~ 07:43 PM ~

"...on his belly on his back..."

I am watching the Mets and waiting for the tornado sirens. It has been windy/rainy all day. Ellis is doing "Ellis maintenace" (ie chewing at himself and chasing his tail). I went to the Potato Drop and it went well.

I enjoyed some Third Coast Ale last night.

Linkage:
New Mets ballpark
ISU: I Screwed Up
FREE STUFF!

~ 06:50 PM ~

"...Face the mystery of the golden valley..."

I had to stay on campus late because we were interviewing for another sociologist. Yes, our humble department is expanding and there is more demand for sociology. Our part timers do a great job.

Neale made it to Cleveland and is currently at Dolores' play. They are having a tea party after the play (the play is set in Victorian times).

Ellis made it all day in his house. We went for a walk and he is playing with toys. The Cards are on but rain is moving through the area. I am still going to the Potato Drop even if it rains.

Linkage:
When IRS mattered
Chernobyl

~ 09:44 AM ~

"...just a little bit..."

Neale is off to Cleveland. She will return Sunday around 1:15. I hope she has fun.

I mowed the back yard for the first time yesterday. I am pleased with how far it has come but there are still spots that need work. I do not want it to be perfect but it needs to be better. I will give it another round of fertilizer and seed (yes, it is designed for shade seed too). Then, I took Ellis for a walk.

We had our first meeting for Canine Good Citizen training. It became clear that Ellis is not ready and we need to work with him more at home. There were only four dogs in the class. One (a dobie) was 7 months like Ellis and the other two were substitute children for a couple of yentas (Yiddish for bothersome old woman, a personal fav term of mine). One of the yentas had a Jack Russell named Jack (oh, the creativity) who had been in dog class for three years (are you still questioning my judgment). Dog Jack went everywhere with her and did everything right the first time and why wouldn't he if he did nothing but dog class? Well, I grew frustrated as Ellis does everything next to perfect at home and in the backyard and on lead but when he gets to class he becomes bonkers. I had to leave the room for several minutes as it was clear he would not pass the test in two weeks. I got frustrated and it was clear to everyone. The trainer did not leave me alone about and kept trying to involve me in the training. I was embarrassed our dog was a problem while the yentas chirped away about how great their dogs were in the class. We are withdrawing from the class and will work with Ellis. We will go back but I do not see any sense in going through this with a dog that cannot handle it, allow myself to be mocked by strangers, and feel sad when Ellis does not pass. I promised Ellis a good life and we want to be proud of him and have him feel that. Last night, he knew that he did not do well despite all the treats the trainer was giving for looking and not looking (what sense does that make?). Ellis is always focused in on me at home, follows me from room to room, and did great on lead just last night as another dog leapt at him from ten feet away. More soon...

Linkage:

~ 01:59 PM ~

"...punched the wall..."

My haircut was rescheduled to today at 3. Last Monday was the original day and I just forgot despite having the appointment card below my car radio. Also, my hair is not that long so I did not think I needed it.

Neale is participating in a panel discussion on labor law today. She is probably doing well. She wore one of her new outfits and it looked good on her.

I had a good day in class discussing collective behavior and urban legends. The 10AM class had alot to share but the 11AM was a little light on tall tales. Next week is presentations and exams are due. Then, its all over except for the grading.

Friday Neale leaves to visit Cleveland and I will drop her at the airport. We are interviewing at LCCC that day for the other sociology position, which been open too long. On Saturday, I am going over to Alton to participate in the Great Potato Drop at the First Methodist chruch. Farmers bring 100 pound bags of potatos that they cannot sell on the market and would otherwise leave to rot to us to rebag. The smaller 10 pound bags are donated to local food banks and soup kitchens.

Linkage:
Molvania real or fake?
REMember
Fox Flicks

~ 03:39 PM ~

"...online or paper..."

I gave Ellis a bath and trimmed his nails. Neale wants to go for a ride.

Linkage:
Worst Video Ever

~ 10:00 AM ~

"...breakdown..."

Wash away my troubles, wash away my pain
with the rain in Shambala.
wash away my sorrow, wash away my shame,
with the rain in Shambala.

Linkage:
Decider

~ 07:32 PM ~

"...in a golden country..."

We went for a ride after Neale had a four hour shoe search. Ellis is better in his cart. We went to Ted Drew's for the first time this year (chocolate covered cherry for me & carrot cake for Neale). Neale is making quiche.

~ 12:15 PM ~

"...spill wine..."

Neale heard thunder on the way back from the tanning salon so we delayed riding. She is out finding shoes (we're at 50 + pair these days...my head hurts) and I am practicing. However, I just let Ellis out and pulled grass out of the cracks in the patio and the weather is fine. So, I may mow while she is away.

Linkage:
Pie
Computer

~ 10:30 AM ~

"...young man..."

Neale got back around 6 last night. We had Dewey's and she emptied the Gap outlet. The new stuff looks good though. I went for a ride (damn the wind!), watered, and brewed my Witbier, which is already bubbling.

We are going for a ride and I will mow the front for the first time this year. It finally turned green. The backyard is green and lush but there are spots, which I hope fill in after the second fertilizing, seeding, and nightly watering.

Brew Dog approves!

Linkage:
Past 30?

~ 12:07 PM ~

"...I believe I might be having fun..."

It has been an uneventful morning. I cleaned, made breakfast (hot dogs again), played a bit, and did laundry. I woke up to a small spot of blood, which is never a good start. Waking up in vomit is bad and waking up in someone else's vomit is the worst (which almost happened college...my roomate had a bad night with Wild Turkey). It turns out the small slice on the back of my hand opened up and bleed alittle. I tried to stay to watch the end of the Met game but the 11th inning was all for me. The Cards game was over early since the Cubs failed to bring pitching.

A checkout person at Whole Foods asked how often I work out.

I am going for a ride soon. It is a nice day and I will probably mow tomorrow.

I see color bars when I come
Sargeant rock broke the key off in the lock
To where I come from
Sir, no sir.
We have no power in the air
The battle’s on the ground
Laying low again,
High on the sound

Bruno s. is a man to me
You’re just some dude with a stilted attitude
That you learned from tv
You’ll undo
But I’ll be connecting everything
The traffic in my town
Riding high again,
High on the sound

Everyone wants me to ride into the sun
But I ain’t gonna go down
Laying low again,
High on the sound

--- Elliott Smith "Color Bars"

Linkage:
Lenin

~ 08:45 PM ~

"...the devil don't like what's goin' on..."

Neale is at the lake so it is guy's night at Sutcliff Manor. We grilled dogs about 3 and watched "The Great Gatsby",which never gets old. Last weekend, I caught "The Sting" on AMC.

My dogs have to dressed like this:

French's yellow mustard

Claussen Kosher pickle halve or sweet relish

Bush's Beans chopped sauerkraut

Mezzetta Pepperoncini

and toast those buns!

I went to Meal Maker's for Neale (they screwed up her order again), the local homebrew shop, Whole Foods, and Dierbergs. I am brewing my Witbier tomorrow.

All night, all I hear, all I hear's your heart
How come, how come

I twisted you over and under to take you
The coals went so wild as they swallowed the rest
I twisted you under and under to break you
I just couldn't breathe with your throne on my chest

All night, all I hear, all I hear's your heart
How come, how come

So far under the bed
Into the beams you've gone
I've gone, you've gone

I'm wrapped in the depths of these deeds that have made me
I can't bring a sound from my head though I try
I can't seem to find my way up from the basement
A demon holds my place on earth 'till I die

All night, all I hear, all I hear's your heart
How come, how come

So far under the bed
Into the beams you've gone
I've gone, you've gone

--- Neko Case and Her Boyfriends "Furnance Room Lullaby"

Linkage:
Still free

~ 09:42 AM ~

"...St. Louis will eat anything..."

I got alittle worked up during my drive this morning thinking about some comments made the other day. But, I worked this into my class discussion for benefit.

I am brewing my witbier this Saturday. I may brew my weizenbock on Sunday. I need to start thinking about our October party so the beer gets proper aging.

Linkage:
O rly

~ 05:16 PM ~

"...put the load right on me..."

I spent about 45 mins. fixing my copy of Firefox at work today. The 'restore crash session' was not responding so I tried a few things and then just uninstalled/reinstalled. Everything came back except the 'no script' extension. But, it is running better now. Some extensions you think you will use but they never get used. I recommend turning off 'restore crash' btw.

I stopped by Home Depot for a few things. I got some more flowers for the yard. Pics soon. We have another tornado warning but it actually quite a nice day.

Ellis is having a good day despite a rough start. I let him out of his house and he forgot he was house broken while I turned on the PC. You really don't want to clean up after your dog before at least one cup of coffee.

I became a supporting member of Radio Paradise today. It has been a welcomed change.

Linkage:
Get Human

~ 07:02 PM ~

"...o children..."

It was too windy to ride and the tornado warning summed up my decision to walk with Ellis. On my walk, I saw a woman lying in her front yard. She was in a two piece bathing suit sans top. She was lying face down (of course) but I was caught off guard by this being Webster and all. I would not describe my gaze as a lear or a stare but I did focus for about 3 seconds. I did not realize that her mother was sitting close by and was staring back at me. Oops.

Ellis did the walk fine and he was tired when we got home.

Neale is back from work. Whole Foods was open so she stopped to get Ellis some yogurt and cottage cheese. The mold got his cottage cheese and he likes his food. So, I had her pick me up some veggie sushi (rice was a bit dry). She got some cheese soup and deviled eggs. I may like beets these days but I still not eating deviled eggs.

Brunch went well. I saw Britt and Kelly's photo album for their recent Disney trip.

~ 10:10 AM ~

"...muzzle of bees..."

CJ Muggs was good but server Sierra was nowhere to be seen. Since we have not been there in a year, it is probably best that she moved out of the waitress trade. The Greek salad had really good dressing and the grilled portabella was on better bread. Neale had a Cobb salad because she was saving room for dessert. Serendipity was good. Neale tried "cake batter" and I did vanilla because if you cannot do a good vanilla then why have an ice cream shop.

Listening to: Radio Paradise: Tracy Chapman "Say Hallelujah"

We are going to Easter Brunch and then Neale is off to work. I may go to the Katy Trail.

Linkage:
Mapping religion

~ 07:06 PM ~

"...be my cherry cola..."

We went for a ride this morning and I went far & fast the first time this year. Then we tried a new resturant (for us) called Pita +, which is a Greek place. They had the odd ratio of more employees than customers, which is tough when there is only 12 chairs and three tables in a resturant measuring 8 X 10. Overall, it was good and quite filling. We had the rountine event where the server does not believe I get the veggie entree and Neale gets the meat.

Neale played tennis with Matt. They got a set in before the rain and I went to Costco, PetsMart, and Schnucks. Neale wants to make a quiche lorraine and you need bacon for that. Why is lorraine cheese only in slices?

I decided we need to gave dinner out so we are going to local fav CJ Muggs at 7:30. Then to Serendipity for a cone.

Linkage:
Easter

~ 11:03 AM ~

"...this ain't a life for the living..."

I have a rare day off. Ellis found a cricket. I had to snuff his temporary playmate. I told him he can eat all the spiders and crickets he finds. He was less than impressed by the offer. Maybe he needs a hamster?

I am going to tame the frontyard, which is not entirely green yet. But, there is some weeds and tall grass spots. The dogwood is out and the trees have leaves. My seasonal affective discorder is leaving as things are green instead of dead looking. I am also going for a ride later.

Neale's presentation went great and she will do it again. Neale has a happy hour after work.

I donated yesterday and my pressure was in better shape than previous times (134/84, not bad for middle of the day). I am still not pleased but we are working on it. They do not have Fox Sports Midwest so we listened to the Cards on the radio.

My ingredients for a Witbier (white beer) and a weizenbock are on the way for next weekend's brewing session.

Listening to: Radio Paradise (currently Stone Roses' "Love Spreads").

Linkage:
Game 6, '86 series on RBI Baseball

~ 07:53 PM ~

"...where the wild roses grow..."

I planted my roses and made two flower pots with a mix of begonias. I also have some pet safe fertilzer so I can start reseeding the backyard.

~ 07:10 AM ~

"...poor little dog lost his boney..."

The new Eagles of Death Metal is available through AOL Music for free listening. However, it is a temperamental site. At least, 5 songs are immediate "A" material. My copy shipped Monday through Amazon.

Neale is feeling better but still has some illness. She has an hour and half presentation on Thursday at a local college about labor law.

I have Friday off for Good Friday. I had a conference but it has been changed to September.

I trimmed the backyard yesterday. The new Toro trimmer beats the Black & Decker Grasshog. It is quieter and the "tap and feed" is better than the feed on the old one which went bad. I am planting my new roses soon.

Ellis was outside with me during the yard work and he was tired out by the exploring. But, on the walk, he was much better and only tried to stop on us twice. He can do the walk, he just gets bossy. His feet are fine and I checked them daily.

Linkage:
Sticky

~ 07:22 PM ~

"...super sexy time explosion..."

Neale found a screw in her tire so we took it to Dobb's for repair. They do good work. AAA helped her change the tire yesterday.

We went for a walk (Ellis did alright...some stopping) and I called my parents since we had the phone with us in case Dobbs called.

My conference on Friday was cancelled and rescheduled for September.

Neale is still ill.

I picked up a new string trimmer as the previous one died and I also go two climber roses. I will plant and trim tomorrow. I do not need to mow yet as my backyard is spotty and getting a reseeding soon. The front yard is still mostly yellow.

Ellis will hypnotize you. Bow down before me human!

Linkage:
Human for sale

~ 11:44 AM ~

"...don't hold tight..."

Neale is at work and I have a curry sauce simmering on the stove.

Today's curry:
* 3 tablespoons peanut oil
* 1 medium onion - finely chopped
* 4 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
* 1.5 inch piece root ginger - peeled and diced
* 2 mild fleshy jalpenoes - chopped
* half teaspoon turmeric powder
* half teaspoon ground cumin seed
* half teaspoon ground coriander seed
* half teaspoon podcherry curry powder
* half teaspoon cinammon powder
* 5 tablespoons plain tomato sauce
* water

I have some lentils for it this morning.

The concert was great. People knew who the Eagles of Death Metal was and they were well received. The Strokes did a good show despite the singer seeming a bit tipsy and suffering from some adult ADD.

Neale was in bed when I got home. She had a good time with Sarah despite Ellis being too friendly and curious. His people skills are less than ready. In the next class, he will work on that behavior.

We are going to walk later but I will clean up the yard in the meantime.

Linkage:
Off script

~ 12:10 PM ~

"...yes we move, yes we do, we love our dancing..."

~ 12:10 PM ~

"...maybe you should just have a half..."

Neale went to see Harrison and Casey play soccer. She says Harrison is really good. However, she is officially ill now and has a cold.

I am going to Vintage Vinyl for the Eagles of Death Metal instore. Later, they are at the Pageant. Neale is not going as Sara is coming over and they are going to watch the first season of "Sex in the City" on DVD. Neale has never seen it.

I cleaned and did laundry. I am watching The Ice Storm.

Linkage:
Mets get a new stadium

~ 05:58 PM ~

"...big black horse and a cherry tree..."

There was a storm last night and we lost power for an hour. The power being off woke us up and I had to turn off the PC battery back up as it was beeping. But, at 1:30 in the morning making the connection to the noise and the location took me several minutes. So, I knew Neale would not appreciate the lack of power in the morning so I got to thinking about it. We were both up in other words. Neale was overly concerned because she had an election today (it went well).

Since I probably got just a few solid hours, I passed on my office hours despite class being rather good (it was gender day). I am in the odd part of the year where I am caught up on my grading and waiting for the semester to end, which is where another mountain of paperwork arrives on my desk.

Linkage:
50 Greatest Indie films
Immigration poll
Great Imposters
I want to live

~ 12:50 PM ~

"...christmas tree bill..."

Neale has a sore throat from sleeping with a fan directly on her.

The typical Cardinal fan seems bothered by their new stadium. Have they seen Shea Stadium recently? Last night the first night game happened between the Cards minor league clubs. The prices were "too high" (hey, they paid $7 for a Bud last year), not enough bathrooms, its too open (no place to hide from rain), and my favorite: it seems like were out of town. I wish the Mets had such problems. Shea is a pit. However, NYC did approve money for new ball stadiums (Yanks too). After 9/11, money was tough to come by but I did see a model of an updated Ebbets Field like exterior for the new Shea. The inside had a Bank One feel to it.

I need to stop at Canine Center. We need more training bits and waste bags. Our Canine Good Citizen class got moved back as the trainers are out of town. Class does not begin until April 27th. Ellis was excited about the class. No, not really, it gets into his toy abuse time really. He has almost destoryed his second hose toy. The soccer ball is still hanging in there though. The Kong only excites him when I fill it with a treat. He is starting to get fetch but has only so much interest in it despite his need to run occassionally. The daily walks have curbed the 'rocket dog' behavior but it still rarely happens.

Linkage:
DeLay out

~ 11:40 AM ~

"...born at the right time..."

We won our office NCAA pool. I had UCLA in the finals and given the upsets that was enough this year.

I tried a Carnation Instant breakfast this morning. Not bad. My usual is a few ounces of V8, my protein shake (Silk enhanced, tablespoon wheat germ, tablespoon of flax oil, & a scoop of protein powder), and then a egg white omelet. But, there are days an omelet does not sound good, oatmeal is not an option either, and cold cereal is not going to happen.

Given the time change, we can ride in the evening. I will walk Ellis before weather permitting. When we get our treadmill, Ellis gets to use it too.

Linkage:
Bar-Be-Que cancer...not good eats

~ 05:37 PM ~

"...star power..."

I got up with Ellis and made pancakes for Neale and I. Then, we went to Anna's soccer game, which was at the Soccerdome in Brentwood. The morning storms passed so we were able to get to the bike path. Ellis had his first ride at the path in his cart. The first lap was rough and he was barky. But, we put the plastic flap down and he settled down. The weight was not a huge difference except on hills (I dropped down a gear lower than usual) and when he moved around. The last two laps were better despite the head wind being strong. We had lunch at Sweet Tomatoes (their on a pineapple kick) and came home. Ellis ate and we took him for a walk before the storm. We were all in the basement as the tornado sirens went off. We are getting take out from Applebee?s because I got a gift card for doing the guest lecture from my students. Yes, in my brief career, I have had some free food and small gifts (the first was a shot glass and it is next to the monitor right now). Ellis is sleeping as the car ride, bike ride, and walk wore him out.

I had a flavor for hot sauce so I ordered some stuff (XXX habanero sauce, chipotle sauce, habanero powder, and habanero steak sauce) from Melinda's. The dried habanero powder should be excellent. Currently, I have a Pico de Gallo powder and some Sudden Death sauce on hand. I picked up some Jamacia Hell Fire on Friday. It is good but not hot enough. In unrelated news, I read an article on CNN about capsicum and prostate cancer. The hot makes the cancer cells destroy themselves and thats a good thing.

Next Saturday is the Eagles of Death Metal and Strokes show. EODM are doing a show at Vintage Vinyl before the evening gig. I will go and have a camera ready.

Linkage:
Break your glass?
Overdrive

~ 03:47 PM ~

"...The Sunny Side Of the Street..."

We went for a ride, picked up Meal Makers, had lunch and got Ellis a cart. The cart rides well and the attachment is solid. I took Ellis around the block with it and he was not quite sold on the idea yet. But, he did fit well. He did not like car rides at first either and now he has no problem with them.

Linkage:
Applicance electricity use
Big Black
Curry
1st

~ 12:00 PM ~

"...as the day breaks..."

It is a beautiful day here and we are walking later. Neale is leaving for two consecutive weekends in April. She is visiting the Lake (i.e. the Ozarks) with her mom during one and visiting Cleveland the next. Her long time friend, Dolores, is in another play and the whole Cleveland office is going. I suggested to Neale that she visit Cleveland given that we can more easily afford a Southwest plane ticket. So, she is going to see people back in CLand.

Linkage:
God knows you have to be straight to raise a puppy (Ellis nods in agreement)
My man Stossel

~ 10:39 AM ~

"...spider john..."

My presentation went well. They had great questions and observations. They enjoyed it and 23 out of 26 were former students. They remembered bits of info from along the way. I discuss my life outside of class for several reasons and I show interest in their lives as well. They asked about the kitchen project and if we had a dog yet. The group I presented for got an 'A' and they gave me a card with a gift certificate to Applebees. I thanked them for that but I would have done it for free.

However, Ellis did not take well to being without me. He stopped during the walk with Neale and she had to cut it short. She has never taken him on the big walk without me and he sat down on her to express his dominance. However, when they turned around he was more than willing to get home thinking I was there. He also was barky with her and jumped on her couch without being asked. We know that Ellis can be bossy so we will nip this behavior in the bud (Andy!!). He may have missed me but he needs to listen to Neale just as much as me.

Linkage:
Jobs

~ 02:12 PM ~

"...lawyers, guns, and money..."

I am working late today as I am helping past students with a project for another class in our Greenville Undergraduate Teacher's program. I am a guest lecturer in a Christain Ethics class and I have to speak about poverty. So, I have a Power Point presentation and some handouts. Normally, my poverty info is part of my social class/stratification presentations. There is about 26 people in the class and several should be former students from my EDUC 233 class. I looking forward to it. I have guest lectured before but it was in an online class. In either case, jumping into a course to share information is welcomed and thrilling.

It is a nice day here and we will probably get out on the bikes this weekend.

Linkage:
Fact or fiction?

~ 03:58 PM ~

"...oh yeah, you're as fit as a fiddle..."

I am enjoying a New Belgium Trippel and watching my lead in the NCAA bracket contest slowly slip away. We went for a ride at the lake and had lunch at Sweet Tomatoes, which is the bike day norm. I came home and gave Ellis a two mile walk and Neale took her car for a drive. She has a in dash 6 disc CD changer so she loaded it up and headed to Roxanna. She wanted to see her grandfather's place as it is all cleaned out and ready for renovation.

~ 09:06 AM ~

"...big baby..."

Ellis turned 6 months old yesterday.

Our final four got disturbed as Texas lost. We made quiche (Meal Makers) and it took twice as long as the directions stated. I liked it but Neale is more about egg and cheese in her quiches than spinach. We also caught up on our Survivors. The Olympics got our DVR loaded.

Linkage:
Buckethead plays well
Lets just proclaim ourself King and be done with it

~ 03:09 PM ~

"...thats a good size trunk, it fits a tuba, a suitcase, a dead dog, and a garment bag..."

I drove Neale's car last night and it is a great ride. The acceleration is not quite like my Lancer but the handling is smooth. My car is back and they detailed the outside as well. It looks good. My next car will be a hybrid or a Mini.

We went for a walk, Neale needed an item from the mall, and I cleaned, did laundry, and will start working out soon. I am catching some spring training baseball with the Cards beating the Dodgers and the Cubs are on currently. There was also some bad movie watching as "Roadhouse" was on.

On our walk, we saw a Saturn jammed into the power pole. It is a car we see on the route regularly and on the way back the owner was out cleaning it out. We guessed some drinking was involved and we were correct. A 15 year old was on his way home and hit the parked car, which was declared totaled. The owner was awaken in the night and the kid tried to leave but his axle was broken. It was an older Saturn and the owner stated she was hoping to make it through school with it. Well, she will probably just get a $1000 for it and be looking for a new ride soon.

We are having Meal Makers quiche tonight. There was a slight problem with Neale's order as they gave her 4 extra meals. She ordered online and the process is not debugged or a coworker put her name in the wrong box. So, she took the 4 meals back for credit.

Linkage:
Find a Death
Your band sucks

~ 06:22 AM ~

"...zoom zoom..."

We picked up Neale's new car, Mazda 3. There will be more pics soon.

We went to pick up my car from the body shop and the alignment was not done yet. Since we were trading in the Accord, I have a loaner car for one day.....a teal Ford Escort Station Wagon...stop laughing.

This is a timely blog entry. If you disagree, please show me the last time the news media covered a missing person of color story. By the way, Saint Louis radio made the national level yesterday because of this fool. The story states that it was the guy's eighth day on the air and he was new to radio (his side job, which he also lost, was a teacher at Logan College of Chiropractic). If you're wondering what kind of radio station hires back crackers to discuss politics and sports, well it is the nifty Big 550. The reason why this newbie was fired so quickly is because 550 purchased 50% of the Cardinals and the right to broadcast the games, which had been on 1120 KMOX for decades. So, do the math: racial slur (intentional or not...I do public speaking and make mistakes to...I just don't defame entire racial groups though but I digress) + making yourself available to almost every news outlet (even Stern had him on the air) + Cardinals + new stadium - picketing - their rating already stink equals expendable (was it a stunt?). KTRS fired almost everybody right before Christmas last year (except the mostly childish afternoon show) and has taken an edgier angle (KMOX is known as "the old people's station"...although 550 has Paul.......Harvey) to keep itself on the air.

I plan on taking the Jeopardy contestant test online on March 28th or 29th.

Neale has a hearing today and I am finishing some grading, picking up groceries, and Neale's Meal Makers order.

Linkage:
Sling Media
the Archbishop of Canterbury
Adandoned Memories

~ 11:53 AM ~

"...mid major..."

Neale's car arrived this morning and it survived the snow storm during its ride from Springfield, MO. She does not have a buyer for her Corolla so it will be a trade in. My car will be ready on Wednesday or Thursday so Neale can trade the Accord soon.

I have returned to spring break behavior: cleaning, practicing guitar, watching bad TV, etc. However, I do need to venture out for some new meds from Walgreens in the afternoon and then do some yoga.

~ 08:02 AM ~

"...welcome to the rock..."

Snow Day!

Linkage:
The Iraq War was over 3 years ago?
Overlooked films
Hipp on Entertainment

~ 05:26 PM ~

"...he puked again..."

Ellis showed us what corgi vomit looks like this afternoon....five times. He must have eaten something from the yard. But, he was hungry for his second meal and is operating normally now. He chews stuff from the yard and we catch 99% of it but he must have found something. Needless to say, I had to clean it up and gagged a few times. I have not thrown up since Strongsville. Neale sometimes gets sick in the morning if she is nervous about something at work but that is rare.

Neale said we needed two more garden path stones so we got that and more mulch. The pathway still needs one more though. I did mulch around the trees and the flower beds. I am adding climbing roses this year. But, I am waiting for it to get warm so I can continue the backyard grass project.

Linkage:
Ellis' hose toy
Annoying clocks
Fire Extinguisher ready?

~ 06:11 PM ~

"...title dictates behavior..."

We went for a walk and then did some errands. Ellis has a favorite toy...his fire hose. He has destroyed two of them but the second one lasted a month. Neale got the fire hose toy at a kiosk in the mall. We went there for it but they were sold out. Yet, we did find a Mother's Day gift. So, I will search the web for the hose. Then, we went to the Canine Center for a new lead as Neale does not like the 4 foot leash she bought. Lastly, we needed a few items at the grocery store and made a deposit. Since we closed or paid off all our credit cards, they owed us some money. But, a check for $14 dollars is still $14 dollars. We keep one open and MBNA combined our credit limit (sweet!...but we won't use it...seriously...we learned). Neale is watching some movies and I was practicing. I planned on using the Soloflex but my body was telling to practice instead. So, tomorrow I will spread mulch in the flower beds/trees and workout. I found organic fertilizer at Worm's Way (Ellis can't use the yard if I go with the industrial chemical stuff) and I will spread that when it gets warmer.

My order of Schaller strap locks came (backordered from last month) and the screws were different. The Washburn screws were larger so I used some Super Glue to make up the difference. It worked and since I would never remove strap locks (duct tape is for Green Day/emo wannabes) it will last forever.

Tennesse upset...I didn't pick that.

~ 11:11 AM ~

"...knee deep in the hoopla..."

We went to the auto dealer last night and had a good experience. The trade ins were well received and Neale has a possible buyer to talk to on Monday. But, her car does exist (gray Mazda 3 with spoiler, moon roof, and 6CD changer) and is on the way. So, next week, we will put down a deposit. We test drove the car for an hour and it was great.

In a switch from the usual, I bought a pair of New Balance ( M83) because I wore out my Adidas trail shoes and the Supermarket of Shoes did not have any suitable Adidas (we had a coupon to use). The M83 are wide, which is nice.

My Washburn WI66PROQ came...photos on the Tone page.

Linkage:
Knee Deep

~ 09:23 AM ~

"...what happened?..."

I am meeting Neale for lunch at SqWire's and then picking up groceries. We are visiting our Mazda dealership so we will have dinner at Casa. Neale gets to test drive a Mazda 3.

Linkage:
Remix of a Nickelback video (NSFW)

~ 06:47 PM ~

"...they were right about you..."

The pathway is done. There are 14 stones (Neale thinks we need more..I ain't no stepping stone) and 10 bags of cyprus mulch (but we need two more bags). Lowes has the mulch we used last year so I will use that for the flower beds.

QOTSA are playing Lolla and I may go. I can't find the exact date yet.

Bad news for you...you do not have a ticket for the Eagles of Death Metal on April 8th.

~ 11:13 AM ~

"...you actually did it..."

The weather is nice so I will be starting the pathway. I am going to Lowes.

I found Radio Paradise yesterday and I was looking up tabs for songs as they were played. It was very handy and a useful learning tool.

Linkage:
Theory
Salt
Simpson's Channel

~ 09:15 AM ~

"...first it giveth..."

The cider is in bottles. Tasted pretty good.

I am leaving to drop off my car soon. I am walking back. I have not decided if Ellis gets to go or not.

We got our IRS refund and the refund from Music123 so I was able to purchase my WI66PRO from Ebay. It should be here early next week. Pics soon.

Linkage:
quaere verum

~ 04:02 PM ~

"...fraction off..."

I joined ESPN's online Men's NCAA bracket pool with Neale's coworkers. We are having lunch together on Friday. I believe we are going to SqWire's.

Tomorrow, a rep from the gas company is coming to check our meter as we switched to budget billing.

I may bottle my cider tonight.

~ 10:21 AM ~

"...turned over to secret police..."

I am dropping my car off at the body shop tomorrow. The claim was finalized Friday and Matt (my Allied rep) sent the paperwork to the shop. The shop called just moments ago so I scheduled the work for tomorrow. I will drop the car off and walk home. The shop is in downtown Webster and they will need it for a few days. I can use the Accord for a few days. Next month, Neale will probably get her new Mazda so we can move the Corolla and the Accord.

The refund from Music123 finally cleared. Now, I may search Ebay for a proper instrument.

Linkage:
Band Name Generator

~ 10:20 AM ~

"...I tested positive for boogie..."

My refund from Music123 is in electronic limbo between them and my bank. Luckily, I do not need the money.

Linkage:
South County Obedience
Lids
Worst SNL cast members

~ 08:51 AM ~

"...blue moon in your eye..."

I'm on spring break. If it stays nice, I will start the landscaping of the pathway. The muddy slide on the side of the house needs to be made usable. In lieu of that, I will be jumping around the Internet, practicing guitar, and figuring out my NCAA bracket. In "I'm pathetic news", I was disappointed that TV Land stopped airing "McGyver" at 8AM. So, my 8AM hour is wide open. But, Spike has it at 9AM.

We priced bike trailers. Sunset Cyclery had trailers ranging from $500 to $200. Dick's Sports had one for $119 and that will be our trailer.

What I learned about dog care this morning: Keep your dog away from your bike gears. I had to get grease off my dog's head and that is not fun. I did clip Ellis' nails last night without incident. He was pretty good about it.

"The Sopranos" was worth the wait. He just wanted to go to Florida....the tragedy.

Linkage:
I Love Cheese

~ 10:29 AM ~

"...seeds and seatings..."

I made Neale pancakes. I had eggs and soy crumble. I am not sure what we are doing for exercise this morning. It is nice enough to ride but she may be up for only a walk.

Linkage:
Toothing

~ 06:24 PM ~

"...his a libra..."

Neale is out with Sara. So, Ellis and I are chilling at home. He lost two more teeth today. He also finished puppy kindergarten. In April, we are doing Canine Good Citizen, which will go on his AKC certification. He did well in the class.

We went for a bike ride as it was 75 degrees (and still is) today. My legs feel like chewed gum at the moment. I did three laps and Neale did two. I got up to 21 mph so I should have expected to feel like this.

I am thinking about pulling out my Sealab or Strangers with Candy DVDs.

Linkage:
Nat raps
New Word

~ 07:13 AM ~

"...brillant..."

Neale noticed a little blood in Ellis' mouth while playing with him last night. So, I looked in his mouth and noticed a loose lower right canine. We helped it out and he did not mind. Pic soon?!?! This morning he ate breakfast and is chewing his toys so he seems to be fine.

Today is the last day before my spring break, which no more 5:25 AM alarm for a few days.

Linkage:
The Oracle of Starbucks
PDF creator
How much inside?

~ 06:59 PM ~

"...I need to use your garage for a couple of hours..."

The claims related to my January car accident are moving along to completion (yes, I know it has almost been 2 months). But, it looks like this will be my first accident and we will pay the deductible. Oh bother.

I went back to donating and my pressure was higher than it was this morning. I would like it alittle lower though. Donation went well.

Linkage:
Lonely in the White House?
Ports, Denny Hastert, and your security
Spring Break info

~ 10:45 AM ~

"...comfortably numb..."

Given that lawmakers and lobbyists can get consumed in their own little circles, I decided to email the Governor of South Dakota this:

I disagree with your recent legislation that violates a woman's right to choose. I look forward to the law being declared unconstitutional. In the meantime, as a college educator, I will use this issue as point of discussion to show how myopic politicians can be and how out of touch law makers can be to the majority of Americans that support the right to choose. If given the chance to spend time in South Dakota, I will decline the opportunity. If I was a resident of South Dakota, I would be one of the 16,728 signatures. Have a nice day. Chris Sutcliff

You can email him to or do nothing while your rights are stripped away.

If you are from or living South Dakota, why?

Linkage:
Dana Reeve

~ 11:46 AM ~

"...do you believe in miracles?..."

Neale is at work and I cleaned the house. I can't vaccum as I need bags. I am making indian califlower for breakfast/lunch. We have Anna's party at 3 but we plan to walk before that. However, it is raining and in the 40s.

Linkage:
Top 100 guys that play 100 times better than me
Lego

~ 06:40 PM ~

"...this is nice..."

Ellis did well at training. He does get excited to see other dogs though.

I tried to have Chinese for dinner but the two Chinese places that deliver went out of business. Mango (peruivan) did not sound good so I settled for Morningstar Buffalo Wings, which are tasty.

Linkage:
Famous trials

~ 10:22 AM ~

"...el ir a dejarle..."

We have Cardinals tickets for May 16th. The seats I wanted were already unavailable when I logged on at 9AM. All the Cubs/Cards games only have single seats and standing room available right now. The Cards/Brewers is the only sell out at this point.

We are walking, I have to workout (my back was stiff yesterday), and we have training at 3.

Tomorrow is Anna's birthday and Neale is working in the morning.

Linkage:
What not to do in class #345
Remeber the dead teen due to peanut butter? Update.

~ 07:23 AM ~

"...we better check her out..."

The past journal has been archived.

Cardinals tickets go on sale this Saturday. The Mets are in town in mid-May.

Linkage:
Grizzly Man
Things are fine

T O P