Apr 10, 2008

Trashy Excitement

I've been so busy, I haven't had a chance to blog about our brand new GIGANTIC trash cans that came last week.

Our city is rolling out a new automatic trash collection system. 96 gallon trash can with wheels, large enough to fit two adult bodies.

It also includes an equally as large recycling can. (We just cleaned out the van, and dude we are totally going to have the new can filled by Saturday.)

Our old trash can looks puny next to our new cans. Funny enough I am SO excited about the new cans. Not because of the size (it is amazing though), but because of the WHEELS!!! Our old can is a very damaged creature. The wheels fell off and there's a holes forming on the bottom...oh and the handle is missing. And just last week the lid disappeared. I am also excited because these bins are too big to steal. We lost our other wheeled, lidded trash can when someone stole it (it was covered in silver lettering OUR address too!) And perchance someone gets this behemoth into the bed of their pick ups truck, since these are city issued: we'll get new ones!

Labels: cleaning, daily rant, Texans

10:25:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Mar 19, 2008

Mud Storm

We had a mud storm last night. Apparently it freaked people out! The news said dozens of people called and email and text messaged--wondering if it was safe to go outside, if it was acid rain, and WTF was going on!! If you read the link it was merely the after affect of a dust storm that kicked dust into the clouds and then the clouds let down their rain and poof MUD.

Today friends and I went out shipping and everywhere there were huge lines at car washes. Wendy, from Yarnivore, said she waited in line for 45 minutes to wash her car! Today might have been a good idea for some enterprising youths to have set up some impromptu car washes.

I had to take this picture.

When do you see a BMW that looks like it has just been off-roading??

Labels: Texans, weather

8:26:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments

Jan 1, 2008

Happy New Year!

Not much happened at casa Birdwell. I didn't imbibe any alcohol because I was buckin' the trend. Why is it tradition to drink alcohol on New Years...is it the "party" atmosphere or is it drowning you're disappoints in the old year and the fears of the new? (Of course my Mom is screaming at her monitor as she reads this, "It's a SIN!!") In any case I didn't see the point. I'm careful with my alcohol consumption--using it to unwind or because I am craving some amaretto or something. (My mom is still screaming...)

I don't know about other cities (tell me what you folks do in your respective cities--I dare you to comment), but San Antonio goes nuts for the fireworks. Even though it's illegal in the city--nearly every street has someone that is setting off fireworks. (I pussied out again and didn't report my neighbors--now that's a tradition!) The fireworks continue sporadically through out the night as fireworks mustn't be wasted or are found behind the gun rack. Mic came in our room some time last night (the alarm clock is too far away from me to see with out my glasses--yeah a whole 2 feet), terrified because a stray firework bang woke him up. He was convinced it was a BAD GUY in our backyard...and that he was going to get us. (Mic has this really weird obsession about the BAD GUYS). He told me his "plan" for surviving his encounter with the BAD GUYS, it involved hiding under his bed. I was too tired to ask him if he would save his sister. I cuddled with him, soothed him, and told him that there were no bad guys in our backyard and he was safe. Poor guy.

Some time later, he was fine and wanted to go back to his bed.

It's finally getting cold here: for three whole days. It was 32 last night, 54 today, 25 tonight into tomorrow, 48 tomorrow, 28 the next night and 55 that day...then the weekend? Yep you guessed it back into the 70s. What is a knitter to do here in South Texas?

Labels: daily rant, holiday, Kid Antics, Obsessions, Texans, weather

8:16:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

Aug 6, 2007

Buckle Up on the School Bus

Funny how things don't get covered in the local news. At the end of this legislative session, Texas is now one of the states that will required seat belts on school buses. Apparently after Sept 1, 2010 Texas will be buying new buses with 3 point and shoulder harnesses and after 2014 all school buses must have seat belts.

I wonder if they'll be buying enough buses? What happens if the bus gets overcrowded? Will excess children have to find other means of transportation? If not, be forced to stand? How long will it take the buses driver to get the 4 and 5 year-olds buckled into a seat? How long to make sure every one is properly secured? How are they going to make sure they are all proper adjusted. Highschoolers are MUCH bigger than elementary students and vice versa.

I remember riding the bus in high school (previous schools were in walking distance) here in San Antonio--most times it was so crowded high schoolers were stuffed 4 to a seat and had to stand--this went on for the entire school year. No more buses were added--I think parents just started taking their kids to school because they didn't think school buses were sausages.

I am not against seat belts in a school bus. In fact, I have always wondered why school buses didn't have seat belts. As a parent of small children--it's difficult to get the kids fastened (and unfastened, btw)into their seat belts. Seat belts are often (esp. when designed by the state) confusing and hard to use for little children. The buttons themselves are tricky--esp., when used at least 6 times a day 5 days a week.

Given, the fact that I homeschool--doesn't matter...other kids ride the bus--will it be safe, comfortable, and efficient?

Labels: daily rant, homeschooling, politics, Texans

10:23:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 1 Comments

Jun 15, 2007

Friday

Thursday--all of a sudden I felt so much better. I think I was right--women problems...sigh...hormones are so frustrating.

Last night was wonderful! My Spurs won the NBA Championship for the 4th time!! And true to form the awesome citizen's of San Antonio conducted themselves fantastically during our in to the wee hours of the morning street party. The police chief (a new guy from Phoenix) said that the only problems they had was convincing people to stop hanging out of their car windows. Grin. Yeah that's our big problem.

I am so proud of Tony Parker too--I am a huge fan and it was so neat to see him get the MVP trophy. Eva was so cute snapping photo's of him--you would think a big Hollywood star would need snap shots. (See, here in S.A. our Spurs and their families are like OUR families--they're not super stars--they are super guys.)

I also finished my my secret project and I am crossing my fingers and toes, but I will let my breath out. I am fully expecting a rejection letter. But it's a good experience. Whew.

So between that and the Spurs winning, I got no sleep last night. BUT I did finally delete all my email spam--all 14,000...yes---fourteen thousand. A typical month see me getting about 4,000 spams. That does not include the hundreds and hundreds of emails that I want (yahoo groups and friends).

We leave for Myrtle Beach in exactly a week--a week of beach fun (and I found a yarn shop in N. Myrtle Beach--grin) and then a week with my in-laws (and the vastness that is their family) and a couple days with my family. For the first time in years, my entire family will be in the same place at the same time. Phil will probably be deployed soon after to Iraq. He's in intel (back office) so he won't be shooting at anyone, but still there's roadside bombs, suicide bombs, and snipers. I wonder if my other brother is jealous. Craig has been itching to be deployed (he's a medic) and so far he hasn't, whereas Phil's already been to Afghanistan. But I don't mind--Craig WILL be in the thick of things--so him working in an ER in S. Carolina is fine with me. It scares me to think of the horrors Craig will see when he does go to Iraq. I wonder what it'll do to him.

Labels: family, holiday, knitting, Texans

4:53:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 4 Comments

Feb 6, 2007

Happenings

After the Black Beans Friday I had, I have been trying to find a recipe that will actually make the black beans taste good. (I added peanut butter--Jamey then proclaimed that I ruined the beans--how they ALREADY tastes like DIRT.) I went to L.'s Bachelorette Party on Saturday and everyone asked me if I brought my Famouz Birdy's Baked Beans. Awww...I feel loved. I felt bad that I didn't. Part of me doesn't want to make it for every get together because I don't want them to get old. But it's not like we get together every week or something. SO next time for sure I am whipping out the beans, especially after Z. said, "Ya know what would really taste good with this chicken?? YOUR beans!"

My packages didn't get mailed out Saturday because I forgot the addresses at home. I realised this when I was actually AT the post office. SO they'll be going out this coming Saturday. I am so excited for them to be received and opened. I really hope they are loved.

Back to the Bachelorette Party...it was great fun. We went to Polly Easters, a multilevel club with different themed clubs inside. 70's and 80's on on floor, 90's in the next and 2000s on the bottom floor. I learned something very important that night: If you are over 40 DON'T go to clubs...it's just sad. I don't know what it is, maybe they are self conscious and can't relax and just dance. I don't know but it's like watching your teachers dance at your prom...it's just awful. I didn't get home till 4 am...it took us an hour to get out of the parking garage because some idiot girls decided to start a fight with another car full of idiot girls. ARGH. I was also the designated driver and made sure everyone got home okay. I also love L. even more because she did a heck of a job protecting my honor and shooing nasty guys away from me. "She's married! Go AWAY!!" Take that you old nasty dirty man!

I've been sick--not sure if it's actually germs or our wonderful friend Mulchie. They are trying a new technique to put it out. It involves tearing it apart and putting the burning mess into a clay lined pit THEN dousing it with water. Not only does all the water get to the fire when it's not in a huge pile, but it saves our aquifer that lies below it.I'll be glad when it's out...tired of smelling smoke.

I also started SOCKS!! I am knitting them toe up in plain stockinette (because of the purty variegation) and my toes are begging for a try on. My toes HUNGER for those pretty socks!! I am also trying to knit down my huge pile of UFOs. Once those are done I can start some lacey shawls or something.

On kid news front: Lorelei has discovered mixing powders. Cake mix, Pudding Mix, Powdered Sugar.... On Saturday Jamey caught Lorelei with a spoon in the cake mix, happily proclaiming, "I eat cake with a spooon!" (Yes she says spoon with a very long "o") We are looking at getting a hook or something to keep the pantry locked up. Those white knob covers don't work anymore. Haven't for months.

Labels: daily rant, food, Kid Antics, knitting, Texans

11:00:00 AM -- Email -- Link -- 3 Comments

Jan 8, 2007

I smell fire

Early this morning I freaked myself out a bit. I smelled smoke. And one of my biggest fears is fire. As Jamey came out of the shower I asked him if he smelled anything, "Yeah, that giant pile of burning compost."

Oh yeah, that 4-story pile of compost burning a few miles away from us (as the crow flies). It's been that way since Christmas. Finally, it looks as if the State is stepping in and making sure it get put out NOW. The owner said, Ah well, I'll hire someone in the next 45 days. Fun. I am not one for state interference, but my god...some one needs to put some sense into that man's head.

Labels: Texans

6:51:00 PM -- Email -- Link -- 0 Comments