December 30, 2008
Weird Stuff That Happens
As I said, the electrician was here today fixing things. Of course they did have to turn off the electricity to work on the lines.
When they started turning it back on, things came on in "shifts". We were in the kitchen and noticed that we had lights and the answering machine was on, but not the appliances. Then the microwave clock came on and the refrigerator fired up.
Then - all by itself, the dryer turned on. And off...
We have an electric dryer and it has a computer in it. One of those that senses the clothes and whether they are dry or not. Yeah, it turned on and off all by itself.
As far as I know, in the few times we've lost power, it's never done that. Let's hope this is not a trend. I don't want it turning on and off at random intervals.
Creepy stuff this electricity.
When they started turning it back on, things came on in "shifts". We were in the kitchen and noticed that we had lights and the answering machine was on, but not the appliances. Then the microwave clock came on and the refrigerator fired up.
Then - all by itself, the dryer turned on. And off...
We have an electric dryer and it has a computer in it. One of those that senses the clothes and whether they are dry or not. Yeah, it turned on and off all by itself.
As far as I know, in the few times we've lost power, it's never done that. Let's hope this is not a trend. I don't want it turning on and off at random intervals.
Creepy stuff this electricity.
Posted by: Teresa in
Ummmmm
at
11:20 PM
| Comments (7)
| Add Comment
Post contains 157 words, total size 1 kb.
We Have PHONES!
This morning, the electrician came as promised and restored the electric box to its rightful place on the side of the house. Not without issues - it was windy as hell today. At one point the ladder was up against the house and the two guys doing the work were down on the ground when the wind took the ladder and blew it over! I think we'll have some broken bushes, but at least it didn't go through a window or something like that.
Since I knew this was the only thing holding back the phone work, I headed out to use my cell and call the phone company. Truly I didn't expect to see them before Friday - after all it's the holidays. The woman I talked to told me she would try to get someone out ASAP and not make us wait, but I wasn't given a time.
They showed up tonight at 8pm!!! It was really dark out there.
It took them about 1 hour and 45 minutes and lots of work on the lift, and my phones are back.
I must give kudos to Verizon for getting out here and getting the job done so quickly. I am amazed.
Since I knew this was the only thing holding back the phone work, I headed out to use my cell and call the phone company. Truly I didn't expect to see them before Friday - after all it's the holidays. The woman I talked to told me she would try to get someone out ASAP and not make us wait, but I wasn't given a time.
They showed up tonight at 8pm!!! It was really dark out there.
It took them about 1 hour and 45 minutes and lots of work on the lift, and my phones are back.
I must give kudos to Verizon for getting out here and getting the job done so quickly. I am amazed.
Posted by: Teresa in
Life Stuff
at
10:35 PM
| Comments (2)
| Add Comment
Post contains 206 words, total size 1 kb.
December 29, 2008
Lines
The electric company guys were here today to put the lines back up on the house.
Yay!
Took them about 45 minutes.
Tomorrow the electrician comes to put the box back up. After that I can call the phone company and get my phone lines back.
Life shall then return to its normal state of chaos.
Whew.
Yay!
Took them about 45 minutes.
Tomorrow the electrician comes to put the box back up. After that I can call the phone company and get my phone lines back.
Life shall then return to its normal state of chaos.
Whew.
Posted by: Teresa in
Life Stuff
at
11:31 AM
| Comments (6)
| Add Comment
Post contains 58 words, total size 1 kb.
One Way or Another
It's been a hell of a few weeks. I'm so glad December is almost over. I have a laundry list of things to do over the next few days that I have let slide lately.
Tonight I'll be creating my todo list in an effort to get things rolling. That might work. Or not. Because it's all personal stuff and not work related, I tend to not place the same emphasis on it. Not a good thing, but there it is.
I am currently residing in that state of "I have too much to do, where do I start". A place I truly hate. The only way out of it is to start in on something. Therefore, I'm pondering which thing to start first. Once begun, I may be able to keep the ball rolling and finish.
The worst of it is, it likely will not take as long as I think it will to accomplish 80% of the tasks.
So, I'm off to make my lists. We shall see what comes of it all. Right now I'm tired... simply contemplating is sapping my energy. Time to "do" instead of think.
Tonight I'll be creating my todo list in an effort to get things rolling. That might work. Or not. Because it's all personal stuff and not work related, I tend to not place the same emphasis on it. Not a good thing, but there it is.
I am currently residing in that state of "I have too much to do, where do I start". A place I truly hate. The only way out of it is to start in on something. Therefore, I'm pondering which thing to start first. Once begun, I may be able to keep the ball rolling and finish.
The worst of it is, it likely will not take as long as I think it will to accomplish 80% of the tasks.
So, I'm off to make my lists. We shall see what comes of it all. Right now I'm tired... simply contemplating is sapping my energy. Time to "do" instead of think.
Posted by: Teresa in
Ummmmm
at
12:28 AM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 195 words, total size 1 kb.
December 28, 2008
Baby Cakes
Yesterday Sissy and Tuck's beloved kitty, Baby Cakes, slipped away from this world on soft kitty feet.
I have tried, without success, to think of some comforting words for them. Unfortunately, I am not finding any.
The most difficult thing we face with pets is the fact that their stay with us will be so very short. With Baby, the loss was sudden and very unexpected.
I had met Baby on several occasions. A lovely kitty, most regal. He even favored me with a stroll across my lap once. I will always remember him fondly. May he be happily catching many mice and cavorting with all of our dearly loved pets that have gone before.
I have tried, without success, to think of some comforting words for them. Unfortunately, I am not finding any.
The most difficult thing we face with pets is the fact that their stay with us will be so very short. With Baby, the loss was sudden and very unexpected.
I had met Baby on several occasions. A lovely kitty, most regal. He even favored me with a stroll across my lap once. I will always remember him fondly. May he be happily catching many mice and cavorting with all of our dearly loved pets that have gone before.
Posted by: Teresa in
Life Stuff
at
01:08 PM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
Post contains 117 words, total size 1 kb.
December 26, 2008
This and That
What's up?
Well, darling daughter is on her way back home. Today the flight went out as scheduled, so she won't be getting back to Chicago really really late. This is a good thing.
***
On Christmas Eve we had another power outage - it was excessively windy. Power went out about 11pm, came on at midnight for 3 minutes, went out again until 1:30am and has remained on since. This was a neighborhood thing (not just our lines) because everyone around us was down too.
All those blogs I was going to visit - well, I didn't quite get there.
Best laid plans and all that...
***
Found out that Skype charges extra to call cell phones in other countries - over and above the standard call rates to landlines.
Tried to add money to the skype account so we could call young son. Unfortunately, only after trying to add money via paypal, did I find out it would be up to 48 hours before that money showed up on the account.
We ended up driving down to the parking lot of the local farmstand by the highway and calling via cell phone.
Apparently I can't read when I'm in a hurry and missed the landline part of the skype website details.
I want my real phone back.
***
There have been technical problems at work today that make me want to scream. There are days when I really hate computers.
***
Have I done enough complaining for the day?
I thought so.
Now I have to get back to work.
Well, darling daughter is on her way back home. Today the flight went out as scheduled, so she won't be getting back to Chicago really really late. This is a good thing.
***
On Christmas Eve we had another power outage - it was excessively windy. Power went out about 11pm, came on at midnight for 3 minutes, went out again until 1:30am and has remained on since. This was a neighborhood thing (not just our lines) because everyone around us was down too.
All those blogs I was going to visit - well, I didn't quite get there.
Best laid plans and all that...
***
Found out that Skype charges extra to call cell phones in other countries - over and above the standard call rates to landlines.
Tried to add money to the skype account so we could call young son. Unfortunately, only after trying to add money via paypal, did I find out it would be up to 48 hours before that money showed up on the account.
We ended up driving down to the parking lot of the local farmstand by the highway and calling via cell phone.
Apparently I can't read when I'm in a hurry and missed the landline part of the skype website details.
I want my real phone back.
***
There have been technical problems at work today that make me want to scream. There are days when I really hate computers.
***
Have I done enough complaining for the day?
I thought so.
Now I have to get back to work.
Posted by: Teresa in
Ummmmm
at
03:41 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 265 words, total size 2 kb.
December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas All
Darling daughter is here, we braved the traffic at the liquor store in order to buy some really good stuff 
dinner is in the oven, the pie is finished and looks wonderful, football is on television tonight (I like college football), daughter texted to her brother (we'll call him tomorrow).
It's raining instead of snowing or icing!
So far it's shaping up to be an excellent holiday all the way around.
I hope everyone else out there has a wonderful Christmas too. I shall attempt to get around to all the blogs later tonight and maybe I'll even make it! (it's the season for miracles after all)
dinner is in the oven, the pie is finished and looks wonderful, football is on television tonight (I like college football), daughter texted to her brother (we'll call him tomorrow).It's raining instead of snowing or icing!
So far it's shaping up to be an excellent holiday all the way around.
I hope everyone else out there has a wonderful Christmas too. I shall attempt to get around to all the blogs later tonight and maybe I'll even make it! (it's the season for miracles after all)
Posted by: Teresa in
FUN
at
04:06 PM
| Comments (6)
| Add Comment
Post contains 111 words, total size 1 kb.
December 22, 2008
Conversation With Darling Daughter
My daughter managed (probably because no phone would dare thwart her) to get through to my cell phone last night. She had tales to tell and threats of possible disconnect did not deter her.
It seems she was walking to the store yesterday and went to cross the street, whereupon the wind blew so hard, it stopped her (and everyone else crossing) in the middle of the street and proceeded to blow her backward.
She said people in cars waiting for the light to turn were laughing.
Then she walked into the coffee shop to get something hot to drink, only to find that the metal clasp on her purse had frozen shut on her half mile walk from home. She had to breathe on it to thaw it out and get it open. The girl working the register was apparently fascinated, never having seen anyone's purse freeze shut before.
Chicago at -2 with full on wind gusts of 40+ mph. Gotta love it when the jet stream comes to town. Heh.
It seems she was walking to the store yesterday and went to cross the street, whereupon the wind blew so hard, it stopped her (and everyone else crossing) in the middle of the street and proceeded to blow her backward.
She said people in cars waiting for the light to turn were laughing.
Then she walked into the coffee shop to get something hot to drink, only to find that the metal clasp on her purse had frozen shut on her half mile walk from home. She had to breathe on it to thaw it out and get it open. The girl working the register was apparently fascinated, never having seen anyone's purse freeze shut before.
Chicago at -2 with full on wind gusts of 40+ mph. Gotta love it when the jet stream comes to town. Heh.
Posted by: Teresa in
Weather
at
11:38 PM
| Comments (9)
| Add Comment
Post contains 176 words, total size 1 kb.
Seriously... Are They Afraid of the Competition?
Ah the fun continues.
It seems, when my husband called the electric company today, that we are on "a list". The person he talked to had no idea why anyone was told they would be here on Friday to fix the wires.
No, they aren't giving any time line at all. The only thing they'll say is that we are "on the list and they'll get to us". Might be tomorrow, might be in a few weeks. We have no clue (nor do they apparently).
This being the case, I finally set up a Skype account. I paid for one month so I can call anyone with a regular phone (too bad everyone isn't just on skype - it'd be free). And I can call young son on Christmas Day and harass him.
However, no one can call me from a phone because I don't have a number (they cost extra and I only want to use this thing until my phone is back). Of course anyone else using skype can "call" me, but that's online.
I've been running like mad all day - back and forth. Spent over an hour on my cell at Starbucks this morning before finding out that there was no line repair imminent.
After setting up Skype, I needed to call the regular phone company to postpone their service visit. Well, why not use skype... then I don't have to leave the house and sit in a parking lot.
Except that Skype doesn't work! I tried to dial the number 5 times (I'm nothing if not persistent). It kept telling me "the number you are dialing does not exist". Wha????
Of course it exists, it belongs to a friggin phone company! Just connect me.
But no, I had to drive down to the local farmstand and sit in my car in the cold and call instead. (I need a good headbanging icon to insert here).
I couldn't put the repair on hold (how silly is that) no, the most they could do was push the repair date out. This means I'll be having to call after Christmas if the line is still down - I expect it will be.
All this ticky-tacky calling back and forth is most annoying. There must be a better way. Sheesh!
It seems, when my husband called the electric company today, that we are on "a list". The person he talked to had no idea why anyone was told they would be here on Friday to fix the wires.
No, they aren't giving any time line at all. The only thing they'll say is that we are "on the list and they'll get to us". Might be tomorrow, might be in a few weeks. We have no clue (nor do they apparently).
This being the case, I finally set up a Skype account. I paid for one month so I can call anyone with a regular phone (too bad everyone isn't just on skype - it'd be free). And I can call young son on Christmas Day and harass him.
However, no one can call me from a phone because I don't have a number (they cost extra and I only want to use this thing until my phone is back). Of course anyone else using skype can "call" me, but that's online.
I've been running like mad all day - back and forth. Spent over an hour on my cell at Starbucks this morning before finding out that there was no line repair imminent.
After setting up Skype, I needed to call the regular phone company to postpone their service visit. Well, why not use skype... then I don't have to leave the house and sit in a parking lot.
Except that Skype doesn't work! I tried to dial the number 5 times (I'm nothing if not persistent). It kept telling me "the number you are dialing does not exist". Wha????
Of course it exists, it belongs to a friggin phone company! Just connect me.
But no, I had to drive down to the local farmstand and sit in my car in the cold and call instead. (I need a good headbanging icon to insert here).
I couldn't put the repair on hold (how silly is that) no, the most they could do was push the repair date out. This means I'll be having to call after Christmas if the line is still down - I expect it will be.
All this ticky-tacky calling back and forth is most annoying. There must be a better way. Sheesh!
Posted by: Teresa in
Ho-Hum
at
10:24 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 389 words, total size 2 kb.
December 21, 2008
Tuesday? Maybe...
So I called the phone company today from my cell. After wending my way through the maze of answering systems and finally getting hold of a real person, I guess we were right, the phone company won't do anything with the phone wire until the power line is connected back to the house.
The earliest is Tuesday. That is if the electric company peeps get here tomorrow. I am seriously tempted to head to Starbucks with the laptop tomorrow and work from there for a few hours so I can call people with my cell and not have connection issues.
Honestly I was looking at Skype today, but I guess what we've got going is okay until the regular line is back up. Of course if the regular line isn't back, we won't be calling young son in Germany on Christmas day because it would be just our luck, we'd get connected and then the cell would drop the signal (even in a high coverage area).
So far this has not been a banner holiday season for us. I have totally given up on doing any Christmas cards... really, what do I say...
I'll probably send out New Years letters to people who haven't heard from me in a while. I think that's about the best I can do at the moment.
The earliest is Tuesday. That is if the electric company peeps get here tomorrow. I am seriously tempted to head to Starbucks with the laptop tomorrow and work from there for a few hours so I can call people with my cell and not have connection issues.
Honestly I was looking at Skype today, but I guess what we've got going is okay until the regular line is back up. Of course if the regular line isn't back, we won't be calling young son in Germany on Christmas day because it would be just our luck, we'd get connected and then the cell would drop the signal (even in a high coverage area).
So far this has not been a banner holiday season for us. I have totally given up on doing any Christmas cards... really, what do I say...
I'll probably send out New Years letters to people who haven't heard from me in a while. I think that's about the best I can do at the moment.
Posted by: Teresa in
Ho-Hum
at
12:20 PM
| Comments (6)
| Add Comment
Post contains 224 words, total size 1 kb.
December 20, 2008
Let It Snow
One of the few weather predictions we seem to be able to count on... when they say it's going to snow, they are always right. They haven't missed yet.
Yesterday the prediction was between 8 and 16 inches. We got about 8.
I have been sitting in front of my computer working most of the day while my husband has been outside trying to move snow. (yes working - we had an office computer meltdown yesterday - I've spent nearly all day helping to get things fixed up and running again for all the jobs that need doing this weekend).
I did take a break and take a few pictures, mostly from inside the house because I've been too lazy to put my boots and coat on.
Out my front door, this is what I see
Looks pretty nice doesn't it. Then there's the back deck where we have a cute little bistro table and chairs...
Sorry, the window is a bit dirty. Didn't realize that until I uploaded the pic.
This one is my view out the office door. All those tree limbs are getting hard to see.
Well, I did step outside my side door because I knew you'd all want to see my grill being buried under the snow.
But since they are predicting at least 8 more inches of snow tonight, my husband not only cleaned off the driveway and the sidewalks, he also worked on "shoveling" the roof. Much easier than letting it go and dealing with the effects of ice dams later.
Mostly snow is just lots of work. It can be very pretty though.
Now it's time to make some hot tea, snuggle under a blanket and watch a bit of television. Tomorrow it will be my turn to do some shoveling.
Yesterday the prediction was between 8 and 16 inches. We got about 8.
I have been sitting in front of my computer working most of the day while my husband has been outside trying to move snow. (yes working - we had an office computer meltdown yesterday - I've spent nearly all day helping to get things fixed up and running again for all the jobs that need doing this weekend).
I did take a break and take a few pictures, mostly from inside the house because I've been too lazy to put my boots and coat on.
Out my front door, this is what I see
Looks pretty nice doesn't it. Then there's the back deck where we have a cute little bistro table and chairs...
Sorry, the window is a bit dirty. Didn't realize that until I uploaded the pic.
This one is my view out the office door. All those tree limbs are getting hard to see.
Well, I did step outside my side door because I knew you'd all want to see my grill being buried under the snow.
But since they are predicting at least 8 more inches of snow tonight, my husband not only cleaned off the driveway and the sidewalks, he also worked on "shoveling" the roof. Much easier than letting it go and dealing with the effects of ice dams later.
Mostly snow is just lots of work. It can be very pretty though.
Now it's time to make some hot tea, snuggle under a blanket and watch a bit of television. Tomorrow it will be my turn to do some shoveling.
Posted by: Teresa in
Weather
at
04:04 PM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
Post contains 302 words, total size 2 kb.
December 19, 2008
No Phone
No wire dudes showed. It's snowing like mad. And there were work equipment issues today.
I made 2 trips out of the house today to use the cell phone. The third time I had to call someone, I stood in my bedroom holding the thing up in the air. It disconnected 3 times, but perseverence meant I at least finished the conversation (even though I couldn't help fix the problem we were talking about).
All in all, it's been a hell of a day. I think we're up to 6+ inches of snow over the last 4 hours and it's still coming down at a pretty good clip.
Tomorrow morning I'll be trying to "fix" via a reboot, the computer that decided to lose its mind. I'd do it tonight (because I am so not a morning person) but there are jobs that must finish before I can mess about with the innards of the OS.
Therefore, I shall now go drink wine and watch television.
I made 2 trips out of the house today to use the cell phone. The third time I had to call someone, I stood in my bedroom holding the thing up in the air. It disconnected 3 times, but perseverence meant I at least finished the conversation (even though I couldn't help fix the problem we were talking about).
All in all, it's been a hell of a day. I think we're up to 6+ inches of snow over the last 4 hours and it's still coming down at a pretty good clip.
Tomorrow morning I'll be trying to "fix" via a reboot, the computer that decided to lose its mind. I'd do it tonight (because I am so not a morning person) but there are jobs that must finish before I can mess about with the innards of the OS.
Therefore, I shall now go drink wine and watch television.
Posted by: Teresa in
Ho-Hum
at
07:32 PM
| Comments (5)
| Add Comment
Post contains 168 words, total size 1 kb.
December 18, 2008
More Fun With Wires
The dudes who clear branches for the local electric company dropped by today. I wouldn't have known, except they were leaving my driveway as I was coming back from Starbucks this morning. (no I probably would not have noticed the changes in branch stacking - there are too many floating about the yard so I'm ignoring them)
They cleaned up the large pile of branches off the power line... the LIVE power line... and pulled the broken phone line somewhat off the ground by wrapping it around the pole in our yard.
Supposedly tomorrow the guys who reattach these things to the tops of the poles are supposed to drop by and put the wires back up where they belong. Then the electrician has to visit and reattach the meter box to the house.
Depending on when all this happens they may be playing in the snow. From the NOAA, this is our forecast*** for tomorrow:
Ah lovely - anywhere from 8 to 16 inches of snow. And that gusty wind thing... just what we need. Will they look at the weather channel in the morning and say "Screw it. we'll wait for summer!"?
Or will they get distracted in the middle of the job and have a snowball fight? After all the guy way up in the air has a real advantage if he can collect enough snow.
Hmmm... might be interesting.
We shall see.
*** why is it I always forget the "e" in the middle of "forecast" whenever I type it. I know it's there yet every single time I type the word, I skip it and have to go back to put it in. Most annoying.
They cleaned up the large pile of branches off the power line... the LIVE power line... and pulled the broken phone line somewhat off the ground by wrapping it around the pole in our yard.
Supposedly tomorrow the guys who reattach these things to the tops of the poles are supposed to drop by and put the wires back up where they belong. Then the electrician has to visit and reattach the meter box to the house.
Depending on when all this happens they may be playing in the snow. From the NOAA, this is our forecast*** for tomorrow:
Friday: Snow, mainly after 3pm. The snow could be heavy at times. High near 29. Light wind becoming east between 10 and 13 mph. Winds could gust as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.
Friday Night: Snow. The snow could be heavy at times. Low around 12. North wind around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 7 inches possible.
Ah lovely - anywhere from 8 to 16 inches of snow. And that gusty wind thing... just what we need. Will they look at the weather channel in the morning and say "Screw it. we'll wait for summer!"?
Or will they get distracted in the middle of the job and have a snowball fight? After all the guy way up in the air has a real advantage if he can collect enough snow.
Hmmm... might be interesting.
We shall see.
*** why is it I always forget the "e" in the middle of "forecast" whenever I type it. I know it's there yet every single time I type the word, I skip it and have to go back to put it in. Most annoying.
Posted by: Teresa in
Weather
at
10:44 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 369 words, total size 2 kb.
Upgrade
I upgraded the software on my blackberry tonight. Good grief what a harrowing experience! Took several hours to get things all arranged and settled. (naturally the upgrade rearranged everything and I had to reactivate several pieces of software - ho-hum)
Anyhow, my bb should now be up to standard with the latest stuff. Let's just hope it actually works.
Anyhow, my bb should now be up to standard with the latest stuff. Let's just hope it actually works.
Posted by: Teresa in
WebTech
at
12:55 AM
| Comments (3)
| Add Comment
Post contains 60 words, total size 1 kb.
December 17, 2008
You May Be Surprised To See Me Say This
But I was very happy to see this headline today:
Ill. Supreme Court rejects motion to oust Blagojevich
Now just in case this gives you the mistaken impression that I either like the guy or feel sorry for him... PULEEZE!!!
Stop and think about it for a moment. Think about the "law of unintended consequences". If AG Lisa Madigan had been successful - what would be the outcome for all future governors of the state - no matter what party? If you piss off the "right people" they'll have you declared insane.
What?
So, if Lisa were ever able to be elected governor (which is apparently something she is very interested in doing) she'd have to be looking over her shoulder the entire time... waiting for the opposition to jump on something she does or says and have her declared insane. Because that's the way these things work. I bet her enemies could make a pretty good argument after this last week that she's "power hungry" and an "egomaniac" trying to oust Bobby Boy just because she doesn't like him...
I don't think Bobby Boy is insane. I'm pretty sure he's not. He's an Illinois politician without any finesse. He's young and (so it seems now) stupid. Instead of being subtle about using his leverage - like all other Illinois politicians - he decided he could skip the niceties and strong-arm. Worst of all he has a foul mouth about it. In an age where you can't sit through 99% of movies without having a multitude of 4 letter words thrown at you - people are still shocked to hear them being emitted by pols. (go figure)
I'm willing to bet he's gotten away with this crap since he started his way up the political ladder. The more it worked, the more bold he has become.
There are laws in place to deal with this kind of idiocy. Like any laws, they don't work unless they are used. So now it's time to USE them. Let the impeachment process roll, let the feds take their case to court. Stop trying to shortcut and set a precedent that is tremendously dangerous in the future.
Now all we have to hope is that Fitzgerald has the case well in hand and hasn't screwed it up before it started. Sounds like he jumped into this early. If he messes it up just to stop Bobby Boy from appointing a Senator - then he's a bigger fool than Blago and that's saying something.
Update: I want to add that after this fiasco of Lisa Madigan trying to unseat Blago in this way - not only do I think she will not ever be elected Governor, but I don't think she should be. This episode leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.
Ill. Supreme Court rejects motion to oust Blagojevich
Now just in case this gives you the mistaken impression that I either like the guy or feel sorry for him... PULEEZE!!!
Stop and think about it for a moment. Think about the "law of unintended consequences". If AG Lisa Madigan had been successful - what would be the outcome for all future governors of the state - no matter what party? If you piss off the "right people" they'll have you declared insane.
What?
So, if Lisa were ever able to be elected governor (which is apparently something she is very interested in doing) she'd have to be looking over her shoulder the entire time... waiting for the opposition to jump on something she does or says and have her declared insane. Because that's the way these things work. I bet her enemies could make a pretty good argument after this last week that she's "power hungry" and an "egomaniac" trying to oust Bobby Boy just because she doesn't like him...
I don't think Bobby Boy is insane. I'm pretty sure he's not. He's an Illinois politician without any finesse. He's young and (so it seems now) stupid. Instead of being subtle about using his leverage - like all other Illinois politicians - he decided he could skip the niceties and strong-arm. Worst of all he has a foul mouth about it. In an age where you can't sit through 99% of movies without having a multitude of 4 letter words thrown at you - people are still shocked to hear them being emitted by pols. (go figure)
I'm willing to bet he's gotten away with this crap since he started his way up the political ladder. The more it worked, the more bold he has become.
There are laws in place to deal with this kind of idiocy. Like any laws, they don't work unless they are used. So now it's time to USE them. Let the impeachment process roll, let the feds take their case to court. Stop trying to shortcut and set a precedent that is tremendously dangerous in the future.
Now all we have to hope is that Fitzgerald has the case well in hand and hasn't screwed it up before it started. Sounds like he jumped into this early. If he messes it up just to stop Bobby Boy from appointing a Senator - then he's a bigger fool than Blago and that's saying something.
Update: I want to add that after this fiasco of Lisa Madigan trying to unseat Blago in this way - not only do I think she will not ever be elected Governor, but I don't think she should be. This episode leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.
Posted by: Teresa in
Politics
at
04:02 PM
| Comments (6)
| Add Comment
Post contains 477 words, total size 3 kb.
Patchy Patchy
How long has it been since you've patched your Windows machine? (okay you Mac users - go snicker over there --> )
Microsoft released a critical patch today for Internet Explorer.
Now listen up - if you use IE (any version unless you're still trying to run Win98 - in that case there is no help) and/or Outlook Express with html enabled you are especially vulnerable. But it doesn't matter - if you use Windows, then please head over to Microsoft and make sure your patches are up to date.
This is a web browsing vulnerability.
If you don't have automatic updates enabled, then here is what to do:
Go to microsoft.com look under the Security and Updates tab and click on microsoft updates. Installing the update software from there will check all the microsoft OS and Office products to ensure you have all the patches.
Do this even if you use Firefox as your browser. The IE browser is so entwined in the Microsoft OS - it's not a good idea to ignore these patches.
Are you still here? Unless you're running a Mac or Linux box - stop looking at my scribbles and make sure your box it is okay.
Microsoft released a critical patch today for Internet Explorer.
Now listen up - if you use IE (any version unless you're still trying to run Win98 - in that case there is no help) and/or Outlook Express with html enabled you are especially vulnerable. But it doesn't matter - if you use Windows, then please head over to Microsoft and make sure your patches are up to date.
This is a web browsing vulnerability.
Last weekend, Microsoft researchers said that they had seen a "huge increase" in attacks, and that some were originating from legitimate Web sites. Another researcher added that about 6,000 infected sites were serving up exploits that target the IE vulnerability.
If you don't have automatic updates enabled, then here is what to do:
Go to microsoft.com look under the Security and Updates tab and click on microsoft updates. Installing the update software from there will check all the microsoft OS and Office products to ensure you have all the patches.
Do this even if you use Firefox as your browser. The IE browser is so entwined in the Microsoft OS - it's not a good idea to ignore these patches.
Are you still here? Unless you're running a Mac or Linux box - stop looking at my scribbles and make sure your box it is okay.
Posted by: Teresa in
WebTech
at
03:32 PM
| Comments (1)
| Add Comment
Post contains 244 words, total size 2 kb.
December 16, 2008
If I Was Eloquent
I would be able to write something called
Ode to a Generator
During our recent power outage, this little guy kept us going beautifully. I think it deserves an ode, but that type of prose is beyond me.
Of course so then does my husband. The man who knew how to wire things so the generator could be used to its full potential during those hours with no electricity. The man knows how to create cables, how to run motors on the generator without ruining them (there is apparently a trick to this that I did not know), ensuring that things are safely connected and listening critically to how the motor runs the entire time it's on...
Who knew it could be so complicated. That you don't just turn it on, plug stuff in and walk away. I think he has osmosis where this stuff is concerned. He seems to just "know" it. He will claim it's through trial and error and lots of reading... but I think it's got to be osmosis.
We were able to use this lovely little machine to alternately, run the furnace, the hot water heater, the water pump (necessary when you have well and septic for your water supply), the refrigerator, and any lights we needed (we didn't turn on anything high voltage of course). Except for the lights these all had to run separately, but just the fact that they could run was most excellent.
There were a few harrowing moments when it started to bog down. That was Saturday night when the temperature was about 15 degrees. My husband had read that these generators can have difficulty with ice build up in the carburetor... so we moved it into the garage, opened a couple of doors and a window. For some reason that was adequate to make it start behaving well again.
We bought this back in 2000 after a power outage caused a basement flood. This is the first time we've used it, outside of the test runs. I will say, it performed beautifully. I'm very glad we had it or we might have frozen into Popsicles in our house.
It's a wonderful thing this generator. It goes without saying that my husband is wonderful.
Ode to a Generator
During our recent power outage, this little guy kept us going beautifully. I think it deserves an ode, but that type of prose is beyond me.
Of course so then does my husband. The man who knew how to wire things so the generator could be used to its full potential during those hours with no electricity. The man knows how to create cables, how to run motors on the generator without ruining them (there is apparently a trick to this that I did not know), ensuring that things are safely connected and listening critically to how the motor runs the entire time it's on...
Who knew it could be so complicated. That you don't just turn it on, plug stuff in and walk away. I think he has osmosis where this stuff is concerned. He seems to just "know" it. He will claim it's through trial and error and lots of reading... but I think it's got to be osmosis.
We were able to use this lovely little machine to alternately, run the furnace, the hot water heater, the water pump (necessary when you have well and septic for your water supply), the refrigerator, and any lights we needed (we didn't turn on anything high voltage of course). Except for the lights these all had to run separately, but just the fact that they could run was most excellent.
There were a few harrowing moments when it started to bog down. That was Saturday night when the temperature was about 15 degrees. My husband had read that these generators can have difficulty with ice build up in the carburetor... so we moved it into the garage, opened a couple of doors and a window. For some reason that was adequate to make it start behaving well again.
We bought this back in 2000 after a power outage caused a basement flood. This is the first time we've used it, outside of the test runs. I will say, it performed beautifully. I'm very glad we had it or we might have frozen into Popsicles in our house.
It's a wonderful thing this generator. It goes without saying that my husband is wonderful.
Posted by: Teresa in
Weather
at
10:19 PM
| Comments (3)
| Add Comment
Post contains 379 words, total size 2 kb.
One of Those Days
If you wandered over to my smugmug ice storm pictures, you might have run across this one:
With the following caption:
Where these branches are is where we usually park the minivan. It's been in for repairs or these branches would have totalled it. Had to cut them with a chainsaw before we could move them.
The minivan is a bit over 10 years old and it's been excellent for hauling all sorts of stuff around (including our very tall son who was able to sit in the back seats with no problem at all). Not to mention, it's all paid for! So last month we decided to get some body rust fixed on it. One of the shock towers was rusting through - a not uncommon problem with this type of minivan.
We had taken it over to the body shop and, as these things go, it was still there when we left town for the funeral. Turns out, as the picture above shows, it's a very good thing we didn't have it back. All that money would have been wasted when those limbs caved in the roof. With the age of the vehicle, that kind of damage would have totalled the thing.
So, last night we were finally able to get to the body shop and pick up the van. (I had been in to pay for it earlier in the day). Which leads to today's happenings...
Today the van key was missing...
more...
With the following caption:
Where these branches are is where we usually park the minivan. It's been in for repairs or these branches would have totalled it. Had to cut them with a chainsaw before we could move them.
The minivan is a bit over 10 years old and it's been excellent for hauling all sorts of stuff around (including our very tall son who was able to sit in the back seats with no problem at all). Not to mention, it's all paid for! So last month we decided to get some body rust fixed on it. One of the shock towers was rusting through - a not uncommon problem with this type of minivan.
We had taken it over to the body shop and, as these things go, it was still there when we left town for the funeral. Turns out, as the picture above shows, it's a very good thing we didn't have it back. All that money would have been wasted when those limbs caved in the roof. With the age of the vehicle, that kind of damage would have totalled the thing.
So, last night we were finally able to get to the body shop and pick up the van. (I had been in to pay for it earlier in the day). Which leads to today's happenings...
Today the van key was missing...
more...
Posted by: Teresa in
Ho-Hum
at
07:03 PM
| No Comments
| Add Comment
Post contains 717 words, total size 4 kb.
December 14, 2008
Ice Storm... Of Course There are Pictures
Look what a little rain can do when it decides to freeze on the trees. We drove home in this rain. The roads were not slick it was not sleet - it was rain. But...
At just the right temp, it turns into ice on plants. Somewhere around midnight last Thursday we started hearing branches break. It sounds like a shotgun and then you hear them fall. We kept jumping out of bed just in case one of those times it was a tree from our back yard headed toward our bedroom.
The next morning, this was the front yard.
If you look closely, the largest pile of branches in the very back is on the power lines. At that time the electric box was still on the house - a couple hours later another branch fell and ripped it away.
Here's a closer view of the branch pile that the electric company still needs to clear away. (we don't mess with electrical wires here even if they do seem to be dead!)
When I looked out the side window this was what I saw.
That's looking through the window so it's a bit fuzzy.
Of course, the roads were a mess too. Here's one example.
There are more over at Smugmug. I took a bunch while walking with my blackberry. There was so much ice and crap pelting us, I was afraid I'd ruin my good camera. Then I took some others with my Nikon.
Pretty? Maybe. As long as you have heat and a computer...
Blackberry shots are here.
Nikon shots are here.
Stay warm!
PS. I should note that while many of the branches don't look very large - most could not be moved until they were cut into smaller bits by the chainsaw. Looks are very deceiving.
At just the right temp, it turns into ice on plants. Somewhere around midnight last Thursday we started hearing branches break. It sounds like a shotgun and then you hear them fall. We kept jumping out of bed just in case one of those times it was a tree from our back yard headed toward our bedroom.
The next morning, this was the front yard.
If you look closely, the largest pile of branches in the very back is on the power lines. At that time the electric box was still on the house - a couple hours later another branch fell and ripped it away.
Here's a closer view of the branch pile that the electric company still needs to clear away. (we don't mess with electrical wires here even if they do seem to be dead!)
When I looked out the side window this was what I saw.
That's looking through the window so it's a bit fuzzy.
Of course, the roads were a mess too. Here's one example.
There are more over at Smugmug. I took a bunch while walking with my blackberry. There was so much ice and crap pelting us, I was afraid I'd ruin my good camera. Then I took some others with my Nikon.
Pretty? Maybe. As long as you have heat and a computer...
Blackberry shots are here.
Nikon shots are here.
Stay warm!
PS. I should note that while many of the branches don't look very large - most could not be moved until they were cut into smaller bits by the chainsaw. Looks are very deceiving.
Posted by: Teresa in
Weather
at
11:24 PM
| Comments (8)
| Add Comment
Post contains 308 words, total size 2 kb.
We Have Power!!!
At least for the moment. The electrician isn't here yet. I don't want to fire up the computer until that's done. But at least the heater is running!!!
Posted by: Teresa in
Weather
at
04:34 PM
| Comments (6)
| Add Comment
Post contains 31 words, total size 1 kb.
)<< Page 1 of 2 >>
95kb generated in 0.4714 seconds; 84 queries returned 328 records.
Powered by Minx 1.1.4-pink.
Powered by Minx 1.1.4-pink.
