Sick And At Home (Although Those Two Are Not Related)

Let's talk about sick days at work. About 47 percent of workers said they show up at work despite an illness because they can’t afford to miss the pay or don’t trust the work to get done in their absence. That’s down from 54 percent last year. Interestingly, women are more likely than men to say those issues motivate them to show up while sick. Then there’s the the flip side: The healthy people who plead sick.

About 35 percent of workers said they’ve called in sick when they were feeling fine, compared with 38 percent a year earlier. Asked why, more than one-quarter said they simply didn’t feel like working. Another quarter said they needed time to unwind, and 27 percent said they had to go to a doctor’s appointment. The rest said they wanted to get some sleep or run personal errands.

The reason I am even mentioning this topic is because the article included some creative excuses people used to call in sick.
· The ozone in the air flattened the employee’s tires.
· A pressure cooker exploded and scared the employee’s sister, so she had to stay home.
· An employee said he had to be the pallbearer at the funeral of his wife’s cousin’s pet.
· Police raided the employee’s home and blocked them in.
· Employee had to testify against a drug dealer and the dealer’s friend mugged him.
· Because an employee’s roots were showing, she had to keep her hair appointment.
· Eating cat food instead of tuna made the employee deathly ill.
· While she wasn’t sick, her llama was.
· Using hair remover under her arms gave the employee chemical burns.
· Unable to get to work because the employee said he was bowling the game of his life.
· Traumatic stress from a large spider found in the employee’s home. She had to stay home to deal with the spider.
· Employee said he had better things to do.
· Employee ate too much birthday cake.
· Employee was bitten by a duck.

I just learned something you have been dying to know, and just in time for Halloween. Do you know the difference between caskets and coffins? Although the terms casket and coffin are used interchangeably in vernacular American English, there is a distinct difference–a casket is a rectangular box with square corners and a coffin is more angular (hexagonal) and shaped to the human body (wide at the shoulders and narrow at the feet).

Something else you would likely want to learn is which fast food place gives you the most fries with your order. Can you guess? I guessed McDonald's. Was I correct? You'll have to read the article to know for sure.

Here is a photo of us walking through the area where we stayed in Ouray, Colorado, in October. Nice Fall surroundings, huh?

Here's a view of alpenglow I spotted during our walk.

And here we are, having completed our circle of the neighborhood and coming back to our house.

I do have another realistic life goal to share with you.

I found another photo of the guy that inserts himself into stock photos using Photoshop.

I am posting this from home while I wait to see if I have a job opportunity soon. As I mentioned, I will let you know soon.

No, I do not participate in Halloween anymore. I turn off the porch light by 5pm and leave it off until bedtime. The kids are long gone, and with MBH as a teacher, we don't need to advertise where she lives (well, it IS a great excuse). Do you still give out candy and praise kid's costumes?

Are you watching the World Series? The Chicago Cubs are playing in it for the first time in over 70 years. That's pretty cool. However, I am not much of a baseball follower. I prefer the NFL. So, in game broadcast last year, the announcer helped those of us who don't know much of the baseball strategies and I found this quote in yesterday's 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar:
Roy Oswalt is a drop and drive pitcher. What is a drop and drive pitcher? He is a guy who drops and drives. Very simple.
baseball announcer Tim McCarver covering the World Series


In the Bad Jokes and Puns calendar, I found this:
Why do ghosts like to ride in elevators?
It raises their spirits.

Speaking of spooky, I read that some scientists feel they have determined what make the Bermuda Triangle a scary place. I think they are suggesting it is hexagonal clouds. Read more about it here.

Remember the internet meme about the 'is this dress black and blue or white and gold'? Today, I saw a new optical illusion. Take a look at these legs. Do they look shiny and oily or are they legs with white paint on them?

I saw this amazing fact yesterday. "One million seconds is 11 days. One billion seconds is 33 years. A billion is a lot."

How about a Pinterest Halloween fail?

How about these scaaary skeleton pops?

Almost every night in Ouray, you can drive around town and see deer grazing in yards in town. Here i is a small herd we came across one night. I think the little deer with his legs all sticking out is cute.

And as my last photo for today, this is a frame from a video by the drone looking toward Mt. Abram.

Some delays have come up in getting my next job. My background check is still pending, so 'no job for you!" Well, at least for a couple more days. Don't worry, I will let you know when I get a job. For now, though, let's all enjoy our weekend.

Car = Trash Can on Tires?

At some point in the past, I know that I shared with you an article on Star Trek uniforms. However, that one focused on uniforms from the original series. Now, I found another article that tells about uniforms from some of the other Star Trek series'.

I found this cool time-lapse video of Los Angeles while I was surfing the interweb last night. It apparently took two years to capture the images using 2 Canon DSLRs.

It's too bad I am not an artist. The new Microsoft Surface Studio desktop computer looks more than amazing. Check it out here. And that Surface Dial is too cool. OK, $3,000 is not cheap, but did you watch the video?

Do you ever think this might be true for your car?

Do your kids eat all of your Halloween candy before Halloween night? Here's an idea of how to keep the stash safe.

Dad figured out that the family first visited Ouray, Colorado, in 1980. Since then, some members of the family have been back just about every year. In those 36 years, I only know of two times when anyone got a flat tire. One was sometime around 2007 and the grandkids changed the tire. The other was this year, and we were up on a trail which is was not level, so it presented a bit of a challenge. Here, you can see Preacher Bro changing the tire. In a video we shot, you can see the rest of us standing around acting as supervisors while we watched him put the spare on the Jeep.

Oh, BTW, I did hear from the company where I will start work next week. I have now finished all the paperwork and submitted a request for a company network login ID, so I will soon feel certain enough to share more details. Keep praying, though.

Let's have a Thrilling Thursday, friends. I'll keep you updated and entertained again soon.

No News of Mine, But Some News About Mines

Here's a good Twitter feed:

This was clever.

And I liked this, too.

A year or two ago, we were driving up Brown Mountain and found the ruins of an old mine camp. We went back to the site again this Fall. There are several old buildings around, and some of the old equipment. You can also see the entrance to the mine set back in the hillside. There is a large pile of debris where the mill used to be.

We have since found that the mine is the Silver Mountain Mine. Here are the folks looking at some of the equipment, including an air compressor and its motor.

Here are couple of the cabins for the miners.

And while you cannot see it, that is the mine entrance there on the left at the end of the pipeline.

In trying to find more about the Silver Mountain Mine, I did find some details about Ironton, the mining town down at the bottom of Brown Mountain down below this mine. Originally called Copper Glen, Ironton was first settled in 1883 as a supply point for the mines in the Red Mountain Mining District. The town became one of the largest in the district, with an 1890 population in excess of 300 and a variety of businesses such as hotels, saloons, restaurants and several mercantiles. The Silverton Railroad reached Ironton in 1889 and a depot was constructed at a cost of $2,500. Over the years, several fires damaged the town, which was in decline by the turn of the last century, largely because of the silver crash of 1893. By 1910 the population was down to 48 people. The last inhabitants, Harry and Milton Larson worked and lived in Ironton starting in the 1920s. Harry died in the 1940's, but Milton continued to live alone in the town of Ironton until his death in the mid-1960s.

I also found this map of the Red Mountain Mining District in 1891. However, I cannot find this mine on the map. I also found the following on the National Bureau of Mines Facebook page. "The Silver Mountain Mine was originally known as the Kentucky Giant, or the Concave Tunnel. This historic mine is located just off the Million Dollar Highway above Ouray, Colorado. The old mining clamp still stands and includes: a blacksmith/assay shop, a miners bunkhouse, possible mine foreman's quarters and an additional workshop. Out in front of the mine, thick old rail runs across the tailings, the type usually reserved for 2-4 ton ore cars. The mine is reported to have first been worked in 1859. The mine was sold for $100 to a partnership of 3 prospectors who immediately began driving a drift into the hill on a body of ore that would likely be called Telluride today. The buildings appear to have been maintained until the 1970s."

To help us look at the map above for Silver Mountain Mine, I found this topo map showing that mine is just to the right of Gray Copper Gulch.

Photoshopping yourself into celebrity photos has to be a fun pastime. Today, we see Selena Gomez.

You have probably noticed that I like images where people have (purposely or not) misinterpreted signs. This is a clever one.

No news came through yesterday about the job I am trying for, but that's OK. It is still early in the week, so I will follow up today.

You know that I appreciate your reading this blog. I'll have more to say and share next time. Have a Tremendous Tuesday.

Chilling in the Hizzle (or something like that)

Wow! Today's blog is going up really late, isn't it? Why is that? I have the answer. I slept in a while, then ended up watching the local morning news show. Crazy, right? That's because I am currently unemployed. I turned in my notice last Monday and finished the transfer of my responsibilities by Friday (per their request). So, here I sit, working on today's blog post while I have Wendy Williams on TV in the background. I'm not really watching it, but I wanted some noise in the house. Even the cat is being quiet. Yes, I do have a strong lead on a job, but am still working on paperwork and approvals. I also need to contact MBH's school and see about getting on her insurance.

I have a first generation Kindle Fire. I still use it everyday, both for reading and a few games. I thought of it because I get a daily email with free Kindle books listed, and that is where I get the majority of my books, both fiction and non-fiction. I have had it for four years and have actually paid for only one book. There are so many free ones that I have not needed to buy any. My only issue now is... actually I have two... my issues are that, after 4 years, the battery doesn't hold the full charge anymore, and I tried to bring down a game for the GRANDS and my tablet is too old to run the new stuff. I have both of the same problems with my laptop.

Congrats to the Chicago Cubs on reaching the World Series for the first time in 71 years. I thought of that because of today's 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar entry.
The one thing that kept him from being a good major league player is performance.
baseball manager Dell Crandall


Hey, I decided to watch an episode of a TV program that NLTD (No Longer Teacher Daughter) and I watch, Quantico. They showed the credits and since this is the second season, I noticed the show logo now reads QUAN2CO. I thought it was funny.

During our fall trip to Colorado, I woke up before 6am that first morning. Rather than just lay there and try to sleep, I got up and went to our picture window to see Mt. Abrams before sunrise. This is the view that I found and just enjoyed.

Later, MBH joined me and we sipped coffee (her) and water (me) while watching the sunrise.

Mom joined us a bit later.

We always enjoy our trips to Southwest Colorado. It is kind an annual goal. Here's another good realistic life goal.

OK, I'll be back soon with more stuff.

The Final Countdown

On our way into Ouray earlier this month, we came across this range in the San Juan mountains with the sun illuminating the peak. Of course, I had to stop and capture a photo.

In less than one minute, though, there was no sun left. See the alpenglow on the peak? No? Exactly. You've got to react quickly in these types of shots. However, the golden leaves still shone brightly.

Remember that dude that Photoshopped himself into celebrity photos? Even if you don't, I found another one to share.

Remember those inanimate objects that look like faces? Even if you don't, I found another one to share.

I like this funny pic.

I know that I am preaching to the choir, but you should always follow the doctor's orders when taking your medicine.

This past Monday, following our vacation last week in Colorado, I resigned from my job, giving them the requisite two week notice. Yesterday, we both agreed that today would be last day. Needless to say, the day-to-day pressures suddenly seem so much less urgent. I am working with a contracting firm to find my next opportunity. I feel really confident in one option they presented, so I will let you know if all my paperwork clears.

We are going to see The Sound of Music on stage tonight. Do you think they will solve a problem like Maria this time?

I have a choir workshop tomorrow. Actually, it begins tonight, but we already had the tickets for the musical. Also tomorrow, we are going to a local farm set up with a zombie-shooting event. You bet we are going. You don't want them escaping and coming to your town, do you?

Before it is time to go, it is time for a more realistic life goal.

So ends my final blog post of the week and my final one before leaving this job. I will see you on the other side, my friends.

What's Your Goal? Really Clean Hands? Accurate Measurements? Popcorn You Don't Have to Reach For?

Do you remember a song that goes, "Clean up. Clean up. Everybody everywhere. Clean up. Clean up. Everybody do your share"? Even if you do not, I found a new way to clean your hands that is supposed to be more effective than whatever you do now. Probably, you follow this sequence, "apply sanitizer, rub palms together, and rub until dry." Oh, you sad, pathetic excuse for a person. That is so much less effective than this method as proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO). One more thing. When researchers observed a group of doctors and nurses at a UK hospital attempting to implement the WHO method, the results were not so good. Only 65% of the participants even completed the process, despite being instructed and observed by the researchers.

Check out this cool measuring spoon on Kickstarter. Would you buy one?

Check this upcoming Kickstarter offering for a game from one of my favorite game designers, Dr. Finn's Games. This is for a game, C.O.G., that is part word game and part board game. I did watch a couple of the embedded videos about the game and how people rated it. I will keep it in mind.

Check out this reimagined movie poster.

OK, take a look at this shot from just outside of Telluride earlier this month.

And now, compare it to this one from 20 ft to the left. In both, the mountains and colors dominate the scene. The first has a fence leading your eye to the mountains, and in the second, I used the road. The first one has the sun shining on the mountains, and the second one has more vivid colors. Which one do you prefer? I think I would select the first.

One of the things that we (never) talked about on vacation was wondering about the origin of the pencil. You've probably also (never) wondered about it, right? Luckily for both of us, I found an article that shares the salient details so that, now, we both know more. I learned why the pencils we used in school were called #2.

It's all about perspective, at least according to pop singer Jessie J. Here's a calendar entry from the 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said file:
It’s put everything into perspective. I have a different respect now for people who don’t have legs.
pop singer Jessie J after breaking her foot

Need a more realistic life goal?

This dude is living the dream, my friends.

Are you excited for the final presidential debate tonight? I will probably not watch it. It only impacts me in that Survivor will be on one hour later than normal.

This was fun, wasn't it? However, all good things must come to an end, and that includes today's blog post. There will be more soon, though.