beancounters

Whew, UU view

Yes, they were really there this weekend - 90+ UUs with all their kids and tents and volleyballs. And with perfect, beautiful haircuts. (Again, I'm truly sorry I disparaged them for a cheap laugh last week.)

We each had a great time, doing our own thing. BB read and talked computers. Bunny joined a roving pack of children and they all disappeared except at mealtimes, when we would spy them at a distant picnic table.

My personal highlight: going on a hike to a vista point above the American River, which they said was five miles roundtrip, but felt like 50. Especially slogging through soft loam under the trees without end, looking for yellow trail markers on the hillside. We met another group walking the opposite direction - also hunting for the trail. "Anybody here ever seen the Blair Witch?" yelled a camper.

But the vista point was totally worth the hike. Pictures to follow, as soon as I remember. Heh.

Music and food on a Saturday

It's Saturday, so you have plenty of time to watch the Mute Math video everyone will be talking about this weekend. It's filmed backwards. Lots of fun! And, hey, what do you know, the song's good, too.

What's that? You haven't had breakfast yet? Go here, and learn how to cook a full English breakfast in less than three minutes (the video, not the cook time). [Sent by Daisy]

As for us, we're heading up the hill again to see if we can find those pesky UUs.

Sandwich Kombat

You Are a Ham Sandwich

You are quiet, understated, and a great comfort to all of your friends. Over time, you have proven yourself as loyal and steadfast. And you are by no means boring. You do well in any situation - from fancy to laid back. Your best friend: The Turkey Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

My favorite aspect of this quiz is imagining that sandwiches indeed have sandwich mortal enemies. And that, occasionally, they do battle with plastic picnic knives and forks. And for close fighting, they wield their own cocktail toothpicks. [via The Nag, whose mortal enemy is the PB&J]

USPS R2D2 in Sacramento

USPS R2D2, originally uploaded by beancounter.

I know, it's a sign of the End Times. It's crass and commercial, and it probably heralds the end of the postal service as a financially solvent institution.

But look at it. It's so damn cute.

Trip: aborted. Crow: eaten.

Sh-h-h-h. Comments are back on. And so far, all's quiet.

I didn't tell you about last Friday, did I? I signed the three of us up to go on the annual weekend retreat with our Unitarian church group. But we couldn't get out of town until after work on Friday. We had to pack and shop and gas up the truck. We got on the road about 8:30 p.m. and drove up to Alta, which is about an hour's drive up Highway 80.

When we got to the lodge, it was full dark, but we'd been there before and knew where we were going. We parked at the back of the kitchen to haul our ice chest inside. When we stepped in the door, we were greeted by about fifty smiling people ... none of whom we knew.

"Um ... Unitarians?" I asked.

"No, square dancers," they replied. I had the wrong weekend!

And it was entirely my fault, because I had made the reservations, and then had gotten mixed-up and told BB and Bunny the wrong date. Oy!

Let me tell you, I heard about it all day Saturday - not just from BB (bad) and Bunny (worse), but from the chortling neighbors, who just live for this kind of "senior moment" to happen to others besides themselves. Heh.

Square world

From the mind of Keith at Scrine Comics

Death takes the bus

I don't even know why this is news.

ZAGREB (Reuters) - A Croatian man who boarded a night tram and died in his seat rode through the city for more than six hours before the driver discovered he was dead.

Please. People die. Sometimes they die on buses. It happens. He probably looked asleep. Who's going to disturb a sleeping man? What, do we need to hire civil servants now, who go around, checking pulses on public transit? 'Excuse me, ma'am, just checking to see if you're dead. But you're not. Here, would you sign my timesheet? Thanks. Carry on.'

For another, well ... that wouldn't be an entirely bad way to go. I mean, sitting on a bus, lulled by the gentle motion of the vehicle, totally undisturbed for more than six hours? That would give a soul a lot of quality time to process one's life, before oblivion.

Now, if the Croation man had been the driver, and had successfully driven the bus for six hours before people noticed he was dead, that would be news!

Besieged

As a last resort, I'm closing comments for now. Really hate to do that, but the spam siege has gone on long enough, with no word from the Help Desk.

This is whatcha call ironic

This week, TypePad has repeatedly blocked friends from commenting on this blog, because (according to the Help Desk) the company is trying to control spam. These are friends who have always had the same IP address, same e-mail address, same handle, same everything. Friends who have never had a complaint submitted about them by a TypePad user (namely me). Friends who have never had a problem with this service up until now.

Meanwhile, this blog has been inundated by real spam this week, in record numbers. --->

TypePad, I have to ask, W, exactly, TF?

Dots, dots, dots

It's Saturday, so you have plenty of time to play Boomshine, a pretty little flash game that is so mellow, you won't upset your first cup of coffee this morning. Click once on your screen to start a chain reaction that will pop as many of the little dots as possible. Popping three out of five is easy, but it gets challenging at the higher levels.

On another note, we should start a list of online games for people who are hungover. Contenders?

Best Engrish spam of the week

" shall consult you to the friends. I wish your of good luck. Thanks." - Cadellatorya

So eloquent! Brought a tear to my eye. Almost willing to overlook the fact she's selling stolen vehicles and she spammed my blog over a dozen times this week.

No veggie left unshaven

Norelco takes the art of euphamism to an all-new low with their website promoting the new, all-over razor. After smarmy Robe-Wearin' Man speaks of the universal problem of shaving your ... vegetables, you're invited to go to the Menu, click Test Drive, and ... er, practice shaving. Oh, this is just so wrong.

Also wrong: no matter how much you click on Smarmy Man, he won't open his robe. Whatever!

[via Wende, who, for obvious reasons, could not post this on her own, classier blog]

Here's another view

of that ridiculously flimsy-looking castle. (Click on it for a normal-sized view.)

See down below? Here come the peasants with pitchforks! Fly, Hedwig, fly! Save yourself!