No... I mean literally. That most mystical, urban legend and oft-used explanation for why there are mis-matched socks in the pile of freshly dried laundry is true!! The cause of the malfunction was determined to be socks that wedged under some gasket-mechanism-thing-a-ma-jiggy. Glad I didn't have to pay for the service call! Nor do I understand why someone on the other end of the customer service line, either time I called, could have suggested I look under the gasket-thing-a-ma-jiggy to see if, perchance, the washer had gotten hungry and decided to prey upon helpless items of footwear.
We now have a working washer, and a new nifty little sack in which to wash said helpless items of footwear. We will see if I remember to USE it.
Other happenings; the pool is now fully functional. I would be delighted at this news if the air temperature was such that one wanted to go for a dip, or if the water in said pool was more than 8* above the freezing mark. Neither are true, so for now I will be glad in the appearance of my new, shiny pool. Knowing the men who live with me, I would suspect they will be swimming in it by April 1st. For me, I need to wait for the water to get to a respectable temperature; say, about 85*. Unfortunately, around here, by the time the pool gets warm enough for me, it is no longer cooling off in the evenings, so the water goes from "tolerable" to "its a bath-tub" in about a week. Such is life in the desert.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Murphy's Law is alive and well, and blooming in Arizona
Wouldn't you know it, if something can go wrong, it will go wrong, and at the most impossible time. 2 years ago, it was my ovens that konked out with 2/3 of Minnesota scheduled to arrive in minutes. This year, it is the washing machine that died, mid-cycle, and was holding my clothes hostage for a while. (Luckily for me, and for my clothes, the nice gal on the other line at Sears seemed to know the magic sequence for unlocking the door)
Add to that: No sooner do we get the newly re-plastered pool filled with a small lake's worth gallons and gallons of water, do we realize that the electric motor that runs the filer is kaput. As in, sparking-making-noises-that-frighten-children-with-plumes-of-smoke kind of kaput. The good news? We can get a rebuilt one. The bad news? We still have to pay for it.
Add to that: a roof that leaks, that causes the drywall on the ceiling to stain and begin to fall down. Oh, and that makes the windows look as though a large sneeze will dislodge them from their sill.
I am sure there are other maladies that I can pile on here, but I think I'm exhausted enough just going over these.
In theory, we are supposed to put this money pit house on the market March 1st. At this point, I don't think it is very likely we will make that deadline.
Anyone know how to replace a roof?
Add to that: No sooner do we get the newly re-plastered pool filled with
Add to that: a roof that leaks, that causes the drywall on the ceiling to stain and begin to fall down. Oh, and that makes the windows look as though a large sneeze will dislodge them from their sill.
I am sure there are other maladies that I can pile on here, but I think I'm exhausted enough just going over these.
In theory, we are supposed to put this
Anyone know how to replace a roof?
Friday, February 08, 2008
Today's local paper - front page news... FINALLY
Copper Ridge PTO treasurer accused of stealing $200,000
A Scottsdale PTO treasurer was arrested on suspicion of stealing nearly $200,000 from the organization since 2005, Scottsdale police said Thursday.
Theresa Collins, 43, surrendered to police and was booked on charges of theft and released pending a court hearing.
Collins was treasurer for the Copper Ridge School Parent Teacher Organization. Police said she told them she had a problem with alcohol, but that she said she had enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Calls to Copper Ridge PTO board members were not returned.
Scottsdale Unified School District spokeswoman Marijke Van Fleet said the district and school are separate from the parent organization.
"We don't oversee PTO leadership or how they do their financings," Van Fleet said.
Police said that Collins told them that anyone who knows her would say that her actions were completely out of character.
Collins has made arrangements to pay back the PTO and already has returned an undisclosed amount, said police, who provided this sequence of events:
On Dec. 12, PTO co-presidents Cheryl Crone and Nina Hawkins, along with the principal and an assistant principal of Copper Ridge School, contacted a police officer concerning an error with the balance of the PTO bank account.
The next day, Crone and another PTO representative confronted Collins at a restaurant about the checks she had been writing to herself since February 2005.
Collins said that there were too many people who had access to the account, so she would write a check to herself and deposit it into her own bank account before transferring it to a third account at Wells Fargo Bank, with Copper Ridge PTO as the account holder.
Collins was supposed to deliver all PTO financial records and her laptop, but Crone never received them. This led to Collins' arrest and release Dec. 28.
The PTO initially wanted to have Collins criminally prosecuted but has since agreed to work out a civil agreement."
But wait... that last part bothers me. If it had been me, and I walked into someone's house and took 200,000$, you bet your tushie I'd be in prison right now.
A Scottsdale PTO treasurer was arrested on suspicion of stealing nearly $200,000 from the organization since 2005, Scottsdale police said Thursday.
Theresa Collins, 43, surrendered to police and was booked on charges of theft and released pending a court hearing.
Collins was treasurer for the Copper Ridge School Parent Teacher Organization. Police said she told them she had a problem with alcohol, but that she said she had enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Calls to Copper Ridge PTO board members were not returned.
Scottsdale Unified School District spokeswoman Marijke Van Fleet said the district and school are separate from the parent organization.
"We don't oversee PTO leadership or how they do their financings," Van Fleet said.
Police said that Collins told them that anyone who knows her would say that her actions were completely out of character.
Collins has made arrangements to pay back the PTO and already has returned an undisclosed amount, said police, who provided this sequence of events:
On Dec. 12, PTO co-presidents Cheryl Crone and Nina Hawkins, along with the principal and an assistant principal of Copper Ridge School, contacted a police officer concerning an error with the balance of the PTO bank account.
The next day, Crone and another PTO representative confronted Collins at a restaurant about the checks she had been writing to herself since February 2005.
Collins said that there were too many people who had access to the account, so she would write a check to herself and deposit it into her own bank account before transferring it to a third account at Wells Fargo Bank, with Copper Ridge PTO as the account holder.
Collins was supposed to deliver all PTO financial records and her laptop, but Crone never received them. This led to Collins' arrest and release Dec. 28.
The PTO initially wanted to have Collins criminally prosecuted but has since agreed to work out a civil agreement."
But wait... that last part bothers me. If it had been me, and I walked into someone's house and took 200,000$, you bet your tushie I'd be in prison right now.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
The blog of shame
Evidently the news of our Treasurer making off with a sizable amount of cash did make the news. Here is a link to the story. I was hoping for more, including video, but hey - a mugshot will do...
From FOX NEWS 10 in PHOENIX:
From FOX NEWS 10 in PHOENIX:
She was supposed to be helping with the finances, but instead police say Scottsdale PTO Treasure was helping herself to thousands of dollars. Theresa Collin is under arrest, accused of stealing $200,000 from the Copper Ridge Parent Teacher Organization. Police were tipped off by two members of the group who found Collins had written several checks to herself from the account. | |
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Snow!
Greta, my dear MIL, always giggles that we in Arizona find snow to be newsworthy. When one is in Minnesota, with a high of -14 and 10' of snow on the ground on any given day, I can understand why a few flurries are not exactly something that needs to be splashed across every newspaper in town.
But here in Arizona, at least on the heat-island that is Maricopa County, snow is a rarity and will certainly make the top news story at 10pm for at least a day or two.
It also validates all of us who are transplants in our fear that we have become completely
thin-blooded and risk turning to stone if the temperature drops below 40*. It's not that we are merely wimpy, nor have we abandoned the hearty constitution of our ancestors or done them shame... it really WAS cold!!
Here is proof...
But here in Arizona, at least on the heat-island that is Maricopa County, snow is a rarity and will certainly make the top news story at 10pm for at least a day or two.
It also validates all of us who are transplants in our fear that we have become completely
thin-blooded and risk turning to stone if the temperature drops below 40*. It's not that we are merely wimpy, nor have we abandoned the hearty constitution of our ancestors or done them shame... it really WAS cold!!Here is proof...
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