October 24, 2007

Between the packing and, more recently, the fires, I haven't had time to do much updating over the last few weeks. On top of that, the cable company screwed up nicely. I called on October 8th to set up the disconnect on the 27th and an appointment for the new hookup on the same day at the new place. Imagine my surprise on October 17th when I got home and Mrs. splorp! advised me that they had turned off our cable (which included my internet and phone). I got on the phone immediately and had to explain to a rude customer service rep that I needed to speak to a supervisor. The supervisor advised that I couldn't get the cable turned back on until the next day. I managed to get 2 free weeks of service out of the deal. Well, on Monday I checked the website for said cable company. Guess what? Still screwed up, but in a different way. I had paid the current bill which brought us from October 3rd to November 2nd. Now there was a new bill that was good from October 17th through November 16th (for $7.00 more than the previous bill). So, I had to spend another 20 minutes confirming that I didn't have to pay the new bill, that my 2 week credit was still in place and would be transferred to the new account and that I wouldn't have to rip out the spleen of any employees at the cable company.

Even more fun was last night at just after 11pm. We had just gone to bed when Mrs. splorp! asked "Where is the check?" CRAP! Out of bed I jumped. The check was a cashier's check (rather large) for the first month's rent and deposit for the new apartment. We had picked it up over the weekend at our bank. I ran out to her car to see if it was there. It was't. Meanwhile, she was searching the built-in cabinets, the tables, our desks... No check. After almost a half hour (and me talking through it), we figured out it was in an envelope that contained the paperwork for Mrs. splorp!'s car. (I hate CitiFinancial Auto. The schmucks don't have a method of paying online for free. It transfers you to Western Union, who want $15.00 to process the payment. I was checking on rates to refinance the car...) Mrs. splorp! had filed the envelope and we had both forgot the check was in it.

October 15, 2007

I got an interesting email from my wife this morning:

I caught a bird at the office before 8:15.

A bird got in the building and went up the stairwell before I got in. Kathy Jo said "You're a bird person. There's a bird upstairs!"

So Den played herding action while I tried to get the bird with my suit jacket (didn't have any other fabric). The bird was trying to 'exit' the building using the flourescent lights in the ceiling - it flew from one to the other and kept trying to get out. So we chased it, thinking, "Ok, it will hit something too hard and stun itself and fall, then I'll get."

But this, this was a cautious bird. It wasn't hitting anything. It even landed on a couple of things and got a rest, so we kept chasing it. I tried to block it in the hallway by the bathrooms, where the ceiling is lower, but it was too fast and zoomed down to floor level and right past me.

Then it flew into Chris' office, where I closed the doors really fast. It bounced against the window, and fell down into the vertical blinds, where it couldn't seem to get out of the blinds. Then, I was able to scoop it into my jacket and cover it so it would be quiet. I actually had to check to see if I had it because it seemed to have no weight, and it was really small, like the size of a lovebird.

Kathy Jo and Terra were very impressed that I got it so quickly, and Terra called me the Bird Whisperer. Kathy Jo had to run outside with me so she could see me let it go. I told her, "It's just going to fly away," but I think she wanted proof it was gone. I took it far enough away from the door that it could see grass and trees and opened my jacket. The little bird was clinging to it, then it realized it was outside, and was out like a shot.

Happy ending to an interesting start.

October 13, 2007

It's my mutant sister's birthday.

October 8, 2007

Well, it's official: I HATE MOVING! The packing has commenced. All the CDs, DVDs and books are packed and almost everything is off the walls. I've taken care of the transfer of electric ($15 fee), gas ($25 fee) and cable (no fee, but the phone won't be installed until 3 weeks after we move in). We're renting a 17' U-Haul and are borrowing Mrs. splorp!'s dad to help move. I also have a couple guys from work helping out, too. Still, I'd rather not have to do it, at all.

So, why do it? The new apartment has a rent that will be 17.5% less than what our current apartment was bumping us. Why an apartment, at all? Well, to buy a median priced house in Ventura county California, you need to have a household income in excess of $125,000.00. We're doing ok, but not quite THAT ok. I'm hoping for more foreclosures to bring the prices down to a realistic level. A lot more foreclosures. Maybe an earthquake. A plague of frogs. Hell, anything from Revelations would do.

October 1, 2007

Welcome to Rocktober. Yeah, every radio market in the country has an FM station that calls it that. Don't believe me? Check it out.

Anywho, as I mentioned last month, we're going to be moving to a new place. We're still going to be in the same city, just more centralized. Right now we live right near a university that wasn't always a university. It's five miles from the nearest freeway and about the same to grocery stores and gas stations and on top of that, they keep pumping up the rent. We're done with it. We should be in the new place by the end of this month, right before Halloween.

My best man, Lizard, got married. We're very happy for her. Her new husband is the guy sitting to her right in the video in that link.

Below is Harley Quinn, our Green-Cheeked Conure


Harley Quinn in November 2005

To the left, you’ll see Drusilla,
the Vampire Parakeet, named after
a character on Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
because she bit like a vampire.
She passed away on 12/20/04.