Not that anyone will make note or long remember, "Oh, that was back in 2008 I think." But I have only four days remaining and my family will be cheated of nearly $400,000.00. And I can't stop that. The die is cast.
My time as an employee will come to an end. (at least for a while) And with that end is a big world wide celebration of a new year, a new world and a new beginning. I am ending my longest and last vacation.
I still don't have a plan. I have found that I won't be watching TV. I watch less now than I did before this vacation. And if they continue with this drive to 'digital TV' I won't be watching anything. I am really put-off by what I call 'digital moments'. You know the ones, where the picture has digital artifacts (those pixelated parts) and the sound goes out. It is like the television is confused for a few seconds.
And I'm put-off by the incessant advertisements telling me that, "Digital TV is so much 'better' and that is why the government has decreed that all stations 'MUST' broadcast in all digital." We should all know that the real reason is to move public broadcasting to a new band and take the current band (read channels) for 'homeland security'. Somewhere, someone will make money from the move. In theory, digital will be better. In reality we will accept a lesser experience with dropped sound or image because that is what digital does. To paraphrase the nursery rhyme, "when it was good it was very, very good; when it was bad it wasn't there at all."
And this is good! I will be spending less time in front of the TV and more time doing something else. Walking, cleaning out the basement, working in the yard?
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Like the Cold, Reality Creeps In
I'm just starting to feel that I am no longer employed. Although I technically am on vacation until the end of the year, I am realizing that I don't have to return to the job.
I also miss the walk from the far end of the parking lot. I gained 8 POUNDS in 5 weeks! Have to cut back on food and increase walking.
Gasoline is way down! Yes, the price is, but so is my usage. I have gone from 2.5 gallons per day to .75 gallons per day. WOW! Or in economic terms, from $10.00 per day to $1.11 per day. At that rate I will have enough money to last a few additional years. Yippee!
Christmas is coming! I am done. I didn't want to go out yesterday, but I knew the weather was going to change and I needed to get shopping finished.
Crap! It really changed! It was 50 degrees when I went out at 3 pm. It was still 42 degrees and raining when we went to the grocery store at 9 pm. This morning I went out to scrape the ice off Sally's car so she could go to work. It was frozen hard, the doors were frozen shut and one tire was very low and the other three were less that full.
I started scraping her windscreen. I used the toothed side and scratched the bumps down but didn't get to the glass. I the car running while I checked her tire pressure. The front tires were down to 25 lbs. So I pumped them up. The air hose wouldn't reach the rear tires until I turned the car around. One rear was 25 psi and the other was only 12 psi. I pumped them all up to 34 lbs. and started on the windscreen. It was still icy but it yielded to the scraper. I stood in the driveway, in the 3 degree weather, in the 20 MPH wind, waving good-bye 'til she was gone from sight in her warm and ready carriage. Then I returned to the house and soaked up the warmth.
God! I am glad I retired! Now I can wrap gifts and clean house and worry about my kids and plan for the next thing to do. Which of the babies will I see next? How are those kids doing in school? Is everyone okay?
I also miss the walk from the far end of the parking lot. I gained 8 POUNDS in 5 weeks! Have to cut back on food and increase walking.
Gasoline is way down! Yes, the price is, but so is my usage. I have gone from 2.5 gallons per day to .75 gallons per day. WOW! Or in economic terms, from $10.00 per day to $1.11 per day. At that rate I will have enough money to last a few additional years. Yippee!
Christmas is coming! I am done. I didn't want to go out yesterday, but I knew the weather was going to change and I needed to get shopping finished.
Crap! It really changed! It was 50 degrees when I went out at 3 pm. It was still 42 degrees and raining when we went to the grocery store at 9 pm. This morning I went out to scrape the ice off Sally's car so she could go to work. It was frozen hard, the doors were frozen shut and one tire was very low and the other three were less that full.
I started scraping her windscreen. I used the toothed side and scratched the bumps down but didn't get to the glass. I the car running while I checked her tire pressure. The front tires were down to 25 lbs. So I pumped them up. The air hose wouldn't reach the rear tires until I turned the car around. One rear was 25 psi and the other was only 12 psi. I pumped them all up to 34 lbs. and started on the windscreen. It was still icy but it yielded to the scraper. I stood in the driveway, in the 3 degree weather, in the 20 MPH wind, waving good-bye 'til she was gone from sight in her warm and ready carriage. Then I returned to the house and soaked up the warmth.
God! I am glad I retired! Now I can wrap gifts and clean house and worry about my kids and plan for the next thing to do. Which of the babies will I see next? How are those kids doing in school? Is everyone okay?
Monday, December 15, 2008
A New Avocation
I got the chance to do a project for Julieanna and Geoff. They needed child latches for the cabinets installed. And for me it was additional time with Cora.
Julie made soup and grilled cheese while I fed Cora. She is a good eater! So while I was spooning it in, I worked on teaching her to wink. Of course I knew she can't wink! That is the fun of it. She doesn't yet have the ability to wink; but she tried and it was adorable. She blinks and then smiles with pride.
By the time lunch was ready, Cora was wink response ready. Julie gave her some crackers and I would wink at Cora. Cora would 'wink' at her mom and smile. About the third time Julie said, "What's with that face?"
I said, "That's not a face, she's winking." Then I winked and Cora winked and Mom was amused. It is so much fun to experience these kids learning something; but, SO REWARDING when it is something you have taught them.
Then I put the locks on. Cora was right at my elbow, crouching down to have a better view under my arm. I think next time she will be able to install them. For a while she will be safe. No cleaners for her. But I wouldn't trust them absolutely. She is smart and her little hands can reach in easily. It won't be long before she figures it out.
Julie made soup and grilled cheese while I fed Cora. She is a good eater! So while I was spooning it in, I worked on teaching her to wink. Of course I knew she can't wink! That is the fun of it. She doesn't yet have the ability to wink; but she tried and it was adorable. She blinks and then smiles with pride.
By the time lunch was ready, Cora was wink response ready. Julie gave her some crackers and I would wink at Cora. Cora would 'wink' at her mom and smile. About the third time Julie said, "What's with that face?"
I said, "That's not a face, she's winking." Then I winked and Cora winked and Mom was amused. It is so much fun to experience these kids learning something; but, SO REWARDING when it is something you have taught them.
Then I put the locks on. Cora was right at my elbow, crouching down to have a better view under my arm. I think next time she will be able to install them. For a while she will be safe. No cleaners for her. But I wouldn't trust them absolutely. She is smart and her little hands can reach in easily. It won't be long before she figures it out.
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