(When it rains, it pours)
the dryer broke down AGAIN at Christmas while Dana was visiting. It took even longer for the actual service this time. Sure, the appliance guy came out, but we didn't get the actual part in place until January while we were away in the Dominican Republic. The appliance guy speculates that it might be the hose that's the problem. Paul crawled under the house (NEVER CRAWL UNDER THE HOUSE!!!) and found that we have a flexible hose running from one side of the building all the way to the other before venting outside. Yes, that's a problem. It should be a lot closer to the actual appliance. The big problem with that is the bloody air exchangers. They're in the same room as the dryer and the vent for the dryer has to be "a certain distance" (as yet undefined by a professional) away from the intake for the air exchangers. No big surprise. This has not yet been resolved. Give me a little more time! I promise I'll call today. *sigh*
Further to the visit from the Mutt and Jeff plumbers, Inc... The moisture problem in the basement is NOT due to ground water seeping from our backyard. The town had to repair a water line across the road from us. It seems there was a broken pipe running alongside the roadway, gushing water under the tarmac and (big surprise) into our basement. I've been afraid to send Paul to the basement (are you surprised?) to see how the moisture situation is doing. Do we still need a sump pump? A de-humidifier? I don't know!!!! *sigh*
Friday, February 5, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Keeping in touch...
via The Blog.
I'm sending you the link to my blog. It'll show up in your e-mail each time I publish a new blog. Sorry sweetie.
I figure this is one way that I can ensure that the important people in my life (You now know who you are) can hear from me on a semi-regular basis.
Laugh out loud.
Groan at the bad humor.
Think of me.
Love, Chris
I'm sending you the link to my blog. It'll show up in your e-mail each time I publish a new blog. Sorry sweetie.
I figure this is one way that I can ensure that the important people in my life (You now know who you are) can hear from me on a semi-regular basis.
Laugh out loud.
Groan at the bad humor.
Think of me.
"Can I help who's next?" ... WTF??!!!
Am I the only one who hears that phrase at the local Timmy's and cringes? I hope not! It's not just a Newfoundland thing, as I recall hearing it years ago in Manitoba while standing in line at yet another Timmy's.
Is there some sort of correlation there? It seems to me that I only heard it at Timmy's, ... unless that was the only place my student-self stood in line long enough to hear it.
It's grammatically unattractive. "Can I help who is next?" Yes, yes! You know and I know that they really mean "Can I help the next person?" But how hard is it to say that correctly?
What about "Hi, can I help you?" or "Next, please!"
Nowadays I hear it nearly everywhere I go. Standing in line at Chapter's, the teller beckons me with a "Can I help who's next." Starbucks. Mary Brown's. McDonald's. It goes on!!!
I want to go over and 1) Educate them, and 2) Smack them. Not necessarily in that order.
Is there some sort of correlation there? It seems to me that I only heard it at Timmy's, ... unless that was the only place my student-self stood in line long enough to hear it.
It's grammatically unattractive. "Can I help who is next?" Yes, yes! You know and I know that they really mean "Can I help the next person?" But how hard is it to say that correctly?
What about "Hi, can I help you?" or "Next, please!"
Nowadays I hear it nearly everywhere I go. Standing in line at Chapter's, the teller beckons me with a "Can I help who's next." Starbucks. Mary Brown's. McDonald's. It goes on!!!
I want to go over and 1) Educate them, and 2) Smack them. Not necessarily in that order.
Monday, February 1, 2010
It's a PUREBRED!!! ... *sarcastic snort*
I've read about them, I've heard about them, but I've never actually run into one of them in person. Until yesterday.
What's that, you say? I'm talking about those gullible people who acquire "designer dogs" and in all innocence claim that their dogs are "purebred!" *gaack!!*
I bumped into a woman and her children the other night while I was out with my Niki-girl. The kids clustered around and patted the puppy and began talking about their pup. "It's a designer dog" one little girl lisped. The mother explained that it's part pug and part beagle. I opened my mouth to wonder what kind of dog that would look like when it was fully-grown (???!!) and the woman continued to astound me by announcing that "It's a PUREBRED!"
I actually gaped at her. A few seconds went by while my mouth hung open in disbelief. Then I started to explain that a dog with different breeds as its parents couldn't possibly be a purebred when I realized that this woman had joined the hundreds, nay, THOUSANDS, of gullible people who have been brainwashed into believing that their valuable dollars have been spent on a "designer dog."
When did that happen? Seriously? When? It used to be that when your dog jumped the fence and got caught by another dog not of the same breed, the resulting puppies would be called "mutts, Heinz 57's, or cross-breds." The puppies would be sold for pennies, given away, or even stuffed into a sack and thrown in the river for disposal. (harsh!)
Not today! Today these same dogs are eagerly sought after, bred by what we used to call "backyard breeders" and given the fancy-schmancy name of "Designer Dogs."
Pug + Beagle = Puggle
Labrador + Poodle = Labradoodle
It just goes on and on! It's crazy!! We used to GIVE these dogs away, and now the "breeders" are selling them for hundreds of dollars apiece! If only I'd known, I would've started breeding these mutts *ahem* "designer dogs" myself when I had the chance!
Nahhhh... then again, I really like knowing with a greater degree of reliability what my dog's going to be like. While Oslo, the malamute was a brute, at least I knew what to expect of him. I like knowing that my little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the result of many years of careful breeding to get the very best of her breed. Sure, there's good and bad in that. I recognize that. However, careful and conscientious breeders take pride and care to get the very best puppies by watching not only the conformation and temperament, but the health of their breeders.
Hybrid vigour is all well and fine. Some of the best dogs I've had have been crossbreds. There was never any pretentious posturing on anybody's part to call it a "designer dog" and give it some made-up half-assed name. My dogs were proudly called "MUTTS!"
What's that, you say? I'm talking about those gullible people who acquire "designer dogs" and in all innocence claim that their dogs are "purebred!" *gaack!!*
I bumped into a woman and her children the other night while I was out with my Niki-girl. The kids clustered around and patted the puppy and began talking about their pup. "It's a designer dog" one little girl lisped. The mother explained that it's part pug and part beagle. I opened my mouth to wonder what kind of dog that would look like when it was fully-grown (???!!) and the woman continued to astound me by announcing that "It's a PUREBRED!"
I actually gaped at her. A few seconds went by while my mouth hung open in disbelief. Then I started to explain that a dog with different breeds as its parents couldn't possibly be a purebred when I realized that this woman had joined the hundreds, nay, THOUSANDS, of gullible people who have been brainwashed into believing that their valuable dollars have been spent on a "designer dog."
When did that happen? Seriously? When? It used to be that when your dog jumped the fence and got caught by another dog not of the same breed, the resulting puppies would be called "mutts, Heinz 57's, or cross-breds." The puppies would be sold for pennies, given away, or even stuffed into a sack and thrown in the river for disposal. (harsh!)
Not today! Today these same dogs are eagerly sought after, bred by what we used to call "backyard breeders" and given the fancy-schmancy name of "Designer Dogs."
Pug + Beagle = Puggle
Labrador + Poodle = Labradoodle
It just goes on and on! It's crazy!! We used to GIVE these dogs away, and now the "breeders" are selling them for hundreds of dollars apiece! If only I'd known, I would've started breeding these mutts *ahem* "designer dogs" myself when I had the chance!
Nahhhh... then again, I really like knowing with a greater degree of reliability what my dog's going to be like. While Oslo, the malamute was a brute, at least I knew what to expect of him. I like knowing that my little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the result of many years of careful breeding to get the very best of her breed. Sure, there's good and bad in that. I recognize that. However, careful and conscientious breeders take pride and care to get the very best puppies by watching not only the conformation and temperament, but the health of their breeders.
Hybrid vigour is all well and fine. Some of the best dogs I've had have been crossbreds. There was never any pretentious posturing on anybody's part to call it a "designer dog" and give it some made-up half-assed name. My dogs were proudly called "MUTTS!"
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Wake up call
Sunrise over Torbay