Friday, November 16, 2001
I just watched the edited rerun of Once More, With Feeling, and I have to admit that I'm disappointed with the cuts of "Hey, I've died twice..." and Spike's verse about "you've got a willing slave," but whatever. Now I'm watching the new Iron Chef USA. Wow, Shatner's laying the cheese on thick. And what's with the combo TAFKAP/Les Miserables outfit on him?
9:15 PM Comment
Daily update: Still sick. I didn't sleep well because something broke at Dave's office and he was there until after I went to sleep, and then turned right around after getting home to drive to Hoboken to his company's hosting facility, and he got home around 4. My office is fah-REEZING today.
Good news, though -- we got the official home inspection report back, and everything is as we had hoped. I dropped off the giant checks at the lawyer's office this morning on my way in, and now all we need to do is see if we can push the closing back two days. Huzzah!
Thursday, November 15, 2001
So. Freaking. Tired.
10:14 PM Comment
Gripes for this morning: I've caught Dave's cold and am coughing like a seal any time I speak above a whisper. The real estate lawyer hasn't called me back to let me know to whom I need to make the giant check out. I've got 266 pages of advertising to review before my meeting at noon.
Wednesday, November 14, 2001
And for all of you Star Trek/Next Generation/Wesley Crusher fans...
4:45 PM Comment
Scott must have read my mind, because I've been meaning to post here asking what the hell a "Tricky Tray" is for weeks. It must be unique to this part of the state/country, because I know for sure I never heard of such a thing in Pennsylvania (although we had "penny auctions" there). I've been seeing these "Tricky Tray" signs outside of churches and schools and stuff since we moved here, and I gathered that it was some sort of fundraiser, but now I know the details at last.
4:39 PM Comment
Shockingly, the comments appear to be working. For how long this might last I cannot say.
3:19 PM Comment
One of my colleagues here sent me this story, and I thought I'd share.
South Carolina students repay old NYC kindness
COLUMBIA, South Carolina (AP) --A group of South Carolina schoolchildren said Tuesday they have raised nearly half a million dollars, exceeding their goal to buy New York City a fire truck and help repay a 134-year debt of kindness.
Efforts by White Knoll Middle School students to replace one of the fire trucks lost in the September 11 attacks got a boost when it was discovered that New York firefighters had given a fire wagon to Columbia two years after the Civil War. Columbia officials at the time promised never to forget the favor.
"It shows we care about people in New York," said eighth-grader Laurin Huffstetler. "It also shows we keep our promises." The children plan to present a check for $447,265 to New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. That covers the $350,000 cost of the truck and any other equipment firefighters wish to buy.
South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges hopes the truck will wear a little South Carolina pride. At Tuesday's announcement, he gave students a blue Palmetto State flag to take to New York. White Knoll Principal Nancy Turner said she was surprised the students were able to raise the money so quickly. But she said the children never doubted it.
When she told adults about buying the fire truck, they all asked, "How much will it cost?" All the students wanted to know was, "Who was going to drive?"
It was Turner who stumbled across records of New York's long-ago gift while doing research about the cost and what type of truck to buy. In 1867, Columbia was still struggling to recover from the devastation of the Civil War when the New York Firemen's Association heard the city was still using bucket brigades to fight fires.
The New Yorkers -- many of them former Union soldiers -- took up a collection to buy Columbia a fire wagon. When the wagon was lost during shipment, they took up another collection and bought yet another wagon. Former Confederate Col. Samuel Melton was so overwhelmed that he promised on behalf of South Carolina's capital to someday return the favor "should misfortune ever befall the Empire City."
Inspired by the historical link, William Murray, a New York attorney with South Carolina ties, pledged $100,000 to the campaign if the students could raise the remainder. Columbia Fire Chief John Jansen, a native New Yorker, also joined in to help lead the fund-raising efforts.
While emphasis had been put on the repayment of the 19th century kindness, several officials Tuesday focused on the lessons of giving. "This is the ultimate example of character education," said state Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum. "These students have given a gift to the people of New York, but they have also given a gift to all of us."
I'm so outraged by this news that I almost don't have the words. What makes Bush think that he can arbitrarily subvert the court system and try these people in front of "special military commissions" appointed, by the way, by Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense?
Tuesday, November 13, 2001
So for those of you playing along at home, the home inspection today went pretty well. The hot water heaters need to be replaced, and the electric needs some upgrading (which we knew), but otherwise, the house seems to be in remarkably good shape for being 93 years old.
In other news, Dave has a bad cold and is extremely cranky. I keep making him tea, and it seems to be improving his mood. Slightly.
I'm putting this one on *my* Christmas list, fer sure.
3:25 PM Comment
I'm not at all understanding how this can happen. Regardless, it's freaking me out.
1:16 PM Comment
Style police note: If you're using Ms. in front of my name, drop the Esq. at the end. Conversely, if you want to use the Esq., don't put Ms. in front.
11:27 AM Comment
Monday, November 12, 2001
And before I forget, was last night's X-Files just an incredibly large Vortex of Suckage or WHAT?
4:45 PM Comment
I'm in the process of switching this over to Greymatter, so that, among other things, the comments link will actually work. The marvelous Duane has done all of the work for me, and he is the bomb. Hopefully things will be up and running tomorrow or Wednesday.
4:14 PM Comment
Busy day. Our new admin started this morning, so I was in meetings all morning and then the boss took us out to lunch. Home inspection is tomorrow, so I'll be in late, which means that I have mucho work to do, and with the plane crash and all, I'm pretty distracted. Miss Patti was flying to Florida today for work, and I'm worried.
2:09 PM Comment
Sunday, November 11, 2001
Nothing to see here. Just move along.
7:32 PM Comment
Copyright 2001 by Heather. Don't make me come over there.
