Our new carpet is being installed as I write this. It was supposed to be done tomorrow, when Bruce would be here working from home, but someone from the store called last week to ask if we could change it to Monday instead, as they had another job on Tuesday. I had already asked my boss if I could work from home on Monday because the guys dealing with the closet doors needed to do some final touch-up work, so we just switched things around - carpet today, closets tomorrow.
Now, however, I suspect that Bruce called the owner of the flooring store and asked him if they could do it on Monday instead of Tuesday, just so that once again, I'd be the one stuck with all the chaos. Moving his computer desk and the TV, along with his stereo system, was a pain because there was such a tangle of wires behind the cabinet. The carpet guys asked me if I could disconnect things before they tried moving everything out of the living room - when I looked at the big mess, I understood why they didn't want to attempt the nightmare. The speaker wires are the worst - they are ridiculously long because it's a surround-sound system, with two speakers at the back of the room. Someone needs to create a high quality but affordable wireless sound system.
I finally got everything untangled and went back to work while the men moved out the furniture, but my work area was drastically reduced because now the TV and cabinet are in the dining room/kitchen, along with Bruce's very large subwoofer and a bunch of other stuff. This is exactly what it was like when the tile was being laid and everything from the dining room was stuffed in the living room, with very little space for me to move around. Somehow, Bruce managed once again to get out of being the one sitting amidst the chaos.
After I finished my news compilation, I went back to the TV and sound system to try and organize the wires a little better. Everything is now neatly bundled up except for those darn stereo wires, which are one big mess. I'd have to remove them from the speakers in order to properly untangle them and that's something I'm not going to mess with. I'm too smart to get between a man and his sound system. (Two wires popped out of one speaker all by themselves when the men began moving the monolith. If only the others had been that obliging ...)
The carpet (what I can see of it from my vantage point behind boxes and speakers) looks pretty - such an improvement over the old one! And there is a chance we may get the new windows installed on Wednesday, followed by the siding on Thursday and next Monday. Someone called me this morning to tell me that and then said he'd call me back to confirm - I haven't heard from him yet. If they get the go-ahead, that would mean working from home again on Wednesday, as they'll need to be in the house for the window installation. But when they're doing the siding on Thursday (if that's confirmed), we won't need to be here, which would be great as they've warned us the hammering will be noisy. I'd be thrilled if it happens this week, because that means the house will be completely ready for visitors when Ranee and family are here next week. The timing would be perfect!
It's cold again today, but we surprisingly have sunshine (which has been quite a stranger in recent days). I'm so glad it isn't raining, because our living room furniture is outside in the front yard right now, as are Bruce's desk and computer. But rain is expected again on Christmas Eve (which, come to think of it, may delay the siding being installed, unless the rain begins later in the evening). So we may end up having a cold, rainy Christmas, which is so wrong - Christmas is supposed to equal blue skies and sunshine!
We had dinner at Bruce's sister Judy's house yesterday - an early birthday celebration for their mother and a Christmas get-together for the family, as well, since they'll be away on a cruise on Christmas day. It was a fun evening. We got to meet Jonathan's girlfriend, Claire, whom we all like. Judy's husband, Louis, just bought a Harley Davidson, so Bruce got to ride it and he was thrilled. He's been wanting to get a motorcycle for several years now (used to have one but gave it up when his kids were little), and I suspect I'm going to be hearing a lot more often now that he needs a bike.
I hope everyone has a blessed, very merry Christmas, surrounded by family, friends and love. We (including Jason, Caroline and Jonathan) are going to have dinner on Christmas evening with the Jacksons, so we'll definitely be having fun. Perhaps we'll be able to play Cranium again, with more people this time. Such an entertaining game.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
When it rains, it pours ...
... literally and figuratively. It's been raining all day. We've probably had four to five centimetres of rain. There have been floods in Florida and over a foot of snow in D.C. Our backyard is a mud pit and the dogs have been happy to stay in today. Usually when we're at home and it's a sunny day, they enjoy being outside sniffing the air, chasing squirrels and sunning themselves every once in a while.
And now to the figurative part of that expression (I much prefer Shakespeare's "When troubles come, they come not single spies but in battalions." However, the rain quote is more fitting today and for this blog): Did we really dare think that we had identified all problems with the house and were getting everything fixed? That was, of course, tempting fate.
The result? We found out on Tuesday that we have termites. The rotting wood in the wall with the leak was apparently nirvana for them. We have a pest control guy coming out on Tuesday to begin the termite treatment. (He was supposed to come today but postponed the appointment because of the rain.) We were planning on getting a termite contract anyway, because it's one of the many things that will make it easier to sell this house, so that's one more thing off the to-do list.
On the plus side, the mould room is no more! The wall has been fixed and painted, the termites will soon be dead and the new carpet will be laid on Monday. At some point, I'd like to get a futon for that room, so that it can be turned into a bed if we have guests. (Futons are apparently more comfortable than sofa beds - I like the fact that it would take up less room than an acutal bed and can also be used for seating during the day.) For now, we're going to put the single chair from our living room set and a reading lamp in that room, once the carpet is down. That will create a little more space in our living room and also give us a nice reading room.
Just four more days of work next week and then I'm on vacation for the rest of the year. I'm looking forward to the break and to doing a little Christmas baking - some cookies, perhaps. I like trying new recipes and keep coming across yummy-sounding ones in the newspapers and online.
And now to the figurative part of that expression (I much prefer Shakespeare's "When troubles come, they come not single spies but in battalions." However, the rain quote is more fitting today and for this blog): Did we really dare think that we had identified all problems with the house and were getting everything fixed? That was, of course, tempting fate.
The result? We found out on Tuesday that we have termites. The rotting wood in the wall with the leak was apparently nirvana for them. We have a pest control guy coming out on Tuesday to begin the termite treatment. (He was supposed to come today but postponed the appointment because of the rain.) We were planning on getting a termite contract anyway, because it's one of the many things that will make it easier to sell this house, so that's one more thing off the to-do list.
On the plus side, the mould room is no more! The wall has been fixed and painted, the termites will soon be dead and the new carpet will be laid on Monday. At some point, I'd like to get a futon for that room, so that it can be turned into a bed if we have guests. (Futons are apparently more comfortable than sofa beds - I like the fact that it would take up less room than an acutal bed and can also be used for seating during the day.) For now, we're going to put the single chair from our living room set and a reading lamp in that room, once the carpet is down. That will create a little more space in our living room and also give us a nice reading room.
Just four more days of work next week and then I'm on vacation for the rest of the year. I'm looking forward to the break and to doing a little Christmas baking - some cookies, perhaps. I like trying new recipes and keep coming across yummy-sounding ones in the newspapers and online.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Mountains and curves
Bruce loves mountains. I think we'd be up north in the Georgia mountains every weekend, if he had his way. I like mountains, especially the view from the top of one, but getting to (and leaving) a mountain has never been my favourite thing because of the curvy roads (especially those hairpin curves). I don't feel quite so seasick if I'm the one driving, or if I sit perfectly still, but I'd still prefer not to be on a mountain road if possible. Now, however, we appear to be metaphorically stuck on one.
I have come to the conclusion that home renovations are the equivalent of a ride to the top of a tall, tall mountain. The promise of a great view is beckoning from the distance, and I know this house is going to look wonderful when all the work is finally done, but the road is long and winding a great deal. So much so that I'm beginning to treasure every lull (i.e. break from a hairpin curve) we have.
One such lull - our kitchen/dining room floor looks wonderful! The tile is gorgeous and goes very well with the kitchen cabinets (I forgot to take the "before" photos, so unless you've seen the floor at its worst you may not understand why I'm so giddy about the tiles). Bruce and I both love, love, love our newly tiled floor, and I think that's what is keeping us going amidst this chaos.
Our contractor came by on Tuesday with one of his guys to look at the wall in our mould room in order to try and figure out where the leak was situated (only the insane insurance guy thought it came in at ground level). So the contractor, George, and his colleague, Frank, started removing some of the drywall around the window (which is where we normal folk thought the leak was, which is why we ordered new windows in the first place).
It's not always pretty to be right. (I'll put in photos when I get them from Bruce, so you'll be able to see what I mean.)
The wood around the window in the mould room is almost completely rotted through. And, according to George, it looks like there's been a leak there before that someone tried to fix (but not very well). I don't know how long this leak has been there, but judging from the condition of the wood, it's been quite a while.
So Bruce took photos, George took photos, and then Bruce called our insurance company. They said they needed a letter from George stating what was found (since apparently a contractor is more believable than a mere homeowner). George faxed them a description of what he found as well as his estimate of what it will cost to repair the damage. Then we had to call the insurance company yesterday to follow up, i.e. make sure they received the fax. They had, but naturally they weren't going to do anything with the fax until they heard from us. Now that Bruce has followed up the fax with a phone call, they can officially move to the next stage of the process, which is to get the inspector to call Bruce to set up an appointment to come to our house and look at the damage for himself. We have no idea when that phone call will take place, but at least we've got the ball rolling (uphill, of course, since this is a journey to the top of a mountain).
This means we can't do a thing with that room until the inspector gets here - we can't get the wall fixed and we can't put in the new carpet.
But the rest of the house needs attention, too, so we'll just close the door to that mould room and focus on everything else.
We're getting new closet doors installed. That sound simple enough, right? Take off the old ones, put on the new. Except this is a nausea-inducing journey, remember? The closet doors we had were from the '80s. They were heavy, made of metal (heavy metal being a very '80s thing!) and were continually coming out of their tracks. They were a pain to open and close. These days, closet doors are made from wood and are much lighter. So that's what we've opted to have instead of our iron monsters. Except that closet doors are now about 80 inches tall (a little over 2 metres), and the metal ones were taller (perhaps another 20 cm or so). That means they have to put in a bit of a filler between the ceiling and the new closet doors.
That in itself has turned out to be a complicated process, because it's not just a matter of putting in the fillers. No ... First, all our closets have to be emptied. Otherwise, the plaster that covers the wood used to fill in the space will get all over our things when it is sanded down. So, we have a FUN weekend ahead of us. We have to empty out every single closet and pack stuff into boxes. We can use one closet for work clothes that we'll need in the coming week, but everything else needs to be put away. In a small house with very little empty space. FUN!!! And then after all this is done, we'll have more chaos when the new carpet is put in, as I don't know how the men will be moving around furniture. All the dining room furniture had to go into the living room when the tile was being laid, which meant we could barely move around in the living room. Goodness knows where the living room furniture is going to go when they have to put down the carpet. But hopefully I'll be in the office that day and Bruce can enjoy that madness all by himself! (I had to endure the tile turbulence by myself, so it's only fair that he has a turn.)
The men will probably be working on the closet doors most of the coming week. I'm working from home on Monday and Thursday (my wonderful boss agreed to my request without hesitation) and Bruce will be here on Tuesday and Friday, his usual work-from-home days. We both have meetings on Wednesday that we have to be in the office for, but the rest of the week will be filled with hammering and loud air guns that scare Belle and unnerve Beau. (Have you ever heard an air gun drive a nail into wood? It is jarring and almost deafening.)
The guys doing the work - Frank and Mike - are nice guys and are doing a great job so far. My only concern is the amount of dirt and dust that all this work is kicking up. My lungs are not happy.
As our muscles and backs begin to ache from all the moving and packing we'll be doing this weekend, I'll just have to keep reminding myself about the lovely house we'll have in January when we finally get to the top of this mountain ...
I have come to the conclusion that home renovations are the equivalent of a ride to the top of a tall, tall mountain. The promise of a great view is beckoning from the distance, and I know this house is going to look wonderful when all the work is finally done, but the road is long and winding a great deal. So much so that I'm beginning to treasure every lull (i.e. break from a hairpin curve) we have.
One such lull - our kitchen/dining room floor looks wonderful! The tile is gorgeous and goes very well with the kitchen cabinets (I forgot to take the "before" photos, so unless you've seen the floor at its worst you may not understand why I'm so giddy about the tiles). Bruce and I both love, love, love our newly tiled floor, and I think that's what is keeping us going amidst this chaos.
Our contractor came by on Tuesday with one of his guys to look at the wall in our mould room in order to try and figure out where the leak was situated (only the insane insurance guy thought it came in at ground level). So the contractor, George, and his colleague, Frank, started removing some of the drywall around the window (which is where we normal folk thought the leak was, which is why we ordered new windows in the first place).
It's not always pretty to be right. (I'll put in photos when I get them from Bruce, so you'll be able to see what I mean.)
The wood around the window in the mould room is almost completely rotted through. And, according to George, it looks like there's been a leak there before that someone tried to fix (but not very well). I don't know how long this leak has been there, but judging from the condition of the wood, it's been quite a while.
So Bruce took photos, George took photos, and then Bruce called our insurance company. They said they needed a letter from George stating what was found (since apparently a contractor is more believable than a mere homeowner). George faxed them a description of what he found as well as his estimate of what it will cost to repair the damage. Then we had to call the insurance company yesterday to follow up, i.e. make sure they received the fax. They had, but naturally they weren't going to do anything with the fax until they heard from us. Now that Bruce has followed up the fax with a phone call, they can officially move to the next stage of the process, which is to get the inspector to call Bruce to set up an appointment to come to our house and look at the damage for himself. We have no idea when that phone call will take place, but at least we've got the ball rolling (uphill, of course, since this is a journey to the top of a mountain).
This means we can't do a thing with that room until the inspector gets here - we can't get the wall fixed and we can't put in the new carpet.
But the rest of the house needs attention, too, so we'll just close the door to that mould room and focus on everything else.
We're getting new closet doors installed. That sound simple enough, right? Take off the old ones, put on the new. Except this is a nausea-inducing journey, remember? The closet doors we had were from the '80s. They were heavy, made of metal (heavy metal being a very '80s thing!) and were continually coming out of their tracks. They were a pain to open and close. These days, closet doors are made from wood and are much lighter. So that's what we've opted to have instead of our iron monsters. Except that closet doors are now about 80 inches tall (a little over 2 metres), and the metal ones were taller (perhaps another 20 cm or so). That means they have to put in a bit of a filler between the ceiling and the new closet doors.
That in itself has turned out to be a complicated process, because it's not just a matter of putting in the fillers. No ... First, all our closets have to be emptied. Otherwise, the plaster that covers the wood used to fill in the space will get all over our things when it is sanded down. So, we have a FUN weekend ahead of us. We have to empty out every single closet and pack stuff into boxes. We can use one closet for work clothes that we'll need in the coming week, but everything else needs to be put away. In a small house with very little empty space. FUN!!! And then after all this is done, we'll have more chaos when the new carpet is put in, as I don't know how the men will be moving around furniture. All the dining room furniture had to go into the living room when the tile was being laid, which meant we could barely move around in the living room. Goodness knows where the living room furniture is going to go when they have to put down the carpet. But hopefully I'll be in the office that day and Bruce can enjoy that madness all by himself! (I had to endure the tile turbulence by myself, so it's only fair that he has a turn.)
The men will probably be working on the closet doors most of the coming week. I'm working from home on Monday and Thursday (my wonderful boss agreed to my request without hesitation) and Bruce will be here on Tuesday and Friday, his usual work-from-home days. We both have meetings on Wednesday that we have to be in the office for, but the rest of the week will be filled with hammering and loud air guns that scare Belle and unnerve Beau. (Have you ever heard an air gun drive a nail into wood? It is jarring and almost deafening.)
The guys doing the work - Frank and Mike - are nice guys and are doing a great job so far. My only concern is the amount of dirt and dust that all this work is kicking up. My lungs are not happy.
As our muscles and backs begin to ache from all the moving and packing we'll be doing this weekend, I'll just have to keep reminding myself about the lovely house we'll have in January when we finally get to the top of this mountain ...
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Chaos diluted
We're not adopting Blondie, after all. On Thursday morning (we were supposed to pick her up from Lisa's house that evening), Lisa called Bruce to tell him that Blondie had attacked Lisa's dog, Oliver. One of Oliver's ears was damaged badly enough to require surgery. Both Lisa and her mother didn't think we should take in Blondie, in case she attacked our dogs, as well, and Bruce and I agreed.
It's difficult to understand why the attack happened, since Blondie seemed so sweet when we met her on Monday, and she had been living with another dog so it's not like she wasn't used to that. Bruce and I think perhaps it's because she was in heat when Lisa's mother brought her over to Lisa's house on Monday, and after a couple of days she might have begun feeling threatened by Oliver. Whatever the reason, we didn't want to risk having her attack Belle or Beau. She may be better off in a home with no other dogs. She was taken to an animal shelter, and I hope someone sees and adopts her.
Our dining room and kitchen floor will be installed on Wednesday. I'm SO excited about that (because the current linoleum is torn up in many places, thanks to Beau's puppyhood, and looks awful, and the tile will look so pretty), but it's going to be a challenge. The dogs will have to be kept out of that area all day Wednesday and perhaps even Thursday and Friday, while the grout dries (otherwise we'd have dog hair stuck in the drying grout). The door to the backyard is in the dining room, so that means I'll have to take the dogs out the front door and around the house to the side fence to get to the backyard at night and early in the morning when they need to go out/run around. And we'll have to put up one of our doggie fences to block off the kitchen and dining room. However, that's a temporary inconvenience and the end result will definitely be worth it. I'll ask Bruce to take before and after photos. (We should have done that before we had the new kitchen cabinets put in a couple of years ago, but didn't think of it at the time.)
The mould room, as I call it, is very bad for my lungs, so I'm glad we are getting closer to having that redone. Someone will come here next week to pull out the carpet in that room and take away some of the old furniture that has water damage, so that the room can dry out some more before the new carpet is put in. Also, we had a contractor come over yesterday to take measurements - he's going to replace the damaged wall once the room is dry enough. Then all the icky mould will be gone for good. My lungs can't wait!
It's difficult to understand why the attack happened, since Blondie seemed so sweet when we met her on Monday, and she had been living with another dog so it's not like she wasn't used to that. Bruce and I think perhaps it's because she was in heat when Lisa's mother brought her over to Lisa's house on Monday, and after a couple of days she might have begun feeling threatened by Oliver. Whatever the reason, we didn't want to risk having her attack Belle or Beau. She may be better off in a home with no other dogs. She was taken to an animal shelter, and I hope someone sees and adopts her.
Our dining room and kitchen floor will be installed on Wednesday. I'm SO excited about that (because the current linoleum is torn up in many places, thanks to Beau's puppyhood, and looks awful, and the tile will look so pretty), but it's going to be a challenge. The dogs will have to be kept out of that area all day Wednesday and perhaps even Thursday and Friday, while the grout dries (otherwise we'd have dog hair stuck in the drying grout). The door to the backyard is in the dining room, so that means I'll have to take the dogs out the front door and around the house to the side fence to get to the backyard at night and early in the morning when they need to go out/run around. And we'll have to put up one of our doggie fences to block off the kitchen and dining room. However, that's a temporary inconvenience and the end result will definitely be worth it. I'll ask Bruce to take before and after photos. (We should have done that before we had the new kitchen cabinets put in a couple of years ago, but didn't think of it at the time.)
The mould room, as I call it, is very bad for my lungs, so I'm glad we are getting closer to having that redone. Someone will come here next week to pull out the carpet in that room and take away some of the old furniture that has water damage, so that the room can dry out some more before the new carpet is put in. Also, we had a contractor come over yesterday to take measurements - he's going to replace the damaged wall once the room is dry enough. Then all the icky mould will be gone for good. My lungs can't wait!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Certifiable
I think it's official - Bruce and I are crazy. Well, he was crazy to begin with and now I've been caught in the whirlpool.
We have so much going on right now. We:
Because of all that work being done at around the same time, thanks to the mould infestation, we've had a bunch of different people coming and going. People dropping in to tell us what sort of services they offered, different people to take measurements, people to do the actual work ... (Beau and Belle have been delighted, because they, especially Beau, love visitors.) A lot of time has been spent on research and phonecalls, and our lives have been rather chaotic in the last few weeks.
Apparently that wasn't enough for us.
Yesterday, Bruce's co-worker, told him that her mother had rescued a couple of female labradors (one golden, one black) from someone who was apparently somewhat abusive towards them and was trying to get rid of them by dumping them in different neighbourhoods. Bruce has always liked labs, but ever since we've had Beau, Bruce has really, really become a huge fan of the breed. They certainly are very sweet, affectionate dogs. So when he heard about these labs, he became very interested, especially when he saw a photo of the golden one. We went to meet her yesterday and she was adorable. Bruce fell in love with her because she paid him a lot of attention and was cuddling up to him. I've thought for the last year-and-a-half that Beau needs another labrador to play with - he and Belle get on very well but Belle doesn't play like he does, so he doesn't have anyone with whom he can run around and get crazy.
So, despite the fact that we live in a tiny, tiny house that already feels crowded withe the two of us and two dogs, Bruce is ready to trip over yet another dog and we're going to adopt this one. We'll be picking her up on Thursday, so that we'll be at home for a few days before we have to leave the three dogs alone at home while we're at work (both Bruce and I work from home on Fridays).
Oh, and guess what, Ranee? She's going to have a name that begins with the letter B, as well, despite my protests. Bruce wants to name her Blondie.
Wish us luck - I think life is going to get even crazier. We need to sell this house and buy a bigger one!
We have so much going on right now. We:
- just had the air-conditioning/heating system replaced;
- are getting new flooring in the next few weeks (that needs to be done quickly because there's mould on the carpet in one room and we don't want to risk it spreading anywhere else or getting back into the air-conditioning system);
- are going to hire someone to repair some holes in our ceiling (where the old vents used to be) and wall (where Beau ate a chunk of it when he was a puppy);
- need to find someone to replace the closet doors in all the rooms (these don't open or shut well and are heavy as well as constantly coming out of their tracks);
- are getting the siding on our house replaced (hail damage means insurance is paying for most of it).
Because of all that work being done at around the same time, thanks to the mould infestation, we've had a bunch of different people coming and going. People dropping in to tell us what sort of services they offered, different people to take measurements, people to do the actual work ... (Beau and Belle have been delighted, because they, especially Beau, love visitors.) A lot of time has been spent on research and phonecalls, and our lives have been rather chaotic in the last few weeks.
Apparently that wasn't enough for us.
Yesterday, Bruce's co-worker, told him that her mother had rescued a couple of female labradors (one golden, one black) from someone who was apparently somewhat abusive towards them and was trying to get rid of them by dumping them in different neighbourhoods. Bruce has always liked labs, but ever since we've had Beau, Bruce has really, really become a huge fan of the breed. They certainly are very sweet, affectionate dogs. So when he heard about these labs, he became very interested, especially when he saw a photo of the golden one. We went to meet her yesterday and she was adorable. Bruce fell in love with her because she paid him a lot of attention and was cuddling up to him. I've thought for the last year-and-a-half that Beau needs another labrador to play with - he and Belle get on very well but Belle doesn't play like he does, so he doesn't have anyone with whom he can run around and get crazy.
So, despite the fact that we live in a tiny, tiny house that already feels crowded withe the two of us and two dogs, Bruce is ready to trip over yet another dog and we're going to adopt this one. We'll be picking her up on Thursday, so that we'll be at home for a few days before we have to leave the three dogs alone at home while we're at work (both Bruce and I work from home on Fridays).
Oh, and guess what, Ranee? She's going to have a name that begins with the letter B, as well, despite my protests. Bruce wants to name her Blondie.
Wish us luck - I think life is going to get even crazier. We need to sell this house and buy a bigger one!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Customer Service - the bad and the good
Seven years ago, the HVAC (heating and air-conditioning) unit in this house broke down. This was just seven months after I moved here, and I knew nothing about air-conditioning and heating systems. A company Bruce called came to the house and diagnosed the problem - we needed a new condenser and evaporator coil. They sold us a 2.5 ton unit, and it cost $2,700 (including installation). The house was instantly much cooler than it had been for years, Bruce said, so it seemed worth the price. Last year, our furnace stopped working and we were also informed that the evaporator coil needed replacing. (It was past its warranty by that time, of course.) That cost us another $2,550. So, you'd think that spending over $5,000 on HVAC equipment for this small house would put us in good stead for a long time. You'd be correct if we'd been serviced by reliable companies. Unfortunately, both times, we called people in emergency situations and basically hired the people who answered their phones and showed up. (Hindsight suggests that people who come that quickly might be able to do so because they don't have very many customers - for a reason.)
In the past couple of years, the house has seemed very dusty and dirty to me. Despite the fact that the doors and windows remain closed almost all the time (except when the dogs go out or when it's cool enough outside to enjoy the fresh air), dust seemed to be collecting very quickly on the furniture within hours of me dusting and vacuuming everything. I thought there must be some dirt in our air-conditioning system that just wasn't being caught by the filter (which I was having to replace much more frequently than seemed normal). Several weeks ago, we found a very bad mould build-up around the vent in one of the spare bedrooms that we now use as a junk/storeroom. I never go into that room so I didn't know how bad it was getting until Bruce noticed a dank odour one day and saw what he thought were mould spores on the furniture there. So I decided enough was enough - it was time to get the air ducts cleaned.
I called a duct-cleaning company (didn't know until then that some companies actually specialise in duct cleaning) and set up an appointment. Two guys arrived as scheduled two weeks ago. One of then, Dennis, came up to me after they'd been here for about half-an-hour and told me that our mould situation was really bad (he's been doing this for 20 years and hadn't seen such a bad infestation (I'm using that word because that's what it looked and felt like). Because Dennis was an honest man, he didn't just try to clean the ducts. He knew cleaning it wouldn't get rid of the mould, which would grow back and give us the same problem. He said if we wanted them to still try and clean the ducts, they would, but he recommended getting new ducts put in. And that's not something his company does, which means they were actually giving up a cleaning job that would have made them money. That is why I knew I could trust him - excellent customer service, and I'd now recommend that company to anyone here.
I called the HVAC company that had directed me to these guys (it was only after going through some paperwork the other day that I realised we've used four different HVAC companies in the time I've been here) and asked them to give us a quote for new ducts. The man who came to our house to do that didn't make a very good impression on me, plus he took several days to get back to us with a quote.
Bruce and I decided we should get a second opinion. Best decision ever! I looked up HVAC companies in Snellville online and then checked their rating on the Better Business Bureau website. I found one that had been in business for 22 years and had an A+ rating. Their office was closed (since it was Saturday), so I went to their website and sent them an appointment request, explaining in the "Comment" section what we needed.
Bruce received a call from them on Monday and Joe came to our house on Tuesday afternoon. Joe is an engineer and looked at things no other repairman/salesman in the past and even thought about. The first thing he said, after looking at all the HVAC equipment, was that the company that put in the condensor and evaporator coil in 2002 gave us a unit that was too powerful for this house. We should have had a 1.5 or two ton unit at the most. Because of that, the system was cutting off before it was supposed to and wasn't drawing moisture out of the air. This is what led to the mould build-up, which was made much worse when the junk/storeroom somehow got flooded. (We're not sure when that happened but it was most likely during The Great Flood of September.)
We decided to go with the company Joe worked for, since he seemed so much more knowledgable than any of the other people whose services we've used in the past. Unfortunately, we found out on Thursday that the mould problem was much more serious. When the two HVAC servicemen came out that morning to replace the ducts, they found that the mould was in the furnace/AC unit. That meant that even with new ducts, we wouldn't be rid of the mould problem - it would just grow back because it's in the HVAC system. That, and the wrong size/weight condenser, meant we had to replace the whole HVAC system. Otherwise we'd eventually have the same moisture problem. Since the mould problem has been affecting our health, that was not a risk I wanted to take.
What this means in a nutshell is that we're paying twice what we would have needed to if we'd gone with the correct company in the first place - one with well-trained, well-qualified employees. We're having to spend another $5,000+ that we weren't expecting.
At least we now have a company we can trust - I've told Bruce we're never calling anyone else when we need HVAC service. Even when we move, this company is going to have to come to us wherever we are! They are knowledgable and efficient (and the air in the house already seems much cleaner).
My boss likes to say that I epitomise excellent customer service. I've not really understood why he thinks so highly of the way I respond to requests at work, because it just seems right to want to solve people's problems or get them the information they need as soon as possible. It's what seems like a natural response in me to want to do what I can to help people, and to do a good job - the best job I can. I don't think I'm particularly outstanding. But apparently that desire to please and to do a good job is not inherent in most people, and certainly not in a lot of businesses. That makes no sense to me. Good customer service is what gets you return business. Why wouldn't any company want to have only well-trained staff who do an excellent, reliable job? Why don't more people want to do the best they can? Or is their best just not very good in some cases?
On Bruce's birthday, we stopped at one of his favourite restaurants to get him a steak. We'd decided to take the food home to eat because we were both tired. I wasn't all that hungry and am not particularly fond of that restaurant because of a couple of negative past experiences with food there (including one case of food poisoning), so I only ordered an appetizer (crab-stuffed shrimp). By the time we got home and I had feed the dogs, I was feeling quite hungry and looking forward to some good food. I opened my packed meal to find three tiny prawns (literally shrimps!) and nothing else, apart from some sauce in the box. No crab stuffing. The three prawns looked like someone's leftovers. I was extremely fed up (third bad experience with that restaurant) and hungry by this time, but was too irritated to drive back to the restaurant and demand the actual order. So I just had some cereal for dinner. The next day, the memory of those three shrimp (for which I was charged $5!) was still bugging me, so I went to the restaurant's website and wrote to them about my experience. I wasn't really expecting anything (although Bruce though I might get a coupon for another appetizer) - I just needed to vent.
Two days later, I received an e-mail from manager of that restaurant. He apologised for the mistake (apparently someone packed the wrong order for me) and asked for our address, so that he could send me something in the mail. I sent him a nice reply, thanking him for the apology and said I wouldn't ordinarily have complained but it was the third negative experience at his restaurant. A few days later, I received a meal voucher for that restaurant from the manager - for $25! Later that week (the day I got the bad news about our ducts, that they needed to be replaced, not cleaned), UPS delivered a small package addressed to me. Since I wasn't expecting anything, that in itself was a nice surprise. The box contained some extremely delicious cookies, along with another apology from the restaurant. I was stunned! This was customer service way beyond what I expected. Of course, it was done so that we wouldn't boycott that restaurant (as I had been seriously tempted to do), and I'm sure the current recession is making them take extra care to keep customers happy, but that is exactly the point of good customer service - to ensure your customers return. It worked in this case, and I wish more companies would learn to treat their regular clients or customers like this.
In the past couple of years, the house has seemed very dusty and dirty to me. Despite the fact that the doors and windows remain closed almost all the time (except when the dogs go out or when it's cool enough outside to enjoy the fresh air), dust seemed to be collecting very quickly on the furniture within hours of me dusting and vacuuming everything. I thought there must be some dirt in our air-conditioning system that just wasn't being caught by the filter (which I was having to replace much more frequently than seemed normal). Several weeks ago, we found a very bad mould build-up around the vent in one of the spare bedrooms that we now use as a junk/storeroom. I never go into that room so I didn't know how bad it was getting until Bruce noticed a dank odour one day and saw what he thought were mould spores on the furniture there. So I decided enough was enough - it was time to get the air ducts cleaned.
I called a duct-cleaning company (didn't know until then that some companies actually specialise in duct cleaning) and set up an appointment. Two guys arrived as scheduled two weeks ago. One of then, Dennis, came up to me after they'd been here for about half-an-hour and told me that our mould situation was really bad (he's been doing this for 20 years and hadn't seen such a bad infestation (I'm using that word because that's what it looked and felt like). Because Dennis was an honest man, he didn't just try to clean the ducts. He knew cleaning it wouldn't get rid of the mould, which would grow back and give us the same problem. He said if we wanted them to still try and clean the ducts, they would, but he recommended getting new ducts put in. And that's not something his company does, which means they were actually giving up a cleaning job that would have made them money. That is why I knew I could trust him - excellent customer service, and I'd now recommend that company to anyone here.
I called the HVAC company that had directed me to these guys (it was only after going through some paperwork the other day that I realised we've used four different HVAC companies in the time I've been here) and asked them to give us a quote for new ducts. The man who came to our house to do that didn't make a very good impression on me, plus he took several days to get back to us with a quote.
Bruce and I decided we should get a second opinion. Best decision ever! I looked up HVAC companies in Snellville online and then checked their rating on the Better Business Bureau website. I found one that had been in business for 22 years and had an A+ rating. Their office was closed (since it was Saturday), so I went to their website and sent them an appointment request, explaining in the "Comment" section what we needed.
Bruce received a call from them on Monday and Joe came to our house on Tuesday afternoon. Joe is an engineer and looked at things no other repairman/salesman in the past and even thought about. The first thing he said, after looking at all the HVAC equipment, was that the company that put in the condensor and evaporator coil in 2002 gave us a unit that was too powerful for this house. We should have had a 1.5 or two ton unit at the most. Because of that, the system was cutting off before it was supposed to and wasn't drawing moisture out of the air. This is what led to the mould build-up, which was made much worse when the junk/storeroom somehow got flooded. (We're not sure when that happened but it was most likely during The Great Flood of September.)
We decided to go with the company Joe worked for, since he seemed so much more knowledgable than any of the other people whose services we've used in the past. Unfortunately, we found out on Thursday that the mould problem was much more serious. When the two HVAC servicemen came out that morning to replace the ducts, they found that the mould was in the furnace/AC unit. That meant that even with new ducts, we wouldn't be rid of the mould problem - it would just grow back because it's in the HVAC system. That, and the wrong size/weight condenser, meant we had to replace the whole HVAC system. Otherwise we'd eventually have the same moisture problem. Since the mould problem has been affecting our health, that was not a risk I wanted to take.
What this means in a nutshell is that we're paying twice what we would have needed to if we'd gone with the correct company in the first place - one with well-trained, well-qualified employees. We're having to spend another $5,000+ that we weren't expecting.
At least we now have a company we can trust - I've told Bruce we're never calling anyone else when we need HVAC service. Even when we move, this company is going to have to come to us wherever we are! They are knowledgable and efficient (and the air in the house already seems much cleaner).
My boss likes to say that I epitomise excellent customer service. I've not really understood why he thinks so highly of the way I respond to requests at work, because it just seems right to want to solve people's problems or get them the information they need as soon as possible. It's what seems like a natural response in me to want to do what I can to help people, and to do a good job - the best job I can. I don't think I'm particularly outstanding. But apparently that desire to please and to do a good job is not inherent in most people, and certainly not in a lot of businesses. That makes no sense to me. Good customer service is what gets you return business. Why wouldn't any company want to have only well-trained staff who do an excellent, reliable job? Why don't more people want to do the best they can? Or is their best just not very good in some cases?
On Bruce's birthday, we stopped at one of his favourite restaurants to get him a steak. We'd decided to take the food home to eat because we were both tired. I wasn't all that hungry and am not particularly fond of that restaurant because of a couple of negative past experiences with food there (including one case of food poisoning), so I only ordered an appetizer (crab-stuffed shrimp). By the time we got home and I had feed the dogs, I was feeling quite hungry and looking forward to some good food. I opened my packed meal to find three tiny prawns (literally shrimps!) and nothing else, apart from some sauce in the box. No crab stuffing. The three prawns looked like someone's leftovers. I was extremely fed up (third bad experience with that restaurant) and hungry by this time, but was too irritated to drive back to the restaurant and demand the actual order. So I just had some cereal for dinner. The next day, the memory of those three shrimp (for which I was charged $5!) was still bugging me, so I went to the restaurant's website and wrote to them about my experience. I wasn't really expecting anything (although Bruce though I might get a coupon for another appetizer) - I just needed to vent.
Two days later, I received an e-mail from manager of that restaurant. He apologised for the mistake (apparently someone packed the wrong order for me) and asked for our address, so that he could send me something in the mail. I sent him a nice reply, thanking him for the apology and said I wouldn't ordinarily have complained but it was the third negative experience at his restaurant. A few days later, I received a meal voucher for that restaurant from the manager - for $25! Later that week (the day I got the bad news about our ducts, that they needed to be replaced, not cleaned), UPS delivered a small package addressed to me. Since I wasn't expecting anything, that in itself was a nice surprise. The box contained some extremely delicious cookies, along with another apology from the restaurant. I was stunned! This was customer service way beyond what I expected. Of course, it was done so that we wouldn't boycott that restaurant (as I had been seriously tempted to do), and I'm sure the current recession is making them take extra care to keep customers happy, but that is exactly the point of good customer service - to ensure your customers return. It worked in this case, and I wish more companies would learn to treat their regular clients or customers like this.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
A World Without Books ...
... is a world I can't imagine and wouldn't want to live in. Even though I spend most of my work day reading newspapers and websites, I want - no, need - to spend at least a few minutes (if not more) reading for pleasure.
I get so much from reading books - they feed my imagination, and they make me think, laugh and/or cry. They also cause envy sometimes (over the talent of such amazing writers whom I would love to be like but I don't see myself coming up with the tales they do). All that from something that comes in one pretty package. One of the good things about Bruce being so busy in recent weeks is that I've had plenty of time to read in the car while waiting for him to finish work. I don't go anywhere without a book these days.
I've managed to make my way through quite a few books in the last few months, and will slowly be building a list in case anyone is interested. I've started with a "Currently Reading" list that I'll update as I move down the pile of books beside my bed, and am also going to create a "Recommended Reading" section. Let me know if you have any books you want to add to that list - I am always on the lookout for books to read. Perhaps I'll also add a "Just Finished This, Stay Away!" list if I happen to come across something bad (although that's doubtful, because it has only rarely happened in the past and I'm becoming choosy about what I buy these days).
A couple of books I read in France in July made their way to Singapore, thanks to a certain niece of mine, so if I forget the titles, I hope she'll nudge my memory by leaving them in the comments section.
As far as possible, I'll try to link the titles to either a review of the book or some sort of summary/background, as I have done for the two in my "Currently Reading" list. One of the marvels of the computer age that I intend to make the most of, since I either won't have time to write a review myself or have found someone who can do a much better job.
I will try to get back to borrowing books from the library instead of always buying them, where possible, but buying books has long been my weakness (I buy books the way some people buy shoes). The reason for that is two-fold - I want to have my own little library in my house, filled with my favourites that I can return to at any time, and I want to support the writers I love by purchasing their books instead of only borrowing a copy from a library. I am a huge fan of libraries and don't ever want the world to be without them, but I want to have my own. Even if I borrow a book from a library, I'll probably end up buying a copy for myself if I like it enough.
I get so much from reading books - they feed my imagination, and they make me think, laugh and/or cry. They also cause envy sometimes (over the talent of such amazing writers whom I would love to be like but I don't see myself coming up with the tales they do). All that from something that comes in one pretty package. One of the good things about Bruce being so busy in recent weeks is that I've had plenty of time to read in the car while waiting for him to finish work. I don't go anywhere without a book these days.
I've managed to make my way through quite a few books in the last few months, and will slowly be building a list in case anyone is interested. I've started with a "Currently Reading" list that I'll update as I move down the pile of books beside my bed, and am also going to create a "Recommended Reading" section. Let me know if you have any books you want to add to that list - I am always on the lookout for books to read. Perhaps I'll also add a "Just Finished This, Stay Away!" list if I happen to come across something bad (although that's doubtful, because it has only rarely happened in the past and I'm becoming choosy about what I buy these days).
A couple of books I read in France in July made their way to Singapore, thanks to a certain niece of mine, so if I forget the titles, I hope she'll nudge my memory by leaving them in the comments section.
As far as possible, I'll try to link the titles to either a review of the book or some sort of summary/background, as I have done for the two in my "Currently Reading" list. One of the marvels of the computer age that I intend to make the most of, since I either won't have time to write a review myself or have found someone who can do a much better job.
I will try to get back to borrowing books from the library instead of always buying them, where possible, but buying books has long been my weakness (I buy books the way some people buy shoes). The reason for that is two-fold - I want to have my own little library in my house, filled with my favourites that I can return to at any time, and I want to support the writers I love by purchasing their books instead of only borrowing a copy from a library. I am a huge fan of libraries and don't ever want the world to be without them, but I want to have my own. Even if I borrow a book from a library, I'll probably end up buying a copy for myself if I like it enough.
The Great Flood
September 21st, 2009 was the day of the Great Flood in Georgia.
When we left the house for work that morning, I had no idea how bad things would get by the end of the day. The fact that there was a traffic jam on the highway just a few miles from our house that early in the morning should have been an indication. There was a mudslide on the highway, with only one lane open at that time, and those giving traffic updates on the radio and TV were saying to stay at home and try getting to work later, when the sun was up. So that's what Bruce and I did - turned around and went back home.
I started working from home and decided to just stay at home and work that day, after speaking with my boss, because more and more often, the traffic and weather people were saying to do that. Bruce couldn't, because of the project they were working on in his office, but by the end of the day, he was wishing he had. It took him an hour and a half to get to work that morning, and four-and-a-half-hours to get home. He had tried to stay off the highways because there were quite a few traffic accidents and bad traffic jams, but going on the back roads turned out to be a bad idea as it rained quite heavily several times on Monday and caused floods on so many of those roads that he had to keep turning around or taking detours. At one point, he was only about seven miles from home, I think, but the road he was on goes over the Yellow River at the bottom of a hill and was no longer passable as a result of the heavy rainfall. He finally ended up on the highways he had tried to avoid and got home at about 8:30 that night.
The floods were so bad that some people could not even return to their homes that night - the houses were inaccessible. My intern wasn't able to get to work that morning because the area she lived in was completely cut off by the floods - she was only able to get out on Thursday. There was almost non-stop news coverage on TV that night and the next morning about the damage wrought by the floods - some houses were almost completely covered by flood water. Ironically, in the middle of all that water, one lone house was on fire - it had apparently been struck by lightning. Lots of people had flooded basements, at the very least, if not more - lots of damage to furniture and appliances. I can't even begin to imagine how heartbreaking it must have been to lose so much at one go.
The worst of it is that most houses in Georgia are not covered by flood insurance, because they were not built in flood plains. One man said that he had tried several times to purchase flood insurance but was told he couldn't because it wasn't allowed, as he wasn't in a flood plain. That is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard in a while, and I hope it changes soon. (I'm sure insurance agencies would be fighting that, though, because they would have had to make huge payouts after this flood, if enough affected people had bought flood insurance beforehand.) People should be allowed to buy whatever insurance they want, if they want it and are willing to pay the premium. There is so much nonsensical bureaucracy in this world.
We, thankfully, had no damage. We had a bit of a lake in the backyard at one point that afternoon, but that soon disappeared into the ground.
October is supposed to be a dry month but we've already had more rainy than sunny days in the last two-and-a-half-weeks, I think, and lots of people are now paranoid every time it rains. The sun seems like a stranger these days. Even today, when it was supposed to be sunny, we've only seen clouds and some rain The one good thing about all this rain is that the lakes are now back to full pool, as they call it, after two or more years of drought.
When we left the house for work that morning, I had no idea how bad things would get by the end of the day. The fact that there was a traffic jam on the highway just a few miles from our house that early in the morning should have been an indication. There was a mudslide on the highway, with only one lane open at that time, and those giving traffic updates on the radio and TV were saying to stay at home and try getting to work later, when the sun was up. So that's what Bruce and I did - turned around and went back home.
I started working from home and decided to just stay at home and work that day, after speaking with my boss, because more and more often, the traffic and weather people were saying to do that. Bruce couldn't, because of the project they were working on in his office, but by the end of the day, he was wishing he had. It took him an hour and a half to get to work that morning, and four-and-a-half-hours to get home. He had tried to stay off the highways because there were quite a few traffic accidents and bad traffic jams, but going on the back roads turned out to be a bad idea as it rained quite heavily several times on Monday and caused floods on so many of those roads that he had to keep turning around or taking detours. At one point, he was only about seven miles from home, I think, but the road he was on goes over the Yellow River at the bottom of a hill and was no longer passable as a result of the heavy rainfall. He finally ended up on the highways he had tried to avoid and got home at about 8:30 that night.
The floods were so bad that some people could not even return to their homes that night - the houses were inaccessible. My intern wasn't able to get to work that morning because the area she lived in was completely cut off by the floods - she was only able to get out on Thursday. There was almost non-stop news coverage on TV that night and the next morning about the damage wrought by the floods - some houses were almost completely covered by flood water. Ironically, in the middle of all that water, one lone house was on fire - it had apparently been struck by lightning. Lots of people had flooded basements, at the very least, if not more - lots of damage to furniture and appliances. I can't even begin to imagine how heartbreaking it must have been to lose so much at one go.
The worst of it is that most houses in Georgia are not covered by flood insurance, because they were not built in flood plains. One man said that he had tried several times to purchase flood insurance but was told he couldn't because it wasn't allowed, as he wasn't in a flood plain. That is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard in a while, and I hope it changes soon. (I'm sure insurance agencies would be fighting that, though, because they would have had to make huge payouts after this flood, if enough affected people had bought flood insurance beforehand.) People should be allowed to buy whatever insurance they want, if they want it and are willing to pay the premium. There is so much nonsensical bureaucracy in this world.
We, thankfully, had no damage. We had a bit of a lake in the backyard at one point that afternoon, but that soon disappeared into the ground.
October is supposed to be a dry month but we've already had more rainy than sunny days in the last two-and-a-half-weeks, I think, and lots of people are now paranoid every time it rains. The sun seems like a stranger these days. Even today, when it was supposed to be sunny, we've only seen clouds and some rain The one good thing about all this rain is that the lakes are now back to full pool, as they call it, after two or more years of drought.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Hum ...
... is for hummingbirds. There's one perching on our hummingbird feeder as I write this. Perching, not hovering as they normally do. We've had two regulars in the last few weeks; one of them seems to be a little less confident, so it hovers while drinking and flies off quickly. The other actually settles down on the feeder, drinking long and hard. Yesterday, I was standing at the French doors that lead to the backyard because I'd seen a bird on the ground I didn't recognize, so I was trying to get as close as possible for a better look without going outside and scaring it away. While I was standing there, probably about two feet from the hummingbird feeder, which was on the other side of the glass in the door, the perching hummingbird arrived for a feed. I've never been that close to one before - it was amazing! The throat muscles were moving as fast as their wings do when they hover. Then, just now, one of our "regulars" seemed to be in a fight with another hummingbird - perhaps a newcomer? They were diving through the air at each other, and one (the percher) apparently won the challenge because the other backed off. Our feeder has four separate flowers/holes through which they can get to the nectar, so it's a shame that they aren't willing to share.
... is for humans, 40,000 of them in one place at one time, Bruce and I among them. Our friend Amy Jackson was with us, as well (her husband, John, was working, unfortunately, so couldn't be with us). We were at Peidmont Park in Atlanta on Saturday, August 15th, for the outdoor Paul McCartney concert. Bruce was thrilled to be there, because he's a huge fan of Sir Paul as well as the Beatles but hadn't seen McCartney live before. It's difficult to believe that Paul McCartney is 67 - he sang/performed for almost two-and-a-half hours without taking a break. It was a great concert, despite the heat (we went there several hours before he came onstage so that we wouldn't be too far from the stage, which meant we had to bake in the sun) and the sudden downpour during the concert. It didn't rain very long (about 20 minutes) and no one minded (although I wish we had brought along our ponchos). Since the concert was outdoors, there were no seats, so we sat on the ground on blankets. Once Paul McCartney was on stage, we were all on our feet (which happens at most indoor concerts, as well). The best thing was seeing teenagers and kids in the crowd, dancing and singing along. We weren't close enough to the stage to see Paul McCartney up close, but there were two huge screens on either side of the stage with close-ups of him and the band.
August has been a humming month.
... is for humans, 40,000 of them in one place at one time, Bruce and I among them. Our friend Amy Jackson was with us, as well (her husband, John, was working, unfortunately, so couldn't be with us). We were at Peidmont Park in Atlanta on Saturday, August 15th, for the outdoor Paul McCartney concert. Bruce was thrilled to be there, because he's a huge fan of Sir Paul as well as the Beatles but hadn't seen McCartney live before. It's difficult to believe that Paul McCartney is 67 - he sang/performed for almost two-and-a-half hours without taking a break. It was a great concert, despite the heat (we went there several hours before he came onstage so that we wouldn't be too far from the stage, which meant we had to bake in the sun) and the sudden downpour during the concert. It didn't rain very long (about 20 minutes) and no one minded (although I wish we had brought along our ponchos). Since the concert was outdoors, there were no seats, so we sat on the ground on blankets. Once Paul McCartney was on stage, we were all on our feet (which happens at most indoor concerts, as well). The best thing was seeing teenagers and kids in the crowd, dancing and singing along. We weren't close enough to the stage to see Paul McCartney up close, but there were two huge screens on either side of the stage with close-ups of him and the band.
August has been a humming month.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Chortle
Joey: "It's a moo point."
Rachel: "A moo point?"
Joey: "Yes. It's a cow's opinion. It doesn't mean a thing. It's moo."
I was watching a re-run of Friends last night and that exchange reminded me why I loved the series. I was laughing so hard and so loudly that Bruce came into the room to see what was so funny.
I think that particular bit struck my funny bone more than any others because several people in Bruce's old office used to say, "It's a mute point" when they meant "moot", and genuinely thought that was the expression. I'd never heard variations of the phrase before, but Joey's takes the cake, especially because of his delivery. I think I have a new favourite saying ...
Rachel: "A moo point?"
Joey: "Yes. It's a cow's opinion. It doesn't mean a thing. It's moo."
I was watching a re-run of Friends last night and that exchange reminded me why I loved the series. I was laughing so hard and so loudly that Bruce came into the room to see what was so funny.
I think that particular bit struck my funny bone more than any others because several people in Bruce's old office used to say, "It's a mute point" when they meant "moot", and genuinely thought that was the expression. I'd never heard variations of the phrase before, but Joey's takes the cake, especially because of his delivery. I think I have a new favourite saying ...
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Calling Henry Higgins
Another thing that drives me nuts about having to read so much for my job each day is the increasing number of language errors I find. I can understand careless mistakes, but these don't fall into that category. These are made by people paid to write headlines and press releases, which means someone else proofread and edited their work.
This is just one example of the many ridiculous headlines I've seen in the past year:
New Study Reveals Swimming Can Cut Men's Risk of Dying in Half
So, if you are a man and you swim, you increase your chance of not dying by 50%?! And dying is a risk, not a certainty? Amazing! Man has been searching for immortality for centuries but the answer all this time was right there in water? And the immortality is only for men, apparently.
Do people not understand what that sentence means? Every time a new study comes out, there will be at least a couple of headlines like that one. Not "this will reduce your chances of dying young/early" but reduce your chances of dying altogether. Aaaarrrrgggghhh!
In Malaysia, I always understood if someone's English was poor, because that most likely meant English was their second or third language. But in America, where a large number of people speak only English, what is the excuse? Shouldn't everyone be fluent in at least one language and full understand what the words they use convey?
I understand that language is fluid and changes as people add and drop words, but shouldn't it still contain accurate meaning? This isn't language innovation - it's ignorance. For someone who loves language and all the written word can convey as much as I do, this is sad and aggravating, especially when it happens consistently, not occasionally.
There is apparently a small group of people in this country who are going around correcting errors in signs that they come across (see link below for an example). They've even done this to historical signs, because they cannot tolerate the mistakes they keep seeing. This is apparently against the law but I am completely on their side. They are my kind of people!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-typo-guys-0521may21,0,6902266.story
This is just one example of the many ridiculous headlines I've seen in the past year:
New Study Reveals Swimming Can Cut Men's Risk of Dying in Half
So, if you are a man and you swim, you increase your chance of not dying by 50%?! And dying is a risk, not a certainty? Amazing! Man has been searching for immortality for centuries but the answer all this time was right there in water? And the immortality is only for men, apparently.
Do people not understand what that sentence means? Every time a new study comes out, there will be at least a couple of headlines like that one. Not "this will reduce your chances of dying young/early" but reduce your chances of dying altogether. Aaaarrrrgggghhh!
In Malaysia, I always understood if someone's English was poor, because that most likely meant English was their second or third language. But in America, where a large number of people speak only English, what is the excuse? Shouldn't everyone be fluent in at least one language and full understand what the words they use convey?
I understand that language is fluid and changes as people add and drop words, but shouldn't it still contain accurate meaning? This isn't language innovation - it's ignorance. For someone who loves language and all the written word can convey as much as I do, this is sad and aggravating, especially when it happens consistently, not occasionally.
There is apparently a small group of people in this country who are going around correcting errors in signs that they come across (see link below for an example). They've even done this to historical signs, because they cannot tolerate the mistakes they keep seeing. This is apparently against the law but I am completely on their side. They are my kind of people!
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-typo-guys-0521may21,0,6902266.story
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Rainy Day Thoughts
Sometimes, I don't like my job. Not because of the job itself, but because of the news and press releases I have to scan every day as part of my job. There is so much negativity in comments posted in response to news articles, in press releases by the Republican Party, in the news itself ... it begins to weigh down one's spirit after a while to be exposed to such constant negativity. It's been going on for over two years, ever since Barack Obama announced his candidacy, and now the economic crisis is making things much worse.
I know life is difficult for many people these days, but especially at times like this, I like to concentrate on positive, happy stories. There are some of those, about how people are helping others in need (I'm particularly fond of "random acts of kindness" types of stories, since I'm a sap), but most articles I read (especially in The Wall Street Journal, which I'm beginning to resent having to look at six days a week) are negative or critical of President Obama. I'd expect that from the WSJ, of course, since it's clearly a pro-Republican newspaper (I am constantly surprised when I read an article in it that is positive about the president or the Democratic Party), but the criticisms are everywhere.
I've been thinking a lot about why I'm having such a hard time with the criticisms (I've always tried to stay away from negativity and negative people because the lack of sunshine and positive thoughts begins to sit heavily on me if I'm around it too long, but I don't usually have a problem with well-grounded or intelligent criticism and opposition). It's partly because I'm so sure that if given enough time, Barack Obama can make things better, because of the person I think he is, and it's therefore grating to see people say insulting things about him personally as well as about his handling thus far of the presidency. I think I'm reacting defensively on his behalf (which is ironic because he doesn't seem to let that sort of thing get to him). But I think it's largely because I've been here long enough now to understand the differences between the Republicans and Democrats, and the Republicans are increasingly getting on my nerves.
It's ironic, because they are supposed to represent conservatism and I'm conservative by nature. I believe in spending money wisely but in saving more than spending, so that you always have a safety net. That's conservative, isn't it? I believe that people should learn skills and abilities that will allow them to be financially independent so that they don't depend on government handouts or welfare (when I learnt many years ago that a large number of Australians didn't work because they could depend on welfare, whether they needed it or not, I was horrified). I believe that abortion is wrong (although I do not believe that life begins at conception and I therefore don't see abortion, especially in the early days and weeks, as murder. I may be wrong, but that's my belief and I am entitled to it). However, and this is a big however, I attach many caveats to those beliefs.
While I don't personally believe in abortion, I also don't believe people have the right to force a woman to carry to term a child that she doesn't want. No one should talk her into an abortion, but neither should they stop her from getting one if that is what she still wants after she has had time to really think about it, after knowing that there are alternatives. And that includes ensuring that medical assistance is available, if she cannot afford the necessary healthcare while pregnant and during as well as after delivery. That includes providing financial assistance or housing if that is what she needs, and seeing to it that adoption isn't an unnecessarily complicated process. It includes making sure counselling and support are available if she is a scared teenager who doesn't know how to tell her parents, or who won't be able to count on them if she does tell them. There needs to be a complete support system for people who might otherwise contemplate abortion. And there has to be a much better education policy in place, so that kids understand exactly what pregnancy and parenthood entails. I think there would be far less abortions if girls and women contemplating abortion did not feel alone, helpless, scared or not in control. Why aren't people spending more time and energy on that and less on protesting abortion and measures that make it possible for abortion to be done safely and legally?
But what irks me most about things like abortion is that religion becomes involved in what should be purely a legal process, since that is one of the principles the USA was founded on - courts, rather than churches, of law. People came to America to get away from religious persecution. The country was founded on principles of separation of church and state. So why is it the Republicans and the religious right think it is all right to bring religious views into laws? I can believe something is wrong and explain to anyone who cares to understand my viewpoint, but I'm not going to insist that I am right and they are wrong if they disagree with me. The western world criticizes the Middle East for Islamic laws that they think are abhorrent, yet the same thing goes on in countries like America, where it seems like people are trying to curtail more and more personal freedoms.
Comments Republicans have made about President Obama being a socialist and his handling of the economy also irritate me. While I believe people should be financially independent as far as possible, this is an ideal that will never be a fact. There will always be people who lack the skills or abilities to be independent, and who therefore need help. And from what I've seen of the lives some people were leading in the last few years, lives of extravagance that helped contribute to the housing and economic crash, there is a serious lack of financial education. People apparently felt entitled to the "American Dream" without understanding the basics of finances and economics, without being aware of what they could and couldn't financially afford. There was supposed to be a golden rule here that you could afford a house that cost two-and-a-half times what you make a year. So, if you earn $50,000 annually, your house should not cost more than $125,000. That seems simple enough, but in the last few years, as the housing market when through a ridiculous boom, people were buying property between five and even ten times more than what they earned. That is unbelievable. How do some people not know the golden rule about property ownership? Were they just uneducated? Or was it a feeling of entitlement that drove them? And they certainly should not keep houses they can't afford, but the solution is not to leave them homeless.
Yes, the bankers and mortgage lenders who approved their loans were unscrupulous and greedy, thinking only about the profits they'd be making, but people weren't taking responsibility for their own finances. Yet, if these homeowners are punished for their ignorance and greed, for wanting to keep up with the Joneses, and aren't helped out of the quagmire they now find themselves in, the economy will continue to suffer. I read comment after comment from people who didn't buy more house than they could afford and who continued to pay their bills on time, who now resent having to help those in need. Apparently, Democrats like President Obama who want to try and help as many people as possible are promoting socialism (and they make it sound like communism).
That's one of the major things that bugs me about Republicans. Is there no middle ground? Is everything black and white? Abortion is wrong, end of story. Euthanasia is wrong, end of story. Helping people who can't help themselves is wrong, end of story. Is it wimpy or socialist to be compassionate, to reach out to others without preaching to them? I heard someone from the Republican party say on TV today that it is their job to be the opposition. Does that mean they have to criticize everything the president and Democrats do just for the sake of opposing them? That is an important role most of the time, because everyone needs a good check and balance system, but right now, can't people work together to get the world's economy back on track instead of nitpicking and contributing to the cloud of gloom encasing the planet?
Clearly, things need to change financially, at least. That includes getting rid of what I think is the ridiculous idea of cashing in on your home equity (the amount of money you've paid thus far for the house - if you bought a house for $100,000 and have paid off $20,000, that's the equity you have in the house). What I learnt from Mummy and Papa is that you buy a house and pay off the mortgage. Then, the house is yours. It's that simple. So what went wrong in America? Who on earth came up with the idea of the home equity loan, where, instead of paying off what you owe for a house, you keep borrowing against it and end up paying more for the house than it's worth? That makes absolutely no sense to me, yet it is standard practice here (and I've seen advertisements for it in Malaysian newspapers). How did it come to that and why don't more people see how dumb a notion it is?
I've read some Republican comments saying the housing problem started with the Clinton administration. If that's true, the Republicans had eight years to fix the problems. Why didn't they? The first thing I would have done was get rid of home equity loans - they are nothing more than a money-making scheme for banks and mortgage lenders. If people need loans, their homes should not be used as collateral - that is what has led to the housing crisis here. That's why people owe more than their houses are worth - because banks kept increasing their loans and pushing up the value of the house to ridiculous levels.
Why aren't more Republicans preaching conservative values about finances to their constituents? How can I be more financially and socially conservative than Republicans and still feel more affinity for Democrats and their ideals? It's because I'm somewhat conservative about my own beliefs but don't believe in forcing them on others. I think it's that simple. I started off with very conservative, narrow views when I was a teenager but read a lot, learned a lot from friends and acquaintances and evolved. I changed my opinions on some things because as I got older, I realized that very little in life is black and white. Most things are in shades of gray. You can have firm beliefs about some things, you can have a moral code that guides you through life and makes you the best person you can be, and you can hopefully influence others by the example you show, but you don't have the right to force others to adhere to your beliefs (unless those are laws that they have agreed to follow by living in that country). I thought that was why the war of independence was fought in the first place - to create a better country and way of life, with more freedom. But now, things seem to be moving backwards.
Then again, everything seems to be cyclical. So I guess people moves from liberalism to moderate beliefs to conservatism and then the cycle begins again.
And now, it's Sunday night and a new, busy work week begins - back to reading more bad news and negativity. Sigh ...
I know life is difficult for many people these days, but especially at times like this, I like to concentrate on positive, happy stories. There are some of those, about how people are helping others in need (I'm particularly fond of "random acts of kindness" types of stories, since I'm a sap), but most articles I read (especially in The Wall Street Journal, which I'm beginning to resent having to look at six days a week) are negative or critical of President Obama. I'd expect that from the WSJ, of course, since it's clearly a pro-Republican newspaper (I am constantly surprised when I read an article in it that is positive about the president or the Democratic Party), but the criticisms are everywhere.
I've been thinking a lot about why I'm having such a hard time with the criticisms (I've always tried to stay away from negativity and negative people because the lack of sunshine and positive thoughts begins to sit heavily on me if I'm around it too long, but I don't usually have a problem with well-grounded or intelligent criticism and opposition). It's partly because I'm so sure that if given enough time, Barack Obama can make things better, because of the person I think he is, and it's therefore grating to see people say insulting things about him personally as well as about his handling thus far of the presidency. I think I'm reacting defensively on his behalf (which is ironic because he doesn't seem to let that sort of thing get to him). But I think it's largely because I've been here long enough now to understand the differences between the Republicans and Democrats, and the Republicans are increasingly getting on my nerves.
It's ironic, because they are supposed to represent conservatism and I'm conservative by nature. I believe in spending money wisely but in saving more than spending, so that you always have a safety net. That's conservative, isn't it? I believe that people should learn skills and abilities that will allow them to be financially independent so that they don't depend on government handouts or welfare (when I learnt many years ago that a large number of Australians didn't work because they could depend on welfare, whether they needed it or not, I was horrified). I believe that abortion is wrong (although I do not believe that life begins at conception and I therefore don't see abortion, especially in the early days and weeks, as murder. I may be wrong, but that's my belief and I am entitled to it). However, and this is a big however, I attach many caveats to those beliefs.
While I don't personally believe in abortion, I also don't believe people have the right to force a woman to carry to term a child that she doesn't want. No one should talk her into an abortion, but neither should they stop her from getting one if that is what she still wants after she has had time to really think about it, after knowing that there are alternatives. And that includes ensuring that medical assistance is available, if she cannot afford the necessary healthcare while pregnant and during as well as after delivery. That includes providing financial assistance or housing if that is what she needs, and seeing to it that adoption isn't an unnecessarily complicated process. It includes making sure counselling and support are available if she is a scared teenager who doesn't know how to tell her parents, or who won't be able to count on them if she does tell them. There needs to be a complete support system for people who might otherwise contemplate abortion. And there has to be a much better education policy in place, so that kids understand exactly what pregnancy and parenthood entails. I think there would be far less abortions if girls and women contemplating abortion did not feel alone, helpless, scared or not in control. Why aren't people spending more time and energy on that and less on protesting abortion and measures that make it possible for abortion to be done safely and legally?
But what irks me most about things like abortion is that religion becomes involved in what should be purely a legal process, since that is one of the principles the USA was founded on - courts, rather than churches, of law. People came to America to get away from religious persecution. The country was founded on principles of separation of church and state. So why is it the Republicans and the religious right think it is all right to bring religious views into laws? I can believe something is wrong and explain to anyone who cares to understand my viewpoint, but I'm not going to insist that I am right and they are wrong if they disagree with me. The western world criticizes the Middle East for Islamic laws that they think are abhorrent, yet the same thing goes on in countries like America, where it seems like people are trying to curtail more and more personal freedoms.
Comments Republicans have made about President Obama being a socialist and his handling of the economy also irritate me. While I believe people should be financially independent as far as possible, this is an ideal that will never be a fact. There will always be people who lack the skills or abilities to be independent, and who therefore need help. And from what I've seen of the lives some people were leading in the last few years, lives of extravagance that helped contribute to the housing and economic crash, there is a serious lack of financial education. People apparently felt entitled to the "American Dream" without understanding the basics of finances and economics, without being aware of what they could and couldn't financially afford. There was supposed to be a golden rule here that you could afford a house that cost two-and-a-half times what you make a year. So, if you earn $50,000 annually, your house should not cost more than $125,000. That seems simple enough, but in the last few years, as the housing market when through a ridiculous boom, people were buying property between five and even ten times more than what they earned. That is unbelievable. How do some people not know the golden rule about property ownership? Were they just uneducated? Or was it a feeling of entitlement that drove them? And they certainly should not keep houses they can't afford, but the solution is not to leave them homeless.
Yes, the bankers and mortgage lenders who approved their loans were unscrupulous and greedy, thinking only about the profits they'd be making, but people weren't taking responsibility for their own finances. Yet, if these homeowners are punished for their ignorance and greed, for wanting to keep up with the Joneses, and aren't helped out of the quagmire they now find themselves in, the economy will continue to suffer. I read comment after comment from people who didn't buy more house than they could afford and who continued to pay their bills on time, who now resent having to help those in need. Apparently, Democrats like President Obama who want to try and help as many people as possible are promoting socialism (and they make it sound like communism).
That's one of the major things that bugs me about Republicans. Is there no middle ground? Is everything black and white? Abortion is wrong, end of story. Euthanasia is wrong, end of story. Helping people who can't help themselves is wrong, end of story. Is it wimpy or socialist to be compassionate, to reach out to others without preaching to them? I heard someone from the Republican party say on TV today that it is their job to be the opposition. Does that mean they have to criticize everything the president and Democrats do just for the sake of opposing them? That is an important role most of the time, because everyone needs a good check and balance system, but right now, can't people work together to get the world's economy back on track instead of nitpicking and contributing to the cloud of gloom encasing the planet?
Clearly, things need to change financially, at least. That includes getting rid of what I think is the ridiculous idea of cashing in on your home equity (the amount of money you've paid thus far for the house - if you bought a house for $100,000 and have paid off $20,000, that's the equity you have in the house). What I learnt from Mummy and Papa is that you buy a house and pay off the mortgage. Then, the house is yours. It's that simple. So what went wrong in America? Who on earth came up with the idea of the home equity loan, where, instead of paying off what you owe for a house, you keep borrowing against it and end up paying more for the house than it's worth? That makes absolutely no sense to me, yet it is standard practice here (and I've seen advertisements for it in Malaysian newspapers). How did it come to that and why don't more people see how dumb a notion it is?
I've read some Republican comments saying the housing problem started with the Clinton administration. If that's true, the Republicans had eight years to fix the problems. Why didn't they? The first thing I would have done was get rid of home equity loans - they are nothing more than a money-making scheme for banks and mortgage lenders. If people need loans, their homes should not be used as collateral - that is what has led to the housing crisis here. That's why people owe more than their houses are worth - because banks kept increasing their loans and pushing up the value of the house to ridiculous levels.
Why aren't more Republicans preaching conservative values about finances to their constituents? How can I be more financially and socially conservative than Republicans and still feel more affinity for Democrats and their ideals? It's because I'm somewhat conservative about my own beliefs but don't believe in forcing them on others. I think it's that simple. I started off with very conservative, narrow views when I was a teenager but read a lot, learned a lot from friends and acquaintances and evolved. I changed my opinions on some things because as I got older, I realized that very little in life is black and white. Most things are in shades of gray. You can have firm beliefs about some things, you can have a moral code that guides you through life and makes you the best person you can be, and you can hopefully influence others by the example you show, but you don't have the right to force others to adhere to your beliefs (unless those are laws that they have agreed to follow by living in that country). I thought that was why the war of independence was fought in the first place - to create a better country and way of life, with more freedom. But now, things seem to be moving backwards.
Then again, everything seems to be cyclical. So I guess people moves from liberalism to moderate beliefs to conservatism and then the cycle begins again.
And now, it's Sunday night and a new, busy work week begins - back to reading more bad news and negativity. Sigh ...
Wit, Laughter, Music
This was supposed to be two separate posts - Wit, Laughter from last weekend and Music from last night. The week proved to be too busy, however, so here I am, once again playing catch-up. (Plus, it's been raining all weekend, which calls for contemplation and written thoughts, unlike sunny days, when it's far more fun to be outside with the mutts.)
Last Sunday afternoon and evening, Bruce and I spent several hours with our friends, the Jacksons. Sarah, their older daughter (they have two), was in a play in Atlanta and we went to watch the matinee performance with Amy, John and Nikki (their younger dauthger). The play was called Wit (by Margaret Edson - I found out after the fact that it won the Pulitzer prize in 1999.) It was a little intense but extremely well-written and wonderfully performed (except for the ending, where a doctor's reaction to a DNR order seemed a little over-the-top). The lead actress was so good!
The play was about a literature professor diagnosed with cancer, ruminating about her condition and John Donne's poetry (which she taught). If you're interested, you can read more about it here: http://faculty.smu.edu/tmayo/donne_essay.htm
http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-literary-criticism/wit-margaret-edson
http://www.onstageatlanta.com/b_currentproduction.htm
It has been too long since I've seen a play on stage and this made me realize how much I've missed it. So Bruce is probably going to have to put up with attending more plays in the future.
The laughter part of the evening came at dinner. Dawn, another friend of the Jacksons, and her children were with us at the play and we all went out to dinner. There was a lot of fun conversation and laughter, especially when John (whose birthday was on March 7th, so this was a belated celebration) started singing a really funny version of the "Old MacDonald had a farm" song (Old MacDonald's Dysfunctional Farm), including parts about a dyslexic cow (that went oom/ohm instead of moo) and a sheep with narcolepsy that started snoring instead of baa-ing. I wish I could remember more, because it was hilarious (partly because of John's presentation). I tried looking for the lyrics but they aren't online, so I'll have to get them from John some time in the future.
There were lots of other funny conversations and exchanges - I started laughing so much my stomach hurt! Sarah's laughter is very contagious. So that was a lovely, memorable day. We always have a good time with the Jacksons, and I'm glad they are our friends.
Yesterday, we went to watch one of my favourite musicians/songwriters in concert. Billy Joel was in Atlanta again, so of course I had to be there. This time, he was performing with Elton John. It was a superb concert! I'm not so familiar with Elton John's earlier albums, but he was still fun to watch. Billy Joel was the highlight of the evening for me, though, and the two of them playing together on their pianos was the icing on the cake. (They played about ten songs together but each also peformed separately for about an hour, so it was actually three concerts in one.) That was such a fun night!
Last Sunday afternoon and evening, Bruce and I spent several hours with our friends, the Jacksons. Sarah, their older daughter (they have two), was in a play in Atlanta and we went to watch the matinee performance with Amy, John and Nikki (their younger dauthger). The play was called Wit (by Margaret Edson - I found out after the fact that it won the Pulitzer prize in 1999.) It was a little intense but extremely well-written and wonderfully performed (except for the ending, where a doctor's reaction to a DNR order seemed a little over-the-top). The lead actress was so good!
The play was about a literature professor diagnosed with cancer, ruminating about her condition and John Donne's poetry (which she taught). If you're interested, you can read more about it here: http://faculty.smu.edu/tmayo/donne_essay.htm
http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-literary-criticism/wit-margaret-edson
http://www.onstageatlanta.com/b_currentproduction.htm
It has been too long since I've seen a play on stage and this made me realize how much I've missed it. So Bruce is probably going to have to put up with attending more plays in the future.
The laughter part of the evening came at dinner. Dawn, another friend of the Jacksons, and her children were with us at the play and we all went out to dinner. There was a lot of fun conversation and laughter, especially when John (whose birthday was on March 7th, so this was a belated celebration) started singing a really funny version of the "Old MacDonald had a farm" song (Old MacDonald's Dysfunctional Farm), including parts about a dyslexic cow (that went oom/ohm instead of moo) and a sheep with narcolepsy that started snoring instead of baa-ing. I wish I could remember more, because it was hilarious (partly because of John's presentation). I tried looking for the lyrics but they aren't online, so I'll have to get them from John some time in the future.
There were lots of other funny conversations and exchanges - I started laughing so much my stomach hurt! Sarah's laughter is very contagious. So that was a lovely, memorable day. We always have a good time with the Jacksons, and I'm glad they are our friends.
Yesterday, we went to watch one of my favourite musicians/songwriters in concert. Billy Joel was in Atlanta again, so of course I had to be there. This time, he was performing with Elton John. It was a superb concert! I'm not so familiar with Elton John's earlier albums, but he was still fun to watch. Billy Joel was the highlight of the evening for me, though, and the two of them playing together on their pianos was the icing on the cake. (They played about ten songs together but each also peformed separately for about an hour, so it was actually three concerts in one.) That was such a fun night!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Frozen water!
It's been snowing for almost six hours - our big snowfall of the year! It rained most of yesterday and this morning, so the bulk of the snow melted as soon as it touched the ground when it first arrived, but there has been so much falling that some of it is actually settling and accumulating.
It never fails to amaze me how fluffy and dry snow looks from a distance. Then you get outdoors and remember that it's actually clumps and shavings of ice, not cotton wool. It's still fun to be in, though. Bruce and I went for a walk around the block with the dogs just now, because the snow was falling thick and fast. Belle did not look very pleased at first and hung back - I'm sure she thought we were insane! But then she seemed to decide that it was actually nice to be outdoors with the funny white stuff and perked up. We had planned to turn back when we reached the end of the street we were on, but Belle stopped and kept looking up at the next street, apparently feeling we hadn't enjoyed nature long enough. So on we went - except that this time, the snow was flying directly into our faces like kamikaze pilots in miniature ice planes. We were bombarded for a few minutes until we turned onto our street, then the snow was behind us once more and all was well with the world.
Right now, the streets are slushy but drivable. Tonight, however, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing, down to 27 Fahrenheit early tomorrow morning. That could mean ice on the roads, which in turn will mean a bunch of nervous motorists inching along and still managing to get into accidents.
But for now, the world is pretty and dreamlike.
Now I'm in the mood for ice kacang!
It never fails to amaze me how fluffy and dry snow looks from a distance. Then you get outdoors and remember that it's actually clumps and shavings of ice, not cotton wool. It's still fun to be in, though. Bruce and I went for a walk around the block with the dogs just now, because the snow was falling thick and fast. Belle did not look very pleased at first and hung back - I'm sure she thought we were insane! But then she seemed to decide that it was actually nice to be outdoors with the funny white stuff and perked up. We had planned to turn back when we reached the end of the street we were on, but Belle stopped and kept looking up at the next street, apparently feeling we hadn't enjoyed nature long enough. So on we went - except that this time, the snow was flying directly into our faces like kamikaze pilots in miniature ice planes. We were bombarded for a few minutes until we turned onto our street, then the snow was behind us once more and all was well with the world.
Right now, the streets are slushy but drivable. Tonight, however, temperatures are expected to drop below freezing, down to 27 Fahrenheit early tomorrow morning. That could mean ice on the roads, which in turn will mean a bunch of nervous motorists inching along and still managing to get into accidents.
But for now, the world is pretty and dreamlike.
Now I'm in the mood for ice kacang!
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Harmony
I wish Mummy had been here in Atlanta on Valentine's Day. Bruce and I went with our friends, the Jacksons, to the Rialto, where we enjoyed an outstanding performance by Ladysmith Black Mambazo from South Africa. And it was truly a performance. They didn't just sing well, they entertained. They are such energetic musicians, jumping around while singing. We may not have understood the words to most of their songs, since only a couple were in English, but music truly is universal. Their singing was superb and their harmonizing amazing. I'm so glad we were able to listen to them live. The icing on the cake would have been to see them perform with Paul Simon, of course, but this was still a marvelous concert.
I didn't know before the meaning behind their name. Joseph Shabalala (how can you have a name like that and not be musical?!), who started the group in the early 60s, came from a town called Ladysmith. Black is a reference to oxen, the strongest of farm animals, and Mambazo is the Zulu word for axe, chosen as a symbol of the group's ability to "chop down" any singing rival who might challenge them.
If they return, I believe we will be at that concert, as well.
I didn't know before the meaning behind their name. Joseph Shabalala (how can you have a name like that and not be musical?!), who started the group in the early 60s, came from a town called Ladysmith. Black is a reference to oxen, the strongest of farm animals, and Mambazo is the Zulu word for axe, chosen as a symbol of the group's ability to "chop down" any singing rival who might challenge them.
If they return, I believe we will be at that concert, as well.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Water
We've had quite a bit of rain over the last couple of weeks, but that's not what this post is about. Water (by Deepa Mehta) is the name of the film Bruce and I watched (on DVD) yesterday afternoon. It's an interesting film but disturbing because it's about what is apparently a current practice. And yes, it's once again about India.
According to Hindu scripture, a woman has three choices when her husband dies: marry her husband's younger brother, if his family agrees; kill herself on his funeral pyre; or live a chaste life in solitude with other widows.
This film's dateline is 1938, but a law that was passed around that time permitting a widow to remarry the man of her choice, rather than her brother-in-law, was not popular then and, according to the closing credits of the film, still isn't. A 2001 Census found over 34 million widows living in little ashrams with other widows. I'll have to see what else I can find out about this religious ruling (for instance, nothing is said about women with children, but I'm presuming that only childless widows were forced to retreat from society in this way, since none of the women in the film had children).
What was really disturbing about this practice is that Chuyia, whose marriage and subsequent widowhood begins this film, was only eight. Eight!! And according to an article I read, her husband was 50. Another girl at the ashram was married at nine, and an old woman, who kept talking about the sweets from her wedding, was apparently only seven at the time. So was it only very young widows who were sent to live in isolation? The film didn't make that clear, which is why I want to do some research.
Perhaps in years gone past, when human lifespan was much shorter, it made sense for for people to be married at a young age, but these girls weren't even teenagers and the men they were married to were apparently much older. And the practice of ostracizing young widows seems to be one of those religious manadates with a cultural and historical basis - if women were married off at such a young age and weren't educated, they were completely dependent on their husbands. If their husbands died, it probably made economic sense for them to be sent away instead of being a financial burden on their or their husbands' families. That is what troubles me so much - it sounds like the way things were in the days of Jane Austen, where women were so dependent on their father and on making a good marriage, but in India it is a religious commandment, which makes it so much more difficult for things to change. The fact that a law was passed but hasn't changed things much seventy years later angers me. I'm sure the people who believe in this would have a litany of facts to defend the practice, primarily because it's based in Hindu scripture, but that is exactly what upsets me - so much of religion is based on what was cultural practice at that time, but a lot of those practices were wrong or based on falsehoods and harmed people, primarily women and children, yet people cling to them.
And these widows are essentially penniless, begging for money or, in once case in this film, being forced into prostitution by an older woman who seems to be in charge. So even here, in this house, there is exploitation. So much for being sent away to live a chaste life.
If the measure of a film lies in how it educates and affects the viewer, then this is definitely a good film. The cast was a good one, the music (again by A.R. Rahman) fitted the film and the scenes were well-shot. A way of life completely unknown to me has been unveiled, and I want to learn more. But this was a moving film in an unhappy, unsettling way, so if you're looking for something uplifting, I'd recommend Slumdog Millionaire over this. At least that one had a happy ending. I guess I'm like Mummy in that way - the world has enough woes (which I read about every single day because of all the newspapers and articles I scan each day for work), and I'd rather watch films to escape from the real world for a while. (Not to mention the fact that every time I think about India's caste system, I become angry and frustrated because it's still thriving.) Escapism for a couple of hours is a good thing.
* Postscript: After writing that, I did a search and found this excellent article:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/may2006/wate-m15.shtml
According to Hindu scripture, a woman has three choices when her husband dies: marry her husband's younger brother, if his family agrees; kill herself on his funeral pyre; or live a chaste life in solitude with other widows.
This film's dateline is 1938, but a law that was passed around that time permitting a widow to remarry the man of her choice, rather than her brother-in-law, was not popular then and, according to the closing credits of the film, still isn't. A 2001 Census found over 34 million widows living in little ashrams with other widows. I'll have to see what else I can find out about this religious ruling (for instance, nothing is said about women with children, but I'm presuming that only childless widows were forced to retreat from society in this way, since none of the women in the film had children).
What was really disturbing about this practice is that Chuyia, whose marriage and subsequent widowhood begins this film, was only eight. Eight!! And according to an article I read, her husband was 50. Another girl at the ashram was married at nine, and an old woman, who kept talking about the sweets from her wedding, was apparently only seven at the time. So was it only very young widows who were sent to live in isolation? The film didn't make that clear, which is why I want to do some research.
Perhaps in years gone past, when human lifespan was much shorter, it made sense for for people to be married at a young age, but these girls weren't even teenagers and the men they were married to were apparently much older. And the practice of ostracizing young widows seems to be one of those religious manadates with a cultural and historical basis - if women were married off at such a young age and weren't educated, they were completely dependent on their husbands. If their husbands died, it probably made economic sense for them to be sent away instead of being a financial burden on their or their husbands' families. That is what troubles me so much - it sounds like the way things were in the days of Jane Austen, where women were so dependent on their father and on making a good marriage, but in India it is a religious commandment, which makes it so much more difficult for things to change. The fact that a law was passed but hasn't changed things much seventy years later angers me. I'm sure the people who believe in this would have a litany of facts to defend the practice, primarily because it's based in Hindu scripture, but that is exactly what upsets me - so much of religion is based on what was cultural practice at that time, but a lot of those practices were wrong or based on falsehoods and harmed people, primarily women and children, yet people cling to them.
And these widows are essentially penniless, begging for money or, in once case in this film, being forced into prostitution by an older woman who seems to be in charge. So even here, in this house, there is exploitation. So much for being sent away to live a chaste life.
If the measure of a film lies in how it educates and affects the viewer, then this is definitely a good film. The cast was a good one, the music (again by A.R. Rahman) fitted the film and the scenes were well-shot. A way of life completely unknown to me has been unveiled, and I want to learn more. But this was a moving film in an unhappy, unsettling way, so if you're looking for something uplifting, I'd recommend Slumdog Millionaire over this. At least that one had a happy ending. I guess I'm like Mummy in that way - the world has enough woes (which I read about every single day because of all the newspapers and articles I scan each day for work), and I'd rather watch films to escape from the real world for a while. (Not to mention the fact that every time I think about India's caste system, I become angry and frustrated because it's still thriving.) Escapism for a couple of hours is a good thing.
* Postscript: After writing that, I did a search and found this excellent article:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/may2006/wate-m15.shtml
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Belated Update - Thanksgiving 2008
Happy New Year! Yesterday was quite a light news day, so I had time in the afternoon to clean and organise my desk at the office and get ready for the new year. That's my favourite way to spend New Year's Eve - cleaning and doing the needful so that when I am back in the office in the new year, I feel like I'm starting on a fresh note. As is usual for me, I was in bed and asleep long before midnight. Let's just say I was on Malaysian time and wide awake when it was midnight in KL!
This is a little late, so I'm going to use it as a memory test ...
I had a whole nine days away from the office over Thanksgiving (if you include the weekends preceeding and after Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday). Almost seven of those days were also computer- (and therefore work-) free, a rare treat for me. I didn't miss checking e-mails and doing news searches even one bit.
We left Atlanta on Saturday, November 22nd for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We chose to stay there instead of Gatlinburg because it's close enough to the Greak Smoky Mountains and had a pet-friendly hotel. We stopped at the visitors centre in Sevierville, which is just a few miles away from Pigeon Forge, because it is pet-friendly and there is a great open space behind it where the dogs can run free. If you haven't been to this part of Tennessee, it might seem a little silly to stop somewhere just a few miles before your final destination for that day. If you could see it, though, you'd understand. Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are primarily tourist spots that sprung up because of the Great Smokies. Gatlinburg used to be the main tourist area, since it's closest to the mountains, but as increasing numbers of people began visiting the area, more and more hotels sprung up in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. As soon as you enter Sevierville, all you see are hotels, restaurants, miniature golf courses and building after building containing all sorts of attractions for tourists - ferris wheels, go-kart racing, Ripley's Believe It Or Not museums ... Since there are so many things to see and do, with so many roads leading to the various spots, there is one long road connecting the towns and numerous traffic lights, causingwhat seems like a non-stop traffic jam. At least, that is what it has seemed like each time we've been there. Traffic moves so slowly that it can take more than half an hour to go just a few miles.
When we finally got to the pet-friendly hotel where we had made reservations for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we found that they had a weight limit of not more than 25 pounds for dogs. Essentially, that means you can't have anything bigger than a lap/toy dog. Belle and Beau are nowhere near that, of course. Luckily, there was a hotel right next to that one that accepted bigger dogs, and they had one remaining room for people with pets, so we checked in there, instead. We were on the second floor and the lift terrified Belle, so the dogs and I took the stairs each time they had to go out or we went somewhere. It was only two flights of stairs, so there was no problem doing that several times a day. I was glad it wasn't a bigger hotel and we weren't on the 10th floor or something. Negotiating that many stairs several times a day wouldn't have been quite as easy.
We spent the bulk of Sunday at Cades Cove, and had the most animal encounters we've ever had there, I think. On the way to Cades Cove, we saw a bunch of cars on the side of the road. This, in the Smoky Mountains area, is a sure sign that wildlife has been sighted. Sure enough, as we drove past the parked cars, we saw a bear in the little valley off the road. Bruce turned the car around and found a parking spot, then walked back with his camera to take photos. There were a mother bear and her two cubs foraging for food in that little valley. The bears were there for hours, because when we returned from Cades Cove, crowds were still gathered in that spot. I hope they found enough to eat.
At Cades Cove, we saw plenty of deer, horses (Bruce went right up to some of then and one demanded a lot of attention from him), a few birds here and there and, finally, towards the end of the 11-mile drive, a beautiful Barred Owl. It was a little early for owls to be out, and I don't know who spotted it first, but as usual, the signal that there was something to be seen was a number of cars parked by the side of the road. I looked around to see what the attraction was and saw the owl in a tree about 30 feet from the road. It was huge! And it was the first owl I'd ever seen in the wild, which made it even more special. We stood looking at it for many minutes, and Bruce shot some really good photos of it. I think he has them in his photo album (or soon will, if it isn't in there already). That was the highlight of the day. The dogs got to run around a little and saw some deer, which got Beau all excited (he is very enthusiastic about anything else with four legs).
It rained most of Monday, so after taking the dogs for a walk in the morning, we left them in the car and did a little shopping for Ranee's birthday present. That was one of the good things about travelling in November rather than in the summer - it was cool enough to leave the dogs in the car any time we went somewhere, which was far more enjoyable for them than sitting in a hotel room. At least in the car, they got to look at people. I also got to catch up on my book-reading on Monday, and we watched a movie (DVD) on Bruce's laptop. It was a lazy, relaxing day - just what I needed after months of almost non-stop work.
On Tuesday, we packed up and left for the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) in Kentucky. We didn't realise how far away it was or what a long drive it would be, so we had a leisurely departure, stopping along the way at a department store to get Courtney's birthday present and to buy a couple of new dog beds for the dogs. It was past 11:00 in the morning when we finally, actually began the long drive, and we were only about 30 miles away from the hotel at which we had stayed. After driving for over eight hours (it may have been longer - it's a blur now), we finally got to our destination. We rented a cabin near a lake (that unfortunately was more mud than water around the edges because of the drought we've had in this part of the country over the last few years). The first couple of days, we seemed to be the only people there, so it was paradise for the dogs. They were able to run free and did a lot of exploring, getting oodles of exercise in the process. There was also a playground nearby, so Roshan and Courtney had fun there. Roshan was immensely entertained by the T-ball (tether ball, tied to a pole - it swings around every time it is hit). He laughted and squealed every time Courtney hit it and it went flying around the pole. I love seeing the two of them together.
One of the places we went to while at the LBL was the Elk and Bison Prarie. It's a fenced habitat for bison and elk - http://www.lbl.org/EBPrairieGate.html. Driving through it was a great experience (especially since I got to drive because Bruce was taking photos!), although the dogs (at least Belle) seemed a little intimidated by the huge bison, one of which came within inches of our minivan as it was crossing the road. We got to see almost the whole herd, I think. We even saw a couple of male elk half-heartedly fighting. A man in another car told us that since mating season was over, the males were no longer competing. More than anything, they seemed to be putting on a show.
On Thanksgiving Day, we drove to a state park in Tennessee (just 18 miles away) for Thanksgiving lunch. I was glad Bruce had made reservations, because it's apparently a popular place for a Thanksgiving meal and the building got very crowded. Because we were there early (and even went for a walk before lunch), we didn't have to stand in line to get our food at noon. It was delicious!
Ranee and family left for Louisville after lunch, since Randy had to work the next day, but Bruce, the dogs and I stayed one more day. On our way back to the cabin after lunch, we stopped at the Elk and Bison Prarie again. Bruce's camera had somehow been on the wrong setting the day before, and he wasn't sure if the photos from that trip would be any good, so we went for another photography session. We had arrived, by chance, at just the right time the day before, when all the animals were out eating. This time, we were earlier and didn't see as many the first time around, so we drove around the whole habitat a couple of times more, seeing more bison each time. They and the elk were in different locations this time, and the elk weren't as plentiful, but Bruce still managed to get some good photos. We saw some baby bison that were very cute.
On Friday, we began the long drive home. This time, because we were driving on Friday rather than Sunday, as we had done last year, there was much less traffic on the road so the drive back was a pleasant one. We stopped along the way at a park of some sort for the dogs to have another long run. There was only one other car there, so we let the dogs off their leashes. The other car belonged to a woman with three little dogs, who was there to try and get her dogs a little tired out before her family got together that evening for their Thanksgiving meal. Once she was gone, we had the place to ourselves, so the dogs were able to run free again. They had a thrilling time (except that Belle threw up soon after we were back in the car - either because of all the running around or the water they had been drinking from a creek). She threw up on a towel, though, so no damage was done to the car seat.
So, that was our Thanksgiving adventure in 2008. I'm glad it was so nature-filled.
This is a little late, so I'm going to use it as a memory test ...
I had a whole nine days away from the office over Thanksgiving (if you include the weekends preceeding and after Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday). Almost seven of those days were also computer- (and therefore work-) free, a rare treat for me. I didn't miss checking e-mails and doing news searches even one bit.
We left Atlanta on Saturday, November 22nd for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We chose to stay there instead of Gatlinburg because it's close enough to the Greak Smoky Mountains and had a pet-friendly hotel. We stopped at the visitors centre in Sevierville, which is just a few miles away from Pigeon Forge, because it is pet-friendly and there is a great open space behind it where the dogs can run free. If you haven't been to this part of Tennessee, it might seem a little silly to stop somewhere just a few miles before your final destination for that day. If you could see it, though, you'd understand. Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are primarily tourist spots that sprung up because of the Great Smokies. Gatlinburg used to be the main tourist area, since it's closest to the mountains, but as increasing numbers of people began visiting the area, more and more hotels sprung up in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville. As soon as you enter Sevierville, all you see are hotels, restaurants, miniature golf courses and building after building containing all sorts of attractions for tourists - ferris wheels, go-kart racing, Ripley's Believe It Or Not museums ... Since there are so many things to see and do, with so many roads leading to the various spots, there is one long road connecting the towns and numerous traffic lights, causingwhat seems like a non-stop traffic jam. At least, that is what it has seemed like each time we've been there. Traffic moves so slowly that it can take more than half an hour to go just a few miles.
When we finally got to the pet-friendly hotel where we had made reservations for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, we found that they had a weight limit of not more than 25 pounds for dogs. Essentially, that means you can't have anything bigger than a lap/toy dog. Belle and Beau are nowhere near that, of course. Luckily, there was a hotel right next to that one that accepted bigger dogs, and they had one remaining room for people with pets, so we checked in there, instead. We were on the second floor and the lift terrified Belle, so the dogs and I took the stairs each time they had to go out or we went somewhere. It was only two flights of stairs, so there was no problem doing that several times a day. I was glad it wasn't a bigger hotel and we weren't on the 10th floor or something. Negotiating that many stairs several times a day wouldn't have been quite as easy.
We spent the bulk of Sunday at Cades Cove, and had the most animal encounters we've ever had there, I think. On the way to Cades Cove, we saw a bunch of cars on the side of the road. This, in the Smoky Mountains area, is a sure sign that wildlife has been sighted. Sure enough, as we drove past the parked cars, we saw a bear in the little valley off the road. Bruce turned the car around and found a parking spot, then walked back with his camera to take photos. There were a mother bear and her two cubs foraging for food in that little valley. The bears were there for hours, because when we returned from Cades Cove, crowds were still gathered in that spot. I hope they found enough to eat.
At Cades Cove, we saw plenty of deer, horses (Bruce went right up to some of then and one demanded a lot of attention from him), a few birds here and there and, finally, towards the end of the 11-mile drive, a beautiful Barred Owl. It was a little early for owls to be out, and I don't know who spotted it first, but as usual, the signal that there was something to be seen was a number of cars parked by the side of the road. I looked around to see what the attraction was and saw the owl in a tree about 30 feet from the road. It was huge! And it was the first owl I'd ever seen in the wild, which made it even more special. We stood looking at it for many minutes, and Bruce shot some really good photos of it. I think he has them in his photo album (or soon will, if it isn't in there already). That was the highlight of the day. The dogs got to run around a little and saw some deer, which got Beau all excited (he is very enthusiastic about anything else with four legs).
It rained most of Monday, so after taking the dogs for a walk in the morning, we left them in the car and did a little shopping for Ranee's birthday present. That was one of the good things about travelling in November rather than in the summer - it was cool enough to leave the dogs in the car any time we went somewhere, which was far more enjoyable for them than sitting in a hotel room. At least in the car, they got to look at people. I also got to catch up on my book-reading on Monday, and we watched a movie (DVD) on Bruce's laptop. It was a lazy, relaxing day - just what I needed after months of almost non-stop work.
On Tuesday, we packed up and left for the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) in Kentucky. We didn't realise how far away it was or what a long drive it would be, so we had a leisurely departure, stopping along the way at a department store to get Courtney's birthday present and to buy a couple of new dog beds for the dogs. It was past 11:00 in the morning when we finally, actually began the long drive, and we were only about 30 miles away from the hotel at which we had stayed. After driving for over eight hours (it may have been longer - it's a blur now), we finally got to our destination. We rented a cabin near a lake (that unfortunately was more mud than water around the edges because of the drought we've had in this part of the country over the last few years). The first couple of days, we seemed to be the only people there, so it was paradise for the dogs. They were able to run free and did a lot of exploring, getting oodles of exercise in the process. There was also a playground nearby, so Roshan and Courtney had fun there. Roshan was immensely entertained by the T-ball (tether ball, tied to a pole - it swings around every time it is hit). He laughted and squealed every time Courtney hit it and it went flying around the pole. I love seeing the two of them together.
One of the places we went to while at the LBL was the Elk and Bison Prarie. It's a fenced habitat for bison and elk - http://www.lbl.org/EBPrairieGate.html. Driving through it was a great experience (especially since I got to drive because Bruce was taking photos!), although the dogs (at least Belle) seemed a little intimidated by the huge bison, one of which came within inches of our minivan as it was crossing the road. We got to see almost the whole herd, I think. We even saw a couple of male elk half-heartedly fighting. A man in another car told us that since mating season was over, the males were no longer competing. More than anything, they seemed to be putting on a show.
On Thanksgiving Day, we drove to a state park in Tennessee (just 18 miles away) for Thanksgiving lunch. I was glad Bruce had made reservations, because it's apparently a popular place for a Thanksgiving meal and the building got very crowded. Because we were there early (and even went for a walk before lunch), we didn't have to stand in line to get our food at noon. It was delicious!
Ranee and family left for Louisville after lunch, since Randy had to work the next day, but Bruce, the dogs and I stayed one more day. On our way back to the cabin after lunch, we stopped at the Elk and Bison Prarie again. Bruce's camera had somehow been on the wrong setting the day before, and he wasn't sure if the photos from that trip would be any good, so we went for another photography session. We had arrived, by chance, at just the right time the day before, when all the animals were out eating. This time, we were earlier and didn't see as many the first time around, so we drove around the whole habitat a couple of times more, seeing more bison each time. They and the elk were in different locations this time, and the elk weren't as plentiful, but Bruce still managed to get some good photos. We saw some baby bison that were very cute.
On Friday, we began the long drive home. This time, because we were driving on Friday rather than Sunday, as we had done last year, there was much less traffic on the road so the drive back was a pleasant one. We stopped along the way at a park of some sort for the dogs to have another long run. There was only one other car there, so we let the dogs off their leashes. The other car belonged to a woman with three little dogs, who was there to try and get her dogs a little tired out before her family got together that evening for their Thanksgiving meal. Once she was gone, we had the place to ourselves, so the dogs were able to run free again. They had a thrilling time (except that Belle threw up soon after we were back in the car - either because of all the running around or the water they had been drinking from a creek). She threw up on a towel, though, so no damage was done to the car seat.
So, that was our Thanksgiving adventure in 2008. I'm glad it was so nature-filled.
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