Year: 2007

Warm Sunday

For the first time this year we went for a bike ride. Fifteen miles and by the time we were done we were glad to get off the thing. Amazing how easily you fall out of shape if you don’t do it often enough. If Donna and I actually verbalized, or in some other way memorialized, our New Year’s resolutions, every year this one would be right up there at the top – Bike Ride More Often.

This afternoon I took advantage of the warm weather to do a little Miata service. I changed the oil & filter at the 52,788 mile mark. Remind me to never buy a Pure One filter for the Miata again. One thing is that the filter wrench doesn’t fit it, but more importantly and maybe it was just this one, but it didn’t have the little rubber gasket that seals it to the engine block. This is something you don’t want to find out like I did either, after you have drained all the oil out of the engine in the only car you own. Makes it kind of hard to take it back to the parts store and complain. Fortunately for me the gasket from the Fram filter I took off, was an exact replacement for the missing one. I definitely have to go back to buying a six pack of OEM filters from a dealer.

The Emperor also got his monthly bath. When I looked in the car wash bucket I realized I was out of car wash soap. I didn’t feel like driving somewhere to pick some up, so I substituted. No I didn’t use dish soap, I know that it is too harsh and will remove all your wax. I used clothes detergent. Yeah, it probably is even worse for the finish of the car, but I was desperate and I was sure it would be OK for the cloth convertible top. At least I didn’t use Rose Petal scented bubble we have in the house, although in hindsight…

Started up, went down, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 19

Thelma and Louise

We made a trip up to Chesterfield, SC today to see Donna’s cousin and her husband. We were supposed to go up on Friday, but fate put a big dent in those plans for us Thursday evening.

Donna’s Aunt Mary was staying there in Chesterfield, probably for the rest of the winter. She had come down after Thanksgiving and had to be hospitalized because she was getting dizzy. After a couple of days in the hospital the doctors turned her loose, unsure what was wrong, but blaming it on her worsening emphysema. They put her on oxygen and told her it might be best if she didn’t return to NJ until the weather warmed up. When we last visited in early December she didn’t look like the same person that we had seen last July. She had lost weight and was having trouble walking because of the breathing issues.

Thursday when Laurie and her husband Ted returned from his dialysis they found her on the kitchen floor. She had fallen a couple hours earlier and she couldn’t get up because her hip was broken. She was rushed to a hospital in Rockingham, NC where she passed away a couple hours later from respiratory failure.

Mary and Donna’s mother were not only sister-in-laws, but they were best friends, having met in college long before they met the brothers they would end up marrying. Barbara was short and stocky and Mary was tall and thin. They were perfect travel companions because Barbara drove, but had no sense of direction while Mary was afraid to drive (living in Jersey like she did, who could blame her) but was a born navigator. The two of them visited each other a couple times a year and there was always a trip together in there somewhere. They earned the nicknames Thelma and Louise when they drove from Seattle to Aiken when Donna’s mom moved in with us. They even started signing their Christmas cards to each other that way.

So long Mary, we’ll miss you here on earth, but we know you are happy to be reunited with your traveling partner again.

Started down, went up, went down, back up, back down, up again, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 17

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad

Breakfast at home, Zaxby’s for lunch and Maurice’s BBQ for dinner.

For lunch it was a Big Zax Snak for him (includes a drink) and a House Zalad and drink for her.

Meal Cost: $12.90
Tip: None

Dinner was a Little Joe Basket for me and a Little Joe Sandwich for her. We both had Ice waters to drink. A soft serve vanilla cone was split for desert.

Meal Cost: $12.67
Tip: $1.00
Spent Today: $26.57
Year to Date: $81.02

Electronic Mail Bag

My spam count at work has been consistently over the century mark now for months. I haven’t even been reading the titles of the ones that our company’s spam filters catch anymore. I just check the total and hit delete. The other day I was in work early, so I thought I’d start the day with a couple of laughs.

Seems the new trend in spam titles is to grab a recent headline in the hopes you might open it to get some other insight.
U.S. gunships target al Qaeda suspects in Somalia
Hilary Swank: ‘Yes, I am in a relationship’
Gwynn, Ripken in Hall, McGwire misses
House Dems start ‘100-hour’ agenda
Neuwirth gets to ‘wiggle again’

Long winded subjects are all the rage too:
“or dentist has directed you to do so and is following your progress alone”
“of water to lessen stomach irritation Do not take this medicine torn”
“most medicines pass into breast milk in small amounts, many mentor”

Here is my favorite for today though:
You can send us the model of a replica watch that you desire and we will try to provide you with it.
What?

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 12

Fire Mountain Grill

Think steakhouse chain without a lot of steak, not our favorite place to eat, but we were there for the MMC annual planning meeting and there have a nice private room in the back we can use.

Two Large Megga Dinners, Sprite for her and water for him.

That’s what the receipt said, Large Mega Dinners. Kind of redundant isn’t it? Unless they have a Small Mega Dinner…

Meal Cost: $20.40
Forced Tip: $3.06
Spent Today: $23.46
Year to Date: $54.45

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 11

Old Old Joke

A couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering things. They decide to go to the doctor for a checkup. The doctor tells them that they’re physically okay, but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember.

Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair.

His wife asks, “Where are you going?”

“To the kitchen” he replies.

“Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?”

“Sure.”

“Don’t you think you should write it down so you can remember it?” she asks.

“No, I can remember it.”

“Well, I’d like some strawberries on top, too. You’d better write it down because you know you’ll forget it.”

He says, “I can remember that! You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.”

“I’d also like whipped cream. I’m certain you’ll forget that, so you’d better write it down!” she retorts.

Irritated, he says, “I don’t need to write it down, I can remember it! Leave me alone! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream – I got it, for goodness sake!” Then he shuffled into the kitchen, grumbling all the way.

After about 20 minutes the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs.

She stares at the plate for a moment and says – “Where’s my toast?

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 11

More Screen Saver Madness

Help me, I just can’t stop.

For your downloading pleasure, a screensaver comprising the 35 or so photos from the Post Office Gallery:

The Emperor Goes Postal (2.3 Meg)

Donna and I are actually thinking of resurrecting the whole, drive somewhere in South Carolina and take pictures of the Miata in front of Post Offices, idea again for a few weekend trips this spring. Check back in about 5 or 6 months because there might be a Volume 2 of this screensaver.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/07: 11