Month: January 2009

Uncategorized

Adventures in Cooking

Shelly

I tried to make some roasted veggies a few nights ago. After about 15 minutes, I heard a loud pop from the oven. It sounded suspiciously like an element breaking (BTDT). The element looked intact, but it wasn’t working, so I turned on the broiler to heat up the oven, then turned it off. That provided enough heat to almost finish cooking the veggies. After another 15 minutes, I turned on the broiler again, and there was a giant flash of blue between the back of the stove and the wall.

Eeep!

I turned off the oven and flipped off the breaker. Electricity scares the hell out of me. I had to wait until this morning to call maintenance, though, so I spent the weekend without a stove. This, of course, means that everything in my house requires stove-type cooking.

Anyway, the maintenance guy showed up at a little after 4pm, with an extra element. I told him that I didn’t think the element was going to fix the problem. I don’t think he believed me (though I couldn’t swear to it, as I could only make out every 5th word he said[1]), but he did finally pull the stove out. Apparently, one of the wires had either come loose or hadn’t been properly attached, because it had burned through. That was the giant flash I saw. He went to get a replacement, and now my stove is working again.

Wheee!

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1. I’m usually pretty good at deciphering the local patois, but lordy, was this guy’s speech unintelligible! I think he and Boomhauer must be long lost brothers.

Crankypantsing

Taxes

Shelly

I didn’t use I-File last year, because there was some sort of glitch. First, it gave me a wildly inaccurate amount that I owed the state (I have never, ever owed the state, because I rent and take the renter’s deduction). No way did I owe anything, much less a couple of thousand dollars. And then, I-File got stuck in an endless loop when I tried to find the mistake. After having a giant panic attack, I ended up paying to file through H & R Block or some other service, which worked Just Fine.

Because of that, I was leery of trying I-File again. I did, though (cuz it’s FREE), and ended up getting a little more back this year than last year.

All in all, Operation Tax Filing 2008 was a success.

The next step in my plot for world domination: Operation Cracktop.

That is all. As you were, comrades!

Uncategorized

Lost

Shelly

This time, not the show.

I got up this morning and couldn’t find my glasses anywhere. WTF?! I always put them on my bedside table. I have never misplaced them before. I spent about an hour tearing the house apart, looking for them (just call me Velma), before I gave up and put in my contacts. At which point I realized that it’s been so long since I’ve worn them that I have no idea where my contact solution is (and it’s likely out of date, even if I’d been able to find it). Hence the quick trip to Target.

I did end up finding my glasses. Somehow they’d fallen behind the headboard of my bed. Haven’t a clue how on earth that happened. My working theory is that the cat had something to do with it.

Crankypantsing

How Old Are You? Part II

Shelly

Remember when Coworker A demonstrated her inability to gauge other people’s ages? At the time, she thought I was old enough to have parents in assisted living communities. Um, no, my mom is a few years younger than Coworker A.

Anyway, yesterday she launched into a tale of how it was her 31st wedding anniversary. I congratulated her. Then she asked me if I was 31 years old. How on earth did she get from Point A to Point B? Not to mention that A) it’s kind of rude to ask someone else how old they are, and B) she’s already asked me how old I am. Multiple times!

Miss Noseypants is both nosy and forgetful.

Photography

Water and Ice

Shelly

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Ice on Windows

The condensation is back on the windows at work, only this time, because it’s been below zero, the windows that don’t have radiators beneath them are frozen. On some of the windows, there are frozen drips, and on others, pebbly ice crystals. It was very pretty, with the sun shining through the ice.

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Condensation on Window

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Ice on Window

These are the two windows in my cubicle. They are obviously adjacent to each other, but the left one has a radiator under it, so it didn’t freeze.

News & Politics

Next Week

Shelly

The new season of Lost starts next Wednesday. There’s a recap show on tonight, with the fourth season finale following it. Eeep!

The other exciting event happening next week, obviously, will be finally saying goodbye to Bush and his merry henchmen. Just one day after celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., we’ll be inaugurating our first person of color to the country’s highest office. That’s pretty damned awesome.