crankypants’ Neighborhood

I'm the only one in the office who knows how to fix things. ie. The printers, the fax, the copy/scan/emailer/printer.

Everyone else just gets fed up with the one thats not working, and moves on to a different one. Instead of trying to fix it.

So now, all my stuff didn't print out cuz no one told me it wasn't working... oh well.

IT'S WORKING NOW

Nick Burns - Your Company's Computer Guy

I put my contacts in the correct eyes this morning! And I got a whole cup of fresh, HOT Costa Rica Plantation coffee this morning. Even though I didn't even want it. LOL! (You shoulda seen the steam. MMMmmmm...)

After living through the coldest wettest April on record in 100 years, and a week of damp, wet, foggy weather, it's going to be 84 and sunny here in Seattle.

Enjoy your Friday. I'll be waiting for what I hope to be a beautiful sunset.

************************************************************

"I really like sunsets. Let's go look at one now..."
    "But we have to wait..."
"What for?"
    "For the sun to set."
    At first you seemed quite surprised, and then you laughed at yourself. And you said to me, "I think I'm still at home!"
    Indeed. When it's noon in the United States, the sun, as everyone knows, is setting over France. If you could fly to France in one minute, you could watch the sunset. Unfortunately, France is much too far. But on your tiny planet, all you had to do was move your chair a few feet. And you would watch the twilight whenever you wanted to...
"One day I saw the sun set forty-four times!"
And a little later you added, "You know, when you're feeling very sad, sunsets are wonderful..."
    "On the day of forty-four times, were you feeling very sad?"
But the little prince didn't answer.

Just watched the plumber stop at the stop sign, look directly at my house, and keep driving. Happened to catch him parking a block away (there's space in front of my house). The receptionist is a ditz - when I made the appt, she returned the call to my cell phone and said my office had said "no one by that name is here" - but I knew she had never taken my last name. Still, I'm the only person at the office with my first name - but our receptionists are ditzy too.

So did she give this guy the wrong address or did he screw it up? It's been 10 min, why hasn't anyone figured there's a prob and called me?

Anyhoo... this is the house foundation "before". At this rate, might be "after" too. There was no subfloor - just linoleum glued directly onto the foundation, with padding/carpet over that. All the really dark areas at the left, and near the toilet base, is rotted wood that is sinking. The screw, holding the toilet into the rotted wood, is completely rusted.

update 10 min later:
The guy finally found my place but the receptionist had only told him "leak" not REPLACE THE FLOOR - so not only was he totally unprepared, but he has more jobs lined up for today. He clearly wanted out of the job (made a big deal about my toilet being out of commission all day - well, duh!) but I didn't bite. I was hoping to just replace the couple really bad boards - he says they all need to go. Whatev. He's due back this afternoon - after the other jobs and getting supplies. We'll see if he actually shows up (won't surprise me if the other jobs suddenly end up taking all day). He's supposed to call me with an estimate - just so I know. Turns out the receptionist also gave him my office number instead of my cell. She's really lucky she doesn't work with me.

update 90 min after that, 11:10a:
No call with an estimate. Not remotely convinced the guy is going to return. Expecting a cancellation call within the next 2 hrs - and being PISSED about taking a vacation day for nothing.

A cool little meme seen on Redzilla and Val's blogs. Mind if I play along?

1. What is a physical feature you admire in both men and women, that you find yourself noticing or comparing when out and about?

I love a nose with character and charm, on both men and women. I love graceful arms and hands. A man with shirt sleeves rolled up to just below the elbow, exposing toned forearms with small wrists, fine-boned, expressive, thin-skinned hands and just the right amount of arm air (not a gorilla, but not a waxed freak), is a total turnon. I prefer pianist's hands to string-players' hands. I've dated professional violists and violinists; their left-hand fingertips get all flattened and calloused.On women, I really dislike the ultra-chiselled, stringy, overly muscular arms that seem to be the rage in Hollywood (e.g. Madonna and Jennifer Aniston). I like slender, feminine arms.  I think Kzinti answered this question with "good posture", which I also find extremely attractive. Perhaps because I'm brown, I'm also fascinated with pale, creamy skin. I love those British and Dutch men with the rose-and-white complexions, and pink knuckles.

2. Who is someone we've heard of who possesses this admirable feature?

Mr. BrownA has a great nose, lovely hands and a beautiful fair complexion. My concert pianist ex had marvellous hands, of course. All the dancers I know have amazing posture.

3. If you could "safely" explore an addictive or otherwise unhealthful or unsafe vice, which one would you choose and why?

I have a profound aversion to excess of any kind. I admire discipline, and indulging in too much of anything--booze, drugs, food, sex, gambling-- is anathema. That being said, when I was on percocet for my horse-fall injuries back in November, the effect was interesting. It isn't so much that the pain completely disappears, but you just didn't give a shit. Plus I slept like a baby. So I would have to say painkillers.

4. In which TV show currently airing would you like to be a regular character? Describe the character a bit.

I'd like to be on Rome. I think I'd be an exotic, wealthy young widow from "the east", educated and well-travelled. Part of Roman society but, as a foreigner, exempt from its restrictions. I'd be a patroness of the arts--but I'd be secretly spying for Rome's enemies. Perhaps a romantic entanglement with Vorenus would be in the cards.

5. If you could be a member of the opposite sex for a day, what you would try out?

I'd love to know what it's like to be really strong--guy strong. Like, to have enough upper body strength to do stunts like chin-ups and one-armed push ups, and lift heavy shit.

Mm, chh, mmmm, chh, mmm, chh.  Catch the beat.  Mmm, chh, mmm, chh, mmm, chh.

ROCO!

First off, to my PA peeps.  If you knew the band Sideshow Bob, and have any of their CDs (Untucked, Have We Met, Dig The New Steps) and would be willing to share, PLEASE let me know.  Untucked is the one I want the most though. If I can't find it like this, I'm going to have to send a random email to their former lead singer to ask him for it.  Strange but true, especially since I don't know him.

Let us take a moment and reflect on the impact of music in our lives.  Preach that!

This morning driving in, I was treated to the first song I knew of Ozzy, Shot in the Dark.  I immediately fell in love with this song after hearing it only one time.  Vox dosen't want to upload songs right now for me, so I can't share any Ozzy.  Boo.  But it's Friday and payday, so ROCO!

Some days, I wanna ROCO, and entertain you, but my mind just isn't in it.  Today is one of those days.  So, on this ROCO payday, I leave you with wishes for an excellent weekend.  One that gives you the warm and fuzzies and makes for great stories on Mount Up Monday!

Peace, love and hair grease.

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Me, this morning:   "So we do the eye today, hunh, Dr. EyeGuy?"

Dr.EyeGuy: "Well, it looks a little better. Not as full. You're making progress."

Me: "You're kidding! It looked awful a couple of days ago!"

Dr. EyeGuy, as he turns the lid inside out again: "Looks pretty good today. Not great, but good enough.  You have so much scar tissue in that lid that I don't want to go into it again if we can avoid it. Go home. Come back in a few weeks or sooner if it gets bad."

Me, incredulous: "But I thought for sure it would have to come out. It's so puffy, still. Really?"

Dr EyeGuy: "Listen, if you WANT me to cut into your eye, fine. But I'm the surgeon and I say it looks better. Go home."

Me: "Uh, OK."

So I went home and changed for work and left in the pouring (and I mean POURING) rain and made it 2 blocks away from the  building and was turned back because of a bad accident. So I'm home now, and may try to get back there later.

&@*($%.

But at least the eye isn't bloody and swollen and gooey.

See you later........!

I'm back at work today. Coughing away, and being yelled at for being here "if I'm still contagious" well the dr didnt specify but said it can last for up to 8 weeks. So god knows how long I'll be contagious I've only had it for 4 days!

The inhalers they gave me are working, to an extent and the cough syrup too. But sometimes, you just cough some nasty shit up and it happens. Ugh it makes me gag sometimes. Grody!

I was soooooooooo bored at home yesterday. I might as well just have come into work the last half of the day. But I didn't. Ron finally came and turned on my basic cable.. even though I'm getting fully "installed" on Saturday.

I'm hoping to get my stimulus check today, but i haven't seen it yet...

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my back and neck just popped soooo many times feels good

I saw a preview last night for a new movie, The Strangers, with Liv Tyler. That looked AWESOME. I want to see that, and Narnia ASAP.

I got more stuff in my kitchen put away yesterday and as per the previous post, my pur water filter no longer leaks, a lot of the boxes I have left in my living room just have a few things here and there and probably could all be combined into one. I may do that tonight, instead of going to Caldonia's to watch the Bikini Contest, since I'm not feeling that great. We'll see how I feel later on though.

At an internet cafe, MomH is waiting for me so I have to keep this short.

Poland = cheap, good beer.

Finally.

There's a couple on our tour not too much older than I so I have some beer hall buddies. We went to a famous one in Prague (U Flecku) for the 14% home brew. That must be in metric percents, because I had four and didn't get more than a slight buzz. And I KNOW I'm not that much of a drinker. Plus, I could stand upright the next day. Which is a good thing, but there's some false advertising going on.

Krakow is great. I wish we had more time here. So far it's my favorite place on the trip. It hasn't been overrun and turned into a Euro-Disney full of tourist schlock. Yet.

I feel a little guilty because MomH and I went shopping instead of the optional excursion to Auschwitz. I didn't think I could handle it anymore and MomH didn't want to go for the same reason. I've done Dachau and we went to a Holocost museum in Budapest that was powerful, so I think we're good.

But we did almost go on Crazy Mike's Communism Tour. If we had more time, we would have signed up to take a Trabant and check out the nearby suburb built just for the workers of the Lenin Works steel plant. That would have been cool. Instead, we sat out on the main square, listened to strolling musicians, watched the beautiful horse-drawn carriages go by and people watch.

And I had a great, cheap beer.

Ah, Krakow.