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Woohoo! Someone I've heard of and read has won the Nobel Prize in Literature! Yay!
Oct. 2nd, 2003
Our Landlord
Oct. 2nd, 2003 09:44 amSince landlords tend to rank right below telemarketers and lawyers on most lists of favorite people, I just wanted to take a moment to say how cool ours is. Not only has she consistently been responsive to any needs we've brought up, but she's gone out of her way to improve the house. We got a phone call this summer from her asking if it was okay if she put in two smoke alarms. As if we'd say no? She also takes care of lawn maintenance and yardwork (which, as anyone who has seen our place knows, is a chore).
So anyway, last week, I was at home on vacation, but also waiting for the contractor to come by so he could replace the heater filter and check to see if the tubs needed caulking. By late afternoon, he hadn't shown up, so I called Carol. She apologized profusely, and called him. It turned out he'd written down the wrong date, but he eventually did swing by around 4 to take care of the filter and take a quick look at the tubs.
Flash forward to Monday. A card arrives in the mail -- it's a handwritten note of apology from Carol, along with a $25 gift card for Whole Foods.
Yeah. We got lucky on the landlord front.
(although I'm going to feel guilty spending that money -- she really didn't have to send it).
So anyway, last week, I was at home on vacation, but also waiting for the contractor to come by so he could replace the heater filter and check to see if the tubs needed caulking. By late afternoon, he hadn't shown up, so I called Carol. She apologized profusely, and called him. It turned out he'd written down the wrong date, but he eventually did swing by around 4 to take care of the filter and take a quick look at the tubs.
Flash forward to Monday. A card arrives in the mail -- it's a handwritten note of apology from Carol, along with a $25 gift card for Whole Foods.
Yeah. We got lucky on the landlord front.
(although I'm going to feel guilty spending that money -- she really didn't have to send it).
Proud of Elayna
Oct. 2nd, 2003 10:23 amOne thing that's frustrated ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shadesong and I to no end this year is that ELayna was unable to shake off the lack of reading from the Summertime (with the Grandparents), and her Accelerated Reader points at school have been minimal (and what few books she's read have been way below her level -- Junie B Jones stuff). So we cracked down last week, and told her that each week, she needs to finish an approved AR book (approved meaning either shadesong or I give it the thumb's up) by Friday. Otherwise, no TV or computer for a week (she's already limited to half an hour a day). She picked (as shadesong mentions over here) The Boy Who Lost His Face), one of the few Lewis Sachar books she hasn't read (she was a huge fan way before Holes).
I explained to her that the weekend would be a great time to try to read, since she has more free time then, but she slacked off all weekend. By Monday,shadesong and I were sure that she didn't think we'd follow through, and that it would take a week of actually losing all TV/Computer rights to believe us.
Yesterday, when she headed off to school, she was up to page 70 of a 190-page book (one that's definitely around the fifth-grade reading level).
When she came home, she'd gotten up to page 160 or so, and by the end of the evening, she'd finished the book!
We were stunned. Happily so. This is why it's so frustrating that she doesn't read at her level -- because we know she can (and that once she gets into it, she enjoys it, too). We're so damned proud of her.
shadesong and I to no end this year is that ELayna was unable to shake off the lack of reading from the Summertime (with the Grandparents), and her Accelerated Reader points at school have been minimal (and what few books she's read have been way below her level -- Junie B Jones stuff). So we cracked down last week, and told her that each week, she needs to finish an approved AR book (approved meaning either shadesong or I give it the thumb's up) by Friday. Otherwise, no TV or computer for a week (she's already limited to half an hour a day). She picked (as shadesong mentions over here) The Boy Who Lost His Face), one of the few Lewis Sachar books she hasn't read (she was a huge fan way before Holes).I explained to her that the weekend would be a great time to try to read, since she has more free time then, but she slacked off all weekend. By Monday,
shadesong and I were sure that she didn't think we'd follow through, and that it would take a week of actually losing all TV/Computer rights to believe us. Yesterday, when she headed off to school, she was up to page 70 of a 190-page book (one that's definitely around the fifth-grade reading level).
When she came home, she'd gotten up to page 160 or so, and by the end of the evening, she'd finished the book!
We were stunned. Happily so. This is why it's so frustrating that she doesn't read at her level -- because we know she can (and that once she gets into it, she enjoys it, too). We're so damned proud of her.
TV Roundup this week
Oct. 2nd, 2003 10:49 amMonster House -- Good episode, and a nice rule change to make up for Steve screwing the crew over (both by doing no background check on the "electrician" and by adding a new addition on Thursday). Not my favorite house from the show, but still fun. Now, next week's Las Vegas House, though, looks great.
Smallville -- They're not even pretending to be anything but trash anymore. Crappy plotting, no attempt to hit comic continuity properly (I mean, Morgan Edge hiring Clark Kent, even under an assumed name, will figure out who this Superman dude is some years later), bad Fight Club/Castaway rip-offs, soap-opera character shifts (Lex's wife), etc. On the other hand, no show is more fun to make fun of. Once Lex and Clark get back to Smallville, we can even have the gay sex storylines again (how the hell did they avoid that with the island plotline?), and the show will be complete.
Angel -- Wow. Fucking wow. Just a great, funny episode. Sets up all sorts of nifty stuff. Give us the return of one of my favorite characters (Harmony), does more with Gunn in a day than has been done in the last year, and more quotable lines than all of last year's Buffy. The secret ingredient is otters.
Gilmore Girls -- Um. Lots of good stuff, but lots of crap. Rory's big "I miss you" speech was fucking horrible. One of the worst speeches she's ever been given. And too many plot points were nonsense. Once again, the writers prove that they know shit about the college admissions process. But once you ignore all of that, the episode was still fun. And more Paris is a good thing (even if her Life Coach needs to die a horrible and miserable death). Now, anyone seen Lane?
Still haven't watched Karen Sisco.
Tonight, the season premiere of the only good sitcom on NBC, which has been neglected in favor of promoting a crappy sitcom in its final year and a rip-off of a Britcom that in turn is ripping off that crappy sitcom (Scrubs, Friends, the American Coupling, and the British Coupling, respectively).
Anyone else remember when NBC Thursdays meant five genuinely great shows?
Smallville -- They're not even pretending to be anything but trash anymore. Crappy plotting, no attempt to hit comic continuity properly (I mean, Morgan Edge hiring Clark Kent, even under an assumed name, will figure out who this Superman dude is some years later), bad Fight Club/Castaway rip-offs, soap-opera character shifts (Lex's wife), etc. On the other hand, no show is more fun to make fun of. Once Lex and Clark get back to Smallville, we can even have the gay sex storylines again (how the hell did they avoid that with the island plotline?), and the show will be complete.
Angel -- Wow. Fucking wow. Just a great, funny episode. Sets up all sorts of nifty stuff. Give us the return of one of my favorite characters (Harmony), does more with Gunn in a day than has been done in the last year, and more quotable lines than all of last year's Buffy. The secret ingredient is otters.
Gilmore Girls -- Um. Lots of good stuff, but lots of crap. Rory's big "I miss you" speech was fucking horrible. One of the worst speeches she's ever been given. And too many plot points were nonsense. Once again, the writers prove that they know shit about the college admissions process. But once you ignore all of that, the episode was still fun. And more Paris is a good thing (even if her Life Coach needs to die a horrible and miserable death). Now, anyone seen Lane?
Still haven't watched Karen Sisco.
Tonight, the season premiere of the only good sitcom on NBC, which has been neglected in favor of promoting a crappy sitcom in its final year and a rip-off of a Britcom that in turn is ripping off that crappy sitcom (Scrubs, Friends, the American Coupling, and the British Coupling, respectively).
Anyone else remember when NBC Thursdays meant five genuinely great shows?
My get up and go must've got up and went
Oct. 2nd, 2003 02:57 pmI'm just totally drained and unmotivated today. Honestly, if it were possible, I'd crawl under the desk and nap. I can't even motivate myself to really catch up on LJ or email. Need a nap.
