Month: March 2007

Nimrod Lane

Nimrod LaneWe went for a nice long walk in Hitchcock Woods this morning and boy was it crowded. We saw 4 people on horses and three people walking their dogs. One of our favorite pastimes while walking is to make up elaborate histories of people who have trails named after them. Mrs. Knox, Mr. Fletcher, Willie Barton, etc. This “lane” is named for the great Civil War General Beauregard Nimrod who died in 1864 while either defending Aiken from the vile northern aggressors or from friendly fire after berating the beloved company mess sergeant because he felt his grits were undercooked.

From Ask Yahoo:

The American Heritage Dictionary offers two distinct definitions of a nimrod — either a hunter, or a person regarded as silly or foolish. The dictionary goes on to explain that the second meaning probably originated with the cartoon character Bugs Bunny. The wily Bugs used the term in its original sense to refer to dithering hunter Elmer Fudd, whom he called a “poor little Nimrod.” Over time, however, the “hunter” meaning got dropped, and the “dithering” connotation stuck.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 94

Finally Friday

Enchanted Ceiling AgainIn what I’m sure is a futile effort, I California Dusted off the Miata and cleaned the tables and chairs on screened porch of pine pollen. We hope to have breakfast out there tomorrow, we’ll just have to see how much of the pollen returns. Because the ASCO parking lot is surrounded by pine trees we usually have a good indication when the pollen is done, because all the currently yellowy branch ends become plain tan, and at today’s morning walk there was still plenty of yellow.

Finished up the GD&T training this morning , handed in my test and didn’t even wait for it to graded. Who cares, not like it matters, I’m not getting college credit for it. I probably will get a certificate for my cube wall though.

We had the afternoon off and I spent it trying to use the Gallery software to use for the post office picture. I installed it and a couple hours later uninstalled it. I did monkey with the look a little, but there is so much crap displayed that I didn’t want, I tired of trying to root out in the files were they were so I could disable them.

As predicted yesterday, I fell from the top spot of the office pool. I correctly picked only half of last night’s winners and fell into a 5-way tie for third. Go Florida, Wisconsin, North Carolina & Georgetown.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 92

Too Early

This is our early to work week, so we can get tomorrow afternoon off. The down side to these hours, besides having to get up an hour early, is we are up an hour early. This morning Donna didn’t want her usual breakfast, she wanted some Biscuit and Gravy from Hardee’s, but Hardee’s isn’t open until 6 o’clock and by that time we should be on our way to work not ordering breakfast at a “fast food” place.

To make up for not eating out for breakfast we ate out for dinner. Maria’s Mexican Restaurant again, but this time we didn’t bother with the tacos, we just split an order of Carrnitas. I had iced tead and she had water.

Meal Cost: $11.88
Tip: $2.12
Spent Today: $14.00
Year to Date: $692.83

Tonight and tomorrow will separate the men from the boys in the office Tourney Pool. Right now I’m leading the pack to win bragging rights, but the Sweet Sixteen is right about where I start to drop from the top levels to the mid-pack where I usually am.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 92

Cholesterol Skirmish Setback

Went to see Mr. Doctor today to go over my latest lipid profile. Ooops, looks like I did a little back sliding in the last 6 months. My total number was up by 30 points and the bad stuff was up by 20. Not only that, my triglycerides were up a chunk as well. (latest numbers on top)

  Chol HDL LDL Trig
Goal <200 >31 <100 30-150
03/05/07 195 39 123 167
09/19/06 167 37 103 135
04/06/06 168 37 106 126
12/08/05 182 35 120 137
07/28/05 177 30 113 169
06/17/05 164 31 85 238
05/06/05 174 27 108 194
01/10/05 176 33 110 167
09/21/04 209 24 131 271


There are a few reasons for this: 1) I was a real slug this winter, once the weather turned cold I stopped roller blading altogether. B) Even though my appointment was today the blood was drawn in mid Girl Scout Cookie binging. iii) My weight is up by about 5 pounds since September [see 1 & B for explanation.] Doc wants me to double up on the Red Yeast Rice and come back in 4 months.

Of course 2 heaping plates full at the Chinese Buffet at lunch is probably not helping matters either. Lunch buffet with water to drink for both of us.

Meal Cost: $11.98
Tip: $1.02
Spent Today: $13.00
Year to Date: $678.83

It is officially spring. Not just because the vernal equinox has passed and not because the Bradford Pear trees blooms are turning to leaves and the dogwoods are flowering, but because we rode to work with the top down at 6 o’clock in the morning and didn’t feel cold. Oh yeah, another sign that it is spring is the pine pollen whipping around the company parking lot doing it’s middle east dessert sandstorm impression.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 92

Just Cancel It

Turns out I may be able to avoid bouncing a “check” to the IRS after all. The other day I told my tale of woe to one of our accountant s who does taxes on the side and she recommended that just mail in a payment using Form 1040-V. This way when the payment gets there they will credit my account, so that when the attempt at an electronic transfer fails the money would already be there. I might just avoid the penalty that way. I figure, what the heck it is worth a shot.

While hunting around on the IRS website looking for the forms I stumbled on a page about Pay Taxes by Electronic Funds Withdrawal and there near the bottom is a procedure for canceling a payment in cases sort of like mine:

Taxpayers can call the Treasury Financial Agent, Customer Service, at 1-888-353-4537, toll-free, to cancel a payment or to report problems such as bank closures, lost or stolen bank account numbers, closed bank accounts or unauthorized transactions. Customer Service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Dude, the solution is just a phone call away. I’d better get on it so I can mail Uncle Sam a real check…

Started down, went up, went down, up again, down again, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 92

Non-Feature of Size Post

Feature Control FrameI am stuck all week for full mornings in a class on GD&T which they swear is an intermediate level course, yet uses the same book and covers the same ground as the one I went through in 2004. It’s only use might be as a refresher course, but we don’t really use GD&T to its real potential. And if we did we wouldn’t need a refresher course. Usually I would say that lousy time spent training is better than a good time working, but this is the exception to the rule.

I have started to rename the photos in the Post Office Gallery so that the newest ones will display first. This might take a while to complete, maybe if we take a weekend off from taking pictures of them I can get it ready for the next batch of new ones. I really need a different gallery software that will allow viewing of files by different tags: zip code or town name or date taken… I know you can do that on Flickr (and I may post them there too), but I like the idea of having total control of how they are presented. I’m taking suggestions.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 88

Shopping Center Post Offices

Main Anderson Post OfficeI started the morning with a Cinnamon Bun, then well fortified, Donna and I started our quest for the four Post Offices of Anderson. The first one was a little hard to find as it was in a shopping center hidden behind a line of businesses. We knew we were in the right block and looking on the right side, but we couldn’t see it. Good thing it was early on a Sunday and traffic was light or we might have given up. We did find it finally by trying to turn around and stumbling onto to parking lot of the shopping center. After that, the other three became progressively easier.

When we left Anderson we took our usual route home, down the two lane, very scenic SC81. This took us by another 5 small town post offices that I gladly photographed for my growing gallery. There are now 94 Post Offices there, which is maybe 20% of the state’s total. So over this two day weekend there have been 13 new photos added in the gallery, but I still have no way of highlighting the new additions. There is no option for sorting the images in any other way than filename. Because I have used the zip code as the file name I’m kind of stuck. I might have to rename the files and put a large number in front of the first file and decrement as I add new files.

Lunch was at a Blimpies. Blimpie Best for me and a Meatball Sub for her. We made one a combo so we split a bag of Ruffles and a small Sprite.

Meal Cost: $10.77
Tip Jar: 23¢
Spent Today: $11.00
Year to Date: $665.83

Before settling down on the couch to watch March Madness on TV for the rest of the day we went out and took a nice long walk in the Hitchcock Woods. I hope I don’t jinx it by posting it here on the big ol’ internet, but I’m at the top of the charts in the office pool having missed just 2 of the 16 second round games. If you are remotely interested, I listed my winners in a post the other day and I have gone back and crossed out the losers.

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 86