I didn't forget you all!!

Yeah, I'm late in posting today.

It's been a weird and hectic week for me for some reason.

First, there's the whole thing about getting my little car into the repair shop..

Then, there's the added hassle of learning the quirks of a different car. Namely, a Jeep with an attitude that totally clashes with me.

Add to this the fun of severe snow and rainstorms, with a dash of flooding tossed in just to keep things interesting..

And finally, have some of my corporate bosses show up to audit and do their fiscal year-end inspections, and things get CRAZY.

Yeah. Lots of interesting stuff going on..

At least the rain's stopped for now, and the water levels can drop some. I'm lucky. I live on a hill, so even though I get more snow than others, I don't really have to worry much about flooding.

If my place floods, then I better be looking for the replacement for Noah, because about 70% of the Earth's surface is going to be under!

My folks know that if they need to get out there's a place here for them. (I haven't told my wife that yet, but seeing as she reads this, she will now! Love you honey!)

I have never really seen much hospitality this last Christmas season. Yet when you toss in a flood? Folks tend to open up doors just to help those who used to have shelter keep warm and dry.

Yeah, the Christmas spirit might have been missing on the due date, but it did show up, just fashionably late in my area!

You can always tell the good folks by how they react in stressful and serious situations.

Those that step up and take charge and responsibility are those you know you can rely on to help out in your time of need. They are the ones who might be quiet and reserved, but will give you the shirt off their back if you're in serious need.

I tend to be one of those kind of people. Yeah, I talk and blather about all sorts of things on here. But since this isn't a face-to-face kind of confrontation, and I don't have to look into anyone's eyes, I tend to say what's on my mind with no thought to consequences.

In person? I'll talk and chit-chat. However, I don't really say much about myself, and keep mostly reserved.

How I'm able to do this, I really don't know. I talk and talk and TALK about absolutely NOTHING at all, and can still keep folks interested and engaged, yet reveal nearly nothing about myself, and still keep my caring personality well hidden..

My wife hates it.

It made me very effective as a DJ and Karaoke host, since I could make each and every person feel like they were the star of the show, while I personally couldn't stand about 85% of the stuff that was going on!

Anyway, I'm thankful for this clearing in the weather. The ground and myself can dry out a bit, take a breath, and prepare for the next big one, since this is the time of year for nasty weather.

How about all of you?

Anything you're really looking forward to at the start of this new year?

Anyone got a boat and paddle I can borrow?

Yeah, it's bad out here.

Flooding nearly everywhere you look.

Driving to work today, I got the chance to see some of it in action. There are places where the water is nearly over the Freeway, and there's predictions that by noon, those places will be under water.

If that happens, I could very well be stranded here, and unable to get back home.

The freeway here is the highest point of travel. I could try to go south, and around, but mudslides from all the rain have killed that "alternate" option, and the highway there is closed. I can't go east and around, because there's even MORE flooding that way, and all roads are closed. Every option except the interstate is closed because of flooding going north..

Heck, the only way to get into Seattle right now is by air!

I'm really not looking forward to this.

I'll break out the rubber boots and sandbags, and hope that my GM will let me go home early if it looks like the interstate will close just north of here...

Wish me luck! I think we're going to need it....

Irritability has got NOTHING on me.

Well, my car's in the shop.

Yeah, in case you didn't read here; Thanks to three weeks of nearly endless snow, my carport collapsed on top of my little gas-sipper of a commuter car, and squished it.

Not my best day, I can tell you.

Anyway, while making arrangements to get my car repaired, my wife and I discovered that we'd taken rental car coverage off of our policy for some reason!

Yup. No rental car for me to fall back on in order to get to work.

There's a silver lining to this, though.

My sister-in-law hurt her knee this last week, and is unable to drive. Because of this, I'm borrowing her car in order to get to work.

Her car? A Jeep. Soft Top. Really. Loud. On. The. Freeway.

Yeah. Not the best car to be driving around on the freeway, but I've gotta get to work somehow, right?

Well, yesterday wasn't too bad. The weather here has warmed up some, and the ice and snow aren't an issue.

However, this is the Pacific Northwest, and like everyone knows, it's raining.

There are two major problems I've got with the car I'm stuck with for now.

One: The windshield of a Jeep is designed for basic off-road work. Thus, it's quite flexible. Because of this flexability, the wiper blades at times don't make contact with the glass. This isn't good, because when it's raining the wipers are unable to clear the water off the glass, making vision even more blurry. I have to maintain a speed of no greater than 55 MPH in order to keep the wipers in contact with the windshield. Posted speed limit? 70 for cars. 65 for big rigs. Yeah, I get passed by EVERYONE.

Two: The soft top isn't all that stable. Most convertible covers that I've seen have the heavy-duty snaps that are a bitch to fasten and a bitch to take off. Not so with this car. Everything that connects the top for this one is..

Velcro.

Yup. Velcro.

Another reason I can't go above 55 MPH is that if I do, and a good gust of wind comes along, 2/3 of the top just come unfastened and start flapping about. This wouldn't be TOO bad if the weather were nice.. But no. It's raining here, and I need all of the cover I can get! I had to stop twice this morning to fasten the top back down because of a truck flying past me and causing a big gust to blow across the car.

So yeah. I'm trying to dry out and warm up this morning, and I'm dreading the drive home today.

Maybe I'll try to find some back-roads way home, and just take a scenic trip.

We'll see.

To any of you with experience with Jeeps:

HELP! Any suggestions?

'Tis the season to... File an Insurance Claim..

Yeah. You read right..

Because of the wonderful weather that we're getting here in the Pacific Northwest, I get to file an insurance claim.

Why?

Because the shelter I'd bought to cover my car wasn't meant to hold up under that much snow, and collapsed last night... On my car.

Oh yeah.

Happy Holidays to me.

Now? I've got to drive my wife's car to work, and call the homeowner's insurance to get my car fixed.

Joy To The World.

Just think.

By the time this is all over, I'll probably wish that I'd gotten a new car for Christmas...

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope that your week goes better than mine!

Something totally random!

Well, these last couple of days I've been basically stranded.

Here in the Northwest, we're really not used to too much snow. However, this last week I've gotten about 2 feet of the powdery white stuff!

Thanks to the greenness of our road-keeping crews, I have absolutely no way of getting out of my driveway, let alone through town or even south down the interstate to my work.

Now, this doesn't stop my wife, who drives the testosterone-charged SUV with all-wheel drive.

It does put a crimp in my driving habits, though. I can't get around very well in a small compact car who sips gas through a straw. It just doesn't happen.

Yeah, I sacrificed the power and prestige for the pocketbook. Sue me.

Anyway, I've been slacking at posting because of the weather, and I honestly apologize.

I'll make sure to get to work on Tuesday, and you can all chew me out then, and give me all sorts of crap!!

Not to think that you won't give me some kind of grief today about it, but heck, if I'm getting comments, it can't be a BAD thing!

Why I hate the news..

I hate the news.

All of it.

I can't stand listening to it, but I need to hear some of it just to know what the fuck is going on in the world, you know??

But what REALLY got me going was the news that happened this last weekend, and is now (again!) being spun off THIS weekend!

Is it just me, or did the Gulf not have hurricanes before *cue angelic music* Hurricane Katrina?

I mean, now every time the wind blows over 5 miles an hour down there, newscasters are jumping on and claiming that this new front and storm could resemble *cue music* Katrina...

It really set me off last Labor Day weekend when my family and I went with the "rest" of my family to the beach for a nice mini-reunion and getaway.

That didn't stop my newsfiend uncle from turning on the freaking TV every half hour to watch CNN or MSNBC or FoxNews in order to listen to Hurricane Gustav, or the Democratic Primaries, or predictions about the Republican Convention, etc...

Listening to them drool over Gustav headed to the gulf coast, and that it was going to be "similar to Katrina" in every way got me pissed.

I spoke out, and made a bet with each and every person in there that Gustav wouldn't so much as blow over a tree.

I was a pretty rich fella leaving the beach this weekend.

Now, I don't care about the "spin" newscasters feel they need to put on each piece of news they get, but GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!!

I mean, if you really feel that you need to sensationalize the news in order to get folks to watch, then you really need to get into a new line of work. Just tell me what has been going on, then shut up, and move on. Don't give me background on who is telling me the story, don't try to compare it with everything else BAD that has happened in history, NADA. Just give me the story, and get out. The check will be in the mail. Thanks.. Bbye.

Anyone else feel like the news is spun only to entertain those who don't have a brain?

I mean, listening to those newscasters talking about the Democrats Convention and the Republican Convention reminds me of nothing more than two housewives leaning on the fence and gossiping about the neighbors..

Let me make my own decision about who is going to try to screw up my country next, and don't try to influence me with your own pick for loser, ok?

Thanks. See ya.

Anyway, my vent here is done..

I'm out.