...but WOW!!! It's feeling like the end of May. Mother Nature threw us a bone this past week with some gorgeous weather. High 50's...low 60's the last 6 days or so. We're looking for record high temps in the 60's today. I think she's making amends for the whole tree thing.
We'll be coming back down to earth this weekend tho, I'm afraid. More seasonable stuff is supposed to move in.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Double ACK!!
Well....I'm back. Ended up buying a new machine because the old one was just toasted. I just LOVE it when you have to buy a big ticket item right before the holidays. How sucky is that!
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
ACK!!!
Seems I've got a bit of a bug in the computer.
Adelphia...or Time Warner, I suppose...actually TURNED OFF my internet!!! We were being investigated!!! Holy Crap!! I'm thinking to myself whilst talking to the customer service guy. Under investigation for what???? Apparently we've got a trojan horse and we're now...*gasp* SPAMMERS!!!!
I'm in the process of cleaning up the gizzards of the 'puter now. There is however, a good chance I'm gonna have to take her in and have her professionally cleaned out. Here's hoping I can get everything. The CS guy turned my connection back on 'conditionally'. It could be turned off in 24 hours if the 'malicious activity' continues. That means I didnt get all the crap out. There's $150 I really dont want to spend.
Adelphia...or Time Warner, I suppose...actually TURNED OFF my internet!!! We were being investigated!!! Holy Crap!! I'm thinking to myself whilst talking to the customer service guy. Under investigation for what???? Apparently we've got a trojan horse and we're now...*gasp* SPAMMERS!!!!
I'm in the process of cleaning up the gizzards of the 'puter now. There is however, a good chance I'm gonna have to take her in and have her professionally cleaned out. Here's hoping I can get everything. The CS guy turned my connection back on 'conditionally'. It could be turned off in 24 hours if the 'malicious activity' continues. That means I didnt get all the crap out. There's $150 I really dont want to spend.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Coincidence??? I think not!!!
Ok,... so I leave the restaurant tonite with about 13 minutes to go in a tight TIGHT Sabres/Flyers game. Tie score. 3-3. I'm driving down Clinton St. when all of a sudden, my little voice says to me, "Peg, I think we left just a little too early" I'm thinking, "woman..no negative thoughts" Dontcha just know, Flyers score.
"Damnit" says my little voice. I tell her to calm down....it ain't over yet. And I knew it..I just knew the game was totally not over.
Perhaps now would be a good time for a little background information.... There's been this little karma thing going on. Only happens on Friday nights. It started last hockey season. We work Friday nights. It's the only night of the week we're open for dinner. The game, if there happens to be one on, is playing on the tv in the bar. I have a good vantage point from my post over the spaghetti pots, but I can't really hear it, and we're usually just a little too busy to be leaning over the window watching the game. The guys in the back kitchen do have the radio tuned in, so when we hear Rick Jeannette get all excited we look over at the tv. The guys from the back kitchen come out...we watch, we go back to work. We're all fans. I love this group of humans. And the dynamics are, well, ....dynamic. 7 of us went in and split two seats seasons tickets. So, anyway....last year, if the games were close and the work was done, I started leaving to listen to the game in my car, instead of sticking around and watching the end on tv. (I love listening on the radio.) Sure enough, a pattern began to emerge. I'd get half way home, and the Sabres would score and win the game. It got kind of spooky. Then it became a ritual. Justin and Jeff and Denise were really the only ones who knew about it. They'd kick me out the door. I'd drive. The Sabres win. I get chills!! Last night, Denise calls Justin to make sure I left. She's gonna kick me out from her house! Too funny, but incredibly another win was tallied.
So tonite, we're at the bar for Marissa and Craig's engagement party. The game is on. The game is tied. I look at Denise, she looks at me and says, "Isn't it time you got out of here?" Justin and Jeff chime in from behind the bar..."Yeah, Peg, get outta here" We had to explain to Joanne and Diane why they were kicking me out. "No, really...we haven't lost a game when she does this" Ever get that look from someone that says...'uh ok, if you say so'? Got a couple of them tonite, I'll tell ya! Anyway...back to my story...
"You're right" said my little voice. "There's still 3 minutes left...we know what happens in the last 3 minutes" No sooner did she say that, and BAM!!!! Danny Briere scores. 2:59 left. Thats when I knew we were gonna win. There were 50 seconds left in the game when I pulled into the garage. Kerry's there to greet me. I yell...."I cant get out of the car yet, I'll be in when the period is over" Have to yell cuz the I've got the radio blasting...hehehe. We're discussing the game before the OT starts. She's on the recliner, I'm standing...and 21 seconds into the OT, Danny buries it again and I'm jumping around and screaming and giggling like a school girl.
In-freakin-credible.
"Damnit" says my little voice. I tell her to calm down....it ain't over yet. And I knew it..I just knew the game was totally not over.
Perhaps now would be a good time for a little background information.... There's been this little karma thing going on. Only happens on Friday nights. It started last hockey season. We work Friday nights. It's the only night of the week we're open for dinner. The game, if there happens to be one on, is playing on the tv in the bar. I have a good vantage point from my post over the spaghetti pots, but I can't really hear it, and we're usually just a little too busy to be leaning over the window watching the game. The guys in the back kitchen do have the radio tuned in, so when we hear Rick Jeannette get all excited we look over at the tv. The guys from the back kitchen come out...we watch, we go back to work. We're all fans. I love this group of humans. And the dynamics are, well, ....dynamic. 7 of us went in and split two seats seasons tickets. So, anyway....last year, if the games were close and the work was done, I started leaving to listen to the game in my car, instead of sticking around and watching the end on tv. (I love listening on the radio.) Sure enough, a pattern began to emerge. I'd get half way home, and the Sabres would score and win the game. It got kind of spooky. Then it became a ritual. Justin and Jeff and Denise were really the only ones who knew about it. They'd kick me out the door. I'd drive. The Sabres win. I get chills!! Last night, Denise calls Justin to make sure I left. She's gonna kick me out from her house! Too funny, but incredibly another win was tallied.
So tonite, we're at the bar for Marissa and Craig's engagement party. The game is on. The game is tied. I look at Denise, she looks at me and says, "Isn't it time you got out of here?" Justin and Jeff chime in from behind the bar..."Yeah, Peg, get outta here" We had to explain to Joanne and Diane why they were kicking me out. "No, really...we haven't lost a game when she does this" Ever get that look from someone that says...'uh ok, if you say so'? Got a couple of them tonite, I'll tell ya! Anyway...back to my story...
"You're right" said my little voice. "There's still 3 minutes left...we know what happens in the last 3 minutes" No sooner did she say that, and BAM!!!! Danny Briere scores. 2:59 left. Thats when I knew we were gonna win. There were 50 seconds left in the game when I pulled into the garage. Kerry's there to greet me. I yell...."I cant get out of the car yet, I'll be in when the period is over" Have to yell cuz the I've got the radio blasting...hehehe. We're discussing the game before the OT starts. She's on the recliner, I'm standing...and 21 seconds into the OT, Danny buries it again and I'm jumping around and screaming and giggling like a school girl.
In-freakin-credible.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Don't forget....
..to get out there and vote today!
On a side note....Dance party at my house to celebrate the end of the election commercials!!!!
On a side note....Dance party at my house to celebrate the end of the election commercials!!!!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Rawness
Driving home from work today, it occured to me that the landscape of our fair burg was looking pretty good after the debacle 3 weeks ago. Clean up crews are doing an outstanding job. Or I should say, have done an outstanding job. I think a lot of those guys went home. I really havent seen too many of those bigasscherrypicker trucks, and the absence of the brush piles makes the visual much nicer, but something was giving me a weird vibe.
Then it dawned on me.....
Most of the trees have shed their leaves. From the start of this whole thing, the trees were in all their glory, fall color wise. Pretty much the reason there was so much damage. And a lot of that damage you couldnt see, because of the leaves.
Now, there's a starkness. And rawness. Is that a word, rawness? Anyway....the visual is much different. Almost like any tree you look at has an open wound.
I'm really looking forward to spring.
Then it dawned on me.....
Most of the trees have shed their leaves. From the start of this whole thing, the trees were in all their glory, fall color wise. Pretty much the reason there was so much damage. And a lot of that damage you couldnt see, because of the leaves.
Now, there's a starkness. And rawness. Is that a word, rawness? Anyway....the visual is much different. Almost like any tree you look at has an open wound.
I'm really looking forward to spring.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
On another note
Went to the Sabres game last night. Bummer they lost, but hey..win 10 lose 1. We're still in the books as a tie for consecutive wins at the beginning of the season. I can deal with that. More importantly, we're at the top of the NHL.
I dont think they really played well enough to win that game. But thats the way it goes sometimes.
Picked up a new jacket this morning. I'm loving the blue and gold.
I dont think they really played well enough to win that game. But thats the way it goes sometimes.
Picked up a new jacket this morning. I'm loving the blue and gold.
Interesting Character
I'd like to introduce you all to a real annoying guy. His name is Joe.
Joe Iminahurry.
Joe's a schmuck.
If there's one thing this past storm should have done is slow people down. But noooooooo...people like Joe *and there's LOTS of 'em* are totally convinced that they are the only ones who have to get where they're going. And they have to get there fast. Way faster than anyone else.
We've still got numerous piles of branches and debris along the road. The crews are doing a treemendous *pardon the pun* job getting the crap out of here. They do however take up a bit of space on the road. Joe could care less about them.
Guys like Joe are easy to spot. Riding bumpers of the cars in front of them. Darting in and out of travel lanes. Dodging tree piles and trucks at way more speed than the speed limit. I like to have a little fun with the Joe's out there. Ok..let me say first, that I'm on a secondary road. Two lanes, speed limits 35....maybe 40. Speed kills. Dont mess around when you're going fast, thats my motto. So, anyway, I set my cruise control for exactly the speed limit and drive defensively enough to not let them have an opportunity to go zooming by. I maintain an extra cushion of space between me and the car ahead of me. Just enough so Joe can't fit in if he stupidly decides to pass. And I snicker as I look in the rear view. Of course, all I see are the headlights of Joe's 'he-man' hemi truck. I can imagine the testosterone rantings going on in the cab. Score one for me.
Lighten up Joe..and slow down, just a little bit. You'll be surprised to find out that you actually may get where you're going quicker...and with a lot less stress.
Joe Iminahurry.
Joe's a schmuck.
If there's one thing this past storm should have done is slow people down. But noooooooo...people like Joe *and there's LOTS of 'em* are totally convinced that they are the only ones who have to get where they're going. And they have to get there fast. Way faster than anyone else.
We've still got numerous piles of branches and debris along the road. The crews are doing a treemendous *pardon the pun* job getting the crap out of here. They do however take up a bit of space on the road. Joe could care less about them.
Guys like Joe are easy to spot. Riding bumpers of the cars in front of them. Darting in and out of travel lanes. Dodging tree piles and trucks at way more speed than the speed limit. I like to have a little fun with the Joe's out there. Ok..let me say first, that I'm on a secondary road. Two lanes, speed limits 35....maybe 40. Speed kills. Dont mess around when you're going fast, thats my motto. So, anyway, I set my cruise control for exactly the speed limit and drive defensively enough to not let them have an opportunity to go zooming by. I maintain an extra cushion of space between me and the car ahead of me. Just enough so Joe can't fit in if he stupidly decides to pass. And I snicker as I look in the rear view. Of course, all I see are the headlights of Joe's 'he-man' hemi truck. I can imagine the testosterone rantings going on in the cab. Score one for me.
Lighten up Joe..and slow down, just a little bit. You'll be surprised to find out that you actually may get where you're going quicker...and with a lot less stress.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Uh Oh....
Weather this weekend not looking so good.
Two weeks after the snow storm, we're now forcasted to have a wind storm. This might pose some problems.
There's still a lot of dangling limbs and branches. And I'm sure those electrical lines that have recently been given the quick fix might be swaying pretty hard. Could be another bumpy weekend.
Where did we put that generator?
Two weeks after the snow storm, we're now forcasted to have a wind storm. This might pose some problems.
There's still a lot of dangling limbs and branches. And I'm sure those electrical lines that have recently been given the quick fix might be swaying pretty hard. Could be another bumpy weekend.
Where did we put that generator?
This stat is astounding!!!
New stats in say that 90%...NINETY PERCENT....of all the trees here in WNY have been damaged by the storm. Like Buffalo Mayor Brown said, the landscape of the city has been changed for the next 20 years.
The National Arbor Day Foundation is sending seedlings. What an awesome gesture.
The National Arbor Day Foundation is sending seedlings. What an awesome gesture.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
A bit of an update on the sugar maple...
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
All the little ants are marching...
I just happened to hear that DMB song this morning...just as I was going by this. Its the parking lot of GardenVillage Plaza. Quite a staging ground! This National Guard guy seems to be the one in charge, directing all those big ass trucks in to dump their loads.
For a little perspective, I took a shot from the top of the hill at French and Union and then one down on ground level behind the bank and Denny's
There are staging grounds like this everywhere!
I'm more and more impressed each day with this clean up. That Federal Emergency Management money seems to have been well spent. Although, I must say...Buffalo has always been pretty good about handling this sort of thing for a long time. The fact that the citizens do their part has a lot to do with it too, I think....cleaning up their own debris and putting it out for pickup and the like.
The only looting I've seen is scavengers going thru brush piles looking for the big pieces of firewood. And let me tell you...there's LOTS of firewood around
For a little perspective, I took a shot from the top of the hill at French and Union and then one down on ground level behind the bank and Denny's
There are staging grounds like this everywhere!
I'm more and more impressed each day with this clean up. That Federal Emergency Management money seems to have been well spent. Although, I must say...Buffalo has always been pretty good about handling this sort of thing for a long time. The fact that the citizens do their part has a lot to do with it too, I think....cleaning up their own debris and putting it out for pickup and the like.
The only looting I've seen is scavengers going thru brush piles looking for the big pieces of firewood. And let me tell you...there's LOTS of firewood around
Monday, October 23, 2006
While I'm thinking of it....
Props to everyone out there!!!! Everyone has really pitched in and done their part to help their fellow WNY'ers. Quite impressive. They don't call it the City *I'm gonna add County* of Good Neighbors for nothing
Thanks to all the people who worked to restore the power. Thanks to all who are here working on getting the tree mess out of here. These guys are from all over the country. I've seen trucks from Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Rhode Island, Canada even, Georgia...who had the best truck..I wish I would have had my camera with me when I saw it. Bigass red double bed cherrypicker truck that said "Master of Disaster" on the side of it. Great truck.
We seem to be getting back to normal. Or, New Normal, as I'm thinking of it. I got disoriented the other day driving down a backroad the other day. I didnt recognize the street for all the trees missing...kinda freaked me out a bit!
Thanks to all the people who worked to restore the power. Thanks to all who are here working on getting the tree mess out of here. These guys are from all over the country. I've seen trucks from Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Rhode Island, Canada even, Georgia...who had the best truck..I wish I would have had my camera with me when I saw it. Bigass red double bed cherrypicker truck that said "Master of Disaster" on the side of it. Great truck.
We seem to be getting back to normal. Or, New Normal, as I'm thinking of it. I got disoriented the other day driving down a backroad the other day. I didnt recognize the street for all the trees missing...kinda freaked me out a bit!
A couple pics from Mom's house
We spent Sunday over at Mom's cleaning up her mess. It wasn't too too bad. We're gonna have to get someone out there to remove this branch from its precarious perch. Mike and Bob got a bunch of stuff with the chainsaw. Then Mike grabbed the leaf blower and turned into Cap'n Blowhard *thats what I was calling him anyway* A little bit of raking and we were done in no time. Well...a few hours anyway.
The Cavalry Has Arrived!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
found another video
My friend Lynn just sent me a link to this video. Kinda gives you a good idea what was going on. Especially towards the end....you get the 'whoosh' and see a branch falling.
clean up time
A little video
I found this on Channel 2's website. Pretty good. There's a link at the top of the page, right near the headline, to view it
Imagine this
cemeteries
Where's there a lot of stately old trees???
Cemeteries...that where.
I took a couple of snaps of this one on Clinton Street...near Harlem Road. Kinda creepy
Cemeteries...that where.
I took a couple of snaps of this one on Clinton Street...near Harlem Road. Kinda creepy
Amazing
You know whats completely amazing to me? The lack of major property damage to houses and such. With all these huge trees coming down, you'd think that they would have gone thru roofs and windows. Lots of stories out there of the 'near miss'. I've seen huge limbs resting just inches from homes...a little bit this way or that and they would have taken off gutters and stuff.
interesting comparison
Pictures
Some folks are still without power. I can still hear generators grinding away on the street behind us.
The snow started falling Thursday night. I took some pictures but they were way too dark and all you could see were snowflakes. This first picture was taken Thursday night about 11:00 or so. This next one I shot Friday morning just at sunrise. Brilliant!!! How something that beautiful can be so destructive is incredible! Mother Nature must have had a huge hormone rush going on. We managed to save this tree in the back yard. We trudged thru knee deep snow to shake them off. Over in the other corner of the yard, one trunk of the Birch tree was bent completely over the fence and buried in snow on the other side. The other two trunks were almost flat on the ground this side of the fence. But we dug her out and she sprang back up.
I'll have more pics later on.
The snow started falling Thursday night. I took some pictures but they were way too dark and all you could see were snowflakes. This first picture was taken Thursday night about 11:00 or so. This next one I shot Friday morning just at sunrise. Brilliant!!! How something that beautiful can be so destructive is incredible! Mother Nature must have had a huge hormone rush going on. We managed to save this tree in the back yard. We trudged thru knee deep snow to shake them off. Over in the other corner of the yard, one trunk of the Birch tree was bent completely over the fence and buried in snow on the other side. The other two trunks were almost flat on the ground this side of the fence. But we dug her out and she sprang back up.
I'll have more pics later on.
Monday, October 16, 2006
The sounds
I think the thing I'll recall first about this storm are the sounds. Or, more specifically, the evolution of the sounds.
The muffled cozy sound of big fat snowflakes falling from dark ominous clouds over head.
The crunch of snow under the weight of car tires and shoe soles.
The moaning of the trees as the heavy snow bends limb and branch closer to the ground.
The SNAP! as the limbs break free.
The WHOOSH! as the limb fell to the ground and lands on the soft pillow of white below.
The sizzle of the transformers as the broken limbs tear wires off their poles on the way to the ground
The absolute silence early the next morning.
The roar of the snowblowers being powered up.
The sirens of emergency vehicles.
The deafening drone of generators.
The painful sound of chain saws amputating destroyed limbs.
The whirr of the computer being booted up after 5 days of no power
The muffled cozy sound of big fat snowflakes falling from dark ominous clouds over head.
The crunch of snow under the weight of car tires and shoe soles.
The moaning of the trees as the heavy snow bends limb and branch closer to the ground.
The SNAP! as the limbs break free.
The WHOOSH! as the limb fell to the ground and lands on the soft pillow of white below.
The sizzle of the transformers as the broken limbs tear wires off their poles on the way to the ground
The absolute silence early the next morning.
The roar of the snowblowers being powered up.
The sirens of emergency vehicles.
The deafening drone of generators.
The painful sound of chain saws amputating destroyed limbs.
The whirr of the computer being booted up after 5 days of no power
What the hell was THAT all about????
Alrighty then!!!
Mother Nature decided to have a bit of a fit again, and this time she took aim at the Western New York area.
The following are just random musings to chronicle the last couple of days here in the greater Buffalo area following the freak October 13th storm.
I've got all these notes in my head *this should be fun...unscrambling whats going on in my head* regarding the storm...and a few pictures to boot. I'll probably take me a day or two to get them posted.
Mother Nature decided to have a bit of a fit again, and this time she took aim at the Western New York area.
The following are just random musings to chronicle the last couple of days here in the greater Buffalo area following the freak October 13th storm.
I've got all these notes in my head *this should be fun...unscrambling whats going on in my head* regarding the storm...and a few pictures to boot. I'll probably take me a day or two to get them posted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)