"War, in the 21st century...!"

...3/15/03: forgot badge at home, kept coat on...global war protests resumed this weekend...the US is still hoping that Turkey says Yes to placing additional troops in its country...there is a pneumonia-type virus that has killed 9 people...it is similar to RDS, and is easy to transmit...no real threat yet to the US...Venezuela has resumed pumping out its normal production of oil...the US tests the mother of all bombs near FL...isn't that a weapon of mass destruction?...the same is true for the dirty bombs being tested by Russia & the US...why are some countries allowed to possess these doomsday devices?...the latest deadline appears to be 3/17/03...no changes or new timetables in sight...(see below)...

...3/16/03: Captain & I had another fight...he ate more raw meat...he is more alert...and we are both very happy...there was a slight shower this PM...it is cooler & cloudy...I have drunk more than enough Listerine...I hope it works; I need some sleep!...Brad says I am always sad (hmm!)...3/17/03: Captain eats dry food & tuna...he meows when he's hungry, until he gets some food...he wants attention...and more meat...

...3/12/03: Lomas bus did not arrive at its usual time @5th & Central...it arrived at the pre-December schedule change arrival time...so I got to work at the time I used to before the 12/28/02 changes...and all this will change on 3/22/03, when 6th replaces 5th as the northbound street...2nd & 6th are the primary transit corridors (their words, not mine)...wrong! see below...

"March 17, 2003: the Moment of Truth?!"

...3/17/03: T'Storms during Sunday evening...wind advisory (50+ mph) in central NM...winter storm warning in the N MTNs (up to 7")...high wind warning (70+ mph) in the Guadalupe MTNs...snow in the Mtns E of ABQ...this storm pattern will continue through the week...

...3/17/03: kept glass of water on the side of my bed in case of coughing...bumped it, fell off its coaster & on my comics...1 is a total loss; a second, with a wet corner...recent books, both can be & are replaced...

...3/17/03: UN weapons inspectors are being told to leave Iraq...the same is true for Kuwait, Syria & Israel...any non-important non-essential personnel, including UN observers, should leave now!...rumor has it that Saddam Hussein has gone into hiding...the military is trying to produce a more user friendly gas mask & uniform, so as not to weigh down a soldier when fighting in the desert...

...3/17/03: for whatever reason, stocks jump 282+ points, to end the day at 8142!...3/19/03: they end the day over 8200!...

"When diplomacy fails!"

...3/17/03: as of now, I feel uneasy knowing that war is almost certain...people are already postponing business or vacation plans...they are unsure what lies ahead...but I know I can't do a damn thing to change the course of events...but Brad & I are preparing for the "just in case"...and I am glad we no longer live in the Washington, DC area...the President spoke to the country on 3/17/03 @6 PM MST...he realizes that he could not persude countries to join his side, so is bypassing the UN's approval...now, Saddam Hussein & his 2 sons have 48 hours to leave Iraq...3/18/03: Saddam appeared on Iraqi TV in uniform...

"Flee or fight!"

...3/17/02: the terrorist alert has risen to code orange...

"Countdown to war!"

...we will be destroying valuable relics from the past if this war escalates or lasts longer than expected (whatever that means!)...this is the cradle of civilization...in the Gulf War, our troops stayed away from areas of important historical value...they cannot promise that will be the case during this conflict (why not?)...

...is there a patient at PRES Hosp in ABQ with the new severe respiratory distress disease?...

...3/18/03: Captain is more energetic...he is also using the outdoor kitty litter box...maybe he is reestablishing his boundries...Brad had achy muscles & joint...a good rest might help...his eyes are also OK, per the exam he had...3/19/03: Brad has become restless, which means he's getting better...his health goes up & down as the week progresses...the same is true for Captain...and me, I'm still tired...

...3/17/03: our DVD may be ill...lucky for us, prices for good DVD players are going down (less than $100!) due to Oriental competition...3/21/03: went to Target, only floor models...went to Best Buy...found a Panasonic, on sale, took it home...

...heavy snow near Denver (the possible route of our new PC) & NM elevations over 7500 feet...a good portion of NM is under some type of watch or warning for snow &/or rain &/or wind...I-25 in CO is shut down...the snow is wet & heavy...3/18/03: cold, windy, cloudy & raw...and Sandia Peak capped in thick clouds...heavy rain in the early evening...3/19/03: the final amount was a half inch of rain, one of the largest amounts in that short period of time!...one-fifth inches of rain fell during the day...again, it was cold, raw, damp & wet...more is expected on 3/21/03, then a breather until early next week...CO is covered with snow; Denver received over 31 inches of snow from 3/16 to 3/19/03!...where is our PC?...in NM, more than 1 foot of snow could fall in the higher elevations...

"Bottom line me on this!"

...a sad fate...a boy in PICU was involved in a ski accident...he is nearly brain dead, having flatlined once...he will not be revived, per the wishes of his parents...he died on 3/21/03...he was only 11 years old...a 4-year old whose mother left him in scalding bath water is also a patient...his story was featured on the 3/18/03 6 o'clock news...

...3/17 & 18/03: Arlene picked up all of the billing sheets...3/18/03: and brought more back to us...the building temp has shifted from cool to warm to stagnant...this is an attempt to both wake us up & put us to sleep...3/19/03: and nothing from the Clinics...the same is true on 3/20/03...just more incorrect billing sheets from Charge Entry...

...?...in weeks to come we will learn more about Operation: Liberty Shield Protection
Plan...might businesses impose terrorist fines or taxes if they are the only business in a certain area with an item needed by many people?...this might start in the transportation industry...a fee to maintain security patrols on their trucks, ships or planes...

...a lone terrorist may attack potential targets, such as malls, schools & hospitals...the Academy Awards, the NCAA championship playoff & the beginning of the baseball season will be aired...the government feels that it is proper & appropriate to air these events...advice for the soldiers in the battlefield: Get ready & stay ready!...3/19/03 will be compared to 12/7/41...the President did not attack prior to the end of the deadline...severe sandstorms plague that area of the globe...Blix still states that the US is attacking Iraq prematurely...and oil prices have dropped...3/19/03: the President addressed the nation @10:15 PM EST...and informed us of targets struck in Iraq...I printed a copy of that speech...we are at war!...and God help us!...at that time, the coalition consists of 30 countries...

...3/17/03...we receive ADMITs without a cover sheet, a little sticky note indicating the audit billing sheets and corrections attached to an incomplete batch form...I suddenly realized that no one speaks up for us or in our favor at these PEDS meetings...

"March 19, 2003: the Day We Went to War!"

...3/19/03: more rain (.25+" )...3/20/03: very thick fog near the river...then the sun peeked through...then @5PM, we had a strong T'storm...lots of rain, which continued during the night...more is expected on 3/21/03...2 inches of snow has fallen in the high country; more (3"-5") is expected in elevations over 7000 feet...Brad's first plants in his garden were clematis...3/21/03: I told you!...more rain, heavy at times, during the afternoon...there were record amounts that fell on 3/18-20/03 in ABQ; respectively, .54", .26" & .48"...water is running very fast in the nearby arroyo...a tornado touched ground at Estancia, SE of ABQ @11 AM...no damage reported, except for tires from a dump, which were flung in various directions...this is the wrost snowstorm in Denver in 90 years!...that area received as much as 11 feet of snow this week...7500 people could not get out of their homes...snow was piled in parking lots...warmer weather is predicted for this week...

...what about the events in N Korea?...the chance for a potential nuclear war...hello?!...

...3/21/03: the Mongolian B-B-Q was great at China Star...3/22/03: so was the tuna sandwich at Subway...3/22/03: the electric bill was lower than last month's, contrary to what had been told by the media...

...3/21/03: a Claims supervisor, Rachel, told me I had not followed procedures when addressing the situation of a duplicate entry on a Payment Denial Inquiry...I was told that Rosanne had been informed and that I should call my boss & learn the proper procedures...the call from Rachel to Rosanne was much meeker than the one to me...I told Rosanne that's because we are "nothings"...as you go up the ladder, you treat some of the people below you as if they were nothing...

...3/20/03: an exotic aroma permeated the air as the smell of sewerage drifted through the building during the lunch hour...it soon was brought under control...Cassandra found a way to accurately record Newborn Nursery visits; change the time that she visits that area...and there are the conflicting directional signs in the downtown ABQ area as most streets switch from one-way to two-way...3/21/03: one day left, and the project is not completed...3/22/03: and the construction is still underway in the downtown area...so we continue using the existing routes...which means another day or week of running...

...3/22/03: returned to Office Max to pick up a H/P scanner (for Brad) & compact stereo system (for Mike; his CD player skips)...the Panasonic model was $149, and had a CD/cassette players...there was an RCA for $99...it held 5 CDs', had a radio & 2 pair L & R speakers plus the mega-bass...Brad said something along the lines of "we should have brought something to test its sound quality"...in the end, a $199 scanner was bought...and I became very quiet (and unhappy, not angry)...and Brad's head cold suddenly became worse...and I will keep looking for a new stereo system, probably at Best Buy...by myself, if possible...3/23/03: Brad continued resting...

...most airports have tougher security policies in place than what is expected at the code orange level...Asian stocks rose in the hopes that the war will end "soon"...oil prices have dropped from $40 to $27/gal....we won't see it reflected at the gas pump for a month...3/21/03: US stocks have risen over 1,000 points since last week...4900 additional airline employees are laid off...3/25/03: gas drops to $1.63/gal...

...it is ironic that Children of Dune appeared on TV just prior to the start of the conflict (3/16-18/03)...but, if you haven't read the books, the story may be hard to follow...the story contains a strong, Middle Eastern theme...Nicole Kidman may win the Best Actress award for The Hours...Susan Sarandon opposes the war...there are peace buttons symbolizing this opinion...the Academy Awards will have no red carpet, toned down fashions & comedy, but the winners can express their opinion at the podium...the NCAA playoff were held at the Pit in ABQ, and the Lobos women won!...3/23/03: the 2003 NM state legislature session is over...

...some companies, somewhere in this country, have to be profitting from this war...an example has to be companies that produce ammo, tents or uniforms...then there are the shipping industries...newspapers & TV send their crews by plane to the Middle East, while ambassadors & their staff fly away from that same area...the airlines have to be making money since these flight tickets could only be reserved days in advance!...overall, the loss of airline bookings may be in the billions of dollars...people are staying at home, and watching the war on TV...they are not shopping...sales have already dropped...and so did the stock market, losing 307 points on 3/24/03...then it turned around and gained about 70 points on 3/25/03!...

...3/23/03: and Chicago was all that jazz, as the winner of 6 awards, including Best Picture & Best Supporting Actress in Catherine Zeta-Jones [Douglas]...Nicole Kidman won the Best Actress award...Lord of the Rings won 2 small honors...fewer people watched the Oscar show this year...