LyE's Journal
[Most Recent Entries]
[Calendar View]
[Friends]
Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
LyE's LiveJournal:
[ << Previous 20 ]
| Saturday, October 23rd, 2004 | | 10:18 pm |
Winter is NEAR
It was 36° last night and the passes have been getting snow. I've been waiting for this all summer -- and what a dreadful, hot summer it was. Now the challenge will be in exploring all the new places to ride and even try to get up to Whistler this year. Will try and get some of the Calif crew up but we're all getting older, settled and have more money but spending it on things like car notes, mortgages and crap... Why is it that when we young & broke, we could take off for 2 weeks to go snowboarding and it wouldn't matter. If I tried that (or any of my riding friends too), all hell would break loose and we'd come back to WWIII and the Apocolypse simultaneously occuring. Not fair, dammit!! Oh, well - day trips are fun too. Late. Current Mood:  cold | | Tuesday, October 19th, 2004 | | 3:16 pm |
Scary Polls
As each day goes by, I'm getting more and more freaked out by the thought of another 4 oppressive years under Bush. I cannot see why anyone would vote for a homophobic, born-again Christian bent on corporate welfare and giving further tax breaks to his wealthy buddies while starting a full scale war to secure petroleum for his family for which the Draft will likely be coming for many of us youngsters. Unless kerry wins by a landslide, each team has already assembled a phalanx of lawyers just waiting to pounce on any and every possible election night snafu. On Wednesday morning, we probably won't know who won. The only good thing I've seen is a lot more people are becoming engaged. They're registering to vote, volunteering and out there talking to people. It does make a difference and I'm glad they realise that their lives and their futures are on the line. Never before has an election been as important as this one. We saw what happened 4 years ago and I know of no one who is better off now than in 2000. I've seen no evidence of "recovery"; in fact, just the opposite. Where are all these new jobs? Texas? Florida? I will concede the Democrats could have chosen a more lively candidate. But Kerry is intelligent and articulate and I believe he'd restore a lot of credibility that's been lost since W took office. The world doesn't need a cowboy! [ Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<apologies [...] it's>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.] As each day goes by, I'm getting more and more freaked out by the thought of another 4 oppressive years under Bush. I cannot see why anyone would vote for a homophobic, born-again Christian bent on corporate welfare and giving further tax breaks to his wealthy buddies while starting a full scale war to secure petroleum for his family for which the Draft will likely be coming for many of us youngsters. Unless kerry wins by a landslide, each team has already assembled a phalanx of lawyers just waiting to pounce on any and every possible election night snafu. On Wednesday morning, we probably won't know who won. The only good thing I've seen is a lot more people are becoming engaged. They're registering to vote, volunteering and out there talking to people. It does make a difference and I'm glad they realise that their lives and their futures are on the line. Never before has an election been as important as this one. We saw what happened 4 years ago and I know of no one who is better off now than in 2000. I've seen no evidence of "recovery"; in fact, just the opposite. Where are all these new jobs? Texas? Florida? I will concede the Democrats could have chosen a more lively candidate. But Kerry is intelligent and articulate and I believe he'd restore a lot of credibility that's been lost since W took office. The world doesn't need a cowboy! <Apologies for the political screed. It's just been on my mind today and I had to let it out!>  scared | | Saturday, October 9th, 2004 | | 3:01 pm |
Rainy Saturday
Haven't updated in a while. Been super busy at work and then come home to basically collapse. Ugh. Thank god for nice boyfriends and cute kitties who're happy to see me walk through the door. Been following the debates and am glad Kerry's numbers are looking better. Much better! I'm still concerned though because Democrats have a bad history of low voter turnout. W has gotta go! The leaves up here in Washington are beginning to change and this is the first time I've lived in a place that had seasons since I left Indiana in the late 80s. Forgot how I miss the palettes of reds, yellows and organges. The maple trees here seem to be this hot orange color that looks almost day-glo flourescent. Amazing! And it's starting to rain more, days are now 60-65; this is perfect weather for me! And all the apples are coming into harvest with a lot of little known varieties that don't make it out of the state. I had a great Braeburn apple dumpling I made last night. Dee-lish!! Dat's it fo now! Current Mood:  nostalgic | | Sunday, September 19th, 2004 | | 11:20 am |
WARNING: Liberal Political Blog Ahead...
Exit now... OK, I'm getting pissed off now because there are so many people who seem to be asleep in this country. Bush is wrecking this country and he's managed to amass a debt greater than 12 years of Reagan/Bush in less than 4 after Clinton balanced the damned thing. Iraq? Do I need to go there... we're getting killed over nothing but oil for Bush's family and friends but half the country doesn't notice or doesn't care. Bush is practically gay bashing and inciting hate crimes to be committed in the name of religion. There is no religious freedom any longer; you're either a christian or you're a suspect and, as I was told by many christians at college, "You're either for Jesus or against him which is the same as being for Satan." Ahhh, christian logic games. Does Bush's rhetoric sound similar? It should because his speeches are geared for that type of language because the christian conservatives readily recognize and agree with it. Foreign countries who used to admire us and befriend us have turned their backs. All over Europe, we're despised and it's not because they're jealous of us and our "Freedoms" -- that placid lie didn't work when we were in 2nd grade and it sure as hell doesn't work today but they still espouse it. My big thing is: Why would anyone vote Republican unless they're already uber-wealthy? Uber-wealthy being the top 5% richest in the USA. $250,000 a year isn't there. $100,000 isn't there. $1,000,000 per year probably isn't there. Maybe people are in denial and think if they vote for Bush, Dick Cheney will come around and break them off a few million. It's not going to happen for the same reason Reaganomics or Trickle Down didn't work: People are inherently greedy; those that are extremely greedy become very wealthy and they do not share this wealth. I'm not saying the Democrats have all the answers. They do not and they have their own set of issues to deal with but they're certainly the more preferable of our choices come November 2. And, for fuck sake, VOTE! I'll let you in on a big secret here. See, my Mom was deputy Mayor of a midwestern city and held elected office much of my life. She's a Republican and so is everyone in my family. I used to be up until the Brylcreemed Bullshitter known as Ronald Reagan swaggered onto the scene - but I digress. The Republicans KNOW there are FAR MORE Democrats than Republicans and they always have a massive GOTV (Get Out The Vote) drive. Republicans vote like broken slot machines; Democrats vote if they feel like it and can be deterred by rain. I used to see the numbers so I know it's true. If the Democrats had the consistent voter turnout that the GOP routinely has, few Republicans would ever be elected. If it's a pain in the ass, vote absentee -- they'll mail you a ballot. For the time being, our votes still do count and it's nice to know that the biggest drag queen's vote counts just as much as the BMW driving attorney's does. There's just too much at stake this year. Done. Current Mood:  infuriated | | Friday, September 17th, 2004 | | 5:57 pm |
| | 12:55 am |
Back from Our Nation's Capitol...
Spent a looong week in DC for a corporate annual meeting and I was not amused. The weather sucks - HUMIDITY, the guys are gross and the place is littered with GW Bush stuff. The 6 hour plane ride home was looong but at least I'm home in Washington state with my man and our kitties who slept in my laundry basket while I was gone. Oh, skip the US Capitol tour; you spend 25 minutes going through security and get to see nothing but the Royunda and the Gift Shoppe on your way out. Wasted an hour. The place is also littered with GW Bush propaganda. Expected to see more Kerry stuff but it may get scrubbed along with the grafitti and tagging. I have this sinking feeling that SOB is going to get elected and the Democrats could win it if they'd register a shitload of new voters AND get their asses to the polls on election day -- which is why Republicans frequently win. 537 votes made a difference 4 years ago. Vote, dammit. Current Mood:  worried | | Sunday, August 22nd, 2004 | | 3:44 pm |
| | Saturday, August 21st, 2004 | | 10:59 pm |
New Wheels
There's no feeling like driving home from the dealer in a new car. My Mom didn't get cold feet and signed everything this time (I'd been down this road 3 times before and she always cancelled it at the last minute). It's so nice to know I won't be broke down on the side of I-5 waiting for a tow and then not having the money for the massive repair bill. I'm just so relieved and happy. We've decided to name the car Travis. A "cute boy" name and that's what it is. Even in a torrential rain this afternoon, people were stopping in the parking lot looking at it and checking it out. 4 people at work drove it on Friday while a 5th declined stating, "If I drive this thing, I know I'll end up with one before the weekend's over!" Today, we drove up to see my mother-in-law and do some household chores like hang some new miniblinds for her. She liked the car too and commented that it's now been baptised when it started raining. On a related sidenote, if our marriage was nullified / voided by the Calif. Supreme Court, does that mean she's no longer my mother-in-law? It's late - let's not get into that debate! G'night kids!! Current Mood:  relieved | | Wednesday, August 18th, 2004 | | 9:06 pm |
A New Ride...
My trusty old, Range Rover is becoming not so trusty and it's being put out to pasture. I'm really gonna miss that truck but will always have the memories I made with it. In it's place, a new 2004 Honda Element, 4WD EX in Fiji Blue. I've never had a new car in my entire life and I'm looking forward to getting a vehicle that doesn't have a bunch of quirks. I'll be able to just get in and go. Wherever we want. Without worrying if the transmission will die or the steering wil get loose again. Like I said, I love that Range Rover but I can't afford to keep it and, when it only runs on Premium gas and gets 14mpg, well, I can't afford to feed it either. See ya on da Road! Current Mood:  excited | | Thursday, August 12th, 2004 | | 8:22 pm |
Kicked Back Down...
A few hours ago, the California Supreme Court decided San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's actions were illegal when he opened City Hall up for gays and lesbians to be married. Then they went a step further and decided to nullify the almost 4,000 marriages rather than let them wind their way through the Court system. This is a significant, low blow because it reduces gays and lesbians to that of 2nd class citizens ineligible for equal protection under the Constitution. In essence, gays and lesbians are dog shit on the shoe of society. Again. And if that's not enough, the Christians are running around like packs of rabid dogs trying to stir up hate and using the Gay Marriage issue as a springboard. The Christian Right is acting as if they not only have the right but the duty and obligation to protect society from the evil "ho-mo-sex-u-alls". They wouldn't be behaving this way if Bush & Company weren't in there. I'm just waiting for sodomy laws to go back on the books. Honestly, I do not know what possible threat gays and lesbians could ever pose to a society where they are a 10% slice of the population. 10% is significant and worthy of equal protection - - but a threat?!? Or a threat to the "institution of marriage" [oh how they love to bandy that one about...]? Threats come from within, not from the outside. And if traditional, heterosexual marriage is suffering from a 50% divorce rate, spousal abuse and other staggering problems than, yeah, we need gays and lesbians to be stepping forward and showing the world we're capable of long-term, meaningful relationships filled with love, committment and compassion. Overall, the straight people aren't doing a bang-up job. (With apologies to straight friends who are married but you're all for gay marriage anyway so I'm preaching to the choir here) This is about civil rights not special rights or privileges. My Mom has been telling me what a big deal inter-racial marriage was in the 1950s and 1960s. It was huge and even people who weren't prejudiced opposed it because they feared the genes would create deformed, freakish babies. But, even if they come up with some idea that allows gays and lesbians to partner up with full rights identical to those of "traditionally married heterosexual couples", it's still a 2nd class marriage. This is the same thing as 'seperate but equal' and it did not work then and it won't work now. I'm sorry gays & lesbians have been so demonized and villified in middle America. It's not uncommon for many people to not know anybody who's queer and they're the ones that need convincing. We're they're neighbors and we deliver their mail, cook their food, work on their cars -- just like everybody else. The most powerful, convincing argument I can think of for gay marriage is for us to live our lives. Everyone can see our relationships are deep, loving and committed. Tomorrow is another day. Another day closer to an open-minded, free society where no one has to hide in shame or live in fear and we are not taking our rings off, dammit! Current Mood:  pissed off | | Thursday, July 1st, 2004 | | 9:34 pm |
Wednesday Evening
I'm still really tired from last night. But it was totally worth it. I was one of the idiots who stood in a line for 5 hours to shakes hands with Bill Clinton and get my book autographed at Elliott Bay Book Co here in Seattle. He looked really, really tired, his voice was kinda hoarse and he had the softest hands I've ever encountered on another human being. I'm going to try to get bed at a reasonable time tonight - LIKE NOW!! G'night! Current Mood:  exhausted | | Tuesday, June 29th, 2004 | | 5:47 am |
| | Saturday, June 26th, 2004 | | 11:24 pm |
7 Minutes in a Florida Classroom...
That's how long George W. Bush sat on a small chair reading a child's story to elementary school kids when he was notified of the 1st plane hitting the World Trade Center. Michael Moore's film, 'Fahrenheit 9/11' shows - in time lapse photography - Bush sitting there... wondering and obviously nervous but perplexed. He just looks around. No one is there to tell him what to do. No handlers, secret service, aides or staff members. It's amazing how he can just sit there. As an audience, it's uncomfortable for us watching him - knowing what's going on at that time. And knowing what we were about to experience. The rest of the film is equally mindblowing. Regardless of what you think about Michael Moore, this film should be seen by everyone because it really captures the essence of just what the past 4 years have been like for us as a country. President Bush even officially forbade any of his staff to see it! Mark my words, this will be one of the defining films of our lifetimes. Current Mood:  nauseated | | Tuesday, June 22nd, 2004 | | 4:53 pm |
Portland / Beaverton
Oh gawd -- part of the job I wasn't really looking forward too. Travelling. I hate it because I'd rather be home with my kitties and my s books. But tomorrow, I fly out and spend part of the day in lovely Beaverton, Oregon. I'm trying to be upbeat about it but I'm just not. And I'm flying in one of those little planes because it's only a 45 minute flight. I'm taking Friday off though. I need a 3-day weekend! | | Tuesday, June 15th, 2004 | | 2:57 pm |
Bye Bye Ronnie!
Ronald Reagan is dead, and although I know it to be true, I still can't fully bring myself to accept it as fact. Much like a hostage kept in a dark basement for months blinks in disbelief when rescued, I am wary that I will awake from this dream and find he is still alive. His death has lifted a weight from my chest that has been there ever since that deceitful waterhead was first sworn in on a cold, stormy January day in 1981. It wasn't coincidence that his Presidency was marked by ugly skies and harsh weather - God certainly knew what was coming, and was trying to warn us with a grim preview of the eight years to come. From his earliest days, his treacherous intentions were obvious. Reagan stuffed his cabinet and every available governmental post with reactionary figures that would have been better suited to the chamber of horrors of some dank European house of wax. His Presidency reeked with the fetid odor of revenge and retribution, and there was precious little room for people to hide from the jack-boots looking to crack the skulls of those who opposed the machine. Of everything else he possessed, Reagan's biggest strength was his ability to charm. His mask of the affable dunce and self-depricating fathead was a ruse to lull opponents into a false sense of security. It was far too easy to dismiss him as an incompetent boob, too stupid to comprehend the obvious destruction he and his cadre of cannibalistic zombies were wreaking over the planet. The truth is, Reagan may have been dumb, but he wasn't stupid. He had an animal cunning about him that made him as dangerous as a cornered wolverine, and he had the cold, unsympathetic heart of an executioner that allowed him to cause unparalleled suffering and devastation without even the slightest twinge of conscience. Despite the fawning accolades of his followers, Reagan's true legacy reads like an indictment of the sort of psychopathic criminal mastermind only found in the scripts of cheap Hollywood potboilers, and since Reagan was a product of the golden age of Hollywood, he saw his entire Presidency as nothing more than a cheap movie. He convinced himself that, much like the faceless extras sacrificed by the hundreds in countless movies about good versus evil, common people were an expendable commodity to be spent without thought in his personal game of global political poker. The murder of hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras was of no concern to him, so long as his personally financed death squads were doing his bidding, overthrowing the legitimately elected (but not American approved) governments that dared defy the established status quo. His international policies and manipulations helped strengthen Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein, Ferdinand Marcos, and Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, and create Osama Bin Laden, and Abu Nidal, while his covert funding and arming of Contras and other so-called "Freedom Fighters" in Central America set the standard for murder and terror for groups like Al Qaeda, Black September, and Al Aqsa. Reagan was a shining example epitomizing the worst aspects of the American persona: selfish, greedy, uncaring, brutal, savage, and dumb. He viewed the poor, mentally ill, and AIDS afflicted as irritating crybabies, selfishly demanding special treatment for shortcomings he believed were of their own creation. Even Marie Antoinette would have blushed at the callous and heartless way he reacted to the poor and downtrodden, even though it was his policies that landed on them like Thor's hammer crushing the skull of a lamb. He self-righteously blamed his victims for getting in the way, and though he proclaimed himself a true Christian, he offered no comfort or aid to the ailing, only scorn and disregard. His contempt for regular people was limitless, yet his ability to shuck and jive in front of cameras, and to tap into his reservoir of charm and personality allowed him to consistently bend the population over and sodomize it while they applauded. Being less a man than his image suggested, and hiding reality behind a curtain of lies, Reagan was the perfect President for the video age, and it is only fitting that he was in power in 1984. He used television like a master, wielding it like a Hawai'ian war club studded with shark teeth. He could look the nation straight in the eye and lie about such outlandish and obviously incorrect things as proclaiming that "there is no word for 'Freedom' in Russian" (it is svoboda by the way), or stand there with his slack-jawed grin and give praise and support for Apartheid South Africa. He played the role of a happy grandfather, somewhat dim and forgetful, but always with a pleasant smile and a twinkle in the eye. But this ghostly apparition was a living myth, a Golem, created from inanimate matter and designed to blind us from the truth. Like Orwell's Big Brother, this image that benevolently beamed at us nightly from our televisions was there to ensure our obedience, and to divert prying eyes from the naked facts of the depravity and duplicity within his White House. The façade of the village idiot hid the ugly truth that our President was a cheap thug, not above stealing pennies from a blind beggar, or molesting infants. The degree of mendacity and the complete lack of even the tiniest amount of morality or decency in the man was stunning. The same Ronald Reagan, now canonized and hailed as the greatest American hero in centuries, oversaw a plot to run guns to the Iranians, launder the illegally obtained funds, and then funnel that money to the bloodstained hands of Contra death squads, all the while using the US Constitution as toilet paper, in a hustle that even the Cosa Nostra would be ashamed of. Reagan didn't deserve to be admired, or respected. He deserved to be staked down and repeatedly kicked in the nuts. His body should be wrapped in a biohazard container, incinerated, and the ashes buried under 300 feet of concrete, for fear that the essence of malevolance and corruption that resided in him might contaminate someone else. He was the stuff of nightmares, a zombie-boogeyman hybrid that spread fear, death and despair wherever he went. He was a cold, heartless, rotten-to-the-core mongrel that betrayed our trust and cheapened both the office of President and the country. Ronald Reagan, that greedy, pathetic, semi-literate, malicious old bastard, is dead, and I still can't believe it. | | Monday, June 7th, 2004 | | 7:05 am |
Another Monday. My wrists hurt so much this morning, I know I'm going to have to wear my wrist braces all day. Dammit. And I've got to find a Dr up here that will take care of me. I was so spoiled with care I got in San Francisco because I'd spent 10 years cultivating a great Dr / patient relationship. I have to start over again up here and that begins with finding a Dr I can get along with and not some tight-assed, stick-in-the-mud. The journey begins with a single step. Had some friends over yesterday for a BBQ. One of my riends, josh, has flown up for the week because he has to do some work up here. His job entails travelling a lot. The other people were friends I knew in the Bay Area who already moved up here. It was great to see everyone again. All in all, I really love it up here. I just miss a few things like Mexican food, Asian food and good bread. Admittedly, I will find them up here but it simply takes time and diligence. One thing that's really nice up here are all the male eye candy. Everywhere you go, there's tons of hot guys of all ages. It's so much better than California and they're all nice. If you stare at them, they'll frequently say Hi and introduce themselves. Even the straight ones. I don't think they know they're being ogled. In the Bay Area, all the uys are constantly worried that they're being scoped out by other guys so they're really uptight. That doesn't exist up here. Paul & I are definitely enjoying that! Willagurl gave me her awesome waffle recipe (thanks!) and we tried them out yesterday. Dee-lish! We've already gotten a lot of use out of that $10 waffle iron. We're having the deabte on real maple syrup vs. the artificial stuff like Log Cabin or Mrs. Butterworth's. While the real deal is good, it's not what most of us were raised on and, consequently, not what we're expecting on our waffles, french toast or pancakes. Is it good? Yes, it's good but is it better or prferable to real Maple Syrup? That's the question! Oh, the things that vex my mind. Gotta hop in the shower & get to work, kids. Be well!! Love, #11 Current Mood:  sore | | Friday, June 4th, 2004 | | 10:54 pm |
Late Friday Night
We're continuing to settle in and find our way around. Already, I'm hating the traffic congestion. It's legendarily bad and for good reason. Grocery stores are everywhere and they range from total Trailer Trash / Mobile Meth Lab types all the way to Bill Gates-esque. Overall though, things are MUCH CHEAPER here than in SF. A gallon of milk is about $2.49 -- $1.99 if it's on sale. Ketchup, the staple of my household, is about $1 cheaper for the same jumbo Heinz size than in SF.
Thai food and Mexican food are definite items that are missing on the landscape here. They do exist but they're few & far between and I haven't tried any various reasons. In the case of Thai, it's been a little pricey and the Mexican food either looks downright bad or it's in too sterile of an environment (if that makes sense). There's something about walking into Cancun at 30th & Mission and the loud polka music blaring from the jukebox wafting amongst the aromas of sizzling meat and onions.
I'm definitely digging the weather. It was hot today - 80° and people were leaving work early to "enjoy the sun". Which I find a bit odd but I also like cold weather, rain, snow and fog. Leave the sun behind some clouds, thank you. No one except Paul & his Mom understand this concept. I hate being hot. It's uncomfortable, makes me sweat and then smell and just feels oppressive. There's nothing you can do to cool down quickly either and there's only so many clothes you can peel off before the po-po come and arrest your naked ass. Coldness, on the hand, is easily remedied by putting more clothes o or turning up the heat or moving around a bit. The other reasons I have for detesting the solar orb are that it ruins tattoos and causes skin cancer -- something I know I'm prone to since both of my parents have had repeated melanoma carcinomas removed from their necks and faces. Mom has another one next week - the dermatologist biopsied 2 places on her nose the other day. Both are fair complexion and burn easily. I burn even worse than they do - it's that Norwegian bloodline!
Speaking of Norge, the salmon up here is un-be-lievable. If you're into salmon. Which, I am. I could eat it for every meal. The current salmon is this Alaskan wild salmon called Copper River and it's so deep in color, the flesh looks dark reddish - orange. I've never seen anything like it and the taste is so wonderful and intense. A little salt, pepper and thyme then hit the grill for about 3-4 minutes a side and you're done.
Nate & Dave also appreciate the salmon scraps when I trim it in the kitchen -- the whole jitty chorus starts in. You'd think they never get fed but, according to the last time they were at the vet, they each weighed 13lbs, 4oz. Hard to believe that they weighed less than 2lbs a year ago. And watching them grow up and have their personalities start showing through has been fun. Nate is the handsome crowd pleaser and knows he's cute. Dave is the scaredy-cat but he's the sweetest of the two (not that Nate's not but Nate won't sit in your lap for example. It's like he's got feline ADD) and loves only us. He'll sit in your lap or lay with you all night if you let him.
That brings you up-to-date, more or less. Write me sometime!! Miss you all!
-11- Current Mood:  content | | Monday, May 24th, 2004 | | 10:32 am |
5th Time is the charm...
This is the 5th time I've tried to update this damned thing. On my computer, there exists this button called 'CLEAR' and if you press it, it wipes out everything in the field. The previous 4 times, I've almost completed an entry only to accidentally press it. Doh!!! To update everybody, we moved to Washington from San Francisco. Everybody - including the kittycats are fine. We're renting a HUGE house - a 5BR, 3BA for $1000/month!! That's cheaper than we were paying for a 2BR apartment. The move itself was pretty nervewracking. The packers showed up on Monday to pack all our worldly goods and was estimated to be between 2000 & 2500lbs. The guy who did the estimate had 20 years experience in the moving business. Or so he said. The packers showed up and made a quick call for a 3rd packer and more materials. We had more stuff than 2000lbs. The idea was that they would pack it up in the morning, load it onto a truck in the afternoon and be done with it. 2 problems - the truck would never be able to navigate the hill we lived on and there was not enough room on the truck. So... My plane flight with the cats was scheduled to fly out of Oakland at 9:30 which meant I had to be at the airport by 7:30. They had to re-schedule another truck for the next day and that meant that I would not be there to supervise the loading of things. Not good but there was nothing I could do. In the end, they packed everything - including our newspapers that were to be recycled. The only things that did not make it were some curtain rods and a set of curtains but these weren't pointed out to them and it's not a big deal. Nothing was damaged and we had over 250 boxes. The total weight ended up being 8300lbs!! The original estimate was off by over 400%!! -- so much for those 20+ years in the moving industry. This created a lot of bitching on the part of the movers but I think they're a grumpy bunch anyway. I learned a lot more about trucks and trucking than I wanted to know too. These guys consider sleeping all day at a truck stop a 'day off' - no thanks!The flight up was uneventful but the kittycats were sedated. My greatest fear was to have one of them eject from a cat carrier and bolt in Oakland International Airport. And Dave has Tigger Brand Super Springs - he's quite the jumper. When I got to security, the plan was to xray the cat carrier and I would carry the ce 2 cats through the metal detector. With my wrists, there was no way this could be accomplished. Fortunately, this nice lady behind liked cats and offered to walk through holding one of them. She got Nate since he's the Village Idiot / Crowd Pleaser cat and I took Dave, the crazy spring-loaded jumping cat. No problems, no beeps and they got put back into their respective carriers were I then waited to board the plane. Since I was flying with 2 cats, I had to buy 2 seats because you have to have the room under the seat for each carrier. The people at Alaska were really good and booked me in seats A & C -- the window and aisle. The ticket agent said it was unlikely someone would want the middle seat and we had the whole seat row to ourselves. During the flight, I sat in the middle seat and put each cat on either side of me. They were sedated but awake and they even purred a bit during the flight so I know they weren't stressed out. The plane landed and we got the rental car and went home. The cats took a few days to figure out a huge house. Their whole lives had been in a 2BR San Francisco apartment until now. There's a woodburning stove in the downstairs living room and they really love that thing - especially Dave. Lots of birds and squirrels to watch too. I've found I am missing some things already: good mexican food or a taqueria, stuff being walking distance (like stores)and my friends! That's the update for now! Current Mood:  happy | | Tuesday, May 4th, 2004 | | 9:19 pm |
Waiting Game...
Everything is in place for the big move to rain & pine trees except for the moving van people telling us when they'll pick our stuff up and when it will be delivered. Once we get that, then we can buy the plane tickets and head on up. We ended up having to split the load with my truck going on a car carrier and I'll be car-less until they pick our stuff up - hopefully on Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm anxious to get up there and start my new job and find myself hating my current one more each day. Today, it was discovered that one of the supervisory staff left early and was noticed across the street monitoring when we left. Big Brother? They're watching us. It is SO time to move on outta that place and I feel like a rat escaping the proverbial sinking ship. I feel sorry for the oldtimers I'm leaving behind and will enjoy all the good times we had. We used to have such a fun work group. We really did but everything changes and now, we're doing 400% the work we were doing when I started in 1999. I'm just overworked, underappreciated and all the rules, regulations heaped upon us really make my my job like something at OfficeSpace. We're really going to miss Willa but she's the most cyber girl I know - far beyond any of my hacker friends dream of being. She lives the cyber life. She's married and has a place to crash in the Bay Area but she could live life without a fixed address and just going from hotel to hotel. A W Hotel, mind you. The girl's got class! Current Mood: anxious | | Monday, April 26th, 2004 | | 9:14 pm |
Hot as Hell Monday
Fucking, fuck, FUCK!! I hate hot weather!! And if 95° isn't bad enough, I was lucky enough to a 4 hour tattoo session in on Saturday so my left arm is in that 'really bad sunburn' phase right now. Any sunlight hitting results in pain. Now add the hot weather. I will be so glad to get rid of it in Washington!! Bring on the grey, gloom & rain. Please!! One of the tattoo artists that works with Scott was looking at my Volvo while were on a break and Scotty was going on about how he only likes Volvos and needs a car for his baby daughter. I told it was mine and I ended up taking BART home! Sweet!! It went to a good home!! Now all I have to do is keep throwing shit away or donating it -- if any of you has any needs for household items, lemme know. We're getting rid of a big, down feather filled chair that's been destroyed by the cats but looks great if you throw a slipcover over it and it's comfy. It's just big and we've seen it for too many years. It's also got a history as it was onc owned by the owner of Catalina Studios / Videos! Oooo!! AAAaaahhhhh!!! Eeeeeee!!! Just come & get it... We also have to take Nate & Dave up the hill to get checkups, shots & health certificates to fly. That's gonna be fun -- geezus christ!! If anybody has any ideas for good cat carriers (or hook ups -- you know who you are :), lemme know. I'm thinking the Sherpa brand?? Allrightty then Current Mood:  hot |
[ << Previous 20 ]
|
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
number11's journal
irate