Monday, 16. October 2006, 05:25:37
I love fog. Yesterday, I watched as the fog rolled in off the sound. It seems so mystical. October is the start of the foggy months. Beats snow. Today it rained. The cloud was fairly low so it seemed like fog.
So I missed another day. I do seem to be able to get back into rather than just leaving it for a few days...the abandoning it completely. That is better than I used to be.
It has been a quiet weekend around here. Which is good. We got some chores done. We ran some errands and watched a couple of flicks. We even managed to see part of the playoffs and a little bit of the Seahawks game. Go Hawks! All at a nice leisurely pace.I don't like to feel rushed. It feels to mich like work when that hapens. Every job I ever had seems to have involved trying to do six or twelve things at break neck speed.
I have become addicted to trivia games. Not that I wasn't before. I just haven't played them in awhile. I definately am not as good as I thought I was. Oh well, its a chance to relearn some stuff. That can never hurt.
Tommorrow is phone people and scream at them day. I hate being put into that position. When people are dragging their ass...sometimes you have to drag them by the ear. It doesn't hurt to keep that kicking motion going. Bureaucrats! I think they should be forced to deal with what the general public has to go through on an hourly basis... Just to remind them of how difficult they make life.
Saturday, 14. October 2006, 06:41:44
There is always someone on the street here. It does not matter, day or night, 24/7. Not a lot during the late night, but still there is always someone. Winnipeg was not like that. I would be driving home from work and there were times when there was not a sole around.
In a lot of ways Seattle reminds me of Winnipeg. They formed around the same time. A lot of the early architecture is similar. In many ways you can still see the rugged pioneer spirit it took to build the two cities. Both are important transportation hubs. Both the people are generally friendly. Still I find it hard to call Seattle home...even though I have lived here for almost seven years now. Funny how that is. I seem to identify with the places I grew up in than where I'm living. I wonder if it is like that for most people?
The time I've had off lately has me pondering many things. With any luck I will be back to work (again ?)next week. That does seem to be another similarity. Dealing with civil servants seems to be the same no matter where you live. Along with the length of time it takes to get things moving...they always seem to neglect one vital piece of information, that is crucially important to what you need to accomplish. Then it is of course, your fault, that you don't know that little piece of the puzzle. They seem astonished ! They seem to assume that it was engrained at birth in everyone. This of course makes them incapable of helping you proceed. What causes the civil service people to be such space cases? It makes you wonder if the way to Mars will be paved with red tape.
Friday, 13. October 2006, 06:41:16
Okay I'm back. I didn't really go anywhere, but of course I missed writing in here yesterday. It wasn't because I was busy by all means...it was more of a lazt type day. Things aren't exactly bustling around here right now. Well they are just not on a personal level. A lot of that is in sit and wait mode right now. Which adds another dimension to stress levels.
Today we managed to get the groceries done. That is always a task in itself. Three & a half hours from when we left...until we got everything put away. To be fair we took our time and did a lot of comparison shopping. There was also a traffic tie up on the way to the store. I think we faired pretty well otherwise.
I was watching some of the election ads today. It amazes me that politicians have the audacity to bring up who voted on which bill. I mean by the time a bill gets to the vote, so many extras have been thrown in. Like ... This person voted against making English the national language of the US. What the ad doesn't say is in effect it would have also made GWB king for life. It is an exaggeration of course. The point is whether a politician votes for or against something in one bill...you have to look at the whole bill. I don't know why they try to pull this off.
The other one that burns me like I was sitting on the sun, is experience. Run A is claiming that Run B is less experienced. Does this mean by what you are claiming...That in the next county over you should turf out Run A's running mate because they are less experienced. Experience is nothing next to believable leadership qualities. Vote for whom, you think has the the best shot of leading your county, city, town, country in a direction that you believe in. Vote for the candidate that you believe can help you the most. Most of all get out and VOTE!
Wednesday, 11. October 2006, 06:17:09
This morning was spent on the phone. I am not a big fan of the phone. It is sort of a necessary evil. I've never understood the popularity of cell phones. Sure they are great in an emergency...but why on Earth would you want to be tracked down anywhere you are. I don't really get it.
They are everywhere. People walking against redlights...gee they're carrying a cell phone not paying attention to what the world around them is doing. I mean it is only a 2,000 pound car streaming towards you. They're on a cell phone too. Is there really a need to be so caught up in your life that it is a wise move to put everyone (including yourself) else in danger. Someone please explain this fascination we have with phones.
With all the calling done it is of course inevitable that you have to wait for people to call you back. These were important calls ...so it kind of crimps your plans. Oh well, such is life in the fast paced world of today.
Tuesday, 10. October 2006, 02:28:43
Another stunning sunset ! The Olympics are silhouetted by the orange glow of the disappearing sun. The lights of the city snap on to the approaching twilight... beautiful. The shots I'm including are not of tonights. Sometimes you just have to sit back and watch things unfold.
Even when you don't capture a subject, sometimes it can still become something useful. This
shot was a little out of focus. The importance of using a tripod never ceases to amaze me. The difference in sharpness is incredible. Still with some of the programs available today, it truly is fortunate that unusable images can be made into something pleasing. Quite easily as well.
All in all it was a quiet day. I have many of those these days. I'm on leave again...probably until the weekend, but we'll have to see. The drawback is that I will have to catch up. I was doing fairly well last week. Things were shaping up. It will be the same mad house when I go back though. I got a glimpse of it on Friday. Oh well..job security.
For awhile, I watched as they began to dig the base of the new building. It really does take a lot of coordination. They dig the pit out a bit, then shore it up with boards then concrete. My only hope is they dig a deep pit for the parkade. It would be nice to see the New Year's fireworks one last time. We will just have to wait and see
Monday, 9. October 2006, 01:05:43
Sometimes there are so many things going on in your life it is difficult to slam some words together. While I can't go into details, this is one of those times. We've had the summer from hell and it looks like fall is not going to be much better. I know it is an odd thing for an atheist to say...but sometimes keeping it simple to understand is the best.
The sun is so bright and its reflection off the water is making a haze that is hard to see through. I wish my glasses had polarizing filters on them.
Today the farmers from Eastern Washington are in the market. I think next week is their last week. They have been here for the summer. It seems so strange that they say Eastern Washington. Technically they are from the centre of Washington, but everyone here, calls it Eastern Washington. Habits...they are so easy to form. Not as crowded down there as it was this morning.
I love this time of year. The air is crisp. The colours become so vibrant. I think this is the easiest time of year to remain comfortable. Not to hot..you can wear a jacket, which gives you extra storage space. Of course there is always the last burst of the harvest...which leaves many delicious foods to sample. Its Thanksgiving tomorrow in Canada. A better time of year to have it I think. It leaves a better gap between now and the holidays.
Despite the turmoils of this year, I guess at this time it is good to give thanks. Despite any reservations I may have, life is pretty good.
Sunday, 8. October 2006, 06:03:04
Okay, so I missed yesterday. There were extenuating circumstances that I can't get into. That sounds so mysterious, but in reality it was more mundane. Stressful, but mundane. That is a more accurate picture, that does not give anything away.
Tonight we had the religious freaks standing on our corner preaching. If they didn't use a megaphone it would be less intrusive. I think they missed the boat. The crackheads don't wander around down here anymore. Well, maybe they do...but not in the numbers they normally did. At least the crackheads were relatively quiet. The police drove by and broke them up. I didn't even have to phone them this time. I must not be the only one they annoy.
I am an atheist. I resent being preached to. I don't intentionally go out to try and convert you to my way of thinking...why are you trying to do that to me? I consider myself to be an intelligent capable adult. If I wanted to seek this information or lifestyle, I would seek it out. I don't need it rammed into my brain and I certainly don't need it screaming in through my windows. Other religions are not filling up my airspace with trite nonsense...why are you? While I'm not a violent person...I can somehow understand why the Romans fed the Christians to the lions. Perhaps they too, just wanted a little peace and quiet.
Friday, 6. October 2006, 06:05:17
They closed a whole block of shops this week. Liberty Loan ( which is having problems anyway) The OK Grocery and the adult book store and strip show. I guess the new building going up will take part of that lot too. Its not a loss by any means.
This would be were a large portion of the crackheads hung out. Once that Grocery closed, the crackheads disappeared. It makes you wonder if the store was really a front. I suspected it was, but it could have just been because it had beer and junkfood. Even though it is an end of an era, so to speak...I can't say I'l miss it. I really didn't like calling 911 all the time. I know that, all that really happened, is the crackheads moved on. Sort of lateral progress I guess.
Not much new on this end. I finally took a step into the computer era and stared downloading music today. Of course, with that came a zillion files and updates that were required.I got 'er done though. Now will begin rebuilding and finding of another new music source. One day I'll move to get my albums on disc ( yes, I do have LP's). Then the albums can be stored. I don't think I'll ever get rid of my records...I like the big artwork too much. I am getting older And its harder to see the fine details.
Thursday, 5. October 2006, 06:36:50
Today was grocery shopping day. We made our way up Rainier to the remodelled Safeway up there. They always have a friendly staff. The remodel has made them bigger. I like it because it is what the US used to be about... a melting pot of people. They cater to that diversity and you can always find a wider variety of products. Of course groceries mean beer.That too, seems to have a better selection than most of the other smaller Safeways that are perhaps a little bit closer.
Seattle has some interesting places to buy food. there is of course the Pike Place Market. As it is so close we frequent it often. There is Trader Joe's up on the hill. ( They have perogies at a reasonable price and the milk products are the best.) There is the usual fair of big groceries, but we try to mix it up a bit. We try not to poor all our dollars into the multi-conglomerates and save some for the local shops and markets. There is a little place off sixth called Pacific foods. Definately the best for spices, cheese and pasta. They have a good selection and the prices are cheap. There is Franz bakery ( formerly Gai's) that has some really good prices on fresh and day old bread. DeLaurenti's in the market, a little pricey, but good mediterranean fair.
The funny thing about shopping...even though we make a list...we always manage to forget something. Tonight it was the wine for the spaghetti sauce. Fortunately I found a bottle of Merlot at the back of our booze stash. Sauce without wine & honey is just so bland. Pasta is comfort food. It just seems to help burn away some stress.
Wednesday, 4. October 2006, 02:14:12
Okay, I missed a day. It was a rough night follwed by an exhausting day. Not that, that is an excuse. I was simply to tired to think. If you want to call this type of thing thinking. More like the ramblings of the confused.
We got my wife's computer back on line today. That was part of the reason I added nothing yesterday. I figured out how to get out of the endless restore loop and managed to get XP loaded onto it. Unfortunately it did not load the driver that would allow us to access the internet. After 2.5 hours on the phone with HP & the fifteen minute fix...We got it going. For some reason, HP doesn't listen to me when I give them the information they need. I tell them that it is a business model...We spend two hours ( not including the 1/2 hour spent dealing with the automated answering system.) dealing with the PC people... just to have them figure out that they can't help us because it is a business model. Then they transfer you to the right section, and it is a relatively quick fix. Way more complicates and frustrating than it needs to be. At least it wasn't like Dell. They would spend as much time...only to tell you you would have to buy the extended warranty for them to repair your problem. Even though your computer is still under warranty.
Essentially, the last two days have been dealing with crap like this. Hopefully, we won't run into this again for a while. This time I have the driver on CD and in a file on this computer if it does. I'll likely have to update the driver again, but at least I will have a starting point.
People say that computers are a time saver. I see it as yes and know. I spend a lot of time dealing with things like this. Both at home and at work. They do save a lot on the communications end. I think that equals out.
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