blogging from the motel room

Lucky me, I won a free trip near Charlotte to a 2-day Drug and Alcohol Program Manager Compliance Training Conference :-( . I took some photo's and a video before I left the mountain. Now, at 11:15PM, in my room, I'm eating grapes and pistachio's as I type.


Drove down, checked into the room, high tailed it to the IMAX theatre, $14 for the ticket, $11 for the popcorn and coke, and watched AVATAR in 3D, awesome. It's basically "Dances with Wolves" in outer space; the tale of a U.S. soldier "going native." Lot's of life lessons and things to ponder in that film. I'll be thinking more about this movie the next few days, taking my NyQuil now.

Closed & Quiche

The Boone Police Department is advising that everyone stay home. The National Weather Service’s Winter Storm Warning remains in effect for the High Country until 4:00 p.m. Saturday.

That's the bad news but the good news is - everything in Town shut down due to heavy icing and snow, and I didn't have to go to work today! When the University shuts down, it must be treacherous. I got the "call" at 5:45AM, since I'm the media person, I contacted the radio station and updated some webpages, and went back to bed.

Got up later and I threw a quiche together.

Mike's out shoveling.

storm, eggs, Scrabble, Concord, PunkinPatch

We're having a rough winter. Although Mike and I do go out to work each day, and we are walking up and down the long driveway to get our pickup trucks parked near the highway, we're spending much our home-time sitting around inside and eating; which allows for very little calorie burning. The other day Mike laughed and said we looked all grained up and ready for market.

We have another storm arriving tonight and the local weatherman writes - I wish I could tell you that we'll enjoy a nice break after Sunday, but that would not be true. Almost as soon as one winter storm is gone, the next El Nino inspired system will be rolling in. And just in case you are wondering, there's no end in sight to the parade of storms from the west.
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The hens are laying so I've been using eggs. Oh and about eggs, everyone has their own thoughts about storing them. My fresh eggs stay in a basket on my kitchen counter, I don't refrigerate them and when baking, you don't want to use chilled eggs. We try to keep the nests clean but when the weather is poor its difficult for the girls to keep their feet clean. If I need to wash an egg because of mud or poop, I'll use a Baby Wipe. I don't wash the bloom off of the eggs unless they are dirty looking, and when I do, I use those washed eggs fairly quickly.


I've been trying to perfect my Eggs in the Nests dish

The other day, Demetre, one of our nephews said that he saw a recipe in a catalog which called for 4 Wilcox eggs. Hmm, I typed in 4 Wilcox eggs, and found this sustainable-farm website, they're located out west. http://www.wilcoxfarms.com/consumer/egg_veggie_frittata.html the recipe looks good.
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I've been playing SCRABBLE on my new computer, wow, the software comes with the entire Official Scrabble Dictionary, it won't allow "imaginary words" and features realistic and challenging computer opponents, you can set the level of competition that you desire.

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I designed a goat motel to slide on back of our utility trailer, and hoping nephew, Jeremy, and Mike will erect it. Stay tuned to see if I can make it happen.

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Unless I'm iced in, I'm to depart for Concord, NC on Sunday afternoon, for a 2-day DRUG and AlCOHOL Compliance Conference. I've been to a dozen of 'em in the past and they are snoring b-o-r-i-n-g. The Federal Transit Administration manadates all sorts of drug and alcohol testing for CDL-licensed drivers, they audit us, etc, and yours truly is in charge of the mountains of paperwork all the mandating requires. And yes, every once in a awhile, a driver will test positive for drugs or alcohol although we are constantly drilling in to them that they will be frequently tested.

I see that Concord has a 3D IMAX theatre and is showing AVATAR, so I may venture out one evening and take myself out for a date.
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Over at the Punkin's Patch, I got very lucky and won a give-a-way. It is her artwork, her farm, her animals, on these cards, just amazing, I've been a big fan of Punkin's Patch for awhile now. These cards are so precious, if and when I use a card, you can bet it will be for someone very special, a real animal lover like Punkin's Patch. Brushy, her orange tabby cat that just passed away, is included in most of the cards. Thank you honey, I will treasure these.

The sketch is on the rear.

misc, and new Toshiba laptop

I don't text and I don't Twitter,
have no plans of doin' either
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Hey Janet, (a friend from high-school days)

I wanted to tell ya that your phone dials my phone. Don't know why, my phone is nothing fancy, she's not sleek, stylish, or one of the popular models; however, she was cheap, remember Sherry Hunnicutt?

I answer the phone, hello, hello, and I hear what I think is movement like you are are driving your car, working in the kitchen, or having sex. After I feel like I am a complete pervert, I hang up. :-)

Still hanging on after all these years,

Joanna
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If you're in need of a new laptop, this is a good one, on sale now for $700
Toshiba Satellite A505-S6015 Laptop . It was time to get a new Toshiba, although my older one has been a great. A few years back, I bought it used off of ebay for $700! Now the new one with all the latest bells and whistles is $700.

A review (not written by me)
2 fast 2 furious, 01/29/2010

I have to admit, I was a little hesitant about buying a Toshiba, but my IT specialist at work highly recommended them... And, I'm glad i did... This computer exceeds all of my expectations. I've had it a little over a week, and it has performed flawlessly. Compare price and processor, and this laptop is the obvious winner. The newer Core I5 processor is so fast, and i really like windows 7. I came from windows xp, and 7 is so much better... Lots of memory, expandable, and supported by 64. 500G storage will hold my music and then some... The 16" monitor rocks, what a gorgeous picture, i had to crank the intensity down, it was so bright... I also appreciate the full sized keyboard with number pad... The touch pad works well, not too touchy, and i love the disable button.... The computer also has an eco mode, where it saves energy, by using less power, very cool in this day, and i'm not aware of other manufacturers offering this... i love the combination USB/ eSATA connection for obvious reasons... The premium sound system is the best i've heard on a laptop... asthetically, i think this computer is beautiful, i love the color/ graphics, and the lighting also looks refined... This is a beast of a computer (size and storage) yet well supported to be the fastest most nimble computer you own, and windows 7 makes it fun to drive... Like a Toyota with the gas pedal stuck wide open throttle... Sit down, shut up and hang on...

Mabel & Maude

True Tale -
Bridge Tournament, Columbia, SC late 80's - Mama and I take our places opposite of each other at the assigned table. Two ladies arrive at the table and take their "opposing" seats. I was starting to exchange some pleasantries with the ladies when I was cut off by the left.

Lady on my left to lady on my right - "wish you had given me more notice instead of cancelling at the last minute last night."
Right quietly replies - "I'm apologize, I wasn't feeling well."
Left - "with more notice, I could have found another partner"
Right - "I had an upset stomach."
Left sarcastically and loud enough for most to hear - "couldn't you take something for it?
Right quietly replies - "I did."
Left - "Whatever you took must'nt been very good. What in the world did ya eat last night?"

I can sense that heads from around the room are now turned our way but I'm staring down at my lap, 'cause if I dare look at my Mother, I'll just burst out laughing.

Right's voice is now starting to raise in volume - "Mabel, I took some Pepto-Bismol."
Left - "well then, you should've been able to play, and not left me hanging"
Right - "Mabel, I was in the bathroom for most of the evening"
Left - "if you didn't want to play, you could have just said so earlier on, and I could have gotten Velma"
Right can't take it anymore and hollers - "I HAD DIARRHEA!"
Left - "my GAWD Maude, a lady doesn't discuss such things in public"

From then on, whenever Mama and I wanted to crack each other up, we'd look at each other and say MY GAWD MAUDE.

me & mountain man

Late-August 1984, Joanna is 28 years old, living in Wilmington, NC. She's got a sorry job, even sorrier boyfriend, and her car, a Chevy Chevette, is falling apart. She gets a phone call. Somehow through the new James Bond movie, ICEBREAKER, she has won a new silver SAAB Turbo. She picks up the new shiny car, a few days go by, and sorry-ass boyfriend picks a fight with her so he has an excuse to leave the house and go drinking and screwing around.

Joanna sits sulking and feeling sorry for herself, until she realizes Sorry is not a positive force in her life, never will be, and she deserves much better. She decides to make a new start and begins packing her new shiny car. Apparently a neighbor calls Sorry and tells him that a bunch of his stuff is laying out in his front yard because Sorry arrives back home screeching tires, there is a loud verbal altercation, then in a few minutes, Joanna places HER dog in the front seat, screeches tires out of the driveway in her new shiny car. She feels strong and empowered, like Joanna BOND, until after several hours of driving in the worst lightning storm Joanna could ever imagine. Exhausted, she and dog arrive at vacant house in Raleigh, NC and spend the night on the floor. Parents have previously sold house and moved to Boone, NC to semi-retire, new owners haven't moved in yet.

Next morning is just glorious, skies are Carolina Blue, Joanna feels great, ready for a new start, and she and dog head for Boone in new shiny car. As the SAAB, starts climbing the Appalachian mountains, Joanna becomes euphoric with the feeling she's arriving "home."

Labor Day Weekend 1984, Joanna and her mother didn't know anyone in town, they go to the local duplicate bridge club at Appalachian State University and sit down at a table. A large suspender-wearing, tobacco-chewing mountain man walks through the door, he has a big dark beard, is wearing a muscle Tshirt with the suspenders, and Joanna wonders what cave he has crawled out of, mountain man is wearing black shoes with white socks, and he sits down between Joanna and her mother and starts talking like he has known them all their lives, Joanna is thinking he is the biggest hillbilly redneck she's ever imagined, her mother however really seems to be enjoying the company of the man. Joanna with eyebrows raised, stares down at her mother, and is perplexed.

March 1990, at a friends home, on top of a Blue-Ridge mountain, by a suspender-wearing, tobacco-chewing preacher, Joanna and Mountain Man wed. They go to Gatlinburg, TN on their honeymoon and play in a bridge tournament, they have a strong partnership and Mountain Man attains Life Master.

December 1992, Joanna's mother's breast cancer spreads to her liver and she dies. Joanna and Mountain Man are very sad for a long time. Joanna's mother and Mountain Man hit it off from the start, her mother loved Mountain Man like a son and he loved her like a best friend.

January 2010, Joanna has never seen a James Bond movie, not even ICEBREAKER, and she and mountain man are living happily ever after in Boone,NC, up on 30 acres in a 5th-wheel camper along with goats, chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, and dogs.

secretary, snow, Subway, & stuff

from the previous post about the Board meeting, I'm a Secretary in town, the meeting is not a high-falutin' event actually, I'm not wearing hose and heals to it or anything. Actually, my job description has evolved beyond secretarial duties into quite a few responsibilities, I'm told I need to wear a lot of hats, however, I got to thinking that I don't think I'm getting paid for all that different hat wearing.
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I just saw the movie TWILIGHT, yum, I wouldn't kick that vampire out of the bed.
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and oh, I was asking about the movie AVATAR, but I found out that there's no 3D around here, just 2D, although some say I should see it anyway but 3D sounds so good.
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The weatherman says we've got another double-digit snow coming, arriving sometime Friday. dang. We have nice, mild summers up here but sure pay for them in the winter.
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Quiz-` One of Subway's most popular subs is the B.M.T. What do the letters BMT stand for? The "B.M.T." sandwich at Subway was originally named after the "Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit." Consisting of sliced genoa salami, pepperoni, ham. With time, the sub's name has evolved to mean "Biggest, Meatiest, Tastiest."

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We're hearing a lot about Haiti and the people certainly do need help, however, don't forget about animal relief too.
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I have notes and lists going all the time, notes taped to my rear view mirror, and on my computer screen, I even have lists about things I'm supposed to think about, subjects to ponder.



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I could use some barn cats, but I have been hesitating getting some because the committment would mean another type of food to buy.
Presently,
goats get grain, hay, minerals, baking soda.
chickens/turkeys/guineas get grain and scratch.
dogs get dry kibble and bones.
we really don't need any more mouths to feed but hopefully they'd control some small varmits.
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Don't forget about http://www.zennioptical.com/cart/home.php when you need to replace eyeglasses, my girlfriend got the frames, progressive lenses, the works, for $65!