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The Daba Mountains evergreen forests are a Global 200 endangered ecoregion located on the Daba Mountains in China.  The forests are part of temperate broadleaf and mixed forests containing both coniferous and broadleaf trees covering a swath of Central China.  Forests here provide a transitional area between evergreen forests to the south and deciduous forests to the north.  The Daba Mountains evergreen forests cover areas of northeast Sichuan Province, southern Shaanxi Province, the northern half of Chongqing Municipality, and western Hubei Province.

The Daba Mountains evergreen forests support a wide variety of endemic species.  Lower elevations contain oaks and arboreal mints, and higher elevations support pines including the Chinese red pine and Chinese white pine.  Some of the other significant tree species include the dawn redwood, dove tree, Tetracentron, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Emmenopterys henryi, and Eucommia ulmoides.

Human industry in the region has long been dependent on logging and harvesting for medicines.  A major protected area of forests is the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve in Hubei.

References

Palearctic ecoregions
Ecoregions of China
Montane forests
Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests


The history of the airfield of the Redstone Arsenal starts at the beginning of World War II when was created with the purpose to assist the planes used to test incendiary munitions produced in several centers of the US Army.
Once the war ended the airfield remained almost 11 years without being used until Febraury 1956 when was activated at Redstone the Army Ballistic Missile Agency which used the airfield installations. The air station became fully operational and the previous facilities were upgraded with the construction of a control tower and the modernization of radar and communications systems. Its main goal then was to provide support to units working on missile programs being developed there, thus supporting a considerable flow of air traffic.
In late 1959, NASA's Marshall Space Center signed a contract with the Army for joint use of facilities at Redstone. The agreement made possible the transfer -at no cost for NASA- of air support and free use of facilities and personnel for various projects of the agency.
In 1971, the agreement was amended to allow use of the airfield for the operation of stratospheric balloons. Thus, in September of that year there was launched the gigantic space telescope called "Stratoscope II." That was the only and unique balloon launched there.
Since then the site has not been used again for that purpose.


Deckorators Aluminum Post Sleeves are quick and easy to install. Aluminum provides a clean and modern look for your deck and the sleeve is the first step to your new Deckorators railing. Simply slide the post sleeve over your 4x4 post and add a bead of caulk, it's that easy. This sleeve comes with a liner that creates a barrier between the sleeve and your structural lumber post.
(Width x Depth x Height) Outside Dimension: 4" x 4" x 40-1/4" or 52"
Inside Dimension: 3-3/4" x 3-3/4"


text:
Brannigan
Around London – Story of London Festival; a new filmlovers' walk; 'pocket histories' of London; and, Your 2012…
by exploringlondon August 18, 2011
• The third Story of London Festival kicked off at the start of the month with a programme of events aimed at celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Festival of Britain. This year's festival is being coordinated by the Museum of London in partnership with the Southbank Centre. It also involves five London borough museums – that of Brent, Dagenham, Haringey, Redbridge and Wandsworth – which are hosting free displays and events around the theme of how they celebrated in 1951. The festival runs until the end of the month, so there's still plenty of time to get involved. Among the highlights still to come is the Floral Bicycle Parade around the Southbank Centre on 28th August ('decorating stations' will be set up at the centre prior to the parade). For a full listing of what's happening, see www.london.gov.uk/priorities/art-culture/storyoflondon.
• The City of London has released a new filmlovers' walking tour of London which takes in locations featured in films and TV shows. Lights, camera, action starts on Millennium Bridge (destroyed in the opening sequence of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and takes in 23 other locations including St Paul's Cathedral (The Madness of King George and Great Expectations), Bank Junction (28 Days Later, National Treasure II), St Bart's Hospital (Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason), Moorgate (Ocean's 13 and The Bourne Ultimatum) and Tower Bridge (Brannigan, The Mummy Returns, Thunderbirds, Tomb Raider, Sherlock Holmes) before finishing at Postman's Park (Closer). The walk has been mapped out by the City's film team which works with location managers and film directors when they're working in the Square Mile. The leaflet can be picked up free-of-charge from the City of London Information Centre (opposite St Paul's) or downloaded here.
• Interested in a snapshot of what London was like during a particular historical era? The Museum of London has launched a series of 16 "pocket histories", each of which, in up to 1,000 words, tackles a particular aspect of the city's history based around five objects or images. The subjects covered range from a look at the River Thames in prehistory to life in medieval London, from an examination of the history of Jack the Ripper and the East End, to a detailed look at the London's plagues. While designed for a general audience, the histories are expected to be particularly useful to school students. They can be looked at online or downloaded as a PDF. Further subjects are expected to be added in the future. See www.museumoflondon.org.uk/pockethistories. The museum has also launched Picturebank, a collection of images which can be accessed online and viewed, printed or copied for educational use.
• On Now: Your 2012. The Museum of London Docklands is hosting a free exhibition featuring images capturing the construction work at the Olympic site in East London and the impact on the surrounding boroughs and the environment as well as archival images which show the history of the site. The free exhibition runs until 5th February. For more, see www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands/.
1951 Festival of Britain Events Museums News28 Days Later Bank Junction Brannigan Brent Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason Closer Dagenham Floral Bicycle Parade Great Expectations Haringey Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Millennium Bridge Moorgate Museum of London Museum of London Docklands National Treasure II Ocean's 13 Pocket histories Postman's Park Redbridge Sherlock Holmes Southbank Centre St Bart's Hospital Story of London Festival The Bourne Ultimatum The Madness of King George The Mummy Returns Thunderbirds Tomb Raider Tower Bridge Wandsworth Your 2012

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wade Vorley is an architect with previous experience as a construction contractor. He has been with WJE since 2002 focusing his practice on building envelope investigation and design. Mr. Vorley provides field investigations, condition surveys, and repair designs for building owners, design consultation and peer review services for architectural firms, and litigation support for attorneys and insurance companies.
Mr. Vorley is published in trade journals, presents AIA accredited seminars and conducts research. He writes technical papers, including one presented at the 2011 NRCA International Roofing Symposium in Washington, D.C. and one at the 2013 Waterproof Membranes Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Prior to joining WJE, Mr. Vorley worked as a roof installer, supervisor, project manager, and cost estimator with Cambie Roofing Contractors Ltd. in Vancouver, Canada. He prepared over 2,600 roofing estimates and managed over 600 projects for new and retrofit roofing systems.


text:
Q: I'm getting error when ever i automate the code browser opened and then suddenly closing session not created: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version 83
Build info: version: '3.141.59', revision: 'e82be7d358', time: '2018-11-14T08:17:03'
System info: host: 'LAPTOP-GRB5533T', ip: '192.168.43.182', os.name: 'Windows 10', os.arch: 'amd64', os.version: '10.0', java.version: '1.8.0_251'
Driver info: driver.version: ChromeDriver

A: Issue is your chrome driver version, time to time chrome driver exe is updating based on your browser version, check your chrome browser version and downloaded chrome driver exe version according to your browser version
You can download latest driver exe from here https://chromedriver.chromium.org/downloads

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Emphasis mine. I was surprised to read this because, as Friedman indicates and as book industry-watchers know, religious books have been a huge seller in recent years, growing much faster than most other types of books.
As I read this, though, it occurred to me that peoples' reading tastes, taken broadly, might be a good indicator of the philosophical mood of the country. It may be that HarperCollins' religious titles were duds this year, but it's also possible that the fervent hold of religion — and when we talk about "religious books" we're talking primarily about born-again Christian themes — on this country is loosening. I don't want to read to much into this, but is it possible that, among the broader public, conservative Christianity was a cultural fad, with its own attendant movies, music, and books, and that people who don't have too much invested in it will move onto the next thing that promises to help them with their lives? I'd be curious to see if there's any other evidence out there that lends itself to this idea.
Well, it's an interesting theory, but don't underestimate how much HarperCollins might have thrown into print runs, advertising, tours, the like. Is it possible that HarperCollins adopted the wrong strategy in trying to sell the book and get the word out?
As fae as selling of Religious books is concerned,the books which are useful for general readers are still selling in good nos.,particularly the books related to Hinduism,buddhism and other eastern religions are popular.The publishers has to consider both the markets in mind,while accepting a MSS.
Wouldn't that be wonderful if it was a fad! It's always sad when the things you agree with and think show the human race to be progressing turn out to be, sure would be nice if this sorry business was. Balance the scales a little. How to tell for sure? Wait, watch Madonna and keep our fingers crossed, I suppose!
I wonder if evangelical readers are just not buying as many books from HarperCollins or other mainstream publishers, because they are getting them in other ways? Some of the "megachurches" and other large evangelical organizations probably have their own presses and they may sell through catalogs, the internet and word of mouth rather than in physical stores. If the CBA this guy mentions is the Christian Booksellers Association, and there really is a "contraction" in the amount of sales it's reporting, though, I guess that's evidence.
I think part of the problem is the same problem that the movie business has been seeing — they aren't producing any good books!
At this point, everybody pretty much has a handle on what they think Christianity should look like. Also, there's only so much you can say about how to feel good, and people have figured out that reading books isn't going to do it.
There are some books that are really engaging the culture, but the problem with those is that the Church doesn't realize what is happening in the culture, so they get skipped over.
So what kind of books would sell?
I think that a good series of books that brought together the lay and the scholarly ideas in the Church in a serious study of scripture. Now, there have been several books like that (N.T. Wright's The Last Word comes to mind), but they are never promoted to a general audience. The lay people are hungry, and they are just being pushed dog crap. Also, they need to be non-polemical. We've got so many fights in this country, I think some of us are wanting a break. Let's stop fighting and just have a serious talk about scripture, theology, and life. Let's include some real scholars. And then lets promote it to _real_ people, rather than just let it die on the shelves.


Cursed (2005) was a highly anticipated movie for fans of the horror genre as it marked the reunion of screenwriter Kevin Williamson and director Wes Craven—the creative team behind Scream (1996). This time out they tackled the werewolf movie. To say that this was a troubled production is an understatement. The production was plagued with screenplay problems so severe that at least half of the film was re-shot with a handful of actors re-cast because of scheduling conflicts. Legendary make-up artist Rick Baker left early on and the studio ultimately took the film away from Craven, inserted more CGI shots and cut it down for a PG-13 rating. Cursed has now been released on DVD in an unrated version which adds a couple of paltry minutes to the running time.
One night, when Ellie (Ricci) is driving her brother, Jimmy (Eisenberg) home they get into a car accident in a heavily wooded area on Mulholland Drive (the address for all that is creepy). As they try to help out the lady in the other vehicle they are all attacked by some kind of wolf. The next day, Jimmy wakes up naked in his yard and Ellie catches a fly right out of the air.
The film sets up pretty quickly that Jimmy is the believer, convinced that he and Ellie have been bitten by a werewolf. At work, Ellie gets a heightened sense of awareness for fresh blood while at school Jimmy stands up to the homophobic bullies. The werewolf powers seem like a blessing, at first. They give Jimmy more confidence and make Ellie more assertive. He soon realizes that their newly acquired powers are more of a curse and becomes intent on figuring out how it can be broken and who is the source.
What happened to Christina Ricci? When she made Buffalo 66 (1998) she was a voluptuous beauty but in the last couple of years she's given into the pressure to slim down to an unhealthy looking waif-thin physique because, apparently, that's what Hollywood thinks we want to see. It's a shame because with her past resume, The Addams Family (1991) and Sleepy Hollow (1999), it was only natural that she stars in a Wes Craven horror film.
Williamson sticks closely to his Scream template: Jimmy is the Randy geek character of this film, Ellie's boyfriend (Jackson) is the film's wild card character and Ellie is the Sidney Prescott character, an assertive female protagonist. However, this film's script is a shadow of the one for Scream—the result of numerous re-writes. The dialogue, at times, is clunky—especially the opening bit between Shannon Elizabeth's hapless motorist and Portia de Rossi's fortune teller.
When it comes to Wes Craven there are certain expectations. Like with Scream, Cursed jumps right into the action—no preamble—and plays around with formulaic horror conventions, straying from them just enough to keep you slightly off balance. However, it becomes pretty obvious early on who's the source of the curse and the rest of the film is a build up to the Big Reveal and the confrontation between Jimmy, Ellie and the bad guy.
Ultimately, Cursed isn't nearly as bad as most critics would have you believe. It is certainly a flawed effort (it isn't really all that scary) but Craven's slick camerawork and knack for creating atmosphere has survived relatively intact. The cast, in particular, Joshua Jackson's enigmatic character is quite good. It is Williamson's screenplay that is the film's weakest element reduces Cursed to a competent movie instead of something great.
"Behind the Fangs: The Making of Cursed" is standard press kit material as the cast and Williamson talk about the movie as a postmodern updating of the werewolf sub-genre. Predictably, there are lots of clips from the movie and, of course, no mention of the film's troubled past. The most telling indication that something is rotten in the state of Denmark is the absence of Craven in any of these extras (aside from on-the-set footage).
"The Cursed Effects" features Greg Nicotero providing a little insight into how the creature effects were achieved: a combination of CGI and a guy in a wolf suit.
"Creature Editing 101" features the film's editor, Patrick Lussier talking briefly about how editing is a way to manipulate the story and how he cut different versions: PG-13, R and unrated.
"Becoming A Werewolf" is a tongue-in-cheek look at how Nicotero transformed Jesse Eisenberg into a werewolf. First, they go to the library and do research on werewolves and then go to Nicotero's home where he proceeds to make banana bread.
Finally, there are selected scenes commentary by Nicotero and actor Derek Mears (who played the werewolf) for four creature scenes. They are spirited tracks with Nicotero dominating them as he talks about how these sequences were achieved. They joke around and offer some anecdotal bits too.


Tom and his guys fixed The Palms today, and she's as good as new, actually better than new. He needed a strip that goes along the bottom of the coach, a trim piece, so I went down to La Mesa RV, they didn't have the exact piece so I got one that's a bit bigger, Tom thought it might work. Unfortunately it didn't, the size was wrong, but he used something from bathtub wall installations that he had out in the shop, and it looks perfect. You'd never know it was a different material than the ones in front and in back of it. The decals are on perfectly, too, so I'm set to go.
Tomorrow we'll go down to the RV park and get me registered for the month of June, and then back to the office. After work I'll drive back to The Palms, and that will be my home (away from home) for the month.
I've been approved for the short sale, and an appraisal has been ordered. The condo is actually my legal address, and I will stay there from time to time to keep an eye on things, air it out and get my mail, etc. I'll keep my sleeping bag there and I've left some clothes, food and toiletries. I'll be able to take nice, long showers there. I guess since I'll have hookups I can do that in The Palms, too, but the condo has a bigger shower and a nice bathtub, which The Palms doesn't have. I'm not ready to walk away yet and don't want to change my address until it sells. It still feels like home, but I do hope it sells quickly. I guess that will depend on the price the mortgage company agrees to.
I'm starting to really enjoy taking photos of the sunset. I guess it's hard to take a bad shot of the sun setting at the beach, even more so if there are clouds in the sky. I especially liked the one with the child flying a kite. I kept trying to shoot around him, then I realized it was a pretty shot with the boy and his kite.
And then one other thing I wanted to show you is the new chair I bought when I was at Costco the other night.
It has an umbrella that you can move around 180 degrees, so you can get sun or shade any time of the day. Lumbar support on the back with an extra wide seat. There is a small insulated compartment on the right below the armrest that you can put ice cubes in and up to four drinks.Under the right armrest is a place to put your bottle/can/drink and a storage pocket with a headphone pass-through and a bottle opener.
But the best thing, for me, is the footrest. It's adjustable and removable. The chair was set up in the aisle - I don't usually try things out like this, but I sat in it and put my feet up, and it was so comfortable. I could see myself setting it up in front of my closet in the entry hall area and relaxing while reading. It'll be perfect for sitting outside and relaxing.
It was only $33.99 - the most comfortable folding chair I've seen. Just in case you're looking for new chairs for summer.
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service, and continue to die for our freedom. Let's take a moment to remember those who have fallen, and their families, too - who have also given so much for us.
I love this line-up of little bud vases, I put shells in the bottom of each one.
It fits perfectly right here, and I'll change out the flowers, sometimes fresh.
Toaster oven and my little vase (it has a small water well with a frog to stick the stem on) and whimsical ornament my daughter gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago - I think she said it reminded her of me (?) and I love it. I've always put her somewhere I could see her.
I had this over-the-door hanger outside my bathroom door in the condo. I brought it to The Palms and hung it outside the bathroom door, to hang a coat or sweater or hat on. Then I got out my hanging bud vase and picked one of the purple flowers on the side of the road. I love the way it looks.
The bunk. Here's the single inflatable mattress - really comfortable.
There's enough room at the foot for storage baskets and extra pillows.
Katie on the couch - it pulls out into the most comfortable day bed! There's my Guide, watching over The Palms. See the rounded storage thing behind her? That holds all my kitchen things like spatulas, can opener, beater, potato peeler, all those things that won't fit into one of the three small drawers. It's sitting on a basket that contains one of the lap quilts I made and a couple of small pillows.
And that's our new home. It's so comfortable so far, much more than I hoped it would be. I NEVER turn on lights during the day - it's really light and bright in here, and I only need lights when it's dark outside.
It was cool and windy all day yesterday, but it did clear up finally, and I got some nice sunset shots, which I'll show you tomorrow. I'm really liking taking sunset shots. You can't do much to mess them up.
It's a beautiful day here at the beach this morning. Not a cloud in the sky right now, and only slight breezes. I got here a little after 5 am, good thing, too, because it's 8 am, and all the parking in this area is already taken. The forecast is around 71 degrees along the coast today. It's going to be a super day.
For those who asked about the pots, see this post, where I explained where I got them, and for how much. I went to amazon.com and searched Magma nesting pots - 10-piece. This is the best deal I found, more pots for the same money as elsewhere. Maybe I'll make spaghetti tonight, and I can try out two pots and post a review tomorrow. I also have some frozen, sliced, butter/garlic bread that I want to bake in the oven. I haven't used the oven yet, and want to see how I do with that. I used the toaster/oven yesterday, and toasted some bagels. I haven't had a toaster in years. The bagels were perfect, I really liked the way it worked.
Katie and I are sleeping like logs on the airbed. Super comfortable, but we usually sleep really well when using the down comforter. I like it so much better than blankets. It seems to be warm in cool weather, and cool in warm weather. The only time we don't use it is when its hot in the evening. Then it really is too warm, but I always hate to store it away during the hot part of the summer.
We slept last night in our usual night camp, and I woke this morning at 5:20 to the sounds of a car door closing, immediately followed by a spray of hard rain on the window by my head. I peeked out and one of the restaurant workers was heading to work at the restaurant nearby that opens early for breakfast every day. Katie didn't want to move, so I climbed down, left her up there in the bunk, threw on clothes and drove to the beach. I got here around 5:50. I wasn't worried about getting one of the parking spots I like, because it was rainy, very windy, and really grey out. Kind of a neat day to be at the beach, though, nice and snug in The Palms. We parked and I took Katie out for a walk, came back and made coffee, and settled down on the day bed with pillows and a blanket and my Kindle. It was really nice, I could see the crashing waves through one window and rain clouds moving overhead out both of the large windows.
I read for a while, really enjoying my Jack Reacher novel, and it started seeming kind of familiar to me. I kept reading and the deeper I got into the book, the more familiar it felt. I finally realized that I've read it before. I looked up the novels, and Persuader is the 7th of 16 Jack Reacher novels, and was written in 2003. I had downloaded it a while ago when it was offered free. I couldn't remember if I had read that one, and obviously I had, a long time ago. So I deleted it, and will start on a new book tonight. I was really disappointed, because that series is really good.
My son and two grandsons stopped by to visit me here at the beach after church this morning. Tom also had with him one of his lifelong friends from our old neighborhood in San Jose. He and Todd went to grammar school and junior high together, and some high school. They have been friends forever, and Todd was here visiting friends, one of whom was Tom. It was so nice to see him. His mom and I were best friends when I lived in San Jose, and it was nice hearing about what she's doing, too.
They had plans to go to lunch after church and invited me along. I left Katie in The Palms. It's the first time she's been in The Palms by herself, and she did fine.
Tom took my car keys and the key card for the storage lot and said he'll drive it to work on Tuesday. I'll drive down in The Palms. Then Tom will leave me my car and take The Palms to his auto body shop and get the cargo door put on, make the necessary repairs, and apply the new decals. It will be all set, as good as new. I'll get the key card back from him and mail it to the owner of the storage lot, and I'll be done there.
When I stopped by the condo on Friday, I had two packages by the front door, and one of them contained my new pots. They are really heavy! Very nice looking and well made. I washed them, dried them and put them back in the largest pot and put the bungee cord around them all, and it was just as easy as the ad promised. I haven't used them yet, but I'm sure I'll get years of good use from them. I got the 10 piece set, 2 handles and the bungee cord are three, then there are two lids, leaving five pots, a really large one, then a big, medium and small pot, and also a large frying pan.
I already have a medium sized non-stick frying pan with a folding handle that I got for Christmas from my daughter and son-in-law, and I got a small non-stick frying pan free at Albertson's grocery store when they had a promotion.
Kristy and Matt also got me a colander/steamer that has a lid and folds flat for storage. I have them all in the drawer under my stove along with another folding colander, and I still have room to spare.
This is 2 colanders, 3 frying pans, 3 lids, four pots and 2 handles.
Amazing! Oh, and the baking sheet from my toaster oven.
My one big splurge. I think they will be worth it.
The other package was a Wagan Tech Smart AC 200 USB Inverter I ordered to go into the cigarette lighter so I can charge things while I'm driving. It has two regular plugs and one for USB cords. I haven't tried it out yet. It will save hours on my generator, which I'm turning on when I want coffee or anything that uses an electrical wall plug like my computer and 4G unit. I hope it works well.
Katie and I left the beach early today, around 5:00. We went to Costco before they closed to get some flea meds for her. I thought I had some, but I couldn't find the package at the condo last night, and I looked everywhere I could think of here in The Palms, but couldn't find it. I'll treat her this evening and get rid of those fleas.
After going to Costco we came back to the beach. We'll stay here again until 8:30 or so, then go back to our night camp.
I just took some photos of the inside of The Palms to show you what it looks like so far. I'll upload them and post them tomorrow.
I watched this guy for a while. He kept getting wiped out, but kept trying.
These beach shots were taken at the same time, but I used my camera's "sunset" setting, and it gave them a different coloring.
The waves were really pretty in the sunset.
This was so pretty with the waves crashing by the rocks.
Little Katie this morning, she's so tired.
It's changing between sunny and overcast so far today, and I just started hearing the wind blow outside. Kind of cozy in The Palms, though. I think I'll sign off and read my Kindle for a while. I haven't read it in a long time, but have been charging it so it would be ready. I've started on "Persuader," a Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child. I've love the Jack Reacher series, and have read them all. I downloaded this one to my Kindle quite a while ago.
I woke up at 6 this morning, jumped out of bed, put Katie in the car and drove to the RV storage lot. We traded the car for The Palms, stopped and filled the tank and drove back to the condo. I put most of what was left into bags and boxes, got a bunch of my food from the cupboard and fridge, loaded them on the floor of The Palms, and we drove to the beach. We got here around 8:30 and there weren't a lot of parking places left on the street by the ocean, but we snagged one.
It's just beautiful here today. I'm so sorry for all of you who are braving terrible weather, I wish you could have a week of days like today at the beach in Carlsbad, North San Diego County.
I've worked all day!!! I put things away, rearranged them, changed them again, and then put them in a new place. Lots of you have gone through that, I'm sure. I put the food I brought in the little refrigerator and freezer, and was really surprised that it all fit, and I still have room left over. I didn't bring a lot, but pretty much what I'll need for a few days.
I think I'm here to stay. I brought the twin size inflatable mattress, too, and the bedding for it. That's the last thing I did, was make up the bed. I have a nice mattress cover that was from my queen mattress, and I put it around the twin, pulled on the fitted twin sheet, and threw my down comforter/duvet on top. It's going to be very snugly tonight!
I'm pretty organized. All my clothes fit, but I have a few coats at the condo still. I guess they will fit, but they'll squish the other clothes, so I'll probably be thinning out the clothes in the next few months. Or not.
I have everything packed away now for traveling back to our night time parking lot in Lake San Marcos. I feel safe there, it's where we parked last time during the Estate Sale.
I have my fridge and washer/dryer on Craigs List, and have had some calls. Two people who wanted to see the washer, one last night and one other who called today, flaked out on me. Luckily I called the woman from today, so I didn't leave my good parking spot here to go meet her. I have two people interested in the fridge tomorrow, I told them both to call me an hour before our meeting time (7:00) so I know they will be there, otherwise I won't be there. I can't believe people make an appointment for a specific time and don't show. Don't call, and don't answer their phone.
Katie and I took two long walks along the sea wall - once early afternoon when I finally stopped for a break. It felt so good to walk with her by the ocean. Then later when the sun was setting we took off in the other direction for another long walk. This is the first time Katie has walked in sand, but it didn't seem to phase her. She is a good little girl and goes potty in the sand around the palm trees that are in the sidewalk. That's all there is for her, except for the concrete, because she isn't allowed on the beach. But she seemed to know that was the spot she should use.
It's 8:30 now, and I'm wearing down, so I'm going to close things down and drive to our night camp. My camera battery died, so I'll charge it tomorrow and upload a few pictures from today.
Three more days of work!
Five more days of work.
I've given all my work away, e-mailed my forms and flyers, charts and spreadsheets, templates and contact list, my information file, everything. Thinned out my Outlook folders, went through my desk drawer files, it's pretty much done. Tom wanted my jobs given away early to the other two employees so I'd be there if they had any questions, but I doubt they will. Our Office Manger has been there for nine years, and our bookkeeper for six years. They pretty much know what's up.
For the rest of this week and next week I'm going to learn how to do and practice the research job that Tom needs help with when I'm retired. We had a meeting yesterday about it, and I have a lot of information to play around with and see what I come up with. It's something I can do as I want after I leave, I can put in a lot of time, or a little time. The more time I put in, the more money I can earn, so it's up to me.
I have the new cargo door and the decals we need to repair The Palms. Next Tuesday I'm going to drive The Palms to work, and Tom's auto shop guys are going to do the repairs. He will drive me home, and then on Wednesday he'll help me get both vehicles to the RV park after work, and I will have both The Palms and my car available to me at the RV park.
I'm driving back to Vacaville to visit my daughter's family over the 4th of July and stay with the grandkids during the week while Kristy and Matt are at work. They have different schedules, Kristy's is according to her patient appointments and Matt is with the Home Depot and has varying schedules, so I'll have time to spend with them, too. This might be the last time in a while I'll be in their area to visit.
I'm thinking that I won't be on any special time schedule, and if I drive up in my car as I originally planned, it's going to cost me $125 in gas to get there. And I will be paying for my Santee Lakes campsite for the week I'll be in Vacaville since I have a monthly rate and don't want to lose the campsite. Then I have to drive all the way back - another $125. A total of $416. If it costs me $265 to get there in The Palms (assuming an average of $4.25/gal of gas, less if it keeps going down) I think I'll be ahead of the game to do that and then just keep going north after our visit.
I'd have anywhere from 1 to 4 days to drive there, and wouldn't have to hurry. If I stay in rest stops or Walmarts at night, I'd save some money. Then Katie and I can sleep in The Palms at Kristy's and have all our things with us.
Why not just bite the bullet, check out of Santee Lakes on July 1, and drive The Palms to Vacaville and get started on my "road trip?" I'd have a month to figure out the motor home systems, get her all set up and comfortable for us.
I'd like to drive to Placerville and see my old girlfriends, and have a visit. I could keep traveling north and go through Oregon and Washington, two states I'd love to spend some time in. It will be summer and warm, a good time to be traveling north, and not the best time to be in Arizona, another state I want to see (and think about having solar panels installed while I'm there). The more I think about it, the more sense that makes. I could make my way back down through Montana, Idaho, Nevada and end up in Arizona as the weather is cooling down. When I get there, I want to stay for a while in one of the free desert camping spots that I've read about where everyone congregates, and then travel around a little and see more of the state.
I'll have to think about selling my car sooner if I do that. Probably through Carfax - I've done that before and felt they offered me a fair amount.
I think it's a good plan, and it doesn't make sense to pay six months to camp at a campground and just sit there if I'm not working. It made sense before I was laid off, but not now. I feel like I'm easing into this, and the changes to my original plans are coming slowly and making it easier for me. Whew!
Okay then. It's our new plan... I called the RV park this morning and cancelled the last five months of my reservation and they put my deposit for those months on to the June rent, so I'm all set.
My cactus is in bloom!
I have a big cactus, a prickly pear, on the side of my condo under my bedroom window. I seldom see it, because it's hidden out of the way, and I forget it's there. I think this year is the first time I've seen it in bloom, so I had to take some photos to remember it.
This one has 10 flowers on it!
I like the way it has different colored flowers on the same pad. Some of the petals have faded, or maybe it was the rain. Still really pretty and fresh looking, though.
I Googled Prickly Pear Cactus to see if that's the one I have, and it is. It says it's the Texas State Plant.
"The prickly pear cactus was designated the official plant symbol of Texas in 1995. Found in the deserts of the American southwest, the fruits of most prickly pear cacti are edible, and have been a source of food to native Americans for thousands of years. Cacti in general (and the fruits in particular) are still staple foods for some residents of Mexico and Latin America and the prickly pear cactus is raised commercially. The fruit is sold under the name 'Tuna'; the branches or pads are eaten as a vegetable, called 'nopalito' or 'nopales.' "
I guess the little round parts that the blooms are on must be the fruit part. Our HOA's gardener, Jacinto, cuts off the end pieces of mine and another prickly pear across the lawn and brings them home for his wife to cook. I had never heard of cooking cactus until he told me about it.
I also have some pretty snapdragons blooming now. And bird of paradise, lavender, lantana, poinsettia, and others. We always have lots of flowers around here. During my estate sale people asked if they could buy my iris bulbs, some of which were in bloom. They are beautiful when they all bloom at once, but they are in the ground, and I thought they should stay for the new owner.
My son, Tom, loaned me a folding table, and it's sooooo much easier to use my laptop at the table. And that's about it for today.
Just another day in an empty house...but I have Internet!
Nothing going on today. I had big plans of getting The Palms and bringing her over to the beach for the weekend, and stealth camping at night. But Friday got busy, Saturday I slept in too late, and today I'm too lazy. That pretty much took care of the 3-day weekend!
I have another week in the condo before I move to The Palms.
I went to Verizon yesterday to swap out my battery in my 4G, I think that was the problem. So far it's working pretty well. So now I'm going to try to watch a little TV. I still have a bunch of TV shows to catch up on.
I just ordered a set of Magma nesting pots and pans on line. (Thank you, commenters!) I couldn't find them anywhere in person, but they are highly recommended, and they all fit into the one largest pot. Camping World has the 7-piece set for around $150 on line, and I got a 10-piece for $161 including shipping, right about what the Camping World set would cost with tax, but I got two more pots.
I got a blow up bed and sheets today at Costco. It was a Coleman brand, queen, which is what my bed in the RV is - I brought it right down and laid it up there, inflated it, and it hung over the edge a few inches. And it was too tall, leaving me less headroom. So I deflated it and brought it back.
I looked all over for a "full" blowup, which is what I'd really like, but I couldn't find one, so I got a twin size at Walmart, and they also had sheets to go with it, that have elastic that goes around the mattress so it won't come off. I'm washing the sheets now, and I'm going to use them here until I move to the RV. I'm getting a little tired of sleeping on the floor. I think that size will work. I hope so. You need a mattress or something to tuck the sheets into that lies on top of the padded mattress that's there now, so the sheets don't show. (I've got the bed put together, so we'll see. I hope it works tonight.) I did see Coleman inflatable mattresses on line, and they have two that might work, too. One is a "full" and one is for an SUV. Both are inexpensive.
I got a free chair from the San Diego Blood Bank - when you donate blood you get points, and I was saving mine up for a jacket, but my doctor said I shouldn't donate so often. My iron is actually on the low side now, so I cashed them in for the chair and a $5 gift card from Coldstone. I haven't gotten that yet. I needed a chair, so that was perfect.
Speaking of small chairs, my Realtors want to hire me to coordinate their deals. And they have a friend who is looking for a coordinator, too. I think if I wanted to work a lot, I could get a job doing that. They said I could work for them from the RV, anywhere I was. I have a real estate license and have worked as a loan coordinator and sold real estate. Hmmmmm. I'll have to think about it and see how I do financially once I'm not working anymore. I think I'd rather not be that busy, though.
I mailed off my Short Sale documents on Thursday, so now I just wait. They have up to 30 days to respond. My Realtors think it will go, but we won't know for sure until we hear back. He said if they price the condo right, it should sell pretty fast. It will all be done in three to four months if everything goes okay.
I got the final payment from my Estate Sale, and I received just under $4,000. My furniture was around 11 years old except my bedroom set, which was much older, and I really didn't have much. It looked fine but was not in perfect condition, and it all went in 3 days, so I was really happy. I was hoping for at least $2,000 and would have considered $3,000 a good thing, so I was very happy with what I got. The total sale was just over $6,000 and I got 65 per cent of that.
Seven more days of work!
I wasn't going to post anything today - I guess there are a few things I could write about, though.
I'm starting to organize things for leaving work. I have tomorrow, four days next week, then three days my last week. So, I have eight more days of work.
I'm putting all the forms and flyers and purchase orders, things like that, in organized computer folders so they will be easy to find. Tomorrow Tom is going to sit at my desk with me and we'll go through what he wants me to e-mail him, and what he wants me to delete. What should go to the bookkeeper and what should go to the office manager. I have a lot of his personal things on my computer, a huge Word file that has all the information about his past and present businesses, passwords to all the insurance companies we use, just tons of things like that. It's password protected, and the only way I could keep everything I'd need at a moment's notice at my fingertips. I also have a contact file in Excel that has every contact I've ever had while working there, it must have more than a hundred contacts. That will make it easier for Tom to find the people I've worked with over the years, for every business he's had and every purchase of any size or importance.
So, in addition to a couple of special projects and doing some collections, I was busy at work.
I skipped lunch and left early. I wanted to stop by The Palms and get some paperwork I needed. I had a meeting at my condo with my Realtors so they could see the property and I had a few questions about the paperwork I'll be sending tomorrow to my mortgage company for the short sale. I told them I only had one chair, so we'd be sitting on the floor. I lied. I remembered I had a child's chair in the kitchen with a box on it, and that reminded me that I had another in The Palms, so I also brought that.
It was quite a business meeting - I wish I had taken a photo while they were here! Grace was in a black suit - in the beach chair, Randy was in business clothes - in the monkey chair, and I was in my jeans and sweatshirt in the elephant chair. We were all low to the ground, so the bankers box table worked fine.
Just looking at that picture makes me laugh. I think I'll send a copy to them by e-mail.
Tomorrow I'll make copies of all the documents and forms and send them Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested.
The thing that compelled me to write the blog today, though, was this. I was sitting here in the beach chair by the dining room window when I saw my neighbor running toward my front door waving his arms, his two boys were standing outside in the light rain in their pajamas. They were all laughing. I thought they wanted Katie to come out and play, so I opened the door. Jeff yelled, come here, come here! I ran toward his place and turned around, and there was a beautiful half circle rainbow with my condo exactly in the middle.
A beautiful rainbow over my condo - looks like good luck coming my way?
Look closer, do you see it?
Isn't that cool? A Mallard on my roof, under the rainbow!
I thought that was so neat, and appreciated them coming to get me so I could see the rainbow and the duck!
When I came back inside and sat down again, I thought, "I wonder how many things I miss?" Here I was sitting under a duck, and a rainbow, and didn't even know it. I kind of consider things like this to be blessings, like seeing the bunnies scampering around on the property when I leave for work in the morning, and those cool ocean birds that fly in formation when I drive home the coast route, anything like that. But a duck and a rainbow over my head? That's really special!
Call me crazy, but I love this stuff. And happy meetings with smiling chairs.
Also, April Sola left me a comment that she does have a blog, Happily Hitched - An RV Blog. Very cool play on words - newlyweds - and - trailer hitch. Somehow her photo and blog aren't showing up on my Followers list, but it's a new blog about new, twenty-something RVrs and their dog Lola. If you get a chance, check it out, she's a good writer!
I should get my new Verizon Samsung 4G card tomorrow, and will be back in business. It is definitely a problem with the unit because today my son, Tom, let me bring his home. He has the exact same unit, and when I pressed the button, it turned on immediately, which mine has never done. I'm never sure if I'm pressing it too long, and turning it off right after it turns on. It's ridiculous!
Tom's turned right on and is working perfectly. He said he's never had a problem with it. I'll be glad to get my new one and not have to worry about it shutting off every five minutes - seriously, every five minutes.
Katie and I just got back from our walk to the lake. I haven't been walking much at all, and I could feel it. My legs and lungs needed a rest when we got back. I'm such a slug! Katie loved it, though. I'm sure after June 1 we'll be taking quite a few walks. No more opening the screen door to let her out, and sitting back down. I'll have to go with her on potty breaks once we're in the campground. That will be good for us both.
I got my first money orders Friday, and they are supposed to drop off the remainder of the proceeds from the Estate Sale today. It's 5:35 and they aren't here yet. I wonder if they are still coming today. I haven't heard otherwise, so I hope they are.
Thanks for the tips about the pots, I'm going to do some research on the suggestions you left me and see what I can find out. I can always get a cheap pot at Walmart and use that until I find the right set.
And now, since I have good Internet, I'm going to sign off and see if I can catch up on my TV shows.
A big Welcome to Alan McMillan, our newest follower! Thanks for joining us, Alan - things are starting to really move quickly now, and I'm glad you're along for the ride!
I'm having a heck of a time with this new Samsung 4G card from Verizon. Since I received it I've had really spotty connections. It constantly shuts off, and after five calls to Verizon yesterday, they are sending me a new one, which will arrive Tuesday. I'm hoping the problem is with the unit itself, and after Tuesday it will be smooth sailing.
I cancelled my cable TV and Internet service weeks ago, so am now using only my computer and the 4G card for TV, which is really frustrating, since it shuts off every five minutes or so.
I'm typing this post on Word, and will do a quick cut/past into Blogger and post it. Hopefully I'll have a connection long enough to do that.
I did find out, though, in one of my Verizon calls yesterday, that Santee, where I'll be staying in my RV park, DOES HAVE 4G! Yeaaaaah! This 3G is slower than cable Internet, but the 4G is just as fast, and I'm going to be happy to have the 4G for sure.
Last night I was so frustrated, I packed Katie and my computer in the car a drove up the street to Starbucks, bought a coffee, and watched two of my TV shows on ch131.com in my car. I'm having really bad withdrawal from TV watching and computer surfing. I don't have very many TV shows that I like to watch, but geeez, I'd like to see a couple of them.
So, my big news is that I am being laid off; my last day of work is June 2! I have 11 more days of work before I'm done. Forever.
I had a long talk with my boss (my son) on Wednesday and he would really like to reduce the staff by one person, and since I'm not planning to work beyond December, he wanted to know if I could afford to leave sooner. With unemployment, I definitely could, especially since I won't have my condo too much longer (I hope). It kind of seems like everything is working out for me to get into my plan sooner than expected. If I still had my condo with a renter, I would want to work through December for the extra security of the six months of full time paychecks and to see if the renter was stable, but… Now I don't have to worry about it. So that's what we're going to do.
He had me type of a list of all my duties so he could determine which ones he'll give the two office employees that will be left. He will still give me special projects as they come up that I can do from The Palms, and hopefully that income will extend my unemployment a bit. He's also working on another possible income stream for me. It may not be in place until next year, but if it works out it will be a good income producer for me and something I love to do – all computer related. So, about the time I finish unemployment, or before, I may have a good income stream in place. In the mean time, I plan to check into all the links I've been collecting for writing, editing, researching, etc. that I can do from the road using my computer. I really enjoy that kind of work, and hope to be able to still access some opportunities in those areas.
Katie and I visited The Palms yesterday. I needed a deep bowl to microwave an artichoke. I have NOTHING here at the house to cook with. I don't have any pots – they all went in the Estate Sale. I have only two pans, and they are both at The Palms. There was a pretty good size bowl, though, in the set of storage containers I got a Costco, and I brought it home and it worked perfectly.
On Friday I got more storage containers for The Palms. They had four drawer plastic storage containers, similar to what I already had in my craft room for mostly quilting things, but the ones I had were too wide to fit into my one large closet in The Palms. On Friday I found narrower ones, and got two. I won't have enough hanging space, so I'll use those for Lingerie, Tanks, Tees, Turtlenecks, etc. Each drawer will hold one thing, and it will be very organized and easy, and the things that need to be hung, will have room. My label maker is going to be busy!
I also got more racks for the kitchen cupboard, to double the storage areas. I put them all in and re-arranged things, so now I have lots more room, and it's more organized. I also need a few more containers for overhead cupboards. What I have in the cupboards so far fits fine, but when I open them after driving, things fall out and I'm trying to catch them before they hit me. I need some containers that aren't tall, just enough to hold everything in place. It will be easier to find things, too, if I just have to take the whole thing out, or slide it partway out. Then I can label the outside of the container and see at a glance what's inside.
I want to get a nesting set of pots for The Palms. I remember reading in someone's blog about some they bought at an RV Rally. I think you can also get them on-line. They looked nice, and she loved them. Said she was sorry she hadn't invested in a set much sooner. They were kind of pricey, though. If anyone knows what I'm talking about, can you leave me a comment? I did a search yesterday, but with the connection problems I was having, I couldn't find anything that sounded like what she had. I think they are, maybe, specifically made for RV and boat use. The pots and pans nest and the handles folded or came off for storage.
It's grey and damp outside, with a little rain. But the sun is starting to poke out a little. We may drive down to a free internet location again and watch a Netflix movie.
The condo looks great - empty - but great!
Well, things are relatively back to normal here on the home front.
Here are some photos of my current living arrangements - not for long, though.
I have food in the cupboards and fridge, and clothes hanging again in the closet. I am pretty comfortable for now. Before I started all this, I figured I would be comfortable with a bed and chair and that's what I have, and it's working fine for me (and Katie).
On June 1 I'll move into the RV park, but will continue to stay here from time to time to keep an eye on things. I'll keep the gas/electric going.
The condo looks so empty and clean - it's actually in better condition than when I bought it 6 1/2 years ago. I've made some nice upgrades, and it should be worth more than my purchase price. According to my Realtor, the only comparable in the area to my condo is one that sold in February as a regular sale. It sold for $125K less than I paid for mine. There is no way it will ever appreciate enough for me to sell it and break even. So I am going ahead with the short sale. I'll let you know how that goes. I'm not worried about it. I have excellent credit, and with the credit score hit I'll take with a short sale, I'll still have better credit than a lot of people. The sense of relief I have at this point is incredible.
And now I'm going to get a hair cut, and Katie is going for her booster shots this afternoon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for us both!
Thank you, Pidge. I looked at the end of my followers list, and in the followers without a photo I found some new people.
So.... Welcome to Steve, a new Follower to Me and My Dog. I checked out his blogs, and it looks like he's really into Poker! Steve, we're really happy to have you join us on our adventure!
Welcome also to April Solla and trustnoone1018, who recently became Followers. They don't have photos or blogs that I could find, but I'm sure happy to have you following along with me and my dog, Katie.
Yes, a LOT of the stuff in the photos in my last post was not mine. And a lot of it is still here, but it should all be gone tomorrow.
I don't think I was taken advantage of, not much anyway. I think maybe this is a normal thing for these kinds of sales. I think they could have been a little more organized, and they could have kept things cleaner (my carpets), and I would have appreciated them getting everything out sooner. My understanding was that everything would be gone on Monday after the sale.
I actually agreed to have other people's things, from previous Estate Sales, included in my sale. I didn't realize how much there would be, though. That is why we had a 65/35 split of the take. That way they could continue selling things from previous sales, and increase their take. If I didn't agree, I would have gotten a 50/50 split. They said they also did well with the "other people's" stuff, and previous customers would be happy to get a check in the mail.
They hire a crew (two people at my sale since my home is small) and moving vans to and from each sale to haul things to the next sale, they have all their sales equipment, cash register, website, all the business expenses. I don't think they would have netted much without the other stuff being here.
They said they did much better than expected at my sale, they keep adding more from boxes of stuff on hand that doesn't fit at first, and that keeps people coming back to see what's new the next day. They had a high volume of lookers each day. My neighbor said people were coming and going all day, and they extended the sale to 5:30 each day because of the traffic.
For my stuff, every piece of furniture was sold, anything that really had any value. Only little things were left like dishes, glasses, Christmas ornaments, things like that. I didn't want them to schlep my leftovers to their next sales, so I opted for a "buy out," they called a couple of companies who will buy out the remainder after Estate Sales, and I was offered $250 for what was left. I thought that was very generous, and it was still a 65/35 split, so the deal was made.
About half of the things are gone now, and about half of what's left is packed up in boxes, and will be gone tomorrow. The carpet cleaner is coming on Thursday.
One thing to remember is that when people have Estate Sales, at least around here, the owner of the "estate" has usually died or moved to an assisted care or similar residence. They are gone, the sale is held, the money paid and everyone is happy. I'm still here, and popped in almost every day. I wonder if that is unusual for them, and if I was just too "present" at my own sale. If I had gone to visit my daughter for a week or so and then come back, I wouldn't have seen all this, and it wouldn't have been a problem. Do you remember how your house looked when you were moving? When most of the stuff was boxed up, there were creases and marks in the carpets where the heavy furniture was, cobwebs and little pieces of things left from moving out the big stuff. Just kind of messy. That's what my place looks like now - other than the carpet stains, which hopefully will be taken care of.
And I do have to say, they called me at least once a day to keep me updated on what was happening. I appreciated that. And now that it's almost over, I can't imagine any other way I could have gotten rid of everything in one week.
When I get the final payment, I'll let you know what what my total was, might as well. Considering all my furniture was at least ten years old, not in perfect condition, and I didn't want it, I'll be very happy to get the check. They give their customers a money order or Cashier's Check, the first one is 65 percent of the cash they took in, the second one depends on the "hold time" the bank places on the checks deposited. When they clear, usually 3 to 5 days, then I'll get the remainder. They gave me an approximate number, but I'll tell you when it's final. Maybe it will help someone else out there make a decision, and you'll know much more than I did.
Soon this will be over and I'll be bringing The Palms to Santee Lakes, and Katie and I will be full-timers, and this will be an interesting memory. We move on June 1!!!
At the beach on Saturday, I pulled out the couch and Katie and I took a nap and tried it out. It was really comfortable!
Just a reminder - love my kitchen!
OMG! Wait till you see this!
I borrowed my neighbor's vacuum and a sheet to lay on the carpet, then put my open sleeping bag on top of a quilt so we can sleep in reasonable cleanliness.
Just beware if you hire a company to do an estate sale. I can't believe they are all like this, do some checking of references before signing the contract.
I had a comment on my blog that a follower is in the middle of a short sale. I have been thinking about doing that. I just learned about short sales from two ladies at my Estate Sale. They both did short sales on their homes and explained how it works. One has a realtor that specializes in short sales and I'm going to call her tomorrow.
I will never move back to my condo, I can't afford the mortgage when I retire. I've already lost my $70,000 down payment because of the downturn in the market, and now I'm thinking, why bother with renters? It will never appreciate to the point where I can sell it and break even, why not just let it go.
I just had a woman call me to rent my place, and she explained that she had to let her home go, but her credit report was still 720, so it didn't hurt her too much. That's 4 people this weekend that told me they had a short sale, and I've never talked to anyone before about short sales. I'm wondering if someone is trying to tell me something?!?
I have 90 Followers now! Every so often the numbers are strange. I had 89 before, and now it shows 90, but I don't see any new photos. I hope I'm not missing anyone, the photos are added at the top where we can see them and there aren't any new ones after Bob, so if I've missed anyone, I apologize.


About 12 years ago, when I was working as a Personal Trainer, I found employment in an all female gym. All female trainers, instructors and members, the manager was also female. I was excited for this opportunity but it was short lived.
I learned in that environment that I could not trust other women, especially in the workplace. It was a competitive environment, more so than working at a regular gym and you couldn't say anything without the manager knowing about it the next day.
learned to stay quiet and observe so I don't ruffle any feathers or draw attention to myself.
Fast forward to She is Called.
Carla Ewert opened the session inviting women to introduce themselves and share what emotion or feeling was in alive in us in that moment. Aside from the head fog and queasiness of being up since 4am that morning, I was scared and excited. Excited to be amongst so many strong female voices whom I had admired over the past couple of years and scared to be in the same room as them because I felt so small and insignificant.
Throughout the day, as women shared their own vulnerability, I began to see that I was not alone. Everyone at one point had wondered if they should be there, if they were qualified to be in that room.
What followed was a cultivation of a safe space by Carla and the other organizers. I saw a space that welcomed vulnerability. A space where you had to leave competition at the door and invited you into healing and restoration.
I felt just that when Lanecia Rouse led an Art Workshop inspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, a practice of repairing broken pieces of ceramic. This was the first time in so long that I had done an art reflection and Kidstuf kids get to do it all the time, so I was excited.
The entire process was incredibly therapeutic. It was an opportunity to come face to face with my own pain and brokenness. And then speak about it for the first time in so long.
all these women, varying biologically, in age, in orientation, in life and academic experience, in race and in upbringing, we all hurt the same.
We united in sharing how we experience pain and our desire for healing.
I want to bring Lanecia here to Forefront Church to run this workshop with our congregation because I believe that we can benefit from seeing one another as equals. Not just talking about it. But truly experiencing it.
and supporting the work that they do that is so valuable.
Will you consider giving to our Imagine Campaign so that we can bring leaders like her to share in their gifting and experience growth and healing from it? You can set up a recurring gift or a single gift here.
"Yeah But They Broke the Law!"


text:
Manea's Maurice Short is not short on celebrations as he turns 90 with not one but two parties
PUBLISHED: 12:08 04 March 2016 | UPDATED: 12:08 04 March 2016
90th birthday celebrations for Maurice Short
Family and friends gathered at Manea Church Rooms to wish a remarkable village resident a happy 90th birthday.
Maurice Short with his family at his 90th birthday party
Maurice Short turned 90 on Thursday surrounded by well-wishers.
Born in Manea on February 25 1926 Maurice was one of John and Ethel Short' 10 children. He worked on the family's farm in Station Road for over 25 years until it was sold off and he went to work in a potato factory in New Road, Chatteris.
He still lives in Station Road and while most people his age are taking it easy and enjoying retirement Maurice still continues to be very active in the village community he loves.
Every Saturday sees him marking the football pitch ready for the weekend game - a job he has been doing since he was 13. He also helps put up the nets.
Maurice Short at his 90th Birthday party with daughter Valerie Wright
On Fridays he is at Manea Village Hall where he is caller for the weekly fundraising bingo nights - a job he has done for many years.
He is also the caller for weekly and monthly bingo nights at the Royal British Legion Club.
Maurice has never played football for the village side but he is one of the biggest supporters. Marking the pitch is just one of the things he does to help the club.
He also runs the Manea FC 100 week draw and for many years he acted as linesman.
Maurice Short at his 90th Birthday party
On top of all this the ultra-busy 90-year-old is also a standby paperboy for the village shop, filling in to cover rounds when the regulars are off sick or on holiday.
In fact for his 80th birthday the shops owners bought him a new cycle, although he has been forced to give up riding that because of a bad knee.
Maurice, a widower since his wife Doris died 15 years ago, said: "I do it because I enjoy it. No-one puts a gun to my head to make me do these things, but it keeps me busy and gives me something to do that I enjoy. It gets me out and about in the village."
He is celebrating with a second party this Sunday at the village hall.
Maurice, whose daughter Valerie Wright was among the guests at Thursday's party, puts his long and active life down to never giving up and to not drinking or smoking.
His surviving brothers and sisters were also among those at the party which saw Maurice cutting a football-themed cake.


text:
Quote of the day—Alex Yablon
Posted on June 8, 2018 by Joe
If people own guns to defend themselves against situations like home invasions, they are likely to want them easily accessible and ready to shoot when the unthinkable happens. If the weapons are stored in a safe, separate from ammuntion [sic], that could be marginally more difficult.
Alex Yablon
A Gun Owner Explains Why He Leaves His Pistol Loaded and Unsecured
["…marginally more difficult"?
When seconds matter your gun and ammunition are only minutes away from being useful.
Deliberate dismissive wording and/or crap for brains? You decide.—Joe]
This entry was posted in Crap For Brains, Gun Rights, Quote of the Day by Joe. Bookmark the permalink.
19 thoughts on "Quote of the day—Alex Yablon"
Windy Wilson on June 8, 2018 at 7:04 am said:
For some values of "Marginal".
I vote for deliberate.
Nice purring words like that one minimize the burden to be imposed. It's similar to the "apology" after sitting six hours on the tarmac waiting while every passenger misses a connection. "We apologize for any inconvenience this (not our incompetence, "this") caused. Lawyers use this technique all the time. "MY solution will cause minor inconvenience — the other side's solution will open the floodgates of litigation, dislocate global trade and cause dogs and cats to live together."
At this time it can't be lack of thought. He's grasping at the last bit of control, keeping one's guns but locking up the ammunition in a time-lock. For family safety, you know.
Rolf on June 8, 2018 at 7:20 am said:
Based just on the quote, I read it as sarcastic / ironic understatement.
Joe on June 8, 2018 at 7:42 am said:
It's an article in The Trace. Read About The Trace before you get too firmly committed to that hypothesis.
Drew Rinella on June 8, 2018 at 11:12 am said:
The author is a gun prohibitionist.
Archer on June 8, 2018 at 1:28 pm said:
That's what I would have said, too. But I read the quote in context. He's carefully choosing words to downplay how much more difficult it is to quickly get a working firearm when gun and ammo are stored separately.
I'm going with "deliberately dismissive".
Similarly, later: "[Ralph] Myers exemplifies the defiant self-defense ethos that dominates American gun culture." (emphasis added)
That particular quote's verbiage leaves the impression that gun owners are all (or mostly) anti-government. It's not that we're reasonably opposed to specific laws and proposals. No, we're just "defiant". Against everything, even "common-sense, reasonable" proposals. Because "gun culture".
Nuke Road Warrior on June 8, 2018 at 8:26 am said:
There is also the fact that fine motor skills go out the window under stress, what the hell is the access code? why won't the key work? etc, A biometric lock may be faster, but now you're at the mercy of the batteries. There is no one solution for everyone, but mandated storage requirements will get some homeowners killed.
Lyle on June 8, 2018 at 11:23 am said:
That, OR it's no one's business but your own.
One or the other.
Lyle on June 8, 2018 at 2:26 pm said:
Maybe this is one of the biggest failings of our society, or of all human history; that concept which says some things (many things) in the life of the individual exist fully outside the jurisdiction of the clever thoughs, ideas, plans, plots, wishes and musings of all others. That is to say, the very concept of liberty, or of free will, is understood by a scant few.
Windy Wilson on June 8, 2018 at 5:38 pm said:
B-b-b-b-but we're the educated ones, we've been to all the right graduate schools and know how things work much better than the people who have to do it every day. We're the experts! We're the anointed, We deserve to be in control.
Drew Rinella on June 8, 2018 at 5:47 pm said:
"[Comrade Napoleon] would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
Will on June 8, 2018 at 10:41 am said:
The whole point of that mindset is that they don't trust you with a firearm, and ANYTHING that impedes your use of it for defensive use is a good thing. Because self-defense is a bad thing. You might harm the King's men, and that isn't allowed. The King's power must remain absolute.
Windy Wilson on June 8, 2018 at 10:45 pm said:
Because any time it didn't work, they can say "look, he had a gun and it didn't save him. Eventually the argument that it would improve one's odds of survival is wiped away by the premeditated accessory to murder that is "safe" storage.
This was already put to bed in Heller:
"In sum, we hold that the District's ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment , as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense."
So pass all the stupidshit "safe storage" laws you want. They've been pre-ruled unconstitutional and I won't be adhering to any bureaucrat or gun prohibitionist's uneducated, head in the sand idea of how I need to store my weapons.
What bothers me the most is that these people really believe they can pass a law against stupidity. As if we just pass some diktat requiring people to render their firearms inoperable for use, it will make stupid people and criminals handle their firearms more intelligently. This malum prohibitum bullshit will never accomplish its stated intent, it violates my rights, compromises my ability to defend my family, and I will not comply.
Re: the authors wapo article.
This notion that we shouldn't ever be afraid, and that the NRA is somehow fooling people into being afraid for their lives as a marketing tactic to drive subscription sales, couldn't be more ignorant of real world events. I can't think of a more "unwoke" way of existing.
Fear is the human condition. Humans are born as impulse driven animals and the thin veneer of civilized humanity frequently peels back to expose our evil, animalistic core. Even the most liberal news outlet covers this. Ignorance of reality, for the sake of some alleged right to never have to feel afraid, is not an affirmative self defense strategy.
Braden Lynch on June 10, 2018 at 11:23 am said:
Just like paranoids sometimes do have real enemies, sometimes people do face the threat of a home invasion and their defensive measures are both prudent and necessary.
I agree that the Heller decision ended this whole line of infringements and I will not comply.
Yablon is pretty good insofar as he can wrap up so many old, false premises and projections into a short article.
"…a majority of gun owners support laws that would hold them liable if their weapons got into the wrong hands."
"The National Rifle Association has fostered the idea that Americans need lethal self-defense at all times, and gun companies, which now produce more handguns than any other type of weapon, cater to this fear."
The best, most effective lies contain a lot of truth. What's being misrepresented here is the fear angle. Governments all rule by fear ("Obey, or we will crush you!") whereas the American Principles of Liberty, including the notion "that all men be armed", are designed to foster confidence. Confidence is incompatible with fear.
Catering to fear is what authoritarians like Yablon do at every turn. Catering to and fostering confidence is what Americans do.
The Yablons of the world would rule us through fear, while accusing us of being chicken-shits.
You have to give them credit; they're excellent projectionists and marvelous liars!
That's a wonderful try, Mr. Yablon. Really, but the thing is, your ilk are trying to scare people into compliance all the time. A true American never does that. A true American leaves other people alone, respects the rights of others, loves to see other people (of all colors) succeed in confidence, will bend over backwards to help them in that endeavor, and expects others to respect his rights accordingly. Notice the absence of fear in that equation?
In the American System, practiced to full fruition, no one is fearful but the criminal, or the one who falls for the lies of authoritarians and Progressives.
Confidence = con (with) + fideo (truth, or faith, or faith in truth).
You lack confidence, Mr. Yablon, and I and any other American would like to see you find the truth, and thus confidence. Then you could use your impressive writing talents to foster and nourish the truth, the confidence, in others rather than embarrass yourself by engaging in idiotic nitpicking over how they store their gasoline, matches, knives, chemicals and power tools.
We betray OUR lack of imagination when we think they will stop at gasoline, matches, knives, chemicals and power tools. Remember how Susie used the Ammonia in the movie "Wait Until Dark"? Far safer to just get the police.
How many spices and of what variety do you have in your kitchen cabinet? How much pre-ground black pepper or red pepper do you have on hand — is it in an excessive quantity in an assault container? Never mind if you think it might be useful for defense — fresh ground is better and too much will only get you into trouble. Other spices are not as famous but just as dangerous.
The ways our "betters" want to rule and control us, like so many debeaked chickens in a Tyson's plant are infinite.
Alein on June 10, 2018 at 8:48 pm said:
If you store your weapons in a safe, the safe does not need to be locked when you are home. The weapons may be stored loaded, they do not need to be stored empty. You may carry at home, regardless of whether you may carry abroad. Unless the plan is to inspect every home daily, there is no way for the rulers to enforce their edicts.
pkoning on June 12, 2018 at 9:41 am said:
So? The safe is probably not right next to where you're sitting, so even with an open door it amounts to storage away from where the need is.


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