Monday Grab Bag

Hello there,

Well, survived the weekend. It has been just a tad insane these past few weeks as I have been working overtime to get the new phone service working in each office. Three down, one just about done and up to 4 to go. We shall see, it might just be three more. I might have a nervous breakdown before this is all done. Mind you, for those that know me well, I am not at all electronic minded and actually events are my thing. Well, Mark, my boss, decided that if there was anyone who could get it done it would be me. What I think it means is that I will keep calling people until it is finally fixed. Granted, it takes a while, but it does get there.

We are suppose to save a lot of money on long distance and in the end I hope we do, but in order to make that happen, boy it has cost to do all the conversion. Remember the good old days when you picked up a phone and called "the phone company" and asked for a new phone or a line to be installed. Oh how easy it was back then. Now you have a long distance provider and an equipment vendor and then there is the IT person and you have to manage services, blah, blah, blah. As Sandy mentioned this weekend I believe it was Sandy - "oh for the days when you called to get the time announced and thought that was something else!"

Ya-Ya Weekend was a blast. OK, so first there was the nasty and oh do I mean NASTY drive down. Mind you, it is just over 80 miles and should take about an hour and half to get there. Well, due to an accident and the weather let's talk 4.5 hours and that was even following Markie's suggestion of getting out of town by 2pm! I was seething by then and poor Jodie calls to see where I am. Not a good call to be sure. I hang up and then a few minutes later Michael calls and I answer "WHAT!" And hello to you to Mr. Schilling! Well, by the time I get there and settled in, I am calming down and after a drink and everyone has a few laughs at my expense, including moi, we finally make our way downstairs to enjoy dinner.

Let me take a moment and remind you we were at The Olympic Club & Hotel in Centralia. The Club has been around since the early 1900's and the hotel was built as a railroad hotel. No phones, radio, tv and you share bathrooms (European style). There are 27 rooms and I was in #26. A lovely king bed and looked out on the street. The furnishing were reproductions of sorts and overall a nice place...until the movies began. I was right over the theater and oh the speakers BOOMED! The room would vibrate and it was rather entertaining. For the most part I missed a lot of the noise...but did get to enjoy the 2nd matinee on Saturday and the 2nd feature that night. But it was all over by 9:30pm or so. The stairs were mighty steep and it was amazing to take in all the artwork.

So we headed down and they put together a nice table for us and we had a marvelous dinner. Two orders of onion rings and a goat cheese torta kicked off the meal and While most enjoyed burgers, I opted for the blackened steak salad (with blue cheese, cucumber, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes and cider-blue cheese dressing). It was mighty good. Got a cup of soup that had to be one of the worst I have had in years. Should have known, you just can't make some things into soup and this was Chicken Cordon Bleu and it was so salty I nearly died.

Well, after dinner, we made out way through the original pool hall and back upstairs. Jodie and Rob hosted everyone the first night and then yours truly did duties on Saturday. Saturday morning arrived and we enjoyed a good breakfast (and a certain someone enjoyed two breakfast, no not me!) and in fact I was quite pleased as I kept to my oatmeal and fruit. OK, so lunch went down the drain with the "Firm Burger" which has pepperoni and Swiss. Nope, not going to try that one again. I am such a weakling for their fries! ARGH.

We inducted Jodie as our newest Ya-Ya after some work getting the bottle of Tequila opened. But she now has her crown and we know her secrets and she has been given her rightful name. I don't know if you are suppose to know but let me share our Ya-Ya's with you...there is Flyingdog and Foulmouth plus Butterfly squared and Oysterboy and don't forget Jelly Queen and of course Swandafag. This may be the one and only time we have ever typed all the names and oh I hope they are right as I love them all dearly. Then it was time for dinner. Does it sound like all we did was eat? Well, it played a major roll, but there was shopping, reading, taking in a movie and a whole lot of laughing to be sure.

Todd was our server and we let it be known we were in no hurry and he was so nice. Well, two and a half hours later we finally finished up and several of the gang headed off to dream land whether by choice or not while the few who survived had many more laughs and it was a grand chance to catch up. Sunday saw Sandy up way early as her clock in her room had not been turned back and so she was so ready before the rest of us and all too soon after a farewell breakfast and hugs...we were on the road.

So let's talk about that drive home...we are talking CRAZY drivers for the Seahawk's game. They are just insane. I was just hoping to get home in one piece. I did, but boy was I glad to be home and hiding by 11am. Moonsong had been in yesterday morning to clean. He is FABULOUS! I am so lucky to have him here every other Sunday morning. He likes to arrive around 8:30 and by the time I got home he was gone. He is good. Several weeks ago he left a present of some autumn leaves and then he cleaned before Halloween and added some bones to the look. I since added three white miniature pumpkins and it is quite festive. Of course, it will soon be going away to make way for THE CHRISTMAS INSTALLATION! Yes, I install Christmas. I love the holiday and it is what it is, get over it.

So Sunday had the Seahawk's come from behind and crush the Lions, like that was going to be hard as they are the worst team in the NFL. But boy, it was scary in the 1st quarter. What the? Like reading that you would think I am some sort of football guy = NOT! It is just that in living 3 blocks from Qwest Field, where the hawks play, I hear the cannons going off to signal the game is starting and then again IF they win. Well, they won and BOOM!

So there you go...I am off to Phoenix, AZ on Wednesday and back Friday, a very quick trip and then it is on to Dallas and Houston the following week. But I shall be home for Thanksgiving and I get to enjoy that with Rob and Jodie. And then comes the countdown to 50. Oh my!

Cheers!