I have pictures on my phone, along with music. The music I’m not concerned about, since I downloaded it from my computer. The pictures however, weren’t. When I got a message over the weekend that a “fatal error” had occurred with the extra memory in my phone, I panicked. I checked, all my pictures were gone. I was upset about losing all of them, but especially one of a little boy I babysat over the Memorial Day weekend this year & my dog.

When John first met Loki, he was scared to death of her. He’d been bit by a medium size dog & was terrified of all dogs, at that point. Loki wasn’t much better, because she’s never been around small children. (John was 5 when they met.) But when I kept him over the holiday so his mom & dad could have some adult time, I got the best picture.

John is fussing at Loki, because she wouldn’t do what he wanted her to. She was too excited about being sprayed with the water. Neither one of them is afraid of the other now and this picture shows it. I was really unhappy about this one being gone.

I was messing with my phone this morning, checking on a picture I had taken a day or so ago, when I noticed the larger number of pictures. I checked, all of them were back. The music is back. Everything is just like it was before it had its error issue. Wasting no time, I ran in here, connected the phone to the computer & downloaded everything on my phone to my computer. Then I saved the pictures separately, so I knew where I had put them.

I don’t know what was going on with the memory, nor do I care. I think if I take a picture I really want to keep, I will send it to my computer to be saved with the others. No more ignoring it.

It’s a shame I’ve learned this at this late date. In 3 months, I’ll be getting a new phone. Not of the “fruit” variety, but a Droid. I’ve been convinced since I found what I like with a slide-out keyboard. And my husband’s best friend is taking all the credit. Figures. He’s a man.

Keep the faith. Miracles do happen. You just have to see them.

2. Cut the lifelong benefits for members of the House & Senate. Just because they serve a few terms, shouldn’t entitle them to everything the general public can’t have. While we’re at it, term limits should be added. Just like any President or Governor, lets add limits so the lawyers who inhabit Congress for 40 years will have to do more with that law degree than just hang a diploma on the wall. I think 12 years should be enough.

3. Bring the servicemen & women home from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan & God only knows where else. Cut the support for any nation who doesn’t cooperate in the search for terrorists. Like Pakistan. I don’t believe I can be convinced they didn’t know bin Laden was in their own backyard.

I’m so fed up with listening to everyone on the boob tube talking about how “compromise” has to be reached, but they won’t do it, I’m ready to scream. I sincerely hope all the elderly who suffer cuts in their entitled benefits remember who caused this. The same people the elderly voted into office, who strive so hard to protect the large corporations & the wealthy. When your IRA loses value & your mortgage rate goes up, be sure to thank your local GOP candidate.

If only I had the ear of someone who could do something. Living on the short end of the stick teaches you how not to blow money. Lessons all of the current members of government could stand to learn.

New York New York wasn’t as impressive for me as they thought it was. Caesar’s Palace was impressive. The Mirage was ok. Luxor, with the exception of how it was built, not so hot. I can’t remember all we went to.

We saw the outside shows at Bellagio, The Mirage & Treasure Island. We went through The Forum Shops in Caesars Palace. We went through the Space Needle copy cat. (I can’t remember the name of it.)

We went to Hoover Dam. The front side of it when the temperature was over 105, we were walking the concrete on the top part. We went on a paddle boat cruise to see the dam from the water, on the same day. We went to the M&M Store. All 4 floors of it. Then the Coca-Cola Store. That one only had 2 floors. We walked up & down the Strip a bit, going from one casino to the next. We went to Fremont St, which was a trip. The largest outside television is there. Chris was going to do the zip line but the line waiting was over a block long. He didn’t want to wait. And we did a lot of people watching. From regular run of the mill tourists to Madame Floosie with her coterie of up & coming floosies, in their 5″ heels & skirts so short their “assets” were almost hid.

The “normal” things done there like gambling & lots of drinking? I spent $5.00 on a machine playing Black Jack. Less than an hour & I was down the five, so I stopped. Chris had a drink on the boat on Wednesday & then at the outside show at Treasure Island on Saturday. I didn’t drink at all. The thing we did the least of was sleep.

We stayed at the Red Rock Casino/Hotel/Spa. This place was beautiful. It had the normal casino, but it also included separate rooms for Keno, Bingo & betting on various sporting events. It had a 60 lane bowling alley & a 16 screen movie theater. Restaurants went from 4 or 5 star to Starbucks. It had everything. It wasn’t on the Strip which was nice. It was ‘populated’ more by locals than tourists. On Thursday, Chris’ birthday, we saw a girl who used to work at the Hard Rock Casino & was on the television show “Rehab at the Hard Rock”. He recognized her, then followed her to her area at the pool, with his friend Chris, to see if she would let him have a picture with her since it was his birthday. She did & it’s now on his Facebook page. She was really sweet about it. She also made his day.

He & I can now say we’ve been to Las Vegas & the sayings on the t-shirts are true. What happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, it goes on Facebook.

I need a nap.

I knew Jan & Chris (friends of ours) are both persistent. I just didn’t know the degree of persistence. Until the 8th of this month when that ignorance was cured.

Jan’s parents live in Las Vegas. They go out every other year for a 2 week vacation. This year they are there now. I didn’t know what was happening until Chris (not mine) & I ran to PetsMart. He started talking about Chris & I leaving for 3 business days & a weekend. How it could be managed. I never answered, I just listened. We get back home & Jan is checking something on her phone. I didn’t pay attention because she does that often. Then a “family meeting” is called on the back deck. Chris, myself, Jan & Chris. Airfare to fly out on the 20th is $140.00 after all fees. Hotel room completely paid for by comps Jan’s mother gets from their favorite casino. (She & her husband play there often, get the points for their play but never use them. She still has way more points than she can use.) We’ll drive back with them & get to take pictures in Utah of the scenery.

Next thing I know, reservations have been made to fly, hotel confirmation is in my email inbox, along with confirmation & flight information for 2 1-way tickets to Las Vegas on the 20th. We’ve also been instructed on how to pack & Chris has been instructed to leave his gun here. No point in risking it being left in an unlocked suitcase that has to be checked, just waiting to be stolen.

Damn

I gotta load the music I like on either my tablet or phone. The winner will be determined by which ever device I can find headphones for. And the winner is: the BlackBerry! At least I still had the music on the desktop manager for my phone. I will be making sure both batteries are completely charged on Tuesday before they’re packed into a carry on bag. That Joe is donating for our use, as long as it won’t be checked.

The first to go in my purse? Benadryl. Maybe Kaluaha. I can get coffee after we check in & go through security at the airport. And I will be wearing shorts, tank top & flip-flops. Just getting Chris through security will be a challenge in itself because of his brace & the pins in his knees, no need to add more trouble with my wardrobe.

I just checked on tickets to go see Garth Brooks while we’re there. I think not. Just over $500.00 for 2 tickets. Bummer. Because I so would.

Now for a serious chat with God. I remember what I thought was our deal. I want to know where my wings are!

First is from area code 270. From a law office looking for an address to send paperwork to, so a work invoice can be gone over. So I give her the address when she states: “That’s in Colorado!” Being curious, I start asking questions. It’s about a legal case between a HOA & a homeowner who had plumbing work done. In 2003. In KENTUCKY. We’ve never been to Kentucky. Then she tells me she did a search for the plumbing company on the internet. Which is how she got us. I politely explain to her we’ve never done any work in Kentucky, that we don’t have a branch there & that none of us have even been there before. Ok, she’s going to look in the correct state.

Ten minutes later my phone rings again. From area code 408. This time it was a man wanting an invoice for work that was done lately at a place I only got the first name of, which is Kangaroo. (He stated the whole name but when I heard kangaroo, my brain heard only “court”. Figures.) When I ask where the work was done, he tells me North Carolina. I then had to apologize for laughing & explained the previous call. I assure him we haven’t done any work in N. Carolina & wished him luck in his search.

It’s only 9 in the morning. I’m getting worried about what will happen later.

The town council in the Austrian village of Braunau has unanimously decided to withdraw honorary citizenship from the community’s most infamous son, 78 years after the Nazi dictator was given the title.

Hitler was actually born in the tiny village of Ranshofen, next to Braunau and became an honorary citizen of that hamlet in 1933. But Ranshofen became part of Braunau a few years later and thus is universally recognized as Hitler’s birthplace.

Braunau historians say they aren’t sure if the title was transferable from Ranshofen to Braunau. But the town council decided to abolish it late Thursday — just in case.”

And it only took 78 years.

Next time Chris tells me I’m slow, I will point this out.

He’s dealing with a fiberglass soaker tub with dimensions of 41″ by 71″. A dropped die-cast 1/24 scale car is what broke the tub. What he’s just found out is the idiot plumber who originally set said tub used Liquid Nail to hold it down. Chris is not a happy camper. Neither is the homeowner, who will be writing the check when he gets done. He’s called the adjuster to come out again because when he uses a sawzall to cut out whatever he needs to, the tile around the area will be toast. Plus, who would believe (unless they saw it for themselves) that some plumber glued a tub down. A poor quality tub that will have to be pulled off the concrete below it in pieces.

If he’s this irritated now, I really hope he doesn’t find out the cross street to the south of our house is due to be resurfaced. Serious noise & restricted access. That’ll improve his mood.

In a pig’s eye.

One day, Joe & Jayson showed Chris how to send a text message. They also showed him how to do it using a call that had come in on his phone. No, they didn’t explain the dangers of it to him. That, along with showing him how to begin with, was all on them. (You just know it’s gonna be bad if Joe & Jayson are teaching Chris something.)

A day or so later, Joe gets a call from James, another friend, asking what the hell is going on with Chris. (I cleaned that up for print. Use your imagination for the real conversation.) Joe asks for clarification. James tells him he just got a text from Chris & it stated “I’m sexting”. Thankfully, there were no pictures attached. Joe didn’t believe it so James forwarded it to him as proof. Joe was fit to be tied when he saw it. Joe showed me & all I could tell him was it was his own fault, he’s the one who showed him how to send a message. As I was laughing my head off. Joe went in search of his father with the offending message still showing on his phone. I wasn’t there for that discussion, thankfully. I saw Chris later.

So Chris uses a brain cell when he finds me (I was hiding outside) & asks about sexting. That was when I explained exactly what it is & who is doing it. He figured out then he shouldn’t send those messages & if he was going to send something suggestive to me (such as a dot, a lower case ‘l’ with another dot beside it) he needs to be sure he gets it to me. I’ll only yell at him. If it went to someone other than his family or Joe’s strange friends, he stood a good chance of being arrested.

So we’ve had the “sexting-gate” already & beat Anthony Weiner’s exposure by a year. And Chris didn’t have to give up his job to get through it. So there!

http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/06/17/6880862-violence-erupts-outside-casey-anthony-trial

I should have known better. Really. I thought….. I don’t know what I thought. The violence was started by people who were trying to get a seat inside so they could watch whatever happens. Since seating is limited, people are being made to take turns, probably to avoid the campers lining the hall if they could to save their seats. These rubberneckers are fighting so they can get the morbid details.

Like a train wreck in slow motion, I started reading the comments & was surprised. One of them actually said the judge needs to close the trial to spectators. Another pointed out the Florida laws may not allow it, but if he could, he should.

I know the constitution gives everyone a fair trial. But where is it written that morbid SOB’s have the right to start fights outside the doors, to get a seat to watch?

Chris is a hyper individual. Extremely hyper, as in never stops running. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but he won’t give his legs a break. This year was no exception. Every time the president of the chapter was looking for him, he found him running. Since he’s also a dear friend, he knows what this does to Chris’ legs & he also knew I needed Chris to be functional today. He knew just telling Chris to sit wouldn’t do any good, so he came up with his own novel approach. I loved it.

He wasn’t going anywhere for a while. Chris swears he was tricked into sticking out his arm, when the prez asked for a drink of his water. I’m of the opinion, whatever works. And that did.