Bogieblog

Perfect Petzzzz

Some of the people at work participate in Secret Santa. On of the gals came around Thursday with the new kitten she had gotten from her Secret Santa. It was adorable sleeping in its basket, breathing slowly, so you knew it was deeply asleep.

Then, she said, "It's supposed to breathe faster, but it only has one battery in it." Hu?, yep, there are now stuffed animals that look fairly real, even "breathing" but they don't need the care of a live animal. Another person got a Golden Retriever puppy.

I know just the person for one of those. Karen lives in an apartment so can't have a live dog (but loves dogs). She also used to have a Rottweiler. So, although it will be here a little late for Christmas, Karen will be getting a New Year's Eve present of a brand new, breathing, Rottweiler puppy.

I'm probably more excited about getting it for her than she will be to get it (although I'm betting, not by much).

Christmas, a Little Early

So where was I before I was so rudely interrupted by a spate of (last minute) pet-sitting, and just plain busy-ness?

Sometimes we get a “communal” present, such as when we got the new TV (and said communal present may be gotten anywhere from a couple weeks before Christmas until a couple weeks after Christmas). This year, we didn’t go the communal route, but we each picked out (and bought) our own presents a little early.

Foxy

Have just enough time to write this one thing. Go over and check out the Mount Washington website. Click on the "out to say goodbye" picture to enlarge it. What a subject and what a backdrop!

Should you be looking at this after that particular post has gone away, click on the "Past Comments" and you should see it. And, while you're there, check out the rest of the photos.

Sending the Readers Forth

Since I still have nothing written for you guys to stare at look at  read, go over to Ravenwoods and check out the Christmas edition of the Carnival of the Vanities. I haven't had time to read any of it, but there are always a couple of gems and several entertaining entries - and there is usually something for everyone.

Cold Apartments

Cop Car's blast from the past reminds me of the apartment I lived in on Topeka street, in Kansas. There was no insulation and heat in only one room, from a radiator. Since the landlord paid utilities, he would come in all the time to make sure the heat wasn't cranked up to warm the rest of the apartment. During the winter I would pull my mattress into the living room and live there until the weather warmed up.

I was probably fortunate as I was working two full-time jobs, so was only at the apartment 5-6 hours a day. Not only did that mean I didn't get tired of only having the use of one room (although my apartment did have a bathroom- the only one with it's own facilities, everyone else had to use the communal bathroom down the hall), but I missed the murders in the backyard (and all the other things going on). After the murders, I did have to wait a couple hours before I was allowed into my apartment though, as the cops were still investigating and looking around.

The cops had helicopters there spotlighting for criminals at least 1 night a week. The night I moved out of the apartment, I was leaning into the car, placing another box in there, when a helicopter came around and the spotlight focused on my car. Apparently they weren't looking for someone that looked like me, since when I backed out of the car, they took a quick look at me, then moved on.

No, it wasn't in a very nice part of town.

NH Cooling

Thurday morning we had the coldest temps of the season at a record-setting -11F in Concord. When I left for work (a couple hours before sunrise), it was -8 at our house, so I am confident that we got at least as cold as Concord's low temp.

I'm hoping not to see that low of a temperature again until the end of January or so!

New Windows

Harry finally put in the replacement windows in the basement on Tuesday and Wednesday. After I had told him a month ago (or two) that I didn't care when he replaced the windows, I just didn't want the house opened up when it was in the teens - or lower, he picks the two coldest days of the year (in the teens) to replace the windows. That's about how well most people listen to me, so I'm not surprised.

I am happy that he got the windows replaced though. There are no more drafts that can be felt clear across the room!

I got the walls painted yesterday with two coats of paint - which makes the rest of the walls look like shit. So, now I know what my project is during work's Christmas shutdown. I will try to get the whole basement painted, not just the bedroom and den (the rooms that the wondows were replaced in). However, with all the moving of stuff that will have to go on (a jillion books, 4 bookcases,cedar chest that is piled high with stuff, file drawers, dressers and a desk to start with), I may not get the whole thing done.

Meanwhile, today I have to dropp off the snowblower to have it fixed (who knows how long that will take?) because WS is putting in 12+ hour days at work (weekend too) to deliver a job by Thursday.

Curse Strikes Faster and Faster

Barely a week after the steam cleaner died, WS killed the snowblower cleaning up after the last storm (15"). He thought is was just a belt, but naturally it wasn't. Some bearings seem to be shot, and how he is supposed to get to them to replace them has him stumped. Guess the snowblower needs to go to the shop to get fixed, along with every third person's in the area. It doesn't look as if we will have it for the storm moving in at the end of the week.

Naturally, this happens right after the snowblower turns 2 (actually I think the warrentee is only for a year).

Thanks to the neighbor for opening up the downhill part of the driveway, otherwise I'd still be shovelling.

Etiquette

When a person turns the comments off to a post on her blog, that means she isn't interested in reading your stories on the subject (unless you want to put a post up on your blog), doesn't need your pep talks, doesn't want your sympathy. She just wants to put it out there.

It means no comments are wanted at all. - even thru email. If comments were wanted, the comments section would have been on.

Don't send apologies, explanations as to why you sent comments or anything else, just remember next time that if Comments are off, comments are not welcome.

Sound Bites

Just some sound bites that I found of interest:

Saturday morning, on the local news, there were reports from all over the eastern seaboard of the effects of the first Nor'ester of the season. One gushing gal said something along the lines of this: Washington [DC] got pounded by the storm, which certainly left it's mark. It left 2" of snow in it's wake.

Woohoo, 2 whole inches of snow. Jeeze, some people had to get their brooms out to sweep off their porches. Both WS and I were laughing when she was done.

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JImmy, who took us to dinner at a local italian restaraunt "I've been waiting so long that the Dead Sea was only sick when I got here."