I'm leaving this one public because I don't know ANYthing about bugs to do a search that will yield results. I put in "insect spotted transparent wings" stuff like that and am not really getting anywhere. There was an Australian tiger moth that had similar wings but unless Buffalo Bill lives in my neighborhood and imports them and it escaped, I doubt it's that. I will keep the photos small for the squeamish, the brave or non squeamies can embiggen them as they please.
there you have it. That is the little lock on my mailbox. It's maybe a little smaller than a quarter.
Can anyone identify this creature? Anyone? Bueller?
Did these in PhotoBooth and Image Tricks. Yes, they're me.
I need RPM or someone to tell me what is in retrograde lately, because the drama just keeps compounding and piling up. Several months ago, we brokered our second motorhome through a service that finds buyers for them. With gas prices rising, I didn't want to get stuck paying on two gas guzzlers. So, the broker found a person to buy it, but they requested that we hold the note on it as a bridge loan until they could get their paperwork done in about a year. Ok, not too thrilled about doing so, but it would be sold and done with. Believe me, in this tough market of selling gas guzzlers, I was very happy I could get someone to take it over without losing buttloads of cash.
Well, until this month, payments were made directly to the bank, a week beforehand, with no problems. Then, this month, the payment wasn't made on time. Granted, we have a grace period on the loan, so I wasn't initially concerned. I picked up the phone and called the guy, who was very apologetic. He had sent the check and for whatever reason, it didn't get where it was going. So, I got him the information to wire the money to the account direct through his bank. Two days later he called me and relayed a story of how there was a banking error he was trying to rectify and apologized profusely again.
A couple days later, he called me and said that the bank problem wasn't working itself out, that he had to go get cashiers checks from people who had bounced checks to him. Then it was calls that his friends were in jail and he had to bail them out and the latest call this morning that his Grandmother had passed away. Now mind you, this all sounds oh-so fishy. In fact, if I didn't know that the guy was working with a large Christian organization, helped out many people in need, and even had a website that detailed all his fund raising and other social programs, it may all be beyond belief. I believe this is what they call Having Faith.
Since I am still responsible for the note until he gets it transferred into his name, I had to make the payment for this month which was something I was not very well prepared to do, given all the other drama (read: expenses) that is ensuing lately on the Kzinti Kampus (My new term for the family abode). Needless to say, he called me several times today sounding distraught over his grandmother's death, very emotional over his family's heartache and very apologetic about the loan. He insisted that he wanted to talk tomorrow and clear things up about it, but meanwhile had a funeral to arrange and all the other details surrounding it.
So what would you do? I did the only non-rational thing I could. I told him to take care of his family first, to be there with them, to be strong for them in this time of need. I told him that what we had to discuss was of secondary importance to what he and his family faced now and there was no way that he should call me or talk to me about it before next week. I hung up the phone, knowing that I had to make this unexpected payment, but also feeling that I had somehow done the right thing. It's a lot of money, but hopefully this will all be straightened out shortly.
Meanwhile, he can attend to his family without having this hanging over his head the entire time. I know he appreciated this and was close to tears on the phone, so I feel good about what I did. I mean, it's not like he was trying to avoid me, not taking my phone calls or anything. He was making every effort to get this taken care of, but was just unable to do so. So, is this month ending on a high drama note, or what?
Just found this on the Toob. One of my all-time favourite songs. Joni Mitchell is a genius.
I got statements in the mail today for two accounts that I have with my broker (darling guy I used to work with at the big bad insurance company - my accounts are with them). I let him do whatever he wants with the allocation (although he always checks with me first). Although they've always run well, he changed things around last year. If I remember correctly, last year's growth was around 9%. My statements today are for the first half of 2008. The pure growth (not counting money I put in) for only six months is 3.7% each. I'm a happy gal.
I'm going to see OMGMAMMAMIA!!!!11!!11! tonight with one of my best girlfriends/roommate's girlfriend, Eileen. We're both theater geeks at heart so naturally we're all over this.
I think that Mamma Mia is one of the best efforts Broadway has made at reviving somewhat of a lost art, the rock musical. But the genre has been warped into the concept of the "cover" musical i.e. Movin' Out and Jersey Boys, both of which did remarkably well whereas musicals using John Lennon and Bob Dylan's music totally flopped.
Even though ABBA's music is more similar to pop and disco, it translates on stage very differently. It doesn't feel like ABBA. Every song feels like it's own story being told. In fact, it wasn't until I first saw Mamma Mia that I started to appreciate that ABBA's lyrics are complex and full of relatable emotion making it perfect material for a musical. I've seen Mamma Mia on B'way twice and I'd see it again in a heartbeat. So needless to say I'm fucking stoked for this movie. I have a feeling it will make a smooth transition to the screen because the script sets the play in many places on the Greek Island so the set designers for the staged version created scenery that is suggested whereas on film, everything can be real life - Not to mention freakin' GORGEOUS. So it's not like Steel Magnolias (which I'm lukewarm about) where they essentially had to re-write the thing to accomodate for multiple settings and male characters that are not seen in the stage version.
Anyway. YAY!!! I cannot wait to hear Meryl Streep belt out "The Winner Takes It All", truly the most heartbreaking number in the show.
No, I didn't read it. I listened to it. I got it from eMusic. It was a great listen. It was narrated by Bill Nighy.
It was a great book. I leaned a lot about Eric Clapton and his music. He really lived a hard life. And I was thankful that he shared that.
It was amazing to hear who he had met and played with and what songs he performed on but was not credited. Like The Beatles "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" on the White Album.
My only regret with the audiobook is that it was abridged. So there were parts that were missing. I'm sure it would be a good book to read also.
I'm allllllllllll alone in my area, with the exception of new chick, whom I don't particularly care for, and supposedly she's not feeling well anyway, so hopefully she won't feel chatty. I'm shocked she hasn't left already, actually, since she doesn't seem to feel she has to put in the same number of hours and days per week as the rest of us. New admin chick is here, too, but she doesn't sit close by, and we won't even get into what's wrong with her. Everyone else is on vacation and LBJ just left for something to do with one of her kids. It's been a hellish week here, and LBJ and I have been hoping for Friday since Wednesday. Sortaboss will
<oops, sorry, phone>
be back for three days next week, then he's off again until the 12th or something like that. Maternity girl will be back on the 12th as well. Boss and girl in front of me are back the week before that. When people are away, it's either dead or hell, never just chugging along. Anyway, needless to say, I don't feel like doing too much for the rest of the afternoon. Monday is time enough for more serious work, of which I still have plenty.
I have had Jazz Butcher's "Grey Flannelette" going through my head but couldn't find a video to post for you. Sorry.
It's absolutely lovely out today. LBA, LBJ, and I had a great lunch out on a patio at the pub up the road. They have a fantastic buffet for super cheap.
What else can I bore you with? I really should try to do stuff around the apartment this weekend (if that sign-up sheet isn't loaded, anyway), but knowing me, I'll only get a fraction done of what needs doing. C'est la vie, yanno?
I'm disappointed that as soon as I discover that loltheist is still up and running, they haven't posted anything new in two days.
Okay, off I go to do a bit of work for the last hour. Please feel free to leave a comment with your own Friday inanities. Really. Give me something to do other than work. Please.
Nothing happening in the life of the Amester. Not even sure you care to hear about my lack of interesting happenings. Other than pinching my thumb in the wine opener thingie last night. Yowza! You'd think I'd have that down to a science by now.
I was thinking about going to a wine tasting tonight at the Wrigley Mansion, which would be fun with much schmoozing potential. Then I was invited to a political fundraiser event, which could also be a lot of fun and probably even more schmoozing potential.
But I'm signing up for more triathlons so I thought I'd just go to the gym and then go home to hang with Elvis and watch "Buckaroo Banzai" from Netflix.
I was just reading the X-Files movie review in the paper when I spy a little ad for one of our two art/indie movie houses. Up The Yangtze, a film about the building of the Three Gorges Dam in China. I just watched the trailer and I really want to go see it. I think that's what I'll do, but I still have a few hours to decide on any of the above options.
On another note, I called my vet about Little Black Stray Cat. If I can catch him tomorrow - it won't be hard if he's around and he's often not - I'll call and take him in to get tested and/or vaccinated. Elvis would not like another cat in the house AT ALL and I don't want to try and figure out how to keep their food separate (Elvis is on super expensive prescription food), but I'd like to see if I can find LBSC a home. I don't dare bring LBSC into the house unless I know he's disease-free.
Okay, that's about it. Playing my sax solo in church on Sunday. We'll see how well my lack of practice serves me. o_O
Sunday night will find me on the trails with my mountain bike trying not to crash. That's as exciting as gets around here.
Neighborhood
Explore friends, family, friends & family, or entire neighborhood.
