Friday, August 25, 2006

Not One But Two

Not One But Two
25 August 2006

So there I was, angling for a parking in a clearly overflowing lot outside one of my favorite breakfast feed joints on the outskirts of Oakland. An old lady was fussing with one of the back doors of a car, so that was a real nonstarter, in so many ways… Then there was the work truck that pulled in just ahead of me with a real “Outta my way!” with no please or thank you to it. Most intriguing of all, however, was the fact that not one but two, count ‘em, two news vans were ensconced in primo parking spots. Well, all right then. At least there was hope of a free show inside.

A trip around the block, just so I could say, “I’ve been around the block, you know,” and then I caved and took (an admittedly free; the beauty of breakfast, of course, is that if you go early enough, street parking is still free,) street slot. My favorite waitress, a couple of cups of coffee, and a generously cholesterol-laden breakfast later, however, I still didn’t know what those darned news crews were up to.

Time flits, and so need I, so up I got, and paid, and left… and still those darned vans sat. Even when I’m on top of a story, evidently, I just don’t get it. Ah well… My guess is that this was a post-story feeding, just from the leisurely pace of things. My guess is that I’ll never know.

Seriously, not one but two, and their rival’s headquarters a scant mile up the street – what was that all about anyway?

Whole lotta head scratching going on today…

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Lost Track

Lost Track
24 August 2006

Summer’s slipping away. Somehow I’d lost track of time amidst the ease of warm days and lazy nights. Now it’s the end of August, Hawaii’s celebrated its Statehood Day, and public schools are preparing to resume. Where has the season gone?

I was cleaning out a bag in search of some half-remembered documents when I came across “The Plan,” laid out in mid-March of this year, still awaiting instigation. Clearly I’ll never be old; it’s taking forever to grow up. Ah well…

Friday, August 11, 2006

Liquids and Gels

Liquids and Gels
11 August 2006

Time Stamp: Yesterday was the first day of a new era in U.S. air flight. Henceforth domestic passengers must choose between buying sundries at their destination in order to circumvent the interminable processes of checking and collecting luggage, or packing personal items in order to save money at the price of valuable time. This choice is necessitated by failed actions overseas that set off a chain reaction of fear locally. Spin doctors and politicians declare that a terrorist plot of major proportions has been thwarted. Personally, I think this is just another ploy on the part of manufacturers about to launch a new line of products in a new medium. What quicker way to boost sales than to cause politicians to outlaw current media, to wit, liquids and gels? Ah, the deviousness of entrepreneurs determined to create and profit from a global market…

I need a more productive life…

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Stroke By Stroke

Saw this exercise show on a health channel, one episode in a series on combatting obesity. Such shows usually irritate the heck out of me, coming as they do during mealtimes and involving people nearly immobilized by their bodies, the majority of whom end up opting for surgery to remove what their teeth put on. This particular episode, however, featured a woman of more modest excess weight, if such a thing is possible, something nearer my own experiences. She chose the ideal route: determined effort coupled with patience over a long time. The result was what I hope to be realistic. Thus inspired, I spent the rest of the day talking about getting serious.

It's been a couple of days since then now. Today, once more starting by failing, I enjoyed an ample breakfast. This, however, was followed up by a bit of unusual industry, including a trip to the swimming pool. The trip (across the lawn) was exciting; the laps refreshing, the time off the clock disappointing. Still, one must start somewhere, and the only right time to start is always now. I haven't been blogging all that long, but I know I've already said something to this effect before. Guess I'll just have to keep saying it until I actually hear myself and believe.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Female Felines

Acquired three new female felines: two kittens and their formerly feral mother. The mother, a beautiful ash grey charcoal-colored one-year-old, was curiously misnamed "Mouse". (Maybe it's an Asian thing; in some cultures misnaming a child is a common practice in order to conceal from demons the true nature of said treasure.) The name has since been adjusted to "Nouna". It sounds Hawaiian when you say it, though it looks grammatical when you read it...

Her similarly misidentified and misnamed children, originally called "Mickey" and "Minnie", have since been renamed "Ajax" and "Comet". They're both tuxedo cats: black backs with white chests and bellies. I think Comet was initially named "Minnie" because she has mini-gloves on her toes, whereas Ajax has full white gloves, along with the energy and aggressiveness normally associated with boys. Ajax's evident attitude on life is "Have Wall Will Bounce." The similarity to a younger JJ has already caused the name to be further modified to "A.J."

Last night was a major breakthrough in socialization. Everyone (except JJ) gathered on and/or under the bed and proved to be very affectionate, which in turn caused a bit of hissing . . .

My Boyz are in transition from jealously suspicious and defensive to interested in all the new playthings that have invaded their formerly tranquil space, both animate and inanimate. There's currently a contest on to see who can climb and perch the highest in the house, a challenge compounded by the high ceilings in a couple of key rooms. I think the real barrier is the fear factor for the Boyz, who know from personal experience how much jumping back down can hurt. The Gurlz are still too young to know any such fears, so their greatest challenge is simply whether or not they have enough springs to get to the highest places (without being hissed by their elders).

Speaking of hissing, I thought it would be wrong to separate the children from their mother, but all evidence suggests a fundamental truth: mothers need periodic breaks from their children. Live and learn.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

All Roads Lead

All roads lead to the central room these days. That's where the new feline ladies are staying. Thus far they've unplugged my clock, my floppy disk drive, and the external speakers for my iPod. They've turned my bags and stuffed animals into nesting materials, my skin into a giant pincushion, and my sweet Boyz into hissers that sound like a couple of balloons deflating. Ah well... You should see what they're doing to my Boyz...