Wednesday, April 20, 2005

late evening

Killer Squirrels From, Uh, The Roof

I did a search here and I didn’t tell my squirrel story, so here it is, copied from a message board:  My scariest story was when I was staying at my parents’ house in CA when they were in Vegas and I heard scurrying footsteps on the roof, above the second story. The second story is an add-on, so it doesn’t go the full length of the house, it’s just over the garage. I went to the kitchen, got a huge knife and was going to walk up the stairs...then it struck me, that’s what people do in scary movies and you’re always thinking, “What a moron, get out of there!” So, instead, I took the big knife, got my car keys and left...barefoot.  I found out later that it was squirrels running on the roof. Oops. I’m a sissy.

And see, now that you know what the house looks like, you can picture squirrels running along the roof, terrifying me.

evening

Graphics For Beginners

Okay, so I’m not perfect.  I stitched together three pictures my dad took of the ol’ homestead, but shockingly they don’t match up exactly.  Actually, it doesn’t look too terribly awful, except for the extra roof piece upstairs.  Just pretend the killer squirrels (have I written about them yet?) chewed a piece off and moved it.  By the way, you should know, the picture is huge.  I inserted it as a popup so you could see the whole picture.  We’ll see how that goes.  If it doesn’t, I’ll fix it later.

Okay, it’s later and I’m fixing it.  I don’t like the popup.  Also, I noticed in the picture, it looks like the house bends in the middle.  I think we can safely assume that even though it’s in earthquake territory, it isn’t bent in the middle.  Although, that’s almost where my bedroom was during the 1971 Sylmar earthquake.  The one where for some dumb reason I thought my dad was shaking the house.  Yeah, sure, everyone’s dad is big and strong when they’re six or seven, but shaking the house is a bit much.  Also, why would he do that?  Anyway, here’s the picture, resized for your convenience.

Monday, April 18, 2005

evening

I’m Tired - What *She* Said

Leigh-Ann wrote an entry and I don’t have to, so nyah, nyah, nyah.

Sunday, April 17, 2005

evening

Home Sweet Gone

It was bound to happen - the ol’ homestead finally sold.  It’s like I lost a friend.  A place where I learned how to ride a bike.  Where I learned to play wiffle ball and not cry too hard when David hit a line drive back into my eye.  Where I named our German Shepherd’s last runty puppy, Goopy...because he was.  Where I was chased by tiny shepherd puppies with sharp nippy teeth and scratchy claws.  Where I had all my important birthday parties.  Where my brother broke into the bathroom when he shouldn’t have, so I threw a book at him...hard.  Where we played baseball and football in the streets with the neighbor boys.  Where we played basketball in our driveway, until our hands were too numb to play anymore.  Where our stupid olive tree dropped purple olives on our basketball court, making a huge mess.  Where I learned how to skateboard, and how I shouldn’t skateboard barefoot.  Where I learned how to play catch, how to pitch, how to put my uniform on so it looked cool.  It’s where I curled up with Harriet the Spy & Encyclopedia Brown on rainy days.  Where I baked cookies with my mom when my brothers were off at Indian Guides or baseball practice.  Where we ordered pizza and watched The Six Million Dollar Man on Sundays.  Where we had dinner together every single night, with all six of us there, after my dad got off work at 4:42pm every day.  I knew the time because his watch went off at that time for years after he retired.  Where my big brothers made their stop-action go-kart/melting army men/peace sign movie.  Where we picked lemons, peaches, loquats and pineapple guavas.  Where we played with the lizards that stopped by our back yard for a visit.  Where we played ping-pong, with me rarely winning, because I was only the little sister.  Where Rufus, Starr, Diablo and my hamster, Chi-Chi lived.  Where we were a family.  A happy family, for as many years as the house was ours.  It’s where Santa came to visit, even though we’re Jewish...and no one can tell me that boot print on the fireplace wasn’t his. I hope the next owners appreciate the place.

I realize how lucky I am to even be able to write this entry.  That house is the only house I ever lived in as a child.  It was purchased four years before I was born, and now I’m 40.  That phone number is the only number that’s been a constant number in my life.  And for the last time, it’s Eatough, E-A-T-O-U-G-H Avenue, not Place.  We pronounce it Eee-taw, not Eeetuff, not Utah.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

evening

Crack Dreams Or How The NHL Lockout Is Haunting Me

While the electricians were ripping apart our stucco and hammering on our walls, we decided to try to go back to sleep.  After all, Leigh-Ann and I were both showered and dressed by 6:38am.  The reason I know it was 6:38 - that was about the time we expected Nevada Power to pound on the door to shut off the power, so I was getting a last email check done.  I think the last time I was ready to go anywhere that early was when I was working 6-2:30p for United Airlines Res.  I had to leave our apartment in San Francisco at 4:45am to get to work on time.  And now you know why I’m self-employed.  I like my sleep.  I like my lack of a schedule.  I like working in t-shirts.  I like not having angry or dumb customers on the phone.  I slightly miss co-workers and nice customers, but not enough to seek them out.

I digress.  When we went back to sleep I had weird dreams.  The first one involved going out for sushi and the waiter drinking out of the liqueur bottle before he was going to serve it.  It was gross, but fortunately brief.  The other one was about Tie Domi (or Voldemort) of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  It involved Tie (or Voldemort) being on American Idol and singing “Sarah Smile”. He was voted off because he was really off-key. Like William Hung off-key. I really hate that song too. I’d rather listen to William Hung than anyone singing “Sarah Smile”. So, if Tie (or Voldemort) ever enters hockey’s version of AI, he should pick a different song.

So, anyway, the electricians finished the panel, then disappeared.  Luckily, the inspector approved everything and NV Power came back early to turn the power back on.  I have to admit, they were very prompt, which I greatly appreciated.  We were also lucky that today was the coolest day in the middle of some fairly warm 80+ degree days.  We need the electricians to come back and fix one set of outlets that don’t work and to put in a few new outlets in the garage, but if they don’t ever want to come back, that’s okay.  They apparently were in such a hurry to leave, they didn’t bother asking for payment.  That’s a lovely $2500 freebie.  Yeah, I’m sure they’ll be back too.

Tomorrow is going to be super busy.  We have to be up early again, but this time for hair appointments.  We’re both getting haircuts and highlights.  I’ve been bored with my hair lately and I’m going to try something more bold than my normal highlights.  After that, we have to get back home to get our air compressor delivery.  Then, the electricians may or may not show up.  Then, dinner with Camden Toy at Treasure Island (stupidly renamed “ti").  Then, my nephew has a 9am game on Saturday.  I plan to sleep until 10am all of next week in protest.