A Photo Interlude

I do not know if any of y'all actually visit any of my links, but these are from one of my favorite sites...

I visit here a couple of times a week, and never fail to find at least one that makes me smile or laugh out loud.

You might need to be a "cat person", but maybe not...

Speaking of that, I never really considered myself a "cat person". I mean, I like cats OK. I like dogs too. But until ashleighcat, I never really had one around a whole lot.

goofy and I got her when she was but a small ball of fur - with attitude. In fact, that attitude is what we liked about her most...don't want no whimpy kitteh.

Careful what you wish for, eh?

I actually loved that cat. She was quite a character, and was pretty much in charge of the house. Had me trained pretty well anyway.

She's been gone for a few years now, and I still miss her. I have scars to remember her by though....lol.

Have a good day, and remember to smile...alot...it confuses people and makes them wonder what you've been up to!

M&G

It's Grey Again...

Geez..you'd think that by now, I'd be used to the grey Seattle weather.

I mean, I've spent most of my life here (less about 10 years in various other places), but still, most of my life.

I think I wrote before how I used to ridicule those that didn't "embrace the grey".

I thought they were wimps...transplants that should go back to their sunny homes and leave this little grey paradise to those of us that were able to handle it.

Now, I think that they just got tired of it all earlier than me. Maybe those of us born to the grey have a higher tolerance to it. Maybe we just don't know any better until we get enough cash in the bank to travel to sunny places and discover that you can actually have beauty AND sunny warm days in the same continuum.

We had some sunny days...they weren't warm, but there was sunshine, and it was awesome.

There is no place on this earth that is more beautiful than Seattle in the sunshine.

It makes the grey days bearable as we all wait for any sign of sunshine to come. Well, it used to. Not so much for me anymore. I'd be ok with just living here from mid-July through October...but I'm digressing again...

We tend to guard the secret of the beauty of Seattle as if it's some kind of holy grail. We tell folks that visit here that it rains most of the time. Unfortunately, this is more true than we'd like to believe ourselves. We slyly tell these visitors that the "rain festival" is January 1 through December 31 every year...and then we laugh when it dawns on them that it's ALL YEAR. Haha.

The truth is, we live for the sunny days...the clear, sparkling, blue, green and yellow days when we lose our purpose and merely go outside and look at the sunny day. Confused for a moment...wondering what that is...but knowing that we need to stop and take notice of this unusual and revered celestial occurrence.

Ahh...the sun!

The Pacific Northwest purchases more sunglasses per capita than any other place in the country...wanna know why?

I think it's because we lose them between sun-breaks.

I sometimes wear my sunglasses in the grey times...the rainy times too...just in case (just in case) the sun might break through and blind me suddenly.

The grey tends to make eyes more sensitive to light, too, I think. So, like gophers, we need to have a little extra protection in case that sun thing comes out and might blind us with its radiance.

So...today...it's grey again. Grey, more grey, greyer, greyish, GREY.

We are hopefully looking for the sun-breaks today...even a short peek at blue sky amongst the grey clouds.

Think sun!

M&G

Weekend in Sunny Oregon

This is Multnomah Falls...we actually hiked up and over this falls one year...crazy!

Do you see the very top of the falls? We hiked up there, then over the hills to other falls in the area, ending up about a mile down the road hiking back to the parking lot here. YAY!

Goofy, S, N and I had a great weekend in the Columbia Gorge area of Oregon.

We stayed in Troutdale...which I find amusing, 'cause it's named after a trout (I guess). Heh, I looked it up, and it WAS actually...well, after a trout farm at a country home named "Troutdale". LOL

Goofy, S & N did some volkswalking - with the Columbia River Volkssport Club. They do this big event every two years. For those of you that just cannot stand not knowing...here's the link to their info on the event.

I visited with my family who live nearby in Fairview.

So, there ya go...the first nearly summer weekend, with temps in the 70's and walking and enjoying the outdoors with friends and family...

See? Told Ya! LOL

Junary in Seattle, FOR SURE!

Seattle weather: Colder than Siberia!
By Jack Broom
Seattle Times staff reporter

It doesn't seem fair, but it's the cold, hard truth — accent on cold: While Seattle hasn't seen a 70-degree day in more than two weeks, Fairbanks, Alaska, has had six of them in the past 10 days.

Just about everyone, it seems, is toastier than we are. You've heard of International Falls, Minn., the self-proclaimed "Icebox of the Nation?"? It's had four days this month in the 70s, topped off with a pleasant 75 on Sunday.

Across the Atlantic, the northern destination of Oslo, Norway, has been passing the 70-degree mark nearly every day recently, while even the Siberian city of Tomsk, Russia, hit the 70s last weekend.

Meanwhile, shivering Seattle residents, hearing about snowplows back at work on Snoqualmie Pass this week, probably have only dim memories of the 77-degree high of May 24, the last time the mercury crept into the 70s here.

On Tuesday, state highway workers clearing away the last of 7 inches of snow on Interstate 90 could remember only two other times in the past 30 years that snowplows have been called out this late in the year.

Maybe we shouldn't complain too loudly, though.

The East Coast has been sweating and sweltering in mid- to upper-90-degree heat, setting records in several areas.

In New York City, the temperature was pushing toward the 100-degree mark. Combined with high humidity, the heat had people scurrying for shade or air-conditioned relief.

Weather experts say June made its chilliest debut ever in Seattle last week, but at least a mild respite is on the way. The National Weather Service forecasts highs of 67 on Thursday, 64 on Friday and 68 on Saturday and Sunday, with the promise of a "partly sunny" weekend.

Not a scorcher by any means, but much nicer than we've been getting.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

It's Junuary in Seattle

This morning, while I was getting ready to start my day, I was listening to the radio....

This is pretty standard for me...I listen to the TV while I'm trying to wake up, and, once awakened, turn on the radio in the bathroom while I'm getting ready.

While they were discussing the weather here in Seattle, one of the radio folk said his friend called this weather we are having

JUNUARY.

Brilliant!

We've all been trying to figure out what the heck is going on with our weather...

high wind, low temps (I think we made it all the way to 54 degrees today), rainy - not our usual "tell everyone it always rains here" kinda rain, but real pouring down, overflowing drains, damn it's cold! kinda rain.

From this evening's King 5 News

"An approaching low is driving showers and thundershowers into western Washington; that means small hail, strong gusty winds and moderate to heavy showers. Look for sustained winds over the Puget Sound area of 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 or 45.

In the passes, the snow level will drop to 2,000 to 2,500'. That means the snow level is likely to be below all pass elevations. I don't expect more than three inches in the passes, and that will at most be brief and slushy. However, above 4,000', we could see up to a foot"

Junuary is perfect! It's absolutely the kind of weather we are used to in January...grey, grey, grey - sun break - grey, rain, rain, more rain, wind, more wind - sun break - wind, rain, grey (did I say grey yet?).

Usually, we don't honestly get summer weather around these parts until sometime after the 4th of July. Generally, it rains on the 4th of July around here. If it doesn't, you'll hear people saying "hey, it's not raining, and it's the 4th of July! We can see the fireworks maybe!" Seattle people like fireworks, we just don't get to see them often - as they shoot up past the cloud layer and just make pretty, multi-colored clouds. You'd see that if you looked up...you'd get rain down your nose too, but it's not too much to sacrifice for a good look at the lovely colored cloud display on our nations' independence day!

It's kinda odd to watch fireworks without a thermos of coffee and wool blankets for our laps. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we like to watch the exploding fire show too...it's different, but lovely in its own way too.

So...where was I? Oh yeah, Junuary.

Even for Seattle, it's a bit strange to have such cold, cold, grey weather. Generally, it's not super warm, but we do have sunshine from time to time. And...we'll have rain, but not the torrential downpour that more appropriately belongs to the time between Octobrrrr and April.

so...oddball weather, crazy gas prices...anyone thinking...conspiracy theories?!!!

I dunno, all those soviets have had to have been doing something these last years since the USSR went down...

Caviar anyone?

M&G

Sign of the Times

I'm sure many of you have seen this little comment on the price of gas these days...

Maybe on someone else's blog, or somewhere else on the 'net.

With gas here in the Seattle area over $4 a gallon for regular, I guess it's not as funny as it was.

Unfortunately, I recall the last time that we had to actually sit in line to get gas in this country.

I know, it dates me, but whatever.

Back then, it even got to the point where you were only allowed to fill up your tank based on whether your license plate ended with an "odd" or "even" number. Every other day, no gas on the "wrong" day...

It was nuts...and gas went up to around $0.89/gallon. Put into perspective, minimum wage was about $2.65/hour then. That'd make a full timer at minimum hauling in a massive $106 a week.

Figuring that most cars (at least back then) had at least a 16 gallon tank, it'd cost around $15 to fill up. If the average worker filled up once a week, you were looking at 14% of your income going to gasoline. That's gross income, by the way, not net.

When adjusted for inflation (as of 2007), that minimum wage actually looked more like $6.38/hour. So, that percentage of income in spending power was about 6%.

Minimum wage is currently $8.07/hour here in WA - where minimum wage is highest in the country. National minimum is currently $5.85/hour (adjusted to $4.41) It'll go up to $6.55 July 24th nationally.

When adjusted for inflation, Washington's $8.07/hour actually spends like $6.08. Less than 1978 minimum wage and actual spending powers (this is a surprise?).

That'd be about $243.20/wk for a full-timer. I'd guess that the average gas tank is still around 16 gallons (mine are both over 20, ouch). $64 per fill, or more than 26% of your gross income.

On a national level, these numbers are scarier...grossing $176.40/week for full time HONEST work, the minimum wage worker is spending over 36% of their gross income on gasoline.

Now, I will grant that most of us (me, friends, family, etc.) aren't in the minimum wage set - probably haven't been since our first high-school summer jobs (if then - remember how Dick's Drive In paid $5/hour back in '79? that was MONEY!).

We are fortunate enough not to have to make really hard decisions based on the price of fuel. I've changed some of my habits, and may not take a long drive when I might want to, but that is really the largest extent of the consequences for most of my circle.

But, a good percentage of those people all around us are dealing with these huge obstacles.

Even if we aren't at minimum, our dollars are effected in the same way. We just aren't faced with having to choose between food and gas to get to the job that provides the food.

I do not accept the idea that we are just getting closer to what those in Europe are already paying. They don't drive nearly as much as we do here - mostly because they don't have to. The public transportation systems in Europe are far advanced from anything we have here. And, they just don't have the distances to go either. Most countries in Europe are closer to the size of one of our Eastern Seaboard states...some are bigger, but most aren't. And there are those that live nearly their entire lives within a 50 square mile area. (I have cousins in Kansas that are like this too - never having seen the ocean except on TV, and content with that - but I digress).

This country has not become better, or stronger in the last 8 years. Just the opposite in fact. I'm not preaching politics here at all, it is a matter of simple economics. We are less better off than we were. Doesn't matter at this point who is responsible or not. What does matter is, who is going to fix it.

If the oil companies were showing flat profits over this same period, I'd have to say that it just is costing more to get gas to market.

HOWEVER, they are showing record record profits...more money, higher margins, huge, obscene profits. Companies need to make a profit to survive...I get that - I'm sure you do too. But this goes way beyond profit...it's into a dark, black place.

Someone needs to fix it, and soon.

Yesterday, I figured out that at about 20 mpg, it costs about $12 in gas for me to drive into downtown Seattle and back. That doesn't count parking (or driving around looking for parking), or any of the other little things that add to the cost of ownership.

Never, in all the years I've been driving, have I ever even considered what it cost to drive around town...I mean, I know, that in general, I'd fill up once a week. But in the day to day tripping down the road kinda stuff, never really thought of anything more than if I had enough gas in the tank to get there...

Ah...the times they are a changin'....

I think that I'll move closer to the beach. That way, I don't have to drive to go diving...it's a thought, right? :)

Happy days!

M&G

I Am Such a Lostie

I LOVE that show...woohoo...season finale heaven for Magic and Goofy!

yay!

I like shows that challenge my ability to figure them out long before they roll on to their nearly inevitable conclusions...that's the biggest draw for me with this show.

Most standard TV is a rehash of one thing or another...Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes...for crying out loud they are even remaking 70's TV shows as feature length movies because they can't come up with original ideas on their own any more.


Not so much for the folks that write Lost. Interesting characters, these two head writers who have it all locked up in their minds...the direction they are going...a surprise or ten along the way...

The writers have a plan. Can you believe it? They know that they will write two more seasons after this one, and they are planning (OMG) how to wend all the various strings into a package that makes some sense of things (and leaves others open for interpretation and debate).

Mostly, when watching television, I know who did the murder, stole the loot or did the bad stuff by about the twenty minute mark (if that).

The few shows that try to step out of the pedantic slog end up being too high brow (I guess) for the average American viewer and are cancelled forthwith.

This demographic that swarms to American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance and the ever exciting, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader (most Americans are not, BTW)...sad statement about the average American, but I digress ( I suspect that there is a Master's Thesis there somewhere :) is nothing so much as a window into the heart of the American psyche. Not all of us, but most of us...the average...

We've known this, about the "average" American for some time, but it's still sad. It's why we are where we are today...

/rant...without going too much astray, Benjamin Franklin had said that "those who give up liberty for safety, deserve neither", and yet it's now "unAmerican" to question what is going on with our government and the whole "Patriot Act".../end rant

So, when I find a show that surprises me, and makes me think a bit about what may be going on, I like it...a few brain cells get exercised and the possibilities expand awareness of everything else around.

It's cool.

Try it...pick up a book or watch a lecture (there are tons available for free downloads from itunes - I am watching a physics series from Stanford at the moment...principles of particle physics, actually, and my mind is getting expanded a bit there - fun times)...

something that you just don't quite understand...

something you have to work at a bit to figure out....

something that stretches your mind and imagination...

It won't hurt, I promise...and you just might like it!

Off to exercise those brain cells...

Be Happy!

M&G

You don't have to Go To Hell...

...you just have to leave here.

Not all y'all.

Some of you...the mean ones, the ones with no ethics, those without morals...

You know who you are...

Be gone from here.

Someone else's problem...or no one else's...up to you, and not of any import to us...just so long as you are out of our scope of awareness...and earshot, and view...

There...

I feel better.

M&G

Thoughts in the deep of the night

Why is it that most of my really good ideas happen around 2am?

This would be OK, as far as that goes, but once morning comes, I have no idea what the heck I was thinking about the night before.

This is just wrong.

It would be much kinder if I not only didn't remember my deep thoughts and great ideas, but I also didn't have that lingering feeling that I'd had them to begin with.

Now, come to think of it, I have only my own sense of reality that tells me these were really great ideas or deep thoughts of meaning.

Having no idea, other than that vague sense of almost recalling a pesky memory floating just out of reach, exactly what I'd thought about, I am just assuming it was deep and meaningful.

Arrogant? Probably, but really, I know that there was something really interesting that crossed my quieted mind last night.

I just wish I could bring it to my awareness, 'cause then you'd know too...

LOL.

Cheers!

M&G

This and That

Magic is tending to a new case of lateral epicondylitis. It's more commonly known as tennis elbow, although I don't know why...

It stinks and it'll limit how much blogging I'll do for the next few days/weeks...

It was brought on by my weekend of using the weedeater for about six hours, pressure washing and (this is the final straw) turning the corn on the bbq on Sunday :)

I'll keep blogging a bit as I can...whether or not it's interesting is up to the reader...until then, it's lots of ice and some rest...bah.

later, gators...

M&G