Bogieblog

Tisn't the Season

Friday night we went to my comapany Christmas party. Of course that is the day that it snowed 15", so it took me 2 hours to get home, then I had to shovel off the deck and to the dog pen (almost 2 hours of shovelling), feed the dogs, cats and birds, throw the dogs back out in the pen, pack an overnight bag (we stayed at the hotel), and leave.

I should have saved myself the trouble. I usually don't go to these types of things because I am very inept socially. I don't know anyone that I work with very well, and I hate being in crowds. When we got there, I could tell right away that we were dressed wrong, Everyone was dressed to the nines - we were dressed in jeans and nice shirts. As usual, no one bothered to tell me anything - in this case that it was an almost formal affair. We don't own clothes nice enough to go to something like that, and if I had known, I wouldn't have even entertained the idea of going to the party.

as I mentioned, I am very inept socially, and dislike large groups, so by the time dinner came around I was ready to leave (and feeling horrible for dragging WS with me for this sad situation). We left, went to the hotel room and I went to bed.

Next time I think of trying something like this again, I'll just take a butcher knife and slice off a finger. I'll have just as much fun and it will keep me from committing an even larger mistake.

Same Story, Different Day

Despite the cold and snow that we have had the last week (and the 10" of snow expected today), the resident  bear still has not begun his hibernation. He (she?) has left multiple tracks in the yard.

It has also taken off with the brand new No-No feeder, which was 1/2 full of seed. We followed the tracks from the suet feeder in the back yard (the only one I put up - which he promptly broke the chain and emptied out the suet), along the side of the house, and out to near the driveway. We lost his tracks there, but assumed at that point he went for the no-no feeder out in the middle of the driveway.

We picked his tracks back up near the flower bed in the corner of the driveway. It was obviously carrying the feeder, as there was a trail of seed going the same way. He then crossed the road, and we pretty much lost the trail (the kids across the street had been everywhere).

We never did find the feeder.

So, now I don't dare feed the birds because the bear is getting way to used to coming over for a snack. I am down to the feeder by the shed (enclosed by the fences so the bear can't get to it). That feeder gets emptied every day because it is more of a squirrel feeder despite the metal cage around it (squirrels can't read so they don't know the cage is supposed to keep them from getting to the seed). The thistle feeder out back has remained safe, and the suet feeder out front hasn't been gotten to.

Those are what I Will be going with for the next month or so - unless the bear decides those are next.

At least I didn't put out the expensive feeder yet!

Another Bogus Study

According to some, New Hampshire residents are stingy when it comes to charity. I say Bologna!

First, there is the fact that we have no sales or income tax. That, alone, means a lot of us can't itemize and have to use the standard exemption instead.

Second, a lot of us don't  keep track of our charitable donations. I don't write down, for future reference, our gifts to the Red Cross (and the extra for hurricane relief), to the Salvation Army, to the local firestation (which is volunteer and is always in need of personal safety equipment), to the Audubon Society, to the VFW, etc etc.

Third, I certainly don't keep track of clothes and other items that I give to charities.

Fourth, I don't keep track of other charitable spending, like bying pre-made bags of food at the local grocery store, which goes to area food pantries. Or the grocery store gift certificates that I got from work for Thanksgiving, which I donated to food pantry.

Fifth, I don't keep track of the time, or gas, or personal spending in helping others out. We certainly didn't keep track of our spending when WS was on the fire department, nor when we helped out our neighbvor after his house fire. When NH had the flooding earlier this year, the Red Cross set up shelters. They went unused because family, friends, and strangers opened up their homes to families needing shelter, clothing and food. Whole houses were washed awya, but the people were not left wanting. Then, volunteers helped clean up debris and rebuild roads - donating equipment, time, gas and food to the cause.

Sixth, the study only presents spending, someone has to DO. New Hampshire has one of the highest volunteer rates in the nation.

Oh yeah, and

This annual report is not intended "to make anybody feel good or feel bad."

Is plain crap - there is no other reason to present the "study" if that were the case.

Brrrr

I figured it wasn't a good sign that it was 16 degrees when I got home from work tonight. After all, that was 1 degree lower than the temp was 12 1/2 hours earlier. On turning on the local TV station, and seeing the forcast for tonight, my apprehesion proved right - the low for tonight is supposed to be 5-11 degrees.

That isn't a superbly cold night for this area in winter (Feb lows are -15 to -20), but I was hoping it would wait a couple more weeks before getting to this point. after all, winter temps just started a couple of weeks ago. We need some time to adjust.

In Case You Were Wondering

90 more days. 99 have signed up, only time will tell how many actually start.

Cures for the Itchies

So, after doing the dump run, getting new bird feeders and feeding the birds, I had time to do what I started to do on Friday. I steam cleaned the livingroom rug as well as the carpet in the bedroom and the downstairs hallway. I will do the den rug whenever I can get all the crap out of there that belongs against the back wall (let's just say theat Harry is really, really, really taking his time finishing up back there).

The whole reason for the steam cleaning was that Missy has had itchy skin for the last couple of weeks (Prince too, but not so bad). It got so bad for her that she created a hotspot on her butt (which is healing up nicely now). Along with the itchiness was a stinkiness, which clings to the carpet in her favorite lounging spots (beside the end of the couch that I sit at, and next to my side of the bed). It's pretty bad when I wake up in the middle of the night and smell Missy, then realize that she is upstairs!

So, I steam cleaned the carpets then gave both dogs a bath. I had the woodstove cranking to make sure that carpets and dogs would both dry in a fairly short amount of time (they did).

I just wish I knew for certain what started this. I changed to a slightly cheaper food a couple of months ago (a premium brand never-the-less). So, last week I bought some of the regular stuff and have had the dogs on that since. I also put fresh straw in the dogmajal (what peole call the doghouse) 4-6 weeks ago. Maybe there was something in that they are allergic too. So, yesterday I cleaned out the 2 bales of straw that were in the doghouse, and put in cedar chips. Also, the I used anti-itch shampoo and conditioner when I gave the dogs their baths.

I sure hope at least ONE of those things works!

Feeding the Bear

We found out the hard way that bears aren't in hibernation yet. Yesterday morning I looked out the kitchen window and noticed that a woodpecker was going from post to post at the clothesline (where I hang up birdfeeders in the back yard). I knew what he was looking for, a suet feeder, but it wasn't there - it was on the ground, empty. I had filled it just a couple of days ago with 3 cakes of suet. A seed cake feeder was on the ground and empty too (which had also had almost a full, large cake of seed), The only thing left alone back there was the thistle feeder.

Just out of curiousity, I looked out to the feeders in front. Any time feeders have been hit by a bear, the front feeders have been left alone. Not this time. One of two suet feeders was gone and the squirrel-proof feeder was on the ground.

Upon further investigation (and taking out a cake of suet to the poor woodpecker out back), the wire suet/cake feeders from out back were salvageable. I just had to replace some s-hookes and we were back in business. The wire feeders usually fare well when a bear gets them because the hanging chain breaks easily, which releases the top, making it easy for the bear to get t the contents.

The feeders out front did not fare so well. The suet feeder was a simple wood and wire feeder, but the chain keeps the wood top from being pulled off by squirrels, and the bear just got frustrated and ripped the wood off (parts of that feeder were under the tree it hung from, and parts were over by the well). That feeder will need replaced. The other suet feeder is fine, and was never damaged (which I figure only remains because the chain was looped over a small branch that would give a lot while the bear was pulling, which would keep the chain from breaking).

The mixed seed, squirrel-proof feeder was the biggest loss. It is the most expensive feeder I have ever bought, and it has been well worth the money. Squirrels can't get the lid off, and their weight closes the feeder openings. The heavy-guage steel keeps squirrels from chewing their way in. It has a large holding capacity so when I fill it, the seed usually last 5-6 days. The bear couldn't figure out how to get the top open either, so he pulled the side out in a "V" shape to get to the seed.

So, during the dump run yesterday, we stopped at Agway and got another squirrel-proof feeder. I will not be setting that out until I'm sure the bears are asleep for the winter. I also got a No-No feeder for use until then. I was lucky too, Agway was having a one-day sale for 25% off feeders.

So, The backyard feeders just consist of a thistle feeder and one suet feeder which I brought in last night and will put out again in a little while). The cake feeder will not go back out for a couple of weeks. The front feeders consist of the No-No feeder (to be replaced by the mixed seed feeder in a couple of weeks) and the remaining suet feeder. There is also the mixed feeder over by WS's shed (inside the fenced area so it is safe from bears).

Hopefully this was the bear's "desert" before he goes into hibernation.

I'm Special

You scored as Special Ops. Special ops. You're sneaky, tactful, and a loner. You prefer to do your jobs alone, working where you don't come into contact with people. But everyonce in a while you hit it big and are noticed and given fame. Your given the more sensitive problems. You get things done, and do what has to be done. "VULCAN NECK PINCH!!!" "owww.......(slump)" Special Ops 94% Officer 75% Combat Infantry 75% Engineer 69% Support Gunner 63% Medic 44% Artillery/Armor 31% Civilian 0% Which soldier type are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Thanks to Ravenwood for the link.

The Bogie Curse Strikes Again

If anything worked in the Bogie household, the first time and the way it was supposed to work, I would die of freaking amazement.

Apparently my steam cleaner went the way of the vacuum cleaner, it has stopped working. It doesn't pump out water, and it doesn't suck up water )or air, or anything). It did, however, "work" just long enough to pump out detergent all over the rug (out of an orifice that it is not supposed to pump anything out of). So, I have a livingroom rug that is soaked with soap in about a 1 1/2 foot circle, with no way to clean it up.

Hell, I can't even find a way to take the damn thing apart. The 2 screws that I found, apparently don't actually hold anything together; the rest of the machine is apparently super-glued together (and very well I might add). I think this thing is going to take flying lessons.

Guess I will be getting an early Christmas present - after I drive 30 miles to the nearest Walmart.

Biased "Test"

Ah yes, blame New Hampshire for Massachusettes problems. Oh, and this is just "blaming, by naming, the state that you can politically get away with" since Vermont and Connecticut have laws that are pretty much like NH's, but they aren't named by name (just as "Northern New England states").

I find it incredibly stupid that the author believes that NH gun permit laws (or lack thereof) has anything to do with Mass. criminals buying guns. Just because there is no permit needed, except for concealed carry - on a "shall issue" basis, does not mean that there is no background check (that 20 minutes worth of federal forms and phone time). And by the way, it took me much less time to buy a stove last spring or a freezer (a couple of years ago) than it apparently took the author to get a refrigerator - maybe his credit isn't what it should be.

Nothing like taking a person that could pass the background check, with you to check out the theory that anyone can buy a gun in NH. The author took a former prison guard to buy the gun - a person who presumably had to carry a gun for his work, so probably has extensive background checks on file. Why didn't the author take one of the local thugs from the street, and see if he could get a gun. For that matter, why didn't the author himself try to get a gun - does he have a background that would keep him from getting a gun and it would be caught in the background check? Or maybe it is because he is not a reisdent of NH. As he states:

"But this is New Hampshire, the 'Live Free or Die' state, where no gun license is required, and there is no limit on what a resident can buy." [emphasis mine - ed].

The former prison guard is also a resident of New Hampshire, by the way.

So, it seems his little test isn't really relevant at all to what a Mass. criminal would be doing at all  - after all, his implication is that their criminals get their guns from our state.

Thanks to Bruce, over at MassBackwards for providing the link and very good discussion.