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Don't fall asleep
Jul. 13th, 2007 10:33 amI'm home!!!!! And a bit too sun-kissed. Although that was entirely my fault because I decided that since I was going to be on a plane or in the airport most of my last day in Hawai`i, I opted not to slather myself in sunscreen. Not a good decision, but at least I'm not in sunburn pain like my travel companions who complained on our last free day with "where's the sun? I'm not getting any color." Ha! They're burnt crispy.
Can I just say that I love Hawai`i! We hadn't landed and I was ready to move. I mean, housing prices there are similar to here and San Francisco so why not? I think that this my usurp my desire to live off the grid in Alaska.
I've got lots of pictures and lots of stuff to tell so I'll do that later after I return from physical therapy.
Can I just say that I love Hawai`i! We hadn't landed and I was ready to move. I mean, housing prices there are similar to here and San Francisco so why not? I think that this my usurp my desire to live off the grid in Alaska.
I've got lots of pictures and lots of stuff to tell so I'll do that later after I return from physical therapy.
I love it, I love it, I love it
Jul. 2nd, 2007 07:36 pmThe UPS man brought my Amazon box today.
It had lots of books for the beach.
More importantly it had my new Tori Amos cd (American Girl Posse).
Oh my! I love it.
All of it.
Thought it was just "Big Wheel" that I was really digging.
I love it all.
Also got the new Kelly Clarkson album. I haven't listened to that one yet, but I'll tell everyone if I love it as much as I love the Tori one.
On that note, we leave tomorrow for Hawaii. Halfway to your house![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
curefreak. I'll be back next Tuesday. Computer time will be limited but I'm going to go check out voice post numbers right now. Everyone be good.
It had lots of books for the beach.
More importantly it had my new Tori Amos cd (American Girl Posse).
Oh my! I love it.
All of it.
Thought it was just "Big Wheel" that I was really digging.
I love it all.
Also got the new Kelly Clarkson album. I haven't listened to that one yet, but I'll tell everyone if I love it as much as I love the Tori one.
On that note, we leave tomorrow for Hawaii. Halfway to your house
curefreak. I'll be back next Tuesday. Computer time will be limited but I'm going to go check out voice post numbers right now. Everyone be good.Happy Thanksgiving!
Nov. 23rd, 2006 02:19 pmToday is a day to be thankful.
I'm thankful I don't have to cook.
Although, Ronette and I made some tasty pre-dinner food because knowing Carl it will be 11:00 p.m. before we can eat turkey.
Dinner is set for 5 p.m. but we're taking bets that it won't happen til much later.
Hope everyone has a tasty day!
I'm thankful I don't have to cook.
Although, Ronette and I made some tasty pre-dinner food because knowing Carl it will be 11:00 p.m. before we can eat turkey.
Dinner is set for 5 p.m. but we're taking bets that it won't happen til much later.
Hope everyone has a tasty day!
Rain Rain Go Away!
Nov. 22nd, 2006 01:00 pmNothing much going on here. I thought I'd just come around and post a few things.
No offers on the house yet. That's a boo! I'm hopeful for next week though. *fingers crossed* This should be a link to the listing
Still house hunting here. And we'll start car shopping this weekend. That's exciting but yucky because I don't want another car payment. However Ronette is worried because we only have one car and Seattle doesn't have public transportation the same way that San Francisco does. Really, she's worried. I've driven her to work because I might need the car. It's raining cats and dogs. I'm not going anywhere if I don't have to go.
We've got turkey day plans with our friends John and Carl. Which is nice because I don't have to cook, but a little frightening because there is a good possibility of extremely zesty, I don't know who could eat it, cranberry sauce/relish concoction that tastes like ass. Bad cranberry sauce can ruin Thanksgiving. I'll look forward to the food adventure because knowing Carl he'll have at least two dishes that he "just had to try this year".
We're going to Florida at Christmas to see Ronette's side of the family. Thank goodness we're staying with her dad. Her mom is actually asking for Christmas lists this year. It's a good thing because this means not receiving anything that will go into a Goodwill bag as soon as we get home. The best part this year is that her sister is pregnant with baby #2 and her brother just eloped which means we're out of the spotlight.
UPS delivered the mysterious rifle to our friend Donald and he has gotten some time to research it's history.
What Donald knows so far - It is a true M.1888/90 Mannlicher, not an M.1888 or M.1888 converted to M.1888/90 standards. It was made in 1891 in what is now Steyr, Austria and proofed/accepted into the Austria-Hungarian Imperial Army in Vienna. There were about 350,000 M.1888 variants built, and most of them stayed in Austria-Hungarian service until 1917. Many, but not all, of the smaller countries that succeeded the Empire replaced it with more modern rifles. There are no other European marking visible, and no markings indicating that it was originally made for export. I have an as yet unproven suspicion that it could have come here via South America after WWI. There are no American import markings, so it came into the US before 1968. It has been taken apart and re-assembled at least twice, once by someone who knew what they were doing and had a lot of similar rifles (possibly a government arsenal, but whose government?) and once by someone who had only the one rifle and could not remember exactly how it went together.
So here is the probable life history:
1891 Manufactured
late 1890's Placed in reserve service or storage (replaced by M.1895)
c1914-5 Re-issued, probably reworked and inspected at arsenal
1917 Removed from service. Used as war reparations?
?? Belgian arsenal rework? Sold to South American country?
Left in a dusty European warehouse? Re-issued in desperation in 1945?
<1968 Brought into the US.
?? Disassembled and almost reassembled (some parts are put on backward)
200? Found by You.
2006 Sent to Me
The best part is that we can all be 12 and giggle hysterically whenever he says "Mannlicher". *giggles*
And that's about all I've got. I hope everyone has a great turkey day.
No offers on the house yet. That's a boo! I'm hopeful for next week though. *fingers crossed* This should be a link to the listing
Still house hunting here. And we'll start car shopping this weekend. That's exciting but yucky because I don't want another car payment. However Ronette is worried because we only have one car and Seattle doesn't have public transportation the same way that San Francisco does. Really, she's worried. I've driven her to work because I might need the car. It's raining cats and dogs. I'm not going anywhere if I don't have to go.
We've got turkey day plans with our friends John and Carl. Which is nice because I don't have to cook, but a little frightening because there is a good possibility of extremely zesty, I don't know who could eat it, cranberry sauce/relish concoction that tastes like ass. Bad cranberry sauce can ruin Thanksgiving. I'll look forward to the food adventure because knowing Carl he'll have at least two dishes that he "just had to try this year".
We're going to Florida at Christmas to see Ronette's side of the family. Thank goodness we're staying with her dad. Her mom is actually asking for Christmas lists this year. It's a good thing because this means not receiving anything that will go into a Goodwill bag as soon as we get home. The best part this year is that her sister is pregnant with baby #2 and her brother just eloped which means we're out of the spotlight.
UPS delivered the mysterious rifle to our friend Donald and he has gotten some time to research it's history.
What Donald knows so far - It is a true M.1888/90 Mannlicher, not an M.1888 or M.1888 converted to M.1888/90 standards. It was made in 1891 in what is now Steyr, Austria and proofed/accepted into the Austria-Hungarian Imperial Army in Vienna. There were about 350,000 M.1888 variants built, and most of them stayed in Austria-Hungarian service until 1917. Many, but not all, of the smaller countries that succeeded the Empire replaced it with more modern rifles. There are no other European marking visible, and no markings indicating that it was originally made for export. I have an as yet unproven suspicion that it could have come here via South America after WWI. There are no American import markings, so it came into the US before 1968. It has been taken apart and re-assembled at least twice, once by someone who knew what they were doing and had a lot of similar rifles (possibly a government arsenal, but whose government?) and once by someone who had only the one rifle and could not remember exactly how it went together.
So here is the probable life history:
1891 Manufactured
late 1890's Placed in reserve service or storage (replaced by M.1895)
c1914-5 Re-issued, probably reworked and inspected at arsenal
1917 Removed from service. Used as war reparations?
?? Belgian arsenal rework? Sold to South American country?
Left in a dusty European warehouse? Re-issued in desperation in 1945?
<1968 Brought into the US.
?? Disassembled and almost reassembled (some parts are put on backward)
200? Found by You.
2006 Sent to Me
The best part is that we can all be 12 and giggle hysterically whenever he says "Mannlicher". *giggles*
And that's about all I've got. I hope everyone has a great turkey day.
Suspect seen making getaway heading west on Big Wheel.
Wanted for slobbering.
May be armed with drool.
No reward, but this little boy was speeding down the dock in Ketchican. I had to take a picture for the hair. Mohawks seemed to be very popular in Alaska.
Wanted for slobbering.
May be armed with drool.
No reward, but this little boy was speeding down the dock in Ketchican. I had to take a picture for the hair. Mohawks seemed to be very popular in Alaska.
I have returned!
Jun. 7th, 2006 10:34 amAnd I am so glad to see that everyone followed my instructions and didn't do anything exciting while I was gone. Well, everyone except for curefreak, but I expected that.
Alaska was awesome! I'm trying to convince R that we need to move there for a couple of years. She's not sold on the idea yet, but I'm working on it. I've got a ton of pictures and lots of stuff to tell, so I'll be back with a longer post later.
curefreak, but I expected that. Alaska was awesome! I'm trying to convince R that we need to move there for a couple of years. She's not sold on the idea yet, but I'm working on it. I've got a ton of pictures and lots of stuff to tell, so I'll be back with a longer post later.
A little Valentine fun
Feb. 14th, 2006 08:19 amand some love too!
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.
That's all the love you get from me today.
Now the fun part.
A little Valentine jargon from Daily Candy.
( when all known words fail )
Happy Valentine's Day to everyone.
That's all the love you get from me today.
Now the fun part.
A little Valentine jargon from Daily Candy.
( when all known words fail )
8 days left
Dec. 23rd, 2005 05:05 pmAnd then I have to write out resolutions for 2006.
RTL and I got up early this morning to finish our grocery shopping. Now we're spending the evening repacking all the extra large packages of everything we bought. I love bulk shopping.
I spent the afternoon in Berkeley Bowl buying vegetables. Not how I wanted to spend my afternoon, but at least my veggies are fresh.
OK, I'm procrastinating. Off to finish putting away all my goodies.
RTL and I got up early this morning to finish our grocery shopping. Now we're spending the evening repacking all the extra large packages of everything we bought. I love bulk shopping.
I spent the afternoon in Berkeley Bowl buying vegetables. Not how I wanted to spend my afternoon, but at least my veggies are fresh.
OK, I'm procrastinating. Off to finish putting away all my goodies.
Finishing the holiday rush
Dec. 19th, 2005 10:05 amRTL and I have 2 more boxes to send in the mad holiday rush. I think I'm going to make her take them with her to work and Fedex them.
I still have to finish a baby blanket which I will post pictures of as soon as I am finished. RTL is still working on a video for her mom. I also just noticed that I have a ton of LJ comments that have just appeared in my inbox. So the answer is: no, I wasn't ignoring anyone, I wasn't watching my entries for comments and nothing was in my email.
And I'm playing around with userpics again. Can you tell that I raided mom's pictures? I'm getting a good kick out of myself today. Hmmm, might have to go change the font size again.
I chopped about 6 pounds of chocolate for the fondue fountain that RTL is taking to the Holiday party. Why do we own a fondue fountain? You don't want to know other than she decided that she really wanted a fondue fountain. *rolls eyes* So we bought one. Last year it was power tools and this year it is kitchen appliances. At least that's what I'm going to call it because I can see RTL saying to me - "I want something sweet" and then hooking that sucker up.
Nothing really exciting going on around here. I guess I'm going to go get myself together and do what I need to do this morning so I can play this afternoon.
I still have to finish a baby blanket which I will post pictures of as soon as I am finished. RTL is still working on a video for her mom. I also just noticed that I have a ton of LJ comments that have just appeared in my inbox. So the answer is: no, I wasn't ignoring anyone, I wasn't watching my entries for comments and nothing was in my email.
And I'm playing around with userpics again. Can you tell that I raided mom's pictures? I'm getting a good kick out of myself today. Hmmm, might have to go change the font size again.
I chopped about 6 pounds of chocolate for the fondue fountain that RTL is taking to the Holiday party. Why do we own a fondue fountain? You don't want to know other than she decided that she really wanted a fondue fountain. *rolls eyes* So we bought one. Last year it was power tools and this year it is kitchen appliances. At least that's what I'm going to call it because I can see RTL saying to me - "I want something sweet" and then hooking that sucker up.
Nothing really exciting going on around here. I guess I'm going to go get myself together and do what I need to do this morning so I can play this afternoon.
Money Making Ideas
Nov. 10th, 2005 10:22 amDog and Cat boarding or sick baby day care. Hell, let's just throw them all in together. I guarantee profit in the first year.
This is why I hate waiting until the last minute to make plans to go places. I can find a place for the cat to stay, but I can't find anywhere within a 50 mile radius for the dog (who needs it the most) to stay. This is ridiculous. No lectures on pre-planning for the holidays. I just can't figure out what someone would do in case of an emergency for finding kennel options for their pets.
Sick baby day care is because we have several friends with relatively new babies who are having issues with sick baby day care. The agencies that do this charge an interview fee, then you pay the person who babysits $16/hour PLUS a fee to the agency for providing the person. Just so that you can go back to work when your baby is still too sick for regular daycare, but not sick enough to need the parent to stay home.
Back to the kennel search.
This is why I hate waiting until the last minute to make plans to go places. I can find a place for the cat to stay, but I can't find anywhere within a 50 mile radius for the dog (who needs it the most) to stay. This is ridiculous. No lectures on pre-planning for the holidays. I just can't figure out what someone would do in case of an emergency for finding kennel options for their pets.
Sick baby day care is because we have several friends with relatively new babies who are having issues with sick baby day care. The agencies that do this charge an interview fee, then you pay the person who babysits $16/hour PLUS a fee to the agency for providing the person. Just so that you can go back to work when your baby is still too sick for regular daycare, but not sick enough to need the parent to stay home.
Back to the kennel search.
Adventures Down Under
Nov. 1st, 2005 12:54 pmAustralia was awesome! I didn't want to come home. Probably a combination of not wanting to be on an airplane for 14 hours and not getting to see enough of Australia. I think I'm still combatting jet lag. Can't seem to sleep enough, but sleeping at the wrong times continues throwing off the schedule.
( Oh the places you'll go! )
Friday we left for our early morning flight. I didn't want to go home at all. If it weren't for the damn flies, I could live in Australia. It's very much like San Francisco I think. With the taste of relaxing travel and a couple of nasty emails, RTL is now perusing the job ads. All that is another story. I'm ready to go back to Australia and see more than just Sydney. I just found a deal for travel to Australia from LAX and three flights within Australia for less than $1000. When's the next best time to go?
( Oh the places you'll go! )
Friday we left for our early morning flight. I didn't want to go home at all. If it weren't for the damn flies, I could live in Australia. It's very much like San Francisco I think. With the taste of relaxing travel and a couple of nasty emails, RTL is now perusing the job ads. All that is another story. I'm ready to go back to Australia and see more than just Sydney. I just found a deal for travel to Australia from LAX and three flights within Australia for less than $1000. When's the next best time to go?
See Ya Next Week
Oct. 19th, 2005 01:35 pmA last minute post before I walk out the door to go to the airport.
I probably won't be around much, if at all. I'll have extremely limited access to a computer. Besides I'm going to be in Australia and there's too many other things to see than sit in front of the computer. I'll just catch up when I get back home.
If anyone needs hugs, here ya go - *hugs*
If anyone needs a kick in the pants, here ya go - *kick in the pants*
If you want either one just because, all I have to say is you're very strange.
I'm outta here.
I probably won't be around much, if at all. I'll have extremely limited access to a computer. Besides I'm going to be in Australia and there's too many other things to see than sit in front of the computer. I'll just catch up when I get back home.
If anyone needs hugs, here ya go - *hugs*
If anyone needs a kick in the pants, here ya go - *kick in the pants*
If you want either one just because, all I have to say is you're very strange.
I'm outta here.
1 Down, still more to go
Oct. 18th, 2005 05:03 pmI've done most of my last minute errands before I leave.
Went to the drugstore and stocked up on travel items. I love tiny bottles and tubes of everything! It's so much fun.
Dexter has been ready to go to the kennel since this morning. I had to trick the cat out from under the bed. Poor thing thinks she's being abandoned again. I would love to be able to leave her at home by herself, but that's just asking for trouble. It breaks my heart to take them to the kennel though. Dexter loves it because he gets to play. Bella just takes every opportunity to escape. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have kids and need a babysitter. It won't be the kids crying because mommy is leaving, it will be mommy boo-hooing.
And lucky me that I took them to the kennel when I did. I was gone about 40 minutes. When I got back, I started having a little freak out because I thought the tree in front of the house had fallen. Well, a tree did fall, but it was the tree in front of the neighbors house. It fell where I had the car parked earlier! I was thanking my lucky stars that I left when I did because it would have been me and/or the car that got hit instead of the sidewalk.
I need to pack and get my backpack together. I still need to email Patty a few last minute stuff. And I need to check the final nail polish color. I need to make a list.
Went to the drugstore and stocked up on travel items. I love tiny bottles and tubes of everything! It's so much fun.
Dexter has been ready to go to the kennel since this morning. I had to trick the cat out from under the bed. Poor thing thinks she's being abandoned again. I would love to be able to leave her at home by herself, but that's just asking for trouble. It breaks my heart to take them to the kennel though. Dexter loves it because he gets to play. Bella just takes every opportunity to escape. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have kids and need a babysitter. It won't be the kids crying because mommy is leaving, it will be mommy boo-hooing.
And lucky me that I took them to the kennel when I did. I was gone about 40 minutes. When I got back, I started having a little freak out because I thought the tree in front of the house had fallen. Well, a tree did fall, but it was the tree in front of the neighbors house. It fell where I had the car parked earlier! I was thanking my lucky stars that I left when I did because it would have been me and/or the car that got hit instead of the sidewalk.
I need to pack and get my backpack together. I still need to email Patty a few last minute stuff. And I need to check the final nail polish color. I need to make a list.
Will it stop already?
Oct. 16th, 2005 10:12 pmWe weren't home on Friday when Patty called. She left a message.
The question du jour - Where are we going to meet at LAX?
The common sense answer would be - At the gate where we leave LAX.
RTL tried to call her mom on Saturday before she left for Mexico. She didn't answer any of the phones, so talking to the mother was left to me. No, I did not try to call her yesterday afternoon or anytime today. I do some crazy stuff, but I'm not that crazy. Patty called while I was eating dinner tonight. There wasn't much of a hello because she is FREAKING OUT. It is understandable that she doesn't want to sit in the gate area from 3:30 to 11:30. Well, 3:30 to 6:30 by herself, but shouldn't she be old enough to entertain herself?
She's terrified of having to change terminals. She doesn't want to have to re-check her bags. Can she leave the gate area after she's gone through security? She wants to be able to go through the shops. Can she go ahead and check her bags when she gets there? Does she have to go straight through security after she checks in? Oh the headache. My job is to go to the LAX website and check to make sure that there are shops on the other side of security and to tell her whether she is going to have to change terminals or not. I am too nice. And I have to call her tomorrow. Imagine the happy look on my face. Even better visual, in one of the Addams Family movies, Wednesday goes to camp and they tell her to smile for a picture. Yep, that's the happy look I'm wearing right about now.
Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts. Ignore thecrazy woman mother.
The question du jour - Where are we going to meet at LAX?
The common sense answer would be - At the gate where we leave LAX.
RTL tried to call her mom on Saturday before she left for Mexico. She didn't answer any of the phones, so talking to the mother was left to me. No, I did not try to call her yesterday afternoon or anytime today. I do some crazy stuff, but I'm not that crazy. Patty called while I was eating dinner tonight. There wasn't much of a hello because she is FREAKING OUT. It is understandable that she doesn't want to sit in the gate area from 3:30 to 11:30. Well, 3:30 to 6:30 by herself, but shouldn't she be old enough to entertain herself?
She's terrified of having to change terminals. She doesn't want to have to re-check her bags. Can she leave the gate area after she's gone through security? She wants to be able to go through the shops. Can she go ahead and check her bags when she gets there? Does she have to go straight through security after she checks in? Oh the headache. My job is to go to the LAX website and check to make sure that there are shops on the other side of security and to tell her whether she is going to have to change terminals or not. I am too nice. And I have to call her tomorrow. Imagine the happy look on my face. Even better visual, in one of the Addams Family movies, Wednesday goes to camp and they tell her to smile for a picture. Yep, that's the happy look I'm wearing right about now.
Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts. Ignore the
Joyeux Quatrieme de Juillet!
Jul. 4th, 2005 11:49 amDoes saying it in French make me un-American?
Hope everyone is having a great 4th!
Celebrate by taking a much needed nap.
Hope everyone is having a great 4th!
Celebrate by taking a much needed nap.
It's Monday, again.
Jun. 6th, 2005 09:00 amMonday returns again after a short weekend of trying to do nothing.
I did consider writing here this weekend, but have found that it is as difficult to post a thought as it is to write email on the weekends when I'm not home alone.
On another note, I'm upset with the U.S. Supreme Court.
I will actually have to go and read their reasoning that the Federal marijuana ban overrules state laws that permit medical marijuana usage.
I'm too upset to vent about it right now. I'm having a hard time remembering when America stopped being what America is suppose to stand for.
Our founding fathers are probably rolling over in their graves. Couldn't we just start the country all over - clean slate and all?
I can just hear the pages being added to my file for being unpatriotic.
Regardless of that fact, I'm concerned that the elected government officials aren't doing what is best for me or the U.S., but what is best for their bottom line.
And I wonder what principles was this country truly founded on?
Always things to ponder.
Still debating the hair thing - cut or trim, color or not
cork or tile flooring for the bathroom
where to go on vacation? I suggested shooting suction darts at the world map, RTL said that she would end up with all the darts in the ocean or the wall, then reminded me that I would have to cut out DeLand, Raleigh, Richmond, Madrid, and Berkeley so we wouldn't end up anywhere we (she) didn't want to be. OK, OK, I do agree with part of the list, but not all of it.
I did consider writing here this weekend, but have found that it is as difficult to post a thought as it is to write email on the weekends when I'm not home alone.
On another note, I'm upset with the U.S. Supreme Court.
I will actually have to go and read their reasoning that the Federal marijuana ban overrules state laws that permit medical marijuana usage.
I'm too upset to vent about it right now. I'm having a hard time remembering when America stopped being what America is suppose to stand for.
Our founding fathers are probably rolling over in their graves. Couldn't we just start the country all over - clean slate and all?
I can just hear the pages being added to my file for being unpatriotic.
Regardless of that fact, I'm concerned that the elected government officials aren't doing what is best for me or the U.S., but what is best for their bottom line.
And I wonder what principles was this country truly founded on?
Always things to ponder.
Still debating the hair thing - cut or trim, color or not
cork or tile flooring for the bathroom
where to go on vacation? I suggested shooting suction darts at the world map, RTL said that she would end up with all the darts in the ocean or the wall, then reminded me that I would have to cut out DeLand, Raleigh, Richmond, Madrid, and Berkeley so we wouldn't end up anywhere we (she) didn't want to be. OK, OK, I do agree with part of the list, but not all of it.
