Raincharm’s Weblog

I am drawing a blank.
My mind is not blank – but it is devoid of anything creative. (Of course you could say that for most days.)

Plans for today
Finish review and edit of our existing and future sewer boundaries, look for stray cleanouts and manholes that should be cleanouts, force mains and low pressure force mains that should be each other …. GIS data review. That is my first item (after the conservation committee meeting that is)

Oh – and for you Jeopardy watchers – Rey’s friend Ben Bishop made the Jeopardy Tournament of Champions YEAH. His quarterfinal appearance is Friday March 13th.

Of course it’s 9:30 at night.

Last night was a late night.
I don’t think, “Early to bed, early to rise” meant both “Earlys” on the same morning.

So the short sleep time and time change conspired to make today my tired day.
If it is the only one I will be satisfied with this spring towards Spring.

It was still light out after work, and two of the blocks little urchins and their dads were playing hockey in the front yard. I really like that our front yard is a bit of a playground for the block. This brief outdoor venture was cut short (for me) by the lack of heat and my lack of a coat. It was followed by a longer than brief venture into a warm bed (see tired day above).

So – now I am awake, and should be trying the “early to bed” part of the adage.
I will give myself another 1/2 hour and then crawl back to the warm place.

 It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”

Does anybody really care?

I don’t, at least not until tomorrow morning.
Welcome to the new Spring time, unless you are in AZ or one of the other locales that doesn’t play along with the rest of us.
This really confused me when I was looking at Carl and Ashlan’s travel information, on the same flight, 2 weeks apart. They left at the same time, but Ashlan got in an hour earlier.

My plan was to keep going to bed “earlier” so my getting up time was “normal”.
My other plan was to finish the boy’s taxes.
Apparently these two plans were not compatible, and taxes won. [Really I won, they are finished except for sending them off to the appropriate party for completion. And that is all three – Feds plus 2 states. And wow, CA’s are really weird. A/B x C + some other number that appears out of the ether, go to this table, no that table, oh – someone else claims you as a dependent, then ignore the instructions on the form and do this instead. Jeesh!]

Tonight it is early to bed for sure, or would that be normal to bed since the clocks have been formally shifted. I am so confused, and so is my body. And while there was a time change for Carl to deal with on the flight out, there is not on the flight back. But since he does not wear a timepiece, I doubt he cares.

I am on a dinner break from my assignments for today. I took an earlier break to talk with my spouse. Brief bit of the conversation.
J “How’s the weather there?”
C “Hot – really been nice.”
J “it’s hailing here now”
Today’s weather has been rain, cloudy, a bit of sun, hail, rain, snow, and just now Thunder-ice/snow.
I have spent the day indoors, and am cozy enough. Tomorrow is equally dicey from a predictable time to get out and about. I just hope Monday gets back to normal, simple rain.

Have you ever looked at something and just known that it was perfect for you.

I went to a “Salon” tonight, a small gallery with artwork by 6 of 7 different artists, held in a community center/renovated school. One of the artists is a friend of ours.

I wandered along, looking at the different offerings, and then one hit me.
It was a print by our friend, and it was perfect for me.
Titled “Contemplation,” it was a linoleum cut print (I think) of a person’s shadow stretching out over water, with gentle ripples. In blues.

It touched me. I don’t know if it was the artwork, the connection to water I always feel, the similarity to standing at the lake’s edge (ocean’s edge in Mexico for her), the fact that I had been up since 3, the fact that the artist lost her husband way to young last year, but it touched me. I told her that if it was still available at the end to get in touch with me. Somethings are just meant to be.

I feel like I am working in the Eastern Time Zone!

UPDATE:
GIVE ME A CUP OF COFFEE may have been a better title.
I live and work in Seattle, jitter capital of the US, and I have drunk coffee since I learned how in college. Usually I have about 1-1/2 cups of coffee made at work. Sometimes I will take a travel cup from home.

1st full cup – Today I had a travel cup from home
1/2 cup – Carl had a travel cup from home, but only got 1/2 drunk before he was deposited at the airport. So I added it to my 1/2 drunk cup.
2nd full cup – Our maintenance man is usually the first to arrive, and was kind enough to start the coffee right up since I was already here. So I had a cup of work coffee too. (didn’t want to hurt his feelings)
3rd full cup – And our department admin assistant brought me a latte. Just being nice like she is.

So it is 2, I have been here for about 9-1/2 hours, and am still doing relatively well. I was hoping to be down to non-thinking repetitive work by this time, but still have to finish a write-up for a presentation on Monday. The walk at lunchtime really helped to keep me alert. Sunny and brisk. But I can feel that little place in the back of my skull just waiting for anything that will allow it to instigate a meltdown into non-productivity.

You know how when you really need to get to sleep – how easy is it really.
You may have been tired at work or play.
But, unless you’re really gassed, going to bed early does not always translate to going to sleep early.

We shall try tonight. Tomorrow morning is going to be tough.
But the good side is early to work – when I work best. And if it is too tough in the afternoon, early to home too.

I borrowed a movie from a friend. Finally got a chance to watch it tonight. “Dear Frankie.” I really enjoyed the movie. Probably would be considered a chic flic. It is the quiet type of movie I really enjoy.

Work beckons on either side. That is why we need quiet movies in the middle.

And as an add-on to the last post – my eagle sightings have not been in a vacuum. News at 11

On my drive in this morning the 520 Eagle made an entrance as I was approaching the water. [520 is one of the floating bridges connecting Seattle to the “East Side”.] It chose to land on one of the lightposts directly above the traffic, and instead of assuming the customary straight up position, it stayed somewhat canted. Now I am not an expert in birds, but I do believe that at least on occassion this position is used to off load some weight.

So – would it be cool or just gross to have an Eagle poop on your windshield on the way to work?