http://lukefisk.blogspot.com/2009/09/trouble-at-work.html
I bring up the following blog posting from a couple of months back to bring you all an update on the situation I and my fellow crew members are dealing with at work. During previous instances when our boss was in a fowl mood, it took him awhile to get back to normal. The same situation occurred in September - it was probably a good two weeks before I felt comfortable talking to him and being in the same room as him. He's admitted in the past that he doesn't deal well with change - but there's been plenty of change going on at work recently, which may set off his bad behavior. All has been well with our boss and his relationship with the crew up until this past Wednesday night when we started our first midnight shift. Ever since then, things have turned ugly. And now he's lost all of our respect because of his behavior.
Our control room operator is rather a jokester, always trying to keep the mood light. Wednesday night when our coordinator entered the room, he cracked a joke. The coordinator did not emote one ounce of a smile and got right to business, reading aloud a safety alert. He described everything that was going on, let us sit there to ponder it for a bit, then announced, "okay, let's go!" This was his way of saying, "get to work." Our shift starts at 10:55 on midnight shift, and it ended up being 11:10 when he ushered us out. There have been plenty of instances, especially when our boss was in a good mood, where we didn't leave until half-past. When he kicks us out of the control room in such short fashion, usually that's a good sign he isn't in a good mood.
Like in September, he hasn't allowed us to have extended coffee and lunch breaks. He comes up immediately after 10 and 20 minutes respectively, kicking us out of the lunch room. I, being in the position that I'm in, don't have to leave in that quick of a hurry, at least he can't make me. I am an assistant plant operator, meaning he can't deny me the right of being in the control room. But for everyone else not in that position, they have to leave. All of the other coordinators on the job in the past and the present have all giving their crews the luxury of extended breaks. So it confuses us as to why our boss is on such a huge power trip as he is.
I've encountered him a few different instances on the floor of the mill. During one situation, I was driving by on a cart while he was standing near a grinding mill. He waved, which actually surprised me. I thought maybe he was starting to cheer up a bit. But in a couple of other instances since, particularly yesterday, he has not initiated contact with me. I was driving a cart heading south down the main aisle way of the mill and he was walking north. Instead of looking directly at me and waving, he put his head down and ignored me. In the other instance, we were experiencing trouble at one end of the plant and he showed up as well. He made a gesture to me, a slashing-of-the-throat gesture to mean the conveyor we were having issues with wouldn't start. I nodded, in which he called to get an electrician down there. He stayed for awhile, but never initiated any small talk with me and preferred to "lean" against a hand rail away from me. Other people from my crew have had similar occurrences with him. We honestly have no idea what his deal is with the crew. I would think that if he had any problems with the crew or a particular individual, he would speak to us or that person and tell us what's going on. But as I mentioned in September, this seems to be the way he deals with his problems. He shuts us all out and goes on this big power trip like he's the big deal.
The general consensus among the crew is that he may be bipolar. I am somewhat familiar with the condition but I guess I would have to read up more on it to see if this particular individual has the true symptoms. Either that or he's seriously depressed and the more he acts like this, the deeper and deeper he may fall. I guess I am perplexed at what to do. Our crew has been discussing the possibility of talking with our boss about his behavior - only to wonder if this will do no good or make him act even worse and retaliate against us. All I know is this cannot keep happening to our crew. We have a great group of people that deserve a lot better than how our boss is treating us. We've always worked hard and helped each other out. He's even made the same compliment to us when he was in a much better mood. I have also thought about discussing the matter with our operations manager. Our boss definitely has a history of this kind of behavior and it's certainly troubling for us all. The morale of the crew is at rock bottom and nobody wants to go into work dealing with a loser like this. Thankfully I have not gotten the worst treatment from him like others on the crew have, but I feel bad for everyone. The situation has given me great anxiety lately and I know something needs to happen sooner rather than later.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Friday, December 04, 2009
Songs I Dig - 15
As promised, here's another edition of the Songs I Dig blog. I'm trying not procrastinate as much this time around and seeing that the year is almost over, I do need to compile my listing of the top songs of 2009 (it still kind of boggles my mind that the year is almost over). I am going to try to knock off as much of these songs as I can, so pardon me if some of the paragraphs for the songs may be shorter than usual. I just want to cover as much as I can before the year is out.
The Fray - "Never Say Never" : The Fray was back in 2009 with a new album and some great new songs. One of them, "Never Say Never" did great on the charts. It got plenty of radio time and could be considered as one of the best songs of the year. The song starts with a solemn piano opening and gradually builds into a dramatic ballad. The song's theme is typical in modern pop music - falling in and out of love. It's just a great song, with a soothing melody and great message.
Daughtry - "No Surprise" : Another group with a new album in 2009 is Daughtry. The "should've been Idol champ" of a few years back came out with a vengeance with "No Surprise" that quickly climbed the charts. The album, "Leave this Town" debuted at number one on the billboard charts and remained there for another week. "No Surprise" is a break-up song and again, sort of follows the in and out of love theme. The song appears to be in a particularly high octave for Chris to sing, but he does it magnificently well. Again, this one will rank as one of the best songs of '09.
The Script - "The Man Who Can't be Moved" : Here's a group I knew absolutely nothing about until I heard this song on the radio. And it ended up being another great song from this past year. The Script is of Irish decent and has had great success in the United Kingdom. The band is gaining more noteriety in the United States for its music and sound - although they haven't exactly had a smash hit here as of yet. I really connected with "The Man Who Can't be Moved" as it related to a personal matter in my life. It's got a great message and it's one of those songs you can't help but to sing along to.
Jordin Sparks - "Battlefield" : 2009 has proven to be a big year for former American Idol contestants and winners. Season 6 Idol winner Jordin Sparks' new album "Battlefield" was released in mid-July and debuted at number seven on the Billboard charts. The song of the same name as the album was the first to be released and gained plenty of radio airplay. It's a song that describes the struggles of love and relationships. As the lyrics states, "why does love always feel like a battlefield?" In a relationship, there's often push and pull between the two sides and not enough compromise. I think this song sets a very true message within its lyrics.
Dave Matthews Band - "Funny the Way It Is" : Probably one of my all-time favorite bands from the past 20 years has to be Dave Matthews Band. You want to talk about great song writing? Here's the group that epitomises great song writing. "Funny the Way It Is" was the debut song from their recent album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King." It doesn't directly talk about love, relationships, break-ups, what-have-you, but more about irony. I just love the juxtaposition displayed in the lyrics of this song. It also tackles the overall degredation of society as a whole. Yet the music video is rather quirky and funny in that Dave Matthews way.
Katy Perry - "Waking Up In Vegas" : Within the past year in a half, Katy Perry started as an unknown in the music industry and has become one of the biggest female artists in pop music today. Her debut album produced two triple-platinum songs in "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot N Cold." I am pretty sure "Waking Up In Vegas" can't be that far behind. It's a fun, quirky song that's as catchy as can be. Katy basically describes a nightmare situation in Las Vegas to a T in this song. From being broke after gambling away all of the money, waking up with a ring on your finger along with a hangover and not remembering what happened the previous night. It's one of those songs that's just simply fun to sing along to.
Parachute - "She is Love" : Okay, back to the love and/or relationship-themed songs. Parachute is a group new to the music industry and released their debut album "Losing Sleep" in 2009. Each of the members of the band graduated from college in 2008 and have since been touring and promoting their album. The first single released was "She is Love." It has so far topped out at number 66 on the Billboard Charts. It's a sweet song and the lyrics divulge no bad relationship blood within them. The theme of the song basically follows the lines of "in my darkest days when I'm feeling the worst, she (or he) is there to lift up my spirits and make my life meaninful." It'd actually make a decent wedding song, in my opinion.
That is going to wrap it up for this edition of the Songs I Dig. Please be sure to check back for one (or two) more editions of the SID before I give my special top songs of '09 blog. And until then, be sure and enjoy the holiday season.
The Fray - "Never Say Never" : The Fray was back in 2009 with a new album and some great new songs. One of them, "Never Say Never" did great on the charts. It got plenty of radio time and could be considered as one of the best songs of the year. The song starts with a solemn piano opening and gradually builds into a dramatic ballad. The song's theme is typical in modern pop music - falling in and out of love. It's just a great song, with a soothing melody and great message.
Daughtry - "No Surprise" : Another group with a new album in 2009 is Daughtry. The "should've been Idol champ" of a few years back came out with a vengeance with "No Surprise" that quickly climbed the charts. The album, "Leave this Town" debuted at number one on the billboard charts and remained there for another week. "No Surprise" is a break-up song and again, sort of follows the in and out of love theme. The song appears to be in a particularly high octave for Chris to sing, but he does it magnificently well. Again, this one will rank as one of the best songs of '09.
The Script - "The Man Who Can't be Moved" : Here's a group I knew absolutely nothing about until I heard this song on the radio. And it ended up being another great song from this past year. The Script is of Irish decent and has had great success in the United Kingdom. The band is gaining more noteriety in the United States for its music and sound - although they haven't exactly had a smash hit here as of yet. I really connected with "The Man Who Can't be Moved" as it related to a personal matter in my life. It's got a great message and it's one of those songs you can't help but to sing along to.
Jordin Sparks - "Battlefield" : 2009 has proven to be a big year for former American Idol contestants and winners. Season 6 Idol winner Jordin Sparks' new album "Battlefield" was released in mid-July and debuted at number seven on the Billboard charts. The song of the same name as the album was the first to be released and gained plenty of radio airplay. It's a song that describes the struggles of love and relationships. As the lyrics states, "why does love always feel like a battlefield?" In a relationship, there's often push and pull between the two sides and not enough compromise. I think this song sets a very true message within its lyrics.
Dave Matthews Band - "Funny the Way It Is" : Probably one of my all-time favorite bands from the past 20 years has to be Dave Matthews Band. You want to talk about great song writing? Here's the group that epitomises great song writing. "Funny the Way It Is" was the debut song from their recent album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King." It doesn't directly talk about love, relationships, break-ups, what-have-you, but more about irony. I just love the juxtaposition displayed in the lyrics of this song. It also tackles the overall degredation of society as a whole. Yet the music video is rather quirky and funny in that Dave Matthews way.
Katy Perry - "Waking Up In Vegas" : Within the past year in a half, Katy Perry started as an unknown in the music industry and has become one of the biggest female artists in pop music today. Her debut album produced two triple-platinum songs in "I Kissed a Girl" and "Hot N Cold." I am pretty sure "Waking Up In Vegas" can't be that far behind. It's a fun, quirky song that's as catchy as can be. Katy basically describes a nightmare situation in Las Vegas to a T in this song. From being broke after gambling away all of the money, waking up with a ring on your finger along with a hangover and not remembering what happened the previous night. It's one of those songs that's just simply fun to sing along to.
Parachute - "She is Love" : Okay, back to the love and/or relationship-themed songs. Parachute is a group new to the music industry and released their debut album "Losing Sleep" in 2009. Each of the members of the band graduated from college in 2008 and have since been touring and promoting their album. The first single released was "She is Love." It has so far topped out at number 66 on the Billboard Charts. It's a sweet song and the lyrics divulge no bad relationship blood within them. The theme of the song basically follows the lines of "in my darkest days when I'm feeling the worst, she (or he) is there to lift up my spirits and make my life meaninful." It'd actually make a decent wedding song, in my opinion.
That is going to wrap it up for this edition of the Songs I Dig. Please be sure to check back for one (or two) more editions of the SID before I give my special top songs of '09 blog. And until then, be sure and enjoy the holiday season.
Monday, November 30, 2009
A Very Mild November
With November coming to a close, it's time to reflect back on this month's weather here in the Upper Peninsula. Typically I don't do this unless a certain month or period is really one to remember. And this month was really exceptional, especially for those who enjoy warmer weather this late into fall. November 2009 ended up being nearly seven in a half degrees above normal compared to a typical November. It was also the least snowiest November on record - that's saying a lot when comparing it to November of 2008 which ended up being one of the snowiest (some 43+ inches of snow fell during the entire month of November of last year). Although the hunters looking for deer really didn't like the warmer weather, its really been nice not having to worry about driving on bad roads yet, this late into the year.
As I mentioned, the weather this time of the year can really be unpredictable. November is typically the month when we have some of our worst storms of the year. November gales are what they're called, and one was notorious in 1975 for bringing the ore freighter the Edmond Fitgerald down to the bottom of Lake Superior. The storms can be so fierce at this time of the year, waves frantically crash to the shore and can cause serious beach erosion. Sometimes it's fascinating to watch the waves crash against the breakwalls in Marquette. These are the kind of storms that draw people to the shores to watch mother nature at work. However this November, those kinds of storms were certainly lacking. I think in October we had a couple that were pretty fierce, but November was quite tame. In fact, I remember many days where we had sunny and warm conditions rather than rainy, wet, and raw days.
So November of 2009 was certainly enjoyable for those who like it warmer than putting up with the snow and cold that us Yoopers have to endure for many months on end during a typical U.P. winter. And when the snow gets delayed like it has this late in the season, it makes for a shorter winter, which makes a lot of people breathe a sigh of relief. Hey, I don't mind the snow. But when it's still on the ground in March and April, it gets a rather tedious to look at - and you'd rather it be all gone by then! We have a long ways to go during this winter of 2009-10, but we're slowing picking away at it. Before long, it'll be the end of winter and we'll be longing for the days of warmth and spending time at the beach. Four months does go by pretty fast these days.
As I mentioned, the weather this time of the year can really be unpredictable. November is typically the month when we have some of our worst storms of the year. November gales are what they're called, and one was notorious in 1975 for bringing the ore freighter the Edmond Fitgerald down to the bottom of Lake Superior. The storms can be so fierce at this time of the year, waves frantically crash to the shore and can cause serious beach erosion. Sometimes it's fascinating to watch the waves crash against the breakwalls in Marquette. These are the kind of storms that draw people to the shores to watch mother nature at work. However this November, those kinds of storms were certainly lacking. I think in October we had a couple that were pretty fierce, but November was quite tame. In fact, I remember many days where we had sunny and warm conditions rather than rainy, wet, and raw days.
So November of 2009 was certainly enjoyable for those who like it warmer than putting up with the snow and cold that us Yoopers have to endure for many months on end during a typical U.P. winter. And when the snow gets delayed like it has this late in the season, it makes for a shorter winter, which makes a lot of people breathe a sigh of relief. Hey, I don't mind the snow. But when it's still on the ground in March and April, it gets a rather tedious to look at - and you'd rather it be all gone by then! We have a long ways to go during this winter of 2009-10, but we're slowing picking away at it. Before long, it'll be the end of winter and we'll be longing for the days of warmth and spending time at the beach. Four months does go by pretty fast these days.
Here Comes the Holiday Season
It kind of snuck up on me this year, but the holidays are officially here. It's hard to believe we are now heading into the last month of the year; and this decade, for that matter. I remember back when I was in grade school, the period of time between October 1 and Thanksgiving Day moved so slowly. It seemed like it took forever before Thanksgiving Break came. Now as an adult, there's no such thing as a Thanksgiving Break, unless you take a week of vacation during that period of time. I was granted Thanksgiving Day off, which was really nice. It kind of broke up my seven day stretch of day shift pretty nicely. But nowadays, time really moves by a lot faster than when you're a kid. Maybe we just didn't care back then, but there's so much more to keep track of now. And it's not really much of a surprise to hear from relatives and my parents that as the years go by, the time goes by that much faster.
For this Thanksgiving, my family had the pleasure of my sister from Wisconsin joining us for Thanksgiving dinner. It had been awhile since she was able to join us for the holiday; over ten years at least. I always enjoy spending time with her, even if it's just for the day. As I mentioned, I had Thanksgiving day off, so after work the day before, I packed up a few things from my house and headed for my parents. My sister was already there, so I got to visit with her that evening. Our family tradition whenever she comes up or when we visit her is to play Scrabble. The game usually involves myself, my mom, and my sister. I've been in a slump lately, and it continued on Thanksgiving Eve as I ended up in last place. I don't know what's going on - but during this particular game, I got stuck with an endless amount of vowels. There's not a lot you can do in Scrabble when six of your seven letters are vowels. Nevertheless, it was still a fun time and whatever the outcome, it's always a blast to play a game like that with your family.
Thanksgiving Day brought my other sister and her family over to my parents. I always have such an enjoyable time seeing my niece and nephew whenever possible. My nephew is always so busy that it's often very difficult to keep up with him! But I don't get to see him too often, so our visits together are always a lot of fun. My niece is a very funny girl. She says a lot of things that often make us chuckle. She's a bit more shy than my nephew is, so it often takes her awhile to warm up to everyone, particularly me. But before long, she's coloring, playing with her dolls, or watching Spongebob. Neither one of the kids usually eats very much and Thanksgiving dinner was no different. But it was really nice to have all of us together, once again, for Thanksgiving. The last time we were together like that probably was when we had dinner at my grandma's. So it ended up being a very fun day.
Now with Thanksgiving out of the way, on comes Christmas. One of my least favorite things about the holiday season is doing the shopping! I'd rather find what I need for everyone on my list right away than spend hours and hours looking for the right gift. And what complicates things even more; my mom's birthday is just nine days before Christmas. I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet, but there's plenty of time. I usually procrastinate quite a bit until about a week or two before Christmas. I think this year, I am going to try shopping a little bit early. It's better to get it all done with plenty of time to enjoy the holidays than rushing around at the last minute. Hopefully it goes exactly as planned this year.
For this Thanksgiving, my family had the pleasure of my sister from Wisconsin joining us for Thanksgiving dinner. It had been awhile since she was able to join us for the holiday; over ten years at least. I always enjoy spending time with her, even if it's just for the day. As I mentioned, I had Thanksgiving day off, so after work the day before, I packed up a few things from my house and headed for my parents. My sister was already there, so I got to visit with her that evening. Our family tradition whenever she comes up or when we visit her is to play Scrabble. The game usually involves myself, my mom, and my sister. I've been in a slump lately, and it continued on Thanksgiving Eve as I ended up in last place. I don't know what's going on - but during this particular game, I got stuck with an endless amount of vowels. There's not a lot you can do in Scrabble when six of your seven letters are vowels. Nevertheless, it was still a fun time and whatever the outcome, it's always a blast to play a game like that with your family.
Thanksgiving Day brought my other sister and her family over to my parents. I always have such an enjoyable time seeing my niece and nephew whenever possible. My nephew is always so busy that it's often very difficult to keep up with him! But I don't get to see him too often, so our visits together are always a lot of fun. My niece is a very funny girl. She says a lot of things that often make us chuckle. She's a bit more shy than my nephew is, so it often takes her awhile to warm up to everyone, particularly me. But before long, she's coloring, playing with her dolls, or watching Spongebob. Neither one of the kids usually eats very much and Thanksgiving dinner was no different. But it was really nice to have all of us together, once again, for Thanksgiving. The last time we were together like that probably was when we had dinner at my grandma's. So it ended up being a very fun day.
Now with Thanksgiving out of the way, on comes Christmas. One of my least favorite things about the holiday season is doing the shopping! I'd rather find what I need for everyone on my list right away than spend hours and hours looking for the right gift. And what complicates things even more; my mom's birthday is just nine days before Christmas. I haven't even started my Christmas shopping yet, but there's plenty of time. I usually procrastinate quite a bit until about a week or two before Christmas. I think this year, I am going to try shopping a little bit early. It's better to get it all done with plenty of time to enjoy the holidays than rushing around at the last minute. Hopefully it goes exactly as planned this year.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A Frustrating Day
So yesterday I took my mom to town so she could buy groceries to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday. All in all, the trip into town and driving around was the most frustrating part. I fear that the craziness of the holiday shopping season was already quite evident at the store I went to. It kind of threw me off - as I didn't expect certain people to be so vindictive, at least not so soon before Thanksgiving. Then there was the crazy drivers in and around Marquette that made me nearly lose my mind. Which is why I don't venture into Marquette too often anymore, unless I absolutely have to get something or I plan to make several stops. No more joyrides for me anymore.
Our first stop was a trip to the grocery store. Instead of me tagging along with my mom, I dropped her off and I ventured to the nearby big box home improvement center. I have had my eye on buying a new lava lamp for my house. I kept one at my parents house, but eventually it quit working and my mom threw it out. The other one I had at my apartment broke during the move to my house. And I've always liked the look of lava lamps. The home improvement store was having a big sale on lava lamps, so I picked up two; one for my mom and one for me. As I strolled through the store, I heard one woman ask for assistance locating a certain item that was on sale. No - "asked" isn't the right word. She was downright rude in the way she addressed the salesperson. Apparently she was misdirected by another salesperson which obviously lead to her frustration and lashed out at this other defenseless salesperson. Needless to say, he lead her to the right direction and she found the item she was looking for. I continued to go on my merry way and I proceeded to head to checkout. Don't you just love it when practically everyone else in the store decides to go and checkout at the same time as you? That's exactly what happened in this instance, and with only three checkouts open, things were getting very backed-up. Well this same woman who was bickering earlier also needed to checkout. It appeared she was with a daughter, as she was younger than the woman. I'd say their ages were 60 and 40, respectively. Well, seeing the long lines at the checkout must've really made her blood boil. She abruptly put her item on the floor next to a shelf and walked right out, muttering to herself along the way. Honestly, how rude can you get? All you have to do is have a little patience. It wasn't much longer before two additional checkout lanes opened up and things were moving again at the front of the store. But that's how some people respond to situations like that, and they may even say that they won't step foot in that particular store again. Yet you know they will.
So after exiting the store, I walked towards the car carrying my two bags of merchandise. I popped the trunk of the car open and placed the two bags over to the left side of the trunk. Suddenly I got totally distracted - the car on my left, with two passengers, was just taking off. Meanwhile, the car on my right was just arriving. In that vehicle was an Asian couple and they were fiddling around with stuff in their car. Before long, out came a stroller. Unbeknownst to me, I dropped the keys to the car in the trunk and slammed the trunk shut. I was ready to enter the car when I started to feel around in my pockets for the keys. They weren't in my coat pockets, so I tried my pants pockets. Not there either. I didn't totally remember dropping the keys in the trunk, but then I kind of figured out what happened. Then the realization came over me - I was locked out of the car! Now, this isn't the first time something like this has happened to me. But still, knowing that the keys are inside the trunk and there's nothing you can do about it really leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth. So I had to figure out what to do next. My two options were either go back in the store and try and call for a locksmith or take a hike over to the grocery store where my mom was at and hope that she had the extra set of keys for the car in her purse, and then hike back. And needless to say, this isn't exactly an easy walk. The highway between the home improvement store and the grocery store is the busiest in the Upper Peninsula! Regardless of that fact, I pressed on and started walking. At first I didn't know if it was the smartest decision, but the closer and closer I got, I knew it was the right pick.
The distance between the two stores is probably three quarters of a mile. However, I wasn't walking a straight line. So it probably ended up being around a two mile trek round-trip. I told my mom the situation and yet, she wasn't sure if she had the extra set of keys. Yet, to both of our relief, they were in her purse. She was ready to checkout at the grocery store, so I told her to take her time. I ended up having to cross four lanes of busy highway traffic four different times; yet there was enough of a gap to take a dash across the road. By the time I got back to the car, I had worked up a pretty good sweat! I was relieved the keys opened the doors and when I went to look in the trunk, sure enough; the keys were right in the very front of the trunk. Honestly, I was glad to get out of there and continue on with our day.
Needless to say, it wasn't a typical shopping trip for me and my mom, although she probably had far less stress than I did. It just goes to show you that it's easy to become distracted and do something foolish. I used to have a car where I'd tend to leave the headlights on, which would cause the battery to go dead. Or I'd lock the keys in the car. That car was a magnet for troublesome situations like that. But then there was a time when I locked my keys inside the car I currently have and it was still running! I ended up having to get a wrecker out to my car, which was at work, and open up the car for me. The car ended up running for a good hour at least before the wrecker came. Good thing I had enough gas in it to drive back! These are all instances where at the time, you wished things would've worked out better. However in the end, at least you can look back on them and laugh. And I can laugh about yesterday's incident at least.
Our first stop was a trip to the grocery store. Instead of me tagging along with my mom, I dropped her off and I ventured to the nearby big box home improvement center. I have had my eye on buying a new lava lamp for my house. I kept one at my parents house, but eventually it quit working and my mom threw it out. The other one I had at my apartment broke during the move to my house. And I've always liked the look of lava lamps. The home improvement store was having a big sale on lava lamps, so I picked up two; one for my mom and one for me. As I strolled through the store, I heard one woman ask for assistance locating a certain item that was on sale. No - "asked" isn't the right word. She was downright rude in the way she addressed the salesperson. Apparently she was misdirected by another salesperson which obviously lead to her frustration and lashed out at this other defenseless salesperson. Needless to say, he lead her to the right direction and she found the item she was looking for. I continued to go on my merry way and I proceeded to head to checkout. Don't you just love it when practically everyone else in the store decides to go and checkout at the same time as you? That's exactly what happened in this instance, and with only three checkouts open, things were getting very backed-up. Well this same woman who was bickering earlier also needed to checkout. It appeared she was with a daughter, as she was younger than the woman. I'd say their ages were 60 and 40, respectively. Well, seeing the long lines at the checkout must've really made her blood boil. She abruptly put her item on the floor next to a shelf and walked right out, muttering to herself along the way. Honestly, how rude can you get? All you have to do is have a little patience. It wasn't much longer before two additional checkout lanes opened up and things were moving again at the front of the store. But that's how some people respond to situations like that, and they may even say that they won't step foot in that particular store again. Yet you know they will.
So after exiting the store, I walked towards the car carrying my two bags of merchandise. I popped the trunk of the car open and placed the two bags over to the left side of the trunk. Suddenly I got totally distracted - the car on my left, with two passengers, was just taking off. Meanwhile, the car on my right was just arriving. In that vehicle was an Asian couple and they were fiddling around with stuff in their car. Before long, out came a stroller. Unbeknownst to me, I dropped the keys to the car in the trunk and slammed the trunk shut. I was ready to enter the car when I started to feel around in my pockets for the keys. They weren't in my coat pockets, so I tried my pants pockets. Not there either. I didn't totally remember dropping the keys in the trunk, but then I kind of figured out what happened. Then the realization came over me - I was locked out of the car! Now, this isn't the first time something like this has happened to me. But still, knowing that the keys are inside the trunk and there's nothing you can do about it really leaves you with a sour taste in your mouth. So I had to figure out what to do next. My two options were either go back in the store and try and call for a locksmith or take a hike over to the grocery store where my mom was at and hope that she had the extra set of keys for the car in her purse, and then hike back. And needless to say, this isn't exactly an easy walk. The highway between the home improvement store and the grocery store is the busiest in the Upper Peninsula! Regardless of that fact, I pressed on and started walking. At first I didn't know if it was the smartest decision, but the closer and closer I got, I knew it was the right pick.
The distance between the two stores is probably three quarters of a mile. However, I wasn't walking a straight line. So it probably ended up being around a two mile trek round-trip. I told my mom the situation and yet, she wasn't sure if she had the extra set of keys. Yet, to both of our relief, they were in her purse. She was ready to checkout at the grocery store, so I told her to take her time. I ended up having to cross four lanes of busy highway traffic four different times; yet there was enough of a gap to take a dash across the road. By the time I got back to the car, I had worked up a pretty good sweat! I was relieved the keys opened the doors and when I went to look in the trunk, sure enough; the keys were right in the very front of the trunk. Honestly, I was glad to get out of there and continue on with our day.
Needless to say, it wasn't a typical shopping trip for me and my mom, although she probably had far less stress than I did. It just goes to show you that it's easy to become distracted and do something foolish. I used to have a car where I'd tend to leave the headlights on, which would cause the battery to go dead. Or I'd lock the keys in the car. That car was a magnet for troublesome situations like that. But then there was a time when I locked my keys inside the car I currently have and it was still running! I ended up having to get a wrecker out to my car, which was at work, and open up the car for me. The car ended up running for a good hour at least before the wrecker came. Good thing I had enough gas in it to drive back! These are all instances where at the time, you wished things would've worked out better. However in the end, at least you can look back on them and laugh. And I can laugh about yesterday's incident at least.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Songs I Dig - 14
The last "Songs I Dig" blog I wrote was back in March. Did I think it would take this long to write a new entry? Not in the very least! The absence of the SID blogs during the last several months was completely my fault, because it wasn't like I didn't have any songs to write about. There's been plenty of great songs that were released during the summer and fall of 2009. It's going to take me some time to get back on track, but we still have a month in a half left in the year. I have confidence that I can bring back the SID blog with a vengeance and continue that momentum in the new year. 2010 starts a new decade of music, too! Holy cow, where did the 2000's go anyways? Anyways, off with the newest Songs I Dig!
Owl City - "Fireflies" : In today's era of music that's mostly littered with profanities and derogatory messages, how refreshing is it to hear a sweet ode to fireflies? Like the deejay I was listening to today said, it's a song that the whole family can listen to. I find it pretty darn cool that not only has local radio picked up on this song, but many of the pop radio stations in the United States. It took awhile for the local radio station to start playing the song - probably within the last month. But what drew the programming director of the station to the song was the incredible music video that was created for the song. It's basically an ode to classic 1980's toys like speak and spell, lightbright, etc. The song is super catchy in that when you hear it, don't be surprised once it's over that you begin to start singing all about fireflies.
Train - "Hey Soul Sister" : Here's a group that has experienced great success during the current decade. And from the looks of it, the start of the new decade could be just as successful for the group. "Hey Soul Sister" is the first single from their new album titled, "Save Me San Fransisco." And judging from the amount of airplay the song is getting, it just might be a very big hit. Train presents a different kind of sound to this song, different from past tunes. It's largely in part because of the ukulele, I think. And I believe the song is in a pretty high octave for lead singer Pat Monahan, but he definitely does not struggle. But I'm sure during a live concert, the song leaves him out of breath afterwards. All in all, this is a great song from Train and I can't wait to hear what else the group releases from their newest album.
Five for Fighting - "Chances" : There are certain groups or singers that you always wish the very best for, and others that you hope would just go away. Five for Fighting is a group I always root for because they may not be flashy or overly popular, yet they put out some really great music. "Chances" is one of those songs that gives a positive message and really helps to boost morale. Yet, this isn't unlike of Five for Fighting. Their other hit songs like "Superman (It's Not Easy)," and "100 Years" fit a very similar mold. You could make the case that "Superman" became a hit because of its message following the attacks on September 11th. Whatever the case, Five for Fighting produces music that really makes you think and doesn't leave you depressed. "Chances" is off to another great start like their other two big hits.
Mat Kearney - "Closer to Love" : Although Mat is a relative newcomer to the main stream pop music world, the later half of this decade has proven to be rather successful for the Oregon-born singer. "Closer to Love" is the first single from his second album titled "City of Black and White" and is proving to be a nice follow-up to his debut album. I don't think "Closer to Love" has proven to be as big of a hit like "Nothing Left to Lose" and "Undeniable" were for Mat, yet "Closer to Love" is a pleasant, soothing song. I really enjoy the beat and the lyrics of the song. It's another "positive message" kind of song, including the lyrics "You pull me out of the dark, just to show me the way..." It's nice that it can be positive and upbeat, yet refrain from becoming too sappy.
Nickelback - "Never Gonna Be Alone" : Here's a group that has achieved monumental success with hit after hit and they ain't slowing down! "Never Gonna Be Alone" is (surprisingly) the sixth single from their latest album "Dark Horse," and should garner similar success to previous releases "Gotta Be Somebody" and "If Today was Your Last Day." Its already generated a lot of airplay on the radio. Nickelback gets a lot of criticism for the music that it produces. Critics say the group doesn't try mixing things up with different sounds and have become too stale. Obviously the fans and the radio stations don't think so, because their albums continue to reach platinum status, if not beyond that. As the saying goes, whatever works, and for Nickelback, it certainly works well.
Well, that wraps it up for the latest installment of the "Songs I Dig" blog. It's been a long time coming, but I am happy to say it is back for good. Don't be surprised to see another installment soon. After all, I have to get caught up on the rest of the songs I missed out on discussing during the previous seven months of this year. And the year ain't over yet! I'm sure one or two new songs will be released that'll end up making the "Songs I Dig."
Owl City - "Fireflies" : In today's era of music that's mostly littered with profanities and derogatory messages, how refreshing is it to hear a sweet ode to fireflies? Like the deejay I was listening to today said, it's a song that the whole family can listen to. I find it pretty darn cool that not only has local radio picked up on this song, but many of the pop radio stations in the United States. It took awhile for the local radio station to start playing the song - probably within the last month. But what drew the programming director of the station to the song was the incredible music video that was created for the song. It's basically an ode to classic 1980's toys like speak and spell, lightbright, etc. The song is super catchy in that when you hear it, don't be surprised once it's over that you begin to start singing all about fireflies.
Train - "Hey Soul Sister" : Here's a group that has experienced great success during the current decade. And from the looks of it, the start of the new decade could be just as successful for the group. "Hey Soul Sister" is the first single from their new album titled, "Save Me San Fransisco." And judging from the amount of airplay the song is getting, it just might be a very big hit. Train presents a different kind of sound to this song, different from past tunes. It's largely in part because of the ukulele, I think. And I believe the song is in a pretty high octave for lead singer Pat Monahan, but he definitely does not struggle. But I'm sure during a live concert, the song leaves him out of breath afterwards. All in all, this is a great song from Train and I can't wait to hear what else the group releases from their newest album.
Five for Fighting - "Chances" : There are certain groups or singers that you always wish the very best for, and others that you hope would just go away. Five for Fighting is a group I always root for because they may not be flashy or overly popular, yet they put out some really great music. "Chances" is one of those songs that gives a positive message and really helps to boost morale. Yet, this isn't unlike of Five for Fighting. Their other hit songs like "Superman (It's Not Easy)," and "100 Years" fit a very similar mold. You could make the case that "Superman" became a hit because of its message following the attacks on September 11th. Whatever the case, Five for Fighting produces music that really makes you think and doesn't leave you depressed. "Chances" is off to another great start like their other two big hits.
Mat Kearney - "Closer to Love" : Although Mat is a relative newcomer to the main stream pop music world, the later half of this decade has proven to be rather successful for the Oregon-born singer. "Closer to Love" is the first single from his second album titled "City of Black and White" and is proving to be a nice follow-up to his debut album. I don't think "Closer to Love" has proven to be as big of a hit like "Nothing Left to Lose" and "Undeniable" were for Mat, yet "Closer to Love" is a pleasant, soothing song. I really enjoy the beat and the lyrics of the song. It's another "positive message" kind of song, including the lyrics "You pull me out of the dark, just to show me the way..." It's nice that it can be positive and upbeat, yet refrain from becoming too sappy.
Nickelback - "Never Gonna Be Alone" : Here's a group that has achieved monumental success with hit after hit and they ain't slowing down! "Never Gonna Be Alone" is (surprisingly) the sixth single from their latest album "Dark Horse," and should garner similar success to previous releases "Gotta Be Somebody" and "If Today was Your Last Day." Its already generated a lot of airplay on the radio. Nickelback gets a lot of criticism for the music that it produces. Critics say the group doesn't try mixing things up with different sounds and have become too stale. Obviously the fans and the radio stations don't think so, because their albums continue to reach platinum status, if not beyond that. As the saying goes, whatever works, and for Nickelback, it certainly works well.
Well, that wraps it up for the latest installment of the "Songs I Dig" blog. It's been a long time coming, but I am happy to say it is back for good. Don't be surprised to see another installment soon. After all, I have to get caught up on the rest of the songs I missed out on discussing during the previous seven months of this year. And the year ain't over yet! I'm sure one or two new songs will be released that'll end up making the "Songs I Dig."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Home Projects
I am now entering my fifth month as a homeowner and I couldn't be happier with my decision. In fact, I think I'd be pretty content living here the rest of my life. Naturally, a person's desire to live in a particular location does tend to wane over time. But as of now, I'm pretty happy with the location. I guess the big test is seeing how the winter season is in this particular spot. The weather has been fairly mild lately and so far there's no snow in sight. The front of the house faces south toward a major highway, and that highway is pretty busy. I am guessing that this particular location gets a little less snow from the lake as those areas more inland. But still, it's a place susceptible to snow. Two to three miles down the road, the highways parallels the Lake Superior shoreline and during some of the worst storms, the visibility is bad enough that the highway gets shut down. My house is before that juncture and I don't believe visibility will be a problem where I'm at because of trees and neighboring homes. Still, during blizzards it doesn't matter how many trees or other obstacles are in the way. The wind still whips the snow around fiercely.
A few of the projects I have conquered thus far includes some electrical and drywall repair. The living room in the house is painted white and the drywall was peckered with a variety of nail and screw holes from the previous owners. Over time, I've patched those spots. The living room is almost ready for paint except for a few areas that need additional patching and sanding. I need to scrounge up a few more things before I am truly ready to paint. I'll definitely need a tarp or two to cover furniture and the carpeting and I'll certainly need a ladder. I'm guessing the ceilings in this house are eight or nine feet tall and I'm no where near tall enough to reach that high. And of course, I need to choose a decent colors for the walls! I have honed on a light tan/brown color but I need to make a final decision. I brought home a bunch of sample cards from a recent trip to the home improvement center, so now I need to compare and decide which color suits me.
The other major improvement that is ongoing is some electrical work. During the last few days, I've replaced several old light switches with new modernized ones. I am definitely an electrical novice but I've watched my dad do a ton of electrical work on his house to know most of the basics. Well, I didn't realize I needed a special light switch for three-way wiring. So I had to take another trip to the home improvement store to get the appropriate switch for that job. And while installing it, I turned the job much harder than it should've been. It took me a good hour to get the wiring figured out, where it should go, and get the switch working properly. I even forgot to turn the breaker off once during my frustration and got shocked! Needless to say, that was the final electrical project I worked on for the night. But all in all, the new switches look nice and only help to enhance an already nice looking home.
I am also gradually converting the electrical outlets in the house. My dad helped me change a few outlets in the living room and I've changed one in the kitchen and another in the bathroom. My dad also helped me replace an older style fluorescent light in my kitchen with a bigger, brighter fluorescent fixture which really brightened the room. We also plan on making some wiring and lighting improvements in the basement and create a new circuit for the refrigerator. Currently the fridge is on the same circuit as everything in the living room (including the television and my stereo). It's going to take some work, but in the end it'll be worth it. So hopefully by spring, these particular projects will be completed.
I have more projects planned but as a homeowner, you definitely have to take things one step at a time. I don't want to become overwhelmed by a bunch of different things at once and have the whole house a catastrophe. You just have to pick and choose your projects and then once they are done, you're able to marvel at what you've completed. And then, it's on to the next project! Ah, the life of a homeowner...
A few of the projects I have conquered thus far includes some electrical and drywall repair. The living room in the house is painted white and the drywall was peckered with a variety of nail and screw holes from the previous owners. Over time, I've patched those spots. The living room is almost ready for paint except for a few areas that need additional patching and sanding. I need to scrounge up a few more things before I am truly ready to paint. I'll definitely need a tarp or two to cover furniture and the carpeting and I'll certainly need a ladder. I'm guessing the ceilings in this house are eight or nine feet tall and I'm no where near tall enough to reach that high. And of course, I need to choose a decent colors for the walls! I have honed on a light tan/brown color but I need to make a final decision. I brought home a bunch of sample cards from a recent trip to the home improvement center, so now I need to compare and decide which color suits me.
The other major improvement that is ongoing is some electrical work. During the last few days, I've replaced several old light switches with new modernized ones. I am definitely an electrical novice but I've watched my dad do a ton of electrical work on his house to know most of the basics. Well, I didn't realize I needed a special light switch for three-way wiring. So I had to take another trip to the home improvement store to get the appropriate switch for that job. And while installing it, I turned the job much harder than it should've been. It took me a good hour to get the wiring figured out, where it should go, and get the switch working properly. I even forgot to turn the breaker off once during my frustration and got shocked! Needless to say, that was the final electrical project I worked on for the night. But all in all, the new switches look nice and only help to enhance an already nice looking home.
I am also gradually converting the electrical outlets in the house. My dad helped me change a few outlets in the living room and I've changed one in the kitchen and another in the bathroom. My dad also helped me replace an older style fluorescent light in my kitchen with a bigger, brighter fluorescent fixture which really brightened the room. We also plan on making some wiring and lighting improvements in the basement and create a new circuit for the refrigerator. Currently the fridge is on the same circuit as everything in the living room (including the television and my stereo). It's going to take some work, but in the end it'll be worth it. So hopefully by spring, these particular projects will be completed.
I have more projects planned but as a homeowner, you definitely have to take things one step at a time. I don't want to become overwhelmed by a bunch of different things at once and have the whole house a catastrophe. You just have to pick and choose your projects and then once they are done, you're able to marvel at what you've completed. And then, it's on to the next project! Ah, the life of a homeowner...
Friday, October 30, 2009
Happy Halloween
I can't remember for sure if I blogged about Halloween last year; I don't recall that I did. I suppose it would help if I looked back in the archives, but I'm going to press on regardless. Halloween just kind of snuck up on me this year and I didn't even do once ounce of decorating for the holiday. Heck, I didn't even buy a pumpkin for the steps of my front porch. I thought about getting something tonight. But isn't it sort of bad luck to buy decorations right before the holiday? Probably not, but that's my thinking. Anyways, I won't be home to really enjoy the holiday as I'll be working a 12-hour shift and won't be home until a little after 7:30 in the evening. Yet, I did buy a couple of bags of candy just to be on the safe side. You never know; there might be a few late stragglers trick or treating at that time.
Last year I ended up being home during the day while trick or treating took place. I bought a ton of candy expecting a lot of kids in costumes at my door. However, I didn't get one trick or treater. I honestly don't know why I thought I'd get that many kids; I didn't even get a single one! That's when I still lived in my apartment. Where I lived last year, there was a ton of apartment buildings all around me with a large residential area to the west of all those apartments. You would think kids would bombard all of those buildings and houses in that area to get the most candy they could. But the funny thing is, I didn't even see any kids walking around in costumes that day. So I don't know if that area just isn't trick or treating friendly or not. Whatever the case, I was left with a bunch of candy and I gradually consumed it until it was gone. I think it lasted just about until Christmas.
Where I live now, I'm not entirely sure if I'll get that many trick or treaters at my door (if I happened to be home at the right time to give out candy). I'm thinking maybe a dozen or so. But the road in front of my house is a busy state highway. I'm thinking kids and their parents probably aren't receptive to the idea of walking along the side of such a busy road to go from house to house. I guess I won't really know for sure this year and maybe not next year if I happen to be on the same work schedule as I am now. I'll just have to always be prepared just in case kids end up at my door without candy. And next year, I'll probably do a little bit of decorating just to make the place look in the spirit of Halloween.
The weather is not expected to be all that great for the trick or treaters this year anyways. And that kind of had me thinking about previous Halloween's when I went trick or treating. One year we had a bunch of snow on the ground, a few where we had to bundle up because it was so darn cold, and a few that were actually quite mild and enjoyable for Halloween. I dressed up as a ghost when I was either in kindergarten or first grade and it was one of those Halloween's when it was cold. So I had to bundle up, put my ghost "sheet" over myself, and then get my face all painted up. On the way back from getting candy at my neighbor's house, we came back to our house. As I traversed the steps of the front porch, I slipped, tripped, and I fell forward on the deck of the porch. My sister, who was with me trick or treating, laughed while I pouted and went inside. It's not an overall pleasant memory of Halloween for me but it's still a memory. Probably one of the earliest that I can recall of many trick or treating on October 31st. Happy Halloween to all!
Last year I ended up being home during the day while trick or treating took place. I bought a ton of candy expecting a lot of kids in costumes at my door. However, I didn't get one trick or treater. I honestly don't know why I thought I'd get that many kids; I didn't even get a single one! That's when I still lived in my apartment. Where I lived last year, there was a ton of apartment buildings all around me with a large residential area to the west of all those apartments. You would think kids would bombard all of those buildings and houses in that area to get the most candy they could. But the funny thing is, I didn't even see any kids walking around in costumes that day. So I don't know if that area just isn't trick or treating friendly or not. Whatever the case, I was left with a bunch of candy and I gradually consumed it until it was gone. I think it lasted just about until Christmas.
Where I live now, I'm not entirely sure if I'll get that many trick or treaters at my door (if I happened to be home at the right time to give out candy). I'm thinking maybe a dozen or so. But the road in front of my house is a busy state highway. I'm thinking kids and their parents probably aren't receptive to the idea of walking along the side of such a busy road to go from house to house. I guess I won't really know for sure this year and maybe not next year if I happen to be on the same work schedule as I am now. I'll just have to always be prepared just in case kids end up at my door without candy. And next year, I'll probably do a little bit of decorating just to make the place look in the spirit of Halloween.
The weather is not expected to be all that great for the trick or treaters this year anyways. And that kind of had me thinking about previous Halloween's when I went trick or treating. One year we had a bunch of snow on the ground, a few where we had to bundle up because it was so darn cold, and a few that were actually quite mild and enjoyable for Halloween. I dressed up as a ghost when I was either in kindergarten or first grade and it was one of those Halloween's when it was cold. So I had to bundle up, put my ghost "sheet" over myself, and then get my face all painted up. On the way back from getting candy at my neighbor's house, we came back to our house. As I traversed the steps of the front porch, I slipped, tripped, and I fell forward on the deck of the porch. My sister, who was with me trick or treating, laughed while I pouted and went inside. It's not an overall pleasant memory of Halloween for me but it's still a memory. Probably one of the earliest that I can recall of many trick or treating on October 31st. Happy Halloween to all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
