Most of our home has been tiled ever since the pets outnumbered the humans. Many of the original pets are still around, making them fairly old in dog (and cat) years. One sign of old age is forgetting things. (see my post from … uhm, yesterday, I think …)

Another sign is incontinence.

The closet in our master bedroom is (was) one of the last two “rooms” in the house that still had the original carpeting that was installed when the house was built. The other is the office/train room/storage area, but that’s not going to last – I’ve already had to cut out sections, and now it’s a case of unloading the room and removing the carpet. Last Friday, someone relieved themselves in the closet, and Saturday TMBWitW spent a lot of time removing everything form the closet so it could A) air out and 2) have the carpet removed. I tore up the small area on Sunday morning. Next step (now that you can actually go in there without holding your breath) is to clean the floor real well, removing the carpet tack strips, and then buying the new flooring.

We’re thinking engineered wood, like in the bedrooms. I’ll get some pictures and keep you updated.

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I feel so bad about this, still – I’m hoping that by writing about it I can get out from under some of the weight…

Yesterday, when I asked the group if there were any birthdays or anniversaries this week, two were mentioned – one of the young ladies is about to become a teenager, and a son mentioned his mom’s “27th” birthday. I looked right at her – keep in mind, this is a woman I have known for a while now, we have spent time together in fellowship every weekend and some weeknights, and I can’t believe I did this – and could not remember her name. For the life of me, I blanked. My usual memory tricks failed me. I simply could not remember her name.

It wouldn’t have been so bad, really, except that before I could dredge up the name from the morass of my mind, we were singing “Happy Birthday” and it got to the part where we mentioned the names – and I didn’t have it.

Talk about an awkward silence…

Coverage was applied in the form of a joke about an old man (?!) who was attending memory classes at a school, and when asked the name of the school, he used one of the memory tricks – “Oh, what’s the name of that flower, it’s usually red, real pretty, and you give it to your true love?” “The rose?” “Yeah, that’s it – hey, Rose! What’s the name of that school I’m going to?”

Yeah, the joke made me feel real better. I just sank further into the seat (right behind her!) and hoped I could melt into the floor. She turned and said she forgave me, but I could tell I had hurt her deeply. I couldn’t apologize enough.

I’m not even fifty yet – is this the path I’m going to take? Names of friends and loved ones fading away, or playing hide-and-seek when I need them the most?

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

I saw this over at Gunslinger’s Journal and had to steal it:

All:

Shamelessly, I have stolen this brief essay from Casey Research’s Casey’s Daily Dispatch. It couldn’t be more correct!!!

This Is Why There Are No Jobs in America

By Porter Stansberry
Saturday, August 21, 2010

I’d like to make you a business offer.

Seriously. This is a real offer. In fact, you really can’t turn me down, as you’ll come to understand in a moment…

Here’s the deal. You’re going to start a business or expand the one you’ve got now. It doesn’t really matter what you do or what you’re going to do. I’ll partner with you no matter what business you’re in – as long as it’s legal.

But I can’t give you any capital – you have to come up with that on your own. I won’t give you any labor – that’s definitely up to you. What I will do, however, is demand you follow all sorts of rules about what products and services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, and where and when you’re allowed to operate your business. That’s my role in the affair: to tell you what to do.

Now in return for my rules, I’m going to take roughly half of whatever you make in the business each year. Half seems fair, doesn’t it? I think so. Of course, that’s half of your profits.

You’re also going to have to pay me about 12% of whatever you decide to pay your employees because you’ve got to cover my expenses for promulgating all of the rules about who you can employ, when, where, and how. Come on, you’re my partner. It’s only “fair.”

Now… after you’ve put your hard-earned savings at risk to start this business, and after you’ve worked hard at it for a few decades (paying me my 50% or a bit more along the way each year), you might decide you’d like to cash out – to finally live the good life.

Whether or not this is “fair” – some people never can afford to retire – is a different argument. As your partner, I’m happy for you to sell whenever you’d like… because our agreement says, if you sell, you have to pay me an additional 20% of whatever the capitalized value of the business is at that time.

I know… I know… you put up all the original capital. You took all the risks. You put in all of the labor. That’s all true. But I’ve done my part, too. I’ve collected 50% of the profits each year. And I’ve always come up with more rules for you to follow each year. Therefore, I deserve another, final 20% slice of the business.

Oh… and one more thing…

Even after you’ve sold the business and paid all of my fees… I’d recommend buying lots of life insurance. You see, even after you’ve been retired for years, when you die, you’ll have to pay me 50% of whatever your estate is worth.

After all, I’ve got lots of partners and not all of them are as successful as you and your family. We don’t think it’s “fair” for your kids to have such a big advantage. But if you buy enough life insurance, you can finance this expense for your children.

All in all, if you’re a very successful entrepreneur… if you’re one of the rare, lucky, and hard-working people who can create a new company, employ lots of people, and satisfy the public… you’ll end up paying me more than 75% of your income over your life. Thanks so much.

I’m sure you’ll think my offer is reasonable and happily partner with me… but it doesn’t really matter how you feel about it because if you ever try to stiff me – or cheat me on any of my fees or rules – I’ll break down your door in the middle of the night, threaten you and your family with heavy, automatic weapons, and throw you in jail.

That’s how civil society is supposed to work, right? This is Amerika, isn’t it?

That’s the offer Amerika gives its entrepreneurs. And the idiots in Washington wonder why there are no new jobs…

So, any chance the “Elites” will ever figure out the government cannot CREATE wealth, it can only allow wealth to BE CREATED (by others)?

Nah …

It’s Friday – Wear Red!

Support our troops – ‘nuf said!

(this poem is brought to you by the letter R and the word insomnia)

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there arre none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!

Here in the Valley of the Sun, we have a problem with lead acid batteries. They can’t stand the heat. Normally speaking, if you can get two summer cycles out of a battery, you are doing pretty well. Three summers, and you are in rare air. Which is why, as I was checking the receipt associated with my freshly dead battery yesterday morning, I was shocked – shocked – to discover that my battery has actually lasted four years and two months. which means, technically, that it lasted through most of five summers. (purchased 6/25/06, summer of 07, 08, 09, and most of 10).

Of course, it was at the most inconvenient time. I had just finished unloading some children’s furniture from the QX4 into the back of babystop and there was a UPS truck and trailer there waiting to get into the loading slot.

Turned the key – nothing.

I knew it was on it’s last legs – the starter had not been spinning with the usual verve and energy – but I was hoping to get to another payday before I had to replace it.

My boss is way very cool, however – she handed me her business expense credit card, and told me to use that – very cool, boss. You were my favorite boss of all time already (including that slave driver I worked for before I started at kidstop) and this just really cemented it.

So – the count is on. How long will this one last?

Chat ya later…

Thank you for stopping by, In GOD We Trust, God bless you all, don’t buy or breed cats or dogs while homeless pets die (spay, neuter & adopt a pet, one by one, until there are none), Wear Red on Fridays, and support Warriors for Innocence!