People in high places ...

On Thursday of last week, J hung up the wall mounted telephone in the dining room. Not with force or even a little banging. The top of the mount came loose from the wall. So we unplugged the cordless base and notified the telephone company. They sent someone, the next day, who replaced the jack. We assumed we were back in business.

Friday and Saturday were quiet days. I checked my cell phone messages Saturday afternoon and found that callers who tried the house phone had been hearing a "busy" signal and had assumed we were using it.

That doesn't happen with our setup. Either callers are invited to leave a message on our machine or, if someone in our house (and I'm naming no names) is ignoring Caller ID while using the phone, incoming callers hear an interminable ringing. One never hears the "busy" tone. I tried from the mobile line. Busy, busy, busy.

Aha. This was not rocket science, right? I called Zeta from my cell phone and asked her to report it as I didn't have the number for the repair service on my cell. She said she would.

They didn't report it, however. Zeta and M went back to his work, got his bag of tricks, and brought it over after dinner. M (who gently took us to task for not calling him in the first place) performed some benign magic and presented us with a working phone system.

Thank you so much M. We're back in business, again, for real.

Oh, it's nice to know people in high places ...

It's only a game ...

Another news flash for the alumni. SWHS beat Varela making their record is 6 wins and two losses. If SW beats Holmes Braddock next weekend, they will win their division. I asked J about when SWHS plays Gables. He says that Gables and SW are not in the same division. Also, Gables has only lost once. Gables is looming in the future.

Hel-lo. Time for a prayerful silence?

Did you notice ...

On the New York Times Best Seller List, numbers 11 and 12 are listed one below the other, like this:

RUN, by Ann Patchett

SHOOT HIM IF HE RUNS, by Stuart Woods

I’ve been laughing to myself for a while about this unintended humor. Last week, they were numbers 8 and 9, in the same order.

Change is in the air ...

These pictures from A's and Bro-R's vacation were taken in the most beautiful locale. The picture of the mountain and lake were taken in the same area. I really like the black leather jacket.







I seem to be the only member of my immediate family who hasn't acquired the black leather look.

Black is the color of the day, no? Worn against a background of changing color in the mountains ... priceless.

Confession is good for the ...

I have been crowing about SouthWest's impressive football record. In fairness, I have to make an admission about our HS alma mater. When J and I were there, they were on top. Now they are peering up to see bottom. MHS lost 40-zip, this week - to Columbus.

Luckily, it has been so long ago since J and I were there that we just sigh. Heavily ...

Blogger, play nice, now ...

Blogger's been having issues, problems, challenges again. I tried to log in and got an error code. This happened previously when I could not post multiple pictures. I sent the new code to Blogger's bug fixers, yesterday.

And I'm back in. For now.

Tonight, we have been watching the Red Sox's Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell (well, there are more guys than just those two) against the Rockies. Colorado's old uniforms had the "Roc" right next to the front button closure of their shirts which seemed to close the "c" and make it look like an "o." We have referred to them as the Rookies, ever since.

I don't have much emotion invested in who wins but it's nice to see Lowell and Beckett doing well, again ...

Take that, WalMart ...

A county to the north of ours, with which we share a common border, has snagged itself an Ikea. The opening was actually featured on our local television news for two days running. People started lining up, at the entrance, a whole day in advance of the scheduled opening because the first hundred people into the store were to receive a free chair. On the second day’s news, I saw some of them triumphantly carrying chairs out to their vehicles: nice wood, minimal Swedish design.

This definitive big box store is located near Sawgrass, if you know the place: name brand outlets, discount stores, booksellers, etc. Of course, Ikea is not actually in the Sawgrass facility, but nearby, I understand, and huge.

Our Sunday newspaper contained a 2008 Ikea catalog. Not a little insert - the whole book, valid until June 30 of 2008. Ikea probably included catalogs with the delivered newspapers for both counties, or maybe even three or four surrounding counties. It probably cost them, like, say, half the national budget of Sweden ... for half a day, anyway.

The only thing I have discovered, so far, is a folding, stainless steel, steamer insert. Not going to travel that far for one, though. My old one is still serviceable.

I will put the catalog away carefully. You never know ...

A grand beauty, a little mystery ...

This gorgeous picture, taken in Grand Teton National Park, was shared with us by Bro-R and A. It is an ideal mountain but with a little mystery. The left side of the mountain seems to have a structure climbing up the side of it until one realizes it is probably a tree limb that was perfectly sighted along the rim of the peak. There is even a dip in the end of the (probable) branch that flows along the unevenness of the mountain top.

I think ...

Your books are ready ...

Today is Friday and has seemed like a Saturday much of the day. I am pleased that I remembered that the branch library which we frequent is closed on Fridays. The automated system likes to telephone me on Fridays to let me know to come and pick up the newest arrival(s). It did that again today. Ahh, I will wait until tomorrow to visit.

This would be unlike last Friday, when Big E offered to go and pick up books that were being held for both of us and I gave him my card. He came home without them and was amused because the library had called (again) on the day our branch was closed.

The automated system never sleeps ... well, perhaps it takes the occasional nap during a hurricane.

Gimme an "S"

Today, I got two pictures into a post along with text. However because I had saved it as a draft, it seems to have placed itself where it wished to. Oh, well.

J showed me the news which I am sharing: SW beat CPark, 17 to 14. This puts them in gasp first place in their district. A moment of stunned silence seems appropriate here.

Followed by the sound of alumni cheering, in the distance, coming closer ...

If at first you fricassee, fry, fry a hen ... sort of

Evidently, Blogger does not want multiple pictures in one post along with text. Zeta and I are both struggling with this situation. I have an idea that uploading the pictures first and then adding text might work. I was able to upload two pictures, added a third and could not move text around without destroying at least one of the pictures.

I deleted the draft of a post I was massaging/tweaking and will try again tomorrow. Blogger announced it could take up to 24 hours to delete the photos I uploaded. So tomorrow is a fresh start, no?

Oh, do say yes ...

Success, of a kind ...

Mew is not necessarily always an innocent bystander. I had never before taken a picture of J doing a puzzle. But, I took the one above a few years ago. He had a backboard set across the coffee table and was working on a puzzle of eagles.




In the evening, I saw Mew put her front paws on the edge of the backboard and tilt it off the table. She then went around and scrabbled her paws in the puzzle. The above was the result.


Of course J forgave the little imp. She was just playing with the puzzle, the same way he was.

She didn't do it again, though ...

Mom, I didn't touch him ...

The Siamese cat, that we used to have, figured out that if he cried foul before someone touched him, that someone might get into trouble. That someone was a little boy who at times mistook the cat's tail for a handle.

The little boy grew up into a kind, cat loving person. Our present cat considers that grown up little boy a buddy of the best kind. In fact, that darn cat will sit up for its breakfast the first time Big Ed asks her to. It's problematic for J and me.

But, the (long gone) Siamese is remembered as the cat who got him into trouble by yelling for help when the little boy came near.

That was a smart cat ...

Plecostomus anyone? Tetra? Gourami?

We haven't been to a yard sale or a flea market in the longest time. We watched the 2007 HGTV special on the flea market that spans several states along the same highway. It made me nostalgic.

I just refuse to watch any programs on going fishing, or owning an aquarium. Nostalgia has its limits.

Although, way back when we had aquaria, I even enjoyed cleaning the 55 gallon tank ...

Most excellent pilot ...

We took the most relaxing drive home from a bridal shower. Zeta was our pilot on this run and showed us the route she used to de-stress on the drive from down town. The foliage overarching the road from mature trees made a charming green tunnel for a major part of the trip.

I was, as I said then, lost but happy.

I need (insert gaping yawn here) a nap.

It matches the cabinet handles ...

The picture above is of a light fixture which had resided in its box, in our dining room, awaiting someone to take it to the kitchen and liberate it. I’m not saying how long it languished. It has now been freed and works as if Someone had said, “Let there be (more) light ... “

J and Big E performed the miracle installation on Thursday. I can see well in the kitchen, again. The bladeless fan/light has been replaced and is no more. We had to take the blades off when the taller cabinets were put in.

Big E now has clearance to walk beneath this recent effort without bending his neck although he still ducks, at times, from habit.

Enough light is a joyous happening ...






01 doc requested to see the cabinet handles ...

Respect for purple and white ...

I am disappointed to inform alumni, and others, that SWHS lost to SMiaHS, 14 to 17. The purple and white now have a record of four wins/two losses.

Moment of silence, please ...

Hair, really ...

I just got home from having my first hair cut in months. It really needed it. I did, too. Really.

It is moderately unnerving to go to a new person for a haircut. The one whom I had been going to for years moved suddenly to North Carolina. Talk about abandonment issues ...

It was so nice of Zeta to introduce me to Melissa who is just the sweetest thing and knows a lot about hair.

Thank you, Zeta. Really.

It is Zeta's birthday and I got the gift!

Are we ready?

On September 26th, a digital cable box declined to operate as it had been doing and we had the repair technician out the very next day. The tech replaced some cable and the problem seemed to be repaired. Everything worked great for one additional day. Then another box declined to show us any pictures, at all, at all.

It took another day to get someone to look at it. That someone did a lot of fiddling with equipment, unhooking stuff, testing. He determined that the signal was set too high. A different type of someone would have to reset the signal - not his job.

Resetting of signals is not done at one's home, and the cable company declines to inform you when they do it. They seem to assume that if your cable suddenly begins to show you stuff, you will know they did something that repaired it. Customer information is not really a priority, evidently.

We waited until another day went by, not seeing anything through the bad, bad box. I telephoned to say we were still not happy and was informed the signal had been reset and we should be repaired. NOT, I said.

Today, per early morning appointment, the third repair tech showed up and isolated the problem within a few minutes.

The second guy, who did all the testing, unhooking, etc., had forgotten to connect the cable box and the cable back together.

At last, someone else with a duhhh.

At the curb ...

I called S, our computer's guru, to tell him that a windows box had magically appeared that said our computer is locked. It wanted me to input the password. I followed his instructions and the computer opened like a flower. The box kept returning after the screen saver came on. That was a clue. I recognized it as one. I finally followed it.

While setting the screen saver to show nothing but pictures of Mew, I had inadvertently checked the box in front of the following sentence: On resume, password protect

These computers are so literal minded ... GI, GO. It was the nut behind the keyboard.

Update, Important, in some circles ...

Oh, I forgot to mention that SWHS now has a four-wins/one-loss record. J read it to me on Friday while he was going through the sports section.

Next thing, we'll hear the sky is falling ....

Eureka ...

My cell phone took really dim looking pictures. It has taken dark pictures ever since I got the RAZR, nearly a year ago. Today, while playing with the camera to use up the little remaining battery juice, I discovered why.

There is this small circle which appears on the left, bottom area of the screen when you turn on the camera. Sort of reminded me of the circle in the middle of the dial. I pressed one side of the circle on the dial and a scroll bar, labled "brightness," appeared on the screen. It was on the next to darkest setting. I am sure the manual mentioned this adjustment, but....

Don't you hate finding a new duhhh?

Once more into the ...

Our power went on vacation, again this morning, for about four and a half hours. The automated system accepted responsibility for the power company's equipment being damaged. I guess it was. At the road named after a bird, the traffic was being directed by the authorities instead of the traffic signals.

How do I know this?

We had not had breakfast and I visited Mickie D- to forage, so to speak. Our morning coffee was only half made when water stopped trickling through. The microwave declined to operate on the basis that if the coffee maker didn't have to go to work, it must be a holiday. Sad.

Power is back on, now, and the automated system checked to see if we were okay with it.

That computer really likes us ....

Time minus weather equals ...

October: the opal-ine month. No ruby-ric as in July. No peri-doting as in August. No blue, blue, saphire-ine September.

The weather seemed to relent, for a little while, when the month turned. There have been a few cool mornings that were de-humid-ized into comfort.

But the ruby of July seems to have boosted us back into the nineties. The calendar is false if the weather can be believed. We long to sink into the opaline days that have fire at the heart only around noontime.

Even the coconut sought to come into the air conditioning. Must be why it left the tree...