Summer heat

So, I couldn't stand it-I had to have a pool. Who cares if it takes over the whole patio! Bigdog strung up a triangular tarp for protection/shade (damned doves). So with the big old oak tree, the house, and the tarp, there's no way to get a sunburn-just floating and relaxing.

First: the pool:filling

next:I couldn't stand it any longer

Bigdog and Whitedog-sharing a moment

Blackdog hiding from the "Big Bath"

Next: the 17hour brisket

Lastly: How I spent my summer vacation

Let Freedom ring

Flash Flood

fire in the midst of flooding>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<

In answer to Otter:

In the spirit of Adam Savage: I reject your guilt-trip and substitute my own.

Ahhhh-city traffic

From the land of neverending traffic and the people that gave us:
Car-B-Que: car fire
Gawker Block: traffic slowing down to stare at a wreck (Ooooo-pretty lights)
I bring you......
Highway Snot: traffic congestion
and new in.......
Trickle down Wreckanomics: accident starts with one or 2 cars and escalates to multiples
Its kinda sad when something is so prevalent that it rates its own Sniglets.

Otter: I will quietly whisper about being in town the other day and having to sit at an intersection for a whole minute while about a dozen cars went by before I could turn onto the road home. oops.
Every time that happens, I talk to myself about how rough the traffic was in Houston and if I could drive there, I can handle Podunk at rush minute.

Can I start singing now?

Let it snow, let it snow, let it....What?
Yep, snow, sleet...winter stuff. Right down here on the coast.
I learned a new meteorlogical tidbit yesterday. The last time we got significant snowfall down here was in the early 80s, the year this area got hit by a significant hurricane. It has something to do with the hurricane cooling the Gulf waters.
Well, guess what happened this year. See previous weather posts....
Now today..before the middle of December, they are predicting sleet and snow. The area just north of us is already seeing frozen stuff.
I just don't even want to get out and get on the road with the other commuters (not to mention the icy blast of air).
OMG....the weather map on the morning news is showing slow less than an hour west of me!
crap, I gotta go get bundled up and go play in the street.
Otter: You what???!!!! Let me get this right.....You live on the tropical side of the state, I live in a more temperate region of the same state......it snows west, north and east of me....I got maybe 2 tenths of an inch of desperately needed rain (if you discount the bee that was rehydrated in the rain gauge), and 24 degree temps......and you get snow on the tropical coast????!!! There is absolutely no justice whatsoever!

Good Effing Morning

Woke up this morning(at 4:30) to a dancing dog. Blackdog needed to go, but it was also storming. Rain coming down in buckets! While I waited for her to do her business, I fed the cats and made coffee. Then I took my coffee upstairs to crochet while not waking up the sleeping army of kids in the living room floor, and take a shower. About 15 min. after I finished my shower and got dressed, just settled down with coffee and yarn, there was a loud noise and a knock on my bedroom door; "Uh, Cubedog? There's water coming in the living room and we're all getting wet."
O crap, I KNEW the roof wasn't our only problem.
Chaos ensued as I grabbed anything that was absorbant, rushed downstairs and tried to stem the flood. We had about 3" of water on the back patio and the water was coming in the weepholes.
I went and woke BigDog up and by 5:30 we were out trenching around the foundation, trying to get ahead of the buckets that were still falling. After about an hour, BD went and pulled the Marine Corp. wake-up call on all the kids and forced them out to help.
He wanted me to marshall the Moms to mop up the floors and fix a hot breakfast for the kids.
I ended up cooking (you can just imagine the comments I would like to make here) and by the time we were ready to feed, there was family drama and half the family left...in a hurry.
We just finished up outside and I'm 3rd or 4th in line for a hot shower....again.
Lunch is on the stove-cooking and I've planned spagetti for dinner.
I hope there's a grocery store open today. We're outta milk, almost out of bread and I need creamer.HEB was open yesterday-guess I'll have to go out and brave the zombie hoards.

Otter: Oh man....you almost made it out unscathed! But did I not say something about the living room? Uh...maybe I said it to mom. Well, you will just have to tell me the details. Also, have you found out anything about the job in the morning?

More Ike developments

We have 4 evacuees now, we are getting 4 more tonight. D'ya think I can get assistance from Red Cross?

We got out earlier and checked out damage around the 'hood.

This guy came around and scraped the crud outta the gutters so the street was passable.

Next door neighbor's.

We are very blessed-this coulda been us.

Otter: Do you think maybe HOA will be cruising at first light monday....making lists of who needs to be sent a threatening letter about the uprooted tree in their yard......shingles off roof.....yeah, get that done in one week or we will sue you!
Can you imagine your HOA in Galveston. Dear Homeowner, We noticed your house is missing. We strongly suggest you find it and put it back within two weeks or we will be forced to file suit against you for breach of HOA contract.

Good Evening

Well, now at 10:30 they are saying that Ike will come in over Galveston and now as a Cat 1. The evac.s have gone smoothly. I-10 is crawling west of us and I-45 is crawling north of us, but the roads are fairly clear in the immediate area. When I got home, I found out thaat BigDog's cousin and her 3 youngun's are evacuating to our house. I have been working for the last 4 hours cleaning and getting ready for them.
BigDog talked to his family's weather witch earlier. WW has never missed on a storm landfall or severity. Today, WW was evacuating and said, "Its gonna be bad." That's good enough for me.
We are preparing for 70-80 mph winds (sustained) coming at us from the NE. I have to get up tomorrow and run to the grocery store and pharmacy. I'm out of sinus meds and I need sugar for baking a "Hurricane" cake.
Gotta run now and go make up the beds and take a shower.
Til tomorrow.

It has begun

It has begun

Went out at lunch for food and a pack of smokes. Took 1/2 hour to get the smokes. Everywhere people are crowding the streets, jamming up the gas stations, all these people with fear as their constant motivator.

Got a voice message from BigDog: Come home noooowwwww. The Zombies are everywhere. I need help with the reloading!

Yes, they are zombies, but instead of "Braaiiinnnsss". these are moaning something more like: "Gaaaasssss", "Waaattteeerrr", "Plywooooddddd".

Otter: I find it strangly fascinating that a cold front over me is sucking in the super low of the hurricane toward us. There must be some physics extended, mind sucking explaination for it.

Ya'll laid in plenty of water, pet food, and smokes for the event, didn't you?

Cubedog: I am letting BigDog "batten down the hatches". I figure he knows better than me how that's done.

Home Improvement

When we bought this house, we thought the roof was good. Sadly we didn't know about the big hole forming on the upside of the chimney. After 10 years of holes in the ceiling, waterfalls in the master bedroom, and salmon spawning streams across the living room, it is finally done and the new roof is here. A momentus day that has had unexpected benefits-the house is cooler!

So, without further ado-here it is:

The supplies arrived before 7 am

The work begins (you can see how bad the old one was):

New tar paper, new shingles, new flashing,

no more "Turban" vent:

You can see where they have torn out rotten wood, replace rotten fascia board,

and closed off the rat holes.

What a mess, but they cleaned all of it up:

This pic just makes me smile:

The last piece of the puzzle-the porch roof:

Its a very subtle change. We went back with the same color that was on before, but to us, its a world of change.

OK-so the roof is being destructed, but I like the way this pic makes my house look so nice:

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.

Hello Dolly

Hello Dolly, Well Hello, Dolly
Its so nice to have you back
Where you belooonnngg
You're Lookin Swell
Dolly
I can tell
Dolly
Hey, hey a possible rainmaker and we BOTH might get some good outta the ole'gal!
Otter: Oh beliiiiieve me....I am all atwitter out here. Keeping a close watch on weather channel....except when Nazi Abrams and schmuck Bettes is on. Heading to the city to get my shopping over with tuesday so I can sit at home, watch the clouds come in and maybe breathe in rain cooled air wednesday and thursday. Bring it on, dolly!!!

"While Everything Burns"

today: Back to Blog Topic.
We had an interesting weekend around here. Not that I'd know without consulting the local news...I've been pouting.
Here goes:
Local fire department gets called out to an inferno. A plant nursury is burning and the fire is being fueled by bags of fertilizer. They run around the neighborhood evacuating people-fighting said fire-no injuries, but damage includes melted cars-it was that hot.
While the FD is trying to fight blaze above, another call comes in; apartment fire within a couple miles. No injuries-total property loss.
While FD is fighting both fires above, yet another call comes in; apartment fire within a couple miles of first fire.
So I have 2 questions: What was someone trying to either cover up or detract attention from?
And why did the news girl sound so bummed while reporting there were no injuries?

More later....you just can't make this shit up!

The Brave Ones

Before this month gets away, I want to give props to a branch of our military that is reviled by some, ignored by many, and hailed by few, but without whom we would be in serious dooky: THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD!
SALUTE!
The brave men and women do a tough job that unfortunately only those on the seas get to fully appreciate. They deal with everything from smugglers to errant sealife to stupid fishermen. They are our coastal defense against terrorism and first responders to ocean tragedies and often hurricanes.
They just don't get enough respect.
I wanted to put this out on the net, because, well just because.
From the 1st of June to the middle of the month (2 weeks-approx,)the Coasties have saved 17 people down here. They only lost one...and that one wasn't their fault. He was gone before they got there.
The most spectacular rescue was at night, with no light, in the middle of the open water, they found 5 survivors of a wrecked sailboat. Thank God one of the victims thought to grab a flashlight-that's what saved them. Kudos to the Coasties for not giving up-even in the face of such odds.
Also kudos to the Coastie they interviewed after the rescue of 7 people on a small fishing boat. They went too far out for the size of boat and engine and had to be rescued after they had tied off to a rig after getting swamped. The Coastie stopped himself short of saying, "That's the stupidist thing I've ever seen." Because, of course, it probably ISN'T the stupidist, but it was close.
My heartfelt admiration goes out today to the professionals of the U.S.Coast Guard. They bravely face machine-guns, storms, rough seas, roughnecks, stupid boaters, and the disrespect of the other 3 branches of the military.
SALUTE!

And Now a Message from the Office of Tourism

I would just like to know where its written that people cannot be honest about the place that they live? What cosmic law states that everyone MUST be an "ambassador" for their town?
Why is it verboten to discuss this city honestly, warts and all?
This is the 5th largest city is the US. We have the 3rd largest port in the nation. There are loads of opportunities. The economy of this area is 'boss'. The shopping, as you know, is phenomenal and I think even that might be an understatement.
There is TONS of stuff to do; beach, rainforest, aquarium, water parks, IMAX, historic battlegrounds, funerary museum, NASA, indoor rock climbing, ballooning, hang gliding, hockey, curling (yep), and now Quidditch. We have world class concerts; rock, classical, alternative.
We get international traveling museum shows. Heck, where else can you stumble onto a performance of Polynesian dancers in a gas station parking lot when on you way to Lowes?
Our avante-garde ninja knitters "Knitta Please" even made it to the May issue of the UK mag KNITTING. I mean, how cool is that?
Now for a reality check.
First there's the gangs. All kinds of gangs. And with the gangs comes the drive-by shootings, drive-up executions(even in fast-food drive-thrus), running gun battles on the hiways, flesh peddling(even minors/sex slaves), drug running, gun running, terrorist training.
We have 'Coyote' "holding houses" where the human smugglers hold their cargo as prisoners for more money.
We have home invasions where the invaders are wearing body armor.
We have cop killers and killer cops.
We have city employees embezzling from the public budget and corporations embezzling from their employees. And ISDs competing on who can build the most ostentatious 'sports complexes' with public money.
Our house appraisals are out of control which means the school taxes are astronomical. And the city council pats themselves on the back for a "1/2 cent tax cut".
On top of that, the city has pulled an interesting coup. Most of the county falls under the city ETJ(extraterritorial jurisdiction). This means that any decision the council and mayor make, effects all those areas, but the mayor and council are only elected by those living INSIDE the city limits...not the ETJ. This amounts to taxation without representation.
Hello? Does anyone remember 1776?
ur public transit is a joke and a mayor that thinks he's solved the public transit problem. We have a central business district that the busses serve and business districts all over town that the city ignores.
So why can't people just be up front about the reality of living large? Why is it necessary to bury their heads in the sand? Are these the same people that believe America has no enemies or that we should just talk to our enemies and they will stop hating us?
I can understand denial as a coping mechanism-used it myself plenty. But people! Denial about the reality of this city can get you killed! Funny thing is...I bet not one of these deniers leaves their house or car unlocked.
And if this is Disneyworld with traffic, why are 'gated communities' so popular?
I'm so befuddled..I'm going to go take a nap now.

Why I love Fridays

Especially red Fridays.
Let me explain, the company offers flexible schedules. One option results in the worker having every other Friday off. The whole company is broken out into 3 teams, red, white, and blue. I am on white team…I don’t take every other Friday.
HR has tried really hard to divide blue and red evenly, but it really doesn’t work out that well. More people are on the red team. Thus, red Fridays are always really, really quiet. An added bonus is that for red and blue people, the Friday that they have to work-they get to leave 1 hour earlier than their normal schedule.
This is where it gets good.
In my corner of the world, out of 8 cubes and 3 offices, 6 are red team, one is blue(and leaves at 4), one leaves at 4 everyday, and one leaves at 4 if he has kid retrieval duty.
That means that the quiet turns into a morgue-like state at 4 with only one other person here…and she is busy surfing Craigslist.
For one whole hour I AM THE BOSS!
If I keep really quiet, no one knows that I’m even here…..
God I love Fridays!

Otter: Sweeet! Hey, I tried to send mom flowers for Mom's Day. The florist said they can't get orders to her city anymore because all the florist's there are so swamped that they are refusing anymore orders. I called Mom and told her I would bring her a nice outdoor plant as soon as I can get free. With the garage sale coming up, it is liable to be another week before I can get up there.
BTW.....it is 97 degrees in town right now......and 100 out at my house. I am just not ready for this yet!!

Wild weekend in the City

I would just like to begin by saying: if you're a fan of Carlos Mencia-you get it....if not, I don't care.......
It was a wild weekend here. I'm glad we stayed home and played 'domesticas'.
The body count by this morning was 13 dead-most of those were homicides.
Other Scoreboards: Houses 2
Cars 0
But the best story by far, the one that gets my 1st ever Carlos Mencia Commemorative Award for Stupidity goes to.........(drumroll)
The young woman who was racing down a suburban street, lost control of her car, ran into a closed garage door , the 2 vehicles on the other side of it, then the fence and tree beside the garage. Both she and her passenger failed the field sobriety test. She was protesting her innocence all the way to central booking, saying "she hadn't done anything wrong."
Dumb, drunk chick-we salute you...
All together now-you know the cheer>>>>>>>>>>>>Dee,Da,Deeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The close runner-up has to be the guy who had to be rescued from his flaming pick-up by a passing tow-truck driver. The dude had lost control on the freeway, took out 4 trees before coming to a flaming stop. He blames the whole thing on what? Restless Leg Syndrome!
Yes Ladies and Gents.....
the gene pool may be large here....but its very, very shallow.
Otter: gee.....I didn't know I could use RLS as an excuse! I will file that one away...good for giving any officer a chuckle.
You make Podunk BFE look like paradise on a stick (or is that in the sticks). As far as I know, the biggest thing so far this year was the murder, which I haven't heard has been solved.....need to do my nosey poking around to find out. Hmm...sounds like a good reason to email my BFF, she knows everything that goes on around here.
In the "It's All Good" catagory; The other half went back to work this morning. Two more weeks of the sweet life. I only have to spend three days with him next time he is home, then I am off to the beach! WooHoo! Not that I don't like his company, just that....well....The Clueless One, ya know?

can't make this sh*t up

I just got these from a friend across town. These were taken this week on US59.

That's a 12' ladder.

ok so maybe we aren't a "world class city", but you'd think people could show SOME class.....

You might be a redneck if......

All this guy needs is "JUST MARRIED" scrawled across the back windshield.

Fruit loops......I am forced to share my world with fruit loops.

More Proof? how bout this:

I would love to pitch an hour long comedy to Comedy Central; working title "CSI: H)&*^$*n".

After loosing accreditation, credibility, face.....and fighting and spending (our taxes) back to credible....or at least open for business, our local crime lab did it again. The person running it was giving her subordinates answers to the licensing tests they are required to take. She resigns....and lands a plumb job with the state lab.. WHAT?????

Otter: Okay, I live in way West Podunk and even I haven't seen anything so ridiculous, or at least worthy of being pulled over and ticketed.

State lab? Okay, you are just trying to scare me! Not funny :(

Happy Freaking Valentine's Massacre Day

Well, last night, I stopped by the grocery store to get cat food. I picked out a $4 bunch of flowers and some chocolate covered strawberries for Bigdog because I've put him through hell lately.

I got home and presented them to him and he said, "I bought you flowers(a dozen pink roses)."

Then he reached into the frig and brought out a Stawberry mousse/chocolate confection. "I'm trying to butter you up." (Oh God-what now)

"Why?"

"You want the good news or the bad news first."

"Hit me with the bad news."

"I got fired."

"WHAT???????" Actually, I think I buried my head in my hands and said, 'Oh, Christ'.

"Yeah."

"And the 'good' news would be......?"

"I got a new job...making more money....closer to home. Go out on a project next week."

Happy bloody Valentine's.......

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Ok, so I get up every morning and turn on the local news. Mind you this is not because I'm a news junkie. I like to know what the weather is going to do that day....and how many stupid people torched their houses overnight(average of 3 per night).
I get very frustrated with our local-yokels trying to relate every flippin national story back to local news. If a kid gets shot in a school in Saschetchawan(sp?), the local talking heads will end the story with a reference back to one of our (many) local school shootings. If a tree grows in Brooklyn, they will remind us that a tree grew here also...albeit 25 years ago, but what the heck, we have had our own tree problems(see what an "international city" we are?)!
This morning....this came up: Officials: Suspect killed, tried to eat girlfriend
they didn't even try.....
Otter: OMG.....I don't EVEN want the news at 10. Can you see me shudder? I have nothing more to add.
Cubedog: In TYLER of all places!

Finally took the plunge

I ordered a Concho Pearl pendant today through Mom. She found a silver artist's pallet w/gem stone 'paint puddles', a tiger eye 'paint brush' w/Concho M.O.P. bristles. She suggested coming back later and adding a Concho pearl "paint droplet" from the bristles. Brilliant!
Merry Christmas to me!
Mom sent me this picture...a nice closeup. That is absolutely beautiful! I think a pearl hanging off the tip would be fantastic!