Saturday, May 28, 2005

New Look - Lost Comments

Ok, went to finally archieve all my posts. I like the new look - but am gonna have to try to see if I can retrieve the comments from said posts. Of course, if anyone has words or wisdom - feel free to enlighten me.


The other new look? The new house. We did our walk through today. It was fine. Of course w/most (not ALL) of the furniture out of the place it looks different (i.e. bigger) and shows some flaws that the belongings hid. We got some painting to do. More later - but it's been a long day and I'm tarred. Time for bed. It's LATE for me. 11:20p.
DON'T ASK. DON'T TELL. JUST DANCE !!!!!!

Four years @ the U.S. Naval Academy and this guy is shucking the U.S.S. Nimitz for the chance to be in the touring company of "Moving Out"

Friday, May 27, 2005

A Better Blogger Am I

I've been really trying to be better about making entries on a more timely and consistent basis. Honest.

So the move saga continues - and I'm beginning to realize why Kris is still reeling after 7 mos.

Today we are FINALLY getting the old house driveway resealed. The first guys had scheduling then weather related issues. I double booked another company just in case. It was a full-proof plan...in theory. Company #1 was supposed to show up yesterday (they didn't) and Company #2 on Saturday. So, IF the first company did show, I had two days to cancel the second guys. AND company #2 was to give me a 24-48 hr notice that they'd be there (they didn't). BOTH showed up today w/in an hour of each other. Hilarity did NOT ensue.

Then on the way to work, I drive past the new house. On a slope from the house a huge huge tree has fallen...and out into a road...blocking two lanes of traffic. I didn't get a good look b/c of the traffic and the two cop cars blocking stuff - but it had to take out a fence and probably the electric lines. Ernie is going over to look at it. Denton is doing a drive-by.

Walk through is tomorrow!!!!!! I see Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in my future.

Thursday, May 26, 2005

BUMPER STICKER of the...um.....ummm....MONTH?

Best bumper sticker I never saw. But Meredity knows someone who knows someone who may or may not have really seen it. I'll take her on their word (phew) that it exists.


Frodo Failed. BUSH has the RING

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Moving Update
A week until we begin 'the move'. Technically we get the house at 6p on Tuesday (5/31) and I'm sure we'll be there shortly afterwards. But we'll start hauling stuff the following day...and the day after that. Cable gets hooked up Thursday(Denton will need his office and I will need the wireless network!) The movers bring the big furniture on Fridee.

I'd say the end is in sight - but my friend Kris just mentioned her move was 7 mos. ago and she's still not over the trauma. She suspects it is b/c one of her movers was named Possum. Not sure if that is his given name - or a nickname. Either way, I told her the odds were greatly increased since Kentucky is so close to Cincinnati that chr-stian names are as good as varment names. (My! I have somewhat strayed off of moving information.)
MAUREEN DOWD & A STUPID PD READER

Maureen Dowd is on sabbatical from her OpEd pieces. I'm assuming she's working on a book. But here is a letter to the editor for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. G-d, I hate reading these - which is usually why I don't...b/c I don't really care about other people's opinions. Just mine!!!

But I think I must write into the PD. I just gotta. If it gets printed (and maybe even if it doesn't) I'll post what I submitted.




Dowd's absence is welcome respite
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
I opened Monday's Plain Dealer to find no Maureen Dowd column on the Forum page. A note at the bottom of a replacement column says, "Maureen Dowd is on leave. Her column is to return in July."

Although this is good news for the 60 percent of readers who do not believe that President George W. Bush, Dowd's sole topic, is the spawn of the devil, one wonders what she is about. Several possibilities occurred to me as I drank my morning coffee: She's in drug or alcohol rehab; her mental problems finally warranted hospitalization; the paper is easing her out after a string of lapses and outrages that embarrassed even the New York Times; or the Bushies had her kidnapped and shipped to Guantanamo under the name Abu Mer D'owd.

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

NECROLOGY INDEX

NO (Morty), it's not 'necrophilia index'! But Denton made sure to Google our new house and came across two residents who died while living there.

The 1932 one had services @ the house itself. Break out the Ouija board and light the candles folks - we're gonna have ourselves a seance !!!!


Id#: 0784709
Name: Williams, Margarethe C.
Date: Dec 11 1968
Source: Plain Dealer; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #167.
Notes: Williams. Margarethe C. Williams, wife of Curtis C., Jr., mother of Curtis C., III, late residence, 2283 Chestnut Hills Drive. Service at Fairmount Presbyterian Church, Wednesday, Dec. 11, at 4 p.m. Please omit flowers. The family suggests that those who wish may contribute to the American Red Cross.


Id#: 0270793
Name: Paton, John D.
Date: Dec 1 1932
Source: Cemetery record; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #063.
Notes: Paton: John D., suddenly Monday afternoon, residence, 2283 Chestnut Hills Dr., husband of Beatrice Paton, father of Marie Bauder, Marguerite Kemmerling and the late Russell Paton. Services at residence Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 2:30 p. m. Please omit flowers. 1862-1932. Lakeview Cem. Cleve., Ohio.

Monday, May 23, 2005

RotS

I'm sorry. it was an ok movie - but the craigslist rant was just too effin' funny!
Revenge of the Sith

Why write about going to a movie? Well, besides that it is the end of a 28 year train ride, we also so rarely go out to movies anymore it almost seems like a lifechanging event!

I was amazed by the crowds. I knew opening weekend would be busy but it was a beaufiful warm, sunny Saturday afternoon - and we were crammed into a theatre w/698 other people. Ok, WE were there too, but I bought the tix on-line to avoid the crowds at the box office...so I had no idea what the weather would be like. Had I not purchased them already, I probably would have opt'd for rainy cold Sunday afternoon instead.

The movie was sooo much better than Episodes I and II - but so is having your teeth cleaned. The acting was marginally better (how could it not be?). Lucas does seem to suck the life out of the actual flesh and blood characters. It's a gift I guess. But the pacing of the film was the key and it's saving grace.

A number of reviews (I have since read them post-movie, since I vowed not to read a thing before seeing it) said it was the best of all six. It is not, but up in the two three. For the record my order goes: V, IV, III, VI, I and II.

If you have seen the others you almost have to see this one...just to end it. Not huge huge surprises...since we know who is in Episode IV, you're not going to wonder if Yoda or Obi-Wan survives any battles.

Oh, and it turns out Luke and Leia are TWINS!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Just Touchin' Base

Gotta throw something in for the fans - so here it is. Updates.

The Move - It is on its way. Packing is being done. Purging is happening. Papers being signed. Funds to be transfered. Movers contracted. Visits being prepped. Renovations/Colours being considered. Do NOT even get me started on FABRICS! (just kidding - though that last line you can say like Jim J. Bullocks if you feel the need!)

The Job - I love my new job. Such a huge learning curve - but I'm smart enough, I'm good enough and darn it, people somewhat like me. At least for the CNR piece. The other administrator piece - I believe I'm loathed on the big island. Well, not me - just the fact they didn't get a say-so in my hiring. They'd have hated anyone. It just happens to be me. F*ck em.

The Life - Um....Um.....Um.... Well....we're going to see Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith on Saturdee. I even pre-ordered the tix. I guess that's as close to a non-house non-work life that I'm gonna have until early July.

Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Real Estate in Soap Opera Time

Do you ever notice on soap operas how a party will take place over the course of three or four weeks? But in the same amount of time little Troy*, who has never been seen, suddenly has graduated from Med school? Well, selling a house resides in that same space-time continuum. Average time to sell a house in Cleveland Heights is 90 days!!!! We have an offer which took 16 days - and yet it seemed like we should all be attending Troy's daughter's wedding by now (which won't happen b/c some indiscretion will be revealed at the altar).

The buried statue of Susan St. James (though Becky calls it Eva Marie Saint) pulled it out. She must have channeled Nancy Walker or Rock from "MacMillian & Wife" or something. A couple from WA (yes, the state, not the district) has put an offer on the house. They kind of low-balled us (he he, I said 'balled') at first, but we countered close to our axing price, and they re-countered at a much higher rate than I thought they would. We could have gone another round, but I wanted to be done w/it. So we accepted. We just have an non-Cleveland Hts inspection to go (we passed that one). And they want a quick close, which is good. So we will not have to carry over a month's mortgage payment. Whoo-Hoooo.



*Troy is a composite name/character not necessarily associated with any one soap opera or television affiliation. Any similaries are purely coincidental.

Monday, May 02, 2005

Site of the Month

Man, I have been waiting a week to post this. I mean, I had two sites of the month in April. Had i posted a 3rd and had none in May, I would have been quite embarrassed.

But I have to put it out there to Kris for giving me this site. I could not stop laughing in my office when I opened it up. The text is good. The pictures are hilarious!!!!!

Sunday, May 01, 2005

Selling the House

No it has not sold. 15 days!!! it's been on the market. A realtor friend said, "oh, you haven't sold in two weeks - you poor f*cking baby!", but you know - he lacked sincerity. I believe he was being sarcastic! F*ckwad!!!!

I mean, this is 3x longer than the house was on the market when we bought it 8 yrs ago. What are wrong w/these people??? It's a great house. Good upkeep. Decent price. The upside down buried statue (which Denton refers to as Susan St. James) hasn't done the trick. Her work in Kate & Allie was always quite weak. Her real estate skills clearly aren't much better.

Ernie says the concerns from lookie-lous (my phrase, not his) is the house next door. The rental. The one w/the lopsided backstairs that need scraped and painted (along w/portions of the back of the house). The one where WE pulled down the gutter that was hanging by one nail. The one we (ok *I*) have reported repeatedly to city inspectors.

30 days till we close on the new house. THIRTY DAYS PEOPLE!!!!!