Tag: Humor

Humor is everywhere – open your eyes!

Purple Haze ?

~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

I woke up early Monday, with nausea and a pounding headache. A smokey haze surrounded our house. It had infiltrated through our open windows during the night and the smell was unmistakable. Vaguely like  campfire, with a sickening aftertaste.

Purple Haze

There were no flames to be seen, and no helicopters or small planes buzzing overhead. This assures me that the fire itself was not too close.  But it’s a huge fire, if  it’s haze wafted over to us and still smells so strong.

For the first time since living here, I closed all the windows and turned on the air conditioning. I set the thermostat  to 84 degrees, and already it was blowing cool air at 6:00 AM because it was 85 degrees in the house, . A downside of having good insulation?

Anyway, I wanted to find out more of what was going on. I call it “staying informed”, but hubby says I’m nosy. Either way, I went  to the local on-line newspaper, The Pine Tree, and poked around awhile.

I found this interesting fire update article that I wanted to share with y’all.  The outstanding photos show the helicopters, jumpers, and air tankers working at the scene of the fire.

Fire Update…Ramsey Still at 250 Acres, 20% Containment, Moderately Active
Posted by: John_Hamilton of The Pine Tree on 08/12/2012 07:22 PM
Cottage Springs, CA…We just checked in with the USFS Dispatch Center in Sonora for the latest on the Ramsey fire as they get the last loads of retardant dropped to shore up the lines for the night. The fire is still being held in the 250 acre range but it is nibbling at the retardant lines and trying to break through. The risk is that with the lack of air drops that it could break through some lines overnight. Since it is down in the canyon an inversion factor can come into effect according to the USFS. This is where even as the temps cool out of the canyon the temps can remain high down in the canyon and keep the fire active. Air Attack 440 from Columbia will resume flight over the fire at 8am in the morning. Helicopters and Air Tankers will resume efforts shortly after. On the fire are 8 engines, 5 hand crews, 1 dozer, plus a water tender and other misc personnel overnight.
We would like to thank James J. Shinnick & Bill Minkel for the latest photos!

Don’t you just love how the reporter writes like he’s chatting with you personally?

The Big Move: Mission Accomplished!

~ JodiLea

That #$%&@! box was hiding in the living room, under records & DVD’s. That’s correct, I still have a 3-foot stack of those large vinyl disc’s. The original Album’s. And the technology to play them – if you’re wondering.

I have to admire the efficiency of our movers. Whoever “packed” that #$%&@!  box of everything, did so in record time. No packing materials used. Just turn the desk drawer upside down over a large box, then tape the box closed. Done. They knew they could get away with this because when you opened that drawer you got the impression someone dumped a large box of miscellaneous crap into it.

It took 23 years to get that drawer full of crap. I think it will only take me a couple of days to disperse items to where they should go. Most of them are electrical & mechanical waste products, that men seem obligated to toss in a drawer – just in case. In case of what? Even if “what” happens, he will forget he has that junk and will buy more at the hardware store.

I should “forget” that I have a formal gown or a gorgeous tennis bracelet and run to the nearest mall and find one. It would be over an hours drive though, and I do not have the time to be a smart-ass now. So, I will file that idea in my brain for future thinking, and move on to unpacking that #$%&@! box.

Along with the “man junk” I find boxes of check receipts. Checks written in 2003. Why are we keeping them? Answer: Because no one has thrown them out. It’s the same reason we have a receipt from a drug store that went out of business before our kids were in school.

OK. Obviously I need to take on a new mission (impossible?). Slowly, as I unpack things, old useless crap will retire to the trash. Hubby doesn’t even have to worry his handsome head about it. The excellent wife that I am, will not bother him about those annoying little details.

Junk drawer contents
1/3 of what was in that #$%&@! Box!

Please, Bear With Me…

~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

Black Bear sitting on tree stumpWhile I freak out!

I looked out my dining room window this morning and choked on my coffee. I was afraid to move or make any sound. I figured if I could see out my glass dining room, he could see in. Not that I wanted to jump up and get it, but I still have not found my damn camera. We all know it’s in that #$%&@!  box..

This photo, taken through a window screen, with my iPhone, as I am shaking, is the only proof I have for my argument: there ARE bears in these woods!  An argument I didn’t particularly want to win, nevertheless, being right is always such a rush for me. (I can’t help this,  it’s genetic -ask any McGuire.)

Why, oh why, didn’t I order that bear repellent I saw online?  I listened to hubby’s opinion that it was a crock, and there was “no such thing as bear repellent”, – that’s why. This is the same man who told me “it hardly ever snows in Arnold”.  And yet I’m still listening to him…  Just one example of how love makes you stupid.

After staring through the window for five minutes, I began to suspect Mr. Bear was asleep. He was not moving around, or taking any notice of the occasional man-made noises. Does a bear meditate in the woods?  I made a mental note to Google search on bears, as soon as I was free to move.

Speaking of moving –  I have to risk it because I seriously have to pee (More like PEE). I quietly roll out of the chair and on the carpet. On all fours, the wall hides me from view and I make it to the guest bathroom in time.

My guess is that Mr. Bear is a Black Bear. Black Bears are vegetarians, who like to meditate (apparently). Unlike their carnivore cousins, the Grizzly Bears.  I would bet money Grizzlies don’t meditate in the woods, or anywhere else.

Regardless, when I crawled back to the dinning room and peeked out the window, Mr. Bear was gone. I kept an eye out for him all day, but didn’t see him.

Whew!