It’s Gotten Colder

Winter is finally here.

It’s Finally Cold

Well it took some time this year but it finally got cold. It’s been colder than normal since September but not (until now) below zero. Keep in mind this thermometer is literally, right outside the front door hanging on an insulated (and heated) exterior wall. But, who the hell doesn’t L-O-V-E Leinenkugel? Who? Satan? Yeah, probably the Prince of Darkness lacks the soul to appreciate the goodness of Chippewa Falls’ finest brew.

Christmas 2008

I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas!

I spent this morning making Belgian waffles (complete with strawberries, bananas and whipped cream), coffee and bacon. Anna got home from work at 9:00 a.m., we ate, opened presents and then Anna went to sleep.

I hooked-up the XBox 360 to the work-out room’s tv and to the internet, logged into XBox Live and, voila! Played Gears of War 2 on-line for nearly 2 hours while walking on the treadmill. A 4% incline at approximately 2 mph is awesome! No more just sitting on my butt when I play video games.

Political In-Laws

As far as I know no one in either my direct or extended family has been to prison. Additionally, no one has ever been arrested for selling drugs. Now, the extended family’s got those living on the fringes; just trying to make ends meet even before the recent recesision. None, and this is to the best of my knowledge, has ever been arrested for dealing drugs.

See, it’s really easy. Really really really easy (note the use of three adverbs, that makes point even better) to go through life and never sell drugs. Now, I understand all of the addictions so I’m not going to say the same thing for taking drugs because using drugs (being a drug addict) and being a drug dealer are two completely different things. Dealers are in the business (yes, it’s a business, it’s a massive black market business) of making money through selling drugs. Addicts are, well, their name sort of tells the story doesn’t it?

Now, who, generally speaking, really “goes after” drug dealers and users? Makes it a plank in their party’s platform?

Conservative Republicans.

Now with Bristol Palin’s future shot gun wedding mother-in-law, Sherry Johnston, arrested on A felony drug dealing charges, well, doesn’t that put a crinkle in Palin’s future plans? First, her daughter gets pregnant by some high school drop-out. Second, middle of the road conservatives, figure-out Palin’s family choices (as exemplified by such poor conduct by her own children) are not really something they want to put on the national scene. Third, baby daddy’s mom gets arrested for dealing hydrocodone and oxycontin?

How does one spell hypocrite?

The State Troopers busting someone for drug dealing takes some doing. First the troopers conduct an unrecorded drug buy. They then need to get a warrant to record (audio/video) the subsequent drug transaction which is almost always done to an undercover trooper. Finally, a search warrant is secured for the drug dealer’s house where more drugs are almost always located.

What really gets me here is that Johnston’s bail was set at $5,000 unsecured. That means so long as she attends her court dates she’ll not have to post any bail. That’s right, she hasn’t posted any bail. This would make sense if she was a first-time C felony offender (0-5 years max with no minimum jail term) but for an A felony offender, that is unheard of. Her specific A felony offense, second-degree drug misconduct carries a range of 5-20 years in prison. The minimum presumptive prison term is 5-8 years and can ratchet up to 20 if, for example, she’s dealing drugs to minors. I’ve had first-time C felony theft offenders (say, stealing more than $500.00 worth of goods from Best Buy) receive $2,000 bond, meaning they must actually post the money before being released. What’s up with mother-in-law getting such treatment?

Idiot Drivers

An idiot driver rear-ended me while I was in a school zone this morning. According to court records she’s got a prior felony drug conviction and a DUI. Police were already on their way because another driver had called 911 before the collision to report the at-fault driver for driving like a maniac in rush hour traffic.

I meet with the insurance adjuster this afternoon.

*UPDATED*

I meet with insurance adjuster who then sent me to their ‘preferred’ body shop to get the estimate and parts ordered. Body shop took photos and made an estimate. I told them just to fix the car as soon as possible. My insurance company told me just to bill everything to them and they’d take care of it. $2300 in damage. The most expensive part is the rear lift-gate. It’s aluminum so it can’t be welded and fixed. Need to order a new one plus all the labor and that’s about $1200 just for that work. Frame doesn’t appear to be damaged as the car is driving straight and true.

I got a call from the insurance company’s medical payments unit who said just to send the doctor’s bills directly to them. Sounds easy enough. Just need to get a chiropractor now. I should probably stop calling them ‘quacks’ about now.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. Looked out the window, five inches of snow on my car.