Dumb Joke...

Q: Why is a car that has no wheels considered naked?

A: Because it is without a tire!


get it? "a tire" ... "attire?"
:P

Global Talent Resources

I just wanted to mention, that a friend of mine, Tim Finlay, has started up a new web site:

http://globaltalentresources.terapad.com/

He provides recruiting services in the insurance industry. If you or someone you know is looking for a job in this industry, or trying to fill a position in this industry, check out this site.

Writer's Block

It is strange how that as I'm browsing my own blog, I think of all sorts of things to write about, but, when I pull up the Create Posting, the ol' brain goes blank on me. Arggg!

Grampa

My wife and I took my father out from the nursing home for lunch at Wendys. We were then going to take him for a drive. But he asked about going over Heather's (my sister's) to see her new baby. I didn't think she'd be up to it, but Yvonne my wife called and it worked out just fine.

She and her husband Emmet live fairly close to the nursing home, and my sister was up to it, so we went. Grampa got to hold the baby ..Joseph... and uncle Orville (that's me) did to!

Heather took some pictures (which I hung up next to my dad's bed back at the nursing home).
It worked out rather well.

Blogger Logon Getting Screwy!

I just want to say: "Blogger, what are you doing?" Logging in has gotten really screwy. I'm not even sure how to describe it. It took quite a while before it would take my user id and password. :(

Yesterday turned out to be quite a nice sunny day. Yvonne and I took my father for lunch at Wendy's and then for a nice long drive. He certainly was glad to get out of the nursing home for a while.

When my wife and I got back from the jaunt with dad, I mowed the lawn (which was getting a bit shaggy) and did some edging. We had our first picnic meal of the year. And watch a video of "Pride and Predudice" with my mother for mother's day.

Adding Comments and Viewing Profile

I am suprised that when a visitor of the blog goes to add a comment or look at my profile, the page is not formatted the same as the rest of the blog. Wordpress looks better in this way. Also, I get a message about content mixed between protected and unprotected. This could be fixed easily so that the annoying messages would not come up.

My gripe mainly is it wrecks the continuity of the blog. It doesn't "flow."

I had another thought.... oops! lost it!

• Went to the theatre to see a drama about puns.
• The stage was covered with phrases written on large pieces of cardboard all screwn about.
• As the drama unfolded it became clear that it was a play on words.

Someone who is self absorbed: Ego Maniac
Someone who is fantically interested in large birds of prey: Eagle Maniac
Someone who is obsessed with toaster waffles: Eggo Maniac
Someone who is trying to kill Superman: Evil Maniac

Cookies are Gone

The cookies (not the web browser type) I bought earlier this week are now gone. They are either eaten or thrown out. I am cashless, credit cardless, and debit cardless of my own volition.

Hopefully, this is the start of something good both health wise and financially.

Blogger Template

Was messing around with my blogger template. If you know HTML and CSS you can do quite a bit! Too bad they don't talk to me, I could make a WYSIWYG template editor that works in the browser!

Chilly in the Windy City

Weather.com is a wee bit confused I think, it projects that it should be 71 degrees outside right now, but displays the current temp as a frigid 53 degrees. Brrrrr! So much for a long walk at lunch! I just wore a short sleeved shirt!

Tightening the Screws on my Spending

Yesterday, I had no money in my wallet, and no bank card (debit card) at my disposal--- intentionally. I just had my credit card. Well I used it. I only spent just over $2. But that isn't the point. I bought cookies and chocolate milk. I'm trying to lose weight, be healthier, etc. Plus at that rate, it still $40 a month!

Well I left my personal credit card at home. I am now a self broke man! Great! I still have some cookies left over from yesterday, but once they run out, all my snacks will have to come from home. At least I haven't had any soda in quite some time.

Sewer Place-holder

I will fill this in later.

Baby Pictures!

My wife and I went to visit my sister and her new baby boy in the hospital. The nephew has arrived. Here are some baby pictures!

Naturally I start with me and my wife!
And and the Baby!

This guy is a bruiser! Nearly 10 pounds. He felt heavy for being just a few hours old. Name?

Joseph Andrew Downes.

Is Javascript js File Loaded?

I learned a little coding tip over the weekend. I was monkeying around with Microsoft's mapping mashup, and I found that every now and then I'd get an Javascript error. Basically saying that the function I was calling did not exist. I came up with the following idea to deal with the problem:

<html>
<head>
<title>Sample Page</title>
<script src="Includes/sample.js"
language="Javascript"></script>
<script language="Javascript">
function initPage() {
   if (sampleFunc == null) {
      setTimeout("initPage()",100);
      return false;
   } // end if

   // now that it exists, call it!
   sampleFunc();
} // end of function initPage()
</script>
</head>
<body onload="initPage()">

</body>
</html>

This little sample will give the web browser more time to download the sample.js file. But it will do it in such a way as to not lock up the entire browser whilst it's waiting!

I know that I don't want to spend my time occupied with the sport of Orville Bashing. But at the same time I want to get somewhere good. I, as usual, am my own worst enemy.

A Slip?

Boy do I want to justify myself! A little rationalization. A little self-spin doctoring. I bought AAA batteries for my phone's headset at work. Not a problem. But I also bought at the same time a can of Red Bull. Not supposed to happen! I can say that the main thing I went for is the needed batteries. But that is lame. I can say Red Bull has less caffiene in it than coffee. That is still not the point.

The points:

• I don't need any sugar (processed) or caffiene in my life. I'm trying to get healthy.
• We are trying to save money. I certainly don't want to open the flood gates.

Before leaving the money at home I was spending $5-7 a day at work on junk food and soft drinks. If we just stick with $5 a day, that's $100 a month. Nothing to sneeze at! I am annoying!

"How did you buy this stuff if you left your money at home?" you may ask. I left my bank card in my wallet. I forgot to take it out. I've been just leaving my credit card in my wallet for emergencies. But I was so driven today I might have gone to the trouble of using it anyways.

Joseph has arrived!

Well it's official: I'm now an uncle! My sister gave birth to a bruiser (the dude weighs over 9 pounds). I'm going to the hospital tonight to visit her and the baby.

No pictures yet. This week promises to be a more "normal" week in respect to the fact that it looks like I won't miss any work. Ahhh! No sewers blocking up, no mom needing transport to the doc's for cataract surgery, nothing! I hope...

Back from the Weekend

Well, I'm back at work today. Not that you would know since I haven't posted anything to give you a clue. I came home last Thursday night from work to be greeting with a flooded basement, a wife who had gone out and bought a wet vac and was trying vainly to vacum up the water only to have it replaced with more water.

I went out with her and bought a portable sump pump at the Home Depot. A good thing to own I've learned. Anyways, we battled on a good part of the night to keep our basement from floating away.

I called a plummer on Friday morning. The sewer was backed up. And they proceeded to rod the sewer line. The rod got stuck! The poor guy working on the thing struggled for several hours to get his sewer rod out but to no avail! The possible meaning of this: the pipe was broken somewhere. Or, less likely, it ran into one nasty tree root.

There was no one available that day to dig a hole in my front yard to find the problem so I would have to wait until Monday. Fortunately, the whole weekend there was no rain... except for Sunday night! As I heard the rain on the roof Sunday night I prayed to God that there would be no more flooding in the basement. I was not thrilled about the thought of spending hours in the basement babysitting a sump pump and then wet vacing all the stuff it couldn't get.

Fortunately, the basement stayed dry. Later I am going to post an entry with pictures from the repair (took with my digital camera).