“Houston, one whole side of the spacecraft is missing!”

– Jim Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13. 
(And me in last night’s wind storm…)

This photo shows how much skirting was blown off the house by the wind.  This is the view looking back from standing next to the air conditioner.  Two more panels are out between the AC unit and the front of the house.  At this point I’ve laid out what I can find of it so I could put it all back on.  I chatted with my next door neighbor briefly while I was gathering up the wreckage.  She said she wasn’t certain that the contractor who was here Friday in the rain to install my new propane furnace had put back the skirting they’d removed to run the line to the tank.  They may have been thinking that way they wouldn’t have to take it off again for the building inspector come Tuesday.  The fact that my pipes may freeze between now and then doesn’t seem to have entered into the equation.

If true, I am not at all happy about that.

I am happy that they took down one of my little oil lamps so it wouldn’t be damaged when they were wrestling the furnace into the little closet in the hall.  But I am decidedly unhappy that they laid it on its side on my bed! 

Fortunately it seems that I don’t have restless leg syndrome.  I haven’t been rubbing my ankles together to create any friction that might ignite the lamp oil that leaked and saturated the foot end of my mattress.  I sopped up as much as I could.  But still…

To adapt a line from Cornel Jeff Cooper:

‘Rule 1: All oil lamps are full.’ 

Grumble, grumble!

Starbucks Appreciation Day

Never been to a Starbucks before this evening.  Naturally while I'm trying to decide what to have my cell phone rings!  I wore my NRA Gadsden hat and tipped with a $2 bill.  I doubt the kid behind the counter noticed...  (BTW: That second Frapachino is for Mum.)

I love a story with a happy ending!

I just hope she doesn't take him back...

Link via NRANews.com on Facebook.

Awfully quiet around here

Oh…

Absa-fragging-lutely!

Munchkin Wrangler has a post up on the subject of what the Constitution is really all about.  Go have a read.  I heartily agree!

From the Earth to the Moon

I did some shopping at one of my favorite stores today.  I picked up a few things.  A couple of books and a couple of videos.  One of the videos was a complete set of the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon on VHS tape.  After watching tape one which contains episodes one and two I have to give this the highest possible rating.  If the rest of the series is even half as good as what I have seen thus far it is worthy of your tracking it down to add to your video collection.

Now I admit that I am coming to this party rather late.  You see, I had this little dispute over a bill with my local cable company a while back.  Long about the beginning of the fifth season of Babylon 5 as a matter of fact.  That’s when I told the cable company to …  well, lets just say I used a few “colorful metaphors” and the expense of an over priced cable bill left my life for good.  So I didn’t see this series when it first ran on HBO.  I don’t know that what they are charging for cable these days is worth the price, but this series is worth tracking down on tape.

That’s my two cents and I’m sticking with it.

But I am not about to sign up for cable…  I waste enough time as it is on the internet!

Monday Even'n Funny