Current

I took the pre-qualification questionnaire for the investigator position. Of course, I figured I'd have to submit to drug tests and general privacy invasion - after all, that's what I'm proposing to do to others. But the killer was asking if I'd be willing to be away from home 3-5 weeks at a time. From the large newspaper ad listing "overnight travel" and "tuition reimbursment", I didn't figure to be away from home more than a day or two. Oh well.

Sunday was my birthday! Dickie took me to the big hardware store and I picked out a nice 1/3 sheet orbital sander for my present. It sounds kinda funny, but I like woodworking and tools. Dick likes the stuff I make, especially when it's stuff for him. And he knows he's rather dangerous with power tools, so this way he gets tools and somebody to use them! We also had a pretty good meal. I'll write more about it in my locarb journal. My dad sent me about a quart of fresh homemade horseradish for my birthday. Of course, we love horseradish on bratwurst and sausages. We were far from our normal source for such meats, but I had heard of a really good place locally, so Saturday I began my quest. I ended up at Schriener's in Glendale. Just the parking lot smelled great! They have a smokehouse and make the sausages there. I got 3 kinds - they are a little milder than the ones from Carlsbad, but very good. That was the main course for Sunday's feast.

What's with Easter presents? Is this another marketing holiday gone awry? I grew up Roman Catholic, and believe me, we celebrated religious holidays. But Easter was basically coloring eggs, going to church, eating weird colored candy you wouldn't eat any other time, and maybe an egg hunt if there were little kids around. You got a basket with grass in it to cushion the eggs you found, and maybe a few wrapped candies in there. Then we had ham and scalloped potatoes. That was about it, other than all the crankiness from sugared up kids. Now, I can't believe it! Big easter baskets with sports equipment and bunnies. What's that connection? I think it's worse than Valentine's day, and only slightly better than Christmas (because the buying frenzy is only about a week or two instead of months.) Am I a humbug? Maybe it's just southern california meets the midwest.