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January 30, 2003
Stop! Thief!
Someone filched my flamingo pen leaving only his feet behind as evidence. The culprit has been described as short, hairy (white and gray tabby stripes) and ruthless in pursuit of anything with feathers. I had had problems with him concerning my pen but I thought I had distracted him enough away from it...he struck while I was in the shower. So far I have been unable to locate it...it's been gone 2 days now.
In the meantime, his accomplice has been seen rolling in dough. Little does he know value of Kwacha (Zambian currency) nor does he care....cheap cat's catnip I guess. Regardless, he ought not get so caught up in his wallowing that he rolls completely off the desk. It was equally difficult for him to maintain any sense of dignity walking away with Kwacha stuck to his feet and sides. ( I suspect it's a tad bit dry in here this winter)
Needless to say (but I will anyway), we seem to have been spending too much time "home alone"...I do believe we will be experiencing a heat wave for the remainder of the week...I think it's time to go out and mingle. Not just yet though...it's still -2 this morning. bbbrrr.......
Posted by frani at 07:05 AM | Comments (3)
January 28, 2003
..same old song
...just another tune. I can sort of calculate the "heating degree days" and even understand the formula....how hard is the difference between an average temperature for the day and 65degrees F but windchill? I'm even looking at the formula below the chart and I still don't get it...who figures these things out anyway?? So for all of our edification, here's the official Wind Chill chart.
The thermometer on the porch registered -20 when I got up at 5:30 this morning. Fortunately there are very light winds...they say 3mph soooooo according to our niftly little chart "feels like" temperature is something between -20 and -34. Of course the site also says our temperature is -14 with a wind chill -24. Actually I don't care what it says...it's still darn cold.
Posted by frani at 05:52 AM | Comments (4)
January 26, 2003
60 second art and fame
A friend just told me his brother just bought a $15000 television. Excuse me, I'm not sure there is anything worth viewing that much! I was reminded of the SuperBowl this weekend and I suppose seeing the commercials on an excellent screen is worth something...but $15000??
Yeah yeah...I know; it's the game, right? not the commercials. I do know it's a football game...and I do know who is playing (Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders, right?)...Sting and someone else are going to perform but I don't know who is going to sing the National Anthem. Woe is me...I'm so out of the loop. I don't even have a party to go to this year....even HGJ will be in Nowhere. I hope I can time my other TV viewing properly so I can catch a few commercials. ( I do enjoy the Sprint PCS "misheard lyrics" type..."I ordered 200 oxen and they sent me these here weiner dogs!")
When did the commercials start becoming more entertaining that the show? Hmmmm...maybe it has something to do with reality TV. Speaking of which...isn't that the oxymoron of the century? I see enough trailers for these shows to know I don't need to watch someone eat something totally disgusting...or be exposed as some low class greedy...well you get my drift. ...and the world thought Ozzie and Harriet were not real...sigh.
Fame:...my baby Morgan is featured in a newspaper article today....;-D
Posted by frani at 09:44 AM | Comments (5)
January 23, 2003
neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night...
It was dark, extremely cold (-3 ...worse with some nasty wind chill factor) and snowing when I got up a half hour ago. I really don't think I need to go out there today...I'm really hoping I don't need to go out there today. Who would go out there and why? ...and then I saw the paperboy coming up the driveway to delivery the Free Press to my tenant. Pul-eeze. I just don't think anyone should have to brave these elements to deliver those 4 whole pieces of newsprint...it's not even worth it on a balmy summer morning much less at 3 below in the driving windy snow in the dark!
I saw our mail carrier yesterday out there too...ha! She wasn't wearing her shorts then. Although... I'd seen her wearing shorts far past any reasonable weather conditions. I don't think I'd want to be a mail carrier in the winter either, even with a motor route.
I do check out the Burlington Free Press online though...at least I don't have to recyle it. Today's issue has a picture of one of the LakeChamplain Ferry workers waving Ba'bye to a departing passenger. OMG...no way would I want to even BE on the ferry in this weather much less work on it! Whenever I took the ferry in the winter, all I could think about was our sinking out in the middle of the lake and how cold the water would be.......eeeeewww....then I realized it would be fine...I'd have a heart attack immediately and wouldn't even hit the water alive.
Last night's news had piece on a fire at some car repair place. The owner had stoked up his wood stove for extra heat and went to his house for lunch. Later, he looked out to see his garage fully invloved in flames. Hhhhmmm...glad it wasn't MY car he was working on in there. Anyway....they showed footage of the firemen with the hoses and water and I thought to myself...I'm sure I wouldn't want to be doing that job in this weather. I figure the extremes in the heat and cold alone would tend to make me psychotic!
One of the women who staffs the Curves facility I attend is planning on participating in the Penquin Plunge Feb 15th. Now I'm all for raising money for charity and Special Olympics is certainly worthy of a donation BUT that water is COLD. Mind you, *I* have anxiety over getting into the bathtub so this plunge especially does not appeal to me...good cause or not. I'm thinking about giving her money NOT to do it.
I'm beginning to think the cold is effecting me .... I am beginning to wonder if I will ever be truely warm again. Hhhmmm I think these are the days where we are suppose to remember all the complaining we did last summer when it was unbearably hot and humid. What was it I said? I'd rather have it cold than hot since you can always put on more layers of clothes to keep warm. I have had on enough layers that I've been unable to move and I'm still chilled to the bone! I guess I will just have to remember these complaints next summer when I'm dying in the heat. Riiiiight.
Posted by frani at 07:36 AM | Comments (1)
January 22, 2003
Wednesday's Words
I've been busy but haven't had a whole lot of interest to talk about.
I've gathered up all the business tax documentation and got it off to the accountant's office. I also discovered how impatient I am when waiting for people with answers to my questions to get back to me. Mememememe!
It's still quite cold outside. I keep thinking I would like to just stay in and curl up in a blanket or bake or eat or do something that keeps me in the house. So far, I have found it necessary to go out everyday...in the cold! The horrors!
My brother and SIL are getting ready to go on their annual trip to Maui...sigh. We've had 3 memorable trips there with them...I think we need to go again someday so I can replace one of my last images ( the pervert) with something more pleasant.
Time to make some soup or chowder.....
Posted by frani at 12:45 PM | Comments (0)
January 18, 2003
More sense... no sense
I wish I cold take a picture of COLD! It was -15 degrees (F) when I got up this morning...that's cold. I could take pleasure from the beauty...bright sunshine making the snow glisten...individual snowflakes seem to pop right out since it's even too cold for them to merge together. Knoel has enough sense to not stay out there too long, I don't think he even got off the porch. ~Elmo, of course never got near the door ( actually I don't think he has been out in a few days!) I had enough sense to pick up a few needed groceries yesterday while I was picking up my prescriptions. Too bad I didn't have enough sense to include milk. I wonder just how far a few ounces of milk can be stretched?
WebCatCam: Knoel spent several minutes sitting in an empty wastebasket under the desk yesterday before discovering his tail. The cat is 4 years old...you'd think he would have noticed it before now, but he was acting afraid of it everytime it moved. ~Elmo is sleeping...I know he is alive because he snores.
Posted by frani at 09:28 AM | Comments (0)
January 17, 2003
Knit one...
I remember my first winter in Vermont...um...over 30 years ago. I was amazed that it snowed every single day. Well , I do remember commenting on it at the time. We seem to be having another one of those types ( kind?) of winters again. At least it keeps everything looking bright and clean.....dirty snow is sooooo unattractive, don't you think? Anyway... as long as it's snowing, it's not as cold out there. Thank you cloud cover.
I've been staying home alone more than I'm used to the last couple of months. When people call or stop by, (or IM me) I become a babbling idiot. Sorry about that if you've been one of the unfortunate ones subjected to my ramblings. You're reading this too aren't you?
How spoiled are we technologically and yet no matter how incredible the advancements have been in just the last 50 years, we probably still won't be happy until we have our own jet packs or teleporting capabilities. Beam me here or there, Scottie. Along those lines is the ability to immediately capture an imagine we see....yeah I know, we have cameras of all sorts but you never actually HAVE it in your hand and ready when you really want it. Yesterday, I glanced out the window to see Knoel perched on the door handle of the car...all four massive feet of his balancing his body on the side of the car. He never did figure out how to get down without landing in the snowbank, but it was interesting to watch. Yes, this is the same cat who climbs extension ladders, manages to somehow get on the roof of the house and peek in windows, and able to accomplish many other seemingly impossible maneuvers. Hmmm... maybe if I think WebCat is all that exciting, I ought to get out more. I'll look into that.
An observation: The set designers of Good Morning Miami ( love the background shadow flamingos) must not be sparing any expense. I noticed desk chair in the main character's office was just like mine! Ahem...the secret is out...I watched that show last night. I don't even want to tell you what else I've watched while home alone....The Pet Psychic is one of the better shows!
Enough.
Posted by frani at 08:30 AM | Comments (2)
January 16, 2003
Smells & Tastes.....
Blech....my coffee tastes like an old band-aid this morning! Well it's true but then again I really have never eaten an old band-aid, ya know? Soooo, it must be that it tastes like an old band-aid smells. Amazing how these senses are interconnected like that...it's why nothing tastes good when your nose is all stuffy. Cats won't eat what they can't smell so if their dry food stays out too long and loses its smell, they won't eat it. I'm just full of these things. What I don't understand, though, is WHY does my coffee taste so bad this morning!!!!!!!!!!!! The horrors of it all!
Posted by frani at 10:07 AM | Comments (2)
January 14, 2003
Tuesday morning...
I could have been very happy as a bear in a former life...I think I could have stayed in bed a lot longer this morning. It was still dark and still cold...hibernation sounds tempting. Although I liked sledding and skating when i was a kid, I was just as happy staying inside for recess during the winters. Getting those "leggings" on under/over our dresses was too much of a pain and once we got out there, there really wasn't anything to do! Maybe the teachers thought we needed to run around and be rid of excess energy but that really wasn't ever my issue....I barely talked in school much less even consider "acting up"! I was extremely shy in elementary school. Yeah, I was!
I'm also going off to the dentist this morning...another one of these 4 hour prep sessions...I very idea of not being able to eat for 5 hours or more has sent me into a feeding frenzy this morning. I don't usually even want to eat this early. Must be that bear like thing again. We don't want the tummy growling now do we?
Posted by frani at 07:36 AM | Comments (0)
January 10, 2003
Pondering
~~Do you think the birds will appreciate the time and effort I just put in stringing suet I collected cutting up a chuck roast for stew meat??
~~What if they don't find it where I hung it in the discarded Christmas tree?
~~What if they do and Knoel finds them?
~~What if the birds are ill and.....never mind..I see that I am getting carried away....
Posted by frani at 12:50 PM | Comments (4)
Quandry...
What to do ....what to do.......It sooo cold outside and the forecast is for it to get colder the next few days. However, there is an exhibit of artwork at my favorite jewelry store downtown which interests me. Gayleen Aiken is the artist and I first became aware of her work about 25 years ago. We even have a few pieces of hers which I think I ought to take better care of and frame more appropriately! 
Gayleen has been compared to Grandma Moses having been discovered later in her life I suppose. It's just fun to be in the know about such characters. Such is life in Vermont, though.
Of course there is no issue at all about going to my favorite jewelry store to view the art...afterall I must thank them for making my necklace in time for Christmas...it's just that it's cold out there. I had plans of snuggling in, making some soup or stew to have on hand, reading magazines or my new book, sipping tea and eating cookies. hhhmm...I guess I've already set the precedence for the day by going out to exercise already this morning AND I'll be going out again late this evening to the airport, soooooooo I guess I might as well make it a day and go downtown! Yippee!
Posted by frani at 08:52 AM | Comments (2)
January 07, 2003
Tuesday's Stuff...
So I went to an informational meeting hosted by the teachers association last night. I wondered if there was anything new or different about contract negotiations since I no longer have kids in the school system. Nope...same old same old. I'm glad I went though.. I got to see and chat with lots of old friends; teachers as well as other community members. Nothing like a good contract dispute to bring people out on a cold winter's night. The most I got out of the meeting was one teacher declaring I must be the Dick Clark of parents. I always liked him...he would have gotten my money anyway.
Today I took down the Christmas tree and wrapped up the skating flamingos for another year. Amazing how an entire tree's worth of needles can fit in the vacuum cleaner bag! No need for air freshener...I can vac with those in there for months and still be reminded of Christmas. Ok Ok..I'll also still be finding needles from the tree for months as well. (Heck I vacuumed up Easter Grass and I don't believe we've had Easter baskets here for a few years now.) Notice how you never quite get the room back to "normal" after the Christmas tree leaves?
I'm going to a weight loss meeting tonight sponsored by my exercise place. In preparation, I've been eating everything in sight for 2 days now. Should be just about done cleaning out the cupboards by the time I go to the meeting. I think I'll wear my big jeans so it looks like I'm already well on my way to weight loss nirvana...just going for added support..;-D
Herb Alpert is on the oldies sation on my radio...hhhmmm...since when did all the oldies originate in my high school days rather than my brothers' ( much older brothers). hhhmmm I seem to be fudging it a bit...That Herb Alpert ( this Guy's in Love with You) song is from college days...ouch.
Update...I asked said wonderful HS English teacher about "To Go Missing" He agreed it was NOT proper English and the one that annoys him lately is the lack of periods after Mr..( or wouldn't there be another period there...?
Posted by frani at 05:28 PM | Comments (3)
January 05, 2003
Randoms
~~The advantage of traveling a lot is having enough brookies for here and there...
~~The disadvantage of traveling is having enough brookies here not to do the laundry until you run out of brookies....
~~Speaking of running out....I ran myself out of disk space on my domain.... oooppps. It's the photo gallery...each uploaded photo has 3 files...the original, the resized and the thumbnail...hhhmmm someone ought to get rid of those originals automatically!
~~hehehe....."MY" domain....well it is my name afterall....I can share, though.
~~Reminds me of when Alexandra was just a little critter...came into the kitchen..." Uncle Herbert, Uncle Herbert! Putt Putt needs more memory!"
Posted by frani at 09:02 AM | Comments (6)
January 04, 2003
Oh the weather outside is frightful...
Soooooo, this is what 17 inches (and still counting) of snow looks like. That lump is a dark Green Saab. Poor Knoel has worried he may never get to his outhouse again.
Posted by frani at 10:16 AM | Comments (4)
January 02, 2003
Catching up
So as you can see...*I* have been very busy and loving every second of it! We have read books and played with toys..old and new. Maura can even ride the horse that was mine when I was little (Maura on My Horse)
Look what *I* got from Maura and Lori and Demian!!! I was soooo excited! I'm also sure they got the reaction they were looking for, too. Just like a kid in a candy shoppe! We lit one last night...very pretty...showers of sparks and crackles and pops in glittering gold and white and red and purple. ;-D I liked them! I'm pretty sure Maura liked the fireworks too...just like her Grandma!
Eureka! We have located the lid to the jar of peanut butter!
.
Posted by frani at 03:35 PM | Comments (6)