We just got a new mobile phone plan for Kelly. Made me wonder what “normal” is for cellphone bills.

I added a new poll to collect this info. Tell me what you pay per phone for your mobile phone service. Any other details would be cool too. Just leave them in the poll’s comment section.

This Sunday is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. I came across some witness testimonials which really got my attention. The lives of these folks changed in the early morning hours of March 28th, 1979 as they were going about their business.

Did we learn anything from the accident? Hard to say. No new nuke plants have been built in the U.S. since then, but there are plenty in operation. Training has gotten better, but by how much? Faced with dwindling or uncertain oil supplies, our energy-hungry country will need to rely on nuclear power more than ever. Is it worth the risks? I admit I don’t know.

Reading these links at least gives me an understanding of what might have occured, but it also gives me a look at what might happen again. That look ain’t pretty.

More linkage for you:

PBS: Meltdown at Three Mile Island
The Nuclear Tourist: What Happened At Three Mile Island?
Washington Post: A Nuclear Nightmare In Pennsylvania
Inside Three Mile Island

The weekend has come and gone. Basketball ruled the days. My Pack team lost, but that is to be expected. At least they were in good company in their exit.

Hallie was running a fever all weekend, which is never fun. Thankfully, she’s back to her old self today (with a vengeance!)

The three miles or so I biked yesterda were refreshing! I’m still feeling fantastic from having done that. It shows me I really, really, really need to exercise on a regular basis. As I type this, I’m itching to go biking again!

This is a week full of time away from work. Got my pre-op visit today at UNC, which should be hours of boredom, punctuated by minutes of extreme expensiveness. Thursday and Friday I’m out for my surgery, with Friday being a recovery day. My plan is to be back to work on Monday, but we’ll see.

I spent part of Saturday evening hanging out with my friends. It was fun, though I think my mind was somewhere else. They asked me if I was going to blog my surgery. “Heck, yeah!” was my answer. No way am I going to sit immobile in a hospital bed without writing or doing something.

Kelly and I are going out for steak Wednesday night, as it will be my last opportunity for a large meal for a month or more. I suppose I’ll be losing some weight in the next few weeks. Good times, good times.

I’m not happy with my Wolfpack right now. It used to be the mantra was “find a way to win.” Well, that’s been replaced with “find a way to lose.” A twenty point lead evaporates against Maryland in the ACC Tournament. An eleven point lead disappears with 3:30 to go against Vanderbilt today.

N.C. State gave the game away in both cases. What will it take to start putting teams away for good?

Today is the first day of spring. And what a beautiful day it is! We just got back from a walk around Lake Johnson Park. Now it’s lunchtime before we do some work in the yard. This evening, we’ve got dinner at the Reid’s, which is always fun.

I’d say this spring is getting off to a pretty good start!

Type “the next president of the United States” into Google and see what comes up first.

Here’s one sent in by loyal mt.net reader Mike B. Thanks, Mike!
—
Two boys in Raleigh were playing basketball when one of them was
attacked by a rabid Rottweiler. Thinking quickly, the other boy
ripped a board off a nearby fence, wedged it into the dog’s
collar and twisted it, breaking the dog’s neck.

A reporter from the News & Observer witnessed the incident and
rushed over to interview the boy. The reporter began entering
data into his laptop, beginning with the headline: “Brave Young
Heels Fan Saves Friend From Jaws Of Vicious Animal.”

“But I’m not a Heels fan,” the little hero interjected.

“Sorry,” replied the reporter. “But since we’re in North
Carolina, I just assumed you were.”

Hitting the delete key, the reporter begins again, “NC State Fan
Rescues Friend From Horrific Dog Attack.” “But I’m not a State
fan either,” the boy responds. The reporter says, “I assumed
everybody in this state was either for the Heels or the
Wolfpack. What team do you root for?”

“I’m a Duke fan,” the boy says.

Hitting the delete key, the reporter begins again, “Arrogant
Little Yankee Bastard Kills Beloved Family Pet.”

The daily grind at work has not been all that satisfying lately. I suppose the repetition has begun to wear on my the way Vann long ago said it would. I try to add a little creativity into each demo. That’s usually enough to keep my engaged. But now I’m doing some scripted presentations which take all the fun out of things. If I don’t find a way to jazz these up I believe I’ll quickly go nuts.

The road trips I’ve taken seem like the best parts now. I love the unknown territory each one presents. There’s no doubt that exploring is a big part of my personality. I value the new friendships I’ve made on each trip, as well as the skills I take from every one. If it weren’t for the extended time away from my wonderful family, I’d be happy with the traveling.

I suppose I’ll have to be more creative in how I do my job, so that I can focus on those fun things that made it so thrilling at the start. My job satisfaction is largely up to me.