While I'm Waiting For My WoWarcraft Update To Download...

I thought I'd post some piccies of the carnage...


Here is where our roof used to be.


Here is where our roof landed.


And here is its final resting place after a nasty encounter with a chainsaw.

Pretty huh?

On a sillier note, I had this, this (Thanks MsKathleen), this, and this for lunch, and for some reason had a tummy ache afterwards. I can't imagine why...

So We're Thinking Of Calling The Baby "Windy"

Well, its a happy new year and the shirt has hit the proverbial fan. See, we've been having some hellacious wind and rainstorms up here on Double Wide Ridge, and the 20 year old trailer pretty much threw up its arms in disgust. During a particularly gusty part of New Years day I was peering out the front door at our tarp and cement-filled-bucket carport (classy!) to see if it was going to fly away, when there was an odd crunching noise behind me. A moment later a massive piece of debris comes flying over the house and lands diagonally across the front of the house and yard. I close the door.

What in sam hill was that? I walk the 10 feet to the back of the house and notice that it is much brighter than usual. Peering out the back window reveals a slight problem. It seems that the roof extension over the back porch has always harbored dreams of being a jet wing. In perfect imitation of an airfoil, the 6 foot-wide 40 foot -long section of roof took to the air with the greatest of ease, ripping out some porch railing, a hose spigot and a fair chunk of the roof layers over the actual house. Holy Carp!

Ok. Ok. I'm ok. Wait... WHAT!? Half of my roof just went flying over the house and landed 3 feet from the car?! THIS IS NOT OK! I CAN'T STAY IN HERE! But wait... I CAN'T GO OUT THERE EITHER! PAAAAANNNNIIIICCC!

What to do what to do what to do? Call the neighbors call the neighbors, busy. IM The Hub IM The Hub, momentarily offline. Next logical step? Call my poor sister 3,000 miles away with panic tears rising in my throat. That makes sense. Upon her good, calm advice, I fled out to the car and hightailed it to the neighbors warm safe quiet stable house. Again with the coveting.

So here I sit, 24 hours later, still warm safe and quiet. After my precipitous arrival, the neighbors here (and The Hub who arrived moments later) all ran over to see what needed to be done. Within 15 minutes almost 20 neighbors had shown up with flood tarping, power tools and their own hammers to try and minimize the water damage. I hear it was a very moving display of neighborly barn raising goodness. Of course I hear this hours later, so I missed out on the fuzzy emotional part of the whole thing, and was left with my own personal crying/stress headache instead. Which I can't seem to shake despite all the warm neighborly goodness I have been receiving as well.

So here we are Jan 2nd, and the insurance companies are still closed. Its raining cats and dogs, and the bedroom is starting to leak. We've shut off the water until the broken pipe can be fixed. We shut off the gas, because the flying roof may have damaged the hot water heater. BUT we officially have a claim number, so that should keep us nice and warm and dry, huh? Heh heh. And here's the funny thing... that darn tarp carport? Still standing.

All's Well Here

Look, witty pun! So one day, and a huge chunk of change later, we have a functioning well, pump, and plumbing. Evidently there was a hole in the pipe that brings the water from the pump to the surface. Which doesn't sound that bad until you hear how deep our well is. SOME 635 FEET! So while they had the whole blasted thing out they replaced the pump too, as it was 15 years old and on its last legs. And the labor charge to get to the dratted thing forced it into an early retirement. Buh bye!

Finally got the tree up, and some lights on it, but no ornaments yet. Hopefully this will happen soon. Absolutely no progress on the present front. Sorry y'all. I'm really darn close to finishing the living room floor though. That's exciting, right? Gimme a good 30 minutes tomorrow morning and I think I got the bugger. I know, you can hardly wait. Happy Holidays! I did it just for you!

At Least We Had Electricity

So, wow. Some stuff has been a happenin... Remember last post where I had too much time on my hands? Well that's gone. This weekend was a bit rough out here in the sticks. We prepared to be hyper productive, Lee was out in the yard burning brush piles, and the neighbor came over and helped up rip up most of the rest of the 20 year old carpet. So I'm working away on pulling up carpet tack, and sweeping up a metric tonne of dirt and I hear a bizarre gurgling coming from the dishwasher, of all things.

So I wander into the kitchen to investigate this new puzzle. And on a whim I decide to try the faucet to see if we are having some water issue. And lo and behold, absolutely nothing comes out. I try the others in the house. Nothing. Hmmm. Not Good.

So somehow we figure out that while moving brush piles an outdoor faucet in the yard for the original owner's RV has gotten snapped off. So not only has this leak drained every last drop of water out of the house (including the hot water heater), but it has had our well pump running like the dickens to pump our precious well water into a puddle in the yard. Hmmm.

Since this isn't the first time we've had a plumbing leak, it is old hat now. We run down to the well, shut off the pump, and The Hub gets to work with that sticky purple stuff capping the offending pipe. We let it dry for a while, then nonchalantly turn the pump back on and wait for our cool clear well water to fill the pipes again. Only it doesn't work. Hmmm. Still nothing coming outta the faucets, not even spluttering gurgles of air.

Back to the pump. Shut her down. Scratch head. Over comes the Neighbor Of Goodness. Looks at the pump. Scratches his head. The decision is made that perhaps the professionals need to be called in. Only it is Saturday. And we have the local Mariposa Symphony Orchestra concert to attend. So we go back to our dreary floorless, waterless Double Wide, gather our belongings and go shower at the NOG's house.

Skip to Sunday. Its raining like crazy. Blowing. Bandying the trailer about like a jingly cat toy. We trudge over to the neighbor's to brush our teeth. Their house (due to its straw bale construction and 2 feet thick walls) is a warm calm sanctuary. Storm? What storm? We covet.

We trudge back and put the bad weather to its best use and stay inside. We work like little working monkeys and get 80% of the floor laid across the living room. During which the Neighbor of Goodness comes over with a brilliant idea. He's gonna run a hose from his outlet to ours and pressurize our house with his water. So bickey bam, in one day we go from floorless and waterless to mostly floored and leach-like neighbor water sucking. Ah, amenities.

And then the woman who is my contact for this new "job" thing that I might have mentioned, calls and says they're swamped. And can I come in part time next week? So there went all the time. And there goes all yall's Christmas presents. They're sitting right over there in the corner in their bags and boxes waiting to be wrapped and sent. Wave and smile at them. They miss you.

So today we give the pump one more try, see if the problem was a drained well. And if not, then we, well, start throwing money down the well. Bye bye money. I'll miss you.

More Computer Geekieness

Have too much time on your hands? Want to do something mindless and yet fascinating at the same time? Then go here and make yourself one of these!



It was fabulous fun, until it told me "You've reached your creative max, put down the scissors before someone gets hurt." Well, I never!

Special thanks to niece Lydia for the tip off!

Newly Crowned Queen O' Geek

Okay, so it has officially happened. I have become the worlds biggest dork. The change in status has come about because I am now addicted to an online roleplaying game. Yes, that is right, I can now spend hours at a time virtually running around, virtually slaying beasts, and paying a small monthly fee for the privilege. This new addiction is due to the pusher in the family, who shall remain nameless, but can be found here. It is a tiny bit shocking and dismaying how absorbing the game is...

In order to preserve my self image, I have to think that I wouldn't possibly be so absorbed iffn I weren't currently unemployed (which may not last, more on that later...), if it weren't nigh on the dead of winter, and if I weren't in a delicate physical condition. (Yes, dear internets, this again is true confession time. I am officially knocked up, and if all goes well, will be a'birthin' in June.) So, the crazy physical activity that I dearly love is currently on hold for a bit. I'm down to walking a few miles with the local mommies. And wheezing with the effort. That Gulfport Contagion, with pregnancy right on its heels sorta took the wind outta my sails.

So that leaves me with virtual adventure. And I seem to be embracing it with a surprising gusto. Who knew?

So here she is in all her clashing splendor, as I can't seem to find (or make) good armor that all matches! And the knickers, what's with the knickers? I do like the boots and the gauntlets, as I forged them myself with my newly acquired blacksmithing talents... cough... GEEK... cough.



Cute, aint she? And fierce, arrrrrr!

Mutual of Midpines

I found this cool yet slightly creepy critter remnant on our porch a while ago.


Yes, this is a picture of his underside, I kind of liked the "chalk-outliness" of the poor guy's position. The open mouth, the splayed limbs. It looks like distress, but really it was just probably heavenly itch relief or something. Who know what it feels like to shed a skin? And yes, those are pin holes in his tail and chest cavity. Because who can resist tacking him to the kitchen cork board. Certainly not I!