Checking In

A catch-all, catch-up post

There are 1,132 posts filed in Checking In (this is page 37 of 114).

Digging out East Raleigh

Volunteers assist with storm cleanup

I took some time off from work today to participate in volunteer efforts to clean the storm debris out of the neighborhood streets. The city’s Community Services department collected contact information for interested people to join in with dragging trees to the street.

At 10 AM, folks met at Lions Park for a safety briefing. Then after a waiver was signed, participants received a vest and pair of gloves. Then volunteers were sent to the field staging area at the Raleigh Boulevard Food Lion parking lot, where they boarded buses and vans to move into the neighborhoods. That way a bunch of cars weren’t parking along streets crowded with storm debris.

I took two other volunteers with me in my car and we drove up Millbank. Right beyond the first intersection (Brighton), we found a work crew clearing a yard of tree limbs. Feeling this was as good a place as any to pitch in, we hopped out and began to work. A construction crew was there volunteering as well, and with all the helping hands (and two chain saws), the yard was clear in no time.
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Raleigh Tornado, Part II

My night did not last long, though. It was too quiet and my urge to put my neighborhood back to right was too strong. I reluctantly left my bed and wandered through a dark home, wondering what I would do without any electricity or daylight.

I ate a breakfast of two cold mini-bagels and cream cheese, with an orange. The fridge temperature was about 50 degrees but I didn’t feel brave enough to get the other items from it. I picked up the paper from the driveway and mulled what to do next. A few neighbors stopped to chat after the sun had come up and we traded stories and tips. I got word that our power would be out for another three days. Turning down a “coffee run” offer, I gathered my gloves and new wheelbarrow and made a decision to go back to Longview to help clear trees.
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Raleigh Tornado, Part I

Boy, that doesn’t happen every day. A huge tornado roared through the Triangle yesterday, leaving a path of destruction across Wake County. Skywarn spotters reported that the Lowe’s hardware store in Apex was smashed. Other reports told of brick buildings on South Saunders Street being busted. Downtown, there are streetlights out everywhere and trees blocking many streets on the east part of town. Here at home, I’m fortunate nothing happened to our home but we’ve been without power since about 3:45 PM yesterday. I’ve been keeping the dog company while Kelly and the kids are in Virginia for a few days.
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Family bonds

I got the chance to take the kids to school this morning. After I gave each of the kids a hug and walked them to the door, I was thrilled to watch them give each other a hug before they went to their own classrooms.

Now, if that’s not a great way to start the day, I don’t know what is!

In St. Charles

I’m finishing up my first 24 hours in St. Charles. Been a day of sales training, though this time around I haven’t been the one doing the training. That may change tomorrow, though.

Things are starting to get exciting with work. I may be busy very soon now with that, and that’s a good thing. I’m enjoying my job and chances are I will enjoy it even more in the near future.

Great three day weekend

I took the day off Friday thinking I would be going to the Rush concert with my brother. Once the date was moved, I opted to take the family to the North Carolina Zoo instead. Before I left, though, I welcomed two new neighbors to the neighborhood.

We made it to the zoo around lunchtime. After buying our season membership, the first thing we did was eat our lunch on the member deck. It was fun remembering the last time we had all eaten there: strollers were involved!
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Talking to the Digital Connectors about blogging

I was invited to the Saint Monica Teen Center to speak tonight on the topic of blogging to the kids involved with Raleigh’s Digital Connectors. I’d been looking forward to this talk for over a week as I love speaking to kids about technology.

Not having a real outline on what I should discuss, I began by explaining how I got into blogging, what keeps me going, and then took questions about some of the stranger happenings that I’ve experienced because of my blog. After nearly ten years of blogging, I’ve gained quite a few of these “strange experiences” and my biggest problem tonight was deciding which ones I wanted to share!
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Transaction canceled

I posted about a fake “transaction canceled” email I got but today I experienced a real canceled transaction.

I’ve been looking around for an LG Optimus V phone and thought I’d found the perfect one on Craigslist. It was priced at 60% of what a new phone costs:

VIRGIN MOBILE ANDROID – $120 (RALEIGH)
Date: 2011-03-28, 7:30PM EDT

THIS IS THE LG OPTIMUS V BRAND NEW IN BOX CALL 919-758-xxxx this is a touch screen

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Air horn

Working from home, I’ve gotten a good idea about the things that go on in the neighborhood. Yesterday there was something quite unusual. In the early afternoon, Kelly and I both heard an extremely loud air horn: loud enough that it literally sounded like a train was in our back yard.

We’re used to hearing horns at our home, with a fire station a quarter-mile away and the Norfolk Southern railroad yard a mile in the other direction. Oddly, this sounded much more like a train than a fire truck. We’re still not sure what it was.

Aflac Fires Gilbert Gottfried as Voice of Its Duck – NYTimes.com

I came to realize in my dabblings with the voiceover business that Gilbert Gottfried had one of the top jobs in the business. For a mere few hours spent in the sound booth (total – yes, total), Gottfried never had to work again. It’s a shame for him that Gottfried got canned for insensitive jokes he posted on Twitter about Japan.

Aflac is searching for a new voice. Now, how can I make myself sound like a duck?

Aflac fired the voice of its spokesduck, Gilbert Gottfried, after the comedian made insensitive remarks about the disaster in Japan.The decision by the insurer on Monday came after the actor, long known for making inappropriate comments, posted messages on Twitter that made light of the fallout from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

via Aflac Fires Gilbert Gottfried as Voice of Its Duck – NYTimes.com.