One of the bad things about Kim's eye disease is the loss of income through all the time missed from work over the years. But there are many good things, such as being able to spend more time together, particularly hiking and biking. Also about once a year, we get caught in the rain in the middle of a hike, either because we didn't check the forecast ahead of time, or because I felt we had enough time to beat a rain that was forecast for "later." Put those two things together, and you have today.
Since Kathryn was working and Kelly had softball, we decided to go out to Texas Roadhouse and then a hike on the towpath afterwards. As we were driving north to where we would be hiking, I should have taken the hint at the fact that the cars coming in the opposite direction all had their headlights on. But when we got to the parking lot, it appeared the rain was still well to the north. This did not last.
I knew our turn around place was a little less than 2 miles from where we started. As we walked, the first drops began to fall. I made the comment that it would probably start getting heavy just as we got to the turnaround, the farthest point away from the car. These are the only types of situations where I tend to be a true prophet. Apparently we now had to see it through for the proof.
As we were heading back, and the rain was getting heavier, I again correctly prophesied that the rain would let up about the time we got back to the car.
We often tend to see those little thumb-nail sized toads when we're hiking. But apparently, when the big rains come, it's the big frog-sized toads that like to come out. We saw several hopping across the towpath, and Kim managed to step on one that she didn't see. Leave it to the blind woman.
At any rate, we made it back none the worse for wear. There was an interesting incident on the way home. Coming down route 8 about a mile from Steels Corner Road, we suddenly had to brake, because two of the three lanes of traffic seemed to be stopped. After stopping, I realized that this was nothing more than Blossom concert traffic. This was like twenty minutes before the concert was due to begin, and traffic was backed up onto route 8 for three-quarters of a mile. So we knew that the traffic on Steels Corner would be bumper to bumper for the three miles to Blossom. As we passed by we could see the traffic waiting to get off of northbound route 8 was backed up quite a ways as well. When you throw in the three major cross streets that would also contain traffic wanting to get there, I couldn't even begin to imagine how long it would be before these poor people would get to their seats. Or to their hunk of lawn. One can feel even more sorry for the people who have lawn tickets. I mean, even if the rain stops, the lawn will be soaked.
Oh well, there was no particular reason to tell that part of the story. I could have said that it gives me sort of a perverse pleasure to see such a thing happen to people going to a hard rock concert. But that would be truly jaded, wouldn't it?
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
ABC in Obama's Camp?
I've picked up on some hoopla about ABC devoting an entire day to supporting Obama's health care reform including broadcasting their nightly newscast from the white house. I read one conservative publication that condemned it, and two liberal publications, one of which defended it and the other that said they would take a wait and see approach.
In my simplicity, I guess I don't get it. I mean, if it were a news story, every network would be covering it. Since they're not, then it's not. That only leaves two possibilities. Either ABC is shamelessly in Obama's camp but refuses to admit it. Or this is some kind of documentary thing. That's what the one liberal publication used as its defense, comparing it to NBC doing a documentary from the white house during the Bush years. But if it is a documentary, then why would they do their newscast from there?
For me, the deciding factor as to what this really is occurred on the night before the election last November when ABC broadcast a full hour of free publicity for Obama, practically begging people to vote for him, under the guise of a TV show called Boston Legal. This shameless promotion was condemned by no one that I know of, probably because any conservatives that might have watched it already knew ABC's position, so felt no comment was necessary.
I don't mind networks favoring one politician over another, or one political party over another. I just hate it that they all pretend that they don't.
In my simplicity, I guess I don't get it. I mean, if it were a news story, every network would be covering it. Since they're not, then it's not. That only leaves two possibilities. Either ABC is shamelessly in Obama's camp but refuses to admit it. Or this is some kind of documentary thing. That's what the one liberal publication used as its defense, comparing it to NBC doing a documentary from the white house during the Bush years. But if it is a documentary, then why would they do their newscast from there?
For me, the deciding factor as to what this really is occurred on the night before the election last November when ABC broadcast a full hour of free publicity for Obama, practically begging people to vote for him, under the guise of a TV show called Boston Legal. This shameless promotion was condemned by no one that I know of, probably because any conservatives that might have watched it already knew ABC's position, so felt no comment was necessary.
I don't mind networks favoring one politician over another, or one political party over another. I just hate it that they all pretend that they don't.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Surgery et al
What a day. Kim was supposed to have eye surgery at the Clinic today, but while we were getting ready to go this morning, she broke a tooth while flossing. Guess she doesn't know her own strength. These surgeries require 3 days of traveling an hour each way. Monday we go up there for pre-op testing. Then Tuesday we go up for the surgery. Then Wednesday is post-op.
We called the doctor who said they would cancel the surgery and reschedule at a later date. We knew this would probably mean at least a 3 week wait. We found a walk-in dental place where we had to wait about an hour to see a dentist. But once Kim got into the chair, it didn't take long for the dentist to fix her up with a filling. She'll have to go back sometime for a crown. After we got back home we decided to call the Clinic back to see if they could still take her. They said yes, so we drove up there and she had the surgery done.
Originally she was supposed to be there at 12:30. We actually got there at 2:30. But things went well, more or less, and we were able to leave for home around 6:15. So in the long run, everything worked out well. She was able to have the surgery, and we think we finally found a dentist.
We called the doctor who said they would cancel the surgery and reschedule at a later date. We knew this would probably mean at least a 3 week wait. We found a walk-in dental place where we had to wait about an hour to see a dentist. But once Kim got into the chair, it didn't take long for the dentist to fix her up with a filling. She'll have to go back sometime for a crown. After we got back home we decided to call the Clinic back to see if they could still take her. They said yes, so we drove up there and she had the surgery done.
Originally she was supposed to be there at 12:30. We actually got there at 2:30. But things went well, more or less, and we were able to leave for home around 6:15. So in the long run, everything worked out well. She was able to have the surgery, and we think we finally found a dentist.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Myrtle Beach Trip
I worked until midnight Sunday night, and after I got home, we decided to go ahead and get ready to leave rather than sleep for a few hours. I figured I’d not want to get up if I went to sleep and since it was at least a 12-hour trip, we wanted to get there while there was still part of the day to enjoy. We got on the road a little after 2.
As it was, I drove for about 2 ½ hours and then pulled into a rest area and napped for about 30 minutes, then did the same thing again a few hours later. We had to get the key to the place at another location about 5 miles away, so that added time, but we got into the condo about 4:00, which I thought was pretty good for having to drive the whole 665 miles myself.
There were a few surprises waiting for us in the condo. The patio door was stuck due to a bent and rusty track. At first I couldn’t get it open at all. Later I figured out that if I lifted the backside of it carefully, so as not to jam my fingers, I was able to pull it over the bent area and get it open. We then just left it open for the rest of the week, which turned out to be fine. Even when we had the violent thunderstorm on the last night, it wasn’t enough to get the living room carpet wet.
At first we couldn’t find any towels or washcloths, but then we found them in the dryer, although they weren’t dry. The sheets that were folded up on the master bed were also wet and had to be redried. All together there were 4 bath towels, 1 hand towel, and exactly zero washcloths in this unit that sleeps eight people. There were also no kitchen linens. For 3 bathrooms, there was a total of one-half roll of toilet paper. There was also no dish soap.
There were other minor problems that were not irritating by themselves, but under the circumstances, they also added to the perception that we were not exactly in a high-class joint.
We were too tired to do anything about it right then, so we waited until Wednesday morning. We drove back over to the Century 21 office, where we had gotten the keys, with a written list of these complaints so they could notify the owner, or whoever. Then we went over to WalMart to buy all the missing items we needed. Since we were only going to have three people rather than the five who were invited, we just bought some washcloths, and called Ralph to have him bring his own towels. It wasn’t until Thursday that someone called us to discuss these problems. The person said they would bring over some towels, which they never did, that they would tell the owner about the patio door, (I’m guessing the owner already knows about it), and that as far as dishwasher soap, they don’t provide it. I told the lady that this was the first time we had ever rented a condo in which dishwasher soap was not provided. After all, we are required to wash the dishes before we leave, so most owners consider it common courtesy to provide the soap.
The name of the condo is The Summit in North Myrtle Beach. It is better avoided for future reference.
Once we got over this initial hurdle, the rest of the week was rather grand. Well, that is excepting my usual $40 poker losses to my brother. But that’s just my life, and I probably wouldn’t know how to handle it if I actually won.
Kim and I got to take our usual walks on the beach, although she didn’t find many shells worth keeping this time. We think the gulf side has better shells. We got to spend a lot of time just relaxing on the balcony listening to the waves (my biggest reason for going in the first place). We went out for the obligatory seafood dinner, a buffet this time. And Ralph took us on a sightseeing drive down as far as Murrell Inlet and back, mostly because he got bored after I was forced to quit playing poker, having reached my loss limit. I got to make my Books A Million run. And we stumbled onto a discount bookstore in a shopping area called Tanger. That’s quite an outdoor shopping center. There must be a hundred stores there, mostly clothing, but other stuff as well. Anyway, I couldn’t believe how cheap the books were in this bookstore. And they were new current books, not used. Recent books by Dean Koontz, John Updike, John Grisham and Ted Dekker, among others. An illustrated coffee table version of David McCullough’s 1776, which lists for $65, sold for $14.99.
I got $283 worth of books for $86.
I would have kept going, but I didn’t want to hold up the others any longer.
Saturday night, our last night there, Ralph went ahead on home. Kim and I sat on the balcony as a rather violent thunderstorm went out over the ocean. It’s amazing how much louder thunder sounds when it’s out in the open rather than in the city. The lightning show was rather fascinating, and it’s always fun to count the seconds between lightning and thunder so you can figure out how far away it is. When the lightning and thunder are virtually simultaneous, the noise is deafening.
As it was, I drove for about 2 ½ hours and then pulled into a rest area and napped for about 30 minutes, then did the same thing again a few hours later. We had to get the key to the place at another location about 5 miles away, so that added time, but we got into the condo about 4:00, which I thought was pretty good for having to drive the whole 665 miles myself.
There were a few surprises waiting for us in the condo. The patio door was stuck due to a bent and rusty track. At first I couldn’t get it open at all. Later I figured out that if I lifted the backside of it carefully, so as not to jam my fingers, I was able to pull it over the bent area and get it open. We then just left it open for the rest of the week, which turned out to be fine. Even when we had the violent thunderstorm on the last night, it wasn’t enough to get the living room carpet wet.
At first we couldn’t find any towels or washcloths, but then we found them in the dryer, although they weren’t dry. The sheets that were folded up on the master bed were also wet and had to be redried. All together there were 4 bath towels, 1 hand towel, and exactly zero washcloths in this unit that sleeps eight people. There were also no kitchen linens. For 3 bathrooms, there was a total of one-half roll of toilet paper. There was also no dish soap.
There were other minor problems that were not irritating by themselves, but under the circumstances, they also added to the perception that we were not exactly in a high-class joint.
We were too tired to do anything about it right then, so we waited until Wednesday morning. We drove back over to the Century 21 office, where we had gotten the keys, with a written list of these complaints so they could notify the owner, or whoever. Then we went over to WalMart to buy all the missing items we needed. Since we were only going to have three people rather than the five who were invited, we just bought some washcloths, and called Ralph to have him bring his own towels. It wasn’t until Thursday that someone called us to discuss these problems. The person said they would bring over some towels, which they never did, that they would tell the owner about the patio door, (I’m guessing the owner already knows about it), and that as far as dishwasher soap, they don’t provide it. I told the lady that this was the first time we had ever rented a condo in which dishwasher soap was not provided. After all, we are required to wash the dishes before we leave, so most owners consider it common courtesy to provide the soap.
The name of the condo is The Summit in North Myrtle Beach. It is better avoided for future reference.
Once we got over this initial hurdle, the rest of the week was rather grand. Well, that is excepting my usual $40 poker losses to my brother. But that’s just my life, and I probably wouldn’t know how to handle it if I actually won.
Kim and I got to take our usual walks on the beach, although she didn’t find many shells worth keeping this time. We think the gulf side has better shells. We got to spend a lot of time just relaxing on the balcony listening to the waves (my biggest reason for going in the first place). We went out for the obligatory seafood dinner, a buffet this time. And Ralph took us on a sightseeing drive down as far as Murrell Inlet and back, mostly because he got bored after I was forced to quit playing poker, having reached my loss limit. I got to make my Books A Million run. And we stumbled onto a discount bookstore in a shopping area called Tanger. That’s quite an outdoor shopping center. There must be a hundred stores there, mostly clothing, but other stuff as well. Anyway, I couldn’t believe how cheap the books were in this bookstore. And they were new current books, not used. Recent books by Dean Koontz, John Updike, John Grisham and Ted Dekker, among others. An illustrated coffee table version of David McCullough’s 1776, which lists for $65, sold for $14.99.
I got $283 worth of books for $86.
I would have kept going, but I didn’t want to hold up the others any longer.
Saturday night, our last night there, Ralph went ahead on home. Kim and I sat on the balcony as a rather violent thunderstorm went out over the ocean. It’s amazing how much louder thunder sounds when it’s out in the open rather than in the city. The lightning show was rather fascinating, and it’s always fun to count the seconds between lightning and thunder so you can figure out how far away it is. When the lightning and thunder are virtually simultaneous, the noise is deafening.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Anticipation
So in short it's never a good idea to get excited about something that hasn't happened yet. It turns out that when it doesn't happen the disappointment is far out of proportion to the original anticipation.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Cleveland Boo-Hoo Cavaliers
So how about those Cavs? As I predicted, I was much more upset about the way this season ended than I was any others: 95 Indians, the shot, the drive, the fumble. But there was also a certain reassuring quality about the whole thing. Cleveland is still Cleveland and its destiny is to be the eternal loser.
The reality is that in the NBA being the best team over the course of the long season is next to meaningless. The only thing it gets you is home court advantage, which obviously can be lost in a flash. Orlando, on the other hand, kept getting better so that by the time the playoffs started, they were the best team, at least in the east. I knew the Cavs were in trouble after Orlando manhandled Boston in game seven, in Boston. And after the first two games in Cleveland, I knew it was over. At that time, my boss predicted that Cleveland would lose the series in five games, and I said they would lose it in six. So at least I got that right.
Of course, one can always dream about what could have been. In game one, if Mo Williams last second desperation shot had been 1-2 inches to the right, it would have gone in, and the complexion of the whole series would have been changed. Not necessarily that the Cavs would have won it, but it probably would have gone seven, and then who knows.
The reality is that in the NBA being the best team over the course of the long season is next to meaningless. The only thing it gets you is home court advantage, which obviously can be lost in a flash. Orlando, on the other hand, kept getting better so that by the time the playoffs started, they were the best team, at least in the east. I knew the Cavs were in trouble after Orlando manhandled Boston in game seven, in Boston. And after the first two games in Cleveland, I knew it was over. At that time, my boss predicted that Cleveland would lose the series in five games, and I said they would lose it in six. So at least I got that right.
Of course, one can always dream about what could have been. In game one, if Mo Williams last second desperation shot had been 1-2 inches to the right, it would have gone in, and the complexion of the whole series would have been changed. Not necessarily that the Cavs would have won it, but it probably would have gone seven, and then who knows.
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