Hey kids,
One of my favorite movie quotes:
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains.”
Crash Davis, Bull Durham
Post #351
Useless Observations
What Day Is It?
Hey kids,
Working overnight, it’s near impossible to keep the days straight.
Is it Friday or Monday?
Is it night or morning?
Do I greet my coworkers “Good morning” or ” Good night”.
It really plays with your head. But I guess that is why most people just sleep through it all.
Post #350
Lights on but…
Hey Kids,
Funny meme I read today:
“Have you ever just looked at someone and knew the wheel was turning but the hamster was dead?”
Yes.
Post 348
The New Member of the Family
Hey Kids,
She finally came home.
We adopted a cat. Her name was Marigold and now it’s Pipkin.
She checked out the house and then began to purr and play. I think she likes her new house and her new family.
It’s been a few years since I’ve had a cat. When my little buddy cat of near 15 years died, I didn’t think I wanted another. I may’ve been wrong.
Post 343
The Sun Doesn’t Lie
Hey Kids,
It’s cold out there; currently around 10°F and yet the sun shone brightly today.
The climatic mixed message is because storm systems in the West are drawing cold air from the north and cooling us down and at the same time clearing the skies of clouds. It appeared to be a mid-winter day.
Walking outside today, however, I could feel the sun’s warmth on my face. It wasn’t enough to turn the tide of the cold air nor could I convince anyone that it made any difference at all, but I felt it.
That feeling means that winter has lost its grip and that the sun has come near enough to announce its presence, even if only faintly. Once the air is no longer drawn in, and if the sun is left to its own, it will start to heat the ground and melt the snow.
I’m not sure what the groundhog had to say the other day, but I know that winter is on a short leash. Spring and then summer are on their way.
Post 342
I’ve Been Thinking
Hey Kids,
I’ve been thinking about you today.
I’ve been thinking how long it’s been since I saw you last.
I’ve been thinking how much I miss you.
I’ve been thinking how much I love you.
I’ve been thinking and it hurts.
But I refuse to stop thinking.
Post 341
Swimming With Sharks
Hey Kids,
It can be reassuring but it’s also unnerving.
The all-night department store is the only thing open in this residential community. There is nothing else going on. There’s the few gas stations and a McDonald’s, but this is the big ticket.
If someone was fool enough to try and robbed this store, there is always a cop nearby, if not just outside the door. I haven’t heard of anyone trying but it would be ill-advised. Not only are the cops nearby, they are bored stiff. A call as big as a hold-up would be just the thing I think they would enjoy.
At lunch time, however, I venture out in my car. Like predator fish, it isn’t too long before one of the cars on patrol has you spotted and scoped out. If I sit in my car and write like I am right now, several pass by and swirl around to see what I may be up to. It’s like they smell prey and are swimming by just in case.
Tonight alone, I have been followed once, witnessed another car get pulled over, had two pass-by’s, and watch another truck followed into the parking lot. It really is like swimming with the sharks.
If something goes wrong, it’s nice to know that there’s help almost immediately but I know it’s only a matter of time before I forget to set my turn indicator because I’m watching my rearview mirror.
Post 340
Unlikely Good Ideas
Hey Kids,
Never disregard a good idea, no matter the source.
At the day job, a certain process continued to lag behind and hinder our department’s operations. It was simply a question of labor hours and our lack of labor to spend the hours needed.
I asked the crew for ideas they might have; they expressed none.
At the other job, we had a similar issue. The solution was not a popular one yet effective. I drew from that example despite my current opinion of the mess of management that otherwise exists.
I called my crew together and announced that for the last part of the day, we would all work together and focus on the one aspect that held us up. Grumblings sounded and a few opted for silent yet facially expressive protests. In the end, all showed up, all worked as directed, and the process got the boost it needed.
Unlikely Source of Good Ideas
For me it proves that a good idea is a good idea. The source of the good idea, regardless of the surprise, the singularity, or one’s dislike for it, doesn’t matter. Take it and use it.
Post 339
Come Monday
Hey Kids,
Looks like the motorcycle commuting will end at 3 days.
Rain moved in and it’ll be changing to snow tonight. The storms will pass but the cold and snow left behind may not allow riding conditions come Monday.
I’ll ride in any temp (at least the ones around here), but when there’s ice on the road, the bike has to remain parked.
It’s was so time saving to have the motorcycle this past week. No waiting for buses, no stopping every block, and no set timetable. I felt like a real person again.
Come Monday, I’ll be back to a bus drone.
It’s OK. The earth will keep spinning around the sun and get to leaning back towards the sun (for us northern people anyways) and the snow will all die. The heat and sane riding season will return.
I’m finding as I get older, I enjoy the cold less and less.
Post 338
Right of Way
Hey Kids,
We went to a play today.
Like all of the arts, I enjoy the insight one can gain from the display of humanities that comes out of plays, music, and artwork. As I writer, I can take these insights and apply them to my own work. It’s how we understand each other better; it’s how we can know ourselves better. The biggest display, however, did not happen in the play but in the parking lot before it.
The closest parking spots were already filled, so we slowly rolled past them to seek out the nearest open spot. People who had arrived before us, made their way from their parked vehicles and crossed in front of us and towards the playhouse. I stopped and allowed them to cross, as courtesy and legality demands. I have no problem with that. I’m in my car, warm and dry. They are outside. The time to wait is not a big issue.
Most cross in a timely manner. Going directly across the lane and getting out of the way of my vehicle as quickly as possible. One couple did not share the others’ haste. Once they noticed that we had stopped to let them pass, they adjusted their angle that double their time in the lane. I watched in disbelieve. I wondered if they were conscious what they were doing. From the look on their face, I believe they knew they had the right of way and they enjoyed it.
I was not harmed in the slightest. But like the play that followed our own parking and trek from the vehicle to the play house, I feel I just watched a display of human existence although it might cause me more questions than answers.
Sometimes that’s just as valuable.
Post 334
Mike M Jensen 