Do the Invaders Have to Carry Weapons for It to Be War?

If you needed more proof that the Mexican government is promoting and aiding the invasion of the United States by Mexican citizens, look no further.

Mexico is giving the invaders (ahem. . . illegal immigrants) satellite devices so they can call for help if caught in bad weather. Apparently the Mexican government's pamphlet on how to cross the border safely wasn't working well enough.

Can we please defend our border? Pretty please with sugar on top? Just a few soldiers. . .

Bellevue Lights

It's all over now, but here's a picture from a few days ago. The Bellevue Botanical Garden had lights on display, all done up to look like plants and animals. The rhododendrons had fake flowers of bundles of Christmas lights in them. Other plants were entirely lights. And a slug, and a frog, and a spider, and a . . .



Before that, we went to see Bellevue's Celebration Lane lights and music and bubble-snow show. Drummer girls handed out party horns, even though it was only December 30.


Aren't they cute?

Here's me:

Two horns are better than one!

More photos at Flickr.

92¢ and Time Spent

On New Year's Eve, whilst driving from a party to a fireworks viewing spot, I stopped at a stoplight, turn signal blinking. Suddenly, BUMP! A car hits us from behind.

I turn off my engine, get out, and walk to the back. The woman has reversed back and has her head out the window: "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

I look at the bumper. No dent. I say, "There's no damage. Don't worry about it," and get back in my car.

(I should've gotten her insurance information, I know, but I didn't want to deal with it then.)

A couple blocks later, Chunlin wants to see the bumper herself. I stop and we look. I notice that the license plate light is broken. A bit of black plastic comes off in my hand. The light doesn't come on. Darn it, I think. Electrical problem. $100 deductible!

But we find a spot above I-5 with a great view of the Space Needle and watch the fireworks from the car. Chunlin is great luck to have around when looking for parking spaces, apparently. She was even better the next day, actually.

(Side note: Traffic flows better on streets with a lane each direction than on two-way, one-lane streets.)

Today, I went to a car parts store, took the broken light fixture out, removed the burnt-out bulb. The little bit of bumper frame between the two lights was dented slightly, an eighth of an inch at most from straight, maybe less. The broken light came out fine, but the non-broken one is stuck. Maybe with a screwdriver, I could remove it. I buy two lightbulbs. $1.85. They don't sell the fixtures, of course.

I put the new bulb in the fixture, shove the broken fixture back up in its slot, and turn on the lights. Both lights work, even the one that I couldn't remove. So now I have one bulb too many and nary a good spot to store it.

This morning, I was upset that I'd have to spend $100. Now I'm upset that I wasted 92¢.

Happy New Year

Back to work, back to old routines.

Back to getting up before sunrise. Blech. It's still quite dark outside, but that's probably due to clouds.

Twenty-three days till my next vacation. . .

More Pics

And here are a few photos I took with Réní Mamurd's camera after mine ran out of juice.

It's well below freezing. Are you cold?


Slow-mo sledding. . .

They say they got the run going fast by the end, but at that time, Chunlin and I had retreated into the car to wait. . . with the dog.


We were on Hayward Hill, you see? The sun sets in the south.

Yesterday or the Day Before

The days are blurring together. . . But that's what vacation is all about, right?



Heading eastward, over the mountains.


From the driver's seat of my car on the interstate. . .


Near Grammy's nursing home.


My grandparents' driveway (past the house to the barn).


Ask my dad to reminisce about this field.


Outside the back door. Don't stand underneath!!



But all in all, a fun Christmasy time with family.

Eight

Eight trips to load my car. And there's still a little room left over for Chunlin and her stuff.

But only just a little. . .

Happy Christmas Eve!!

You bought be lots of cool stuff, right? Right??

Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme!!!!

. . .

Ahem.

'Tis the season of giving. I shouldn't worry about what I'm getting.

But still . . . What'd ya get me?

There's always next year

So tell me, how did the Rice football team ever win a single game?

Oh, I know. The C-USA is full of medocrity.

The defense needs to retake tackling class. . .

Watch the New Orleans Bowl!!

You'd better be watching the New Orleans Bowl today! It starts at 7 p.m. Central Time, which is also 5 p.m. Pacific Time. But since it's in New Orleans, which is in Central Time Zone, . . . you get the idea.

GO RICE!!

I had scheduled today as vacation/"personal time", but I had to go in to work to finish off a few things due this year. I'm taking all of next week off. Yay!

Christmas, here we come!

But first, a football game. Watch it! GO RICE!!

So. . .

Is it winter yet, or what? 'Cause it looks a lot more like autumn than autumn did.

The End of the Rainbow Is at the Transit Center

But that's probably not how they see it.

Mt Hood

From Tom McMahon.