I Feel the Need

That's right. The need for speed. Our monthly team activity this time is going to an indoor go-kart track and race. We will catch lunch first, but I don't know where. I guess that means I cannot eat lunch outside in a bean bag. What am I talking about? Check out NZCPA for the scoop.

Am I upset the Pope is retiring before his time? No, it's been 600 years since one did that and I am pretty much over the shock now. However, that does not mean it is not a potential topic for CoV.


Daughter and I helped MBH with some test grading tonight, so I did not watch any TV nor did I have a chance to play with any photos. However, I decided to post one I found the other night. Another reminder of why fashions should not repeat themselves. This was taken out behind the folk's house.


We're keeping the GRANDS Friday night, so I won't keep you. I need to get home and hold me some kiddos. I don't know what we will do for dinner. We do like to hit Mickey D's so they can play on the playground, but maybe it's time for a change. Or maybe not.

It is already bedtime, so I will let you go early. I might decide to write more in the morning, so stay tuned.

[Friday update] Did you know that McDonald's has an official name for each of the four shapes of Chicken McNuggets? Did you even know there were specific shapes? I didn't. I had not even thought about it, to be honest.

[Friday update] Are those of you in other places being as bombarded with news of the Jodi Arias trial as we are? It seems to be the lead story on all local news programs, and is big on CNN, too. I have to admit, it is addicting. If you don't know of it, read a bit of the salacious details here.

Hey...Where's Today's Photos?

Survivor night. So, I need to document my pick for who will be voted off the island. I think the fans will lose tonight and they will get rid of Hope. There. I said it.
[Post-Survivor update] Don't read this if you recorded the show and have not watched it. I was right. And we went pizzaless tonight, but added fruit and veggies. And MBH did not accompany us tonight. She had schoolwork to finish. So she had the sad task of watching the show alone. Did she yell at the screen? Probably not.

I got started with interviews on a new project I was assigned. Well, new to me. I found old paperwork where this was originally planned for last Feb, so it has been sitting on the shelf for a year. Anyway, I met with the key stakeholder to scope out what would be included in the project, so I will work on some documentation tomorrow.

Did y'all see the last Spiderman movie? He stops an out-of-control train using his web. Did you watch that and wonder if that would really be possible? Apparently, some people wondered enough to study it using physics.

And while they wondered that, someone also wondered about how it would really appear if you looked outside of a spaceship traveling faster than the speed of light (we all have ideas of that from Star Trek and Star Wars).

Speaking of movies, let's check out a CoV comic.


Lewis, you obviously did not look at the photo closely the other day. It was readily apparent to me who the best looking dude was. No family photo today, though. Susie Q, I am watching The Following, too. According to the TV rating site I frequent, it is not doing great.

OK, I am going to sit down and watch the Joe Schmo Show on Spike TV. You will see this tomorrow, but I got to read it tonight. Ha ha (read that with the Simpsons laugh).

[Thursday update] I got caught in a huge traffic jam this morning. My commute that normally takes 20 minutes took 50. I guess I was lucky since I was out early. Right now, it is looking like a 20-mile backup and mine was only 2 miles.

NZ & IT & USA

Today's title is almost Olympic in its scope. You'll see the appropriate references throughout the post.

Hey, NZ Girl, I do remember the huge tax returns we had when we were ex-pats. So I understand why you will not be doing your own taxes during this time.

I got some interest in the family shot I shared yesterday, so here's another one. This is Preacher Bro with his raccoon in our backyard here in the USA. That's right. For a while, he had a pet raccoon. She used to enjoy climbing up the arm of our couch and playing in my hair as I lay there watching TV. As she grew up, she started to exhibit some of her natural wild instincts and PB had to release her back into the woods. He did go see her a year or so later and she came to him that once, but not in subsequent years. I apologize in advance for the semi-unclad appearance of the human model.


As I was searching photos, I came across one from when I was with a college group in Europe. We went to the Colosseum in Rome, IT. No, I am not in the shot, but my buddies are. I had forgotten I had this picture.


Even with two photos, though, there is always room for Clarity of Vision.


Tonight, we return to our normal schedule of practice on Tuesdays and concerts every other Sunday with the East Valley Chorale. That's good. It goes along with having a job again. Things are getting back to normal.

[Wednesday update] Ouch. This is the weekend with the second of our annual concerts with an orchestra. That means we have practice Saturday afternoon and concert Sunday night. Oh well.

OK, it is dinner time on Tuesday night. That'll do, at least for tonight.

[Wednesday update] Is the rest of the country as caught up in the Jodi Arias trial as here in the Valley of the Sun? She keeps saying that she cannot remember things because she pays more attention to the prosecutor's attitude and posture and his yelling jumbles her mind. Hmm. I wonder if I could use that at work when I miss a deadline. "Sorry, boss. The client yelled at me and it jumbled my mind."

What Do You Think of The Americans?

No, not those of us whose citizenship is in the USA. I mean the TV program The Americans on FX Network. I am still not sure how much I like it, but it did get a bit better in episode 2. It is about Russian sleeper agents during the Reagan years.

Yoko Ono's turned 80 last week. That is too weird and makes me feel old. Of course, we know I'm not really old; just surprised when TV, movie and recording stars that I grew up suddenly seem more like grandparent's ages rather than a bit older than me.

Isn't idiom a funny word? I should find a way to say something like that in a Clarity of Vision comic. Today's, though, references a famous idiom that you have probably all said at some point.



You know, people say that fashions come and go. Can any of you look at this shot from just a few years ago and say you want these styles to come back? And how about those hairdos? We were kind of like the Kardashians of our day, huh?



I had been hoping to hit the gym tonight, but I've got a nice little headache and think I will stay home. You can go ahead, though. I'll wait for you here.

We had Red Robin for lunch yesterday. I was pretty good, but a bit (really, a bit) too high-calorie for what I should have eaten. I did replace the regular bun (on my chicken teriyaki burger) with a corn-jalapeno bun. That was tasty. However, I just Googled those buns and found that they are still wheat flour-based. Oh well. I liked it.

End of Monday post. I need to take another couple of Tylenol.

[Tuesday update] I just got back from the dentist. I know the new ultrasonic cleaners are more effective, but whew,  they can also be pretty uncomfortable. And that high-pitched whine they emit seems to exacerbate the discomfort. I have to have a crown replaced because decay has eroded the tooth underneath. That is not a cheap procedure.

They Really ARE Paying Me

My paycheck finally arrived in Saturday's mail. I am glad the USPS hasn't stopped Saturday delivery yet. And I checked the online system and it shows that I have entered my direct deposit info, so the next check should go straight into my account.

The Games Gang played LNoE:TR again today and I was a human. The zombies overran us and we lost. There are so many of them and so few of us. It seems inevitable. I remembered that I had not told you because I am watching The Walking Dead right now as I type this and it is all about zombies.

Need a work-related thought right now. Here's CoV about presentations and the fact that numbers don't lie...do they?


All of you that are not CPAs..how do you prepare your tax returns? I used to use a CPA, but since I still have to gather all the data anyway, and my returns are not complex, it is easier and cheaper to just go ahead and use TurboTax. No, I cannot be sure that it is finding everything that a professional would, but unless I am willing to choose both options one year, I'll live with the software solution. Sorry, NZ Niece and CPA Cuz.

How about this old photo of Half Dome in Yosemite? OK, I guess it is not that old. I took it in 2005. I was playing with some filter effects in Photoshop last week and this was the result.



I am ready for Sunday night dinner. So, I will sign off for the evening. As usual, you will see this tomorrow morning.

[Monday update] Of the top Oscar winners, we have only seen Argo, Les Miserables, and Brave. How about you? Have you seen all or most of them?

[Monday update 2] Hey, I've got a dentist appointment in the morning, so I may post a new blog entry before I go or I may wait until I return. Can't you just cut this suspense with a knife?

Show Me the Money

Hey, I just checked our bank account and there is no deposit. Whazzup with that? I can only guess that they cancelled my direct deposit request when they let me go and did not ask me about it when I was rehired. I will follow up on this first thing in the morning. Well, more like second or third thing since I will be in the office a lot earlier than the finance team comes in.

Hey, niece, here's the deal with timing. No, first I want to remind you that Survivor airs on Wednesday nights. So, while I write the posts in the evening, I add final comments and post them the following morning so that the date of posting matches that same workday. So, the post talking about Wednesday night Survivor party was indeed posted Wednesday morning. This one that you are reading right now (at whatever time it is in Kiwiland) was written Thursday night and posted Friday morning AZ time.

Linds, since we were already visiting in the previous paragraph, I'll keep talking to you. You're not a newbie on moving between our different time zones, but I am claiming newbie exemptions on stuff at work.



How about a photo? We haven't had one of these in a while. This is a shot of some butterflies at the Botanical Garden back in 2005. Why haven't I shared it before? I am not sure. Maybe I got mixed up with Kiwi time?


The stinking dog is tracking in dirt with his wet paws from all this inclement weather. Yes, I said stinking. Yes, I said inclement. So, sitting here on the couch and looking towards the back door, I see a bunch of little paw prints on the laminate floor. Somebody ought to get up and clean that. Yes, I said somebody.

We played Munchkin at lunch today and your humble author won. It was come from behind steal, but I'll take it. It was just in time, though, because I had a conference call at 1pm and we finished with about five minutes to spare.

Enough for tonight. Final and review in the morning before I post it. If we don't visit again, have a great weekend.

[Friday update] It seems that today, in 1980, was the Miracle on Ice. Don't know what that is? Well, you can check it out at the link, and you can be glad you are a youngster.

Snow in Phoenix?

We are actually experiencing winter weather like many of you live through every year. As you can imagine, it rarely snows in Phoenix, but the TV news is making a big deal of it right now. I guess it is fairly unique. Wikipedia says the last measurable snowfall was in 1998, so it has been 15 years. With the cooler weather, I bet the roads stay wet tonight, so it's a good thing my commute is early. [Thursday update] It wasn't really snow. It was something they are calling graupel. Still, it messed up drivers yesterday.

Tonight is Survivor Party, so I need to make my prediction as to which team will lost the elimination challenge. I guess Favorites last week and I was correct. So, let's go out on a limb and guess Fans. MBH may not be able to go, though, since she has a monthly call with a school-related team. [Thursday update] apparently, now that the season has started, we have to guess the person and not just the team of who will be voted off the island. So, I tagged along with my sister and she steered me correctly. I need to learn their names so I can vote my own way next week.

Speaking of school, a lady I work with has a son at my niece's school. She introduced herself today at a third grade wax museum event (her son was JFK). She is blond, but chose not to attend as Marilyn Monroe. A little too weird, I suppose.

I was assigned a second project today, so things should start heating up soon. That could mean I won't have time to study for my certification at work anymore and may have to actually do homework. In today's prep class, I had taken time to write a story using the keywords, so I was ready for the activity. It includes shopping for his team, having a heart attack and going to the hospital, avoiding surgery, and eating only eggs. Yup. The more visual, the better for memory.

I am not trying to foment dissent, but I am trying to foam a finger.

[Thursday update] I got a note from a reader commenting on a previous CoV. She said it is a good thing the company is cutting back on the breakroom supplies and not toilet paper. That's true. That could get out of hand. OK, I won't pursue that reasoning any further.

I am actually out of things to say already, but that's OK. It is time for Pizza and Wings. If you were reading this and had an opportunity for Pizza and Wings, I would allow you to go. [Thursday update] Pizza and Wings were mighty tasty.

{Final Thursday update] Guy Fieri opened a new restaurant in NYC. However, he did not register a name popularly used to reference the place and someone purchased it and posted a fake menu. The options sound like a SNL skit. Review it here.

Mid-Week Already?

Since we didn't work on Monday (at least in my family), it is already mid-week on our second day of work this week. Whoo hoo. That's good news.

I told Dad a funny story about cleaning the grout on the shower floor. I actually worked on cleaning it five times and it never seemed to look right after it dried a bit. Then. I realized that the light color of the floor and the lighter shade of tile we used made it look washed-out, and no amount of cleaning would change that. No, it's not bad looking, just not what I expected. Here. Take a look. Yeah, you can see the red grout on the lower part of the wall and the lighter tile on the floor compared to the wall.



OK, let's get a little visual exercise reading about getting a little physical exercise. I started off thinking to do another Tai Chi-related comic, but then I thought of the downward dog position and it was all downhill from there.



Take a look at this computer simulation game (excuse the stronger language than the original show had). I don't know about you, but it is really cool. That is like a Star Trek episode on steroids. And it is not even that expensive. We should totally do this, but I don't know enough people with laptops.

Survivor Party tomorrow night. Always a good time. Let's see if I can correctly support the right team for which will go to Tribal Council.

Time for dinner before Chorale practice, so I will sign off now. I will post this tomorrow morning, as usual.

[Wednesday update] There is no Wednesday update. I got nothing. Anything from you? No? OK. See you tomorrow.

Sore and Showers, Zombies and Tea

Did I mention that I was joining the Games Gang for lunch last Friday. We played Last Night on Earth: Timber Ridge. I had to leave at 1pm after 1.5 hours, but they kept playing. The game ended at 2 hours and the zombies won. It was a fun game, though. You can read a bit more about it here.

I am finally recovered from the stress of recording the CD on Friday night and Saturday. I didn't really think about the stress at the time, but I felt it by Sunday. It went much better than I had expected, and it sounds as if the CD will be a good one...maybe better than the first.

However, this experience helped me understand a verse from the Bible. Remember when Jesus was born? No, not literally. You are all too young. Luke 2:9 says that the shepherds were abiding in the field, and when the angels appeared, "they were sore afraid." So, I bet it was because of the stress of seeing an angel that they became sore.

Sunday was the annual Valentine's Get Together at JV+KLIK's house. We had some spicy, but not too much chicken and beef and some sick desserts. Sick means really good, right? If not, ignore that last sentence. She made a sopapilla cheesecake and an eclair casserole and homemade tortilla chips with cinnamon sugar and a fruit salsa.

On Monday, Dad and I finally grouted the floor of the shower, so we should be able to let it cure and start using it around the first part of March. Why? Well, I got the day off from work for President's Day. I knew presidents were good for something.

So, did I maybe take MBH out for a coffee or tea at Starbuck's? No, but I wrote this CoV (involving a Spoonerism, in case you wondered).


Did y'all see the SNL with Jennifer Lawrence a few weeks ago? They did a cute spoof of Top Chef called Top Dog Chef.

I was telling the family that I finished a Kindle book this week because I read some during lunch. I did not finish any books during the whole time I was unemployed, and I think it was because I felt guilty taking time for pleasure when I should have been looking for a job. I guess this means I am back to normal.

OK, this is the end of my update on Monday night. We just watched this first episode of Amazing Race in Bora Bora. As usual, we don't care who gets out on the first episode.

[Tuesday update] Did you notice I did not publish yesterday? We had the day off, which is why I could work with Dad on the shower. I am back today, though. If you have to work, four day workweeks are better than five days...IMHO. Just saying.

Post-Valentine's Sugar Hangover

Between my sweet tooth and all the candy the school teachers brought home, I don't need any more sugar. How about you? Do you end up with a lot of candy on this day? We went out to eat for our V-Day celebration.

We are watching Once Upon a Time as I write this. Do you watch it? It has been a clever weaving of a modern drama with fantasy characters, and this second season is starting of strongly. Rumplestiltskin is waiting on an airplane right now along with the daughter of Snow White and the Prince and her son.

We are playing some zombie game at lunch on Friday as we send off one of the Games Gang. They have blocked off 2-1/2 hours to play the complete game. I warned them that I may have to leave at 1pm after 1-1/2 hours. They said that is OK if I play the human hero and not a zombie. Speaking of lunchtime, I have read more books on my Kindle since I came back than I did the entire time I was unemployed. Yeah, I felt guilty enjoying time at home and now I can again enjoy my reading.

Oh, speaking of Valentine's Day, I think this is what happened Thursday night...as I remember it after my sugar coma.


Do you remember the accident the other day where coffee creamer closed a freeway? Apparently, a similar situation happened in California with Gatorade. I suspect these are government conspiracies to prevent drinking and driving. Get it? Drinking? Liquid spills? Ha ha.

That's enough for tonight. As usual, I will decide about updates before I post this. [Friday addendum] Well, tonight is CD time. I hope it goes better than I currently suspect that it will. I did mention that they should be sure the microphones are not placed near any of us who tend to sing more loudly than the group, or that he rearrange us to avoid that situation. Come on, guys. You know who you are.