Cellar Scribblings

[CellarDweller]

Hello Bettermost friends!

So, what's shakin' BetterMost friends! 

I'm really liking the new computer, and I'm here at work, enjoying the quiet!  Getting caught up on stuff, and relaxing in general until the mob rolls in!

 

[CellarDweller]

Hello Bettermost friends!

And that picture was what my morning commute was like.  A tank truck on 78 West apparently got too close to the divider or the driver lost control somehow, hit the concrete divider and flipped over into 78 East.  Hopefully no one was hurt.  There were a whole bunch of rescue vehicles and fire trucks just in case a fire broke out.

I was on 78 West, but with all the people "rubber-necking" to see the accident, I was about 15 minutes late for work.  78 East side was at a standstill.

Some of you may remember I discussed going on a pescatarian diet for Lent.  No red meat, just greens, fruit, and fish.  I also decided to eliminate diet soda, bread and pasta.  I had let myself get back up to 245 pounds.

Here's an update......






I'm back down to 233 pounds (12 pound loss).  I'd like to lose three more by Sunday, that was my goal, to lose 15 pounds between Ash Wednesday & Easter.  I hope I can do it, but if not, I'm happy that I've lost 12 pounds.  I'm going to push this week for that goal, but not too hard, I don't want to do something stupid.

[Kelda]

Wow - Well done Chuck!

[brianr]

Must have been the day for such accidents. I am back in Sydney for Easter and one of the major motorways was completely blocked in yesterday's commute by a truck which overturned. It was carrying pig carcasses so was a fairly gruesome sight for the first emergency workers to arrive.

[dejavu]

As for the tire thing, I've changed my own tire quite a few times.  It's not as difficult as people make it out to be.

Hi, Chuck!  Catching up here, starting way back in January.

That line made me laugh.  Changing a tire may not be hard for you, but I hope you haven't had to it too many times.  I've never changed my own tire, and have called the AAA repair service when necessary, but I can't remember the last time it was necessary.  Many, many years ago.

Of course, you drive a lot more than I do.   

Also, I'd been wondering the same thing about your lost cell phone, why your friend didn't just go outside her place and look for it.  I didn't know you dropped her off at Penn Station.  Was that the Penn Station in Newark?  Enough said; I can see why that was the end of that cell phone.   


Another thing:  I've gotten a couple of PM's from people who've missed me here.  Everything is fine, I've just been busy, so I hope you are all fine and I'll to check in here more often.  But I will be going away, where there won't be a computer (first on a bus trip, and then to mom's) so I'll be missing again.  Don't worry, everything's okay.

[dejavu]

That's pretty much my situation. But I think mine may be "underpowered" for today's Internet. For example, if I click on a link in a Bettermost post, say, to connect to a Youtube video, mine will usually freeze up. In general, it's slow for dealing with web sites--but I don't know enough to know for sure whether the problem is my "antique" PC or my DSL connection, and I wouldn't be surprised if it were some of both.

In any case, I dread replacing it and having to get all my files and software from the old PC into a new one.

Good luck! 

Jeff, the slowness in dealing with websites sounds like the problem I had with my DSL connection.  We now have Verizon FIOS in our neighborhood, and it's much better.

[dejavu]

Some of you may remember I discussed going on a pescatarian diet for Lent.  No red meat, just greens, fruit, and fish.  I also decided to eliminate diet soda, bread and pasta.  I had let myself get back up to 245 pounds.

Here's an update......






I'm back down to 233 pounds (12 pound loss).  I'd like to lose three more by Sunday, that was my goal, to lose 15 pounds between Ash Wednesday & Easter.  I hope I can do it, but if not, I'm happy that I've lost 12 pounds.  I'm going to push this week for that goal, but not too hard, I don't want to do something stupid.

Good going on the weight loss, Chuck.  I hope you can just keep up the basic changes in eating habits and continue to lose more pounds, even though you can be doing it at a more comfortable and relaxing pace.

[CellarDweller]

Hello Bettermost friends!

That picture represents what I'm sure I looked like this morning when I started my job.  My first duty of the day is to pull the accounts in our team's portfolio and review which ones are overdrawn, and contact the customer so they can make a deposit or transfer to cover it.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled the report and discovered an overdraft on one account for $2.5 million!

 

How the hell do you overdraw an account for $2.5 million?

Obviously, we can't just approve something of that level, so the Relationship Manager is on the phone with our team leader disucssing what must be done.

Never a dull moment!

Wow - Well done Chuck!

Thank you, darlin'! 

Must have been the day for such accidents. I am back in Sydney for Easter and one of the major motorways was completely blocked in yesterday's commute by a truck which overturned. It was carrying pig carcasses so was a fairly gruesome sight for the first emergency workers to arrive.

Oh damn!  I can't even imagine what the EMTs thought when they got there!  I probably would've thrown up!     Enjoy your holiday in Sydney!!

Another thing:  I've gotten a couple of PM's from people who've missed me here.  Everything is fine, I've just been busy, so I hope you are all fine and I'll to check in here more often.  But I will be going away, where there won't be a computer (first on a bus trip, and then to mom's) so I'll be missing again.  Don't worry, everything's okay.

When is your next trip, and how long will you be gone?

[Mandy21]

from Yahoo:

Madonna keeps pop crown, "MDNA" tops Billboard chart
By Piya Sinha-Roy | Reuters – 12 hrs ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Madonna retained the title Queen of Pop by taking the throne of the Billboard 200 album chart for the eighth time on Tuesday, as her latest album "MDNA" beat Lionel Richie's country themed "Tuskegee" to the top of the weekly sales list.

Madonna's 12th studio album, dedicated to club-friendly dance tracks, sold 359,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, despite lukewarm reviews from critics and minimal promotional appearances by the singer.

This is the fifth time in the 53-year-old singer's career that her album has debuted at No. 1, following her 2008 CD "Hard Candy," and she is the second woman to top the chart eight times behind Barbra Streisand, who holds the title with nine chart-topping albums.

"MDNA" also was No. 1 on iTunes charts in 40 countries and had the biggest single day pre-sales on iTunes by any artist in history, Madonna's label Interscope Records said in a statement.

Album sales were also boosted by Madonna's upcoming world tour because customers buying tickets also were given the option to receive the album as part of their purchase.

[dejavu]

When is your next trip, and how long will you be gone?

Hi, Chuck!  Actually it's my first trip of 2012.  So far this year, I've just been busy with doctor's appointments and reading and basketball and many other things about the house.

As for trips,  I leave next Friday for Pittsburgh, and then will catch the tour bus to SC and Georgia for a week, returning home from Pittsburgh the following Sunday (April 22).  On April 26, I fly to Denver for about a month.  And then only one weekend at home (as planned at this time) before flying up to Boston for the first week of June.

I did just get a phone call this morning from the woman in Pittsburgh who will be traveling with me on the bus, so that makes it seem more "real."  I'd better get started with packing soon.