossed. The ones in the stores just don't compare.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog:" "The bank's customer service representative confirmed that her account had been 'blocked.' The reason? Suspicious activity. However, he assured her, this was nothing personal. No human being was involved in making the decision to stop Chey shopping at Victoria's Secret. In other words, "A hold was placed on your account by the bank's fraud detection system, a huge cluster of servers humming away in a distant data center, mining vast terabytes of data for patterns that might mean something.""
The cartoons are pretty good on this one. -Rob
Even though Microsoft agreed to a settlement yesterday with AOL Time Warner in the Netscape lawsuit, they won that thing hands down. $750 million is lunch money for Bill Gates. For that very small sum, he essentially eliminated Netscape as an effective competitor. Microsoft absolutely had it in for Netscape (I liked Netscape and was a Netscape user for most of the 90's when it was not a free browser). Now that AOL (I dislike AOL) owns Netscape and a very large ISP share, Microsoft has it in for them.
The future of commerce on the internet will largely course through the veins of IE because most people are now using it. How that bodes for users is anybody's guess but I would prefer users had more choices. Its two main competitors were the AOL browser and the Netscape browser and they are both in trouble. When Netscape became free to compete with IE, issues started popping up with it. Certain sites didn't display correctly and it would freeze up inexplicably from time to time. Similar issues are popping up in the AOL browser from what I hear (I've never used it). I use IE at home and at work now because I know it will always be able to play nice with Windows. That's a total concession on my part. I no longer have the time or the energy to fight that particular good fight. Not all of Netscape's and AOL troubles are due to Microsoft's dirty tricks but some of them surely are.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Bottomline, lunch-line mystery meat has always been deadly. Now that the meat is glowing at least it can't sneak up on you."
Found this piece yesterday on Led Zeppelin. When I was a teen growing up in the 70's, Zeppelin was the band. I saw them several times during that period. To me, they were never as good live as they were in studio. I find that to be the case with most bands but it was unusually pronounced in their case. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy their shows. Led Zeppelin at considerably less than their best was still better than almost everyone playing then. I've seen Page and Plant twice since then on their more recent tours. Due to new technology for live shows and maybe a little more focus from them on music rather than glitz has turned them into much better live performers. Possibly because I hadn't seen them live in 15 years (They were disappointing the few times I caught either of them on TV) and possibly because my expectations were somewhat lower (I really expected a wimpy MTV-unplugged kinda show the first time), those two performances floored me. They were fabulous. I would see them again in a heartbeat and I'll add their new DVD to my wish list.
Decent day yesterday across the board. Little traffic to and from work, business seemed to be better, and stock market stuff made some gains. Only need about another year or two of that to catch up.
98 days until football season ........
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Moving along to magazines, what is it with the subscription departments? You subscribe to Fingernail Biter's Monthly in January. In March or April, you get your first renewal notice."
Naturally, I started thinking about more films after I listed some of my favorites here a few days ago. I am probably still going to miss some today but I am going to indulge myself and list a few more. This will have to be the last time I do this, however. Repeat, repeat, repeat........
Local Hero - I love this one. It has many little moments, many quirky characters, and a silly storytelling device involving a motorcycle rider. It also features a killer Mark Knopfler soundtrack. I have it on VHS but it is on my DVD wish list. The soundtrack CD is one of my favorite CD's.
Lone Star - Several tales weaved into one with a whale of a surprise at the end. A super movie.
Field of Dreams and Bull Durham - Good baseball movies both, Field of Dreams is the better of the two but I was thinking about both of them. Aside from being a fun slice of minor league baseball life, the Susan Sarandon character in Bull Durham and her take on life and baseball makes that one worthwhile. As for Field of Dreams, somehow, the channel surfer stops here whenever it sees it. I have a lousy VHS version of it. It is also on my DVD wish list. "Hey dad, wanna have a catch?" is just one of those perfect movie lines.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I have officially declared myself eligible for the NBA Draft. I'm still mulling over whether or not to hire an agent. I'll probably decide that after I polish off this box of Krispy Kremes."
Got a perfectly fuzzy answer from a technical support person a few days ago. They must go to school for that. I sent a follow-up question to see if I could get any clarification but I'm not optimistic. As with most things technical, I'll probably end up figuring out or stumbling across the solution, myself. It's like being in school. They're the teacher, I'm the student. They want to give me clues in bits and pieces and want me to learn how to do it for myself whereas I don't want to waste any time or brain cells learning to do something that I will probably only do once.
On another front, I did have some luck with fixing my finish mower. I didn't need any new tools. What I really needed was a day to step back and think about it. That device may yet work for the other issue, too.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Saudi authorities nab 60 kilos of TNT, 50,000 pieces of ammunition... and 64 barrels of booze. Given the pickle you're in, my brothers, I'd consider moving the alcohol police over to TNT duty."
Had three lawn-related projects yesterday. Fix the edger: strike one. Replace a tensioner spring on my finish mower: strike two. Get the lawn mower running better: fouled off. I need a part for the edger job, a tool for the spring job, and the jury is still out on whether the lawn mower will run any better. I didn't run it long enough to find out. I hate things that break when I can't afford to replace them. I think they know this.
I don't expect much in the way of business today. Many will be out celebrating Memorial Day. It's not a holiday here for everyone. We get a holiday for Mardi Gras. I think that's a trade-off the state and federal governments made some years ago. Businesses followed suit then but now, most federal and state agencies close on Memorial Day here. Many smaller businesses will be closed today but the larger ones will be open.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "The random ramblings of the Headless Horseman of the Apocalypse"
Started thinking about movies yesterday on the way in to work. Some of my favorites (Not in any particular order and it’s not a top whatever list) are listed below. There are so many more but these are the ones I was thinking about yesterday.
Raiders of the Lost Ark - This is probably my all-time favorite movie. You might see subtle flaws in it if you’ve seen it as many times as I have but that’s OK. A great deal of joy had to go into making this film. It is quite evident onscreen. It is a bigger-than-life action adventure (My favorite kind of movie and Hollywood is simply not making enough of these for adults).
Almost Famous - This one is about my generation, its music, and its values. I like this one for its little moments. There are so many of them.
Casablanca - Claude Rains quite surprising and completely satisfying “Round up the usual suspects” is still the all-time greatest movie line.
Pulp Fiction - For the John Travolta scenes because most of them also contain Eric Stoltz, Uma Thurman, and Samuel L Jackson.
L.A. Confidential - Joyously seedy. Contains this great setup: Kevin Spacey’s last words, “Rolo Tomassey”.
The Godfather (Parts 1 & 2) - DeNiro’s Vito Corleone was as good or better than Brando’s and I don’t think these two movies could have been any better than they were. I haven’t seen the third one.
Kelly’s Heroes - Kind of a guilty pleasure.
Blade Runner - Another joyously seedy film. Harrison Ford strikes the right tone as the conflicted protagonist and all of the characters around him are terrific.
Fifth in the mirliton series below:
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Day nine without the truck. The Rav4 has become increasingly useful for hauling large objects, large quantities of recyclables, and plowing through really deep mud puddles. Side note: it even handles well at around 90."
We'll see what this gets us. -Rob
I have a work day scheduled (I really have to get moving) and I have an event to go to this evening. No big weekend plans. In my younger days, I would say that I was in a rut. Now I call it a routine. I think that transition is more a matter of acceptance than perspective.
I wonder what the deal is with people who do not capitalize letters in their writing. The quote from today's blog of the day has an example of what I'm talking about and the site is like that. It catches the eye. I'm not sure it makes it any more difficult to read because I've seen enough of that to be able get through and I have no particular axe to grind with those who do it (Whatever floats your boat). It just seems to me that the writer is doing himself a disfavor because some will be distracted by it while others will dismiss the writing because of it. If the writer didn't do it, the cool people would still understand it, I think, and anyone else reading it may also be interested in what they have to say. Or would the cool people dismiss it outright as too "establishment"? I guess I should say that concept is not all that new. I kinda remember it from the 60's.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "i love coffee. even before i was old enough to drink coffee -- because in my house, there was an unspoken prohibition against pre-teen consumption -- i loved the smell of the percolating pot."
I love coffee, too! -Rob
I had yet another rather unwelcome, expensive auto repair yesterday. This time it was the power steering pump. I'm starting to dread Thursdays. It also looks like my truck engine is on its last legs. It is leaking oil from almost everywhere although not much of it ends up in my driveway so I suppose I can live with it a little longer. It hasn't stranded me yet so I'll cross my fingers and we'll go as far as it can before replacing it. The engine has served me well. It has over 300,000 miles. Unfortunately for me, I probably need to get about three more years of every day use out of the truck. It has been very good to me and works pretty hard for me so I really shouldn't complain.
Finished watching the Altered States DVD last night. I hadn't seen it since it came out. The imagery is kind of cheesy by today's standards and the film looks a tad dated but the concept is still great. I enjoyed it once again. This film made William Hurt a star.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Jane's Law: The devotees of the party in power are smug and arrogant. The devotees of the party out of power are insane."
An email I sent out Sunday has gotten response from two old friends that I hadn't heard from in a long time. I don't understand people who have email addresses, give them out to people, and then only check their email every few weeks or months. If they get as much spam as I do (And who doesn't?), checking their mail that infrequently will mostly exacerbate what can only be some frustration at their usual online experience. That's the only explanation I can come up with. That they have a life and are busy just cannot be it.
105 days until football season.........
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I'm mildly disappointed that Arlington didn't send any terror alert love my way after the recent increase in the threat level. No love at all. A citizen scorned, I am, left to scrounge for terror alerts on the street."
The buzz I've been kinda reading about at MSNBC.COM and even in the NY Times (Link requires registration but registration is free) this morning is about the last episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I've seen the show a few times. I've enjoyed it but not enough to set my VCR. For the blog record, what I do watch on TV regularly is 24, West Wing, Coupling, Nero Wolfe, Wire in the Blood, Waking the Dead, and Six Feet Under. My Ultimate TV receiver is set to record all of them except West Wing. DIRECTV with Ultimate TV Service is the bees knees if you watch any TV, even for those who claim to only watch PBS. I manage to get in 4 or 5 hours of TV per week somehow. I think most people do.
Hump day has arrived on this, for me, six-day work week. For the last couple of days, rain has made watering my plants unnecessary. That shortens my morning routine somewhat. Thankful for that.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I Think We Killed All the Smart Ones"
We've started to lock our outdoor cats in the garage at night. Lately, they just can't stay out of trouble on their own. One of them, Tom, got in an awful fight over the weekend. One of his paws is swollen from a cat bite and the side of his face is bloodied. He is a nasty fighter so the other guy probably looks just as bad or worse. We hardly ever see or hear the cats they fight with so we can't be sure. They're quite possibly feral cats but they could also be a neighbor's. I think they're just out hunting at night and stumble into our cats territory. I don't think they fight much in the daytime. At least, I hope not. I'm hoping just locking ours up at night will keep the peace (And, hopefully, keep the vet bills down as well). Bringing them inside with our set-in-their-ways, big, and strong indoor cats is not a very good option.
This is just another typical Tuesday here. Not much going on at work, unfortunately. Tiresome malaise abounds.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Now climb back aboard your mothership and fly home, kiddies. I've dealt with enough moonbats for one night."
Another long week starts today. I had a productive weekend so I feel better about it. I hate Mondays after a bad weekend.
Today was graduation day for me at De La Salle High School. It was 28 years ago. I don't know why that day sticks in memory. That was another life.
We had three wild pigs in the back yard Saturday morning. Priscilla, my outdoor cat, was a little concerned about them. They were all about the same size and were probably from the same litter. They were foraging and eating the whole corn that we put out for the wildlife. They scooted as soon as I opened the back door. It was fun to see them once but I don't need to see them around here again. They can be cantankerous when they get older. Besides, they eat like, well, pigs.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "A part of me will always love retail, even if I can’t kiss ass properly anymore."
My timing is something to behold (At least once a year, that is). After a fairly productive day of yard work, the rain gods smiled and gave us an almost perfect rain. Not too hard and windy where it would make a mess of the yard and not so light that it didn't do any good. I was so pleased with events that I decided to take a few extra pictures this morning in addition to the 4th mirliton picture in the series below. Might even break out the hammock today. Some days start out perfectly. This is one. Will cut this blog a bit short because last night's leftover pizza is calling me.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "When your doctor looks in your ear with that scope-thingie and says "Wow!"...it must be bad."
Happy Birthday Duncan and Nikki!
Duncan would be 21 today and Nikki would be 19. When we were looking for a second puppy to play with Duncan and keep him company, we saw in the paper that a litter was born on the same day (May 17) as him so we thought that would be neat. We called and told them we were coming over. One puppy with a yellow collar had just been put back in the pen after getting out. He thought he was punished and didn't face us when we approached. That was Nikki and we fell in love with him instantly. Picture. We still miss them both.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "God damn, I hate Gallagher."
Sour Bob is not a big fan of Gallagher! -Rob
My peeves today are the phone company and my ISP. They are one in the same although when you talk to one, they point the blame at the other. It's a nice arrangement. For them! When I first moved to the NorthShore, I was appalled by the lousy modem connections I used to get as compared to the consistently good connections I was getting on the SouthShore. It now improves periodically and deteriorates periodically. We're in deterioration mode now. Currently, I have to dial up several times before I get a connection that won't totally frustrate me. Just for fun, my ISP sends me an email announcement every couple of months expounding on the delights of broadband DSL and that it is now available to me. When I apply for it, they say it's not. I just love it.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "However, I would like to drop you a hint that when you don't carefully read a carefully constructed questioning e-mail, you not only run the risk of answering and reanswering the wrong bloody question, you are making the same error as the technoneadrathals, thus sacrificing the High Ground of Self-Righteousness"
The state tax check goes in the mail today. The state coffers will get a huge influx of cash over the next week or so. I wonder what its like to receive hundreds of thousands of checks over a span of a few days. In the case of the feds, it's millions of checks over a similar very short span.
Tour cancelled. Bummer, sort of. Bummed that Mark can't tour but he wasn't going to appear near enough to me on a day that I could go see him. Saw him on the Sailing to Philadelphia tour and was totally enthralled. I kinda knew I would be, however. I love his music. I never tire of it. Hopefully, there will be another album, another tour, and another chance to see him.
108 days until football season.......
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Instead of going to the gym tonight, I managed a completely failed attempt at making rice krispy treats. yes, that recipe with only three ingredients...terrible."
And just some silliness for the sake of posterity
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I am finding that there are fabulous sources of news on the internet, particularly since 9/11. Almost everything that's in print is online. One can be fairly well-informed about national and international events without ever touching a newspaper. Perspective? Tons there for the taking. I find myself reading the London Times, Arab News, and BBC Online a lot. If you don't think America drives the global agenda, read one of those publications. You'd be amazed at the minutiae of American life and American politics that finds its way into overseas publications.
Online news is cheaper to produce (MSNBC.COM can probably be produced for several years on Tom Brokaw's salary alone) but revenue from it is hard to attain. People reading online content expect it for free and advertisers haven't figured out how to get our attention without annoying us. If we consistently get annoyed, we go elsewhere. I think this is a good thing. To attract viewers, these sites have to be free to use and free of annoying advertising. I suppose this good thing will come to an end some day but I'm reveling in it for now.
We finally got some rain yesterday here in Bush. I suppose now I can wash my neck.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I held my head up high, mustered the small shred of dignity I had left and marched straight through to my plane."
Update (August 3, 2003): Vector Girl's site is probably gone for good.
The entry the above quote was taken from is a must read! -Rob
Slow day for blogging. Just your typical Tuesday. Although the week started ominously (A horrendous traffic jam on the I-10 yesterday morning), I don't feel like this week is picking up where last week left off (Unwelcome emergency auto repairs). Take comfort wherever you can get it, I suppose.
Some unsolicited advice for CSI: Miami: Lose Caruso!
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Well, the war in Iraq is over, the reconstruction seems to be going about as well as can be expected, and the economy is starting to come back. In short, it's a slow news day. So this would be a good time to clear the palate before another world crisis divides our attention."
This one's a hoot! -Rob
I still wonder about blogging. What to write, who's reading it, and why? There are a handful of blogs out there that have a real impact. There is an Iranian journalist/blogger, Sina Motallebi, in jail now for his blogging. The blogosphere (New word in the net lexicon) is also credited with bringing the Trent Lott story to the fore. There are some with a particular focus (SARS blogs, war blogs, science blogs, etc....). But mostly, they tend to be rambling, out-of-focus, personal journals like this one. It is a phenomenon to be sure but what to make of it?
After 40 days or so, I seem to be running out of blog titles already. My first choice this morning had already been used. I am not all that concerned about repetition in that area although I do not wish to use the same title in that short a time frame for mostly aesthetic reasons. I'm much more concerned about repetition (It is one of my tendencies but I'm working on it) in the body of the blog.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "It's done. Without ever really understanding what it is that I've been doing, I've managed to create my very first web project using the medium of Macromedia Flash. It's a tribute to a pair of the UK's finest (and underrated) performers, the mighty Chas and Dave. Best of all, it features rabbits. Lot's of 'em. Please turn up your speakers before proceeding. I hope you like it."
Not much going on here today. Most of the lawn is dry and brittle from lack of rain so there will be no yard work this weekend. I've been sprinkling a few of the worst spots close to the house. The rest is on its own. I'd like to install a sprinkler system some day. That project is on the back, back, back burner along with the pavilion and the smokehouse. There are many more pressing needs at this time.
3rd image in the mirliton series below.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I have a mortal fear of dentists that is almost as bad as my fear of clowns. My fear isn't unfounded mind you, I have my reasons and there are plenty of them."
Spent the better part of this Saturday morning doing one of my favorite (not!!!) things, auto repair. This one coulda, shoulda, woulda been done Thursday along with that other expensive repair. Spilt milk, I suppose. I'm glad its over but one of the many reasons I hate doing my own auto repair besides the fact that I'm not very good at it is that now I have to dispose of the hazardous waste that was a by-product of the repair.
The mirliton project is going better than expected. The spot chosen in the yard appears to favor them. They are growing like gangbusters. They get full sun most of the day and seem to like it.
We're just about to head out for some errands and an anniversary lunch.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Note to Iranian mullahs: you're utterly pathetic. You are neither feared, nor respected for your piety. You're just a joke, in the eyes of the world and, these days, your own people."
Another Friday has arrived. It was 22 years ago today that I married my bride. That was a Saturday. We'll have a quiet commemoration at one of our favorite restaurants tomorrow night.
I could go a long time without having another day like yesterday. Chased a boatload of wild geese (All time-consuming and mostly fruitless) and had a rather expensive emergency auto repair. No more of that, please!
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Awww Mom, Why can't I have a blog? Everyone else is doing it..."
Decided to start working on the fantasy football site now rather than the weekend. The major work is done. There will be some minor tweaking between now and when the leagues start as well as some additional problem solving once the season starts (Week 1 is almost always a mess). This hobby has become a bit of a labor of love over the years. It almost has to be for a commissioner. Come on, September!
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "You've heard the expression, "You don't know diddly!" Well... that's what this weblog is all about."
Hump day has arrived. I don't understand business cycles. Last month, things started looking up. This month, we seem to be back in the general malaise that has characterized business for the last year or so. No forward momentum to be found yet there does not appear to be anything noticeably holding it back. What's that about?
Baseball season is cranking up and basketball season is winding down but neither fires me up much. I was a Major League Baseball fan in a big way at one time. Their strikes just wore me down. A strike was averted last time only because the nation's mind was on 9/11. Owners and players are willing to risk fan anger. They weren't willing to risk fan apathy. At a time of national crisis, the whining of millionaire players and billionaire owners fell firmly into the apathy category. If yet another strike would have prevailed, people might have started wondering what they need baseball for. Super hard core fans might have stayed but they, alone, cannot sustain that sport. MLB needs new fans, casual fans, and any other fans they can get.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "48 hours without a cigarette. It hasn't been that big a deal, really. The Zyban™ helps, a lot (I know all too well what an unattenuated nicotine craving feels like), but it still takes a fair amount of willpower. Gimme a couple/three more days and I'll be right as rain."
My thoughts are on Fantasy Football this Tuesday morning even after I just finished updating the Fantasy NASCAR site. I just can't help it. The offseason sucks. It's time to start setting up the sites and schedules. I hope to do it this weekend. Ya Boys Civil War Fantasy Football League will be entering its 14th season. The "spinoff" Causeway Fantasy Football League (CFFL) will be entering its 7th season. I was invited to join Ya Boys with a friend as a part-owner of his team 9 years ago. Many, many, futile attempts to find another league to join resulted in the CFFL (My creation with a lot of help from family and friends). Both leagues are thriving and very competitive. Come on, September!!!
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "While all of Blogoslavia is on the topic of who's the bigger hypocrite, I have joined the race. Me, Ms. "Everyone Deserves To Be Paid For Their Work; Put That MP3 Back Where You Found It". I've been attached to Kazaa since last night, pulling at all of the episodes I can find of The Tick. It's a serious jones."
Happy Cinco De Mayo!
I sat down yesterday and watched The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly from beginning to end for the first time since I saw it at the Kenner Joy Theater when it came out. I didn't remember it being so long. It is a great movie and the music on the DVD is fabulous. Of the three "spaghetti westerns", this one is, by far, the best. The other two, Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More, are only OK. I picked up the DVD at Sam's for less than $9. I consider that a bargain.
I have vireos nesting in my propane tank again. I hope they can go a whole nesting season uninterrupted. They haven't had much luck there in the past. Quite probably because they make so much noise and call attention to themselves. Those little, tiny birds have a whale of a song.
There is supposedly lots of rain still in sight according to the weathermen but none of it seems to be touching the ground here.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "Kieran in his usual poignant style contributes to a discussion about which social sciences are really "scientific". As Kieran puts it "few topics provide so much opportunity for confidently talking out your ass as the question 'Are the social sciences really scientific?'"."
A lazy Sunday is in store here. Wanted to get the hammock out for the first time in a few weeks but love bugs and mugginess have dampened my enthusiasm for it. Last weekend and the weekend before, it was gnats.
Last night was a pretty good night for Red Ryders. Could have been a lot better. At one point when rain was threatening to end the race, we had all five drivers on our team in the top 8. The rain hardly ever comes when you need it.
Speaking of rain, I was whining just a few weeks ago that we were getting too much rain here in Bush. I didn't think I had that much power. It has totally stopped to the point where I now am getting out the sprinklers. There was a severe thunderstorm watch last night for this area but it doesn't look like we got a drop of it.
I'm going to tinker with a time-lapse kind of thing for the mirliton project taking a picture every Sunday morning. Looking through the haze, you can see that both mirliton vines have grabbed the cables. The one on the left did so within a few hours of planting, the one on the right was given a little help after it still hadn't done so in a week. The haze was caused by a foggy lens which was caused by not giving the camera enough time to warm up to the outside temperature. We'll do better next Sunday.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I seek more from live performance than a good night out. I want to be transported. I want other worlds to open for me. I want to be seduced. I want god."
Happy Flood Anniversary!
Today is the 25th anniversary of one of the more famous floods in New Orleans. I remember the day vividly. I was getting off work at noon on that Wednesday. I don't remember when the rain started but it rained super hard for several hours. I made it home that day only to go out again like an idiot. I don't remember where I was trying to go but every path I chose was blocked with stalled cars. If you drove too fast, you ran the risk of splashing water onto your distributor cap and killing your engine. If you were stopped for any length of time (10 seconds or so), water would fill your tailpipe and kill your engine. It was a fun day to drive. I finally ended up on Kiwanee Street moving right along when the car directly in front of me stalled. The car on side of me was stalled already so I was stuck. I pulled off the street and partially on to someone's lawn and got out and walked. When I went to retrieve it early the next day, the streets were littered with cars.
That kind of flooding has happened several times since but that was the first time and no one was prepared for it. The next day, every auto repair shop and body shop in town was inundated with calls. Profit for those shops has been sapped out of each succeeding flood by the insurance companies but they did alright that first time.
Twas a day to remember!
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I pulled up alongside for maximum gawking/admiration, unsure really if I loved or hated this car, and then I saw the driver: a thin, greying queen smoking with a cigarette holder held high in the air with his right hand. Puff! All he needed was a pet monkey on a gold chain and he would have been the perfect supervillain."
Another Friday has arrived. It figures to be a long day yet again. Got errands to run at lunchtime and after work. Twill get done. April turned out to be a pretty good month business-wise. Hope there's more where that came from.
Kinda in a sports mood this morning but there isn't a lot happening for a football fan right now. Preliminary talk has started with all draft choices but hardly any of the six to eight picks per team will be signed before the first day of training camp in late July. The very first pick is signed and the rest will fall in line like dominoes. Everyone knows it and all of that could be done now but somehow both sides think waiting is advantageous to them. Before I started enjoying fantasy football, this process used to nauseate me. Now, I find it kind of humorous.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "After taking a pass and dropping two spots in the first round, Minnesota tried to save face by saying "we got the guy we wanted all along." Well, that guy, DT Kevin Williams, wants seventh pick money instead of ninth."
Priceless! -Rob
I've been searching for a burr grinder for coffee beans this morning. I'm trying to find one of quality and durability that doesn't bust my budget. After a half-hour of net research, I am fairly convinced that one doesn't exist. I like great coffee and I buy the best but I'm finding that my home brewing is no match for my favorite shop even though I use their coffee. It is undoubtedly due to their fresh grinding and their stainless coffee makers. I aspire to duplicate this at home some day. After some pricing this morning, it appears it will be some day well down the road.
It's another long day at work this time due to some extra-curriculars.
Blog of the day here.
Quote from said blog: "I thought I'd seen everything, then I stumbled across Lord of the Rhymes. I must say, hobbits know how to flow. The Gollum beat box solo midway through their first track is mad illen."
