Building an Ark

Posted on July 23, 2003 by Frog

I’m not sure who or what we pissed off in the rain cloud world but enough already with the rain-producing-trauma directed towards us.

Last Friday we wrecked the car because of the rain and last night we spent about an hour mopping and wet/dry vacuuming the basement and garage. It has to rain a-whole-freaking-lot to have water in large streams in our house. At least the basement is still decorated just as it was when the house was built in the early 70s. Which is to say it isn’t like the water really damaged anything…unless, of course, you covet crappy wood paneling. One day we’ll tear everything out and waterproof and then I’ll be ticked if water comes into the basement ever again.

I do have this to say to home builders/contractors….may you experience the same shoddy workmanship in your own homes.

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I Think I’m Going to Wreck My Car

Posted on July 21, 2003 by Frog

I have that Todd Snider song, 45 Miles, stuck in my head since what happened on Friday night. We were coming back from Charlottesville–had dinner with the PHD sister and her husband. We chased the storms all the way home and were highly entertained by the lightning show. It was entertaining until we got to the spot on 295 where 295 and 95 South meet.

Apparently, the rain had just stopped and there was a lake on the road. We went water skiing in the car. If you know where I mean then you aren’t suprised that swamp water was right in front of the car after we finally came to a stop. In fact, when I opened my eyes I wasn’t sure if we were in the swamp or the median strip. We were so far down the embankment we couldn’t see the road–the State Trooper couldn’t find us until we managed to get a flare lit on the road. After coming to a stop we heard a car go into a skid and my first thought was please don’t come down here on top of us. That car was luckier than we were and continued on down the road.

It isn’t that we weren’t lucky….a few bruises and a strawberry on my right elbow is all the damage we have. The car on the other hand is dead. The Boogamobile is no more. We went to the lot this am and got stuff out of the car and took pictures….

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Chocolate

Posted on July 20, 2003 by Frog

After the weekend we’ve had (more on that later), we decided it was necessary to have some chocolate. It was so good that when I dropped a piece the size of a gnat on the floor near the cat food bowls, I retrieved it and ate it. Normally, I do not advocate ever eating anything off the floor in my kitchen. I’m sorry if that grosses anyone out, but the kitchen on the whole is the nastiest room I’ve ever been in (the better half laughed at that line–ok, so I exaggerate, a bit). I hate that kitchen (more on that at a later date).

Here’s the chocolate that made me eat a piece off the floor–5 second rule or no:

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Lunch Visitors

Posted on July 18, 2003 by Frog

The niece and her mother came to the office today for lunch. Niece was asleep when they got there and no amount of picking made her wake up. I’m usually the master at that game–just ask the better half on a Saturday morning. Finally, she woke up and had some lunch and then we played with all the crazy toys we have at the office. If you’ve never stuffed plastic animals into a 16 month old’s overalls, you just haven’t lived. We had animals hanging off her and dropping out of her pants like crazy. We were all very amused.

For pictures of the niece check out the Bakeman Family link in the Links area. We scored one of the new pictures…check out her monkey picture (in the portraits area)…makes me laugh and laugh.

Completely unrelated to this visit, but nonetheless facinating: this article is worth a read.

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Rascally Birds

Posted on July 17, 2003 by Frog

I washed my car today. I can’t remember the last time I washed my car. It could be about a year since it’s been washed.
My car is green. Green–that makes people ask what shade of green is that. I point that out because there were places on the trunk that were black with filth. Anyway, I scrubbed on the car and then vacuumed out the interior. I just noticed a bird crapped on the rear bumper. What kind of justice is that?

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Truth is stranger than Fiction

Posted on July 16, 2003 by Frog

I was reading an article highlighted on Jim Romenesko’s Obscure Store (the site is over in the links area) and, well, who in a million years would have thought that the defendant in the case would be named Peters. Check out the story…

I will stop laughing. I will, really.

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But truth is a bright needle pulling an ugly thread

Posted on July 15, 2003 by Frog

The following poem is in the collection, My Favorite Plant. I thought it was beautiful. I apoplogize now if I’m breaking 1001 copyright laws.

Bearded Irises-Henri Cole
I was a stranger and you welcomed me.
I thought: he will not stand for the stench
of my body.
But truth is a bright needle pulling an ugly thread
and he opened his arms to take me in.
I thought: I love this ordinary man who is made
of the best intentions.
I thought: here’s a man who will keep his promise.
In the bars, I was a doomed and lovely thing,
like a flower doomed by frost,
but now I have been redeemed.
I was thirsty and you gave me your glass.
I thought: he will be disgusted seeing wine
run into my open mouth, making my teeth shiver.
But it was dusk and the somber blue sky
began melting like an iris,
abstracting him into its fading light.
I was hungry and you gave me meat.
Eating vigorously with my hands,
I thought: I am like a bearded iris,
my ego unsubjugated.
I demand and get a bed of my own,
from which the whole world of the Not-Me
seems fatal and ridiculous.
I was naked and you clothed me.
I thought: he’ll not let me wear his handsome
red coat.
To different men come different blessings.
This was a coat worthy of Cocteau.
But you made me put it on.
I thought: now I am like a red boat,
blazing on a lake.
I was sick and you comforted me.
How I awaited your visits, as a caged dog
awaits liberation.
your face-sculpted with little crow’s-feet,
the mark of a man with an interior life–
healing me like the sun.
If I were in prison you would defend me.
I would think: one day soon I’ll be home again.
I would think: how precious silver is
stolen from a man with a great estate,
a man I hate!
And when I die, you will bury me.
easing my corpse into the sepulcher,
as a rotting iris is plunged into compost.
A bare bulb at the center of the vault
will illuminate your face,
and I will think: nothing that comes after
could be as good as what came before.

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Bastille Day

Posted on July 14, 2003 by Frog

Happy Bastille Day (or is that….Jour Heureux De Bastille). Bastille Day became a French national holiday in 1880 and in 1848 the motto “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” (and the current flag–I think) were officially reinstated. I’m pretty sure that the 3 colors on the flag represent the 3 parts of the motto. Let’s put aside our recent national hatred of all things French and have a sip of French wine today. Regarding our recent national hatred–the French don’t care, they are too busy smoking cigarettes, sipping coffee and thinking about another fabulous meal.

Here are some interesting articles (that have nothing to do with being French):
Caring for Your Introvert
Brights
Fact Check, much?

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Old Hickory

Posted on July 12, 2003 by Frog

This morning I looked out into the backyard and noticed a largish branch had fallen out of one of the hickory trees. (As a side note, we had a poplar go down last year and it really banged up the hickories. We weren’t sure one of them would survive ). Rather than being upset about this, I did a little dance. When I pointed it out to the better half he said simply, “Smoking.” That’s right at some point today I’ll hack that branch into smaller pieces and add it to our collection for our next smoking round. We have a water smoker like this and we smoked as recently as last weekend.

I finished Harry Potter yesterday and was sorry to see it end. I just hope the next book will be out before I’m 40. It will be interesting to see how the final 2 books turn out. I certainly hope it turns out better than the sorry excuse for a storyline that has recently befallen Geo. Lucas and his Star Wars franchise.

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That Smell in the Refrigerator

Posted on July 10, 2003 by Frog

Our refrigerator has smelled like something crawled in there and died for days now. I finally cleaned it out and could find absolutely no evidence of any crypt creatures. Could it be that a few things were a little past their prime and those smells banded together?

I did find that the fruit cake we stashed in the back had leaked and gunked up in a few spots. Doesn’t everyone have fruit cake in the back of their refrigerators?

Yesterday when I got home from the office, I was greeted by 8 piles of vomit…yes, it does seem that the vomit at my house “greets”. As I was dragging the trashcan and paper towel roll around, I noticed that there was actually vomit in one of the food bowls. What cat vomits in his own bowl or in the bowl of his buddy? As I dumped that mess into the trashcan, I proclaimed to our little rat-cats that didn’t mean they’d get different food only that I’d wash the bowl. I don’t think they cared. Outside they ran. Yeah, buddy, go chew on some grass and then really get to work on that vomiting.

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