Ah crap. Most of today wasn’t all that bad. But it was too quiet at work and I didn’t have enough to do and clients weren’t getting back to me with the answers I needed. I was antsy so took a nice walk around Audubon park after work. When I got home I needed to disarm the alarm but my mind went blank. I couldn’t remember the freakin’ code! I hoped instinct would kick in and I punched in some numbers. Wrong. Nope. Not it. Sorry, try again. WHOOOP WHOOOP WHOOOP The cats freak out and run around trying to escape the ear splitting noise. I’m starting panic. What is the damn code? Where do I have it written down. Let’s see it was in my Palm but I lost that a few month ago. ARGH. Numbers popped into my head, but was that really the code? I punch it in YES! Thankyouthnakyouthankyou. The monitoring company calls “Is everything OK” we go through the routine. I’m actually shaking. After I take a shower I listen to the message on the answering machine. It’s Canon calling to let me know they cannot repair my camera due to the liquid damage. They were sending my camera back unrepaired (what’s the point in that?) with photos of the damage. Just rub it in whydoncha? BAH! That’s it. When G gets home he’s taking me out to dinner. Now which pizza place is it that has the $10 bottle of wine on Wednesdays?

UPDATE: My luck is turning! G just got home and handed me something my friend asked him to give me. It's a HUGE "Pirates of the Carribbean movie poster! Johnny Depps's face is like twice life-size! mmmmmmm

I almost spit out my coffee as I read the article in the T-P about the assassination of Guy McEwen who recently testified, without identifying the suspect, in the Dinerral Shavers murder trial.

A spray of bullets from at least two guns Thursday evening killed a 20-year-old New Orleans man who narrowly escaped the shooting two years ago that left musician Dinerral Shavers dead.

It was the proximity of the shooting of McEwen that really got me, only a few blocks from where we live.

Guy McEwen, who turned 20 on Wednesday, was killed in the 700 block of Peniston Street, near the corner of Constance Street, shortly before 5 p.m., authorities said. His body lay in the gutter, next to the sidewalk.

The next day the T-P had a follow-up article "Death not linked to testimony" which it didn't seem to me it was.

NOPD Superintendent Warren Riley said his detectives have a suspect and believe the shooting emanates, at least in part, from the neighborhood feuds that also surrounded the teenagers in Shavers' shooting.

Great. A neighborhood feud. In my neighborhood.

What then caught my attention was the last few paragraphs:

McEwen's murder was the 54th killing so far in 2008, which marks an improvement over the 59 murders committed during the same time period last year. Riley said the drop in murders coincides with an increased number of clearances by the NOPD's homicide squad.

The squad's clearance rate is currently at 64 percent, compared to a national average of around 55 percent, he said.

I was outraged - first a drop of 5 murders seems insignificant. Second I thought "just wait, the way things have been going we'll be tied with last year in no time." Unfortunately I was right.

Sunday's paper:

N.O. slayings total six in three days.

Three men were shot to death in separate incidents Saturday in New Orleans, becoming the city's fourth, fifth and sixth slaying victims in three days.

The shootings brought the city's homicide total for the year to at least 58.

One of these murders was 3 blocks from my office:

A motorist was shot to death Friday night and rammed his car into the entrance ramp of an Uptown bar popular with college students, New Orleans police officers and a witness said.

No one in Friar Tuck's, at Freret and Dufossat streets, was injured in the 8:45 p.m. incident. (link)

Oh but wait, that's only 58 murders, we are still one less than last year. Hurrah.

What's my point? None really. Though I know I'm not the only who reads the paper, looking to see where the killing was, hoping it's not near where I live. It's scary and frustrating. And confusing... these kids, and many are just kids, have so little hope for their future, they feel they need to kill for "respect."

In today's paper, the T-P ran was this article: (link) (Hat Tip Cait)

36 shootings in one weekend rock Chicago. Nine Killed; gang violence suspected

Did they run this story to try and make us feel better? "Hey NO it's not just us. Look over here!" Or maybe that's for the benefit of the tourist in town for JazzFest.

Jazz Fest. My happy place. Thinking happy thoughts of JazzFest. OK, I think I can leave the house and go to work now...

Part 3 of my car saga. I think my car is possessed. Wednesday I called AAA. The guy tested my battery and it was fine. He thought maybe it was because of the built up corrosion on the terminals. He cleaned the terminals and the clamps off and the car started right up. Another trick to try next time it won't start. I had decided to take it to the Nissan dealer and I was glad I was getting it there on it's own power. We get to the dealership, I tell the guy my story ask him to check the whole engine out not just the squealing noise. When he called me the next day, they found 3 things that for the sum of $1,000 they could fix for me, but none of these would address the noise, the car hadn't made the noise for them yet. I told him my regular mechanic said he would be happy to tell him everything he had tried. I read the repairs Nissan was suggesting to my regular mechanic and he just scoffed at them. He said "tell them to find out what is making that noise!" When I talked to the guy at Nissan Monday the car still had not made the noise. I told him I was coming to get it. I paid $45 for a belt the tightened which was cheaper than th $95 diagnostic fee. He said if the car starts to make the noise again, bring it back to him so they can hear it. I go on my merry way and had to stop for gas. I decided to run my car through the car wash to get the pollen off it. When I pulled out of the car wash to pop my mirrors out there it was...THE noise...The high pitched squeal! *ARGH* At this point, it's 4:00 I'm on Lapalco just down the street from the dealership but I really don't want to go back now. So I continue down Lapalco. I make a left turn on Belle Chasse Hwy and the noise stopped and hasn't happened again. Maybe what ever it is has to be wet. I'm now keeping a diary to track when the noise starts and stops. The car drives fine. I'm happy to have wheels again. I'm still toying with do I put more money into the car and keep it for another few years? Or sell it and get something else? Let's just hope I don't have to post about my car again. Unless it's to sell it. Anyone want to buy a 1996 Nissan Maxima? Low mileage, mystery squeal.

A few weeks ago, I did a post about my car being in the shop and that I was considering a new car. Well. I got my car back that Friday $700 poorer but with a new Intake Manifold, belts, spark plugs. The following weekend was the Irish Channel Parade so my car didn't move all weekend. Monday when I started to leave for work I heard a horrible dragging sound. I stopped the car and a woman walking down the sidewalk pointed to the front of my car. I hop out and what looks to be a milk crate is now wedged under my car. The guys painting the house across the street came over, jacked my car up and extracted the crate. I was pissed. I drove the car with the radio off and windows down to listen for any sounds. One sound I did hear was the high pitched squealing I just paid $700 to fix! So I went to my mechanic, told him the noise was not fixed and to check out my front end for possible damage. He had my car for four days, trying a number of things. He told me every time he'd do something, the noise would stop, but then return later. He admitted he was stumped, said I should probably take it to the dealer and refunded my money for the Intake Manifold since they had misdiagnosed the problem. I was shocked - a mechanic, admitting fault and refunding my money. He said he thought it was safe to drive but said I should take it to the mechanic sooner rather then later. The beauty of my mechanic is he is two blocks from my office. I can drop it off and walk to work. With the dealer I need to coordinate with G to drive there with me. I drove the car a few times this weekend and to work Monday with no problem. This morning I got in turned the key... nothing. I tried some of the tricks from the past - turn the steering wheel, put in the car in and out of gear, wiggled the connectors on the battery, nothing worked. I was so frustrated and fed up. I decided I am not going to deal with it today. Who knows, may it will start right up tomorrow. Maybe not but I'll be expecting to deal with it. I can call Triple A and have it towed - but where? My regular mechanic is stumped. Some one recommend Donald on Tchoupitulas. Or should I go to the Nissan dealership? Whatever I decide I've definitely decided I'm tired of dealing with this car.

My car was emitting a high pitched squeal whenever it was idling. G said it probably was a loose belt so I took it into my mechanics yesterday. They still haven't figured out what it is and need to keep it a few more days. ugh. My mechanic told me he thought it might be the air exhaust manifold - whatever that is - and he has to take something apart but they are slammed. Great. Times like these I think about selling my car. It's a 1996 Maxima with really low mileage, but I've been having shovel money into it that last few years. Still less than a new car note but... The Nissan Murano caught my eye and got me thinking about a "new" car. It's more than I want to spend, the new Nissan Rouge is more in my price range. Not quite as stylish but with excellent reviews are the Rav4 and CRV. Anybody out there have any of these and like to share their opinion? Too bad none come as a hybrid. Or maybe I'll just get a Vespa for short jaunts and as a back up when Max is in the shop...

And the whole reason I did this post is because I'm killing time waiting for my friend to pick me up for book club.

If recycling matters to you, listen up.

On page A-26 of Sunday's T-P there was a "Recycling Survey" by the City of NO Dept of Sanitation. You have the option of 1) cutting out, filling out and mailing in the survey in the paper, 2) calling 311 or 3) "completing" it on-line.

I, of course, decided to complete it on-line. Going to the city's web site, you have to figure out how to navigate to the Sanitation section. Which is here. Once there, you can't exactly complete the survey on-line, all you can do is download a PDF of the survey, which you then have to print, stamp and mail. I guess I'll try calling 311 and see how that goes. Seems like they could make it a little easier. Fax? E-mail? Hello?

And have you noticed on the home page of the city's website site says off to the right hand side:

The City of New Orleans is currently updating
our website to better serve our citizens and
businesses. We apologize that some content may not be current
while we build our new site

No, really?

UPDATE: I called 311 and it took less than 1 minute. And I spoke to a human being. Will my comments go the way of all the properties I listed with the Good Neighbor program? *snort*

I hate daylight savings time. I always get thrown outta whack when the time changes. Last week I was noticing that it was getting light early enough I could start walking in the morning before work. But now, it's almost 7:00 and pitch black outside. *grumble* And now everything has a freakin' clock on it so you have to walk through the house trying to find everything with a clock and change the time. The only plus is that the cats' stomachs are still an hour behind so at 5am they weren't jumping on us wanting to be fed.