I guess technically these would be called sleetmen:
Also, it is good to know that even in these trying 21°-with-a-windchill-of-5° times that the ladies at the Beer-to-Go down the street keep their doors wide open until 10pm.
Are you prepared for tonight’s ICE STORM OF THE CENTURY WEEK? The forecast is for a small accumulation of ice in the DFW area starting this afternoon through tonight. I’m heading out shortly to purchase provisions (you know, Cokes, junk food, duct tape and plastic sheeting (oops! wrong alert!)).
I only hope this doesn’t affect our power and DirecTV capabilities tonight: I would be devastated to miss Joe Millionaire: The Aftermath.
This is my sexy new multimeter. It measures
DCV:0-200m-2-20-200±0.5%-600V±0.8%,
ACV:0-200V-600V±1.2%,
DCA:0-200u-2m-20m±1.0%-200mA±1.5%-10A±3.0%, R:0-200-2k-20k-200k±0.8%-20Mohm±1.0% and has a continuity buzzer. This saucy piece of equipment comes with a fashionable backlight and a flirty yellow holster with stand. Rowr!
So far, I have learned that the button on my jeans makes a continuous circuit.
Driving around today, Matt and I came up with a genius idea for a website: a resource for locating cheap gas in your area. Users could enter the prices at gas stations in their area and find out if they could save a few cents per gallon by going down the street. I was all set to register a domain to set the site up when I decided to google “cheap gas” and found out that two sites already beat me to the punch (like three years ago).
Gas Price Watch is the better looking of the two sites, but their information isn’t very complete: they only have data for seven stations in a 5-mile radius of my zip code.
Gas Buddy, through its local site Dallas Gas Prices, is chock-full of information. Their data is also recent: the database is set up to cycle out information that is older than 96 hours. The site also offers information on average prices in Dallas and the US (seems Dallas is averaging about 8.5¢ cheaper than the rest of the nation).
The cheapest gas listed on either site is $1.489. Have you seen anything cheaper?
Just because I don’t have a valentine of my own doesn’t mean I can’t indulge in some of the sugary delights of the holiday. The messages on these hearts, though, seem to be pushing some sort of agenda. Are candy heart makers building an army of over-sugared intelligentsia? I smell conspiracy.
I am the rockingest Pip ever.
Update: proof
I was interviewed for my hometown’s news last night. My sister is a reporter there and her station wanted to hear about what was going on in the DFW area from one of the residents (especially after she said, “You know, my sister lives in Dallas”). They needed a photo of me, so I slapped on some make-up and had Julie snap a picture. I talked to their weekend anchor via phone, and when I was talking, this graphic aired:
It’s too bad that the siding on our house makes it look like I’m in a police line-up.
CNN emailed me a news bulletin: “NASA reports losing contact with space shuttle Columbia at 9 a.m. EST prior its scheduled landing at 9:16 a.m.” “That’s unfortunate,” I thought, checking CNN’s homepage, “I hope they landed safely.” Then I had to run — I was late for my meeting.
My cell phone rang — my sister, a news reporter in Florida, who only calls in the morning if something bad has happened — “Why are you calling so early?” “GO OUTSIDE. The Space Shuttle exploded. Check the sky.” “What? Ok. … No, it’s clear. I don’t see anything.” Call waiting beeps. Ignore. “There is supposed to be debris falling all over Texas.” “Jesus, that’s awful. I’ve got to go to my meeting.”
In the car, I turn on KRLD, a local news station. They’re broadcasting CNN’s audio. I check to see whose call I missed. It was my parents. Dial up Florida. On the radio, someone is telling a story of seeing it, “…we heard a loud boom…” *GASP* “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.” “Leia?” “I *gasp*… I *sob*… I heard it. *sob* I heard the *sob*. I heard the *sob* boom. It woke me up. I heard the boom. On the radio, they said there was a boom. I heard it. It woke me up. It woke Gracie up. It shook the house.”
Congressman Pete Sessions was at the meeting. He apologized for being late and unshowered. “I was stuck to my tv this morning. In case you haven’t heard, the shuttle exploded…” Those who didn’t know in the crowd were stunned.
My prayers are with the families of the astronauts.