Chuckles and a few Head Shakes

Today was an interesting day.

Last week they started predicting a winter storm that may dump 6 - 10' of snow. So, the government gave everyone the day off today and the schools closed. In reality, the first flakes didn't show up till mid-morning and we will be lucky to get a few inches. After 6 hours of the storm the roads aren't even white. Just wet.

What does this cost me, Mr. taxpayer, for the government to take a holiday? I know the contractors aren't happy since they are forced into using vacation time or going without pay. The government has no intention of reimbursing them. And what about the few people that could go to work but had to take a day off or pay a babysitter because the schools closed.

Whoever makes these decisions in this area needs a wakeup call to rejoin reality. This year alone they have several times taken this action based on what the weatherman has forecasted and each time looked like a fool when it didn't happen. Just a couple of weeks ago they forecasted 4-6 inches and all we got were a wet road and absolutely no accumulation. But every thing shut down.

With a town that goes bananas when you even mention the possibility of snow, the people responsible should exercise due diligence to make the best call. Grocery stores love it when they predict 2 inches because of the massive run on the food products. The people here act like they are fixing to get snowed in for a week. Then again, maybe the piss poor snow removal plan and equipment has caused this. I just love driving down the road plowing through 4" of snow and pass several plows that are sitting there, drivers standing outside their trucks drinking coffee and smoking. Or worse yet following a stupid plow that is driving along with the blade raised to the point all it will do is give very close haircuts to the pedestrians it narrowly misses. The good old Mayor's plan is to let the bulk fall and cut down on the number of passes the plows have to make. But he still pays those trucks to sit there and idle, wasting even more fuel.

To the Mayor and OMB chief, get a better source of weather forecasts and then don't get in such a rush to call things off so you can sleep late. Get up at 5 a.m. and make the call then instead of 11 p.m. the night before. Governors, get rid of that stupid law or rule that says the plows blade can't be down except for when they are in their assigned area. If there is snow on the road, push it off. If you have too, go to somewhere that does this right .. Like Michigan or North Dakota. Mayor Williams, use the money you take all the boon-doggles on to do something that will really benefit your constituents.

*****

Vindication is sweet. For a long time I have fought against the forced mandate of my employer to use Dell products exclusively. They were sold a bill of goods and are so brainwashed into thinking Dell was the best and they gave our company the best price if we purchased everything from them. The first time I ran into this I got the information for a line by line comparison of prices and then showed them that they were overpaying by as much as 30%. They responded, "Oh no, you must have figured wrong or used cheaper parts, besides, Dell says they are the lowest." Well guess what, Dell has been cited for false advertising, using lesser value parts than advertised, overpricing and bait and switch tactics to overcharge customers. I am happy that my words were true.

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I watched Braveheart last night for the umpteenth time. It was just as good as the first. I still get riled at the brazen treachery and backstabbing each time I see it. I would have sworn a blood oath to kill them nobles or die trying too.

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Saturday night, my better half and I ate out at a small restaurant in Frederick Maryland and tried Tapas for the first time. The menu was a little daunting at first but the food was great after we made our selections. It is something we will definitely try again but I sure wish I could have ordered a burrito and a few tacos.

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Well, the youngest returned from his two-week hiatus in Erie Pa. He finally admitted to us it wasn’t as much fun as he thought it would be. The young lady he met hadn’t been completely honest but that is another story for another day. Yes, just as we thought he would, he did fall asleep during the bus change in D.C. and miss his connection. He claimed he didn’t hear the announcement for his bus. Well, son, with the headphones on, the volume at the level you normally listen too (maximum loud) and your being fast asleep, you will normally miss any external PA call. Needless to say, we got up at 5 a.m. only to have to return home and pick him up later. But he is safe, a little wiser, and completely broke … so all in all, it was a successful adventure.