Dear So and So

[SheFly]

Dear Marni - I remember that storm all too well! We had no power for less time here in Bedford - only 3 days, but it seemed like an eternity. Now we have a generator, just in case. Very grateful we didn't have to use it this week.

SheFly

[Crankin]

Hi Marni,
If I was more technologically competent, I would scan and post the picture I have of DS #2 building a huge snowman in the April Fools's storm. He was about 13, right before he started cycling . I was lucky then, too. We lived in Boxborough, which also has a small local utility (Littleton Electric). We never lost power.
BTW, Phillips has yet again been sold. But, I got the scoop when I was getting my hair done at Moodz. It was bought at the height of the recession by a young couple, but I guess they got divorced and although they tried running it together after the divorce, it didn't work out, although they were successful, business wise. An older (i.e. our age) man owns it now. Plan to stop by next week, as I have a client in Littleton, and it's on the way.
And also BTW, my son, Josh, does remember working with you, although he told me he was always coming in when you were going home. That job taught him a lot. He makes a mean espresso. Oy, he's a "big macher" (Yiddish) now; he just got a new job where he'll be opening the Boston office of a language translation company based out of SF. I am pretty sure he learned a lot of those people skills at the coffee shop.

[marni]

the thig that was so frustrating about that 10 day interval was that the street behind us, school street had electricity and so did route 2 and the auto action on the other side. For some reason we were lost in balck hole because the power grid map didn't show our local transformer as being off line. I'm sll for campingout and roughing it in controlled conditions but that was the pits. How bad was it? The first thingmy husband told the realtor we absolutely had to have in our house in Houston was a fireplace!

even in mid winter, the most I wear is socks and a light sweatshirt.

la how times have changed.

sounds like your son is doing well. Good news that. Nice to think that Philips was a good influence on him.

[azfiddle]

Dear self-
What in the world were you thinking? Putting your phone on top of a counter in a small bathroom? Next to ... yup.... the toilet. Now you have an expensive paperweight. And a lot of missing phone numbers. And stuff like that. And it was handy that the DH had a spare phone but it's just not the same....

[Fredwina]

Sandy was really a SuperStrom!
I didn't get hit much by Sandy until yesterday morning. I 'm supposed to have program up and running by Tues night to distrubute money to 500K Folks in NYC who lost their food, with more to come, as the inital batch is folks who already on TANF(Welfare) and Food Stamps. And we're supposed to start HEAP(Heating assitance) soon - Hopefully I can get my bent out one day this weekend, as this looks to be the last good one this year (Maybe I shoud rent a bike in Memphis next time I'm down there Xmas)

[Crankin]

I heard it might snow on Wednesday.
Of course. The day I take my exam.

[OakLeaf]

We had snow on Tuesday. But not much, not really enough to affect the roads at all. Hope that's all you get. Good luck on your exam. I know you'll do fine.

[Irulan]

Dear self-
What in the world were you thinking? Putting your phone on top of a counter in a small bathroom? Next to ... yup.... the toilet. Now you have an expensive paperweight. And a lot of missing phone numbers. And stuff like that. And it was handy that the DH had a spare phone but it's just not the same....

Did you try the rice trick? You can save electronics that got wet by doing the following:
Put it in an open bag of (uncooked) white rice for several days. I have save $100 electronic key fobs, ipods, and digital cameras. I know of people that have saved cell phones, too.

[Catrin]

I've saved an iPod that went through the washing machine this way. I left it in the bag of rice for 2 weeks - probably overkill but it worked. It's not been quite the same since then but it works.

[OakLeaf]

Dear waitress,

I feel very strongly about workers in service industries and tipped employees in particular. I'm determined to singlehandedly bust the stereotype about women dining alone that you so obviously held. I understand that a table for one is almost as much work as a table for two. And frankly, I was doing some stereotyping myself about the tipping habits of the women at the next table (granted that stereotype was based as much on their conversation about the price of juice at three different grocery stores, as it was on their age and hairstyles ).

So I hope you were slightly pleasantly surprised that your rudeness didn't make me stiff you. But the next time I walk around the corner to "your" restaurant - alone or with others - I'm going to expect better service.