It's Time for Some Sunshine

Granted, Northern Virginia isn’t upstate New York, but the recent ice storm has really left its mark on most of us around here.  It was so bad last week that we flew the coup for the NC shore.  Since we’ve been keeping Snowy (our daughter’s dog), and she absolutely hates going out and trying to walk on the frozen and icy ground, the sandy (albeit cold) beach was a welcomed break.

We’re getting a bit warmer this week and with a little sunshine, followed perhaps by a good rain, all of this will begin to fade into memory.  Hopefully the sun will not only shine on the ground, but also on all of those depressed souls who have been shut in their houses and driveways, and shut out (literally) from their ice encrusted cars.

Cold weather sucks.  Snow and ice suck. Temperatures in the teens and single digits suck.  Global warming is a figment of Al Gore’s imagination.  If it’s true, how do they explain 22 degrees at the NC shore?

Here’s to spring, summer, and never ending paydays.

Consumer Alert #1: Avoid Buying Anything from Yahoo Auctions Website. They Don't Honor A Buyer Protection Agreement.

Avoid Yahoo Auctions!

Problem: Purchased a Sidekick II from seller on Yahoo Auctions. Sent money, never received product. Yahoo refused restitution and essentially washed its hands of the problem.

Below is an extract from Yahoo's policy as stated on their Auction webpage (and noticed after the fact - shame on us): http://auctions.yahoo.com/phtml/auc/us/legal/additionaltos.html:

“Because Yahoo is not involved in the actual transaction between buyers and sellers, in the event that you have a dispute with one or more users, you release Yahoo and its affiliates ………..”

So, as can be seen from their disclaimer, purchasing from Yahoo is truly a "buyer beware" proposition. Lesson learned? You bet! Hopefully this will help others avoid a similar situation and send them to eBay, Pay Pal, etc. who appear to have a stronger commitment to buyer safety.

DoNut Diplomacy

Here's one for the "don't that beat all" department. For a while now, I've been noticing (along with other's I know as well) that people are becoming so self absorbed that their actions reflect little or no awareness, let alone concern, of others. Recent examples of note include the young lady who recently passed us on the left, while we were stopped and signaling a left turn and the pedestrian in front of us, seeing our intent to make that turn, started crossing the street and almost got hit by the impatient little driver.

Perhaps worse still was the recent donut incident. Being the nice guy that I am, I took a dozen of the little death pills to work, knowing that I wouldn't eat one but thinking it a nice, Friday morning gesture for my coworkers. The donuts went quickly. Later, upon entering the kitchen where they were located, I was shocked to see the empty donut box just sitting on the counter about 2 feet away from a garbage can. So, someone, obviously severely lacking in upbringing, ate the last one and didn't even see fit to throw the empty box away. This must be the same person who takes the last paper towel and neglects to put another roll on the holder.

All I can say about incidents like these is "Hey, Dude, Yo Momma Failed Miserably!"

A quick update.

Well, once again, the beach house is occupied but not by me.  Patti and Patti Q are there this week.  Everything is working and fine so I am glad they’re there.  This week will be a typical one for when I am batching it – eat pho, drink beer, heat leftovers, go to work, teach my classes, and do it all over again.  This week doesn’t look too busy so work will be tolerable (I hope).  Maybe I’ll win the lottery or something – but then again, I probably won’t since it’s doubtful that I will even play it.

Back from Topsail Island and it's turned Winter all of a sudden!

January isn’t normally a month when you’d expect to see people sun bathing at the beach but last week they were doing just that on Topsail Island.  It was warm, in the 70s every day between Jan. 12-15, and totally clear.  Between weather like that, and traffic like what you experience in the Northern Virginia area, I suspect it’s God’s way of preparing a person for retirement.  I’ll get back there soon but in the mean time, I guess I will have to keep the weather as a fond memory since it’s cold as all get out around here today and likely to stay that way for a good while now.  Topping it all off – this office I am in isn’t all that toasty either.  Oh well, better to be in a bad situation with good thoughts than to be in no situation at all.  The end for this day!

 

Off and Running in 2007

2007 is off to a………start. The weather in Northern Virginia has been good and then bad and then good again. PattiQ broke her ankle/foot (bad) but has over 9 weeks of vacation saved up that she will otherwise loose in March so she can afford the time off (good).

Snoe has an ear infection (bad) but the Vet gave her a shot and some pills that seem to be working (good).

Patti is doing well (all good) and I am too (sort of good anyway). Work is still here (bad) but I still have a job (good – actually two jobs so double bad and good). Our parents are hanging in there (all good) and so is everyone else from what I can tell and, naturally, that’s good too!

Happy Birthday to Ginger by the way. Wonder what she’s up to today? Oh yeah – work (bad)!

Going to Topsail this weekend and dragging both broken foot and bad ear along with us. I hope the weather is (good)!

Later,

BQ

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year 2007! Here’s hoping that this year is at least as good as, and hopefully even better than 2006. Things were pretty good last year for sure so, all considered, I can’t complain. However, one must always hope for, and expect that life will continue to improve as we move through its little bumps and grinds. One thing for sure, it’s a rainy January 1 and I’m still in a good mood so that’ not a bad sign. Naturally, we will have the lucky dinner tonight – greens, black eyed peas, ham – all that old fashioned good luck food…..and hopefully some of the left over turkey too (Snoe will like that for sure).

We started off the New Year with a very interesting event – looked up at the tree just behind the house and there was a full sized Bald Eagle sitting right on top. Naturally, I ran for the camera and actually got some really good shots of it sitting there and one in full flight as it flew away. The do live around the Potomac River and the Occoquan but I’ve never seen one ever before. Here's a picture of the thing.

Work starts back tomorrow but should be quiet since the government is closed and most of our folks are getting a free day off (those working at government facilities anyway). We’ll have a slow day in the office I hope.

Here’s to the New Year and all the good that it will bring to everybody.

BQ

Merry Christmas!

It’s Christmas Eve and Patti and I are together, alone at Surf City. It’s extremely quiet down here with very few people in the houses or cars on the roads. The weather has been all over the map – rain storms through yesterday, today was beautiful, sunny and clear. We didn’t go out much except to Maxway just to buy some junk. The Christmas lights on the house look pretty good and I think I’ll leave them up for a while longer.

We’ll see Mom around 10 AM tomorrow and then back here to enjoy our last day before returning to good ole Virginny and work. Hopefully, next week will be quiet and peaceful in the office – I suspect it will be just that since most everyone is off, including the clients.

Jenny and Boe are in Boiling Springs, with Patti’s sister and her family. Who knows where the rest of the folks are but it’s not here with us. Patti Q is home alone which seems to be the trend for how she spends holidays. Ginger, Lynn, and Betsy are probably spending Christmas at home as well.

Anyway, Merry Christmas to anyone who reads this – likely only me.

Later,

BQ

Where's the action?

What a boring few days.  There is absolutely nothing going on but work, school, and sleep.  With the exception of my daily quest just to get up and down, in and out of the car or a chair without screaming, there’s nothing happening.  Hopefully, things will get better soon and all will be back to normal (“back” being the operative word here).  Anyway, life could be worse and Christmas is coming soon and that tends to make everything better.

 

 

Happy Birthday!

The guy in the red hat is having a birthday today.  Rumor has it that he’s about 39 years old but nobody can verify that for certain since his birth certificate is locked up in the National Archives Building, between the Declaration of Independence and the original version of the Star Spangled Banner.  Regardless, he’s dressed like a cross between a Three Musketeer and Mary Poppins but hey, that’s better than the birthday suit he wanted to wear today and we do all wish him a very Happy Birthday!