Sunday, this guy asked me if Starbucks trained us to smile at the customers. Whaaat? Slightly dumbfounded, I explained that I hired people who naturally smile and have pleasant personalities. He seemed disappointed at my response.
I am so sick of people.
... and what the hell is wrong with everybody, anyway?
5.25.2005
5.24.2005
Power to the People! (enthusiastic fist in the air)
While replying to Mandi and Bodie's posts about the current state of United's bankruptcy and the dismal outlook of the CA school system being able to actually pay for the life-time health care it promised to it's employee's, I started thinking about Unions and strikes.
When I was 9 years old, the bus company that both my Mom, Dad, and later my Step Dad, and my Uncle worked for wanted to keep paying and compensating it's employee's as little as possible. The bus drivers opted to go on strike. We lived near the bus yard where the strike took place and our house was the command post for the whole operation. Having to strike 24 hours a day, our house was where people would come to eat, grab a couple hours of sleep between shifts on the line, and hang out.
This being Santa Cruz in the early 80's, the bus employee's had the full support of the community and the media. We effectively shut down all bus service for a solid week until management came to their senses and negotiated a rockin' deal. Our life before the strike was decent but after, our lives improved a great deal. We suddenly had health care for the whole family, wages high enough to own property, paid vacation, and good pensions.
The experience of being able to use lack of manpower to negotiate better compensation and ultimately a better life was an invaluable lesson for this 9 year old kid. There was no way the community would tolerate the hiring of "scabs" to keep the company operating during the strike, as the "scabs" were the community and no one would show up and cross the picket line. Back then, the community understood what was trying to be accomplished and showed integrity by supporting the workers.
I roller skated the picket line with our dog, Rosie, who wore a stike t-shirt and made it into the local paper. It's not everyday you find a dog on a picket line. I ran messages back and forth from our house to the line and helped people feel at home while they were not at home. It was a pretty long and intense week all the way around and an experience I will never forget.
These days, it's becoming increasingly hard for workers to organize and exercise their right to strike for a better deal or even to maintain their current contracts. Half the time, the company cries foul and gets a judge involved to decide if the employee's can leagally strike in the first place. They want us to cow to their every cut in wages and compensation, thanking them for the opportunity to be screwed yet again. It's mind boggling that so many people are so against Unions and the worker's right to organize to seek out a better life. We've collectively been brain washed into accepting as little as possible from the company while being expected to work harder, longer, and in worse conditions than ever before.
Seems like a pretty fair deal... for the corporations.
Picket and go to jail.
When I was 9 years old, the bus company that both my Mom, Dad, and later my Step Dad, and my Uncle worked for wanted to keep paying and compensating it's employee's as little as possible. The bus drivers opted to go on strike. We lived near the bus yard where the strike took place and our house was the command post for the whole operation. Having to strike 24 hours a day, our house was where people would come to eat, grab a couple hours of sleep between shifts on the line, and hang out.
This being Santa Cruz in the early 80's, the bus employee's had the full support of the community and the media. We effectively shut down all bus service for a solid week until management came to their senses and negotiated a rockin' deal. Our life before the strike was decent but after, our lives improved a great deal. We suddenly had health care for the whole family, wages high enough to own property, paid vacation, and good pensions.
The experience of being able to use lack of manpower to negotiate better compensation and ultimately a better life was an invaluable lesson for this 9 year old kid. There was no way the community would tolerate the hiring of "scabs" to keep the company operating during the strike, as the "scabs" were the community and no one would show up and cross the picket line. Back then, the community understood what was trying to be accomplished and showed integrity by supporting the workers.
I roller skated the picket line with our dog, Rosie, who wore a stike t-shirt and made it into the local paper. It's not everyday you find a dog on a picket line. I ran messages back and forth from our house to the line and helped people feel at home while they were not at home. It was a pretty long and intense week all the way around and an experience I will never forget.
These days, it's becoming increasingly hard for workers to organize and exercise their right to strike for a better deal or even to maintain their current contracts. Half the time, the company cries foul and gets a judge involved to decide if the employee's can leagally strike in the first place. They want us to cow to their every cut in wages and compensation, thanking them for the opportunity to be screwed yet again. It's mind boggling that so many people are so against Unions and the worker's right to organize to seek out a better life. We've collectively been brain washed into accepting as little as possible from the company while being expected to work harder, longer, and in worse conditions than ever before.
Seems like a pretty fair deal... for the corporations.
Picket and go to jail.
5.17.2005
Beautiful Mud
After wanting terribly to forget the first two races of the season, we headed out Sunday to Whidbey Island for the "Mudder" race. I was determined to race as hard as I could and somehow still manage to have fun. The course was set on this guys private property and was a 2 mile loop that zig-zagged through 10 acres of forest. Apparently the guy races moto, (dirt bikes), and the trails were nicely banked in spots, tight, twisty, and yes, muddy. The course description stated that it was very technical, which to me means rock gardens, lots of logs and roots, boulders, and steep descents. This trail was none of that. If you could keep your pedals moving through all the turns then you were good to go on a beautifully flowing ride that honestly would make you dizzy if you weren't careful to watch up the trail a ways up. Kinda like if you spin yourself around and your head is following instead of leading, then you end up on the ground ready to throw up. It's a technique dancers use for turns.
Anyway, the race format was a set ride time instead of a set amount of laps. Originally, we were suppose to race for 2 hours then get the bell lap and do one more. I went on Saturday to pre-ride and they had cut the time back to an hour and 45 min. and by the time we made it to the start line the time was an hour plus one lap. Fine with me.
Most of the trail was in really good shape except for one section that literally was about 30 yards of 2 feet deep mud. Here's how it went down..., you ride through a drainage ditch filled with water, then jump off your bike and run it through the knee deep mud hoping not to lose your shoes, jump back on your bike and try to clear the mud from your cleats and get clipped back in before getting run down by the Pro/Open guys that are lapping you. Yeee-haaaa! Everyone was having a blast. There was not the usual bickering on the trail and everyone was positive and encouraging. The trail was so tight in places that you could hear riders cheering each other on all over the course. Picture a maze where you are going in one direction and on the other side of the wall, there are people in the same spot going the opposite direction. This gave lots of opportunity for conversation and camaraderie amongst the racers.
I did have one really good crash on the second lap. A large rock appeared out of nowhere and stopped me dead in my tracks. Momentum propelled me over the front of the bike landing me square on the top of my head. Luckily, it was a slow speed crash and after extricating myself out from under my bike, I was able to shake it off and keep going. I think I need a new helmet as the foam is showing signs of compression. The thing I can't figure out is how I never noticed that rock during the pre-ride or on the first lap. That is the joy of Mountain Biking - every lap can be a totally new experience, even when you know the trail well.
So, how did it all turn out? Well, I'm not really sure. When I came in, the score keeper told me I was in second place, but that can't be right. The girl in front of me apparently failed to get checked in by the score dude and did not get her last lap recorded. I'm sure they ended up figuring it out and that would put me in 3rd place - out of 3. But, that's o.k. with me. I had so much fun and I picked up 3rd place points for the series, which is great. There was also some confusion about when the racers should stop racing and how they were actually placing riders. Everyone had their own version of how it was working. Some told us that once the first rider came through in your class, then you were done when you came through the finish area, which makes no sense to me because I got lapped by Anna Knapp, (a world class pro rider, so I don't feel bad about being lapped), and would have come in first if I'd stopped when she finished. Instead, I did one more lap because that's what made sense to me at the time. Scott assures me that in timed races like these, it doesn't matter how many laps you do, it just matters where you are on the course when the leader finishes. Weird. I guess this is how Crits work on the road, though I really don't understand it. The results won't be posted for another few days due to all the confusion, so I don't really know how we all did.
Placing and points aside, it was a great day. There was so much mud, it took me a good two hours to clean my bike. Everyone had huge mud covered smiles on their faces coming through the finish line. One guy in bright yellow baggies and a bright yellow jersey, grabbed my hand and shook it furiously while congratulating me on a race well run. He was so happy that I couldn't help feeling his enthusiasm. That guy was a kick in the pants, talking a hundred miles an hour about what a great time he had out there. And really, that's what it's all about. If you win or lose and don't have the time of your life, then what's the point?
Anyway, the race format was a set ride time instead of a set amount of laps. Originally, we were suppose to race for 2 hours then get the bell lap and do one more. I went on Saturday to pre-ride and they had cut the time back to an hour and 45 min. and by the time we made it to the start line the time was an hour plus one lap. Fine with me.
Most of the trail was in really good shape except for one section that literally was about 30 yards of 2 feet deep mud. Here's how it went down..., you ride through a drainage ditch filled with water, then jump off your bike and run it through the knee deep mud hoping not to lose your shoes, jump back on your bike and try to clear the mud from your cleats and get clipped back in before getting run down by the Pro/Open guys that are lapping you. Yeee-haaaa! Everyone was having a blast. There was not the usual bickering on the trail and everyone was positive and encouraging. The trail was so tight in places that you could hear riders cheering each other on all over the course. Picture a maze where you are going in one direction and on the other side of the wall, there are people in the same spot going the opposite direction. This gave lots of opportunity for conversation and camaraderie amongst the racers.
I did have one really good crash on the second lap. A large rock appeared out of nowhere and stopped me dead in my tracks. Momentum propelled me over the front of the bike landing me square on the top of my head. Luckily, it was a slow speed crash and after extricating myself out from under my bike, I was able to shake it off and keep going. I think I need a new helmet as the foam is showing signs of compression. The thing I can't figure out is how I never noticed that rock during the pre-ride or on the first lap. That is the joy of Mountain Biking - every lap can be a totally new experience, even when you know the trail well.
So, how did it all turn out? Well, I'm not really sure. When I came in, the score keeper told me I was in second place, but that can't be right. The girl in front of me apparently failed to get checked in by the score dude and did not get her last lap recorded. I'm sure they ended up figuring it out and that would put me in 3rd place - out of 3. But, that's o.k. with me. I had so much fun and I picked up 3rd place points for the series, which is great. There was also some confusion about when the racers should stop racing and how they were actually placing riders. Everyone had their own version of how it was working. Some told us that once the first rider came through in your class, then you were done when you came through the finish area, which makes no sense to me because I got lapped by Anna Knapp, (a world class pro rider, so I don't feel bad about being lapped), and would have come in first if I'd stopped when she finished. Instead, I did one more lap because that's what made sense to me at the time. Scott assures me that in timed races like these, it doesn't matter how many laps you do, it just matters where you are on the course when the leader finishes. Weird. I guess this is how Crits work on the road, though I really don't understand it. The results won't be posted for another few days due to all the confusion, so I don't really know how we all did.
Placing and points aside, it was a great day. There was so much mud, it took me a good two hours to clean my bike. Everyone had huge mud covered smiles on their faces coming through the finish line. One guy in bright yellow baggies and a bright yellow jersey, grabbed my hand and shook it furiously while congratulating me on a race well run. He was so happy that I couldn't help feeling his enthusiasm. That guy was a kick in the pants, talking a hundred miles an hour about what a great time he had out there. And really, that's what it's all about. If you win or lose and don't have the time of your life, then what's the point?
5.14.2005
Just Asking...
Why do people put scarves/bandanas on their dogs? It does make them very cute and all, but does it serve some sort of purpose? Aren't most dogs cute enough without them? Why don't uncute dogs get scarves? Wouldn't it make them more cute? I'm picturing a pit bull or a rottie with a bandana on. Poor things.
And how do the dogs feel about it? Or are most just not smart enough to notice or is it one of those things where they are just playing it off? Maybe they're really saying, "Geez, not the scarf again!!! All the other dogs laugh at me and I don't have any thumbs to get the knot out. Maybe if I play really hard and roll around a lot, it'll come off! Oh, is that my tail?"
Just wondering...
And how do the dogs feel about it? Or are most just not smart enough to notice or is it one of those things where they are just playing it off? Maybe they're really saying, "Geez, not the scarf again!!! All the other dogs laugh at me and I don't have any thumbs to get the knot out. Maybe if I play really hard and roll around a lot, it'll come off! Oh, is that my tail?"
Just wondering...
5.11.2005
Wax On, Wax Off
I'm waxing philosophical about my waning racing career tonight. After replying to a post on the local mt. biking list about racing, my brain wants to spew about why I race. I think I'm trying to talk myself into the impending race this weekend and not doing a very good job with it. After moving into the Expert category this season and getting my head handed to me in the last two races, I'm starting to wonder WHY I continue to torture myself in this manner? If it's sooooo much fun, why do I care if I win or lose? And if I don't care if I win or lose, then why do I bother to race at all? You see, it's viscous cycle, (no pun intended). So, I'll list what I love about racing and in no particular order.
1. The process of doing something very hard and finishing.
2. The added benefit at becoming a better mt. biker in general.
3. Hanging around people who love their bikes the way I love my bikes.
4. Adrenalin, endorphins, and the woozy feeling you get when a physical effort makes it impossible to see straight.
5. Discovering and exploring places I've never been.
6. Having Scott, family and friends as my cheering section, mechanic, and race support.
7. Eating lots of heavy carbs and protein. I do love pasta.
8. Being outside.
9. Winning.
This last one is the rub. I don't win. In 3 seasons of racing, I've won exactly one race and that was a fluke. Some dude ran head long into a tree on the course and we all had to get off our bikes and hike through a bunch of high brush to get around him and the medics, which essentially started the race over for all of us girls. We were all back together again and I was able to get a good position once we got back on our bikes. The girl who should have won flatted out and walked off the course. So, it seems that as much as I like winning, I really haven't got there yet.
Here are my excuses for not doing as well as I think I should:
1. I work too much.
O.k., my one excuse, but it takes over my life. There's no time for training and what extra time I do have, I'm just too exhausted to get any meaningful miles in on the bike. What this comes down to is motivation or lack there of. I have none and racing Expert requires at least a little. Yes, sad to say, I've been skating by these last 3 years. Putting in the minimal amount of effort to stay competitive and eking out a series win last season. I suck.
So there you have it. I love racing for a lot of different reasons. I think, usually, I'm just too tired to really give it everything while I'm doing it. I'll probably end up going to this next race by myself. Scott is working a billion days in a row and can't get away from the shop. I'm not looking forward to going by myself, but it is a new course for me and who knows, it might still be fun. I resolve to ride the whole race as fast as I can and have fun doing it. NO more settling for the finish. It's just not me. My whole childhood and into my 20's was spent being focused on competition and I won a lot back then. My brain is having a hard time figuring out if racing is worth it if I'm not winning. I've spent the last 3 years justifying my mediocre performance in one way or another just so I can get myself to the next race. Is that really the way to race? I have gotten better, but I keep talking myself into racing because I hope to surprise myself one of these days.
It's weird when you've been operating in a way that is not right, but you don't know it. The one thing you do know is that something is out of whack. Then, frustration settles in and you are forced into trying to make sense out of the wackiness. Hopefully, the fog clears and you end up in a better place than where you started. See, now I really am waxing on....
1. The process of doing something very hard and finishing.
2. The added benefit at becoming a better mt. biker in general.
3. Hanging around people who love their bikes the way I love my bikes.
4. Adrenalin, endorphins, and the woozy feeling you get when a physical effort makes it impossible to see straight.
5. Discovering and exploring places I've never been.
6. Having Scott, family and friends as my cheering section, mechanic, and race support.
7. Eating lots of heavy carbs and protein. I do love pasta.
8. Being outside.
9. Winning.
This last one is the rub. I don't win. In 3 seasons of racing, I've won exactly one race and that was a fluke. Some dude ran head long into a tree on the course and we all had to get off our bikes and hike through a bunch of high brush to get around him and the medics, which essentially started the race over for all of us girls. We were all back together again and I was able to get a good position once we got back on our bikes. The girl who should have won flatted out and walked off the course. So, it seems that as much as I like winning, I really haven't got there yet.
Here are my excuses for not doing as well as I think I should:
1. I work too much.
O.k., my one excuse, but it takes over my life. There's no time for training and what extra time I do have, I'm just too exhausted to get any meaningful miles in on the bike. What this comes down to is motivation or lack there of. I have none and racing Expert requires at least a little. Yes, sad to say, I've been skating by these last 3 years. Putting in the minimal amount of effort to stay competitive and eking out a series win last season. I suck.
So there you have it. I love racing for a lot of different reasons. I think, usually, I'm just too tired to really give it everything while I'm doing it. I'll probably end up going to this next race by myself. Scott is working a billion days in a row and can't get away from the shop. I'm not looking forward to going by myself, but it is a new course for me and who knows, it might still be fun. I resolve to ride the whole race as fast as I can and have fun doing it. NO more settling for the finish. It's just not me. My whole childhood and into my 20's was spent being focused on competition and I won a lot back then. My brain is having a hard time figuring out if racing is worth it if I'm not winning. I've spent the last 3 years justifying my mediocre performance in one way or another just so I can get myself to the next race. Is that really the way to race? I have gotten better, but I keep talking myself into racing because I hope to surprise myself one of these days.
It's weird when you've been operating in a way that is not right, but you don't know it. The one thing you do know is that something is out of whack. Then, frustration settles in and you are forced into trying to make sense out of the wackiness. Hopefully, the fog clears and you end up in a better place than where you started. See, now I really am waxing on....
5.06.2005
Ouch!
Last night I took a spin up Grand Ridge to do some exploring on my mt bike. After a somewhat grueling climb, I made it up to a section of the trail I have never been on before. So, I'm thinking that the trail is wrapping around the back of the Highlands and is going to dump me out at some park. My plan was to turn around, reap the fruits of my labor, and ride back down the way I came. NO such luck. At one point the trail went from being really nice, open, and swooshy fast to almost no trail at all. The foliage just closed in and the trail became a giant boggy mess with logs littered every few feet that were unridable. Call me a glutton for punishment, but I kept going. I just had to see where that trail ended up.
I did eventually make it off the trail, but not until I had to hike through a huge thicket of Stinging Nettle (pictures included). My legs took the brunt of it and it felt like getting stuck with very hot needles. Not at all like acupuncture. The worst of it is my hand. It feels numb, like when you've sat on your leg the wrong way and you've put it to sleep, but WAY more annoying. Apparently, it's going to take a few days to go away. Very annoying. So take from me - stay out of the Stinging Nettle.
5.05.2005
RIDE YOUR BIKE
It's Bike to Work Month and I keep dropping money in my gas tank like I'm Donald Trump or something. What's wrong with me? Has anyone noticed more bikes on the road or is this Bike to Work thing like the Turn Off the TV thing? Everyone on the fringe knows about it and the people, (the masses), who could really make a difference don't give a shit? And why is there only one month dedicated to biking to work? And what about April being Earth Month? Are attention spans so short that a month out of the year is all we can collectively muster up the energy for? Very sad if you ask me. I'm riding to work tomorrow, come hell or high water. Given a choice, hell would be better than high water 'cause Scott will kill me if he has to rebuild my hubs and water has a way a killing hubs.
Bike culture is a funny thing. I get made fun of all the time for coming into work all out of breath, sweaty, bugs in my teeth, and grinning like a mad woman. Yesterday, one of my partners painted a very humorous picture of me rolling into work being 8 months pregnant with my water bottle strapped to a bulging tummy because that's the only place to put it where I could actually reach it. Yikes! I'm NEVER having kids.
I really can't complain though. My commute to work is a fabulous ride. I've got two routes to choose from. The one I really like is perfect for my 1X1 and goes through some very nice trails. I encountered black bears once on my way home a couple of winters back. Cool, if somewhat suppressing to see two bear butts trotting down the trail in front of me. The adventure of riding to work really does out weigh the extra time and energy it takes to do it. It's never the same ride twice and we are so lucky to live in a place that is not completely covered in cement.
So, take a few extra minutes, plan ahead, fill up your Camel Bak, saddle up, and enjoy the ride! If not now, then when? If not you, then who?
Bike culture is a funny thing. I get made fun of all the time for coming into work all out of breath, sweaty, bugs in my teeth, and grinning like a mad woman. Yesterday, one of my partners painted a very humorous picture of me rolling into work being 8 months pregnant with my water bottle strapped to a bulging tummy because that's the only place to put it where I could actually reach it. Yikes! I'm NEVER having kids.
I really can't complain though. My commute to work is a fabulous ride. I've got two routes to choose from. The one I really like is perfect for my 1X1 and goes through some very nice trails. I encountered black bears once on my way home a couple of winters back. Cool, if somewhat suppressing to see two bear butts trotting down the trail in front of me. The adventure of riding to work really does out weigh the extra time and energy it takes to do it. It's never the same ride twice and we are so lucky to live in a place that is not completely covered in cement.
So, take a few extra minutes, plan ahead, fill up your Camel Bak, saddle up, and enjoy the ride! If not now, then when? If not you, then who?
5.04.2005
Race Update-Lesson Unlearned
I was checking out the scores for the race series I'm doing and they had me down for a DNF, (did not finish), for the Seatac race. Ack! After much back and forth with person who keeps track of these things, it all got figured out and I ended up getting my points back for finishing.
In the process of this, I came to find out that I really was the last one out there 'cause the girl listed behind me only finished one lap. So, maybe the only lesson I learned is the knowledge that I have a pretty good sense of where everybody is on the course. Though, that doesn't really do me any good if I'm always the back. Maybe the real lesson here is that I don't enjoy being at the back of the pack and should not let my self settle for just finishing races. I'm a poor loser when it comes right down to it, (which is why I don't gamble or play the lottery), and now I have to put the time into training to get faster. Darn it. I hate training, but I hate losing even more. We'll have to wait and see which one prevails.
In the process of this, I came to find out that I really was the last one out there 'cause the girl listed behind me only finished one lap. So, maybe the only lesson I learned is the knowledge that I have a pretty good sense of where everybody is on the course. Though, that doesn't really do me any good if I'm always the back. Maybe the real lesson here is that I don't enjoy being at the back of the pack and should not let my self settle for just finishing races. I'm a poor loser when it comes right down to it, (which is why I don't gamble or play the lottery), and now I have to put the time into training to get faster. Darn it. I hate training, but I hate losing even more. We'll have to wait and see which one prevails.
4.27.2005
Don't Make Me Pull This Car Over
If one more person complains to me about the price of gas here in WA or
anywhere else, I'm going to throw up on them! Is it really productive
to bitch about a self imposed situation? Hello...! Ride your bike. Take
the bus, walk. Do something and stop complaining to me about how it
costs 50 bucks to fill up your gas guzzling, 6 miles to gallon, piece
of crap-SUV, that only carries your fat ass to and from work. I don't
care if you go broke, because it's your decision. And really, I don't
care what your excuse is. Everyone has one. I have to drive to work,
or I live too far from where I go to work, or I have to pick my kids up
from school. You know what? When I was a kid, there was no one to pick
me up from school. My parents both worked full time jobs and I managed
to get myself home just fine. Thank you very much.
anywhere else, I'm going to throw up on them! Is it really productive
to bitch about a self imposed situation? Hello...! Ride your bike. Take
the bus, walk. Do something and stop complaining to me about how it
costs 50 bucks to fill up your gas guzzling, 6 miles to gallon, piece
of crap-SUV, that only carries your fat ass to and from work. I don't
care if you go broke, because it's your decision. And really, I don't
care what your excuse is. Everyone has one. I have to drive to work,
or I live too far from where I go to work, or I have to pick my kids up
from school. You know what? When I was a kid, there was no one to pick
me up from school. My parents both worked full time jobs and I managed
to get myself home just fine. Thank you very much.
All I'm saying is, it's just not that hard. If you don't like paying a lot of money for gas, then don't drive your car so much. And be thankful you don't live in Communist France or some other Western European country, 'cause then you'd really be sorry if you were paying for gas.
4.26.2005
Lesson Learned
This last weekend I raced at Seatac. Great course and always a lot of fun. This race was different though. I somehow convinced myself that I was the last one on the course and so, really what was the hurry? It's amazing how much time you have to think in a 25 mile race. Since I had convinced myself that I had completly lost the race, I figured that I should enjoy the ride. I mean it is Spring and there are lots of nice flowers blooming. Silly me. I ended up coming in 4th. Now I know for next time.
I'm baaack....
I am the accidental blogger. I go through phases with my posts. Either life gets too busy or I'm so bored out of my mind that I'm uninspired to write. No inspiration= no post. Today inspiration took hold, so here it is...
Every spring we have a flock of Swallows that hang out at our place for a few weeks. At sunset, they fly around like maniacs chasing bugs in the air. I love going out and watching them. I'm sure it's some sort of highly organized procedure, but it sure seems chaotic and crazy. Hundreds of tiny birds flying to and fro in waves over the creek behind our apartment. It's always cool on that first day when you notice they've arrived. Spring is here!
Now, I don't know which direction they are migrating, but I like to imagine they are headed to my Aunt's house in Alaska. She and my Uncle live in Homer on a beautiful ridge overlooking Kechemak Bay and the Cook Inlet. You can see glaciers and volcanos from their living room and kitchen windows. We had the pleasure of being there one summer during the time that the Swallows hatched. My Aunt built little bird houses for them under the eaves right outside the living room window. We spent hours watching the Mom Swallow bring food to them through out the day. We marveled as they grew and we could hear their little chirps all day long as the Mom flew in and out of the nest. We even got to witness the first flight of these little creatures. I think one pushed the other out of the nest. Ooops! It all happened so fast. We were only there for a few weeks and in that time they went from being tiny little babies, unable to feed themselves, to tiny little flying, bug eating machines.
So, it is always in the Spring when the Swallows come that I am once again reminded of how amazing nature is. Not that I really need reminding, but it sure is cool.
Every spring we have a flock of Swallows that hang out at our place for a few weeks. At sunset, they fly around like maniacs chasing bugs in the air. I love going out and watching them. I'm sure it's some sort of highly organized procedure, but it sure seems chaotic and crazy. Hundreds of tiny birds flying to and fro in waves over the creek behind our apartment. It's always cool on that first day when you notice they've arrived. Spring is here!
Now, I don't know which direction they are migrating, but I like to imagine they are headed to my Aunt's house in Alaska. She and my Uncle live in Homer on a beautiful ridge overlooking Kechemak Bay and the Cook Inlet. You can see glaciers and volcanos from their living room and kitchen windows. We had the pleasure of being there one summer during the time that the Swallows hatched. My Aunt built little bird houses for them under the eaves right outside the living room window. We spent hours watching the Mom Swallow bring food to them through out the day. We marveled as they grew and we could hear their little chirps all day long as the Mom flew in and out of the nest. We even got to witness the first flight of these little creatures. I think one pushed the other out of the nest. Ooops! It all happened so fast. We were only there for a few weeks and in that time they went from being tiny little babies, unable to feed themselves, to tiny little flying, bug eating machines.
So, it is always in the Spring when the Swallows come that I am once again reminded of how amazing nature is. Not that I really need reminding, but it sure is cool.
4.12.2005
Where Have I Been?
I've been living uner a rock or in a cave or something... I just found out about this thing called Weather Modification. Say what????? Scottie mentioned to me last night that Texas has been using a cloud seeding procedure to battle their on-going drought. What the fuck? Cloud seeding? With in five minutes of doing some fact finding online, it is clear to me that this is the most whacked thing I've heard about in a long ass time. Apparently, some dude predicted that weather patterns all over the west would be all screwed up from the cloud seeding in Texas. Ah, duh... I read one report that the military, some decaedes ago, did some cloud seeding on a hurricane out in the Atlantic. It immediately changed it's course and ended hitting land and causing massive damage. Ooops. Also, it seems that some 39 countries use some kind of weather modification and this is big cause for concern amongst the whacko conspiracy folks out there.
How is it that I've managed to make it 33 years without ever knowing about this? I swear I havent been living under a rock.
How is it that I've managed to make it 33 years without ever knowing about this? I swear I havent been living under a rock.
4.08.2005
Wash, Rinse, and Hang Out to Dry
CAUTION: Long rant to follow...
We were at Fred Meyer last night picking up rice milk and Newman O's, (the minty one are truly addicting). If you've ever been to Freddy's, you know that more common than not, there are like 52 check stands and a "U-SCAN". Usually of those 52 stands, only 2 or 3 are ever open and if you are there when it's busy, the lines are ridiculous. The U-SCAN is where you check your own groceries through. It goes something like this: scan item, wait for computer to beep, place item in bag, oops, item didn't scan, try again, then try again, oh that's beer, wait for guy to come over and check your ID, then place in bag, scan next item. Oh, wait, it's produce... place on scale, input proper code, oh, that code doesn't work. Call Dude over again and wait for him to find code for your apples and so it goes. On and on. You get the idea. Meanwhile, all of the people in the other lanes are out in their cars getting on with their lives. I don't know about you, but when I go to the market I figure part of the price I pay is for the service I get there and checking and bagging my own groceries doesn't really feel like sevice. Call me crazy.
So, we are wondering around looking for the check stand with the little light on telling us the lane is open, and Scotty walks right by and starts to head for the U-SCAN. I'm thinking this is really weird because I know he hates the U-SCAN. I grab him and turn back to the open lane and find a very young man with a bewildered look on his face sort of ready to help us. He makes a comment about us not using the U-SCAN. He says that it really get easier once you learn how to use it, (as if we were to stupid to figure it out.) He wasn't being mean though. He was just doing his job. Spewing the company line. I asked if he was worried that he would have nothing to do if we had decided not to come through his line. In my mind I'm thinking that paying people to do customer service when there are no customers really isn't in the spirit of how large corporations do business. He assured us that that they still need people to man the U-SCAN station, but here's the rub - it was his boss at the U-SCAN.
The brain washing of America has become so complete that even grocery store clerks are willing to encourage customers to take advantage of a situation that makes their very job obsolete. Corporate America is winning! At some point we, the consumer, will never have to make contact with a single soul, whether we are going the movies, the grocery store, the gas station, or any number of fully automated establishments. These jobs are becoming irrevelant and human contact is on it's way to extinction. We are on our way to having a country filled with unemployed freaks. I mean really, human contact is what makes us care about other people and make the right decisions where others are concerned.
This is going to sound corny but Howard Shultz of Starbucks says, "We are NOT in the coffee business serving people, we are in the people business serving coffee." And he still manages to rake in crap loads of money. Hmm... I hope that technology in the future will make my job easier and free up more of my time so I can spend it with my employees and my customers. Hopefully, it won't make what I do worthless to the people who pay me to do it.
We were at Fred Meyer last night picking up rice milk and Newman O's, (the minty one are truly addicting). If you've ever been to Freddy's, you know that more common than not, there are like 52 check stands and a "U-SCAN". Usually of those 52 stands, only 2 or 3 are ever open and if you are there when it's busy, the lines are ridiculous. The U-SCAN is where you check your own groceries through. It goes something like this: scan item, wait for computer to beep, place item in bag, oops, item didn't scan, try again, then try again, oh that's beer, wait for guy to come over and check your ID, then place in bag, scan next item. Oh, wait, it's produce... place on scale, input proper code, oh, that code doesn't work. Call Dude over again and wait for him to find code for your apples and so it goes. On and on. You get the idea. Meanwhile, all of the people in the other lanes are out in their cars getting on with their lives. I don't know about you, but when I go to the market I figure part of the price I pay is for the service I get there and checking and bagging my own groceries doesn't really feel like sevice. Call me crazy.
So, we are wondering around looking for the check stand with the little light on telling us the lane is open, and Scotty walks right by and starts to head for the U-SCAN. I'm thinking this is really weird because I know he hates the U-SCAN. I grab him and turn back to the open lane and find a very young man with a bewildered look on his face sort of ready to help us. He makes a comment about us not using the U-SCAN. He says that it really get easier once you learn how to use it, (as if we were to stupid to figure it out.) He wasn't being mean though. He was just doing his job. Spewing the company line. I asked if he was worried that he would have nothing to do if we had decided not to come through his line. In my mind I'm thinking that paying people to do customer service when there are no customers really isn't in the spirit of how large corporations do business. He assured us that that they still need people to man the U-SCAN station, but here's the rub - it was his boss at the U-SCAN.
The brain washing of America has become so complete that even grocery store clerks are willing to encourage customers to take advantage of a situation that makes their very job obsolete. Corporate America is winning! At some point we, the consumer, will never have to make contact with a single soul, whether we are going the movies, the grocery store, the gas station, or any number of fully automated establishments. These jobs are becoming irrevelant and human contact is on it's way to extinction. We are on our way to having a country filled with unemployed freaks. I mean really, human contact is what makes us care about other people and make the right decisions where others are concerned.
This is going to sound corny but Howard Shultz of Starbucks says, "We are NOT in the coffee business serving people, we are in the people business serving coffee." And he still manages to rake in crap loads of money. Hmm... I hope that technology in the future will make my job easier and free up more of my time so I can spend it with my employees and my customers. Hopefully, it won't make what I do worthless to the people who pay me to do it.
3.24.2005
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire
I promised myself I wouldn't weigh in on the issue of Terri Schiavo and her right to life or death, but there's one little tid bit that won't leave me alone. Our oh-so brilliant President Bush said in regards to this situation,"it is wise to always err on the side of life." All I have to say to that is... Ah, anybody aware of what's going on in Iraq? What a two-faced, bold liar.
Either he's too stupid to realize what he said or just too callous to care. I'm hoping for the stupid agrument because otherwise I'm flat out scared. Side note: Add and extra "r" to scared and you get scarred. I'm probably that too. I wonder if I can sue him for emotional trauma? Just a thought...
Either he's too stupid to realize what he said or just too callous to care. I'm hoping for the stupid agrument because otherwise I'm flat out scared. Side note: Add and extra "r" to scared and you get scarred. I'm probably that too. I wonder if I can sue him for emotional trauma? Just a thought...
3.23.2005
All in a Days Work
I have to tell you about this dream I had the other night...
O.k., so I'm at the Aveda store, (in real life this where you buy hair products), in some mall somewhere and of course I order a Frappuccino. 'Cause what else do you get at the Aveda store? I'm sitting on a bar stool at the counter and this very pudgy round guy with greying curly hair serves me my Java Chip Frappuccino. But the thing is a disaster. He's served it to me in a plexi, (plastic), box beacuse it's oozing down the sides of the cup. There is no lid on it and the whipped cream and chocolate are only half on top and the other half is running down the side. I can tell that it wasn't blended well enough because there are giant chuncks of of ice visible and I'm thinking to myself self, "how am I going to get those chunks through the straw?"
Then I get mad. I start yelling at him about this disaster of a drink and something about paying money for something that won't even fit through the straw. I'm trying to figure out how to get the drink out of the box, which I finally do and then I threw it at him! Just like that. He's sitting there with chunky, brown Frappuccino dribbling down his face. Aren't dreams cool?
I think I need a vacation.
O.k., so I'm at the Aveda store, (in real life this where you buy hair products), in some mall somewhere and of course I order a Frappuccino. 'Cause what else do you get at the Aveda store? I'm sitting on a bar stool at the counter and this very pudgy round guy with greying curly hair serves me my Java Chip Frappuccino. But the thing is a disaster. He's served it to me in a plexi, (plastic), box beacuse it's oozing down the sides of the cup. There is no lid on it and the whipped cream and chocolate are only half on top and the other half is running down the side. I can tell that it wasn't blended well enough because there are giant chuncks of of ice visible and I'm thinking to myself self, "how am I going to get those chunks through the straw?"
Then I get mad. I start yelling at him about this disaster of a drink and something about paying money for something that won't even fit through the straw. I'm trying to figure out how to get the drink out of the box, which I finally do and then I threw it at him! Just like that. He's sitting there with chunky, brown Frappuccino dribbling down his face. Aren't dreams cool?
I think I need a vacation.
3.21.2005
GARBLEDGOOK
I'm pissed and no, not the drunk kind of pissed. Although, after realizing that I spent a couple hours of rewriting the html to change the backround of this blog and add links to the side bar, I wished I was drunk. I'm pissed 'cause I can't believe I could waste that much time on the computer, let alone rewrite code. What the hell is wrong with me? Shouldn't I be doing something more productive like... anything? I mean, really now.
Oh well, the time is gone and the cat is on the internet. On a side note, it was completly unintentional that the color of the backround is so close to Bodie and Mandimu's page. I searched for hours for just the right green. Actually, I searched for hours before I even found any green. Apparently, my html skills are not all that good. I should have just called them to get the color code.
Oh well, the time is gone and the cat is on the internet. On a side note, it was completly unintentional that the color of the backround is so close to Bodie and Mandimu's page. I searched for hours for just the right green. Actually, I searched for hours before I even found any green. Apparently, my html skills are not all that good. I should have just called them to get the color code.
3.20.2005
NOW THAT'S FUNNY
Scott came home last night and stated that he wasn't going to drink alcohol anymore... (insert hysterical fit of laughter).
3.16.2005
AAARRRGGHHHHH!
Freakin' government and their stupid energy bill. Drilling in the Arctic Natl' Wildlife Refuge is just flat out wrong. It pisses me off that we can't leave one corner of the planet in tact. Is that really too much to ask for? We won't even see the oil for ten years and "they" are trying to convince people that this is a good idea because the price of oil is high right now. What is wrong with these people? Do they really think we're that stupid???? Makes me so mad. We pay less for a gallon of gas than anyone else in the western world. In fact, I think we should pay more. Maybe then people will get out of their stupid cars a little more often and we won't have shoulder the burden of paying for a generation of fat people's medical bills.
I'm on a tangent. I've been in the Arctic and it's amazing. That's all there is to it. It's a flipping amazing place that shouldn't be screwed around with. Visit NRDC to find out who to call and what you can do to make sure this thing doesn't get all the way through to a point where we can't take it back. It's a huge mistake.
I'm on a tangent. I've been in the Arctic and it's amazing. That's all there is to it. It's a flipping amazing place that shouldn't be screwed around with. Visit NRDC to find out who to call and what you can do to make sure this thing doesn't get all the way through to a point where we can't take it back. It's a huge mistake.
