Ahira's Hangar

Well, today as I was leaving home I put my wallet on the roof of the van to open the door, and then drove off. No sign of it when I returned twenty minutes later. I have spent the rest of the day canceling credit and bank cards, and ordering a new drivers license. Not much fun on a Sunday evening, when most everything is closed or has very few customer service reps on. But I think I have everything canceled now. My bank and Sam's Club need me to go in to issue replacements, but everything else will be mailed to me. I'll just be ID-less for a week or so while I wait for it all to arrive.

I'm very sorry to hear you are not doing any better MsMary.

Menolly - what a pain!!!!

I had a long interesting conversation with a co-worker last night. Young guy in his twenties in the marine corps reserves who has done several stints in Afghanistan. Really bright hard working kid everyone adores.

Anyway, I asked him on the inside dope on the whole bin Laden assassination thing and his thoughts on those events.

Highlights:
*The way US troops could penetrate so deeply into Pakistan to carry out a mission so near their version of West Point and not that far away from their capital city without being detected and fired upon: he believes they used the new stealth helicopter he has been hearing rumors about. The helicopter has been kept a closely held secreat because the Chinese are busily working on their own stealth technology.

* He said it is very plausible to him that the Pakistanis did not know bin Laden was there. He told me that wealthier people in that part of the world do have walls that high around their property. This is a combination of personal security and in having a place where the women of the family can be freely outside in the fresh air where no one but family can see them. Anyone seeing the size of that house and the walls around it would assume a wealthy criminal - crime lord, drug lord, etc. - would be living there and no one messes with such people.

They were right, then -- a crime lord *did* live there...

Most interesting thing I did today was convince the IT department here at work not to block access to the Watch. That webwasher thing is a major pain in the @ss. And it's not just me -- I've heard people (in IT!) complain about it before.

The most interesting thing Magickmaker did today was to get the last grade she was waiting for from spring semester -- and it's good news. She's definitely going to graduate on Sunday. Huzzah! Never more will I have to worry that my kids aren't doing their homework!

That is very good news! Congrats on your graduate!

(My youngest graduates high school soon. Cannot wait. Wanting to see him graduate is one of the biggest things that kept me hanging on when I was at a physical low point and not entirely sure whether or not I would make it).

And then I will have two in college and all those bills...

Tell me about it. I took out PLUS loans for both kids. I tell my attorneys that they need not fear -- I'll be working for them for a good, long time yet.

Oh -- got some good-ish news from Batty, who had her colonoscopy today: they didn't find anything. She landed in the hospital a couple of weeks ago with severe anemia due to taking too many NSAIDs. The endoscopy they did while she was still in the hospital didn't find anything, either. They're thinking that wherever the ulcer is, it will close up on its own, as long as she stays away from the NSAIDs and keeps taking her iron supplements.

So -- whew. We are cleared for our family vacation to WV next week. Yes, Duchess, we're going to Pipestem. We've got a cabin for four days following Magickmaker's graduation. Can. Not. Wait.

I have a week off scheduled for October, am thinking of heading either down there or to one of my other favorite WV state parks, Watoga. Been too long and I need a mountain fix.

I hope your daughter heals rapidly and well!

Beorn is graduating high school in a couple of weeks as well!
B"H, the college he chose is basically giving him a free ride; between scholarships and grants, he is about $2,500 short per year. The Florida Prepaid plan we started when he was an infant will cover that, but he applied for another scholarship we are still awaiting word back from.
Hopefully he can save the need to take out any loans until graduate school!!

Speaking of Beorn going off to college, Hyperception and I were just discussing how my menu planning will probably change once he is out of the house. I so want to reintroduce more vegetarian meals, and ethnic cuisine we had discontinued since so much went to waste whenever I tried serving it. While I am still a nervous wreck regarding Beorn going off on his own, I know I will find even more silver linings in the change.

Hahahahaha. It'll be good for him to get out from your motherly attachment.

Me? It's bloody freezing here. Last night was the first we went below 0°C.

--A

heh. here it is flooding - record wet spring following snow melt and the ground is saturated with water. the trees are all droopy from the leaves being saturated with water. they had to close about half of the freeways in detroit the other day because of flooding and one of the main roads in ann arbor because a train embankment failed and dumped tons of debris into the road. about a hundred feet of the train tracks were dangling like a roller coaster track. and it is still chilly. nearly summer and it is in the fifties today. have not worn shorts once yet. still wearing jackets with some regularity.

Sounds like fun.

--A