I've worn an earring for something like 25 years. Last night, after I showered, I just didn't bother to put it back in. I kind of got to feeling that at my age, it's kinda like trying to pretend to be young or something ( Read more... )

On the way home after work on Friday afternoon, I saw something one rarely sees in suburbia. As I took the ramp to go northbound onto 28, I noticed something in the grassy area between the ramp and the Hilton. My first reaction was "That's one huge dog," but then I realized it wasn't a dog. It was a black bear. He(she?) was shifting about as if ( Read more... )

A significant portion of my job involves accessing sites and systems that require identity and encryption certificates. Those reside on a usb token. Those same certificates are used in sending/encrypting email messages, which is something else I have to do at times ( Read more... )

This morning, the president of the company for which I work went down the hall, handing everyone an envelope with their name printed on it. With all that's happened so far this year, I was pretty uneasy when handed mine. The fact that the he didn't say much other than to ask if/when my boss would be in today did nothing to relax me ( Read more... )

This year has not been a good year. Seems every time I start to make some progress and recover from events so far, another one falls on me. It's getting worse.

Well, the move is done and I've spent a week living in the new place. There's still a lot of unpacking and figuring out of things to be done. The new place is nice and fairly quiet. I need to get some curtains for the bedroom since it's well-lit outside at night and a lot of light gets in around/through the blinds ( Read more... )

Hoo boy. Sitting here at work, trying to fight down a big ol wave of anxiety and worry that's trying to overwhelm me. I half wonder if this move is going to kill me with all the stupid crap that keeps coming up. There's still stuff to pack or get rid of at home and it seems like there's no end to it. Every time I think I'm making progress, ( Read more... )

I just got a text message from the guy who took my oscar home last night.   Bubba survived his trip okay and is in his new home.   The guy also emailed a picture of him in his new tank.


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The guy who responded to my Craigslist ad came by to pick up Bubba last night.  He texted when he was leaving work, so I siphoned some water from the aquarium into a couple 5 gallon paint buckets.  I then used the python to siphon water out until it was only a couple inches higher than Bubba's dorsal fin.  I'd gotten a screw-on lid for a bucket at ( Read more... )

I got a response to the Craigslist ad I posted to give away my oscar fish.  There's someone who should be coming by tonight to pick him up.  He says he has a tank ready to go for him and has experience with larger fish.   Hopefully, this means that Bubba will soon be in a new (and probably much better) home.  I got a bit choked up giving the little ( Read more... )