Unsolicited Christmas Advice

If you save your credit card information and passwords on your computer, DON'T!!!!! My paypal account was heisted on the 22nd. Within the account, 2 bank accounts and 2 credit cards were listed. Luckily, the transactions were frozen and now I'm waiting for $500 to be replaced into my bank account. I froze the other accounts this morning.

This is one of those "I didn't think it would happen to me" things. My Christmas gift to you - a reminder to change your passwords frequently on all online accounts and to NEVER save credit card and bank account info within any online account.

Where I'm at on this foggy, gray day

I Don't Want Anything to Change
Bonnie Raitt

Sleepless nights aren't so bad
I'm staying up, I'm staying sad
I don't want anything to change
I don't want anything to change
I like it lonely, I like it strange
I don't want anything to change

You left a mess
you're everywhere
I'd pick it up but I don't dare
I don't want anything to change
I don't want anything to change
There's nothing I would reaarange
I don't want anything to change

I can feel you fading
But until you're gone
I'm taking all the time that I can borrow
The getting over is waiting
But I won't move on
And I'm gonna wanna feel the same tomorrow

I know the truth is right outside
But for the moment, it's best denied
I don't want anything to change

I can feel you fading...

And I don't want anything to do
With what comes after you
I don't want anything to change...

Minkyism

The other morning, I was sitting in bed as Arwen the cat gave herself a morning bath. Her leg was up in the air, her spine was twisted as only a cat can contort and Minky walked in and said, "Look, Mommy, Arwen's doing yoga!"

I'll never lose my keys again!

As many of you know, I am notorious for losing my keys, my Palm Pilot, my remote control, my sanity...

Years ago as I perused that cool mail order catalog found in the seat pocket in front of me, I came across the Sharper Image pages. Ever since, I have coveted the remote control finder thing. Last week, I finally gave in and bought one.

It arrived yesterday and now I'm hooked! The remote has a locator, the cell phone has one, my Palm Pilot has one. I may even put one on the dog and on Minky (ok...just kidding). Whenever an item can't be found, you just get the locator (conveniently kept on the fridge using a magnetized base) and press the appropriate button and BEEP BEEP BEEP! Too cool.

The genius who created the device even answered Rab's skeptical concern: what if you lose the base? Not so fast, oh skeptic! The base has a setting for an alarm that will sound if the locator is left off the base.

The person who designed this device is my hero. As long as I remember, anyway.

Ode to the Sitka Spruce

Talking to my dad's estate attorneys never ceases to amaze me. There's always some surprising twist or turn to throw my former assumptions off. Today was no different.

This afternoon, I was talking to one of the attorneys and she mentioned the famous, on the way to the beach, cornball but ya gotta do it stop known as The Nation's Largest Sitka Spruce Tree (or as one website states: also known as the “Klootchy Creek Giant”) is no more.

Rab and I stopped there on the way to our honeymoon on the Oregon Coast. We went by there the day before my ordination to show it to Future Bishop and his wife. And now the former towering 200' tree has been destroyed by 100+ mph winds. Waah.

At least as I was reading up on all this I found out that there is an official "keeper of the National Big Tree Register". How do you suppose people find jobs in such a field? Is there a 5 year old somewhere saying, "When I grow up, I want to be the keeper of the National Big Tree Register"?

Minkyism

Oh, Minky! Even though I haven't been writing on the blog much in the past months, Minky and his antics have been going strong.
Fred the Dog
One day, Sony, Minky and I walked to the nearby gas station/mini-mart to get some treats. As we were heading out of the building, a rather large, somewhat intimidating man walked out behind us. We walked past an El Camino in the parking lot and the cutest little rat terrier was in the passenger seat. Both Minky and I were cooing over the dog and talking about how cute he was. The large intimidating man got into the El Camino and the dog jumped up onto the man's shoulder. "Ya hear that, Fred, those people think you're cute," he gruffly chuckled with a gravelly voice. Minky, about the size of the guy's arm, went right up to the guy and exclaimed with disbelief, "Fred?! Fred?! That's my grandma's boyfriend's name not a dog name!" Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Minky walked away in disgust. The guy guffawed in response.

As we continued walking, I said, "Minky...Minky, there's not a day that goes by that you don't make me laugh." Then Sony, in response, said, "Yeah, and there's not a day that goes by that you don't make her angry."

Calling the Blog Back to Life

Is anybody even checking for new posts any more? I can't say I'd blame you if you weren't!

But if you are checking (and obviously, you are checking if you're reading this now...), you're in for a treat. I've got a bunch of posts just waiting to move from memory to keypad. Stay tuned - new posts are on the way momentarily.