Ode to my Hard Drive

Why? What did I do to you? Jerk. I hate you. Unless you feel like giving me back all my stuff. In which case, I take that hate comment back.

Yesterday, my hard drive thingie decided to go on a work stoppage. That's never a good thing. God bless technology, except when it breaks.

Give me back my goddam pit-tures! Please? I have so much to share! Do you really want to deprive the world of that picture I took of the box of "male protection items" we found in the closet in the hotel by the Mall of America? Whatever...

I was working in my makeshift office in another room, when Joe called me into the computer room, and told me my computer had just started making sounds that it shouldn't, and then the screen burped up some stuff that read to me like "OMG are you screwed. HA! I hope you backed up everything somewhere else recently! HAHA! Oh, wait...I KNOW you didn't! HAHAHAHA! Dork!"

Don't you know I'm tired? We just got back from traveling, the pool thingie isn't working right, it's hot, we're leaving again on Saturday, I'm getting grayer and balder....

Joe is smart. He knows everything about computers and got me set up with an alternate arrangement till we figure out what to do. But all my stuff is gone.

Keep it all, I don't care! HA! I'll show you. I will leave you on the floor for days. I might even stuff you up in the attic under all the insulation, so that when this house is demolished in 100 years to make room a new parking lot, and they find you, and they have the technology to retreive all my stuff, they will FIND that picture I took of the "male protection items" and share them with the world, which will be thousands of times more populous and thus give me the audience I have always dreamed of! Whatchu say now, dolt? HA!

Some say I have an active imagination.....

We're Back!

Whew! Now that was a trip.

If you've been following Joe's blog, you know we've been all over the place the last week and a half - Minnesota for his sister's wedding, then Maryland for work and house hunting. We just got back this morning.

We had a little free time while in Minneapolis, so we ventured over to our old stomping grounds:

The Mall of America! It's still HUGE! So huge, in fact, that this ferris wheel easily fits inside:

LEGOLAND is still there, too. It's very interactive, and great for the kids. I'm saying this as if we had kids. We don't. But if we did, I would take them there. Let them break someone else's toys, I say!

Anyhow, I made this while the younger kids made tiny little race cars:

What? I could have.....

The biggest change from when we were there last about 3 years ago, was that Camp Snoopy is no longer Camp Snoopy - it now called:


Apparently the Mall and the Schultz family could not reach agreement on a new licensing contract, so they had to rename the park.

We miss the big mall. It has prety much everything. And now an IKEA opened right next door. Oh, and Joe is none to pleased to have learned that a Penzey's opened within a few miles of our old house in Farmintgon, MN. Jerks.

We're Traveling!

We're off to Minnesota on Wednesday for Joe's sister's wedding on Satruday, and then heading to Frederick, Maryland for a week of work and house hunting. Wee!

My very first home-ownership experience was in Frederick, Maryland, in the early 90's. It was a carriage house - a back-to-back town house. Brand new, too - I was so excited!

When we were back in Maryland last month, I wanted to show it to Joe and see what became of the area. Sure enough, the house is still there! This is it:I'm very proud that the storm door I put on seems to still be hanging! Woo!

Hawt Stuff!

And this time, I'm not talking about me! (though I could be, of course....):

By 11:30 this morning, it was 103 outside! Summer sure comes quick in these parts. And it seems like once it tops 100, it stays above 100. Forver.

The next 10 days are all forcasted to be 101-104. They say it's a dry heat. Well, no shit. It's 103 - of course it's dry.

Dog Update: Grandma (my Mom) lets Max and Spike use the computer now and then. We got this from Spike the other day:

Dear Dads,

SOS! You did not tell me that the temperature gets down to 40 degrees...I almost froze yesterday on my morning walk! Either come and pick me up or send my coat...Max has all that wild hair but I'm practically naked.

Hope you guys enjoy the 100 degree temps, while I'm sitting here catching a chill in good ole PA. Did you buy our house yet???

Granmda says to look at the Sharon Herald headlines today, Sniper attack right here in Hermitage.

We're getting Granmda and David pretty well trained. Only thing is Grandma forgot me yesterday morning. Went to work without taking me out side. She remembered Max but not me, I was very hurt, I pouted a little and got two meaty bones and a beef rawhide. Hahha.

Love Spike

PS -Max says hi

My response:

Dear Spike -

Hi! I miss you, though Daddy Joe does not. He says you have enough lard to keep you warm, so toughen up! I know, I was shocked to hear him say it as well. We all know you are just big-boned, and we love you just as you are.

It's hot here today - you would not like it. 101, and it will be 103 on Mother's Day. Tell Max we saw the biggest salamander yet in the back yard! It was on the patio. I heard Daddy Joe say "Holy sh*t!" and then he pointed to it. It was HUGE! I think it was looking for Max, asking if he could come out to play. Maybe we'll see if it's willing to relocate with us.....

We didn't realize we were placing you smack in the middle of a sniper area! Stay low and keep your head down!

How could Grandma forget about? Maybe we should ask her to tie a string around her finger, or put a sticky note on the door that goes outside. Maybe she just likes Max better? I'd watch her carefully. I don't think the answer was 2 meaty bones and a rawhide though. We'll need to have another talk with Grandma tomorrow.

No, we have not bought a house yet. But we have an agent ready to show us lots of houses when we're in Maryland in a week! I know - grass.

The vet says hi. They miss you. Daddy Joe and I stopped by yesterday to pick up some more of your arthritis pills, which we put in the mail to Grandma today.

Daddy starts his new job on Monday. Many of the people I'll be working with remember you from our days in Frederick, and are very pleased to hear you are still with us. They can't wait to see you!

Oh well, Daddy Joe and I have to go get the house ready for a showing this afternoon. We'll be glad when that is done! Be happy you are with Grandma and we don't have to keep throwing you in a car every time someone wants to come see the house!

Tell Miss Kitty we said hello. And tell Max to stop rolling around in the grass and make sure he remembers his manners.

Stay warm!

Love, Daddy Jeff & Daddy Joe.

The Parrot

Here's the talking Parrot I got from the folks at work:

And a profile shot:

I can't wait to get thsi set up at the new office! Mwuahahaha.....

I also got a gift card from the work folks...


...that doubles as a finger puppet!! Hahahahaha:

I could do this for hours! And yes, I walked all around Target like this! Poor Joe.....

Last Day at Work!

Welp, today was my last day in my current department at work. Monday, I start the new job - woo!

It was a fun day - the folks at the office put together a slide show, which featured way too many photo-shopped pictures of me. It was more like a roast by a dozen of my co-workers (and those that read this, you know who you are!).

I got a cool talking parrot as one of my parting gifts, which will repeat whatever you say to it. I can't wait to give it some choice words! Haha. I may get fired by the new people before we even get to Maryland.....

I'll spend the weekend worrying about whether I will be able to do the new job, and praying I don't fail miserably. The good news is I work for 2 days, then go on vacation for a week. Sorry, it was pre-planned before the new job came along!!

Wish me luck! We'll be in Maryland week after next to house-hunt.

Trip Pictures - Day 2

Also known as "Oh my gawd, what the f*#$ are we doing?" Day....

Day 2 was hard, at least for me. We got into Elk City at 10:30 pm local time on Day 1, after driving 12 hours, and had to get up at 5:30 am on Day 2 to start the next leg - another 12 hours. I'm sure at this point that Spike and Max began to realize this was no little trip to the Vet....

The good news is we got to see a really pretty sunrise as we drove across Oklahoma:
Our plan for Day 2 was t o go across Oklahoma, up into Missourri, through Illlinois, and stop just short of Indianapolis. Note that the idiot who forgot to factor in the 2 time zone changes on Day 1, also forgot to factor in the time zone change on Day 2.

This was a rest area somewhere in Oklahoma along I-40:
I thought it was pretty cool.

When you are stuck in a car for a long period of time, you start to look for fun and interesting things along the way. You also begin to get senile and think everything you see is funny and worthy of a picture. Exhibit A:
Anyhow, remember the moron that forgot the time zone changes? He or she (that's to throw you off) also timed things perfectly to make sure we got to St. Louis right at the peak of rush hour:
I did take pictures of the St. Louis Arch, but they turned out very blurry, so use your imagination.....

We finally crossed the Mississippi River....

...and entered Illinois. At this point, I must have lost interest, because the next picture on file is the "Welcome to Ohio!" sign.

We skirted up across Illinois, and over to Cloverdale, Indiana, a small town just before Indianapolis.

I have to say, we stayed at Holiday Inns in Elk City and Cloverdale, and I was pleasantly surprised at both. We chose them because they were pet-friendly and relatively inexpensive. If we ever do this again (and I swear, WE WON'T!!), I'd stay at either one of them again.

We lugged Max, Spike and Kitty into the hotel around 8:30 local time, and called it a day. Only 1 more leg and we'd be at my Mom's house. Hallelujah!