• Uncategorical Weirdness

    Out In The Toolies

    We’re visiting in Utah and I won’t have much computer time, but so far we’ve packed a lot of visiting and hanging out time in less than one 24-hour period. Last night we even sampled a little of Salt Lake’s nightlife and went to the Bayou for a casual bachelorette’s party (except that all of the guy friends of my nephew-in-law were there too). It was a fun time, and we particularly enjoyed showing my sister Tudy the benefits of turning her cell phone on to “vibrate” mode and stuffing it down her pants. The look on her face? Priceless.…

  • Good and Joyful Things

    Go, Benton County! Come On, Lane!

    Another creative action by civil(ly disobedient) servants Oregon county bans all marriage: “It may seem odd,” Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell told Reuters in a telephone interview, but “we need to treat everyone in our county equally.” State Attorney General Hardy Myers said in a statement that he was “very pleased” with Benton County’s decision. “It is my sincere hope that the legal process will provide clarity for each of Oregon’s counties.” I just love it when government types use stuffy pol-speak to endorse tricky issues. Now come ON, Lane County, OSU is stealing a march. The home of the…

  • SABRE2th Tigress: Book 'em, Dano.

    I Need Me Some Policy Sockpuppets

    I had a conversation with one of the agents earlier that got me thinking: I need some sockpuppets in order to make routine customer service calls more pleasant to handle. She was telling me an old, old story – client on the phone is not happy about some aspect of his travel, but what he’s really not happy about is actually some aspect of his company’s corporate travel policy, because he can’t get the SUV/upgrade/much more expensive hotel/ticket on a non-preferred airline that he wants. He was rude-ish to the agent and she was calling me to vent. There was…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    The Coming Week

    Things to do tonight: Laundry Sort out travel bag Pack Remember to throw in contact lenses, sunglasses, hat, hiking shoes Smooch hubby Things to do tomorrow: Leave house by 6AM to make 810AM flight to S**t Lake Settle in at B&B, goof around at Mom’s Need to pick up prezzie for Daniece and Danephewinlaw Dinner with David’s friend Jim and girlfriend (note, several good restaurants in neighborhood Smooch hubby Collapse Things to do Saturday: Leisurely breakfast See what Mom’s up to (prolly do odd jobs) Check out Pop’s old tools for possible liberation (miter box) Sort out prezzie (wrap, yadda)…

  • The Road Goes Ever On: 3 Weeks in Britain

    10,000 Steps

    One of these days, I really have to get started again on the England trip journal entries. The good part is yet to come – walking in Yorkshire and climbing over dozens of stylish stiles. Walking used to be a much bigger part of my life before I bought a car and became a suburbonaut – when I lived in Seattle, I didn’t own a car, and often walked home from work when I lived in Fremont and worked at the top of Queen Anne Hill. It was about a 45 minute walk, mostly downhill, through some of the prettiest…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    Architectural Wankery

    Seen at The Adventures of Accordion Guy in the 21st Century :: farther down, there’s a picture of a building described in a quote on the page as “a totemized retro-futuroid coffee table joined umbilically to its Soviet-style predecessor.” No, no, no, no… it’s a giant space Dalmatian attempting to impregnate a Dachsund. Sideways. Arrroooooo!!

  • Hot Off The Presses

    What About Bob????

    The most comforting voice in morning radio,Bob Edwards is getting bounced as :NPR Host. I’m really sad to hear this news, because Bob’s voice in the morning has been a familiar part of my morning routine for so long. I’ve been a regular listener of Morning Edition since at least the early 80’s. I have to date that kind of memory by where I was living at the time and whether or not I had a pet. Such are the vagaries of memory. But through it all, Bob Edwards’ voice on the clock radio was one of the few constants…

  • SABRE2th Tigress: Book 'em, Dano.

    Countdown to Freedom

    Did I whine about it’s being International Desk Tuesday yet? No? Well, whiiiiiiiiine. Also, it’s apparently Small Hotel Group Tuesday – I’ve booked 3 small groups already (hotel groups are somewhat labor-intensive on the front end, then maintenance until they happen). Feh. And I think I have my eval today. I think I need to have this put off. David is home today, wish I were too.

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    Allergic to Utah

    In today’s Salt Lake Trib:Sniffles, sneeze? Blame those trees. Oh, joy. David and I both suffer from allergies. And in fact, I always get a sinus infection when I go to Utah in the winter, and often get sinus headaches when I go other times of the year – a combination of the dry, polluted air and local pollens, probably. My mom is really allergic to cottonwood pollen, she’s probably suffering now. I’ve just warned Da Hub that we’d better pack all the allergy junk we’ve got (fortunately, we’ve both got prescription nasal antihistamines in addition to regular presription pills…

  • Uncategorical Weirdness

    My Favorite Skippyisms

    A few of my favorite things from the previously mentioned 213 Things Skippy is No Longer Allowed to Do in the U.S. Army 113. There is absolutely no need to emulate the people from ‘Full Monty’ every time I hear the song “Hot Stuff”. 129. The Microsoft ® ‘Dancing Paperclip’ is not authorized to countermand any orders. 131. No dancing in the turret. This especially applies in conjunction with rule #113. 142. ‘Calvin-Ball’ is not authorized PT.