Tuesday, May 30, 2006

My car has a boyfriend


Okay, here is my question of the day...

So can anyone please identify this bird for me?

We kept seeing down the road in the swamp near us from around March to mid-April and then it disappeared for a month. This morning it was in the neighbor's yard and waddled over to our yard when it saw my kids and I come outside to look at it (which makes me think it is domesticated.)

It let me take pictures for a while. And then, it saw its reflection in the car and it would not leave for the longest time. Kept squawking at the reflection, ruffling its feathers, and then gently pecking at the car. I had to go meet my husband at the garage, and then we ran errands at the same time. We've come back and its nowhere to be seen right now, though we did find its muddy duck/goose footprints up on the deck and the bag of dog food was all over the place. We'd bought a different food to try and it contains dried banana pieces, those were missing from the pile of food that dumped out.

We've been through our bird book and the closest we see for coloring is a snow goose, but the beak is really, really lumpy at the top, so snow goose no longer fits. We're puzzled to find out if anyone can identify it?

Monday, May 22, 2006

Okay, reality check.

I was cleaning things out because of the water in the basement. Had to move our homebrew to higher ground... actually, after seeing how much beer we have stocked up in the basement, I realize my next party needs to be a homebrew party just to drink some of it up... I can't drink as much as is stocked down there, but anyway...

I came across a Town Meeting Guide from 1998 - so it would have covered the year 1997. I am so SHOCKED at the differences between teachers' salaries then and now. Our Town Guide lists the current salaries for the public to see. These are base salaries and don't accomodate the paid vacation and benefits. So I grabbed the guide we got in March and did some comparing. One of the 3rd grade teachers went from 34k to 48k in this 8 year span. A special ed teacher went from 28k to 52k. The Middle school principal went from 52k to 78k. One of the Kindergarten teachers went from 29.5k to 57k. I find these pay raises absurd. I have no issues with slight pay raises, but it seems to me that these increases are far over the "minimal" 5% pay raises that we've been voting on. They also are not in accordance with the average person's pay raise.

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Rain, rain go away...

Don't come back for a few months.

We've had too many days of straight rain. Rivers are flooded. Grounds are sopping wet. Plants are drowning. My husband and I were married 15 years ago. I've been waiting all spring to sit outside and smell the lilacs when they bloomed. So now they are finally open and the trees are sagging to the ground because the water has weighed down the flowers.

So yesterday morning, the dreaded water in the basement occured. I knew it was coming. I had to--we've had nothing but rain for almost three weeks. Apparently, we've had more rain than Seattle. I now know I could NEVER live in Seattle.

So if anyone wants to put in a pipeline from my basement to the south where they are dealing with a drought. I will happily let you hook the pipeline up to my sump pump. If you can handle five gallons every couple of minutes or so, the water is ALL yours!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Because one post is not enough...

I graduated from high school just about eighteen years ago. I still remember bumping into one of my favorite teachers after I took a job in mortgage banking -- her words to me were "Just remember that life isn't always fair and sometimes you have to just accept that things do not go your way."

Okay, so it's time to bring those words to the surface now. In today's economic times, I do not feel it is unfair for teachers to be paying 10% for their health insurance, nor do I think 15% a few years down the road is absurd to ask. Sure it's a good chunk of money, but come on, who doesn't pay that much in most cases??? I know some people who are now paying $50 co-pays and paying 25% and they are thankful to at least have health insurance.

So to that teacher who gave me that advice, I am shocked and disheartened that the teachers giving us advice such as this are throwing a hissy fit and striking because they feel more than 10% for health insurance is too much to ask. I'm sorry that I held you in such high esteem back then. You behavior now disgusts me. Get over yourselves.

I listened to the whole "We tried to negotiate at the last minute but the school board wouldn't accept our proposal." Why would that be? I'll let you know, because you were still planning on fighting, you were just going to take two years to do your battle.

The students are going to pay now. For ever moment you are on strike, the kids will suffer. The high schoolers will understand that your unwillingness to bend and at least meet the taxpayers halfway are going unnoticed.

When it absolutely has to be there...

AVOID FEDEX LIKE THE PLAGUE.

Dear FedEx:

This is the fifth time you have failed to deliver. Service in this area is pathetic and inexcusable. The first time, my new printer died unexpectedly. I put a call in to Brother and then sent me a replacement. Brother has this pathetic policy about taking a credit card during a warranty exchange because they want that original printer back and will charge you if you fail to return it. The printer arrived perfectly, and then Brother wanted the old printer packed into the same package returned within three days or the charge would go through. I called FedEx on the 2nd day when I had the new printer up and running. The delivery guy drove right by my house and never stopped. I called the 800 number and was told he'd definitely be there the next day. I explained the whole credit/charge issue and was told he would definitely be there. So I stayed home that next day and surprise, surprise he never came. Brother's Customer Service had to intervene and fight it for me, which thankfully they did, and also deleted the charge for me. The next morning the FedEx guy came and then never apologized, even after I made comments.

So the second time, I'd ordered some necessary items for a wedding and was guaranteed by the company that they could send FedEx and I'd have them on time. The FedEx shipment was set for two days before the wedding. They never showed up the day they were supposed to, nor did they show up on the day before the wedding. I spent more time on the phone with their stupid automated system than I should have. (KEY- As soon as that computer answers say "REPRESENTATIVE" and you can bypass the whole system). So I spent hours talking to the reps at the 800 number, and they had to page the truck driver who said he had the package, but he'd already delivered it. The address wasn't even close to mine - I still remember it was Cherry Street in a neighboring town and we live on Stone Bridge Road. The FedEx driver said he'd return to the Cherry Street location and try (emphasis on the word TRY) to retrieve the package.

So the day of the wedding, I had to leave no later than 11:00am, but was willing to push it to 11:30 and be a little late for the reception set up. By 10:30, there was no sign of the driver, so I was already on the line. 11am came and went. The driver finally agreed to meet us at a local gas station at noon. PATHETIC. So I decided after this that I was no longer going to use FedEx if I could possibly avoid it.

A year later, we were refinancing online and the bank only used FedEx. I told them I'd had horrible luck with FedEx, but they said the package with documents needing signatures would arrive on Wednesday at the latest. The loan was going to be cancelled if they didn't have documents by Friday at 5pm. The documents never came Wednesday, so I started calling. FedEx couldn't locate the package at all. I did get them Thursday at 5:15pm, turns out a truck never got unloaded. It was too late to send them back that night, so I'd already arranged with the bank to get an extension, which they did grant given FedEx's screw up.

So it's been well over a year since I've bothered dealing with Fedex. Then we decided to start the renovations on our kitchen this year. I have a small kitchen and we are trying to piecemeal it so that we aren't paying a load of money all at once. So my husband found this marble topped buffet that he loved that would give us extra counterspace and provide us with colors that we liked and could now rely on for the refinished cabinetry. The buffet left FedEx on Friday and two day delivery was the only way the company will ship. So the furniture vanished on Monday - but they quickly found it and guaranteed delivery on the 3rd. I made sure I would be home all day yesterday. I watched the truck sail by my house at 6pm, but I figured he'd go down the road and then back up like usual. By 7:30, still no sign of him. So I started calling. I finally got a live person at 7:45 and she has to have been the most idiotic airhead known to man. Her first response was that he was running late. I told her I'd rearranged my day because delivery had been assured. So she responded by saying that mistakes happen and that I would have to make sure someone is home all day today because she has no idea what time he'll come. I told her I wanted delivery first thing in the morning. Flat out, I was told they do not guarantee delivery times and that I'd just have to reschedule my day to make sure I was home until 7pm. So I started getting mean - by this point I really didn't care-- she went into her computer system and then said that she'd found a driver note stating "The furniture is too bulky to deal with tonight, so I'll deliver when I have more time this week." What kind of pathetic excuse is that??? They will accept the money for the delivery but then hold off delivering because it is too bulky?

Save yourself the hassle - UPS has never let me down.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Nashville Star

Congratulations to Chris Young. I knew he'd take the contest, so I am thrilled to find out I was right.

I can't say I was a huge fan of his singing (though he is rather nice eye-candy). What impressed me is that he went out on a limb and played songs that HE wrote. He didn't do the karaoke bit that everyone else did. He showed guts and proved he had talent to spare. His voice is a little twangy for my liking, but then that's my issue with most country. I don't like the twang. However, his song is certain to become a country hit - it has all the right components. And did I say he's certainly not bad to look at? I'm curious to see if he can go all the way once he has his record finished and in the stores.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Okay, telemarketing people, listen up!

Sure you have a job to do. I won't argue that, but I still won't be nice.

For the past two weeks, I have been getting phone calls from the same 801- number. It is a company called Western Research. Now Western Research is my target for this evening. They need to get over themselves, get a life, and stay the hell away from my phone lines. I'm past the point of being polite now.

Let me start by saying that I am on the Federal Do Not Call Registry, for as little good as it does. Survey people are not covered, they can still call when they choose.

Western Research has called me as early as 7:10am and as late as 9:30pm. I have caller ID so I ignore them. They called again this afternoon - and for the third time, they left me this message--

"This is so and so from Western Research. Hello? Is someone home? Hello? Please answer the phone, we need to talk to you. Hello? We know you are home, please answer."

I'm not freaking kidding. Three times and they've left creepy messages saying they know I am home. So I changed the message on my answering machine and I thought they might get the hint, however they still didn't. They still left that message. So next time, I will be answering the phone.

If Western Research is the company I am thinking of, they did the same thing with my parents a couple years ago. They were calling about the movie and television industry and how wrong it is that more violence is being shown on TV. So I've decided I'm going to answer the phone and when I'm done, I KNOW they won't call me again.

NASCAR

I never was into Nascar until last year. Then while flipping channels one day, my husband and I came across a Nascar Poker Championship. I LOVE Texas Hold'Em. I'm a Hold'Em addict. So we watched the championship not knowing who the players really were. So I watched and soon found myself entertained by the antics of Ryan Newman and Elliot Sadler. My husband was amused by Tony Stewart, so from that point on we started watching portions of the races. Now we tend to watch the majority of the races. He roots Tony Stewart on and I root for Ryan and Elliot, though preference usually goes to Ryan. (Thanks to my hubby's front office for supplying me with a world of Alltel goods thanks to their new wire contract!)

One thing amazes me. People can watch for the crashes or whatever draws them into the world of Nascar. Jimmie Johnson - don't like him - I went to school with a Jimmie Johnson that lived here for a couple years in middle and high school and then he moved south. Though I'm sure that this is not the same person, I can't stand him on name alone. And then his behavior on the track fits well with the Jimmie Johnson I knew, so it's a double whammy for him. Everyone's little poster boy - Dale Earnhardt Jr. Don't like him either.

The Busch brothers drive me nuts.

The drumroll for most obnoxious has to go to Jeff Gordon.

I realize those guys have their fan bases, but you won't hear anything in praise of them from me.

So, it comes down to why I have begun watching Nascar. Those guys are amazing drivers. They drive in high speed traffic jams that would have me wetting myself, yet if a crash occurs they magically happen to steer around the crashed cars in my cases. Their skill is mesmerizing. I think I'd be fine with Ryan or Elliot behind the wheel. I'll happily put myself in their hands!