Oliphant Parts

Honestly, do we really need more snow? It is snowing again today, big fat flakes falling fast. White wet and, um, crap, whining? No, winging down to the ground in a flurried hurry. Yes, more snow. This weekend we spent our yet-to-arrive stimulus package on support for our daughter’s school. No, it is not a private school, but rather a charter school. This means that po’ people like us (we?) can get our kids in and that the school will be perpetually underfunded compared to the rest of the public schools around here, which are underfunded as well. Yay, Education President! My government went to Iraq and all I got was this lousy national debt. When will Bush realize that the “intelligence gap” is between his big-ol’ Curious George monkey ears?

And because everyone* likes cute puppies, here’s Hiro, mid-snore:

*Well, everyone but a certain Presidential ex-candidate with a pathological inability to be honest and a love for strapping his dog to the roof of the family car for a happy trip down the highway.

Yay! Warm toes! Not only am I wearing socks, but I finally put the outlet cover and insulator on the outlet under my desk. Sure, I had to install new sockets in the outlet because I misplaced the insulators of the old type, but it is done now and I only stabbed myself in the palm with a screwdriver once. And in spite of my not cleaning the wound, it doesn’t look like I have blood poisoning. Yet.

Speaking of infected, the puppy’s face is swollen today. Poor little guy either needs some Benadryl or an abscess drained. I am not sure which yet. And for you horse nuts out there, here’s another Rein picture. Okay, same one, just slightly more colorful.

And if anyone wants to meet me in S.F. on February 5th, 6th or 7th, leave a message. Sure, I will probably ignore it, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

Sooooo, there’s a cold draft across my toeses. Considering that it was 2f when I woke up this morning (somewhere around -12f once you factor in all that wind-chill mumbo-jumbo), I should be grateful that the pellet stove finally got installed. That, and I’ve got a roaring fire going in the basement. In the fireplace insert, not on the pool table. That would be stupid, even by my standards. Bastards, the whole lot of you! Damn, someone’s had too many grumpy pills this morning, hasn’t he? Anyway, cold draft, cold toes, roaring fires. Everybody all caught up now? Good.

Not much has happened in the past, um, month?- since I last posted. Well, we did get a second gerbil. I did mention that we got a first one, right? Someday I should read some of the crap I write. And I made new baseboard for the downstairs landing. That’s all painted and installed. I still need to finish a stair nose there. What else? I put in new flooring in the downstairs bathroom and had some fun redoing the copper pipe that provides water to the toilet in that bathroom. It was too short by the time I removed the old connectors, and our water shutoff valve doesn’t actually shut off all the way, so I had great fun trying to solder the new pipe on while flooding the bathroom. Little hint for anyone else who wants to try this technique: Soldering (or “sweating” if you speak plumberese) does not work when you have a steady supply of cold water cooling your pipes. Thankfully I eventually turned on my brain (I try to do so at least once a month, so now I am set until February, thanks) and shoved a wadded up slice of bread in the pipe and finished up quickly. Once Jennie seals the new flooring I installed, I will toss in the toilet and vanity, which should be a blast. I actually installed the toilet earlier, but it turned out to require a smaller toilet. Once again, thank you previous owner who shall not be named, for not following the basic homebuilding guidelines that everyone else follows. I’m sure the kids will love having a toilet sized for a mobile home in their bathroom. Assuming I ever finish up.

My toes are still cold. Maybe it is time to put insulation behind the outlet covers in my office. Or maybe put the outlet covers back on in my office. It’s only been two years since we painted in here, and I really don’t want to rush things.

The horse, it turns out, does not like us. He tolerates me, but has decided that Jennie must die. Makes for an exciting time when we go out there. Hopefully he will settle down once we pick up a pasture-mate for him. Or threaten to sell him to the French.