(thanks to Sues for the graphic – it saved me a lot of time, and I forgot to credit her when first posted.)

My phone woke me up this morning. The number was identified as coming from my mother’s house. It’s still dark out, I don’t know what time it is, Mom’s health is not the best, and my phone is ringing. That usually adds up to only one thing.

Except this time, it was my mother calling, wondering if I knew where my older brother was. Seems his house phone went to the recording that says “The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check the number … ” and my mother tried information with the almost predictable result of “No information for that name.” So, naturally, she woke me up to see if I knew where my brother was. I live in Glendale, Arizona, and he lives in the Salt Lake City area, so yeah, sure, we see each other EVERY DAY.

I promised her I would see what I could do. I needed to call him and wish him a happy birthday anyway. I dialed his number and he answered. I wished him a happy birthday, and then explained the reason for my call. “Yeah” he said, “I had to have the house phone disconnected. We’re running through a rough spot. Seems no one wants to hire an accountant with gray hair.”

“Grecian Formula” I helpfully suggested.

“You know that’s not me” he replied.

I asked him to call Mom so she wouldn’t worry. He promised he would.

I still don’t like calls in the dark of the night.

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Good show – a big thanks to all who chatted and especially to Tigerbo and Stanger73, who called in. We talked about the Marines and illegal immigration; and it’s a small world. Special guest in the chatroom for a bit – Cimarron!

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

This week and next, TMBWitW is on “vacation” – that is, she isn’t scheduled to be in the office, but since her team is already a skeleton crew, she has no choice but to do some work from home becasue she doesn’t want to walk into a huge pile when she returns on the 28th, just in time for year end. The silver lining is that we get to spend a lot of time in the house together along with MEG. MEG, by the way, is potty-training. FOr the most part, she is potty trained – but still doesn’t fully grasp the whole “poop in the potty, not in your panties” thing. We’re working on it.

My job has been spotty lately, with the end of the year and it being a “dedicated” deli, most of the newspaper folk are taking lots of time off between now and the end of the year, so there’s really no need for a third person right now. So, I have off until after the first of the year. (insert twiddling of thumbs here)

This Friday night, at 2200 MST, The “O” Word will be on the air. Just right for following the Friday Follies on Pastor Ed and Annie B.

This Sunday evening, TMBWitW, MEG and I will be joining our good and wonderful friends to tour the Luminaria at the Desert Botanical Gardens. This has become an annual tradition, and we look forward to it every year. The Gardens are lit up with thousands of Luminaria, and there are several musical guests scattered throughout the gardens. Last year, there was an installation of glass sculptures by Chihuly.

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

…and I was working, and taking Christmas pictures of MEG, and going to Christmas music rehearsal last night, so I didn’t get to tell you about the high winds and RAIN that lashed my homestead.

I don’t know the official top speeds of the winds, or their intensity. I do know that my barbeque was pushed off my patio and flipped over end for end; the top of MEG’s sand box turtle was thrown across the yard (and the sand was, as expected, soaked); the mop bucket and wet/dry vacuum stored on the back patio were also shoved off and flipped on their sides; and the worst part: my twenty foot tall, aluminum flagpole was snapped off at the joint of the first piece. The flag (it lived, BZ – it is currently folded and stored safely) was still attached to the rest of the pole, but said rest of pole was tangled into the trees growing around the flagpole.

So – now I have to find a replacement base unit. Since I bought the pole as a kit, I will probably end up buying a whole new set. Since I needed to move the pole anyway, this is the perfect opportunity to place it where the trees and the roof of the house won’t interfere with the flag, and with the additional sections, I will be able to raise the pole higher than before. Of course, that also means I’ll have to reposition some lighting, but that’s no big deal.

I know that the storm that hit us Monday night was just the leading edge of a a large storm system moving across the nation. I pray that all my readers and my blog friends across the country will be safe and weather this series of storms with little, if any, damage to them or their households. Ya’ll take care now, hear?

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!