Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Rain at last

I remember getting up last night to unplug the computer and satelite because of a thunderstorm. When I got up this morning, my rain gauge showed 9/10th of an inch. If that storm had slowed down just a wee bit, it could have been an inch. I am not complaining....instead I gave my thanks to God for the rain. Maybe if it does it a few more times in the next week...as the weatherman promised....then the wild things can find stuff to eat in the pastures and not browse my yard till my flowers are nubs.
Oh, and here is that sheep you slowed down for me to get a shot of a couple of months ago. I really need to take my camera with me next time I am up there so I can get shots of all the other sheep I find around town.


Cubedog: BigDog said we got rain at the house yesterday. I never saw more than a few sprinkles and the 'afterglow'. Basically, in town, all it did was saturate an already soggy atmosphere and left us with 'thick air' to try and breathe. Today they've issued an "Orange Ozone Alert"...lovely.

Somehow in all this, there is something blooming that has left me with laryngitis. I haven't completely lost my voice, but I'm VERY hoarse and the throat hurts-back on the Allegra-d.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Too funny

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/washington-whispers/2008/08/07/one-nation-under-a-new-obama-salute.html
this is a classic example of state art produced under Mussilini and Franco

I Am 25 today.

I am 25 today.
I woke up this morning and made the choice just like I did that morning so long ago.
This morning it was not a conscious thought, just a simple dedication by motivation.
In other words, I woke up and got on with my life this morning.
I never thought to get here. That first morning was physically and emotionally painful; even more so later that night. Not so much now.
I am 25 today.
Not 25 days, nor months, but years. 25 years.
I never thought to get here. I assumed I would be dead by now. I looked at the ‘dinosaurs’ with uncomprehending awe. Not that I didn’t believe them. I simply could not grasp the concept. When I first met my sponsor, she had 8 years. I figured she must know God personally, y’know, “lunched” with Him. Now I understand why she felt unequal to the task.
I am 25 today.
Not because I did anything. The only active part I took in this miracle was to trust. I trust that the program works. I trust that things WILL get better…or at least different. I trust that I am not, never was, or ever will be responsible for the world- only my part in it.
I am clean and sober….25 years, one day at a time. Truly, a day at a time, cuz most days I don’t have a conscious thought of being or not being an addict. One day followed another.
Then I woke up this morning…25 years later.
25 years after that night when I walked blindly into a 12 step meeting and mumbled something like;
“Hi, I’m Debra, and I’m an addict.”
Though I tend to remember it more like: “I’m Debra, and I dunno.”

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

West Hill Country/ 3pm

We have had puffy clouds for the past couple of hours. Also the temp is down to 98. Waiting anxiously for rain.

TS Eduoard Update-1:10 p.m.

At the office now. Started raining cats & dogs as soon as I got the call to be in the office by 1 p.m.
Of course, would I expect any less?
Yes, we finally got the rain at the house. They've promised it won't stop until Sunday-we'll see.
The commute in was no worse and in many ways better than most Spring storms.
Oh, I pass the National Guard Armory on the way in. They were at full muster. Cars everywhere, command tent in the parking lot, folks in camo. In the mall parking lot across from there, there was a line of probably 10 ambulances; staged and ready to go. Glad to see emergency help is ready and waiting and so darned close by.
A soggy adios for now. I guess I'd better do SOME work.

Update:9:19

Suppose I'd better log off and go get ready for work. At least its only a half-day.

TS Update 9:00 am

I-10 east shut down due to a 10 car pile-up and high water. Finally the mobile reporters are getting wet. They are sooo happy now. They get to yell into the wind and show us blowing trees. Winnie is out of gas.
We are still 'damp' and completely still.

TS Update

7:30 Our streets are damp. Hasn't even rained heavy enough to penetrate the tree canopy-the patio is bone dry. The heaviest is about to hit downtown. Worst winds (approx. 60 mph) up in the north of the region.

Otter: Turned north? NOOOOOO! It has to stay the course west!!! For the love of all that's holy, it must stay westward!!!
After having my plants...goodbye elephant ears....browsed clear up to the patio, I put a pan of water and half a bucket of feed corn west of the house. I checked this morning and looks like about half the corn was eaten. I checked the flower bed on that side and spotted tracks in the damp soil where I had watered the eaten garden......deer tracks...nuts. I was afraid of that. Edouard must drop at the very least, a half an inch for us to survive here.
Hey, so sorry about the RF mug. I know how that hurts. I always keep an extra coffeepot or carafe stashed for emergencies.
I see a nap in my future this afternoon. I was up all night with a horrendous headache. Only managed slight dozing and was just drugged enough to not be able to get myself up to take a Darvocet. I brewed my coffee at 5:30 am....a couple of hours early for me.

Houston-We Have a Tropical Storm

TS Edouard made landfall....IS making landfall across the Bolivar Peninsula. The rat bastard took a turn to the north overnight. It is now headed across the part of the region that has gotten soaking rains over the last 2 days.
We will be lucky to get a sprinkle out here.
I was up early, jic the Big Poobahs decided to activate the "calling tree" to tell everyone to stay home. That call was expected by 5 am. No call. OK, get ready for work, pack a big lunch-cuz with the rain I may be gone til after dinner.
About 10 min. ago, I got the call. The Dwarf called from his home, directly in the path, to let me know the Poobahs had decided to close the office until noon. At that time, they will re-evaluate the situation.
The thing is, noon is when they are forecasting the rain to hit my office and my route to work. How much sense does that make?
The funniest thing is watching the local news gal try and make a story out of some rippling waves.
On to sad news; While trying to make coffee this morning, I had a series of unfortunate events.
I had pot in had, reached up to grab pirate mug, that mug grabbed my RenFaire mug and began to drag it off the shelf. I reached up with coffee carafe hand to stop RF mug from falling. !!!!!!!!!!!!CRASH!! Glass and mug bits everywhere. So, 1st task of the morning; clean up cold coffee and glass from EVERYWHERE. Ever notice how those carafes just explode? Maybe the army should throw coffee carafes instead of grenades. Oh, and I lost RF mug.
I'll keep ya updated throughout the day. No, about the weather situation-not the coffee situation. Though the coffee situation has a more direct impact on my life right now.