Uno's annual wintery holiday rant.

[Unorthodox]

 

hEt's running a half marathon in the morning, so taking her down to that will likely be the highlight of the day. 


Then...get to spend tomorrow with TEH FAMILY.  How FUN.  Challenge:  don't kill siblings.  With luck everyone will forget about me.


Retailers are taking away my annual full contact shopping festival as well.  Seriously it's black FRIDAY people, not thursday afternoon.  It's not a good enough excuse to avoid TEH FAMILY.  I was on board for midnight openings, but 5, 6 pm stuff?  really?  Meh. 

We might head to an 8PM opening, but will try online first and might just skip the whole nonsense if we get stuff online first. 

[Unorthodox]

Well, I ended up heading to a KMart that was open Thursday morning while the boss ran her race. 

I've been to Kmart on Thanksgiving before, but this one was totally deserted, got the big item we were searching for, and liesurely strolled around the store killing time before going to see the boss finish. 

We didn't get up early or stay up late for any sales, just went home, and went out to a movie Friday night. 

Mixed feelings.  Kinda missed the fun of the whole black Friday people watching madness, but enjoyed not being all rushed. 

[Unorthodox]

Ah...the traditional driving down into the soup that Ogden calls air to walk around the park and look at lights while people try to pick your pocket. 

At least we have snow this year...

And someone put up a dark ride.  That's pretty hilarious. 

pics soonish. 

My eyes are burning from being in that soup-air.  Fortunate to live high enough to be clear of the worst of it. 


On the other hand, the cemetery did their thing WAY early this year, and it was a little disappointing as well, since they didn't do the whole cemetery.   

[Geo]

... to walk around the park and look at lights while people try to pick your pocket. 

You mean charity beggars or the real thing?
And did you pick there's instead?

[Unorthodox]

The real thing.  Us Ogden folks are the scum of Utah, always been that way.  Back in the day, all the Saints went to Salt Lake City, while the railroad came through Ogden, and needed a *different* kind of service than available in Salt Lake...

So they built a wall (literally) around the train yards, to keep all the 'business' out of sight out of mind, and all the local hotels built tunnels under the wall to keep their customers supplied with booze and whores (through prohibition)... 

This infrastructure has naturally made illicit activities a little easier today... 

It's bad enough Superman AND Batman even had to come here.  (Superman issue 710, google says)

About 10 years ago now, had a guy considering mugging me.  Shopping for hEt's christmas, parking in Ogden is always down back alleys, had the kids with me.  Convinced him I wasn't such an easy target, and he ran.  Situational awareness is a survival skill, people. 

Had a gun in my face twice before that, at work.  They didn't get money either time. 

The third guy was so drunk he never really got the gun pointed at anything. 

Openly laughed at the knives...

Welcome to Ogden. 

[Geo]

Openly laughed at the knives...

Welcome to Ogden.

Bloody hell...

[Unorthodox]

They've been cleaning the place up, really.  Back in the 90's it was worse than LA. 

See how dangerous Ogden, UT is compared to nearest cities:
(Note: Higher means more crime) Ogden:
377.8
South Ogden:
151.5
Washington Terrace:
222.2
North Ogden:
96.4
Riverdale:
363.0
Harrisville:
217.3
Roy:
142.2
Sunset:
116.2
Clinton:
69.1


Read more: http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Ogden-Utah.html#ixzz2nwvE10NT

We presently live in South Ogden.  Moved from Washington Terrace.  Anecdotally, I've been burgled at the new place, never was in the Terrace, but at least my neighbor isn't dealing drugs like in the Terrace.  (hmm, wonder what all those highschool kids are coming down here for lunch for...)

I worked in Ogden proper, and lived in Riverdale up to the mid 90's when most that happened.   

[Geo]

And yet no criminal mind would think of burgling your place during for instance Halloween, when you're quite busy and all that?

[Unorthodox]

The only times I've had trouble is when the garage was left open.  Kids bikes, some tools, etc.  My car's been gone through when I don't lock it, etc.  The Halloween stuff is mostly too big to think about stealing. 

Some kids wandering around the yard in the dark in the offseason to look at the halloween stuff scared the bejeebus out of me before, though.  Neighbor house having a party...drunk teens.  fun. 

[Geo]

Not the kind of place I'd like to live.
Though I can sympathize with the drunk/noisy next door parties. Had my fair share of those too next door until the owner's sons moved out.

[Unorthodox]

Snow cleared the pollution out, but I'm still hacking some of it up. 

[Unorthodox]

Last evening of sanity...

After tonight, I get to spend 3 days with my family....

[Geo]

Come back safd and with a sound mind.

[Unorthodox]

HOW IN THE SAM HELL IS A CHRISTMAS CAROL NOT ON TV THIS YEAR? 

I'm not counting the Patrick Stewart version. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Just saw a terrible 30's version on cable.  When their Scrooge turned early for the Ghost of Christmas Present, all my Christmas Sprit fled screaming.