All Dressed Up For Christmas One Last Time...

Chili dressed up in her Christmas finest last night to do Christmas with my parents and bro/sis-in-law/niece still-chilling-on-the-inside. We celebrated my Mom's birthday afterwards with dinner at Terrene and dessert at Bissinger's Chocolate Experience.

Chili opening her Christmas presents...

Santa Claus dropped off a stocking stuffed with goodies for Chili:

Chili in the snow...

Chili playing in my backyard after the snowstorm of December 15-16:

Chili's Christmas...

I failed to mention what Miss Chili-dog got from Santa Claus! She got a new stuffed toy, a shin bone filled with beef filling, a Milk Bone steak chew and a new collar. My parents and bro/sis-in-law will have something for her when we all meet up on Saturday, so Miss Chili will have a good Christmas. Here's a picture of her stocking.

Christmas 2007 Post-Mortem...

Chili and I are relaxing at home following our Christmas trip to the Bootheel. We (the parents and us) had a nice visit with representatives of various sides of our family during the 24 hours we were there. We enjoyed a relaxed lunch of Taco Soup with all the trimmings at Risco. I was the only Matlock cousin present, unfortunately. One Risco cousin couldn't get away from work and the other was under the weather. My dad and his brother regaled us with a few stories from their childhood, much to my amusement. I was surprised to learn (though I probably was told before) that my Matlock great-grandmother was a full-blooded Indian, perhaps Cherokee. Chili had to stay "garaged" during our dinner.

Onto Malden for a late-afternoon gathering at my Papaw's house. Several members of his second wife's family were there visiting. My cousin J. was also there. Of course, I had to eat again, doggone it! : ) Everyone enjoyed meeting Chili and she enjoyed meeting them back! I found a special Christmas collar with bells on it at Petco and she wore it well. It had a set of 4 matching "ankle bracelets" which also had bells on it but also which got chewed off by Chili so they didn't stay on he rlong. Chili enjoyed 2 long walks around the fields surrounding my Papaw's house before we left this morning. She's dozing on her bed near me right now and is apparently re-living the sights and smells she encountered because just emitted a series of moans and yelps.

Santa Claus brought me what I asked for, a gift card to Home Depot I will get my closet organized tomorrow, it looks like. He brought a new Panasonic cordless phone system for my parents from me. They also got a DVD apiece as a bonus stocking stuffer - this for Dad and this for Mom.

Chili shopped for me when I wasn't looking. This book showed up on my desk last week wrapped nicely and tagged "From Chili to Daddy John" I believe I know which co-worker to thank for this. : )

Happy Christmas...Let's Make It A Good One...

Happy day-before-Christmas. I hope my readers have all their shopping done and can relax today. I thought I was done last week but of course Santa Procrastinator waited until the last moment to take care of the dog and the grandparents.

Her Chili-ness will be getting braunschweiger and hot dog along with her usual dry kibble tomorrow. I also got her a new collar (the one she has itches her terribly, for some reason), a beef-filled shin bone and new stuffed animal. I have bought a stocking for her! : )

The grandparents are getting a gift card to Cracker Barrel. I also like to think of Chili as a gift that I share with them. I know my Papaw likes having a dog around again; Chili bears a strong resemblance to his beloved Blackie (aside from the brown-ness) and it makes me feel good to have Chili around him when I'm visiting.

My parents and I and Chili made a quick trip down to Malden on Friday and Saturday. The four of us squeezed into my Dad's truck (yay crew cab!) and headed south. I don't know why they thought it would be a good idea to try and travel with Chili but I gamely played along. Fortunately, she traveled wonderfully once we got going on the interstate. For some strange reason she gets EXTREMELY worried and yippy when traveling city streets with lots of stopping and starting. Again, Chili has been a gift that I've shared with my parents this year. They both love her to death, my dad especially. He is a "dog person" and he really enjoys playing with her and having her around.

Chili behaved herself nicely at my grandparents' house. She's been there enough by now to be familiar with the surroundings. She made a new friend in my grandpa's twin brother when he came to visit on Saturday morning. My Papaw's wife's granddaughter and her husband and toddler also visited before we left. Chili did well with the toddler; she was free with her kisses! : )

Christmas will be down south this year. We were slated to have it at my parents' house as usual but a change in plans is sending us to have a casual lunch in Risco with my aunt and uncle there. The bro and sis-in-law are with her family in Columbia. The grandparents are hosting a drop-in Christmas open-house kind of thing so we'll end up there eventually. Don't know how long we'll stay at this point.

I'm not sure what I'll be getting for Christmas. I suggested a Home Depot gift card, like I got 2 years ago. My bedroom closet needs some major organization and I could take care of that with a nice fat gift card! I just hope my mom didn't leave my dad alone again in the Cracker Barrel gift shop, as she did last year! : )

My Hallmark Christmas e-card...

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

The Christmas Card Picture...

Snowy Night....

First of all, since you're just DYING to know...yeah, we had a pretty large snowstorm here in St. Louis. For once, we were in the bullseye for the highest snowfall amounts. Usually we're above or below it. I got around 4.5 inches at my house. One of my pals up north in St. Charles said he got 7 inches at his. I actually took out my snow shovel and USED IT for the first time in several years this afternoon. Chili the dog didn't make a big deal of it again today. I bundled myself up in my ski pants and jacket to walk her this morning. Afterwards, we engaged in a game of keep-away with my gloves. She isn't naturally playful, but if you engage her and start something, she's happy to play along.

My parents' church is putting on its Christmas shows this weekend. My bro, sis-in-law, baby-to-be, and I were all supposed to travel down to Festus last night to see my dad sing in it. I didn't figure on going since the snowfall was predicted to re-develop during the late afternoon and evening after being in a lull all day. When I heard that the others were still planning on going, I bummed a ride with them. I figured it made sense since we were all going to the same place. Besides, my Mom promised a dinner of hot chili and hot dogs. I hadn't had lunch so I was really looking forward to that part of the evening.

(ASIDE: As I blogged earlier, I am on-call this week . On Saturdays there is a 2-hour gap between the day and evening shift which the on-call tech must cover. The pager went off 5 TIMES in that 2-hour time span yesterday. Once as I was getting dressed for the evening and four more times before we made it to Festus. I met my ride in the parking lot of a shopping center near my house and exploded out of my car with a laptop and carrying case as the snow fell lightly. It was like something out a Russian spy movie. I was actually putting out fires, so to speak, in the back seat of the car as we drove down I-55. Each time the pager goes off, I have to call in and listen to the associated voice mail. then call the person back to help them.)

My parents' church repeated the Living Christmas tree theme this year with different music. It was impressive, a little too showy and gaudy at times but overall not a waste of an evening. We came out of the church and found that the snow was falling quite heavily and had accumulated quite a bit since we went in. Did we go straight home from there? Of course not!

Back to my parents' house for an hour of just "us" time. The five of us sat around the kitchen table and just talked for a while about anything and everything. Preparations for new baby, a bizarre Thanksgiving weekend stop in Ellsinore, MO for firewood (don't ask!), various and sundry memories, etc... The house is all decorated for Christmas and that added to the "warmfuzzy" experience.

Alas, we have to get back to our homes and out into the snowy night we trekked. We encountered an armada of snowplows on I-55 heading north and had to proceed behind them at 20mph all the way up into St. Louis county. Needless to say, we were late in getting home.

Experiences like this remind me of my deep emotional connection to my family and the holidays. I am so blessed!

Bye, Bye, Jimmy Ballgame...

The big headline in today's paper is that the Cardinals have completed a trade of center fielder Jim Edmonds to the San Diego Padres. In return we'll get a minor-league third base prospect who is a St. Louis native. This is the unfortunate new reality for the Cardinals. They have a lot of older, expensive players and need to get younger. Jim Edmonds was a popular player both in the clubhouse and with the fans. However, he is 37 years old and can no longer make his trademark highlight-reel catches without all the king's men standing by to put him together again.

The Cardinals are going to have a different look next season. Infield regulars David Eckstein left for Toronto, Aaron Miles, So Taguchi, and Gary Bennett have all been let go. It makes me wonder why Tony LaRussa agreed to come back for another year.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow!...

Chili and I woke up to a nice snowfall this morning. She took it in stride, pretty much. It's just a few inches, so far, so not much to play in. I bundled up and took her on a walk around the neighborhood. She didn't seem to mind the cold and snow; I didn't see her shivering or shaking. She did appreciate the rubdown I gave her after we got in

Name Game...

The Chicago Cubs recently took another futile stab at greatness with their signing of Japanese import Kosuke Fukodome. I regret that Harry Caray isn't still with us to try and pronounce that name.

Things That Break In the Middle Of The Night...

I started my latest 7-day turn in the on-call emergency pager rotation at work yesterday. After-hours, our employees can call a special emergency number that pages the tech who's on-call at the time. Last night I got my earliest call since we started the rotation a year ago.

One of our newspaper delivery depots lost their network signal around 2:00 in the morning. That is bad because the overnight hours are prime time for newspaper delivery men. They need to be able to log on and print out their delivery lists for the morning. After an hour of trying to troubleshoot with the depot manager, I woke up my network administrator and he told me to have that depot shut down and move to another depot nearby. It looks like they lost their DSL signal and it didn't come back on until 4:30 a.m.

I think I was almost back to sleep by then. Almost.

Chili the Dog's Photo Session...

The photo session with Chili and me went just as I expected it would. : ) My dad was away at a church choir rehearsal when I arrived at my parents' house so my mom had to make the initial attempts at getting some good shots of me and the dog. Chili was not interested in being cooperative like a good dog would. She is a very smart dog in that she knew exactly what we were trying to do and thwarted almost every attempt to cajole her into smiling or to at least stand still! I think she must have been spooked by a flash camera when she was a puppy. While her lack of cooperation made for some riotous outtakes, it also stressed us out. We decided to take a break while waiting for my dad to come home. After a pizza dinner, he gamely tried a few shots with his camera and it's good that he did because I ended up using one of them for the Christmas cards. They're waiting for me now at a nearby Walgreens so I should get them mailed on Tuesday. I'll post the outtakes next week sometime.

The weather outside has been slightly frightful - cold and rainy with. This has been the rainiest weekend the St. Louis area has had in several months. Freezing rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. This would be the night I didn't bring ice skates for my car. GRRR..

OK, Borders is officially desparate...

to sell CDs. Their latest Borders Rewards member coupon advertises all, that's right, ALL single-disc CDs are on sale for $10.99 for the next 3 days. Considering that a good portion of their CDs sell for $18.99(!) this is a good deal.

Christmas Cards...

Chili and I are having a picture taken together today for this year's Christmas cards. If you'd like one, please e-mail me your mailing address and I'll be happy to send one out. Of course your address will never be sold or otherwise used for bad things. : )

Family members - you're family so you're already getting one!

Happy (Belated) Birthday To My Blog...

My little blog had its second birthday back on December 2 but I didn't realize it until just now. Thanks to all who read and comment!!!

Christmas Tunes Are Here...

I have made my Christmas music purchase for the year. This year it was Over The Rhine's "Snow Angels" CD and a newly-remastered version of the "Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack. Both are worthy additions to my Yule tunes collection.

"Snow Angels" is a typical OTR record, but with Christmas-themed songs. If you're a fan of the band then you'll enjoy this CD.

The new version of "CBC" is a vast sonic improvement over the original analog version and adds alternate takes of several songs as bonus tracks. Purists will prefer the old version but if you think of it as a jazz record then the new version is for you.

The Bubble Bursts...

The BCS balloon popped tonight. It turns out ol' Mizzou isn't quite ready to ascend to BCS Championship heights just yet. They got blown out by their nemesis Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game tonight. The Tigers can console themselves with the knowledge that the Cotton Bowl is the worst they can do for a bowl game destination. That's not too shabby, considering they haven't played on New Year's day in forever.

They've come a long way, baby. Congratulations!

(Aside: MU's loss combined with #2-ranked West Virginia's loss will likely cause the explosion and spontaneous meltdown of the BCS computers. This has been the nuttiest college football season I can remember. No one team stayed atop the polls all season as in years past.)

To Get December Started Off...

It's time for another edition of "Potentially Shamed By The Shuffle!" which first appeared back on May 23 in this space. I've added a ton of my old CDs to my iPod so the shame potential is greater this time around. If you're new to the game, you must have an iPod and then blog on the first 10 songs that come up on your shuffle.


First Song: "Have A Talk With God" - Jon Gibson

Blue-eyed soulster Jon Gibson covered this Stevie Wonder classic on one of his early albums. Jon does a decent job of covering it, and upped the cool-ness factor by having Stevie Wonder himself add some harmonica to the track.

Second Song: "Sweet Dreams" - Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler

These two old pro guitarists collaborated in a labor of love on their 1992 CD "Neck and Neck." Their rendition of this Don Gibson gem floats by on an instrumental cloud of sweetness. A classic.

Third Song: "Flavor Of The Month" - My Friend Stephanie

This was included on a compilation CD of live performances at the old Strand nightclub in Atlanta. The venue hosted numerous Christian rock groups in its heyday. MFS is heard in a decent early performance here.

Fourth Song: "Soul Sauce (Guachi Guara)" - Poncho Sanchez

I have this on Concord's Poncho Sanchez compilation "Ultimate Latin Dance Party." Poncho and his group turn in a wonderful performance of this Cal Tjader hit.

Fifth Song: "Bye Bye Country Boy" - Karrin Allyson

From her "In Blue" CD comes this cover of a Blossom Dearie song. The song tells the tale of a big-city singer wooed by a country hick admirer. This track features great bass and Rhodes solos.

Sixth Song: "Jacob's Ladder" - Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen covers this old folk song on his CD tribute to Pete Seeger. He is in full-on drawl mode on this track and delivers it in classic hootenanny style with his assembled musician friends.

Seventh Song: "Music Box Dancer" - Frank Mills

I broke down and bought this from the iTunes store last month. I've loved it since first hearing it at my cousin's dance recitals as a child. A true one-hit wonder.

Eighth Song: "Mystery Of Mercy" - Caedmon's Call

Nice track from Caedmon's Call here. It's off their "Back Home" CD from a few years back. The song uses biblical characters and parables to convey the theme of Christ's love for us. It's truly a mystery of mercy!

Ninth Song: "When It Comes To You" - Dire Straits

Mark Knopfler had just finished his duet CD with Chet Atkins when he assembled the Straitsmen for what would be their final outing. The Nashville country influence was heard throughout the resulting CD and this track shows it plainly. This track would not have been out of place on country radio in the early '90s. Country star John Anderson covered it during his brief career revival and made it a minor hit.

Tenth Song: "Ain't Even Done With The Night" - John Mellencamp

Oh yeah, this was John Mellencamp during his early "John Cougar" phase. This was one of his early radio hits. A nice timepiece from 1980.

All Dressed Up For...

....leaf raking.

Mmmm...Chili-Cheese Dip...

One of the most delectable foods ever created...I enjoyed some during my department's "food day" in memory of my late boss. This past Monday marked one year since his tragic passing.

A Hot Pockets Sub (meatballs and mozzarella), smothered...

I contributed a batch of Duncan Hines' best "Blueberry Streusel" muffins which were received very well, indeed!

Suburban Fringe: Here's the single most disgusting thing to ever happen, ever...

Bob Rybarczyk's "Suburban Fringe" column this week on Stltoday.com is really disgusting and gross, but such is life with kids, sometimes, right? IT REALLY HAPPENED...parents of children will feel his pain. Read on, if you dare:

Here's the single most disgusting thing to ever happen, ever

I hope I never did this to my folks!

Sweet!

One great bit of news arrived in the mail yesterday. It was my annual escrow statement from my mortgage company. Usually they have to tell me that there was a shortage and would I like to make it up monthly or all at once? Well, this time around there was an overage! There was a nice little refund check attached to the statement. I switched my home insurance carrier last spring which resulted in a substantial savings in annual premiums from my old carrier. As in $200 less per year. That savings, coupled with lower than expected real estate taxes gave me the refund. My monthly payment will lower by $21 next year, as well. (I have a fixed-rate but the it got adjusted for lower taxes and insurance.)

The Roar Is Officially Restored...

Let's hear it for ol' Mizzou! After way, way too many years of bad football, they have played themselves into the Big 12 conference championship. This week's victim was previously undefeated Kansas. The two schools' bitter rivalry is well-documented and it made for a great atmohspere at Arrowhead Stadium in "neutral" Kansas City. In front of over 80,000 fans, MU outplayed KU and held off their furious late-game rally to win the game 36-28. MU's record is now 11-1 and they are officially in uncharted territory.

Next up is Oklahoma, who beat us earlier in the season. Even if we lose, we'll be in a BCS bowl on New Year's Day for sure.

What a season!

Home Again...

Chili and I are back from the Bootheel. I put 373 miles on my car on this trip. We drove down Friday morning to Malden, where I dropped off Chili at my grandparents' house to spend the day. I brought Chili's doggie bed-pillow with us and plopped it down on the sunporch, hoping she'd take the hint. She did just that, as I found her there when I returned several hours later. She behaved herself nicely while I ate dinner with my Dad's family in Risco, MO. My aunt and uncle recently moved to a newer home next door to their old one and it is a very nice house indeed. I enjoyed catching up with my cousins C & T whom I hadn't seen since last Christmas. My cousin T has changed jobs and is advancing in his career in airport management.

The topics of conversation at Matlock holiday dinners can be at once enlightening and entertaining. Yesterday was no exception. Somehow we started talking about the sprinkling of tiny farm towns that dot the landscape of the Bootheel of Missouri. It turns out that the town of Canalou, MO, off U.S. Highway 60 is a town with only an entrance road, no exit road. If you somehow stumble on the town, you have to turn around on the same road you came in in order to leave it. My dad related the story of Penermon, MO which I didn't quite understand so I won't repeat it here. He made us all laugh by telling an allegedly true story about a house in that village that had an old-fashioned floor furnace. Some USDA inspectors had reason to be in that house at some point and during their visit found the occupants roasting a goat on the grate of the floor furnace. Um, OK.

My Aunt E. brought some issues of The Singing News, the official journal of Southern Gospel music. I read through them at length and was surprised at how many SG groups there are traveling the country. I guess I didn't realize that at all. I think someone who read my jazz magazine would react the same way.

Chili had much fun running around outside and getting lots of lovin' from all of us. I know my Papaw's spirits were lifted a bit just having her around. I made myself useful by sweeping off their driveway this morning before I left.

My mom and I had a nice visit with the Cook family on our way out of town. The entire "herd" (as Kmom put it) was present at their house - Cooks In Kansas and their greyhound Marsha (who didn't mind meeting Chili), along with sister Whitney and her baby Sammy.

Chili must have really tired herself out during this trip - she rested with her head on the center console armrest in my car almost the entire trip home. She's been dragging since we got home as well.

I Am Thankful...

For several things that begin with the letter "F" and other things;

Faith, Family, Friends, Food, Famous Amos cookies, my house, my job, my car, and my brown dog named Chili.

......................

Thanksgiving Day 2007 was a comfortable, pleasant experience. It was a small gathering at my parents' house in Festus. Just them, me, and the bro/sis-in-law/niece-still-in-the-oven for dinner. MY dad smoked the turkey in my brother's new smoker and it turned out very well. We all stuffed ourselves appropriately then sprawled out on any nearby couch or chair. Chili behaved herself for the most part. She did get some turkey.

As we were all leaving this evening, my dad remarked that he'd had a "perfect day." His turkey was great, he got to play with his grand-dog, he had all of us around, and he even got to see a little football on the big screen TV with the surround-sound hooked up again. It had been down since being moved around during the re-decorating of their basement. My dad and bro and I collaborated to hook up the speakers and get everything in working order.

We waxed nostalgic briefly, as an old Bell & Howell 8mm film projector was hauled out and turned on for a little stroll down memory lane. We managed to see two short films of my brother and me as children before the projector's ancient light bulb gave out. What else to do but hop on the Internet and order up a new one from Amazon.com? Who knew you could still find one?

Now I must go pack for a short trip down to the Bootheel to do Thanksgiving with my Dad's family in the bustling metropolis of Risco, MO. Chili will be traveling with me but she will be spending the day with the grandparents in Malden.

Even Superman Has Baggage...

This photo accompanied a story about Thanksgiving travel on STLtoday.com . Superman's kid flies commercial, who knew?

Actual caption: Peyton Benfield, 7, of Warrenton, flew home (aboard an airplane, of course) from Los Angeles with his mother Dawnetta Benfield Monday at Lambert Airport. Peyton has been living in Los Angeles since September and acting in commercials.
(Robert Cohen/P-D)

A Tale Of Two Sales Reps...

This JUST happened -

I was vacuuming spilled toner from a printer in our advertising sales reps' work area and overheard the following exchange:

Young and Hip Leggy Blonde Sales Rep: Oh, how I wish the holidays were over. The thought of seeing my family makes me cringe!

Young and Hip Brunette Sales Rep: "I don't wish the holidays were over; I'm makin' money!"

I smiled to myself....

Golden Girl...

I raked leaves on Saturday so Chili got to lounge around and watch me work. Thankfully, she's not the type to sneak up from behind and leap into leaf piles. She truly is a pretty dog.

Something got her attention here.

Hike!...

One of the advantages of not working Fridays is that Chili and I can take off for an impromptu hike in the woods:

No, we didn't hike 7 miles, but we did knock out 2 or 3.

we squeezed through this culvert under some railroad tracks to take a shortcut to my favorite part of the trail.

I thought this was an interesting picture. I sat down and leaned back on my backpack, then pointed my camera straight up. It looks like arms reaching to the sky.

Into The Arbor...

More here

What The Dog And I Did Yesterday...

We took advantage of the nice weather and enjoyed the great outdoors for a few hours. First stop was Emmeneger Nature Park, a scenic patch of woods near the junction of I-270 and I-44 in the city of Kirkwood. Late in the afternoon we explored Greentree Park, on the Meramec River a few miles north. Chili was really in her element and I know she enjoyed the hikes.

You've Just Entered.....THE TWILIGHT ZONE!!!!!

Ok, the Mizzou Tigers, Illinois Fighting Illini, and St. Louis Rams all won football games on the SAME WEEKEND. I can barely wrap my head around that, folks...can't remember the last time that happened.

What's more:

- the Tigers improved to 9-1 for the first time in forever and the national championship is almostalmost within our grasp, unthinkable even a year ago.

- the Fighting Illini toppled the #1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, stopping their 28-game regular-season win streak. This was their first victory over a #1 team since 1956, I believe. They'll likely be playing football on New Year's Day next year; unthinkable even a year ago.

- the Rams beat the Saints today to gain their FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON. That stopped a winning streak the Saints had going. Sweet was this victory for D-coach Jim Haslett because he formerly coached the Saints. They found themselves in the fourth quarter, though, nearly squandering their sizable lead.

a remarkable weekend of football, indeed.

Interesting Perspective On The Hollywood Writers Strike...

The P-D's Op-Ed page features Colleen Carroll Campbell as a guest columnist every Thursday. Ms. Campbell is an author, television host and St. Louis-based fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. She is also a Catholic who writes from a distinctly conservative point of view on a liberal editorial page. I knew her briefly when she was a P-D writer and reporter earlier in her career.

She wrote about the writers' strike going on in Hollywood this week. I really liked her approach to the subject and it's worth a read:

Maybe Hollywood viewers should strike, too

"Toking" With Lawrence Welk...

Be sure and watch all the way to the end....The Welkster was definitely the squarest of the square.

Clouds...

This was the what the sky looked like when I was leaving work just after 4:00 p.m. yesterday.

Tag. I'm It, Sort Of...

Rules: Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged. (I was tagged by 4 Of Clubbs' Brooke) I don't have 8 people to link to but here are the 8 random things about myself:

1. I am writing this while Chili is chomping noisily on a bone on the rug behind me.

2. I just got back from my workout at the YMCA.

3. I applied a weather-sealer to my driveway last weekend, just in time for winter.

4. I am feeling sad that my grandpa's health is worsening and I am praying he is able to hold on through Christmas.

5. I wish I could find my cordless phone. It disappeared over the weekend and I can't find it anywhere.

6. I am glad my bro and sis-in-law were able to get away for their second anniversary.

7. I love the smell of fall.

8. I don't get the appeal of "The Office." I just don't get it. Am I missing something?

In The "Dog"house...

Well, folks, he had a good run. Duane "Dog" Chapman, everyone's favorite reality-show bounty hunter, has managed to blow up his career. He fell victim to the curse of the "n" word. That magic word that is a guaranteed career-killer. His son taped a phone conversation between him and daddy Dog in which daddy Dog said the magic word repeatedly. The National Enquirer bought the tape and predictably, it's all over television and the Internet. The A&E network which aired his show has suspended production of the Dog's show, of course.

Is it over for the Dog? Can he recover from this? Does anyone out there care?

Mark Lowry Talks...

in concert in Erie, PA:

Some Friendly Advice...

courtesy of The Swirling Eddies:

[1]
(la la la la ...)
Bake a cake, swim a lake
Do a jig, slop a pig
Say a prayer, cut your hair
Smell a rose, pick your nose
Take a trip, write a script
Take a course, eat a horse
Take a nap, draw a map
Do your duty, shake your booty

[CHORUS]
Something that you wouldn't ordinarily do
Something just a little bit different for you
Like forgiving a friend and an enemy too
You'll feel better, you'll feel better
When your little day is through

[2]
Smoke a cigar, drive a sports car
Read the good book, try a skyhook
Call your mother, kiss your father
Tell 'em you love 'em, clean your oven
Get up early, do a curly
Feed the hungry, spend some money
Feel the breeze, cut the cheese
Chicken walk, smile at a cop

[CHORUS]

[3]
See a show, dig a hole
Fly a kite, take a hike
Twiddle your thumbs, scratch your buns
Make a face, run in place
Play some pool, go back to school
Drink a beer, pierce your ear
Abstain from sex and cigarettes
go out to eat, soak your feet
Make a mud pie, greet a fat guy
Floss your teeth, keep the peace

[CHORUS]

[BRIDGE]
Write yourself a note that says
"Be of good cheer"
(la la la la ...)
Paint yourself a sign that says
"The beginning is near"

[4]
Wash your dog, burn a log
Visit a widow, fluff your pillow
Paint a picture, clean your dentures
Learn to surf, go to church
Have a picnic, buy a quick-pick
Join a carpool, drink a yahoo
Play monopoly, eat some broccoli
Take a bath, scratch your rash
knit a sweater, write a letter
Roll downhill, make a will
Flick your Bic, call in sick
Keep a vow, milk a cow
Start a business, make a wish list
Beat a drum, suck your thumb
Go to confession, learn a lesson
Visit a zoo, pack a mule
Go to sears, cry some tears
Give stuff away, act in a play
Plant a tree, work for free
Join a club, save your stub
visit a jail, read your mail
T.P. a house, turn-on your spouse
Plant potatoes, pick tomatoes
Sleep in late, lose some weight
Make up a dance, take a chance
Walk around nude, play with your food
Get baptized, go skydive
Cast a vote, sail a boat
Hold your breath, shop for less
Help a neighbor, do a favor
Pick up litter, eat a corn fritter ...

from the album "Zoom Daddy," Words by Terry Taylor ©1994 Broken Songs / Twitchen Vibes (ASCAP)

And I Did It All By Myself!...

My large accomplishment this evening: I replaced the belt on my vacuum cleaner after the old one bit the dust . Never in seven years of ownership had I ever popped the hood on the ol' Eureka World Vac (whose service manual Eureka thoughtfully DIDN'T MAKE AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON THEIR WEB SITE grrrr). After locating a generic replacement at my local Kmart (or is it KMart?) (which, by the way is in the midst of a total blow-up/remodel and nothing is where it used to be) it took about ten minutes.

Sometimes it's the little things...

The Journey...

The P-D's religion writer, Tim Townsend, wrote a nice column on my bro & sis-in-law's church in Saturday's edition.

The Journey, and others like it, aiming to reach younger people

My First Crude Attempt At Moviemaking...

It's not great but, hey, even Ron Howard had to start somewhere.

Tired Doggie...

I'm taking some time off this week, so Chili is getting more exercise than usual. Today we did lots of running and squirrel-hunting in the back yard. Later in the afternoon we hiked at Castlewood State Park. Now, she's all tired out!

Sunday Evening, Late...

It's 10:36 p.m. CDT in St. Louis and this blogger is wishes the midnight hour would come around in the next minute or two. The Sunday night shift for a Tech Services support technician at the P-D is a pretty durn quiet affair, folks.

Not much has been happening lately. I started working my new shift a few weeks back. It's 4:00-12:00 Sunday nights, 10:00 - 6:00 Mondays, 8:00-4:00 Tuesday-Thursday. I'm gradually adjusting my life to the new schedule. The Sunday nights have been quiet, the Monday hours make it harder to get to bible study on time, and the other three days are hard in the mornings but nice in the evenings. The 8:00 start time gets me a good parking space closer to my building but it's a noticeably more crowded commute on I-55.

Chili and I had a private, one-on-one obedience lesson on Friday afternoon. It was very beneficial for her and her owner. Her owner learned what he was doing right and wrong in teaching her the necessary skills to pass the next test. Chili discovered that she likes stuffed animals and will play "fetch" with them. Her owner was suitably overjoyed at this and bought Chili her own stuffed duckie to play with. It it stuffed with a "crinkle" material and squeeker that keeps her busy.

(Aside: did you know that dog obedience trainers have their own association? It's the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and their annual convention is in Portland, Oregon this week. I guess that's the kind of convention that the Portland, Oregons of the world get.)

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Back in August, you may recall I had a rotting maple tree cut down in my back yard. My dad had the tree service guys save 2 large logs of good wood for his adventures in carpentry. We made a valiant attempt to get those logs home with him that day but they were just too much for the two of us to load. Those 2 large logs subsequently lay in my back yard until just last Friday. Dad and I wrestled the logs into the back of his pickup with the help of two hand trucks and winch straps. Fortunately, neither of us was injured in the process.

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On Saturday her Chili-ness and I enjoyed a late-afternoon Fall walk at Whitecliff Park in nearby Crestwood and along Grant’s Trail near the Grant’s Farm horse pastures. She warily went nose-to-nose with a giant Clydesdale that was grazing near the fence line.

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I bought my first Willie Nelson CD last week. It's "The Troublemaker," his mid-70s country gospel album. I've enjoyed bopping down the road chorusing with Willie on "Unclouded Day" at full throat.

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No matter how many times "Apollo 13" is shown on Bravo, I still enjoy watching it.
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Idyllic: Devouring the Sunday paper big crossword while sitting in a cushioned patio chair on your deck under a shady oak tree, your dog a few feet away taking in all the smells wafting in on the not-so-gentle breeze under a sunny, cloudless sky.

Jive-talkin' the Alphabet...

YouTube goodness: Richard Pryor reading the alphabet on Sesame Street.

Dad Playing With The Granddog...

My dad got in some quality time with Chili at our family gathering last Sunday. Turn your sound up REALLY high to hear the audio. My first experience with Windows Movie Maker wasn't pretty and I accidentally recorded over the original on tape.

The Tail End...

Chili's tail had recovered nicely last evening when I got home. I was going to call and cancel the vet appointment but then she scooted her bottom across my carpet. That usually means her bottom's "stink" glands are blocked up, so off to the vet we went. She got her bottom squeezed, and her nails trimmed. All is well once again in Chili's world.

I think the tail episode was a result of her simply wagging her tail so much and so furiously that it strained its muscles. A couple of days' rest is all it needed.

I shot some video of my dad playing with Chili on Sunday. As soon as I can get it off the camera I'll post it.

Got Her Tail All Out Of Joint...

Chili's got her tail literally all out of joint over something. I noticed this morning that her tail has gone limp and she won't allow me to get near it to feel around. When I look at her and call her name, her tail usually wags furiously, but not today. It's obviously drooping and she'll be visiting the HSMO vet tomorrow.

***EDIT***

I did some research into limp/drooping tails today. This site suggests that it may be nothing serious. I'll have to wait and see.

Family Ties...

My parents hosted a family gathering at their house in Festus today. My grandpa has doctor appointments in St. Louis tomorrow, and with several upcoming birthdays to celebrate as well, it was a happy time. Chili came with me, of course, and she behaved herself quite well. She met several new family members who were all glad to make her acquaintance!

Speaking of family, it was good to see my bro and sis-in-law again. They are six months into their pregnancy experience and my sis-in-law is visibly pregnant but looks really great. They brought an album of ultrasound images that prove their little alien is developing normally! : )

You Oughta Be In Pictures...

Since I've had Chili, I've been thinking about getting a digital camcorder to shoot videos of her and other fun things. My research intensified while I was off last week and I finally made a purchase yesterday. One of my co-workers recommended the Sony DCR-HC38 model Mini-DV camcorder. He said he was happy with it so that's what I got. It came in really handy when my Dad was playing with Chili this afternoon. Getting the video off the camera and onto my computer will take some extra, costly doing but I think it will be worth it.

New Phone...

I spent most of Saturday running around trying to find the best deal on a new cell phone and looking at digital camcorders. The phone I ended up with was a Samsung "Sync." I have AT&T as my carrier and I visited their retail store near my house first. The price was $159 after rebate with a bundled package of charger, case, and Bluetooth earpiece.

Radio Shack, however, had the EXACT SAME PHONE for $49 BEFORE a $20 rebate and a special deal of 3 accessories for 30% off each accessory. The Sync is more phone than I need right now, but it's a good investment for the future, and besides, the selection of phones wasn't that great.

Watch Out For Round Flying Objects...

I had a close call while playing volleyball on Thursday night. One of my teammates served from behind me, but served too low. Wouldn't you know I turned at just the wrong time and the ball smacked me directly in my left eye. Luckily, my glasses took the brunt of the impact, flying off to the other side of the net. I'm fine and so are my glasses. I think I may be done with volleyball for the year, though!

For reasons known only to Chili the dog, she confused my cell phone for a chew toy after I got home Thursday night. Either the phone fell out of my shorts as I entered my bedroom or she grabbed it off my dresser. After I showered off, I found the phone lying on the floor in front of my bathroom. I'll have pictures in another post. It was rendered almost totally inoperable. I could still make calls and talk to people, but the earpiece was punctured through and I couldn't hear the person on the other end. I was eligible for an upgrade anyway, so it was sort of convenient timing.

A Little Concert Action...

One of the cool things I did was hit the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill to catch Over The Rhine's concert on Wednesday night. Since I didn't have to get up early to go anywhere the next morning, I stayed for the whole show. It was my first time to see them live and they didn't disappoint. They managed to work through almost all the songs from their latest record, played many of their older hits, and closed with a sublime cover of Gillian Welch's "Orphan Girl." I wish I'd brought my camera!!!

Sunday Night; Let's Blow Off The Dust

Yeah, it's been a while.

Let's see, when I last updated, a lot of friendly co-workers had left the building. Well, the world didn't stop turning and the paper still got published. New job assignments, reassignments, blah blah blah, we made it--let's get on with life!

I worked straight through from Friday until the following Tuesday because my new shift started on Sunday night. It still feels weird working on a Sunday night but I'll get used to it in time. I took the rest of the week off after Tuesday. It was one of those times when I could sense that I needed some time away from the office. It also just happened to be the week when those readers who faithfully clipped their "Millionaire" money out of the paper since July brought it all down to our office to be counted. The crowds were tremendous. All the division of the P-D had to volunteer workers to help count. The fact that I took off during that mess is purely coincidental, truly.

Tough Day Today...

Today was one of the toughest days I've had in ten years at the P-D. As I mentioned in a previous post, another early-retirement incentive was offered, this time for 60 people company-wide. Our new fiscal year begins in October, so today was the last day for the majority of the early-retirees. Our newsroom took the biggest hit by far, with over 2/3 of them coming out of there. Many talented writers, reporters, photographers, and editors are now gone. I mean, the guy who answers the phone in the sports department is gone. What stings the most is the loss of 6(!) photographers, all of whom I was well-acquainted with because I support their Macintosh computers. They were more than just users, or "customers" to me.

[A real "sucker-punch" came in the form of a company-wide e-mail that was sent from our CEO this morning. I'm Not Kidding - it was in the form of a press release, detailing exactly how much money this buyout is costing the company but also trumpeting the amount of money that this buyout will save the company. I'm no expert, but I'd have saved this e-mail for next week]

Bill McClellan sized up the situation pretty well in his column today. Basically, the Internet has changed the way people get their news, plain and simple. Less people buy newspapers, thus advertisers spend less on print advertising, thus profit margins are reduced, making newspaper company stockholders very nervous, creating a need to cut costs wherever and however possible. I don't attempt to understand the logic of it all, I just know a lot of good people are leaving their newspaper careers too soon. I don't blame them for taking an offer they couldn't refuse. Moreover, this is not unique to my employer; it's happening to large newspapers all over the country. Here's a link to Bill's column. It's well worth the reading.

The evolution of newspapers can be traced to two meteors

Anybody Know Hoss Cartwright's phone number?

One of the more bizarre headlines ever to appear on Stltoday.com:

Stray Bull Roams Downtown

and I'm off work today, too. I'd like to see the St. Louis Metro Po-lice try to round up that angry lil' steer!

Fantastic News!...

This makes me glad the bottom dropped out of my voice in high school!

Deep-Voiced Men Have More Kids

"Studies conducted by David Feinberg of McMaster University in Canada have shown that women are more attracted to men with deeper voices, judging them to be older, healthier and more masculine than their higher-pitched rivals."

can't argue with science!

Nothing Like A Good Horror Film...

My bro had tickets to the Cardinals ballgame tonight that he couldn't use so the parents and I will be going to the game with his tickets. This will be like having good seats to watch a 3-car accident. I'll be watching with morbid curiosity.

Just Call me '"A"-Game'...

After I finished my part of worship rehearsaI, I stopped off and played an hour of sand volleyball with the usual Thursday night crew. I hadn't played in a few weeks but was only a bit rusty. I somehow got on a roll and managed to hold serve about 8 or 9 points in a row. The other players were amused and amazed simultaneously.

At Home in Malden, MO...

Chili's obedience class is on hiatus this week and next so I took the opportunity to drive down to Malden for the day. I enjoyed a heapin' helpin' of Earnhart's ribs for lunch. That, with a side of potato salad and King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and Crystal Light lemonade to drink, made for a perfect lunch. Chili enjoyed chomping down on a couple of rib bones. I felt personally gratified that she was able to enjoy what I've enjoyed for so many years! LOL!! While the grandparents napped, I dropped in at the home of Kmom to visit with her and other members of the Cook clan. I had the pleasure of meeting my newest cousin Sammy, son of Whitney and Jon, nephew of Cooks In Kansas. Lil' Sammy is about 10 kinds of adorable, at only three months of age. He's going to be a fine little boy! Of course, they all got to meet Chili. She behaved herself but I had to restrain her enthusiasm in "kissing" Sammy! : )

I said a quick goodbye to the grandparents and headed for home. Once home I made a quick supper of soup and sandwich and headed to church for Quest worship rehearsal.

Because It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day...

September Swoon...

It's officially ugly for the Cardinals. They're currently experiencing a death spiral not seen in this town for many years. Losers of something like 13 of the last 14 games, they're officially "playing out the string" now. Nagging injuries are finally claiming the last of our starters. Somebody named Todd Wellemeyer was our starting pitcher last night. He lasted 2 innings, giving way to Kip Wells, who has lost 800 games for us this year. Remarkably, last night's game lasted 14 innings, and 5+hours. AND WE LOST.

I would say bring on the Rams, but so far, they stink too.

Upgraded The Blog...

I have upgraded my blog template....whaddya think?

New Quote...

Thanks to Bob of 4 Of Clubbs for providing me with the new quote underneath the blog title. He came up with that in response to my new tough-guy look!

That's One Happy Dog!...

Happiness Is...

walking down a sunlit path, cool breeze gently blowing through the trees, your dog at your side.

New shift - Pros/Cons?...

One of my co-workers is taking the early-retirement buyout and will be leaving at the end of the month. Since we don't know if we will be allowed to hire a replacement, one of us has to take over his weekly shift. This morning, I was asked to be that person.

Here's the deal; he works Sunday night 4 pm - 12:00 am and then Monday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, then Tuesday-Thursday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm. I would be off Friday and Saturday.

I basically have until the end of the week to decide. The only obvious bad thing is that the Monday hours would make it almost impossible to continue with my Monday evening bible study. That starts at 7:00 pm.

Other than that, I wouldn't be able to walk the dog in the morning, but I would have time for a longer walk in the afternoon. I would have to get up earlier and FORCEMYSELFTOGOTOBEDEARLIEROMIGOSH but I would have more time in the evenings.
The Sunday night shift would be easy but the late night isn't appealing. It might be nice to have Friday/Satutrday/Sunday afternoon off; almost a 3-day weekend.

Readers - any other pros or cons that you could help me out with?

It's Over...

The Rams and Cardinals....bleh, I'm over them. The Male Sheep laid a predictable egg on Sunday and the Birdos are finally succumbing to a snake-bitten season. They made a last desperate push towards the top of the NL Central but I think they're out of gas. Yesterday's loss to the Cubbies was proof enough for me. Injuries have hurt us (and the injured) terribly this year and I think we should just play the rest of the season at the fields in Forest Park, so as to be nearer Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

First Taste Of Fall...

Mother Nature teased the St. Louis area today with a first taste of Fall today. A cool front passed through overnight and left in its wake a cool breeze and puffy clouds. It was a pleasure to walk the dog this morning.

See What Dog Hath Wrought...

This actually happened a week ago on Labor Day, but I left my camera down at my parents' house all week. I left the blind down a little bit too low when I shut up Chili in her room while I did some shopping.

She either got mad or overanxious at my leaving and my expensive window treatment took the brunt of her emotion. Fortunately, 3-Day Blinds had my original order on file and they're shipping me a replacement, for $142.

She's expensive, but I still like her! : )

It's Been A Long Season...

For the Cardinals. A pitcher was killed, several other players suffered season-ending injuries, a player is in drug rehab at the moment, their young pitcher-turned-outfielder phenom is now linked to a steroids investigation, I could go on...

They have managed to stay in the race for the NL Central division title, despite all that AND a pitching rotation that is in flux. As Dan O'Neill put it in today's Eye Drops column:

"— The Milwaukee Braves had "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain." The Cardinals have "Wainwright and Looper, then get out the scooper."

Nuclear Bombs Mistakenly Flown Over The U.S. ...

It's in the news today...see it here. What you won't hear, however, is that the plane landed one bomb short of a load. Luckily, a spy satellite captured this footage that tells what happened:



(THIS IS A JOKE, OK!)

Is The End Near?

WWE Suspends 10 for Drug, Steroid Use

professional wrestling policing itself for substance abuse? what is the world coming to?

The Graduate...

Chili successfully passed her skills test for Family Dog 1 obedience class today! We'll move up to Family Dog 2 next week.


I wanted to take a picture of her with a cap and gown, but alas, she wouldn't stand still! : )

My Home County...

This from a town near Festus, my second hometown:

DE SOTO, Mo. (AP) - The naked truth: Three eastern Missouri men were willing to go to extreme lengths to get some beer.

That's the accusation after an incident in the early hours of August 18th at Fish's Quick Stop in De Soto. Store clerk Vicky Gaines says a masked man walked in and began doing the hula dance.

Police say the plan was for the naked dancer to create a distraction while another man took a case of beer from the store. It didn't work.

Gaines called police. As the naked man and his accomplice joined a third man in a car, a customer got their license plate number. All three were caught a few days later.

The men, ages 19 to 23, face charges of shoplifting and indecent exposure.

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Information from: KMOV-TV, http://www.kmov.com/

There you have it, folks...a naked, masked man doing the hula dance. at a convenience store in DeSoto, MO. Amazing.

Words To Ponder...

I've mentioned a few times that one of my favorite bands is Over The Rhine, the husband/wife team of Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist. From time to time Linford writes newsletters that go out to their e-mail list. The latest edition came out today. In it, he writes these words:

"We were talking a lot about Home the last few weeks. Karin and I have chosen a life where pretty much every day we get to spend at home is a prize, a rare gift, something we worked for, an event drenched in gratitude. And yet, maybe home is not really about geography or air quality, or moonlight, or being in the city or out of the city, or in a red state or blue state, or in a music town or a working class town. Maybe home has more to do with the work we've all done as individuals to increasingly become people we can live with. Maybe home is the desire to live soulfully, the tiny ongoing decisions we make that allow the soul room to breathe."

wise words...

OK, I Am DONE Spending Money...

I think (well, HOPE) I am done spending large amounts of money. This summer I:

fixed my leaky basement (planned)
got a new driveway (which has developed a crack, I noticed last night) (also planned)
bought a new air conditioner and gas furnace (SO unplanned)
had my trees trimmed (and removed, in the case of my unfortunately rotted maple)(also unplanned)

my neighbor is satisfied now that my oak tree branches are no longer drooping on his roof. The tree service guys managed to leave multiple rust trails across my driveway. I guess that happened from them dragging the brush across. Thankfully, a couple of hours with straight bleach and a scrub brush made them disappear. The situation was partly my fault because I haven't gotten around to sealing the driveway, which would have prevented the stains.

My dad was up on Friday because he wanted any good parts of the maple tree that could be harvested. He is a woodworker in his spare time and green maple is of great value to him. He got 2 large logs that should serve him well. Only trouble is, they were far too heavy for the two of us to load into his truck so they are still laying haphazardly in my back yard. While the tree trimmers worked, he and I set to hanging the one remaining 6-panel door that we didn't do last summer. We wrestled with it for several hours, trying to make it fit in the un-square doorframe of my bathroom. Ultimately, we were unsuccessful, as time got later and later and we got more and more tired. My dad finally left, in temporary defeat. I am left, meanwhile, with a door that doesn't shut properly. He will ponder on the situation a while and return soon, I'm sure.

I went out to lunch with some friends after church at The Daily Bread. TDB is basically a local version of St. Louis Bread Company. The BBQ Beef sandwich I had was quite good. The Dog and I then spent a couple of quiet hours at Bee Tree Park (site of Cooks In Kansas' nuptials many moons ago.)

back to work tomorrow...

Happiness Is...

Spending a couple of hours under a shady tree in a park, my dog beside me. We devoured the Sunday paper and did the big crossword puzzle. Chili wasn't entirely calm and collected the entire time, but she couldn't go far, tethered to the tree as she was. The weather was downright balmy today, an change from the soupy heat that has plagued us recently.

Random Things That Disturb Me...

Halloween is still over two months away, right? Then why is the Halloween Express store near my house already open for business?

Why did Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan skate through the judicial system with barely a whiff of jail? Nicole Richie was in jail for about 5 seconds before being released, no joke! Lindsay Lohan will do a day or so. The law enforcement out in La-La land insists that they received no special treatment.

Right.

You,Too, Can Be A Rapper...

Old-school rapper Biz Markie, he of "You Say He's Just A Friend" fame, is doling out the beats on Nick Jr.'s "Yo Gabba Gabba"

I Took The Plunge...

I have joined Facebook... : ) several of my friends, including Bob of 4 Of Clubbs, are there already and I wanted to see what all the fuss is about.

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nothing much more to report, really. My home is nicely air-conditioned since Friday. I was in sticker shock for awhile. I like to do product research before making a major purchase and this time I had to decide quickly. The service company I called is a distributor for the Fedders brand of furnaces and ACs. They're not well known but they seem to build quality products.

I am trying a Gentle Leader head collar on Chili. It seems to work wonders for dogs who pull on their leash and Chili has to get past that if she wants to test out of obedience class.

My employer has offered an early-retirement buyout. Of course, I am not eligible but many good people are signing up to leave. My department is losing 2 technicians, one of whom I have worked with closely since I've been here. It's going to be a bumpy adjustment as I will undoubtedly get much of his responsibility. He has promised to be available whenever I need him, though. The newspaper industry is in a bad place right now. It's a digital world now, and the traditional media is feeling the effects. Advertisers are pouring their money into internet and other new media outlets. Thus, newspaper advertising revenues are down at papers all over the country. My employer is being polite by offering the early retirement. Other newspapers are simply laying off workers. My job is safe but it may be time to start looking around...

The Dog Finally Receives A Proper Bed....

And she is pleased!

Her owner got it monogrammed with her name!

The Heat Wave Claims Another Victim...

And this one hits way too close to home! : ) The fan stopped working on my home's outside A/C condenser unit this morning. The unit is of questionable age (i.e. it's OLD) and off-brand. Bottom line, the repairman couldn't replace the fan motor because it's so old and antiquated and I'm getting a whole new heating and air conditioner system. The system was old when I bought the house 7 years ago and was likely on its last legs anyway. I could have replaced just the outside unit, but risked dire incompatibility consequences down the road, so I decided to just bite the bullet and replace the entire system. I'll realize big savings with a modern, efficient gas furnace, anyway.

The company I called is a Christian-owned business and the repairman is a church-going guy so I feel certain they're not ripping me off. This is just one of those unexpected major expenses that always comes at the wrong time.

The blower motor still works but I'll be contacting the Matlock Hilton in Festus about overnight accomodations for a couple of nights until the new system gets installed.

ARGHHHHH!!!!!!

The Hottest Day Of The Year...

And I'm parked in our farthest parking lot, 2 blocks away from the building. 103 degrees, a new record for this day!

If I evaporate between here and there, will someone please take care of my doggie?

Chili In Live Action...

Uncollared!!

Chili was able to shed her "Elizabethan" collar today after the HSMO vet determined that her leg wound had healed sufficiently. He let me keep it just encase she starts licking at it again. She had also started scooting her bottom across my floors. Turns out, her anal glands were blocked up and had to be "expressed." to relieve the pressure. The vet said there was a lot of stuff in them, and we'll leave it at that. He examined an old scar and noted "She's the kind of dog that goes through things, rather than around them." That's my dog!

She did better at obedience class today. Her command response is better but her walking definitely needs work. The trainers gave me a special collar to keep Chili from pulling at her leash.

Yearly eye exam today: no problems found!