What's next? Brown cows don't make chocolate milk...?

Image by: -RobW-

Katie and I had a lively discussion (truthinated: an argument) the other night about mosquitos. Yes, we argued about mosquitos. You see, Katie was on a violent rampage the other night and a poor little mosquito eater was on the other end of her anger. I tried to keep her from taking out her rage on the mosquito eater since, after all, it eats mosquitos. She said that they don't eat mosquitos, but they can dern sure bite you.

So, we consulted the interweb. It turns out we were both wrong. They don't bite humans, and they don't even bite mosquitos...not even a little. They're cousins to the mosquitos. Who the heck was responsible for naming them mosquito eaters if they don't even eat mosquitos? What next? Is someone gonna tell me that guinea pigs aren't really pigs? Is anything I assumed to be true based on a name true? Koala bears? No!?

Practice makes perfect

Since we've had Katie's 13 year old sister living with us for the last two months or so, we've been getting some practice in at this parenting thing. We're not parents to her by any means, but most of the every day parent-like tasks fall to us now. We grocery shop, arrange some pickups and drop-offs, coordinate dinner times and weekends. Channels are being blocked, the internet is being monitored, the spare bathroom and bedroom are covered in tiny clothes... things are different.

Yesterday afternoon the little one asked Katie to teach her how to burn a CD. We asked her what songs she wanted to put on there, and she came up with a list of hip-hop songs, including (not making this up) Smitty Jankins, The Phlawda Boizz, Korner Boy Ent, and many other creatively spelled names. Songs such as "Purp on purp", "Buy you a drank","I be jiggin'", "Ratchet swag", and the all-time classic "Like dat".

Buy you a drank? You're 13, who's gonna buy you a drank? Not to mention the fact that you're white, middle class girl and in the south. Talk like this has no effect. Nothing is wrong with a song about a stripper, or drugs... It's amazing what kids will listen to and what they will watch... and these are supposed to be the good kids. Of 27 songs on her list, 10 made the cut... and they weren't wholesome songs, just songs without drugs, strippers, or bad language.

We're only going to have a few months worth of time together before she moves out, but it's good practice for when we have kids in a few years. I'm already planning to cancel the cable, and lock the computer down so that our kids can only go to nickelodeon.com. Until then, we're doing what we can with our young internet rap fiend... wish us luck.

The great outdoors

Katie and I have been enjoying the gardening and yard work that comes with the new house and the spring. We've spent time shopping for flowers and house plants, researching lawn types (for the yet to be completed back yard), bought a lawnmower and planted three different types of flowers in the bed out front. So, now, at the start of spring, our flowers are blooming our grass is turning green and we're ready to start taking care of the lawn.

Two weekends ago we also made an investment in some lawn furniture. We had a little problem getting four chairs and a bench home in my car, but after that problem was resolved, the furniture has been great. On the weekends, I can get up and go outside with a cup of coffee or ice water and hang out outside for a few minutes. After everyone's mowed their grass, our subdivision has a sweet smell that makes spending time outside that much more enjoyable.

Take a look at a few pictures of the flowers and the furniture I took yesterday.

Tech Support in the middle ages.

It's my turn to talk, Dish Network

Photo by: kamneed

I'm tired of companies forcing consumers to sign contracts. Most cell phones do not cost $400 (you know, the crossed out line - original price - listed on their websites and on store displays). They are not doing me a favor by subsidizing the phone and putting me under contract for two years. Likewise, cable and satellite companies are not offering discounted hardware because they want to bring in more customers... they're both lowering the prices so they can provide a reason that to you need to sign a contract.

Without the contract, they would have to watch how they treat you and constantly compete with each other in order to attract and retain customers. Who wants that? They need to be able to lock you in, treat you poorly and charge as much as you can bear. If you think that's an overexaggeration, look at the satellite "deals" and packages. The companies are so similar in what they offer that they should just merge and save on administration costs. The truth is that contracts and "subsidized" hardware allow them to nearly eliminate competition and treat customers as they desire.

Granted, I know that the desire for company profits ahead of all else is how capitalism is intended, to some degree. However, I am in favor of capitalism because of what it can do for an economy and society rather than what it can do for an individual company. In this case, locking customers in and having poor customer service bring neither innovation nor lowered prices through competition.

With these ideas rattling around in my noggin, I decided that after my last heated conversation with Dish Network that I was no longer going to put up with their crud. They refused to offer me a deal that was clearly stated on their website. It wasn't just the new customer vs. existing customer delimma that strikes many satellite and cell phone customers, but just the plain fact that their web site says one thing, leads you to follow a link which tells you to call a number so they can explain that the website deal is not what you think. This wasn't the first offensive practice that I found with Dish Network, so I decided to get DirecTV.

I'll pay a cancellation fee, even though I'm not really interested in giving money away for nothing. I just think that if I don't do anything, I'll be enabling their behavior. After all, if I don't let my money do my talking, they won't really hear me. Sure, I can call and complain and waste their time and mine, but I can get my statement across much more clearly to their cancellation department... not their retention department.

So, Dish Network, we've had a great time together arguing and bickering. However, I've got to give my $50/mo. for the next few years to DirecTV. I'll send you a copy of my bill each month so you can think about what you've done.

I'm regressing

I'm in serious need of some tennis lessons. I'm regressing. The first week Taylor and I played doubles and nearly beat one of the doubles teams from the best team in the league (or so we were told). Ever since, though, my scores have been consistently getting worse. It may be that other people who have been playing for a few years take a few weeks/matches to find their groove again. I, on the other hand seem to have gotten worse.

Last night, my latest doubles partner and I lost 6-0,6-0. We were done in 35 minutes, and had enough time to watch at least another 20 minutes of the singles matches on a few of the other courts. Granted, we were playing a team made up of a person who's been playing for years and another who played in college, but that was humiliating.

I'm going to have to take some tennis lessons and get some more practice in, because that wasn't even fun for me. I doubt it was fun for the other team to crush someone like that, except for the fact that it goes on their record.

Anywho, I'm gonna get better, but until then I'm comforted by the fact that I can't lose any worse than I did last night.

Happy Birthday to Me

Yesterday, I celebrated birthday # 26. I'd been working long hours this week, so I decided to take off early and enjoy my birthday. I went and got a haircut and then went with Katie to Outback, where we had cheese fries, ribs and barbecued chicken. We had a good night.

Katie made me this cute little coupon book with items such as "Lazy Day Coupon" - No nagging, no laundry, no dishes - 'Puter Time, Naps, and relaxing. It was a great gift idea. I'll be enjoying a few of those coupons here in the next few days, I'm sure.

Tomorrow we'll be getting together with the family to celebrate my Dad's birthday (tomorrow) as well as mine. That should make for a happy end to the weekend.

Lightswitches in new homes...

I'm a morning person, I think. Not that I'm fully functional in the morning... but that I enjoy waking up early, having some personal time with the computer or staring out the back door with a cup of coffee for a few minutes. That being said, every morning, I still struggle with the light switches in our house.

We've been here for 6 months or so now, so you'd think I'd know what each light switch does. However, in our living room and kitchen (which are just seperated by a bar) we've got 14 light switches. Give me a stinking break. The bathroom's not much better. 5 light switches!

I know it sounds like a lame complaint - I recognize this. However, it bothers me because it could be so much simpler. When will I ever want to be in the bathroom with ONLY the light in the shower on? Why does the little vent device have a light? When I wander in to the bathroom at 3 in the morning because of late night burritos, I don't want to be met with this.

Image by: Observe the Banana

When we build our next house, I'm going to ask for a single switch in the bathroom. It will turn on the light(s) and turn on the vent.

The week (+ a few) in review...now with more rhyming

I haven't had much of a chance, or the will to get on the computer and make a post this week. So, here's what's been going on.

Last weekend, our Grandparents came in from Longview along with our Aunt and Uncle and their daughter, Katie. We had a good lunch, a good time and then managed to take a few family pictures in the front yard... which I don't have handy... but they turned out well. Take my word for it.

This week brought another tennis match, which also means another loss. I'm determined to do better. I don't have the money for lessons (so Katie tells me) so I've devised another game plan altogether. I don't want to give it all away, but it involves steroids, icy hot and aiming for opponent's knee caps. Game over, I think.

Late in the week I was asked to take a surprise trip to Jonesboro, Louisiana. The epicenter of... dust. I took a trip down to the court house there and met the nice people there and gave a demo, delivered a contract and trained a user on some of the software I've written. The user was a very quick learner and everything else moved quickly, so I was in and out pretty quickly. I didn't think I'd enjoy the trip, but it ended up being a nice diversion from my every day routine.

This weekend Randi, Katie's best friend, got married. Katie was doing a bit of wedding coordinating and I was responsible for the music. Katie did her job and I did mine. We got all our cues and made it out of there without causing a bridezilla scene. The minister did a great job and the wedding turned out to be a beautiful.

Today, Katie and I went to Church and had a potluck directly afterward. On the way home, we stopped by Lowe's and picked out some flowers from Home Depot. We ended up with a few red Geraniums, white Petunias, and little purple-blue ground covering perennials. Katie and I will probably get out in the yard this weekend and get them planted. Since it's supposed to get down to 32 degrees Fahrenheit we aborted the planting mission, brought the plants inside and decided to wait until this weekend. Hopefully the plants will make it in the sunshine in here for a day or so.

That's the latest...hope everyone is doing well. Leave a comment and let me know how you're doing...