It’s been another busy week for me – not in physically running around… no, wait, there was some of that – or in being cold all the time (just most of the time). At work, they’ve implemented a pretty much required cross-train, cross-skilled policy, and basically with next to no training we’re taking “online” calls – these are calls in regard to existing reservations that were booked using the various online booking tools we have for corporate clients. So they occasionally require a little human intervention in the case of cancellations and changes. In some ways, I actually like talking…
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Build-A-Bear’s private information seduction system – Boing Boing Cyberlawyer Denise Howell sez, “As far as I could tell, the same parents driving themselves to distraction with fear over their evening chardonnays about MySpace and FaceBook are willingly helping their kids fork over a slew of personal data when they visit Build-A-Bear. It’s hard to fault them too much though, as the computers there masquerade as anything but a corporate info-racket.” Read on for a slightly sobering look at the world of cybermarketing to kids: Mom and Dad don’t worry too much about personal information getting into the hands of marketeers…
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Yesterday started out cold, and got really, really, REALLY cold, just like the weather report said it would be: … Arctic airmass to bring dangerously cold wind chills… … Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect until 12 PM CST /1 PM EST/ Sunday… A Wind Chill Advisory remains in effect until 12 PM CST /1 PM EST/ Sunday. High temperatures this afternoon will struggle through the single digits across much of northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana… while reaching around 10 above across parts of east central Illinois and central Indiana. West winds of 10 to 15 mph will result in…
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A family member may be benefiting from this program; they live in a group home in a distant town in Illinois. Or maybe not – need to know more. Illinois Project Gives Families a New Way To Aid Disabled Kin – New York Times Danny and Fay Moore have lived with anxiety since the births of their daughter and their son, both mentally retarded as a result of the genetic disorder Down’s syndrome. The Moores shape their family life around providing special schooling and counseling for Stacey, 7 years old, and Aaron, 4, who are growing into adventurous, fun-loving children.”Our…
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It’s been a busy couple of weeks here at Chez Gique. We’re having a cozy night “in” with the fire going, as it’s a cold, blustraceous, snowy day. And later when the fire’s out, we now have a cover for the opening to keep the draft out and the heat in that David made. Eventually, we’ll make it look like more than a sheet of plywood with a handle on it, but it’ll do. Last night we went to the holiday party for David’s company – a really nice time. It was held at Cantigny Golf and Tennis Club, with…
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Via ***Dave :: A Manly Man Doing Manly Things with Other Manly Men! I can’t resist this list, because I’m not a girly girl, and some of this stuff is really good to know: Les points to a Popular Mechanics article on 25 Skills Every Man Should Know. How many of them do I know? Let’s see. 1. Patch a radiator hose — Is duct tape, the handyman’s friend, involved? Then probably yes. 2. Protect your computer — Yes, though David handles this nowadays 3. Rescue a boater who has capsized –My knowledge is based on Gaudy Night: “Trim your…
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David reported a problem from the nether regions of the house, a frightening space where anarchy and chaos reign. The agitator on the washer wasn’t agitating, much as an aging Yippie slows down, plants wine grapes and mellows out. So we went looking online for help, and found several intriguing but daunting methods for fixing the washer. Even with the helpful step-by-step photos I found, it seemed a little beyond our maximum allowable levels of patience and frustration. So then we wondered if it was worth running around trying to find the agitator/cam dog repair kit our diagnostics indicated, and…
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My husband David and I spent the weekend either running around in the heat shopping for materials for a couple of easily-accomplished home improvement tasks, or dragging ourselves “into the cool” of the house to have a tasty beverage and recover our energy for a bit. Also, there was napping. It was a good weekend for that. We managed to complete one little project day before yesterday, on Saturday. The guys that poured the driveway had left trenches down the side of the driveway where the wooden forms had been staked into the ground for the pour, and after looking…
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Storms rip across Chicago area — chicagotribune.com There’s damage everywhere, and there’s still no letup in the rain.Hours after a fast-moving storm packing winds over 70 m.p.h. turned skies from day to night across the Chicago area Thursday — damaging buildings, splitting trees, causing flooding, and bringing planes and trains to a halt — the rain continued to fall. A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for Cook County until midnight, and a flash flood watch was in effect for the area through late Friday night. Occasional showers and thunderstorms will continue tonight, with heavy rainfall and damaging winds possible.…
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Yes, well, we were stopped. It was actually more interesting about a mile back, where floodwater was nearly up to the bottom of the undercarriage. However, I was busy driving at the time and watching waves break high enough to clear the hood of the car. Close to work, a large tree with a trunk a foot and a half thick was snapped clean in two, probably by the extremely evil black microburst-like storm that barrelled through at about 315pm, which resulted in our being evacuated to the basement. I think this bridge might be one of several over Salt…