No One Expected This!

The Day After

Having survived yesterday's storm-of-totally-surprising-snow-depths, I was up this morning prepared to do battle with the trusty brooms and scrapers - there was no way I was going to attempt to shovel because of my hands and back problems. So, I swept my porch and steps, then did the same for the landlady. Suddenly I heard scrapings of a shovel and looked up to see her shoveling the driveway from the road back to the house.


The sky was clear, the sun bright, and the wind was far less than the gale force it had been the evening before.

Needing to get ready for work, I asked if she knew anyone with a snowplow offering to split the cost of a dig out. She didn't. I tried to find someone local when I got to work, without luck.

The primary road was passable, but slow going and slippery.  Top speeds were 20 - 25 mph.

Took 40 minutes to get into town, which was a disaster. Though plowed last night, nothing else was done to the roads - no salt or sand - to make them navigable today.  Parking lots were not plowed, nor were parking places on side streets and only a few on the main avenue.

I found a parking space and walked to work to find the bosses shoveling and salting  the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. A few minutes later as I began the pre-opening chores, I looked out to see them making a snow angel and photographing the results.

Loved it! Dos Locos?  Yep!

The day was surprisingly busy and I was thankful to have enough servers to handle the steady stream of diners suffering from cabin fever and the need to be out and about.  It was great fun.

I was supposed to meet with a few friends after work for a quick bite before they headed off to a choral concert, but a large party of 30+ had reserved the private dining room and I was asked to cover for an extra hour and a half. Two friends stopped by to give me a hug and chat a bit before they went on to meet the others and enjoy the concert.

Since the temps are again dropping into the teens tonight I wanted to get home before dark and not cope with black ice on the way back to the apartment. I made it, but only just.

Like so many others in the area the house lost power for some time today, but the sun kept the apartment warmer than it would have been, so while it wasn't exactly toasty, it was a saving grace to me.  Resetting clocks is better than coming home to a freezing apartment.


And we gets to do it all over again tomorrow, precious. What funs, eh?

* The photos were taken today from inside the restaurant and sum up what a mess the main drag is and the difficult parking situation. You can click them to embiggen.

And so it goes.
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Winter Storm: The Bad and the Ugly!

 Nothing good.

Here we go again. Yesterday at work the forecast was up in the air for the expected snow storm - off again, on again, off again.  Conflicting weather reports; perhaps an inch or two; two to four...and on and on. Temps were to remain in the upper teens to low twenties, so whatever the event it would be powder.  All reports agreed that the snow would begin overnight.

All of that, with the exception of the low temps was WRONG!

I awoke this morning prepared to see the white stuff blowing and covering everything.  Didn't happen.

The 'event' began late morning - I was at work - and within an hour it was obvious to anyone with a brain that this was indeed a major event. We switched one of the big screens to TWC to check out the local forecast, then checked out the National Weather Service.  Finally, everyone was in agreement; between 8" and 12" of snow, so this thing was big, moving slow and coughing up 25 mph wind gusts to add to the already dangerous situation in which we suddenly found ourselves.

The temperature never reached 20' F here. We were one of a few restaurants open and that meant a very busy day. Usually not a bad thing, but a few servers live 10 to 15 miles away and the boss was concerned for their safety on the unplowed roadways and sent them home. I worked my full shift and had a great time.

To clean off the car I stepped into snow that was calf deep (about 10") and it was still coming down hard.  Driving back to the apartment it was nearly whiteout conditions on the highway and many vehicles had slid off the road, spunout, or hit another from behind, either by following too closely, or simply unable to bring their vehicle to a stop in time. Flashing lights were everywhere making the drive even more horrific because we had to attempt getting out of the way of the obstacles and continue to control our vehicles. 

Almost didn't make it up a hill because of the many vehicles strewn about. That's the place that claimed most victims and I was almost one of them. Thank G*d for front wheel drive. I eventually managed to navigate through the chaos to arrive at my road to find that it was untouched. Neither tire tracks nor plow had touched it all day.

I had me some virgin snow and made my way that last half-mile slowly and neatly.

The snow is not due to end until 1 am tomorrow morning.  If it continues to fall this heavily we could end up with much more than predicted.

Home and dry (it's so cold that my slacks, shoes and socks are totally dry) and the smells from the crockpot are welcoming. Now, where are those damned olives? I'll see about tomorrow, tomorrow.

And so it goes.
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Hobbit Caturday

It's time to read the trilogy once again.

More later.

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Biggest, Brightest Full Moon Friday

At least that's what they're reporting on TWC (The Weather Channel), and experiences at the restaurant today offer vivid proof.

First we noticed it was another National Tourist Day.  Folks arrived for lunch from Connecticut, Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, and North Carolina. How do I know? Their license plates and our conversations.

Next, there were many diners with at least 20 questions regarding the menu items and the limited selection for the kiddies.

After that there were the big parties of families with 2 to 4 kids in tow. Most were well behaved (another sign of the full moon?) and a few even courteous.

Then Happy Hour was more "Happy" than usual. Mostly newcomers who've never been to the restaurant.

All in all a fun and interesting day for all of us. I love my job.

Oh, and BTW, we're bracing for a snow event overnight and hanging around tomorrow so, bad drivers will likely be in greater numbers this weekend. Gee, can't wait.

Whether (weather?) we're busy at the restaurant tomorrow, or not, is anyone's guess. On Monday, a heavy thunderstorm with high winds and heavy rain didn't keep folks away. They sat in their cars waiting for us to open. It's a strange business that always offers surprises.

Turkey breast with asparagus and salad are up for supper as I enjoy a festive cocktail. Cheers!

And so it goes.
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Your Computer is a Homo!

Who-da thunk it?

Tea-baggers get stoopider by the hour.

Jeez, read her sign again...it boggles the mind. No, not hers - obviously.

I'm spent.
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NOLA TP: 'gotcha' Man Arrested Trying to Tamper With Landrieu Phones

This gets more and more bizarre. This skinny little wingnut twink thinks he's all that. Uh-huh. Why isn't he in Iraq or Afghanistan where his phone-tapping skills (such as they are) may come in handy?  From the NO Times Picayune:

An official close to the investigation said one of the four was arrested with a listening device in a car blocks from the senator's offices. He spoke on condition of anonymity because that information was not included in official arresting documents.

According to the FBI affidavit, Flanagan and Basel entered the federal building at 500 Poydras Street on Monday about 11 a.m., dressed as telephone company employees, wearing jeans, fluorescent green vests, tool belts and hard hats. When they arrived at Landrieu's 10th-floor office, O'Keefe was already in the office and had told a staffer he was waiting for someone to arrive.

When Flanagan and Basel entered the office, they told the staffer they were there to fix phone problems. At that time, the staffer, referred to only as Witness 1 in the affidavit, observed O'Keefe positioning his cell phone in his hand to videotape the operation. O'Keefe later admitted to agents that he recorded the event.

After being asked, the staffer gave Basel access to the main phone at the reception desk. The staffer told investigators that Basel manipulated the handset. He also tried to call the main office phone using his cell phone, and said the main line wasn't working. Flanagan did the same.

They then told the staffer they needed to perform repair work on the main phone system and asked where the telephone closet was located. The staffer showed the men to the main General Services Administration office on the 10th floor, and Flanagan and Basel went in. There, a GSA employee asked for the men's credentials. They said they left them in their vehicle.

The U.S. Marshal's Service apprehended all four men shortly thereafter.

The Stoopid, it burns. Forrest Gump was right.

Check out the pictures and the rest HERE.

And so it goes.
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Scary Truth About Unsold Clothes

The following is rant on Wal*Mart and  H & M destroying unsold clothes made by comedian Lee Camp. I recently read about this happening in NYC via the NYT.

Protect the brand, indeed.

More later.
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A Louisiana "Watergate"

When will the Rethugs ever learn? The same sleazy twink that harassed ACORN seems destined for not-so-great things. Even if it was the office of Mary Landrieu. I mean, really...

(CNN) -- A conservative activist who made undercover videos of the liberal community-organizing group ACORN was one of four men charged Tuesday with attempting to illegally access and manipulate the phone system in a district office of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana.

Joseph Basel, 24; Robert Flanagan, 24; James O'Keefe, 25; and Stan Dai, 24, were charged with entering Landrieu's New Orleans office under "false pretenses for the purpose of committing a felony," according to a news release from the local U.S. attorney's office. The office is federal property.

The four posted a $10,000 unsecured bond and were released, said Kathy English of the Department of Justice. According to CNN affiliate WWL, the next court date in the case is set for February 12.
O'Keefe is the same activist who dressed up as a pimp last summer and visited ACORN offices to solicit advice on setting up a brothel, among other scenarios, law enforcement officials confirmed. He secretly recorded the visits on videotapes that were posted on the Internet, leading to a media firestorm.
Flanagan is the son of William Flanagan, the acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, his office said.
Articles on conservative Web sites connect O'Keefe to a man named Joe Basel, describing them as conservative student activists and filmmakers.

"This is a very unusual situation and somewhat unsettling for me and my staff," Landrieu said in a statement Tuesday night. "The individuals responsible have been charged with entering federal property under false pretenses for the purposes of committing a felony. I am as interested as everyone else about their motives and purpose, which I hope will become clear as the investigation moves forward."

Louisiana Democratic Party Chair Michael McHale, in a separate statement, called the case a "Louisiana Watergate."

"Louisiana families are shocked and outraged that these men would break the law to carry out their political agenda with this Watergate-like break-in and attempted wiretapping," McHale said in the statement, which also claimed Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter has "ties to some of the players involved" and called on Vitter to "immediately denounce" the suspects and anyone else involved.

 This story really smells funny, and not in the "ha-ha" kind of way. This should get interesting.

The rest is HERE.

More later.
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Windows 7 - And Beyond!

Have spent the day getting to know my way around Windows 7 and so far, I am very pleased. The Wipe and Reload helped free up a lot of HD space.  Most was occupied by trial programs HP wanted to sell and which I'd never use.

Finally got the printer to work - had to call Canon Customer Support - found out the culprit was MS and it's damned 'default' settings. So much for their damned not-so-smart wizards. Problem solved in less than 15 minutes.  Please note that Canon Tech Support is here in the states, not India, or China, so that was an unexpected pleasure.  I am a happy camper this afternoon.

It's been a long 6 days awaiting the return of this machine. I did get two books read and watched a bit of TV, still,  I am amazed at the increased processing speed after 2 years under the spell of VISTA.

I toyed with the idea of going into debt for a new laptop already loaded with Windows 7, but all the attractive units required a mandatory subscription to Norton 360, which I refused to purchase for the additional $50.00. No matter where I shopped it was the same thing, even at Sony.  WTF?  So, I hope to get another year of two on this machine, then migrate to a laptop.

I detect the aroma of Olives, so it must be cocktail time.

And so it goes.
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Back Again...Now with Windows 7!

The virus returned (was it ever totally deleted?) and finished the job. PC would not book and registry corrupted beyond imagining.  So, the tech performed a Wipe & Reload, but this time installing a brand-spanking new OS - Windows 7 Home Premium edition.

So 6 days later, I've got a virtually new PC.  Faster, better memory management and installed my programs.  However, (f**king Bill Gates!) there seems to be no support for my 8 month old printer. Exactly what happened when I was forced to purchase the PC with Vista - I was forced to get rid of my year old HP laser because neither HP or MS would support it.  I will check into Canon's site to see what I come up with.

Now the keyboard is acting strange.

What frustrating times these are. 

More later. Maybe...

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Perspective On MA Election: Kos Makes Good Sense

With all the pundits and stenographers in the press predicting doom and gloom, Kos offers hope:

Brown's Road Ahead.
by kos

So what will come first? Remember, Brown has to run for reelection in 2012, a presidential year, in one of the top 2-3 most liberal states in the nation.
Either Scott Brown alienates ideologically rigid Teabaggers by casting votes with Democrats in order to shore up his standing at home; or
He votes in lockstep with the rest of his party and becomes the nation's most unpopular senator.
One or the other is inevitable. Maybe both.

I feel better now and look forward to the craziness to come from the Repubs.

And so it goes.
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Bloggers, Orphans, and the Haitian Internet

And they say bloggers are useless.  Yeah, right.

From Crooks and Liars:

My friend MB got a call Saturday night from one of her law school professors, whose about-to-be-adopted children were stranded in an orphanage in Haiti. (The paperwork was finalized, all that remained was the trip home to America.)
They were out of food and water, and some of the children's caretakers were killed in the quake. Apparently people had broken into their compound and taken their supplies, the situation was dire and the adoptees' mother was frantic. MB was trying to help. "I knew you'd have some ideas," she said.
First I forwarded the information about the orphanage to a state department official via Twitter. Then I thought about other options. "If that was me," I told MB, "I'd be contacting all my local TV stations to get them to do a story, hoping the national media picked it up."
"Good idea," she said, and got off the phone to call her professor.
After a Sunday afternoon conference call with U.S. officials working in Haiti, I called to tell her the U.S. State Department was aware of the 500 orphans who were in the process of adoption, they'd already evacuated 150 to the United States and five more were leaving Sunday afternoon. She said she'd pass the information along.
Yesterday morning, on my way to the dentist, I called MB to see whether she had any news. She'd called a friend who called a friend and yes, a Fox News crew went out to the orphanage and they got some food and water delivered to the orphans. Yay, Fox News! (You probably won't hear me say that again anytime soon.)
"But we still have to save the internet," she said, worriedly.
"MB, what are you talking about?" (She's a classic Cancer and just isn't happy unless she's worried about someone.)
Well, MB's husband Eric (one of the founders of the blogging Koufax awards) works for CORE, and used to work for ICANN, the international internet body. Seems that there are three people in Haiti capable of running the country's internet NOC (network operations center), and two of them died in the quake. The one remaining operator, Reynold Guerrier, told Eric the center was using a generator - and running out of fuel. Thugs were trying to break into the facility to steal what they could, but the NOC operator held them off. He was very worried about his wife and children, but told Eric he'd stay if someone would get his family out of the country.
MB was frantic. "I've called everyone I can think of, but everyone's closed for the holiday," she said. "I'm contacting people to try to get a number, just any kind of back-door contact. I wrote Joe Trippi to see if he can help."
"I'd try congressional staffers," I said. "What about Stoller? He works for Alan Grayson."
"I used to have his number. Who would have his new number? Would Natasha?"
"Yeah, either her or Chris," I said.
"Okay, I'll call her," she said.
When I came home from my lawyer's appointment, I called her again. She'd spoken to Darcy Burner, who told her either Sen. Patty Murray or Sen. Maria Cantwell would call her in 15 minutes. And Natasha had passed all the info onto Matt Stoller.
And somebody, somewhere had gotten through to someone and the State Department had at least delivered some fuel to keep the internet hub running. (Yay, again.)
"I thought the internet was set up so that if one part went down, another part patched in," I said, a little whiny. (I only got four hours' sleep the night before and after spending the morning in the dentist's chair, I was just plain cranky.)
MB explained that if the router wasn't up and running, there was nothing to patch into. "And a lot of utilities, like the electrical system, run off the internet," she said. "So they won't be able to get back up without it." Oh.
So anyway, a bunch of dedicated people have been working very, very hard (not me - I didn't work that hard at all, I'm an idea person) to save orphans and the Haitian internet, and they all deserve a round of applause. Nice work, people! Smoochies to MB and everyone who helped her save the world.

Click on any of the links above to read more and do what you can to help out.

And so it goes.
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