Archives
[ * January to 20 April 2007 * ]
[ * May to August 2007 * ]
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* S E P T E M B E R *
3 September 2007 / Monday -- ** LABOR DAY ** the end of the summer vacation and back to school here in the USA -- beaches no longer have lifeguards, municipal swimming pools close, boardwalk businesses and amusements shut down, unemployment claims go up, luscious Jersey tomatoes / corn are ripe for the picking, moms once again have to drive their progeny to extracurricular activities -- college kids already bought their new Apple MacBook laptops [with FREE iPod bonus] and are settled into their dorms and apartments, eBay theoretically picks up slightly, more hurricanes should develop, and the leaves should soon begin to fall -- time for me to get my lazy procrastinating ass outside to do some painting and other property repairs during the cooler days, probably losing some excess pounds in the process.
Some good news and some not so good news -- on 1 September I added the above Special Report dedicated to Crocs -- do NOT go there is you dislike looking at really ugly naked feet --
also on 1 September, a lady from Forest Hills came over with one of her five daughters to check out the kittens -- they spent four hours here, coaxing the cats to come out of hiding [which they seem to do when strangers are seen and heard]. She is from Barcelona and is a single mom, and plays the piano and harp in a symphony orchestra -- fascinating gal, and talks up a storm even more than I do, so it was a really fun experience since I have few visitors -- we spoke some Español.
Her daughter decided on two of the females born on 17 April 2007, plus Yakshini, another female, born on 1 April 2003. Her musician mother said she would take them ALL home with her if she could! They also saw the older cats in the kitchen and the new litters in the bedroom.
Last month I mentioned that BOTH Olga and Blinky had new litters, ten new mouths to feed -- Blinky, after being such a fabulous mommy with her last litter, seemed almost disinterested in her new batch after about 2 days, although she seemed to be doing OK at the beginning -- -- luckily Olga, who did not have a clue in her previous two litters, took over the task of feeding and caring for ALL of them. Five were very thin, as sometimes happens, so I bottle fed them for a couple days, after which four died. To make Olga's job a little less taxing, I placed one of the newbies in with Fabiola in the kitchen, who already has a gorgeous female who is now slightly over a month old -- when kitty hears me come into the kitchen, she climbs up the side of the box and looks longingly at me with those wide open blue eyes, thinking, when is he going to pick me up and hug me, which I always do, of course -- -- so at this point there are a total of seven kittens that may hopefully survive until they are ready to be adopted, God willing.
Last month I mentioned the sleeping option I devised when I tried to sleep in the bedroom BUT the kittens would not let me because they always got playful when I came in and got into bed with them, and did not settle down for at least an hour -- with materials I got from the discards [ = trash] from the tax free donation warehouse across the street, a sheet of foam, a Japanese style portable mattress that I folded up when not in use and a down pillow -- -- I spread them out in the ONLY large open space on the hardwood floor of my study, in the entrance way -- this is a view from the desk I prepare my packages at, looking towards the entrance door, which is always closed -- -- a view from the door -- -- it is VERY comfortable, just long enough for my six foot three inch hulk, and I could easily sleep for eight hours or more, but usually got up around six or seven-ish. With the bedroom now occupied by only two females and some kittens in a nest on the floor, I can once again sleep there -- it also allows me to keep track of the babies if I hear them squeaking, which might mean they are hungry while Olga is asleep between my legs.
7 September 2007 / Friday -- somebody sent me a link to make online puzzles, so I made one of a kitten photo -- PUZZLE -- I do not know how long it will be there to work on -- try your skills -- when you complete the puzzle, a personal message appears -- CLUE : the photo is one of the above -- good luck
10 September 2007 / Monday -- Laura provided an interesting link to find What Tarot Card Are You ? -- you answer twelve easy multiple choice questions, after which your profile and corresponding tarot card is given. My profile reads --
You are The Sun
Happiness, Content, Joy.
The meanings for the Sun are fairly simple and consistent.
Young, healthy, new, fresh. The brain is working, things that were muddled come clear, everything falls into place, and everything seems to go your way.
The Sun is ruled by the Sun, of course. This is the light that comes after the long dark night, Apollo to the Moon's Diana. A positive card, it promises you your day in the sun. Glory, gain, triumph, pleasure, truth, success. As the moon symbolized inspiration from the unconscious, from dreams, this card symbolizes discoveries made fully consciousness and wide awake. You have an understanding and enjoyment of science and math, beautifully constructed music, carefully reasoned philosophy. It is a card of intellect, clarity of mind, and feelings of youthful energy.
This is my Sun card -- click on it to go to the web site to do the test and get your analysis and card ...
This week I hope to do my fourth kitten video, of the five new babies in the bedroom which Olga is so diligently taking care of -- their eyes opened this past weekend. The weather has been quite HOT for the last week or so, with no rain.
* O C T O B E R *
1 October 2007 / Monday -- I did not have my eyes examined for at least six years, the eyeglass lenses are cracked in a couple places and scratched in the middle, so I thought it was about time that I get a new pair. I tried at Sam's Club but they did not accept my HMO plan. After finding a nearby optometrist that does belong to my stupid health coverage plan, I had my eyes examined and I need a stronger lens than before, which was expected. I had to select a new frame since they all absolutely refuse to use my old rimless one -- it is another medical scam to make more money selling what they offer, nothing more, nothing less. The last time I got new glasses at the place on the corner of my street, they did ALL the paperwork, it did not cost me a dime -- unfortunately the owner died over a year ago -- now it appears that neither the exam nor the new frames / lenses are covered, so I have to pay almost $400 out of my own pocket! Needless to say, I was shocked. The medical mafia and their lobbies in congress are always greedy, out to make a fast buck at the expense of the retired and elderly trying to survive on a meager fixed income. Incidentally, the MD said the glasses would be ready in seven to ten days -- that was on 14 September and I am STILL waiting!
Girly, the young Sphynx female in the kitchen with a congenital problem in her right eye surprised me with her first litter the afternoon of 17 September, THREE cute kittys. She has been a doting mother and has been caring for them from the first day. They are now 3 weeks old. Olga's three, now 4+ weeks old, walk around in the bedroom when I come in, but have not yet started eating on their own. Fabiola's blue eyed boy is now 8+ weeks old, eats like a piggy, uses the litter box and is at the stage where he crawls up my pant leg when I go into the kitchen. I never had soooo many adoptable kittys to take care of, and hope that somebody contacts me soon to adopt a couple. Maybe I should get the females chastity belts or something?
Well, between worries about the damn eyeglasses and lovable horny cats, I went to the post office on 21 September and for the first time in my life, left the keys in the ignition -- since the cars locks automatically after a minute, when I came back to the Honda I was up shit creek. Should I break a window? I do not use AAA anymore because they always took hours to appear and always seemed to charge me for something that was not in the fine print of the contract. I saw a dude sitting in a car next to mine and asked him if he knew how to open a locked car -- NO, but he was waiting for AAA to tow his car that would not start up -- he called them 20 minutes ago. Since it was warm sunny day, I reclined on the grass soaking up some sun, and AFTER about an hour, the tow truck finally appeared and the guy did me the favor of opening the locked door for me -- I asked what I owed him -- he said, I don't know you and you never saw me! GOD IS GOOD -- now maybe He can start doing something about my eyeglasses, the health insurance, and finding the kittens new homes.
The very NeXT day, 22 September, I went downstairs to water the cacti in the wide front windows -- as I entered I was almost knocked out by the overpowering smell of something long dead and rotten -- gawd, did some animal somehow get in and die? Then I looked down at the pilot light of that new freezer chest I got a few weeks go, IT WAS NOT LIT -- somehow the plug fell out of the receptacle! ALL of the contents, the ground beef, chicken breasts, salmon, tilapia, all the bags of veggies and some microwaveable snacks were thawed out and rotting, probably for at least a week [since I rarely go down there for anything] -- so another several hundred dollars down the tube, just what I needed. I still have not returned to Sam's Club to restock what was lost.
I sure hope that YOUR end of September was a LOT more positive than mine has been. Hey, if you need some pussy, you know how to contact me -- I will keep the red light on for you.
20 October 2007 / Saturday -- took two Honda loads of things to the Salvation Army; another two loads and I should have the van and several shelves empty -- my new eyeglasses finally arrived -- on the 12th I filled up the Honda with gas at $2.469 / gallon -- updated my Halloween and Christmas pages -- put some things on eBay after six weeks of nothing, but sales are still slow -- we had a week of very cold nights and I had to finally get a comforter out for me and the cats in the bedroom -- the last few days have been in the upper 60s and 70s, almost spring like. I washed clothes a couple times and cleaned the kitchen for the first time since late August. Moved all the tobacco stuff [cigars, snuff, smoking tobacco and other goodies] to the basement so I can find things a lot easier when I get an email about certain brands -- they had been in three rooms in the apartment, in the garages and on the first floor. Went to Sam's Club to get some food to replace what was lost when the deep freezer somehow got unplugged -- now, every day I at least look through the window down there to see if the pilot light is on. Otherwise, nothing new and exciting has been happening.
* N O V E M B E R *
21 November 2007 / Wednesday -- still not a lot happening other than knocking myself out adding almost daily new items to eBay, mostly books. The weather has been a tad less cold-ish and quite wet over the last week -- dark and dreary days. I got myself a 16 pound turkey for checkoout coupons at a high end West Trenton supermarket -- hope to prepare about half of that, perhaps the day after Thanksgiving, and freeze the rest -- may do it in the crock pot which I haven't used in ages.
I filled up the Honda at $2.919 / gallon, half a dollar more expensive than the last time about 6 weeks ago. It is a good thing that I do not use it too frequently or I would not have money for food and other necessities.
Only a couple Thanksgiving links to post thus far -- Grandma [an online friend] / - a Thanksgiving Story -- Me / - eCard -- Me [this classic is still online] / - I Will Survive -- Bertie / - eCard -- Thatch / - Pumpkin Pie eCard --
If I do not post again until after the big feast, have a really yummy Turkey Day everyone
* D E C E M B E R *
5 December 2007 / Thursday -- our first snowfall was early Sunday morning -- a light dusting of dry powdery white stuff at a temperature of 22 degrees F -- Thomas in Bavaria, Germany said he had HEAVY snow for three weeks already -- the Metasequoia in the back patio are losing their leaves once again, but look how they have grown since my last photo on 29 May of this year, when the two smaller ones in the rear were still below the line of the garage roof --
not one of the several people who said they would take the largest one near the fence ever showed up to dig it out, so I guess it will stay there until I cut it down so that the cacti and iris under it can get some sunlight.
After sitting in the fridge to thaw out for three days, the damn turkey was still frozen on Thanksgiving Day -- I put it in the microwave without starting it, and the NeXT day it was almost ready, so I cut it in half, froze the other half again, and made the big bird for the cats and myself -- while it was cooking I removed the bones, simply because they took up a lot of room in the pot, and I dislike eating anything and spend time playing with bones. It was great, and the cats got their share of the meat and most of the bones, which they happily munched on, as usual.
I have been spending sleepless nights getting stuff in small batches on eBay for over a month already -- sales have been slightly better than normal, but nothing to crow about -- when a item does not sell, I may relist it to end on the following Saturday or Sunday, starting at 99¢ -- curiously, some of these
get higher bids than what the original starting bid was, but that is how that dumb online auction works.
It snowed slightly again last night -- the temperature is now 22º F at 04:20:45h when I updated this page
5 December 2007 / Thursday -- GOSHERS, I have not yet begun my Christmas card for 2007 yet -- I usually have them ready to mail out on 10 December, if not earlier, but I do have some potential images to use in my 2007 XMAS folder, which is where I keep all the holiday emails / links / and other related stuff, so I must get my paws to work and start the ball rolling. My 2007 Christmas page is formatted and waiting for some cheery things to put on it -- that may appear on or about 10 to 15 December, so stop back again for the link, which will probably end this personal news page.
I have some online auction winners from abroad who won OVERSIZE books, but because they do NOT fit in the USPS Global Priority Flat Rate mailers [which are a standard size, and one can only include up to four pounds in them -- anything larger and heavier increases the shipping cost several times, which certainly limits the number of foreign bids I might get on some items simply because it is super expensive to send them to Germany / Australia / Canada, and elsewhere overseas]. I stumbled across a form of USPS shipping that may solve that technical glitch, the M BAG -- after checking their unhelpful web pages in this regard, I went to the main post office way the hell outside of Trenton, getting lost several times, as usually happens when I do not have a clue finding places I was never to before. The specialist I called in advance, Eric Arroyo, was waiting for me at the door on a cold super windy sunshiny day, and I spent the next two and a half hours listening to what details he could give me about the service, and generally chatted his ear off. It seems to be sensibly less expensive than Global Priority, and I can send up to eleven pounds of things to a single foreign address for surprisingly MUCH less than any other method, including that for a Non-Profit organization, which I also asked about. The NeXT day I went to my usual post office branch in West Trenton and asked about the M-Bag thing -- they did NOT have a clue since they never handled that option before, so I gave the gal Eric's phone number and suggested that she call him, which she did while I was standing there. If all goes well, when I return to that substation, the bags and PS Tags 158 will be waiting for me and I can see how it functions -- wish me luck
8 December 2007 / Saturday -- on Thursday, Miles, an online pal who is an Apple Computer guru, stopped by with two pizzas from the best pizza joint in Trenton, not too far from me, Lorenzo's Tomato Pies -- Evelio and I would go there on occasion -- Miles and I tried eating in the kitchen, but the cats would not stay off of the table, and we wound up going into my somewhat cramped study for the surprise repast -- he brought his MacBook laptop, so I had a chance to see how it worked -- he took some pics with his cell phone of me and the cats, and sent me this one in an email from his laptop sitting right beside me -- a first for me, as well as my first live breathing visitor in many a Moon .
Oh, I forgot to mention that I got my usual spikey haircut on 27 November after three months and getting really shaggy -- you can see my new glasses too. When he left I gave him a box full of prizes that he won in a past WAG contest, some books, a silicon wafer with chips on it, a winner's certificate and some other stuff. It was a kewl couple hours that really broke the monotony of my rather monastic life here and only usually talking with the kittys.
Yesterday I went to the post office and was finally given some M Bags and labels -- now all I have to do is put something/s in one of them and see how that shipping option works -- actually the bags look as though they were used to air drop Care Packages after World War II or something, most with patches all over them -- I may make a special M Bag page one of these days
on my way home I stopped at a nearby mall to get some food and saw that a new Philly Pretzel Factory store had its grand opening, so I went there and was greeted by a clown wearing a pair of yellow Crocs -- she saw my black ones and we chatted a bit and clowned around -- some peeps from a music radio station were on hand, I played a spinning wheel game and won three FREE pretzels and a kewl black Philly Pretzel Factory t shirt
I should really get out more!
16 December 2007 / Sunday -- I started working on my Christmas card, but do not have it finished -- all of last years cards are still hanging on the windows beside my desk and should be taken down and stashed away in a day or so -- I have received a couple cards for 2007.
Ringo, one of my Sphynx, was adopted yesterday by a young couple from near New York. It rained overnight, the temperature is now 38 degrees Fahrenheit and the Sun is shining. Yesterday I finally removed from the van most of the computers and other things I got from Ken, across the street, after he closed his tobacco and candy wholesale business last year -- it is now in the Honda, ready for me to take as donations to the Salvation Army, perhaps tomorrow -- the repair work must be done already inside his place so he can rent out the first and second floors -- I have not seen him or the workmen here for several weeks already.
Would you believe, my 2007 Christmas page is up and running -- not a lot on there yet other than some links to holiday related things -- I was somewhat amazed to find that the Snowflake I made in 2004 when that web site first appeared, was still there as are the several comments it received -- my star was # 346,275, and as of now there are 5,573,975 stars -- you can make your own star and send it to friends or make it into your eCard or whatever -- you can take a screen shot of it, or get the link to where it is located by sending the link to yoursellf [or both, as I did].
Me [interactive - make your own and get the link] / - My Vintage 2004 Snow Flake --
Although I really did start work on my Christmas card, I have not yet actually finished / printed it or even done my list of recipients. I have received some 12 or so thus far, and did take down last years cards from the two windows.
22 December 2007 / Saturday -- I took three loads to the Salvation Army since the last update -- the van is empty of all the computer and other things that Ken gave me, and now holds boxes of books that I do not have room for anywhere els -- all that is left is to fill out the donation forms and submit them before the year ends.
I went to Sam's Club near Princeton, New Jersey to stock up on cat litter / cat food and my food stuff to last me through to the new year, more or less -- I also got a couple packages of holiday tissue to wrap the surprise gifts I always include with eBay wins. The weather has been relatively mild, with some rainy days.
The darling cats in the bedroom seemingly tried climbing up one of the venetian blinds many weeks ago and broke the right tape that holds the slats in place, so the blinds just droop and look awful. I had wanted to repair it since I first noticed it but always forgot to look for a tape repair kit when I went out for something else -- until 19 December. You will not believe this -- first to the Home Depot -- where can I find venetian blind tapes ?
huh, probably in the tape aisle -- is it like duct tape??
ok, that dude didn't seem very bright so I go to another guy in the venetian blind section ...
do you have replacement tapes for venetian blinds?
what kind of tapes??
ok, off to a curtain place that a friendly customer who heard me ask told me about -- many streets and left turns away -- would I actually find the place?
ok, there it was -- 2 barracks like buildings with a single caaaaar in the ample open space between them, way out in the boondock fringes of this great capital city -- in I goez, don't see anybody in a large room filled with curtains and stuff -- then I hear a very soft voice coming from behind a counter --
VERY short VERY olde woman with VERY gray hair asks what I am looking for, I explain it to her, even using pantomine gestures ...
YES, we sell venetian blinds -- you said tapes? are you going to tape them to the windows??
not exactly -- have a VERY joyous Christmas, you hear -- I am running out of ideas and just hope I can find my way back to the main drag and not get lost for hours until the Sun goes down ...
ok, did that, now further down that drag there is a classical olde hardware shop with a VERY olde male owner who often is eating those long pretzel sticks and always gived me one or two when I ask -- I don't see him there, but a scruffy Mexican looking hombre asks what I am looking for -- I tellz him [shoulda brought an ipod with a recorded message to save me the energy of going through the exact same routine over and over and over]
what do you use tape for on what was it you said?
persianas, chico -- ya sabes, en ambos lados de una persiana hay una cinta en que reside... -- por dios, nunca has vista persianas? ...
no soy dios, es que mi vida es diferente -- nunca saw those tapes -- why don't you just buy new venetian blinds? We sell them, but you might try at a place that has everything, Home Depot
JHC, fut da wuck is happening here -- only a few years ago I bought some replacement tapes to repair some blinds at the place across the street -- it was fun doing, now everybody looks at me like I came from outer space -- ok, I'm on my way home, so why not go outta my way a tad and try my favority really olde vintage hardware store on South Broad street, so there I goez ...
ohhhhh, my, big for sale sign on front, going out of business sale - 50% off of everything -- what an unexpected delight -- the olde man is there with his olde wifey and his son -- do you have venetian blind tapes?
say what?
never mind, I was just sneezing -- I may as well look around at what you have left -- grabbed all the paint brushes, key rings, flat head hex screws in 3 lengths - about 10 boxes / bags, all the round roof drain pipe supports, the kind you hammer into the wall, a very vintage display pack of replacement torch / flashlight bulbs, three metal storage boxes filled with electrical switches and udder goodies, paint scrapers, a brass inside toilet thingy [the kind one only seez in plastic these daze], and a bunch of udder goodies I can't remember at this point -- the son packs it all into two LARGE boxes and carries it out to the Honda ...
ok, so I take one last trip to a curtain place at a small mall at the entrance of Trenton -- the gal at the register is screaming to the office that her register isn't working right -- she rings up 15 dollars and only 10 cents appears -- the last time it was 27 palomas and it only registered as $ 2.50 -- you ALL know what I cheerfully told her ...
everybody now ...
HIGH TECHY STUFF SUCKS ...
we sell venetian blinds but we custom order them from somewhere else, you have to try at a place like [I forget the name] over in [I forget where]
ok, thanks a lot, then I headed home and while en route, stopped at a Dunkin Donuts and got a dozen [8/12th of which are gushing with cream] and a large coffee -- they have a ±5 foot black Santa at one end of the counter, very colorful he, with spectacles and all the usual Santa trimmings -- on the round platform it stands on, there is a red button, so I press it with my flexible black CROCS and Santa starts to move his arms / head and sing some carol or other ...
soooooo, in summing up, that quest was a search for the holy grail of venetian blind tape to repair the blind in the bedroom that just hangs there -- I hate looking at it -- I do NOT want to buy new blinds for one window, then I would have to buy them for all the udder windows so they look the same ... the cats were very remorseful that they tried to climb up the right blinds and broke the threads holding the slats -- I petted the critter, kissed it on the nose and GENTLY whispered into its hairless ear, IF I EVER FIND ANOTHER FUCKIN BLIND BROKEN YOUR ASS IS GRASS ... have a nice day, you hear ... PURRRRRRRRRR
Staying awake last night I finally corrected last years holiday address database and printed it out. Then I started printing my 2007 card, making a couple changes as I went along -- after about 25 the color faded out to barely visible grays -- the low ink light did not light, so I just removed the old cartridge [which you are not supposed to do until the red LED lights up] and replaced it with a new one from a couple years ago -- same result -- I think the ink may be dried up on the lower end of the cartridge, so I remove it and shake it a few times, and try again -- nothing except black works, so I find another new cartridge, open it and put that in, the colors are NOT printing correctly -- my 2007 miracle card in color was a monster flop! I wasted two new cartridges, MANY sheets of the special paper I use, but perhaps the gawds were trying to tell me something --
Sonny, you have been serviced by that macho Epson Stylus Color 740i printer since the Apple Cube, that was FOUR computers ago -- it has served you well, printing thousands of labels, cards, eBay and other online auction letters, web site related letters, Apple WAG things, and the forms you use for just about everything you do, never complaining. always ready to give you a hand at any time of the day or night -- yes, it still loves you but it has reached a ripe old retirement age, it just wants to laze around all day, scratch its ass and soak up the Sun [and maybe play bingo twice a week] -- it is now time for you to find a younger sidekick, full of energy, sexy, always ready to fulfill your innermost desires and fantasies -- try cruising the high techy aisles at Sam's Club -- it will find YOU ...
Gee whiz, thanks -- why did you not tell me this four days ago -- sniff ... sniff ... I will be sorry to not see 740i beside me at my desktop every day.
So, in summary, I printed the cards, albeit NOT exactly as I wanted them to be -- I hastily wrote less than half of the cards out to take to the post office this morning, and to take another batch of candy / chewing gum / breath fresheners / cigars for the clients and staff --
UPDATE -- at about 19:30 h it occurred to me to try to outwit the freekin printer -- if it refuses to print in colors because I changed the cartridge before the red light came on, what would happen if I take the color cartridge out and try to run the printer? Out came the new color cartridge, I clicked the ON button, and lo and behold, the robotic 740i noticed that something was missing and the red blinking light came on -- ohhhhh, how nice, now I just do the usual routine to replace a cartridge, and hope for the best. Got the 2007 Christmas original on the Print Shop 7.0 app, clicked to make a single copy as a test -- goshers, it came out better than ALL of the ones I did previously -- I printed twelve which will replace the dozen of green madonnas and green sheep, which is how the previous batch turned out -- my sincerest apologies to anyone on my list who will receive the ratty ones, some of which I sent out this morning. It is the thought that counts, anyway!
This is probably where this page ends, maybe -- the following link takes you to what comes next, all the holiday cheer and links -- thank you for keeping up with my activities and I wish all my readers a Joyous Christmas
* *,~`~,* *,~`~,*,~`~,* *,~`~,*,~`~,*,~`~,* *,~`~,*,~`~,*,~`~,*,~`~,* *,~`~,*,~`~,*,~`~,*,~`~,*,~`~,* ||| ||| May your days be Merry and Bright !
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