Category: update

This latest incarnation of Easysticks is now at 100 posts. Easysticks has been around for awhile, but I converted it into this blog format one year ago.

In other news, I broke down and bought a new iPod. This is technically my fourth iPod. The first one was, I believe, a 10GB 2nd generation unit. Before the click wheel. It broke, but I had a replacement plan from Best Buy so I jumped through all the nasty hoops to get a replacement in the form of an iPod mini. Third up is a 1GB nano that came free with my computer.

My first one was a gift, so really this new nano is the first iPod I have ever purchased. It’s green because for some reason the green one was cheaper.

Apparently my brother (you may know him as Oliver’s pop) received my subliminal sibling emergency call for music because I received a mixtape in the mail a day after my blog post! Yee haw!

Yesterday was my first commute of the season on the scoot. We had a little patch of trouble on the way home, but all seems to be well now. Knock on wood.

It’s been awhile since a cute photo, so without further ado.

Time for another plea from yours truly.  My iPod is stale.  My stereo frowns at me every time I pass by.

I need some new tunes!

Please tell me you’ve been listening to something good.  What is it?

With the sun shining and a 7-11 on my way back from a meeting, I filled up a dome lidded cup with Coke Slurpee.  Rarely, I will stray from the greatest flavor, but not today.

This just in via certified mail, my TSA claim is denied. Apparently they carefully evaluated all of the evidence and determined that there are no legally sustainable grounds upon which a finding of liability can be based on the part of the TSA.

Blah blah blah.

I will translate this mumbo jumbo for you:

We stole your stuff, you can’t really prove it, so there’s nothing you can do about it. Thanks for the Nintendo Wii.

The Transportation Security Administration is a giant disappointment to the country. I jumped through all the hoops and filed my claim. I got nothing and now they advise that I can file suit if I am dissatisfied.

The TSA, the baggage handlers, whoever, are allowed to steal whatever they like from anybody’s luggage and face no consequences.

We had a few friends over on Saturday night for a birthday party.

We had a bit of cake to celebrate with.

Some champagne.

A little Mexican inspired food.

Check out the rest of the scene if you weren’t able to make it in person.

I did in fact submit a claim to TSA for Mom’s stolen Christmas present Wii. At the end of January I got a letter from TSA confirming that they received my claim.

Last week a claims investigator called me up to ask a few questions about how the incident went down. She then passed the claim on to a Delegated Authority Official. That person will do one of the following:

1. Approve my claim in full;
2. Offer me a settlement for other than the full amount or;
3. Deny my claim.

TSA has a new blog called Evolution of Security. There are a zillion comments on it detailing incidents very similar to mine.

What do you think? Will the TSA DAO actually approve my claim? I would really like Mom to have her Wii.

As the sun set over a sunny Des Moines day in February, uh, wait, I don’t actually write like that.

Jackie and Matthieu are married! Whoo hoo!

The wedding was fantastic. The weather in Des Moines was great. I was bundled up, but I think the 20-30 degree temps were balmy for the locals as most were wearing what I would consider a spring jacket. Also, the pizza at Centro was amazing.

May Jackie and Matthieu enjoy many many years of happiness. There are a few more pictures over at my Picasa album.

This new gadget I’ve got is really the cat’s pajamas. The Eye-Fi wireless memory card does exactly what it says it will and has banished my camera’s USB cable to a dusty corner. I snap some pictures, leave my camera on for a few moments and like magic they appear in both my online web albums and my computer’s photo folder. No fuss, no muss, just take the pictures and wait (ever so briefly) for them to appear from clouds of fairy dust.

My friends, family members and stalkers can enjoy the benefits. There are a few shots up in my Picasa Web Albums.

Now no post should go without the thousand words a picture has to offer. So I’ll give you my latest obsession, the Meyer lemon. I’ve just been squeezing them into beverages and sleeping with them under my pillow. Anybody have any good recipes to take advantage of these lemons?