Mob Boss

Yesterday, after a wine induced reflection period, I have come to the conclusion that Earl is really a mob boss. My argument is three part and based largely on media images of mob bosses and more than a little influence from the movie Eastern Promises which I watched yesterday. (Movie not recommended, but it had Vincent Cassell and I kinda like him, plus I didn't have anything better to watch. ) My argument is such:

1. Mob bosses are friendly on the exterior; they make you think that they're the good guy until you get too close or threaten their business and then they hack off your arms. This is by far the most compelling of my argument. On the exterior Earl seems friendly and "calm," but I've seen him attack Randi, Clark and Sarah. He hovers around the dog food , so that they don't want to eat when he is outside. Several times I have returned home and Clark has cowered in the corner-due to what I believe has been some kind of violence. Additionally Earl always tries to take the bones via intimidation tactics. Earl's business? Not sure, he could be dabbling in the medicinal marijuana trade.

2. Mob bosses always have a dim-witted family member whom they are trying to protect.
Randi.

3. Mob bosses like to eat. Earl ate an entire can of Parmesan cheese as well as several sticks of butter and more recently has been snagging mini-jars of Ken's Lite Creamy Cesar dressing whenever he sees the opportunity.

Family Photos

First, Sarah refuses to sit for the portrait.

Then Clark refuses.
(Notice how Randi is looking at Sarah. She hates that. That's her "I'm about to start barking my head off look.")

After only 20 minutes I managed to get one shot with everyone's body in it though no one looked particularly photogenic.

Chienne de ménage

The pre-wash cycle.

Wiley Mice

Number of mouse traps set out: 2
Number of mice caught: 0
Number of mice I watch run over, around or through the mouse traps last night: 4

Perimeter Check

A perimeter check of the Saratoga Animal Shelter is conducted daily by General Sarah McWarah and Private First Class Puppy Clark upon their immediate exit from the residence building. The primary objective of the perimeter check is to establish any changes to the perimeter that may have occurred during the cloak of darkness and for PFC Puppy Clark to pee on everything. General McWarah walks along the perimeter of the yard with PFC Clark following and investigates the fence, the chicken wire wired to the fence and the electric wire at the bottom of the fence. General Sarah McWarah performs this duty fastidiously with an attention to detail, which in her younger years used to amount to her escaping with PFC Puppy Clark on her tail. The integrity of perimeter check can be hindered by one of the following:

1. Randi and Earl staring and General Sarah McWarah-thereby breaking her concentration and pissing her off until she barks.
2. Inclement weather.
3. General Sarah McWarah forgetting since she is old. If she forgets the General often does a second perimeter check in the afternoon. Occasionally, a second perimeter check is required even if the General has not forgotten the morning perimeter check.

Safety never takes a holiday.

Meet Up

Ami suggested that I go to meetup.com to see what kind of activities I could do in Apple Valley because in Charlotte, NC there are all kinds of things to do.

I don't know how I will find time in my calendar for the activities listed there. But it does explain a lot about the people protesting on the corners.

Apple Valley

I love Apple Valley. I like the weather. I like the desert. I like being two hours from everything. I love the view of the mountains from my back yard. What I don't particularly like is the right-wing fringe that lives here. (The Saratoga Animal Shelter tries to stay politically neutral, though Earl is lobbying pretty hard for legalizing marijuana.) Last September a group of somebody started protesting on the corners of Apple Valley and Bear Valley Roads on Mondays. It was my favorite part of Monday-driving to the college and seeing the protesters and their crazy signs. I am all for freedom of speech and I respect these guys for getting out and doing something about what they believe, but I really particularly respect intelligent protesters and these guys....Well one day a guy had a sign that said "We deserve a well knolegeable president." And apparently spell check for posters. There was a guy in a wheelchair who held a sign that said "Obamacare makes me sick." Did that put him in the wheelchair? Yesterday they had signs that said "Vote everyone out!" That's great. I believe in the democratic process, but our Congressman is Representative Jerry Lewis. (Yes, Jerrry Lewis.) And he's a republican. I've met Jerry Lewis and his dogs in his congressional office when I went to lobby for language education. He told me that languages just aren't that important and he couldn't support legislation for language education. He said that, even after 911. Our state representatives are also republican. I clearly understood from the signs that Obama has gots to go, but the people who directly represent us and only us are republican, so I'm confused who these people think they are influencing.

Then I saw a van with this sticker on it.
I know I'm stereotyping here, but I do teach French in a mostly Republican region and I get a lot of the 'fuck France' type statements mostly from the right wing fringe who believe that well, France is all a bunch of fuckers. Often these people are very religious. So I just assumed that the guy in the van is a conservative of the 'fuck France' wing. (This particular van did honk on it's way past the protesters.) Maybe it's not true. I don't know. But in any case, this is printed on the French flag. You might see American colors, but the order is French: Bleu, Blanc, Rouge. I like the irony. I'd love to have this guy tell me fuck France because then I could point out that he drives around with the French flag on his van. Details people. Details.

EDub does yoga. Or something.