Fifteen shopping days until 2007

What a day! Yes, that some sarcasm to start off the day.

I'm scheduled to go into town for a haircut, but I'm not feeling it. I need to clean the house, move some computer equipment around, clean the car, and work on a client's book keeping. I have to finish working on my sermon for tomorrow. And scoop the poo up in the yard.

I thought we were going to have a sunny day today; it seems not to be the case.

Do you know what would have happened if there had been Three Wise Women instead of Three Wise Men?

They would have asked directions, arrived on time, helped deliver the baby, cleaned the stable, made a casserole, brought practical gifts and there would be Peace On Earth.

BUT READ ON . . . . .

Cute, but do you know what would have happened if there had been Three Gay Wise Men?

They would have done a fabulous parade towards the big "B" in full auburn/gold sequined gowns to match the low "Star of Bethlehem" lighting, arrived early, helped deliver the baby AND dressed it up in a gorgeous buttercream-colored 100% cotton throw, cleaned the stable AND redecorated it in a "western" theme to match the animals.

The Three Gay Wise Men would not have made a casserole but a flawless entree of chilean sea bass
dusted in cocoa powder with guatemalan mangoes in a light chutney mix, mashed potatoes with a light cream fennel sauce and anjou pears with yogurt cream cheese and Grand Marnier swirls, topped off with a caff/half caff cappuccino con panna.

The practical gifts would have included items from the new Martha Stewart Living collection.

Peace? How can you have peace when the entire night just screams for a drag number?

I'm making dinner for the troika. Divo-ghetti, which I've only properly prepared once since moving into this house - mostly because there was no stove until October.

Holy schmoly! After dinner, John moved his enormous HD TV downstairs, and we're watching "Superman Returns" on it. WOW. It's amazing.

Of course, my perfectly balanced Dolby surround system makes it that much better.

How fun is this?

Phriday the Phiphteenth

So, yet another broker came by today to do an inspection/price report. She was also very nice.

This morning, I had a hearing lined up, and man, was I stressed out about it. Nothing happened (it was canceled) but I was still feeling the strain. Had a nice breakfast/lunch with my lawyer friend, and talked about eBay and old times. Did some work, felt like CRAP, came home to meet the said real estate broker, and now it's pretty much time to race out the door to Clear Lake (again) for the church Christmas party.

And I still love this house.

And I love my car.

There was a Lionel Smithsonian Dreyfuss Hudson on eBay that I decided I didn't need to dust after all. That clearance sale is getting bigger and bigger.

John II is off trying to get something handled with his old car. I need to get MY old car registered and underway. And not leaking transmission fluid in the driveway with a ten degree list.

I'm about half ready to put away Christmas stuff. I'm just not feeling it this year, I guess.

Barney's getting older and more feeble. I think I see how he fell into the pool; he's unsteady on his feet, but he still likes to walk around the perimeter of the pool.

I dunno what to do about him.

This weekend, so much to do and so little time to do it in.

About time to start heading south/southeast.

Hump Day with cocktails

Watching a movie about the Argentine factory workers who expropriated their factories when IMF and government policies put them all out of work. It's a CBC production; it's very nicely done.

Things went very well today with the realtor. The house is as clean as it's been since before Mitch lived here. Still a huge list of things that I'd change and do when it's mine, but .. for now, it's a big improvement.

I'm thinking that some big changes are required in my life. I'm going to start making them.

I just love

I just love hearing from Secret Agent Man. He just is so much possibility, it's overwhelming.

My little note to David Taylor Cadillac/Buick/Pontiac/GMC/Hummer

I'm curious to know something.

Today, I brought my 2005 Bonneville GXP to the dealership for warranty
service. My complaints were faulty sunroof seal, repair rear armrest
cupholder, low coolant warning when coolant isn't low and a binding
noise/feeling in the front transaxle.

Your service department was unable to evaluate the car for the coolant
warning or the transaxle, and the cupholder part had to be ordered.

Therefore, the only service work done on the car was to adjust my
sunroof.

Why, then, was it necessary or appropriate for your service technicians
or staff to adjust and re-set my seat, mirror and climate control memory
settings? I could understand them changing the settings (well,
actually, no I can't, but it's endemic to the process of taking one's
car in for service) but, to RESET the memory?

Further, why, when only adjusting the sunroof, was it necessary to
adjust the dash lighting to full brightness instead of leaving it where
it was set when I dropped the car off?

Is this what I should expect when trading with David Taylor? I have to
spend time sitting in the service drive re-setting all of my memory
settings to that which was comfortable for me?

This is the most insane experience I've ever had at a GM dealer. I've
been ignored, told nothing was wrong with my car, left without a car for
a week while no work was done on it, given back a car that had body
damage, had trim broken, been lied to and treated like my business had
no value by the service staff, the dealer management and Pontiac Motor
Division, but .. was someone planning on taking my car home to drive around?

I learned this morning that your dealership doesn't receive messages
through this web service. Yesterday, I set up an appointment, including
listing the complaints I wished to have addressed under warrant through
this site only to find that .. David Taylor doesn't actually RECEIVE
these communications. So, I'll do you all the courtesy of copying this
message out, and faxing it to you in the morning.

Monday, Monday ..

Advance New Year's Resolution posting:

1. From this day forward, anyone who sends me an email that contains some dire warning of future disaster or misfortune in the event I don't immediately forward on the email to within minutes shall have ALL of their suspicious emails deleted without being read or considered. Period. Even if the email is telling me of winning lottery numbers, my winning the Nobel Peace Prize, or their impending death. Sorry, but that's the way it's going to be.
2. From this day forward, if I take my automobile in for service to any dealer, garage, car wash or other establishment and the people providing service take it upon themselves to adjust the mirrors, seats, radio or climate control settings, I will immediately take myself back to the service person and invite them to restore the original settings forthwith. Should they not know the settings, they can guess. And, I'll leave my car there blocking their service drive until they fix it.
3. From this day forward, I will refrain from answering personal telephone calls of any character during business hours. Mixed relationship callers who wish to engage in personal calls will be told that the call must be rescheduled for a non-work time.
4. From this day forward, I will not be logged into instant messenger services during work hours.
5. From this day forward, I will refrain from answering any business related inquiries by instant message. Those attempting to engage in business communications by instant message will be invited to submit their inquiry by email or telephone.
6. From this day forward, I will refrain from answering business questions of any character after business hours. Mixed relationship callers who wish to engage in business calls during non-business hours will be told that the call must be rescheduled for a business time.
7. From this day forward, I will refrain from responding to personal email during business hours.
8. By the end of this year, I will have completed my application to Ministerial College.

Okay, that's enough for now.

Sunday OFF!!!

From the 2003 Pontiac press kit about the 2004 Bonneville GXP (which is what Scarlett is, save that she's an '05):

"Perhaps the best way to define the Bonneville is to describe a typical buyer. (My opinion, not GM's.) "Mid-level male exec in his late 30's or early 40's; lives in the burbs; spends hours on expressways; fascinated by technology and wants his car to be loaded with electronics; has a sentimental yearning for old-fashioned Detroit values; likes to drive hard." If that's you, you'll love this car."

Yowsa. That smarts.

After my slag job on the el crapo show at the Great Caruso .. the place burns out to the foundation. How 'bout them apples?

I spent hours today researching the murder of Judy Saragusa. More will be revealed, but tonight when I was telling the story of her murder and such, I had a little intution that she's going to come visit me again soon. Maybe tonight, even.

Was reflecting this evening on a huge pattern that goes all the way back to being five years old, and how it shows up in housing, career, money, cars, relationships ... it's everywhere. More reflection and meditation is required.

It's about time to put the phone in the charging cradle and hit the sack. John II is gone for the night with his friend Chad from Michigan; he'll be back after lunch tomorrow, I guess. Bram and I have been yakking for hours, and now it's time to see if the pool has enough water in it, and visit the land of dream clues, visiting ghosts of murdered women and other fun stuff.