One really nice thing about having a creekbed running right through your back yard is that you're constantly surrounded by lush vegetation.

The downside to having a creekbed running right through your back yard is you're constantly surrounded by lush vegetation. You're constantly having to fight it back else it will consume your house! Most people mow their yards with a lawn mower; I mow mine with a chain saw.

Okay, I did the brush-cutting the insurance company wanted. According to Allied Waste, they dumped 1.68 tons of brush I'd loaded in their dumpster. Loading that wasn't so bad, but sawing all that down and cutting all the braches off so I could fit it all was!

So okay, the insurance company got the picture they wanted. So now I get a letter stating that this outfit is going to come out and do a safety and fire risk assessment. Apparently the picture didn't satisfy them. Or more likely it just occurred to them they insured a 134-year old house, and now they're freaking out about it and looking a reason to dump me. Never mind that the assessor came up with an effective age for the house of 25 years, and that 100 years from now some assessor will come up with an effective age of - 25 years. Sigh. So I might be back to searching for an insurance company in a few weeks....

Thanksgiving came and went nice an peacefully. Besides me it was just Colin and Rebekah and their girls Abby and Lilly, and our friend Joel. The turkey turned out perfectly, completely unlike the one and only one I ever baked. I followed Mom's instructions to the letter. It looked okay, smelled okay, but when I went to cut it the whole thing just sort of exploaded into a pile of protein sawdust. When Mom was interogating me to find out what went wrong, she asked me what I covered it with. "Umm, cover it? You never said anything about covering it." But it all worked out well, Pizza Hut delivers out there. So anyway we had a great dinner, Abby went off and mostly kept herself entertained, and the newborn didn't do much but sleep or look around. They're funny like that. Then for a little while our friend Neal with his son Caleb (hope I'm spelling that right). Don't tell Neal I said this, but I suspect His wife Lynn threw them out of the house so that she and their daughter Vannessa could get their Thanksgiving dinner cooked. But that's just a guess.

The rest of the four-day weekend I didn't do much but lounge around and cuddle with the cats. Nevermind how much I have to do, I only felt a little guilty after the brush-cutting marathon.

Well, I went and did it. I created an account on Myspace.com Please don't tell Kelsey Page. She seems to have a thing against them (see her story "My Space, Your Addiction). I would have commented on how things such as Myspace can be a real blessing to us shy, reclusive isolated types, but with my setup posting comments is a real problem. I have to switch browser versions to do it, as the version I read with is somewhat stable but won't let me post anything, and the newer version that let's me post locks up my computer everytime I use it. It can take me three or four reboots before I make it all the way. Hence I don't comment near as much as I'd like to.

I really don't think I need to worry about getting addicted to myspace anyway, I just created an account so I could see the pictures an "e-friend" wanted me to see. Although the very next day I had mail from a very attractive young woman who thinks I'm interesting...hmm. Although after the Russian Penpal Incident I'm not so sure what to think yet...

On a very sad note, one of my neighbors' house burned down Friday the 8th. I don't know much more about it except someone put up a note on the bulletin board stating anyone wishing to send them anything should consult the community roster. Problem is we haven't received a new roster since before Mom died over two years ago, and I don't know where it is.

My very first blog entry here, I lamented how I wish I knew my neighbors better. I don't know these particular neighbors at all, hardly, but my heart sure goes out to them!

Well, that's all I have to say for now, except: In case I don't get another blog entry in between now and Christmas, I wish you all a very happy, safe, tragedy-free holiday season! I hope my neighbors find joy in the season in spite of their terrible loss. Best wishes to everyone for a great new year!