Toilets, Flamingo, and a few other rants

Now, normally, I try not to tell stories on people I know, but .... oh who am I kidding? I LOVE to tell stories on people I know.

Let me set the stage before I go into this story, and add a little caveat. First off, Cousin Sherrie (from here on known as only Cousin) grew up in a small, very small town in eastern Washington. Life out there was, well, different from life in a big city. When I think about Cousin and I and our experiences growing up, I'm kinda the Zsa Zsa from Green Acres, and she's the Green Acres. Anyhow, things operate differently on the farm and so there have been a couple of very funny stories that have come out of my conversations with Cousin related to technical things.

This is just one of those stories.

On our way home from Friday from Mike's holiday party AFTER the big wind storm that wiped out electricity for 1 million people, Cousin says to me, "I hope I can flush my toilet tonight."

Anywhoooo knows me, knows I have the look of "huh?" on my face. So I do what I know I shouldn't do and ask, "Why?"

Cousin: "Well, I don't have power."

Me: "Again, huh?"

At this point Cousin begins to explain how you must need electricity to flush the toilet since as a kid they couldn't flush when they lost power. They had to dump water down the toilet to get it to flush.

I, start to think about this in my head. Her argument seems so accurate that I find myself actually questioning it.

Me: "Wait. How do you figure? There's no on/off switch."

Cousin then launches, again, into explaining how they did it on the farm. Now keep in mind, Cousin has been living in the city for 15 years now.

So then it hits me. While my sides are splitting with laughter, I realize...they have a pump on the farm. And the pump needs electricity to pump the water. And somehow Cousin thought the same to be true here.

My head hurts.

Enough about Cousin...I love her dearly, but sometimes she just makes me laugh, at her not with her.

Flamingos....well, I collect them. I have no idea why, I just do. Pal Megan sent me this, and I just have to buy it. I've been wanting to "re-do" my bathroom, and what better way, than with Flamingos. Stop laughing.

Callous, not so nice Jenn is about to make an appearance. Ready yourselves.

What.
The.
Hell.

Are people drinking stupid potion these days? Now, my hearts go out to all the families who are dealing with tragedies related to our most recent STORM. But you'd think by the drama going on in the city that we were hit by a major earthquake, and all hope is lost. My god, people.

First off, several people have died, or hospitalized due to Carbon Monoxide poisoning. For doing things like, bringing their BBQ inside to keep warm. I suppose it sounds good at first, but dah....

Then we have the people who have been without power for 6 days now, and are starting to get restless. They are bitching like wild animals at the power companies for not doing enough. The power companies are saying, there was massive destruction to their infrastructure and now they basically have to rebuild. Which of course, gets the people all up in arms. Then the power company says that some may be without power until NEXT WEEK. So the people start whining about doing Christmas in the dark. Um, wasn't the first Christmas in the dark? Maybe they'll get lucky and a big star will shine in the night.

Anyhow, the panic that has taken over this area is truly amusing. People act as if we had no warning about this storm, when ironically, the weather people actually got it right and was telling everyone for THREE days before to baton down the hatches.
.
Whatever. I'm heading South where there's this rumor that a big bright glowy thing appears in the sky every day. I must go south to see with my own eyes.

Happy Holidays everyone. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy (or is it Merry) Kwanzaa...and whatever religion I forgot.

I'll try to blog from Tucson, but unlikely. Mom and I will be busy making Peanut Butter fudge - and I'm not sharing.