Good morning, things around here are going all right.

My wife Liz had her sinus surgery yesterday and everything looks good (I'm calling it sinus surgery because they stuffed a camera and laser and bone shaver up her nose). It's too early to tell for sure, but now that the pressures on her optic nerves have been eased, we expect her vision problems to go away. She's also still a few days away from being able to go back on her regular medications - you know, the ones that keep her out of her wheelchair. During the last week or so we were treated to a fast-forward version of the physical deterioration that she went through over the course of about 10 years, before the current generation of drugs were developed and available. Personally, I'm a fan of big Pharma, and anyone who bitches about them ought to pick any three family members and imagine them dead and gone, because odds are they would be without those "evil profit-sucking global monsters".

Me? I'm exhausted and wrung-out and working my way through a nightmare list of things to get taken care of around the house. Happy as hell to do it too, because Liz is gonna be ok.

Thanks too for all the kind words and good thoughts and prayers, they're appreciated more than I could ever say.

Posted by: Ted at 09:27 AM | category: Square Pegs
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From QandO:

During a routine patrol in Baghdad June 2, Army Pfc. Stephen Tschiderer, a medic, was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper, hiding in a van just 75 yards away. The incident was filmed by the insurgents.

Tschiderer, with E Troop, 101st "Saber" Cavalry Division, attached to 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, 256th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, was knocked to the ground from the impact, but he popped right back up, took cover and located the enemy's position.

After tracking down the now-wounded sniper with a team from B Company, 4th Battalion, 1st Iraqi Army Brigade, Tschiderer secured the terrorist with a pair of handcuffs and gave medical aid to the terrorist who'd tried to kill him just minutes before.

They've got a link to the video too.

Posted by: Ted at 10:33 AM | category: Military
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Munuviana's very own One Happy Dog Speaks hosts this week's edition of the Carnival of the Recipes! Yay!

Posted by: Ted at 08:22 PM | category: Recipes
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In our Fantasy Baseball league, I'm currently sitting in sixth place out of ten teams.
You know what that means, right?

I'm all alone at the top of the second division!

All Half bow before me, for I am mighty.

Posted by: Ted at 07:05 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Today is her 17th Birthday. She's been very busy doing her school thing, and we don't get to visit her until Sunday (parents get 1 day during the month, and no cell phones are allowed), so we'll celebrate then.

One of the neat things is that each kid gets to nominate one teacher as most inspiring or influential, and those teachers are invited down for a day of recognition. Rachael chose her English teacher, who is also one of the drama teachers (if she'd gone to the Science curriculum instead of Humanities, her Physics teacher would've been the choice. She's been blessed with wonderful teachers).

Since today was the teacher day, we loaded her up with homemade cookies to deliver to Mookie and friends. So it worked out well enough.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!!! See you Sunday.

Posted by: Ted at 06:44 PM | category: Links
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My provider has informed me that they're aware of an outage in Northern Virginia. I can only occasionally get online, and not for any length of time in any one stretch.

Talk to you later when they get it fixed.

Posted by: Ted at 03:06 PM | category: Square Pegs
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If I have sex with my clone, is it masturbation or incest?

Don't remember where I heard that...

Posted by: Ted at 10:10 PM | category: Square Pegs
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From Boudicca's Voice:

... a hurricane is like a prostate exam. You dread it and it's uncomfortable going through it, but once it's over, you want to just wipe yourself off and get on with your life.

That's from Bou's Dad, aka The Great Omnipotent One.

Posted by: Ted at 10:43 AM | category: Links
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I haven't had time to keep up with the drama surrounding the latest Shuttle mission. All I can say for certain is that the astronauts recognize the risks in what they've chosen to do for a living, and that they willingly accept them. Now it's up to NASA to live up to their ideal.

The California Yankee has an interesting post up titled: Discovery Launch Scrubbed - Should It Have Been Scrubbed Earlier? There's an interesting discussion happening in the comments too.

Posted by: Ted at 08:34 AM | category: Space Program
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Our nine hour drive took twelve hours and fifteen minutes, thanks to two meal stops, two gas stops and two shopping stops. We had to stretch it out a little bit to make sure we missed the evening rush hour in Baltimore and DC. Everything went smoooooth.

We like to avoid the turnpikes and toll roads (probably $30.00 in tolls each way, I kid you not!), so we take a slightly longer but much more scenic route. I can't recall the precise road numbers right offhand, but we passed Yale University, and I had to laugh at Sodom Road. Who would want to live there?

We also passed Liberty Road, and it was cool that someone had fastened an American Flag to the streetsign post.

I thought it was great that the place where we met for lunch was on Boston Post Rd, aka Route 1. If you follow that road south long enough, you can hang a right in Woodbridge, Virginia and be within a few minutes of my house. Of course, down here Route 1 is known as Jefferson Davis Highway.

A note about the casinos in Connecticut (is that spelled right?): Both are nice, in very different styles. Foxwoods is Atlantic City nice, but Mohegan Sun is Vegas nice. If you've never been to Las Vegas, then you wouldn't understand. I much prefer Mohegan Sun, because there's so much to see and do, even if you don't gamble.

I gambled a grand total of $5.00 in two days at the casinos.

As we neared home, we were listening for traffic and weather reports. Apparently just south of us they've gotten hammered by rain. We heard that trees are down on the interstate and other major roads, and Route 1 is blocked by a mudslide. We've gotten a few sprinkles and that's it. The storms seem to be staying south too.

We have two very happy dogs.

Posted by: Ted at 09:48 PM | category: Square Pegs
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I had the pleasure of having lunch today with Robert, aka Tuning Spork of Blather Review and Stephen of Hold the Mayo.

I had a wonderful time, and we've already agreed to do it again next time I'm in the area. The conversation was better than the food, and the food was very, very good.

Thank you gentlemen, you made this vacation memorable!

Posted by: Ted at 07:40 PM | category: Links
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Rich has been attending the Prince William County Police Department Citizen Police Academy for the last few months, and just had his patrol car "ride along". Sounds cool, and I recommend taking a look and going back through his archives to read the whole series. The course was pretty comprehensive and very interesting.

Posted by: Ted at 09:10 AM | category: Links
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(inspired by the CheeseMistress)

1. Just because the locals recommend a place to eat, that doesn't mean the food will be any good. Be especially wary if told that the owner is a good friend.

2. At the end of a long day driving, fill up the tank before bed. Sometime overnight, the place up the hill jacked up the cost per gallon by a nickel. I was prepared though, and went to another station that had been much cheaper the day before. They'd upped their prices by a dime.

3. Yahoo puts a little disclaimer at the bottom of their maps, telling you to verify their directions with another source. Believe them.

4. I will forever wonder about the story behind the FMDRP* hanging from a mile marker on the side of the interstate. Someone carefully placed it there... like a trophy.

5. Every Wednesday, all the dancers at the Diamond Club are dressed in schoolgirl uniforms.

6. Much like the country is peppered with towns named Springfield, in some regions you can't swing a dead cat without hitting Lime Kiln Road or Old Quarry Road. So remember, if you need an instant fake address: 13 Lime Kiln Road, Springfield, (any state). Odds are good that such an address actually exists in more than one county and/or state.

*FMDRP = "Fuck Me Dead" Red Pumps

Posted by: Ted at 07:58 AM | category:
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I've now joined the ranks of people getting paid to write, which is odd because unlike so many bloggers, that's never been my dream.

Anyway, visit Mozongoware.com and read the first PDA software review by yours truly (Spb Finance v2.0). This is an ongoing job and four times a month I'll be talking about a newly released application in PDA software.

This also marks the first of a new category: PDA Reviews. And in the very near future a link will be added over on the right for Monzongo, which is a nifty place to find out the latest about PDA's, Smart Phones, and other latest and greatest in gadgetry (nope, didn't get paid to write that).

Tell 'em Ted sent ya.

Posted by: Ted at 07:05 AM | category: PDA Reviews
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Jennifer of the inexplicably named Jennifer's History and Stuff is closing in on 200,000 visitors, and she's giving a prize to the happy visitor. So go, be counted, and dammit, be happy!

Posted by: Ted at 10:49 AM | category: Links
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An outstanding collection of history in words and pictures, devoted to that most elegant of high style: For the Love of Opera Gloves. The photo gallaries are extensive, and the entire site is a wonderful way to lose yourself for a while.

Posted by: Ted at 09:33 AM | category: Links
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24 years ago today, Liz made an honest man of me.

Posted by: Ted at 01:44 AM | category: About Ted
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We saw Don Rickles last night (tonight actually, since I haven't gone to bed yet). He's still funny as hell, and I can only hope that I'm half as spry and energetic as he is at that age.

Jerry Vale was in the audience. Cool.

Posted by: Ted at 01:23 AM | category: Square Pegs
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I guess Hicksville was already taken.

(posted from the road, in Scranton, PA)

Posted by: Ted at 07:52 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Since it's highly unlikely that the entire internet has been crashing repeated since last night, the process of elimination leaves me to conclude that I'm having a problem at my end. So begins the "dealing with the help desk" process...

Posted by: Ted at 07:49 AM | category: Square Pegs
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