Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum

Posted on December 10, 2004 by Frog

Last night we taped the Little Drummer Boy because it came on while we were eating dinner. It really wouldn’t have mattered if it came on after we were done with dinner or not, I would have taped it anyway. I loathe commercials.

The Little Drummer Boy is one of my favorite Christmas shows. I’m not sure why since the quality is decidedly bad. I wonder if the film tin was left in the back of someone’s Pinto too long. Also, Aaron’s line delivery is a little flat. The way he says “Father, Mother” makes me parrot his delivery. I guess it’s the story that makes this one of my favorites.

While we were watching I commented that I saw Kris Kringle in the crowd gathered ’round to watch Ben Haramed’s band of lameo performers. Sure enough, I backed the tape up and one of the members of the crowd had Kris Kringle’s head (from Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town). I wonder how many other puppets were recycled for the Rankin/Bass canon.

So, what’s your favorite holiday show/movie?

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Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

Posted on December 9, 2004 by Frog

We don’t have a darn thing in the new house but we have cable and a fast internet connection. Seriously, a TV is sitting on the floor, the digital cable box thing is sitting on the fireplace and a laptop is sitting on a folding table. Our priorities are absolutely in the right place.

After the cable guys left, I clicked channels like a crazy woman. I also told the better-half how great it was to not worry about the signal even though it is a rainy day. Take that satellite.

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Out Out Darn Light

Posted on December 8, 2004 by Frog

We replaced all the exterior spotlights at the new house save one. One didn’t get replaced because the socket is broken. I guess that explains why there wasn’t a dead bulb in it. It doesn’t much matter to me though because 5 spotlights are plenty. Seriously, I think there are 9 or 10 exterior lights at the new house. Who needs to read in the backyard at night?

The “safety” light at the end of the driveway has finally been disconnected. I ask you, why move to a rural location and then pay extra to have the power company provide a big fat light? If you want bright lights outside, move to the city or turn on all your spotlights. The safety light drastically decreases the amount of extraneous light that comes into the bedroom windows. Much better sleeping will be possible now that that light is gone.

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It Disturbed Me Mightily

Posted on December 7, 2004 by Frog

Last night we were channel surfing and stumbled on Discovery Health’s Super Surgery and saw the show entitled 200 Pound Tumor. May I never watch Discovery Health again. The subject of the show suffers from Neurofibromatosis and the 200 Pound Tumor almost killed her. Miraculously she recovered and looks like a completely different person.

After the show was over, I went to bed and read a little bit of Party of One. I’m in the midst of the crime chapter. You may ask yourself what does a 200 Pound Tumor have to do with me reading before going to sleep. I’m getting to that.

Continue reading →

Posted in Watching | 2 Comments

Sad songs and waltzes aren’t selling this year

Posted on December 6, 2004 by Frog

Yesterday we were at the new house and since the surveyors had recently marked the property lines we took a little walk in the woods. Our house sits on what used to be an old farm or logging road so there’s a definite spot where the vegetation hasn’t overgrown. We started there and headed towards the line.

We got several dozen yards into the walk and found part of an old truck carcass. We didn’t spot an engine or transmission system so we’re fine with leaving it there to finish its rusting process. Before you peg us for total hicks, it isn’t something you can even remotely see from the house or yard. And, besides, how do you get it out of there? We walked a little more and then found another part of the carcass. I joked that they were riding down the road; the truck went off the road and then exploded. In actuality it is hard to know if the two carcasses are even from the same vehicle. A more accurate history is we were probably walking through an ancient burial ground for big old trucks (hehe). As we were checking out the second set of dead truck bones, I pointed to an object through the trees.

Continue reading →

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So Refreshing

Posted on December 5, 2004 by Frog

Yesterday we went to a local retailer to check out appliances. Our plan had been to hit the local guy and then hit one of the big box stores but we never made it to the big box. I’m not sure that we will. It was really great to have someone talk to us about our needs, how we use kitchen appliances and then explain which ones would be fits for us. He even pointed us to a couple of less expensive models explaining that if we don’t need the features then don’t spend the money for them.

He wrote up the order with all the model numbers and their prices and then told us to go home and look them up on the internet or in Consumer Reports and then come back. Wha? Did we just slip into another dimension? We weren’t pushed to buy anything or sign up for store credit. We spent about an hour with the salesman and he let us walk out without closing the deal. Will we go back? I bet for the majority of the pieces we will.

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And So We’re Home Owners, Again

Posted on December 2, 2004 by Frog

We just got back from a celebratory lunch at Chipotle and I’m happy to announce we’re the proud owners of the new house. We both had Carnitas burritos (his with pinto and mine with black beans).

Now, if we get over to the new house and the power isn’t on, I may have to go off on Dominion Virginia Power. Note to the CEO, you may want to initiate a lockdown at your office if my power isn’t on. You were supposed to do it yesterday.

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Anyone Know Voodoo?

Posted on December 1, 2004 by Frog

We went to closing this morning only to be told that one of the sellers hadn’t signed his copy of the deed. The deed was delivered to his apartment on November 22nd. He had to go this morning to get it from his building super. I have lived in loads of apartments in my time and every. single. time. I had a package the building management left me a note. Even when I lived in the apartment where the SWAT team had to routinely patrol. The better-half and I played good cop/bad cop with me in the bad cop role (no shock there) at the lawyer’s office today. We took our money and walked out. The lawyer will call us as soon as he gets the deed. Here’s a tip lawyer man– get your ducks in a row before you waste another hour of our time.

As if this wasn’t crappy enough, I called Dominion Virginia Power last week (and the better-half also talked to them) to get the power transferred to our name starting today. The power was off at the walk-through this morning. The better-half spent a half hour on HOLD this morning only to not get that cleared up. He’s on HOLD again.

I’m sick to death of people not doing what they say they are going to do. Is it really that hard to follow through?

Posted in General Spleen Venting | Comments Off

Might As Well Get the Whining Off My Chest

Posted on November 30, 2004 by Frog

What I want to know, and after discovering the answer to this question all other riddles in the universe will unravel, is do the better-half and I run into more scumbag idiots than is normal to run into in a lifetime or is the world just chockfull of them and it’s like stepping on an ant on a summer day? Something that just can’t be helped.

As you know, we’re buying a house. We close tomorrow. The owners or their agent turned off the power last week. Our realtor got it turned back on. The home owners were supposed to get the house treated for termites. They had an inspection the first Friday of the month. The treatment will be done on Thursday. Gee, couldn’t you get that 15 minutes of exterior spraying scheduled before you sold us the house? The owners fled the area in such a hurry they didn’t even finish clearing out their junk. There’s a gas grill that will be heaved into a dumpster by us (unless you are in the area and want to come get it right now). There are some kid toys laying in the woods just off the driveway that will be pitched at the landfill as well. And, there’s some crap in the garage that I’m not really sure what it is. The battery for the downstairs smoke alarm has beeped every single time we’ve been in the house. Couldn’t their realtor pop for the $1.50 for a 9-volt battery?

At our current house some of the complaints we’ve heard about the house is that the neighbor’s new garage is too close to the driveway. I just cracked up about that. We’ve regretted not having the cash or the savvy to have purchased that lot when it was empty. But, for crying out loud that’s the one thing you have to complain about? I can find a bunch of other things that someone could possibly complain about with regards to our property. Another couple really likes the house and their realtor thinks our house is perfect for them. They just don’t like that our house is on a hill. We’ll get right on fixing that. Hey, having a house on a hill is so much better than building a house on a flood plain. Ask the people down the hill from us. And, frankly, houses with any kind of character in our area are in very short supply. Please feel free to buy a cookie cutter house down the street that’s smack dab in the middle of an old corn field. I’m sure you’ll find lots of nothing to look at to be quite a comfort.

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Hasn’t The Time Limit Run Out Yet?

Posted on November 30, 2004 by Frog

Don’t you think there have been enough days since the election that people should take down their Bush/Cheney signs? We all know they won. Feel smug in the privacy of your own home but keep me out of it.

While we were in Florida I saw a woman wearing her Kerry/Edwards lapel pin. Never mind that we were in Florida a full 9 days after the election. This woman also tried finishing her coffee at a near sprint and ended up dribbling it on her hand. Maybe she was just a nut job.

Speaking of signs, while coming back from Florida we got to see a number of wacky billboards. Other states must have an anything goes attitude on billboards because we saw one about dumbass NC DOT workers (no lie–google it) and then there were many signs of the Repent or You’ll Burn in the Fiery Crucible of Hell variety and who can forget all the Naked Girls/Big Steaks/Truckers Welcome/We Have Showers signs.

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