Far and Away
Hello World,
Happy Spring! They tell me that Saturday is the first day of Spring, and not a moment too soon for most of us, believe me. The way things had been going around here, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't welcome the vernal equinox with open arms, and finally kick the winter of our discontent to the curb, as it so richly deserves, once and for all. The weather these last two days has been just glorious, and more than enough to give us all reason to hope for better days ahead, which has been sorely lacking up to this point. Of course, the winter from you-know-where couldn't just pack up its tents and sneak away in the dead of night, as we might have hoped, leaving behind nothing but a bad memory that even copious amounts of therapeutic junk food would never eradicate. Oh no, this winter had to have the last laugh, and tossed one more storm our way last week, with gale force winds and driving rain that wreaked havoc on the region for days on end. Trees fell down in droves, half a million households were without electricity, and the local flooding made even the old-timers shake their heads in wonder. Three days later, many roads were still impassable, and power outages still so widespread, that schools were closed from near and dear, to far and wide, and back again. More than a week later, many thousands were still in the dark, and even road crews working around the clock had made barely a dent in the welter of trees and branches that were tossed everywhere. It's an axiom of folklore that winter comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but this one seemed to come in like a lion and go out more like one of those three-headed space aliens with metal claws, that shoots laser beams from its eyes and breathes fire, and no thank you so very much not.
On the local front, we didn't have any damage here, and never lost our electricity, which is remarkable for a storm of this magnitude. But it did cause two almost impossible occurrences, which seemed more the work of a playful poltergeist than a nor'easter. The wind was so fierce that I had to pick up one of our trash cans from the far reaches of our yard four different times and put it back on the front porch, finally weighting down with a cement block inside for ballast. In the morning, I noticed that in spite of my efforts, the trash can had been moved from a sheltered nook of the porch, around a corner and 8-feet away, even with the cement block inside, which would seem impossible for wind alone to accomplish. Meanwhile, outside of the living room, the French doors had been ripped open and were flapping in the breeze, in spite of being tied shut from the inside with a hook-and-eye for good measure. How the wind managed that feat, and without opposable thumbs mind you, remains a mystery to me. But we were glad to get the playful poltergeist part of the storm, rather than suffering from the brunt of it, believe me.
There seemed little enough to celebrate last week under the circumstances, but it was still my birthday, ready or not, and a big one for me, since I had always looked forward to turning Sweet 16 at long last. (Hey, that's my story, and I'm sticking with it!) The day started out in fine fashion, since I was off from work, and I always say that any kind of day at home is still far better than being at work, that's for sure. There were also presents, and the birthday elves did their usual commendable job, which as Bill frequently points out, is not easy since our anniversary is the week before. They also threw a party for me at work in the Mail Room, with cake and balloons, and a fine time was had by all, and I ought to know. The Mail Room is about the size of our bathroom, and it's a well-known fact that when it comes to food at the hospital, the employees are nothing so much as a pack of vultures, so it didn't take long for my birthday party to start looking like The Stateroom Scene from A Night at the Opera, and it's a wonder that the Marx Brothers didn't come back from the dead and come crashing right in on top of everybody else in there. Of course, anyone can tell you that in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa.
One thing I did at home on my birthday was set up my new computer on my computer cart, and moving my old computer to a temporary stand nearby. Since both are connected to the wireless network, they can share files from one to the other, and this simplifies the whole process of transferring data from the old one to the new one, without having to copy everything individually and transfer it manually from one to the other. Of course, there's always the usual ups and downs with setting up a new computer, no matter how many times you've done it before, and with all the peripherals involved, the computer cart remains a daunting rat's nest of tangled wires, cables and cords in the back, many of which are no doubt from devices that I don't even use anymore, much less remember what they are. But since the peripherals are all plugged into a separate USB hub, it was actually a simple enough process to just unplug everything else from the old computer, plug the same things into the back of the new computer and slide it into place. Even more remarkable, when I turned it on, everything worked from the start, including the network, which I think is probably a first in my experience with this sort of thing. In retrospect, I'm thinking that I should have realized at the time that this was way too easy, and I'd be paying for it farther down the line at some point.
That point came soon enough at work, when our crack team in the IT department finally brought me a replacement computer for my office, after they discovered that replacing the power supply (twice) and motherboard still didn't solve all of the problems of my old one, so they couldn't give it back to me. They probably went to a lot of trouble to make sure that all of my files and documents were carefully transferred over to the new computer, for which I was deliriously grateful, especially after worrying about them for two weeks. I noticed that two of the programs I need most were no longer included, but I wasn't unduly concerned about it, since I still have the original diskettes for both and could just install them myself. Alas, the joke was really on me this time, when I found out that the Install feature had been disabled by the hospital network, and all of those documents would do me no good without the programs to use them with. In a normal place, the IT department would be happy to install the programs that you need to do your work, but at the hospital, they don't allow people to run disapproved software, even if they've been using it for 10 years, as if someone would really have the time or enthusiasm to re-create every document or form of the last decade in a different program, and thanks so very much not. See if I invite them to my next Mail Room Stateroom Scene Birthday Party, by golly.
In other local news, I was at church during the week, and discovered that someone must have come along and banged out that dent in the gate at the top of the driveway, because the gate was closed and hitched with the chain like it should be, unlike last week when the two parts were far beyond what the chain could span, in spite of all of my efforts. I was impressed with their "take-no-prisoners" mentality in beating the gate back into shape, which must have presented quite a challenge, when the simpler solution might have been to just buy a longer chain and be done with it. Even better, I managed to get in and out of the parking lot without stumbling over any more errant Christmas trees, and the way things had been going lately, that was nothing to take for granted. In fact, we have Bill chiming in on exactly the same subject -
===============
A couple of thoughts about the Christmas tree phenomenon too. First place, I originally thought this year Ash Wednesday that was the 2010 Epiphany, as far as discarding trees is concerned because the apartment building next to the shop sported not one but TWO of them that Friday. But then I walked Up The West last week and there were two more isolated ones sitting at the curb on Union. Pretty amazing. I mean, where WERE they those two months?
===============
Now, I will say that I like Christmas trees as much as the next fellow, but the way people buy them so early nowadays, often on Thanksgiving weekend, the poor tree just about makes it to Christmas in one piece, much less trying to hold onto it until the end of February, for heaven's sake. That's my idea of trying to take biology just a little too far, and don't forget, I'm famous for our rampant alien mutant poison ivy, so I know a thing or two about vegetation run amok. And speaking of agriculture being pushed to the limit, I was out last Saturday and feeding the birds in the teeth of that pulverizing squall, and in spite of it all, I couldn't help but notice that the crocus had indeed come up all across the yard, just as they should, and not letting Mother Nature's fury dictate to them what to do or when to do it. I couldn't help but be impressed with their grit and determination in the face of obstacles, and even being blown sideways did not in any way diminish the jaunty aspect of their purple, gold or white flowers, while standing up to whatever the storm could throw at them. Even though I was drenched and chilled to the bone, I went back outside to take pictures of them, to preserve a record of their heroic efforts that went far above and beyond any fair-weather flora, and deserved to be recognized. I was thinking of throwing a party for them, but unfortunately, the Mail Room was already booked.
Elle
Happy Spring! They tell me that Saturday is the first day of Spring, and not a moment too soon for most of us, believe me. The way things had been going around here, you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't welcome the vernal equinox with open arms, and finally kick the winter of our discontent to the curb, as it so richly deserves, once and for all. The weather these last two days has been just glorious, and more than enough to give us all reason to hope for better days ahead, which has been sorely lacking up to this point. Of course, the winter from you-know-where couldn't just pack up its tents and sneak away in the dead of night, as we might have hoped, leaving behind nothing but a bad memory that even copious amounts of therapeutic junk food would never eradicate. Oh no, this winter had to have the last laugh, and tossed one more storm our way last week, with gale force winds and driving rain that wreaked havoc on the region for days on end. Trees fell down in droves, half a million households were without electricity, and the local flooding made even the old-timers shake their heads in wonder. Three days later, many roads were still impassable, and power outages still so widespread, that schools were closed from near and dear, to far and wide, and back again. More than a week later, many thousands were still in the dark, and even road crews working around the clock had made barely a dent in the welter of trees and branches that were tossed everywhere. It's an axiom of folklore that winter comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but this one seemed to come in like a lion and go out more like one of those three-headed space aliens with metal claws, that shoots laser beams from its eyes and breathes fire, and no thank you so very much not.
On the local front, we didn't have any damage here, and never lost our electricity, which is remarkable for a storm of this magnitude. But it did cause two almost impossible occurrences, which seemed more the work of a playful poltergeist than a nor'easter. The wind was so fierce that I had to pick up one of our trash cans from the far reaches of our yard four different times and put it back on the front porch, finally weighting down with a cement block inside for ballast. In the morning, I noticed that in spite of my efforts, the trash can had been moved from a sheltered nook of the porch, around a corner and 8-feet away, even with the cement block inside, which would seem impossible for wind alone to accomplish. Meanwhile, outside of the living room, the French doors had been ripped open and were flapping in the breeze, in spite of being tied shut from the inside with a hook-and-eye for good measure. How the wind managed that feat, and without opposable thumbs mind you, remains a mystery to me. But we were glad to get the playful poltergeist part of the storm, rather than suffering from the brunt of it, believe me.
There seemed little enough to celebrate last week under the circumstances, but it was still my birthday, ready or not, and a big one for me, since I had always looked forward to turning Sweet 16 at long last. (Hey, that's my story, and I'm sticking with it!) The day started out in fine fashion, since I was off from work, and I always say that any kind of day at home is still far better than being at work, that's for sure. There were also presents, and the birthday elves did their usual commendable job, which as Bill frequently points out, is not easy since our anniversary is the week before. They also threw a party for me at work in the Mail Room, with cake and balloons, and a fine time was had by all, and I ought to know. The Mail Room is about the size of our bathroom, and it's a well-known fact that when it comes to food at the hospital, the employees are nothing so much as a pack of vultures, so it didn't take long for my birthday party to start looking like The Stateroom Scene from A Night at the Opera, and it's a wonder that the Marx Brothers didn't come back from the dead and come crashing right in on top of everybody else in there. Of course, anyone can tell you that in Alabama, the Tuscaloosa.
One thing I did at home on my birthday was set up my new computer on my computer cart, and moving my old computer to a temporary stand nearby. Since both are connected to the wireless network, they can share files from one to the other, and this simplifies the whole process of transferring data from the old one to the new one, without having to copy everything individually and transfer it manually from one to the other. Of course, there's always the usual ups and downs with setting up a new computer, no matter how many times you've done it before, and with all the peripherals involved, the computer cart remains a daunting rat's nest of tangled wires, cables and cords in the back, many of which are no doubt from devices that I don't even use anymore, much less remember what they are. But since the peripherals are all plugged into a separate USB hub, it was actually a simple enough process to just unplug everything else from the old computer, plug the same things into the back of the new computer and slide it into place. Even more remarkable, when I turned it on, everything worked from the start, including the network, which I think is probably a first in my experience with this sort of thing. In retrospect, I'm thinking that I should have realized at the time that this was way too easy, and I'd be paying for it farther down the line at some point.
That point came soon enough at work, when our crack team in the IT department finally brought me a replacement computer for my office, after they discovered that replacing the power supply (twice) and motherboard still didn't solve all of the problems of my old one, so they couldn't give it back to me. They probably went to a lot of trouble to make sure that all of my files and documents were carefully transferred over to the new computer, for which I was deliriously grateful, especially after worrying about them for two weeks. I noticed that two of the programs I need most were no longer included, but I wasn't unduly concerned about it, since I still have the original diskettes for both and could just install them myself. Alas, the joke was really on me this time, when I found out that the Install feature had been disabled by the hospital network, and all of those documents would do me no good without the programs to use them with. In a normal place, the IT department would be happy to install the programs that you need to do your work, but at the hospital, they don't allow people to run disapproved software, even if they've been using it for 10 years, as if someone would really have the time or enthusiasm to re-create every document or form of the last decade in a different program, and thanks so very much not. See if I invite them to my next Mail Room Stateroom Scene Birthday Party, by golly.
In other local news, I was at church during the week, and discovered that someone must have come along and banged out that dent in the gate at the top of the driveway, because the gate was closed and hitched with the chain like it should be, unlike last week when the two parts were far beyond what the chain could span, in spite of all of my efforts. I was impressed with their "take-no-prisoners" mentality in beating the gate back into shape, which must have presented quite a challenge, when the simpler solution might have been to just buy a longer chain and be done with it. Even better, I managed to get in and out of the parking lot without stumbling over any more errant Christmas trees, and the way things had been going lately, that was nothing to take for granted. In fact, we have Bill chiming in on exactly the same subject -
===============
A couple of thoughts about the Christmas tree phenomenon too. First place, I originally thought this year Ash Wednesday that was the 2010 Epiphany, as far as discarding trees is concerned because the apartment building next to the shop sported not one but TWO of them that Friday. But then I walked Up The West last week and there were two more isolated ones sitting at the curb on Union. Pretty amazing. I mean, where WERE they those two months?
===============
Now, I will say that I like Christmas trees as much as the next fellow, but the way people buy them so early nowadays, often on Thanksgiving weekend, the poor tree just about makes it to Christmas in one piece, much less trying to hold onto it until the end of February, for heaven's sake. That's my idea of trying to take biology just a little too far, and don't forget, I'm famous for our rampant alien mutant poison ivy, so I know a thing or two about vegetation run amok. And speaking of agriculture being pushed to the limit, I was out last Saturday and feeding the birds in the teeth of that pulverizing squall, and in spite of it all, I couldn't help but notice that the crocus had indeed come up all across the yard, just as they should, and not letting Mother Nature's fury dictate to them what to do or when to do it. I couldn't help but be impressed with their grit and determination in the face of obstacles, and even being blown sideways did not in any way diminish the jaunty aspect of their purple, gold or white flowers, while standing up to whatever the storm could throw at them. Even though I was drenched and chilled to the bone, I went back outside to take pictures of them, to preserve a record of their heroic efforts that went far above and beyond any fair-weather flora, and deserved to be recognized. I was thinking of throwing a party for them, but unfortunately, the Mail Room was already booked.
Elle
posted by El Tango Fandango @ 8:01 PM
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