Be ever vigilant against subversive elements! Especially Knitters. (Cue dramatic orchestral sting.)

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Nailed 'Em - Radical Knitting

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

Awesome.

Go, you Subversive Stitcher, Go!!

Way to catch Homeland Security with their pants pooling about their ankles, Colbert Report!! There's nothing I love more than seeing tax dollars squandered on failing businesses, and NOW, apprehending passport-wielding, tax-paying, law-abiding American citizens.

Thanking the Universe for this one!!

 

Beautiful Ohio

A view to be thankful for.

We are en route to Bill and Louise's farm for Rick's side of the family's Thanksgiving celebration. It's always a good day when we get to go to the farm. It's a double-whammy of good when it's a holiday at the farm.

 

No Exit

The race is over and we would like to go home. We'd even heed the sign, but it's hard to return when one cannot leave.

Camp Manatoc is so scenic, we didn't mind that we had to backtrack to leave!

Driving heat

Seems like a likely licence plate for an All-Star pitcher?

swelter shelter with reflected clouds

A heat-reflective window shield in a pick-up truck at Costco allows me to capture a bit of today's popcorn-cloud sky.

(Anyone else see the cloud camel?)

 

Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Dad's

Off the congested highway, stuck at a train crossing! Kinda like 'out of the frying pan and into the fire', right? This must be how those sayings get started.

We turned off the car's engine, but forgot to count train cars.

Not just SMART...

...it's very cute, too!

It's a convertible. The cool, multiple position-style roof, like on the VW Eos. I guess this car is SMART for more than one reason!

Just in Time for Beijing...

...not to mention the rest of Baseball... since steroids and The Clear are OUT...

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

Ain't that America?

Apparently this beautiful Way Back Machine lives next door to my dad.

Skyy to Sky

Here's something not seen everyday.

Ohio Gothic

Cool dilapidated barn. Also, a prime opportunity to use (or just as likely misspell) the word 'dilapidated'. True, it's a sad reflection on the state of the American countryside. But it is picturesque in its melancholy mood.

Wordless Wednesdays: snow 3 days melted

NOT White Sand

This is my dad's driveway, and the 'fossil' of the side of our freshly excavated car. Released, we are off to rediscover the blanketed city we call home. Eastward, ho! To the Snowbelt!

Hey look! It's (not) Big Ben!

Another pass by the stadium... It's like a National Lampoon Vacation movie. A fourth pass, and I will really get bitchy about asking for directions.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Playground

Raymond James has a big home.

The Vultures Have Been Circling...

My husband got in a car accident almost 3 weeks ago. This is not new news on this blog. There are pictures. Scroll down.

He's fine. So's the girl who caused the accident. Our car was almost totaled. The very most important thing, though, is that no one was hurt. We are all super happy, grateful beyond expression, and very relieved about that.

What's hilarious? (Yes, I always manage to find the funny angle.) Starting a week ago Tuesday we've been innundated by phone calls -- they even got my husband's cell phone, the creeps! -- and junk mail. ALL of it to do with the accident.

Chiropracters, lawyers, insurance companies, and doctors' offices from as far away as NEW MEXICO (!!!) (we're in Ohio) have copies of the accident report.

(WE don't even have copies of the accident report. We got paperwork yesterday from our insurance company to the effect that they may not yet, either. Well, they were missing something when they sent the letter; Rick said they were no longer missing whatever it was. I'm not worried.)

When they call, they have two modes of attack: clandestine or sugary sweet. My favorite is 'clandestine', because they think they're such tough nuts to crack. When they're being all cloak and dagger, they try to refuse to speak to me, insisting only to speak to THE VICTIM (insert dramatic orchestral sting) and claiming computer failure when I get too close to the truth. >*snort*< Dorks. The sugary sweet approach involves the pretense of caring, soft tones of voice, even once, "Awww". >*snort*< Posers.

I have nothing against chiropracters, law practices, or the medical industry. It's the sheer volume of calls and mail we are getting, AND the wide scope from which they're coming that's ridiculous (New Mexico?? Honestly!). And the insurance companies: changing horses in mid-stream, much? Sure, that'll happen.

I'm close to changing the phone message to the Spamalot song, "He Is Not Dead Yet".

If they ever come to the door, I'm armed with a bright pink and yellow squirt gun filled with very sugary lemonade, targeted on suede and silk. Bring it!

 

Oh. My. GOD.

Hey, Busdriver! It thrills me to no end that you are so tremendously and animatedly social with your fares, but WOULD YOU MIND EVER SO MUCH to *STOP* TALKING WITH YOUR HANDS while you're *driving* the bus?!?? Thank you.

My To-Do List Isn't Shrinking...

Well, we are pulling out of my in-laws' drive only *now*, but with all of our laundry done (woot!) and the Chthulhu amigurumi started (and more *MORE!* edits found, natch!) so not a bad day! Plus, I helped Sandy and Leonor make 9-patch squares for the quilt Sandy's making for Adelaide. Stories were told, news was shared, concerns were aired. I love family time. I am so lucky to be a member of my husband's family!

4 airbags deployed

4 airbags deployed
Originally uploaded by sunspotting.

Rick is fine. Achey, but fine. The girl who ran the stop sign is also fine, and I'm sure she is also very achey. She is in my prayers, too. Poor girl's only been driving since August, her father said she's a good driver. I'm sure she is! There's a reason this is called an 'accident' and not an 'intentional'. I know this was not the way WE wanted to spend the evening, I'm sure she had other plans, too.

We went further than just dealing with getting the car home. I convinced Rick he should visit the emergency room just in case there might be injuries other than just bruises. He'd been feeling particularly uncomfortable discomfort (no, it's not redundant, think about it, you'll know what I mean) in the chest area that he thought could possibly be cracked ribs. That raised alarm bells for me, and I wouldn't take no for an answer. As soon as we got done with the insurance company, and he had some food in his system, I packed him off to the ER.

It took several hours, but we are pleased to have the reassurance that there are no cracked ribs, injuries to his spine or neck, or (as he became more aware of this rather sharp pain later) fractured left hip.


But the damage to the car is extensive. It's fairly drivable, but not advisably so. And 4 airbags!!!

This first shot shows the damage to the front side panel and driver's side door. The door makes a horrible noise when it moves, and it moves none too easily.


(Pic 2) When I first got there, of course I checked to see that Rick was ok before I started taking pictures. This was the first one I took. The car really wasn't the first thing on my mind, though, because I never realized until we got the car home that the hood wasn't flush with the body. It's certainly clear in this picture!


(Pic 3) In this view, you can see the seatbelt hanging out of the door: it's the black loop in the lower right-hand corner of the picture. It did its job during the accident. It restrained Rick properly (thank God) and kept him from going through a window or having worse than just bruises for injuries. But now it will no longer retract.


The final image is a wider view of the side damage. It was so cold, and we were so relieved that the police were letting all of us go, that we were very happy to just go. Rick assured me that the police got plenty of pictures that likely will be submitted to the insurance company. Speaking of, we spent the day watching football playoffs (Rick is taking muscle relaxants-prescribed by the ER-that are reportedly very effective; so effeective that he is quite immobile, and I am happy about that! Happy to take care of him, too.) and our insurance company is a major sponsor. I hope they really DO come through for us the way they advertise!!!

That's Why We Have Airbags-But *4*?!??

Rick got in a car accident tonight. He's FINE. So is the girl who was in the other vehicle. Pictures will be added later, I'd like to get him to the ER to be checked out; right now, he's a much higher priority than my blog.