Pearls of Nonsense

Helicopters hovering over the house

Curt — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:06:00 +0000

When I stepped out of the shower yesterday morning, I could hear helicopters hovering directly over the house. The first thing I thought was, "I must have really screwed up this year's tax return." Continue reading →

Tax Day whimper

Curt — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 16:52:00 +0000

I left some time this morning before work to photocopy my 2011 business tax returns and to get my first 2012 payment in the mail. I was surprised by the lack of activity both at Kinko’s and at the post … Continue reading →

Last-minute tax filing

Curt — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:38:09 +0000

The blogs I follow have been eerily quiet today. I guess I’m not the only last-minute tax filer. I already have an estimate good enough to request an extension, but I’m determined to beat the deadline this year. I have … Continue reading →

Meat Friday

Curt — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:19:46 +0000

Today is Easter Friday. It’s a so-called Meat Friday because the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays is set aside on solemnities, and the entire first octave of Easter is a solemnity. So what does my wife plan … Continue reading →

Have you checked out my travel blog?

Curt — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 01:43:23 +0000

I haven’t published much here recently, but I notice there are still a few of you following. Have you checked out my travel blog? It’s called Pilgrimito, and it’s at http://pilgrimito.com/. You should have a look!

The debt ceiling crisis and the myth of the Clinton surplus

Curt — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 01:38:34 +0000

Whether he meant to do so or not, President Obama has tossed the myth of the Clinton “surplus” under the bus. About a dozen years ago, the Clinton administration claimed its government finances were in a surplus for the first … Continue reading →

Gratuitous cat photo: Russy on alert

Curt — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 17:02:00 +0000

Here’s a photo of Russy, standing on high alert on the kitchen counter. I have no idea what he sees or thinks he sees. The picture was taken March 23 this year. If that’s not enjoyable enough for you, you … Continue reading →

Unusual: A two-dollar bill in my change

Curt — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 02:44:01 +0000

I suddenly felt hungry on my way home from work this afternoon, so I decided to stop at a Dunkin’ Donuts for a small coffee and a donut. The bill came to $2.71. I gave the cashier $20.76. He gave … Continue reading →

Humor at work: Hear what?

Curt — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:20:00 +0000

I’m the guy who’s generally really quiet at work. That said, when I do open my mouth to say something, I want it to be memorable. Today, for some reason, there was a high-pitched whistle in my work area. I … Continue reading →

Yes, it’s Election Day today

Curt — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:42:10 +0000

I want to remind my U.S. readers that today is Election Day. In particular, some of my family members get upset if I don’t put a mention of it in my blog. Of course, last November was an exception, since … Continue reading →

The price of free chicken

Curt — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:42:47 +0000

Basha’s, a local supermarket chain here in Arizona, has been recently promoting rotisserie chickens for $4.99. I haven’t tried one yet, so I don’t know if it’s a good price or not. For me, the more interesting part of the … Continue reading →

Kentucky Fried Chicken: new menu, same lousy service

Curt — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:48:29 +0000

As I was reading Wise Bread this morning, I found a coupon for a free two-piece grilled chicken meal at Kentucky Fried Chicken. I was telling friends this weekend, I'm a little surprised Kentucky Fried Chicken is pushing its new grilled chicken so aggressively; it seems to me the grilled chicken fad started and ended over a decade ago. Continue reading →

Upgrading memory on the Mac mini

Curt — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:01:30 +0000

Several months ago I bought a 2 GB RAM upgrade for my Mac mini. Admittedly it was a total impulse buy. I saw the price, thought it was a bargain, and snagged it. After the new memory arrived, I finally … Continue reading →

First experience: Sonoran hot dogs in Phoenix

Curt — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 21:17:33 +0000

I read an article in the USAirways in-flight magazine about the Sonoran hot dogs sold by street vendors in Tucson. A Sonoran hot dog is a hot dog wrapped in bacon and fried in bacon grease, served in a bakery roll with mayonnaise, pinto beans, diced tomatoes, onions, and whatever else is available. I wondered aloud whether similar hot dogs were also sold on the streets of Phoenix. Continue reading →

Into the darkness

Curt — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:34:46 +0000

After not having flown at night in over three years, I recently decided it was time to regain my night currency. In the interest of safety, I thought it would be a good idea to take an instructor along. Last … Continue reading →

Tying the knot

Curt — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:48:21 +0000

Some of you have commented to me privately that I’ve been on a blog holiday for way too long now. When I started this blog, I had a personal goal of posting a minimum of once every calendar month. It … Continue reading →

There’s an election today?

Curt — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 21:26:40 +0000

Just to remind to those of you who live here in Phoenix, there’s a general election today. In addition to an election for mayor and, in some districts, city council members, there are also six ballot questions. One of the … Continue reading →

Arachnid encounter

Curt — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 04:29:01 +0000

Despite having lived in Arizona for over three years, I’ve somehow managed never to see a living scorpion until just a few days ago. I wouldn’t have seen it at all if it hadn’t stung my girlfriend a few moments … Continue reading →

Godsmack at Dodge

Curt — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:51:40 +0000

I enjoyed the music at the Godsmack concert at Dodge Theatre here in Phoenix last night. What pissed me off were the other people there. I started becoming irritated only a few moments after stepping out of the car, when … Continue reading →