Happy Thanksgiving

So the past several nights Stella and I have been watching some shows on the History Channel (yes, the History Channel, not "History" as they would call themselves).  Mostly they've been on Thanksgiving and the holidays and food.  It has been quite interesting especially when the shows don't argee with each other, like one show said that Ben Franklin did not back the turkey as the national bird and another did.  But all in all they have been good. 

We learned all about the Puritans and how views of Thanksgiving evolved and such.  And how football became a large part of the holiday.  And yesterday Stella cooked up a turkey and was making bread and such.  So it was all very good.  

I would have to say that I'm thankful for my family (especially my beautiful wife) and friends.  And I hope that all of you have something to be thankful for as well.  As for me, I'm about to go turn on the Thanksgiving day parade.  Oh, and its raining here, I wonder if it'll be snow up in the mountains...

Grumble Grumble Fed Ex

Just so you all know....

I placed an order with a reputable online store (name here omitted to protect someone who will be getting some gifts this Christmas).  I have done business with them before and they have my trust.  They shipped this package to me via Fed Ex.  It was suppose to be 2 day shipping.  I had my tracking number and did a little tracking of the package, being a 2 day ship there is not much tracking that can be done.  So it was scheduled to be delievered on 20 Nov.  That evening I came home and I had a stack of boxes (stuff from a candle party and some other orders) but not this particular package.  So I checked the Fed Ex website.  It said that it had been delivered that day at 2:45 PM.  I had returned home at 5PM.  So not being able to find the box that they said was left at my front door, I called 1800 GOFEDEX (their telephone number) and had to fight with a machine for a while, which was totally useless, it merely told me what I already knew.  I finally got a human on the line and she pulled up the files and again told me the computer said that it had been delivered that day and was left at my door.  When I explained that it was not there she said that she would put in a note and the local office would contact the driver and I would get a call the next day.  

The next day came and went I received no phone call as to the location of my box.  So that evening I went online and contacted them through their website. They sent a reply that it was being investigated and gave me a case number and promised that I would be contacted once they found something.  

Well, time continued to march on and such.  Today when I came home the box was in my mailbox.  It had been opened and taped closed again.  Luckily everything was there that was suppose to be there.  However I still haven't heard anything else from Fed Ex. I sent them another email, to which I just got the automated reply that they would answer me with in 48 hours.  It will be interesting to see if they do, if not by 6 PM on Thanksgiving I will be sending more emails and such to them.

All in all this leaves some questions:

Where did my box go?

Why can't Fed Ex keep track of it packages, when its job is to keep track of its packages?

Who opened my box?  Was it a Fed Ex employee?

and the big one....   Why did Fed Ex never follow up on any contacts?  Do they not care about their customers?

Another Saturday is upon us

So again it is Saturday, so again I shall post!

Bernoulli decided to wake me up at 640 this morning cause she wanted to go out.  So since I was up I let her out and launched into the dishes and started laundry.  This then moved into more cleaning and I ended up vacuuming and cleaning the kitchen and the bathroom.  Then I decided the rest of the house needed to be vacuumed.  Plus I took the plege to the wood and waxed the floor.  Once everything was clean Stella and I broke out the bread machine and it is now in the process of making some Italian bread for us.  It should go well with stuffed peppers tonight.  

Oh, there has been a minor change in decoration.  There are now 2 Cork flags hanging behind the tv at that window.  And there are a number of candles through the house.  Stella says the place smells like a pine tree exploded.  So I am happy with the smell.  

We rented Kung Fu Panda last night and watched that and then sorta passed out.  Today we still need to take the critters to get nails trimmed and drop off the movies.  We will see if they have Tropic Thunder in today.  Then I think that we will bring the animals home and do some more errands.  We have stuff to drop off at goodwill and such.  Plus this evening we are going to see about getting some packages ready to mail out.  Plus there is undoubtedly some recycling that we need to take to the collection point.  

I started doing some Christmas shopping and have come across a problem.  I placed and order and Fed Ex says that they have delievered it, but when I got to the door that night there was not that box waiting for me.  I had a number of other boxes all happily waiting there.  Another Christmas present, some things from William Sonoma (we now have more knives), candles from the candle party.  

In other good news our Advent wreath came in.  I'll take some pictures, they will probably end up on the photo blog at some point.  This works out, since next Sunday we are hosting the first Advent dinner for our group.  We will be having an apple stuffed pork loin.  Haha!  Now you all wish that you lived here, don't you?  Stella will be going over to Cruces on Monday to pick up some stuffs which will include a holiday serving tray and some candles for the wreath.  

So then, I am still having problems with the desktop.  But I have contacted Compaq and they will be sending me a box so that I can send it back since it is still under warranty.  So hopefully it will be fixed and they can send it back to me in working order so that I can set it up.  Stella's laptop is on the fritz again, it is not having trouble booting.  So she is saving up to get a macbook.  So that will be interesting.  

Oh, and I've recieved some questions wether or not it has been cold enough to have the fire going.  It has been, last night it got down into the mid 20's.

Other then that I can't think of anything for this blog, so I will end my post and wish you all a happy weekend.  Oh, and we have been living in this house for over a month now.  And mom, should you want to come out and visit just let us know when  you want to come and if Spud will be coming too. 

Avast All yee Land Lubbers!

Well, some body has to post here still.  So I will.  Ta Da!

Now then, if you follow the Twitter you will know that Stella and I were out in Cruces yesterday (which happens to be the second largest city in New Mexico [Albuquerque being one and Santa Fe being 3]).  We ran some errands and all, stopped by Best Buy, which turned out to have Cool Runnings for 5 bucks, so now we own that.  Plus Stella got to gaze upon Macbooks.  Then we went over to Hobby Lobby which is like Micheals.  There was much stuffs to look at and all, and Stella really enjoyed it.  The we went up and strolled through the mall.  The Chick-fil-a peppermint chocolate chip milkshakes are pretty darned good.  And it happens to be the location of the closest Barnes and Noble to me.  

Speaking of Barnes and Noble, we got books!  We got a collection of 7 HG Wells books, the antique looking collection of all the Hitchhicker's Guide to the Galaxy Books, The Brothers Karamov (I think thats the spelling) and a soup cook book.  Yes, that is how cool we are, I know you are all jealous.  

Anyhow, after that we went over to Bed Bath and Beyond, cause we still had a gift card from the wedding.  So now we have some more thanksgiving towels and a nice Christmas tablecloth and matching napkins.  Plus we have some napkin rings, so things can look all nice when we have peoples over.  Then there was a trip to Target.  We got more curtians and a Christmas rubbermade for the storage of Christmas items.  Yay!  

We got back into town and had to head over to St. Jude's for the St. Martin's Day celebration with the Germans.  There was singing (in German) and then a procession and of course a bon fire.  Now, I am sad to say that there were no sugared pretzels.  However we did have gluehwien and I had a bockwurst.  And now Stella likes gluehwien.  

And finally we came home and lit a fire and got pizza.  It is really cool to have a fire place out here.  I suppose mom will have to come out and visit again so she can see the new house and meet the puppy.  But I think that is all the posting for today, for we must make a run to the commissary and then Stella has craft day with the CWOC and I must do some houseworks.  There will be cleaning afoot!

Happy Veterans Day

A veteran is someone who has served or who is serving in the US Armed Forces.  So take a moment and think about any veterans you know.  

Veterans day started with the end of World War I, the Great War.  Germany signed an armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918.  This offically ended the bloody conflict.  It wouldn't become a legal holiday for another 20 years.  It was frequently remembered with ceremonies, but in 1938 Armistice Day became a legal holiday to commemorate the veterans of WWI. And so it would continue for a time.

Soon though another war broke out, and more men and women served in the armed forces.  And thus more veterans came home.  A shoe store owner in Kansas thought that the all veterans should be remembered, not just those of WWI.  So he started in his town and the idea caught on, one of the Kansas representatives brought the idea to Washington.  And finally on May 26, 1954 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed off on it changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.  

So take a few moments, think about the people you know who are veterans.  Think about those that you don't know who are half way around the world in harm's way.  If you get a chance, thank a veteran. 

I'd like to thank:

Pop

Spud

Mr. O

Uncle Jimmy

Uncle John

Mike

Fuzzy

Bill

and all of my other friends who are veterans.

Oh, and you can go here and look at stuff.

This is today's cartoon from Air Force Blues.  I strongly recommend you visit their site.

People are in Need of a good fish slapping

Dear General Populous,

 

    It has come to my attention that you are all idiots and therefore in need of this notice.  Lets all take a look at our calendar's and realize that it is in fact only November.  I understand that you all seem to be caught up in Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat.  But lets pause and look at a few things.  For starters, we just wrapped up Halloween and as it should be Halloween stuff is on sale.  Now is the time that you should have thanksgiving stuff out.  However it would seem that Thanksgiving is too much of an honest holiday, it isn't about buying stuff and decorating and hoopla, it is about being home with your family, about being thankful that you aren't dead yet and perhaps wondering why there is a buckle on your hat.  But everyone seems to forget it.

   In stores Christmas trees are up, Christmas music is playing.  But to be politically correct we can't call a Christmas tree a Christmas tree, we should probably be calling it a holiday plant friend who allows us to live.   And you can gather round it and sing that you are dreaming of a Caucasian holiday.  (For more on that I would direct you to the Brad Paisley song found here.).  

   Back to the stores though.  For some reason, as I noted today on my twitter.  The Thanksgiving stuff is on sale, as though the holiday had come and gone.  It is shoved out next to the Halloween stuff as though we are done with it.  But it isn't for several weeks still.  Yet the Christmas stuff is out in force.

   Now then, lets remember that you can view Christmas from the secular season or as the religious season.  Now lets say that you want to go with the secular season.  Now, for this you need Santa Claus.  And we all know that he shows up at the Thanksgiving day parade.  So that is the start of the secular season, no problems putting up the tree and decorations after Thanksgiving.  Now lets say you want to go with the religious season.  Well for this one your waiting for Jesus to be born, so that season starts on Christmas (with midnight Mass on Christmas Eve).  That runs to the Epiphany.  Personally I do them both, put my tree up after Thanksgiving and then leave it up till the Epiphany, but thats me.

  I can't begrudge stores like Lowes and Home Depot, they have stuff out so that you can have it ready, but they don't have their stores decorated for Christmas and don't have the Christmas musics blaring when you walk into the store.  

So in closing... knock of these sheniganhs or you will be slapped with a fish!!

-Me 

  

Guy Fawkes Day

Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder treason and plot. I see no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot.

You can learn more about the gunpowder plot here. Or you could do your own research.

I suppose that I'll be watching V for Vendetta today.


And... well, perhaps they'll be more posting later.

Presidental Debates

A throw back to a few weeks back......


Welcome to tonight's debate, I'm your moderator... Old News Guy. Tonight both candidates have agreed to the following rules. I'll ask a question and the candidates will then respond by launching off into a rehearsed speech about whatever you want. Then they go over the time limit as I whimper softly. Then the opposing candidate will thank everyone they've ever seen and follow by attacking their opponent with accusations of being funded by terrorists who eat babies and kick fuzzy animals.



Just remember.. I'm not making a mockery of the system, it was a mockery well before I got here.

Election Night Stupidity

Ahhh... the wonders of the fast food lifestyle, why wait till precincts start reporting in? Lets just start choosing for peoples who won the states.




I look forward to 2012, perhaps we can get the news to just report who the winner is the day before hand, it should really cut down on lines at the polls.


But really people... you aren't gonna know who won no matter how much election coverage you watch. You aren't gonna know tomorrow morning when you turn on the news. You actually have to wait for the electoral college to meet.

Now then, on another note. We all know that if the president can't be president the vice president steps up, then the speaker of the house, then the president pro tempe of the senate, followed by a string of cabinet members. But lets launch into something a bit different...

Lets say, that candidate X and his running mate Y are running against candidate L and his running mate M. Now, for our argument lets say X and Y win. X becomes the president elect. Now over Christmas X and Y go skiing and through an accident both are eaten by an abominable snowman. Who do they swear in in January?

Election Day

Step 1. Determine if you are a US citizen, if yes, continue if no, then consider beginning to pay taxes

Step 2. Determine if you are old enough and registered to vote. If yes, continue, if no, either age or do paperwork

Step 3. Determine who is running (this should be easy)

Step 4. Figure out where people are on issues (this will be hard) Should you wish to skip this step, seal yourself in the voting cubicle and close your eyes and just mark randomly on the ballot, its just as good.

Step 5. Go out and vote, vote based on your views of where people stand. If you don't know what you believe on the issues and can't say where the people you wish to vote for stand please don't mucky up my government.

Remember.... if you don't go out to vote on tuesday you have no right to complain on wednesday.