Wichi Dude

GEEK CARD GOES GLOBAL

The GEEK card is still in jeopardy.  Dudette and I bought a GPS Nav. system the other day in preparation for a trip.

GOING TO LOSE MY GEEK CARD

if I keep this up.

TRANSCENDMENTAL MEDIATION

or the zen of lawnmower maintenance.

MURPHY IS AT IT AGAIN

Tuesday night, just before heading off to bed, I went to close the garage door.  A typical nightly ritual, the "Closing Of The Door".  The last sign of life from Casa Wichi before we roll up the sidewalks (kinda funny since we don't HAVE any sidewalks).

And this was anything but funny.

STORMY WEATHER

The weather today was overcast and rainy.  OK...a bit of lightening and thunder thrown in.  I guess that is important in this.

I HIT 1K

Hopped on to drop a few posts and noticed this is my 1000th post.

Does that really mean anything?

Questions happen.

NOTHING BUT...

goofy critter stuff here.

FREAKS ATTACK

Like the last time when I mentioned "MAH-STER", I was outside, minding my own business, when I hear this noise...

"MAH-STER"

The other night, I was out in the garage...minding my own business, of course.  When I heard this noise...

SOME FUNKY HAPPENINGS

And some not so funky happenings...no specific order.

CATCH-UP TIME AGAIN

Remember when I said I was going to be on more frequently?  Yeah, me neither.

But anywho, here's some of what's been up, in a nut shell that is.

LOOKS LIKE SPRING

Spring seems to have sprung.  Not only has it (finally) started to warm up a bit, but the seasonal storms have arrived as well.

TESTING...TESTING...1,2...1,2...

I'll be darned.  The thing still works.

*YAWN....STRETCH*

Guess I needed the rest.  Been gone a while.

FIRST, THIS

Been busy as a one armed paperhanger.  However, once the holidays get going and I have some time off work, I intend to make up for lost time.  Look for me to grace this space with more posts.

Busy happens.

VCR R.I.P.

Our VCR died recently.  Put in the tape, and it wouldn't suck it all the way in.  Bummer.

A RECENT STUDY SHOWED

it is easy for Executives to not take life too seriously when they show up for work wearing "Teenage Mutant Ninya Turttle" underoos.

Levity happens.

"UMMMM, HUN..."

Not a good thing to have to say early in the morning.

TRUCKED UP AND STINKY CAR WASH

Got the truck serviced.  While it was in there, I mentioned that it occasionally stutters when at a steady speed (CK mentioned it to me as well when she borrowed it to move some furniture).  They recommended an injector clean up treatment and showed me where they recommend it should be done every 30K anyway.  We'll see how that works out.

They also showed that I should get the power steering flushed every 30K as well.  At $70 extra (on top of the $90 for the injector cleaning, plus the other work), I decided it would wait till the next oil change.

ANSWERS TO THE 7

Alright, I figure it's time to let some of you off the hook on the "7 Things".  So, here goes.

DUDE!? WHERE YA BEEN HIDIN'?

The short answer to that is....no where.  Just been too tired and busy to do more than skulk.  By the time I get done doing all the reading and skulking, my eyes and mind have been too shot to try and write even a simple declarative sentence.  "See spot run."  Was beyond me.

THE CHALLENGE: 7 THINGS

Martie, over at Martie's Place, sent out a challenge of "7 things about me"...6 are true and 1 isn't.  Nasty person.  I think she did this just to get me off my butt.  Just to spite her, it worked.  So there...ppphphhhphptttttt.t.t.t.t (with lots of spit)

BACK ON SATURDAY TO POST MORE

I have several posts I want to put up.  But haven't had the time.  I will put them up on Saturday (if I can remember them all).

Busy happens.

I AM SO DONE WITH VACATIONS

Try as I might, there is something about me and vacations that seems to attract interesting strange happenings.

And it started already...

THERE ARE BABIES

They may not be Harvey's.  But who knows?  Harvey was such a turkey.

FREAK COMPETITION

has begun.  I never thought it would happen, but there seems to be a competition for the title of Freak.

MY BUDDY THE TURTLE

showed himself again last night at work.  I didn't see him/her, but the markings were in the mud when I got to work this morning.  Pretty big critter for one that wanders up and down a drainage canal, a concrete one at that.

Persistent.

Critters happen.

TIRED

This has been a tiring week so far for Dudette and myself.  Not only are her hours long (she is riding in with me in the morning, which means getting up earlier than she is used to) but, she is missing her assistant (out on medical).  So even though she should be getting done with work about the same time as I do, she now has the other work to do as well.

THE THINGS YOU SEE

While waiting for Dudette to finish up some stuff at her work this week, I spent my time staring out the window in her office.

"RESULTS"

though not quite in, have a development.  I was mistaken about the coating of the pole holding up the feeder.  The co-worker's plan was to coat the "feeder dome" over the feeder, and the chain holding the thing to the pole.

IF YOU NOTICE

comments in your "comments" field today, it is because I've finally gotten around to checking out some blogs today.

Yeah, I've been lurking.  More like doing "drive-by's"; hit and gone.  But today I took the time to actually read and catch up on a lot of spots.

I AM STILL ALIVE

I have been tired and distracted since starting the new position.  There is a lot to learn and though I've been learning a bunch, there has also been a lot to do as well.

Therefore, they have been keeping me hopping.

FORGOT TO TELL YOU...

Last week when we were having all the rain, I saw a very cool thing.

COOL STUFF

At work today I scored a neat item.  I've needed a new mouse pad for a while.  My old one has gotten pretty ratty.  So, one of our engineers gave me a new one from a vendor (he had about 30 of them sitting one his desk...I think he needed the space back).

Anyway, it is a calendar mouse pad (I am partial to the cloth covered ones).  The neat thing about it is it is set up so you can blot out each day as it passes.  Yeah, I know...I'm goofy.  These have been out for years, but I never had one.  And this one showed up just when I needed one.

But I do have a question.  I was told by another engineer that optical mice don't work well if your mouse pad has the color purple in it.  Anyone know about this?

Gifts happen.

TEST POST

Just a test going on.  When I posted the last post, I checked to make sure it came up alright.  When I went to my site, my security said it blocked a pop-up.  When I told it to allow the pop-up, it brought up my new post.

Very strange.

Huh? happens.

UPDATE:  this posted just fine and no pop-up advisor.  Very strange indeed.

DID I MENTION MUSHROOMS?

When I wrote about the party Saturday, I forgot a few things (so unlike me).

First, I worked that day.

TODAY WAS SUNDAY, RIGHT?

Dudette had to go back in to work today.  I amused myself by doing the lawn.  (is it me, or does this sound like a closed loop type thing going on here.  didn't my vacation start out this way?)

I also caught up on posting about the entertainment I've been having.  In case you hadn't noticed.

SATURDAY

Not too much to say about Saturday.  Finished up the cleaning of the house while Dudette was at work.  Really didn't have much to do, but by the time I was done, she was ready to head home.

I do not know where the time went.  But I wasn't there, wherever it was.

After Dudette got home, we hit up the grocery store, then played couch potato the rest of the night.

Lost time happens

OH...DID YOU SEE THAT?

Yep, that was me.  I'll still here.  Just been crazy busy and way tired.  I plan on putting some stuff up tomorrow.

So check back then.  KK?  K.

Missing happens.

JUST WHINING

Still suffering from the antibiotics I was put on.  In less than a day after hitting the stuff, I was feeling the "side effects" they warned about.

Not good.

SNOW?

Listening to the weather report yesterday, they said we might get snow today.

Dudette and I laughed at this.  Not that we didn't believe the weather guessers, just the irony of it.  Dudette quipped that we can't get a handle on keeping the lawn mowed because of the rain we've been getting.  Now, the grass is going to get covered with snow.

NEW APPOINTMENT

I failed to mention that I got my appointment rescheduled.  I go in for torture this coming Tuesday.  What fun.

Schedules happen.

PORK CHOPS

I was IM'ing a friend tonight and got a play-by-play on a pork chop dinner.  (actually, it was more like a comment than any lengthy conversation...but this is my story).

The ending comment was that the meal came out pretty good, and included a toaster oven and a lack of apple sauce.

It brought back some memories...

SMART ALECK

The other day CK was over.  Before she got here, while everyone was away from the house, a door-to-door group had stopped by and left some of their religious propaganda hanging on the door knob.

She brought it in and left it on my office chair.

HOW DOES SHE DO THIS?

Ck and Chew stopped by the other night.  CK walked in carrying the oil filler neck to her car.

Yeah, not the cap, but the whole neck.

DVD PLAYER

The Portable DVD Player I won at the Banquet arrived this week.  Pretty cool. 

For a 7" screen, it gives a good picture.  It has a bunch of bells and whistles that I don't know if I will ever use, but if I need them, they are there.

Now, the next time I get caught in traffic, I can pop in one of my favorite comedy shows and not have to worry about road rage.  Unless of course I am causing it because I am watching a show, instead of the road.

But hey, at least I'm not on my cell phone.

TV REPAIR

The DVD built into the TV CK and Chew have started having issues.  It would play a little, then get goofy.  They took it to the shop as it was still under warranty.

PROGRESS REPORT

Just stopped in to say that the cold seems to be fizzling out.  That's the good news.

BEEN A BIT DOWN

...since Wednesday.  I was going to do the post on "hydro-therapy" earlier but just wasn't feeling up to it.

It is in the post below.

Delays happen.

NOW, THE ANSWER

to the question.  What is "hydro-therapy".

SOME LITTLE THINGS THAT DID HAPPEN

The truck, on and off for a while, has been doing this weird thing.  When it had been raining out, the belt started squealing.  Then, for a while, even if it just got foggy, or even very humid, it squealed.

BAD CASE OF THE BLAHHH'S

That's the way it's been for the last week or two.  Nothing much happening...well, not true actually.  Just not a lot of get up and posting going on.

WOW! WHAT A DEAL

This week, CK asked for a big-ish kind of favor.  We, of course, raised our eyebrows and told her it would cost her.

She immediately brightened up and made the following offer to clear the slate.

Chew would mow the lawn, and she would water the trees and stuff...

GIFTIES

I said earlier that I would put up some pics of the gifts from Christmas.  So, here they are...

CHRISTMAS LOOT

Alright, can't let a Cristmas go by without bragging a bit about the goodies.

LUMPS OF COAL

Dudette and I stopped by to visit Cop Car and HH today.  We were dropping off Christmas presents from our household, and from Bogie.

While there, Cop Car graced us with lumps of coal.  Very cool treat, courtesy of Buffy to Cop Car.

SPEAKING OF CAROLS

Do you listen to carols and have one that makes you choke up and teary?

Don't lie now.

Santa can see you.  You'll get a lump of coal.

Sniffles happen.

UMMM, THAT LAST POST...

kind of goes nowhere, doesn't it?  People shouldn't blog when on cold medication.

The "noise" part, in the title of that whole thing, had to do with the construction guys working on the house today.

RESPONSE TO COMMENTS ON WASHERS

Picked up a couple comments and emails about the WASHER posts.  Most were pretty good and a couple were funny.

I figure I would give thanks for some of the feedback, and elaborate more on other details.

SANDBAGS, SANDBAGS FOR STEAL...

I am going to try this once again.  Kind of like that kid from from the comics that keeps trying to get the kite up.

MISSION CONTROL...

This past Tuesday, I blew out the sprinkler system.  With winter coming on and temps dropping below freezing, I didn't want a repeat of a couple years ago when one of the main supply lines fractured.  I think the neighbors are still a bit miffed about part of their backyard being washed away.

GOT A SHOT TODAY

Work was giving out flu shots today.  When I had time, I headed over to the nurses office to see if I could get one.  Sometimes they charge for the shots, and most times, they take people by group.  Since my boss wasn't available to answer any questions about it, I headed over to find out.

Turns out, it was a first come, first serve.  And no charge.

I got in line.

AND THE BAND MARCHED ON

Thank you one and all for some of the great comments on the last post.  I really do think I can do a simple reload without screwing too much stuff up.  (I hope)  But if not, I bet the Peanut gallery will be more than ready to jump in lend a hand (NOT!!).

Still, it is going to happen.  The worse that can happen is I end up getting Dudette a new box for Christmas.  So, I DO have incentive to NOT mess things up.  (believe that).

I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING

during the Thanksgiving week while I am off on vacation.  I will be reloading Dudette's computer.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Well, if you haven't figured it out by now, I've been missing.  From the blogosphere at least.

I feel like I am in confession or something..."It's been over a month since my last posting.  During that time I committed these sins...."

Nawwwww.  Not even going there.

COULD BE A PRETTY GOOD NIGHT

Dudette is making a cake.  The recipe is from the newspaper, Dark Chocolate Mocha Cake.  Looks and sounds good.  If so, I will probably put the recipe up.  Believe that.

CW McCall is keeping us company on the turntable.  Been a while since we last listened to those albums.

Then....

MUST BE THE WEATHER

Over the last couple days, I've been tired.  Not that I've been overworked, at least I don't think so.  Just that I come home from work and not have the energy, or the desire, to do a whole lot.

Of course, there is also a case of the sniffles going on with Dudette and myself.  Not the, "I've got a cold" type stuff.  More like the, "there is something in the air" type stuff.  Either way, between being congested, sniffling, and not having a bunch of get up and go, I don't really have a lot to talk about.

Except...

RESIDENT FREAK IS AT IT AGAIN

I've posted about our resident freak who lives across the street and his strange habits.  You know, watering the leaves on his trees and stuff like that.

Well, guess what?  I'm posting about him again.

He was out the other day doing his typical lawn mowing routine: edge, trim, mow, and finish up with the power blower to clear all the clippings off the drive, the sidewalk, the curb, the street, his roof...anything he could reach.

However,

I AM BACK

Well, now.  Wasn't this all kinds of fun.

The final verdict was, the old hard drive died.  Died HARD.  Kaput.

A NEW PAIR OF GLASSES

I had an eye appointment Monday.  No big surprise that my vision changed.  Because my eyes are very sensitive, any small amount of change in my vision drives me nuts.  Last time, there wasn't enough change to warrant a new prescription.  This time, there is.  So after Dudette got home from work, we headed out to pick out some new frames.  My old frames are not made any more and I really like the style.  They have the magnetic sunglasses that snap on.  To get the same style, I have to upgrade to the latest fashion.

OOOOOHHHHH, WOOWWWW!

I was outside today working on the lawn and I kept hearing jet noises.  When I finally looked up and in the direction of the noise, I saw some really great stuff.

Living near the flight pattern of an Air Force Base can be the source of a lot of awe.  But this seemed to originate at a local airport.

COULD THE DAY GET BETTER?

Working all week long gets old pretty quickly.  But there are times the days just don't get any better.

YUP, STILL HERE

Even though a few concerned folk have taken the time to e-mail me concerning my health, I have to say; Yup, still here.

I know I've been a bit on the scarce side, but I have been around.  Mostly lurking though.  And even that has been at a minimum.

JUST HOW CRAZY IS IT?

I can tell you that 8 - 9 hours a day, 7 days a week is very draining.  Add in a shift change, a whole different group of folk to get used to, a new routine, and a major holiday that you are told you are going to work through, and it stops being draining.

It just gets plain crazy.

I PROMISE

to get around and finish my CIVIC's post and to post about the theater.  Been a bit on the crazy and weird side, with work hours and long strings of days.  Looks like it might stay strange for a while.

"Oh, bother." says Pooh.

Pooh happens.

QUIET DAY

Well.....I WAS going to put some stuff down today for the fun and adventure of everyone.  Like maybe finish the "Civic's" postings.  And comment on the theater last night.

Instead, I spent some quality time with Dudette before she and I go to work.  Yeah, we are both working today.  She needs to get a head start on stuff for tomorrow, and I am scheduled to work.

My work schedule is going to include a bunch of extra hours during the day with weekends included.  That time of year again.  Plus, with all the issues we had with parts supplies earlier, we are WAY behind.

But I hope to get stuff up here tonight.  So stay tuned.

Busy happens.

I AM STILL HERE...

really.

I know I haven't posted anything in a long time.  Mostly, it's been not having all that much to talk about.  Yeah, stuff has been happening, but with the schedules being weird and a bit of timing, I just haven't gotten to put much stuff up.

IT'S ALL WHAT YOU ARE USED TO

Dudette and I were talking earlier today.  After answering a question, I realized I ran two sentences together, and somehow made no discernible break between them.

*How do you produce bad punctuation when talking?*

I caught it and commented on it.

EARLY NIGHT

I had to work tonight.  Not too much fun.  Not a bad night, just the timing stunk.

Earlier this week I asked Dudette to see if the kids would like to get together and go do something since they had the day off.  Then I find out we were working.  Oh, bother.

WOO HOO, SURFS UP

Since getting home, it has been raining nonstop.  Hard rain!  I mean, HARD rain.  Lightning and thunder just going at it.  A couple times it got so noisy I had to go look to see how it was doing outside.

WHOA, TIRED

Been a while since I last graced these pages.  Dudette and I have been busy,...and tired.

Getting ready for the Winefest this past weekend kept Dudette fairly occupied after work, we keep a bunch of supplies at our place just before to make sure they are stocked and ready to go.  Then of course, the 'Fest on Saturday was busy as all get out.

TRYING CAPTCHA

They are offering the use of CAPTCHA for the sites.  Since I got hit with all the junk in comments not too long ago, this is something I might like.

I didn't really like the moderation all that much.  It did cut down on the garbage but it also took a lot of extra time to go through and approve everything.  It was a trade off.  But not enough of one for me to keep it.

I have seen this on other sites and didn't mind the extra few seconds it took to post a comment.  So, I'm giving it a whirl.

Feel free to let me know if it annoys you or not, so I can weigh its benefits.

New stuff happens.

*quick side note: spell check doesn't recognize CAPTCHA.  Cute.*