Where Do We Go?

There was a disabled vehicle on the shoulder of the highway this morning that snarled traffic for miles. While I was sitting in traffic I started thinking how lovely it will be when I find my own place in the city where I can walk to work. In the meantime, I am preparing my bike, body, and mind for a 15 mile bike ride to work.

I went to a wedding on Friday night. It was the first wedding I have been to since I was a toddler. I didn't know the bride or groom, but I can't emphasize how happy I am for them. I want to be that happy at my wedding. I like donuts again. Especially strawberry cheesecake donuts.

On Sunday I worked at my part-time job. I think it was my last shift ever. Sunday will have marked the end of a 6-year employment history--the longest job I have ever held. Working in a grocery store isn't as bad as people say it is. There are a lot of decent hardworking individuals at grocery stores. I made a lot of friends through working at the store. In the 6 years that I worked there I was promoted 3 times in less than a year. I achieved journeyman status and was maxed out on the pay scale by year 3--something I am sorta proud of.

Someone in the office this morning was talking about growing up in the 70's. They asked me if I grew up with Tang. I love Tang--the Pootie flavored.

I got a hair cut this afternoon. Like always, the barber cut my hair wrong. I think next time I will ask her if she would like a hair cut. When she says "no" I'll sit her down anyway and ask her how she wants her hair cut. Then I'll purposely cut it wrong and when she complains and cries I'll tell her to get lost.

Overheard on the Internet

Why are gas prices rising across North America?
It's getting warmer and things tend to expand with rising temperatures.

Brownsville to Silverdale

Boating season doesn't officially begin for another month, but in eager anticipation for opening day, we took our vessle out for sea trials, and to get pizza. Over the Winter, my friend Dain's 17' C(h)ampion was upgraded from a Yamaha 75 to a newer Johnson 90 to help us cut through the torrents of Sinclair Inlet and Puget Sound.

With daylight running out, we took off in a hurry

Going under the Manette Bridge

Captain Dain

Captain Dain and Niemann the Semen (Lt. Cmdr Jessie Sulu not pictured)

At the Silverdale Marina I came across
THE strongest hand air-dryer machine EVER!
It was quite an experience to FEEL THE POWER!

The Papa John's KONG Pizza--extra large pepperoni and extra large Italian sausage
It makes for extra large poops
We called and ordered the pizza from the middle of Dyes Inlet
The kid on the phone thought it was a joke when we asked if he could deliver a pizza to the Silverdale marina
He didn't believe us, so we told him to look out his window for the only boat in the inlet
Our pizza was delivered in record time

The Olympic Mountains in the distance

Mt. Rainier in the distance

At the end of the evening, we figured we boated roughly 28 miles to get a pizza that was only 5 miles away by car. Despite the chilly temperature and the choppiness of the sound that evening, pictures and views like this are totally worth the torment and serve as a reminder of how awesome the Puget Sound is.

Valentine's Perfect Strangers

Proof of God

ARGUMENT FROM BEER (I)
(1) "Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." - Ben Franklin
(2) Beer exists.
(3) Therefore, God exists.

ARGUMENT FROM BEER (II)
(1) Christian: Whatever you believe in is your god.
(2) Atheist: I believe I'll have another beer.
(3) Ha ha.
(4) Therefore, God exists.

Soundtrack to Portland

there was nothing to fear and nothing to doubt

Fuelonomics

When it was all said and done, this weekend I traveled approximately 630 miles. Although it might not seem like a lot, the bulk of the travel was done 5 hours.

While I was driving I thought a lot about the big deal people tend to make out of fuel efficiency. With fuel prices hovering around the $2.50/gallon range in the Pacific Northwest and nearing (or at) $3.00/gallon in other parts of the country, any automobile that gets less than 25 miles per gallon (MPG) is usually deemed as receiving terrible gas mileage. Anything above 25 and below 30 MPG is respectable. And anything above 30 MPG is fuel efficient.

I have thought a lot about selling my current vehicle for something more fuel efficient. I think this largely because 1) fuel prices continue to climb, 2) it seems like I'm filling-up more often, 3) I hate fuel stations, 4) it's somehow wired into my consciousness that I can't afford to pay for the rising cost of fuel and for my fuel-inefficient vehicle.

So I did some highway math...

Let's take two vehicles, a gas hog that gets 20MPG and a responsible/sensible vehicle that gets 30MPG, assume that we drive 20,000 miles in a year, and the cost of fuel is $2.50.

20 MPG GAS HOG
- miles driven in one year: 20000
- gallons of fuel used: 1000
- price of fuel: $2.50
- daily cost of fuel: $6.85

30 MPG SENSIBLE VEHICLE
- miles driven in one year: 20000
- gallons of fuel used: 667
- price of fuel: $2.50
- daily cost of fuel: $4.57

The difference in fuel costs per year between the two vehicles is ~$833, or $2.28 per day! At only $2 a day, that hardly seems like a reason to get rid of my current vehicle for something more fuel efficient. This isn't to say that there aren't other reasons for getting a more fuel efficient vehicle--it's just that the cost of fuel alone may not be a good reason as people usually think.

DCTOSEA

Little Boxes

I like prefabricated homes. I was first turned on to them in early 2005 when my first issue of dwell magazine reached my mailbox. It was in my first issue that I learned the difference between a prefab and a modular/mobile/manufactured home. Prefab is a term used to describe a modernist-styled home that is manufactured off-site, usually in a factory and created in sections, and later assembled on a building site.

Prefab homes feature clean lines and open floor plans. Most prefab homes combine building materials including concrete, glass, metal, and wood. Because these homes are mass-produced, they are relatively cheap compared to traditional homes that are built on-site. By using materials that are created and assembled in a controlled environment, materials are less-susceptible to being improperly installed or rotting. Most interior rooms are made of foamed glass core resulting in a structure that is incredibly light, warm, strong, and fireproof!

Once an interested home buyer has selected a site, the site is cleared, excavation is carried out, and a concrete foundation is poured (pre-cast concrete can also be used). The modules or sections are assembled on top of the foundation. The home is completed by adding rooms around the core. Because the structure is completely modular, upgrading is a snap--simply detach the old module and attach the new.

There are a number of modernist architects designing prefab homes. With a wide variety of design, sizes, and styles, there is no problem finding a prefab home to meet your sites needs. A number of designers are beginning to use environmentally-friendly building techniques and materials including reclaimed certified woods, radiant heating, living roofs, solar panels, and non-VOC (volatile organice compounds) paints or treated woods.

Book Review: Freakonomics

I didn't read the last 50 pages of this book. I should have stopped reading at 50 pages. Actually, I should have never started this book.

"Freakonomics" is a book that tries to explain social (and to an extent cultural) phenomenons with economic theory. The problem with this book is that economic theory is not an easy subject to understand. In an effort for this book to appeal to the masses, the theory and process is watered down so far that it makes equilibrium analysis look like child's play.

Maybe it was the hype the book received--it has been on the NY Times Best Seller List for almost a year, maybe the 4-star rating it received on Amazon, maybe it was because the cover of this book is also the cover for The Division Group's Apple/Orange EP, or maybe it was because I made the mistake of reading "The Tipping Point" and telling people about it and then having them tell me I should read "Freakonomics."

Rather than go in to the details of why I disliked this book, this post will serve as a reminder to not read books recommended by my work superiors. "Reefer Madness," "Don't Think of an Elephant," "The Tipping Point," and now "Freakonomics"--all recommended to me and all books I didn't enjoy reading.

6th Sense

As people celebrate remember the 5th anniversary of the 2001 6.8 Nisqually Earthquake, I think back to where I was 5 years ago and what I was doing when "the big one" hit.

It was Winter Quarter 2001 at Western. I had an Accounting 240 exam at 10AM that morning--I finished my exam in 40 minutes. After the exam I ran back up to my dorm room to get my laundry gathered and sorted for the 5-hour marathon that was Laundry Day. Fortunately for me, the laundry room was a few doors down from my own so eyeing the availability of washers and dryers was as easy as sticking my head out the door. As I sat waiting for the next washer to free-up, I was hunched over my computer playing Counter-Strike. I had just been fragged when my pot-head roommate Ryan awoke from a small coma and asked me, "what was that?" I asked him "what?" And then the Earth shook.

It was quite possibly the weirdest thing I've seen a human do. Like catfish moving violently, chickens that stop laying eggs, bees fleeing the hive, or dogs barking or whining for no apparent reason, my roommate had exhibited an animal-like reflex sensing the earthquake before it occurred.

Five seconds after the earthquake, my roommate Ryan returned to his coma only to return 2 hours later when his friend Jason showed up at the door. Before Jason even entered the room, my roommate Ryan sat-up in bed and indicated it was time to "smoke a fatty."

Tipping

This is one of my favorite scenes from "Resovoir Dogs"

MR. WHITE: I don't tip because society says I gotta. I tip when somebody deserves a tip. When somebody really puts forth an effort, they deserve a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, that shit's for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doin their job.

MR. BLONDE: You don't have any idea what you're talking about. These people bust their ass. This is a hard job.

MR. WHITE: So's working at McDonald's, but you don't feel the need to tip them. They're servin ya food, you should tip em. But no, society says tip these guys over here, but not those guys over there. That's bullshit.

MR. ORANGE: They work harder than the kids at McDonald's.

MR. WHITE: Oh yeah, I don't see them cleaning fryers.

I've Made a Huge Mistake

This morning on my way into work I stopped by the grocery store to pick-up some cough drops to help suppress the annoying and lingering sore throat my girlfriend gave me (she thinks it's cute when she passes her colds on to me--they impact me 10x more than they do her, yet it's still cute when I'm in the fetal position bundled under my sheets begging for the snot in my nose to stop running--yep, really cute). Anyhow, as I was letting my car cool down I noticed a guy across the lot looking over my car from a distance. I didn't think much of it and proceeded to turn her off and lock her up.

As I was walking into the store the same guy eyeing my car approached me from behind and asked if my car was turbocharged.

I could have said "no" and walked away, but instead I said "yes" and it was at that moment when the 'S' was rolling off my tounge that I realized I had made a huge mistake.

For the next 10 minutes I was bombarded with questions relating to how I managed to shoehorn a turbo kit in a tight engine bay or how fast my car goes or how much power it makes and comments of how any type of Honda/Acura are more powerful than V6's/Ford's/Mazda's, how his car would beat me in a street race, how he's only working as a landscaper until his dreams of being a fully-sponsored race car driver come true, how he's outrun every sheriff or state patrol car, and on and on.

Needless to say, I got sick of his talking and reached into my pocket and pretended as if I had received an important voicemail and that I ought to be getting on my way. He proceeded to follow me back to my car and he soon realized that I would be on the road and probably to never speak to him again. He asked that I write down his cell phone number so that we could speak again he could tell me his car was better than mine. I pulled a pen and my business card out of my pocket and as I was getting ready to write down his number, only to toss in my glovebox later, he asked why I just didn't give him my business card. And so I did.

S T U P I D !

Any day now I expect a call from this guy on my work phone or possibly an e-mail or possibly a personal visit if he can put the numbers and letters together. This is what I get for being sick and needing cough drops, this is what I get for being an idiot, this is what I get for having a sexy car.

Mt. Dew Saves

A goldfish gets its bowl drained of its water, then the water gets replaced by Mountain Dew and the goldfish dies. The Mountain Dew is then drained and replaced with water. The goldfish is still dead, but is ressurected with a 9 volt battery.

WTF!?!?!

My Life. My Card.

The following questionnaire was ripped-off from an advertisement I saw in GQ.

MY NAME:
Jessie

CHILDHOOD AMBITION:
MLB Pitcher or Rock & Roll Drummer

FONDEST MEMORY:
Too many to list

SOUNDTRACK:
Something with a bass line that grooves

RETREAT:
To my room or the Oregon/Washington coast

WILDEST DREAM:
Any instance of deja vu

PROUDEST MOMENT:
Graduating from the UW

BIGGEST CHALLENGE:
Life

ALARM CLOCK:
Circa Survive - Juturna

PERFECT DAY:
Waking up next to my girlfriend, bagel and cream cheese breakfast, playing music for a few hours, a grilled sandwich, throwing a wrench on my car, an evening with my girlfriend

FIRST JOB:
Delivering newspapers

INDULGENCE:
White Cheddar Cheetos or White Cheddar Popcorn, a Long Island

LAST PURCHASE:
GQ Magazine, cough drops, yogurt

FAVORITE MOVIE:
Saving Private Ryan

INSPIRATION:
Mom and Dad

MY LIFE:
is about making other people happy

MY CARD:
is the mail, expected delivery is 4-6 weeks

Sprint for the Win

This is one of my favorite commercials from Super Bowl XL.

How I Spent the Found $15

After a frustrating Monday in the office, I found $15 in the parking lot on my way to my car. Here is how I spent it.

• $4 16oz. White Chocolate-Toasted Marshmallow Latte = Crazy Delicious ($3+$1 tip, I was feeling generious, besides, it wasn't my hard earned money)
• $ .39 Stamp to mail my absentee ballot
• $10 work-wager on the upcoming Seahawks/Pittsburg Super Bowl
• $.30 for a pack of gum
• I lost the rest of it in my girlfriend's car
  

Monday Rant

The effects of my new position are starting to wear on me. I’ve only been at this a few months now, but the daily whining of an incompetent contractor, an imperceptive architect, and the never-ending Pacific Northwest rain has brought me to the point of wanting to walk-away from the job.

Over the last several weeks I have read at least 10 letters from our contractor who has requested equitable compensation for their inability to write a schedule, coordinate with their sub-contractors, the architect, the owner, and themselves. It was the hilarious the first time I read a letter from our contractor requesting additional money for a requirement they were contractually obligated to pay for. After their 3^rd request, I quickly saw where this was heading—anything not put right in front of them or anything that required them to apply themselves requires additional payment because apparently this goes beyond their abilities as contractors—or free-standing, walking, thinking, humans.

Our architect is suffering from a God-like complex. His drawings are PERFECT. They cannot be improved upon. They need no further explanation. His drawings are so perfect that if you removed one dimension on a page, the dimensions would assemble themselves, collectively calculate the missing dimension, and shape the corner of the plans to pick up a pencil from off the table and fill in the missing dimension. If anyone was to try and improve upon his drawings, including the architect himself, the planets would align and the natural balance of the solar system would fail, life would vanish, but the architect would prevail survived only by the plans he had drawn. (sarcasm)

Lastly, I want the rain to stop. It’s rained far too much for 2006. We need to spread this rain out evenly over the year so that there are May flowers, late-summer hot showers, and December snow.

On a brighter note, I found $15 cash in the parking lot today. If this happened at the end of every day I think I just might be able to tolerate this job.

Bejeweled

A few weeks ago my boss gave me a Palm Tungsten C. It's a hand-held computer that is wi-fi compliant, has an internet browser, an e-mail client, AIM and MSN instant messenging, and a RSS reader. Just when I thought I had a chance at getting away from the internet, I'm given another device to stay connected.

Sure, the Palm isn't the most up-to-date handheld device on the market, Blackberry's and Treo's are clearly the most popular devices on the market combining the handheld PC and the cell phone, but despite the cell-less feature, the Palm has been great to me. The wi-fi allows me to take internet browsing and e-mails to places I've never considered including bathrooms, meetings, and even in the car. Just last week I was able to read The Stranger's news section while sitting in a construction meeting.

The absolute hands-down best feature of the Palm is Bejeweled. Where I can't find wireless internet access, I have Bejeweled to keep me striving for a new high score or to keep me occupied while taking a dump.

Toiletries

In 2005, I was fortunate enough to be sent-off to distant cities to represent myself on behalf of our organization. While I made sure to present myself as a well-educated, groomed, and mature adult while in the company of others, I got ridiculously giddy at the luxuries of staying in high-end and not-so high-end hotels.

I have to be honest, one of the more exciting features to the hotels I stayed at was the attention to detail: the kleenex box with tissue sticking out that was folded and formed into a swan, the extra towels the house keeping ladies gave me after my girlfriend used all 3 provided towels in less than 2 hours, and lastly, the way they folded the toilet paper upon first entering and after house keeping services.


I've gotten in the habit of folding my home toilet paper in a similar fashion. I think it's the OCD in me or my own high attention to detail. Or maybe it's that I secretly want to be a house keeping lady. I dunno.