Timelies all!

Happy Birthday Beverly!

I feel weirdly redeemed or something by an op-ed in the NYT today. She's one of me!

Long, long ago there was a television series, called “Kolchak: The Night Stalker,” about a newspaperman who spent most of his time tracking down demons of the underworld. Since his editor never believed his stories, Kolchak did not get in the paper much. Today, of course, he would be a blogger and have a wide international following although no real source of income.

Kolchak! In the New York Times, used as a metaphor on politics!

But I digress. The point here is that in one memorable episode, Kolchak was confronted by a politician who sold his soul to the devil in order to win a seat in the State Senate.

When I first saw this particular program, coyly titled “The Devil’s Platform,” I was covering a real-life State Legislature in Connecticut. My first thought was that accepting eternal damnation in return for a career as a state senator was a little like swapping your house for a pair of socks.

She goes on to talk about Schwarzenegger wrestling with his Senate.

If the nation’s only action-hero governor is at a loss, clearly new powers are needed. Look up that “Night Stalker” episode on the Web and you will learn that the demon soul-selling senator (Tom Skerritt) got “the ability to assume the form of an indestructible black mastiff, and destroy his enemies both within his own party and opposing him.”

I'm oddly delighted to find Kolchak prowling through the 21st century press. And it would be a wonderful thing to have a series of him and his blog and his world-wide fanbase.

He must be on DVD somewhere.

edit: I suppose I should give the link: [link]

My unamusing life:

Hiding in my office with the door locked because one of the doctors I work for has mysteriously disappeared and is not answering her pages, and a fairly crazy and abusive patient of hers is on her way over here now looking for a prescription form for some medication that isn't in any of her records. I've been instructed to keep the door locked and pretend I'm not here until she goes away.

I am partly to blame because I took a message from her yesterday and, in a mess of day-end craziness, forgot to pass it on to the doc, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway because the doc didn't answer any other day-end messages and never came back to her office yesterday afternoon to pick up any of the masses of paperwork that had been sitting on her desk since morning, and the prescription this woman wants would have to be handwritten and signed by the doc, who has been completely AWOL since yesterday afternoon anyhow.

I need a martini.

I need a martini.

You deserve an entire pitcher.

Oy.

Improv dinner tonight is pasta with olive oil, butter, sea salt, garlic, and oregano with some diced chicken, a spoonful of bruschetta topping, and shaved parm.

I need a martini.

Yeah, you do. Ugh.

She just left. She came by and rattled my doorknob, then started randomly accosting people and yelling at them, and someone wrote her a prescription and yelled back at her until she went away.

Good times, good times.

Three olives, please.

Yikes. TOO MUCH DRAMA for my peeps today!

My new necklace arrived in the mail today (it's a "peapod" with two peapods for Noah and Grace).

I got the certificates done for the kids who made honor roll which is totally exciting.

I'm having dinner with Alibelle tonight.

And, in planning a terrible two twin bday bash, I found out I can have it at Grace's facility, which is awesome as I want so many of you to meet my Grace.

YAY birthdays!

Work was weird today. frustrating for me. Then unexpected big boss call which was not discussed so I have no idea what it was about, then multiple calls and visits from HR people. I think the HR stuff may be no big thing, just some old employee business, but I fear the call was saying either no raises or telling of some new cuts.

Alibelle, this landlord thing is a huge sore spot for me...as documented here over the years. On the occasion that the landlord commented on my no-heat-having on a 23 degree day, "It can't be that bad, the sun is out," I was on the phone to the mayor's office in a thrice. Most cities have a citizen advocate for ths purpose. I got a little information from them, found a couple of heatig company names and et voila! Upon calling the landlord back with this info, the 'I can't get anybody to look at it until next week' rubbish became "You called the city? It will be fixed in a half hour." And so it was.

I had put up with lots of stuff from him for many years...didn't want to get him in trouble, etc. The heat thing broke me.

Sometimes the hammer only needs to fall softly to get the result. You deserve to have your expenses covered and anything else they can do for you. Assert your rights!

Not legal, withhold rent, Alibelle. If you can't do that sue them in small claims court for the rent during the period you could not live in the apartment and your hotel expenses. That would take a while to recover so the option is not ideal but you are entitled to recover when they breach like this.