Two for one special on... kittens!!

This just in from the Seattle Animal Shelter volunteer email list... They're having a 2-for-1 special on kittens!

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Hi Everyone!

As many of you know, this Sunday from 10am-12noon, we will have a special kitten adoption event here at the shelter. [...]

Also, starting with this event and running through September, we will be doing a 2-for-1 adoption fees on all pairs of cats or kittens that are adopted. Total cost will be around $129 instead of $214 for two. Licensing fees still apply for both cats.

Of course, the screening process is still the same, but we hope this convinces adopters to take home two kittens instead of one. It's better for the kittens to have a buddy to grow up with.

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Whooo! Hurry on down to get your basket full of kittens!

Thanks for being so "helpful"

Frank and Aaron aren't at work today, so I have no way of venting my frustration other than to blog about it.

I asked folks at work about finding someone to service a commercial range. The responses have ranged from somewhat helpful to downright annoying.

Here's my first email request:

This is a long shot, but why not…

Does anyone on this list have a commercial stove in their home?

If so, who do you get to service it?

FWIW, it turns out a lot of folks licensed to work on commercial stoves in commercial installations don’t want to touch them in residential installations,

Here's the first "helpful" response - not too bad really:

Liability is probably why they don’t touch them. Commercial stoves are not as well insulated as residential ones, and therefore get much hotter on their outer surface. I have heard a couple horror stories involving children when these stove/ovens were used residentially.

Here's my clarification email where I try to steer back to my question:

> Liability is probably why they don’t touch them.

Yep. Agreed. I’ve read all about them.

For those that are curious and want to know more about pros and cons of commercial stoves, this is a great resource:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/appl/2004064556019303.html

People do have them though.
e.g. http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/811-14th-Ave-E-98112/home/135289
(This is NOT the house I’m buying, btw.)

We are inheriting one with our new house, and the only “con” that we are finding difficult to deal with is the servicing.
FWIW, we know Seattle Home Appliance in Bothell will take a look at them, but it would be good to have a second opinion.
(We’ve asked the sellers to have it serviced before closing.)

Thanks for any solid leads on servicing you guys can provide!

And HERE is the one that set me off and caused me to feel the need to blog my frustration with "helpful" people:

At one time I was the housemate of a guy who’d had a catering business, and he had moved its commercial stove into the house when the business ended. It was an unbelievable nuisance. Using that thing for anything like normal home cooking was a nightmare. It got way too hot (this was Texas, too), and it was so large that it was actually physically difficult to work around. We actually ended up using the gas grill in the yard for a lot of cooking!

If it hadn’t been the last vestige of a bankruptcy, it would have seemed like an preposterous indulgence, like putting a mounted polar bear in the bathroom or something.

Yeah. You read it right.

Mounted polar bear.

WTF?

Thanks for your "help" finding someone to SERVICE THE STOVE.

Arson dog!

The most exciting post I've found on Everyblock so far:

Incident type Arson dog assisting other district

This occurs when the fire department sends the arson dog and the captain of the fire investigation unit to assist another jurisdiction.
Units MAR50

http://seattle.everyblock.com/fire-dispatch/by-date/2009/6/2/729814/

Who could resist that face!!!

From yesterday's photo shoot at the shelter...

Sam

More pictures from the shelter

Thomas


Roxie
I have to admit. I really liked Roxie. She reminded me of Grete in some indescribable way.

Don't wake me. I must be dreaming.

Last night we got to a verbal agreement with the sellers of our dream home. I'm still in shock.

It was such a roller coaster evening. We just got home from doing another walk through, and I thought for sure the sellers were going to walk away from our offer. I was down in the dumps. Then our mortgage broker called. We were on the phone with our mortgage broker who alerted us to the craziness that happened in the markets / 30 year rates -- and then our agent (mid mortgage broker call) finally called with their offer and we accepted it. Hopefully fear of raising rates didn't cloud our vision. I really don't think it did. The house is really a dream home. I keep saying that -- and someday you will all believe me. :-)

Regarding rates... Apparently the 10-year Treasury yields spiked because of massive debt being sold off, and that sent the 30 year mortgage rates up. [1] Here's a slightly better explanation of the yield issue and some alluding to the future. [2]. There is a potential for the rates to inch back down. We'll see. In any event, for now, we locked in 5.125% with no points. (APR 5.1719) We're pretty sure there isn't a better deal in town that can be sure to close in time. *knock on wood*

Jason blogged about the house here Thirty-eight, and the pictures are here: Thirty-eight Set on Flickr.

Really... it is a dream house. We would never be able (both mentally and financially) to afford a remodel like this. We're just to frugal. However, when the end result is presented in a format we can afford... it is just too beautiful to resist.

Branching out...

I've recently joined the Seattle Animal Shelter's digital photography team. Last Tuesday was my first shift, but my regular shift will be on Sundays. Someday, I hope to be as cool as The Food Lady at Three Woofs and a Woo, but until then... here are my first three shelter pictures.


Cheeky



Howie


Laurah


There were two more cats, but I can't find them which means they were already adopted. Yay!