Kill the Bill, DC March 20, 2010 [with a couple pictures]

We're heading to DC is a couple hours. This is a place holder to see if I can get some pictures loaded from the phone while down there. (Still can't upload pictures from phone to here, will have to be links from Twitter.)

In a related topic, my town had a Kill the Bill rally earlier this week. We didn't know it was happening, of course, because we aren't on any mailing lists. We went to the July 4 one last year and would have signed up then. But you know what? We're the sort of people who don't like to have our names on lists! So that got me thinking: how do you have email lists to organize for a group of people who don't want their names on any lists? Even though I know that's what the list would be for, I still don't want my name on it! So I guess that means that it's even more remarkable that so many people show up to the various Tea Party events around the country.

Anyway, pictures hopefully soon. And I'm bringing a video device, but don't know if anything will be worth recording. The last time I started recording speeches the guy went off on a How Awesome Ron Paul Is speech. So I didn't post that.

UPDATE below the fold:

I had my iPod on me, but wasn't close enough to really be able to see or hear what the speakers were saying. But I got a couple pictures. Everyone liked my shirt (Obama on a Unicorn) and my sign.

And then just a few of the crowd:

We stayed toward the back of the crowd by the traffic circle. We couldn't even see where the speakers were from way back there. Walking up the street towards the Capitol (we were late) you could here everyone cheering for whatever someone said before you could see them. And the way it all echoed of the buildings made the sound carry a lot farther down the street. It was pretty cool. And then to slowly be able to make out all the yellow flags in the huge crowd of people in front of the Capitol. I actually had goosebumps!

So, my rough estimate is maybe 1/4 of a Rose Bowl, so 25ish thousand people. It sounds like a lot, but it felt like a lot of people. [apparently at the thing they announced they were at 25000 people.] I was just on the outskirts the whole time, but I could see that the crowd was stretching out a long ways. I saw lots of white people, which makes sense since there is mostly white people in this country. There were plenty of different ethnicities there also. A group of Japanese exchange students (is my guess as to who they were) asked me who the man on my sign was, so I explained. There were a lot of kids coming through on tours, who probably just wanted to get a nice picture of the building. I really felt bad for them, because I hate having people in my pictures. Especially when I was in Philly trying to get a clean picture of Independence Hall.

Saw a sign of Pennsylvania Nurses against HCR, so looks like there were some groups who actually came from pretty far away. Talked with a retired couple for a long time (while Mr. Voight was speaking :( ), but they were like us and most people there who hadn't done that sort of thing before. The mood was like the one July 4 rally we went to in my town last year. People cheer when they hear throw the bums out, or cut taxes, or whatever. But mostly it's just a bunch of people milling arund admiring each others signs. I don't know why every one like mine so much, it wasn't very original. There was a guy who does caricatures for a living, and did a great Obama as Pinocchio (with the long nose and leaves coming off of it). That sign was really a piece of art, and he's saying "Oh, it only took me a minute to do up."

Anyway, I had a good time, even if we spent a lot more time travelling than actually there at the event. I thought this one was pretty awesome, so I can only imagine how goosebumpy the 9/12 march was!


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Things Trebek sucks

(or, Potpourri)
Would you have got that joke without the explainer? Do you still not get it? Does this help: "Rough; just the way your mother likes it, Trebek." Fine then just look it up.

Snow
It's melting! We've had a few nice days in a row, so the piles of snow are slowly shrinking. The sun is out, the birds are chirping. Makes me feel like quitting my job and sitting on the deck all day. OK, step one of the plan is already in the works.

This sudden change from winter to spring weather has got the geese all migrating at once. Instead of the many small groups of birds flying south in the fall, there are few giant groups all heading north at once. Big groups like 50 birds in one V instead of the 5 or 10 your usually see. Still the same amount of racket coming from the sky. And poop too.

Lizards
It took a little while, but they are both done brumating. The little dude I'm not sure he ever was fully under, but he did slow down for a few months. Big dude, though, he was out for like three months. I had fed him just a couple veggies and fruit maybe a week ago, he took them reluctantly. Now yesterday feeding him more, he practically took my hand off. I think he's awake and ready for food. He just needs to make a good poop then he'll get his veggie and crickie regimen back.

Toyota
I am thoroughly disgusted at how the media has portrayed this outrageously scandalous scandal with their news stories every day: "XX more instances of sudden acceleration!! WEREALLGONNADIE!!" Now, that's fine to report that more instances are coming to light. But I think they need to make sure it was a genuine occurrence and not, say, a floor mat or an old person jamming on the gas before flipping their shit with the freakout factor. The particular example I'm thinking of is the video of the police cruiser stopping the Prius with the brakes of the cruiser. Obviously the Prius driver forgot or never knew to flip it into neutral. Also something he could have done? TURN OFF THE FUCKING CAR. Yes I know that is not the first step to try, as you lose power steering and power assist brakes. BUT YOU STILL HAVE THEM. And yes, the cars with a push button start can be tuned off while driving down the road. You know how you do that? By pushing the button. Well, holding the button I guess, for however long it takes. 5-10 seconds, I'm guessing, if it's like a computer that froze up (yes, I'm looking at you work computer).

Anyway. Back on topic. The driver obviously needed some direction on how to handle the situation. Maybe he already burned out the brakes, I don't know the story I'm only reacting to the visual this story created. So the cop comes along the help. Apparently the cop also forgot about putting the car into neutral because he resorted to the most dangerous situation possible. Seriously, running a car down the freeway without power steering is WAY less dangerous than trying to stop a moving vehicle with another moving vehicle.

So my point: why didn't the cop just say over the PA: "Take your right hand and put it on the gear select lever. Move the lever to the N position. Steer to the side of the road. Have a nice day."

It is unfortunate for Toyota that my fantasy situation didn't happen. There would have been no sensational graphic to be blasted on every news outlet for the next three days. Instead the cop risked everyone's lived and we end up with a sensational graphic that is blasted on every news outlet for the next three days. I just feel like Toyota doesn't really need this piling on right now. They got a couple things to worry about, and they are addressing the issues. So why are we determined to drive Toyota's good name down into the mud? These freakout stories have been running long enough now that John Q Public's immediate reaction to just the mention of the name or a glimpse at the logo is "Danger! Unsafe! Run away!"

All I'm saying is Toyota is going to have a tough enough time recovering their reputation after this already. But they wouldn't have such an uphill battle if the media would treat this as they would any other recall from a GM or a Ford model. OK, with the exception of exploding fireballs of death trucks as seen on Dateline way back when. The media would say "Ford Taurus XL model years 2002-2003 have a seatbelt problem that will strangle children and small adults. Go to you dealer or call this number for more info." Done. No slander, no libel, no defamation.

End rant

Moving
Still no word

Health Care Reform
A friends' 11 year old daughter is right this minute in the ER with a bad asthma attack. This is a known thing to the family, so she has inhaler and all that stuff. Just a particularly bad attack, is all. That part isn't the point of the story. That point is that this is a lifetime military guy's kid, so he has a just a little experience with the way government run healthcare is going to work. [Aside: People seem to forget that there a few groups in this country that already experience this miraculous new way of doing things: active military, anyone in the VA, American Indians living on reservation (I think). I feel like I'm forgetting someone. These groups know the system, and know it sucks. Just ask any one of them. Anyway: this guy's daughter is not responding to the nebulizer treatments, Prednisone, etc. She started off at the base hospital, but has been moved to one closer to their house, the regular hospital for everyone else. His statement on her getting moved from the government system to the private citizen system: "She should start getting better now. I hate to say it, but it's true." From a lifetime military man and exceptionally honorable and good human being.

OK, that's all.


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Back from Orlando, still can't see the ground

The temperature has gotten to the mid 40s in the daytime, so that should be melting a good amount of snow at a time. I guess it's not melting as fast as I thought it would, because I thought I would be able to see a difference in the 4 days we were gone in Orlando (70s! warm!).

Before leaving:

After returning:

As you can see from my photographic evidence there wasn't much change.


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Too much snow makes people lazy

Sometimes people need a helping hand, and sometimes people need to help themselves. Yesterday after the big snow, we had ZERO secretaries come in to work. So all the important phone calls (the President could be calling, so a phone has to be answered (during daytime) or forwarded (weekends and evening) to a live human at all times when not ) went through to Hubby. That sumbitch was ringing all damn day. But anyway. The reason no secretary and less than half the regular personnel bothered to come to work yesterday: snowed in. Yes of course. They only had two full days to dig themselves out.

Hubby shoveled enough of the driveway to get one car out. That job took all day Saturday, while the snow was still light. The job was so long because of the section that was piled up by the snowplow. So all he had to do was get the driveway, then it was plowed roads from there. The street right behind us is outside of city limits, so they are lucky if a county plow came by. They had one strip plowed while we had the full width of the street plowed. But the poor souls in the streets that connect those two major roads? Totally effed. No plow. Two feet deep of solid snow from their front doors to the road at most 200 yards away. Those people I can understand not being able to make it to work by Monday. Even with a snow eater it would take a week to clear the street. Oh! And those smug bastards who bought snow eaters! I will only privately acknowledge their wise move in buying a snow eater. Even if you use it once in your life, that is money well spent. I will not compliment their wise purchase to their face. I’m not going to give them the satisfaction.
 
So anyway. Back to the sacks of crap who can’t be bothered to shovel their driveways. I don’t believe for a second that every secretary in the building was in the situation that their road wasn’t plowed. Most of these people live in the same town as I do, so they have excellent maintenance services, with snowplows running 24/7. I want to know how many people just decided to park their car on the street the night of the snow and then the next day said “Oops, snowplow totally trapped my car! Guess I can’t get to work!”
 
And why am I ragging on secretaries? We are supposed to have one in the building to answer the phone in the daytime no matter what. The Commander was here ferchrissakes but not one out of eight secretaries? The Commander lives an hour and a half away!
 
So why am I upset about this? It makes me feel like a sucker. The same way people who pay their mortgages are suckers because we could have just defaulted on the loan for too big of a house and still been able to keep living there. Hubby is a sucker because he has the work ethic and sense of responsibility to make sure he can get dug out and mobile as soon as possible so he can make it to work come Monday. We were out driving around on Saturday night and ended up helping some idiot in a 2WD station wagon who was stuck. Because we are the people who carry jumper cables in the car not because it has a shit battery and constantly needs a jump, but so I can help anyone I see who needs a jump. Which is an awful lot of people, it turns out.


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STFU SOTU SOMT (State of My Town)

Let's take a look at the businesses in my immediate area that have, um, "passed on" (as in the rainbow bridge?) let's call it, in the last year:

- Giant: gone, sign torn down, building still unoccupied.
- Super Fresh: gone, sign torn down, building still unoccupied.
- Circuit City: gone, Halloween store had moved in before demo work to building, but now the big red part of the building is gone.
- nice Italian eatery/pizzeria privately owned and operated by the Greek family: gone, sign still up so I have a glimmer of hope, but I know I'm kidding myself.
- Pizzeria Uno: news to me, Hubby just told me, just in the last couple weeks apparently.
- Chinese buffet in a nice mall with Safeway: gone but something else is there now, don't remember what.
- Wendy's: gone, made into more parking for the ATV store next to it; this may have been pre-Obama, but can't be sure.

The part that troubles me about the places closing down (which happens. I get it.) is that nothing has really come in to take their places. A lot of these are major chains. I mean, grocery stores? These two were in the same part of town, and now the people on that side of town have to drive all the way across town to another, more expensive one.

Thanks a pant load you fucking piece of shit.


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Stuff in my yard

I finally got a better picture of one of the foxes (still not excellent because I had to mess with them in photoshop):

They, or at least this one, live under the brush pile a neighbor and I have been building. So this is her or him going back home for the night:

And the rest are all of birds.

Every time someone is on the feeder I have to try for a picture. The first one is from a couple weeks ago, and all the rest are from this weekend's snow storm of the century:

I love this guy's beard:

And all these last ones are one our deck, on our three-foot snow drift that was blocking the door. Good thing the doors open inward:

This guy's feet are cold, I think. He kept doing that:

And finally a female:

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Thanksgiving 2009

I'm doing a brine turkey again, 13 pound beaut, with the only change from last year is that I did the drying period between brine and oven. I don't think I did it last year because I'm pretty sure I hadn't read that far in the instructions until oven time. So this time I was a little more prepared.

Defrosting the bird: We bought it on Saturday, frozen, so it had been in the fridge "defrosting" from Saturday until Tuesday night when I did the washing off and noticed it was still an EFFING BLOCK OF ICE! (I had wondered why there wasn't any juice in the bag!) So while I was washing it off, I spent an hour trying to get it somewhat defrosted, since it was going to be put in the cooler surrounded by ice and I didn't want it to stay frozen.

Brine: Crate and Barrel brine pack, again. Gives you the herbed and spiced brine, the bag, and also an herb rub. Tasted pretty good last year.

Drying the turkey in the fridge between brine and oven: I noticed there was quite a bit of juices in the pan, so I hope it doesn't turn out dry!

Stuffing and Trussing: God I hate doing turkeys. I probably shouldn't have slicked up the bird with olive oil and rub before needing to manhandle the fucker; trussing went not so well. I think I got the bits (carrots, onions, celery) to stay inside a little better than last year, so there's that. Also, I think this bird has an abnormal top hole. I can't get the neck skin to stay tucked inside, and it kind of just glops back out and slips around the string. So the string isn't really doing a whole lot to keep the bird together, I think.

Time for the Oven: It's in, breast side down for 45 minutes at 400degrees.

Still on my checklist:
- Garlic roast potatoes from my favorite cook Ina Garten. Well, OK, second fave after Bourdain, but I don't watch him for the cooking.
- cornbread muffins [don't have time!! :( ]
- dressing [in the home stretch]
- gravy! hope it turns out better than last year [it looks goopy. I poured the rest of the last box of stock in to increase volume, we'll see how that goes...]
- candied pecans


[9am] got my first burn turning turkey. Started the gravy with browning the nasty bits.

[9:40am] turned the turkey two more times, now it's on its final run: cook until done. Nasty bits still boiling in broth for 15 more minutes. Got another burn.

[1pm!!] I'm behind schedule, won't have time for cornbread muffins. Time to take the foil off the dressing and take a shower! and I may have a broken toe. Stupid cat.]

[after dinner] dinner was super yummy. Everyone liked the turkey. Hope it doesn't make anyone sick! There was ham, scaloped corn, and pie. There was others, but I only had eyes for turkey, ham, scaloped corn and ham. The gravy turned out pretty well, except I could have removed a little more fat from the drippings.

We're watching football now.
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Hey Maya, what have you been up to?

Well, glad you asked. In the last month I went up to the eagle spot and tried for some pictures with Godzilla. All the birdies were hanging out clear on the other side of the river, so not a whole lot of good pictures there. Every once in a while an eagle would fly over and land somewhere deep in the trees behind us. There weren't any eagles in those trees, and I'm hoping it's not permanent. They better be there next time I go up. If they have indeed left that nesting site, there is a road that goes along the river on the other side where eagles have in the past had lots of nests. Maybe we'll try over there sometime, even though you have to get out of the car and walk down a trail to see anything.

But anyway, I got a couple pictures over two days:

this is actually a turkey vulture. They like to hang out on the lower levels of the electrical towers with the cormorants.



















eh, some are OK, I guess. I don't do action shots very well, because the auto focus is a pain in my ass. Just wait until I can get one of a eagle in the near trees, right over the parking lot like last year.

So we went Saturday and Sunday a couple weekends ago. We got there in the afternoon, with about 2 hours daylight left both times. On Saturday they opened up the dam right when I was thinking it was time to give up. Opening the dam is like feeding time. It's stirs up the water and gets the birds hunting for fishies. When they did the same thing at the same time (ish) on Sunday, I began to think they do it for us photographers. I am starting to feel like going there is like going to the zoo, and at 4pm is when the animals are fed. At any rate, on neither day did we get any good eagle diving into the water moments. Sunday was worse, they just didn't seem hungry.

But we will try again!

So. What else have I been up to? Well, I stalked and met an internet friend 5 states away, and went to her Halloween party. It was a ton of fun, and was positive reinforcement to keep stalking internet friends in the hopes of them being as nice and awesome as this one. I have more thoughts on this real life vs. what I know or think I know about a person based on information from the internet, but I don't feel like writing. So maybe later. I did learn, though, that greeting someone with "I recognize you from the internet!" is probably not the best way to go.

One thing I DO need to write about is my trip home from the vet with Biscuit. It was humiliating for him and I laffed heartily. Not at him, of course. That would be rude.

More upcoming stuff is liveblogging Turkey cooking tomorrow morning. It is sitting in brine as I type. Why did I capitalize "turkey"? Hell if I know, it just feels right. I must have some German in me.


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Chores

The weather has been absolutely dreadful here the last month or so. Each weekend it was raining, and now it gets dark about half an hour after we get home. So that doesn't leave much time for getting outdoor work done (that's my excuse, anyway), like the lawn mowing, avocado pasture prepping, and car washing I've been wanting to do for a long time. Well, I finally got one of those things done: I finally got the lawn mowed after fixing the mower. It was actually a good thing it was so cold, or else the grass would have been a foot tall instead of just the six inches that it was. But, now I don't have to worry about the HOA beating down the door with complaints about the grass. And something I found out while mowing: that rider sucks up the leaves a lot better than the push. I don't remember if it was last year or earlier that I discovered mowing the leaves is waaaaaay easier than raking, and now the rider makes it even easier! Yes, I fully acknowledge I'm a lazy slug.

So let's see. Other chores I wanted to get done this last weekend included cleaning all the fish. It took me two days, but finally got them squared away. I didn't expect them to take so long. And on the topic of fish: the pH meter I use to control CO2 delivery needs another probe. Haven't been able to find the right one yet online, but it's supposed to be a consumable so hopefully not very expensive.

Another thing I want to get done is get my PC up the Windows 7. I don't have a whole lot of programs to worry about not being compatible, except old versions of Paint Shop and all the Office products. I'm going to have to get the paint shop thing figured out, because I currently don't have any suitable program on my Mac. On my old Mac I have Photoshop, but I don't have anything that's compatible with 10.whateversnowleopardis! It makes me wonder why I bother upgrading.


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Happy early Halloween, From Biscuit

You can tell how happy he is.

P.S. Just found feathers all over the basement. Think he's trying to tell me something?


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I have proof the blue fish is an asshole

I already had the webcam setup at the last spawn site of the discus, and those eggs lasted a remarkably long time (over 24 hours) before they were eaten. Now there's another spawn going on, probably with the second female, that was happening right as I was playing on the computer. So all I had to do was access the camera, didn't have to get up or anything.

One of the first things I saw the male (blue fish) do after some eggs finally appeared, was EAT THEM!! He ate a few before finally remembering why he was there. I was very upset. But he did redeem himself later, when he finally got into fertilize position.

He made a few passes, but not as many as the female takes to lay the eggs. Hopefully those few passes is enough to get some fertilized.

I am very happy to know he knows how to do it, now the only question left is if he is fertile or not. Also I need to find a way to protect the eggs so they might have a chance of hatching.


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And I did it all by myself

So I have two days before Hubby gets back (I thought it was one day, so I didn't go to work today to spend the day cleaning. Oopsie!) One of my tasks I gave myself was to get the mower repaired and get the lawn mowed, since it hasn't been mowed since the mower's catastrophic failure.

The repairs that are need are the tension spring that engages the blade belt needs to be replaces, and I ordered a new front wheel, because the valve stem on the one I messed up is damaged and the Mr. Tire down the road can't fix one that small. :(

The wheel is easy because all it is is undoing a bolt and putting the new (hopefully already seated and filled) tire and wheel on. The tension spring is more complicated because it (oddly enough) has a lot of tension on it, from the blade drive belt that is pulling against it. You can apparently reduced a little of the tension by raising the whole deck, but it only helps a little. So I needed a way to pull on the spring to get enough slack in the belt to slip it over the last pulley. I am not strong enough to just use something like a hammer to hook onto the thing and pull, while using my third hand to reach around to get the belt on.

The thing I ended up using was something I wasn't sure was even going to work. Hubby has a bunch of tie down strap thingies that have winches on them. I was able to hook both ends onto sturdy parts of the mower. (That was actually the hardest part: finding the second thing to hook onto!) and then start doing up the winch. Hubby also has these clamp wrench things that you can securely clamp onto something to give you more leverage. In addition to giving me the last bit of leverage I needed, they also allowed me to keep my fingers away from the thing I thought was going to snap. So, a few winch strokes, a few more that were harder, then the last couple that I did gingerly because I didn't want it to fly apart in my face. Et Voila! The belt slipped over the pulley!

Now. To undo the winch strap without a violent snap in my hands... hmmm. Didn't think that far ahead.

Well, I ended up getting it undone, still have all my fingers, no black eyes. Yay me! The hard part is done, but I'm still waiting for the tire to show up. Click for full post and comments

Party Time

The month of September was a very social one in the Papaya household! We went to two BBQs at friends houses, and hosted a going away party for a Captain who is PCSing. The one we hosted was the most interesting because it involved Rumpelmintz and puking.

I maybe should have taken the problems I had in the lead up to this shindig as I sign for bigger things to come. All I wanted to do was mow the grass. First, I got one of the small front wheels caught along the sidewalk so the rubber just came right off the rim. This was evening time the day before the party, and I already knew I wasn't going to get the whole yard mowed before dark. I just wanted the front and half the back done. So the wheel is off the rim. We get that off the mower, and use the air compressor to try and get it full again, but it was a tubless tire, so you had to make sure the rubber veil or apron or whatever was seated against the rim. We couldn't get it to seat, to I took it the the tire place down the street with 10 minutes before closing. They got it full, but it turned out the valve stem was broken. Awesome!. But I got it back on the mower right quick, and was able to get a couple rows before it was totally flat and falling off the rim again. That front tire doesn't take a whole lot of weight, so you can go pretty good with it flat. But the yard has hills and you end up needing that corner to be supported. So the tire's flat, I decided to call it a day. I got up early the next day and started the thing up (sorry neighbors) and got about 10 feet before the GODDAMNED DECK BELT BROKE AND THEN I COULDN'T MOW AT ALL!!!!!!!!

Our BBQ was put on as a potluck, because it was decided at a BBQ one week prior to the event that it should happen at all. So, potluck is good because it gave me a chance to not worry about food at all. I ended up doing a chocolate cream pie, some roasted zucchini/squash, and some home made guacamole that turned out horrible because the avacados were not good. Ripe, but not good. The thing I'm most proud of, though, was being able to whip up a goop to put on some chicken breasts that came naked. I googled up chicken marinades to see what type of things go into one, and the first recipe had dry mustard, oregano, pepper, brown sugar, etc. in it. Well, I don't have dry mustard, but I have Heinz, so I squirted some of that in a bowl, sprinkled in some pepper, salt, oregano, and brown sugar (I think, I can't remember), and let the designated barbecuer taste. He was genuinely surprised that I could come up with something that didn't taste like ass. I was not offended, I thought it was funny!

Let me just say that if you have any friends from Guam, have them bring and barbecue up the ribs (beef or pork, both super tasty). The pork ribs were so good and sweet like bacon and I wish I had more leftovers in the fridge.

So once the food was done, it was time to move on the booze. The keg was flowing the whole time (only used half-2/3 of a pony!) and Rumpelmintz was brought by one family that I may have to disown. Apparently that shit sneaks up on you to the point where you can be on round 4 or 5 and be feeling fine, but then the next second be in a horizontal position. Not because you've passed out, but because you feel the need to be steadied by the ground. The guy in question, our barbecuer, had been working on beers all day while grilling. The when that job was done and he could relax, he moved on the 100 proof candycanes of death. After 4 rounds he was standing up on the deck talking to us all, and we literally could see the "oh I don't feel so good" look cross his face. That was when he laid down on the plastic bench. (Which I still have in my yard, freaking two weeks after the party, and haven't returned to our friends yet.)

So he's laying down, by this point it's time for a second round of food, so people start eating again, and then people are leaving. And he's still laying down. Then it's just our core friends relaxing inside (it got coooold!!). And I get a request for the plunger. Because when you're sitting in the bathroom cradling your head, of course you're sitting on the toilet for a chair and then when you have to puke the sink is right there. So we needed to unclog the sink. That was taken care of, and he was either locked in the bathroom or sitting at one of our desks which are 5 feet from the bathroom.

Meanwhile, one of our friends who had had a puking incident at our 4th of July party
back in 2008 was relieved for there to finally be another story to come out of the Papaya household that wasn't him puking in the driveway and me hosing it down while he's still puking. Seriously, one of the guys was still talking about that 364 days after the fact. Guy giving up his crown says "I at least owe the man dinner!"

And then the evening wrapped up with the new puke king half passed out in one of our office chairs, and all of us (his wife too!) taking pictures of him and writing on his head. We were back to chatting in the other room when he all of a sudden got up and walked out the door to the car. "Time to go, I guess" is what we all said. So we hastily packed them up some food and they got going. They had church the next day, and his head said "fucking A" on it. These are the kinds of friends I have.

And we have about 30 hotdogs and a big box of burgers that weren't even opened, with buns to go with them. It's two weeks later, and I'm am still eating hotdogs.


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Icky bugs!

So we're just getting home from a BBQ now (midnight). We left before the mail came so we got it now. It was dark and Hubby didn't know what he was reaching his hand into until he got in the house and felt crawlies on his hand. And then looked down at the mail. And saw ants all over the mail and his hand. And didn't scream like a little girl, at least, but still was not pleased at all. So the ants were flicked into the sink or squished, the spray was got and used. And we went out to the mailbox to see just what in the Sam Hill was going on in there. There were trying to build a nest, as there was a big pile of eggs in there!! And so they were sprayed. And it was good.


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My weekend

Had a pretty good weekend, meaning lots of lazing.

Friday: stayed home and played Evony all day, then finally made some beer bread and dips for BBQ at 10 or 11 pm. Hubby rented some scaffolding to put a blown off piece of siding back up. (Been getting harassed by HOA for maybe 7 months to get that up.)

Saturday: played Evony and went to a BBQ for like 10 hours.

Sunday: played Evony, got surprise tickets to AAA baseball Ironbirds, so went to that. Hubby got the siding piece back up. Took all of 30 minutes with the scaffolding up. Played more Evony after baseball.

Monday: played Evony. Gave two cats baths, flea problem not as bad as I thought, as I only saw one flea. Mowed the lawn while avoiding rain (it decided not to downpour). Played Evony and did laundry.

Man I like 4 day weekends!

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Stuff in my yard

These have been played with some in Aperture, the sky turned out no where that bright in any of the pictures.

f/5.6 at 30sec

Trees are blurry and funny looking because with the long exposure there were multiple flashes that would light up the clouds, and it only takes a slight breeze to rustle the leaves.

Speaking of Apple products 10.6 is purchased and on its way.

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Thanks Obama

Jut tried to eat at our local pizza/sub/pasta joint. Closed forever. It's a pity because that place was really good!


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Random

Got one Beardie sparkling clean just now, and picked up two water/crapping dishes for both. They are supposed to soak in the dish and it is supposed to induce crapping and also help with shedding. We'll see about both of those. [not even done typing this post and the little guy is already in his dish!! No sign of poop yet] [the next morning: nice big turd!]

If that doesn't make you want to read to the end, then nothing will...

I've been working on putting together some pictures and frames to see if I can get into a quarter auction to make some moolah! I bought five frames at Michael's, and spent too much but not as much as I expected. Too much in the sense that it only is harder to make any profit. So maybe I shall fulfill a friend's dream of accompanying her to the thrift store to find some nice cheap frames. But I guess that's only if the lady likes my stuff enough to let me in. I am going to one as a participant Sunday, and will show her my wares then. Fingers crossed!

We had some fantastic thunder and lighting for a good portion of the night last night. I was laying there trying to sleep through it, but kept thinking I needed to set up the camera to try and get some lightning. It was ideal because all four or so cells passed right over the house, and with it being pitch black outside I could have set the camera for long exposure. Sleep won that round, as usual.

My avocados are doing well, still in their cups. One still hasn't cracked so I wonder if it's a dud. But three though. That's pretty good odds of getting a set that will pollinate each other.

There's a dove nest in the tree over the driveway, so whatever car that's parked there gets a steady stream of pooplets in one spot.
I have not seen a pair at the nest; just one, and don't know if it's the same one all the time.

Was going to put this is a separate post, but it will be your reward for making it to the end: I was throwing away my glass bottles into the dumpster at work today. I always throw the stuff through the side port, and it was open so I could see when something scurried over the pile as I approached. As I rounded the slight curve to come straight at the side port, I was face to face with something that was alive and very much not garbage. It only took me a second to recognize the crazed psychotic look of a Rabid Plague-Carrying Squirrel, and when it made a move towards me I about shit myself. I wasn't totally blocking the port, but apparently RP-C Squirrel thought he still had to go through me to get out. So a few fakeouts by him and more near pant-shitting by me, and I finally figured out he wanted to GET. OUT. NOW. So I moved over a step. He really looked like he was going to go for my head (he was right at eye level) but he did manage to steer around my noggin and out onto the ground. Then he ran away. Also, let me just say that in the middle of the near pant-shitting, I was trying to figure out a way to get a picture. This all happened fast enough that I hadn't even opened my purse to get the phone.

This post has a higher than normal mention of bowel movements. You're welcome.


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More Biscuit

Biscuit went to the vet, she found the puncture inside his ear and tried to see if the abscess would leak out though that. It didn't as well as it should, meaning the goop in the abscess wasn't as runny as it normally is. But they shot him up with antibiotics and also boosted his rabies (he was due next month). And also gave him more oral antibiotics: a pill this time! yay! So it's been a few days since then, his abscess in his head is almost totally disappeared. He had some swelling around the rabies shot, and I still feel some of that. I think the swelling at the injection site actually caused him more pain than anything else. But now he's happy.

I've been keeping everyone in and all the food off the deck after I witnessed La Chupacabra harassing Saffron. Actually I only saw it's back end as is sauntered off the deck when I opened the door. That sneaky bastard looked exactly like a 20 pound cat! That's how no one has discovered what La Chupacabra actually is yet. I also now know how a cat could get Biscuit's head inside its mouth, since the vet thinks it was probably a cat and not dog that nommed his head. It helps that this things is almost twice and big as Biscuit.

So anyway, everyone's all better, until the next fight he gets into.



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Biscuit is a bad kitteh (very boring post)

The other day Biscuit was out all night or I hadn't seen home morning and evening or something, and when he showed up his fur was covered in something like dried spit. Now you know when a cat washes itself they end up very clean. His fur was sort of crusty. So he's got dried slobber all over his fur, one ear is very sensitive and has blood on the inside of it, and he yowls every time he would try to scratch his head (not a very bright kitteh). I was pretty worried, but decided to wait it out and, if necessary, would take him to the vet the next day.

Don't leave yet, there more boring cat stuff below the fold!

That must have been Friday, because I remember wonder about Banfield being open on Saturdays. Also, I was lamenting not putting him on the Wellness Plan. [Gravy is on it, and you pretty much pay per year, and a lot of things that normally happen to animals is covered. It's like a warranty, you're just hoping something bad happens so you'll get your money's worth. But in addition to some bad stuff being covered, all the vaccines, neuter/spay, etc. are covered.]

So anyway: Saturday. Biscuit had a swollen forehead, and looks like a Cro Magnon Kitteh. And it apparently was more sensitive, as he was really upset when he would try and scratch his head. Again, not a bright kitteh. But his ear didn't appear to have any tears or anything in it, I think there may be a puncture maybe inside, but I'm not sure.

Now Sunday: swelling down, sensitivity lower, haven't checked inside his ear. I was trying to figure our what animal has Biscuit's head in its mouth. Fox seem to leave Biscuit alone, also not big enough to get his big melon in their mouths. So that leaves dog. That means either there is a free range dog on the loose. (There are a couple near me, but they seem friendly enough. Check that. One chased Mittens under the neighbor's deck once. hhmmm.) Or, Biscuit roamed into a dog's yard, in which case he deserves to be nommed. Stupid cat.

So anyway, to wrap up this boring post. Biscuit nommed by dog, don't know what damage to his ear there is. I'm keeping him inside at night now.

In other kitteh news, Gravy is fixed so I've been letting her outside as long as Biscuit is there. Because he's such a good influence and definitely won't get her into trouble. She seems to have a great time in the yard, as there are lots of flying bugs and crickets in the grass to chase and pounce. She's been caught in monsoons a couple times, but I've gotten her before the hard downpour started. Just a few slow-moving giant rain drops that seem to freak her right the hell out. I don't know if it's the things hitting her from the air that she doesn't like, or her paws getting wet on the grass, or what. But she gets kinda freaked and then is frantic about finding a hiding place. Biscuit and Saffron know to head for cover under the maple or some other bush and stay put (if they are too stupid to come inside when I call them). Gravy hasn't learned that hunkering down thing yet.

[UPDATE Wednesday] Biscuit's ear is less tender, but he has a likely abscess in there. I feel a hard lump on his head (and inside smells bad). So now I get to go to the vet! Yay!

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