Merry 2009

Happy New Year

2009

CNN Headline in Google: "Obama could inherit gaza crisis."?

How do you like the CNN headline in google: "Obama could inherit gaza crisis."?
What do they mean "could"? Even if they say it's all Bush's fault, it's now Obama's crisis. There is no "could" about it.

Iraq $582 Billion vs $700 Billion Stimulus Package?

Iraq $582 Billion vs $700 Billion Stimulus Package? When will it ever end?

Isn't it interesting that this $700 Billion economic bailout has surpassed the entire funding for the Iraq War, which is about $582 Billion? How come no one has mentioned this? Where is all that money going? Help!!!!

Hormigas Magica

I hate ants!!!!!!! I am berating these little buggers with colorful metaphors as we speak. The developers built our house over a kingdom of these little devils. Every time we suffered another invasion, every time they managed to find the pantry, every time they discovered the dog food bowl, every time they ruined my chocolate chip cookies that Lara made, every time they metastasize in the shower, I berate them with colorful euphemisms and metaphors. Bad ants!

Last week Lara asked, “Why is there an ant highway going to my desk? Where are these little guys going?” In our secret couple-language, an “ant highway” is the long teaming swarm of ants running from their point of origin to whatever it is they’ve decided they’re hungry for. Tuesday it was the timer outside, Thursday it was the office, Friday it was the kitchen and bathrooms. Lara followed the ants to their destination, the desk. I traced them to their source, the top of the stairway. They were traveling from inside the stairway, probably from the garage to find treasure. I still haven’t found the treasure they were looking for, but food upstairs is strictly forbidden now. There were hundreds or thousands of ants feasting on Lara’s computer and around the desk. Mmmmm tasty computer.

A week before, they shut off the outdoor lighting and fishpond pump in the backyard. There were so many ants living in the timer that the timer couldn’t rotate to turn on the lights. I was perplexed as to why the lights and pump weren’t on, as the pump is fairly new. Raid killed these things instantly when I found they had taken residence in the timer. I had to take the timer off the fence and clean it thoroughly. I didn’t want to spend a hundred dollars on a new fish pump and was a little relieved when I found the kingdom had taken residence.

The next assault on the house was in the fish bathroom (guest bathroom) and the master bath. They were coming out of the showerhead. How and where do they come from in there? Outside was protected with Home Defense Max. They had taken up residency in the house now. I sprayed several weeks ago outside around the house with HDM. It works ok to keep the swarms outside or I thought, but then I realized the live indoors now. Hmmm the little buggers live with us now. The poor things don’t like the colder weather or the rain. Let's go inside with the people. They will feed us and take care of us.

The same time period Frodo was hiding in his “I am cold” position upstairs (picture below), the ants had taken over the kitchen. Lara was still sleeping when the ants decided to take over the kitchen in a frontal assault. Frodo’s bowl had 700 billion ants in and around the tile and in his bowl. There were more ants than money left for the banking industry bailout. There were so many of these creatures that the tile floor was dark with crawly crawlies.

We didn’t call an exterminator. We’ve learned that we don’t have to pay $100 to get rid of the ants. Instead, we use about six dollar’s worth of Terro. I hate ants, but I love Terro. Ants love Terro too!

The Terro website said that it is essentially borax mixed with sugar water. It is pet and Frodo friendly. You can buy small cartridges at your local hardware store or supermarket. When your home is invaded by ants, you take the cartridge, scissor the lid and let the magic work. Then you wait. Terro Magica! It may take a day as it did with us. And during that time, the ants will swarm all over the area. Go Terro Go! Gradually they’ll carry this sticky sweet poison back to their nest, and the entire colony perishes like some freakish doomsday cult. It’s delightful!!! Ants come out of the shower nozzle dead. Do they just push their creepy crawly buddies out of the hole? Talk about irreverence! I have the evidence in the showers.

Is it possible to spend even less to get rid of ants? I have tried most of these other methods to get rid of ants. They didn’t work for us. Raid kills them on the spot, but Frodo, Lara and Raid don’t get along. Some of them (like cinnamon or cayenne pepper or soap) deterred the ants for a while, or thwarted their immediate goal, but they didn’t actually address the root problem, which is that we had a kingdom of ants inside and outside the house. Terro fixed this for the time being. During Christmas, we will do some more bating and switching. They have subsided for the moment and I am praying that magica hormigas has run out.

This post is a product endorsement for Terro. If they come back after Christmas, I may do some Hail Marys and do a little dance. I’m just grateful for a product that can save me so much time and money, and kill the damn bastards that have invaded our home. Terro Wow!!!!

Frodo For Green Bay Packers or Oregon State?

I haven't decided which team I would like Frodo to play for OSU or GBP. This morning on our walk, business was accomplished and then psycho dog came at me like a Union Pacific freight train, or was it a middle linebacker from the Green Back Packers. Since I was just standing there, not paying attention to the deed, the train came at me at 252 miles an hour and took me out. Bowling pin, UCLA freshman on the line of scrimmage, or a teenager playing on the tracks when the train came through the intersection, Frodo nailed me. Since I was bundled in, I was ok, but my ankle is kind of sore and swollen. Send sympathy cards, chocolate, candy, presents. I will recover, but I don't think I will be playing on the tracks or playing for a pro team any time soon. Thanks Frodo!!!!!!!!

Happy One Year for Lara and Me!

and

Happy Winter Solstice

Cold Frodo

Frodo is Cold. He went running with Sean this morning very early (about 5:30) and went back to bed afterward. I guess I would have too! He just got up at 11:00 when I took his picture.

L

Brendan Saying Hello From Inside

Brendan at 27 Weeks

Look at the angel face!

Wait, is he making hand gestures at us?

What does he do in there all day?

63 more days to go!!!!

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door

Dear Dogs and Cats:

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however. Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years - and canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat’s butt. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door:

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don’t.
(2) If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That’s why they call it ‘fur’-niture.
(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.
(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don’t speak clearly.

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they;
(1) eat less,
(2) don’t ask for money all the time,
(3) are easier to train,
(4) normally come when called,
(5) never ask to drive the car,
(6) don’t hang out with drug-using people,
(7) don’t smoke or drink,
(8) don’t want to wear your clothes,
(9) don’t have to buy the latest fashions,
(10) don’t need a gazillion dollars for college and(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

From: The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door.
December 5, 2008
by Deborah Register

Stop the Carbon Tax

Dear Mr. Coupal,

Thank you for providing me your weekly e-newsletter. My comments today are on the new State Air Board adoption of the new greenhouse gas emissions and standards. I know that the HJTPA is a taxpayer's advocacy group assisting Main Street with taxes and burdens being imposed on by the State, the Legislature, and the lack of spending cuts in Sacramento. With this new "the sky is falling, the sky is falling" legislation, especially in legislation adopted in AB 32 and AB 375, I want you to get involved in fighting this new hidden tax being imposed. If I can be of help, my services are available. But your voice is a lot louder than mine. How can we stop the State from imposing new burdens on transportation, on businesses and industry, and buildings and landfills?

Politicians in Sacramento are going to kill the economy. These people are also going to have us living in sod houses soon, as this is the most efficient use of heating and cooling, as you know. I don't want to live in a sod house. I want to drive to work (yes, in a car), I want my family to drive to the store if they want, and if that store is in East Podunk, I want the opportunity to waste as much gas getting there as needed to accomplish the task. I want to come and go as I please. I don't want to drive in a carpool lane, I don't want the State regulating the energy industry, carbon footprints are not proven science, and I don't want the State involved in my life. Finally, global warming is not proven science and in fact it isn't even getting warmer. How can we stop these climate Nazis from coming to Main Street and telling me how to run my life? Can we do a statewide initiative to stop the carbon tax?

Lesson in connect-the-dots

Lesson in connect-the-dots. First the facts.

1. Jesse Jackson said during the campaign that someone should cut Obama's private parts off.

2. As a result, Obama has no love for J.J. Sr. and by transfer of hatred, J.J. Jr.

2. Governor wanted money to appoint Obama's replacement - $500,000 to $1m.

3. Obama wanted some female, I forget her name, as replacement.

4. On wiretap, Governor says that Obama refused to contribute.

5. Fitzgerald pulls plug on Governor before he makes appointment.

6. Conviction of Governor on soliciting a bribe is much more difficult than actually taking a bribe.

7. Democrats would have a real problem on their hands if Governor had made appointment and then got indicted. What would that make the appointee?

Governor was about to appoint J.J.Jr. He wasn't going to get any money from Obama, but perhaps he was going to get some from J.J.Sr. Obama got wind of this and told Fitzgerald to pull the plug.

Remember, Fitzgerald was the one who insisted that they continue the Plame investigation in spite of the fact that he already knew who the leaker was. Just so he could try to get someone else to commit a crime. So why was he in such a hurry. And does anyone doubt that Obama was aware of the investigation?

Question: If Governor had appointed Obama's female favorite, would we have ever heard about any of this?

Oh, and J.J.Jr. was candidate #5.

Some of the blogs say that the COLB issue in the SCOTUS is not a done deal. They say it is going to be heard on Friday. I'm kinda hoping they don't hear the thing. That way we can speculate for the next four years, at least.

Do you think Hill-er-ee could have blackmailed the Messia in to giving her the SOS position in turn for not revealing what she knows about the COLB? Just connecting more dots.

And on the Sara Front…

The rest of the world cannot understand how, after bitter election campaigns, American politicians can return to reality. For instance, Sarah Palin has invited to her great state of Alaska the men who defeated her... Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

She will provide a moose-hunting trip for their enjoyment and has hired two other prominent men to assist them. Dick Cheney will instruct them in safe gun handling, and Ted Kennedy will drive them back to their cabins in the evening.

What a gal! That Sarah is such a sport and thinks of everything

Getting Ready for Christmas

Our Christmas Tree
Frodo, You Can’t Eat the Tree or the Treats on the Tree
Good Dog!

Frodo is Cold

It's been cold here--cloudy, foggy, 50 degrees or so, and

Frodo has taken up residence by the fire.

L

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Gobble Gobble!!!!