Caribbean Holidaze

The Brain Damaged Eggmen play the Beatles "Baby You're a Rich Man" at Shane's request at Caribbean Holidaze 2008.

I Shouldn't Have Checked the Weather in Jamaica

Always look on the bright side, right? At least it is supposed to be warm!

Meet Molly

Meet Molly. She's a grey speckled pony who was abandoned by her owners when Hurricane Katrina hit southern Louisiana . She spent weeks on her own before finally being rescued and taken to a farm where abandoned animals were stockpiled.While there, she was attacked by a pit bull terrier and almost died. Her gnawed right front leg became infected, and her vet went to LSU for help, but LSU was overwhelmed, and this pony was a welfare case. You know how that goes.

But after surgeon Rustin Moore met Molly, he changed his mind. He saw how the pony was careful to lie down on different sides so she didn't seem to get sores, and how she allowed people to handle her. She protected her injured leg. She constantly shifted her weight and didn't overload her good leg. She was a smart pony with a serious survival ethic.

Moore agreed to remove her leg below the knee, and a temporary artificial limb was built. Molly walked out of the clinic and her story really begins there.

'This was the right horse and the right owner,' Moore insists. Molly happened to be a one-in-a-million patient. She's tough as nails, but sweet, and she was willing to cope with pain. She made it obvious she understood that she was in trouble. The other important factor, according to Moore , is having a truly committed and compliantowner who is dedicated to providing the daily carerequired over the lifetime of the horse.

Molly's story is a parable for life in post-Katrina Louisiana . The little pony gained weight, and her mane finally felt a comb. A human prosthesis designer built her a leg.

The prosthetic has given Molly a whole new life, Allison Barca DVM, Molly's regular vet, reports.And she asks for it. She will put her little limb out, and come to you and let you know that she wants you to put it on. Sometimes she wants you to take it off too. And sometimes, Molly gets away from Barca. 'It can be pretty bad when you can't catch a three-legged horse,' she laughs.

Most important of all, Molly has a job now. Kay, the rescue farm owner, started taking Molly to shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Anywhere she thought that people needed hope. Wherever Molly went, she showed people herpluck. She inspired people, and she had a good time doing it.

'It's obvious to me that Molly had a bigger role to play in life,? Moore said. 'She survived the hurricane, she survived a horrible injury, and now she is giving hope to others.'

Barca concluded, 'She's not back to normal, but she'sgoing to be better. To me, she could be a symbolfor New Orleans itself.'

This is a true story.

Landslide?

The Obama I Didn’t Know

My husband is an ardent independent who has, or wanted to (there was a mix up with his SS# in Fairfax County), vote republican in the last two elections. I’ve voted democrat. This year Shane has decided it’s going to be Obama and tonight we will send in our absentee ballots. I have strong feelings about Obama and his campaign is the first ever that I’ve contributed to. For the first time in my life I care about the outcome of the election and I believe I found a candidate who will not only act on my behalf, but force real and progressive change in Washington.

About a week ago Shane and I were talking about our favorite candidate and he said something that the only way I knew how to respond was, “I find that hard to believe.” Let me tell you, it worried me so much that I did the research, I even watched the documentary, and finding the “dirt” on Obama wasn’t hard, but it’s something the press has only recently started to report. That would be the “liberal” press as they are often called, and while I feel like a traitor to my party and my cause, I think it’s important to know the facts before I cast my ballot.

Fact: Bill Ayers helped found the radical Weathermen in the 1960s, an anti-Vietnam group that launched a campaign of bombing that would target the Pentagon and the Capitol building in Washington and claim 25 bombings in the US. Later married to a fellow Weather Underground member, Bernardine Dohrn, both were once on America’s Most Wanted list. They were never prosecuted for their involvement with the 25 bombings; charges were dropped because of improper FBI surveillance.

Fact: Obama met Bill Ayers at a meeting about school reform in Chicago more than 20 years later. Ayers and his wife Dohrn hosted Obama at their home for a fundraiser during his first run for office.

Fact: In this 2002 PBS (KQED) documentary Ayers and Dohrn are not apologetic of their “freedom fighter” tactics. They were a part of a “global trend of revolution” that sprang from the belief that not acting against violence IS violence.

Fact: “Sen. Obama strongly condemns the violent actions of the Weathermen group, as he does all acts of violence,” said Obama’s press secretary, Bill Burton. “But he was an 8-year-old child when Ayers and the Weathermen were active, and any attempt to connect Obama with events of almost 40 years ago is ridiculous.” (Politico.com)

Fact: Obama is a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ congregation. The pastor of this church for 20 years was Rev. Jeremiah Wright (recently retired). Wright married Obama and his wife Michelle and baptized their two daughters. According to ABC news, Wright “… has a long history of what even Obama’s campaign aides concede is ‘inflammatory rhetoric,’ including the asserting that the United States brought on the 9/11 attacks with its own ‘terrorism’.” Obama has, however, praised Rev. Wright’s “social gospel” approach and focus on Africa.

What is “social gospel?”

Shane thinks Obama is so far left he doesn’t even know he’s left. Personally, I’ve decided he’s a radical who will do everything he can to force change in Washington. Then again, I worry that once he’s in office he’ll discover it’s hard to accomplish much without the support of all these PACs (political action committees) on the Hill. These are the very same groups he refuses to gain funding from in his presidential campaign, presumably under the impression that if he doesn’t take money from them, he won’t be beholden to their causes. We’ll see. All I know, is that even with Obama’s admitted ties to known terrorists and a pastor who spews “inflammatory rhetoric” I’m voting for Barak Hussein Obama! Are you radical enough to do the same?

More information (oddly enough, many are opinion pieces):
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/us/politics/04ayers.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/opinion/12rich.html?hp
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120968398096261113.html
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8630.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4443788
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,256078,00.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24371827/

John McCain & The Making of a Financial Crisis

Hey Sarah Palin

Even better!

Sarah Palin Debate Flow Chart

From Adennak:

Activity at the Apartment

I spend a lot of time at the apartment working hard at my job. My desk is situated right next to the window facing the front of the apartment. Here are some of the things I experience every week I'm here.

Monday: Trash day. That’s also my wakeup call. No alarm needed on Mondays.

Tuesday: Nothing special to report though last week they installed new flooring in the apartment above us. Pound, bang, bang, pound, all day long!

Wednesday: Wash the outdoor stairwell with a very loud power washer.

Thursday: Another trash day and it’s yard day as well. Yard day takes ALL day. First they mow, then they edge, finally they use the leaf blower. Yet somehow the grounds here still look crappy. They don’t water when it gets hot and doesn’t rain.

Friday: Nothing special but for the last two weeks they’ve been installing statues around the grounds. Luckily, this isn’t a very noisy operation.

Weekend at the Redneck Riviera

View pictures of our trip to Gulf Shores, AL, last weekend.

Nice things about small towns

• The nice part about living in a small town: When you don’t know what you’re doing someone else does.
• I can drive anywhere in less than 20 min. (as long as I’m not on the road between 5 and 6 p.m., rush HOUR, not hours) and can get to the grocery store and back in less than 15.
• I can leave my car and house unlocked and not worry.
• I can walk to the vet, nail salon, movie theater, bar, dry cleaner, and gamer’s haven (where Shane keeps threatening to join the D&D club).
• WalMart stock is full and not picked over.
• People are sincerely friendly and friends jump in to lend a helping hand anytime you need it.
• Friends live down the street, not 1 hour around the Beltway, or in a different state.
• The FedEx delivery and pickup guy is the same person and he knows me by name! He is always on schedule and arrives between 11 a.m. and noon CT.
• The mailman comes at the same time every day and also knows me by name.
• Better housing prices.
• Less stress.
• Trust.
• Clean air!

Don’t trust people who:

(Borrowed from David Murray’s list.)

• Attribute their every f-up to “a perfect storm.”
• Respond to criticism by saying they’ve been “thrown under the bus.” (What bus?)
• Describe their strategy (or their coffee or wine or anything else) as “robust.”
• Tell you, “I’m being perfectly transparent with you.”
• Tell you how “passionate” they are about branding, roofing tile or whatever else it is they’re selling.
• Say they want your feedback and thank you for your input.
• People who start something with: "As I'm sure you know..." If you're sure I know, then why do you feel the need to tell me again???
• People who say: "We need to make this a 'win-win' situation." Translation: "You need to do what I want even though it isn't what YOU want."
• People who respond to anything negative by saying "It's all good."
• People who remind you of a difficult time by responding “Good times, good times.”
• When someone tells you, "Leave me alone: I just don't have the bandwidth to handle that;"
• Responds with "That place would be a stretch target for me. Is there any low-hanging fruit closer?"

It might go something like this.

Hey Windi, I’d like to get your feedback. As I'm sure you know, so and so threw me under the bus. It really was a perfect storm that caused the problem. I’m being perfectly transparent with you and I’m passionate about making this a win-win situation. I know it’s all good, but I just don’t have the bandwidth to handle it. I think I have a robust strategy to get us through this but, this is a stretch target for me. Is there any low-hanging fruit closer?

Thank you for your input! Good times, good times.

If Sarah Palin is Qualified to be VP

If Sarah Palin is qualified for VP because "You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska ...", then I'm qualified to be a rocket scientist because I can see the moon from my house.

(Best quote of the day courtesy of my friend Pat!)

The weather outside is delightful

Summer Classes for Men at the Adult Learning Center

REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED by Friday, August 17 2008
NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

Class 1: How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays--Step by Step, with Slide Presentation. Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 2: The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself? Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.

Class 3: Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?--Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 4: Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5: Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink? Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM

Class 6: Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other. Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7: Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming. Open Forum
Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8: Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health. Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9: Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost--Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10: Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks? Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11: Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife. Online Classes and role-playing
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM, location to be determined

Class 12: How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion. Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.

Class 13: How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Remembering Birthdays, Anniversaries and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late. Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14: The Stove/Oven--What It Is and How It Is Used. Live Demonstration.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

It's Pirate Day

Your pirate name is:
Captain Anne Kidd

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.

An old dog can't learn new tricks but a cat can

Zeus and Maia arrive in LFT today courtesy of Continental QuickPack. Bob, gracious, lovely, wonderful Bob, picked them up and brought them to the apartment. Shane reports they're doing well and Zeus is NOT crying non-stop this time. Yay!

On another note, the Fox 5 DC 10 p.m. news report that LFT flooded after hurricane IKE is NOT true. My guess is the footage they showed is from Lake Charles. Shane insists it is def. not from Lafayette. Guess I'll find out tomorrow when I fly there after work.

Palin baby name generator!

Sarah Palin has picked out an all-American set of names for her children. There's Track, Trig, Bristol, Willow, and Piper. Ever wonder what your name would be if Sarah Palin was your mother? Well now you can find out!

http://politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html

I would be Axe Diesel Palin, Shane would be Mustache Warthog Palin. LOL!

Another Threat: IKE

I'm not there but Shane is. Mandatory evacuations in Lake Charles just 2 hours west of Lafayette. Shane is going to spend the weekend in NOLA with a client. I'm here in VA doing house stuff ....

34

I admit I'm 34. September 9 is my birthday. Thanks to EVERYONE who gave me good birthday wishes on Facebook, text msg, email and otherwise!!!! LOVE you all. It's the best. HOWEVER, my friend Brian has everyone beat. Brian is going to let Shane and I stay at his apartment in NYC for a WEEK in NYC around New Year 2009. That boy rocks the boat! Best birthday gift this year!

The Hanna Video

Sorry this took so long folks.

Storm Chaser

Two in two weeks. First it was Gustav, today is was Hanna. Video will be posted tomorrow. I keep having problems with my Internet connection!

Just in time for Hanna

Looks like I'll make it back to Virginia just in time for heavy rain from Tropical Storm Hanna.

Local news

Heavy rain and isolated tornadoes continue to affect the area. We've had curfew each night from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and will be under a curfew again tonight. Meanwhile, utilities crews have restored 75-80 percent of power in Lafayette.

President Bush arrived in Baton Rouge (1 hour from here) this morning to survey the damage done by Hurricane Gustav and meet with Governor Bobby Jindal.

Meanwhile, the search in on for supplies in Lafayette. Residents swamped stores that were open Tuesday. Customers searched for necessities. Crowds were huge as people looked for generators, food and ice.

We're still fine, still have power, have the supplies we need, are working remotely, and have high hopes that I'll fly out tomorrow after work and before Hanna gets to Atlanta, where I'm scheduled to fly through.

Gustav has mostly passed

Gustav has gone through most of the area and we're safe. Still heavy rain expected today and we never did experience a power outage. Yay!

New video

Video

230

Here we are

At noon

We hear that we will get to feel both sides of the hurricane. We're on the "good" side now. We'll get to experience the southeast part later -- that's the "bad" side. So far, so good. Still have power and are just watching the local news for updates.

My flight

Morning photo

Our view this morning.

Morning check in

Some wind but no rain yet. It's coming but not here yet. Still need to check to see if my flight is leaving. My guess is that with winds like this there is no way ... Shane tells me if that flight is leaving, that I'm on it! ;-)

Signs along the way

No rain yet but we did pick up a black cat from the parking lot. Apollo seems happy with his new friend as they've been courting through the window screen for 3 weeks. Now they are just good playmates but we do need to get flea treatment ASAP.

Today's agenda

Just got back from checking on Janet who is watching Justin and Kelly's house and the dogs while they are away for their Michigan wedding. We formulated a hurricane plan and took the dogs to Jesse and Kayla's house. Janet is here now to hang out and do some serious grillin'! Shane plans to make some tasty ribs, steak and some awesome side dishes. We borrowed a bunch of movies from Justin and Kelly so we're planning a night in. Gustav ain't gonna ruin our holiday weekend plans!

Shane's out with the motorcycle now. Had to drop some keys off at Matt's house then will drive to Gordon's where we can leave the bike in his garage. All that is left to do is fill the bathtub with water and bring the patio furniture in (after we grill). The rain is supposed to start tonight and intensify Monday and Tuesday.

Downgraded to a category 3

Overnight, Hurricane Gustav's winds decreased enough to make the storm a Category 3.

For those who are worried

Shane and I are being inundated with calls and email from friends. We appreciate your kind thoughts and your caring. In case I've caused additional worry from my blog posts here is something information that I hope will calm you.

We've stocked up on water, flashlights, non-perishable foods, etc. -- everything we need to ride out the storm. The parish we live in (Lafayette) is about 2 hours northwest of New Orleans. While the authorities aren't taking any chances and have put a mandatory evacuation in place for New Orleans, we're further inland and our parish is under a voluntary evacuation. Remember, New Orleans survived the hurricane, it was the levies failing and the resulting flooding that was the problem. We live nowhere near that amount of water!

I have to trust the local authorities and believe that they know what they are doing. In Lafayette we can expect downed trees and power lines as well as localized flooding, but area residents who have survived many hurricanes in Lafayette tell us that as long as we have enough supplies to live without power for a few days that we will be fine. We have friends living nearby who have a generator so if we're without power for more than a few hours we'll likely go to their house so we can enjoy air conditioning and a refrigerator!

Ferociously Dangerous

Already a category 4, Gustav is likely to rise to a category 5 hurricane as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico. This means sustained winds above 155 mph.

A category 5 is the highest category a hurricane can obtain in the Saffir-Simpson scale. According to Wikipedia, these storms cause complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings, and some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. Very heavy and irreparable damage to many wood frame structures and total destruction to mobile/manufactured homes is prevalent. Massive evacuation of residential areas may be required if the hurricane threatens populated areas.

Lafayette parish is still in a voluntary evacuation situation. We're inland and slightly higher than many of the surrounding parishes ... we'll have to see what happens in the next couple of days.

In preparation part III

Most importantly, go to the pool and stop by the drive thru daiquiri shop!

In preparation part II

See a southern rock band.

In preparation part I

Sing a song.

Related news: Gas stations sell out

Many Lafayette service stations sold out of gasoline as motorists scrambled to fill up their vehicles ahead of Hurricane Gustav. Good thing we got gas yesterday!

Last flight out of NOLA

The last flight out of New Orleans is 6 p.m. Sunday. Still no word on Lafayette's airport but I'm not holding out hope for flying out on Monday. Looks like Shane and I will be weathering the hurricane together here in Lafayette.

Ready as we can be

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts everyone! We've stocked up on essentials and have a plan to either 1) go to Justin and Kelly's house - they have a generator or 2) evacuate. I'm confident we'll be fine either way. Gustav is a category 3 now but they still can't predict where he'll make landfall. One thing I'm pretty sure of: I won't be flying back to DC on Monday!

It's sinking in

Just got back from running a few hurricane preparedness errands and it was chaos out there. I waited for more than 30 min. to fill the truck with gas. Next I went to Target to stock up on water and other essentials. The parking lot was almost overflowing, the store was crowded, and for a second I thought they were out of water! They had a huge stock of water in the back of the store; such a relief! Most of the canned goods were already gone so we'll have to live on crackers, cheese and apple sauce!

Now off to the pool for some sun before they close it at 5 p.m. tomorrow ahead of Gustav. Oh, and I have to fill out a form and give it to the leasing office because we've decided to stay here rather than voluntarily evacuate. If I sound calm, I'm not.

Preparing for Gustav

All national news reports focus on New Orleans’ preparation for Gustav. But what happens if he makes landfall farther west and closer to Lafayette?

The only hurricane I’ve experienced is Isabel. She was the costliest and deadliest hurricane of the 2003 season. She hit the DC area in September causing local flooding, downed trees, and power outages. It took Fairfax Country almost a month to pick up the tree debris that was moved curb-side in my neighborhood. She was a low category 2 and lower by the time she hit DC. Today’s reports show that Gustav may grow to a high category 2 or low category 3 hurricane before making landfall somewhere in Louisiana.

It’s flat here people and has been raining almost every day for the past month. Where is that water going to go?

As Lafayette parish prepares for Hurricane Gustav I’m headed to the store to get water, non-perishable food and beer!

It doesn't look good

Gustav Gets His Groove On

• Our Lafayette friends are coming in from off-shore to avoid Gustav.


• My Cajun cable guy tells me if the Hurricane goes to the West of Lafayette, we’ll have to evacuate, just as they did for Rita.


• The mayor of nearby Acadia parish told NOLA residents to keep on driving.


• Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal told Louisiana residents to put themselves “on alert.” I guess that means me too!


• Officials in Lafayette are on “standby” and are closely watching the Gulf.


• Public works crews began clearing all bridges and roads in Lafayette parish to make sure travel lanes are open.


• Sand bags will start being distributed tomorrow.


• Officials meet at 2 p.m. today to make sure Lafayette can accommodate evacuees from coastal LA.


• Pets in Lafayette shelters are already being evacuated.


• If the storm hits Monday mornin’ I ain’t flyin’ out to VA!

Kicked Off of Facebook!

It was inevitable that eventually I would pick up a virus from a social networking site. I should know better. I work in IT! I’m more embarrassed than anything else. I received a Facebook message from a trusted friend to a link that looked like a YouTube link. Only, it wasn’t. But that wasn’t enough for me, I downloaded the application it prompted me to download! Then it borrowed my Facebook credentials and spammed all my FB friends with a similar message and link. Not once, but twice! I spent most of Sunday and Monday working to identify and eliminate the virus but ultimately what I think worked was Facebook disabling my account. When the dirty little bug attempted to us my FB account again and found I had no account the virus self distructed. Virus scan found nothing and all I found was the “marker” the virus left in my Windows folder.

Those two days my account was disabled were some of the most depressing days in recent memory. Since I don’t know the email addresses of many of my FB friends I worried I couldn’t get in touch with them. Because visiting FB had become a daily ritual, I didn’t know what to do with my spare time. And what about the embarrassment I felt about spamming all my FB friends with a virus? Deeper despair has never been felt … UNTIL “The Facebook Team” reactivated my account on Wednesday morning! I’m back people and will be writing on your walls, commenting on your photos, and LOL! Thank you Facebook team.

Confessions of a Digital Nomad

Names have been changed to protect the innocent in this IM transcript.

Windi [5:03 PM]:
i have a confession to make.
Jaime [5:04 PM]:
spill it.
Windi [5:04 PM]:
i sat in bed and worked for the first half of the day!
Jaime [5:04 PM]:
and?
Windi [5:04 PM]:
couldn't even make the commute to my chair 1 foot away.
Jaime [5:04 PM]:
I've done that before.
Windi [5:05 PM]:
really? good to know it's not just me. i felt so ashamed
Jaime [5:05 PM]:
I just woke up and logged on and then got carried away. Before I knew it, it was lunch time.
Windi [5:05 PM]:
same here!
Jaime [5:05 PM]:
lunch time = shower time
Windi [5:05 PM]:
same here!
Jaime [5:05 PM]:
not all the time, but I've done it
Windi [5:06 PM]:
i don't want to make it a habit.
Windi [5:06 PM]:
you know.
Jaime [5:06 PM]:
it's def better to get up and shower and start the day fresh. Away from the comfort of bed.
Jaime [5:06 PM]:
I agree.

Observations

• There are three it places in town to be seen.
  
  Bonefish Grill
  Wine Loft
  City Bar
  
  
  Two of these are chains.



• Louisiana women who go to college have good jobs (eg. insurance agent, lease analyst).
• Louisiana women come in two sizes: small and extra large.
• Lafayette is a small town and everyone you meet already knows the people you’ve already met – particularly in the diving industry.
• Single moms are hot and the men here agree.
• You make more money when you work off shore.
• The ratio of blonds to brunette is high.
• My new wardrobe is fitting in nicely.
• When you drink martinis all night and don’t eat dinner you get drunk.
• Everyone is friendly.
• Louisiana women have a communication style all of their own and a separate style they use with me.
• The iPhone is considered cool even though dialing and typing is more difficult than with other phones.
• There are places to live. If you don’t live in those places don’t admit it. Thankfully we live in one of those places.
• Never admit you enjoy a pool with no kids.
• When your husband is tired and wants to go home LEAVE.
  

More to come …

Second note to self

Never, ever, under any circumstances leave the house without sunglasses!! Failure to comply will result in temporary lose of eyesight and even blindness! Even if it is pouring down rain bring your sunglasses. As they say down here, "Don't like the weather? Wait 5 minutes and it will change."

Note to self

Never, ever, under any circumstances leave the house without an umbrella! Failure to comply will result in severely wet hair and clothing and could lead to pneumonia and death!

Michael Phelps Breaks Facebook!

Michael Phelps is racking up the medals and friends on Facebook! According to this report he has 767,885 friends and 7,600 pending Facebook friend requests. In fact, he has so many requests he can't accept any more as he told NBC's Bob Costas. Not only can you no longer become his friend, you can't become a fan. The same article reports "Add Fan Status Failed." I'm a fan, are you?

Cost of Living Differences

Best Places to Live 2008

Got this info out of Money Magazine.

Lafayette, LA vs. Fairfax, VA

Median Family Income
Fairfax: $98,509
LFT: $60,125

Job Growth
Fairfax: 3.39%
LFT: 11.16%

Sales Tax
Fairfax: 5%
LFT: 8%

Median Home Price
Fairfax: 450
LFT: 140

Personal Crime (per 1,000 residents)
Fairfax: 2
LFT: 10

Annual Precipitation (inches)
Fairfax: 41.8
LFT: 61.13

Median Age
Fairfax: 40.4
LFT: 36.5

Married
Fairfax: 51.4%
LFT: 44.8%

Divorced
Fairfax: 7.3%
LFT: 10.8%

Bath Time With Apollo

Shane likes to put a little water in the tub and let Apollo play.

Active Weekend

• Tried a TexMex restaurant in town – Didn’t much care for their margaritas or queso. Shane's decided to start a restaurant journal.
• Zydeco band – Great band cool venue! The Blue Moon is a small bar in the back of someone’s house – very Cajun.
• Golf lesson
• Dinner with Bob – Yummy curry, great conversation and just a good time.
• Golf game – A full 18 holes; A little too much for us. Next time, 9 holes.
• Naps
• Dinner for 6 at our place. Shane made pork loin and shrimp tabouli dish. I made broccoli and cauliflower salad. Shane also put together a fantastic cheese platter.

We thought the Wii broke but then discovered if you unplug it for 2 min. it will reset itself. Phew!

New Lafayette Friends

I’ve been working hard to make friends with everyone I meet.

My new friends include:
Kathryn – Met her on the plane from Atlanta to Lafayette. She just moved here from South Carolina with her husband.
Daniel – The cable guy and a fellow Biscuits fan! He left me his number so we may give him a call sometime.
Sean – Kelly’s brother. Likes to dance.
Janet – Sean’s girlfriend. Works at Bonefish Grill, yum!
Beth – Met her at Justin and Kelly’s engagement party. Crazy!
Bob – Shane’s co-worker. He’s making us curry on Saturday.

And I saved the best for last:
Matt – Used to work with Shane. Probably Shane’s best friend here.
Gordon & Vicky – Also used to work with Shane. Great friends to both of us.
Justin & Kelly – Friends through Matt. Getting married in September.
Jim – Shane’s boss and my golf partner.

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

This posting is for my friend Brian who I recently warned against bed bugs in New York City hotels. As sick as it sounds “Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite” is a phrase travelers need to be more and more aware of.

Get more information and learn how to rid yourself of these pests on howtodothings.com.

BFFF

Best new phrase in a movie, “Best Fu3king Friends Forever” (BFFF)! I took in a double feature yesterday evening.

Movie #1: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Just as cute as the first one with a similar happy ending. One starlet’s story line had me saying, “As If,” but the other three I could stomach and sometimes even enjoy. I cried, I laughed, and left feeling like I got my $ worth. Don’t take your man to this movie! I felt sorry for the 2 men in the theater as I just don’t see this plot appealing to my better half.

Movie #2: Pineapple Express
Pleasant surprise and not at all what I expected! I generally don’t like the “stupid” movie genre but this one had me laughing almost the entire time. The blown off body parts were a little sick but well worth the content of the rest of the movie. Take your BFFF and your man to this movie, they’ll love it!

NYC for NYE!!!!!

I got tickets, I got ALL the tickets I wanted! My day just went from crap to bliss. $1,000 in tickets later and life is good. We'll be in NYC Dec. 26 - 31 for a 5 night run with the Disco Biscuits. Of course it didn't happen as the customer service rep told me yesterday but who cares?

Can't end this entry without a note about Apollo. He likes to drink my beer, eat my mac and cheese, climb inside the dryer, and play with my iced tea. He was obviously raised by his mommy.

My cat

likes to sleep in a desk drawer! LOL

Customer Service Experience

Today I discovered there will be a presale of tickets for the Disco Biscuits five nights December run in NYC for Amex card holders only. Woo hoo, I’m an Amex card holder! Good news, right? WRONG! Since I’ve never used this Ticketmaster/American Express service before I decided to find out ahead of time how to use the service.

These are the steps I took to find out what to do.

1. Checked the Ticketmaster.com Help section – found out I needed a special password and suggested I sign up for Amex Ticket Access e-mail.
2. Signed up for American Express’s Ticket Access e-mail – no e-mail confirmation sent to me.
3. Checked Amex’s americanexpress.com/entertainment site – found no Disco Biscuits listing.
4. Called Amex Membership Rewards – was on hold for about 20 min. – representative unable to get a hold of Gold Card Events. (Found out I have 29,000+ points to spend!)
   Was transferred to another customer service representative who quickly transferred me to Interactive Services.
5. Interactive Services told me to call Ticketmaster.
6. Got Ticketmaster contact us numbers from the Web site.
7. Called Ticketmaster in my state (VA), got a live person quickly – was told I’d need to call the state where the event would be held.
8. Called Ticketmaster NYC and got an automated service – hung up after going through 3 options of the menu.
9. Called Ticketmaster NYC and selected option 2 “check on the status of an order” – was able to get a live person.
10. Customer service rep was able to tell me that tomorrow, when the tkts go on pre-sale, new options will appear on the event page for Amex card holders. She said the password would either be the Amex customer service number on the back of my card, or my card number.
11. 45 min. later I got the answer I needed – what a way to spend a lunch hour!

08.08.08

Action Items for 08.08.08

• Work
• Buy "Because you're hard core" tkt for Biscuits
• Pick up kitty
• Fly to LFT (via Atlanta)
• Watch the Olympics

What does a company need to do to ensure success with a remote workforce?

One of my favorite corporate communicators, Shel Holtz, "works at the intersection of communication and technology" and is asking about remote workforces on LinkedIn.

What does a company need to do to ensure success with a remote workforce? I'm working on a blog post in response to a number of posts promoting digital nomads, remote workforces, telecommuting, etc. I agree in general, but worry that none of these posts talk about the work a company needs to do up front to ensure they can succeed. If you work remotely for a company, what have they done well and not so well? If you have experience, expertise, or a background on the topic, what steps do companies need to follow to make sure the model succeeds?

You can view the answers on LinkedIn.

I'm ready to move here

See pictures of four wheelin'

Happy Independence Day

And what a fun Independence Day weekend it is turning out to be. See pictures.

Get a video tour of our home away from home

Rain every afternoon

Wicked thunder and lightening every afternoon. Awesome!

I laughed so hard!

As I'm sitting here working and typing the sun is streaming in the window and my watch is catching the light and creating light dots on the wall. Apollo plays with the dots for a half-an-hour. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard! It was truly a funny thing to behold and took no effort on my part. :-)

Apollo Rocks

#1 best addition to the family (and a fantastic travel companion if you can get over the meowing)!

Check out Apollo's moves.

Yippy Ky Yay!

Matt comes back on Wednesday. Gordon & Vicky come back today as do Justin and Kelly. It’s shaping up to be a wicked July 4 weekend.

At work

I'm an IT project manager and we're preparing for a big redesign. In preparation we are deleting a lot of content from the site. By far my favorite response to "is this content still relevant, can we remove it from the site?" was this response today, "Shoot 'em in the head and bury the old timers!" (From my favorite old timer.)

This is still my favorite post

This post from my first trip to New Iberia (a half hour from "metropolitan" Lafayette) is still my favorite post. It makes me laugh every time I look at it. Not because of the photo itself but because of how difficult it was to take the picture! The big joke is that traffic around here is horrid. Everyone is on the road at the same time. During the day traffic is fine (as long as you don't go to Target at lunch) but during the morning and evening rush it takes forever to get anywhere!

The weekend was …

Fun, different, something new. Shane’s a natural at golf. I need a lot of work! I just can’t seem to hit the ball very far if I make contact with it at all. That will definitely affect my game. Lessons are in order.

Shane took me clothes shopping, an experience we both hated. Me because I hate shopping, Shane because he hates shopping and because he paid for everything. I have a good start on my LA wardrobe now and won’t have to bring many clothes with me the next time I come down to stay with my hubby.

Pool time was in order but impossible with the weather. I thought we were caught in a hurricane on Sunday when we had to suddenly stop our golf game. No kidding when I tell you the trees looked just like the ones you see on TV during a hurricane. The golf course became flooded with rivers and lakes. We went to the club house to enjoy a beer and the electricity went out (not served by a co-op). No melted cheese for me!

Night on the town on Saturday. At least I had the right clothes to wear this time. Unfortunately I lost Shane’s credit card … not sure how, I certainly didn’t use it to pay for anything. It happens so frequently that Shane wasn’t even upset about it.

It’s a short week people so get out there an make awesome July 4 weekend plans! It’s America’s birthday after all!!!

Neighbors suck

Our property, we said no, they did it anyway. What was a small pathway is now a road!

Dinner with the boss

Wine, tequila, beer and finally some appetizers. Oh yeah, Shane left his sunglasses behind if that speaks to what kind of night it was. Cool little wine bar though. Check out the Wine Loft.

I am a traveling biscuit

or at least I wish I was. Our recent tour was fantabulous! I had tons of fun hang’n with my husband, watching the Biscuits, bumping into old friends, and meeting loads of cool new people. I was born for this. Not surprisingly, Shane wasn’t. The man needs a minimum of 10 hours of sleep each night. I’m good with 6 and do well with less; needs that perfectly meet the touring lifestyle. Anyway, this is us doing our favorite thing. Next up Camp!

Liv’n Loose in Louisiana

Another 2 weeks in the deep South. Weather’s perfect: sun during the day and rain in the evening. Lunch hour at the pool anyone? Unlike my last trip, work is more manageable this time and 9 or so hours are all it takes.

This week I:

• Might have a golf lesson
  
• Will play a game of golf at the country club (preferably after the lesson)
  
• Went to the pool
  
• Cleaned the apartment
  
• Bought a computer monitor at Wal-Mart
  
• Began building my Lafayette wardrobe
  
• Had dinner with friends
  

Whine Country USA!

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Well, no lions and no tigers but we did see a big black bear while horseback riding in VA on Saturday. The Marriott Ranch is a very cool place to go trail riding and isn't a far drive outside of DC. Do you see the bear in the photo?

Afterwards it was on to wine country. It only took a little over an hour to find a winery that would sell us lunch. Long story but the first winery we went to was so exclusive that they only sold lunch to their "case club." Back in the car we went. The second winery was exactly what we were looking for. After the tasting we had a warm baguette, cheese and sausage, and a bottle of wine. Yummy!

Oh yeah, we also saw loads of butterflies and bambies on our trail ride.

Meanwhile ... Back in DC

For those who plan to visit/move to our area ...

First, you must learn to call it by its rightful name. It is DC or 'the District' - only tourists call it Washington. Next, if your road map of Montgomery County is more than a few weeks old, throw it out and buy a new one. It's obsolete. If in Loudoun or Fairfax County and your map is one day old, it's already obsolete.

There is no such thing as a dangerous high speed chase inD.C. It's just another chase, usually on the BW Parkway.

All directions start with 'The Beltway'... which has no beginning and no end, just one continuous loop that locals believe is somehow clarified by an 'inner' and 'outer loop' designation. This makes no sense to ANYONE outside the area.

The morning rush hour is from 5 to 11 AM. The evening rush hour is from 1 to 8 PM. Friday's rush hour starts Thursday morning, especially during the summer on Route 50 eastbound.

If there is a ball game at the Redskins stadium, there is no point in driving anywhere near PG County. (Tip: Never say PG County to anyone from Mitchellville, Upper Marlboro or Fort Washington (its Prince Georges County). They'll blow a vessel in their neck and go into a seizure.)

If you actually stop at a yellow light, you will be rear-ended and shot at. If you run the red light, be sure to smile forthe $100 'picture' you will receive courtesy of DMV. (However, if you don't go as soon as the light turns green, you will get cussed out in 382 languages).

Rain causes an immediate 50 point drop of IQ in drivers. Snow causes an immediate 100 point drop in IQ and a rush to the nearest Giant for toilet paper and milk.

Construction on I-270 is a way of life and a permanen tsource of scorn and cynical entertainment. It's ironic that it's called an 'Interstate,' but runs only from Bethesda to Frederick. (Unless you consider Montgomery County another state, which some do). Opening in the 60's, it has been torn up and under reconstruction ever since. Also, it has a 'Spur' section which is even more confusing.

All unexplained sights are explained by the phrase, 'Oh, we're in Takoma Park'.

If someone actually has their turn signal on, they are by definition, a tourist. Car horns are actually 'Road Rage' indicators. Heed the warning.

All old ladies in Buicks have the right of way in the area of Leisure World.

Many roads mysteriously change their names as you cross intersections. Don't ask why, no one knows.

If asking directions in Arlington, Langley Park, Wheaton orAdams Morgan, Spanish helps. Annandale, Cambodian orVietnamese will come in handy. If on Dupont Circle, Capital Hill or U Street, tolerance for same sex helps. If you stop to ask directions in Southeast ... well, just don't.

A taxi ride across town will cost you $12.50. A taxi ride two blocks will cost you 16.75. (It's a zone thing, you wouldn't understand.)

Traveling south out of DC on Interstate 395/95 is the most dangerous, scariest thing you will ever do. There is nothing more comforting then seven lanes of trafficcruising along at 85 mph, BUMPER TO BUMPER!!! (Truer wordshave never been written!)

The minimum acceptable speed on the Beltway is 85. Anything less is considered down right sissy.

The open lane for passing on all Maryland interstates is the far right lane because no self-respecting Marylander would ever be caught driving in the 'slow ' lane. Unofficially, both shoulders are fair game also.

The far left lanes on all Maryland interstates are official 'chat' lanes reserved for drivers who wish to talk on their cell phones. Note: All SUVs have priority clearance to use the far left at whatever speed the driver feels most comfortable multi-tasking in.

The Beltway is our daily version of a NASCAR reality show. Strap up and collect points as you go.

It's Official

On Friday I will be a Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, MBA graduate. Cumulative GPA 3.58! I just received my final class grade -- an A. Yeah!

Teleporting

MS Word and Outlook keep wanting to correct "teleworking" to "teleporting." Wouldn't that be a cool way to get to work?

Photos from Louisiana

Some photos from Lafayette and Jazz Fest in New Orleans.

Take Your Wife to Work Day

I'm working from Shane's office today. Nice setup! Screaming fast Internet connection and access to a copier, fax machine, etc. But my husband needs to learn some cube etiquette. He makes phone calls using his speaker phone and blows his nose with customers on the other end of the line!

Bummer

Marc Brownstein (of the Disco Biscuits) is married! Still trying to find out more about the personal lives of the other band members.

Encouragement From a Fellow Telecommuter

"That's good you're doing ok with the telecommuting. In the beginning I never stopped during the day at all, either. But after a while you start to feel like your living your work life since you work where you live and there is not real beginning (going into the office) or end (leaving the office) to the day. So you end up working more than you would if you went into the office. Now I try to take it a little easier on myself, ... of course it really depends on how much I have going on, and sometimes I don't stop either. It's way too easy to keep working until 7, 8 or 9 at night, but I'm trying to be better about that (especially with the nice weather now). My point is, it's important you do take some time for yourself ... whether you take a walk at lunch time or just make sure you end your day when you would if you were in the office." - a friend.

Wedding Present to Justin from Windi

Finally a magazine for married men !!

Changes in Attitude

We saw Jimmy Buffet over the weekend at Jazz Fest. What a great place to see him! It was like goin' home. Buffet is a fantastic performer and puts on a good show. He even cross dressed for one song. Buffet sings a song about changes in latitude, changes in attitude. After 12 days in the South I definitely have had some changes in attitude.

5 good things to do on your lunch hour:
1. Lay by the pool (and hope you don't blind people with your white skin)
2. Get your nails done
3. Have lunch with a friend (but don't eat too much, the girls down here are THIN)
4. Post to your blog
5. It will come to me I know, just let me think about it for awhile

Unfortunately, I've only taken a lunch 3 of the 7 days I've worked. Today I will take a lunch!

Jazz Fest

This weekend's lineup includes:

Michael Franti & Spearhead
Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band
The Roots
Galactic
The New Mastersounds
And more!

I'm that much of a groupie

We just booked this really great trip!

A groupie is a person who, while he/she may be a fan at some level, seeks intimacy (most often physical, sometimes emotional) with a famous person. -- Wikipedia

The Kitties Survived the Trip

I sent Zeus to Shane a few days before Maia and I made the trip. Poor Shane! Zeus cried for three days and the moment he saw his sister and mom he stopped. Shane couldn't sleep even with earplugs! I'm happy to report the family is happily settled at the apartment. Maia was a wonderful (and quiet) travel companion so I certainly got the better end of the deal. Now if we can all just survive the trip home.

The Apartment in Lafayette

Why I Don't Fit In

I need new clothes for goin' out in downtown Lafayette.

Why can't I stop ...

Why can't I stop thinking about the disco biscuits? I'm obsessed I tell you. I can't get enough and I won't get to see them for almost 6 full weeks!

Although I've been a fan for almost 2 years (short in comparison to most people we meet at the shows) I've been to only 14 shows. I finally counted today. Never really felt the need before. I feel inadequate. I need to go to more DB shows.

Two Weeks in Lafayette

I'm in Cajun country again for a little over two weeks telecommuting to work in DC.

Reasons this will be fun:

• Jazz Fest
• The Disco Biscuits
• Festival International
• Justin & Kelly's engagement party
• Good food
• Golf
• Bowling
• The pool
• Enjoying the company of my husband
• Bringing the kitties (our babies) along
• No interuptions during the day
• $18 fills
• Gas $3.50 per gallon
• Riding the motorcycle

Reasons to stay home:

• Beautiful spring weather
• Enjoy the company of my co-workers
• Deer in the woods
  

We Met The Band!

Since meeting the Disco Biscuits back stage after the show at Tipitinas on Friday night all I can think about is taking a month off of work to follow the biscuits. Shane thinks this is a wonderful use of the MBA I'm about to graduate with in a month. Me too ;-)

In all seriousness, here are our next show dates:
6/7/2008Starscape FestivalBaltimore,MD
6/11/2008Innsbrook PavilionGlenn Allen,VA
7/17-19/2008ILCC - CAMP BISCO SEVENMariaville,NY

Meetups near Lafayette, LA

Copy of IM

Jessica [2:12 PM]:
did you ever check out meetup.com?

Windi [2:12 PM]:
no, i should though.

Jessica [2:12 PM]:
I was looking at groups for you in Lafayette

Windi [2:12 PM]:
really? tell me more.

Jessica [2:13 PM]:
lots of moms groups and scrapbooking...

Jessica M. [2:13 PM]:
http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/la/lafayette/newest/?radius=50.0

Windi [2:13 PM]:
yuk. gee, can't wait to move there.

Jessica M. [2:13 PM]:
doesn't look good.

Windi [2:13 PM]:
boo hoo

Jessica[2:14 PM]:
creative memories consultants. big job there.

Julias, Windi [2:14 PM]:
fuk

Jessica [2:14 PM]:
You should try "Sassy Scrappers"

Jessica [2:14 PM]:
LOL

Windi [2:14 PM]:
you're killing me

PIMP DADDY!

Need I Say More?

One Night in the Big Easy

What happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans. That said, we had a blast with our friends who flew in from PA, NYC and DC for the weekend. Now we're looking forward to Jazz Fest in May. Join us?

Oh, BTW, I'm back in VA now hard at work (can't you tell). Was in a car accident this morning. Wasn't my fault (is it ever?) but what a hassle! Thank goodness no one was hurt.