Thursday, May 13, 2004
Lars & Carolyn
Lars & CarolynFreeman and I ventured over to Mike's Chili Parlor and Tavern last night for some chili. Mike's serves up some really good chili. Mike's also serves up a really interesting view of the local community. Mike's is a smaller local tavern that has been around forever. You know the place... Where there is a table of young guys just starting out in life right next to a table full of graying hair and bifocals. You also get a good smattering of local characters. Two of these characters happened to be Lars and Carolyn.
As new comers to this particular tavern, Freeman and I entered and checked out the place, the menu and drink selection before deciding to sit down. I glanced around a bit, but concentrated mainly on the menu as I wanted food and a beer. Not necessarily in that order. We placed our order and sat down.
There was a couple sitting in the booth directly behind us, but I didn't really pay any attention to them when we sat down. I was kind of watching the baseball game on TV and Freeman and I were jabbering a bit about something... I think it was work related. Regardless, we were served our pitcher of beer and sat back to drink and wait for our food to some out.
That was when the fun started. The couple behind me were sharing one side of the booth. Sitting directly behind me. They weren't quiet about the conversation they were having so I was able to eavesdrop without issue. I quickly realized that this was no ordinary couple. No - indeed - these were BUS DRIVERS IN LOVE!
During the two or so hours that we spent there, I heard all kinds of stories from these two bus drivers. The stories themselves were interesting such as:
Lars: and then I pulled the bus over and called the district to come out...
Carolyn: Really?
L: yes, but the kids in the back had a cell phone. One of them called 911 and told them that they had been kidnapped by the bus driver and the bus driver had gone nuts. They also put signs up in the windows saying they needed help...
C: Then what happened?
L: Well, the police showed up. I didn't know they were comin', but I just opened my door and asked them what was up. They explained the situation and then I explained what was happening. They didn't have to stick around, but they waited there till the District guy got there. Then they packed up and left.
C: Wow
L: Yeah. They suspended the kid...
C: Good thing!
More interesting than the stories though, were Lars & Carolyn themselves. Lars happened to be a middle aged balding white guy with a fairly large paunch and missing teeth. He looked kind of pasty and greasy. Let's just say that life was not kind to Lars. Carolyn was a youngish black woman who was actually very pretty. She had her hair braided very nicely (not nappy at all.) She looked fit and pretty healthy. Lars seemed to be playing the "older and wiser" role, where as Carolyn seemed to be very interested in his knowledge and played the "student" type role.
They hadn't noticed that anyone was sitting in the booth next to them, so I enjoyed the entertainment all through dinner. Freeman was unaware of what was going on, he just noticed me laughing to myself every now and then and that I seemed to be very intent on listening to what was happening behind me. After we had finished out chili burgers, I sat back in the booth. I sat back, I should say, right into Carolyn's elbow, thus jolting her out of her focused attention on Lars and forcing her to realize there were other people around.
At this point Lars and Carolyn struck up a conversation with us. I don't remember everything that was said, but as they were leaving they stepped over to our table to introduce themselves:
Lars (heading towards Freeman's side of the table): My name is Lars
Freeman (looking a little frightened): I'm Freeman
Elizabeth (as Lars is looking expectantly towards her): I'm Elizabeth
Carolyn (Looking at Freeman and I): I'm Carolyn.
There was a general "nice to meet you"
C (as Lars headed for the bar to pay up): We're school bus drivers so you might hear us talk about kids a lot...
E: wow...
C (Lars was back now): And we're in love...
L: We're just crazy about each other...
C: I was crazy about him first, he just didn't realize it...
L: I sure didn't, but I do now...
There was a slightly awkward pause then a round of goodbyes as Lars and Carolyn exited the bar.
I then turned to Freeman and said - They were bus drivers! And he said - They were bus drivers in LOVE!
Man I love living in Ballard...
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
I have 20 squishy toys at my desk.
I have 20 squishy toys at my desk.3 pigs
2 cows
1 hippo
1 crocodile
1 blue shark with a really funny grin
1 fish (it's really pretty)
1 glass of Guinness
2 Stars
1 world
1 basketball
1 golf ball
2 lemons
1 smiley face
1 big red triangle and
1 construction hat
I just finished cleaning my desk. Dust always tends to build up so I try to make it a point to at least move everything and clean once a year. I figure I have been at this job for long enough, and since I have nothing better to do... It seemed like a good time to clean.
I realized, in doing this, that I have way to many toys. However, there are some that I cannot part with at this time. Like "Mr. Wonderful." Someone in my group thought it would be a great joke to get me this doll. I don't think so. I would never want a man to say those things unless he meant them and I really don't see that happening. And I am not one of those man hater women who think that men can do no right. I'm not bitter. I figure people are people and that is just the way it goes. Why blame an entire gender? So "Mr. Wonderful" isn't for me. I would just throw him away, except that the person that gave him to me would probably get mad. Considering the state of affairs concerning that person right now, I don't think such a move would be wise. I would just give it back to her, if I didn't think that would offend her even more, because it seems like the kind of thing she secretly wanted but couldn't justify buying for herself. Me on the other hand, now I am someone who needed this... whatever.
besides the squishy toys and "Mr.Wonderful" I have a good collection of slinkys. I like my slinkys. You can never have to many. I have 8. 7 are plastic, one is metal. I play with the metal one the most. It makes me happy.
so really, there aren't too many toys that I would get rid of. The wind up nose isn't mine, though it seems to have found a home with the windup ball and the windup dancing leiderhosen. I would get rid of the pooping pig though. I really don't need a pig that poops jelly beans. It just isn't right.
One hour till I go home... again... this is really getting to be painful. At least I'm not coming in on Friday. With nothing to do... I am starting to go crazy...
Printers…
Printers...There is this printer on my floor. It jams every day. At least once a day. More often that not, when I walk past the printer, the little orange light is flashing meaning there is a jam. It jams all the time. We really want a new one. Well, everyone except for one person. This person continually fixes the jams, calls in for service, and generally complains about the cheap paper as being the problem for the continual jamming. Except that the darn thing was jamming long before the cheap paper showed up in the office. It was just jamming less.
Now, one might think that the managers would get the hint. That they would see the amount of time it takes to constantly fix these paper jams and do something so that our productivity would not be hampered by something like a printer. It hasn't happened yet. And people are starting to use other printers, which weighs down their load times and makes them wear out faster. And also decreases productivity due to the fact that they now have to walk across the floor to get a printout. And then there is the chatting factor.
You see, one cannot just walk across the floor to get a printout. One is invariably stopped and asked a question, or one runs into an already existing conversation (usually about fluffy or William) and gets sucked in. It seems to be one of the natural laws of cubeland. You have to stop and chat.
So... Instead of taking 30 seconds to go to the printer that is closest to them, people are now traveling further and wasting more time talking. It is a very interesting matter. I wonder if I could put together some sort of chart showing how much productivity is actually being lost due to one printer being bad.
Huh.
Obviously I still have too much time on my hands.
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Oh yeah!!!
Oh yeah!!!
Lucky you... you're the awful 80's prom dress.
Sorry, but big hair and Bananarama aren't quite
hip anymore...
Which UGLY PROM DRESS are YOU?
brought to you by Quizilla
…
...I keep trying to come up with new and interesting titles for my blogs. It's not happening today. I can't seem to come up with anything creative at the moment. I want to say "huh" or "hhmmmm" or "so freakin bored out of my mind that I can't figure out what to do..." But none of those are really fitting for today. So I think I will just stick with nothing.
Speaking of boredom... I have been reading at work lately. I started "The DaVinci Code" on Sunday and am about halfway through it. I read it for most of the afternoon on Sunday - but I pretty much read yesterday. Except when I was goofing off, or taking an extra long lunch to go to Chipotle. I was VERY excited to learn about Chipotle finally coming to Seattle. I have missed that particular restaurant more than any other. I can't tell you how much I miss the Mexican food from back home. Mexican food isn't the same here. It didn't help that the last year I lived in Denver was in a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. There were at least 10 little mom and pop places within a 5 minute drive, and every one of them was good. Oh... I miss that!
So... Back to the DaVinci Code... It is an interesting read so far. I have heard that people just aren't able to put the book down and that it makes them re-think things that they have known. One person told me that it will "Change my life forever." I will have to finish the book before I make any real comments, but so far I'm not surprised, I have been able to put it down and there isn't anything in it that would change my life. A lot of the information presented is something that I have know all along. I keep waiting to be shocked by some different and interesting information. Maybe it comes at the end. Don't get me wrong - the story itself is very good. It's a bit of a historical mystery set in France. There are lots of twists and turns and the usual bad guy out to get the good guy. The writing is good, not too elementary, but not too complicated. I am still reserving judgment though.
Of course there are only a few books in my life that have really changed it. And one or two made me re-think the entire pattern of my life. And only one book, that I can think of, made me really and truly question my beliefs. And it wasn't the Bible. It was a Stephan King novel. In fact, I can honestly say that Stephan King has been the most profound literary influence on my life. The man makes me think about things.
Well... I guess I should get back to reading. A few people have already called in sick today, so I have a feeling it's not going to get any more exciting than the usual... I'll just start reading my book and hope that I have enough brain power to talk to people if they actually stop by!
As you wake in the morning
What do you feel?
Does a rush of happiness
wash over you when,
Suddenly, you realize you are alive?
