Kingfisher Cove

Just A Few Things

1. Roger Ebert is spot on about McCain's behavior during the presidential debate last Friday.
2. I refuse to look at my 401(k) statement.
3. JDub thinks now would probably be a really good time to buy some stocks! (Gulp).
4. Mojo has been having a love-fest with us since we returned from Harstine last night. He even slept with us!
5. It was close to 80 degrees today. It's almost October!

Oh, Puleeeeez!

So, how's that workin' for ya, Sarah?

~~~~~
In case you missed it!

A Summer Weekend in Fall!

I really don't think it matters what generation you're a part of — but hands down, there was no man more beautiful than Paul Newman. I doubt there ever will be. And he continued to be beautiful as he aged. While I imagine he likely had an edgy side to him, I sense that he was beautiful beyond appearance, too. I love that he and Joanne Woodward were married for 50 years (that says so much these days). His salad dressings and spaghetti sauces were (are) darned tasty and they benefited a lot of good causes. And he wasn't just a rich boy dabbling in car racing — he was a well-respected champion racer. And yes, I loved every movie I ever saw him in.

But look at that face will you? Oh, those eyes! Man!

~~~~~

We headed to Harstine yesterday a little earlier than usual (JDub and I both got off work early), and once again Mojo was nowhere to be found when it was time to leave. I suppose it'll have to be raining for him to be around on a Friday night for us to grab him. What a shame! He's missing a gorgeous weekend and I know he'd be really enjoying himself. At least the birds and chipmunks and squirrels aren't in any danger.

We listened to all but the final 20 minutes of the debate on the radio during our drive down last evening. Missed the body language — bizarre, it sounds, with McCain's incessant blinking and refusing to look at Obama. McCain's squeaky dentures sure did come across loud and clear over those radio waves, though. There just isn't anything that he says that I agree with, but he hung in there OK, I just thought he was rude. Besides squeaky dentures, he always sounds to me like he's talking through clenched teeth, working awfully hard to keep his anger in check. On the other hand, Obama was too polite and McCain's already using that against him in his ads. I am heartened to see Obama's poll numbers up, for whatever that's worth.

I'm just on pins and needles waiting for the vice-presidential debate! (Hmm, I wonder if I may have to wait forever?)  It wouldn't surprise me in the least if "something" comes up to postpone cancel that debate.

A Very Tired Man

Poor JDub. He comes home day after day after day, putting in his 12+ hours at the strike-afflicted airplane company, and pretty much drags his body up the stairs into the house, bone-weary and drawn. Not crabby, though. (He's rarely crabby anyway). But he is just so very tired. I know the least I can do is make him something to eat for when he wakes up from his drop-dead nap, but I do have to say it's getting old eating fixing dinner after 9:00 p.m. (It does balance out pretty much, because he'll sometimes stop and pick himself up a dingable, which he's perfectly fine with). As far as I know, nothing is progressing with the strike. I don't think there are active talks happening. My boss (Ms. Jodie Foster) is married to a guy who is a union member for da airplane company and so they are dealing/reeling with the strike. (I remember how that felt three years ago. The worst is not knowing when it'll end, and also knowing that you really won't recoup your losses, especially if it progresses beyond health insurance cutoff).

But the good news is that JDub does have this weekend off, so we'll be heading to Harstine tomorrow — hopefully afternoon (if my workload allows me to jet outa there a little early). You wouldn't believe it if you looked outside right now, but the weather is supposed to be great! Hmm. So they're saying. Hope Mojo catches the bus this time. (I had a chat with him today—sometimes he pays attention, sometimes not).

Good and productive day at work—I realize how much I enjoy editing. (And, I'm pretty damned good at it!) So I did quite a lot of that today, and ended up working about a half-hour over. You know, when you respect your boss, you just automatically feel like bending over backwards to make her look good (because she warrants it). I can't get over how supportive and respectful she is, how open and communicative, how likable, how real. I've never encountered such a thing before. I know Annoying Coworker is on the constant lookout for something negative to bitch about, but if she even tries with me, I thwart her by saying, "Ms. Foster is a gem."  There is nothing to complain about! I've dealt with the worst of the worst throughout my work life, and I am in heaven now. What I often have to do in my job I'm not all that jazzed about, but Ms. Foster has made it so much more palatable. And, she's making strong strides already to improve many of the issues that rankle.

And, so I have to post this Tweet that absolutely made me roll off my chair in laughter. (You'll either "get it" or you won't!*) 

*OK. So if you don't, the first thing is that Ms. Palin absolutely BOMBED in her interview with Katie Couric. Katie was a laser beam, and Palin could only mutter mush and rehearsed talking points that fell totally flat. The "therefore such as" (which is the new "in what respect, Charlie?" — based on Palin's interview with Charles Gibson) comes from when Miss Teen South Carolina was asked last year a worldly question and all she could do was utter a bunch of meaningless diatribe with a lot of "therefore such as" intermingled. It was on YouTube and such as. (This is what is proposed to be a heartbeat away from the presidency?)

I *Heart* Twitter! (I've Said This Before...)

One of the many things I like about Twitter is that it's constantly dynamic, and so there is a running commentary always happening (and especially in the midst of a newsy day like this one). A lot of the Twitterers that I follow are also bloggers that I have on my blog roll — exceptionally bright, witty, and insightful folks that I feel I've come to really know over the years.

I grabbed a few samples of some of today's Tweets that made me laugh out loud:

It's addicting, I have to tell you! I have Twitter up on a tab at work, and while I don't all that often contribute Tweets at work (because I get busy with my worky stuff), I do now and then check out the "chatter" and see what's up. (And sometimes I'll throw something out there — you only have 140 characters to say something and as a fast keyboarder/typist, it just takes me a few seconds).  Like Karen from Verbatim explained, it's sort of like having quick water-cooler sessions on your desk top.

I'd be the first to say that Twitter is not for everyone. In fact, when somebody says, "I just don't get the appeal," I can totally understand where they're coming from. Some of us just have a need to "throw something out there", and we get a kick out of what others might be doing at a given moment, or reading what they are peering at through their window. Explaining Twitter makes it sound rather dumb. I can't defend it. You are either a Twitterer, or you are not. I'm sure there are also many many people who cannot fathom the appeal of blogging. (Maybe it's a DNA thing).

If you are interested in checking it out for the purpose of reaching out and meeting like-minded people (or people in your profession), I recommend these little pointers:

1. Complete the bio, and use keywords that others can search to find you, i.e., teacher, lover of dachshunds, book-lover, etc.
2. It's not made especially clear, but you can search keywords from others' bios by typing them in under the "Find People" and then "Search" tab. (I've never gone the "search by email" route).
3. In that same tab, you can also search by a person's name. It's recommended that you use your real name so people can find you (if you want to be found).
4. I think it's best to not follow a whole slew of people. It can get really overwhelming, and keeping it to people who matter or who really interest you makes viewing Tweets manageable and more enjoyable (and reduces the chances of missing a really good Tweet!)
5. P.S. A "Tweet" is that up-to-140-character message you send/receive.
6. You can either block people who follow you (there for a while I was getting a lot of Twitter-Spammers—the ratio of followers to followees is telling), or just choose to not follow them back.
7. Use Direct Message to send a private Tweet to a specific person (kind of like ICQ or other message services).
8. There are many free applications that work with Twitter that make it even more fun to use. My favorites are these:

• Snurl — With only 140 characters allowed in a Tweet, providing a URL to link people to something noteworthy takes up a lot of space, so Snurl "snips" it so you can paste it in your Tweet. Someday they'll probably allow us to make a link like we do in blogs, but for now this works well. There is also TinyURL which is also popular, but I haven't used this one much. 
• Twhirl — Always-on-top desktop application so you can Twitter while in other applications (I use this all the time and love it!)
• Twitpic — You upload a photo, add a caption or message and it automatically becomes a Tweet with a URL to your photo that others can view.
• IsTwitterDown — If you're having troubles with Twitter, it very simply lets you know the status of the site.

Others include TwitterSnooze (allows you to temporarily "turn off" somebody who is being too verbose—I haven't used this one); Search Twitter — used to be called "Summarize", now Twitter has taken this over. Another way of finding people by keywords, etc.

You'll notice that I didn't include any information or links to applications regarding remote device Twittering (IPhone, etc.) because I'm not familiar with this. Eventually I may, but I'm around a computer all the time so I don't feel the need (plus my phone service charges for text messaging). I know this is a HUGE part of Twitter, and you can find a truckload of information on those internets! (Also in the Twitter FAQs).

On my blog's right sidebar (near the top) you'll see my current Twitter Updates, and you can click on "Follow me on Twitter" and it'll take you to my Twitter page and profile.

Wow, Dark at 7:30!

I guess you can tell that I'm a true Washingtonian when I say this: "Hmm, I'm kinda looking forward to the first wind storm." That thought entered my head from out of nowhere today and I'm not really sure why! I guess because I am ready for the season change, and that surprises me because I sure do love summer and I've been sad to see it "go". (Well, except for the skimpier clothing which does me no favors — but I'm sensible with loose cotton shirts and capris and sandals!) We've really had a wonderful Indian Summer so far, though, and I've spent the last many mornings on my drive to work gasping at the sight of Mt. Rainier as I travel through the valley. It's truly other-worldly. I'm also looking forward to the leaves turning, and they've been slow to do so.

It's looking good that we'll be able to head to Harstine this weekend! JDub has continued to put in solid 12-hour days, but they've settled into a routine of only having to work every other weekend. (Jeesh). There is supposed to be a work party along the neighborhood road (trimming, etc.) and Indian Summer is forecasted to continue! wOOt!

So...I continue to play my game. (And it continues to crash on a regular basis). That is so frustrating, and yet the game is REALLY REALLY FUN, so I keep at it (and save constantly). Makes it hard to go to bed because I get so caught up in it. I'm also reading a good book on my Kindle, by the same author who wrote "Garden Spells", and it's just as quirky and enjoyable!

What are your thoughts on this financial bail-out? How disheartening. (There are many other adjectives that also come to mind). De-regulation was good in theory, if only humans weren't greedy and/or corrupt. But, duh, humans—in power—are! That's why we're supposed to have checks and balances. (God, even our founding fathers back in the 1700's knew that!) I agree with Robert Reich's proposed conditions for the bail-out (via Karen at Verbatim—and while you're there, read her excellent post that perfectly defines my own stance on this McCain/Palin debacle nightmare circus).

Taking a Moment to Feel Grateful

As you probably know by now, I'm not the "Polly-Anna" type. I do vent here a lot (it's my outlet!), and I do feel angst about many things. But overall I am not an especially negative person. I laugh often. It doesn't take much to make me hee-haw in donkey-fits of giggles. I have wonderful and extremely bright friends that I'm in touch with regularly; a lovable husband and son who both make me think as well as send me to my knees in laughter with their quirky humor and intelligence; I have unique pets (who also tickle the giggle button); and we have a good life. It's not an especially easy life—we work hard and do a fair amount of sacrificing—but it's a good life. Having our place at Harstine Island makes us feel so blessed and having it to retreat to gets us through the tougher times.

JDub and I are coming up on our 9th wedding anniversary (October 1st!) We're going on 12 years since we met. It pretty much blows my mind — and we still get a kick out of each other. Yeah, we're getting older and feebler and maybe a bit more crotchety, but those giggles still happen on a regular basis, often out of the blue.

So maybe today I do feel a bit "Polly-Anna-ish." For no particular reason. Like, it wasn't a great day at work (although not bad by any means), the weather isn't super-duper (but it could have been a lot worse!), and for the first day of Fall, I really can't complain.

Well. Except that I feel that our country is in the Twilight Zone for thinking Sarah Palin is "all that", but that's for a different post.

Lazy Day

At least it started out that way; since then I've accomplished a few chores around the house on this completely wet and dreary day. But I'm not the only one who is lazy:

Mojo blasted ("Kramered") through the pet door this morning sopping wet and he's been lounging ever since. There has been some bed-hopping happening, but Mojo still attempts to "nurse" off Bailey and Bailey gets pretty wary of those kneading six-toed claws:

So, JDub is putting in another 12-hour day (due home soon, which means a nap), and I have a pot roast in the crock pot. Mmm, it's smelling good. (Wish pot roasts tasted as good as they smelled...) We'll see—I'm doing this one a little different, almost a combo pot roast/swiss steak type thing. By the time we eat tonight, I'm sure I'll be hungry enough to not be too picky!

Nate had "way too much fun" at his Pirate party last night. He came home this afternoon just before getting ready for work, and he was quite green under the gills. Hmm. At least 1) he didn't drive home while under the influence of having "way too much fun", and 2) he didn't renege on going to work in spite of those green gills. 

Friday Night is All Right (sorta)

Well, except for the fact that we're not at Harstine relaxing on the deck in front of a fire. And that my super-cool computer game continues to crash on me, and even though I've been SOS (saving often, stupid), I'm getting really weary of having that nagging at the back of my mind while trying to solve this mystery. I have to admit that I'm not all that and a bag of chips when it comes to multitasking.

Actually, I'm realizing that I'm not all that and a bag of chips when it comes to mystery-solving, which surprises me because I often figure out "whodunnit" in mystery novels. I have to say that this game has some stretches in logic, though.

Today was "Talk Like a Pirate Day" and I noticed a few of the younger engineers at work doing just that. (I've also heard it referred to as "Talk Like McCain Day"). Then tonight Nate comes out of his room dressed rather strangely and he announced that he was invited to a Pirate Party, although he had no idea why (I had to explain it to him). He had big fake bling in his earlobes, a Pirates baseball shirt, weird shorts with a rope belt, weird socks, a bandana, and a painted-on eye-patch. Oh, and some sort of hand-hook. I thought he did pretty well for a last minute thrown-together costume based on what he had on hand.

Came home tonight to cat puke (it had to be cat puke) — I swear that it was mouse fur. It really couldn't have been anything else, and the dogs are not into eating mice (and we all know that Mojo is...) and I have marveled at how absolutely nothing is left from his mouse-captures except for a pile of guts. Not an ear, not a whisker, not a mouse-tail. He eats the entire damned thing (except for that little pile of guts. And why not eat the guts?) Sorry! Hope you aren't eating a meal as you're reading this!

It's Sad Out Today

For the first time in close to three weeks, it was cloudy/foggy/misty/dreary on my drive to work this morning and it persisted all day long. While there was a bit of relief to not have the sun blinding me at traffic lights, I peer out into the grayness and know full well what's in store for the next several (endless) months. I'll be missing that blinding sun.

Soon after I arrived to work, we had a terrible announcement: One of our young new employees was killed as he was riding his bike to work. He'd just graduated from Gonzaga University and was hired in June and he was just 22 years old—the same age as my son. He had such a promising future and everyone was so impressed with his maturity and intelligence, and here he was doing a healthy thing by riding his bicycle to work. His tire hit something on the shoulder and spun him out into the road directly in front of an oncoming dump truck. Added to the tragedy is that his good friend and roommate, who is also a young new employee of ours, was riding his bike with him and while he wasn't hurt, he witnessed the whole terrible thing.

As you can imagine, the entire office has been reeling all day long. The office principal took it really hard, not only for his personal affection and admiration for this young man, but also because he also has a 22-year-old son, and you certainly don't have to be kicked by a horse to have a clear idea of how it would feel. I totally relate to this — the very idea of losing a child at any age is the very worst thing anybody could endure (and how could you endure it?) After I got home tonight, I gave Nate the biggest squeeziest hug in the world. And bless his heart, when I explained to him my need for that hug, his own eyes filled with tears.