Strange phone call, work stories and dentist

Last night close to 9:, my phone rang. I looked at caller ID (great invention) and it came up unknown caller. I don't answer when it has unknown caller or unavailable. I hear a guy say 'hello' on the answering machine. I didn't recognize his voice. Later I was getting ready for bed (9:20. Yes I go to bed early) and the phone rang again. Caller ID again said unknown caller. Figuring it was someone I knew calling after nine, I answered. I was greeted with a man asking to speak to the youngest voter in the household between the ages of 18-59. I asked him if he was kidding me. Nope. He was not kidding me. He repeated the request. I asked him if he knew that it was 9:20 P.M. He said oh and then asked to speak to the youngest male voter in the household of Hispanic, black or another ethnic background that I don't remember now. Needless to say at this point I am very pissed off and the cuss words started to fly. He asked me if anyone in my household fit this group? I said my cat is gray and black and she's about twenty years old. Want to talk to her? He hung up. I was telling my friend at work. She gets very nervous with this stuff because she lives alone too and thought maybe it was someone trying to figure out how many lived in my household. Me, I don't even think about this stuff. So has anyone in blogger land had this experience? Any idea's what the deal with this was?

Okay now a couple of work stories. I had a call from a realtor asking for information. She had a listing and wanted to know if her client's purchased the property and torn the house down would catheter be needed? I asked her to repeat the question. She did. I told her I didn't know if catheter would be needed, but you may need CAFRA (Coastal Area Facility Review Act.) She was not amused. However, I was.

A nice gentleman was in my office yesterday. He told me his name was Mark 'M' and asked if I knew his dad. I told him there were a lot of 'M's' that lived in the Township. And as a matter of fact, our manager is an 'M'. He said he knew because it was his aunt. Oh. Well then. I told him that I have worked with her for 15 years and have never met her husband and asked him what he looked like. He said he looks like me, but older. I said, well he must be a handsome man then. He said, 'I like to think so.'

Had to rescheduled my dentist appointment, so I called this morning. I recognized the voice as being Chris, the hygienist that used to work there a while ago. She is back working there. I asked her if she would be cleaning my teeth. To my great relief, she is. You see, the past couple of times I have been, I end up bloody and stabbed. Yes stabbed. My last appointment, the girl stabbed my lip. I am usually the last appointment of the day and I figured the girl was in a rush to leave. So anyway, I made sure Chris was definitely cleaning my teeth this time and she is. Had to ask if the girl still worked there. Turns out she doesn't. Apparently a lot of people complained about her being so rough, (not me), and they let her go. So anyway, Tuesday's the day. I really don't mind going to the dentist. The strange person I am, I find it relaxing. As long as I'm not be stabbed in the gums and lips.

So I hope everything is well with everyone.

Weather, weather stripping & kitty cat

One of these days, we all are going to wake up to sunny blue skies, but until then, my mood is down. Like many, I can only handle so many days of clouds and rain.

Isn't this just beautiful. The only good part is no rain. But that will be short lived.

I have been getting flies in my house. Oh how nasty. I have narrowed it down to the little buggers coming in through the storm door. There is a gap between the weather stripping and door jam. The weather stripping is not long enough, so I put a towel along the bottom of the door. So far so good. No flies today. So after work, I take the weather stripping off and go to buy new. Three stores. No weather stripping that will fit.

Home I come in an even more fowl mood. Living alone, I only have my cat to take out my aggressions.

'Oh great. Here we go again. Another bad mood.

I sure hope the sun comes out soon.'

'Look mama, I think the sun came out.
Oh wait, I think a hummer bird is at the feeder.
That always makes you smile.'


'Okay maybe if I lay like this, she'll get the hint and be quiet.'
Boy baby girl, it's hard to believe you are only six pounds.

'he-he. I'll laugh at her.
She won't let me laugh alone.'

Happy Father's Day and another mini rant

Wishing all the dad's out there a Wonder Father's Day :o)





The forecast for yesterday was supposed to be a wash-out. When I woke up, the sun was shining. Improving my mood immensely and deciding it would be a good day to mow. It seems we are always mowing any more with all the rain we have been getting.

Then it started to get cloudy. I hopped on the net to view the map. Good grief the green heading our way was huge. I mowed right away before the rain. After I mowed, I was putting fresh water in the birdbaths and you could heard the deep rumble of thunder in the distant. Figuring I still had some time before it started, I called Bobbie to see how she was feeling. While on the phone, the rumbling got closer. We decided to turn off our computers.

I was sitting out back chatting with Bobbie, when all of a sudden, I heard sizzling, a zap and a very-very loud boom. It struck close, although we didn't see anywhere were it could have stuck.

I met my friends this morning in the store. One friend said her whole house shook. The other was in the park walking her dog. When it hit, she wasn't walking anymore. She was running back to the car. She said her boyfriend called to see if she was alright, but her cellphone died before she could tell him she was fine. He raced to the park to make sure she was okay. What a nice guy. Why can't I find a guy like that.

Anyway, most of yesterday was a wash-out. I got most of my house work done and decided to read. Then I got sleepy and took a nap. When I woke up, the sun was shining again, which was short lived.

I started making dinner when it started to get cloudy again. Then the angry rumbles. Back to the weather map, turning off the computer and firing up the grill. Hoping to have dinner done before the rain. When I went out to get my meal off the grill, I said out loud, 'it will probably start raining any minute.' Me and my big mouth. It poured. Anyway, dinner was excellent.

Laying down on the couch reading, there's a knock at my door. I look over the book and guess who's standing at my door? Ahh, I knew you'd guess right. The 'can you turn your computer on to charge my ipod' girl. I guess my expression was less then cordial. When I opened the door I asked her what she wanted. She wanted to use my phone to call her mom. She just got home and her mom wasn't there. This is something that happens at least once a month. I asked her where she was and she told me her friends house. I asked her where her brother was and he was home. She calls her mom who was out for a walk.

Now my rant. First, these two kids are in second and third grade. They should not be home alone. Second, by the girl calling her mom, it costs me money. You see it is not a local call. These kids are not my responsibility, but yet they always come to me. Why? Why can't they find someone else to go too? Why couldn't the girl go back to her friend's house and call her mom? Better yet, if the mom insists on leaving these kids home alone, why not get a phone? Why not get another cellphone? If she's to cheap to spend the money, why not write a note? That's free. I think when my phone bill comes in, I'll take it to her and tell her she has to pay.

You know, I'm generally a nice person. I help people out when they need it, but this is getting a bit much.

A gas company story

As Bobbie has posted, the natural gas company is on our street installing the main. Well they have the front of my house and many others looking shitty. Not only shitty looking, but unsafe. They were supposed to come and replace the asphalt that they torn up. They haven't done that as of yet. I didn't think I would mind until I seen the damage they did. My concern is that someone walking in this area, will hurt themselves. I'll wait a little bit more, then make a call.

My friend on the street in back is having problems with them too. She lives with her mom. Her mom is elderly and unsteady on her feet. They took out a section of her sidewalk. They only laid the concrete back down. Now it is very unstable. Her mom, rightly so, is concerned that she will fall.

Not only that, she has a riding mower, was mowing this afternoon. She said the next thing she heard was a very loud noise, her mower shaking and then it died. When she looked under the mower, there is a chain with hooks on either end wrapped around her blade.

Well she walks down to the gas company guys and tells them that she thinks that they may have ruined her mower with what she thinks is their chain. The guy walks down with her, lifts the mower and there it is, wrapped around her blade. The blade was totally twisted. And yes, it's their chain. The must have throw it on her lawn. She told the guy that they needed to fix this today. He leaves and is gone for a while. Comes back with a new blade and puts it on. Luckily, the mower works fine.

Yesterday I was talking to my friend down the street. She was going to connect, but found out that she cannot connect her floor heater to natural gas. So they were thinking about getting a new heating system. $$$$$.

In the afternoon, someone came into my office and we got talking about whether we were going to connect. He's not because of the expense. Same for me. Anyway, he tells me that he has a ventless fireplace. He said that you cannot connect a ventless fireplace to natural gas. He also said he didn't think they could convert a ventless to a vented. My friend down the street has a fireplace. I called her and told her this. She said that they would find out if this was true. Talking to her today, it's true. You cannot connect a ventless fireplace to natural gas. And you cannot convert a ventless to a vented. I asked her what she was going to do. She said they already called the gas company and said that they were not going to connect. The girl they spoke with said they would put a hold on their order, but to call back tomorrow.

Here's the pisser of this whole thing. Way before they started running the lines, they had sent out questionnaires to people asking if they were interested in connecting. My friend had responded with a yes. The gas company sent someone to their house. They sat down at the dining room table. They went over whatever it is they had to go over. They looked at the existing gas appliances and told them it wouldn't be a problem converting the appliances. My friends paid a $65.00 connection fee. One of the stipulations to connect is, when they run the line to your house, you have 90 days to connect. If you don't connect in 90 days, you must pay for the cost of the work done in the road. What - give me a fucking break.

I asked her if they told the gas company that the person that was in their home, who saw the appliances, told you that they could be converted. They did. Can't wait to see what happens.

So now the gas company has ruined our street for a total of three people connecting.

You know they always brag stuff up. Oh how great it will be to have natural gas. How much money you'll save. This is great. What they don't tell you is all the money you'll have to spend to be able to make the conversion. They don't tell you that your heater and fireplace cannot be converted. They don't tell you that if you have copper tubing, which most of us have, it will all have to be replaced.

I know someone who is making the conversion. She is already out of pocket $12,000.00. I guess this is one way to help the economy.

Nervy neighbor

It's been awhile since my last entry. My desk was just the way I thought it would look like. Piled high. And in different areas. Took a couple of days to catch up. Nothing changed at work. Same thing, just different days.

My friend broke her little toe getting out of her car. It seems she was paying too much attention to the guy in the car next to her and her foot, correction, her toe got caught on the car. She said that her toe was pointed outward. Her husband took her to the doctor, who set it and gave her a hard shoe to wear. Apparently she broke it in two spots. She's fine, but in some pain.

So Friday night I start vacuuming and mopping the floors. My phone rang and I didn't recognize the number. Listening to the message, it's my neighbor. I pick up and she asked if I have a computer. Yes I do. Well she bought her daughter an Ipod and it has to be charged. Her friend had came over with her laptop and loaded music, but had to leave. She asked if I could charge the thing for her. Okay. Bring it over. The daughter tells me it has to charge for three to four hours. She asked me what time I was going to bed? I told her I would call her mom, but I usually go to bed around 9:PM-9:30PM.

Well we plug the thing into my laptop. The light blinks a couple times and goes out. Me not knowing a lot about electronic stuff, knew something wasn't right, but the daughter said it was okay. Fine. She leaves and I continue with the floors. After I was done, I hop on my laptop. As soon as I opened it, the light on the Ipod started to blink. That's when I realized that the laptop had to be open. Well. I'm not leaving my laptop open for three to four hours to charge this thing.

I'll interject at this point that the only time, my neighbor's kids talk to me is when they want something. They won't even wave if I'm outside. Their mom isn't much better.

Okay back to the Ipod. I then turn on my monster (desk top). This computer is old and cranky, (like me.) And takes about five minutes to get up and running, (like me before my coffee.) So now that the monster is up and running, I plug the Ipod in and the light starts blinking.

Now I called my friend with the broken toe. I tell her about my neighbor. She told me that the computer can't be in stand-by to charge an Ipod. Apparently, when a laptops lid is closed, it's in stand-by. See how much I know about electronics. Anyway, she asks me if my neighbor bought the a/c adapter? I told her she must not have if she asked me to charged it up. We end up on the phone until after 10:PM. Not wanting to call my neighbor that late, I decide just to walk the Ipod back. I tap on the door and my neighbor answers. I give her the Ipod and tell her that it's not fully charged, but should last most of the day. Almost the first words out of her mouth is, "you were supposed to call." Excuse me. I have wasted electricity charging your daughter's Ipod and 'you were supposed to call' is your answer.

So yesterday I turn the monster off. Another timely matter. It takes just about as long to turn it off as it does to turn it on.

Today I'm watching a movie and when the commercial comes on, I go to the bathroom. I'm on the throne, when I hear tapping at my front door. When I come around the corner, guess who's standing at my front door? My neighbor's daughter with Ipod in hand. I open the door and she says, 'can you charge this for me?' No. My computer is off. 'What?' No. My computer is off. 'Well can you turn it on?' Ah no. She just looks at me. I say again, my computer is off and I'm not turning it on. She just looks and leaves. No thank you for charging it up before.

Did they think that I was going to be their Ipod charging station?

I guess I was brought up differently. I wouldn't dream of asking a neighbor or a friend to do something for me without thanking them. Or in some cases giving them something for their trouble and kindness.

Here are a couple other stories about this same neighbor.

A couple of years ago, she asked to borrow my loppers. She said she would bring them right back. A week later she did.

Last summer her friend came down. So my neighbor knocks on my door telling me her friend forgot to bring her hairdryer and could she borrow mine. No. I use my hairdryer everyday. 'But she forgot hers.' And I use my hairdryer everyday. I guess she is just going to have to buy one. 'But she forgot hers.' Well she is just going to have to go to the store and buy one. Don't you remember last year when you asked to borrow my loppers and you would bring them right back? You brought them back in a week. I use my hairdryer every day and I'm not going to buy one for myself to use because your friend forgot hers and you would "bring it right back".

Anyway, enough bitching about that.

There's some good news with the swallows at work. There are at least two babies in one of the nests. I'm gonna have to bring my camera to get their picture.

I'm starting to see more hummers. Male and female. For the past several weeks, Bobbie and I haven't seen many. Sometimes it would be days before we would see one. Now, we see them a couple times a day.

I got to use my power drill today. I love my power drill. Bobbie needed holes in her flower pots, so we got that done today. She thanked me very much for doing that for her. See, that's what it's about. Doing something for someone and them thanking you. Why? Because they appreciate your time and what you did for them. Not what you can do for them.