HILLARY NOSE DIVES IN THE POLLS

Here we go again. More BS from the journalists. Its amazing, another poll has come out giving Obama the edge on likeability. Hillary is sliding down into oblivion. I don't have a horse in this race since I don't like anyone who is left but just the same I'm getting sick of all the mudslinging. I think the Democrats are going to be in a heap of trouble. Too much acrimony there. I was sure the Republicans were going to lose. Now I think they have a chance. But I don't like McCain either.

Politicians are crazy, power mad individuals. My son had a great idea. He thinks we should all draw straws, Guy with the shortest straw is the next president for a year. That way you can do stuff and not care if people like you or not.

LOUSY HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTORS

We've done a lot of work on the house lately. One thing we have discovered is that the quality of the home improvement industry out there is pretty bad. The last project involved putting down a carpet in the living room and dining room and a floating laminate floor in the kitchen, bathroom and vestibule-hallway.

We held back 1,200.00 due them because the joints were terrible in some locations. Plus they scraped the daylights out of a new paint job that we had just done. Baseboard was loose, laminate joints in the bathroom weren't butted up together and on and on!! The other thing that really bothered me is that they had no idea how to miter a joint. So long story short they had to come back twice before I was satisfied and released the check.

The really odd thing about doing a home improvement project is the amount of trash it seems to generate. I don't mean the project itself, but the aftermath. We have no basement, nor do we have an attic. We have a lot of closet space and with all the kids gone, we have two extra rooms just crammed with stuff. We are throwing out bags and bags of trash every weekend. It seems to regenerate. Of course we have lived here for 30 years so we have accumulated a lot of items. Nevertheless, it is disturbing. The house seems to have taken on a mind of its own and continues to produce unwanted or unneeded trash at an alarming rate. I'm surprised the garbage men aren't getting hernias from lifting and dumping everything we throw out.

SEARCHING FOR ANOTHER DOG

Though we are not ready for another dog, curiosity got me to looking on the Internet for choices down the road. We need a dog good with kids, cheerful disposition, easily trained, small (12 to 18 pounds) and doesn't shed. I looked at a variety of sites and pretty much concluded that I would want another Minature Rat Terrier.

I looked up Wire Haired Terriers, Fox Terriers, Schnauzers, Pinschers,etc. No other dog could meet the quals that I want. The only bad part is that Rat Terriers easily shed. You can see the hair fly off when you just pet them. But that is just a minor annoyance.

We would try to find one at a shelter first. That's how we got Jack. He was due to be executed the day after we got him. Even though he passed on early, he still lived 6 years longer than he would have had we not found out about him.....

Our Dog Jack

We have a 7 year old Rat Terrier named Jack. He's a very good natured dog, tail always wagging, a little goofy, but he loved people and would cuddle you at the drop of a hat, etc. Lately we noticed he hasn't been very hungry, so we brought him to the vet. Turns out that he is in the beginning stages of Renal failure. Jack spent overnight at the Vet's and was given some nutrients through an IV. This morning the vet told us that prognosis was guarded, that the renal failure was caused by Lyme Disease. I hope he pulls through. As much as a pain that he is, he is a very lovable dog and is always doing something to make us smile.

We should find out more today. The Doctor hasn't gone into details about treatment yet.

Horns of a dilemma!!

What to do? Who to vote for? The herd has been thinned but I don't like anyone left. Hillary I don't trust. McCain I don't like because of his liberal stand on immigration and Obama has no experience.

I think I'll vote for Teddy Roosevelt.

"THE MONEY PIT"

We've been working on the house for what seems like forever. Finally got a new laminated floating floor for the hallway, kitchen and bathroom and wall to wall carpeting for the dining room and living room. We've also repaved the driveway and relandscaped the back yard. Used up most of the money and we haven't done the three bedrooms upstairs yet.

Sometimes I wonder why I bought a house, but when the job is done, it seems worth it. We now have 6 full book cases of books in the living room and we still need more. We may wind up giving some books away. No room for them downstairs at least.

The one positive thing about doing projects like these is the little bonus' that you find while moving stuff around. The other day, I rediscovered an I-Pod wanna be that I lost a few years ago. Now that I'm stuck taking the bus to work every day again, it will come in handy.

Another Staff Meeting for the Zuni-Tamaroa

We had a good staff meeting for the Zuni/Tam. Things seem to be going our way. Victory Park near Newport News is one of the finalists for our home port. We have to strengthen the mooring area though. While I was down there, I stayed at a place called the Herrington Arms Inn literally right on the Chesapeake Bay. Very nice spot. I'd like to vacation there some day.

We are also being courted by a trade school near Northrop-Grumman. They want to practice their skills on us.

And the beat goes on...................