Raincharm’s Weblog

OK it is a lake, but not a GREAT lake. A Green Lake.
The ducks in question were mallards.
There were three ducks in immediate view, a male, a female and a baby.
And then – duck sex. I have never seen this in person before.
Well I am pretty sure it was sex, it looked a little like the male was water-boarding the female.
I stopped and motioned for Carl to look, and he didn’t even realize it was a female under the male, he thought it was a board or something (water-boarding again, boarding in the water)

It was unexpected due to the baby – maybe they have two clutches?

Beautiful day today. The lake path was packed. We walked about 6.5 miles. After a birthday party for a neighborhood 4-year old Ashlan and I are going to go to the University Street Fair. Not as big as A2, but still a must do on a sunny afternoon.

Report from last night’s M’s game – a WIN finally, over the Red Sox. There is always a lot of Red Sox paraphernalia present at Red Sox games, and the fans can be a bit obnoxious at times (not all, just the mob mentality). The Sox got up 4 to nothing, but the M’s mounted a comeback. Ichiro hit 2 home runs. One to the left of us, and one to the right. If you watch highlight shows the one to the right was about 6 seats away, and a great catch by the fan. M’s 5-4. Carl & Ashlan are going tonight as well.

Last night was the last of the 3 meetings for a project currently running at about a million miles an hour. So this morning when I was getting ready to go the chocolate covered coffee beans in our cupboard (courtesy of one of Carl’s kid parents) were calling my name. I took two and set them into the lid of my travel coffee cup. Grabbed my cup and other detritus that accompanies my trips back and forth and headed out the door.

When I leave I try to kick the newspaper into the house and close the door with my foot so it latches. (Carl doesn’t want to be interrupted by any early morning intruders.)

Get to the car, things inside, start it up (have one of those proximity keys that you don’t actually have to put into a key slot, just have it in your pocket) before getting out to remove the morning dew/fog. (from the windows, not my brain). Fog has lifted and the sun is shining in the east. Hmmm – should really get my sunglasses.

I had seen the glasses case on the piano, just inside the front door. I’ll sneak in and grab them – just take a second. But as I move up the steps the car engine noise starts to decrease. Apparently the proximity requires you to be within 5-6 feet of the car.
Carefully place the keys on the ground by the car and run to the front door. Thankfully this morning my kick to close only succeeded in a friction and not a latch closing, so the door pushes in. Grab the glasses case from the piano and back out to the car. Pick up the keys, get into the car, open the glasses case – empty. This is the case for the regular glasses. The other must be in the soccer or walking bags.

Back out of the car, carefully place the keys on the ground and run up the steps. Of course the last time I left my hands were not full so I was able to really close the front door. But the keys are on the ground by the car and will not go as far as the front door without shutting the car off. Knock, knock, knock, listen … Carl finally arrives to open the door. 

Into the house search soccer bag – no, search walking bag – yes. 
Back out to the car, leap in, change glasses, put the car in reverse and drive about 5-6 feet before the engine starts to die. Keys??? On the ground next to the previous car location.

Did I mention it was a late night after a 12 hour work day.
Finally with sunglasses, keys and other detritus the drive to work begins. About 20 minutes in I remember the coffee beans. Still in the coffee cup lid(haven’t even had a sip yet). Melted.

But it’s going to be a sunny day, going to the baseball game tonight and actually have hopes of making some real progress on my current work effort today.

One more time (to Vancouver that is) than we thought.
Olympic tickets were easier to get than I expected.
Ashlan & I both got through and I don’t know about others yet (we may have more than we bargained for in the end)

Womens Ski-Cross Freestyle something
Curling – have to, it is Canada
2 Women’s Hockey games including USA vs Finland I think

Woo-hoo, I am excited now, at least until the bills start rolling in.

Tomorrow is the latest chance to get tickets to the Vancouver Olympics. Going to give it a go, although chances are limited. I hopefully have a network of a few helpers to increase the chances. Of course we are looking at the lower cost, nosebleed – standing type tickets. But with an apartment available, and proximity being right, this may be the best chance to go. Everyone that I have spoken to that have been to an Olympics has really enjoyed the experience.

Spent the evening reviewing ticket prices and events. It all sounds fun, but most of what I am looking for has a proximity and warmth (relative) component. Knowing February in the NW, it could be raining and cold, snowy and cold, or even sunny and cool.

Second of the three evening meetings is in the book.
Lasted to 9 PM this time, although the scheduled 8:30 appointment never showed. So we worked on other bits and pieces giving them a chance to be late. That was only a few hundred dollars standing around. Oh well, what it really means is not that the District spent more money, just that we are working cheaper at a lower hourly rate.

Good news – I carpooled with one of the other presenters, and he is driving so I can drift along home.

Sam (the Archeologist) is looking at stump gardens 
We are looking at trying to get rid of the chips and debris left from getting rid of a stump or two.

One little chore begats another.
We weeded most of the weekend, to clear out areas to put said stump debris with the hopes that no new weeds will appear, at least for awhile.
Ashlan is the chief stump mover – have shovel & wheelbarrow, will travel … from the backyard to the side yard to the other side yard to the front yard.

M-O-T-H-E-R
“M” is for the million things she gave me,
“O” means only that she’s growing old,
“T” is for the tears she shed to save me,
“H” is for her heart of purest gold;
“E” is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
“R” means right, and right she’ll always be,
Put them all together, they spell “MOTHER,”
A word that means the world to me.

By  Howard Johnson

 Howard Johnson – I wanted it to be the restaurant, but didn’t find any link there.
But when I learned he also wrote, “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream,” it just seemed that there should be a connection. I really seem to remember getting ice cream at Howard Johnsons.

This has always been my Mothers’ “favorite” song for the holiday. I always thought we put in the O line because we thought it was funny. But, apparently, they are the real words.

Make up your own lyrics and share with the rest of us.

A couple of Mothers

Yesterday on my way home from work I saw an owl.
Today on a training walk I saw an eagle and a heron.
This afternoon I saw a humingbird in the backyard.
At the play this evening there were several birds in the show (Alice in Wonderland), including the Lory, played by the daughter of a friend. In elementary school Ashlan’s class did some sort of Alice in Wonderland. Ashlan was the Lory. I remember sewer green feathers onto a green t-shirt for her. The Lory’s costume in this production was much better.

Well really 12-1/2 if you count taking a lunch break.

Public meetings just ended (8:30 PM) and I have a 7:45 AM appointment to walk tomorrow.
Time to go home.

Who would have thought so many property owners would sign up to meet with government workers on a Friday night. I would hate to think we are viewed as a social function.

The day started slowly. It had reasonable hopes – got a compliment from my boss on the oink plan I put together over a few days last week.

Went downhill from there. Delegate a simple (I thought) task, and it turns into recreate forms that I now will have to approve, disprove, review. I didn’t ask for a new form. I just wanted a little intranet site put up and an existing form to populate said site. Now I have a bad mood and work to do that I didn’t want or need to do.

Next – finally get to major task at hand. Only to find that other sites have been changed and my meticulous notes on how to accomplish a task, from less than a year ago now have to be interpreted and a new way figured. And the person most likely to be able to help – is gone, until Monday.

Grump.