Raincharm’s Weblog

Pirate 2

Some people say the kids look the same, others quite different. What do you think?

Pirate1

Spent a good part of the day trying to understand exactly what is wanted of me with respect to budgeting. I know how to figure out estimates of what my responsibilities will be for the next year, including labor and consultants and materials, … The estimates may not be right in the end, but I try. What I have a dickens of a time with is what is operating and what is capital budget. Seems like an easy concept, but there is a certain point at which my brain freezes. I think it started when they told me I had a great breakdown, but the labor costs were included in salaries, so they didn’t really count. Of course, a good portion of most of my projects is labor. But, then, it was added that labor on capital budgets do get counted and taken out of salaries. OK ….. Now just need to be clear on which parts are capitalizable and which are not ….

It was not the most exciting afternoon.

Sometimes I am reminded of when Rey was young and learning early math. The decimal point was like a wall. Moving to numbers less than 1 was a real challenge. I am pretty sure he did finally get it figured out, but that is what I remember when I get stumped. It is so clear to most, and a tremendously high wall to me.

Game 2 – World Series goes to the Yankees.
That’s OK because if you are going to get to 7 games (as was one of Carl’s wishes), you have to lose a few – 3 to be exact.

Game 1 – Major League Soccer – Seattle Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo
Tie – 0-0. This means that game 2 of this playoff series is for all of the marbles. Well since this is only the first round it is  a very small bag of marbles at this stage. Game 2 is in a little more than a week and in Houston.

A First – Carl went grocery shopping today. But that is not a first, he does 95% or more of our grocery shopping. But at the checkout stand, with one of the kids in tow – they gave him a Senior Citizen Discount.  I find this to be really funny, and a discount is a discount. He didn’t ask for it – they assumed it. I don’t even know what the age for a senior discount is at this store. His hair is no longer blonde, and maybe he had a few bags under his eyes.

Phillie’s win! (Sorry Dad)
It was a fun game. The Phillies pitcher was on his game. He made two fielding plays where he barely had to move (pop-up and comebacker caught behind his back). His looks were priceless and deadpan. The announcers thought he was yawning on the pop-up.

We always eat “baseball food” for Game 1. Hot dogs, peanuts, cracker-jack Crunch-and-Munch (a stand-in), and from this year added pistachios and pecans. [I also had my carrots left over from lunch. We made baked potatoes at work for lunch, and I just didn’t get all of my brought food down the hatch.]

I am rooting for the Phillies (Raul Ibanez). I think Carl wants that as the ultimate result, but he wants 7 games.

Tomorrow we may go off-site to watch the game since the Seattle Sounders FC playoff game is on at the same time, and on ESPN2. A multiple TV location may show both.

That sums up the bookends of my working day today.

Morning was just plain wet rain on the road (and in the air).
The most interesting morning moment was at a split in the end of the highway. It is under construction and there are concrete blocks defining the lane that you get to drive into as it curves off of the highway. My direction was fine, but the other direction apparently had a huge puddle. The car in the other lane sent up a wall of water that made it look like the inside of a car wash. Luckily, in that moment of visual nothingness the car in front of me did not slow down, I steered following the lane, and the car behind me slowed down a bit as well.

In the afternoon it was raining on the eastside hard enough to get the wipers up to high. Hydroplaning on the water falling in the most recent minute was a real possibility. I was actually happy to get into a line of traffic for a change. We were going a reasonable speed and it kept the wild drivers from cutting back and forth through the lanes. The rain at that moment was definately east-side. I went through a tunnel and no rain on the other side.

And now it is hailing.

We were talking about bacon the other day – having just had a piece.
This went on to a discussion about the number of items that were not considered part of any of the food groups of which you are expected to have a certain number of servings each day. When we were pregnant they gave us a chart. Bacon was considered “other” foods, with no daily requirement. Our memory was that doughnuts also shared that designation. So we thought that a Bacon Doughnut – that is a piece of bacon inside of a doughnut would have to become a best seller.

But before we could even think about following up on our “idea” a news item was going on about the Texas state fair, where there is deep fried everything, including deep-fried bacon. And fried Coke, and fried butter (do they fry it in butter?).

So, following my soccer game this morning, we set off on a walk. A walk to breakfast, or really brunch/lunch – since it was after noon when we left. The walk was about 2-1/2 mile, but the last 1/4 mile was up a rather steep hill. With the soccer game added on to the beginning I was really needing some food. I did not ask if they could do some deep fried bacon, but I did have some eggs, Wisconsin Bratwurst and hash browns. (Had to get some fried component.) I don’t know if it was the food or the walk beforehand, but it was really tasty. We walked home in the rain – starting down the steep hill. It was a good walk, but I think if I lay down on the bed I would not get up for a long time.

having equipment work.

Our borrowed roto-tiller did not.
Several minutes (I really can’t say several hours) spent trying to get it working.
Gas in, oil mixed, on-switch position verified, choke position verified,
Short – quick – pulls. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
Probably most of an hour trying to remove the spark plug to check it. You would think we would have a 3/4″ deep socket, but no. A bevy of 5/8″ and a smattering of others, but no 3/4″. Last tool box checked had a dual end 3/4″ wrench, which was angled enough to use.
Spark plug out and cleaned, but still no power.

You know, our dirt has been dug, redug, spread, shovelled, moved, raked, rolled, … do we really need to till it too???

Given that the tiller is not in the mood, and I am not in the mood to rent a different one (this one was borrowed), the answer is no.

Next weekend has sod on the docket. We shall see in a year or two if our tired decision was a good one.

But, given that, the rented roller has been returned, lunch has been eaten, I assured the fire department that office phones were working once again (see previous post), and now I get to spend a few minutes doing – well – nothing.

Fridays are interesting days. Supposed to make you happy that your work week is almost over. That, of course, relies on the expectation that you will know it is Friday.

I think I really knew, but there was a moment in the morning as I was leaving my office for a meeting, when I questioned what day it was. I decided I thought it was Friday, but asked somebody else to be sure.

On to the afternoon. Finally the work day has ended – actually it did not. Most people left. A customer came in late, but was helped by others, who then opened the gate so he could leave. We worked on – trying to get to a point where I could continue a task on my own.

5:30 and it is raining and windy out, but still time to go, finally. Call home to let Carl know I am on my way. But the phone call doesn’t go through. Try again, and a third time. Finally walk over to another remaining workerbee – her’s doesn’t work either.

Now, non-working phones might seem like a reason to leave – no can communicate. But in our field, if something goes wrong it is really important for people to be able to get in touch with us. Imagine a geyser of water squirting into the air, and threatening to wash out a road. And nobody answers the call – or the call just doesn’t go through.

Call to the telephone provider and our IT geek. No ready solution, and the provider had no idea how long the service would be down. So we called the cops and fire and told them how to direct dial to our on-call – just in case something went wrong. Over-reaction? Maybe, but I don’t think so. And the dispatchers actually took the information without too many questions or loud sighs.

Monday will be the day we find out why our phone system is so easy to take down, when it is imperative that it works through a simple windstorm.

And we all finally got to drive off into the sunset, with leaves and branches flying through the air.

Food for the day (so far).
It is only noon and I have had:

• Breakfast in bed with an omelet, bacon, toast (no crusts) and coffee
• Cherry cheesecake tarts (homemade)
• Almond-Espresso bars (homemade)
• Soup in a Pumpkin (made in the office for lunch)
• An Easy-Bake Cake. Actually have not eaten this yet. It is cute enough that I have to take it home to share with Carl, and I couldn’t fit it in right now anyway. It is a double-decker cake, with chocolate icing with sliced almonds. Rex was given an Easy-Bake Oven last Christmas, and has become quite adept at baking now.

More later, when I have had more.

• Went to dinner at Atlas, a restaurant in the University Village. First time for us, one of Carl’s parents recommended it. Great food. Carl had the halibut, and ate every bite, so I am assuming it was good. I had salmon cakes with new potatoes and spinach cooked with garlic. I am sure they had better names, but mmmmmmmmm. They gave me a free sundae for dessert, which was refreshing, and not so large that we had to be wheeled out on a dolly.

Today was voting day in our house. It sounds like Rey voted too, as did Carl & I. Ashlan? I imagine she will be waiting for mid-term week to be over. That is assuming her ballot made it to her.

This means that we have permission to congratulate ourselves or complain about what happens in our fair city over the next few years. One thing I can not abide is folks that like to complain about every little thing, but don’t take their opportunity to have a say in their future.

A few really important items on the ballot, and a lot of open positions.

Voting was OK, but I still miss voting day at the polling place. I miss the excitement and the buzz, especially in the presidential years. Voting by mail is just too removed. I also think it is more open to abuse of individuals secret ballot. But that is just me.