n=6 serial numbers

Why is it that they put serial numbers in such hard to find places?!

If they know that this number is going to be the one by which they track and follow your piece of equipment for the rest of its existance... why ON EARTH do they put it in such a hard to find/reach/locate place??!!

 

case in point:

my garage door opener. It has a light cover that is clipped in on the bottom, and screwed on at the top, there is a BIG GREASY POLE stuck into the top, and of course, the top is at the same height as the CEILING of the garage. So I'm having a problem, and I call, and the first thing they want is the serial number. Well, of course, its not on the outside - like it should be, in BIG LETTERS ON THE UNDERSIDE like the roof of emergency vehicles, so I can see it from the FLOOR! - and nor is it on the inside of the light cover AT THE BOTTOM, and no, its not near the top... its UNDER THE BIG METAL GREASY BAR !!! so not only do I have to locate a PHILIPS screwdriver, unscrew the light cover, I also have to find the BIG ladder, and schmoosh my face up close to the BIG METAL GREASY BAR to locate this number.

 

Keep in mind that my garage is still full of my kitchen cabinets and I need this number so that I can get a replacement "reciever" so that I can program a keypad entry for my garage door so that the contractor can get in and install said cabinets  !

 

so don't you want to come over and watch while I try to set up the ladder in the garage between the cabinets and get this lovely grease all over me from the lovely bar as I try to find a serial number so that TWO MONTHS from now (when the kitchen is done and already WRECKED), I can get a new receiver to program the keyless remote entry box thing, for which I already threw out the packaging so I can't return it since its more work than its WORTH!

 

oh, and I nearly forgot, they need the serial number to figure out whether or not the opener is under warranty.... wait a minute! I can help them out with that one, and save myself all this trouble.... the answer is NO!!!!!!!

 

 

n=5 progression of life: a view from the mall

Here is an observation from being at the mall last night. It includes gross generalizations that you are just going to have to live with.

We ate dinner at the outside bar that looks at the mall entrance so we watched people going in and out and then we walked through the ford court to go into the mall.

I saw a lot of teenagers posturing. There were girls flirting with boys and vice versa. Let’s assume they are not having sex… so there’s all this flirting and playing with the implicit understanding that what they want is sex, partnership, pairing, with the goal of marriage. And what comes with marriage? Kids.
You look at all these teenagers and they are having fun and there’s excitement, electricity, and energy.

Next you have the young couples. They are holding hands, or wrapped up in each other, and all in love. They are the teenagers in the next step or phase. Now they have coupled and there is the sense of relief, and perhaps excitement for the anticipation of what comes next. The potential of the rest of their lives. And what is that? Kids?

Then you have the food court and it is almost all parent(s) with kid(s).
And there is a look of faraway in their eyes. They are absentmindedly feeding the kid. Or they are wrangling the kid, cleaning the kid, trying to distract the kid.
There is a distractedness of longing for simplicity. They are at the mall to get out of the house and this is a safe place to go.

The progression.

Do you get what I’m trying to get at? It was weird seeing all phases in one place. I wanted to say to the teenagers “just look inside. Is this really what you want? Do you realize this is the end gave to your posturing? If you could, would you make different choices?

n=4 Sat

Aah, Saturday.
cutting this one close forgetting in a post a day!
We slept in, went for breakfast (Brunchies), lay on the lawn, shopped for paint(Oatmeal and Tibetan Jasmine), dinner (Kona), mall (Chandler), movie (Borat).
A very relaxing G. birthday for both of us.

I had a thought at the mall. It has to do with the cycle of life as it is represented at the mall. I'll fill you in tomorrow. ;-)

n=3 - Ummm?

Well, here's the problem.

today, I have nothing to say...

or at least nothing I think is worth saying.

so, let's think... why is that?

 

I suppose because its Friday, I've worked late everyday this week (except Tues, but that was the day of the 90 minute commute home), its been dark when I get home (always a bummer), I've been pissed off by something that happened at work at least twice, once had me so mad I cried, so I'm spent, irritated, and ready for quality TV time!

 

If I write anything here its going to be negative, bitching about someone or something, or just downright depressing, so I'll reserve my comments for the inside of my self, and let you continue to imagine me as a nice-ish person.

 

for the record though, I tried all the way to work to think of something nice and positive to write about, but that also spiraled into bad thoughts, so I'm just going to end here.

Bad News for Baker

Remember this: HELL?

we didn't get it
now how likely am I to do that again?

n=2 traffic

Today's topic is traffic.

I've been accumulating these but always forget to write about them, seems like this is a good opportunity to make conversation.

1. If I am in the travel lane, I have the right of way. Just because you put your turn signal on, does not mean that I give way to you - idiot!

2. If you are not travelling at the speed of traffic, move to the right. Hello! doesn't it say "slower traffic move right". Do you not understand that you have now BECOME the CAUSE of TRAFFIC.

3. Did you not hear that you are now required by law to keep a 2 second space between you and the car in front of you? This means that you should respect MY space. Don't steal it!! If everyone maintained their space, we would all have wiggle room for slowing down, and quite possibly, the stop and go traffic that WASTES GAS AND PRODUCED CO2 would be reduced! And besides, it means that I might be able to avoid putting in my clutch - just this ONCE ! PLEASE ! help me reduce my clutching!

4. If you cannot operate your vehicle, a weapon of mass destruction - for many reasons but particularly because you only have ONE hand (and no handicapped plate and special car) because the other is holding the PHONE to your EAR - safely... GET OFF THE ROAD! You are obliged by LAW to use your turn-signal to COMMUNICATE with ME; so GET OFF THE PHONE and communicate with ME!

Driving is the only time that I am ensconced in the general public; therefore it is the only time that I get a good feel for the intelligence of the general population, and honestly, I am disappointed! and it mostly makes me angry.

November is for blogging, or n=1

I'm not a very good regular blogger. I don't think that I have something worth saying every ... day ... Some of the bloggers I read do, but they are either more practiced, interesting, or patient than me. So, I figured I would give the NaBloPoMo a Go.

(can someone tell me how to add the banner in my sidebar? I don't know anything about html, or blogger templates. I have the .jpg in flickr, what is the code I add here?)

This means that I might be posting some drivel! So I won't be offended if you leave. I know, I don't have patience for scroll and scrolls of text!

And in keeping with my technical writing strengths, I'm going to number these entries like a count..
So for n=1 you get Halloween.

Halloween 1, SUCKY = taking NINETY minutes to drive the 20 miles home. and I left work at 4 ! Next year, I'm leaving work at ONE! or I might just "work at home" all day.

Halloween 2 = Our house looked pretty cute... we each did a pumpkin and I put one on the mailbox, then I lit luminaries all the way down the drive and walkway. We had the smoking cauldron, giant spider, and rats.

Halloween 3 = there were TONS of kids; I nearly ran out of candy; and I had fun.

Halloween 4 = a friend from work and his 3 kids came over (they live very close) and it was fun to actually have some kid-energy IN the house.

Halloween 5 = about 5 cars of people drove in and canvased the neighborhood. I wouldn't have minded if they had separated out, but they decended in one big clump, and that many people do not fit in our outside "vestibule".

Halloween 6 = I got a call from the Harry Mitchell campaign (Aaron), and I told him to call people who a) hadn't voted yet and b) needed to hear WHY they HAVE TO vote for Harry Mitchell

Halloween 7 = people at work dressed up like the Alice in Wonderland characters. Whatever!

Halloween 8, a Thought = if you are out with your kids GETTING candy, it makes sense for the other parent to be at home GIVING IT OUT. ie you complete the circle. When you don't HAVE kids, and you're giving it out, does that count as good karma? hope so

let's see what I can come up with for n=2... I'm curious, aren't you?

Conversations with Aaron B Stiner - 13000 Sleeps

This is my friend Aaron. He is trying to change the world one conversation at a time. Do you agree? Do you not? Let him know.

"Are you nuts?"

this is the best voting argument letter EVER!
There's a proposition on the AZ ballot that all voting get done by mail-in ballot and that polling places get closed.

ARGUMENTS "AGAINST" PROPOSITION 205
Are you nuts? This is the "Let's Destroy America" proposal.
The nation is supposed to rise up as a whole, and make decisions all at once, on election day, IN PERSON. It's traditional, historic, part of our very fabric. It helps make America great. The body politic acts, live, at the polls. America invented this. It's not delivery work for the Post Office.
Closing polling places for mailed elections makes fraud easy -- did the Post Office deliver your signed ballot? You won't know. Did you even get one in time? Did someone else gets yours... or two? Did you vote early, and now your candidate is... dead? Under investigation? In prison? Imagine the lines with most polls closed.
Voting is a sacred right of liberty. It requires a little effort folks. You have to find out who's running and what the issues are. Then you have to get off your lazy keester, go to a polling place with your neighbors and cast your vote. If that's too much, then you personally are letting precious freedom die. This isn't about the disabled or absentees -- it's about citizenship.
Iraqi people went out to vote, under threat of murder. Americans have given their lives, for centuries, so you could go vote. Honor them. Don't sell out for a lazy, corruptible mail-order substitute.
Next thing you know, they'll offer lotteries to get your vote. Then, people who know nothing and simply want a loser's chance to win money will mail in chances to win. What's that -- someone's already proposing cash giveaways?
Preserve freedom. Defeat the Vote by Mail Act. And get more news authorities hide from you at PageNine.org, or for real freedom issues, check out The Liberty Poll at GunLaws.com.
Alan Korwin, Author
Gun Laws of America
alan@bloomfieldpress.com
Alan Korwin, Author, Gun Laws of America, Scottsdale

I give in to the meme

As always, my copycats come from Blackbird; and her friend Poppy
this one's funny, I think.

1. Flip to page 18, paragraph 4 - in the book closest to you right now, what does it say?
"When you are older, perhaps."
Tomb of the Golden Bird - Elizabeth Peters

2. If you stretch out your left arm as far as possible, what are you touching?
Cat brush-prickly

3. What's the last program you watched on TV?
It was last week, I guess, I can't remember
Maybe Survivor

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.
9.45am? hum-10am

5. Aside from the computer, what can you hear right now?
Someone drilling and Molly purring

6. When was the last time you were outside and what did you do?
Waited for Greg on the curb at the airport

7. What are you wearing?
Grey T-shirt and light/loose pants

8. Did you dream last night?
probably, but was so tired all I can remember is turning off the light

9. When was the last time you laughed?
Thursday- a couple times, but the best was when this older woman described herself (with pride) to have a "volatile personality". I laughed because I hope to be in that place at her age.

10. What's on the walls, in the room you're in right now?
Framed photos of beach ripples that Greg took and leaning on the walls are the framed prints of Australian aboriginal art from the living nom.

11. Have you seen anything strange lately?
no

12. What do you think about this meme?
interesting, fun to fill out

13. What's the last film you saw?
Family Stone - Blegh.

14. If you became a multimillionaire, what would you do with the money?
Pay off debt. Give to family, give to charity, stop working and adopt children.

15. Tell us something about yourself that most people don't know.


16. If you could change ONE THING in this world, without regarding politics or bad guilt, what would it be?
A willingness in people to consider the effect they have on the environment and the drive to do something about it.

17. Do you like dancing?
yes!

18. George Bush?
WHY?

19. What do you want your children's names to be, girl/boy?
The names they were given by their parents.

20. Would you ever consider living abroad?
I already do.

21. What do you want God to tell you, when you come to heaven?
You're done.

22. Who should do this meme?
whomever wants to!

fashion stylist

how long does it take for something to be hit in Google?

If I put in these keywords, will it get hit?

stylist

fashion

design

costa rica

what happens?

Weeds

Ok, I just found my newest favorite TV show.... this is better than Sex, better than Sopranos, and better than all the reality TV in the world !! well, maybe not the Amazing Race... not sure I'm ready to give that up. I am talking about Weeds. Wowzers!! Its hard to figure out what it is that gives this show its magic. There's humor, honesty, real-life reality, and a touch of the ab.so.lute.ly absurd! I am SO impressed at the creativity of the person who thought of the concept, the plot lines, the dialogue. Absolutely amazing!

At first I was disappointed that it was a 1/2 hour show... and then I learned, that the shortness is a part of the magic. All that action, story, and character development in such a little bit of time. I think that a large part of the power is in the cast. Mary-Louise Parker! I have always loved her! Boys on the Side was POWERFUL! and she does the suburban housewife too... and Elizabeth Perkins? incredible!! The whole cast! even the kids. This is some MUST SEE TV ! I would say its worth the Showtime premium, but I think that watching an episode and having to wait a week for the followup would be like TORTURE!

Blog observations

I have been traveling around the midwest (well, midwest by my definition - NC and PA) and have been spending alot of time alone with the internet. this means I've been reading blaugs. Even going through archives. I currently have three in rotation, and if I give them to you, you'll see how behind I am.
Amalah -03/04
Dooce - 10/15/02
LeahPeah -11/20/02
and incase you are also a fan, I put the month and year I am up to too.

As you can see, I'm working my way through Amalah more quickly - and I guess its 'cause she's just so darn funny!
In her life, she has just started treatments to get preg-o, so she's childless and commuting.
The interesting part is seeing the commenting increase and to watch how things change.
The funny - strange funny - thing is that 2 of her commenters are other blogs I read.

Miss Zoot and Rude Cactus

I think I found Zoot through Amalah, so that's not so surprising, but Rude Cactus was like a big "huh!?"

See, I found him from Master b., who is actually someone I know!
(this is like a 7 degrees game - hee hee)

And here's something else - he's not an her blogroll!
Did something happen between them,
Is there SCANDAL in the Blogsphere??!

I guess I have to keep reading to find out!

N = Ach; Yup, that's me!

I learned something yesterday, that kinda helped me with the frustration I was feeling last week.

I learned that according to McClelland
I am an "N-Ach (Need to Achieve)".
There are also "N-Aff (Need to Affiliate)" and "N-Ctl (Need to Control)".
The percentages fall out like this Ach = 15% Aff = 45% Ctl = 40%

So, basically, I'm in the minority. So it shouldn't surprise me that people are not like me. I should accept it. I should learn to work with the rest of the population, and have a little (ok a lot of) patience.

Today I am frustrated

Sometimes I wish I had someone else's life.

Like someone with a peaceful existance that doesn't require any decision making.

Its so frustrating that everything takes so much energy. Why does nothing ever seem to work unless you put in loads of energy?

Today I am frustrated because it seems like work has stopped.

There are no emails coming in.

There are no piles of things to do.

Where did it all go?

and I know the only way to get it back on track is to make it happen myself.

Why are there no people with initiative? why is everyone so willing to just sit in their cube and not try?

You would think that in the consulting industry people would have more drive... but, sadly, no they don't.

or maybe its just this company.

I think about that, and wonder if there is a way to find a company with people who care, people who really want a challenge, people who will think for themselves.

Is there a place out there like that? Is there a place where people actually care about their work, where you don't have to basically force them to work?

like I said, today I am frustrated.

Sunday morning blogs

Spent the morning reading blogs on my new toy. I think that the blogs I enjoy are all written by people who are writers. It makes me feel less bad about the pitifulness of the entries I post. The writers are creative, entertaining, funny.... I'm all matter of fact, dry, list'y... blegh.

In the end, though, that's who I am, and its not like I can suddenly become a creative writer after spending all my formative years avoiding English, creative writing, and being trained as a technical writer... you can't overnight stuff like that! Boy, if I could, I've overnight fix the fat on my stomach, the curve in my shoulders, and the lost time with my retainer!

Anyway... I have been reading back through the archives of some of my favorite bloggers, and its fun to notice when they start getting comments, and how their blogs change when they move from personal to public. The funny thing is that the comments all start hitting at once. So you don't know if people were lurking and waiting for the first person to post - like a high school dancefloor - or if its a coming together of the internet and after you've done your dues and stuck it out, the "world" finds you!!

I wouldn't mind finding some people like me on the internet... I think about it sometimes, and I realize that the issue is with me. My interests are so disparate that its hard to find people who are as random. And then I wonder, I don't really like that I am like the people who's blogs I read, nor do I know that I could be friends with them, so is this blogging world really a place where you can find virtual friends?

BTW - LOVE this new beta Blogger!

Lisa the Slacker

Lordy, I've been bad about posting !!
So much has been going on travel-wise, and my time at home is spent mostly vegging out!

There are all these draft posts waiting to be finished.... but typing on my computer is the last thing I want to do at home, and I've been too busy at work to work on blogging.... so this is a "stand by" post as we have a full weekend at home with no plans except packing the kitchen - although the bloody contractor hasn't called to confirm the demo of the kitchen on Mon as planned! So, perhaps we will be living in a house with a PACKED kitchen and NO contractor after this weekend - yay! Its not like I've been cooking anyway, so at least this will be a good excuse not to go shopping!

Tying a Knot

...between the Folbs, Eintrachts, Lees, and Moores.

One of the weekends I was gone this month was for the wedding of the oldest of my brothers.

It was the least conventional, most nontraditional wedding you can imagine. My father kept saying it was heavy on function and light on form. The only traditional thing was that the bride wore white.

The wedding party was me, my mom and dad (who have not really spent time together in 20 years), and Mary's grandfather. My mother was the officiator.

We stayed at Costanoa on the CA coast, just south of Half Moon Bay.

We had a BBQ for the "rehersal dinner" that was hugely winging it because we were staying in the lodge and didn't have anything to support a BBQ. So we borrowed from the restaurant and improvised where we could, and ended up with a delicious meal. My brother got pretty drunk, and doesn't remember much from the later evening. My mom was also pretty drunk, or pretending, and knocked over a firepit. Mostly, we were all hysterical laughing.

The wedding itself started out sombre, but rolled down the hill of crazy as soon as we all got into the Boogie Van and the bride started choosing music on her computer for the soundsystem. And then the groom unexpectedly turned into a gas station to get some coffee!
We were all laughing and in the spirit of adventure as we drove down the highway looking for the perfect beach. The 15 minute ceremony was on a rock, with the small party overlooking the Pacific. Afterwards, the bride started hamming it up for the camera, and some Swiss tourists took a group shot!

We went to the Ritz for a celebration dinner and a couple of M&M's friends joined us there.

There you have it.... the wedding of a Folb!

Burning Man

Accumulating links to everything we did at Burning Man:

Me - kodakgallery
M&M - flickr
Joost - flickr
Elliott
Squiggle people - video
Aria - video
Joost's video
Stickpeople1
Stickpeople2
Dr. Tesla

YeGads

It is taking a while to recover... or maybe I caught something.
You never know when you are sharing a portapotty with a kazillion people if you are going to be ok, especially when you are in a place that considers water to be "MOOP" and therefore washing your hands is a no-no.

My experience in summary:

The first 3 days were a mellow lead-up to Sat night.
Sat night was an all out party!!
I found myself planning next year's visit while we were driving out of the city, that's how addictive it is.... its like one of those things where you say, if I knew then what I know now... and in this case, I'm going to get to implement the knowledge. I am trying to rope people into going... mostly 'cause of 2 reasons:
1 - people to share the driving; that is a SCHLEP, BITCH, MUTHUFUCKR OF A DRIVE
2 - people to hang out with. One of the things I learned, is that sometimes your perspective is restrictive. Being with other people means you notice more than you see and you experience more than you intend. Its like that with the photos that other people are uploading. I get to see everything from their point of view and its WAY cool.

I moved the links of photos and videos to their own post.