Dire news. There's a real bookstore in town -- it's some kind of chain called Hastings, which is obviously trying to outdo B&N. It has movies, music, books in all categories, large magazine selection, cafe, etc. It also takes in used books but not massmarket paperbacks -- only trade paperback or hardback. What!?!?
Got just a few items at the WM, including some powdered graphite to try to make the gray tank valve easier to push/pull.
Checked out the Alamo Senior Center -- it's really big. So I paid my $10 "donation" membership and had my picture taken for my ID card. There's a state form to fill out -- tedious but must jump through the bureaucratic hoops. Found out the swimming is not at the Sr. Ctr. but at the Wellness Center in the middle of town and it costs $37 a month to join it. Hmmm. But the Sr. Ctr. does have line dancing lessons, pool tables, exercise rooms, etc etc.
Have just eaten my trashed browns w/sunnyside up eggs on top. As soon as the computer stuff is done, I'll head home, get hooked up, and hunker down for the two front that are rolling in starting tonight.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Saturday 12/26
Saturday 12/26
Quite busy in the store for the five hours I worked today. Got called down by Kenn as having taken over a customer from Caleb. That wasn't my intent; I was just trying to be helpful, but I apologized profusely. I certainly don't want to be a Rose by any other name.
Two fronts are on their way, with cold weather and possible snow. My knee is certainly letting me know the weather people are right.
Work tomorrow, off Monday. Will go to town and the wifi cafe.
Ooooh. RTV is showing I Bury the Living with Richard Boone.
Quite busy in the store for the five hours I worked today. Got called down by Kenn as having taken over a customer from Caleb. That wasn't my intent; I was just trying to be helpful, but I apologized profusely. I certainly don't want to be a Rose by any other name.
Two fronts are on their way, with cold weather and possible snow. My knee is certainly letting me know the weather people are right.
Work tomorrow, off Monday. Will go to town and the wifi cafe.
Ooooh. RTV is showing I Bury the Living with Richard Boone.
xmas day
After getting back yesterday after errands, my right knee decided it would swell up, which made it lots of fun getting hooked back up, especially getting down on the ground to reach under the rig to open the gray water valve. So I spent the rest of the day alternating aspirin and antihistamine, because I also had an allergy attack.
Today I'm much better, though I spent the day lazing about and napping.
About 6.30pm all we Bowlin folk (four whole people) gathered in the house to have a nosh and chitchat. Carol had made goodies. I contributed a mozzarella/prosciutto roll with some garlic/onion rice crackers. There was "Oklahoma dip" made of melted velveeta and hamburger, hummus, cheese balls, grapes, cream cheese with A-1 sauce on it. For sweets, there was pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, cookies, fudge, chocolate cake. I think there was more stuff but can't remember. All very fattening and midwestern (they're from Tulsa originally).
Caleb left at 7 as he'd agreed to babysit his nephew, but Kenn and Carol and I sat around and chatted till about 8pm. Then we all cleaned up and went home.
I'd heard from Mary-Ann that there wouldn't be the traditional tree-trimming party at Hazel and John's as John has come down with the flu. Not good, especially with his congestive heart failure. I told K&C that if something dire happens, I'm outta here on my way to Asheville. There's a very small group of people I'll drop everything for, and John is high on that list.
Am wishing for the best for everybody, and especially for those dear to me.
Today I'm much better, though I spent the day lazing about and napping.
About 6.30pm all we Bowlin folk (four whole people) gathered in the house to have a nosh and chitchat. Carol had made goodies. I contributed a mozzarella/prosciutto roll with some garlic/onion rice crackers. There was "Oklahoma dip" made of melted velveeta and hamburger, hummus, cheese balls, grapes, cream cheese with A-1 sauce on it. For sweets, there was pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, cookies, fudge, chocolate cake. I think there was more stuff but can't remember. All very fattening and midwestern (they're from Tulsa originally).
Caleb left at 7 as he'd agreed to babysit his nephew, but Kenn and Carol and I sat around and chatted till about 8pm. Then we all cleaned up and went home.
I'd heard from Mary-Ann that there wouldn't be the traditional tree-trimming party at Hazel and John's as John has come down with the flu. Not good, especially with his congestive heart failure. I told K&C that if something dire happens, I'm outta here on my way to Asheville. There's a very small group of people I'll drop everything for, and John is high on that list.
Am wishing for the best for everybody, and especially for those dear to me.
xmas eve
Store is closed today. Kenn and Carol took off in their SUV around 9am and aren't back yet (4pm). They do a lot of geo-caching so maybe that's what they're up to.
I took a nice shower and then did laundry -- you know, traditional xmas events.
Talked to John R today -- he's feeling much better. Phew. Joe, Hazel's oldest son, answered the phone, which was disconcerting (his nickname used to be Lurch -- long story). And Johnny was over, too, so I said happy holidays to them all.
Tried to read a Black London book by Caitlin Kittredge and just didn't like it at all. I know I've read stuff by her before and liked it okay. Maybe it's this series I don't like.
Am trying a book called Darker Angels by M.L.N. Hanover, and so far so good. The style is somewhat familiar but the author's name is not. I read the blurb about the author and it gave me the feeling that this is a pseudonym. I mean, I would recognize the name of an International Horror Guild award-winner, wouldn't I? Diana B -- what do you know about this author?
Work tomorrow and Sunday during the afternoon. Not too onerous.
TTFN
I took a nice shower and then did laundry -- you know, traditional xmas events.
Talked to John R today -- he's feeling much better. Phew. Joe, Hazel's oldest son, answered the phone, which was disconcerting (his nickname used to be Lurch -- long story). And Johnny was over, too, so I said happy holidays to them all.
Tried to read a Black London book by Caitlin Kittredge and just didn't like it at all. I know I've read stuff by her before and liked it okay. Maybe it's this series I don't like.
Am trying a book called Darker Angels by M.L.N. Hanover, and so far so good. The style is somewhat familiar but the author's name is not. I read the blurb about the author and it gave me the feeling that this is a pseudonym. I mean, I would recognize the name of an International Horror Guild award-winner, wouldn't I? Diana B -- what do you know about this author?
Work tomorrow and Sunday during the afternoon. Not too onerous.
TTFN
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Wednesday 12/23
Wednesday 12/23 8am
The storm has arrived. Spattering rain during the night but just now it's begun to snow, lightly and not sticking so far, supposedly windy later but not now. I heard that a huge dust storm yesterday closed I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix (which is where Picacho Peak is, 35 mi. north of Tucson). Pictures were terrible; glad I'm not there right now.
I remember the dust storms in Libya (called "ghiblis") -- the sand out of the Sahara was so fine it was like talcum powder. We could see them coming, usually out of the southeast, huge clouds boiling up into the sky. We would pack stuff around all the doors and windows to keep it out but quite a lot would still filter in. Fortunately, all the floors were marble so it was easy to sweep it up, though it took days as it got everywhere. Folklore said the storms would last 1 day, 3 days, or 9 days. Those long lashes on camels are to keep the sand out of their eyes, as are the face-wrappings of the natives. We non-natives had no such protection.
The Libyan dress is called a barracan, traditionally of cotton or light linen. I was taught how to wrap it properly and still remember how (this for the woman's version; the men's is, naturally, the outdoor version only and they don't have to hide their faces). The material is a rectangle about 3 ft wide and 20 ft long. If you don't start it right, it's impossible to do. When done, you have a chest covering and a skirt with a tight wrap at the waist and a loose cape in back that you can draw over your head and around to cover the face. A short-sleeved waist-length blouse is worn under it to cover the rest of the torso. This is the basic dress but to go outside the house (where strange men can see you), there's a piece of undyed coarse linen that is draped over everything like a cloak, tucked under the elbows to hold it closed in front, down over the forehead and then folded in to make an open triangle over one eye, held by one hand. The elbows and a hand are now out of action, so there's only one hand and one eye in use. Think about doing your errands like that, with a child or two hanging on to the outside of the barracan. Humph.
Somewhere I have a picture of my mother wearing a barracan for a costume party held at the Shores of Tripoli Club (a Corps of Engineers place). She was in her late 30s when we were in Tripoli. I also have a picture of her hula-hooping in a cocktail dress at a party in Livorno Italy. Mom could be a lot of fun until she retired and got religion.
The storm has arrived. Spattering rain during the night but just now it's begun to snow, lightly and not sticking so far, supposedly windy later but not now. I heard that a huge dust storm yesterday closed I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix (which is where Picacho Peak is, 35 mi. north of Tucson). Pictures were terrible; glad I'm not there right now.
I remember the dust storms in Libya (called "ghiblis") -- the sand out of the Sahara was so fine it was like talcum powder. We could see them coming, usually out of the southeast, huge clouds boiling up into the sky. We would pack stuff around all the doors and windows to keep it out but quite a lot would still filter in. Fortunately, all the floors were marble so it was easy to sweep it up, though it took days as it got everywhere. Folklore said the storms would last 1 day, 3 days, or 9 days. Those long lashes on camels are to keep the sand out of their eyes, as are the face-wrappings of the natives. We non-natives had no such protection.
The Libyan dress is called a barracan, traditionally of cotton or light linen. I was taught how to wrap it properly and still remember how (this for the woman's version; the men's is, naturally, the outdoor version only and they don't have to hide their faces). The material is a rectangle about 3 ft wide and 20 ft long. If you don't start it right, it's impossible to do. When done, you have a chest covering and a skirt with a tight wrap at the waist and a loose cape in back that you can draw over your head and around to cover the face. A short-sleeved waist-length blouse is worn under it to cover the rest of the torso. This is the basic dress but to go outside the house (where strange men can see you), there's a piece of undyed coarse linen that is draped over everything like a cloak, tucked under the elbows to hold it closed in front, down over the forehead and then folded in to make an open triangle over one eye, held by one hand. The elbows and a hand are now out of action, so there's only one hand and one eye in use. Think about doing your errands like that, with a child or two hanging on to the outside of the barracan. Humph.
Somewhere I have a picture of my mother wearing a barracan for a costume party held at the Shores of Tripoli Club (a Corps of Engineers place). She was in her late 30s when we were in Tripoli. I also have a picture of her hula-hooping in a cocktail dress at a party in Livorno Italy. Mom could be a lot of fun until she retired and got religion.
Tuesday 12/22
Tuesday 12/22
Big fast-moving front should be here by this afternoon, bringing us rain, wind, maybe snow, and much colder temps (highs in the low 40s, below freezing at night). Front itself will be gone by Thurs, leaving behind cold.
Am sneaking up the idea of a "career" change. Have discovered the American Society of Indexers, which has a course and a certificate for those wishing to be indexers. Not cheap (about $500). However, this is something I can do on the computer anywhere anytime and doesn't depend on my physical state, so it's really something I can do for the rest of my life. Of course, the society doesn't find jobs for you, but it does have a "classified" section on the website and it does put you in touch with other indexers. Networking ta da.
One of the RVW women solos does this and kindly gave me the link to the ASI. I think I'll bombard her with questions. A computer program (such as Word) can be set up to index a mss. by choosing all nouns, but that's really not good enough to be a real index -- that takes a human. I think as an ex-typesetter/proofreader/editor and an ex-bookseller, I have the proper qualifications. Other things mentioned as traits of good indexers are crossword puzzles, reading mysteries, and cataloging/categorizing one's possessions. Guess which of these I have. Yep, got 'em all. I mean, I set up spreadsheets for fun.
I have discovered, though, that it's the setting up and testing that I like. I'm not too fond of the ongoing maintenance process -- that's just data entry. So indexing would be perfect -- studying the material, creating the concept, testing, refining, etc. And then you're done with it and go on to the next challenge. Perfect.
Big fast-moving front should be here by this afternoon, bringing us rain, wind, maybe snow, and much colder temps (highs in the low 40s, below freezing at night). Front itself will be gone by Thurs, leaving behind cold.
Am sneaking up the idea of a "career" change. Have discovered the American Society of Indexers, which has a course and a certificate for those wishing to be indexers. Not cheap (about $500). However, this is something I can do on the computer anywhere anytime and doesn't depend on my physical state, so it's really something I can do for the rest of my life. Of course, the society doesn't find jobs for you, but it does have a "classified" section on the website and it does put you in touch with other indexers. Networking ta da.
One of the RVW women solos does this and kindly gave me the link to the ASI. I think I'll bombard her with questions. A computer program (such as Word) can be set up to index a mss. by choosing all nouns, but that's really not good enough to be a real index -- that takes a human. I think as an ex-typesetter/proofreader/editor and an ex-bookseller, I have the proper qualifications. Other things mentioned as traits of good indexers are crossword puzzles, reading mysteries, and cataloging/categorizing one's possessions. Guess which of these I have. Yep, got 'em all. I mean, I set up spreadsheets for fun.
I have discovered, though, that it's the setting up and testing that I like. I'm not too fond of the ongoing maintenance process -- that's just data entry. So indexing would be perfect -- studying the material, creating the concept, testing, refining, etc. And then you're done with it and go on to the next challenge. Perfect.
Monday 12/21
Monday 12/21
Worked from 9am to 5pm. Was a busy day and had two sales of over $200 each and so will get a commission (day's total was almost $900).
Most fun was two German women, mother and daughter. Mother seemed about 70 or 80, physically frail but full of life and laughter. They bought five pieces of Native American jewelry. Every once in a while I'd catch a German word or phrase so close to English I could understand it, and I would laugh -- the mother enjoyed that. We discussed my name and my German roots. They taught me how to say merry xmas and happy new year in German, which I repeated to them (and promptly forgot).
Then there was the family that bought things such as a Minnetonka leather hat, fireworks, cheap jewelry, and a small longhorn set (which the guy wants to put on the front of his old Pontiac that he made into a convertible by shearing the top off). From Montana.
Caleb has begun to make me his confidante. Today I heard the "confidential" news that Kenn and Carol are to be named manager of the month and employee of the month. Caleb really thought he was going to get "employee" because of the work he's done and the help he's been to K&C since they arrived here. He also thinks Kenn nominated both himself and Carol for the "honor."
There was some other "secret" corporate thing he told me that he wasn't supposed to. So -- no telling him anything I don't want repeated. Oh yeah, he thinks Kenn cheated on the test for manager (used the book) so as to get 100%. Is this true? No idea.
Caleb is ex-military, which is just as bad as a corporation for gossip and bitchiness and political infighting. I believe I'll just do my job, listen to whatever anybody wants to tell me, keep my opinions to myself, and sail serenely on until I can't stand it anymore.
Bones are aching because of a front moving in. Aspirin time.
Got a gift from Blair today of her special fruitcake. Came home and immediately cut two pieces and scarfed them down. Thanks, B!
9.30pm. Watching the Jay Leno show. He asked Jeff Bridges (one of my all-time favorite actors) to tell his favorite joke.
What is invisible and smells like worms?
a
n
s
w
e
r
Bird farts
Worked from 9am to 5pm. Was a busy day and had two sales of over $200 each and so will get a commission (day's total was almost $900).
Most fun was two German women, mother and daughter. Mother seemed about 70 or 80, physically frail but full of life and laughter. They bought five pieces of Native American jewelry. Every once in a while I'd catch a German word or phrase so close to English I could understand it, and I would laugh -- the mother enjoyed that. We discussed my name and my German roots. They taught me how to say merry xmas and happy new year in German, which I repeated to them (and promptly forgot).
Then there was the family that bought things such as a Minnetonka leather hat, fireworks, cheap jewelry, and a small longhorn set (which the guy wants to put on the front of his old Pontiac that he made into a convertible by shearing the top off). From Montana.
Caleb has begun to make me his confidante. Today I heard the "confidential" news that Kenn and Carol are to be named manager of the month and employee of the month. Caleb really thought he was going to get "employee" because of the work he's done and the help he's been to K&C since they arrived here. He also thinks Kenn nominated both himself and Carol for the "honor."
There was some other "secret" corporate thing he told me that he wasn't supposed to. So -- no telling him anything I don't want repeated. Oh yeah, he thinks Kenn cheated on the test for manager (used the book) so as to get 100%. Is this true? No idea.
Caleb is ex-military, which is just as bad as a corporation for gossip and bitchiness and political infighting. I believe I'll just do my job, listen to whatever anybody wants to tell me, keep my opinions to myself, and sail serenely on until I can't stand it anymore.
Bones are aching because of a front moving in. Aspirin time.
Got a gift from Blair today of her special fruitcake. Came home and immediately cut two pieces and scarfed them down. Thanks, B!
9.30pm. Watching the Jay Leno show. He asked Jeff Bridges (one of my all-time favorite actors) to tell his favorite joke.
What is invisible and smells like worms?
a
n
s
w
e
r
Bird farts
Sat 12/19
Saturday 12/19
Another nice day here, while I understand the east is getting hammered with a blizzard. Called Joe and found that Asheville got a foot of snow, at least where he is in town. Bet Blair's house got more, out by Doggett Mtn.
Went out and prowled the area with my camera. Took about 17 shots and kept these two. Have no idea what the names of these plants are.
Another nice day here, while I understand the east is getting hammered with a blizzard. Called Joe and found that Asheville got a foot of snow, at least where he is in town. Bet Blair's house got more, out by Doggett Mtn.
Went out and prowled the area with my camera. Took about 17 shots and kept these two. Have no idea what the names of these plants are.
Friday 12/18
Did some errands today. Tried to find the Senior Center on Puerto Rico Ave, but after some while of wandering up and down and around, gave up.
Then I went up the road and took another picture of the pistachio statue to see if it came out better -- which it did and here it is.
I also took a pic of the "historical" Running Indian sign. There's no longer any neon in it and the legs don't move any more. But it is historical roadside America.
Took a shot of my site, too, so y'all can see how I'm situated. And a shot of the Sacramento Mtns. across the highway.
Did some errands today. Tried to find the Senior Center on Puerto Rico Ave, but after some while of wandering up and down and around, gave up.
Then I went up the road and took another picture of the pistachio statue to see if it came out better -- which it did and here it is.
I also took a pic of the "historical" Running Indian sign. There's no longer any neon in it and the legs don't move any more. But it is historical roadside America.
Took a shot of my site, too, so y'all can see how I'm situated. And a shot of the Sacramento Mtns. across the highway.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday 12/16
Wednesday 12/16
Had a small expedition today. Left about 10am, headed for Mescalero out Hwy 70. Passed through the "historic" village of Tularosa. Took about five minutes to case the joint. Stayed on Hwy 70 heading east. This marker is all about a gun battle that was part of the Lincoln County War back in the late 1800s, where Billy the Kid, just a ranch hand at the time, took sides.
The next pic shows the back of the historical markers -- a nice map of the specific area.
There's a huge mountain off to the northeast, snow capped. Took a picture of it showing its western side. Eventually, there was a marker with info on Sierra Blanca, 12000 ft high, extinct volcano. Took a picture of that, too, looking at the mtn head on, framed by pine trees on both sides of the road.
This next picture of one I took of the mountain on the way up, not knowing it was Sierra Blanca. This is its west side.
After a quick stop at the Mescalero Tribal Store, went on to the Inn of the Mountain Gods, which has a hotel, conference center, and a casino (no alcohol allowed on gaming floor). I walked around looking at the individuals sitting in front of slot machines, punching the same button over and over again. This doesn't strike me as "fun" so I left and started the drive back.
Stopped at McGinn's Country Store with the world's largest pistachio statue outside (my picture came out fuzzy for some reason). Bought a few goodies, including an award-winning dessert wine made here in NM. We'll see whether I like it.
Then on to Walmart for a few supplies. Then off to the Rustic Cafe for a burger and tater tots and wifi. And then back to my site about 3.30pm. Also stopped at the visitor's center to look for a topo map that would give more info on the terrain around here -- no luck. I did find out that the long mtn range to the west is the San Andres Mtns (not the Organ Mtns, as someone told me). They did give me a newsletter about the senior center here. Wonder if I'm ready for that. They do have a pool so I could swim. And they have a pool (billiards) league. Hmmm.
Finale of So You Think You Can Dance. Six dancers left, three male, three female (Legacy, the b-boy dancer who'd done spectacular work, came in 8th). Special guests included Jennifer Lopez singing her new single, Louboutin. Boring. Anyhow, I got the sequence right on all six dancers, and Russell won. A krumper, yet (he was the first krumper to make it into the top 20). Jacob was the other finalist, a technically amazing dancer who'd been in dance all his life, but he's lacking in emotional expression, though he progressed during the competition. Russell, on the other hand, had no training except his self-taught krumping. During the competition, he took on paso doble, samba, jazz, contemporary, waltz, foxtrot, hip hop, bollywood, and more. Besides doing all that well, he expressed emotion and connected with the audience. He deserved the win.
I'm also enjoying The Sing-Off, the a capella competition.
Think I'll just veg tomorrow and then Friday I'll come down to the cafe again to do email etc. Also need to get the rear airbags aired up.
TTFN
Dont' forget -- if you click on a picture, it'll come up very large (I upload at 900).
Had a small expedition today. Left about 10am, headed for Mescalero out Hwy 70. Passed through the "historic" village of Tularosa. Took about five minutes to case the joint. Stayed on Hwy 70 heading east. This marker is all about a gun battle that was part of the Lincoln County War back in the late 1800s, where Billy the Kid, just a ranch hand at the time, took sides.
The next pic shows the back of the historical markers -- a nice map of the specific area.
There's a huge mountain off to the northeast, snow capped. Took a picture of it showing its western side. Eventually, there was a marker with info on Sierra Blanca, 12000 ft high, extinct volcano. Took a picture of that, too, looking at the mtn head on, framed by pine trees on both sides of the road.
This next picture of one I took of the mountain on the way up, not knowing it was Sierra Blanca. This is its west side.
After a quick stop at the Mescalero Tribal Store, went on to the Inn of the Mountain Gods, which has a hotel, conference center, and a casino (no alcohol allowed on gaming floor). I walked around looking at the individuals sitting in front of slot machines, punching the same button over and over again. This doesn't strike me as "fun" so I left and started the drive back.
Stopped at McGinn's Country Store with the world's largest pistachio statue outside (my picture came out fuzzy for some reason). Bought a few goodies, including an award-winning dessert wine made here in NM. We'll see whether I like it.
Then on to Walmart for a few supplies. Then off to the Rustic Cafe for a burger and tater tots and wifi. And then back to my site about 3.30pm. Also stopped at the visitor's center to look for a topo map that would give more info on the terrain around here -- no luck. I did find out that the long mtn range to the west is the San Andres Mtns (not the Organ Mtns, as someone told me). They did give me a newsletter about the senior center here. Wonder if I'm ready for that. They do have a pool so I could swim. And they have a pool (billiards) league. Hmmm.
Finale of So You Think You Can Dance. Six dancers left, three male, three female (Legacy, the b-boy dancer who'd done spectacular work, came in 8th). Special guests included Jennifer Lopez singing her new single, Louboutin. Boring. Anyhow, I got the sequence right on all six dancers, and Russell won. A krumper, yet (he was the first krumper to make it into the top 20). Jacob was the other finalist, a technically amazing dancer who'd been in dance all his life, but he's lacking in emotional expression, though he progressed during the competition. Russell, on the other hand, had no training except his self-taught krumping. During the competition, he took on paso doble, samba, jazz, contemporary, waltz, foxtrot, hip hop, bollywood, and more. Besides doing all that well, he expressed emotion and connected with the audience. He deserved the win.
I'm also enjoying The Sing-Off, the a capella competition.
Think I'll just veg tomorrow and then Friday I'll come down to the cafe again to do email etc. Also need to get the rear airbags aired up.
TTFN
Dont' forget -- if you click on a picture, it'll come up very large (I upload at 900).
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tularosa Drive
This marker is just on the south edge of town (you can expand it to read the info, if you want). The village itself is nothing to write home about, so I won't.
Tue 12/15
Tuesday 12/15
A second day at work where all went well. So much nicer here. Caleb has begun to tell me his family stories, so I guess we're getting along. I've discovered he's in his early 30s, ex-military, has dandruff, tall and slightly overweight, married with two kids but his wife is still in the army and is stationed at Ft. Knox, collected baseball cards, comic books, swords, coins, etc. His mother, however, seems to have appropriated all of these when he was away and either sold or gave them all away.
Today I cleaned and rearranged two of the tables, the Native American and the Indian.
Starting tomorrow, I have five days off. Probably will go to Mescalero tomorrow for cigs. Will try to take some nice photos. There's a large range of mountains to the south and I found out it's the Organ Mtns, which makes it a very large range indeed.
Here's the actual phonebook address for the store. I got an xmas card from Blair (watch out for the zip code)
Bowlin's Running Indian Store
7166 Hwy 54/70
Alamogordo NM 88310
Am in the throes of the finals of So You Think You Can Dance, and have discovered Sing Off, an a-capella group competition.
A second day at work where all went well. So much nicer here. Caleb has begun to tell me his family stories, so I guess we're getting along. I've discovered he's in his early 30s, ex-military, has dandruff, tall and slightly overweight, married with two kids but his wife is still in the army and is stationed at Ft. Knox, collected baseball cards, comic books, swords, coins, etc. His mother, however, seems to have appropriated all of these when he was away and either sold or gave them all away.
Today I cleaned and rearranged two of the tables, the Native American and the Indian.
Starting tomorrow, I have five days off. Probably will go to Mescalero tomorrow for cigs. Will try to take some nice photos. There's a large range of mountains to the south and I found out it's the Organ Mtns, which makes it a very large range indeed.
Here's the actual phonebook address for the store. I got an xmas card from Blair (watch out for the zip code)
Bowlin's Running Indian Store
7166 Hwy 54/70
Alamogordo NM 88310
Am in the throes of the finals of So You Think You Can Dance, and have discovered Sing Off, an a-capella group competition.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Today w/pix
This is the pic of my brother, the intrepid sailor, in his foul-weather gear, working to get us back to the marina.
This is Hwy 70 heading out of Las Cruces toward San Augustin Pass. The road turns right just before running into that mountain dead ahead.
On the other side of the Pass in the Tularosa Basin.
Less than a day or so after arriving in Alamogordo, we got another snowstorm with about 4 inches. This is the view out my window.
Okay, officially caught up now. I've found free wifi in the Rustic Cafe about two miles away, and it supports email so I won't be going to the library anymore. Got here about 11am. Ate their "Trashed Browns" w/diced ham, peppers, cheese, red sauce, and with two sunnyside up eggs on top. Very good. Sweet tea is normal.
It's a beautiful day, about 63, slightly breezy, sunny. It's now about 1pm and I'm going to go to town for a few items. I'll go to Mescalero on Wednesday.
This is Hwy 70 heading out of Las Cruces toward San Augustin Pass. The road turns right just before running into that mountain dead ahead.
On the other side of the Pass in the Tularosa Basin.
Less than a day or so after arriving in Alamogordo, we got another snowstorm with about 4 inches. This is the view out my window.
Okay, officially caught up now. I've found free wifi in the Rustic Cafe about two miles away, and it supports email so I won't be going to the library anymore. Got here about 11am. Ate their "Trashed Browns" w/diced ham, peppers, cheese, red sauce, and with two sunnyside up eggs on top. Very good. Sweet tea is normal.It's a beautiful day, about 63, slightly breezy, sunny. It's now about 1pm and I'm going to go to town for a few items. I'll go to Mescalero on Wednesday.
Saturday 12/12
Saturday 12/12
4pm
Blew off going anywhere today. Nicely cloudy when I woke up later than usual. Did clear off by midday but I just couldn't get myself going. So had a nice lunch, then took a long nap. It's now 4.30, beginning to dim towards sunset. Closed the door, which had been open most of the day. Will just settle in with a good book and bad TV.
8pm
Well, I've been watching The Polar Express. I know I know, it's a kid's movie, but the art is fantastic and the story isn't too treacly. I mean, the art is FABULOUS!. When the elves are celebrating at the end, the headliner is an elfinized Steven Tyler on a unicycle. LOL.
The other thing I watched on the This channel was "Christine." I knew the story, of course, but I'd never seen the movie. Great music and cars.
4pm
Blew off going anywhere today. Nicely cloudy when I woke up later than usual. Did clear off by midday but I just couldn't get myself going. So had a nice lunch, then took a long nap. It's now 4.30, beginning to dim towards sunset. Closed the door, which had been open most of the day. Will just settle in with a good book and bad TV.
8pm
Well, I've been watching The Polar Express. I know I know, it's a kid's movie, but the art is fantastic and the story isn't too treacly. I mean, the art is FABULOUS!. When the elves are celebrating at the end, the headliner is an elfinized Steven Tyler on a unicycle. LOL.
The other thing I watched on the This channel was "Christine." I knew the story, of course, but I'd never seen the movie. Great music and cars.
Friday 12/11
Friday 12/11 8.30pm
Did chores. Nuff said.
Carol came over about 11am and asked if I wanted to go with her to a Christmas Concert this evening. It's so nice to be asked out! I said yes. We left about 6.30 to go to the Univ. campus, Tays Hall.
Well! Not at all what either of us expected. Billed as the Community Choir and Orchestra, we expected lots of traditional noels and sing-alongs.
What we got was a badly produced revival meeting.
The choir was about 40 strong and sounded pretty good, except for the soloists, who all sang flat. Of course, they were mostly in the dark as the lighting was terrible, and they were hard to hear because the audio was badly balanced. And the whole choir was massed to one side of the large proscenium, spilling off the apron onto the floor. A large cross was set up in the center of the apron.
The orchestra, which we couldn't see at all, was over-miked and tended to drown out all but the whole choir.
And in between each song, many of which were unfamiliar, someone would rhapsodize about the birth of the baby Jesus and his wonderfulness, or a pastor would give a mini-sermon.
The program was: O Come O Come Emmanuel; You Better Get Ready; Gloria in Excelsis Deo (they mispronounced "excelsis"); Wise Men from the East; Soli Deo Gloria; What Kind of King; Infant Heart of God; Only Love; Silent Night; Christmas Chorale and Carols (with a children's choir called Special Blessing); Tell It on the Mountain; and Joy Joy Joy.
I was very good, if I do say so myself. I snickered quietly to myself, when I wasn't wincing at the awfulness of the "concert."
Turns out this was sponsored by 17 (17!) churches in the area. So much for being a "community" concert. They even had a little form in the program where you could write down your problem and, if you wished someone to pray with you, your contact info. Teenagers came around and collected these in baskets (one guy had breasts bigger than mine and really needed a bra). I expected a collection plate at any moment.
Hope I have more fun going to Mescalero tomorrow.
Did chores. Nuff said.
Carol came over about 11am and asked if I wanted to go with her to a Christmas Concert this evening. It's so nice to be asked out! I said yes. We left about 6.30 to go to the Univ. campus, Tays Hall.
Well! Not at all what either of us expected. Billed as the Community Choir and Orchestra, we expected lots of traditional noels and sing-alongs.
What we got was a badly produced revival meeting.
The choir was about 40 strong and sounded pretty good, except for the soloists, who all sang flat. Of course, they were mostly in the dark as the lighting was terrible, and they were hard to hear because the audio was badly balanced. And the whole choir was massed to one side of the large proscenium, spilling off the apron onto the floor. A large cross was set up in the center of the apron.
The orchestra, which we couldn't see at all, was over-miked and tended to drown out all but the whole choir.
And in between each song, many of which were unfamiliar, someone would rhapsodize about the birth of the baby Jesus and his wonderfulness, or a pastor would give a mini-sermon.
The program was: O Come O Come Emmanuel; You Better Get Ready; Gloria in Excelsis Deo (they mispronounced "excelsis"); Wise Men from the East; Soli Deo Gloria; What Kind of King; Infant Heart of God; Only Love; Silent Night; Christmas Chorale and Carols (with a children's choir called Special Blessing); Tell It on the Mountain; and Joy Joy Joy.
I was very good, if I do say so myself. I snickered quietly to myself, when I wasn't wincing at the awfulness of the "concert."
Turns out this was sponsored by 17 (17!) churches in the area. So much for being a "community" concert. They even had a little form in the program where you could write down your problem and, if you wished someone to pray with you, your contact info. Teenagers came around and collected these in baskets (one guy had breasts bigger than mine and really needed a bra). I expected a collection plate at any moment.
Hope I have more fun going to Mescalero tomorrow.
Thursday 12/10
Thursday 12/10
Worked three whole hours today, about a half-hour of which was spent going to the bank. The delivery truck arrived from the warehouse with about 40 boxes of stuff. Kenn started in on it. As I'll be working mostly Mon & Tue, I won't have much to do with that stuff.
I'm now off for three days, work Mon-Tue, off five days, work Mon-Tue. Am not sure what I'm going to do with myself with all this free time.
RTV is now showing I Spy! What fun!
Tomorrow is chores day -- laundry, clean bathroom in house, take shower and wash hair. But at least it's all right here -- no more driving 40 miles.
I moved the shoe rack from beside the door to hanging on the closet door, which is inset a little so the shoes don't stick out. It just means I can't open the door all the way, but it opens about halfway which is enough to get clothes in and out.
Marinated a t-bone and cooked it, along with green beans, and a hunk of French bread. A good supper.
Worked three whole hours today, about a half-hour of which was spent going to the bank. The delivery truck arrived from the warehouse with about 40 boxes of stuff. Kenn started in on it. As I'll be working mostly Mon & Tue, I won't have much to do with that stuff.
I'm now off for three days, work Mon-Tue, off five days, work Mon-Tue. Am not sure what I'm going to do with myself with all this free time.
RTV is now showing I Spy! What fun!
Tomorrow is chores day -- laundry, clean bathroom in house, take shower and wash hair. But at least it's all right here -- no more driving 40 miles.
I moved the shoe rack from beside the door to hanging on the closet door, which is inset a little so the shoes don't stick out. It just means I can't open the door all the way, but it opens about halfway which is enough to get clothes in and out.
Marinated a t-bone and cooked it, along with green beans, and a hunk of French bread. A good supper.
Wednesday 12/9
Wednesday 12/9 10.30pm
There's an odd new channel called "This" that plays old movies. Really old movies. At this moment I've stumbled across a WW II movie all about escaped U-boat Nazis trying to cross Canada and get into the States. It's as much propaganda as anything else. And, hoo boy, is the acting bad. And the script! I caught the last 30 minutes or so.
Three men in a canoe, one paddling and babbling about the wonders of nature etc (this turns out to be Leslie Howard), doing a good imitation of a silly twit. They arrive at camp (elaborate tipis -- huh, weren't tipis used on the plains? were they ever used in deep forest?) and he proceeds to be a good host twit, including showing off his Picasso and his Matisse -- he loves them so he couldn't bear to leave them behind. Mind you, these are just canvas on stretchers, unframed. He's a writer with a fine three-barreled name, researching Blackfoot traditions.
He gets overpowered and tied up, whereupon the two baddies proceed to trash the place as he details his physical reactions to the events (pulse? steady; palms? dry; belly? calm). When they destroy the paintings (decadent art!), he winces slightly. When they drop his newly completed manuscript on the Blackfeet into the fire, he gives a little grunt. British stiff upper lip, don't you know.
The Nazis run off, having spooked the (loose!) horses by trying to saddle them. Our hero gets loose, he and his men (who slept through nearly all of the uproar) corner one guy in a cave. The guy has four shots left in his pistol so Howard walks forward, counting the shots, including the 4th one that hits him in the thigh, which causes him to stagger a little and then limp on into the cave to beat up the bad guy.
That's the end of the Howard part (yah!). Then the other Nazi turns up on a freight train traveling toward the States, and is trapped with Raymond Massey as a Canadian soldier, who invites him to enjoy some of the "weak democracy" to be found at the end of his fists. The last shot is of a snarling Massey advancing on the cringing Nazi.
It was called The 49th Parallel. And what a cast! Laurence Olivier, Glynis Johns, Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey. Bad acting and all. I missed Olivier, which is okay by me as I think he's only intermittently a good actor but who does love to chew the scenery. I do like Glynis Johns, though.
There's an odd new channel called "This" that plays old movies. Really old movies. At this moment I've stumbled across a WW II movie all about escaped U-boat Nazis trying to cross Canada and get into the States. It's as much propaganda as anything else. And, hoo boy, is the acting bad. And the script! I caught the last 30 minutes or so.
Three men in a canoe, one paddling and babbling about the wonders of nature etc (this turns out to be Leslie Howard), doing a good imitation of a silly twit. They arrive at camp (elaborate tipis -- huh, weren't tipis used on the plains? were they ever used in deep forest?) and he proceeds to be a good host twit, including showing off his Picasso and his Matisse -- he loves them so he couldn't bear to leave them behind. Mind you, these are just canvas on stretchers, unframed. He's a writer with a fine three-barreled name, researching Blackfoot traditions.
He gets overpowered and tied up, whereupon the two baddies proceed to trash the place as he details his physical reactions to the events (pulse? steady; palms? dry; belly? calm). When they destroy the paintings (decadent art!), he winces slightly. When they drop his newly completed manuscript on the Blackfeet into the fire, he gives a little grunt. British stiff upper lip, don't you know.
The Nazis run off, having spooked the (loose!) horses by trying to saddle them. Our hero gets loose, he and his men (who slept through nearly all of the uproar) corner one guy in a cave. The guy has four shots left in his pistol so Howard walks forward, counting the shots, including the 4th one that hits him in the thigh, which causes him to stagger a little and then limp on into the cave to beat up the bad guy.
That's the end of the Howard part (yah!). Then the other Nazi turns up on a freight train traveling toward the States, and is trapped with Raymond Massey as a Canadian soldier, who invites him to enjoy some of the "weak democracy" to be found at the end of his fists. The last shot is of a snarling Massey advancing on the cringing Nazi.
It was called The 49th Parallel. And what a cast! Laurence Olivier, Glynis Johns, Leslie Howard, Raymond Massey. Bad acting and all. I missed Olivier, which is okay by me as I think he's only intermittently a good actor but who does love to chew the scenery. I do like Glynis Johns, though.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Today
Have successfully found both the post office and the library, where I am sitting right now. You have to have a library card to use the wifi but I'm being a "guest" right now. Somebody needs to send me a piece of mail to the store so I can wave it in the librarian's face.
Bowlin's Running Indian Store
7166 Hwy 70 N
Alamogordo NM 88310
It's way warmer than it was yesterday, even though still quite breezy and cool.
I see that the pics I had planted in my journal didn't make the transition to my blog. I guess I need to do it the old-fashioned way and let the blog upload the real thing. I'll try to get them posted later.
It's really nice being so close to town, about five miles to the center of town. I'm sitting in the Eugene Manlove Rhodes Room here at the library. Interesting middle name, eh? When I asked the Ref. Lib. who he was, she seemed surprised that someone would ask. Oh, she said, he was an early cowboy here and wrote a lot of books, and we have all his papers.
The town streets are numbered north to south, and east to west are state names (the library is on Oregon). The main downtown street is New York, which I'm going to wander up on my way back from WM.
Work 10-1 tomorrow and then off for 3 days. Hard life.
Off to WM to make an eye exam appnt. to get new glasses.
Bowlin's Running Indian Store
7166 Hwy 70 N
Alamogordo NM 88310
It's way warmer than it was yesterday, even though still quite breezy and cool.
I see that the pics I had planted in my journal didn't make the transition to my blog. I guess I need to do it the old-fashioned way and let the blog upload the real thing. I'll try to get them posted later.
It's really nice being so close to town, about five miles to the center of town. I'm sitting in the Eugene Manlove Rhodes Room here at the library. Interesting middle name, eh? When I asked the Ref. Lib. who he was, she seemed surprised that someone would ask. Oh, she said, he was an early cowboy here and wrote a lot of books, and we have all his papers.
The town streets are numbered north to south, and east to west are state names (the library is on Oregon). The main downtown street is New York, which I'm going to wander up on my way back from WM.
Work 10-1 tomorrow and then off for 3 days. Hard life.
Off to WM to make an eye exam appnt. to get new glasses.
Tuesday 12/8
Tuesday 12-8 6am
Blizzard watch in NW part of the state; rain for us all day with high winds -- 35 gusting to 50. So much for going anywhere today. Not particularly cold, though, which is good. Tomorrow I'm going to try the library for wifi and get my newsletter out! Maybe trundle around town a little and have a look. There's a billiards parlor downtown; maybe I'll try it out (without pulling out my own cue until I get some practice in).
Met Caleb yesterday. Nice guy, very soft-spoken, called me ma'am a lot. Told him that it didn't bother me but between co-workers was a little formal. He stopped doing it by the end of the day. When I first came in and introduced myself, he said "nice to meet you" and nothing else. Great, I thought, another non-talker. But by the end of the day my scintillating personality (hah) had thawed him considerably and I've begun to get his life story (when he was 15 his father required him to stop saying mom and dad and begin saying ma'am and sir -- weird, huh?).
Had a pretty good day sales-wise. One time was dealing with a group of four elderly Chinese women, all of whom were interested in geodes. Much heaving about of some hefty rocks, no I like this blue one better than that blue one, wait let's see that purple one, but what about this red one, and on and on. But they were fun. I believe they're not going to use them as bookmarks but in their small gardens, a venerable Asian tradition to have interesting rocks in gardens.
Schedule for week is off Tue-Wed, work half-day Thur, off Fri-Sun, work all day Mon-Tue. I believe I can handle this. What a nice change from Akela.
It's 6.30am now and the sky is beginning to lighten. I see big clouds scudding across the sky, driven by the wind. No color yet but it's going to be interesting soon. I'll see if I can get a picture through the window (not going out, thank you very much).
Ta.
Update at 5.30pm.
Well! The winds did a job all over the area. El Paso officially had 68mph. The White Sands base police building lost its entire roof, with shattered windows. A canopy at a stadium, which was supposed to withstand higher winds, blew off. The system has now moved into the middle of the country as a blizzard.
White Sands is only about 30 miles south of here but it got the full effect of the wind funneling through the pass. I bounced around some in the rig but never felt like it was going to go airborne. Tomorrow is to be breezy (15mph), low 50s, sunny, so I'm going to town, as planned.
Oh yeah. Saw Clint Eastwood on "Ellen" today. He's about to turn 80!
Blizzard watch in NW part of the state; rain for us all day with high winds -- 35 gusting to 50. So much for going anywhere today. Not particularly cold, though, which is good. Tomorrow I'm going to try the library for wifi and get my newsletter out! Maybe trundle around town a little and have a look. There's a billiards parlor downtown; maybe I'll try it out (without pulling out my own cue until I get some practice in).
Met Caleb yesterday. Nice guy, very soft-spoken, called me ma'am a lot. Told him that it didn't bother me but between co-workers was a little formal. He stopped doing it by the end of the day. When I first came in and introduced myself, he said "nice to meet you" and nothing else. Great, I thought, another non-talker. But by the end of the day my scintillating personality (hah) had thawed him considerably and I've begun to get his life story (when he was 15 his father required him to stop saying mom and dad and begin saying ma'am and sir -- weird, huh?).
Had a pretty good day sales-wise. One time was dealing with a group of four elderly Chinese women, all of whom were interested in geodes. Much heaving about of some hefty rocks, no I like this blue one better than that blue one, wait let's see that purple one, but what about this red one, and on and on. But they were fun. I believe they're not going to use them as bookmarks but in their small gardens, a venerable Asian tradition to have interesting rocks in gardens.
Schedule for week is off Tue-Wed, work half-day Thur, off Fri-Sun, work all day Mon-Tue. I believe I can handle this. What a nice change from Akela.
It's 6.30am now and the sky is beginning to lighten. I see big clouds scudding across the sky, driven by the wind. No color yet but it's going to be interesting soon. I'll see if I can get a picture through the window (not going out, thank you very much).
Ta.
Update at 5.30pm.
Well! The winds did a job all over the area. El Paso officially had 68mph. The White Sands base police building lost its entire roof, with shattered windows. A canopy at a stadium, which was supposed to withstand higher winds, blew off. The system has now moved into the middle of the country as a blizzard.
White Sands is only about 30 miles south of here but it got the full effect of the wind funneling through the pass. I bounced around some in the rig but never felt like it was going to go airborne. Tomorrow is to be breezy (15mph), low 50s, sunny, so I'm going to town, as planned.
Oh yeah. Saw Clint Eastwood on "Ellen" today. He's about to turn 80!
Sunday 12/6
Sunday 12-6 4pm
So I hooked up the water splitter after disconnecting our jerry-rigged connection. Reconnected their rig. Added my second hose to my hose and ran it behind their rig so they can go out and in without running over it. Put foam insulation on my extended hose. Turned water on. All good.
Tested the sewer line but it still had some ice in it (about 1pm) so I went inside to wait for an hour or so. Came out about 2 or 2.30 and closed the gray water valve. Unhooked the old sewer line and walked all the water down the line. Hooked both new lines together to make the 20 ft line, got it screwed into the waste pipe. Took the transparent connector from the old line and put it on the new one (so I can see what's happening and when it runs clear). Connected the new line to the rig. Opened the gray tank valve.
Now came the attempt to make it flow properly. I discovered that my hose reel will stand on edge and the line can rest in it and it's almost as tall as the waste pipe. I let the first 10 ft droop so the tanks would empty and then used the cradles to gently go up. I'll still have to walk it when doing the black tank, but at least it'll flow out of the tank into the line halfway and I'll walk it from there. I only need to empty the black tank about once a week, takes about 10 minutes, so no big deal to add a few minutes to walk it all away.
Then I went to the house and took a shower. It's really nice to be able to raise my arms over my head. So I'm feeling both clean and virtuous.
Have started number 4 in Lilith Saintcrow's "Jill Kismet" series, Flesh Circus. She's one of the best of the paranormal writers, and I like this series better than her Dante Valentine series of a few years back. She's written the first in a new series that's not paranormal but is what you might call sword and sorcery; I really enjoyed it and am waiting for the next one.
Also picked up Anathem by Neal Stephenson. I absolutely loved his Snow Crash (and have finally found a pb of it to re-read at some point). Anathem is a huge book so I'll have to be in the just the right mood when I start it.
I started Mary Gentle's "Ilario" a while ago (about a hermaphrodite in a sorcerous alternate history) and never got back to it, but it's niggling around in the back of my brain, so I may pick it up again soon. Fabulous writer. Definitely for non-squeamish adults.
It was warm enough today to have the door open for a couple of hours. Nice, after being 20 the other night.
Work from 10-5 tomorrow.
PS Have discovered that RTV channel is all old series. Turned it on just now and found it was playing Airwolf. I loved that show. Great helicopter flying. And Ernie Borgnine got to chew the scenery some, since Jan Michael Vincent isn't one of the world's best actors. Too bad JMV messed his life up so badly.
PPS Just watched NCIS: LA for the first time. Now, NCIS is one of my favorite shows and I generally don't like spinoffs. This one is pretty funny in that it's way more outrageous than the original. Hooray for Linda Hunt, though, who brings force to the show (I guess she's the Mark Harmon character). The hacker genius is a hoot, too. LL Cool J is fine, though not much of an actor. His partner is okay. The obligatory beautiful woman is okay. The main problem is their "office," which seems to be some vast Spanish hacienda (I mean, really, does NCIS work out of a place like that?), and the silly plot about a hijacked missile. So, tolerable but not compelling.
So I hooked up the water splitter after disconnecting our jerry-rigged connection. Reconnected their rig. Added my second hose to my hose and ran it behind their rig so they can go out and in without running over it. Put foam insulation on my extended hose. Turned water on. All good.
Tested the sewer line but it still had some ice in it (about 1pm) so I went inside to wait for an hour or so. Came out about 2 or 2.30 and closed the gray water valve. Unhooked the old sewer line and walked all the water down the line. Hooked both new lines together to make the 20 ft line, got it screwed into the waste pipe. Took the transparent connector from the old line and put it on the new one (so I can see what's happening and when it runs clear). Connected the new line to the rig. Opened the gray tank valve.
Now came the attempt to make it flow properly. I discovered that my hose reel will stand on edge and the line can rest in it and it's almost as tall as the waste pipe. I let the first 10 ft droop so the tanks would empty and then used the cradles to gently go up. I'll still have to walk it when doing the black tank, but at least it'll flow out of the tank into the line halfway and I'll walk it from there. I only need to empty the black tank about once a week, takes about 10 minutes, so no big deal to add a few minutes to walk it all away.
Then I went to the house and took a shower. It's really nice to be able to raise my arms over my head. So I'm feeling both clean and virtuous.
Have started number 4 in Lilith Saintcrow's "Jill Kismet" series, Flesh Circus. She's one of the best of the paranormal writers, and I like this series better than her Dante Valentine series of a few years back. She's written the first in a new series that's not paranormal but is what you might call sword and sorcery; I really enjoyed it and am waiting for the next one.
Also picked up Anathem by Neal Stephenson. I absolutely loved his Snow Crash (and have finally found a pb of it to re-read at some point). Anathem is a huge book so I'll have to be in the just the right mood when I start it.
I started Mary Gentle's "Ilario" a while ago (about a hermaphrodite in a sorcerous alternate history) and never got back to it, but it's niggling around in the back of my brain, so I may pick it up again soon. Fabulous writer. Definitely for non-squeamish adults.
It was warm enough today to have the door open for a couple of hours. Nice, after being 20 the other night.
Work from 10-5 tomorrow.
PS Have discovered that RTV channel is all old series. Turned it on just now and found it was playing Airwolf. I loved that show. Great helicopter flying. And Ernie Borgnine got to chew the scenery some, since Jan Michael Vincent isn't one of the world's best actors. Too bad JMV messed his life up so badly.
PPS Just watched NCIS: LA for the first time. Now, NCIS is one of my favorite shows and I generally don't like spinoffs. This one is pretty funny in that it's way more outrageous than the original. Hooray for Linda Hunt, though, who brings force to the show (I guess she's the Mark Harmon character). The hacker genius is a hoot, too. LL Cool J is fine, though not much of an actor. His partner is okay. The obligatory beautiful woman is okay. The main problem is their "office," which seems to be some vast Spanish hacienda (I mean, really, does NCIS work out of a place like that?), and the silly plot about a hijacked missile. So, tolerable but not compelling.
Saturday 12/5
Saturday 12-5 6pm
Still pretty cold today, and it was 20 last night. When I got up, it was 56 in here so I turned on the big heater in the a/c unit. It took about an hour to get up to 68. It's supposed to be warm tomorrow
Good thing, because I went to town today with Carol (she asked if I wanted to go -- isn't that nice?). Got a new sewer 20 ft line with swivel fittings, and another cradle. Also got a water splitter for two hoses that has separate shut-offs. And I got some more foam insulators for the water hose because I'm going to get out my other hose and connect the two so I can run it all the way under their rig to the water spigot. Tomorrow I'm going to work on the sewer and the water lines.
Fun stuff.
Still pretty cold today, and it was 20 last night. When I got up, it was 56 in here so I turned on the big heater in the a/c unit. It took about an hour to get up to 68. It's supposed to be warm tomorrow
Good thing, because I went to town today with Carol (she asked if I wanted to go -- isn't that nice?). Got a new sewer 20 ft line with swivel fittings, and another cradle. Also got a water splitter for two hoses that has separate shut-offs. And I got some more foam insulators for the water hose because I'm going to get out my other hose and connect the two so I can run it all the way under their rig to the water spigot. Tomorrow I'm going to work on the sewer and the water lines.
Fun stuff.
Friday 12/4
Friday 12-4 8am
Today is the end of my 3-month trial period. I've taken the test ("module" 1); if I pass, I'll get keys and alarm codes etc and will be able to open and close for real. Guess I'll stay with the company and see how it goes. Looks my Kenn wants my schedule will be two long days, Mon & Tue at 8.5 hrs with a 1/2-hr break, for 16 hrs. Then I'll have five days off. I can handle that.
I'm actually eager to stay in this area a while (not southern NM but Alamogordo). I want to go to Ruidoso and check it out, and the Mescalero Apache reservation, and the racetrack etc etc. And the Three Rivers Petroglyphs Rec. Area is only about 30 miles away, but no paved roads so will have to walk around. Then there's the Valley of Fires State Park, a 1500-yr-old lava flow 4-6 miles wide and 44 miles long. Of course, White Sands Natl Monument is just 15 miles south of Alamogordo, 275 sq. miles of moving gypsum dunes.
Those mountains on the northern edge of town are the Sacramentos and up in them is the Natl Solar Observatory, in the Lincoln Natl Forest. Cloudcroft is a village up in the mtns at 9000 ft with the worlds 2nd highest golf course at 9200 ft. I probably won't try to get up there until spring, not with my little 4-banger. I think the highest I've been in my rig is that pass the other day at 5700 ft.
It's kind of fun looking at maps and seeing names out of Louis L'amour books (whose research was impeccable). The Malpais. Chaves Canyon. Hondo. There's also a Billy the Kid Casino, and a Billy the Kid Natl Scenic Byway.
It did snow last night, starting about 5pm, and we got a couple of inches. However, it's now 9am and the sun is out and most of the clouds are gone. However, it's still really cold; my little heater has managed to get the interior up to 58 deg. The floor is cold but I do have a rug in front of the couch, so that helps. I'm going to get plastic up on the kitchen window and two of the vents today, and that will help, too. But it'll be warmer tomorrow so I'll take myself out for a spin.
Didn't go out today at all so will feed the cats again tomorrow morning.
Today is the end of my 3-month trial period. I've taken the test ("module" 1); if I pass, I'll get keys and alarm codes etc and will be able to open and close for real. Guess I'll stay with the company and see how it goes. Looks my Kenn wants my schedule will be two long days, Mon & Tue at 8.5 hrs with a 1/2-hr break, for 16 hrs. Then I'll have five days off. I can handle that.
I'm actually eager to stay in this area a while (not southern NM but Alamogordo). I want to go to Ruidoso and check it out, and the Mescalero Apache reservation, and the racetrack etc etc. And the Three Rivers Petroglyphs Rec. Area is only about 30 miles away, but no paved roads so will have to walk around. Then there's the Valley of Fires State Park, a 1500-yr-old lava flow 4-6 miles wide and 44 miles long. Of course, White Sands Natl Monument is just 15 miles south of Alamogordo, 275 sq. miles of moving gypsum dunes.
Those mountains on the northern edge of town are the Sacramentos and up in them is the Natl Solar Observatory, in the Lincoln Natl Forest. Cloudcroft is a village up in the mtns at 9000 ft with the worlds 2nd highest golf course at 9200 ft. I probably won't try to get up there until spring, not with my little 4-banger. I think the highest I've been in my rig is that pass the other day at 5700 ft.
It's kind of fun looking at maps and seeing names out of Louis L'amour books (whose research was impeccable). The Malpais. Chaves Canyon. Hondo. There's also a Billy the Kid Casino, and a Billy the Kid Natl Scenic Byway.
It did snow last night, starting about 5pm, and we got a couple of inches. However, it's now 9am and the sun is out and most of the clouds are gone. However, it's still really cold; my little heater has managed to get the interior up to 58 deg. The floor is cold but I do have a rug in front of the couch, so that helps. I'm going to get plastic up on the kitchen window and two of the vents today, and that will help, too. But it'll be warmer tomorrow so I'll take myself out for a spin.
Didn't go out today at all so will feed the cats again tomorrow morning.
Thursday 12/3
Thursday 12-3 7am & 8pm
Worked 12-5.30 yesterday. What a simple store this is to work at. Of course, all the stuff is the same, and there's a fireworks section, too. Kenn has worked out a cleaning rotation for the tables, which makes sense. I did two of them yesterday and now I know those items really well.
We did have a little dustup about my hours. He's planning schedules and said, okay, I can have you work all day Mon & Tue and that'll give you 15 hours. No, I said, I have to have 16 hours and that's what Alfred promised me. He began sputtering about labor costs, Carol giving up hours so I could have them etc etc. I understand, I said, and I've been management, but that's not the point, I was promised 16.
Well, you can't really open or close because you haven't taken the test; how about you study for it and take it in two weeks and pass it; then I can give you 16. No, I said, my 16 hours doesn't hinge on anything; Alfred promised me 16 and that's the minimum I have to have; otherwise, I might as well look for something else. So he's going to talk to Alfred and I'm going to study for the test and he's going to find 16 hrs for me.
It seems as though I'll be aiming for the title "shift supervisor." I pointed out to Kenn that nobody had ever told me what the options are or what I had to do to get them. I just learned about these "modules" a week or so ago. There's about 50 single-spaced type pages in the manual of stuff I'm supposed to learn -- employment methods, grounds for dismissal, discrimination policies, etc etc. I can't take it home to study, either; it has to stay in the store. Update: I finished reading the section and said I was ready to take the test. It took me 20 minutes. Now it gets faxed to hq and graded.
The store had a good day yesterday, mostly before my shift; I rang up $26. What a difference from Akela! Update: Today I had two sales, no cash, and did about $90. Whoo hoo.
Warmed up considerably yesterday and a lot of the snow melted. However, Friday's forecast is for 2-4" of snow and really cold, so it may mean I don't get out and get the propane checked and get a new sewer hose and find a wifi hotspot. Update: It's already snowing so I probably won't get out tomorrow at all. It should be in the low 60s by Sat. or Sun, so that'll be nice.
How is it every winter I wind up in a cold place? I mean, Kansas last year, and now here! So far I've been in cool summer places, but I bet Alamogordo is hot, even at 4500 ft. We'll see (or not, as the case may be).
Oh yeah, I'm now in charge of feeding the cats that hang around the store. Kenn and Carol don't like cats so they're happy to turn the job over to me. The store buys the food. I was given three cans of food yesterday, standing out in the snow, and was told that they hadn't been fed in a couple of days. So I slogged over to the house yard and put a can out.
Worked 12-5.30 yesterday. What a simple store this is to work at. Of course, all the stuff is the same, and there's a fireworks section, too. Kenn has worked out a cleaning rotation for the tables, which makes sense. I did two of them yesterday and now I know those items really well.
We did have a little dustup about my hours. He's planning schedules and said, okay, I can have you work all day Mon & Tue and that'll give you 15 hours. No, I said, I have to have 16 hours and that's what Alfred promised me. He began sputtering about labor costs, Carol giving up hours so I could have them etc etc. I understand, I said, and I've been management, but that's not the point, I was promised 16.
Well, you can't really open or close because you haven't taken the test; how about you study for it and take it in two weeks and pass it; then I can give you 16. No, I said, my 16 hours doesn't hinge on anything; Alfred promised me 16 and that's the minimum I have to have; otherwise, I might as well look for something else. So he's going to talk to Alfred and I'm going to study for the test and he's going to find 16 hrs for me.
It seems as though I'll be aiming for the title "shift supervisor." I pointed out to Kenn that nobody had ever told me what the options are or what I had to do to get them. I just learned about these "modules" a week or so ago. There's about 50 single-spaced type pages in the manual of stuff I'm supposed to learn -- employment methods, grounds for dismissal, discrimination policies, etc etc. I can't take it home to study, either; it has to stay in the store. Update: I finished reading the section and said I was ready to take the test. It took me 20 minutes. Now it gets faxed to hq and graded.
The store had a good day yesterday, mostly before my shift; I rang up $26. What a difference from Akela! Update: Today I had two sales, no cash, and did about $90. Whoo hoo.
Warmed up considerably yesterday and a lot of the snow melted. However, Friday's forecast is for 2-4" of snow and really cold, so it may mean I don't get out and get the propane checked and get a new sewer hose and find a wifi hotspot. Update: It's already snowing so I probably won't get out tomorrow at all. It should be in the low 60s by Sat. or Sun, so that'll be nice.
How is it every winter I wind up in a cold place? I mean, Kansas last year, and now here! So far I've been in cool summer places, but I bet Alamogordo is hot, even at 4500 ft. We'll see (or not, as the case may be).
Oh yeah, I'm now in charge of feeding the cats that hang around the store. Kenn and Carol don't like cats so they're happy to turn the job over to me. The store buys the food. I was given three cans of food yesterday, standing out in the snow, and was told that they hadn't been fed in a couple of days. So I slogged over to the house yard and put a can out.
Wednesday 12/2
Wednesday 12-2 8am
Really cold last night, about 26, and the area is totally socked in this morning. Here's my first morning's view.
[didn't come through]
Lovely, eh? Took it about 7am. It's a little brighter now, an hour later, but nothing else has changed much. This is looking more or less west from my couch. That frondy thing in the middle right is my money tree plant.
I'm still finding little pools of sugar in odd places. Double sigh. It may take months, months I say, to get it all. Good thing it's not summer or all the area critters would be passing the word about the new restaurant.
I think I'm going to get a new sewer hose, 20 ft long, with new connections and probably a second cradle, and see if I can't rig some way to do a very gradual upslope and then downslope to the drain. Maybe then I won't have to walk the line every day.
Also, when I got my propane tank filled a couple of weeks ago, I don't think the guy closed it off tightly enough as I catch faint whiffs outside when I'm near the tank and inside I get a faint headache. I've lit the pilot light on the stove and will leave it on to prevent pooling of the fumes. I'll have it checked soon. It may be something else, maybe a crack in the line from the tank to the inside. Maybe he closed it too tightly and cracked something. Who knows.
I'm to go to work at noon today but have no idea what my schedule's going to be. Will let you know. I think it's time for my second cup of coffee.
Really cold last night, about 26, and the area is totally socked in this morning. Here's my first morning's view.
[didn't come through]
Lovely, eh? Took it about 7am. It's a little brighter now, an hour later, but nothing else has changed much. This is looking more or less west from my couch. That frondy thing in the middle right is my money tree plant.
I'm still finding little pools of sugar in odd places. Double sigh. It may take months, months I say, to get it all. Good thing it's not summer or all the area critters would be passing the word about the new restaurant.
I think I'm going to get a new sewer hose, 20 ft long, with new connections and probably a second cradle, and see if I can't rig some way to do a very gradual upslope and then downslope to the drain. Maybe then I won't have to walk the line every day.
Also, when I got my propane tank filled a couple of weeks ago, I don't think the guy closed it off tightly enough as I catch faint whiffs outside when I'm near the tank and inside I get a faint headache. I've lit the pilot light on the stove and will leave it on to prevent pooling of the fumes. I'll have it checked soon. It may be something else, maybe a crack in the line from the tank to the inside. Maybe he closed it too tightly and cracked something. Who knows.
I'm to go to work at noon today but have no idea what my schedule's going to be. Will let you know. I think it's time for my second cup of coffee.
Tuesday 12/1
Tuesday Dec 1 6pm
Left Akela Flats about 11am under lowering skies with a little blue showing here and there. Was supposed to clear out by late afternoon. Roads fine. Stopped at the WM in Las Cruces, mainly because the rubber seal on the sewer connector has broken and WM has a section of RV supplies. While there, went ahead and bought groceries, too.
Headed out of Las Cruces on Hwy 70 toward the Organ Mtn pass, San Augustine at 5719 ft. The mountains were white with snow, and I took some pictures while driving with one hand and just aiming out the window with the other hand. Who knows what I'll get, if anything.
Well, that one (of 17) turned out okay. The road curves right in front of that hill and starts up the pass, which is gradual on this side and steep going down the other side. Chugged over the pass and finally found a place to stop and take pix of the backside of the mountains and some other hills off to the west. On to Alamogordo.
The closer I got the more socked-in it looked, and the area showed about six inches of snow. There's a mountain range quite near and it could hardly be seen. Had no trouble finding the Bowlin store (although the GPS wanted me to turn right for some reason, instead of left). As the store was right there, I ignored the voice.
Kenn and Carol were working today, and Kenn showed me where to park. We're much closer than at Akela, about 10 ft apart, but at least the main window I look out is on the other side from them and I have a distance view. After some slogging around in the snow and slush, got hooked up. Came in to put away groceries and had a domestic disaster -- dropped an open bag of sugar. Sigh.
Also am picking up about seven good channels, all the main ones plus MyNet and CW and something called RTV. There's some Spanish and religion stations, too, which I can just ignore. Haven't ever figured out how to suppress unwanted channels on my remote, which I used to be able to do back in NC with cable. That way, I didn't even have to see those irritating folk (like Pat Robinson? Robertson? oh, you know who I mean) or sweating shouting exhorting folk with really really bad hairpieces.
The only bad thing is the sewer connector is higher than my rig, so the line doesn't drain well at all. This means I'll get to "walk the line" every day to help the liquid go down. The only thing going in there right now is kitchen sink stuff so it's not nasty. But still -- what a pain. It's going to be such fun doing the black tank.
There's a little house here with a bathroom we can use (a real shower), a washer/dryer, too. Really nice. I'm going to go over in the morning and take a nice hot shower. Right now, I'm about to have my first meal of the day and I'm really hungry.
Ta.
Left Akela Flats about 11am under lowering skies with a little blue showing here and there. Was supposed to clear out by late afternoon. Roads fine. Stopped at the WM in Las Cruces, mainly because the rubber seal on the sewer connector has broken and WM has a section of RV supplies. While there, went ahead and bought groceries, too.
Headed out of Las Cruces on Hwy 70 toward the Organ Mtn pass, San Augustine at 5719 ft. The mountains were white with snow, and I took some pictures while driving with one hand and just aiming out the window with the other hand. Who knows what I'll get, if anything.
Well, that one (of 17) turned out okay. The road curves right in front of that hill and starts up the pass, which is gradual on this side and steep going down the other side. Chugged over the pass and finally found a place to stop and take pix of the backside of the mountains and some other hills off to the west. On to Alamogordo.
The closer I got the more socked-in it looked, and the area showed about six inches of snow. There's a mountain range quite near and it could hardly be seen. Had no trouble finding the Bowlin store (although the GPS wanted me to turn right for some reason, instead of left). As the store was right there, I ignored the voice.
Kenn and Carol were working today, and Kenn showed me where to park. We're much closer than at Akela, about 10 ft apart, but at least the main window I look out is on the other side from them and I have a distance view. After some slogging around in the snow and slush, got hooked up. Came in to put away groceries and had a domestic disaster -- dropped an open bag of sugar. Sigh.
Also am picking up about seven good channels, all the main ones plus MyNet and CW and something called RTV. There's some Spanish and religion stations, too, which I can just ignore. Haven't ever figured out how to suppress unwanted channels on my remote, which I used to be able to do back in NC with cable. That way, I didn't even have to see those irritating folk (like Pat Robinson? Robertson? oh, you know who I mean) or sweating shouting exhorting folk with really really bad hairpieces.
The only bad thing is the sewer connector is higher than my rig, so the line doesn't drain well at all. This means I'll get to "walk the line" every day to help the liquid go down. The only thing going in there right now is kitchen sink stuff so it's not nasty. But still -- what a pain. It's going to be such fun doing the black tank.
There's a little house here with a bathroom we can use (a real shower), a washer/dryer, too. Really nice. I'm going to go over in the morning and take a nice hot shower. Right now, I'm about to have my first meal of the day and I'm really hungry.
Ta.
Monday 11/30
Monday 11-30 3pm
Well, I did the slogging around in the rain and mud. Got wet and cold. Got everything stashed away. Not very tidily as I'm only going 100 miles, but stuffed in the storage bin and smushed down until I could lock it. It'll do.
About noon I went down to the Apache Cafe and discovered they had a special of salmon with rice pilaf and green beans and corn. I said no corn but extra green beans, please. It was tasty, though the fish was overcooked, and the rice wasn't exactly "pilaf." But, hey, it was only $5.
And the wifi was down because of the weather. The manager guy said it was probably the transmitter on the mountain. So I didn't get to check my email or send out the Yclept Yarbro issue.
Grrr
When I got back and plugged in, my TV wasn't picking up any signals either. I've tried programming it a few times in different positions and each time I pick up a different station. I really only want one, the one that has So You Think You Can Dance on it. But so far no luck.
Grrr. Grrr.
They're still predicting some snow. We'll see. I'm planning on leaving tomorrow about 11 or 12, going to Albertson's Grocery in Las Cruces, stocking up, and arriving at the Alamogordo store about 3 or 4pm, to get hooked up before dark. Then I'm going over to the house and taking a long hot shower. It's supposed to be up to 60 by Friday.
Have no idea what my schedule's going to be. With only 16 hours of work, it'll probably be two 8-hr days, Mon & Tue, as I know that's when Kenn and Carol want off. Of course, that won't happen until I learn to open and close, I think, but Caleb already knows how to do that stuff so I may just be his assistant until I pass the "modules." So corporate.
This whole corporate thing is weighing on me. I may just quit in Jan. anyhow, go to Quartzsite and have some fun for a few weeks with my RVW friends, and then find another job.
Well, I did the slogging around in the rain and mud. Got wet and cold. Got everything stashed away. Not very tidily as I'm only going 100 miles, but stuffed in the storage bin and smushed down until I could lock it. It'll do.
About noon I went down to the Apache Cafe and discovered they had a special of salmon with rice pilaf and green beans and corn. I said no corn but extra green beans, please. It was tasty, though the fish was overcooked, and the rice wasn't exactly "pilaf." But, hey, it was only $5.
And the wifi was down because of the weather. The manager guy said it was probably the transmitter on the mountain. So I didn't get to check my email or send out the Yclept Yarbro issue.
Grrr
When I got back and plugged in, my TV wasn't picking up any signals either. I've tried programming it a few times in different positions and each time I pick up a different station. I really only want one, the one that has So You Think You Can Dance on it. But so far no luck.
Grrr. Grrr.
They're still predicting some snow. We'll see. I'm planning on leaving tomorrow about 11 or 12, going to Albertson's Grocery in Las Cruces, stocking up, and arriving at the Alamogordo store about 3 or 4pm, to get hooked up before dark. Then I'm going over to the house and taking a long hot shower. It's supposed to be up to 60 by Friday.
Have no idea what my schedule's going to be. With only 16 hours of work, it'll probably be two 8-hr days, Mon & Tue, as I know that's when Kenn and Carol want off. Of course, that won't happen until I learn to open and close, I think, but Caleb already knows how to do that stuff so I may just be his assistant until I pass the "modules." So corporate.
This whole corporate thing is weighing on me. I may just quit in Jan. anyhow, go to Quartzsite and have some fun for a few weeks with my RVW friends, and then find another job.
Sunday 11/29
Sunday 11-29 10.30 pm
Last day! Busy busy busy. Did almost $800 and only one sale was over $50, so lots of activity. Came up $5 short -- got to be something obvious but neither Rose nor I could find it so left it for Leeann to do.
Parting words from Leeann were to drive carefully. Parting words from Rose were good luck at the new store. No parting words from Ryan.
It's rained off and on all day and is now raining heavily. It might freeze tonight which will mean icy roads and maybe some flakes, though it's not too probably as the high tomorrow will be 40. I get to slog around in the mud and get all the hoses ready to move. Fun.
Last day! Busy busy busy. Did almost $800 and only one sale was over $50, so lots of activity. Came up $5 short -- got to be something obvious but neither Rose nor I could find it so left it for Leeann to do.
Parting words from Leeann were to drive carefully. Parting words from Rose were good luck at the new store. No parting words from Ryan.
It's rained off and on all day and is now raining heavily. It might freeze tonight which will mean icy roads and maybe some flakes, though it's not too probably as the high tomorrow will be 40. I get to slog around in the mud and get all the hoses ready to move. Fun.
Saturday 11/28
Saturday 11/28
Well, of course, now that everybody knows I'm leaving, Rose and Ryan are both being very friendly and helpful.
Busy busy day today, even though I still only got less than $800 in sales. It was almost nonstop. Rose did manage to get most of the fireworks sales, and she had about ten commission sales and I had about four.
And a big winter storm is about to slam us. I did get plastic up on the big windows today and it really makes a difference. I'll put some up on the vents and the kitchen window, too. I think I'm going to look for a carpet runner. It needs to be max 20 inches wide, which is hard to find, but it's nice in winter to step onto.
The wind has really picked up and there's been some rain. Snow has been mentioned. The high on Monday and Tuesday should be in the low 40s. And those are the two days I need to get ready to move and to actually drive to Alamogordo. Ought to be interesting.
Well, of course, now that everybody knows I'm leaving, Rose and Ryan are both being very friendly and helpful.
Busy busy day today, even though I still only got less than $800 in sales. It was almost nonstop. Rose did manage to get most of the fireworks sales, and she had about ten commission sales and I had about four.
And a big winter storm is about to slam us. I did get plastic up on the big windows today and it really makes a difference. I'll put some up on the vents and the kitchen window, too. I think I'm going to look for a carpet runner. It needs to be max 20 inches wide, which is hard to find, but it's nice in winter to step onto.
The wind has really picked up and there's been some rain. Snow has been mentioned. The high on Monday and Tuesday should be in the low 40s. And those are the two days I need to get ready to move and to actually drive to Alamogordo. Ought to be interesting.
Friday 11-27
Friday 11/27
My last day here at Akela Flats is SUNDAY.
I'll relax on Monday, putting things to rights for moving, like water hoses and sewer line, all drained and coiled and put away. I also plan to go down to the Apache Cafe and do some wifi work, like sending out the latest issue of Yclept Yarbro (#30!).
Alfred told me that they could only offer me 16 hours a week to start (I had asked for 20-25), so we'll see how that goes. That'll get me the minimum I need to live well, added to my social security. Of course, I'm adding to my socsec right now as it's being taken out of my paycheck, so I should be getting more, starting in Jan.
Supposedly, a big storm is rolling in and the high on Sunday should be in the mid 50s, with a possibility of some rain and wind. Monday not much better, but Tuesday, when I'll be traveling, should be better. Of course, I'm only going about 100 miles, but I need to stop at a grocery story in Alamogordo and stock up a little.
Speaking of storm, remember way back last May when my brother, his SO Deborah, and I were going to sail across San Francisco Bay to watch Kaboom, a huge fireworks display? And the Bay was to choppy and windy and nasty, he had to put on his foul weather gear and turn us around and take us back to dock. Well, I finally got a picture of him being intrepid at the helm.
But I see it didn't transfer so will try again later.
I have no idea what the new arrangements will be here at Akela, and don't really care. I get the feeling that Rose will be working fulltime for a while, but that's guesswork. When I got in today, I was told that Leeann was on the phone with Alfred and not to disturb her. Then she called Rose in and closed the door for a long chat. Then she came out to me and said, your turn. But we didn't go in the office, we just stood behind the counter while she told me my last day here would be Sunday.
Oh yes, I passed the HazMat test.
My last day here at Akela Flats is SUNDAY.
I'll relax on Monday, putting things to rights for moving, like water hoses and sewer line, all drained and coiled and put away. I also plan to go down to the Apache Cafe and do some wifi work, like sending out the latest issue of Yclept Yarbro (#30!).
Alfred told me that they could only offer me 16 hours a week to start (I had asked for 20-25), so we'll see how that goes. That'll get me the minimum I need to live well, added to my social security. Of course, I'm adding to my socsec right now as it's being taken out of my paycheck, so I should be getting more, starting in Jan.
Supposedly, a big storm is rolling in and the high on Sunday should be in the mid 50s, with a possibility of some rain and wind. Monday not much better, but Tuesday, when I'll be traveling, should be better. Of course, I'm only going about 100 miles, but I need to stop at a grocery story in Alamogordo and stock up a little.
Speaking of storm, remember way back last May when my brother, his SO Deborah, and I were going to sail across San Francisco Bay to watch Kaboom, a huge fireworks display? And the Bay was to choppy and windy and nasty, he had to put on his foul weather gear and turn us around and take us back to dock. Well, I finally got a picture of him being intrepid at the helm.
But I see it didn't transfer so will try again later.
I have no idea what the new arrangements will be here at Akela, and don't really care. I get the feeling that Rose will be working fulltime for a while, but that's guesswork. When I got in today, I was told that Leeann was on the phone with Alfred and not to disturb her. Then she called Rose in and closed the door for a long chat. Then she came out to me and said, your turn. But we didn't go in the office, we just stood behind the counter while she told me my last day here would be Sunday.
Oh yes, I passed the HazMat test.
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