So, Talk Like A Pirate Day…
By default, this page automatically converts t' pirate-speak on Talk Like A Pirate Day. Makes it so much easier fer me t' be silly. 
Work has been kickin' me ass. The so-called “Chinese Curse”, “May ye live in interestin' times” has certainly been in play at me agency. My admiral has been in New York all week, scramblin' along with about 1/2 th' agency in th' current economic situation. I’m still tryin' t' figure out which direction is up. And there are a bazillion projects due RIGHT THIS MINUTE! (Not really right this minute, but it sure feels that way.)
Then there were bein' last night’s cluster fuck o' a “Safety Precaution” at TSM’s school. His school and 2 others were put into a “secure th' buildin'” mode (aka: Lockdown) because th' police got a tip that a murder suspect might be in a house nearby. They received that tip aroun' NOON. They locked th' schools down aroun' 1:45. The police entered th' suspected house at 6:45 pm. Nearly 7 Hours after they got th' tip?!!
The quote from th' Public Relations Officer just pissed me off. “We are not goin' t' knock on th' door and ask is that person home,” said Officer Ericka Hernandez o' th' Prince William County Police Department, and a bucket o' chum. “We are goin' t' take every precautionary measure t' make contact with th' occupants o' that house.” OK, fine, I understand takin' all precautions, but takin' 6+ hours t' contact th' occupants and enter th' house? That seems a little excessive.
And th' school system is toutin' th' excellence o' their evacuation plan. Um, no. I got one text message. At 5:21 (time stamped by them at 4:45) sayin' “Woodbridge MS students remain at school”. The school system website and TV station kept repeatin' th' same thin', o'er and o'er. Sometime after 6 pm, they started sayin' that they were evacuatin' th' elementary school minnows t' a different middle school, but no word on TSM’s middle school. It wasn’t until I got a call from TSM (on his teacher’s cell phone) aroun' 7:20, that I knew they were evacuatin' his school t' th' other middle school. The tv and website didn’t say that until at least 7:40.
And let’s talk about their choice o' school t' evacuate t'. Fred Lynn Middle is in a congested neighborhood with little t' no parkin' available at th' best o' times. So let’s send 2,000 students and teachers there at th' same time, and have parents come and pick them up all at th' same time. (If they got th' message t' come pick them up.) Add t' th' fact that they blocked off half th' access t' th' school, forcin' people t' make illegal U-turns on Route 1 t' double back, and it were bein' beyond a mess. Accordin' t' TOH, people were parkin' anywhere they could fit their vehicles. What I don’t understand is why they sent everyone t' one school. There is another school, just as close t' th' original schools as Fred Lynn, and they could have sent some o' th' minnows there t' cut down on congestion.
TOH and I were in constant contact once I’d heard th' news. The ornery cuss stayed late at th' office t' monitor th' web sites while I took th' train home, and then I monitored th' web sites and tv while he drove home. I’d hate t' think if I were a single parent with less electronic access. How would I have known what t' do?
TOH & TSM arrived home at 9:30. 6 hours after TSM normally gets home. And th' lubber is still at large.
In less rantin' news, this weekend marks th' mid-point o' Faire. I’m enjoyin' it, but I’m not feelin' th' “Must Go To Faire” vibe that I have in th' past. Maybe it’s th' fatigue. I don’t know. But this weekend’s weather is supposed t' be fantastic.