MuseCube is getting less and less interesting. There are a couple of people who seem to have their heads screwed on straight but for the most part their a reflection of a miopic world. Does the word "petty" ring a bell? The world is made up of small minds and this bunch confuses "glamour" with something worth while.

I've posted pictures on MuseCube and I've expressed opinions - all in the hope that I was hanging about with like minded people. Reading this morning has put me off in the extreme. One photographer is attempting to make an artistic statement - and getting judged (or misjudged) by morons using inappropriate standards. Another photographer who's work I like removes a piece and resubmits because he doesn't like the comments - mine in particular, I think. :::shudder:::

Better, I think, to simply do my thing.

MSNBC - Altercation: "the most heartbreaking thing about F 9/11 is that we are now engaged in the national argument over a film that we should have had about going to war."

Sleep is not coming. It seems there are so many things to think about but really, there is nothing.

We spent a little time at the new house this evening. Ray and Jackie came by to take a look. I think I got Ray. He was coming down the stairs and noticed a light bulb was out in the fixture above the stairs. I told him I was going to wait for the rest of them to burn out and then hire out changing the bulbs. I'm sure he didn't kinow quite what to make of that.

Jackie went through the trash an dcame up with a couple of things she liked; a little carved wooden box and a metal heart for her grand daughter. Bernie is alove and well in his daughters. It's what Brenie would have done.

The place seems smaller than when we committed to it. I'm sure it's just a perception; maybe a little buyers remorse. It does not have the sweeping vistas I'd envisioned, but it does have views. The two bedrooms are going to be smaller than Candy wants to hoouse her office and the futon. The space is fine for me, but then I'm not trying to get dual usage out of them.

Candy will be using the loft for her quilting area. That looks to me to be a little on the small side, too. Have we settled for the smaller refrigerator solution?

We closed on the new house this morning. We found that the owners were further up the creek than we anticipated. According to the paperwork that I saw, they had to come up with about $10K in cash to sell the house. (We had to come up with nothing, zero, zip, zilch.) Candy speculates they're in the midst of a divorce. Why else would they have settled on a house here in Tucson while he hasn't decided on which of two job offers he wants to take ... One in Boston, the other in San Diego? He bought her a house. Simple as that.

The packers come tomorrow. The truck comes on Wednesday and then we're out of here.

There are still some issues with the house:

1. The drip irrigation system is still leaking like there's no tomorrow
   
2. We have no idea how to arm and use the security system
   
3. The blind in the living room is stuck
   
4. We don't have the code for the garage key pad
   

But the hell with it all. None of it real matters. All of those items are just inconveniences. And, oh by the way, one of the bulbs over the stairway is burned out.

I'd planned to go up to Chaco Canyon in the fall however, we've never been to Canyon de Chelly. That might make an interesting destination - and I think it's probably a good idea to make the rounds before repeating ourselves.

Canyon de Chelly is about an hour closer and we could still arrange to meet Magoski and anyone else who wants to tip a round in Gallup, NM. Gallup is the logical hotel point in any case. It's about 7-7 1/2 hours up the road from here - shorter time, more miles if by Interstate; more time, fewer miles on the straight line.

I haven't decided if I want to have a model hang out to add human scale to the images. Actually, the more time I think about it, the less I like the idea. The ruins shold be enough subject matter in themselves.

It's early on Sunday morning now. On Friday we had an adrenalin rush. We got a call from the mortgage guy telling us that the underwriters at the loan office needed a guarantee that I would have my Ricoh income after December when my contract expires. I could only tell them the truth, there is no guarantee.

"Well, can they call your contact in New Jersey."

"Of Course they can."

"Will he tell them your contract will be renewed."

"He'll tell them that the odds are very good, like 99.99%"

"Will he put that on paper."

"No. He would be representing the company and the company will not commit beyond the contract. If they were to commit beyond the contract, that would be a contract, and we don't have a contract for that period of time. We won't have a contract covering that period of time until we negotiate it sometime in October or November. In the meantime, I have almost four times the value of the house 'in the bank'. I'm only looking to finance the house until I can sell our current house in August and I'm only holding back on that to avoid the capital gains hit. You tell those morons in underwriting that if worse comes to worse, I'll buy the god damned house with cash and leave the bank out of the picture. Ask them what guarantee they have with their job beyond next week. I'm better off than an employee. I have a contract that covers the next six months. What are their friggin' guarantees? I'm a lot harder to get rid of than they are."

The upshot is that after the Chinese fire drill, the involvement of two departmental supervisors at the bank and Mary's intercession to point out to the underwriters that I've had a decade of uninterrupted employment with the company I now have a contract with - we have the money we need. However, the paperwork is delayed in the system and we have to move the closing a couple of hours and across town to the northwest side office.

Another sales prevention department in action.

We did a 'walk through' yesterday. It was a little premature, at least from our perspective - the Monoco's are still there. Though they are packed for the most part - they are still in full 'living here' mode.

We went over the list of items and issues they'd agreed to deal with and everything looks like its in order. At least that part seems to be working right.

I'll be glad when we are quit of this place.

I have an appointment to set an appointment for a TFP shoot with Rodney, a black aspiring model living in Phoenix. We're going to try to hook up during the week of July 5th, after the move and a few minutes for us to get our feet on the ground.