CruizerBlog

Christmas lights

Last night I put the Christmas lights up on the house. What helped was that it was almost 60 degrees out.

So my brother-in-law gave me his old ladder, and I quickly found out why it was his old ladder. This has got to be the most unstable ladder I have ever used. I have used wooden extension ladders that swayed less than this thing! Now normally I put most of the lights up on the roof from the ladder. Reason being is that we have a very steep roof (walk in attic) and in order to get around, you kind of have to scoot around on your but while doing an inverted spider walk thing. But this year, I decided to chance climbing on the roof over climbing up and down that ladder. Now, we have a couple of gables that are even steeper than the main roof. So when I was on those parts, I was literally hanging on to the roof with one hand, and putting up lights with the other. Oh, and yes, I was all alone…

So we also have a chimney on one side of the house. And the lights have to go in front of the chimney. Normally this isn't much of a problem with the ladder. But now I am on the roof, and on the backside of the chimney, and there is only one way to accomplish this task. So I plant my foot on the 2 inch crevice where the roof and chimney intersect. I grab the Christmas lights with one had as I reach up and grab the top of the chimney with the other. I pray to our Lord Almighty as I stand up on my 40 degree sloped roof and swing he Christmas lights over the top and around the front of the chimney. At this point in time I hear voices and look over and see the neighbors across the street pointing at me. Mind you it’s dark, so it's a bit hard to see, but I like to think that was a phone in her hand and she was ready to call 911 at a moments notice. I get the lights swung around the chimney and I slowly lower myself to a seating position back on the roof.

So all the roof lights are done, and the spotlights are on, and hopefully we can finish up the rest tonight.

Well then

First off, I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I seem to have spoken too soon in my last post, claiming about the snow and Thanksgiving. By the end of the day Wednesday, the snow was gone. No snow for Thanksgiving. That didn't ruin anything but it was FREAKING COLD! All of 17 degrees I think. Spent the entire day with my family. My uncle has an HDTV, and it’s just so much fun to watch.

Friday we watched my niece Grace all day. She's such a little cutie, and so good too! Never cried once. My sister and brother-in-law are very lucky. But sitting around all day watching the baby play and lying on the floor playing with the baby pretty much drove me to complete boredom. We were then invited to my sisters for a movie and pizza that evening. Many friends were back in town for the weekend, so we all met up at the bar for some good ol' socializing.

Saturday Christina and I did a couple appraisals. Then our neighbors had a Turkey Fry they invited us too. We spent all afternoon there, and then we got together in his new Poker Room and played cards until 1:30 AM. It was great, I could drink as much as I wanted, play cards, and all I had to do was stumble across the driveway, literally.

Sunday was spent trying to figure out how to put up a pre-lit Christmas tree without instructions. My grandma gave up her old one. It took like half the day, but I got it!! Unfortunately it rained all day, so none of the outside decorations got put up. But all the lights got tested and new ones were bought to replace the ones that didn’t work. We've just gotten to the point where buying a new strand of lights is easier than trying to figure out which bulb is burnt out.

It's Beginning to look alot like Thanksgiving

I was getting worried that we weren't going to have snow on Thanksgiving. I can't remember the last Thanksgiving we had without snow. Well luckly I woke up this morning and there was close to an inch of snow on the ground, with more falling. Hurray!

Now for my rant....
You'd figure that a rear engine rear wheel drive car with brand new tires would handle descently in the snow. I am here to tell you IT DOES NOT!!!

I want my truck back!!

Bah

I am soooo sick of looking for car. EXTREMELY SICK!! I spent most of the day saturday driving arund and hitting every dealership in a three county area that I didn't get to last weekend, and I even went back to some of those! There is nothing I want near me. it;s supposed to start snowing this weekend, so things are going to get interesting in the Fiero. I have the guys address who blew the stop sign and caused this who mess. I really want to go and beat the shit out of him. You have no idea.

Christina and I went and saw Harry Potter this weekend. If you've seen the movie or read the book, click below, I throw in some spoilers in my review. if you haven't seen it yet, go do it. 2.5 hours just flys by.

I haven't read (listened) to the book yet, well all of it. I am up somewhere just past his announcement into the triwizard tournament. here are my thoughts on the movie.

I could definately tell that they rushed through many things, they had too, the book was too long. But in doing so,m they did a good job of "paraphrasing" and hitting the main aspects. Again, I only know this for the first portion of the movie. The dialog for the first half hour of the movie or so lacked enthusiasm and dramatic effect. As well as the entire ending. I personally think some of it was "dumbed down" for the younger audience. I was really enjoying the movie until Sedric died. Not the fault of the writers or directors, but of J.K. Rowling, the movie took a dark turn after that. The tried to end the movie on a good note, but if you asked me, they kinda failed. Again, I don't know how the book ends.

Voldemort could have been alot more scary looking and sounding. He almost seemed amusing to me. The twins were hilarious. I was upset that many of the usual cast didn't get much of a speaking part. This movie should have been a two parter in my opinion. But overall, the did do a good job with what they did.

'Real'itor 'Annoy'ance

Christina and I aren't actually out house hunting. Realistically we figure we won't buy a house until after the wedding. But we are keeping out eyes open and if we see somethign we like, we'll inquire about it. We we did find something, amazingly somehow we got pre-approved too. Now remember Christina has been working in an appraisal office for quite a few years now. She knows many mortgage agents and realitors. We also know how to look up houses, find info on them, etc. Well Christina contacted one of the realitors she trusted a bit more to try and get us in. Turns out these people are not returning phone calls. Apparently Christina went and told the realitor what we were looking for. Now in my mind, this isn't keeping an eye out, this is actively looking. She says it's what realitors want to know. Well her realitor friend called her last night with a whole slew of houses she had for us. Christina was ont he phone with her for an hour. Christina said she was just humoring her. I told Chtristina to tell her that we aren't activelyt looking, and we aren't interested in you looking for us. IF we find something WE like WE'LL call YOU. Christina says she can't be mean to her, because this lady is also a mortgage agent, and Christina has to deal with her at the office. I said that's not being mea, that's telling her that we aren't actively looking, and that we don't need her to look for us. Christina doesn't seem to agree. So now the realitor is going to call Christina all the time, and that's going to annoy me.

Car Shopping

You know what I hate most about car shopping? Salesmen. I despise them. the second you step foot on the lot, they are scrambling to come and bother you. I can't look at a car when someone is annoying me. So what do I do? I drive by, liek a dozen times, trying to get a good glimpse of the lot. Then if I see something I like, I will call with questions. Sometimes they ask for my number, and I inform them they don't need that to tell me information. Sometimes they start to get snotty, and I just tell them that they lost a potential sale and hang up. I don't need these people calling me and askign if I am going to buy their vehicle. generally go to the lots when they are closed, so I can look peacefully. I've been spending alot of time looking lately, but have come up with pretty much nothing that I like.

Interesting

Sometimes in my travels, I come across some interesting things:

Hello!

Things are great!

Well not really 100%, but I am alive, I have a job, and a future wife. Why should I not be happy?

Too many blogs are about how unhappy people are, or how they compare themselves to other people and other people have it worse or better than them, and they feel guilty about how they currently feel. I don't let that other stuff bother me. I don't let work get to me outside of work, except for the occasional rant, and the "I hate my job." But it doesn't affect how I feel outside of work. I feel bad for the hurricane victimes, but there's nto alot I can do about it. There are alot of people who are alot worse of then me, and there are also people who have it better than me. So what, doesn;t change who I am or how I feel. I am happy to be me!

Good Court Appearance

Went with Christina yesterday to the inner working of Gary for her court appearance for a speeding ticket she got. it was set for 5:30 at night, which after daylight savings time, is dark. So no place for a sexy white woman to be (or even an ugly white male). So she made me go with. We showed up, went throught the metal detectors, and when to the courtroom. She told them her name, and it wasn't on the list. Turns out, the cop never turned in the ticket. She's all asking "Should I call back in a couople days and see if you found it?" I'm in the back of the room shaking my head NO!! You don't ask questions like that! At least they told her not to call back, they'd call her. She was all worried abotu points on her license and stuff, now, nothing! Hurray! Wasn't a wasted trip after all.

Rain

Halloween was a bust. Spent all month, damn near every day after work until bedtime, and all weekends, working on and making decorations. And it rained. It started raining about 5 minutes before I got home from work. I donned my raincoat and set up the big stuff anyways. The grill was set, the autopsy table was out, the cadaver was laid under plastic. The lights were flashing and flickering, and dimming for those that would be. No creatures wandered the grounds but kids loved the props anyways. We still had 30-40 show up. Lots of compliments too. Enough to make me smile, although iw as pretty upset about the rain. I took some pics the best i could, as the rain made the darkness come much sooner.

PICS