Football Tickets

The FedEx guy drove up right after I got home from work.

The Football Tickets have arrived. It’s official – I can now start boring all my friends and family about NCSU sports.

Yaaaay.

I look forward to going to the football and basketball games. The Wolfpack Club and season tickets are the one extravagance I allow myself. I don’t drive expensive vehicles; I go on cruises but always get the el-cheap-o rooms; nice clothes – not hardly (Are you kidding me? The fashion industry is one of the silliest wastes of time and money on the planet); and I’ll never be a first adapter when it comes to technology or electronics. But I do spend the moola on NCSU sports.

Unfortunately, this year there’s a downer when it comes to going to the games.

My college buddy Boze will come up for some games. Friends Chip and Nuke’em are available for games as well. But for the past 5 years the main company I could always count on was my nephew and niece-in-law. He’s the Linux whiz who updates his blog maybe once or twice a month (link to the right). Both ADH and MIH are well versed sports fans. Hockey is their primary sport – but they were knowledgeable great company for football and basketball games.

However, the n and n-in-law moved back to Japan this year. I’m really sad they’re not going to be around to go to the games with me anymore. There are plenty of folks at work who went to State and are sports fans like me – so I won’t have any trouble finding folks to go to the games. But it won’t be the same. Bummer.

Oh well, things change and life goes on.

Kick off is 3 weeks away.

Hot Tub Addendum

Technician just called. He'll get back to me next week as he needs to look at his schedule. He said he will give me a call and let me know when.

I'll rework my schedule around his so hopefully there won't be any near misses.

I sincerely hope he doesn't decide to just 'show up' again. I want to be there - and told him that.

With me - if you make a commitment or appointment - stick to it.

It's not only the proper way to conduct business - it's also basic good social manners and behavior.

Anything else is lazy, inconsiderate and half assed.

Quick Update

Nothing new or exciting going on; pretty much the usual routine.

Thermospas

The control panel on my hot tub has been malfunctioning. The technician was supposed to come by today (Friday) – but called yesterday (Thursday) from my house. Said he was able to come by early, looked at the control unit and it was functioning properly.

It is not. It’s still got a short or malfunction in the light switch which also keeps causing the circuit breaker to trip.

It’s not like it’s an intermittent failure – it’s not working all the time so I don’t know how the guy decided it was OK.

I wish he had stuck with the appointment so I would have been there. Instead, now we’re playing phone tag and I’ll have to work around my work schedule – AGAIN – so I can be there.

The technician was all happy on the phone when he called. Everything checked out so he was going to put it down as no service call needed and thus save me the standard service charge.

Here’s how I see it – he did not save me a service charge.

Bottom line – here’s what he did – and didn’t do.

He didn’t keep our scheduled appointment – which I had rearranged MY schedule so I could be there. He didn’t replace the control panel. He didn’t fix the problem.

I now have to play phone tag with him. My rearranged schedule has me in Butner tomorrow (Saturday), NCSU on Monday, back to Butner Tuesday and Wednesday, and back to NCSU next Friday. Thursday could work out but I’d rather be in the office getting MY work done.

And – during this whole time the hot tub will NOT be working.

He did NOT save me a service call charge.

What he DID do was thoroughly piss me off.

I wish people would keep their appointments and do what they say they’ll do.

Grrrrrrr

Work

Work is going great. We’re in the busy season trying to get a lot of University projects completed before classes start. It looks like I’ll be out in the field a lot between now and the beginning of September.

Football

Speaking of September – Fall football practice officially begins today.

I really like the coaching and staff change we’ve made at NCSU. I think Coach Tom O’Brien is a quality guy who will bring consistency and discipline to the team. With TOB in charge – I think we’ve got the potential to be a top contender over the next 10 to 15 years.

Of course, the rest of the ACC has potential too. Well, except for Duke.

Down at FSU, Bobby Bowden has basically overhauled his staff. With Jimbo Fisher in charge of the offense and Chuck Amato back running the defense – I can easily see FSU getting back to it’s domination of college football. In the long run - FSU could be the one team that might consistently stand in the way of NCSU being able to win our division – going to the ACC Championship game – and playing in a BCS bowl.

Of course, there’s always Virginia Tech to contend with in the other division.

Among the rest – Miami, UNC, Georgia Tech, Virginia, Maryland and Boston College - all have aspirations of joining the football elite on a regular basis. Looking at the other school’s coaches and staff plus fan support and commitment to their programs - I really think that long term – it could shake down to FSU, VT and NCSU.

Time will tell.

TOB did say the other day in an interview that he wants an indoor football practice facility. Estimates are in the $10 million ballpark.

Where did I put my checkbook . . . . .?

Raccoon Update

I’m up early this morning because mama raccoon brought her 3 kitts around at 4 AM!!!! They weren’t looking for food – they were playing around and climbing all over stuff on the deck. Basically knocking stuff around and making a lot of noise which woke me up.

I shall have to speak to mama raccoon about proper etiquette.

Baby Raccoons

I finally saw the baby raccoons last night.

The previous mother raccoon used to bring her kitts up to the deck when they were very small. So small that if you picked one up (which I did NOT do) they would have easily fit into the palm of your hand.

The current dominant female raccoon has a slightly different routine. Last year, and now this year, she waited until her offspring are much older and larger before she brought them onto the deck (last night for the first time).

They are about ½ the size of the mother with full adult fur and markings. They basically look like adults only smaller.

Also just like last year – there are 3 offspring.

She’s been remarkably successful considering her handicap – she is blind in her right eye.

She is the offspring of the previous female raccoon and I have photos of her she was just a baby raccoon. Her right eye was blind as a baby. I didn’t think she’d survive. But she did – and this is her 2nd successful litter. That makes her 3 years old now. I don’t know the typical lifespan of raccoons in the wild – I’ll have to look that up.

I’ll try and take a photo of the new litter and post it soon.

Addendum

I don't have a photo yet of the baby raccoons. I do have photos of what Nuke and I believe is their den. The tree is leaning over which has created an opening underneath. Taking a peek inside - you can see where it's been hollowed out and signs of being 'lived in'. Nobody was 'home' when I took these photos - Wednesday PM.

According to this site, average lifespan in the wild is 2 or 3 years. But their lifespan can be far longer - as much as 17 years.

Albino Corn Snake

Another Saturday morning spent at CrossRoads Ford. The power steering pump has arrived and they’re installing it now. Should take around 3 hours. I expect to be out of here by noon.

Nothing of note to report for the week.

I got my crown reinstalled on Tuesday. Worked out of town Wednesday and Thursday. One of the placed we inspected was the visitor’s center at Crowder Mountain State Park. That’s where the photo came from.

This is an albino corn snake found in the park. Her (yep – they know it’s a she) skin is a light color and her eyes are totally red. She wouldn’t have survived very long in the wild with her coloration and limited eyesight – even though she, like most snakes, uses her tongue as her primary sensory input. She’s leading a good life in the aquarium. Because she's well cared for, she has reached a pretty large size for a corn snake. She’s not on display though – she lives in the office kitchen / break room.

No special plans for the weekend. Just a typical Saturday.

Secret Squirrel

I feed the squirrels who live in the back yard. Lately they've gotten a little more aggressive in seeking handouts.


Yeah - I know - kinda lame. But Nuke sent me the photo and I needed some sort of lead in to post it.

On To the Real Post

Nuke is on his way up to visit. He has a dentist appointment Monday.

As will I.

One of my front crowns popped off Friday night / Saturday morning. I woke up around 2 AM with the crown in my mouth. No pain or anything - but dammed annoying. Left a message with my dentist.

I've stuck the crown back on and it stays in place except when I floss.

I've got an all day Final Inspection for a building at NCSU Monday and I'll be in Charlotte Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I hope my dentist can find a spot for me Tuesday - the only day I'll have available.

Picked up steaks and sweet potatoes to grill later today. I've done my chores for the day; grocery shopping, some laundry and vacuuming. Listening to music and lazing around the house for the rest of the day.

Other than than the crown, pretty much the same old same old.