My Romi Mayes CD has FINALLY arrived, but it was so well worth the wait. She is an amazing artist; if you don't know her, check her out.
That said...it's a dark and rainy night, and I'm going to listen to a little more music and then read a little before I fall asleep.
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Monday, April 07, 2008
starry starry night...
I went in to work early.
I was at my desk at 7:30, and so, adhering to my plan to work more reasonable hours, I left at a little after 4:00 and was home at a decent hour tonight. My intentions were good; I intended to get home, change into sweats, and immediately knock off my 2 mile walk around the neighborhood. I walked twice yesterday, trying to offset the stress of doing my taxes...and maybe because of that, or maybe for some other reason, I was tired tonight, so when I got home and changed out of my work clothes and into some sweats, I decided to curl up on my bed for a few minutes and read more of the book on John Wilkes Booth...but within a few minutes, I was sound asleep.
I slept for a couple of hours, then woke and talked on the phone with A, who's 69 today. Then I went into my kitchen, where I cut up a couple of red peppers, drizzled them with olive oil and tossed a few sprigs of fresh rosemary across them for good measure and put them into the oven to bake, and only then did I put on my running shoes and walk out into the darkness of the spring night.
It was an absolutely beautiful night. The crescent moon was low in the sky as I started my walk, and there was a balmy wind high in the trees, and although I'm in the city, some familiar constellations were immediately recognizable overhead: Orion's belt and the big dipper loomed large, among others, and I saw the red winglights blinking and heard the wonderful motor sounds of a small plane flying out of Addison airport. I have a 2 mile loop that I like to do that takes me down near the creek that runs through my neighborhood; if I walk at the right time, I get to see the sun setting through the trees that line the creek. Last night, I did the loop at dusk, and as I approached the creek, looking at the trees and the stars, I suddenly realized there was a large, frozen shape on the sidewalk before me. I stopped just in time; I'd almost stepped on a big, slow moving raccoon...well, slow moving is overstating it; in fact, seeing/hearing me coming along at my quick clip, the raccoon froze so that I really did almost step on him (her?), which wouldn't have been good. So tonight, when I got to that part of my walk, which is where I turn around for the trip home, I was cautious, but there was no raccoon in sight. I did hear the first tree frogs of the season, a good (and welcome) harbinger of spring.
When I got home, the house was fragrant with the scent of the peppers and rosemary, and the coals are almost ready for my bleu cheeseburger. I'm listening to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring and Billy the Kid, in anticipation of hearing Billy the Kid at the DSO on Thursday...life is good.
I was at my desk at 7:30, and so, adhering to my plan to work more reasonable hours, I left at a little after 4:00 and was home at a decent hour tonight. My intentions were good; I intended to get home, change into sweats, and immediately knock off my 2 mile walk around the neighborhood. I walked twice yesterday, trying to offset the stress of doing my taxes...and maybe because of that, or maybe for some other reason, I was tired tonight, so when I got home and changed out of my work clothes and into some sweats, I decided to curl up on my bed for a few minutes and read more of the book on John Wilkes Booth...but within a few minutes, I was sound asleep.
I slept for a couple of hours, then woke and talked on the phone with A, who's 69 today. Then I went into my kitchen, where I cut up a couple of red peppers, drizzled them with olive oil and tossed a few sprigs of fresh rosemary across them for good measure and put them into the oven to bake, and only then did I put on my running shoes and walk out into the darkness of the spring night.
It was an absolutely beautiful night. The crescent moon was low in the sky as I started my walk, and there was a balmy wind high in the trees, and although I'm in the city, some familiar constellations were immediately recognizable overhead: Orion's belt and the big dipper loomed large, among others, and I saw the red winglights blinking and heard the wonderful motor sounds of a small plane flying out of Addison airport. I have a 2 mile loop that I like to do that takes me down near the creek that runs through my neighborhood; if I walk at the right time, I get to see the sun setting through the trees that line the creek. Last night, I did the loop at dusk, and as I approached the creek, looking at the trees and the stars, I suddenly realized there was a large, frozen shape on the sidewalk before me. I stopped just in time; I'd almost stepped on a big, slow moving raccoon...well, slow moving is overstating it; in fact, seeing/hearing me coming along at my quick clip, the raccoon froze so that I really did almost step on him (her?), which wouldn't have been good. So tonight, when I got to that part of my walk, which is where I turn around for the trip home, I was cautious, but there was no raccoon in sight. I did hear the first tree frogs of the season, a good (and welcome) harbinger of spring.
When I got home, the house was fragrant with the scent of the peppers and rosemary, and the coals are almost ready for my bleu cheeseburger. I'm listening to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring and Billy the Kid, in anticipation of hearing Billy the Kid at the DSO on Thursday...life is good.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Let me tell you how it will be, there's one for you, nineteen for me...
Aaaaaarrrgghh.
The good news is, I've done my taxes.
The bad news is, I've done my taxes. There are few things I dislike more, and this year, I also did Mike's and Chris's taxes, in the end, a happier exercise as unlike me, both of them qualified for small refunds. This is the first year in as long as I can remember that I haven't overpaid, with the result that I have an amount due, and a fairly considerable amount at that. I am so in favor of a flat tax rate.
Nuff said. It's a gorgeous day outside, and I'm going out for a late, well-deserved lunch someplace where I can sit outside and see and feel the sunshine.
The good news is, I've done my taxes.
The bad news is, I've done my taxes. There are few things I dislike more, and this year, I also did Mike's and Chris's taxes, in the end, a happier exercise as unlike me, both of them qualified for small refunds. This is the first year in as long as I can remember that I haven't overpaid, with the result that I have an amount due, and a fairly considerable amount at that. I am so in favor of a flat tax rate.
Nuff said. It's a gorgeous day outside, and I'm going out for a late, well-deserved lunch someplace where I can sit outside and see and feel the sunshine.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
It's always SOMETHING...
I got up at 8:30 today because the ceiling fan in Mike's room, having been repaired, was supposed to be delivered and reinstalled at 9:00. At 9:15 I called the shop (where I'd dropped off the motor a couple of weeks ago) to ask when I could expect the technician.
A receptionist, sounding incredibly bored, said, "Owwww, Ah dunno, he's owt, onna 'nuther job that he dint finish up yesturday; Ah really dunno what tahm he maht git thahr."
"Will you check?" I asked crisply. I was put on hold for a couple of minutes; eventually, she came back on the line.
"Looks lahk he'll be thahr sometahm 'tween ten an 'leven" she said.
"OK," I said, and then I added, "Can you tell me why no one called to tell me he'd be running at least an hour late?"
"Well, tuh tell the trooth, Ah jist dint think a doin' that!" she said, sounding surprised.
Uh-huh.
I cleaned up the kitchen and made myself a couple of cappuccinos while I waited; then I went online and wrote a review of the place, briefly describing my experience.
I'm turning into such a curmudgeon.
The tech, when he finally arrived, did a good job. It's a fairly new (4 years old) top of the line ceiling fan that hasn't had a lot of use, so I was disappointed and puzzled when it suddenly stopped working. Getting that ceiling fan fixed was on a list of things I've wanted to get done before summer. I also wanted wiring run to a ceiling light in the new upstairs closet that I had built after the fire. I'm quite capable of doing little bits of electrical work like that myself, however, the idea of crawling around in the attic and running wire is not my idea of a good time, so about a month ago I had an electrician come in to wire the closet light fixture. While he was here, I asked him to look at the non-functional ceiling fan in the other upstairs bedroom. He spent some time on it, and then told me he thought the motor was gone, and if that was the case, I'd have to send it back to the manufacturer, as the motor has a lifetime warranty. Since he was here, I had him remove the fan for me, but in doing so he somehow managed to disconnect the ceiling light on the stair landing. Not only is that light nowhere near the ceiling fan, it's also on a completely different circuit - I've mapped all the circuits in my house, and I checked. Unfortunately, I didn't discover the problem with the light on the stair landing until after the electrician had left, at which time I called his company and explained the problem and said I expect him back out to fix it, gratis.
His boss said he'd have him do it on the trip to reinstall the fan. OK. But when I called the fan manufacturer and described the problem, the manufacturer tech immediately said it wasn't the motor, and suggested I take the fan to an authorized dealer to have the problem properly diagnosed.
Which I did. And the tech there took one look and said, "The motor's fine, the board's gone and will have to be replaced." Because the dealer was fixing the problem, I decided to have the dealer reinstall the fan, reasoning that if I run into any additional problems, the dealer, who did the repair, can't say the fan wasn't installed properly, etc.
Soooooooo...after my initial wait this morning, the dealer tech showed, and reinstalled the repaired fan, which is running like a top...however, that means I now have to get the electrician to make a special trip to fix the non-working light on the stair landing, a problem he created trying to fix the fan last time he was here...
As Roseanna Roseannadanna used to say..."It's always something..."
A receptionist, sounding incredibly bored, said, "Owwww, Ah dunno, he's owt, onna 'nuther job that he dint finish up yesturday; Ah really dunno what tahm he maht git thahr."
"Will you check?" I asked crisply. I was put on hold for a couple of minutes; eventually, she came back on the line.
"Looks lahk he'll be thahr sometahm 'tween ten an 'leven" she said.
"OK," I said, and then I added, "Can you tell me why no one called to tell me he'd be running at least an hour late?"
"Well, tuh tell the trooth, Ah jist dint think a doin' that!" she said, sounding surprised.
Uh-huh.
I cleaned up the kitchen and made myself a couple of cappuccinos while I waited; then I went online and wrote a review of the place, briefly describing my experience.
I'm turning into such a curmudgeon.
The tech, when he finally arrived, did a good job. It's a fairly new (4 years old) top of the line ceiling fan that hasn't had a lot of use, so I was disappointed and puzzled when it suddenly stopped working. Getting that ceiling fan fixed was on a list of things I've wanted to get done before summer. I also wanted wiring run to a ceiling light in the new upstairs closet that I had built after the fire. I'm quite capable of doing little bits of electrical work like that myself, however, the idea of crawling around in the attic and running wire is not my idea of a good time, so about a month ago I had an electrician come in to wire the closet light fixture. While he was here, I asked him to look at the non-functional ceiling fan in the other upstairs bedroom. He spent some time on it, and then told me he thought the motor was gone, and if that was the case, I'd have to send it back to the manufacturer, as the motor has a lifetime warranty. Since he was here, I had him remove the fan for me, but in doing so he somehow managed to disconnect the ceiling light on the stair landing. Not only is that light nowhere near the ceiling fan, it's also on a completely different circuit - I've mapped all the circuits in my house, and I checked. Unfortunately, I didn't discover the problem with the light on the stair landing until after the electrician had left, at which time I called his company and explained the problem and said I expect him back out to fix it, gratis.
His boss said he'd have him do it on the trip to reinstall the fan. OK. But when I called the fan manufacturer and described the problem, the manufacturer tech immediately said it wasn't the motor, and suggested I take the fan to an authorized dealer to have the problem properly diagnosed.
Which I did. And the tech there took one look and said, "The motor's fine, the board's gone and will have to be replaced." Because the dealer was fixing the problem, I decided to have the dealer reinstall the fan, reasoning that if I run into any additional problems, the dealer, who did the repair, can't say the fan wasn't installed properly, etc.
Soooooooo...after my initial wait this morning, the dealer tech showed, and reinstalled the repaired fan, which is running like a top...however, that means I now have to get the electrician to make a special trip to fix the non-working light on the stair landing, a problem he created trying to fix the fan last time he was here...
As Roseanna Roseannadanna used to say..."It's always something..."
Thursday, April 03, 2008
What I Did Today - Thursday, April 3, 2008
I went to work, had lunch with a couple of friends, etc., etc., but when I got home tonight, I did something really cool...I booked tickets for Mike & Chris to fly to Indianapolis next weekend for the Indiana University Little 500. Mike will be flying in from Tucson and Chris from Dallas, and they'll stay with their best friend Jon (a/k/a my third son), who's in college at Indiana. The three of them have been buddies since they were 5 years old, when they were in Indian Guides together. Jon's invited Mike & Chris for this event before, but they've never made it, and as this is Jon's senior year, I really wanted this to happen.In case you don't know, the Little 500 is a bicycle race that was immortalized in the terrific 1979 academy award winning film, Breaking Away, (which was written by one of my favorite writers, Steve Tesich).
The guys talked about doing this at Christmas, but I hadn't heard anything more, so tonight I called Chris and asked him if he'd gotten his ticket. He hadn't. I was already online, checking flights and prices, and we figured out what would work for Chris, and then I asked about Mike. Chris said Mike couldn't afford the airfare, so he wasn't going to go. Uh-huh. One of the coolest things about being a parent is the ability to make a thing like this happen.
Sooooooooo...I called Mike. We figured out what would work for him. And both my guys are flying to Indiana next weekend to hang out with their buddy Jon and attend the Little 500 together. Woo hoo!
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
What I Did Today - Wednesday, April 2, 2008
1. I left for work at 6:10 thinking I'd get there early, for back to back meetings this morning. (If you want to know what an average day is like for me, watch Office Space - it's chillingly close to home.) It was a clear, cool, dry day, ideal driving conditions...nevertheless, for some reason, there were 3 major accidents, causing major backups, even at that early hour...still, I managed to arrive by 7:30, but this commute is getting very old.
2. I worked just 9 hours, which is good...I'm determined to cut back to about 43 hours a week.
3. Back home after work, I put on sweats and running shoes and did a quick, brisk hike around my neighborhood. Flowers are blooming and all the trees are covered in new leaves, and it's not hot yet...it felt really good to be outside.
4. I had a good dinner - grilled salmon and carrots, with a Bartlett pear stuffed with a soft blue cheese and walnuts for dessert.
5. I didn't turn on the tv, but instead am reading James Swanson's terrific book, Manhunt, about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth.
2. I worked just 9 hours, which is good...I'm determined to cut back to about 43 hours a week.
3. Back home after work, I put on sweats and running shoes and did a quick, brisk hike around my neighborhood. Flowers are blooming and all the trees are covered in new leaves, and it's not hot yet...it felt really good to be outside.
4. I had a good dinner - grilled salmon and carrots, with a Bartlett pear stuffed with a soft blue cheese and walnuts for dessert.
5. I didn't turn on the tv, but instead am reading James Swanson's terrific book, Manhunt, about the hunt for John Wilkes Booth.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
and now for something completely different...
Driving home tonight, listening to NPR, I heard a great story about a guy named Lance Allred, a 27 year old guy who's been trying to get into the NBA. Yeah, so what? you might ask...well, here's the deal...he's been playing D leagues (I'm not a sports person...but I think that's what they're called) for several years now, all over the world, in fact, working on his game, trying to make it into the big time, and living lean on the $15,000 per season he earns doing this. Yeah, I know it's his choice, but here is the thing...in addition to the fact that he's a guy who loves basketball and who isn't afraid to go chasing his dream, Lance Allred is legally deaf, with a 75-80% loss of hearing in both ears. Deafness is an incredibly isolating disorder. I think it is SO great that this guy hasn't let that hold him back, that he's pursued his dream...and this story has a happy ending, because a couple of weeks ago, he finally got the call...the Cleveland Cavaliers signed him to a 10-day contract, and on March 25, they signed him to a second 10-day contract.
10-day contracts are player contracts that last ten days or three games, whichever comes later. A team may sign a player to two 10-day contracts in one season, but after the second 10-day contract, the team can only retain the player by signing him for the remainder of the season. Allred was interviewed on NPR right after he'd been signed to the first 10-day contract, and he was totally upbeat. Here's to hoping the Cavaliers sign him for the remainder of the season.
10-day contracts are player contracts that last ten days or three games, whichever comes later. A team may sign a player to two 10-day contracts in one season, but after the second 10-day contract, the team can only retain the player by signing him for the remainder of the season. Allred was interviewed on NPR right after he'd been signed to the first 10-day contract, and he was totally upbeat. Here's to hoping the Cavaliers sign him for the remainder of the season.
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