Politeness

I want to keep talking about the bus and politeness thing, especially since Portland is apparently not that unique. Pittsburgh and Denver have the "thank you" down. Where else? Is it part of the culture or are we really more polite than I thought?

When is it appropriate not to say "thank you?" For example, I had a horrible driver the other day. He couldn't seem to adjust to the brakes, so we kept going a few feet past the stops. He also kept hitting the curb. At one point, I thought we were going to drive up the sidewalk and hit a ton of pedestrians. I heard him mutter that the drivers in the other lane were getting too close. He is driving a BUS. We are bigger. Timid is not good. He kept saying "I'm sorry" to the passengers when he would hit the bus or really hit the brakes super hard. When I got off the bus that day, I didn't really want to thank him for his driving. I wanted to get out and kiss the ground because I arrived safely. Should I have said, "Thank you bus driver for somehow getting through this route without hitting another car, only giving us mild whiplash, and not driving up on the sidewalk killing puppies and babies in strollers?" I just muttered "thanks" and gave him a smirk.

I don't want timid drivers. Granted, I don't want crazy drivers. The craziest bus driver I ever had was in Chicago who was driving one of the Lake Shore Drive express buses. I wondered why he wasn't getting into the right lane to get off at Belmont Ave. He overshot the exit - 3 lanes over. What does he do? Does he drive to the next exit? No. He backs up the bus. In rush hour traffic as people are going 50 miles an hour. He backs up and moves over 3 lanes. The passengers kept yelling "What the f*&&*^," "Are you f*&*^ insane?", "AAAAGGGGJJ" and other screams. I don't think anyone thanked him. We were too busy passing around the CTA hotline and writing down his number.

Don't get me wrong. I love public transportation. Okay, love is a strong word. I appreciate public transportation. Bus drivers have more patience than any normal human being. Not only do they have to maneuver a large vehicle in traffic but they have to deal with people. I'm just going to think about how to mix up my greetings or departing words to the drivers. This morning I just said "hey" instead of "good morning" because it is that kind of morning. Maybe this afternoon, I'll say "real soon raccoon" or "after awhile crocodile."

Wednesday morning thoughts

There are certain things about Portland that I am still adjusting to even after 9 months (oh my God. It has been 9 months). Happy people. Two examples:

- I avoid a certain coffee spot on campus because one of the women working is too damn chatty. She talks to everyone. I hate that type of chatter when a stranger is telling you things about his/her personal life. I don't care. I want my damn coffee. The line backs up but she doesn't move any faster or step into a mode where she just serves coffee. I'll pay 50 cents more to go to a silent coffee person, which I have started to do because it isn't worth getting so cranky in the morning over a coffee person.

- Everyone and I mean almost everyone thanks the bus driver. It is almost unconscious to say thank you, have a good day, have a good night or something similar. People yell it from the back of the bus if they exit that door. Who does this in Chicago? New Jersey? No one. I am tempted one day to quote my favorite animaniacs character and say, "love ya bye-bye"

What I am getting used to is the weather. Flowers are blooming, sun is shining (ok, not this morning), and I have been able to walk the dog without a coat on. I did see, my friends, the first spider since fall.

Oh and I woke up today a little more clearheaded about last night's debate. Hillary must have been speaking to my rage last night because the cult of Obama has struck me again.

One comment

Um. Senator Clinton is a feisty one tonight. I am actually applauding her because I do think her views have been misrepresented. I did kinda wince when she referred to the SNL skit and how she has to answer questions first. It would have been better if she had said that she welcomes the opportunity to answer first so her views aren't twisted by Obama, she can attack first, and she can hog the spotlight. Okay. I guess it would not have been productive to say the last two things.

She does look really pissed off. He is rubbing me the wrong way tonight and it has only been 20 minutes. I almost want to give Clinton a vodka tonic because I think she needs one tonight.

Oh...one more comment. She is coming across so firm and strong tonight that I would love to have her negotiate with foreign leaders. She can be gracious but I like this Clinton.

Will I switch my allegiance to Clinton? Possibly. The last few weeks have left me uncertain.

Okay, I think Tim Russert hates Clinton. Seriously hates her. Why isn't he being this tough with Obama?

Opposites

I had one of those weekends when weird things happened.

Last night, BP and I went to a vegan restaurant in her neighborhood. It was our attempt to eat a little healthier than our normal outings. Great meal. We then went to go see "There Will Be Blood." As we waited for the movie to start, we listened to a conversation taking place behind us about deer hunting. Actually, these two guys started talking about shooting bears. Things like the difference between hunting brown and black bears. "Shot it 7 times but she wouldn't go down". 44 caliber, the need to recognize the opportunity when to shoot and so on. After coming from a restaurant that was all about peace and love to a conversation about the best methods to kill an animal...well, you understand.

Today, we decided that it was really important to get outside and enjoy a nice walk. Refreshing air, sun, see some flowers, Elston can play with other dogs - all of the things you want to take in on a Sunday afternoon. That is unless you happen to go to the local park where the police are about ready to pull a body from the pond. We saw the police around the pond and a crowd gathered on the opposite side of the pond from the police. I knew someone had been missing from the park and that they were planning to drain the pond. I thought today was the day that they had lowered the water level and were checking things out. We didn't find out until later that some bird watchers had spotted the body and had called police. We walked around the park for awhile. On our way out of the park, we stopped to observe the scene. I guess we were interested in two things - the way the police were handling the situation and watching the crowd. Who sits at a bench with their children waiting for the police to pull a body out of the water? Apparently, a lot of people. We left shortly after the medical examiner's van pulled up because it just felt weird to still be in that area of the park. As we were leaving, a police officer went up to each family and asked them if this was something they really wanted their children to see. Not one family left. Why would you allow your children to see something like this? Relaxing walk in the park turned out to be really depressing.

Campaign slogan

"He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him anyway" - old campaign slogan for former Liberian President Charles W. Taylor

Austin debate

I was going to start off by just counting the number of times they said change, experience, plagiarism or Edwards. I ended up stopping because they were about even on saying change. Clinton mentioned Edwards twice, and he referred to the community organizer past once. It wasn't as much fun as I thought so I started a running commentary:

- Thank God we don't have to hear Wolf Blitzer screeching tonight.

- Sigh. Ann Richards. I miss that woman.

- Referring to the primaries ahead of them - what? No mention of Oregon. Are we not as important as Texas or Ohio? I know. I know.

- They both look tired.

- John King. Without his special, fancy computer screen that he can draw on and show us demographic information, I don't know how to listen to him.

- I'm nodding a lot more at things Clinton says. She does seem to be on uppers tonight.

- Perfect push-up commercial. Kinda entranced by the commercial. My arms are so flabby.

- Obama did a great job addressing the whole substance issue by pointing out all of the endorsements he has received from leading Texas newspapers. Clinton had an "oh shit" look. I don't necessarily agree with his comment that patients at Walter Reed know of his actions in improving their conditions. Wasn't it the entire Senate?

- Special interests is clearly Obama's theme tonight.

- Obama named every type of divisions that are possible except for gender. Hope it wasn't intentional.

- Liked the way he handled the plagiarism question. I didn't realize Patrick was co-chairman of his campaign. Silly season. Nice. Good Barbara Jordan plug. Her rebuttal was funny because we are all so silly. Xeroxed change. Nice boos from the crowd.

- Boy, he writes a lot. What is up with the blowing air? I am sure that is really going to help his cold. The blowing paper is really distracting.

- What do they do on breaks? Get lines from their advisers? Run to the bathroom? Swig some vodka? Laugh at the dumb questions? Thumb wrestle?

- Not sure which way I go on their health plans. I see her point on people not joining up if it isn't optional but fines?? Obama's Massachusetts tale made me sit up. Is that stuff true? I'm flip-flopping.

- Obama referring to parents not signing their children up for insurance that is already available to them..."Parents, uh (are dumbasses) are not responsible enough."

- Commander-in-chief experience. I do think Clinton would do a better job (possibly). The whole readiness issue - Bill Clinton was governor of Arkansas. How did that prepare him as commander-in-chief? Obama would do just fine.

- Number one job is to keep us safe. Can I get a beach house with lots of cash? That would make me feel really safe.

- I like John King better than anyone else on CNN except Anderson. I keep waiting for Larry King to stumble on the stage because he is lost.

- STOP THE BLOWING AIR! It is a conspiracy.

- I would like a question about addiction to greenies and the turmoil that this can cause in American families. This is a real issue in my household.

- I'm getting bored.

- Third time Obama hasn't heard Campbell Brown talk to him.

- I like Clinton's question about the superdelegates. Concise. He is rambling or it could be my desire to go to the kitchen and make dinner. Can we have a new debate rule of yes/no questions?

- Moment of crisis. Sounds like a job interview question. Two words for Clinton - Monica Lewinsky. Ok, she hit this one. Good for her with a heartfelt, upfront answer.

- Clinton did a great job tonight. She ended on such a strong note that it made me want to run out and pat her on the back. He rambled a lot and just seemed off. I bet it is the cold.

Random

Best way to watch the lunar eclipse? At Burgerville with a chocolate hazelnut shake.

Is anyone else freaked out about the satellite that is going to kill me? I have been following this for several months and have been a little concerned about a satellite the size of a bus that could land on top of me.

Update: Apparently, they succeeded in intercepting the satellite. Sure. We *think* they shot it down. Do we believe them?

19% - Bush's new approval ratings. Has any other president ever had this low of a rating? Who are the 19%?

Best website ever - http://www.photobasement.com/41-hilarious-science-fair-experiments/
My personal favorite is the kid who probably has a tractor.

For Leslie - I saw a bluejay today. Birds are chirping.

Hmm

I guess it has been awhile since I've written. I've been busy reading, sleeping and watching basketball. Speaking of basketball, I hate coming home from work and games are well into the second half because of the time difference. Like tonight...I wish I had seen the entire Indiana/Purdue game instead of the last 5 minutes. Kelvin Sampson. Indiana should fire him. What a jerk. You would think he would have learned his lesson on NCAA rules after the Oklahoma violations but nope. Does the same thing at Indiana and just lies about it. I don't care if he has turned around the program after the Mike Davis era. He has done it in a dirty way. I do love watching Eric Gordon play.

I did have some great meals this past weekend. On Saturday night, I went with BP to Ken's Artisan Pizza. I wrote about their pizza after Mary visited in December. This was just as good. We came back to my place and drank some of our Abyss beer and watched "Gone Baby Gone" that was filmed in BP's former neighborhood. On Sunday, I had the best brunch I've had in years. I went to Screen Door with some friends. The best part of the breakfast? Praline bacon. Now I need to go back for dinner and have their shrimp and grits.

I'm starting to see the end of February. Flowers are starting to bloom.

Grief

Because my February is so fantastic, I thought I would read a book on grief. Actually, this is a book I bought a year ago and it has been staring at me from my book shelf. There were two really good lines in this book that I had to share.

The first has to do with a comment the main character makes about his landlord. The landlord is very settled and has a rhythm to his life. He is gay. "The homosexual part, however, was now inactive. He was now a sort of homosexual emeritus." I love it. Gay emeritus.

The second had to do with his reflections of his mother's death. "When your parents die, you know, your audience is gone. You really have no one who cares about what you do." Isn't that kinda true? Our parents are always the constant feature in our lives who want to know the details of what we are doing. Okay, most parents. And, some of us would rather have a very silent audience. I still like the line.

Beer

I haven't had any beer for several weeks since I started my diet/exercise plan. I thought I would reward myself every so often. Last night was one of those rewards. A co-worker invited me to go with him and several of his friends to a beer tasting event. It was a challenge to get me out because of the diet thing but also because I am dealing with a rather severe case of hibernation. I am so glad I went.

Full Sail Brewing Company just released their 2008 bourbon aged Top Sail Porter. I was unable to pick any up last week and it is already sold out. The tasting was their 2004 Imperial Porter, 2006 Black Gold Imperial Stout and 2008 Top Sail Porter. I had the sample of all three and then a glass of the 2006. By the end of the night, they also offered us a glass of the 2002. We couldn't stop there so we went to a bar in my neighborhood that had the 2006 and 2008 Abyss on tap. I had 4 sips of the 2006 Abyss and realized I had enough. So, I am glad I deviated from my diet plan to taste some of the most recognized beer in the region.

Super Tuesday?

Forget Super Tuesday (kidding, of course). Two more important things about today:

It is the 70th birthday of Kraft Mac-n-cheese.

It is also paczki day. Boy, do I miss living near a good Polish bakery.

Super Bowl

I think I was in too much shock yesterday to write anything about the football game. I was rooting for the Patriots (I am so sorry, Marilyn!) even though there is an element of excitement when the underdog wins or at least has some exciting plays. I feel bad that the Patriots couldn't make history.

As many people know, I have rooted against the Giants because I don't like Eli Manning or Tom Coughlin. My dislike is rather intense and I can get quite passionate when either of their names come up or when I watch a game (looking at you, Leslie). But. I have a confession. Yes, a confession. See, my dislike for Eli started with the NFL draft when he refused to go to San Diego. I thought he was a spoiled little brat who was getting by on name alone and he never lived up to expectations. I thought he was overrated. I also don't like Peyton, so I admit I kinda lumped them all in together. But, I read this article a week or so ago that talked about how close Eli is to his mother. Growing up, he would spend time with his mother while his father hung out with his older brothers. He loved going antiquing with her on the weekends. His brothers sounded like the superstars who overshadowed him. I started thinking about how that was kinda cute and then I thought about some of the jerky things Archie Manning or Peyton have said about Eli's potential. There was even a recent comment from Archie that made me wonder why Eli wasn't balled up in the corner of some therapist's office. I started to wonder if it was really Eli who refused to go with the Chargers in the draft or if it was Archie's decision. I know Archie played a role in the negotiations but maybe it was more than just a minor role. My intense dislike for Eli started to dissipate. I was impressed with him in the Super Bowl. I loved how excited he was and I loved how he proved all of his doubters, including his father, wrong. Plus, he still loves going antiquing!

Having said that, I am not going to start wearing a Giants jersey with his number on it. I just want to declare that I am no longer a passionate Eli critic. I still really dislike Tom Coughlin but that is another rant.

On to cute things - my little nephew, Simon, was worried about the football players when they had to take timeouts. I guess his vocabulary thinks of timeouts=little boys getting into trouble and I think of timeouts=coaches needing to talk to their players. Of course, looking at Tom Coughlin would lend one to think of Simon's definition.

If Tom Coughlin wore a mask so I didn't have to see his eyes or face, I would probably like him more. Oh, and could we tie up his arms so I don't have to see them flapping around? Thanks.

End of an era

Bob Knight retired today. I know that he is really disliked by many people but he is one of my all-time favorite college basketball coaches. He has always been a clean coach with no NCAA violations, high graduation rates with his players and he has always given lots and lots of money to the Indiana and Texas Tech libraries. He is an outstanding coach with a true love of the game. A high school friend played for him at Indiana and definitely had his opinions of Knight's coaching style. He said that he never regretted playing for him because of everything he learned and the doors it opened for him. You either love him or hate him and I happen to love him.

I also respect his decision to step away after 42 years. At first, I thought it wasn't really fair to his players to resign with 10 games left in the season. On the other hand, it gives his young players a chance to work with his son and not have a really tired, burned out coach.

The beginning of February really isn't starting out well.

Feb.

I really dislike the month of February and it is not just because they announced that Bill Cosby is releasing a rap cd (??!!!).

My dad died in the month of February. Last February was probably the worst month of my little short life. Can I please have an okay month? Maybe better than okay? Can I sleep through this month and wake up on March 1st?

Oh and I forgot - my least favorite holiday is this month. Valentine's Day, otherwise known as Black Death Day. I don't think I have ever had a romantic, nice V-Day.