White Lightning Axiom: Redux

It's here. It's finally Friday. For a short week, it sure has been a real nut-grinder. Last night, there was a THIRD accident on the PA turnpike, forcing all manner of additional volume to the local roads. Delish! On top of that, the malapropos weather we have been enjoying has come to an abrupt and brutal end. It had dropped below freezing for more than one night in a row. This event has spurred me into action. I've pulled back the graphite rods in the Manor Primary Reactor Core #1A and cranked up the central heating turbines. There goes the slush-fund. Burning money ... dang. Of course, it only kicks over when it gets below 55/60F on the 1st floor. It stays a bit warmer ... more temperate ... within the upper floors. Heat rises, ya know. The next morning (Friday), I was up and rolling. Feed the dogs, kids, get every one to use the 'potty', empty fire-pit, build a new creche for the next evening's fire with the spent wood-coals and twigs. Then off to the showers. Of course, after I shook off the worst of the morning fatigue, brushed my teeth, shaved, showered and dressed, I went back down to turn on the psy-ops electronics for the hounds only to see a ROARING fire going in the stove! DAMMIT! Apparently one of the coals that I plucked out with my bare hands was not as dead as I had thought. It was warm enough to relight the fire. So, I'll have to build a new Boy Scout Fire Pyramid after Dodge Ball tonight. At least the Hounds will enjoy a nice warm fire this fine Friday Morning. Oh, and one other thing. That five pounds I gained over the vacation ... I've nearly eliminated it already. Yeay for me. Don't hate me because I am beautiful, Hate me because I'm a self-righteous prig. (insert grin here)

Technorati Tags:Fatigue | Swimming | Karate | Children | Fire | Traffic | Turnpike | Accident

Labels: Accident, Children, Fatigue, Fire, Swimming, Tang So Doo, Traffic, Turnpike

Nothing happened on Wednesday. We slept in, went to work, went swimming, TSD and then ate and went back to bed. I love being dull. Oh, I did squeeze in a shower or two ... you know, because a man needs to shower sometimes. Adult TSD class is filling up. We have three new recruits to fill out the ranks. And they are GIRLS! No more locker talk amongst the guys ... we have to be 'gentlemen' now. Sheesh.

In other news, there was ANOTHER accident on the turnpike on Thursday Morning. Nothing but a blip on the news, but I could see when I drove OVER the turnpike, it was backed up to friggen Italy. Apparently a semi hit a delivery truck between 309 and 611 ... and it all fell like dominoes from there. I have not sympathy today because my back-pain has returned. If I'm going to be miserable, so is everyone else!

Technorati Tags:Accident | Traffic | Karate | Children | Turnpike

Labels: Accident, Back Pain, Tang So Doo, Traffic, Turnpike

Time, time, time ... see what has become of me. I'm showing my age there, eh? In any even, yesterday was a bit interesting. At a little after 0600 this morning, the sounds of emergency vehicles wailing filled the Manor grounds ... shortly followed by an incongruous symphony of howls by the Cybernetic Hounds. It was as if they were calling out to their foundling brethren to form a gathering or quorum. I was oblivious to the flock of circling news vultures helicopters thinking it was the usual strike force training from the local Marines at the air-base. I did not realize the extent of the calamity till I tried to actually get to work. I even drove right over the scene of the incident. Turns out, the main East/West artery of Philly was severed ... shut down at 0620... oblivious.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike has reopened following a series of early crashes that closed both directions between the Philadelphia and Willow Grove exits.

Some delays remain, but motorists who were stuck for hours have probably made it through by now.

The highway was blocked by wreckage from three separate accidents involving nine vehicles, according to State Trooper Kevin Rathman.

At about 6:20 a.m. a westbound commercial tractor trailer lost control and crashed through the concrete median into oncoming eastbound traffic, colliding with four vehicles.

One of the vehicles, a pickup truck, burst into flames.

A passenger of one of the vehicles was taken to Frankford-Torresdale Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he said.

The tractor-trailer driver was taken to Abington Memorial Hospital with minor injuries.

"No, no, no, there is no fatality," Rathman said, correcting some mistaken reports on radio and TV.

Two additional collisions occurred in the aftermath, he said. No one was hurt in those accidents.

Urk. Good thing I filled up the gas tank the night before.

Other things of note. We went swimming yesterday, but I did not participate in either Karate classes because ... I forgot my uniform. The Tyrant's stuff was packed, but I had neglected to check the supply bags before loading them into the cargo hatch of the SuperSaturn POS. Argh ... I really wanted to practice my next staff form too. The Tyrants acted up in the worst ways since I was not out there hammering them into line. This will continue all week till they get over the 'Grandparent Disease'. It's all fine and dandy that I missed the class though. I've been a bit ill of late ... AGAIN. I picked up something in the last days of vacation, most likely from the Mrs. It happens, I'm a virus magnet.

Technorati Tags:Traffic | Swimming | Karate | Children | Accident | Illness

Labels: Accident, Children, Illness, Tang So Doo, Traffic

In my home state of Minnesota, at any time I could have in residence; 28 Aunts&Uncles, 150 cousins and an innumerable horde of second cousins and shirt-tail relatives. The awful tragedy of 35 year old bridge collapse yesterday at rush hour, I'm working with the 'No news is good news' paradigm. To date, there are 4 confirmed fatalities and 30 reported missing. There were 50 cars and a school bus on the bridge at a time. That school bus had 52 children on it. I grieve for the wayworn commuters greeted with a watery end beneath the brackish waters of the Mississippi. Then, 52 children NOT dead.

UPDATE: Take a close look at this image.

Technorati Tags:Children

Labels: Accident, Children