Friday, August 29, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Repeat After Me...
“I am retired! I do not need any more teaching supplies.” Say it again!
“I am retired! I do not need any more teaching supplies.”
Dad reminded me to keep saying that after I noticed that there was a new Lakeshore store close to the Arboretum.
Now to really appreciate how much excitement this brought, you have to understand that Lakeshore was my very favorite teacher supply store. It had all kinds of math manipulatives, new and different games that helped build math and language concepts, more neat pocket charts for more purposes than you could ever imagine, and tons of disposable materials that made the art table really enticing. Whenever I went to
My first response when I saw it was “Yipee! Gotta go there as soon as possible”. And then I felt a little hurt. “I wonder why they didn’t let me know they’ve opened a store here? I’ve spent lots of money with them over the years.”
I waited a couple of days and thought about how much fun it was going to be. And then I went and I walked all around the store and walked out without being tempted to buy even a single thing.
I guess it’s true. “I am retired! I do not need any more teaching supplies.”
Monday, August 25, 2008
Friday, August 22, 2008
Some things are not worth a lousy four bucks!
"Let's get started."
Please!
"To begin, please press 1 on your telephone keypad now. "
Beep.
"Great. Look at the Red Lobster recipt that has the toll-free number for the survey on it. Near where it says "your opinion counts" is a twelve-digit ID number. Please enter that number now. Press the pound key when you've finished entering."
Good grief. Why 12 digits long? Okay, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep... Rats!! Wrong number. Now what?
"I'm sorry, but the ID number you entered is not valid."
I know, I know! I punched the wrong number!
"Be sure your entry is the correct ID number. It's twelve digits long and it's printed on your Red Lobster receipt near where it says your opinion counts."
Yes, I know where the number is, but it's too long!
"If you've located the correct ID number please reenter it now."
If you will give me a break, I will!
"Be sure to press each digit firmly when entering."
Okay! I'm sorry. I made mistake! Can we get past it?
"Then, when you've finished, press the pound key."
Finally!! Okay. Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep... [expletive deleted]!!!
"I'm sorry, but the ID number you entered is not... click!
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Yoda you seek
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Memory loss?
I'm pretty sure this is a sign of something, but I can't remember what it is.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Funny nevertheless
Based on Ms. Andrews age, that would have been in 2004, but she lost the ability to sing after botched surgery in 1997, so this is another cyberlegend - but the lyrics have a special meaning to some of us anyway.
Try singing it as you read.
Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Cadillacs and cataracts, and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.
When the pipes leak, When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.
Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.
Back pain, confused brains and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.
When the joints ache, When the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.
Friday, August 15, 2008
You need to see this
Here's a picture we took last August when the first mosaic was in its final stages. It's sharply cropped because there was scaffolding, etc., still standing when we were there. There are better pictures on the linked site.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Did I say retired?
This was last week, so I had some time to get used to the idea, but I have to say it didn't help. I still felt like a condemned man. "Well, tomorrow I have to go turn myself in and start serving my time." Tomorrow is today, so I got my act together this morning and went back to my old office and it's like I never left!
I don't know the scope of this yet, but I've got a feeling that I'm going to be going in to the office quite a bit - probably till the end of the year. Surplus Lines of Texas is "modernizing" the application that we did for them about 10 years ago and I'm one of the few who remain who can dig the business rules out of the existing application.
But the good news is that we can quit wondering if we can afford to go to Peru in November. Of course, the bad news is that now there are no excuses for not going to Peru in November.
Now, if I could just remember my password.
Monday, August 11, 2008
If you were to guess
Not only that, this structure has made the short list for the World Architecture Festival Awards. I just wonder what category it was entered under? "Best use of old steel planks" or "Most likely to leave them guessing" or "Most certain to create a shy bladder?
Way to go, Austin!
Friday, August 8, 2008
I confess. I'm an Olympic junkie.
Of course I'll watch all the thrilling and less than thrilling athletics competitions. What's the summer equivalent of Curling? Whatever it is I'll be glued to the set like I cared. There are more than 20 athletes there from Austin (not all USA team - some just train here) so there's a local interest.
And this time you can see any event you want live - if you are willing to get up at 2AM. Gotta go. Horseshoes begins in 30 minutes. I understand Turkmenistan has a formidable team.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
What price for wisdom?
Well, we attempt to. We have a copy of Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary which isn't. It was published in 1977 and the spine is broken and it's heavy and hard to use. Granted a lot of words were already invented by 1977, but according to a guy here in Austin, author of "A Million Words and Counting" about 4,000 words a year are being added globally to the English language, so we could be 124,000 words behind.
So Mom bought a little copy of Webster's New World Dictionary at Wal-Mart; it was published in 2003 so that should get us more up-to-date. Up-to-date perhaps, but sadly lacking. On occasion we have failed to find as many as five definitions in a row. Maybe we should have spent more than $3.87 for enlightenment. Or maybe it's because it's only 753 pages long compared to the old 1,533 page New Collegiate. I figure that's about 100,000 fewer words.
So we have committed to investing more than $3.87 for enlightenment. How much more, I don't know. Mom just called from some store and asked if I could remember an unfound word. I gave her riparian as our litmus test.
Does your dictionary include the word riparian? I'll wait while you check.
She came home with a copy of The American Heritage Dictionary and I have to say it looks pretty impressive with 948 pages of teeny-tiny print and cost only $5.99. It includes the definition of riparian. However, it did not have the first word I needed to look up - marcelled.
I wonder what an OED costs?
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
All Right!! Football!!
I mean we've watched the "Lord of the Rings" (extended versions - all three movies), "Star Wars" (the 3 good ones), "Indiana Jones", "Hunt for Red October", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "Field of Dreams", "Oh Brother Where Art Thou", "Bull Durham" (my, my!) and part of "True Lies" (on TV). We were getting desperate.
But at last, long last there was a football game and football and big-screen High Def are made for each other. Another game Thursday and Friday the Olympics start. We made it through the drought!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Is it true...
I don't know the answer, but that's what a woman asked us after stopping us in WalMart this morning.
I think we are going to shop only at HEB from now on.