Raincharm’s Weblog

It’s our anniversary today – 26 years. Almost half of my husband’s life. Not quite so close to half of mine.

And it is also mysisty-uglers anniversary. They were kind enough to share the day.
And a few days off of at least a few cousins.

So – to make today special, we will both be responsible and go to our respective jobs. And hopefully meet for dinner between my Board meeting, and my husbands baseball practice.

After a long weekend together, it doesn’t seem like we are missing too much, and can manage to share our day with others.

Taking a cue from another blog – for our then and now post.
For a really recent picture go back to the July 2nd post.

We just added a walk to our 4th itinerary.

A few errands, and a stop at a local Red Robin to share a salad. (Energy for the 3 mile return)

This walk is marked by long uphills and then long downhills. Going the uphill is longer, but steadier. Coming back it starts steeply, and lasts a while, but then you get the long downhill.

On the way back Carl stopped to figure out a blot on the road.
At first he thought it was a dead baby bird.
Upon closer inspection it turned out to be a full grown hummingbird.
Green tail feathers, but no, I did not take a picture.

At NE 100th we started counting American Flags, and bikinis.
Final tally at NE 56th.

1 bikini (on a 12 year old or younger)

26 flags.
3 were on schools.
6 were the small plastic variety.
1 was ours.

It is sunny, and I am in shorts and a tank top.
When we left it was just under 70 degrees. Now it is showing 80 degrees.
Time for water.

The weekend is over, except that it is not.

That’s a bonus, except that I really need to put in some work time today. People have been giving me the disapproving look when I say that. But I need to get stuff done, and there is nothing else scheduled today, except of course the fireworks. And before that, maybe a soccer game on the computer.

Yesterday was our day of activities.
Carl hit baseballs, then Carl watched baseball, the we went to a screening in the Paramount of West Side Story. (It is still a great movie, even if some of the lines sound a bit dated. The ending is powerful, and powerfully done.)  The Paramount is a big theatre, usually used for live acts and off-Broadway shows. We saw the Lion King there.

The we retired to a friend’s house for a follow-up to Carl’s birthday that includes showing movies in the backyard. Yesterday’s fare included Cities – Chicago by Studs Terkel, and an episode of the Bob Hope Show sponsored by Chevrolet. And the guest stars were Diana Dors (the British Marilyn Monroe, sort of), Don Larson (2 days after he threw the perfect game in the World Series), Jimmy Cagney, everybody from I Love Lucy (Lucy, Desi, Ethyl & Fred), the Chevrolet Deb-Stars.

We are flying the colors today, for the first time since we have lived in this house.
We don’t have a flagpole mount, but a couple of zip-ties and there she flies.

Happy 4th!
(And yes, it is still garbage day.)

Well – yesterday was Carl’s birthday.
It started like many days. Carl working to get me ready to go to work.
Including a latte. (Of course that meant that he got one too, but he had to do the work.)

I was feeling a bit bad for not trying to make it more special, but have been focused on my own needs. I have to get way to much stuff done in the next two weeks, and a holiday weekend that includes birthdays, baseball and almost anniversaries was just being a bit too much.

So what did I do to prepare?
Bought a phone that I don’t know how to drive, and now also don’t have the time to learn about. Doing the simple things seems to take a long time, and it keeps asking me questions.

Off to work – taking the bus. No carpoolers around, and I did not want to have two cars at the Mariners game tonight (or have to drive in rush hour pre-game traffic, and then park). Carl gave me a ride to the bus stop. (He’s so nice.)

I arrive at work – no closer to having a special birthday idea – other than being enthusiastic, and running whatever errands he might want at the ball game.

And then a cake arrived! Actually, a co-worker arrived and told me she had baked a cake to celebrate the holiday – to share with co-workers. I immediately thought – I should take a piece to Carl.
I looked at the cake – a bundt style white cake – with a red-white-blue frosting and interior. So I asked if I could buy the whole cake from her, and told her why. She gave it to me – so now I am totally in her debt. I found a box and grabbed some napkins.

The bus ride after work was more fun, balancing the box while carrying an overful backpack. I tried to read a book too, but it was more important to keep the cake level and safe. I managed to get it to the game, and stored it under my seat.

At the end of the second inning I pulled it out, and started cutting. (I had waited until the sun left our seats.) As our friends started singing Happy Birthday to Carl, several others in the area chimed in. So I doled out the cake to our friends and those in close proximity, until it was gone. [There was a bachelorette party group a little behind us (from Canada – Happy Dominion Day), but I am not sure any pieces made it back that far.] The mood was festive – Mariners were already ahead.

What was really helpful was that we were playing the San Diego Padres, and the numbers in the crowd cheering for the Padres was significantly less than the numbers that cheered for Atlanta, and while I do not mind folks cheering for their team, it was just a fun atmosphere. The team continued to play well, and the Mariners WON.

It was also 80’s Night. Throwback uniforms to 1984. That happened to be the year we moved to Seattle, and started attending games. Carl wore an 1980’s M’s jersey, that fit him in 1984. If this were Milwaukee it would have worked well as a sausage costume. And then there was the rainbow wig, although we did not have the John 3:16 sign. Apparently if Carl wants to get on the TV broadcast, all he has to do is don a wig. Somewhere in the 5th inning (I think) both Carl and Jimmy Wright’s telephones started to ring, from folks that saw them on the broadcast. Jimmy was attired as a Miami Vice character.

80's throwback birthday

Really, the picture was taken just trying to figure out how to use the phone camera. So the staging is what it is. If I could figure out how to get to the broadcasts of the game, I would get a screen shot. As it is you will have to make do with this. (Jimmy is in the background, behind the vendor, but you can not see his natty attire.)

So – all in all it was a fun night. A good celebration, and in the end we did not end up with more “stuff” for our house. Well there were some new baseball cards that were gifted to Carl, but I guess they won’t cave in the ceiling. ….. Or will they.

Made the leap. Know so little. Where is my techno-daughter when I need her?
First mobile post.

I can not believe it is almost halfway through 2011.

There is a project I intended to start in January and finish by February, and I now HOPE to get it started next week.
There is barely time to breath.

And yet, there are those moments between activities when I do stop, and do something totally not on the list of things to do. Like a Sudoku. Or read a blog.

I think the next two weeks need to be peddle to the metal.
That includes work and home errands, and a few ball games thrown in for “fun”

No really, they are usually fun.

Although I have had it about up to here (see hand high up in the air) with Braves fans. Carl blames TBS for their number. I don’t know how many actually travelled from Atlanta.
Actually, many have been very nice, and cheering for their team as they should. But then there are those that feel they need to be confrontational about it all – nah-nah in your face.

Today is a day game, and Carl and Lillian are attending, with seats in the King Felix section. Felix Hernandez, 2010 Cy Young Award winner is pitching. There is a section where your ticket price includes a yellow King Felix t-shirt, foam crown and “K” card. They cheer as a group, and the participation appears to be pretty fun.

We did not have our regular seats today – my boss is playing hookey and taking some of his family to the game.

WELL -back to work.

Today I got up, twice (more or less).
Once when the alarm would normally go off, and in fact did, and then again when I woke up again and got out of bed.

Then the 2’s started.

2 Games – Sounders (soccer) and Mariners (baseball)

The Sounders won – 2-1 over the New England Revolution.

We got to sit in Row 2 (well Row B, but it was the second row) instead of Row H where our tickets are located. The Row B ticketholders also have 2 seats in front of us and wanted to have 4 together today, so we swapped tickets.

The Mariners won – 2-1 over the Florida Marlins.

After spending 2 hours biding her time between games (a little work, a little telephone chat) it was time to get into the ballpark.

I got to enjoy Batting Practice by myself – truly unusual.
Carl was playing a game himself between the soccer and Mariner game, but since the stadiums are just a block apart, Jay elected to stay downtown. And none of the other usual BP suspects were anywhere to be found.

Spent a bit of time at the bullpen watching Pineda and a second pitcher throwing.
A ball from BP ended up in the bullpen, and the catcher tossed it to ME. I gave it to a family standing next to me. (I think the Dad was more excited than either of the kids.)
They stopped throwing, so I moved to the drunk tank area, and watched them hit from the upper level. A ball was tossed up, and I got my hand on it, but it bounced off (no mitt – bad me).
Then they opened up the rest of the ballpark, so I moved over near our seats.
Since I did not have a mitt I planted myself 4 rows from the back, in the center of the section, and took out a book to read.
I was on about page 35 when the sound of a ball hitting the seats about 5 rows in front of me caused me to look up. I saw the ball bouncing over me, landing 2 rows behind.
Then as a fellow from the last row was trying to climb over the rows to get to the ball, I waited as it rolled down 2 rows – and I picked it up. I kept this one.
As Carl would say – I got 2 this evening.

The game was an away game for the Mariners, played under National League Rules
Played at home because U2 took over the Marlin’s stadium.
And yes, the Mariner’s pitcher got a hit, a double.
The winning run was scored on a wild pitch, during an intentional walk in the 10th inning.
But not a walk-off – an away game, it was actually a pop-out that ended the game.

Yes – way more information than most would want, but I thought the kids might be interested.
And me getting 2 baseballs in batting practice, and my hand on a third really is unusual.
Especially when I wasn’t really trying. I guess years of hanging around the rest of my family has finally rubbed off.

It has been a while since I last sat at this keyboard to share what has been going on.
What has been going on is work, work, game, work, and a show.

It is now summer, and we had our day of summer.
One day, and maybe a little into the next.
It has been in the 60’s since, but the promise is for it to get warmer in the next week, and for

(shhhhhhh) the 4th of July weekend may even be sunny!

You don’t want the gods to remember that it is their duty (apparently) to make it rain on the 4th. This tests each person to see if they are a true northwesterner, willing to get wet to see their fireworks.

I am not truly complaining, it just gets tiresome to not be warm all day. And it really has been getting warmer by bits. My evening game wear no longer includes long johns or the big jacket. I am generally happy with a sweatshirt and jacket. And my gloves. And frequently a scarf.

Scarves are du rigueur for soccer matches here – so I do not look out of place.
Sounders had a fun game on Thursday evening against the NY Red Bulls. The Red Bulls are a really great team offensively. Lots of creative ideas to watch as they race down the field. We got 2 goals on them early – which they matched. But then we managed a third, and then their goalie had a lapse of concentration, during which our forward took the ball, literally, from the goalie’s feet, moved around him to the left, and putted it into the goal.

Last night the Mariners played as the visiting team, under National League Rules against the Florida Marlins – at Safeco Field. But we were not in attendance. We were at the Seattle Men’s Chorus at the other end of downtown. A fun evening, and we will get to see Mariner pitchers bat tonight and tomorrow. [The Marlins lost control of their stadium to U2 for the weekend, and so must play 3 home games on the road.]

That was the usual for last week.
The mostly usual concerns work. I have two MAJOR projects right now. One is ending, and the other is just starting. I need to get the one ended, and am working on final edits. However, as usual, other work at work interferes with my ability to focus on what I am in charge of, and instead work on all of these things for others.

The primary OTHER thing this past week has been editing redoing a PowerPoint presentation for a focus group customer participation meeting. It is much easier to work on something when you completely understand the motivation and goals behind the project. But sometimes you just have to suck it up and do what you can anyway. In this particular case, the originator of the original piece is an elected official. This makes it doubly difficult, because you just can’t talk to them the same way you can talk to a “regular” boss, and you can not have the same expectations of technical skill sets. But in this case there appeared to be a real hesitation to allow any changes. But on the other hand, whatever went public would reflect on the workplace as a whole, so you just have to try to put the best face forward.

The elected’s goal was to have 20-25 random customers (out of 16,000+) come into our office on a Saturday, and watch the presentation. The presentation would include a few slides with “education” about a particular subject, followed by a related question or two. These are opinion type questions, no right or wrong answers. They would have “clickers” that feed the responses to a program, that could then display the results, anonymously. This way the electeds could get a better understanding of what our customers felt about certain matters, and consider those results in setting policies.

This is a good idea. Except that 20 out of 16,000+ is just not statistically significant. You could start down some strange paths with such a small sample. And while we know the technology for the Question/Answer/Response review exists, it is not a product we have in house or know how it all connects together. The elected has indicated they will get a piece of this technology from a regional group, of which we are a member.

Three of us were unwilling to let a less than professional looking product leave the office, so we took on the task of “editing.” As it actually turned out, we tried to look at the body of work presented, determine what the real question/point behind each slide was, and then craft a bit of education followed by a question. We formatted, discussed, argued, laughed and eventually came out with a set of 14 questions that we could live with. Then we left the product in our most creative members hand to dress up. (A pig with lipstick comes to mind.) And we put out a request for the Q/A/R technology, so we could make sure it would work.

Of course, this product was fine with the three of us, but it needed to be vetted by the other managers – especially the GM, and then rolled back out to the elected. And if the elected did not accept it – what then?

All of this took probably at least 1/2 of my work time during the past week. And it was not the easiest work, because it was not a project I was whole-heartedly behind. Nor in my area of natural skills. And it was keeping me from doing the work that I really need to get done. With deadlines.

The GM requested a meeting Friday afternoon to see what we had put together, and get whatever edits the rest of the Managers determined would be necessary. Only two of the workplace re-creators were in attendance, as the third was telecommuting for the day. As folks gathered we opened up the presentation, took a step back and opened up the original presentation.

There were a few in attendance that had not seen the original. Including the final slide with the puppies who’s eyes blinked and then stuck out their tongue as the words, “We love you,” flashed on the screen. Professional? Maybe for a small child or animal based operation. Well, that got the laughter started, including us re-creators, as it had been a long week – and some release was in order.

Then the Q/A/R technology arrived.

It was about as professional looking as the original elected’s presentation.
There were six clickers – with stickers, and – well it is hard to describe – I will add a picture later. But there were no instructions, and the switch did not seem to always work correctly. Only the green light would turn on, not the red. And our answers were not logic – yes/no – answers, but A.B.C.D. type. OMG – it just continues.

The two of us re-creators are trying to figure out how we can get a machine that does work. The City had one at a meeting we attended – did they rent or own it?

There were many things about the Q/A/R machine that should have told us immediately what it really was.
A bunch of bits and pieces cobbled together, with enough extra wiring to make a few bells and whistles activate. (Actually, just lights.)

But it had been a stressful week, and when you are too close to something – you just don’t see the big picture.

And as the realization hit, we had been duped, and our new GM was the master duper. The laughter increased. Most in the room were laughing so hard they were crying. Stomachs ached. It was raucous enough that the receptionist appeared and reminded us that there were customers about that were wondering what the noise was all about.

Super Duper Voting Machine

After it was all over, I realized that it was an excellent joke. Really.
Total gotcha.

But some of my tears were real. And I don’t think it is that I can’t take a joke, it is just that I have to work today – Saturday – because I have not been able to get my own projects worked on during the “normal” work week.

OK – I am sure the use of PH is old in Philadelphia, but they don’t get to Seattle very often.
We went to our 3rd Phillies game in as many days – and the Mariners took the series, 1st and 3rd games. All with our new 2nd baseman, Dustin Ackley. He has a single, a homer and a triple. And some very nice plays in the field. Exciting.

This morning we walked to the game, ~6-1/2 miles.
Weather – not raining, but there was only a hint of a shadow in the middle afternoon. I am not sure that this qualified as the promised sun-break. (62 degrees at first pitch. Don’t know whether it went up a degree or two, but having 45,000 other phans in attendance helped.)

Favorite sign on the walk down to the stadium.
This is one of those saw-horse type arrangements they use for temporary no-parking.

No Parking.
2010-2013

Maybe they could invest in a real street sign.

Father’s Day has dawned.
We have a father in house, but no children to wish him, “Happy Father’s Day,” in person.
And we too are far removed from our respective fathers and fathers-in-law.

So this morning, I was a good kid – stand-in.
I did the dishes. I made the coffee.

Now only our kids will understand that this was different (completely) than normal.
But – I tried.
Next, I am going to take him (local Dad) to the Mariners game.

And we hope to walk, so it is almost time to go.
Heck, they predicted a “son” break between the showers for today!

So – to all the Dads out there, especially 2, – HAPPY FATHER’S DAY.