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Live Video From The Fabulous Wireless Webcam!!!

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Live Video From The Second Fabulous Wireless Webcam!!!

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Monday, July 25, 2005
5:25 PM

Hello My Name Is _______

Today was our first day in our new office space. The big move happened over the weekend. Thank God I wasn't required to actually participate in that nightmare (in fact we were outright banned from going to either the old or new building - woohoo!!) Amazingly enough, it seems to have gone pretty smoothly. As of this morning phones and computers were working. I had my furniture. They didn't lose any of my boxes or other stuff. All good. I even got a bigger office. Also good. But I'm still not loving things so far. Change is bad. Baaaad.

First of all, you don't realize how accustomed you get to your surroundings. The people you see every day in the offices around you. The view you have out of your window. The routes you take to the kitchen and the restroom. That all changes completely when you move. Most of my neighbors have changed. I liked most of my neighbors (except the really loud guy). And now there are people near me that I don't even recognize. Who are these people? I'm still not convinced that they actually work here. I think everyone should wear name tags for a while so we don't have to feel stupid for not knowing people who have worked here for years.

I also hate not knowing where things are. Somehow the building seems HUGE! I haven't even explored our other two floors much. Too intimidating. I'm afraid they are full of even more people I don't' know. And even though I have found both the kitchen and the restroom a couple of times I still get sort of lost each time. Very "first day of grade school" flashbacky. Yuck.

Turns out that I am a major creature of habit. Which is sort of funny given how many times we have moved our home in the past 10 years. I'm sure there is a phychoanalytical explanation in there somewhere.

But on to the good. As I said, I did get a bigger office (though it's about the temperature of a meat locker - sorry lapsed there for a minute). I still can watch the planes landing at the airport, just from a different angle because the view is a bit different. There are better places to eat around here. And South Coast is just a few minutes walk away.

All in all, the verdict is still out. But at least the first day is over more or less. I'm sure tomorrow will be better. One more day toward rut-dom.

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Friday, July 15, 2005
10:25 AM

Week In Review

Hello all. Hope everyone is doing well. It's been a crazy week. Thought I'd update everyone on events of the week. I'll throw in a few tidbits that I've learned this week that help keep life interesting. It's a rather eclectic list so be warned.

1. Alex got his drivers' license. Yay Alex!!
2. Spot the Bunny still reigns supreme in the Fabulous Yard. He's well on his way to joining Petey in his chubbiness.
3. In Egypt, if you don't pay your debts, you go to jail. Hard labor. Yikes! I guess I won't be finding any work in Egypt. They clearly are not as forgiving as we are here.
4. Music that you download off of the Rhapsody service can't be converted into iTunes (Doh!!). That is unless you are a techie who has much more computer knowledge than I do (and even then it may not be possible). At least it's a free trial period.
5. Bailey is still doing fine at the folks' house. She refuses to let any other cats (or the dogs) into Gram's room or the bathroom where the food and litter is.
6. INXS Rock Star is our new favorite "reality" show. It's like American Idol but with people who can really sing and who sing good songs instead of the cheesy stuff on AI.
7. Exotic dancers actually have very detailed contracts with the clubs they work at which delineate precisely what they can and can't do, what they can and can't show, etc. Who knew?
8. Moving your entire firm into a new building is a royal pain in the behind. Especially when you actually have to get work done at the same time. And it's only going to get worse in the next week (we move next weekend).
9. Connor and Dad are taking Japanese together this fall at Saddleback College. Can't wait to see how that goes.
10. The squirrels are back. We'll see how Spot responds to sharing the yard with other mammals.
11. Tom & Lois are coming for Labor Day weekend. Yay again!

Have a great weekend!!

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Tuesday, July 12, 2005
2:58 PM

Irony Clad Bags

Unlike my father, I love our City's recycling program. Perhaps I am deluding myself (it wouldn't be the first or last time), but I have no problem separating my plastic and glass and putting it in the separate can. I even feel like I'm doing something good for the environment (sort of). I refuse to embrace dad's cynical view that the trashmen just dump everything together at the dump. It must be my naturally Pollyanna-esque temperament. Yep, that's it.

I also love the green waste program, though it means that we have yet another trash can to store and wheel to the curb (and back to the house) each week. It really helps those of us who work in the garden. Again, I refuse to believe that the City is doing anything but creating wonderful soil amendments.

But the City is slowly but surely chipping away at my optimistic, environmentally-friendly demeanor. I fear I am turning into my dad.

A week or so ago, we came home to find yet another can to use to separate our trash. This time it's a small blue can which is supposed to be used to recycle those plastic bags you get at the grocery store. Apparently those bags are just wildly out of control and they are asking us to recycle them as well. Funny, I thought they were made out of plastic and could just go into the regular recycle bin (which is what we do now and have done for years). Apparently not. These bags are in need of their own separate bin. They are very special recyclables in need of special status. But the weirdness continues.

The instructions that came with the new blue can had two parts. First of all, you put the bags into the new bin, which you then put into the regular recycling bin. Ok, not even I am foolish enough to think that the trashmen are going to fish the small blue can out of the big blue can each week and put the contents of the two in separate places. That really is just too much to ask of anyone, especially someone on a government salary.

But the really weird and equally hilarious part is the second part of the instructions. The don't just want us to put the used bags into the little can and then put the little can into the big can. We are supposed to put the used bags into a larger bag, put that bag into the little bin, and put the little bin into the big bin. And so on. And so on. Chip chip chipping away at my tree-hugging ways . . .

But it doesn't stop there. In order to ensure that we proceed as instructed (lest all those very special, albeit used, bags end up mixed in with the rest of the recyclable rabble), not only were we given a new small blue bin, but also what appears to be a lifetime supply of the bags into which we are supposed to put the used bags before putting them into the new bin. Seriously. They gave us a huge roll of the bags. There are literally dozens and dozens of the bags.

In sum, in order to minimize the waste from the grocery store bags, we were given detailed and yet pointless instructions which involved many senseless steps on how to recycle them, along with about a gazillion more bags.

It just doesn't get more ironic than that.

P.S. All you conservatives out there don't get too excited. I'm still a tree hugger and liberal voter.

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Tuesday, July 05, 2005
2:34 PM

Wild About Webcams

Hello all. Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July.

Last week Mark surprised me with another wireless webcam to add to our home setup (Thanks again!). Thus far I haven't had time to add it to the left column (and I could use some help from Dana to do it), but at least you can see the second one below:

Once they are permanently added, we'll try to set them up with one outside and one in so everyone get a full view of life in the DP.

Have a great day.

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