Cry for Blogger help!!!

I am out of options when trying to comment on Adventures in Lake City.  I have tried asking Blogger for help but can only get instructions for logging  in to comments on blogs that work as usual.

Funny that o1 Doc can  comment and I can't.  As soon as I click on "publish," the info I have typed into the comment window  disappears, no matter which ID I have selected.  I tried "anonymous" just now and can't comment.

Does anyone know how to ask blogger an individual question?  To a real live person?  I haven't been able to.

I shutter to think . . .

We put up the shutters for Isaac.  The sharp edges of them must have scared him away.  Rather than cut his windy fingers on them, he veered to the West and decided we could keep our electric power, after all.

He is a different critter in the Gulf.   I thank the Lord that we were spared. 

There is a side effect to having the windows covered.  From inside the house, it always seems as if it is just about to rain.   Our poor Miu runs and sticks her head and shoulders under the drapes at the long front window to look for lizards and such.  She soon comes back out clearly puzzled as to where the rest of the world has gone.

We have been keeping Miu and Snax apart because Miu is a senior citizen, only cat, and has to indicate whether she will accept Snax.  Today they drank a little tuna water from bowls about four feet apart.  Snax kept his head in his bowl while Miu kept bobbing up to look at him and then back to having some more goodness.  She finished first and walked into the bedroom that is hers and BigEd's.  Snax turned and went back into his own room (smart boy) and I closed his door. 

I am not sure what this portends.  Perhaps Snax wields more patience.  He is a relly sweet cat.  We took him to be spayed (we thought he was a girl) and found out he had already been neutered.  He got his shots and a checkup.  He had been living in our yard under the bushes or under the cars.  He was getting thinner and thinner.  We finally decided that if we did not feed him, he might just lie down one day and not get up.  Someone abandoned a really sweet cat who is pathetically grateful to interact with humans.  Miu better loosen up.

 It's going to be a long summer.

We Are Hunkered

We have storm shutters on all windows.  We are in our cocoon and the cats agree that something is up.  They are sticking to us, at least Miu is.  For a while she hid in the bathroom but then decided we might be the safer choice.  She is not sure just how much power we have over the elements.  

If she only knew . . . . . .

Message to Sarah

This is for Sarah.  I still can not post.  My comments disappear into the ether when I click on publish.  I think this will appear on the right side of your blog . . .

The measure of Thank You . . .

We might be living under a repressive regime, but we're not.  We might be suffering from hunger or thirst, but we're not.  We might have few human rights, but that's not the case.  We might need to run for our lives, but that situation is not ours.  

Not now, not at this moment, because " ... the last full measure of devotion" is on the line for so many of our defenders whose bodies, hearts and souls are the currency of our freedom.

"Thank You" is a small offering for such sacrifice.

Shame on . . .

AT&T has responded, evidently, to my previous post.  Or perhaps I was one of a myriad of protesters.  The wait time for Connectech service is reduced to two or three minutes as I discovered recently.  

Also, they are saying again that we can have U-verse service.  I am a doubter, though.  Twice before we have been told that it was available.  It's that fool-me-once, fool-me-twice experience.

AT&T Connectech Plus

In December of last year, we were having connection challenges (my old chief used to tell us that we faced  challenges, not issues) with our ATT high speed internet.  I signed up for Connectech Plus which is their tech support offered at a monthly fee.  They resolved our problems with connectivity and as a bonus, tweaked BigEd's laptop so that it runs much faster. 

Tonight, while J and I were watching an old movie, BigEd informed me that the internet had been down for some time.  I called Connectech.  The automated message advised that most problems could be solved by rebooting the modem and then the computer.  We tried that and it worked.

But, I stayed on the telephone line to ask some more questions.  I have been listening to the hold-muuusiiiic for 30 plus minutes, now.  Luckily we have a handset with a built-in speaker.

Update:  Was on hold for 35+ minutes.  That's a long time tied to one call.

The rep asked me if I was satisfied with the service.  I told him:  

 Love the service-hate the wait time . . .   

Bene-what?

A doctor we know recommended Benefiber.  He told us he starts his coffee day with a couple of spoonfuls of Benefiber stirred in.  His wife, if she pours his cup, has to tell him to finish all of this one as it is special.  Otherwise, he wouldn't know as there is no taste or change in viscosity.  


This works for us, too.  It doesn't seem to be the solution for everyone, but it works well for our little group.  When we can get it.


There have been coupons for $1 off of any one and $3 off of any two jars of Benefiber, in the newspapers.  BJ's sent out coupons which could have been combined with the manufacturer coupons for a total of $5 off two jars.


This is a good deal and even cause to stock up.  Which everyone else has done.  I came to this party tooo laaaate.  

BJ's is out. BJ's does not give rain checks.  Did you know this?  (Neither does Target, by the way, but that is another experience for another day.)  CVS is out.  Walgreens is out.  Locally anyway.


So, I bought the Walgreens immitation stuff.  Compare to Benefiber, it says on the jar.

Believe me, we will.  We have no shame . . .

Just asking . . .

Is there an intervention for Angry Birds addiction?  I have a (ahem) friend who . . .

Once in an Ibis moon ...

I have dived into real life and have ignored virtual life as it is lived here.  If I can figure out how to upload the pictures from the iPhone, I might even post some.  

There was a flock of white Ibis in our side yard as BigEd and I drove up.  I handed him the camera phone and rolled down his window.  They ignored us and kept bobbing for food in the dry grass.  Air brakes sounded from a couple of blocks away causing the whole flock to leap 6 inches in the air simultaneously.  It was funny but, of course, too quick to capture (I started to write "on film" which will indicate my age . . .) unless by happy accident.


We watched them a bit and then slowly opened the car doors and eased out.  They kept bobbing.  When we went inside, they were still at it and had moved closer to the empty car.

Having them ignore trust us feels like a kind of blessing. 

Rewind, fresh start

First, the traditional greeting:

 Happy New Year!

Which is sincerely meant.  We stayed up to see the new year in properly and it behaved as expected.  

This is the first time I have tried to use the new Blogger dashboard. It is as if my computer has signed on to a new system, without permission, while feeling its way around.

Enough whining.  Not good for beginning a fresh year.  So, I will just go ride the bike for a change.  That is not a resolution, you understand.  

It is an intention for one day at a time, starting today.  Much less intimidating than a resolution . . . 

Can't say I never won anything . . .

I received a text from 01 Doc to tell me that I should check out The Coupon Goddess.  Turns out that I won the gift certificate from Costco, plus a meat thermometer, and some cooking tips.  Could it have come at a better time than just before the holidays?

I think not!!!

Thank you. Mel, so much.

Putting down roots?

We decided to wait until after Thanksgiving to go back to the temporary place.  Makes sense because we can then spend time with family.  Plus it will be easier to kindle a fire under the carcass of a bird that didn't get a presidential pardon in my own oven.  

Memo:  Have to buy celery before it's picked over.  Plus onions.  

Ahhh, I thought I had everything, but I don't. One more foray, at least.  

Our local Winn Dixie, (the one in the huge building where the X-tra used to be years ago) is slowly being transformed into a WD Marketplace.  I am using it as a place to explore because they keep moving things around and closing off various areas of the place for construction.  

However, WD being so near to Publix means good managers' specials in both stores as they compete for the grocery budget. 

Need all the help we can get, don't we?

I have bathed in the Kool Aid ...

Didn't just drink the Kool Aid.  I dove in.  

The previous phone was an old Motorola Razr.  Dumb as a box of rocks.  Up in the mountains, up on the top of one?  No signal.  Not even text messages.  Luckily we don't live where there are mountains and so the Motorola motorolled along when we returned home from that mountain.    

Then it began to drop calls.  I mentioned, several times, that I might need a new phone.  There were discussions to that effect behind the Motorola's  back, so to speak.

Then, Apple rolled out its new flavor of Kool Aid and it was tempting.  Even J mentioned that I needed to get a replacement for my old standby.

Three days ago, I made an appointment and came home with the internet in a relatively heavy white box with a silver logo on the end.  The logo told the world that I have caved.  Given in.  Gone over to the smart side.

Two things especially got to me.  There is a built in compass (real, virtual, compass) and there is  an app that reads audiobooks to me.  


I suppose I am happy with it.  However, the old one never sassed me.  I asked the assistant on the new phone if this were going to be a good day.  

"No," she said, "I don't think it will be." 

She was right, too.  It rained this evening.

To trim or not to trim, that is one question . . .

I was still not able to post comments on Adventures in Lake City.  I will keep reading, though.  So nice to know what's going on.

I wish some others would post more often.  Some of us are heading back next week to the outpost in Orange Park.  BigEd will have the con.  

It has stopped raining, turned nicely cool, and humidity is a satisfying low.  I will have to take winter stuff up for our short stay.  It is so bulky to pack.  But I don't own much so at least the decision of what-to-take is easy. 


This is an awkward time for my hair, though.  It is too short to need cutting and too long to go another month unless I hack at the sides, myself.   I have been known to do that with iffy results.  It's hard to get them exactly even without cutting one side a leetle bit to catch up to the other side.  Then it may be too long on the second side 

and . . . I'm in trouble.

Empty noggin, or not in use . . .

It had rained off and on all afternoon.  When I realized we needed buns for the planned dinner hamburgers, it was only sprinkling lightly so I made my run.

The store had halloween candy (I refuse to dignify this day with a capital letter) buy one get one free, so I got that, too.  


Came back and inside in a dry manner.  Half an hour later, the bottom fell out of the sky.  Mew isn't terrified so there is no thunder in the distance beyond human hearing.  


There is now a flood watch for our county.  This means don't drive through any puddles at great speed.  It also means to use common sense about where to drive.  In addition, it assumes that most drivers have a modicum of that kind of sense.


I'm not so sure . . .

Cry for help . . .

I have been trying to comment on Adventures in Lake City. Each time I select a profile to use to comment, the screen blinks back to the select a profile version and my comment disappears from the box.

01 Doc has commented. Why can I not do it? I can comment on 01 Doc's site but not on Adventures.

Any suggestions? Please?

In honor of 01Doc, who posted . . .

We are back at home and it feels like I retired all over again. There are things to do but if I want to procrastinate, that's all right, too.

Zeta has such cute kitties. One of them demanded I change the location of his food dish. It was quite plain what he wanted me to do - he nearly wrote me a letter about it. Needless to say, I pulled at my forelock to indicate respect and moved the feline cuisine - with Zeta's permission, of course.

We recently had a wind-storm move from south to north. It passed us well to the west. We were warned that the system had tornado potential and it did do damage when it reached Broward county.

Mew needed no such warning. When the storm reached its nearest position well to the west of us on its way north, she leaped from her condo. Stomach to the ground, she crept slowly, and with utmost stealth, beneath the dining room table.

Next time she does that, I'll be tempted to join her . . .

Beneficiary . . .

I have to thank 01 Doc for a Force Flex bag of books. I have difficulty hoisting it and there is an aura of birthday plus Christmas that still clings to it. Wearing an Energizer LED headlamp, I can read in the dark and not disturb anyone who snores in the same room. Strangely, our consumption of triple A batteries has increased in direct proportion to my nocturnal reading habits.

It is a de-light-ful (heh) situation.

Various levels of inconvenience . . .

We really should thank the Miami-Dade County Building Code. Being forced to comply with the most stringent safety regulations in the country, when it comes to building, may seem frustrating. But when the storms come, and a tree falls on the house, we may see a difference in the results from the rest of the country. Perhaps. Usually.

It seems strange and wonderful not to lose our power for two weeks with a storm so close. Just before the storm came near, Fla Power and Light had trouble on a main line. I know because I called to report the power outage and asked the cause of it. I was in the dark literally but I knew where a flashlight was supposed to be.

After making the call, I dug out a small battery-operated fan and put in four D cell batteries. If I didn't move a muscle, it helped. I didn't move.

Power came back on after just over an hour.

I feel so badly for those without power who didn't know exactly where the flashlights were and didn't have little fans with batteries for them. Plus, say, ice, water, and food supplies.

The aftermath is a different kind of ordeal than surviving the storm. Lots of people are stranded in our airport due to cancelled flights. Some are taking the train north.

I know this how? Because Amtrak is sold out through next Wednesday . . .