Happy Now?

Bitch!

Okay, for all we know, it could have been a bastard.

Two weeks ago, we received an anonymous letter addressed to us. No name, return address, signature. Our mailing address was printed on a computer, then taped to the envelope. Pretty chicken shit.

The letter was as follows.
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I have waited patiently for you to trim the hedge that is encroaching upon the sidewalk that surrounds your home.
Apparently, this not concern you. I am reliant upon a wheelchair due to my disability. You are in direct violation of both City, State and Federal statutes. I have a right to use the sidewalk without it being obstructed in any manner.
I strongly advise you to tend to this matter immediately. I will pursue any and all actions to see that this matter is resolved.
Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.
====

Is that a hateful, nasty letter, or what? Yes, our hedge was overgrown and we were planning to trim it back. But a nice letter, asking us politely to trim it, would have been the first order of business. If that didn’t work, well yes, you can ‘pitch a bitch’.
So we hacked the hedge back a foot and now it looks like a gnarly hedge, all full of branches and sticks that I am sure will scratch people as they go by. Well, it will look good for Halloween!
If the letter had been nice and polite, we would have felt bad for the disabled person. We would have trimmed it back and then felt good about ourselves. Now we just hate this ornery cripple.

People should realize that not everyone is aware of how something as simple as an overgrown hedge can impede someone in a wheelchair. I am fully aware that short people(95% of the population) forget that normal sized people like me(over six foot) have to constantly duck because people don’t cut there low hanging branches, hanging lamps and signs in stores the hit me in the head. Oh, and one of my favorites, ATM machines made for little children! I almost have to kneel to use them!
So I am fully aware the people go through life, thinking they are the norm and everything should be built to fit them.

More Warts

Well, it suddenly dawned on me, with Google adding email and IM, I had better sign up, lest someone else usurp my special chosen name(as if)

Now all I have to do is wait for someone else I know to get on, then I can try the voice communication. It would be fun to talk to some of my friends around the world, instead of IM chat. I type slowly, inaccurately and I am a lousy speller. Actual audio would be fun and cheaper.

Are we there yet?

Amusing how an idea pops into your head. You think about it for a while and you have to wonder…
I was surfing through Craig’s list, looking at the free stuff. I almost snagged a wood burning stove, but I was perhaps, hours late.

So I looked at a few other things. Personals are always amusing to read and not much has changed in forty years. But I guess what has changed is how people can secretly communicate. Emails lead to pictures exchanged, pictures to Im. Maybe phone calls. A meeting is set up. Probably takes hours now, instead of days?

A guy or gal leaves their office at lunch, walks a number of blocks, and spend their lunch…

And back to the office. The day ends, they go home.

Soon, it’s not going to be that way. Because think about it. Someone quietly goes somewhere, doesn’t tell anyone. Outside of some emails or phone call, if you look, no record.
“Oh, Mrs. Smith went out for lunch.”
“Does she do that often?”
“A few times a week.”
“And she didn’t come back?”
“No Officer, she missed her 2pm meeting. It’s just not like her.”

And no one hears from her again. The trail goes cold. One more missing person.

And miles away, in the Sunset district, a sedan pulls out of a garage and makes it’s way to a warehouse. The unconscious body is delivered to a small team of surgeons. What can be sold is removed and quickly flown to waiting hospitals. Money changes hands and those who can afford it live on.

An back in the Sunset district, money is divided up and they go to work on the next ad.

“GWF seeks lunch date with Mature same. Please come show me pleasures I never thought possible!”


How close are we to this? Or are we there already?

Local darkness

As I was tightening the last screw, the spa breaker went clunk, clunk.
“Something’s wrong with the spa.” WG said.
“Power outage.” I said as I got off my knees and went to the outdoor light switch. Nothing happened.
Okay, I’ll finish up putting some boards along the base of the deck. We could see evidence of something digging at the edge of the lawn and getting under the deck. From there, the rats are getting under the deck, and under the house. I can’t get under the deck, so this is the next best thing. With luck, the little bastards will starve to death, or better yet, nibble on the generous food on the traps.(Bwahahaha!) Barring that, they at least won’t get under the house.
And lest you think it’s terrible, my poor coworker has some nice tomato plants, but no tomatoes. Something is eating them.

And perhaps we should talk to the dog. He is not patrolling well enough. We can tell because we find that squirrels are starting to bury their nuts. (yes, squirrels can be like rats, but a little cuter.)

And now the power comes back on and perhaps I should get some more tools and fix some other things. Oh, I can make some more coffee now!

Expectations

I watch the news of the hurricane aftermath and wonder about my area. I find it interesting on how quickly chaos can take over. Maybe it starts with ‘I need food and water.’ Soon it’s anger over the situation or simple want, and people begin to take everything.
I am sure some people wanted to stay and I have less sympathy for them. Some could not leave, they have my sympathy. But for the vast majority, there was ample time to get out. Whether people could not evacuate, or the government didn’t evacuate them; I can’t say. But there was time.

At some point, the San Andreas, or the Hayward fault will let loose. And when the shit hits the fan, there will be no warning. No time to evacuate. Just deal with it if you are alive afterward.
And everyone warns you not to expect ANY help for at least three days. Zero, nada, you are on your own!

I fully expect a week. And I have food and water for that week.

I am not sure what went wrong beforehand, down south. Why not enough people evacuated. But perhaps next time, more will leave sooner.
Unfortunately, people have to die, for others to learn lessons.

gas prices

So the other night, I heard that to lessen the effect of high gas prices, you need a jar a Vaseline to lubricate the gas nozzle, as they stick it to you!
But then I realized that Vaseline is petroleum jelly and the price of that is gonna go up also!