Money well spent

I took the day off to be home while a handyman did some repairs around the house. The big one was the shower. I had a tile loose, wall board behind the tiles needed replacing, and the whole thing needed resealing and regrouting. Then there was a wall my teenage son kicked out in one of his rages (he has paid us back for that one), some holes punched in doors and hockey stick dents in walls (he has paid for those too), a couple of screens that were slashed, and some closed doors that no longer rolled.
There is still more work to do -- we need more sanding and plastering on the larger holes, but the layers need to dry in between so they will have to wait for another day. Still, at least there are no longer big gouges everywhere.
Of course I didn't factor a day off from work into my son's costs for the repairs, but it was well worth the vacation time to get the work done. Oh and I am looking forward to the long weekend ahead, as well....

-- Final cost after 5 hours of work, including parts, not including vacation time, $237.54 -- this guy is a steal!

AAARRRGGGHHH

You take the corner to fast, you go up and over the curb, you damage the axle. As a teenage boy, this kind of activity is going to get you into a world of difficulty with your parents every time. Especially, if since you got your permit you have:

1. hit a truck getting off the beltway cause your dad didn't give you good instructions
2. side swiped a curb so hard that you cracked an axle in your Dad's Honda
3. hit a van at a light because you didn't stop quickly enough
4. get a speeding ticket. You were going 52 in a 35, but the cop gave you 44 in a 35 cause he was nice
5. drove on a flat tire so that it shredded
6. as noted above, took the corner too fast

And these are the ones your parents know about.

I fought to keep the car for my son, but I think he will kill himself with it if I let him keep it now. He just isn't a very good driver. In fact, he is a bad driver!! And of course, this gives his Dad a chance to say to me "I told you so." And you know he will, and hammer me with it for the next months....

Thought of the day -- which ones are wrong?

My fortune cookie said "You are kind-hearted and hospitable, cheerful and well-liked." Given that any fortune has a 50/50 chance -- either it will happen or it won't -- that means by illogical logic that of those four statements half are true and half aren't. Interesting thought.....

Cancelled!

My brother-in-law decided that going to South Carolina this weekend, even if we don't get hit with a hurricane, would be silly. Half the purpose is to play golf, and it is supposed to rain all day Sunday and Monday. He is going to try and reschedule for late October. Maybe he will reschedule for the weekend of October 16th and I won't be able to go :-)

Fortunately, before departure the plane tickets can be switched for $25. My husband will do his today, but we will hold off on mine, and my son's. Independence has already waived the $25 fee for Georgia and Florida. It may be a matter of time before they wave SC too.

I still get to cook for Shabbat, but at least I don't have to figure out how to get the food to SC!

Bobbsy twins?

I went to see The King and I at Wolf Trap last night with my daughter. The production was a visual delight. The costumes and sets were lovely, and the younger actors and actresses were a pleasure. They did appeared to be having a few sound issues, and that made some of the singing difficult to hear. Sandy Duncan sounded a little hoarse, but she certainly didn't have any difficulty portraying a young widow, which was certainly a possibility. I didn't like the king much. I thought there was no spark between the king and Anna. Still, the music is always delightful, and it was a very pleasant evening.

I did see one strange sight however. There was a mother there with her daughter, and they appeared to be wearing the same clothes. Well, they were certainly wearing the same shirts. Black with a thin white stripe, hook and eye closures down the front. You would think, since they live in the same house and drove to work together yesterday they would have known in advance that there was going to be a problem. They did, but it didn't register. When the daughter came downstairs she was wearing a business suit and white shirt (also a suit that her mother owns another of, but that is a different story). She had a portrait session at work and needed to be dressed formally. She did mention something about bringing along the same outfit to wear later, and her mother saw the shirt, but it didn't really hit her what it would mean for later.

Of course the mother is me, the daughter mine. We were both wearing black shirts and light pants last night. I felt like one of the Bobbsy Twins! I know we looked silly. I should have changed, or she should have brought a different shirt, but we are both stubborn :-) We never wore mother and daughter dresses when she was young. I thought they were silly. Now look at us. She did pay me one compliment though, when I said that I felt foolish as her mother dressing the same way, she said I couldn't be her mother. At least I think it was a compliment?

Stressed out at work?

Everyone here is very stressed out. There are lots of deliverables that have to get out the door in the next days and weeks. Long hours seem to be the norm right now. For all my colleagues who are overworked, with a lack of sleep, and too many things on their minds, I apologize for the heavy blog yesterday. Not what you needed to read (if you read it at all.) Will try to think of something light hearted for a little later this morning.

Bus bombings

I tried to think of a cute title, but I quickly realized that there is nothing cute about terrorism, or homicidal bombers, or targeting mothers, children, and other innocent civilians. Damn it, I could understand if you want to violently protest against an act by a government, go after a leader of the government.

(Please note -- to any government officials reading this blog, I do NOT advocate terrorism in any form, Nor do I support any terrorist acts including political assassination. I just think that on a scale of 1 to 10 of deplorable activist activities, killing innocent women and children is a 20, and bombings and terrorist acts of any sort against civilians or non-civilians are a 19.)

Anyway -- getting that caveat out of the way, I am incredibly saddened by the bombings that took place in Israel yesterday. Two buses exploded in Beersheva, killing 16 and injuring 101. Riding the buses is a way of life in Israel, and I suppose one of the goals is to disrupt everyday life. But most Israelis have an indomitable spirit. I am not entirely sure that I could continue to ride the buses day after day, knowing that any day the bomb could be on my bus.

They call native Israelis "Sabras". The sabra is a very prickly cactus with very sweet fruit. They are desert plants and can survive in almost any condition. Israelis will survive. It may not be the way the United States, the Arab States, or the United Nations wants them to survive, but they will survive, and they will never break.

Chief cook -- but maybe not bottle washer

I was right about the chief cook part, but it came from a different quarter. My husband, Barry volunteered us to bring meals for Shabbat. Of course he didn't ask me first. That means I have to shop and cook in order to bring the meals. This sucks. I think he realized that he had "blown it" when he finally spoke to me. He had something else that needed to be done, but he took care of that part himself. It only involved disrupting my supper 3-4 times to get phone numbers for me...

I wish the weather was going to be beautiful -- I could really use some quiet time on the beach.

Leaps and bounds

I can't tell if my cat is losing weight -- well I suppose if she has lost more than 1/2 lb I could weigh myself with and without her -- but she does seem more active.

I hadn't noticed that she was slowing down a little, but now I am noticing her in places she hasn't been for a long time: perched on the back of the chair looking out the window in the living room; on the kitchen counters (no I don't really want her there -- but she does like to perch on the knee wall and survey dinner preparations); on my bedroom dresser. I will know she is really feeling young again when I find her on the windowsill in my bedroom. This is a difficult jump, and it has definitely been a while since she tried it....

Vacation ambivalence

I am supposed to go to an island off South Carolina for labor day weekend. I have been looking forward to it -- a lot. The closer I get to the weekend the less I want to go. First, I heard my sister-in-law won't be there. Does that make me the chief cook and bottle washer? The designated kitchen maid? I doubt it, but the fear is there.

Second, the whole purpose for going to the beach is to spend time in the sun and it looks like Hurricane Frances may destroy those plans. She is currently in the islands heading West, but is expected to turn slightly North over the next few days. Current projections have the eye coming ashore in Miami on Friday morning, with tropical rains reaching into at least half of South Carolina by that point. There goes the beach, the golf, and the sun.

I know the house is supposed to be spectacular, but this is an island, and a beach house. Do I really want to get an evacuation notice in the middle of the night? Or worse, fly into South Carolina and spend labor day weekend at the airport because I can't get out again? My family would definitely tell you I am a worrier, but do I have any reason to be feeling a little ambivalent? Does imagining the worst make me a pessimist? Am I a pessimist?

Airborne!! (And I don't mean the Army)

Well, it had to happen. We all knew that if they could have phones on planes, the internet wouldn't be far behind. Some airlines are beginning to add Wi-Fi access to flights. The last place safe from email and web surfing is about to vanish into the mists. For more on the changes, check out the article on MIT's Technology Review, Wi-Fi goes airborne.

Do you want to be a Hero?

If you are into Rambo, this is not the movie for you. If you like blood and gore, this is not the movie for you. If you hate subtitles, some of them moving off the screen fast, this is not the movie for you.

However, it is one of the most beautifully choreographed and photographed movies I have seen in a very long time. The movie is a visual pleasure, from the vast expanses of the Chinese desert, to the flowing fabrics of the robes, to the invading army's "serried ranks", to the fight scenes amid flying arrows, flowing fabric hangings, or falling leaves. Although I sometimes wondered, since the movie is shown as a series of possible flashbacks, how many times people can die?

The only jarring note I found was with the king. I'm not sure why, but I expected him to be much more excitable. The calmness of the assassins was expected. The calmness of the king was not. Was that the point?