Always be careful what you wish for…
2 minute read
January 22, 2005, 11:45 PM
We got snow again. Fun stuff. And not just a little dusting. This was SNOW, like snow snow, like make-the-parking-lot-treacherous snow. It snowed while I was at work. Coming in, the roads were perfect, and so I was able to run at full speed, set the cruise control, and then slip right into the parking lot. Going home, however, the parking lot was badly plowed, leaving a layer of packed snow on the lot, making walking pretty rough. I was actually partly blocked in by the snow plows, as they had to plow around my car, and thus there was a ring of snow around my car. I had to back-and-forth my way out of my parking space. Getting the tires to “grab” something was a challenge, but somehow I got out, and then it was smooth sailing from there, albeit slippery sailing. I was fine until I was almost home. There’s a stop sign right across from our driveway. I stopped. And then started spinning my wheels. Not a good thing. I was thinking, of all places, right in front of the house. At least it wasn’t in the middle of 340 or somewhere remote. And I also soon got a grip on the road again, and rolled right into the driveway.
It was also amusing to see Wal-Mart before and after the snow. Before the snow, everyone and their mother was at Wal-Mart, cleaning us out. It was like Christmas all over again. Then it started to snow. The crowd dropped off quickly, and it became a BORING day, with everyone kind of wondering how their trip home from work is going to turn out.
Continue reading…Categories: Winter weather
The Counter-Inaugural…
17 minute read
January 21, 2005, 11:10 PM
On January 20, 2005, George W. Bush was inaugurated as President of the United States for a second term. While many were in Washington to cheer Bush on, others were in Washington to demonstrate against the Bush administration. I was with the latter group. We did not agree with the Bush Administration’s policies, and were out there voicing it.
I actually got up for this event at midnight. It turned January 20, and I was up and running. I left the house at 1 AM, and, after having to turn around a few miles out because I forgot some stuff, I was off again for real. I made it to the Sheetz in Mt. Jackson for breakfast at 2 AM, and, realizing that I was WAY further ahead than I anticipated, I decided to eat in rather than eating on the go, which I usually do. Not bad. And then we were off!
Next stop: Wal-Mart in Woodstock for some “protest supplies”. Namely, bottled water. So I bought a 12-pack of Aquafina for possible later use. And we continue, on to Vienna.
Categories: Anti-war, Black bloc, DC trips, WMATA
And now, on my way to Washington DC at this extremely insane hour…
< 1 minute read
January 19, 2005, 10:38 PM
If you can imagine this, I’m going to try to get to Washington a full four and a half hours earlier than usual today. The reason is because it’s Bush’s second inaugural, and I will be attending a few counter-demonstrations today. I call it the we-hate-Bush crowd.
I wonder if I’ll run into Mrs. Weekley, my high school government teacher (and GPOS 225 professor at JMU by virtue of AP credit) while I’m up there. She told me at Wal-Mart that she was going, and that is what sealed the deal for my going to the inaugural protests, even though we won’t be going together. I wonder if Mrs. Weekley’s planning on going to the ANSWER-sponsored events, or if she’s going to the march by DAWN. I don’t know, but I do know that ANSWER has fallen out of favor with a number of people, and even got booed at the Million Worker March. I’m going to the DAWN events.
I also wonder if Bush’s car will get nailed with eggs again this year, since that came up a few times in discussion with coworkers. Speaking of coworkers, I got “mixed reviews” on this demonstration, even from some of the we-hate-Bush crowd. I guess because it is the inauguration, and thus not just a “regular” demonstration such as J5 or the Million Worker March.
And the following Metro stations will be closed at various points in the day to “accommodate the security precautions related to the inauguration, the parade, and inaugural balls”: Smithsonian, Archives-Navy Memorial, and Mount Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center. A railfan friend of mine was amazed that Federal Triangle was not also closing.
I was raised by a cup of coffee…
< 1 minute read
January 18, 2005, 7:36 PM
Let me tell you something… at work today on my first break, I made a strong pot of coffee. A lot of people at work were talking about the “really strong” coffee. I had no qualms in claiming ownership of that pot of coffee. I made it strong, and on purpose, because I was kind of tired.
After my cup of that strong coffee, I straight up said what I thought of it. In my best Strong-Bad-as-Homsar voice, I said, “DaAaAaA! I was raised by a cup of coffee!” since today, that was quite true. That coffee raised me up quite a bit. Heck, that coffee that I brewed this morning was so strong it could quite possibly raise the dead. This was strong coffee.
And near the end of the day, I still had my orange soda break. I always have orange soda on my last break.
Categories: Food and drink
Finally, it’s snowing! How long have I been waiting for this?
< 1 minute read
January 16, 2005, 7:53 PM
Finally, winter came back after two weeks of spring-like temperatures. And tonight, the snow is falling. I am so happy.
And I’m also happy that I’m back home. I had to drive home from work in the snow. And let me tell you… it’s looking a bit ugly out there right now, as snow is not only covering the ground, but also the roads. That was fun to drive in – ha ha ha. It was a long, SLOW trip from Wal-Mart to home. But the car and I made it home in one piece, so that was good.
Now, though, I wonder how much snow we’ll have come morning.
Categories: Winter weather
It only took them nearly two years to do it…
< 1 minute read
January 14, 2005, 7:21 PM
Finally the US has called off its search for weapons of mass destruction (hereafter WMDs) in Iraq, realizing that there are no weapons. And what amazes me is that George W. Bush has no regrets about it, despite that his primary reason for invading Iraq in the first place – the WMDs – turned out to be from inaccurate information.
I find it worthwhile to show you something that was shown at Metro Center station in April 2004:
Categories: National politics
It’s nice to just kind of go out on the town for a bit… the local town, that is.
2 minute read
January 14, 2005, 5:25 PM
It’s nice to go out on the town a bit. That’s what I did today. I had some errands to run, and went to both Staunton and Waynesboro in the process.
Note I say “local town”. You may recall that I go to Washington DC a lot, and spend a lot of time in that town, which hopefully will be my local town before too long. So I draw that distinction.
But anyway, I went out and about, which was fun. Went to Staunton Mall. I had lunch at “Hot Wok”, a Chinese restaurant in the mall. I’d never eaten a meal at Hot Wok before. It was good.
Categories: Personal health, Staunton, Staunton Mall
I am an artificial morning person
< 1 minute read
January 13, 2005, 10:05 PM
I was thinking about it… I am so not a morning person. Yet when I have to come into work in the early morning, I’m perhaps one of the perkiest people in there. Yet I’m not a morning person. I recently realized how I manage to do it.
One word: CAFFEINE.
It’s a wonderful thing. Have a big soda right before work, and voila! Perky. After this realization, someone asked me how I managed to be so perky in the morning, and I answered quite honestly. Caffeine. Wonderful thing. Without caffeine, I don’t know what I’d do to get moving in the morning.
Categories: Food and drink
I don’t know what it is about this time of year that makes me want to start a project at home
2 minute read
January 13, 2005, 7:44 PM
Yeah, Sis is going back to school on Sunday, and I’m again going to use her room as swing space. This time, I’m attacking the problem spots in my room. Mainly those spots where junk accumulates.
Let me put it to you this way: I still have the tubs of junk from my Potomac Hall room in the middle of my floor, nearly two years later. I moved them out when I redecorated last year, and then moved them back in afterwards. This time, I’m officially attacking those tubs. And the closet. And whatever other corners and spots have become junk repositories.
Here’s the battle plan. Sis’s floor will be divided up into four sections. One area will be “keep”. One will be “sell”, which I intend to list on eBay. A third will be “trash”. And a fourth will be “Goodwill”. Now that we have a new Goodwill store in Waynesboro right next to Wal-Mart, I’m most likely going to donate a boatload of stuff from this adventure to Goodwill. Still, I intend to make this room more livable than it is right now. Besides, I’d have to do this anyway after I find a job in Washington and move out. So I might as well just do it now.
Categories: House, Today's Special
“…he was from New Jersey! I went to my senior prom with a YANKEE!”
2 minute read
January 13, 2005, 7:22 PM
That line of Blanche’s from The Golden Girls just cracks me up. Since, you see, I am originally from New Jersey, and still consider myself northern, even though I’ve lived in Virginia for more than half my life.
This is why I love it when people say that I sound northern, like one person told me today. Shows I haven’t lost it. And let me tell you – the word “y’all” is not in my vocabulary. And if ever you hear me say “y’all”, slap me.
Meanwhile, I’m going to the doctor’s office tomorrow for pain. Where? Wrists! Over Christmas, I managed to get a repetitive stress injury in both wrists from scanning items for customers. Now it’s painful to scan stuff. I had this happen in 2003 in my right wrist only, and then it went away after a while on the Service Desk. This time it’s both wrists, and I am so done with the Service Desk, so that’s not an escape again. I’m hoping to get some “feel-good medicine” to make me feel good (thus “feel-good medicine”) and make the pain go away. Usually I do so well, and nothing ever ails me. Then within the last month or so, I got two colds in a row in December, and then this. Yuck.
Categories: Activism, Fire drills, Personal health, Television
Let there be snow – please!
< 1 minute read
January 13, 2005, 12:11 AM
For the last two weeks, we’ve had spring-like temperatures! And I’m sick of it! The winter coat is back on the back burner as I grudgingly grab my light jacket again. If it’s winter, I want cold temperatures, and I want snow. This warm weather is driving me up the wall. I am having a craving for snow.
For those of you not familiar with Virginia weather, by mid-January, we’ve usually had at least one good snow – usually the first in December some time. I think most we had in December were some very light flurries. This past December was that lovely month where I was sick for most of the month. Seriously, I got two colds back to back in December 2004. Yuck. So I got sick, but remained snowless. Drat.
Supposedly, it’s going to get cold again this weekend, and winter shall return. No snow, though. Maybe I’ll get my snow later on. Who knows.
Categories: Weather
Today was a busy Saturday…
3 minute read
January 8, 2005, 7:28 PM
Yes, this was a busy day today. Though not nearly as bad as pre-Christmas, mind you. Still, this reinforces the point that I cannot stand the express lanes – the “20 items or less” lanes where every other customer comments about that “rule”, getting on my nerves in the process, and the fact that the customers put their items on the edge of the counter without fail. And the more delicate and breakable they are, the closer they put it to the edge. Then there are the debit reader machines. If you’ve ever paid with a card at Wal-Mart, you’ll know that when you’re finished, the machine displays “ask cashier to press debit key” or “ask cashier to press credit key”. And so I hear a hundred times a day from customers, “Press the credit key” or “You need to press the credit key”. I don’t think that they realize that I can see what method they’ve used without their interaction. I so wish Wal-Mart would change that message to something else, like “Thank you” so that I don’t have to be told by umpteen customers how to do my job like I’m an idiot.
Anyway, end of rant.
Meanwhile, I need to make an appointment with the doctor for a repetitive-stress injury that I got around Christmas that I had hoped would go away on its own. So it hurts in both wrists to scan some items. And unlike some people, I’m not out for blood. I’m just concerned about getting better. That’s all.
Feet?
2 minute read
January 5, 2005, 11:37 PM
A coworker at Wal-Mart, in looking at my Web site, noticed that I have a lot of pictures of my own feet on there. Specifically, she noticed this one on the way home from my 2000 beach trip, this one from where I was waiting for a bus at JMU, this one at Rosslyn while I was waiting for the train in 2001, and this one at my 2004 beach trip.
Now I will be the first to tell you – the first three feet shots, all of my own feet, were “bored” shots. They’re shots I ended up with because I had nothing better to do while waiting for something – in the car, at the bus shelter, and in the train station. The last one, of my sandy feet, was intended to show just how much sand I’d collected while out on the beach.
My coworker came to a different conclusion. She thought that I had a thing for feet, and thus why I have these four photos of my feet on my site. Not quite, I said. My feet, as I said, just happen to be something I always know the whereabouts of, and are also convenient to photograph when there’s nothing else to do.
Still, I ought to see if I can do something artistic with my feet. Or not. Who knows.
Categories: Myself
Pentagon City… explored!
5 minute read
January 5, 2005, 4:13 PM
Well, I went to Washington as planned on Tuesday. And I had fun! First of all, I accomplished my official goals for the trip. Those were to pay a visit to the Infoshop at 9th and P Streets NW, and explore Pentagon City. And those went well.
Now for the story.
I overslept this time! I’m just like, aw, crap! when I looked at the clock. True, I had no definite schedule, but still, parking can be tricky. But I still managed to snag a parking space in the North Garage at Vienna, on the top level like I like it. And I was somehow able to turn 90 minutes late into 60 minutes late. That takes talent.
Once I got onto the Metro, I rode in to Rosslyn, and caught my read of the Express. And then I caught Breda 4058 at Rosslyn, to head into Washington.
Darkness envelops the Wal-Mart Supercenter…
2 minute read
January 2, 2005, 12:29 AM
Well, today was interesting! Six months to the day of the “microburst” (really powerful thunderstorm that came out of nowhere) last July 1 that knocked out power to our store, we had a power outage at Wal-Mart today. And unlike with the microburst, where at least it was bad weather that knocked down power lines all over Waynesboro, this time it was a beautiful, unseasonably warm day. And at 4:30 PM, as I’m checking out a long line of customers, all of a sudden the store goes dark.
It’s weird. Everything’s going along just fine. The register is going “boop, boop, boop” as I’m scanning stuff. Then all of a sudden the lights all go out. The air handling units also stopped running, which made for an eerie, unfamiliar quiet. The lights going out also silenced the crowd for a moment. Everyone’s just like, “Eh?” Especially since it was a gorgeous day. Just gorgeous outside. No apparent reason for the power outage. Just one moment, light, and then the next, dark.
So we had to get everyone checked out before the registers died, which we did. And then after the customers, we had to make hay while the sun was shining in getting things together before we could reopen. Everyone also realized that it was starting to get dark, and that soon it would be pitch black inside, save for the emergency lighting. That was a weird feeling. But it was almost a party atmosphere in the store. It was weird. We were productive, but still, it was a certain party atmosphere. In asking where this Disney Princess dress-up dress went, I held it up to my leg and said, “Do you think this dress goes with these shoes?” When all the front-end associates gathered up front later, it was still very party-like.
Categories: Walmart