We've had a rash of flu-like symptoms here in Dirtland for the past week. It's debatable who the instigator is in all of this but Heir I claims he got his from his girlfriend. Of course, he had taken a two-day trip to visit friends and play non-stop video games just prior to coming home and polluting the basement.
Heir I is still in school so I am banking that he picked up the bug there. He missed several days of school but managed to play a basketball game with a bunch of asses one night and had a candlelight picnic on Valentine's Day with his girlfriend...
Heir II is back in school now, just in time for the talent show.
And we can't forget SisIggy. She had it bad the past three days but is showing signs of recovery. At least we can hope and pray.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Making My Bride Happy
I could have given SisIggy the ride she always has wanted.
This balloon floated over our house yesterday and I was able to snap a couple of shots...
But I had a better and less expensive idea for her for Valentine's Day. Not that I'm cheap but we all need to be more frugal in these tough economic times. I went to the local grocery store, purchased fresh ingredients (most items were on sale) and prepared a romantic dinner for two.
(The Heirs both had dates also. Heir I prepared his date a Ramon Noodle casserole and Heir II had a candlelit picnic for his girlfriend).
What I finally came up with:
Spring Garden Mix sprinkled with Feta Cheese with Ranch Dressing on the side
Beef Sirloin grilled rare over an open flame
Baked Idaho Potato garnished with Butter and Sour Cream
Strawberry Parfait topped with Whipped Cream
It might not make the cover of Bon Appetite or even Kevin Weeks' blog but I thought the dinner was a nice touch for my bride tonight in honor of our 22nd year together. We've been married for 21 years but I proposed to SisIggy back on Valentine's Day, 1987.
Those that have known us all that time already know the story on how the proposal was made. For those who don't, here it is: I took an ad out in the local newspaper where she worked taking obituaries from local funeral homes.
I was one of those who called obits into the papers and one day in 1986, I had the honor of calling in five obits to her. By the fifth one, she swore I was making them up just so I could talk to her. We continued our phone calls for a few weeks and then I asked her out.
Our first date was Oct. 10 of that year and I proposed the following February.
The ad, by the way, generated an article in the same newspaper that was picked up by the AP and sent to newspapers and other media outlets around the world. We had our 15 minutes of fame and then some and then we settled into a cozy life where we have raised two fine boys into manhood and can appreciate a nice quiet dinner for two - at home - without spending too much money.
We did have our Hallmark moment - we watched a movie afterwards on the Hallmark Channel.
This balloon floated over our house yesterday and I was able to snap a couple of shots...
But I had a better and less expensive idea for her for Valentine's Day. Not that I'm cheap but we all need to be more frugal in these tough economic times. I went to the local grocery store, purchased fresh ingredients (most items were on sale) and prepared a romantic dinner for two.
(The Heirs both had dates also. Heir I prepared his date a Ramon Noodle casserole and Heir II had a candlelit picnic for his girlfriend).
What I finally came up with:
Spring Garden Mix sprinkled with Feta Cheese with Ranch Dressing on the side
Beef Sirloin grilled rare over an open flame
Baked Idaho Potato garnished with Butter and Sour Cream
Strawberry Parfait topped with Whipped Cream
It might not make the cover of Bon Appetite or even Kevin Weeks' blog but I thought the dinner was a nice touch for my bride tonight in honor of our 22nd year together. We've been married for 21 years but I proposed to SisIggy back on Valentine's Day, 1987.
Those that have known us all that time already know the story on how the proposal was made. For those who don't, here it is: I took an ad out in the local newspaper where she worked taking obituaries from local funeral homes.
I was one of those who called obits into the papers and one day in 1986, I had the honor of calling in five obits to her. By the fifth one, she swore I was making them up just so I could talk to her. We continued our phone calls for a few weeks and then I asked her out.
Our first date was Oct. 10 of that year and I proposed the following February.
The ad, by the way, generated an article in the same newspaper that was picked up by the AP and sent to newspapers and other media outlets around the world. We had our 15 minutes of fame and then some and then we settled into a cozy life where we have raised two fine boys into manhood and can appreciate a nice quiet dinner for two - at home - without spending too much money.
We did have our Hallmark moment - we watched a movie afterwards on the Hallmark Channel.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Paraskavedekatriaphobia, Anyone
I've never had a problem with paraskavedekatriaphobia. In fact, if truth be told, paraskavedekatriaphobia has always been a good day for me.
If you don't know the definition of paraskavedekatriaphobia, don't worry. I didn't either until I looked it up. First, I don't believe in bad luck. Never have. Never will.
I graduated high school on that day in 1975 and for the next 33 years I observed Friday the 13th with reverence. Not anymore.
Yesterday, we had a tornado hit less than a quarter-mile from our house. I was outside at the time assessing the damage from the winds that started during the night. The first thing I heard was the sound of a run-away freight train and then, off to the west saw a 40-foot long aluminum roof fly off a new equipment shed, fly 30 feet up in the air and then crumble onto the ground about 400 feet away (towards me).
Later in the day we heard more wind gusts (they continued, by the way, until early this morning). NOAA had our area under a high wind warning with possible gusts above 65 mph. The agency was right - pretty good considering it doesn't have a cabinet-level secretary running the Commerce Department yet.
And then, this morning we saw what the storm left us:
I fed and watered the birds. The fountain broke and tumbled over
early yesterday
and Rich Little, our
Northern Mockingbird,
stared at me
like he was giving me the finger.
Danny Kaye, our Red-Bellied Woodpecker was the only bird to stay at the feeder, hanging onto the suet feeder for dear life.
Then came the tiring task of collecting all of the shingles. A few were in the backyard. Several more in our landlord's yard, some in the road in front of the house and even more in neighbor's yards across the road. I even found one a half-mile away.
Once the landlord gets back from his bus run, hopefully we can assess the damage. With potential rain and snow forecast for Valentine's Day I hope we can at least get a tarp on the roof and maybe even repair it today.
If you don't know the definition of paraskavedekatriaphobia, don't worry. I didn't either until I looked it up. First, I don't believe in bad luck. Never have. Never will.
I graduated high school on that day in 1975 and for the next 33 years I observed Friday the 13th with reverence. Not anymore.
Yesterday, we had a tornado hit less than a quarter-mile from our house. I was outside at the time assessing the damage from the winds that started during the night. The first thing I heard was the sound of a run-away freight train and then, off to the west saw a 40-foot long aluminum roof fly off a new equipment shed, fly 30 feet up in the air and then crumble onto the ground about 400 feet away (towards me).
Later in the day we heard more wind gusts (they continued, by the way, until early this morning). NOAA had our area under a high wind warning with possible gusts above 65 mph. The agency was right - pretty good considering it doesn't have a cabinet-level secretary running the Commerce Department yet.
And then, this morning we saw what the storm left us:
I fed and watered the birds. The fountain broke and tumbled over
early yesterday
and Rich Little, ourNorthern Mockingbird,
stared at melike he was giving me the finger.
Danny Kaye, our Red-Bellied Woodpecker was the only bird to stay at the feeder, hanging onto the suet feeder for dear life.
Then came the tiring task of collecting all of the shingles. A few were in the backyard. Several more in our landlord's yard, some in the road in front of the house and even more in neighbor's yards across the road. I even found one a half-mile away.
Once the landlord gets back from his bus run, hopefully we can assess the damage. With potential rain and snow forecast for Valentine's Day I hope we can at least get a tarp on the roof and maybe even repair it today.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
A Lot to Catch Up On
Our Internet has been on the blink for much of the year but really bad for the past three weeks. I finally had enough on Tuesday and called our ISP and found out that our modem doesn't work well with the company's new equipment.
They told me they would give me a new one if I would pick it up. An hour later I had it and PRESTO, we were back to the 21st century.
I will be catching up on everything I wanted to say in the next few days so come back and check it out.
They told me they would give me a new one if I would pick it up. An hour later I had it and PRESTO, we were back to the 21st century.
I will be catching up on everything I wanted to say in the next few days so come back and check it out.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Half-Priced Dinners
The running joke here in DirtmanLand is that I love to kid SissIggy that she is older than me (in reality, I am exactly six months older). I also kid her when she gets mail from the Social Security Administration and AARP.
A third running gag is she will soon qualify for senior citizen discounts - especially at restaurants - and that I will buy her the things she really wants and need, when I can use the savings from said discounts.
It all came back to bite me one day last week when Sis and I were dining with my parents at the local IHOP on senior citizen night. IHOP, by the way, has good food at regular prices but on those special Mondays, seniors over age 55 get a 50 percent savings and a cup of ice cream too.
The bill came and I forwarded cash to my mother for Sis' and my part of the ticket. She went to pay and commented afterwards that she wasn't charged the right amount. The total bill was around $49 and she had been charged $28 and change.
As mom is always apt to do, she marched right up to the manager and told him he needed to take more of her money. As there was a steady stream of other customers wanting and needing to pay so they could get home in time to watch Big Joe's Polka (on RFDTV).
The manager explained the clerk had rung up the ticket wrong, giving four senior discounts instead of two. So now it seems Sis will get a new pair of slippers 3-1/2 years sooner than I thought.
A third running gag is she will soon qualify for senior citizen discounts - especially at restaurants - and that I will buy her the things she really wants and need, when I can use the savings from said discounts.
It all came back to bite me one day last week when Sis and I were dining with my parents at the local IHOP on senior citizen night. IHOP, by the way, has good food at regular prices but on those special Mondays, seniors over age 55 get a 50 percent savings and a cup of ice cream too.
The bill came and I forwarded cash to my mother for Sis' and my part of the ticket. She went to pay and commented afterwards that she wasn't charged the right amount. The total bill was around $49 and she had been charged $28 and change.
As mom is always apt to do, she marched right up to the manager and told him he needed to take more of her money. As there was a steady stream of other customers wanting and needing to pay so they could get home in time to watch Big Joe's Polka (on RFDTV).
The manager explained the clerk had rung up the ticket wrong, giving four senior discounts instead of two. So now it seems Sis will get a new pair of slippers 3-1/2 years sooner than I thought.
Friday, January 2, 2009
VT 20, Cincinnatti 7
To the chagrin of the Heirs I can say with confidence, "We did it".They, of course, will say that I didn't play a single down but who cares. Virginia Tech finally won a BCS Bowl for the first time in four tries and the team now has won 10 or more games, five years in a row. Only two other BCS teams can say that: Texas and USC, which puts our program in some pretty good company.
The Bearcats entered the game as favorites and that played into
the Hokies working-man mentality.Congrats to coach Beamer and Company and especially to coach Stinespring who may have finally gotten the monkey off his back from alumni unhappy about our offense this season. A big kudo to coach Foster for another outstanding defensive effort.
With any kind of luck, Tech might finish in the top 15 this season and we (there I go again) should be a bonified pre-season Top-10 team next August.
Congrats again, Hokies.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Happy New Year
Hats off to Google for another nice piece of artwork celebrating the first holiday of 2009. And while I post this on the coldest (19 degrees Fahrenheit), windiest (WNW 24 mph) and first night of the new year, I wish it to be safe and prosperous for everyone who frequents this blog.
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