Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Marty's hunny-do-list




A couple weeks ago we had fierce winds blow through Wasilla. Very abnormally fierce winds. It was a good excuse for me to lock the doors, start a fire, and be cozy in my little house.

The small shed in the picture had its lid ripped off and peeled back like a tin can. In order to get into the shed you can either get into it from the small door, or by lifting up that big heavy lid (which WAS on hinges). It takes most of my strength and momentum just to prop it open. Thats how I know it weighs between 60 and 70 pounds (obviously, my arms aren't buff or built).

It WAS closed tight and secure. I can't believe the wind got under it and ripped it back and off it's hinges like that.

I know this wasn't your idea of a Christmas gift Marty, haha - sorry I can't move it or fix it for you.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Runaway


Meet Jenny.

A sweet lab mix kinda gal who doesn't know how to stay home.

I almost hit her last night when she ran in front of my car. I was taking a friend home at 10pm, the weather was frigid and blowing and I felt awful when I couldn't figure out where she lived. So after knocking on a couple of doors I packed her up and took her home for the night.

She didn't have anything but her rabies tag on so I called her vet this morning and had her owners call me. They had her micro-chipped and the rabies tag on her but of course you can't figure anything out with those at 10pm at night. I suggested an ID TAG. After all, they never run away during business hours.

Pete was ecstatic to have someone fun spend the night (don't worry, they slept in separate beds). Even though it was a pain talking her into my car and worrying about her peeing on my floors (she didn't thank heavens) Pete thought it was all very worth it and thinks we should really do it more often.

This message has been sponsored by the idea of getting ID Tags for your beloved pets.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Our Nations Drunkest Cities...

I saw this in the paper and had to post it. How very sad Anchorage made 2nd drunkest city...

"The Drunkest Cities"
Published in Mens Health Magazine
December 2008

New Year's Day 1916 was rough for Colorado residents looking for a little hair of the dog. On that Saturday, the state stopped all liquor sales, predating Prohibition by 4 years. Today, Colo-rado once again leads the nation in its attitude toward alcohol -- but now, the mandate seems to be "drink till you drop." In our second ranking of urban inebriation, Aurora comes in 82nd, Colorado Springs finishes 98th, and, once again, Denver is Most Dangerously Drunk.

We looked at annual death rates due to alcoholic liver disease, as well as who's headed there by regularly downing five or more drinks in a sitting (CDC). Next, we factored in drunk-driving arrests (FBI) and the percentage of fatal accidents involving intoxicated motorists (U.S. Department of Transportation). Then, after tallying the MADD report card of state efforts to cut down on excessive drinking, we had our ranking and, for the state of Colorado, an invitation to AA.

Most Dangerously Drunk:

100 Denver, CO F

99 Anchorage, AK F

98 Colorado Springs, CO F

97 Omaha, NE F

96 Fargo, ND F

95 San Antonio, TX F

94 Austin, TX F

93 Fresno, CA F

92 Lubbock, TX F

91 Milwaukee, WI F

90 El Paso, TX F

89 Spokane, WA F

88 Washington, DC F

87 Columbia, SC F

86 St. Louis, MO D-

85 Bakersfield, CA D-

84 San Diego, CA D

83 Cheyenne, WY D

82 Aurora, CO D

81 Houston, TX D

80 Portland, OR D

79 Seattle, WA D

78 Boise, ID D

77 Tucson, AZ D+

76 Dallas, TX D+

75 Jacksonville, FL D+

74 Toledo, OH D+

73 Madison, WI D+

72 Oakland, CA D+

71 Modesto, CA D+

70 Billings, MT D+

69 Fremont, CA D+

68 Oklahoma City, OK D+

67 San Francisco, CA D+

66 Sacramento, CA D+

65 Los Angeles, CA D+

64 Phoenix, AZ D+

63 Albuquerque, NM D+

62 Chicago, IL D+

61 Providence, RI D+

60 Fort Wayne, IN C-

59 Manchester, NH C-

58 Charleston, WV C-

57 Burlington, VT C-

56 Lincoln, NE C-

55 Corpus Christi, TX C-

54 Des Moines, IA C-

53 Indianapolis, IN C-

52 Pittsburgh, PA C-

51 Honolulu, HI C-


50 St. Paul, MN C

49 Tampa, FL C

48 Greensboro, NC C

47 Las Vegas, NV C

46 Baltimore, MD C

45 Riverside, CA C

44 Norfolk, VA C

43 Detroit, MI C+

42 Arlington, TX C+

41 Grand Rapids, MI C+

40 San Jose, CA C+

39 St. Petersburg, FL C+

38 Nashville, TN C+

37 Charlotte, NC C+

36 Wilmington, DE C+

35 Orlando, FL C+

34 Minneapolis, MN C+

33 Kansas City, MO C+

32 Fort Worth, TX C+

31 Tulsa, OK C+

30 Anaheim, CA B-

29 Wichita, KS B-

28 Lexington, KY B-

27 Philadelphia, PA B-

26 Montgomery, AL B-

25 Rochester, NY B-

24 Raleigh, NC B

23 Cincinnati, OH B

22 Louisville, KY B

21 Bangor, ME B

20 Memphis, TN B

19 Boston, MA B

18 Hartford, CT B+

17 Sioux Falls, SD B+

16 Birmingham, AL B+

15 Baton Rouge, LA B+

14 Columbus, OH B+

13 Cleveland, OH B+

12 Atlanta, GA B+

11 Newark, NJ B+

Least Dangerously Drunk:

10 Jersey City, NJ B+

9 Richmond, VA B+

8 New York, NY B+

7 Little Rock, AK A-

6 Salt lake City, UT A-

5 Yonkers, NY A-

4 Jackson, MS A

3 Buffalo, NY A

2 Miami, FL A

1 Durham, NC A+

Last Call
Studies show that state laws that put strict limits on where and when alcohol can be sold help cut the number of booze-induced trips to the E.R. -- and the morgue. That's because self-destructive drinkers tend to buy alcohol impulsively and at late hours. Go to alcoholpolicy.niaaa.nih.gov to see if your state could use a stronger stance.

Deputize Yourself
Roughly 1.4 million people are arrested for DUIs each year, but Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates that for every driver cuffed, another 88 are never pulled over. Use your cellphone to lower that number. Besides the obvious indicators of intoxication, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also cites subtler signs, such as someone making extra-wide turns, going straight through a turn-only lane, or driving with his or her face close to the windshield. If the clues accumulate, make the call. (In many states, 311 is nonemergency dispatch.)


I only have one thing to add from the Bible...

Galatians 5:19-26
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Secrets and Gossip?

"If you reveal your secrets to the wind, you should not blame the wind for revealing them to the trees. ~ Khalil Gibran

I just love this quote. It's a great reminder for my big mouth.