Gabey's Place

2012-02-12T10:32:00.001-05:00

Ratsin' fratsin' BLACK ICE all over our front step... GRRRR... Is it Spring yet?

Mini and the Air Horn

2012-02-11T12:58:00.001-05:00

Mini sleeps in a crate overnight. I don't know how she was raised (I have my suspicions that she slept in a hoomin's bed), but as Mark has got allergies, we have a "no critters in the bedroom" rule to keep the hair and dander level minimized in there.

In the past few weeks, she has started to wake up in the middle of the night and, apparently, get bored. Instead of going back to sleep, she has started barking.

So the question becomes, what to do? Ignoring it doesn't work, as the barking will continue for minutes on end. Going and hollering at her is a form of attention, which is why she was barking in the first place. So rewarding the barking, even with negative attention, isn't going to resolve matters.

I finally remembered a cheap little air horn I got a year or two ago. It operates with a plunger, so it never "runs out" of air. I went and dug it out of where it was stored.

A couple nights ago, every time the barking started, instead of answering with my voice or by getting up to reprimand (pay attention), the only answer was FWEEEEE. Even then, it took a couple minutes before Mini realized that FWEEEE was the only response her barking was going to draw. She stopped.

Last night, at about four AM I heard AR! AR! AR! from the crate. FWEEEEE went the horn. No more barking. A couple hours later, another bark. Another FWEEE. No more barking.

I think she "gets it" now. :-)

2012-02-05T21:55:00.001-05:00

And now I appreciate the HOCKEY playoffs all the more. I feel cheated when I don't see a handshake line at the end of the final game.

2012-02-05T21:49:00.001-05:00

Jiminy CRICKET! This Super Bowl has taken FOUR HOURS and it's still on? Good thing I'm earning points for having it on (yay, Viggle app)!

2012-02-02T14:32:00.001-05:00

Small victories are great. I just devised my daily calorie budget so that I can have two Dollar Dogs tonight at the Flyers game. :-)

2012-01-30T19:03:00.001-05:00

Sadly, I've got to work, so attending the AHL All-Star events is out of the question. FYI, I sure do wish the PHANTOMS had relocated to AC.

2012-01-26T02:09:00.001-05:00

GRRRRR... we're entirely out of black ink. What crummy timing. @*#$&@*#&$

2012-01-25T20:37:00.001-05:00

Working/listening to a decidedly frustrating Phantoms game (we're down 4-0). We have 20 mins left; there's time to make things interesting.

2012-01-25T15:03:00.001-05:00

Ran across Funny Girl on TV. Hellooooo, Omar Sharif. I'd forgotten what a looker the man is. Mama mia.

2012-01-24T11:37:00.001-05:00

Interesting: How the US lost out on iPhone work: http://ping.fm/2jlZp

Titanic?

2012-01-22T22:57:00.001-05:00

I just heard that, at the moment the Italian cruise liner hit the rocks, Celine Dion's hit song from the movie Titanic was playing in the ship's dining room.

Seriously? They freaking played a song from Titanic on a cruise ship? What nitwit thought THAT was a good idea? Isn't that kind of like playing a plane-crash movie as an in-flight film?

The captain's excuse for why he abandoned the ship long before the evacuation was complete was that the ship tilted, causing him to fall overboard and land in a lifeboat. Yeah, right. Maybe he can fall into a prison cell next, along with any other officers who helped themselves into a lifeboat and left the passengers and crew to their fate.

I admire the Coast Guard chief, who managed to limit himself to only two expletives while in the process of tearing the captain a few new orifices and order him to get back on board the ship. I assure you, I was thinking way more than two unprintable words when I read the transcript of that conversation. The order he gave the captain, which translates as, "Go back on board, you [bleep]!" or "Get the [bleep] back on board!", was the top trending topic on Twitter in Italy. I suspect that we won't have to worry about that cruise line inflicting any more unfit-for-duty officers on an unsuspecting public, because they're likely to be sued off the face of the earth by the thousands of survivors. Which, if you ask me, is a fate they richly deserve.

2012-01-21T16:03:00.001-05:00

Mini DESPISES snow. I had to carry my wee pup out the door for her walk, as she dug her tiny paws in at the threshold and refused to budge.

2012-01-16T20:00:00.001-05:00

It's 14 months to the day since my surgery. To celebrate, my incision is itching. :-P :applies lotion:

2012-01-16T13:19:00.001-05:00

Incoming work emails means one thing: fire up the internet radio, roll up my sleeves, and get to work. :-)

2012-01-12T19:51:00.001-05:00

Watching (actually, "listening to") the Flyers on TV, while creating a Conflict of Interest Policy document.

Ping!

2012-01-12T15:17:00.001-05:00

Twice so far today, just as I completed the last outstanding item in my work inbox, "Ping" went the email program, and another assignment came in. Yay... gotta love it. :-)

2012-01-11T20:52:00.001-05:00

Work + Internet Radio = <3
http://ping.fm/Kp3Yl

2012-01-11T01:03:00.001-05:00

I just got an email from AADB. They cancelled their 2013 convention.

My response to that development is, "@#$@*&#?$!!!"

Rats.

2012-01-10T16:31:00.001-05:00

Yes! Work = Inbox Zero! Go, me. :-)

2012-01-10T14:08:00.001-05:00

Working and Internet Radio. Perfect together. Thank you, WNYQ, for putting your stream back online! :-)

2012-01-09T17:16:00.001-05:00

YAY... the sun is no longer all the way down when I walk the dog at 5:00 PM. I like seeing clear evidence that the daylight is returning.

2012-01-09T13:25:00.001-05:00

Working and listening to WNYQ http://ping.fm/M58Su , the Phantoms flagship station.

2012-01-08T23:43:00.001-05:00

Captain AND Mini are both snoring. So I'm hearing kitty snores on my left, and doggie snores on my right. :-)

Good thing...

2012-01-08T22:26:00.001-05:00

I'm glad that I finished working on the meeting minutes for the Italian Museum on Sunday evening. Because as Sunday night rolled around, I got a batch of work emails that are going to take me into tomorrow to complete. So be it.

I never mind seeing work come in, no matter how much or how little. I have some travel plans for later in the year, and I'm going to have to save up in order to do it. Every work email that comes in means some pin money is getting set aside toward that goal. So yeah, let those emails keep coming! :-)

2012-01-08T19:52:00.001-05:00

Since for once, I'm home and NOT working, I'm using some free time to print meeting minutes and the IRS 1023 (non-profit application) form.

2012-01-08T01:28:00.001-05:00

Here comes an annoying hour. Thank God I rarely get Niaspam-induced itching and flushing. But tonight is not my night. :itch: :itch: :itch:

Just... wow. Really disheartening to see this...

2012-01-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

I posted yesterday that several area elementary schools, including the one I attended growing up, are about to be merged into a regional school.

I've also posted in the past about the bullying I went through for years under that particular roof, to the point where I describe the experience as having gone to Hell-imentary school. So I'm no stranger to things like rejection, ostracization... you name it.

On Facebook, groups have sprung up to try and combat the Archdiocese's decisions. Someone who I graduated with, who is a FB friend of mine, added me to the group that's dedicated to my former alma mater. Even though I went through misery there, I let the addition stand rather than unsubscribing from the group. Which is how I managed to see this post from a former classmate of mine...

has anyone thought of when all these schools merge, that our children will have to deal with rif-rafe from other areas that were never in our school? and that they are not used to??? Who will care for them amd protect them like Patty???? I cannot understand this whole decision to merge and take us away from home????

Riff-raff? Really? Did I just see someone call Catholic school kids "Riff-raff" just because they attend school at a different parish? What if THEY treat OUR kids like they're the riff-raff? How do you think that'll make our kids feel? Are we so freaking xenophobic that we can't stand the thought of our kids associating with other children from a few blocks away?

There's a protest rally next week. I think I'll pass on attending. I can't bring myself to see people whose stance is as narrow-minded today as it was decades ago. I'm just not up to it.

2012-01-06T21:59:00.001-05:00

AAAAAAHHHH SCOOOOORE!!!! Phantoms win! Woo hoo!

2012-01-06T21:57:00.001-05:00

2012-01-06T21:51:00.001-05:00

HOLMSTROM SCORES with 20.8 seconds left! Happy Freaking New Year! :-) OT here we come!

2012-01-06T21:18:00.001-05:00

DOOOOOP DOOP DOOP The Phantoms tie it!

2012-01-06T21:08:00.001-05:00

Phantoms radio just said they got a sneak peek at the attendance: 45,653. More than double the previous record of 21K.

2012-01-06T20:37:00.001-05:00

LOL... Good old Spongebob Squarepants theme! Some things never change.

2012-01-06T19:13:00.001-05:00

Litts <3

2012-01-06T18:53:00.001-05:00

When Jonesy got hurt, one of his fill-ins was Phillies announcer Dan Baker. It's come full circle: Jonesy is announcing from Baker's booth.

2012-01-06T18:50:00.001-05:00

Ahhhh... The voice of longtime Phantoms announcer Keith Jones. How I've missed you!

48 schools will close/merge in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

2012-01-06T16:08:00.000-05:00

CLICK HERE for the list of school closures/mergers

The parish where I grew up, the one where my first apartment was, and the one I live in now will all be affected by a merger. Not a particularly happy day for Yours Truly.

I understand the economic realities. When I graduated 8th grade, we had 124 kids in my class. Now some of these SCHOOLS are lucky to have that many kids in them. So yeah, I do "get it". I just don't have to LIKE it. And I don't.

Sigh. Oh, well.

2012-01-05T14:33:00.001-05:00

ANOTHER gas explosion in Allentown? How old ARE those gas mains? :-( I'm not griping anymore about the detours and dug-up streets down here.

2012-01-04T19:10:00.001-05:00

Mike Leighton will start for the Phantoms on Friday at CBP, making him the first goalie to start both an NHL and AHL outdoor game.

2012-01-04T12:01:00.001-05:00

Working and listening to Radio Manilow. http://ping.fm/MmVEi Ingredients for having a Good Day. :-)

2012-01-03T13:24:00.001-05:00

We found yet another Amish buffet. Dienner's Restaurant in Ronks, PA is To Die For. I wish someone would open an Amish buffet in Philly.

2012-01-02T16:18:00.001-05:00

2012-01-02T16:17:00.001-05:00

OMG. I'm seeing work emails arriving in my inbox. Um, those will need to wait a few hours. I'm preoccupied with my Flyers. ;-)

2012-01-02T14:57:00.001-05:00

I bless the inventor of hot chocolate.

2012-01-02T13:38:00.001-05:00

There is at least I e other game worn Phantoms jersey

2012-01-01T14:51:00.001-05:00

Working on the Italian Museum Committee minutes in between watching String Bands on TV. Gotta do 'em now in what little free time I have.

2012-01-01T11:56:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I set up a Flickr folder with my NHL Alumni Game photos: http://ping.fm/YMQh8

2012-01-01T00:04:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T18:39:00.001-05:00

Processing work email with the Phantoms pregame show on Ustream. Life is good. (It'll be even better when WNYQ restores their audio stream.)

Copycats! Synchronized Sleeping

2011-12-28T15:27:00.001-05:00

That's Stanley in the foreground, and Captain in the background. When I say they do everything together, I'm not kidding. They even nap in harmony. :-)

2011-12-27T15:45:00.001-05:00

Yay! I ordered a 12x telephoto lens for my iPhone. It arrived in time for the outdoor hockey games. :-) Yes, I'm a geek & easily amused. ;-)

2011-12-25T13:03:00.001-05:00

Well, Merry Christmas to all of them, even the ones I didn't know I was texting. :-)

2011-12-25T13:02:00.001-05:00

LOL. I just responded to a "Merry Christmas" text msg which, unbeknownst to me, was to a whole group. Getting "Who is this? responses now.

Buon Natale to all!

2011-12-25T12:40:00.002-05:00

A particular favorite Christmas song of mine -- which, regrettably, does not seem to make it into the rotation on the All-Christmas, All The Time radio stations.

Welcome, Christmas! Christmas Day!

2011-12-22T16:42:00.001-05:00

Every gift is now bought and wrapped. And as an added bonus, I came home from my errands to find work in my inbox. Yay! :-)

2011-12-21T15:17:00.001-05:00

Yes! Work email = Inbox Zero! I just completed a week's worth of work in 2.5 days. Go, me. :-)

2011-12-21T13:45:00.001-05:00

I keep seeing Phantoms ads during Flyers games. They serve to remind me that three years later, I STILL miss my team. Nothing replaces them.

2011-12-19T18:14:00.001-05:00

I hate when I eat something too hot and scald the roof of my mouth. Ow. Note to self: next time, let the food cool off longer.

2011-12-19T13:41:00.001-05:00

Last week's system outage made for a dreadfully slow work week. This week seems poised to make up for it. Thank You Lord. I like being busy.

2011-12-17T15:51:00.001-05:00

You know it was a bad game when the only legit
reason you have for cheering, outside of some fights, is that your injured player got up.

2011-12-17T13:45:00.001-05:00

You know, I really do loathe that "delay of game" rule. Seriously.

2011-12-17T13:19:00.001-05:00

Nothing freakish about Boston's 2nd goal. Grr. But the fans are chanting so the WFC crowd is still "in" the game.

2011-12-17T13:15:00.001-05:00

Holy cow. Jody Shelley fights literally the biggest guy in the league. And takes one of the league's best D off the ice for five minutes.

2011-12-17T13:13:00.001-05:00

Aw, Jiminy Cricket! A freak deflection lease to an early Bs goal. Well, time to start some freak deflections of our own.

Joan

2011-12-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Joan,

We all still miss you, but particularly on the anniversary of the day you left us.

I heard this song for the first time recently, and I thought of you instantly.

Enjoy Heaven. We'll see you when we get there.

Love,

D, J, & J

I wish it was posible to un-see things

2011-12-16T17:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I went into a Walgreen's and, since the umbrellas were hidden in plain sight, I went over to a clerk to ask where they were. She answered with a location, then turned her back to me and bent to pick something up off the floor.

Her low-rider pants revealed at least a quarter-moon. I had to bite my tongue not to blurt out, "Also, where is the eyewash?"

What is seen, cannot be un-seen. Regrettably. Think of me as an Old Phart if you will, but I just don't appreciate seeing the posterior cleavage of total strangers.

2011-12-16T17:34:00.001-05:00

My Friday aide job was cancelled today, but I was productive anyway. Prepped 2 gifts for mail & made ALL jewelry I was commissioned to make.

2011-12-15T20:20:00.001-05:00

&)€#¥%*?•!!!!!!! Pronger is out for the season with severe post-concussion syndrome. As a friend of mine used to say, SOAFB. :-(

YAAAY -- FCC moves to squelch extra-loud TV commercials

2011-12-14T23:26:00.001-05:00

Those of us with a long memory will remember that in June of 2009, I posted THIS ARTICLE about a proposed bill that was before Congress, to limit the volume of TV commercials.

Well, freaking FINALLY, the FCC is telling TV advertisers to lower the volume of commercials. Gotta love bureaucrats -- it only took two and a half years from the time of that first article until there was concrete action to report today.

FCC tells advertisers to CALM down, lowers the volume on commercial breaks
By Joseph Volpe posted Dec 14th 2011 2:31PM
Pretty soon, you won't have to scramble to lower the volume during noisy commercial breaks -- that's if you even watch live TV. After making its way through Capitol Hill, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (or CALM) -- which aims to keep the sounds coming out of your flat panel even-keeled -- has just been adopted in a ruling by the FCC. Starting next December, ads and promos will have to remain in-step with the audio levels of scheduled programming. While the affected parties have a full year to get their acts together, the main burden of enforcement lies with broadcasters and MVPDs like Comcast and Verizon FiOS. So, come next holiday season, you'll be able to tune in and tune out without being blown away.

Los Angeles Times
FCC

2011-12-14T12:19:00.001-05:00

I always coil my earphones neatly when putting them in my pocket. So why do they come out looking like someone knitted a scarf with them?

2011-12-13T14:23:00.001-05:00

What a ripoff that TicketB@st@rd wants you to pay MORE money to use YOUR OWN ink and paper to print tickets. Will Call Window, here I come.

2011-12-13T13:46:00.001-05:00

FINALMENTE! I got a shipping notification from an item I ordered at the end of October. 'Bout time!

2011-12-12T21:31:00.001-05:00

Sitting in the car listening to the song about Snoopy &the Red Baron. It came on while I was parking the car. I waited to hear all of it.

My Amazon saga

2011-12-12T18:51:00.001-05:00

I got a damaged item from an Amazon seller last week. Two emails requesting an exchange went unanswered. Today I got an email from them requesting feedback. "Please leave a 5 in all categories".

I'll give them a 5. I'll give them five fingers in a knuckle sandwich.

I got back on Amazon and basically dropped the gloves. I told them i was displeased that they found the time to request feedback from me, while ignoring my two emails to them about exchanging the defective item. Moreover, if I don't hear from them by Wednesday, I will file a claim with Amazon and request a refund.

I think I'm being MORE than fair. More fair than they might deserve, frankly. But they get one more chance. If they don't start the exchange process by Wednesday, they're dead to me and I file a claim.

2011-12-11T15:47:00.001-05:00

My phone recognizes, and offers to auto-complete, the names of Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky. :-) Smartphone

25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier

2011-12-10T01:12:00.000-05:00

I've got to share this great article that I just found on Facebook:

25 Clever Ideas to Make Life Easier

2011-12-08T19:20:00.001-05:00

Holy pinball shots, Briere! 1-0 Flyers. Wow. What are the odds of banking it off BOTH defensemen and in

2011-12-07T16:01:00.001-05:00

For the 2nd time, our new railing's installation was rained out. Come on, Mother Nature! Send some SUN so we can get this railing put in!

2011-12-07T13:00:00.001-05:00

Though I am going to keep using my Mr. Softee ringtone, I now have a backup. A Tardis ringtone. I love the internet.

OMG, I'm on Cloud Nine

2011-12-07T12:29:00.002-05:00

This Flyers/Rangers Alumni Game gets better and better!

Neil Little is playing. Lindros and LeClair are playing. Bobby Clarke is playing

AND NOW BERNIE PARENT IS PLAYING! OMG OMG OMG

Two Goalies Added to Flyers Roster

Pinch me, I'm dreaming. On second thought, DON'T wake me up. This is like my lifetime fantasy Flyers team come to life.

2011-12-06T18:13:00.001-05:00

Wow. When the doc said my incision could continue itching for a year after surgery, he wasn't kidding. It still does sometimes. Like today.

On Christmas Decorating Themes

2011-12-05T13:09:00.000-05:00

I love the decorations, particularly the lights, that go up at this time of year. If it were up to me, the displays of lights would stay on for the duration of the winter. I find it kind of ironic that the end of the Christmas season comes during the time period when the hours of daylight are at their shortest. Christmas itself comes a few days after the Winter Solstice, and the liturgical end of the Christmas season comes on the Sunday following New Year's Day. At that point of the year, there's precious little daylight and those of us with Seasonal Affective Disorder would really benefit from leaving all the pretty lights ON when the sun goes down.

But I digress.

My main hint to all those who are setting up their Christmas decorations is this: it looks best when you choose either a secular OR a religious theme. Not both. Santa was not present at the Nativity, nor was Frosty the Snowman. Neither the Magi nor the shepherds were accompanied by reindeer, nor did they present gifts of candy canes to the Holy Child.

When I was walking my dog last week, I passed a display that included three snowmen, a Nativity, and three Santas. I thought, "What the heck is this? The Three Wise Snowmen? We Three Kringles of Orient Are?"

But even this mixture of secular and religious pales beside the display my friend's neighbor put up a few years ago. That house had an enormous illuminated Nativity on their lawn, and a couple feet away was a huge, also-illuminated sign: SANTA STOP HERE". The first thought that came to my mind was, "Santa didn't come down the chimney to stick gold, frankincense and myrrh into the Christ Child's Christmas stocking. Sorry."

Anyway, let me reiterate: please do decorate, as it makes the world a prettier place. But pick a theme and stick to it. It looks better and makes more sense.

2011-12-05T12:58:00.001-05:00

I *finally* got print drivers installed on my laptop. I got tired of using the old, slow, senile laptop in the computer room to print.

2011-12-04T23:16:00.001-05:00

Mini is on my tummy, snoring. Captain is above me on the back of the love seat, also snoring. Clearly, my pets are inspired by my presence.

2011-12-04T14:35:00.001-05:00

Hooray for Boscov's free gift wrapping!

2011-12-03T16:03:00.001-05:00

I'm down to needing three gifts for Christmas. And I know what I'm doing for two of those. Dang, I'm good. :-)

2011-12-03T00:38:00.001-05:00

See Donna. See Donna stay up late to watch the Flyers game in CA. See Donna wake the whole neighborhood when the Flyers SCORE IN OT!

2011-12-03T00:07:00.001-05:00

Flyers @ Anaheim. The crowd has cheered Flyers goals so loudly, it sounds like a home-team goal. Wow, lots of our fans in the Ducks' house!

2011-12-01T17:11:00.001-05:00

Dear IGNORAMUS who left their dog's mess on my pavement: I hope you step in ten canine land mines for every one you leave behind. Forever.

2011-11-27T21:07:00.001-05:00

Watching La Streisand on public TV with Mark.

2011-11-27T18:03:00.001-05:00

By the way, Café Valentino is phenomenal! Absolutely excellent food. I'd recommend it to anyone.

2011-11-27T18:02:00.001-05:00

I had 2 inches of wine at the dinner meeting. That's about 2 inches more than I normally have, so now I'm sleepy. I think I'll take a nap.

Busy day!

2011-11-27T18:00:00.001-05:00

Well, today was a busy day. It started off with my first interpretation of the new Mass translation. Today was the day that the Church began using the new translation of the Roman Missal. I had the opportunity to read through everything last night, so I was not bombarded by brand-new things this morning. Everything went all right, but I'm still aggravated that they changed some of those things at all. Some parts of the Mass, they should have left alone. MHO.

So from there, I headed over to the fourth meeting of the Italian Museum committee. We had a dinner meeting at Café Valentino. First was meeting, then was dinner. We got a lot accomplished during the meeting part, and the food was absolutely fantastic. When I say phenomenal, I mean it.

I even had 2 inches of wine. That might not sound like much, but my norm is 0 inches of wine. I can't even remember the last time I had more than a sip. The last time I can think of was about eight or nine years ago. So now between the work, the food, and the wine, I'm very sleepy. I think I'll take a nap. :-)

2011-11-27T12:24:00.001-05:00

Well, I survived interpreting the new Mass translation. It helped a lot that I was able to read through ALL of it in advance last night.

2011-11-25T17:36:00.001-05:00

Ahahaha! "Olé olé olé olé..."

2011-11-25T15:59:00.001-05:00

Color me Very Happy! I just saw that Neil Little is on the Flyers Alumni roster! :-)

Stupid Criminal Tricks

2011-11-25T00:25:00.000-05:00

It's baaaaack! I have a stupendous example of Stupid Criminal Tricks to post

Burglar Breaks Into Home to Dry Off, Check Facebook Page

Too bad he won't be able to check his Facebook page from JAIL!

My dog is not a morning person

2011-11-25T00:12:00.002-05:00

On Thanksgiving morning, I had to get up about two hours earlier than normal. (Ouch.) I also had to get Mini the Wee up equally early, because I had to walk and feed her before I embarked on what promised to be a long day.

When I opened up her crate door, Mini was still half-asleep. She toddled out of the crate slowly and carefully, as befits a little old lady doggie. But one part of her was moving normally. Her tiny little tail was wagging like mad.

I said to Mini, "I see your TAIL is awake. The rest of you, not so much, huh? I can relate. I'm not a morning person, either." :-)

2011-11-23T11:52:00.001-05:00

Hahaha! I just dictated a text msg via Siri, and she knew to spell the word "Flyers" properly and capitalize it. Yes, this IS a SMART phone!

It was already late when they mailed it to me.

2011-11-22T23:33:00.002-05:00

This missive arrived on November 22. Before I even opened the flipping envelope, it was already 12 days late. I love bureaucrats. Like I love a hole in the head.