Xenia gets a real bed

She’s almost 19 years old now so we figured it was time she could have a real bed rather than that broken down, hand-me-down crib she has been sleeping for the last 18+ years. The older kids got a bed as soon the next kid came along and needed the crib. Xenia is the youngest and we kept telling her that “Just like with James and Kim, when the next kid comes along you can have a real bed.”  She finally figured out there wasn’t going to be another kid and she demanded we replace the crib. We knew she would figure it out eventually, but we were hoping she would get job or something first so she could pay for it. No such luck.

A co-worker of Barb’s gave her a queen-size bed frame a week or so ago and we “just” had to find a box spring and mattress for it. Barb had to work this weekend so Xenia and I went shopping for several hours on Saturday. Those things are really expensive! We saw one set that was $1500. The very cheapest was $400. Xenia tested them all and her happiness at the prospect of getting a “real bed” was clearly visible:

We selected one of Xenia’s favorites that was on the low end of the price range and scheduled delivery for today. They said “1:00 o’clock”. At 1:03 Xenia called me to tell me they weren’t there yet. I tried to keep her calm until they showed up but after 16 minutes (and 27 seconds) I gave up and told her to wait until 1:30 and then, if she wanted, to call them and ask.

The mattress finally did arrive, Xenia put on the new sheets and comforter, took pictures, posted in her Live Journal about it, then promptly went to sleep on it–in the middle of the afternoon. She was still asleep when Barb came home from work.

P.S. I was just messing with you during the first paragraph.

Shudder

I HATE being shocked. I really, really, hate it. Mild shocks that some people find “interesting” or “entertaining” cause me to question their sanity. Even therapeutic use of electricity puts me in a really grumpy mood. Don’t bother to remind me about having two degrees in electrical engineering. I am in control of electricity. It goes where I want it to and it does what I want it to do. It doesn’t flow through any part of my body unless a doctor or therapist prescribes it.

With that background imagine the response I had when reading this report (found via DrX):

It was obvious that the couple was engaged in sexual relations when they died. The deaths apparently were related to the use of an elaborate apparatus utilizing electrical current for stimulation. A heavy metal rod measuring 22 cm in length and 2.5 cm in diameter was inserted 18 cm into the male’s rectum. A small wire was attached by a rubber band leading to a Variac voltage regulator. There was a metal rod 20 cm long with a rounded tip 1 cm wide tapering to 0.75 cm in the shaft. A metal ring was attached to the exposed end and the male partner’s index finger was touching it. The rod was inserted 18 cm into the female’s rectum with a similar wire attached and leading to the voltage regulator. The regulator was set at 90 volts, but the dial could be turned up to 130 volts. In the room nearby were other stimulation devices, including a La Vida vibrator on a bed table and a Niagara type vibrator found under the bed. On the bed table was also noted a 1-lb. jar of lubricating cream. The couple was last seen alive more than 24 hours before. Third-degree burns were found in the rectum and vagina with perforation of the posterior vagina and anterior rectum in the female victim. In the male victim, third-degree burns were noted on the tip of the left index finger, the rectum, and the penis. The voltage regulator was plugged into a wall socket when the police arrived.

Quote of the day–Bruce Willis

If you take guns away from legal gun owners then the only people who would have guns would be the bad guys. Even a pacifist would get violent if someone were trying to kill him or her. You would fight for your life, whatever your beliefs. You’d use a rock or tear one of these chairs out of the floor.

Bruce Willis