The geek flag flies proudly here!

(Two quick things, I managed today to do my excising, with NO coughing, and almost back up to the normal 'thing' for me, and to those who caught the fact that I said Marshmallow was a rooster, sorry.  I was busy while typing, and meant to type Jet Puff. Marshmallow is Jet Puff's Mom...)  

Hopefully I am not repeating myself, but I didn't see where I'd typed it before... So.  If I did, please forgive me.  This happened somewhat recently, and I thought it was funny.

Husband and I get up early.  Like, it's dark, and we wait for sunrise early.  So, I get ready for work at the sub, and one of the things I do is go out to feed.  I did this, rather uneventful... I walk back in the house, (remember, still dark), and realize, I see red flashes outside the window.  Oooh, crap...

When there is red lights outside the window, and it isn't the bus picking up the kid next door, it's generally NOT a good sign.  Example: a woman with Alzheimer's walked away from her house, and the red light was from the Search and Rescue vehicle dropping off searchers in front of our place, or when a deputy had to stop traffic on our lane, because a black cow got out, and someone plowed into it.  Now you know why the red lights got my attention, Pronto...

I turn the inside lights out, so I can see outside, and open the blinds.  Yep, red lights. In my neighbor's driveway...  !

Wait... Red lights don't bounce and swerve.  And these lights are... Long?  HUH??

So I watch...

Turns out it's the kid, and his Uncle, engaged in a rousing Star Wars Battle by the front of the drive, with two red light sabers...  I watched for a bit, and they were having a great time...   The bus showed up, and between the light sabers, and all the lights with the bus, it looked like a discotheque had materialized out front. 

Uncle grabbed the kid's saber, kid went on the bus, and Uncle then used the sabers like you would direct a plane, pointing the way the bus was going with both hands... 

May the Force be with the bus?  😉

I had a good chuckle that morning!

Read a good movie lately?

I went to a big chain bookstore, (Husband and I can't remember which one, sadly, it is no more), and they had this section I would always look at while I was there. 

"Read a Good Movie Lately?"

And they would have the latest movies out, either from the book it was based on, or a book, written from the movie.   I would usually pick up at least one or two, especially if it was sci-fi.

I really missed that. 

I happened to be at a book sale we frequent, and they had "The Revenant".  I picked it up, and it started me thinking... I know there are lots of movies based on books... Why not just catch them as I find them?  I have even started a little section of my library, where the "book to movie section" is.  I have the more obvious, like the Hobbit, some newer, like Gone Girl, and Girl with a Pearl Earring.  Some classics, To Kill A Mockingbird, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn...

I might read all of them, might find I have no interest, and go to the next book... And eventually, I might see the movie, too...

The odd thing, I just finished The Revenant.  It was quite good, if more than a bit gorey.  But, as I have noticed, the book and movie differ.

I haven't seen the movie.  So, how do I know?

Husband told me he'd seen the movie, one time while I was off and away.  So I chatted with him about the book, and said, oh, it was awful that his rifle was stolen, and Husband said, yes, and losing his son...

His son?  I looked blank. 

Yes, Husband says, his son Hawk. 

Uh.  No... No children in the book.

Oh, Hawk is an adult child.

Uh, no, Husband, there was no adult child, no child child, and no Hawk...

Now I really want to see the movie, to see what he's talking about!!! 

Surprise...

One of the deputies and I get along quite well.  I enjoy talking with him, and he is closer to my age, so the "Yes, Ma'am" stuff doesn't happen.  Which is nice. 

Ma'am.  Yick. 

Anyway.  I knew he was one of the longer serving deputies in this office, which is why it shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.

I saw a notice that he'd retired as of the end of the year.  This was the same deputy that gave me all the cool goodies.  I was much dumbfounded, usually I hear that Dep. Whatsit, or Det. Suchnwho will be leaving, sometimes they even have retirement potlucks or some such. 

Nope, just left.  I checked his cubby, sure enough, all his personal stuff was gone, it was just a blank wall and a computer.

Odd.  Maybe he didn't want the party, or just didn't have time.  That has happened, too, when they have to get so much finished at the end of things, they are just spending all sorts of time just writing up things and preparing to leave. 

Either way, bummer.  I would have liked to wish him Happy Retirement.  I do know he lives fairly near me, so perhaps I will see him doing retirement 'stuff' later, and can say hi.

That's one of the funny things about working here.  I have seen lots of the ones that are here, be NOT here after a while.  Some go to the main office in different capacities, like Detective or some such, some retire, some go to different parts of the county to work. 

Life goes on.  Just sometimes interesting when it does! 

Just WHO are they talking to?

I have cut back on my TV watching a bit, but I still like to watch certain shows... But, man, oh, man, do the powers that be have a STRANGE idea of who are watching said shows, and what they like...

I tend to watch old Westerns.  Now, I didn't think that they were that old, or that I was.  But...

I just started taking note of the commercials. 

Medicare, Will.  More medicare. Catheters. Oxygen supply.  'Nother ad for a will.  Reverse mortgage.  Three different ads for wills, back to back!

Cough...  ?

I really think that not one of those applies to me, and even if they did, Geez, folks, couldn't you throw a candy bar ad, or SOMETHING to break up the "YOU ARE GOING TO DIE" vibe? 

So, I started paying attention to ads during the news.  Different verse, similar to the first...

Constipation ad.  Hair shaver ad, men.  Constipation ad, hair shaver ad, women.  Two more men's shaver ads.  Two more constipation ads.  And lastly, women's shaver ad.

So people who watch the news are hairy and can't poop?  I believe the next night had hemorrhoid commercials, too.  Guess they REALLY can't poop...

When I have watched kid shows, they seem to have at least a little more variety.  Candy, toys, cereal.  Occasionally ads for baby diapers, and  washing pods...  That, at least, makes a bit more sense, most kiddos don't need home loans, or cars, at least at the age for the stuff I looked at.  It did surprise me a bit that they wouldn't target the parents more, at that point, but, meh...

So, I guess I just don't watch the right stuff.  Or I am an old codger that is hairy, can't poop, and gonna die... EEEP!!!

The only one I *might* admit to is hairy...

One of those calls... And Faire

I do receptionist work on Tuesdays.  I try to be polite, professional, and generally do what I can to make the calls or contacts as pleasant, or at least easy, as they can be.

Then there are the ones...

Had a call this morning.

Hello, ... this is Cat, how can I help you?

I WANT A LEVEL 11 OFFICER AT MY HOUSE NOW, OR THE LEAD SHERIFF! I WANT A LEVEL 11 OFFICER AT MY HOUSE NOW, OR THE LEAD SHERIFF! I WANT A LEVEL 11 OFFICER AT MY HOUSE NOW, OR THE LEAD SHERIFF! 

Sir, just a moment, what do you-

I WANT A LEVEL 11 OFFICER AT MY HOUSE NOW, OR THE LEAD SHERIFF!  I WANT A LEVEL 11 OFFICER AT MY HOUSE NOW, OR THE LEAD SHERIFF! 

Sir!

I WANT A LEVEL 11 OFFICER AT MY HOUSE NOW, OR THE LEAD SHERIFF! 

I just put the call on transfer, I hope that dispatch could get him to listen...

It isn't that terribly unusual to get folks who don't listen, but this was odd, even for the usual stuff and nonsense.  I have to assume that there is a problem, but that doesn't help me getting a bit of information to him.  And I guess I am really curious, what in the heck is a level 11 officer?  And we only have one Sheriff, so that didn't make a lot of sense to me either.


In other news, I went to faire for one day with Dad.  I don't know why, but it was okay.  Not great, but okay.  I enjoyed being with Dad, we chatted, and wandered around, but I felt... Off.  I wasn't in costume, Dad and I thought it would be a lot easier, and, well, it was.  But I slipped into Fairespeak, and tried to help a couple folks, and they brushed me off.  Odd sensation, that.  Was able to see a few friends, but it was a crazy time for the bunch of us, so Hail Fellow Well Met, was more, Hiyo, I am trying to get crap done, bye.  And with me in full Meh mode, that didn't help...

We decided to leave early as it was getting hot.  BIG mistake.  I didn't time it right, and poor Dad had to drive through the Oregon State game being released.  It says something when they A) turn off all the traffic lights and use people to direct traffic, and B) turn all the roads around the area to one way OUT, which means we were driving and where we would be on a two lane, two way road, with a double yellow line, they had made it ALL GOING ONE WAY.  Reminded me of the news reports of Hurricane evacuations, just smaller.  But, we made it out of the area okay, Dad did NOT get a leg cramp (THANKFULLY!!), and we made it home fine.

I do have to deal with a full day of dust and dirt, creating faire boogers... Eeeew, to put it mildy.  When you blow your nose, and it's black, you know you have dealt with a large amount of dust!

Pen pals, and other missives.

Well, today is election day.  Which actually has nothing to do with anything, except I am at the sub early, and writing is my plan for most of the day.  I had to arrive an hour early, and will have someone come in an hour early to spell me...  7am to 8pm, we have decided is MUCH too long of a stretch.

Anywho.  I am writing my blog, of course.  Then I am going to write my Aunties.  I didn't get my Easter cards out to anyone, (Hi, messymimi... eep.) and, so I am going to do a "Yes, I am late, but I am thinking of you" notes.  It's hilarious, in a way, I sit and type my blog, and everyone is soooo serious when they come in, she is working so we must not disturb her with our requests. So I make a point of dropping typing when someone comes in.  When I am writing with pen and paper, more than a few ask if I am filling out forms.  

Didn't know why that came up, until I realized, I am usually writing with a clipboard.  Most places use those for forms, at least around here...  The funny thing, when I am doing some of the "actual" work for the sub, where I have a ream of paper, and am intently looking at the computer, most folk don't notice!  Odd...

(And Heaven help me if I am reading a book, or knitting. Which has been perfectly fine with everyone from Sheriff on down, as long as we aren't ignoring what we are 'supposed' to be doing with customers...)

I have two pen pals, and I just sent off letters to them.  One is a brand new pen pal, we accidentally met up on a knitting forum.  Think I told the story, but short version, we were dropped, unintentionally, from a pen pal list, and so we checked with each other, hey would you like to be MY pen pal?  Yep!  And off to the races... 

She is in New Jersey, so we have rather different experiences, and places, so have (hopefully) a lot to talk about.  I have written with my computer, just to make the letter easier to read, but I have a new printer.  It can print both sides of the paper, which is wonderful, saves paper and postage.

Except...

It prints the back page upside down.  I am going to have to figure out how to correct this problem...  Right now, I will just pull the paper out, and turn it so it's correct, but there has to be a way to do this without needing to mess with the paper...  So my pen pals will get a unique letter or two until I can get it sorted out, but hey, it's still a letter, right?

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog.

Finally!

Remember this, my resolutions?

1. Lose 5 pounds.  See, I figure, geez, 5 pounds in a year?  I should be able to do that. 

2. Write my blog once a week.  I reserve the right to write much more, should I want.  I also reserve the right not to do the A to Z challenge, or do, depending on how chaotic life is at that time.  I have quit some groups and things that distracted me from writing, (No Nanowrimo, that I had planned on doing...), so we shall see what a revised activity level will do.

3. Lose more papers and junk in my craft room.  If I can remember how to up load the pictures from the phone, I will show you the before and after photos of what I’ve accomplished so far, with help from Husband and Family. (Trust me, envision an overflowing dump, and then lower it to a slightly stuffed living room, and you have the general idea.)

Okay, so 1 is actually doing fine.  I am down 13 pounds, a slight hiccup right now, had a massive salt craving... Which means I am holding water like a camel made of sponge.  But anywho, I am doing not bad on that.

Number 3.  Yes, I am getting a slight bit of return creep, but I have removed oodles and bunches and lots o' crap, and it looks like someplace you could do crafting, not somewhere to hide a dead body...  

In fact, the desk in my craft room is completely clean, except for a bit of jewelry I am working on.  Which annoys Ding no end, it is a glass top, and she's slid off, twice.  So now she jumps in my lap to get on the desk...

Did I hear you mention part the second?  

Er.  

Yeah.  I...  

Part was just my not getting to the computer, (which is also the reason everyone hasn't had responses from me on their respective blogs.  I need to talk to the absolutely wonderful gal {NOT kidding, she's great} at Verizon, maybe she can walk me through why the phone won't talk to blogs. sigh...), but then the computer decided to show me this big sign when I opened up for doings... 

YOUR COMPUTER PROTECTION IS ENDED, YOU ARE NO LONGER SAFE, YOUR COMPUTER COULD BE INFECTED WITH G*D KNOWS WHAT AND EXPLODE INTO FLINDERS AT THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH...

Well, ok, that second part might have been my interpretation, but you get the idea.  And since I search random websites for knitting patterns and photos, I was more than a tad leery of getting online.  And who knows what some of those Facebooky things might do.  So I asked Husband to help me get the thing updated, as he has the relationship with the I.T. guy.  He did, and handed me a bit of paper.

???

This is your code for the new protection.

??!?  A code?   What do I do with it?  But, dutifully, last week, I sat down at the computer, and tried to put said code in.  Well, after wiping out our data limit with the download, I got down to business.

Two boxes come up.  I fill out one, then go to the next, which has different info, like what my account with the company is.

Huh?

I realize this one is for NEW folks, after I filled it halfway out...  But it doesn't go away when I delete it.  Now I have dueling comment boxes, and not a clue how to clear it.

I text Husband.

You know more than I do...

Oh, boy... I do?

Um.  Ok, don't panic, call I.T. guy.  Yeah, that'll work!

After working a while to figure out his phone, I call...
"We will be on vacation for a week, if you need help, please leave a message, and I will respond when I return."

Uh. I think that was when I decided panic was actually becoming an option.  I snarled, swore a bit, glared at the computer, then went to get a drink of water, with the small nasty thought of pouring the same on the computer, if it didn't cooperate.

I then tried again, carefully deleting anything unrelated to the code part.  Slowly, ploddingly, maddeningly (more so) slowly, it worked itself out.

Then I let the thing alone for a day or so.  Checked it, it needed an update, but worked ok.  Checked today, and it seemed fine.

So, before it changed its mind, or drove me out of mine, I wrote this blog...