Thursday, March 17, 2011
I love my Prius!
What with the daily increasing fuel prices, I sure am glad that I bought my Toyota Prius a year & a half ago! I saw this cartoon today in an email and thought it was very timely:
As usual, my mileage over the winter months is down but I think I am getting more like what this little guy is getting (mine is around 44mpg) than the big one on the other side of the pump island. And spring starts this weekend with its warmer weather so my mileage ought to move back up to its warm weather 50 - 51mpg. I don't like to pay almost $4 a gallon for gas but getting to go 50 miles on that gallon really does help.
As usual, my mileage over the winter months is down but I think I am getting more like what this little guy is getting (mine is around 44mpg) than the big one on the other side of the pump island. And spring starts this weekend with its warmer weather so my mileage ought to move back up to its warm weather 50 - 51mpg. I don't like to pay almost $4 a gallon for gas but getting to go 50 miles on that gallon really does help.
Labels: Cars, Electric Cars, Humor
Sunday, September 21, 2008
A northwest surfer dude
While we were on our RV trip back in August I discovered this statue near the beach in Ocean City, Washington State. The northwest isn't as well known for surfing as Southern California or Hawaii, mainly because our water is very cold in comparison, but these guys don't exist all over the place either and are best known as living here in the NW. I couldn't resist taking a few photos of this Surfer Dude as we were leaving town.
He is cut out of a tree trunk with the surf board added, and stands beside the reader board sign of a beach side motel. Chain saw carving of trees into decorative sculptures is pretty popular up here and Grays Harbor County, where this motel is located, is well known for lumbering and chain saw carvers. Does anyone want a three foot tall bear that holds your Charmin (or whatever brand you like) toilet paper roll? They sell them around here.
Here is a little different angle view of the Dude. That is a pretty good nightly rate listed on the motel's reader board behind him. I can't speak to how good the place is as we have not stayed there, but from what I saw it isn't one of the newest nor fanciest places on the beach, but for $45 a night, I think I would be willing to stay there. It does appear to be clean.
A closer view of the Dude. Notice he is showing the traditional Hawaiian hand sign. Also notice the fog in the trees behind him and the motel. The ocean is out there and the morning fog hadn't yet burned off as we were leaving to drive home. And some people doubt that there really are Sasquatches living in the wild!
He is cut out of a tree trunk with the surf board added, and stands beside the reader board sign of a beach side motel. Chain saw carving of trees into decorative sculptures is pretty popular up here and Grays Harbor County, where this motel is located, is well known for lumbering and chain saw carvers. Does anyone want a three foot tall bear that holds your Charmin (or whatever brand you like) toilet paper roll? They sell them around here.
Here is a little different angle view of the Dude. That is a pretty good nightly rate listed on the motel's reader board behind him. I can't speak to how good the place is as we have not stayed there, but from what I saw it isn't one of the newest nor fanciest places on the beach, but for $45 a night, I think I would be willing to stay there. It does appear to be clean.
A closer view of the Dude. Notice he is showing the traditional Hawaiian hand sign. Also notice the fog in the trees behind him and the motel. The ocean is out there and the morning fog hadn't yet burned off as we were leaving to drive home. And some people doubt that there really are Sasquatches living in the wild!
Labels: Hawaii, Humor, Photos, RVing, Small towns, Trips to see things
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Painting trim.....
I don't have any photos to post today but thought I'd do a quick update. I've gotten started on painting the outside house trim and have found a bit of dry rot that we will have to get fixed. I have been trying to paint on the shady side of the house but that has been a problem on the south side as it is almost never shady there. So, this morning I didn't go to the YMCA for my exercise class. I figure that I am getting more exercise than normal with this project and this way I was able to be out on the south side early in the morning before it got too hot. Now I am waiting for the sun to move around to where the east side is in the shade again.
I do have an extension ladder but it is down in Arlington at my son, M's house. He needs it more than I do but now I do need one for some of the higher places. Pat talked with my ex-neighbors who live only a couple of blocks away and they loaned me theirs which we walked over last night to pick up. So, today when the sun gets around far enough I'll use it to get the peak trim done on that east side. That is the street side of the house and what most people see.
There turned out to be an interesting tale on picking up the paint. We went on Saturday to Parker Paints. They have short hours on Sat, only open from 9 to 1, but got our two gallons ready before closing and I picked them up along with a 1 1/2" brush (I already have a good 3" one) and I bought some of that blue masking tape used by painters. They had a stack of 9 rolls of 1" wide tape with a price sticker of $4.59 on it. When I got home and looked over the invoice I realized that the price was PER ROLL, not for the whole stack. I didn't need that much and the tape cost more than the two gallons of paint.
Pat & I took it back to have the $43.64 (tape plus tax) credited back into my checking account (purchased with a debit card) and I bought just two rolls. The fellow working there wasn't too sure how to credit my account back so called another store for help. He did it, then brought me the slip to sign. I always look them over and noticed that he had hit an extra zero so had credited my account $430.64! I pointed this out to him and he said he would correct it. Then he asked me to just write a check for the two rolls of tape I was buying.
These transactions didn't show up on my banking online until Monday, when I found the $430.64 was still there and he had charged another $43.64, then credited $43.64 back. I got started painting Monday and didn't have the chance to go over to the store but we did make it yesterday, when we talked with the store manager (who seemed glad to see us) and got it corrected. They charged my account the $387.00 difference between the return payment of $430.64 and the $43.64 that should have been put back in. I guess I actually made a little money since that money was there from Sat until Tue but any money over $500 in checking only earns 1/2 of one percent interest so we won't be getting rich over the error.
That mistake gave us more money than we should have had but it could just as easily have been the other way around. I am not sure that all business' would quickly return the money to the customer, so it is important to check these transactions on a regular basis. I like my debit card but there are a lot of ways mistakes can be made with it. So, check your transactions on a regular basis!
I do have an extension ladder but it is down in Arlington at my son, M's house. He needs it more than I do but now I do need one for some of the higher places. Pat talked with my ex-neighbors who live only a couple of blocks away and they loaned me theirs which we walked over last night to pick up. So, today when the sun gets around far enough I'll use it to get the peak trim done on that east side. That is the street side of the house and what most people see.
There turned out to be an interesting tale on picking up the paint. We went on Saturday to Parker Paints. They have short hours on Sat, only open from 9 to 1, but got our two gallons ready before closing and I picked them up along with a 1 1/2" brush (I already have a good 3" one) and I bought some of that blue masking tape used by painters. They had a stack of 9 rolls of 1" wide tape with a price sticker of $4.59 on it. When I got home and looked over the invoice I realized that the price was PER ROLL, not for the whole stack. I didn't need that much and the tape cost more than the two gallons of paint.
Pat & I took it back to have the $43.64 (tape plus tax) credited back into my checking account (purchased with a debit card) and I bought just two rolls. The fellow working there wasn't too sure how to credit my account back so called another store for help. He did it, then brought me the slip to sign. I always look them over and noticed that he had hit an extra zero so had credited my account $430.64! I pointed this out to him and he said he would correct it. Then he asked me to just write a check for the two rolls of tape I was buying.
These transactions didn't show up on my banking online until Monday, when I found the $430.64 was still there and he had charged another $43.64, then credited $43.64 back. I got started painting Monday and didn't have the chance to go over to the store but we did make it yesterday, when we talked with the store manager (who seemed glad to see us) and got it corrected. They charged my account the $387.00 difference between the return payment of $430.64 and the $43.64 that should have been put back in. I guess I actually made a little money since that money was there from Sat until Tue but any money over $500 in checking only earns 1/2 of one percent interest so we won't be getting rich over the error.
That mistake gave us more money than we should have had but it could just as easily have been the other way around. I am not sure that all business' would quickly return the money to the customer, so it is important to check these transactions on a regular basis. I like my debit card but there are a lot of ways mistakes can be made with it. So, check your transactions on a regular basis!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Kitchen Witches - the play
Last winter a new dinner theater opened in our city of Mount Vernon, WA. We attended the first production the new River Belle Dinner Theater presented in January. Last night we went to our second of their productions, this one called, "Kitchen Witches."
Here is the cover of the program we were given. The play is set entirely in one scene but as it is over a period of a few weeks, some things change. It starts out with Dolly Biddle staring in a cooking show called "Baking with Babcha" being produced by her daughter, Stephanie, for the local Cable Channel 4. Babcha is supposedly a Ukrainian cook.
Unfortunately the show has been canceled and this taping is the last one. Here is Dolly on the main (and only) set for the show with Stephanie in the background, out of camera view, directing.
Since it is the last show, Dolly decided to pick out one of her favorite aprons to wear, much to the chagrin of Stephanie. I like it and in fact bought some tickets to try to win the apron in a drawing after the last playing of the show. I'd like to get that apron for Pat- I am sure she would love it (yeah, sure!) I should know soon after the end of June if I did win.
The show that had been on in the month before Baking with Babcha was called "Cooking with Izzie" and featured Isobel Lomax who has known Dolly a long time. In fact they are kind of at odds with each other although we don't fully know why. Yet. Anyway, Isobel arrives on the set and the two give a pretty good display of how they don't like each other.
Stephanie walks off the set to answer her phone (and get away from the bit#*@ng.) It turns out that the call is from the wife of the station owner who really likes the "new" approach these ladies have taken to an entertaining cooking show and she wants the two of them to do a show together and continue the "fun." Stephanie has quite a time talking them into it but finally succeeds.
They decide the new show will be called, "Kitchen Witches" and show up for a rehearsal prior to the first taping. Of course things don't go too well. Here are the two leading ladies along with Stephanie and her assistant, Roberta. The main features of the set are pretty much the same (this is a very low budget cooking show) but there is no agreement on what costumes the two stars will wear.
When it is time for the first taping, Dolly sneaks into Isobel's dressing room and steals her clothes while Isobel is in the shower. Dolly leaves her idea of a costume for Isobel and since that is her only option when she gets out of the shower, Isobel comes onto the set in that outfit. She is not a happy cooker.
The taping of the show starts and it isn't too long before they start bickering with each other. One thing leads to another and Dolly takes a rubber paddle and paints Isobel's face with chocolate.
Not one to let bygones be bygones, Isobel takes the dough she has been mixing and stuffs it down Dolly's blouse which doesn't please Dolly.
Stephanie is able to patch things up to the point where they return the next week to produce another show. I don't know who picked out these costumes but at least they kind of match each other. At some point, Stephanie learns these two have known each other since early in their school years and in fact dated the same guy, Stephanie's Dad, who has been deceased for some time. Isobel went away to chef school in Paris and when she returned four years later, she had a short affair with the guy who by then is Dolly's husband. Of course she gets pregnant but they arrange an adoption of the baby, so Stephanie knows she is adopted but doesn't know her Dad is her actual father, nor that Isobel is her mother. Until now.
Somehow they stay on track with the show. One feature this day is a race where the two stars prepare a dish from ingredients selected by Stephanie. They have only a few minutes to prepare the dish, then a judge is selected who will determine which is best. Here is Lex, the control room techie, who was drafted for judge duty, put into a large bib and is about to be fed by the two stars. It seems like a loose - loose situation for him to me!
Dolly has not been feeling well, with severe stomach cramps, and after the show is taken to the hospital.
That gives Isobel and Stephanie time to talk with each other, while sharing a bottle of Dolly's booze.
Isobel is shown here during her talk with Stephanie.
As taping time for the next show approaches it looks like Isobel will have to do the show herself, but no....
Dolly leaves the hospital and comes directly to the studio to participate in the taping.
It looks like the bickering will start up where it left off and Stephanie has about had enough of it. She is just coming to terms herself with the knowledge that she has two Moms and all of this is just a bit too much.
Finally we learn that an intestinal blockage was Dolly's problem and it has finally cleared out. When it cleared out, she learned what had happened to Isobel's missing ring. It apparently had fallen into the biscuit dough she was mixing and during the food fight, stuffed down Dolly's dress. Dolly, never one to waste food, ate the dough which caused her to have an intestinal blockage that put her in the hospital.
Here she happily presents Isobel with the ring which magically appeared about the same time her blockage cleared. Isobel isn't sure she wants it anymore so presents it to Stephanie as it is a family heirloom from her father's side of the family.
Things get patched up, at least for the moment, and it looks like they will learn to live with each other and a shared daughter. Although the ending sort of leaves that all up in the air for the viewer to figure out.
Here the cast, except for Lex who is running the lights, are taking their final bow. It was a fun evening, good food, and we will look forward to going back for another play in the future. Boy though, seeing a family like that one sure makes me appreciate mine that is just pretty normal!
There was pretty good stage lighting and by pushing my camera's ISO up to 1600, I was able to take pretty sharp photos. The ladies who stared in the play are also interested in seeing them and getting a copy of at least some of them. These have all had the color cast of stage lighting corrected but that would be quite a project to do with all of them, about 88 photos! I'll have to decide how to proceed with these photos.
Here is the cover of the program we were given. The play is set entirely in one scene but as it is over a period of a few weeks, some things change. It starts out with Dolly Biddle staring in a cooking show called "Baking with Babcha" being produced by her daughter, Stephanie, for the local Cable Channel 4. Babcha is supposedly a Ukrainian cook.
Unfortunately the show has been canceled and this taping is the last one. Here is Dolly on the main (and only) set for the show with Stephanie in the background, out of camera view, directing.
Since it is the last show, Dolly decided to pick out one of her favorite aprons to wear, much to the chagrin of Stephanie. I like it and in fact bought some tickets to try to win the apron in a drawing after the last playing of the show. I'd like to get that apron for Pat- I am sure she would love it (yeah, sure!) I should know soon after the end of June if I did win.
The show that had been on in the month before Baking with Babcha was called "Cooking with Izzie" and featured Isobel Lomax who has known Dolly a long time. In fact they are kind of at odds with each other although we don't fully know why. Yet. Anyway, Isobel arrives on the set and the two give a pretty good display of how they don't like each other.
Stephanie walks off the set to answer her phone (and get away from the bit#*@ng.) It turns out that the call is from the wife of the station owner who really likes the "new" approach these ladies have taken to an entertaining cooking show and she wants the two of them to do a show together and continue the "fun." Stephanie has quite a time talking them into it but finally succeeds.
They decide the new show will be called, "Kitchen Witches" and show up for a rehearsal prior to the first taping. Of course things don't go too well. Here are the two leading ladies along with Stephanie and her assistant, Roberta. The main features of the set are pretty much the same (this is a very low budget cooking show) but there is no agreement on what costumes the two stars will wear.
When it is time for the first taping, Dolly sneaks into Isobel's dressing room and steals her clothes while Isobel is in the shower. Dolly leaves her idea of a costume for Isobel and since that is her only option when she gets out of the shower, Isobel comes onto the set in that outfit. She is not a happy cooker.
The taping of the show starts and it isn't too long before they start bickering with each other. One thing leads to another and Dolly takes a rubber paddle and paints Isobel's face with chocolate.
Not one to let bygones be bygones, Isobel takes the dough she has been mixing and stuffs it down Dolly's blouse which doesn't please Dolly.
Stephanie is able to patch things up to the point where they return the next week to produce another show. I don't know who picked out these costumes but at least they kind of match each other. At some point, Stephanie learns these two have known each other since early in their school years and in fact dated the same guy, Stephanie's Dad, who has been deceased for some time. Isobel went away to chef school in Paris and when she returned four years later, she had a short affair with the guy who by then is Dolly's husband. Of course she gets pregnant but they arrange an adoption of the baby, so Stephanie knows she is adopted but doesn't know her Dad is her actual father, nor that Isobel is her mother. Until now.
Somehow they stay on track with the show. One feature this day is a race where the two stars prepare a dish from ingredients selected by Stephanie. They have only a few minutes to prepare the dish, then a judge is selected who will determine which is best. Here is Lex, the control room techie, who was drafted for judge duty, put into a large bib and is about to be fed by the two stars. It seems like a loose - loose situation for him to me!
Dolly has not been feeling well, with severe stomach cramps, and after the show is taken to the hospital.
That gives Isobel and Stephanie time to talk with each other, while sharing a bottle of Dolly's booze.
Isobel is shown here during her talk with Stephanie.
As taping time for the next show approaches it looks like Isobel will have to do the show herself, but no....
Dolly leaves the hospital and comes directly to the studio to participate in the taping.
It looks like the bickering will start up where it left off and Stephanie has about had enough of it. She is just coming to terms herself with the knowledge that she has two Moms and all of this is just a bit too much.
Finally we learn that an intestinal blockage was Dolly's problem and it has finally cleared out. When it cleared out, she learned what had happened to Isobel's missing ring. It apparently had fallen into the biscuit dough she was mixing and during the food fight, stuffed down Dolly's dress. Dolly, never one to waste food, ate the dough which caused her to have an intestinal blockage that put her in the hospital.
Here she happily presents Isobel with the ring which magically appeared about the same time her blockage cleared. Isobel isn't sure she wants it anymore so presents it to Stephanie as it is a family heirloom from her father's side of the family.
Things get patched up, at least for the moment, and it looks like they will learn to live with each other and a shared daughter. Although the ending sort of leaves that all up in the air for the viewer to figure out.
Here the cast, except for Lex who is running the lights, are taking their final bow. It was a fun evening, good food, and we will look forward to going back for another play in the future. Boy though, seeing a family like that one sure makes me appreciate mine that is just pretty normal!
There was pretty good stage lighting and by pushing my camera's ISO up to 1600, I was able to take pretty sharp photos. The ladies who stared in the play are also interested in seeing them and getting a copy of at least some of them. These have all had the color cast of stage lighting corrected but that would be quite a project to do with all of them, about 88 photos! I'll have to decide how to proceed with these photos.
Labels: Entertainment, Humor, Photos
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
What do retired people do for entertainment?
A friend who used to work at the same place I did sent me this email today. I don't know for sure if it is true or not but it does sound like something Lou would do. Anyway, for those not yet retired who wonder how we old guys pass our days, here is a part of Lou's day the other day:
Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day I went down town and went into a coffee shop. (He & I used to do this regularly when we were both working.) I was only in there for about 10 minutes and when I came out there was a Parking Enforcement Officer writing out a parking ticket.
I went up to him and said, "Come on, man, how about giving a citizen a break?" He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a "Nazi nerd." He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him an "idiot." He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket.
This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote. Personally, I didn't care. I came down town on my bike and the car that he was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said, "Reelect Bush for a 3rd term." I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. It's important at our age.
Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day I went down town and went into a coffee shop. (He & I used to do this regularly when we were both working.) I was only in there for about 10 minutes and when I came out there was a Parking Enforcement Officer writing out a parking ticket.
I went up to him and said, "Come on, man, how about giving a citizen a break?" He ignored me and continued writing the ticket. I called him a "Nazi nerd." He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having worn tires. So I called him an "idiot." He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first. Then he started writing a third ticket.
This went on for about 20 minutes. The more I abused him, the more tickets he wrote. Personally, I didn't care. I came down town on my bike and the car that he was putting the tickets on had a bumper sticker that said, "Reelect Bush for a 3rd term." I try to have a little fun each day now that I'm retired. It's important at our age.
Labels: Humor
