tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.comments2021-01-01T23:46:43.730-07:00West of TaosBethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-79774710279139151672015-12-20T19:20:37.959-07:002015-12-20T19:20:37.959-07:00Daryl, our Satchmo died in October; we still miss ...Daryl, our Satchmo died in October; we still miss him.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-75801566336303958202015-12-20T18:50:03.420-07:002015-12-20T18:50:03.420-07:00Our Satchmo was adopted along with his littermate,...Our Satchmo was adopted along with his littermate, Mozart, who was black and white spotted. Theyy stayed together until Satchmo died 8 years later. What a great combo - the two of them along with How's, our other adopted cat, who was a Siamese mix. We called them our 3 Stooges. LOLAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05173548411058419926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-89734726145247930792015-12-20T18:45:14.758-07:002015-12-20T18:45:14.758-07:00Wow! Your Satchmo looks exactly like our cat, who ...Wow! Your Satchmo looks exactly like our cat, who was also named Satchmo! Amazing likeness. We miss him every day, since he passed away in 2011. Fun memories...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05173548411058419926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-90067996075316343482013-08-23T10:49:38.567-06:002013-08-23T10:49:38.567-06:00Jim, "Thank you Jesus!" made me laugh ou...Jim, "Thank you Jesus!" made me laugh out loud. Now that I've changed jobs, I don't get any calls from Jesus. I even deleted him from my phone.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-18302986578706973532013-08-23T10:14:55.886-06:002013-08-23T10:14:55.886-06:00At a former company we had an IT guy named "H...At a former company we had an IT guy named "Hay-Zeus" as you put it. One day a manager sent out an email with a subject line, "Thank you Jesus!" that made me chuckle. This reminded me of that. The eggs made me smile too. It's been too long.<br /><br />Jim.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-91886245021904141882013-02-28T00:15:36.891-07:002013-02-28T00:15:36.891-07:00Elle, that's scary. One time when I was in col...Elle, that's scary. One time when I was in college, I couldn't even get into a bar with my student ID with a photo! They wanted a drivers license, which I hadn't gotten yet. The bar was in DC and the ID was from my college in NC, but they said any student ID wasn't official enough, even though it showed my birthdate.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-88061601775473359622013-02-27T18:50:26.206-07:002013-02-27T18:50:26.206-07:00Wonderful to have a passport even if it is pretty ...Wonderful to have a passport even if it is pretty silly to have to have one for air travel. Our local new station tried out the regional airports to see if their people could get on a plane without a drivers license or passport...and they could. One used a library card with a photo, one a student ID with photo and both worked as ID! Makes you wonder sometimes...Ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04733838869805925920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-36292020187679107222013-02-18T08:01:56.594-07:002013-02-18T08:01:56.594-07:00The purpose of the Real ID Act is to keep terroris...The purpose of the Real ID Act is to keep terrorists off of airplanes and out of federal buildings and nuclear plants. So issuing drivers licenses to illegals presents a security problem.<br /><br />There's a very long and detailed explanation of the Real ID Act on wikipedia if anyone is really interested.<br /><br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/REAL_ID_ActBethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-51311050850561859662013-02-18T06:32:35.600-07:002013-02-18T06:32:35.600-07:00Glad you are now free to do interstate travel, Bet...Glad you are now free to do interstate travel, Beth. Hope to see you soon!<br /><br />I don't understand why you as an American have to carry a passport to travel in America, though. I thought the driver's license is just to show that you are the person who is traveling on that ticket. Why does it matter if you are legal or illegal? Is it against the law for illegal immigrants to fly? As long as you have to prove who you are to get a driver's license, it should suffice as ID.Mariannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-73121654043075848562013-02-16T18:56:10.479-07:002013-02-16T18:56:10.479-07:00That is bizarre, even more so than Texas threateni...That <i>is</i> bizarre, even more so than Texas threatening to secede (which sounds like something Texans would want to do).Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-49920935391817839412013-02-16T17:03:27.363-07:002013-02-16T17:03:27.363-07:00Now all you have to worry about if you travel to V...Now all you have to worry about if you travel to Virginia is changing your money.<br /><br />Not quite that drastic and not quite yet, but this bizarre bill is actually under serious consideration in the Virginia General Assembly:<br /><br />http://www.insidenova.com/news/politics/marshall-s-bill-to-study-minting-virginia-money-passes-house/article_2a17b6aa-7563-11e2-bfb0-001a4bcf887a.html<br /><br />Barbaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-7961627377430622013-02-14T14:26:06.123-07:002013-02-14T14:26:06.123-07:00Mmmmm, Eggs Benedict! Much better than Pope Bened...Mmmmm, Eggs Benedict! Much better than Pope Benedict!Barbaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-11676387072363778232013-02-14T08:43:13.673-07:002013-02-14T08:43:13.673-07:00Love it, Beth! I started the day with a chuckle w...Love it, Beth! I started the day with a chuckle when I read your blog.Mariannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-58208537431951647772013-01-05T11:03:40.458-07:002013-01-05T11:03:40.458-07:00The gas shortage was two years ago - February 2011...The gas shortage was two years ago - February 2011. Last winter was warmer here, too; it never even got below zero.<br /><br />The two big dogs are loving it; they love staying out there and sleeping on the ice/snow. Brutus, who is very short-haired, goes out to do his business and runs back to the sliding glass door and taps on it frantically so we'll let him back in.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-84827024448250055862013-01-05T10:22:22.519-07:002013-01-05T10:22:22.519-07:00I hope there won't be a natural gas shortage a...I hope there won't be a natural gas shortage as happened that other year (wasn't last year, was it? year before?) when it was so cold.<br /><br />It never gets that cold here, fortunately, but a few years ago when it got in the low teens, I went out to move my car in the morning shortly after showering, and my hair was still wet. I was wearing a hat, but the ends of my hair that weren't under the hat froze between the time I walked out the front door and the time I got to the car. That was weird. I'm sure you never go outside with wet hair!<br /><br />Last winter was so warm here that I felt annoyed on the relatively few occasions when I had to put on gloves and a hat when I went out. Colder this year, but like Elle, I'll try to remember not to whine!Barbaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-37051866914978903042013-01-04T20:04:16.241-07:002013-01-04T20:04:16.241-07:00Baby, that IS cold outside. Stay as warm as you ca...Baby, that IS cold outside. Stay as warm as you can and I'll remember not to whine when our low is a relatively warm 28. Bet there are doggies loving the cold.Ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04733838869805925920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-80714858040666536742013-01-04T19:45:13.674-07:002013-01-04T19:45:13.674-07:00Wow! I'm unable to imagine that level of cold...Wow! I'm unable to imagine that level of coldness. Your post reminds me of the short readings they have on All Things Considered. Has the same kind of rhythm. Maybe you should submit it. <br />Love from sunny California. T&WAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-38451782135899672502012-12-26T21:45:18.372-07:002012-12-26T21:45:18.372-07:00We've gotten lots of snow in the last few week...We've gotten lots of snow in the last few weeks -- about three inches every two or three days, so that's helped some. But it takes several inches of snow to register on the weather station, and a lot of it melts and/or evaporates pretty quickly. The annual total is up to 6.86 inches, so maybe by December 31 we'll reach 7 inches, but that's still really dry.<br /><br />We had a wonderful Christmas, hope yours was wonderful, too.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-23824770527144820832012-12-26T20:55:16.076-07:002012-12-26T20:55:16.076-07:00Had no idea you had such low rainfall this year. W...Had no idea you had such low rainfall this year. Would love to give you some of our rain. Have had more than 15 inches in the last 4 weeks. Not really complaining since last winter was drier & rain is Mother Earth's lifeblood, but still wish we coulld send some your way. <br />Hope you both had a wonderful Christmas! XO ElleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-25855866134390091382012-10-16T08:15:31.727-06:002012-10-16T08:15:31.727-06:00Our state started early voting in 2010, and I trie...Our state started early voting in 2010, and I tried it and liked it. It was especially useful that year because Mom's surgery was on Election Day, but I had already voted so I didn't have to worry about absentee ballots or trying to get home to vote.<br /><br />I hadn't decided yet whether to do early voting for the coming election. I didn't for the primary, because the school (local polling place) is right up the road, and I have to pass it to go anywhere, so it didn't make sense to drive half an hour to the library where the early voting is held.<br /><br />The latest study apparently shows that early voting in our state hasn't increased voter turnout, so I think they will not fund it in 2014, which is the next election cycle after the current one. Maybe it has contributed to turnout not falling. I wonder how they could determine that. I still think it's an excellent idea. So many people have work-and-commute schedules that give them a very narrow window in which to vote. In 2008, when the primary was in February, we had to keep the polls open an extra hour because there was a sleet storm that made the roads dangerous snd closed bridges, and some commuters wouldn't have been able get to the polls before the normal closing time.<br /><br />Good luck with the political phone calls. If they're anything like the ones here, they're automatic and they have no idea whether you've voted yet or not. Worse, they're mostly robocalls. I sometimes call the campaign headquarters of those candidates and tell them I don't vote for candidates who use robocalls.Barbaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-58797961847949126732012-10-01T20:47:55.221-06:002012-10-01T20:47:55.221-06:00Nice to have equine company while your work :) Loo...Nice to have equine company while your work :) Looks like you will be ready for the rains. We are still working on replacing one of the sunspace window's that was OK for 10 years but started leaking last year. The replacement sash was delivered today. We'll get it installed when it isn't so darn hot...it was 95 today in our neck of the woods. October is such a weird month weather wise.Ellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04733838869805925920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-25486519025990322152012-08-31T16:13:50.901-06:002012-08-31T16:13:50.901-06:00Heh, even with indoor cats you have critters in th...Heh, even with indoor cats you have critters in the house. I try to be vigilant, but my cats have snuck a few in, sometimes right under my nose. The one that was most disruptive was the rabbit. Next worst was one of the birds. Oddly enough, the least problematic was the snake. Given the venomous snakes where you live, it would be different for you.<br /><br />At least the lizard won't bite and probably won't get into the food. And it gives Satchmo a fun new hobby.Barbaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-23696527820130950222012-07-23T05:51:09.065-06:002012-07-23T05:51:09.065-06:00Yikes, I hope he doesn't take to checking the ...Yikes, I hope he doesn't take to checking the top of the stove, just in case, like the counters!<br /><br />As Elle said in her blog, it's like having a toddler. In Champ's case, a gigantic toddler!Barbaranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-19227874554183130902012-05-28T19:39:37.556-06:002012-05-28T19:39:37.556-06:00Yeah, I like the continuity of cats and the overla...Yeah, I like the continuity of cats and the overlap of cats. Panther and Shadow; then Shadow and Winston; then Winston and Princess; now Princess and Satchmo.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03461366318368627707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5139459395637238387.post-28559834137014446772012-05-28T19:25:08.391-06:002012-05-28T19:25:08.391-06:00That's such a great story. I had no idea Aunt ...That's such a great story. I had no idea Aunt Mary had made it for you. And I just love that picture of Satchmo on the afghan. I love it more now that it's got some history. They don't live long, our cats, and it's nice to feel there's some continuity, so even as we love and enjoy the cats we have now, we don't forget the ones who are gone.Barbaranoreply@blogger.com