Saturday, September 16, 2006
Friday, September 15, 2006
It's not just little boys who love trains ....
OK, so I just got on the train at the Puyallup station. It went really, really well, though I didn't have time to stop for a mega gulp. But that should not be the deal maker or breaker.
I'm sitting in a comfy chair with my computer on a nice, solid table …. Once again, I'm overcome with the notion that this is the only way to ride. And it doesn't cost me a dime, since my workplace provides the blessed FlexPass. Blessed, blessed Flexpass, ticket to trains, buses, and everything but boats.
It's true: I can work on my computer on the bus also. But that requires careful balancing, and frequently the light is so bad (or the glare, specifically) that I can barely see the screen. And the bouncing and turning can be downright discomfiting. Not so much is this the case on the train.
Just stopped at the Sumner station. Out the window, I can see a store called, seriously, Sumner Animal Grub. Now cruising toward Auburn, were I had previously caught the train. But downsides to the Auburn station were significant: Too many cars, not enough parking, too much traffic on the roads to get there …..
So, I think I'll be sticking to the Puyallup station. It took me 15 minutes to get there from home, and I had alloted myself 20, so I didn't have to sprint from the parking area or panic in any way. Fabulous. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that I can sleep later when I ride the bus, and it takes me slightly less time to get from home to the bus stop. Plus, if I miss the bus, there's another bus not far behind. The train I'm riding is the last of the a.m.
Did I mention how civilized I feel? I should be drinking tea.
Pros of the train: comfort, zero traffic, better for working, comfort,
Cons: Have to get up a half-hour earlier (but either way, the family's asleep when I go)
Pros of the bus: convenient, more time options
Cons: not always comfortable, traffic (which can stretch the trip into 1-1/2 hours), not easy to work, though it can be done
Just saw a fellow Big Internet Retailer employee, who I recognized by his badge. I never noticed badges in the city, but now I see that many people have them. Some hide them, some seem proud, some are just trying not to lose them. I'm usually the latter. I wonder if he's a regular. I think I may become one.
OK. Now I'm going to find out if the train is better for sleeping.
I'm sitting in a comfy chair with my computer on a nice, solid table …. Once again, I'm overcome with the notion that this is the only way to ride. And it doesn't cost me a dime, since my workplace provides the blessed FlexPass. Blessed, blessed Flexpass, ticket to trains, buses, and everything but boats.
It's true: I can work on my computer on the bus also. But that requires careful balancing, and frequently the light is so bad (or the glare, specifically) that I can barely see the screen. And the bouncing and turning can be downright discomfiting. Not so much is this the case on the train.
Just stopped at the Sumner station. Out the window, I can see a store called, seriously, Sumner Animal Grub. Now cruising toward Auburn, were I had previously caught the train. But downsides to the Auburn station were significant: Too many cars, not enough parking, too much traffic on the roads to get there …..
So, I think I'll be sticking to the Puyallup station. It took me 15 minutes to get there from home, and I had alloted myself 20, so I didn't have to sprint from the parking area or panic in any way. Fabulous. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that I can sleep later when I ride the bus, and it takes me slightly less time to get from home to the bus stop. Plus, if I miss the bus, there's another bus not far behind. The train I'm riding is the last of the a.m.
Did I mention how civilized I feel? I should be drinking tea.
Pros of the train: comfort, zero traffic, better for working, comfort,
Cons: Have to get up a half-hour earlier (but either way, the family's asleep when I go)
Pros of the bus: convenient, more time options
Cons: not always comfortable, traffic (which can stretch the trip into 1-1/2 hours), not easy to work, though it can be done
Just saw a fellow Big Internet Retailer employee, who I recognized by his badge. I never noticed badges in the city, but now I see that many people have them. Some hide them, some seem proud, some are just trying not to lose them. I'm usually the latter. I wonder if he's a regular. I think I may become one.
OK. Now I'm going to find out if the train is better for sleeping.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
The old dude with the MP3 player
Let me paint you a picture: Large bifocals. Hat promoting what appears to be heart medicine. Eyes like I remember my grandpa's eyes: Lens-magnified, a little too watery and folded into loose lids. Skin that's not as wrinkled as it wants to be because gravity has pulling some of the wrinkles out.
Oh yeah … and an MP3 player. You don't see that every day.
And then I thought about it. He's probably younger than he looks. Maybe he's in his 60s. Which means he came of age firmly in the rock 'n' roll era. Is that The Big Bopper on his MP3? Really, it could just as easily be the Stones. God knows I often listen to the bands that hit when I was twentysomething.
The bus is slow. Traffic is thick. I want to ask this guy what he's listening to. But he's sleeping. Good cover for my cowardice.
Oh yeah … and an MP3 player. You don't see that every day.
And then I thought about it. He's probably younger than he looks. Maybe he's in his 60s. Which means he came of age firmly in the rock 'n' roll era. Is that The Big Bopper on his MP3? Really, it could just as easily be the Stones. God knows I often listen to the bands that hit when I was twentysomething.
The bus is slow. Traffic is thick. I want to ask this guy what he's listening to. But he's sleeping. Good cover for my cowardice.
Leadfoot on the 196
Very, very busy at the park 'n' ride today. So busy, in fact, that I had to squeeze into a questionable spot right up against the crosswalk. (But I think I'm OK.)
My rookie year of bus commutership is moving toward fall, which so far appears to be marked with rain and very crowded buses. I am, as I write this, sitting in the undesirable middle seats on the hinge of the double bus. I have only some vinyl between me and the outside, and the seats are neither as sturdy nor as padded as the others. I don't mind it here, though. Legroom is usually decent, and only once has someone sat next to me, so I can sit next to my Ultimate Gulp and relax. It's noisy, but I've got the noise-canceling headphones to address that.
The one thing that's kind of a bitch no matter where you are in the bus is a driver who slams on the brakes. I don't mind when they go fast, though it can get a little bumpy. Who am I kidding? It gets a lot bumpy. I half-expect my kidneys to get slammed up to north of my lungs. But the real sucky part is when the driver has to slam on the brakes. I've not experienced rubber-burning skids, but I have experienced the kinds of stops and slowdowns that send bags flying into aisles. And riders, if they're not careful. I wonder if the driver is ever tempted to hit the brakes a little too hard just to fuck with us. We're his little puppets, stringless and prone to flying about.
My rookie year of bus commutership is moving toward fall, which so far appears to be marked with rain and very crowded buses. I am, as I write this, sitting in the undesirable middle seats on the hinge of the double bus. I have only some vinyl between me and the outside, and the seats are neither as sturdy nor as padded as the others. I don't mind it here, though. Legroom is usually decent, and only once has someone sat next to me, so I can sit next to my Ultimate Gulp and relax. It's noisy, but I've got the noise-canceling headphones to address that.
The one thing that's kind of a bitch no matter where you are in the bus is a driver who slams on the brakes. I don't mind when they go fast, though it can get a little bumpy. Who am I kidding? It gets a lot bumpy. I half-expect my kidneys to get slammed up to north of my lungs. But the real sucky part is when the driver has to slam on the brakes. I've not experienced rubber-burning skids, but I have experienced the kinds of stops and slowdowns that send bags flying into aisles. And riders, if they're not careful. I wonder if the driver is ever tempted to hit the brakes a little too hard just to fuck with us. We're his little puppets, stringless and prone to flying about.
Waiter, there's a tendon in my soup
Oh wait. I ordered it. Yes, at the pho place near my work, I got nutty and ordered my pho (noodle soup) with beef and tendon. What that meant was that my soup came with something that looked like chunks and slices of fat. But, when eaten, they were surprisingly (to my white, suburban, mac 'n' cheese-raised palate) good. An interesting texture, somewhat resistant to my bite but not tough. The flavor of, well, the soup. I ate a number of pieces and now two things are clear:
1. I'm happiest when I don't think too much about the fact that I had tendon soup for lunch. And …
2. I have no idea what tendons are made of. I need to find out.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Launched, and a clean house to boot!
OK, how good is this? We've got our product in the air. It's not perfect. But it's flying.
And over the weekend, in addition to doing a small and very reasonable amount of work, my family and I managed to get the house (the front part of it, anyway) to some semblance of order. So I am happy, happy, happy. It's amazing how many things seem surmountable when the house is clean.
Even the 57 loads of laundry that need doing. :)
And over the weekend, in addition to doing a small and very reasonable amount of work, my family and I managed to get the house (the front part of it, anyway) to some semblance of order. So I am happy, happy, happy. It's amazing how many things seem surmountable when the house is clean.
Even the 57 loads of laundry that need doing. :)
Launch is a journey, not a destination
At least that's how it felt last week when I wrote this. It was our third take on launch day.
We are, I believe, fairly public. All that's missing is the shouting, unless a senior VP's appearance on the Today show counts as shouting.
So now, I'm taking a moment to catch my breath. Most of my fires are out, though I'm sure new ones will flare up soon, soon, soon. I got all of four hours of sleep last night, which was semi-refreshing. More refreshing than you might expect, actually. And I got some hugs from my boys, which was awesome.
And now I'm sitting in a room full of 40-odd big boys. Perhaps not surprisingly, a certain musk hangs in the air. I consider it a prelude of sorts to what awaits my senses as my guys grow up. Musk, testosterone, urgency, moments of laughter.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
At last, I can cheer without feeling like I'm supporting a child molester
Deadspin.com, the only sports blog worth reading, reports that the NFL has effectively banned "Rock 'n' Roll, Part 2." You know the song, even if you don't know the title. It's an infectious, stomping, nearly lyric-less thing, and it was written by Gary Glitter, convicted child molester.
That means, every time it got played, he got paid. Which meant more money to download kiddie porn and go to Thailand and do very bad things. So we'll just have to find another song to cheer along to. And it doesn't need to be done by an angel, though I'd count R. Kelly out.
That means, every time it got played, he got paid. Which meant more money to download kiddie porn and go to Thailand and do very bad things. So we'll just have to find another song to cheer along to. And it doesn't need to be done by an angel, though I'd count R. Kelly out.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
A moment of appreciation for health technology
So as I sat in the outdoor-smoking-area-turned-health-fair today, I couldn't help but be impressed by the tools in use. So offhand, and yet so fast and easy-breezy.
Checking bone density involves taking off your shoe and putting your foot into a plastic thing that's smaller than most footstools. It inflates like two balloons on each side of your ankle, then does an ultrasound, of all things.
Cholesterol gets tested with a drop of blood on a piece of paper. Amazing.
And then they look at you with special glasses, and they can tell if you've got a tumor.
(OK, I'm kidding about the last part.)
Checking bone density involves taking off your shoe and putting your foot into a plastic thing that's smaller than most footstools. It inflates like two balloons on each side of your ankle, then does an ultrasound, of all things.
Cholesterol gets tested with a drop of blood on a piece of paper. Amazing.
And then they look at you with special glasses, and they can tell if you've got a tumor.
(OK, I'm kidding about the last part.)
All's fair in love and ... health?
Is it possible to find out how healthy you are while standing out on the concrete open space between your building and the building next door?
I don't know. But I tried today. I got various blood things and even my bone density tested. And I didn't really get any surprises, though my cholesterol was a LITTLE higher than I would like (200). My body fat percentage was also higher than I would like (33 percent). Amazingly, this is within the normal range. Still, it translates to 66 pounds of fat. And yes, if you're a smarty you can do the math and find out what I weigh. I don't care. Fuck it, I'm almost 40. And from 40 on, that's my new motto. Hell, that's my motto now: Fuck it!!!!
My blood sugar was 90-something, which is fine. And my bone density was all right, but not great. A little below the curve, actually. I guess I should maybe take my vitamins. Maybe some calcium. And weight-bearing exercise. You know, instead of all of that exercise I've been doing that is non-weightbearing. Yeah, that's it.
There was one weird result: I did the chiropractic screening, just for kicks. It involves standing on two scales and seeing how much weight you put on each one. And my right was heavier than my left by eight pounds. They say anything more than two is considered a lot.
So, I decided to go to the chiropractor tomorrow, just to see what he says. I'm not really interested in signing on for an intensive program of voodoo doctorin' but I am curious.
I actually did do the back adjustment thing for a while about 10 years ago or so, but with an osteopath, not a chiropractor. I think I felt like that gave it the feeling of "real" medicine.
And yes, I know ... chiropractic IS real. I'm just not too sure about it. But I wasn't too sure about organic food either, and I've come around on that one.
(Yes, dear departed Mom, you were right. I imagine that whether you're in the fluffy clouds or the hot place, you don't mind hearing that.)
I don't know. But I tried today. I got various blood things and even my bone density tested. And I didn't really get any surprises, though my cholesterol was a LITTLE higher than I would like (200). My body fat percentage was also higher than I would like (33 percent). Amazingly, this is within the normal range. Still, it translates to 66 pounds of fat. And yes, if you're a smarty you can do the math and find out what I weigh. I don't care. Fuck it, I'm almost 40. And from 40 on, that's my new motto. Hell, that's my motto now: Fuck it!!!!
My blood sugar was 90-something, which is fine. And my bone density was all right, but not great. A little below the curve, actually. I guess I should maybe take my vitamins. Maybe some calcium. And weight-bearing exercise. You know, instead of all of that exercise I've been doing that is non-weightbearing. Yeah, that's it.
There was one weird result: I did the chiropractic screening, just for kicks. It involves standing on two scales and seeing how much weight you put on each one. And my right was heavier than my left by eight pounds. They say anything more than two is considered a lot.
So, I decided to go to the chiropractor tomorrow, just to see what he says. I'm not really interested in signing on for an intensive program of voodoo doctorin' but I am curious.
I actually did do the back adjustment thing for a while about 10 years ago or so, but with an osteopath, not a chiropractor. I think I felt like that gave it the feeling of "real" medicine.
And yes, I know ... chiropractic IS real. I'm just not too sure about it. But I wasn't too sure about organic food either, and I've come around on that one.
(Yes, dear departed Mom, you were right. I imagine that whether you're in the fluffy clouds or the hot place, you don't mind hearing that.)
1983 called ... they want their concert back
Someone I work with is selling tickets to a concert taking place Thursday night ... a concert that a bunch of my high school friends would have killed to attend.
It's Def Leppard-Journey. And DL gets top billing, which I find interesting. Wonder if it's Steve Perry Journey.
Anyway, the tickets are going for $100 for the pair. Which is about $50 less than what the seller paid.
And wouldn't even go if someone gave me the tickets and gas money.
It's Def Leppard-Journey. And DL gets top billing, which I find interesting. Wonder if it's Steve Perry Journey.
Anyway, the tickets are going for $100 for the pair. Which is about $50 less than what the seller paid.
And wouldn't even go if someone gave me the tickets and gas money.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Me vs. the Blackberries, Round 2
The battle continues. Me vs. the nasty, prickly blackberry vines. Me, armed with just my $12 snippers. (Which is pretty expensive for snippers, so I am well armed.) I talked to one of our neighbors about my project, and she looked at me and my scratched-up arms with pity. Well, she should see my cleared-out space now. I would say that I am more than halfway to victory. And I am going to remember to always wear long sleeves. I will sweat, but I will bleed much less.
My cuttings have revealed what appears to be a boundary marker for our property. And it appears that our side yard is about twice the size I thought it was. So I now have visions of hacking down the blackberries next to our parking spot, putting in a retaining wall and filling and expanding that space. As well as pushing out our house -- and still having a side yard.
I am more stubborn than blackberries. And like blackberries, I can be sweet and really, really annoying. Kinda prickly sometimes but just trying to grow.
My cuttings have revealed what appears to be a boundary marker for our property. And it appears that our side yard is about twice the size I thought it was. So I now have visions of hacking down the blackberries next to our parking spot, putting in a retaining wall and filling and expanding that space. As well as pushing out our house -- and still having a side yard.
I am more stubborn than blackberries. And like blackberries, I can be sweet and really, really annoying. Kinda prickly sometimes but just trying to grow.
How could anyone nont fall in love with June Carter?
So apparently June Carter Cash personally approved of Reese Witherspoon as the person to play her in walk the line. Hell, no wonder: I'm reminded, after watching the movie on video (and zipping through all the long, often painful Johnny-by-himself parts), just how enchanting her portrayal was. She conveys so much with her eyes, with the set of her mouth, with the way she moves. It's just enchanting, really. Maybe I can just identify with trying so very hard not to fall in love. And with feeling that gut-wrenching, adrenalized ride of longing and how trying to crush the longing can be like trying not to breathe. Johnny's high on pills, low on the absence of his father's love and trying to foce his tractor out the mud. She's torn. And her mama sees it. And we see where she gets her wisdom. "Mama, I'm not going down there." "You already are down there honey." And thus began their journey together truly as opposed to powerful but only occasionally intersecting orbits.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Thursday, August 17, 2006
At least TOY Hummers don't hurt the environment ... uh, except for the plastic it takes to make them and .... whatever!
Saw the following at the excellent blog Consumerist. And thought of how much my kids love their Happy Meal Hummers. Which didn't seem at all dirty to me until now.
http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/toys/get-a-hummer-with-your-happy-meal-194793.php
Thu 17 Aug 2006
Get a Hummer With Your Happy Meal!
To the spittle-spraying vehemence of environmental groups, McDonald's is giving away a free Hummer with every Happy Meal.
Unfortunately, that didn't quite mean exactly what I thought it meant, as I found out when I rushed to the local McDonald's, ordered twelve from the beautiful teenage girl behind the counter, then expectantly unzipped. No, these are toy Hummers... Tonka-sized HUVs for kids!
The usual collection of people paid to be outraged are paid to be outraged about this. Quoth Brenda Bell, an energy policy analyst at the Sierra club: "[Hummers in Happy Meals] are about as responsible as dipping a Big Mac in the fry oil and serving it to your kids." Responsible? No. But that does sound delicious, Brenda.
But ultimately, these are toys. When I was a child, McDonald's handed away toy tanks, atomic monsters and laser-shooting robots. None of those are particularly good for the environment either.away a free Hummer with every Happy Meal.
http://www.consumerist.com/consumer/toys/get-a-hummer-with-your-happy-meal-194793.php
Thu 17 Aug 2006
Get a Hummer With Your Happy Meal!
To the spittle-spraying vehemence of environmental groups, McDonald's is giving away a free Hummer with every Happy Meal.
Unfortunately, that didn't quite mean exactly what I thought it meant, as I found out when I rushed to the local McDonald's, ordered twelve from the beautiful teenage girl behind the counter, then expectantly unzipped. No, these are toy Hummers... Tonka-sized HUVs for kids!
The usual collection of people paid to be outraged are paid to be outraged about this. Quoth Brenda Bell, an energy policy analyst at the Sierra club: "[Hummers in Happy Meals] are about as responsible as dipping a Big Mac in the fry oil and serving it to your kids." Responsible? No. But that does sound delicious, Brenda.
But ultimately, these are toys. When I was a child, McDonald's handed away toy tanks, atomic monsters and laser-shooting robots. None of those are particularly good for the environment either.away a free Hummer with every Happy Meal.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The strangest thing happened today .... I went for a run.
This is mostly only strange if you know me. Because you know that I tend to run only when I am being chased by bears.
But this morning, I felt restless, lacking focus and in need of a shower. Rather than just, you know, powering and/or sleeping through this, I decided to do something crazy: Run. I have been trying to be healthier and work out and such, so I had shorts, shoes, shirt, etc. I put on my headphones and ran for more than 15 minutes. And less than 20. I wasn't paying too close of attention to my watch, but I know that much.
Then I showered up and went back to work. Well, first I got the bright idea of trying to wash a stain out of my shirt. It didn't really do any good, and I just had a VERY wet shirt. And of course then, of all times, my boss and boss-like colleague decided we should go to lunch. I am quite professional, yes indeedy. Ah, well. It's an internet company.
But this morning, I felt restless, lacking focus and in need of a shower. Rather than just, you know, powering and/or sleeping through this, I decided to do something crazy: Run. I have been trying to be healthier and work out and such, so I had shorts, shoes, shirt, etc. I put on my headphones and ran for more than 15 minutes. And less than 20. I wasn't paying too close of attention to my watch, but I know that much.
Then I showered up and went back to work. Well, first I got the bright idea of trying to wash a stain out of my shirt. It didn't really do any good, and I just had a VERY wet shirt. And of course then, of all times, my boss and boss-like colleague decided we should go to lunch. I am quite professional, yes indeedy. Ah, well. It's an internet company.
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