So my birthday was Sunday. I am now 36. I don't feel that old at all. Didn't do anything special - watched the latest episode of 24. Thought it was pretty good.
The next day, I flew to Houston to spend Thanksgiving with my sister Kim and my parents, who drove down to Houston from St. Louis. I also finally got to meet Luis, Kim's boyfriend. Luis is certainly a nice guy and a nerd like me (he is a biostatistician). Sadly, however, I can't say it has been an altogether pleasant experience. My parents have spent most of their time obsessing at Kim's apartment. Consequently I have chosen not to spend a lot of time there. Kim is the child that they really wanted to have. Kim will call them multiple times a day, Kim will ask them for advice (and money), Kim lets my parents stay connected in her life. I don't. I talk to my parents maybe once a month, and then only when they call. I don't tell them the details of my life, because I know on some subconscious level that I can't. My mom has this annoying habit of wanting to solve everybody's problems. This wouldn't be so bad, but she combines this with an overinflated sense of correctness. So after she tells you how to solve your problem, she will then call back later asking how her solution worked out, assuming of course that you did it her way. When you have to explain, well, circumstances changed, and I didn't exactly do it your way, and, well, things are different now, she will want to know why you didn't call her back, or how come you didn't do it her way anyway. And I frankly don't want to explain every single decision in my life to her. So I simply don't let her get involved from the beginning. And talking to Dad is the same as talking to her. So conversations with them, in person, when I can't feign an excuse to end a phone call, are a challenge.
So, this afternoon is Thanksgiving dinner. I'm going to be thankful that it only happens once a year.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
So Obama won.
Well that sucks. I was hoping McCain could pull it out at the end. But it was mere wishful thinking after all.
On the one hand, I think Obama is going to be a disaster for the economy. He will not hesitate to raise taxes and with the ultra-liberal Congress he's working with, the only question they will ask him is "how high do you want to go?" He wants to give "tax breaks" to people who don't pay taxes, which means eventually that we will have half the country who don't pay any taxes at all. That is not a sustainable democracy.
On the other hand, though, as others have pointed out, the situation right now is almost exactly what the situation was in 1992. And yeah it was a disaster for a while but the world didn't come to an end and it did pave the way for the eventual return of the Republican Party to control in Congress.
So I'm anxious about what Obama will do but I am also cautiously optimistic that through the current set of tribulations the Republican Party will rediscover its conservative soul.
On the one hand, I think Obama is going to be a disaster for the economy. He will not hesitate to raise taxes and with the ultra-liberal Congress he's working with, the only question they will ask him is "how high do you want to go?" He wants to give "tax breaks" to people who don't pay taxes, which means eventually that we will have half the country who don't pay any taxes at all. That is not a sustainable democracy.
On the other hand, though, as others have pointed out, the situation right now is almost exactly what the situation was in 1992. And yeah it was a disaster for a while but the world didn't come to an end and it did pave the way for the eventual return of the Republican Party to control in Congress.
So I'm anxious about what Obama will do but I am also cautiously optimistic that through the current set of tribulations the Republican Party will rediscover its conservative soul.
Quick Update - The Corn Maze
So for Halloween this year I didn't go trick-or-treating but I thought I would try out the "world's largest corn maze" which is - you guessed it - right here in Nebraska, only about 15 miles from Lincoln. The bottom line is that I never want to experience any kind of maze, corn or otherwise, again. Here are a few pictures that perhaps illustrate why this is so.
First, there was the pumpkin launcher. Actually this did look like fun, but it was more for kids. Those rubber bands sure hurled those pumpkins a long way. Oh, and note the condition of the sky. It's close to dusk.
Here is the beginning of the corn maze.
Here is a view of the barn from inside the maze.
More corn. Hey look, it's getting a little darker.
Look, it's more corn!
Wouldn't you know it. More corn.
There's a &%$^&load of corn. And now it's almost completely dark and I have no flashlight.
After a while I latched on to some other people who did have flashlights and I just followed them out. Overall it took me about 1.5 hours to navigate the maze. The sign at the entrance said the estimated time of completion was 45-60 minutes. Yeah right.
These things are more for kids. And I am too old to deliberately try to get myself lost. I do that often enough with my own research projects!
First, there was the pumpkin launcher. Actually this did look like fun, but it was more for kids. Those rubber bands sure hurled those pumpkins a long way. Oh, and note the condition of the sky. It's close to dusk.
Here is the beginning of the corn maze.
Here is a view of the barn from inside the maze.
More corn. Hey look, it's getting a little darker.
Look, it's more corn!
Wouldn't you know it. More corn.
There's a &%$^&load of corn. And now it's almost completely dark and I have no flashlight.
After a while I latched on to some other people who did have flashlights and I just followed them out. Overall it took me about 1.5 hours to navigate the maze. The sign at the entrance said the estimated time of completion was 45-60 minutes. Yeah right.
These things are more for kids. And I am too old to deliberately try to get myself lost. I do that often enough with my own research projects!
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Game Day - Pictures
Tailgaters play a little bean bag toss on the parking lot in front of the stadium.
The view of the stadium from the tailgaters' parking lot.
A bronze statue of Brook Berringer (No. 18) and Coach Tom Osborne. Berringer was a QB for the Huskers in 1996 who died tragically in a plane crash. Oh, also some random kid.
Garage rooftop tailgating.
There is a U.S. Senate race in Nebraska right now and the supporters for Johanns (R) and Kleeb (D) can be seen. They were the most polite supporters that I have ever seen.
A really big clock inside the stadium.
The view of the field from my seat. There's the Cornhusker Marching Band, "the pride of all Nebraska".
The Huskers running onto the field after the tunnel walk.
Huskers QB Joe Ganz, No. 12, warming up before the game, along with his media entourage. I've often wondered how college kids like him, who are also statewide celebrities, can focus on their education in the media frenzy atmosphere that they inhabit. Maybe, they don't.
Formation for the opening kickoff.
There's a tradition here that when the Huskers score their first touchdown, the fans release red balloons. There were a lot of balloons released.
Timeout!
A closer view of the new stadium skyboxes. I believe there is approximately a 200-year waiting list for the boxes.
There's Hamilton Hall, the chemistry building, as seen from the stadium. Rumor has it that once upon a time, chemistry grad students would sit on the roof of the building, drink beer and watch the game. Remarkably, this practice was deemed "unsafe" and the practice stopped (before my time, I might add). I can't imagine what could be unsafe about sitting on the top of a roof with no guard rails, getting drunk, in a building filled with hazardous chemicals. The nerve!
A key 3rd-and-short play for Baylor, late in the game. The Huskers defense would end up stopping the drive.
The gigantic "N" and "Nebraska" flags that would be run around the end zone after each Husker touchdown. This display came after the Huskers' last touchdown of the game.
The final score. The giant Jumbo-tron screen was, sadly, to my back so I didn't get to see it terribly often. If I go again I should want to find a seat at the opposite endzone.
Game Day - During and After
Well of course, being the idiot that I am, I dawdled too long in my office and was almost late getting to my seat for the kickoff. I just barely made it. And, being the bigger idiot, I didn't bring sunscreen or a hat, and it was a very sunny day. So my face is a little sunburned right now. All in all I would say that the experience was actually rather unpleasant. The seats consisted of numbers on metal benches; my seat was on the aisle, and the lady sitting next to me was, shall we say, quite "ample" so that meant I only really got half a seat. For much of the first half my body substantially obstructed the aisle, which was jostled whenever anyone went up or down the aisle (say, after touchdowns). And the bright sun didn't help either. The prices at the concession stands were of course outrageous ($3 hotdog, $4 ice cream, $3 soda).
Fortunately the Huskers won, but it was close for a while. They actually trailed at halftime but the defense really stepped up in the second half and shut out Baylor completely from scoring. I actually got to see the Huskers score a safety - a relatively rare thing for all of football. But there were tons of Huskers penalties during this game, just like with the Missouri game. That was a bit strange because I thought they had turned that problem around. It seems that the Huskers this year are exhibiting a "conservation of improvement" - when the defense improves, the offense backslides, and fumbles on 3rd and goal; when special teams steps up, the defense then allows an 80-yard pass play. All the parts are there, they are just not in a rhythm. Next week we play Oklahoma, which is a very good team but not unbeatable. There is some optimism that we can actually beat them this year, although I wouldn't bet any money on it. But even if we don't beat Oklahoma, there is considerable enthusiasm that we will actually make it to a bowl game this year, finishing with at least 6 wins. Right now the Huskers have 5 wins. After Oklahoma the Huskers play Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado. Kansas will be a close game; Kansas State should be a sure win; and who knows about Colorado. It's a rivalry game, and at home. Colorado hasn't looked too good this year but with rivalry games you never can tell. So we may even have 7 wins this year.
But by far the coolest part of the game for me came even before the kickoff. I was in a narrow hallway waiting to get to my seat, with a crowd of other people, when the National Anthem started playing. People stopped moving forward, took off their hats and sang along. That is actually unusual nowadays! What's more, there was a guy in the back who I guess didn't know what was going on and was shouting towards the front "hey let's go" and so forth, noting that progess in the line had stopped. He was immediately shushed by the other fans, out of reverence for the National Anthem. It's instances like these that make me proud to be associated with Nebraska.
In my next post I'll have some pictures.
Fortunately the Huskers won, but it was close for a while. They actually trailed at halftime but the defense really stepped up in the second half and shut out Baylor completely from scoring. I actually got to see the Huskers score a safety - a relatively rare thing for all of football. But there were tons of Huskers penalties during this game, just like with the Missouri game. That was a bit strange because I thought they had turned that problem around. It seems that the Huskers this year are exhibiting a "conservation of improvement" - when the defense improves, the offense backslides, and fumbles on 3rd and goal; when special teams steps up, the defense then allows an 80-yard pass play. All the parts are there, they are just not in a rhythm. Next week we play Oklahoma, which is a very good team but not unbeatable. There is some optimism that we can actually beat them this year, although I wouldn't bet any money on it. But even if we don't beat Oklahoma, there is considerable enthusiasm that we will actually make it to a bowl game this year, finishing with at least 6 wins. Right now the Huskers have 5 wins. After Oklahoma the Huskers play Kansas, Kansas State, and Colorado. Kansas will be a close game; Kansas State should be a sure win; and who knows about Colorado. It's a rivalry game, and at home. Colorado hasn't looked too good this year but with rivalry games you never can tell. So we may even have 7 wins this year.
But by far the coolest part of the game for me came even before the kickoff. I was in a narrow hallway waiting to get to my seat, with a crowd of other people, when the National Anthem started playing. People stopped moving forward, took off their hats and sang along. That is actually unusual nowadays! What's more, there was a guy in the back who I guess didn't know what was going on and was shouting towards the front "hey let's go" and so forth, noting that progess in the line had stopped. He was immediately shushed by the other fans, out of reverence for the National Anthem. It's instances like these that make me proud to be associated with Nebraska.
In my next post I'll have some pictures.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Game Day - The Pre-Game
So I'm here in my office, which is right across the parking lot from the stadium, about 2 hours before the game is set to start. I had to get here this early if I wanted any hope of finding free parking in a walkable distance. It is a bit cool outside, about 40 degrees, but it is supposed to warm up to about 60 for game time. You can definitely tell it's game day; the reds and whites are out everywhere. Not too many crazy drunk people stumbling around, but after all it is an early game so I suppose it's not too surprising. I haven't seen any Baylor fans yet (or at least, those who would self-identify as Baylor fans); maybe they are still cowering in their hotel rooms? :) The parking lot just east of the stadium is Tailgating Central so I will head out over there and take a few pictures.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
The Presidential Debate
Speaking of the debate, I thought McCain did a very good job last night. I'm not sure why people thought Obama won it - he sounded more stridently liberal (e.g., class warfare rhetoric, "health insurance is a right", etc.) than in the previous debate. Like a lot of other people, I thought Brokaw did a terrible job; he turned it into a traditional debate instead of the more open format that was intended. My favorite part, though, was how McCain worked the rules. He seemed to get a disproportionate share of final answers to questions and he used those to take shots at Obama when Obama wasn't allowed, via the rules, to respond. And the one time when he did attempt to break the rules to respond to one of McCain's volleys, he was shouted down by Brokaw the Enforcer. Man I loved that part. For an old man, McCain's a clever guy.
And a lot of people are complaining that McCain didn't bring up Obama's connections with scurrilous folks like Ayers and Rezko. Actually I'm kinda glad that he didn't. That's not McCain's job. That the job of the right-wing blogosphere and punditry. And I think they are doing a pretty good job so far.
And a lot of people are complaining that McCain didn't bring up Obama's connections with scurrilous folks like Ayers and Rezko. Actually I'm kinda glad that he didn't. That's not McCain's job. That the job of the right-wing blogosphere and punditry. And I think they are doing a pretty good job so far.
weight loss progress (or lack thereof)
Okay so my weight has remained more or less the same over the past month. I attribute this to a lack of consistency. I would sometimes stay within my calorie range and sometimes not; I would sometimes go to the gym and sometimes not. I've decided that this month I am going to focus on discipline. It matters less what I actually do (as long as it is helpful); it matters more that I do it regularly and consistently. So I've put off the weight lifting for now (because I don't actually like weight lifting) and I'm going to do only cardio, 6 days a week, in the mornings, without fail. And, I won't slack off on my other duties. I won't let my apartment get a messy wreck and then spend an entire day cleaning it; I will clean as I go. I won't let the dishes pile up in the sink. Etc.
But, then a further realization revealed that I've done this sort of thing before; I would make a commitment to do something, put my entire energy behind it, but then inevitably my will power would falter and I would slip back into the old ways. So this time I'm going to change things up a bit. I'm going to reward myself periodically for remaining disciplined. And, what better reward than beer! Lite beer, of course. And, only one mug. (Well maybe two.) And some associated keno. It won't be one big reward at the end for being successful, because I will never make it that far without some encouragement in the middle. So, twice a week or so I will treat myself in this way. One or two beers won't bust my budget or my diet and it will be something I can look forward to.
So far, so good. I did cheat a little bit today when I had a slice of pizza but I remained steadfast the rest of the time. And I had beer and keno last night after the presidential debate. This morning I weighed myself and I was at 231 lbs. So wish me luck. By the end of the month I hope to be below 230 lbs certainly, hopefully around 227-228 lbs or so.
But, then a further realization revealed that I've done this sort of thing before; I would make a commitment to do something, put my entire energy behind it, but then inevitably my will power would falter and I would slip back into the old ways. So this time I'm going to change things up a bit. I'm going to reward myself periodically for remaining disciplined. And, what better reward than beer! Lite beer, of course. And, only one mug. (Well maybe two.) And some associated keno. It won't be one big reward at the end for being successful, because I will never make it that far without some encouragement in the middle. So, twice a week or so I will treat myself in this way. One or two beers won't bust my budget or my diet and it will be something I can look forward to.
So far, so good. I did cheat a little bit today when I had a slice of pizza but I remained steadfast the rest of the time. And I had beer and keno last night after the presidential debate. This morning I weighed myself and I was at 231 lbs. So wish me luck. By the end of the month I hope to be below 230 lbs certainly, hopefully around 227-228 lbs or so.
More on Nebraska Gas
Here in Nebraska there is something weird. The price for mid-grade gasoline is actually less than the price for low-grade gas. The mid-grade gas has 10% ethanol and I believe that the price is due to ethanol subsidies. You see the same thing in Iowa. I've tried to find information on the Web to see how this came about but I've been unsuccessful so far, and I really don't want to wade through piles of legislative records. So, if you notice the price of liquor increasing in your area, you'll be happy to know that it's because I'm burning your alcohol in my car.
Wow
Wow, I didn't realize it had been a whole month already since I updated my blog. My apologies to my 2 blog readers.
Price of Gas
Hey guess what, today the price of gas here has fallen to below $3/gallon. I saw it at $2.99 and at $2.97. Good news indeed - I celebrate the price of gas that, just a mere 5 years ago would have seemed extortionate. Sure my retirement fund has been wiped out but I'm getting a great deal on gas!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Belated Blog Update #2: Weight Loss
So I have beem making a concerted effort to lose weight while I'm here. I hired a personal trainer, I have been studying nutrition, but most of all I feel like this is my last chance to lose the weight that I should lose. If I can't do it now when I have plenty of time to devote to the effort, then I'm probably never going to be able to do it.
Things started off well. I started at 236 lbs. and over the course of 4 weeks I was down to 232.5 lbs. Not dramatic, but definitely good. And then...I had a complete lapse of will yesterday. I had 3/4 of a large pepperoni pizza and I didn't go to the gym. This morning's weight? 236 lbs. I gained it all back in the course of one day. I can't tell you how disheartening this feels.
I guess the most enlightening aspect is the degree to which cheating will inhibit my progress. I can't really cheat at all and expect to get to the weight that I desire.
UPDATE: Okay so I just weighed myself right now, after eating breakfast and taking a shower, and now my scale says 235 lbs. Weird.
Things started off well. I started at 236 lbs. and over the course of 4 weeks I was down to 232.5 lbs. Not dramatic, but definitely good. And then...I had a complete lapse of will yesterday. I had 3/4 of a large pepperoni pizza and I didn't go to the gym. This morning's weight? 236 lbs. I gained it all back in the course of one day. I can't tell you how disheartening this feels.
I guess the most enlightening aspect is the degree to which cheating will inhibit my progress. I can't really cheat at all and expect to get to the weight that I desire.
UPDATE: Okay so I just weighed myself right now, after eating breakfast and taking a shower, and now my scale says 235 lbs. Weird.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Belated Blog Update #1: Game Day
Wow. I am decidedly remiss in not updating this blog more frequently. So let me begin my update with the most anticipated day in all of Nebraska. No it's not Election Day or Groundhog Day, it's...
...the First Game Day of the Cornhuskers Football Season.
You had better believe that people around here were approaching Game Day with considerable enthusiasm. First, it's been a whole 9 months since the last Husker game. (No, make that 10. No bowl game last year...) Second, it's a brand new head coach. Bo Pelini. Actually he's not brand brand new, he was head coach for one game right after Frank Solich was fired in 2003. And it was a bowl game too. But then everybody knew it was just a temporary gig. Now he's the permanent guy. (Well, as permanent as these jobs are in college football.)
This town is nuts about Bo, especially since he is not the old guy. Bill Calla-something. I even forget now. This place is always nuts about football, but it is especially nuts about Bo. In fact you may even buy custom rocks showing your support for Bo. I can't seem to find an online picture of it, but there are posters around depicting Bo in a comic book superhero pose.
So you might say that a lot of the state's emotional energy invested in Bo.
For game day I decided to go to the local tavern, Fox's Sports Bar, and have a drink. I got there early and boy was I glad. Even 30 minutes before game time the place was packed. And this isn't a downtown bar either. Those places fill up by 9 AM. This place is way on the outskirts of town. At first I shared a table with this couple and then some spots opened up at the bar and we all moved there. We talked football a little bit, and then the bartender offered me, for the occasion...
...a Big Red Schooner of beer.
Why of course I jumped at the opportunity! Who doesn't want to drink a red beer, especially when you know it's not supposed to be red? Well behold, the Big Red Schooner!
This vessel holds approximately half a pitcher of beer. And I had two of them. (But during the course of the whole game.) However I requested that the second schooner not be red. For I had assumed that to make a Big Red Schooner of beer, the bartender would add red food coloring to the beer, like they do on St. Patrick's Day to make green beer. Well, no. You see, the substance that gives a Big Red Schooner its red color is...tomato juice. And I'm just not going to have another half-pitcher of tomato-juice-flavored beer.
And that was my experience on Opening Game Day 2008. I hope to actually go to a game, maybe in a few weeks' time.
Oh, and the Huskers won.
...the First Game Day of the Cornhuskers Football Season.
You had better believe that people around here were approaching Game Day with considerable enthusiasm. First, it's been a whole 9 months since the last Husker game. (No, make that 10. No bowl game last year...) Second, it's a brand new head coach. Bo Pelini. Actually he's not brand brand new, he was head coach for one game right after Frank Solich was fired in 2003. And it was a bowl game too. But then everybody knew it was just a temporary gig. Now he's the permanent guy. (Well, as permanent as these jobs are in college football.)
This town is nuts about Bo, especially since he is not the old guy. Bill Calla-something. I even forget now. This place is always nuts about football, but it is especially nuts about Bo. In fact you may even buy custom rocks showing your support for Bo. I can't seem to find an online picture of it, but there are posters around depicting Bo in a comic book superhero pose.
So you might say that a lot of the state's emotional energy invested in Bo.
For game day I decided to go to the local tavern, Fox's Sports Bar, and have a drink. I got there early and boy was I glad. Even 30 minutes before game time the place was packed. And this isn't a downtown bar either. Those places fill up by 9 AM. This place is way on the outskirts of town. At first I shared a table with this couple and then some spots opened up at the bar and we all moved there. We talked football a little bit, and then the bartender offered me, for the occasion...
...a Big Red Schooner of beer.
Why of course I jumped at the opportunity! Who doesn't want to drink a red beer, especially when you know it's not supposed to be red? Well behold, the Big Red Schooner!
This vessel holds approximately half a pitcher of beer. And I had two of them. (But during the course of the whole game.) However I requested that the second schooner not be red. For I had assumed that to make a Big Red Schooner of beer, the bartender would add red food coloring to the beer, like they do on St. Patrick's Day to make green beer. Well, no. You see, the substance that gives a Big Red Schooner its red color is...tomato juice. And I'm just not going to have another half-pitcher of tomato-juice-flavored beer.
And that was my experience on Opening Game Day 2008. I hope to actually go to a game, maybe in a few weeks' time.
Oh, and the Huskers won.
Friday, August 22, 2008
I'm angry at Wells Fargo.
Okay, so Wells Fargo is my bank and they've accumulated two strikes just in the past month.
Strike One: I walk into a branch to change my address. I dutifully approach the teller, who informs me that my request must be handled by a banker. Seems strange to me - I'm only changing my address, not really something for which a degree of finance is required. So I talk with a banker, who dutifully changes my address but then begins inquiring about the rest of my accounts. Am I happy with my checking? Wouldn't I want an upgraded account? My, there's a lot of money in my savings account. Would I be interested in CDs? Oh, and didn't I know that I could get text messages on my cell phone concerning bank transactions? Now I realize the reason why mundane address-change requests must be handled by bankers. Apparently, when I walk in the door, it's an opportunity for them to sell me something. I'm annoyed and a little offended that I can't walk into a branch office anymore without this level of hassle. I pledge to avoid walking into banks.
Strike Two: I search online at the Wells Fargo website, trying to find what the fee is for stopping payment on a check. (I think a check may have been lost in the mail.) I search everywhere and I can't find it so I call customer support. I have to ask the nice lady a couple of times because there's a bit of confusion - was this a payment made with their bill pay service or with a paper check? Because the fee for stopping payment on the online bill pay service is zero. However, she notices that my bill pay service "hasn't been activated yet". Quite frankly I was only vaguely aware that Wells Fargo offered online bill pay but I wasn't terribly interested - I can pay most of my bills online now anyway via the vendors' websites. So she looks up the fee (it's $29) and we bid each other good day. Well, lo and behold, about an hour later I get an email from Wells Fargo saying "Welcome to Bill Pay"! At first I thought maybe my account had been compromised but then I remembered my conversation from earlier - she probably "activated" this bill pay service without my permission. So I call back - at this time it's late in the afternoon, on a Friday - and I demand that this bill pay service be canceled. I don't care that it's free or whatever, I didn't ask for it so I want it turned off. The gentleman this time again asks about my savings account - wouldn't I want an upgraded savings account? I angrily answer "no". He cancels my bill pay but then transfers my call to an online banker who will discuss my savings account with me further. UGH. I am in no mood to discuss savings accounts right now but I talk with the banker. I don't change my savings account but I do go off on a tirade. I didn't ask for the online bill pay, it was wrong to sign me up for it without my permission, and would you be so kind as to carry this complaint to your superior? She meekly said that the call was recorded and the call hastily ended.
Afterward I felt a little bad on how I treated her, after all it wasn't her fault, but I was damn angry. I told her too that I was on the verge of changing banks, and I am. As far as I'm concerned, they've earned two strikes. One more strike and they're out. It makes me sad, too, because I've been a loyal customer of theirs for about 10 years now and up to this point I've been mostly satisfied with their service. But it's only been recently, I think, that they've adopted this business model where their object is to badger people into purchasing new financial products. Heck I might change banks anyway even if it doesn't take another "strike".
Strike One: I walk into a branch to change my address. I dutifully approach the teller, who informs me that my request must be handled by a banker. Seems strange to me - I'm only changing my address, not really something for which a degree of finance is required. So I talk with a banker, who dutifully changes my address but then begins inquiring about the rest of my accounts. Am I happy with my checking? Wouldn't I want an upgraded account? My, there's a lot of money in my savings account. Would I be interested in CDs? Oh, and didn't I know that I could get text messages on my cell phone concerning bank transactions? Now I realize the reason why mundane address-change requests must be handled by bankers. Apparently, when I walk in the door, it's an opportunity for them to sell me something. I'm annoyed and a little offended that I can't walk into a branch office anymore without this level of hassle. I pledge to avoid walking into banks.
Strike Two: I search online at the Wells Fargo website, trying to find what the fee is for stopping payment on a check. (I think a check may have been lost in the mail.) I search everywhere and I can't find it so I call customer support. I have to ask the nice lady a couple of times because there's a bit of confusion - was this a payment made with their bill pay service or with a paper check? Because the fee for stopping payment on the online bill pay service is zero. However, she notices that my bill pay service "hasn't been activated yet". Quite frankly I was only vaguely aware that Wells Fargo offered online bill pay but I wasn't terribly interested - I can pay most of my bills online now anyway via the vendors' websites. So she looks up the fee (it's $29) and we bid each other good day. Well, lo and behold, about an hour later I get an email from Wells Fargo saying "Welcome to Bill Pay"! At first I thought maybe my account had been compromised but then I remembered my conversation from earlier - she probably "activated" this bill pay service without my permission. So I call back - at this time it's late in the afternoon, on a Friday - and I demand that this bill pay service be canceled. I don't care that it's free or whatever, I didn't ask for it so I want it turned off. The gentleman this time again asks about my savings account - wouldn't I want an upgraded savings account? I angrily answer "no". He cancels my bill pay but then transfers my call to an online banker who will discuss my savings account with me further. UGH. I am in no mood to discuss savings accounts right now but I talk with the banker. I don't change my savings account but I do go off on a tirade. I didn't ask for the online bill pay, it was wrong to sign me up for it without my permission, and would you be so kind as to carry this complaint to your superior? She meekly said that the call was recorded and the call hastily ended.
Afterward I felt a little bad on how I treated her, after all it wasn't her fault, but I was damn angry. I told her too that I was on the verge of changing banks, and I am. As far as I'm concerned, they've earned two strikes. One more strike and they're out. It makes me sad, too, because I've been a loyal customer of theirs for about 10 years now and up to this point I've been mostly satisfied with their service. But it's only been recently, I think, that they've adopted this business model where their object is to badger people into purchasing new financial products. Heck I might change banks anyway even if it doesn't take another "strike".
Thursday, August 14, 2008
I Got Polled
I got polled by Rasmussen just now. So if tomorrow's polls seem out of whack you'll know why. :-) I gave the answers that I thought would support McCain because Lord knows he could use the help. One interesting question was if I thought it was likely that Hillary would win the Democratic nomination. At this late date? This question occurred right after the one about whether I thought the roll-call vote at the Democratic convention would help to unify the party or not. Hmm. I guess the people at Rasmussen are suspecting that Hillary still has a few tricks up her sleeve just yet. Wouldn't that be something - a floor fight at the convention? I was thinking about actually going to both conventions since I happen to be roughly right in between the two cities of Denver and Minneapolis. Of course I wouldn't be able to get in or anything but I'd at least get to see the antics and the protestors and the media circus aspect. But then again, do I really want to spend all that time and gas money to see idiots who have too much time on their hands make fools of themselves? I can do that for free from the comfort of my own home.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Two Realizations
Over the past couple of days, I've come to two important realizations.
First, I had a "fitness evaluation" at the Y with Brittany. Brittany is a recent graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University with an exercise science degree. So, I presume that she knows what she is talking about. She measured my heart rate, how many sit-ups/push-ups I could do in a minute, that sort of thing. She also measured my body fat percentage. Folks, I am 35% fat. It is really sad. And then she told me that my capacity for aerobic exercise was "low". We set up an exercise regimen together that I am praying will work.
This came as a bit of a shock to me - not the fat part, but that my capacity was considered "low". I had been exercising with Shaun since the beginning of the year and, granted, the past two months or so I hadn't been terribly consistent, but I had lost 15 pounds since the beginning of the year. I considered that a great achievement. I'm now really depressed over how little of an achievement that really is for me. It is one of my personal goals for my sabbatical that I take this "year off" to get in shape, this year when I don't have a fixed schedule and I have relative freedom to devote a great deal of time to the effort. But now I realize that I have a long, long, LONG way to go before I am anything close to "fit", and I seriously don't know if I can make it. I also view this sabbatical as my "last chance". I've tried to lose weight off and on for my entire life and none of it, obviously, has been successful. If I can't be successful this year in at least getting reasonably close to my target weight then it may just be time for me to give up, accept my obesity and that I'm going to die of heart disease before I'm 60. So, this sabbatical has taken on a new dimension for me. It is the Last Stand in the war between Jeff and Fat.
My second realization came last night as I decided to venture out to Fox Sports Bar & Grill. I had been there a couple of times before; it's relatively far out of town and the other times I had been there, the clientele seemed to consist mostly of businesspeople enjoying happy hour. That seemed fine with me. But last night was the first time I went there on a weekend evening. To my relative surprise the place was full of frat-boy types and drunk blonde women. If I had wanted this experience I could go to any downtown bar and see the same thing. It finally dawned on me that this was not the place for me. Not just Fox, but this category of bar in general.
(This is going to sound Marxist, so if there are children in the room, tell them to close their eyes!)
Ever since I became a professor I've struggled with my class identity, or even if it matters. I am the kind of guy who, honestly, likes drinking Miller Lite. I can appreciate good beer but I'm not exactly a connoisseur or anything. And I've never been into wine snobbery or hard alcohol snobbery (e.g., Scotch, martinis), or pretentious activities in general. So I go to sports bars and the like that don't have that kind of pretentious atmosphere and who have bartenders who don't look at you funny if you deign to order a Miller Lite. But now I've realized that the type of woman for whom I am going to be able to compete is not likely to be found at this type of establishment, even if it's not strictly a sports bar. The type of woman likely to be found at the establishments that I frequent are indeed the ditzy drunk blondes that I saw last night, and even if they were attractive to me on more than just a physical level, I will be outcompeted for their affections by the frat boys.
So, this leaves the women who don't go to these types of bars. They are the ones who would more correctly fall into my class, as it is defined by my profession. They are more likely to be the wine snobs and appreciate more "highbrow" activities. That's what is expected of members of my class, right? So does that mean that if I want to find a woman who not only is appealing to me both physically and mentally, but also whom I have a chance of wooing over, that I must start acting like a pretentious snob and going to martini bars? Is this called "growing up" or "faking it"? I honestly don't know.
I guess I will see what happens tonight. I've decided to go here tonight to see what happens. I'd been there once before and it seemed like a strange place at the time but maybe this is the place I have to go to in order to finally end my loneliness. I think the review from the Seattle guy says it all.
Anyway, those have been my Deep Thoughts(TM) for the past few days. Let me know what you think.
First, I had a "fitness evaluation" at the Y with Brittany. Brittany is a recent graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University with an exercise science degree. So, I presume that she knows what she is talking about. She measured my heart rate, how many sit-ups/push-ups I could do in a minute, that sort of thing. She also measured my body fat percentage. Folks, I am 35% fat. It is really sad. And then she told me that my capacity for aerobic exercise was "low". We set up an exercise regimen together that I am praying will work.
This came as a bit of a shock to me - not the fat part, but that my capacity was considered "low". I had been exercising with Shaun since the beginning of the year and, granted, the past two months or so I hadn't been terribly consistent, but I had lost 15 pounds since the beginning of the year. I considered that a great achievement. I'm now really depressed over how little of an achievement that really is for me. It is one of my personal goals for my sabbatical that I take this "year off" to get in shape, this year when I don't have a fixed schedule and I have relative freedom to devote a great deal of time to the effort. But now I realize that I have a long, long, LONG way to go before I am anything close to "fit", and I seriously don't know if I can make it. I also view this sabbatical as my "last chance". I've tried to lose weight off and on for my entire life and none of it, obviously, has been successful. If I can't be successful this year in at least getting reasonably close to my target weight then it may just be time for me to give up, accept my obesity and that I'm going to die of heart disease before I'm 60. So, this sabbatical has taken on a new dimension for me. It is the Last Stand in the war between Jeff and Fat.
My second realization came last night as I decided to venture out to Fox Sports Bar & Grill. I had been there a couple of times before; it's relatively far out of town and the other times I had been there, the clientele seemed to consist mostly of businesspeople enjoying happy hour. That seemed fine with me. But last night was the first time I went there on a weekend evening. To my relative surprise the place was full of frat-boy types and drunk blonde women. If I had wanted this experience I could go to any downtown bar and see the same thing. It finally dawned on me that this was not the place for me. Not just Fox, but this category of bar in general.
(This is going to sound Marxist, so if there are children in the room, tell them to close their eyes!)
Ever since I became a professor I've struggled with my class identity, or even if it matters. I am the kind of guy who, honestly, likes drinking Miller Lite. I can appreciate good beer but I'm not exactly a connoisseur or anything. And I've never been into wine snobbery or hard alcohol snobbery (e.g., Scotch, martinis), or pretentious activities in general. So I go to sports bars and the like that don't have that kind of pretentious atmosphere and who have bartenders who don't look at you funny if you deign to order a Miller Lite. But now I've realized that the type of woman for whom I am going to be able to compete is not likely to be found at this type of establishment, even if it's not strictly a sports bar. The type of woman likely to be found at the establishments that I frequent are indeed the ditzy drunk blondes that I saw last night, and even if they were attractive to me on more than just a physical level, I will be outcompeted for their affections by the frat boys.
So, this leaves the women who don't go to these types of bars. They are the ones who would more correctly fall into my class, as it is defined by my profession. They are more likely to be the wine snobs and appreciate more "highbrow" activities. That's what is expected of members of my class, right? So does that mean that if I want to find a woman who not only is appealing to me both physically and mentally, but also whom I have a chance of wooing over, that I must start acting like a pretentious snob and going to martini bars? Is this called "growing up" or "faking it"? I honestly don't know.
I guess I will see what happens tonight. I've decided to go here tonight to see what happens. I'd been there once before and it seemed like a strange place at the time but maybe this is the place I have to go to in order to finally end my loneliness. I think the review from the Seattle guy says it all.
Anyway, those have been my Deep Thoughts(TM) for the past few days. Let me know what you think.
Friday, August 8, 2008
FINALLY
The network ports in my office have FINALLY been activated. I now have a fully functional office. Woo-hoo. Just in time for the weekend.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Settling Down
So I have finally finished my month of transition and I'm starting to get into the groove of things here. I finally met with both my sabbatical hosts and I have a pretty good idea of both projects I'll be working on, in addition to my own personal research project. Oh and of course the book I'm co-authoring with Tom Herrmann. I think I have bitten off more than I can chew. But that is what goes with the sabbatical territory, I suppose: I'm paid not to teach and focus intensely on my work. My colloquium next year, though, is bound to be densely packed with chemical goodness.
The apartment complex at which I reside is in a relatively new area of town so things are still very much well maintained. The complex itself seems dorm-ish; the crowd consists mostly of young 20-somethings. And it really seemed like a dorm late on Saturday night when one tenant very loudly announced her drunken state. Ugh. Overall though it is a nice place.
I have noticed, though, that the town has seemed to take on more of a big-city feel, and not in a good way. The drivers seem more rude than from what I remembered from my grad school days. In fact I would joke that they were "too nice", i.e., failing to honk their horn when they should have. While people still aren't leaning on their horn (thank goodness), they do seem to be less courteous in passing and speeding. I had thought that the polite driver culture was a larger part of the Nebraska culture, but maybe it is just a part of the small-town culture that Lincoln is rapidly outgrowing.
But I do immensely like all the things that there are to do here in Lincoln that I completely took for granted when I lived here. Such as the multiplicity of movie theaters. And all of the various restaurants. So far I haven't ventured beyond the occasional chain restaurant, but I will try more of them. In fact, I hope to have a semi-regular restaurant review as a part of this blog.
On the other side, though, I do feel quite lonely. All of the friends that I had here when I went to school are long gone; Gerry's grad students are great people but they have their own circle of friends and besides, I'm 10 years older than all of them. Those of you who know me really well know that I'm not the kind of guy who tends to have lots of casual friends; I'm more of the few-close-friends person. So it's hard for me to strike up a conversation with the random person. The insurance agent that I'm working with, for my new auto and renter's policy, is a real cutie. So far we have only talked insurance, and just in casual chit-chat she laughed at my jokes and funny stories. Is this a sign that there is some interest? Or is she just trying to get me to buy more insurance? I don't know. I'm so confused over these matters that I tend not to even seriously think about it anymore. From what she told me about her work and college experience she would be about 8-10 years younger than me, so the age difference isn't terribly favorable. Would it hurt to ask her out for a casual drink after work? Maybe I can arrange it that the next time that I "must" meet with her over insurance matters just happens to be 4:30 or so on a Friday afternoon. That is kinda sneaky but I guess that is how the game is played.
Oh, and just to let you know, while you are all on my mind here, Kat especially is in the foreground of my consciousness because I must pass this street every day on the way to the university.
Please write back with thoughts, opinions, comments, idle chatter, lengthy blatherings, or all of the above. I'd love to read what you have to say.
The apartment complex at which I reside is in a relatively new area of town so things are still very much well maintained. The complex itself seems dorm-ish; the crowd consists mostly of young 20-somethings. And it really seemed like a dorm late on Saturday night when one tenant very loudly announced her drunken state. Ugh. Overall though it is a nice place.
I have noticed, though, that the town has seemed to take on more of a big-city feel, and not in a good way. The drivers seem more rude than from what I remembered from my grad school days. In fact I would joke that they were "too nice", i.e., failing to honk their horn when they should have. While people still aren't leaning on their horn (thank goodness), they do seem to be less courteous in passing and speeding. I had thought that the polite driver culture was a larger part of the Nebraska culture, but maybe it is just a part of the small-town culture that Lincoln is rapidly outgrowing.
But I do immensely like all the things that there are to do here in Lincoln that I completely took for granted when I lived here. Such as the multiplicity of movie theaters. And all of the various restaurants. So far I haven't ventured beyond the occasional chain restaurant, but I will try more of them. In fact, I hope to have a semi-regular restaurant review as a part of this blog.
On the other side, though, I do feel quite lonely. All of the friends that I had here when I went to school are long gone; Gerry's grad students are great people but they have their own circle of friends and besides, I'm 10 years older than all of them. Those of you who know me really well know that I'm not the kind of guy who tends to have lots of casual friends; I'm more of the few-close-friends person. So it's hard for me to strike up a conversation with the random person. The insurance agent that I'm working with, for my new auto and renter's policy, is a real cutie. So far we have only talked insurance, and just in casual chit-chat she laughed at my jokes and funny stories. Is this a sign that there is some interest? Or is she just trying to get me to buy more insurance? I don't know. I'm so confused over these matters that I tend not to even seriously think about it anymore. From what she told me about her work and college experience she would be about 8-10 years younger than me, so the age difference isn't terribly favorable. Would it hurt to ask her out for a casual drink after work? Maybe I can arrange it that the next time that I "must" meet with her over insurance matters just happens to be 4:30 or so on a Friday afternoon. That is kinda sneaky but I guess that is how the game is played.
Oh, and just to let you know, while you are all on my mind here, Kat especially is in the foreground of my consciousness because I must pass this street every day on the way to the university.
Please write back with thoughts, opinions, comments, idle chatter, lengthy blatherings, or all of the above. I'd love to read what you have to say.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Back in Nebraska
I flew back into Omaha today, to continue the next phase of this trip - attending the BCCE in Bloomington, Indiana. I was going to go to this anyway, but Dave's funeral just changed the plans a little bit. I thought that since I don't have to be at the meeting until Saturday morning, I would fly into Omaha Thursday night and then spend Friday driving to Bloomington. This plan necessitates getting a hotel room in the Omaha area for Thursday night. Actually I decided to get a room in Council Bluffs since that's marginally closer to Indiana than Omaha.
So it was a long set of three flights, ending finally around midnight, and I decided - and this was a bad call, in hindsight - that before getting a hotel room maybe I should head on down to the riverboat casino. Well, an hour later and $59 poorer I'm back on the road looking for a room and...they are all booked. Apparently there's a Neil Diamond concert, deaf kids going back to school, and basically the perfect convergence of events to book pretty much all the hotel rooms in Council Bluffs. So I figure, it's 1:30 AM at this point, I will continue to drive east until I find some sign of a hotel room. The very next exit has a hotel! The parking lot also looks very full, so I hesitantly inquire if there is a room, and lo and behold there is exactly one room left - the "deluxe room", which goes for $89.99. Which, if you know me, is about 50% more than I expect to pay for a hotel room. But it's late and I'm desperate so I take the room. Ugh.
Between the expensive airport food, the outrageous parking fees at the Omaha airport, my foolish gambling and the overpriced room, it's been an expensive day. But at least there's wireless internet and "free" continental breakfast.
So it was a long set of three flights, ending finally around midnight, and I decided - and this was a bad call, in hindsight - that before getting a hotel room maybe I should head on down to the riverboat casino. Well, an hour later and $59 poorer I'm back on the road looking for a room and...they are all booked. Apparently there's a Neil Diamond concert, deaf kids going back to school, and basically the perfect convergence of events to book pretty much all the hotel rooms in Council Bluffs. So I figure, it's 1:30 AM at this point, I will continue to drive east until I find some sign of a hotel room. The very next exit has a hotel! The parking lot also looks very full, so I hesitantly inquire if there is a room, and lo and behold there is exactly one room left - the "deluxe room", which goes for $89.99. Which, if you know me, is about 50% more than I expect to pay for a hotel room. But it's late and I'm desperate so I take the room. Ugh.
Between the expensive airport food, the outrageous parking fees at the Omaha airport, my foolish gambling and the overpriced room, it's been an expensive day. But at least there's wireless internet and "free" continental breakfast.
The Service
The service on Wednesday was a Mass of Christian Burial at La Grande's Catholic church. I thought it was a very nice service. There were three priests there and they all offered very consoling words to Anna and her family. At one point one of the priests said that there are some things that are just beyond human comprehension. I'm starting to agree with that now. It is still hard for me to understand how a man could be so tormeted with depression without anyone, not even his own wife, having a hint that something was wrong. He also said that we must find it within ourselves to forgive Dave, which I thought also was very wise. It's easy to be angry with Dave for being so "selfish" as to take his own life in a fit of despair when he leaves behind a family who must suffer as a result. But that invariably isn't the correct story and, as above, we may never truly understand.
I was teary-eyed throughout the whole service and then when I finally got a chance to talk to Anna I just let loose a torrent of tears. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. I don't think I even felt this way when my own grandparents died. Anna really is like family to me and it hurts me so much that she is suffering so tremendously. And I continue to be amazed by Anna's strength. I would have been a wreck throughout the whole thing, but Anna...
The small bit of good news is that Anna's established a David Mayes Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can read about it in the La Grande Observer obituary.
Goodbye, Dave. We will all miss you.
I was teary-eyed throughout the whole service and then when I finally got a chance to talk to Anna I just let loose a torrent of tears. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. I don't think I even felt this way when my own grandparents died. Anna really is like family to me and it hurts me so much that she is suffering so tremendously. And I continue to be amazed by Anna's strength. I would have been a wreck throughout the whole thing, but Anna...
The small bit of good news is that Anna's established a David Mayes Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can read about it in the La Grande Observer obituary.
Goodbye, Dave. We will all miss you.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sad News
I was going to write a blog entry about my thoughts on Lincoln now that I’ve returned after a long time away. I was going to write an entry about my bumbling and incompetent apartment search. I was even thinking about writing a blog entry about Zoe, the mean, elderly cat of Gerry and Marjorie.
But all that was before I heard the terrible news: David Mayes, husband of Anna and good friend, passed away last Friday. He apparently took his own life via carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is an incredible shock to everyone. Nobody, absolutely nobody, saw this coming. Even after four days of pondering it is still an incomprehensible mystery to me.
I had a beer with Dave, Anna, and some other folks on the Thursday before I left. We talked about the matrix eigenvector problem that he had been working on for quite some time, and the good news that a CS student, Doug, had finally figured out how to use the parallel computing cluster to find the eigenvectors of massive arrays. We were hopeful that we would be able to take his large quantity of spectrophotometer data and transform it into a series of usable spectra. Dave also talked about his model train project, and how he wanted me to illegally transport some creosote from Nebraska back to La Grande, just so the model trains would have an authentic smell. It seemed like a lot of trouble for a small detail, but Dave was also the guy who would scour the Internet to find authentic bolts for restoring his VWs. Dave also was a DJ at the college’s radio station, where he would play an eclectic blend of music that was unlikely to be played anywhere else. Dave also was working to build a spectrometer business based on a near-infrared spectrophotomer that he himself designed and built. He had many creative ideas for how to use his spectrophotometer: as a method for measuring protein content in grains without subjecting them to a wet chemical analysis, and as a method for instantly determining the quality of a spot weld, for instance. Dave was a brilliant guy; he had B.S. degrees in both physics and chemistry, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington (no slouch of an institution). When you disagreed with Dave, you wanted to make sure that you were really sure about what you were saying, because Dave had a way of incisively exposing your weakness. He also had a rather corny sense of humor; this is evident from his choice of domain names, http://www.amayesing.com/. Dave not only leaves Anna behind, but also two stepdaughters and a son, Mark, who’s about 12 years old.
So, I am now at the Omaha airport about to fly back to La Grande to attend Dave’s funeral, which is tomorrow. It is a surreal nightmare that I am even here. I take my leisurely time to drive out to Lincoln from La Grande, having on balance a pleasant time, and now I must fly back for the saddest of events.
I’m starting to tear up just writing this. I can’t believe he’s really gone.
But all that was before I heard the terrible news: David Mayes, husband of Anna and good friend, passed away last Friday. He apparently took his own life via carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is an incredible shock to everyone. Nobody, absolutely nobody, saw this coming. Even after four days of pondering it is still an incomprehensible mystery to me.
I had a beer with Dave, Anna, and some other folks on the Thursday before I left. We talked about the matrix eigenvector problem that he had been working on for quite some time, and the good news that a CS student, Doug, had finally figured out how to use the parallel computing cluster to find the eigenvectors of massive arrays. We were hopeful that we would be able to take his large quantity of spectrophotometer data and transform it into a series of usable spectra. Dave also talked about his model train project, and how he wanted me to illegally transport some creosote from Nebraska back to La Grande, just so the model trains would have an authentic smell. It seemed like a lot of trouble for a small detail, but Dave was also the guy who would scour the Internet to find authentic bolts for restoring his VWs. Dave also was a DJ at the college’s radio station, where he would play an eclectic blend of music that was unlikely to be played anywhere else. Dave also was working to build a spectrometer business based on a near-infrared spectrophotomer that he himself designed and built. He had many creative ideas for how to use his spectrophotometer: as a method for measuring protein content in grains without subjecting them to a wet chemical analysis, and as a method for instantly determining the quality of a spot weld, for instance. Dave was a brilliant guy; he had B.S. degrees in both physics and chemistry, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington (no slouch of an institution). When you disagreed with Dave, you wanted to make sure that you were really sure about what you were saying, because Dave had a way of incisively exposing your weakness. He also had a rather corny sense of humor; this is evident from his choice of domain names, http://www.amayesing.com/. Dave not only leaves Anna behind, but also two stepdaughters and a son, Mark, who’s about 12 years old.
So, I am now at the Omaha airport about to fly back to La Grande to attend Dave’s funeral, which is tomorrow. It is a surreal nightmare that I am even here. I take my leisurely time to drive out to Lincoln from La Grande, having on balance a pleasant time, and now I must fly back for the saddest of events.
I’m starting to tear up just writing this. I can’t believe he’s really gone.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The End and the Beginning
And then I arrived in Lincoln. Here's one view of the Capitol building (actually taken on Friday).
It is the end of my roadtrip and the true beginning of my sabbatical. I was fortunate that my sabbatical host, Gerry Harbison, was actually leaving on Friday for a mini-vacation, since he asked me to house-sit for him while he was gone. So I have a place to stay at least temporarily.
I don't yet have an office but I have already begun my work. I'm excited about this project, it involves theoretical modeling of explosives and their decomposition products.
It is the end of my roadtrip and the true beginning of my sabbatical. I was fortunate that my sabbatical host, Gerry Harbison, was actually leaving on Friday for a mini-vacation, since he asked me to house-sit for him while he was gone. So I have a place to stay at least temporarily.
I don't yet have an office but I have already begun my work. I'm excited about this project, it involves theoretical modeling of explosives and their decomposition products.
Ball of Twine
On Thursday, I drove from Salina, KS to Lincoln, with a brief detour to the charming town of Cawker City, Kansas. This town has the distinct honor of housing the World's Largest Ball of Twine.
And it is quite the majestic sight, too. Here it is!
As of 2006, its total length is 7,801,766 feet. That's 1,477 miles. That's approximately the distance between La Grande and Lincoln. That's freaky. It also weighs in at 17,886 pounds, or almost 9 tons.
Unlike in Seguin, TX, which seemed almost embarrassed to have a giant pecan on their courthouse lawn, the town of Cawker City is absolutely ga-ga over their ball of twine. There's twine this and twine that. For instance, here's a place to stay in Cawker City.
The most interesting part, I thought, were the pop art displays depicting balls of twine. For instance, here's a depiction of Stonehenge had it been constructed in Cawker City instead:
And, of course, two of the most famous paintings of all time, "American Gothic" and "Mona Lisa", Cawker City-style.
The ball of twine even has its own URL, although the website doesn't seem to be configured correctly (I get a 403 Forbidden error).
Additionally, the town has a "Twine Walk" where visitors may follow a squiggly yellow line on the sidewalk to various establishments that have a Ball of Twine theme to them (basically, all of them). And there is a "Twine-a-thon" in mid-August where the townsfolk add more twine to the ball.
Thus was my excursion into Twineland.
And it is quite the majestic sight, too. Here it is!
As of 2006, its total length is 7,801,766 feet. That's 1,477 miles. That's approximately the distance between La Grande and Lincoln. That's freaky. It also weighs in at 17,886 pounds, or almost 9 tons.
Unlike in Seguin, TX, which seemed almost embarrassed to have a giant pecan on their courthouse lawn, the town of Cawker City is absolutely ga-ga over their ball of twine. There's twine this and twine that. For instance, here's a place to stay in Cawker City.
The most interesting part, I thought, were the pop art displays depicting balls of twine. For instance, here's a depiction of Stonehenge had it been constructed in Cawker City instead:
And, of course, two of the most famous paintings of all time, "American Gothic" and "Mona Lisa", Cawker City-style.
The ball of twine even has its own URL, although the website doesn't seem to be configured correctly (I get a 403 Forbidden error).
Additionally, the town has a "Twine Walk" where visitors may follow a squiggly yellow line on the sidewalk to various establishments that have a Ball of Twine theme to them (basically, all of them). And there is a "Twine-a-thon" in mid-August where the townsfolk add more twine to the ball.
Thus was my excursion into Twineland.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Day 8: Houston to Salina, Kansas
So I never again want to drive in Houston traffic when I can't use my rear view mirror because my car is packed so full. It is downright scary. Dallas drivers aren't much better. So much for "Drive Friendly The Texas Way".
Anyhoo, on the way to Salina, my car hit a milestone:
My car is now officially "over the hill". (And yes I slowed down for the second picture, it was a construction zone.) Ironically, the big moment occurred just outside of Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Got to Salinas and drove around a while. It reminds me a lot of La Grande. I was surprised to find no hotel in the downtown area, they are all near the interstate. Went to this great Italian restaurant, Martinelli's. The food is very good and cheap too! Then went down to the street to have a couple of beers. The people are pleasant enough. Everybody seemed to know everybody else inside the bar. Again more La Grande-ish feel - it could have been Ten Depot.
Now I'm back at the hotel and I'll finally be arriving in Lincoln tomorrow, but I will first make a quick detour to another surprise destination along the way. Stay tuned to see what's in store for tomorrow!
Anyhoo, on the way to Salina, my car hit a milestone:
My car is now officially "over the hill". (And yes I slowed down for the second picture, it was a construction zone.) Ironically, the big moment occurred just outside of Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Got to Salinas and drove around a while. It reminds me a lot of La Grande. I was surprised to find no hotel in the downtown area, they are all near the interstate. Went to this great Italian restaurant, Martinelli's. The food is very good and cheap too! Then went down to the street to have a couple of beers. The people are pleasant enough. Everybody seemed to know everybody else inside the bar. Again more La Grande-ish feel - it could have been Ten Depot.
Now I'm back at the hotel and I'll finally be arriving in Lincoln tomorrow, but I will first make a quick detour to another surprise destination along the way. Stay tuned to see what's in store for tomorrow!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Day 7: Lounging in Houston
So I didn't do very much today, just lounged around Kim's apartment. Went shopping for some new shorts, did some laundry, met all of Kim's cats. (She has 7.) Then had a nice dinner at Two Rows Restaurant & Brewery, a nice microbrew in the Village area of Houston.
Oh, another cool thing is that I was able to get through to Dave Ramsey's radio show to talk about the situation with Kim's car. The car is a bit of a sore subject between Kim & me so it was good to hear a neutral, third-party opinion on what to do. Dave offered some good ideas and Kim agreed to at least consider them.
Tomorrow I'm off to Salina, Kansas. (Woo-hoo!)
Oh, another cool thing is that I was able to get through to Dave Ramsey's radio show to talk about the situation with Kim's car. The car is a bit of a sore subject between Kim & me so it was good to hear a neutral, third-party opinion on what to do. Dave offered some good ideas and Kim agreed to at least consider them.
Tomorrow I'm off to Salina, Kansas. (Woo-hoo!)
Pictures
As promised, here are some pictures from yesterday.
Here is a view of the courtyard inside the Alamo:
Here is the view of the front:
Here is a closeup view of the columns on the front:
Here is the view of above the doorway just before you walk in (pictures aren't permitted inside):
Here is me in front of the Alamo:
And, here is the "Texas-Sized Pecan":
Here is a closeup of the plaque underneath:
Here is a view of the courtyard inside the Alamo:
Here is the view of the front:
Here is a closeup view of the columns on the front:
Here is the view of above the doorway just before you walk in (pictures aren't permitted inside):
Here is me in front of the Alamo:
And, here is the "Texas-Sized Pecan":
Here is a closeup of the plaque underneath:
Monday, July 7, 2008
Day 6: Ozona to Houston
First, went to San Antonio to see The Alamo. It really is quite a remarkable structure. I'll post some pictures later, as I left the camera in the car. I was impressed how big the place is. I thought it was just the little iconic chapel-like structure that you see in all the pictures, but it was actually quite a bit larger than that, enclosing an entire compound with barracks, a plaza, and the whole works. Did you know that the battle lasted only a couple of hours? I was surprised how short it was. The place is a sacred spot on Texan soil, that is for sure.
Then I proceeded to Seguin, Texas, to view...the world's second-largest pecan! According to the report on roadsideamerica.com, at one point it was the world's largest, but it's been edged out by some folks from Missouri. (How dare they!) So in the official Seguin literature it's not called the "world's second largest pecan" - that's just embarrassing - but instead, it's called a "Texas-sized pecan". I thought that was clever. The article also seems to imply that the town's identity is based off of this pecan, and so when I arrived I expected to see signs leading to the way to the town's identifying trademark. But, there isn't a sign in sight that directs you to the pecan. I had to stop at the Chamber of Commerce to get a map to the pecan. It's hidden away on the courthouse lawn. Anyway, I'll post pictures of this later too.
Then I got to my sister's place. She has an apartment in this gigantic sprawling apartment complex. Kim tells me that there are about 1,000 apartment units in this place. There are always people coming and going, as far as I can tell, and Kim's apartment is on the ground floor near the entrance gate. It's a wonder she gets any sleep at all. We had a leisurely dinner and a nice drive through western Houston before retiring to her place to watch the last episode of "Bachelorette". (Sigh.) Had some problems finding a place to stay - Kim isn't really capable of hosting visitors and apparently there is some sort of conference in town gobbling up all of the hotel rooms nearby. So I am at a Ramada Inn that's a little ways away, but still close by Houston standards. It's now about 11:40 PM and the temperature is still 85 degrees and the humidity is insane. It is true what they say - when the humidity is this high, taking a shower really doesn't help. Now I'm off to bed.
Hey all you lurkers, drop me a line! I know you read this blog and I'd like to know what you think of it. If you don't want to register for an account here, that's fine, just send me an email to chemjeff27@yahoo.com with your thoughts.
Then I proceeded to Seguin, Texas, to view...the world's second-largest pecan! According to the report on roadsideamerica.com, at one point it was the world's largest, but it's been edged out by some folks from Missouri. (How dare they!) So in the official Seguin literature it's not called the "world's second largest pecan" - that's just embarrassing - but instead, it's called a "Texas-sized pecan". I thought that was clever. The article also seems to imply that the town's identity is based off of this pecan, and so when I arrived I expected to see signs leading to the way to the town's identifying trademark. But, there isn't a sign in sight that directs you to the pecan. I had to stop at the Chamber of Commerce to get a map to the pecan. It's hidden away on the courthouse lawn. Anyway, I'll post pictures of this later too.
Then I got to my sister's place. She has an apartment in this gigantic sprawling apartment complex. Kim tells me that there are about 1,000 apartment units in this place. There are always people coming and going, as far as I can tell, and Kim's apartment is on the ground floor near the entrance gate. It's a wonder she gets any sleep at all. We had a leisurely dinner and a nice drive through western Houston before retiring to her place to watch the last episode of "Bachelorette". (Sigh.) Had some problems finding a place to stay - Kim isn't really capable of hosting visitors and apparently there is some sort of conference in town gobbling up all of the hotel rooms nearby. So I am at a Ramada Inn that's a little ways away, but still close by Houston standards. It's now about 11:40 PM and the temperature is still 85 degrees and the humidity is insane. It is true what they say - when the humidity is this high, taking a shower really doesn't help. Now I'm off to bed.
Hey all you lurkers, drop me a line! I know you read this blog and I'd like to know what you think of it. If you don't want to register for an account here, that's fine, just send me an email to chemjeff27@yahoo.com with your thoughts.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Day 5: Phoenix to Ozona, TX
Got up real early in order to try to make it to Junction, TX by tonight. Didn't quite make it though, time and nightfall persuaded me to call it a night in Ozona, about 100 or so miles before Junction. My Lord, Texas is a big state. Here's me entering Texas via El Paso:
(Take careful note of the text at the bottom of the sign.)
And here is the view of Mexico as seen from Texas on I-10.
One disturbing thing was that I was stopped on I-10 by the border patrol people, along with all of the other cars traveling eastward. The guy was obviously looking for illegal aliens since when he got to my car and saw my overstuffed trunk, in which no other human being could possibly be hiding, he just waved me on through. This is contrary to the treatment that I received at Hoover Dam, as I recall, where my excessive amount of stuff warranted further inspection. I was a little bit perturbed by this; why was Border Patrol disturbing passengers who were already in this country? Is this a tacit admission that Border Patrol can't really stop people at the border and so they must hassle everyone on the interstate to compensate for their failures at the border?
And then I got to Fort Stockton, where I stopped for gas and was hoping to get dinner. There are surprisingly few restaurant options in Fort Stockton, other than fast food, which I didn't really want. There was an IHOP, but there was a 20 minute wait for a table and I really didn't feel like waiting for 20 minutes for a table at IHOP even if I wasn't in a hurry. So I proceeded onward, a little hungry, thinking that I could get food at the next town over.
Well the next town turned out to be Ozona, which is even smaller than Ft. Stockton and by time I got here all of the reputable restaurants had closed, including fast food joints. Which, of course, means that I had to settle for overfried greasy burritos that had been sitting under a truck stop heating lamp for God only knows how long. So, two burritos later and I am now at America's Best Value Inn (which really isn't that great of a value, BTW). I feel that I must consume an entire watermelon covered in tofu and vitamins to compensate for the two greasebombs that I just devoured.
I am quite fortunate, though, that I haven't had any major misfortunes along the way. No flat tires, no mechanical problems with the car, no speeding tickets, no leaving gas caps behind at gas stations, and no highway robbery (knock on wood). I pray that my luck continues for the entire trip.
Tomorrow I hope to see the Alamo in San Antonio and a surprise destination (stay tuned!) before meeting my sister in Houston.
(Take careful note of the text at the bottom of the sign.)
And here is the view of Mexico as seen from Texas on I-10.
One disturbing thing was that I was stopped on I-10 by the border patrol people, along with all of the other cars traveling eastward. The guy was obviously looking for illegal aliens since when he got to my car and saw my overstuffed trunk, in which no other human being could possibly be hiding, he just waved me on through. This is contrary to the treatment that I received at Hoover Dam, as I recall, where my excessive amount of stuff warranted further inspection. I was a little bit perturbed by this; why was Border Patrol disturbing passengers who were already in this country? Is this a tacit admission that Border Patrol can't really stop people at the border and so they must hassle everyone on the interstate to compensate for their failures at the border?
And then I got to Fort Stockton, where I stopped for gas and was hoping to get dinner. There are surprisingly few restaurant options in Fort Stockton, other than fast food, which I didn't really want. There was an IHOP, but there was a 20 minute wait for a table and I really didn't feel like waiting for 20 minutes for a table at IHOP even if I wasn't in a hurry. So I proceeded onward, a little hungry, thinking that I could get food at the next town over.
Well the next town turned out to be Ozona, which is even smaller than Ft. Stockton and by time I got here all of the reputable restaurants had closed, including fast food joints. Which, of course, means that I had to settle for overfried greasy burritos that had been sitting under a truck stop heating lamp for God only knows how long. So, two burritos later and I am now at America's Best Value Inn (which really isn't that great of a value, BTW). I feel that I must consume an entire watermelon covered in tofu and vitamins to compensate for the two greasebombs that I just devoured.
I am quite fortunate, though, that I haven't had any major misfortunes along the way. No flat tires, no mechanical problems with the car, no speeding tickets, no leaving gas caps behind at gas stations, and no highway robbery (knock on wood). I pray that my luck continues for the entire trip.
Tomorrow I hope to see the Alamo in San Antonio and a surprise destination (stay tuned!) before meeting my sister in Houston.
Day 4: Last Day in Phoenix
On this day we just lounged around, mainly. We went to a baseball game to see the Padres play the Diamondbacks. Here's the view from our seats:
Padres won but it was still a fun game.
Padres won but it was still a fun game.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Day 3: Independence Day in Phoenix
Had a pretty leisurely day today. Went with Scott and Freder to the duck park to feed the ducks. Here is a picture of Freder:
We then came home and had lunch, then lounged around a bit. We went to Lee's for a snack. Lee's is the weirdest eating establishment I have had the pleasure to enjoy - it features French pastries and Vietnamese food. Hmm. But in a place like Phoenix, it works. We went to see the fireworks but they were delayed or something so we didn't get to see very much of them. But we did get ice cream. Mmmmm, ice cream.
We then came home and had lunch, then lounged around a bit. We went to Lee's for a snack. Lee's is the weirdest eating establishment I have had the pleasure to enjoy - it features French pastries and Vietnamese food. Hmm. But in a place like Phoenix, it works. We went to see the fireworks but they were delayed or something so we didn't get to see very much of them. But we did get ice cream. Mmmmm, ice cream.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Day 2: Ely to Phoenix
So, I was going to confess that I didn't actually double my money last night, it was the beer talking. And then I was going to castigate myself for blowing $25 more bucks the next morning after breakfast, throwing away what little I did win. However, when I got to Las Vegas, I decided to stop by Binion's Horseshoe Casino and gamble a little bit, and...
...I managed to turn $20 into $100.
That's the most I've ever won on slots. And it was penny slots no less!
Anyhoo, then I drove over Hoover Dam. It is a gigantic dam, no doubt, however I've seen it before and so the awe factor wasn't such a big deal for me. But, when I got there I noticed that they are building another bridge over the Colorado River gorge to bypass the two-lane road that currently goes over the dam. This bridge is humongous. I'm not kidding when I say that the bridge dwarfs Hoover Dam itself. It's not done but you can see how monstrous the project is:
I'm almost a little sad to see this gigantic bridge going over the canyon, dwarfing the Hoover Dam itself. Hoover Dam is supposed to be this monumental feat of engineering, costing the lives of many workers, built when the nation's spirit was at an ebb as a tribute to America's can-do mentality. And now the majesty of Hoover Dam is being dwarfed by a four-lane bridge solely for the purpose of traffic control.
Here are some more Hoover Dam pictures:
This last one is of these two eagle statues that appear to be "standing guard" to the entrance to the dam roadway. It reminded me of Egyptian mythological statues. Hmm.
Then, after a few wrong turns and a bizarre Phoenix road system, I finally made it to Scott and Jen and Freder's place. I reek of sunscreen and I'm ready for bed.
Scott has said, "Still blogging?" I guess it's time to finish.
P.S. Wow! It's raining in Phoenix in July! Snow in Nevada, rain in Arizona...what will happen once I get to Texas?
...I managed to turn $20 into $100.
That's the most I've ever won on slots. And it was penny slots no less!
Anyhoo, then I drove over Hoover Dam. It is a gigantic dam, no doubt, however I've seen it before and so the awe factor wasn't such a big deal for me. But, when I got there I noticed that they are building another bridge over the Colorado River gorge to bypass the two-lane road that currently goes over the dam. This bridge is humongous. I'm not kidding when I say that the bridge dwarfs Hoover Dam itself. It's not done but you can see how monstrous the project is:
I'm almost a little sad to see this gigantic bridge going over the canyon, dwarfing the Hoover Dam itself. Hoover Dam is supposed to be this monumental feat of engineering, costing the lives of many workers, built when the nation's spirit was at an ebb as a tribute to America's can-do mentality. And now the majesty of Hoover Dam is being dwarfed by a four-lane bridge solely for the purpose of traffic control.
Here are some more Hoover Dam pictures:
This last one is of these two eagle statues that appear to be "standing guard" to the entrance to the dam roadway. It reminded me of Egyptian mythological statues. Hmm.
Then, after a few wrong turns and a bizarre Phoenix road system, I finally made it to Scott and Jen and Freder's place. I reek of sunscreen and I'm ready for bed.
Scott has said, "Still blogging?" I guess it's time to finish.
P.S. Wow! It's raining in Phoenix in July! Snow in Nevada, rain in Arizona...what will happen once I get to Texas?
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