Dragon’s Den

Rich & Rogan fixed me dinner Wednesday.

WESTPORT, Conn. - Paul Newman, the Academy-Award winning superstar who personified cool as the anti-hero of such films as “Hud,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Color of Money” — and as an activist, race car driver and popcorn impresario — has died. He was 83.

Newman died Friday after a long battle with cancer at his farmhouse near Westport, publicist Jeff Sanderson said. He was surrounded by his family and close friends.

In May, Newman had dropped plans to direct a fall production of “Of Mice and Men,” citing unspecified health issues.

He got his start in theater and on television during the 1950s, and went on to become one of the world’s most enduring and popular film stars, a legend held in awe by his peers. He was nominated for Oscars 10 times, winning one regular award and two honorary ones, and had major roles in more than 50 motion pictures, including “Exodus,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Verdict,” “The Sting” and “Absence of Malice.”

Newman worked with some of the greatest directors of the past half century, from Alfred Hitchcock and John Huston to Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese and the Coen brothers. His co-stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Lauren Bacall, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks and, most famously, Robert Redford, his sidekick in “Butch Cassidy” and “The Sting.”

Rich and I went to a Sushi restaraunt called The Sushi Station for dinner. I am not a Sushi person, but Rich really likes it and wanted to go there so we did. He doesn’t get to go that often. I had spicy veggie rolls and Rich had alot of other things. All in all I think we were both very pleased. I think we will take J9 there sometime. I don’t think Lee would like it.

After sushi we went to the Farm & Fleet in Sycamore. Rich needed a new sleeping bag. He is going to Talladega Alabama for the Nascar races at the end of the month. Rogan and I will have a week of bonding and I sure his Aunt Denny will spoil him with another toy. Since he is my only nephew I feel that I should spoil him rotten (his Uncle Doug spoils him when we are in Vegas).

Rich, his Aunt Maira, brother Doug and friend Chris are going to be camping at the race track this year. His Aunt Maira has never camped before and I feel for her. I did it once and will never do it again. Never.

 Also, while at Farm & Fleet I bought a cast iron skillet. I have wanted my own for a long time and it was a really good price. Now I can make the wiskey cobbler. Yum.  

TTFN

Car…

the car is very good. If you had asked me a two months ago if I would ver drive a Focus I would have said no, this is based on my experience with Dad’s Red Focus wagon.  My opinion has changed. I really like it and I am glad I went back to Ford, ten years away is to long.

Sunny…

Sunday September 13th was Sunny’s Birthday. I wasn’t sure at times if he would make it to one year old ( I was optomistic). I think he had a good day other than the rain. According to Mom and Dad Sunny does not like the rain. He will not go out in it. He gets Mom and Dad to go downstairs with him to stop the rain.  :-)  He got his hair cut Saturday morning and looks very cute (he threw up in the van on the way there, this is normal). He then went to the pet store and got a gift from them (a frisbee and a gorilla). I went over and gave him some new balls (be nice people), a chew toy and some Frosty Paws (dog ice cream). I put the Frosty Paws on a paper plate and set it on the floor for him. He tasted it and then proceeded to pick the whole thing up and run away with it. I convinced him to come back and let me cut it up for him. All in all I think he had a good b-day.

Darlene…

Dar got a new car last week. One guess what it is. 

Dum Dum Da Dum……..

B got his drivers license last night.

We had some killer storms pass through tonight. Rich and I talked on the phone most of the time (not smart I know). I took shelter in the laundry room with my neighbor when the tornado sirens went off.

Rich called me and said he had a tree on this townhouse. So I drove over in my PJ’s and took pictures. I also called Jnine, so her and Lee came over to see.

As far as we know there is no major damage to the house, just clean up. There is most likely some minor damage. Now he needs to find out if this is something his association takes care of or him. We took plenty of pics for insurance.

Here are some pics that I took today for you veiwing pleasure. Note some names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Here is J enjoying herself.

J9 not that happy I pointed the camera at her yet again.

Dad & Lee walked ahead. Here is the rest of the gang after dinner at the casino in Elgin.

Mike & the girls at Dar & Rogs.

B and his girlfriend A.

Liz & J at dinner.

J9 & Tam in a smackdown of some sorts. Each of them told me to say the other one started it. Not sure who actually did.

And last but not least….Tam and her boyfriend ……….

George Glass ( I warned you)

We are having dinner at J9 & Lee’s tomorrow and I will try to take some more pics.

Last night I utilized the cable companies website and told them how they were doing.     :-) Not good. This morning I had an email from their VP of Customer service. I responded to his email explaining my problem and where I felt the company fell short with existing customers. The seminar I went to last week really helped I think, I was not as nasty as usual.

On my way home I called them again (much cooler this time) and found out that a technician would be out between ten and one tomorrow. When I got home there was a cable company van in front of the building. I had a voice mail from the VP of Cust. Service apologizing for the inconvenience. He said that service would be back on no later than tomorrow and offered reimbursement. I was going over to the office to see if they could let them in if need be, otherwise Mom offered to wait for them ( thank you). The cable guy (not Jim Carey) was outside the back door. He said it is the main box for the whole building and it will be replaced and back on tomorrow.

I think the cable guy may have heard about my rampage on the phone last night, he seemed kind of scared.   :-)    I am so sweet and nice.

To end this long story…

When I was coming back into the apartment building I found a cut peice (about two inches long) of coaxial cable on one of the bottom steps. I have it. I think someone cut the lead cable to the building.

For those of you that may be saying,”Huh?”

 I came home tonight I did not have any cable. When I moved in to the apartment I was given one choice for cable. The dreaded C.( large cable company, don’t want law suit      :-)  ). I really do not like them.

If they were a good company I would not be so crabby , but they are a crap company. They give you fewer channels than any other cable company and charge you more than any other.

J9’s Commet, “Duh! Do you not remember my rant a couple of years ago when we got rid of C. and went to DTV. Never again!!”

Yea, I do. I also remember trying to cancel for Mom & Dad. Recently Robin had a hassel trying to get it set up at the new house, someone climbed the pole and unhooked her cable. She found this out after several days, many phone calls and a lost vacation day.

Supposedly the complex has some agreement with C. (right). If  it is the building that is causing the problem then the apartment complex will be paying for the repairs since I only have one option for cable TV at this point (no antenna). If I need a new TV then I will get one, but I don’t think it is the TV (it works picture and all). It was working at 10:30 last night.

On a brighter note….
Since I did not have a TV to watch I walked around the block (w/o R & R), about a mile and 1/2 per Rich. Then I came home rearanged a few things and cleaned. I should sleep well tonight. When I calm down I will call C back and see about setting up a time for their contractors to come out and fix the problem. Yippeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am alive and Comcast really, really sucks……..