Hey Kids,
Did you hug the Earth on Earth Day?
We did!
Post 3-112
Author: mikemjensen
5 Minutes
Hey Kids,
This past week was Inspection Week. In my line of work, we have a few of them throughout the year. But they really don’t last a week.
First there’s the walk-thru. Then the check lists, the punch lists, the follow-ups, the do-overs, the forgots, and the “how did we miss that” on the morning of.
Everything gets cleaned, polished, re-cleaned, and re-polished.
The paperwork is looked over, corrected, and forged; just to make sure all is correct.
The people are drilled, grilled, and pressed cleaned.
The rust is sought, fought, and painted over.
The water spots are rubbed down to the support structure underneath.
The answers to possible questions are practiced and recited; all to be forgotten if asked.
The morning comes. The inspectors show. The preparations stand ready.
The inspectors wander around, nod their head, and glance up to the ceiling often to avoid eye-contact. They ask no questions, they don’t look into the dark corners (where nothing is hidden of course), and take no notes.
The week-long inspection is over in 5 minutes. At least for our part of the facility.
Now if only the work week lasted 5 minutes.
Post 3-111
Legacy
Hey Kids,
I ran into some ex-coworkers this evening.
We said hello, fist bumped, and asked how each was doing. We talked a little about what we had been up to, what we had seen of each other on Facebook.
Leaving, my old boss, the one I worked for directly, said, “You can come back anytime. Really.”
I know some people fantasize of leaving in a blaze of glory, with a one finger, salute, and a good piece of their mind. It might feel immediately satisfying to do so, but that’s not my style.
I take pride in the fact that I left on my terms and in a way that I could always return if I needed or wanted. The fact that I hear this same invitation when I run into the other members of that management team means more to me than any bridge-burning parting expression.
Legacy is not how many people you can put behind you, but is how many people who are willing to back you up.
Post 3-110
Unexpected Company
Hey Kids,
A sock here, a shirt there. A couple of jackets thrown over the back of the dinner room chair.
Most of the time the dishes are washed, but a few have found themselves abandoned in the bottom reaches of the sink.
Laundry was done but not folded and the cat had left a few of his toys where they belonged.
All in all, not everything was perfect; the apartment bore a “lived-in” look, but not bad.
Then we came home greeted by a note attached to the front door. An inspection by management loomed for the next day.
With the expectation of company, as glamorous as it is, the clutter of the daily grind seemed to increase tenfold in an instant.
So the evening has been spent straightening, sorting, and folding; all in anticipation of these mystery maintenance people who will enter our little home and test the water faucets, the drains, the appliances, and the windows.
I hope they’re impressed with how good the apartment looks.
Post 3-109
Doing Alright
Hey Kids,
Am I lucky?
I rode a motorcycle to work.
I have a job. It pays.
I ate breakfast this morning and Take-and-Bake Pizza for dinner.
I have a place to call home. It has a roof that doesn’t leak and an oven that works.
I own a phone and a laptop and a TV. More computer fighting power than what put a man on the moon.
It’s raining tonight- another kick to the dead horse called the drought (a good thing in this case).
My bed awaits. It has covers and a sleeping wife and cat who love me.
Am I lucky? I don’t know, but you’d be hard pressed to conclude I have it rough.
I’m doing alright.
Post 3-108
Back to the Future
Hey Kids,
The flip side to a great weekend is the return to work. My skin still radiates the heat donated from the desert sun, my sleep reserves still register a deficit from full, and my coffers are weighing in a little bit lighter. It would be easy to be lent to disappointment.
But all these things mean, that the weather was so good that sleep and money became irrelevant.
Work is now the vehicle to do it all over again.
Post 3-107
55
Hey Kids,
Remember when road trips took forever? Whoever thought 55MPH was a good idea, never had to drive across Nevada. Especially between Reno and Salt Lake City. We did it at least once every year.
I-80 was the name of the road, but it wasn’t finished for years. When the Interstate approached the small towns of Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, and Elko; the road ended and all traffic was diverted through the middle of town. In addition to the slower speed limit, these diversions made the trip go even longer. What now takes maybe 8 hours, used to take 12-14 hours.
We covered 300 miles today in 5 hours. Mostly 2 lane roads, some with passing lanes, we still traveled faster than the old 55.
And with air conditioning. Good air conditioning. I’ve crossed that desert a few times without it but I can do without that merit badge.
Traveling has changed a lot in my life time. Some of it I miss, like actually seeing the small towns you zoom pass now, but most of it do not. I think on this subject, progress has served us well.
What’s the line from the Billy Joel song- “The good old days weren’t always that good, and tomorrow isn’t as bad as it seems.”
Because, in the words of another song, but this time by Sammy Hagar; “I can’t drive 55.”
Post 3-106
Satisfaction
Hey Kids,
The kayak is tied up.
My arms are tired.
My skin is red and crisp.
The grill is hot.
My tummy is full.
The music is soothing.
The boat in the slip is swaying.
The sun is setting.
The bed is calling.
Another successful day of stress relief at Lake Powell is ending.
Post 3-105
“What’s on Your Mind?”
OK, this might seem more like a Facebook update than a blog post but here’s the story.
The day started out early, around 4:30. I got up did the morning routine, got me and my bike to the day job, did my full day there, got back home, packed the 4Runner, and got out of Dodge, er, Salt Lake.
Most of my pontificating will be done within the echos and cobwebs of mind as I watch the little dotted lines of the 300 miles of roadway fly past us. I’ll sing a little, cuss at other drivers a little more, and count down the miles as we roll through each town on the way.
In the morning, I’ll wake up floating atop 100′ of liquid happiness, other wise know as Lake Powell.
I love being where I belong.
Post 3-104
YouTube Snobbery
Hey Kids,
I’m not the most sophisticated guy by far. The things I don’t know outnumber the things that I do, by far.
Art. I really know nothing.
History. I can quote a few dates but nothing to impress.
Music. Unless it’s 80’s music, I’m pretty lacking.
But I know when I hear something that sounds substantial. Today I listened to part of Beethoven’s Symphony 9.
I didn’t know it was Beethoven. Other than the 5th, who of my ilk does? And it’s mostly because of the pop song from the 70’s. Look it up.
So today I saw this video, dug on the sound and found it odd that voices accompanied the orchestra. Apparently, this was a main accomplishment for its time. This accompaniment was the first time voices were used as part of the symphony. And not just any lyrics. The song is adapted from the poem Ode to Joy. I had never heard it before, but I had heard of it.
Armed with this little information, I rewatched the video.
I felt so smart, so informed, and so classically hip.
It’s amazing how YouTube and Wikipedia can make us all blueblood.
Post 3-103
Mike M Jensen 