Getting My Money's Worth

Car insurance is an expense investment against the possibility of something happening to a car. Since our windshield has a two-foot-long crack in it, I get to replace it for free. Finally, I get some payback from the cost of the insurance, right? It does cost me a little time away from work, but that's not bad, either. We are receiving a $50 grocery store coupon, but Kyle topped me on that, getting over $100 rebate.

So, while that is a true story, today begins a multi-day fable in Clarity of Vision.

We had a pumpkinlicious time on Saturday with KLIK. No photos yet, mainly because I forgot to upload them. We carved pumpkins, saw farm animals, walked a corn maze, and rode a water barrel train. What? You'll understand when you see it.

Did anybody watch the TV program Once Upon a Time on ABC? I really enjoyed it. We liked Grimm, but not quite as much. Did either of these play on today's CoV? Maybe.

I woke up yesterday with some cold symptoms such as sore throat, a little cough, and a low voice (I always wished I was a bass, but not this way). So, I am self-medicating with OTC medicines. The cough is especially obnoxious at work because I don't want to give it to anyone and it seems really noisy in a cubicle environment.

OK, I think I'll go get a hot tea. See yourselves out, OK? More tomorrow.

You're a Good Show to See This Weekend, Charlie Brown

I found out that we are going to see You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown tonight at a local high school. I am sure the GRANDS will like that. I probably will, too.

A coworker sent me this link that she saw in church last Sunday. It's kinda cute. And this one that is also similar.

And a recent story in Yahoo told about this lady who does unique photographs. Even knowing what she does, it still fools the eye. Those are some cool photos.

Luckily, no one sent me links in a text message. This guy was not so lucky.This came from a story I heard on the radio about a group whose message is something like that. I wondered what might happen if they sent out their message via text.

I've got meetings at 9am, 10am, and 2pm. Luckily, only the 10am requires me to prepare anything. I am just an attendee on the other two.

No new photos today. I ended up watching the World Series game last night. Wow, it was a good game, although I was sorry the Rangers couldn't hold on. OK, it all comes down to the game tonight. I think maybe the Cardinals have enough momentum to take it.

Hey, why are we sitting around doing nothing when we could get our work finished for the day and start our weekend? Let's go. See you next week.

Happy Birthday, daughter-in-love!

Yee haw. It's Lyndsay's birthday. You can wish her happy b-day here, or, more directly, through Facebook. We celebrated last weekend, so no additional presents from me. Sorry, LMW. However, we are keeping the GRANDS tomorrow night, so maybe that's kind of like another present?

You are correct in that daughter-in-love is not a real word. Speaking of words, though, check out today's CoV.
If you already knew the last word, that is impressive. I confess that I did not. I did, however, look up how to pronounce it. I will not be spending time this weekend teaching the girls how to say it.

No new photos today. We went over the the annual Survivor watching party we have each week over at the folks'. Can you believe what happened last night? I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it, but Jeff Probst confirmed nothing like this has happened before.

In a meeting yesterday afternoon, someone mentioned the Three Little Pigs. That sent my mind off on a tangent of This Little Piggy, which went me off on another tangent of how to use that in a CoV. It will be coming soon. I need to decide how to fit it into four panels (which is a challenge since we have five toes on each foot). How do you think I will do it?

We have reached cooler weather, but it doesn't seem to want to stay. We will head up into the low 90s again over the weekend. Of course, I'll take that over the 100s, so I suppose it is all relative. Nothing like going from the 80s to snow like they did in Denver.

OK, let's all go prepare for our 8:30am conference calls. Thanks for loaning me your attention for a bit.

It's a Feast For Your Eyes

Yup, we gots us a plethora of things for you today, and I haven't even worked on verbiage yet. So, let's get started. Hmm, should it be CoV or vacation photos first? Or maybe I need to go ahead and get our conversation over with and end with a visual overload that leaves you gasping? OK, I decided. We will start with today's Clarity of Vision.

Now, we can move on to what I have been promising and teasing you with for a couple of weeks. Photos from our trip. In the old days, I would invite you over to watch slides and set up a screen to show them. Or, if I bought print film instead of slide film, I would print them (well, the ones I select) and put them in a book and then bring it out while you are sitting waiting on dinner. Today, since everything is digital, I can inflict my trip pics on you and you can scan them, pay them no mind, and move on to the blogs you look forward to reading. So, spoiler alert, photos coming.

When we first entered Yosemite National Park, it was rainy and foggy. The drive was not much fun and we skipped one of my favorite lookouts on the Tuolumne road. As we were nearing our accommodations, I saw the falls through the gloom and snapped this shot.

After we left Yosemite, we headed toward Salinas and the California coast. We had stayed at Yosemite into the afternoon, so our drive stretched into the night. On the way, I noticed what a pretty sunset it was and started looking for a windmill for a silhouette. When I saw this, I made the driver (Preacher Bro at that point) turn around so I could catch this shot. It was worth the diversion, I think.

Later in the trip, we were in Cambria to tour the Hearst Castle. We stayed across the street from the coast and took this shot of us near the coast.

Spoiler alert. This next link is a news item I saw yesterday. Why am I sharing it? It is unbelievable. There is a camera called Lytro allows you to refocus a photo after the fact, so you can load it onto your laptop and then choose a focus. You do not need to try and focus when you take a picture. Weird? Totally. Cool. Completely. Check it out. Go play with the resulting picture here.

I think we are keeping the GRANDS again this Friday night. Whoo hoo times two. We will attend a local high school's production of.... Well, I don't remember, but Kathie thought the girls would really like it. Then, on Saturday, we will all meet to .... No, I don't remember that, either. It'll be fun, though.

Well, I've monopolized your time for too long. Let's adjourn for a day or so and maybe I can remember those things mentioned above.

Beating the Feet Weather

Wow, it is nice at night right now. So, we are able to get out and walk the dog. Hey, it's good for the dog and hopefully, I can reduce my ridiculous body fat percentage. I bet I am down to 27.9% by now.

There is no fat in today's CoV, though. It is pure comedy muscle.

Hey, FOX, we need more dinosaurs on Terra Nova. Don't turn it into a run-of-the-mill TV drama.

Lewis, I am sorry to hear you are flammulated. That's probably the real reason you did not come by to spend the night. I think the couch was just an excuse.

At present, I only have two meetings scheduled today. Whoo hoo. That's good news. I do have a number of tasks queued up though, so I won't be bored.

Can a person be a Scrooge about Halloween? I think I am, because we close the windows, turn off the porch light, and do not answer the door for the night. It saves us money on house and bodily decorations and candy. Oh sure, we participated when the kids were younger. Among other things, I have been a California Raisin and a Chippendale dancer and Waldo. What do y'all do?

OK, let's not keep writing (me) or reading (you) just because we hate to say goodbye. Let's just pull off the bandage of separation and know that the pain is brief. We'll visit again in 24 hours or so.

Monday Blahs

Ugh. It's Monday, and there seems to be one every week. So, here I am, back at work.

We've got a leak in the toilet in our guest bathroom. I replaced the flapper and the leak continues. So, I need to replace the other hardware. However, I also read about this. Seems like it could work, and the price is reasonable. For now, though, I haven't done anything yet.

We had a nice little dinner and cake for Lyndsay's birthday on Saturday night. We went to Rustler's Roost at South Mountain and then over to Phyl's for the cake. However, we had some people trying to skirt the official ruling of "no purchased greeting cards." This will bear closer scrutiny. What is this? Lord of the Flies?

Today's CoV has nothing to do with Ralph or Jack or any of the boy's on the island. It is a sequel to the last couple of comics.

They moved a bunch of people into our room. So, it is noisier and already busy this morning. So, I am giving in and starting to work now. Oh no, I am giving in just like they did on the island. Maybe I am living with the boys and giving in....

A Flammulated Friday to All

Since today's post title is weird, let's start with the Clarity of Vision for the day.Yeah, flammulated is a type of owl which lives throughout the Western US, but I think it is a funny word, so I used it in the CoV.

OK, the GRANDS are spending the night. Since Ali is, too, we will move the granddaughters into the middle bedroom and they can sleep on the futon. If anyone else is spending the night, you get the couch in the den.

Did any of you see a recent CSI:Miami where a tornado ripped through the crime scene and they were still able to gather enough evidence to find the killer? I think it was very realistic. Didn't you? Actually, I am thinking this show may have jumped the shark.

I have no excuse today. We went over to see our friend at Schlotsky's for dinner and then spent the evening at home straightening up for the visitors. KHW did have some grading for school, but I could have (and should have) worked on getting you some vacation photos. I did not, instead becoming engrossed in the realistic cop show mentioned above. You'll have to keep on keeping on.

I accomplished 3 of my 6 action items for yesterday (numbers 2, 4 and 5 if you wondered). So, I will go ahead and start on #3 now, then an update on #6, and finally #1. What? No, the order is completely random. #2 was the most critical yesterday, followed by #5 and then #4.

Our insurance for 2012 is both more expensive and less comprehensive. Are you seeing the same thing? I chose a $100 deductible plus 100% last year, The closest match this year is $100 deductible with 90% coverage. and the cost is $100 more for the year. And last year, dental and vision were bundled, but they are separate offerings this year, with , of course, separate (and increased) costs. OK, 'nuff said.

We do have a Chorale concert on Sunday. We are practicing Christmas songs, but they will not be part of our concerts until sometime next month.

I said I was going to work, and now, I am. At least I have a job that I like, family that I love and that loves me, and most importantly, a God who loves me unconditionally. Isn't that what matters? See you next week.

We Survived Another Wednesday

We have a family version of Survivor where we get together each week to watch the program and have pizza and chicken wings. Then, we see who can stand each other long enough to make it through the show. Nobody went home early last night, so I claim victory. At least for me. I did guess wrong on who I thought the TV tribe would send home, though. I claim defeat on that.

I claim victory on today's CoV, though. I think I can, since none of you wrote one for me.

Again, no photos, either on Blogger or on Facebook. I was gone to Survivor Night, remember?

Yup, it's a girl's night on Friday. Grandgirls, that is. Plus, Alison will be up from Casa Grande. So, four girls and me. On Saturday morning, though, we've got to take Ali's car back in. They did not fully fix her ignition problem.

I am caught up at work after being out for a week. That's good. It doesn't mean I don't have a lot to do, though. However, the things that I missed from last week are now completed.

OK, I think I will get my day started. After all, it won't start itself. Hasta later, muchachos.

Christmas Music Time

No, not yet on the radio. We do have a station that plays 24x7 Christmas music beginning around Thanksgiving through Christmas Day. We have begun practicing Christmas music in East Valley Chorale. It's fun, although my voice was not 100% last night. Maybe something is blowing in on the Santa Ana winds?

I have definitely decided to leave Kathie on her school medical policy. That extra $750 is just too much to make it economical.

Nope, no photos on the blog yet. I had Chorale last night and did not even look at the photos.

My dental pain has calmed today. That's good. I ended up with a huge headache yesterday after getting Novocaine in both the upper right and lower left parts of my mouth. I do need to be careful to not loosen the temporary crown during the next couple of weeks.

Is it time for performance reviews at work? I don't know, but it is time to make fun of that in today's CoV.

I mentioned the Alabama Hills yesterday. (They were named for the Confederate Steam Ship Alabama by sympathizers back around 1864.) Today, I will say that Hearst Castle is a crazy place. There is just so much to see. We only took the main floor tour. There are several others available, each with it's own cost, of course.

So, did I distract you from wanting pictures by sharing web-available information? If yes, then my plan worked. If no, then you can just go occupy yourself some other way until I get around to it. Either way, we've spent enough time together for today. Until next time....

Better Late Than Never, Right?

I decided to complete this blog entry during my lunch break. I was at the dentist this morning, so by the time I got to the office, I didn't have time to write a post. I also decided to do a CoV, even though I missed my usual first-thing-in-the-morning opportunity.

So, let's go ahead and share the CoV.

What else? It is annual sign-up time for medical benefits for 2012. I don't know why I am surprised that the costs went up. I was thinking to maybe add Kathie to my insurance, but it now costs an additional $750 to do so (on top of the cost of the insurance) if her company offers its own bennies. OK, I guess she stays where she is.

I do not have any photos with me, but I did take 777 during our recent Fall Break trip. I am sure that 2-3 of them are share-worthy. Stay tuned.

One of our first stops was the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, CA. I was looking for a particular formation that I now know is called the Mobius Arch. We did not find it this trip, although we did drive up into the Sierra Nevadas and want to see more of them. So, I have a number of reasons to return to the area some time. It is only about 2-3 hours from Pahrump, NV, and the web says that it needs sunrise light to really make the shots worthwhile. Stay tuned for this, too.

Oh man, my mouth is hurting from the prep work for a crown. Hopefully, it will be better by the time for Chorale practice. We are starting to really work on Christmas music now, and that is always fun. I'll stay tuned for that.

My knee held up pretty well during all the hiking during our trip. It did not keep me from doing anything, although it would tighten up after drives and when walking downhill. I still think I would rather have some pains from aging that not be aging, right? Stay tuned for that, too.

OK, you are tired of reading, and I am tired of writing. We'll get together again soon. Really. Stay tuned for that.

The Work-a-Day World Returns

After a week off work, and over 1800 miles, we are back at work today. We went through Death Valley to Yosemite, over to Salinas, down the coast to Hearst Castle, stopped by to see a niece and family, and back. We were waking up to temps as low as 25F, with highs in the 70s-80s. Today, back in PHX, we should reach 99-100. And I woke up to commute to work instead of walking the coast watching sea lions frolic. Sigh.

In case anyone is counting, Preacher Bro and I each took around 777 photos during our week. Yeah, pretty typical for our vacations. Each night, when we returned to the hotel, we would each display a slideshow of the day's events.

Here is a Yosemite-inspired CoV.

I rented a wide-angle lens for the locations I knew we were going to visit. That was fun, but I must return it today. Sigh #2.

No, I am not sure what today has in store yet. I glanced at my calendar once during the trip, but have not really reviewed it or email for what all is queued up. I wanted to postpone this reality as long as possible. However, I sense it knocking on my door.

Because I checked work email, I had deleted a large number of messages during the trip. So today, when I opened my work email, I only had 116 message to download. Not bad, right?

Well, I don't want to bore you on my first day back, so let's quit now. I'll be here all week. Be sure to tip your waitresses.

Last One for Ten Days or So

Right now, I have no plans for blogging next week while driving across central California. We try to take a trip during Fall Break, and this year is no exception. Yosemite, Hearst Castle, maybe Monterey. I have rented a wide angle lens to try for some different shots this year. It should be a good time. Luckily, our daughter will be staying at our place and watching the animals.

Since I have to get a crown replaced when I return, I have been focused on dentist humor lately. This should be the last one.

We are having unusually cool weather the last couple of days. The high today should only be 75F. Nice, right? True, it will be mid-60s during our trip, but this is super nice for PHX.

The pool is blue again, but still cloudy. I may have to get a clarifier to make it purty again.

I just checked my calendar and it showed I was out all day. Say what? Another team member is out and she had set the notice to show she was out all day, so when I accepted it, it kept that setting on my calendar. I changed it. I am in after all.

So, any plans for the weekend? We'll be driving, of course. Thirteen hours or so during Sat/Sun.

OK, I won't keep you. I just realized I was trying to think of what to say. When I reach that stage, it's time to close up this post and do something else. Have a good week and I'll see you in a few days.

Sad About Steve Jobs, Right?

Wow, that guy worked right up until the end. I cannot envision what will happen to Apple in the future, but it will certainly transition. Will I stay with a Mac for my computer? I will for now, although I have not moved to OS Lion.

I will also be going back to the dentist in a couple of weeks to get a crown replaced. I just got it in 1990. Come on. That's just 21 years ago. So, here is a dentist-related CoV.

I just looked under the pmi.org site to see if it showed me as certified. Yup, I am one of two R Walkers that have CAPM, and one of thirteen certified in some way. Cool beans. I found that it is valid for five years and I have to take the test again at that point to be recertified. No, I'm not going to start studying just yet.

You know, I don't take as many photos as I used to, whether it is of the GRANDS or family or nature around me. That is one thing that vacations do for me. When I am at home, I just let life take over my time and don't spend much time on hobbies. Now, though, with Fall Break trip coming up, and a new Baby Walker coming up, I'll need to dust off my lens and get clicking. And now that I have a computer again, maybe I'll upload them and share some with you.

OK, I'm gonna get a report ready before my 8:30am conference call. I'll talk at you again tomorrow and we'll see what is going on with the dentist office and their ultrasonic.

I Can Add CAPM to My Work Email Signature

That's right. I passed the CAPM test yesterday morning. I would have told you earlier, but I was busy all afternoon after missing the morning for the test. And, in the middle of the test, all the computers in the testing room went down. Finally, about 30-40 minutes later, they recovered everything and we were able to restart where we left off with the same amount of time remaining. I scored lower on the same sections where I struggled on the practice tests.

And now, I am running late on posting this because I had a dentist appointment this morning. They used the ultrasonic cleaner on me. In fact, here is my comment on that.

And now, I have a meeting in ten minutes and need to get some data prepared, so I will end this abruptl

Tomorrow is Coming Too Soon and Not Soon Enough

Yeah, tomorrow is my certification test. It seems, the more I study, the more nervous I get because there is so much I fear I will not remember. Are you any good at taking tests? I remember hardly sleeping the night before my SAT. I took it while on a family vacation in Santa Fe, NM. I must have done OK, though, because it gained me a scholarship my Freshman year at college. I lost it by my Sophomore year when they found out how much I really knew. And when I took my GMAT for graduate school, I overslept and had to run down the street to the testing location to get there on time. I took this one in Brownwood, TX. No scholarship on that one. Anyway, the test is 7:30am tomorrow, so a little prayer for a calm spirit wouldn't hurt.

If coworkers don't know your name, would that give you a calm spirit? I wonder how this guy feels?

What else? The weekend was mostly uneventful. In fact, I was studying during much of it. Oh, except, did I tell you I have been fighting yellow algae in my pool? I was going to a local pool shop for help, and the pool was still winning. So, Saturday, I drove a little farther and went to a pool supply run by Shasta, the company that built my pool. As of yesterday, at least I was seeing some blue color back in the water instead of the disgusting green of the past two weeks. Yeah.One thing they told me was to also leave my pool brushes in the pool during treatment or I could reinfect the pool with algae again. That makes sense, right?

Alison's car broke down yesterday, but luckily, she was at our house. So, we borrowed a car from the folks and have hers in the shop today. I hope it is not too expensive. No, I don't know what the problem is, but it sounds electrical. She would unlock the car and it would lock itself. She would be driving and it would die. Yesterday, it started, but no radio or A/C, and then she could not turn it off. Turning the key towards off would do nothing. I'll let you know what they say.

OK, I need to do a couple of things, and then, back to my final hours of studying. I may or may not post tomorrow since I will not be at work before my exam. Don't worry. I'll tell you how I did.