Bike odometer: 2361
Van odometer: 151125
Weight lost (in pounds): 12
Hours of sleep last night: 7
Aches & pains: sciatic, lower back
Current reading: The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Areas of My Expertise by John Hodgman
Recent listening: Randy Holden, The Shepherd’s Dog by Iron & Wine, In Rainbows by Radiohead, News from Lake Wobegon, Science Friday, Fresh Air
Recent viewing: Countdown, Warriors at Suns, The 4400, Doctor Who, The Daily Show
Recent playing: Spikeys Bounce Around, Virus 2, Peggle
Recently accomplished: Gym research, list G4 on Craigslist, redeploy UPS’s, redeploy computer monitors, migrate music data to new drive, groceries, redistribute Tina’s unused memory, set and check mouse traps
Imperative To Do: Sift through inbox, taxes, post office (Kent, Sue, Lala), phone calls, test bike commute, join gym, 401k rollover, find new internet host
Learning songs about the one that got away
Yesterday, part of my IM conversation with Tina went like this:
Tina: so guess what?
Me: what?
Tina: there is a surprise for you in the boys bathroom. it has paws.
Me: mouse?
Tina: and it scared the shit out of me
Tina: yep
Tina: wrapped up in a towel
Tina: waiting for you to come home and throw it away
Me: we should set traps again
Tina: thinks that’s a good idea
Tina: at first i thought it was a toy
Tina: then i saw blood
Tina: then i screamed
Tina: and threw a towel over it
Me: haha
Tina: mice are scary
I was able to guess the answer easily because this is the second we have found this year. The first we took from one of the kittens more than a week ago after they had eaten the guts out of it.
After I got home last night, I went into the bathroom and grabbed the towel in question. I took it out into the garage and put it into the garbage can, which is conveniently full to the top. I unwrapped the folds and found a positively live mouse looking at me inquisitively. There was no sign of blood and the little fellow look quite healthy. I quickly refolded the towel and went back into the house. “That mouse is still alive,” I whispered to Tina. The range of emotions that passed over her face was pretty amusing.
I found a plastic container in the recycling and dumped a little baking soda in it and returned to the garage with the intent of gassing the critter. I put the container on the floor and began to unfold the towel to dump the mouse into the container. Unfortunately, he landed right next to the container and took off under the car. Baby, who just happened to be in the garage with me at that moment, immediately pursued the new toy under the car. I assumed that he would emerge with mouse in mouth, but I was wrong. Soon he was digging around behind some shelves where his brother joined him, but they never caught the bugger.
When Graham got wind of the situation, he refused to go to bed. We eventually talked him into it, but I think that the presence of his nightly companion reassured him that he would be safe from any rogue rodents that might trespass into his bedroom.
Rory spent most of the evening camped in front of the stove intently looking underneath it. Since that was a prime spot for catching mice last year, I’ll put a couple of traps under there tonight as well as one by the cat food and one under the dishwasher.
Fifteen Percent Concentrated Power of Will
Recent happenings:
- After a little drama with the van (seeping coolant), we got it back from the mechanic a couple of weeks ago and it’s running like a champ again.
- Last night Thomas crossed over into Boy Scouts.
- Thomas recently passed his swimming lesson class.
- Graham played the last basketball game of his season on Saturday.
- Graham has been having continual problems controlling himself at basketball practice, in games, at home and at school. He received several referrals one week from school, so we took away almost everything he loves (Wii, DS, computer). He needs to learn to stop and think before doing things. He’s back on the right track, though, and expects to get his keyboard back for his computer this week.
- Nietzsche has recovered from his enema, but is very upset at not getting table scraps anymore. Very upset.
- If you’ve been tracking Vital Statistics here, you’ve noticed we haven’t caught any mice for weeks. I think they are all gone.
- Thomas and I spent this last weekend at a Boy Scout lodge up on Mt. Hood with Troop 606. It was fun and I may write more about it later.
- I’m transitioning from one project to another right now at work so it’s a little hectic. Hopefully, I can give you more details about the new project soon.
- Tina is finishing up another term at Mt. Hood Community College and will enjoy Spring Break with the boys at the end of this week.
- Planning continues for a family reunion this summer. Looks like it might be the first week in August, but that’s only tentative.
- Thomas has taken an interest in programming recently. He inquired about a game that a collegue wrote and I explained how programming works. I’m thinking of starting him on Logo. Any thoughts, readers?
- My new front fender is awesome.
- After the MP3 CDs went over so well at Christmas, I started a “Song of the Day” club in our house. The idea is that members (everyone in the house) get a new song added to their iTunes every day. Graham really seems to enjoy it and occasionally requests specific things. Some requests have been for Queen and “heavy metal.”
Can you tell I love unordered lists in HTML?
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: 798 miles
Weight lost: 55 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 8
Hours billed last week: 41
Total mice caught: 15
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Recent listening: Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs, DrugMusic, Digital Ash In A Digital Urn by Bright Eyes
Recent viewing: Without a Trace, Cold Case, Battlestar Galactica, March Madness (but only a little bit)
Recent playing: Donut Games
Recently accomplished: Beat Legend of Aladdin
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, fix bathroom sink, backup everyone’s computer, implement rechargeable battery plan, pay bills
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: 790 miles
Weight lost: 55 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 7
Hours billed last week: 41
Total mice caught: 15
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
Recent listening: Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs, DrugMusic, KBOO Bike Show, NPR Story of the Day, Science Friday, Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull, Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Recent viewing: Doctor Who, South Park, Countdown, Suns at Mavericks
Recent playing: Donut Games
Recently accomplished: Reunion planning
Imperative To Do: Pack for snow camping, RMA old Tivo drive, fix bathroom sink, backup everyone’s computer
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: 726 miles
Weight lost: 57 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 9
Hours billed last week: 41
Total mice caught: 15
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
Recent listening: Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull, Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Corinne Bailey Rae by Corinne Bailey Rae
Recent viewing: Sportscenter, CSI: Miami, Countdown, High Stakes Poker, Academy Awards, Independent Spirit Awards
Recent playing: Donut Games, Tower Blaster
Recently accomplished: Successful Cub Scout presentation (tears were shed, spines were tingled), installed CD burner and USB 2.0 PCI card for Thomas, bought and returned new front bike fender (didn’t fit), moved music to new hard drive
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, hair cut, fix bathroom sink, buy front bike fender, taxes, taxes, backup everyone’s computer
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: n/a
Weight lost: 53 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 7
Hours billed last week: 41
Total mice caught: 13
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
Recent listening: Coverville, DrugMusic, NPR Story of the Day, Science Friday
Recent viewing:Â Sportscenter, Kingdom Hospital, High Stakes Poker, Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, The Colbert Report
Recent playing: Donut Games, Elebits
Recently accomplished: Fixed Thomas’ email, helped Tina finish her Cub Scout movie, help Thomas get video on his iPod, fixed DVD player (with Dust Off), test run for Cub Scout movie on projector
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, hair cut, fix bathroom sink, buy front bike fender, taxes, move music to new drive, taxes, install CD burner in Thomas’ computer, backup everyone’s computer
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: 711 miles
Weight lost: 53 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 8
Hours billed last week: 40
Total mice caught: 13
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith
Recent listening: The Information by Beck, Digital Ash In A Digital Urn by Bright Eyes, NPR Story of the Day, Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs, Necktie Second by Pete Droge
Recent viewing: Countdown, Sportscenter, Kingdom Hospital, The Office, My Name Is Earl, Medium
Recent playing: Donut Games, Elebits
Recently accomplished: Reset and re-baited mouse traps, re-routed cabling in office, paper recycling, paid bills, started reunion planning, DVD for Thane
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, hair cut, fix bathroom sink, buy front bike fender, taxes, move music to new drive, taxes
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: 680 miles
Weight lost: 53 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 6
Hours billed last week: 40
Total mice caught: 12
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, The Book of Totally Useless Information by Don Voorhees, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Recent listening: Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull, KBOO Bike Show, NPR Story of the Day, Science Friday
Recent viewing: NBA Rookie Challenge, All-Star Saturday Night, All-Star Game, Daytona 500, The Daily Show, Countdown, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Medium, Battlestar Galactica
Recent playing: Donut Games, Elebits, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
Recently accomplished: Cleaned and lubed bike, office cleaning, recycling, installed longer Ethernet cable for Tivo
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, pay bills, hair cut, fix bathroom sink, clean office, rebait and move traps
Vital Statistics
Bike odometer: 656 miles
Weight lost: 52 lbs.
Hours of sleep last night: 10
Hours billed last week: 40
Total mice caught: 12
Current reading: 2107 Curious Word Origins, Says & Expressions by Charles Earle Funk, 7 Seconds or Less by Jack McCallum
Recent listening: Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull, Sammy Davis, Jr., XO by Elliott Smith, The Outsider by DJ Shadow
Recent viewing: Countdown, Sportscenter, Stargate SG-1, The Daily Show, Saturday Night Live, Meet the Press
Recent playing: Donut Games
Recently accomplished: Mouse hunting, picked up van from mechanic, vacuumed van
Imperative To Do: RMA old Tivo drive, pay bills, hair cut, fix bathroom sink, procure longer Ethernet cable for Tivo