Two weeks ago, we watch Seinfeld's Bees as a family movie on a Saturday afternoon.  ZRock loves it, LRock likes it a lot, I think it's good in parts, but writing is not quite clever enough in total.

An hour later, we get set to eat our dinner outside, as always.  I step on a bee, it stings me.  I curse quietly in the bathroom so ZRock does not get upset.  While doing so, I hear ZRock start screaming, because he's been stung too.

A few weeks later, this weekend, we are setting the table for our outside pizza dinner, discussing that crazy evening.  10 minutes later ZRock starts screaming; he's been stung.  But this time through a sock, thank goodness.

Conclusion from a bit of internet sleuthing: We have ground wasps.  This is a bummer because we never used to wear shoes outside, and now we have to.


Email to landlord in part, but verbatim:
I'm guessing, but my guess is that there is a nest a ground/mud wasps living in the patio area by the kitchen sliding door, perhaps in the parts of mud between the concrete, or simply elsewhere (obviously, perhaps in more than one place) around the yard. Can you please see what can be done to control them?

Email response in part, but verbatim:
Sorry to hear about the wasp stings, especially from stepping on them, I've never experienced that before.   I would suggest looking under the eaves of the house to see if there are any nests or if you can see where they are living and get some Wasp spray from Home Depot - that's probably the quickest way to get rid of them, unless they are coming from a neighbors yard.


MJRock has been visiting for an extended weekend and it's been great.  ZRock is in his usual heaven with her here and has informed me regularly that he has no need to play with me or talk to me unless he has a need for food, water, using the computer, using the television or brushing his teeth until she leaves.  Which is all ok because he is so happy she's here, and I am too. 


Funny only if you watch the whole thing, and preferably also if you like cats.


Poker was good two times ago, and then a disaster the following time.  So bad I need to reassess my game, for the hundredth time.  I'm considering a challenge of starting on the lowest stakes and not moving up until I've hit a pre-determined win or winrate.  Not sure I can go all the way down to 1-2 though.  Considering a self-imposed requirement of a net win of 100BB at each level, starting at 3-6.


Obama is going to win.  I re-registered anyway, plus we've got like a trillion ballot initiatives to fight over.

This one was definitely going to win and now may lose, as she should.


Thanks to ERock for showing me Glocap; there are only two interesting high level jobs there, and he sent me both.  Ridiculous application system (SAT scores?  Really?) but interesting sounding positions.  It's time to do something, retirement has become boring.


I've decided I need a fee-based financial planner, but I'm not sure if they exist anymore.  I used a linkedin.com private question to my finance-based local-based links, and, lo, got a few leads.  Thanks everyone.


Great not good song of the day:
Like a Vibration by The Whigs

and guess where they're from!

Bonus song you have to go find, sorry:
Tidy by Dressy Bessy


Sunday morning I walk into Starbucks, a place I almost never go, and hear (Don't Go Back to) Rockville on the in-store audio.  10 minutes later I walk into Ralphs, a place I go rarely, and hear them again, a deep track off a recent album.  I find this unusual.

Related: I know what I want for Christmas.


Have a great week.