First, and most frivolously, I finished the wedding album I was producing! Yeah! It’s uploaded and should be delivered next Thursday. Then I’ll mail it to California to the bride and groom. Now I can work on the coffee table book for my trip up the east coast. Yippy skippy! There is definite Snoopy dance goin’ on in this corner.
Second, and far more seriously, if you haven’t heard (or read in my blog), Colorado Springs has a slight forest fire problem. We got federal assistance today because this is one of something like ten fires in the state. In fact, a second arson fire was started on the south side of town today and fire services contained a prairie fire about two hours east of us. Like I said the other day, fire tends to bring out the rest of the firebugs and the arsonists have been busy. Unfortunately, we’re in the middle of a string of very warm days (last night the weather dude (one of the guys I complain about regularly) advised of 99° F (basically 37.2° C) for today and tomorrow and just slightly lower for the remainder of the week… no bueno!). And since heat is one of the elements necessary for a fire to spread, this is particularly bad. Also not helping is the tree-hugger mentality here in Colorado. Environmentalist cuckoobirds pitched a fit regarding basic fire control practices with one of the largest forests in the nation. A forest that’s been ravaged by the pine beetle. A forest that is 50% dead kindling just waiting for a flame to pass through. They got upset over backburns and didn’t want to pay for clearing of the dead trees. That’s one of the reasons the High Park Fire has been so catastrophic. That was started by lightning and, as such, is being allowed to burn freely through uninhabited areas, but has been a pain in the arse in inhabited areas. I know a handful of people in the evacuation zones for the Colorado Springs fire and as of this evening, it appears the fire will crest Queen’s Canyon. If it does, some of those evacuees will most likely lose their home.
I was talking about this with Tom at physical therapy this evening. I knew his folks have a house in the neighborhood that was evacuated. Turns out their home is on the first street that will burn if the fire climbs the canyon walls. Not good.
Third, and kind of depressing, Tom is leaving the clinic. This news is sad for Beth’s back, but good for Tom’s career. He’s a PT Assistant and is moving to Phoenix (where it’s 173°F during the summer–well, not really, but it is ridiculously hot!) to get his schooling finished so he can apply to grad school to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) like Scott and his wife, Dy. I’m proud of him, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it!
Fourth, and amusingly alarming, I spoke with a lady today who accused another insurance carrier of harrassing her. Ladies and Germs, please note that if you refuse to answer and/or return their calls, they will just keep calling. I went over this with her for almost a full hour. You’ve got to be kidding me. Cuckoobird. She was convinced the agent was illegally settling claims. The fact that agents don’t settle claims or write checks to settle claims was more than she could comprehend. She refused to believe anything I said for a good thirty minutes. I eventually wore her down (not over, I definitely wore her down).
Speaking of physical therapy (okay, not at the moment, I know… but I was prior to that)… I went to the gym yesterday afternoon and again this morning. Things are tight in my back–Tom actually had me wincing, flinching, and cringing–and affected the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. I’m still planning to go back the gym after work tomorrow because as promised, after a week of lazing around, I’m cracking down!
Well, I’m tired and need to sleep. G’night!
