Trash Can Followup

So apparently, if one slams one's trashcan into the kitchen floor, it will permanently affect the trashcan lid's ability to cooperate with the pedal that should cause it to open. Life lessons.

Christmas Meme, Thanks to Liz

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Gift bags. Paper is wasteful and too much work.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial - easier to convince the dogs not to pee on it and the cat not to climb it.
3. When do you put up the tree? When I figure out where in my clutter I have room for a tree...
4. When do you take the tree down? The weekend after New Year's.
5. Do you like eggnog? No.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My brittany spaniel Lady. It was the typical puppy with the bow on her neck. Perfect. As an adult, Simon proposing to me at Manchester Airport.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Simon.
8. Easiest person to buy for? No one really, a lot of thought goes into all of them.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Not at home, no.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Email except for the card exchange with my greyhound group.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? My ex husband gave me a chain for my glasses so I wouldn't lose them one year for Christmas. No joke.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Love Actually.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? After second payday in December. Not terribly organized, I know.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yep.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Little Debbie Gingerbread Cakes.
16. Lights on the tree? Yes please.
17. Favorite Christmas song? I'm not that into Christmas music.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay at home? Travel. None of my family can stand my animals for very long so I have to go to them.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes.
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Nothing to open until Christmas morning really.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Radio stations that play nothing but Christmas music from the first of November onward.
23. What theme or color are you using? Isn't red and green the theme?
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Honey baked ham.
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Simon and me in the same country.

Pachelbel Rant

I didn't play the cello...but I did play the piano for 12 years and I feel his pain. Very funny.

Visitors on my Birthday

Visitors
Originally uploaded by Nancy Allen

For my birthday this year I woke up to three gorgeous whitetail does in my parent's "backyard" (really, it's the woods!). Isn't she just adorable? Thank goodness for a zoom lens, and apologies for the quality but it was taken from the other side of a window.

Today I'm thankful for the ability to see the wonders of our earth like this little doe and her two "girlfriends" having brunch in the backyard. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Me: 1 Trash Can: 0

Man, something is up this week. My friend Debbie would say that my stars are not aligned but I don't think that's what it is. Though I don't really know WHAT it is, so maybe?

I've been freelancing at UGA this week and it hasn't been bad at all. The drive is not as long as it used to be now that they've re-routed 441 around all the little towns, and I enjoy being back on campus. Interestingly enough, though, it isn't making me pine for my old job there as it did in the past. I rather feel like UGA has moved on without me, rightly so, and I'm just there for a visit.

I do miss Athens. I miss the wonderful places to eat downtown, I miss the creativity and the culture and I definitely miss the liberal environment. Ten years of living in exile in a red state will do that to you.

But on to the title of the post, the battle with the trash can...last night I really needed to take a bag of trash out and was having some difficulty doing so. My trash can has a pedal that opens the lid, and has a ring that fits VERY TIGHTLY INDEED into the top to hold the bag in place. You remove the ring by pulling on the two handles that are inserted into each side.

Well, you do unless the handles come out of the ring. At that point there was some unfortunate language and then wisdom: pry the sucker out.

By the way, a knife that can cut through a plastic ring that goes around the top of a trash can is not a good choice for a lever. Just so you know.

Finally the handles did their job and the ring came out with a very satisfying POP. I'm still not sure if it came from the rings or my shoulder, to be honest. I closed off the bag with the ties and pulled upward to remove it from the trash can.

Nothing.

After more unfortunate language and lots of yanking at the bag, I realized that part of the problem was coming from my boots that have NEGATIVE tread on the bottom. Seriously, I could go ice skating in them, and do anytime I encounter leaves on the ground. I couldn't hold the lid open with my foot because it was sliding off the pedal. More unfortunate language concerning boots made in American having more tread than those made in the UK (and to be fair, these were from Primark so they probably weren't made anywhere NEAR the UK, but...) later, a change of shoes, and the bag still wasn't budging.

Last straw. Hold trash can by bag still firmly wedged inside. Bang can up and down against the floor until bag lets go. Take bag out to bin.

Luckily I have a hammer, so the dent I put in the trash can that was impeding the use of the pedal once I put on proper shoes with tread was easily hammered back out. Mostly.

Envy me, don't you?

Dog Whisperer Comes to Georgia...

Just because I really don't get it...

Why is it that those that are Pro-Life believe that Pro-Choice=Pro-Abortion? Maybe it means Pro-"I'm going to keep my baby, but if carrying it to term would endanger my life then I'm glad I can still make choices that affect my body without the input of the government." It might mean Pro-"Thank goodness we live in a country where a moral and religious objection does not become restrictive legislation."

I am very proudly Pro-Choice. Unless it meant the difference between life and death for me or the pregnancy occurred due to horrible circumstances (incest or rape),I would not personally pursue an abortion because it goes against what I believe and what my church believes. It's MY choice. Not the government's.

Ugh. Time to stop reading the news and hit the bed. I'm going to leave comments open for now but if they get ugly they're getting closed. I really do want to understand because it makes no sense to me.

Yes We Can - Barack Obama Music Video

The sweetest sound...

...is the sound of my Hounda starting up, ready to drive. Why have I picked that sound, dear readers? Well...

This weekend I headed up to Charlotte for the Renn Fest as I've done almost every weekend since the first of October. I was driving along, talking to Simon on the mobile and actually in a good mood. I got to a gas station and pulled in to refuel. After only spending $25 to fill my tank (I am LOVING the current gas prices) I hopped back in the car and turned the key in the ignition.

Nothing.

Nada.

Not even clicking.

I did not panic. I did not cry. I called Simon first to tell him what was up and then Leah, because she was driving toward Charlotte as well and had her 16yr old son/amateur mechanic in the car. They came to my rescue, her son looked around under the hood, and pronounced that the issue was probably my battery but might be the alternator.

How to strike fear in the heart of a single woman who's just quit her full time job to freelance, therefore securing a higher rate of pay without a set date for receiving such pay? Mention the words "replace the alternator" to her five days before her last payday from the prior job. Seriously. You might just get to see her head combust.

They jumped off my car and got me running again, and I headed north to my friend and fellow Rennie Debbie's house where I was staying for the weekend. Her husband can work on PLANES and according to Debbie "...can take a hunk of metal and turn it into a racecar." Off the the festival on Saturday and then again on Sunday, while he looked at the car to see if he could fix it.

It was just the battery!! Apparently the original battery was still in the car, and once replaced my Hounda started up like a dream. Thank goodness, since said freelancing is taking me to Georgia this week!

Good News

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends... Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection." And, to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president, too.
-President Elect Barack Obama

Amen.

Change for me, thanks...