Profile picture

This is my latest profile picture. It was taken on my 44th birthday last November.

Scaredy cat and coffee

clicking enlarges it

This is where he went after my DD started vacuuming the livingroom when he was on the sofa.

clicking enlarges

This is my utmost favorite coffee/tea/hot chocolate cup sitting next to what I drink when I finish my morning pot of coffee... bottles of refrigerated filtered well-water.

Cat-shredded plastic

Click to enlarge to 640xsomething.

This is what happens when a cat sneaks into a room that has/had a plastic sheet over the window to prevent drafts. We still cannot figure when she actually got in. *sigh*

Fixed mail box

The girls came in the house not long ago to tell me that the mailbox had fallen off it's post. Can't get mail with it just sitting there. Took my duct tape and stapler to the mail box and fixed it hillbilly style. LOL. Good thing I went out when I did, because the mail man pulled up shortly after I got to the box before fixing it. It's done now though, and more stable than it was. *smile*

Singing, scanning, laundering, pool playing, phoning, burning

Was talking about the singing last evening and Dear Daughter mentioned that when she makes her video she'll be wearing headphones so she can't hear her own voice. That's a wonderful idea! I knew about doing that, but for some reason had completely forgotten about it. So, even if I just sing the Happy Birthday song I'll still do the headphone thing. Now all I need to do is find a song and sing while recording. Maybe today.

Got the Ad-Aware Anniversary Edition (free) downloaded on both computers. Both computers have been scanned and cleaned. Now I'm trying to decide whether or not to uninstall Windows Defender and/or SpyBot Search & Destroy. Ad-Aware decided that even the free-version users should be protected and added a 'real-time' Watcher that's always, well, Watching. Now the question is if the other programs are really needed and what difference in computer speed would be made if I did uninstall them. Hmmm. See, this 'puter isn't really all THAT slow, but I'm always thinking of ways to keep it non-slow.

Rain hung 3 loads of laundry on the line yesterday, and by time evening rolled around I had brought them all in and put them away. So now that more bath towels are clean, I will take a shower today. Although I really haven't done much sweating (none actually) so technically I don't need one, but...

We've eaten breakfast and played a game of pool already. That's really not all that impressive since it IS after noon. I did try and level the pool table before that first game, but I missed one corner that I thought I had leveled already and the balls tended to roll toward that pocket. So after brunch of chocolate chip muffins, I re-balanced the table. Probably won't last since it always seems to sink into the carpet thus changing the finely tuned (not) balance.

Mom called last night. I talked with her for a while, then talked to dad a little. The whole episode lasted a little over half an hour (give or take. Didn't actually time it). They're doing okay. They both may need to go into assisted care facilitates. Dad because of his weight, mom because of her tendency not to eat well (coffee, candy, snack food). Don't know how dad feels about that, but mom seems to understand why that would be needed and is okay with it, as near as I could tell anyway.

Today is sunny, but windy and chilly feeling. As long as you're out of the wind and in the sun it's great. Move into the wind and you feel much different because of the wind chill. We (used loosely) need to burn trash today. Hopefully the wind will die out or at least slow down sometime today. If not, we'll just wait - no biggie!

Alpha Cat - Celebi 2009

Celebi was so dignified! Tough? Survived a fight with a raccoon, survived slamming against every window in the house when being chased, never relinquished his title of Alpha Cat. He was the first black cat I ever was owned by. He was a teddy bear to all that he knew and lived with. He WILL be missed :-(

Good-bye-Celebi-Unneeded-Dr-visit-The-Routine

We took Celebi to the vet this morning so that the vet could release his spirit to the universe. We brought his shell home and buried out back by the walnut tree next to Trippy.

From there we went and ate lunch. Then we went to the grocery store and picked-up a prescription I called in for filling this morning. After that we went and sat in the van in front of the medical office until it was time to go in for my/our 1 o'clock appointment. Only had to wait 20-25 minutes. Once in the patient room waiting for the Dr, the nurse asked why I was in. I told her it was to check on an issue about a medicine the prescription company said needed pre-authorization from them before they'd okay it to be refilled. The nurse told me, while looking at my medical information on her computer screen, that the company had been contacted. The medication has pre-authorization until August 2009. Basically I should've just called her instead of making an appointment. Since that was all I needed, the nurse said I didn't need to see the doctor so I could go if there wasn't anything else. I said thank you and asked her to tell the doctor to take an extra 15 minute break on me. Medicare pays her over $90 every time I see her anyway. She a nice lady, she deserves a longer lunch break.

After I played a game of pool, I got a load of laundry hanging out on the line. Let me tell you, with the wind blowing and it being only 40*F, it was cold hanging wet clothes up. My hands barely worked by the time Rain and I finished. Decided during the hanging that I would only be doing one load today. I know there needs to be at least two more, but I don't like the cold nor working in said cold enough to do but that one.

And now we're back to 'the routine'. The girls are taking a nap because the emotional day made them tired (it affected us men, but we're not showing it). We boys are playing on the computer's and watching The Simpsons.

Jan_09_Snowfall

Hopefully you like the music I chose after I uploaded this to YouTube, if not, that's okay too because it's a short video anyway.

Singing and cats

(click to enlarge)

==
The last few times I've written in my blog I've needed a picture just to get me started. That way the fewest words I'll need can be all about the picture itself - without the fluff, if you will. Has this ever happened to you? This is Moon, the Queen Cat of The House, sitting on the living room carpet.
==
Watched a video that Carrie Underwood was singing in. I still believe she's the best EVER to come out of American Idol. Haven't heard anyone even close, either on the show or else where since her. Taylor Swift is good, and a few others. They're just stars though, not Super Stars like she is. We watched AI last night and there was a guy who tried out who is the brother of a guy that was on last year. When they asked him how long he'd been singing he said paraphrasingly, "3 weeks before my brother started the last year." Or maybe it was only before this year's auditions started. Anyway, I just thought it was cool that he really didn't KNOW he could sing, and he may not get passed Hollywood, that he was good enough to get there in the first place. I don't know, but that somehow gave me a sense of encouragement that ordinary people CAN become stars overnight, but you have GOT to try! Told my 16 year old daughter that she should tryout next year, but she doesn't think so. See, she's never thought of singing as a career so has never practiced. But why not? Maybe she's better than she thinks. Annnnnnnnyway... I just wanted to say what's lifted my mood over the last 24 hours. I may even make an audio video of me singing because I've never seriously tried, but... Hence why I was at Youtube listening to music.

Just writing.

Turn this picture clockwise by 90 degrees to see that it's hanging on the door leading into the billiard's room, aka pool room but it just sounds like there should be a swimming pool in there, not a table. I don't know. *grin*

Well, I've read several blogs over the last few days. Which in turn has made me ponder if I should write something. You probably guessed the answer. *smile* Although I must admit I don't know WHAT the words will be in future sentences. Yeppers, I'm wingin' it! We have the book about writing and one of the motivational sayings in it is "Just Write". So I figured I would just start typing and see what appeared. Over the last few to several weeks we've been watching shows with television judges who're hearing cases from people suing other people for whatever (small claims). You know, just average persons. It's crazy. Crazy! I tell ya what people sue for when it seems from the outside looking in they should just TALK to each other. But I guess they've tried that and now want to force the issue. These shows have been around forever. I remember "The People's Court" in the 80's, but there might've been other 'Court' shows before, I don't know. Anyway, you'd think people would bring PROOF and if AT ALL possible... WITNESSES. Mostly they just don't have proof in writing. That should be in the Suing 101 classes somewhere. Well, that's all I've got. SEE ya!

Haircuts and Bowling

Dearest Daughter got a haircut today: a pixie like the one Julia Roberts had in the Movie/Show "Peter Pan" as Tinkerbell. It's very short. For a female w/short hair, it looks good on her. Rain also got a haircut, but mostly to get the frizzes off and make it neater. Looks great!

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Went bowling. I scored 107 - the highest in a long, Long time. Everyone else did pretty well too. It was fun. No, I don't remember everyone else's scores.

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Went a little ways out of Buffalo to a store named "Miller's". It's a small, rural, all natural food place. Got some eggs, orange cracker things, and something else. Details, details - never been real good with them and I don't really care. Actually, it just depends on 'what' it is I'm supposed to remember, but usually there are many, so I get to be pretty liberal about things. To each their own! Is something I strongly believe.

Cat pictures and results of issues

Numbers 1 & two and three & 4 are Twitch in the first pair, Latte in the second. And yes I tried to 'fix' the red-eye without much success. LOL. The last one is a different cat then the previous 2, hence why his name is on the left side of his picture that is easier to read once it's enlarged be clicking on it. *toothy grin* I did not take all of these. A couple were shot by my DD.

The results alluded to in the title are of the electric bill since we've pretty much gone to electric heat since November. That being said, they are that our bill didn't go up much at all and we'll be able to afford next months bill as well. Was a little worried (but not much actually) about getting "sticker shocked" because we thought the newest heater would use a lot more electricity than the wood-stove fan and the smaller thermostatted ones in 4 other rooms, but we are glad we weren't shocked. Rain said that it, it being the tension level, has been relaxing not having to worry about needing to start a fire first thing in the morning just to warm up, cause the house stays pretty close to 70*F except on *really* cold outdoor temp days. Sometimes I create run-on sentences just because

Other result: Window's Critical Update problem solved. After many emails and a few hours of phone conversations, the updates I couldn't get to install were not updates my FrontPage 2003 Office program needed anyway. They were for programs that I didn't even have installed on my computer (and still don't). WOW! Seriously? How many engineers does it usually take to figure something like that out? LOL. I am happy that Microsoft took a costumer's (mine) question seriously even though it turned-out the way it did. They called me twice to try and solve the issue via computer melding (desktop sharing), and then one more time a week later to make sure everything was still running okay since the update case was closed. How sweet! *smile*

First pictures of the year

Was a little bored, had just changed the batteries in the camera,
so I decided to make sure they were of sufficient strength.

Happy New Year, People of the worlds!

Don't know if you noticed, but I changed my profile picture on Blogger and Gather . I did it because the peace sign had worn out it's newness for me. It was time for change. Change is the reason I haven't blogged since Yule. Decided that the 'new' me wasn't going to write anything that tended to be negative. I'm trying to focus on the positive changes that are happening. One of those happenings is my life-attitude toward the positive, which means instead of complaining about "nothing ever happening", I started doing things that stopped that kind of thinking. Hence why I've started a daily 'to do' list if you will. That includes walking, working out, playing (pool of whatever), reading, writing, and editing my book. The thing is... I set and take a timer that counts from 15 minutes to 0 and beeps, when I start doing. At the beep, or after I've rested and/or taken a break, I do one of the other aforementioned 'activities'. I've even made a list of those things that I consider a MUST. All of this began a few weeks ago when I just got overwhelmed. But last week I got a kick in the butt (mental head-butt?) which snapped my ass out of my funk. In short, rather than focusing on what I wasn't doing or getting done, I started doing and getting things done. Also took notice of how my mood/attitude was affecting those around me, and although they won't easily admit it, I was getting annoying and probably harshing their mellows. Doing better now. Despite my 'look' in the picture, I'm N0T that guy who mailed things that hurt other people through the post office. LOL.