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Our Nightmare - On the News - More Pictures - May 14, 2008

Newschannel 8 ran with yesterday's Landlord Nightmare story with their dramatic "Only on 8" tag line.

It's good to know that the local news organizations have my blog on their list of news sources. (Actually, it's probably ORBlogs.com, an aggregator of Oregon themed blogs where they probably first picked up the story).

Sara saw the story this morning called Marie a "movie star".

This is the kids roomThis is the closet in the kids roomThis is the sink in the upstairs bathroom

Landlord Nightmare - With Pictures - May 12, 2008

We've owned the 4-plex for almost 6 years now, and while we have been warned of the "nightmare tenant", we have been lucky and not met them.

Until now.

The scary thing is that people were actually living in this filth - with small children. We called Child Protective Services and unfortunately this isn't bad enough for them to do something.

The combination of garbage and feces results in a smell that is truly heinous. I guessing they only left because neither of the toilets is working.

1st step is to get the stuff hauled out. That will be a couple of truckloads (@500 each). Then we've got a company coming to clean the joint. They are considering the job a "bio-hazard" and will be in full bunny suits with gloves, masks and shoes ($60/hour - I'm estimating about 20 hours). Then we will have to replace the oven, likely the washer/dryer, dishwasher and the coup de gras, rebuilding the bathroom upstairs, which is likely a total loss.

So much for that big tax refund I got last week. I think that George W's economic stimulus payment is probably gone too.

Welcome to our nightmare - from the front door.Welcome to our nightmare - up the stairsWant to use our bathroom?Maybe you'd like to try upstairs?

What's Next? Lifetime Achievement? - April 22, 2008

My six year old daughter Sara likes Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus. Thankfully she is still in the "like" stages so we weren't obligated to overspend when she was here live in concert. Miley's been hitting the media circuit very hard over the past few months and is becoming the "teen sensation".

As an icon for my daughter, she's doing pretty well. The show is occasionally funny - even for a fat balding, 40ish Dad. Her music is actually pretty catchy and is in my iTunes randomizer. She's not been arrested, shown up intoxicated to an event, been caught in compromising positions by paparazzi, or become pregnant. Any one (or several) seemingly considered a "badge of honor" by the most recent crop of teen queens (i.e. Brittney, Lindsay, Jaime Lynn).

But there is evidence, that Miley is getting a little big for her britches...

AP: Miley Cyrus to write her memoirs

The multi-hyphenate teen star has signed a book deal to tell the story of her young life

Memoirs of a 15 year old?

I don't doubt that it will probably become part of our home library. I just hope there are some good lessons included in there about how important it is to be good to Dad!

My ERA is 456.92 - Hey Coach, I don't want to pitch anymore. - April 18, 2008

A Japanese high school team was losing 66-0 with 1 out in the second inning before somebody noticed that the game might not be fun anymore. That might be embarrassing for the kids and the team, but I'll hang the "idiot" label on the coach.

The hapless hurler had already sent down over 250 pitches, allowing 26 runs in the first inning and 40 in the second before Kawamoto asked for mercy.

He let a teenager throw 250 pitches? These days even professionals barely throw 100 pitches in a game.

Also the kid gave up 26 runs in the first inning and he runs him out to pitch the second?

Then it takes 40 more runs to cross the plate before he "asked for mercy"?

Assuming the runs weren't all home runs or walks, weren't there 8 other players on the field? Had they played the game before? With 30 guys going up to the plate, I think even my TBallers could have got three outs.

Lastly, what was the other coach thinking?

Guy should lose his job for negligence and child endangerment.

Reuters: School team hit for 66 runs in two innings

On the Sunny Side of the Street - April 17, 2008

There is one good thing about having layoffs at the company you work for.... close in parking spaces are much easier to find.