Year: 2006

The Prodigal Sign Returns

Dunbarton Oaks signWe live in a little subdivision called “Dunbarton Oaks” that is one of the first ones built in Aiken when the bomb plant went in down the road in the mid-fifties. I’m not sure if the sign has been there since then, but it was there when we moved in in 1989.

About 5 or 6 years ago the sign disappeared. Pranksters, college initiation, giant oak leaf haters, no one knows, but Police Chief Clancy Wiggum was stumped. After a month or so when it was apparent the sign would not return, the neighborhood took up a collection to buy a new one. The original sign was painted brown with white lettering, but when we got the new one, the lady with the nicest yard for miles and resident subdivision entrance-way gardener painted the leaf green with cream lettering.

About a year ago, sometime after the bars closed, a drunk ran the stop sign on the other side of the intersection and plowed into the sign, smashing it into little pieces. There were no skid marks, but the little dip at the edge of the road in front of the sign was scraped pretty good from the bumper or whatever. The residents of the two houses at the corner heard nothing. Police Sergeant Lou is baffled as to who the perpetrator might be. A friend of a friend of the gardener lady fixes the sign and it is hung back up after a couple weeks.

About a month and a half ago, poof, the sign is gone again. Stolen. Police Officer Eddie has no leads or suspects. For a while there it looks like this is the straw that breaks the gardener lady’s back. When we ask about the sign she just says, “Thieves and drunks can get away with anything.” A couple weeks later when we ask if she is going to take up donations for a new sign, she tells us that a retired gentleman in the neighborhood is going to make a replacement and wants no money. Yesterday afternoon when we turned onto Boardman Road on the way home from work, the new sign is there.

Tonight when I went rollerblading I took my camera. No telling how long this on is going to last…

The Emperor’s Fall Portrait

Next Saturday is the MMC‘s Leaf Peeping Trip. Trouble is it might be too late for leaves. According to the Weather Channel’s web site’s Fall Foliage Report, this weekend should be at peak in the southern Appalachians. Not wanting to miss out Donna and I are planning a little overnighter for tomorrow to try and catch the show. We are still going with the Club next weekend even if the trees are bare, no way would I turn down a chance to drive on some windy back roads.

Tonight I washed the car in case we find that perfect Kodak Picture Spot for the Emperor’s fall portrait this weekend. I want to do another Miata calendar for 2007, but I’ve only got maybe 3 shots that are good enough to hang on a wall and time is running out. Maybe I’ll get some cool pictures on our Thanksgiving trip to FLA.

Started down, went up, back down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 426

Weekly Mailbag

Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam & more spam.

In the last 2 weeks the spam filtering service we use for my work email address has only let through 7 non-work related messages while stopping 1085. Not bad, huh? I was averaging 67 pieces of spam for that period until the day before yesterday. Thursday morning when I got my report listing blocked mail the number was 104. Pretty high but I have been in that territory, the low 100’s before. But this morning’s report showed a big jump and a new record for a 24 hour period, 177. Lots of multiples of the same subject with different senders. Need some help? was the most sent with six. Simple way to enhance your sexual life. came in next with 5 emails. Then there were about a dozen with 4 and about that many with 3. My favorite subject was Grand message. You should to read. from verdnbs@altamar.com.ph. My favorite sender name was BuckNincompoop@steph.epipterygoid.com who asked Coke or Pepsi?

The Goonies

I guess because with me being 30 and it seemed like it was aimed at kids, when it first came out in 1985 I never saw it. Apparently it is some sort of cult hit if you happened to be an adolescent or pre-teen at the time. I think over the years I have seen bits of it on cable as I surf, but it has never held my interest. Maybe it won’t again, but I’m going to try. I added it to my Netflix rental queue today.

The reason I now feel compelled to try and see it is because a thirty something co-worker saw my northwest vacation photos and said of a Haystack Rock photo, “Hey, that was in The Goonies!”

The movie was partly filmed in Astoria, OR and the main house is still being visited to this day by fans of the movie. Haystack Rock and Ecola State park in Cannon Beach were also used as locations. Take the Location Tour from thegoonies.org.

Started down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 424

Mother Would Be So Proud

Daily, I am emailed a PowerPoint presentation with a chart on it that shows how as a plant we are doing towards our goal of shipping out product. Weekly, I get another PowerPoint presentation with 3 lines on it, manufacturing, assembly and total, tracking our service levels (on time delivery.) The reason I get these presentations is not because I need to be keeping abreast of this sort of stuff, but in my capacity as the Arts & Crafts Engineer at ASCO.

I print these charts out on in full technicolor on an 18 x 24 piece of paper and post them outside the cafeteria. These are placed there in the hopes that my fellow associates will be inspired to work harder towards our common goals, but mostly they are ignored by the troops as they file in and out during breaks and lunch.

For the first year or so I sprayed some artists adhesive to the backs of the charts and stuck them to a larger piece of cardboard supported by an easel. About six months ago management decide that the cardboard thing just wasn’t professional enough, so they commissioned a very nice set of wooden frames. The frames even have a, hinged at the top, second frame with a piece of Plexiglas in the middle to protect the charts from outside damage and keep them looking nice. These were hung on the same wall that the easel used to sit in front of with the tops of the frames about 6′ off the ground. Inside the frames I have some miracle of modern science mounting system, it is made of a sort of rubbery sheet that has the same low tack long lasting stickum that is on post-it notes.

My daily routine is to print out my chart and go out to the frame and lift the hinged cover and prop it open on top of my head while I peel the old chart off the sticky mount and carefully smooth out the new chart while balancing the lid up with my head. Because I do this usually at mid morning break for a lot of people, I get some weird looks and comments from folks on their way to the cafeteria for break. Every chance I get I tell them that my mother would be so proud because she was always saying to me, “I wish you would use your head for something besides a hat rack.”

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 424

Congratulations Lou

I was rooting for you to get the Yankee job back when rumor had it that Joe Torre was on his way out after they lost the divisions series against Detroit. Now you’ve taken the job as the manger of the Cubs and it’ll be great to get you back in the dugout…

…and OUT OF THE BROADCAST BOOTH ON FOX because you really sucked at that.

I’m Sorry…

…for last night’s post. It was not very well thought out and not researched properly.

I had a rant all worked up, but my wife quashed the idea by reminding me that certain people read my blog and they might have been offended by my making fun of a particular subject.

So I went with Plan B and I just grabbed a couple of thread titles from the Miata Forum that sounded kind of stupid and didn’t check inside. If I had, I would have found out that the reason I still read the forum every day is because a lot of people that contribute have sharp wits and are not afraid to use them. Some of the comments in the 0-60 times thread were LOL funny.

Started up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 01/01/06: 423