Thursday

The plumber finally came by today to look at the battery back-up sump pump.  And of course, my situation is not an uncomplicated one.  So nothing got done today.  They've got to plan for more time to do the job.  Seems like my current pit is too shallow to handle all of the hardware that a battery back-up system requires.  Which means jack-hammering some concrete, digging a deeper pit, and making a much bigger mess.  And then there's the additional, commensurate cost.  I love this country.

It looks like they are getting set to repave my street.  Bettendorf has been doing a couple of sections of beat-up streets in my area each year.  Maplecrest certainly qualifies as beat-up.  A gas-line guy was out paint-marking and staking his lines today when I came home to meet the plumber, and he said that they might start tearing things up as early as next week.  I wonder what we're supposed to do with our cars?

Speaking of cars, there's a real chance that Margret could see some daylight this weekend if there's no rain.  I haven't even been over to SRH's to give Margret an occasional start since she went to storage after Thanksgiving.  I'm taking the Over that she'll fire-up.  Any takers?

Watching The Thomas Crown Affair on AMC between games and commercials.  I've always kind of liked Rene Russo.  She's an actress who has always kind of played the same character in most of her movies; the pretty girl with a shade of ditz.  Tin Cup.  Major League.  Lethal Weapon.  She's no youngster.  Then again, I don't go to movies anymore.   (Pierce Brosnan was at least the second-best James Bond.)

Heard this on the radio this AM: today is Chuck Norris' birthday.  He's 71!  Has there ever been a worse actor who consistently got work?  Steven Segal, maybe.  And he's been hanging out all these years with Christi Brinkley!  And getting paid to do so!  Fortunately, he's right-of-right politically.  But certainly not one of those guys whom I would walk across the street to see.  If Christie was with him, I might wave.

I was trying to find a U.S. map of the DIII field that I saw earlier in the week.  There's only five of the sixty-one schools in the tourney with locations west of a North-South line going roughly through Des Moines, Iowa and Austin, Texas.  At some later date, I'm going to do some work to figure out whether there just aren't that many schools west of here, or if they are in the NAIA like St. Ambrose. 

Headed to bed.  Busy day tomorrow.  Hope to make my Friday morning "meeting", go to the games tomorrow night, and get some tax returns out as well.  It will be a good Friday.

BCOT