Howdy

Things have been a little hairy here at Casa de ZOMG Not Another Grant Deadline!?! In fact, the most recent deadline left me, I'm convinced, with PTSD-I continued to fret, stress, and even dream about the damn thing for days after submitting it. I think I've finally recovered, just in time to begin Stimulus funding reporting. Woo hoo.

Anyhoo, the weather has taken a definite turn towards fall in these parts, with markedly cooler mornings and afternoons that don't leave you feeling as if you're going to melt in your clothes. We left the windows open last night to sleep, and I got up at some point and closed them because I was cold. And considering I'm still having 'my own private summer' (TM Oprah), it had to be pretty chilly.

Spent yesterday with 40 high school Juniors & Seniors visiting one of our finer institutions of higher learning. They were a good group, except for three guys who would.not.stop.texting., whilst intermittently ogling the college girls. I found myself hoping one of them would trip and do a half-gainer faceplant.

Off to start my day. Y'all be good.

Reason 9,678 Why I Love the Myrtle

24-hour Jiffy Marts that sell condoms...individually. Out of little glass jars. Because I reckon you never know when you're gonna need one.

Project 2996

was started by Dale Challener Roe as a way to remember the victims of September 11th, 2001. I partcipated several years ago, and was glad to get an email from Dale asking me to again participate this year. I was asked to memorialize Robert J. Baierwalter.

I couldn't find much about Robert, a few online guestbooks, one of which contained the comment: "He was cool."

The following is what was printed about Robert in the New York Times Special Section 'Portraits', in which the Times presented brief snapshots of each victim of the day:

Robert J. Baierwalter:A Man Who Took His Time
Published: Sunday June 16th, 2002

Robert J. Baierwalter thought outside of the box. In high school, he and some friends hoisted a drum set, piece by piece, up to his bedroom so his mother would not know (at least not for a few hours). Decades later, as an account underwriter for FM Global, he liked creating insurance deals his co-workers thought impossible. And when other fathers sped to work early, he stayed home until 8:45 a.m., when Veronica, 14; Richard, 11; and Raymond, 6, left for school.
"He watched their grades like a hawk," said his wife, Laura. "It's a very difficult job, I'm finding out now. He used to ask Veronica every three days, `What's your math average?' and he was always on the phone with the teachers."
She and his friends remember how Mr. Baierwalter, 44, was always late. "Now that I look back, I see he never rushed for anything," said Debbie Falls, a neighbor. "He enjoyed life. He took his time. He didn't have much time here."
Mr. Baierwalter, who lived in Albertson, N.Y., worked in Norwalk, Conn., but was at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11 for a meeting at 8:30 a.m. "It was probably the first time in his life he was on time," Ms. Falls said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's my honor to remember Robert today. Peace be to his family, to his widow.

College Football Saturday!!

It's all good already, what with the Cocks winning Thursday.

Go Charleston Southern Buccaneers*.



*Please for to stop with the laughing. Thank you.

Randomly:

• It took all of four posts on a thread titled 'RIP Ted Kennedy' on my widow support board before the judgmental assholes (all of whom self-identify as 'Christian') began with the vitriol and hatred, including the reason(s) why he is in hell. The irony, teh stings.
• I began reading Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein about two weeks ago. I quit reading with about 130 pages to go, not because it isn't gripping and well-written, but because there's only so much even a committed curmudgeon as myself can take.
• Our esteemed dickhead, tone-deaf, fucking clueless governor, Mark Sanford, stood in front of a group of journalists yesterday, many of whom I surmise live and pay taxes in South Carolina, and said, "I don't work for you." 1. More of that stinging irony here, and 2. Yes, yes you do work for them. And for us. You do your work in the most spectacularly uninspired, lousy, Peter Principle-proving way, but you do work for them and us.
• On a lighter note, there is a cold front predicted for our little steamy corner of the South tomorrow night, with nighttime temps in the high 60's and daytime highs in the 80's. Loverly.

Dear Marie Osmond:

Please shut up about Nutrisystem. You have to be the most annoying spokesperson ever. Even moreso than Rachel Ray or Progressive's Flo. And that's saying something. They make me want to get all stabby with them. You make me want to get stabby with myself.

And eat a sandwich. And leave some makeup for the rest of us.

K?thanxbye.

Why There Should be a Test for Common Sense

before using Facebook. Pay particular attention to #4. And read the comments. Oh how I lurve the Internet.