The sound of silence doesn’t exist for me anymore. You see, I used to work in an office where the only sound to be heard was the growling of my stomach in the time that falls past late morning and too early to be lunch. The muffled sounds of the activities of all my co-workers living in cubicle-land feel like a distant echo. It’s not discernable enough to leave any imprint in my brain.
But now I’ve been relegated to a cubicle. I didn’t have a problem with it in theory. It’s just a spot to work. I don’t get all hung up on status so the politics that revolve around some office occupants is lost on me. But the desire for a quiet work environment is not. So here I am in the midst of what feels like chaos. The phone conversations are so loud it feels like I am sitting in the same cube with the speaker. Between shrill laughter, hushed conversations – what a waste of effort since I can hear every word, and the clickety-clack of fingers dancing on keyboards, it’s all making my head spin.
Besides the noise, I have this constant feeling that I am being watched. I know that’s crazy. It’s just that there’s so much foot traffic that I wasn’t aware of until now. No one really has the time to worry about what I’m doing and I’m not arrogant enough to think that anyone cares at all, I’m just going to have to get used to the volume of people that pass by. Of course, there’s a shared printer in close proximity that makes for even more traffic passing by.
I’m certain my paranoia will pass and the noise will be tempered by my ability to eventually block it out. But for today, I can feel a headache mildly approaching from the cackle-laughter/clickety-clack/chatter/printer-hum quartet that is singing all around me. My only solace is my iPod, unfortunately the battery life has come to an end so my crutch can’t hold me up for the rest of the day. But if I put my headphones on, even without any sound coming through, I think I found the solution – the sound of silence. Home again.
I'm watching the ducks and thinking of the movie Born in East LA. I do love that movie. It's a funny tale of a Mexican-American (Cheech Marin) man who ends up getting deported as an illegal because he is not carrying any identification. He has to survive in Mexico in order to earn a ride back over the border. After a few failed attempts to "sneak" back over the border he finally takes matters into his own hands. He gets every Mexican person who wants to get into America, lines them up and marches them hand-in-hand towards the border. The scene is fantastic as you see one guy standing at the top of the hill looking down at the two officers at the bottom. The officers are making fun of him, then his friends appear at his side, as they do the music starts. First the instrumentals, growing louder and louder and more Mexicans appear. At the crescendo the lyrics of the familiar tune are heard. Neil Diamond's, "We're coming to America" is in full swing as the hundreds of Mexicans then thousands appear at the top of the hill on both sides of the hero. The officers are now scrambling, it's not so amusing to them anymore. You realize what's about to happen, and they charge down the hill towards their new life totally overwhelming the two border patrol officers who are desperately calling for backup.
So what does that have to do with ducks? I live on a parkway where the creek falls over the edge of a steep hill. Tonight I was watching a duck whose head popped over the hill. Then as he headed towards me, there were more following, and more, and more, continually coming up the hill. Like in the film you see one then a few then many. So there's the connection. I'm watching the ducks and the song, "We're coming to America" is playing in my head. The march of the ducks was really cool. You didn't know how many more were coming, you could just see them keep on coming.
So what does that have to do with ducks? I live on a parkway where the creek falls over the edge of a steep hill. Tonight I was watching a duck whose head popped over the hill. Then as he headed towards me, there were more following, and more, and more, continually coming up the hill. Like in the film you see one then a few then many. So there's the connection. I'm watching the ducks and the song, "We're coming to America" is playing in my head. The march of the ducks was really cool. You didn't know how many more were coming, you could just see them keep on coming.
It's raining right now. When it rains it limits the things I can do. I can't go running, I can't do any gardening, I can't do anything outside. I've always found myself desperate in the summer. Since the season is so short here in Wisconsin, I feel the need to spend every possible moment outdoors. Unfortunately my preoccupation means things are left undone in the house and now that I have no choice, I cannot decide which things should get done first. So instead of sewing a new cover for the hammock, balancing my checkbook, or vacuuming the cobwebs off the ceiling, I sit mesmerized by indecision and channel surf.
I do not like watching television so I usually end up disgusted with myself when I waste time viewing it. So here I sit channel surfing. I've come across things I consider so incredibly stupid that I can't believe people actually watch. Like poker. People actually play poker on tv. And people watch! I don't get it.
The show that really stopped me in my tracks was paintball. There are paintball games on. At the risk of sounding redundant...people actually watch this stuff? I don't understand why. What is it that would make someone watch paintball? Of course it's on ESPN, the sports network.
It reminded me of one of my favorite movies - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The weird thing about the movie is that Ben Stiller is in it and I can't stand him. Usually I won't watch anything with him in it, but maybe because he's the bad guy who ultimately gets his in the end makes it ok. I think the rest of the cast makes up for Stiller's presence. The characters are so whacked and amusing that it makes the movie really funny. The story is about a dodgeball tournament and it is being televised on a made-up network called ESPN 8- The Ocho. The commentators are played by Gary Cole and Jason Bateman and they are hilarious. The ESPN 8 motto is, "If it almost a sport, you'll find it here on The Ocho!"
So I'm checking out this paintball tournament and thinking to myself...if it's almost a sport, yadda, yadda, yadda! It seemed a bizarre yet fitting comparison. And I laughed to myself. Now if I came across the Dodgeball movie when I was channel surfing, I would have sat down and watched it but instead the television is turned off. Good thing, I can get something done around here while the I have the opportunity.
I do not like watching television so I usually end up disgusted with myself when I waste time viewing it. So here I sit channel surfing. I've come across things I consider so incredibly stupid that I can't believe people actually watch. Like poker. People actually play poker on tv. And people watch! I don't get it.
The show that really stopped me in my tracks was paintball. There are paintball games on. At the risk of sounding redundant...people actually watch this stuff? I don't understand why. What is it that would make someone watch paintball? Of course it's on ESPN, the sports network.
It reminded me of one of my favorite movies - Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. The weird thing about the movie is that Ben Stiller is in it and I can't stand him. Usually I won't watch anything with him in it, but maybe because he's the bad guy who ultimately gets his in the end makes it ok. I think the rest of the cast makes up for Stiller's presence. The characters are so whacked and amusing that it makes the movie really funny. The story is about a dodgeball tournament and it is being televised on a made-up network called ESPN 8- The Ocho. The commentators are played by Gary Cole and Jason Bateman and they are hilarious. The ESPN 8 motto is, "If it almost a sport, you'll find it here on The Ocho!"
So I'm checking out this paintball tournament and thinking to myself...if it's almost a sport, yadda, yadda, yadda! It seemed a bizarre yet fitting comparison. And I laughed to myself. Now if I came across the Dodgeball movie when I was channel surfing, I would have sat down and watched it but instead the television is turned off. Good thing, I can get something done around here while the I have the opportunity.
It’s funny how a few unrelated events can start you thinking about the things you choose and do not choose to do. Today I’m thinking about the path not chosen, the things I’ve never done.
It all started last night at an after work party. A co-worker who practices, for lack of a better phrase to describe him, apathetic professionalism by day turns into a dedicated tequila aficionado by night. He taught me to appreciate Petrone tequila, shaken not stirred, served in a chilled glass. It is so smooth I instantly knew it would bring nothing but trouble.
As Petrone man’s temperament changed with each glass of his wicked substance he got a little louder and a lot funnier. And somehow the subject of mooning came up. He asked, “Have you ever mooned?” Another co-worker answered, “No”. The response raised Petrone man’s pitch level by at least 10 decibels when he spoke. “EVERYBODY’S MOONED! WHO ARE YOU KIDDING?”
He turned to the crowed and started asking, not exactly talking to anyone in particular, “and YOU’VE MOONED, RIGHT?” Spectators both within our group and the general crowd all shook their heads in affirmation. No one wanted to argue since Petrone man was so very boisterous. So I sat, head shaking up and down in agreement, just like everyone else. But when I think about really mooning someone, I never have. Except for Jeff on my way to getting into the shower just to be a tease but I don’t think that really counts. Jeff, on the other hand….I will save that story for another time. I hate when I succumb to peer pressure but in this case, it seemed the wiser choice than an argument with the unreasonability brought on by tequila.
This morning Bailee started to cut the grass, her usual Saturday morning activity. As I watched her through the upstairs window I started to think about the conversations of the night before and the mooning talk. I could hear the phrase in my head, “Everybody’s mooned!” thinking no, everyone has not. Then I thought to myself, I’ve never cut the grass either. It’s one of my deep, dark secrets; I am terrified of the lawn mower. So I will never cut the grass, ever. These thoughts started making me think about other things I’ve never done. I’m talking about things considered ordinary. Although mooning is probably not considered an ordinary event to some. Is never a bad thing?
Back in the 70’s streaking was popular, I’ve never streaked but I knew some kids who did. I’ve never tried smoking. I’ve never eaten lobster. I’ve never scuba dived. Maybe that last one is not too common. I’ve never been stung by a bee, and I’ve never broken a bone. There are so many nevers that I want to change, I’ve never run a marathon but I’m working on it, I’ve never been to Europe and I hope to get there sometime. I guess there is something to the saying, never say never.
It all started last night at an after work party. A co-worker who practices, for lack of a better phrase to describe him, apathetic professionalism by day turns into a dedicated tequila aficionado by night. He taught me to appreciate Petrone tequila, shaken not stirred, served in a chilled glass. It is so smooth I instantly knew it would bring nothing but trouble.
As Petrone man’s temperament changed with each glass of his wicked substance he got a little louder and a lot funnier. And somehow the subject of mooning came up. He asked, “Have you ever mooned?” Another co-worker answered, “No”. The response raised Petrone man’s pitch level by at least 10 decibels when he spoke. “EVERYBODY’S MOONED! WHO ARE YOU KIDDING?”
He turned to the crowed and started asking, not exactly talking to anyone in particular, “and YOU’VE MOONED, RIGHT?” Spectators both within our group and the general crowd all shook their heads in affirmation. No one wanted to argue since Petrone man was so very boisterous. So I sat, head shaking up and down in agreement, just like everyone else. But when I think about really mooning someone, I never have. Except for Jeff on my way to getting into the shower just to be a tease but I don’t think that really counts. Jeff, on the other hand….I will save that story for another time. I hate when I succumb to peer pressure but in this case, it seemed the wiser choice than an argument with the unreasonability brought on by tequila.
This morning Bailee started to cut the grass, her usual Saturday morning activity. As I watched her through the upstairs window I started to think about the conversations of the night before and the mooning talk. I could hear the phrase in my head, “Everybody’s mooned!” thinking no, everyone has not. Then I thought to myself, I’ve never cut the grass either. It’s one of my deep, dark secrets; I am terrified of the lawn mower. So I will never cut the grass, ever. These thoughts started making me think about other things I’ve never done. I’m talking about things considered ordinary. Although mooning is probably not considered an ordinary event to some. Is never a bad thing?
Back in the 70’s streaking was popular, I’ve never streaked but I knew some kids who did. I’ve never tried smoking. I’ve never eaten lobster. I’ve never scuba dived. Maybe that last one is not too common. I’ve never been stung by a bee, and I’ve never broken a bone. There are so many nevers that I want to change, I’ve never run a marathon but I’m working on it, I’ve never been to Europe and I hope to get there sometime. I guess there is something to the saying, never say never.
The accounting department recently got interns. With management's great skills for planning and (for lack of a better word)...management, of course the interns have no: desk space, computer, chair, supplies. So they play musical desks and sit at the workstation of whomever is on vacation at the moment.
Since I share an office with another employee, I had the pleasure of enjoying the company of an intern for an entire week while my office partner was on vacation...a.k.a seven day fishing/drinkfest. This intern, Megan, was pretty quiet for the most part. It was tough to make any conversation or small talk. I thought she had a chip on her shoulder (bitch) but as I got to know her better it turned out that she was just sarcastic with a dark sense of humor. She's definitely gonna fit in this department.
Megan comes to work 15 minutes before her scheduled start time and leaves 5 minutes after the day ends. She takes her lunch for the appropriate amount of time and rarely takes any breaks or stops to chat with anyone. Megan works with Pat who must have trained her pretty well because she rarely has to ask questions. Nose to the grindstone, she just works away all day.
Towards the end of the week I made a feeble attempt at humor. I told her, "Pat asked me how you're doing. I told him he needs to have a talk with you because you never stop working. Yuck, yuck yuck. " Instead of cracking any inkling of a smile, she says with exasperation in her voice, "I just want to get this done, so I can move on to something else." The poor thing, she actually thinks she is going to get to do something else. I have to talk to Pat and tell him that he has to explain to her that this is it, a never ending project that requires lots of data entry.
Hopefully he can tell her at the end of the day since she will have to move on to a different workstation next week.
Since I share an office with another employee, I had the pleasure of enjoying the company of an intern for an entire week while my office partner was on vacation...a.k.a seven day fishing/drinkfest. This intern, Megan, was pretty quiet for the most part. It was tough to make any conversation or small talk. I thought she had a chip on her shoulder (bitch) but as I got to know her better it turned out that she was just sarcastic with a dark sense of humor. She's definitely gonna fit in this department.
Megan comes to work 15 minutes before her scheduled start time and leaves 5 minutes after the day ends. She takes her lunch for the appropriate amount of time and rarely takes any breaks or stops to chat with anyone. Megan works with Pat who must have trained her pretty well because she rarely has to ask questions. Nose to the grindstone, she just works away all day.
Towards the end of the week I made a feeble attempt at humor. I told her, "Pat asked me how you're doing. I told him he needs to have a talk with you because you never stop working. Yuck, yuck yuck. " Instead of cracking any inkling of a smile, she says with exasperation in her voice, "I just want to get this done, so I can move on to something else." The poor thing, she actually thinks she is going to get to do something else. I have to talk to Pat and tell him that he has to explain to her that this is it, a never ending project that requires lots of data entry.
Hopefully he can tell her at the end of the day since she will have to move on to a different workstation next week.
I think the fact that I even took the test says something about my geekability so you really don't need to know the results. But in case you're curious I scored > 28 %. Try it for yourself. Here is a link to the innergeek test:
http://www.innergeek.us/geek-test.html
http://www.innergeek.us/geek-test.html
- went to the Lakefront Festival of the Arts.
- counted 9 County sheriffs with people pulled over while riding down Lincoln Memorial Drive (they were on bicycles, motorcycles, in cars, and suburbans - geez talk about overkill).
- people watched in front of Kopp's while scarfing down a burger and nearly wetting my pants over a mocha coconut frappe shake (this thing is to die for!).
- took a motorcycle ride to the Farmer's Market in Madison.
- shopped State Street in Madison.
- installed a rabbit fence to keep them little buggers from eating all my bean plants.
- sunbathed all of Saturday afternoon.
- relaxed in the backyard Saturday evening.
- went to Sunday brunch for Father's Day.
- made windsocks on Sunday afternoon.
- actually watched golf on television and liked it.
- ended the day the usual Sunday way, watching Deadwood and Entourage.
Today is Father's Day, the day to honor Jeff and what a great dad he is. Bailee's gift to him is brunch at The Packing House, our favorite restaurant. The brunch is great there, but a little expensive for Bailee if you ask me. And Bailee invites her boyfriend and her grandma as well as her brother and I as we take her dad out for a great meal.
The breakfast is great. We all stuff ourselves and when we're done we watch Bailee continue to eat and eat. No one knows where she puts it all. But we sure wish we had her metabolism. I felt bad leaving her with the bill, and I will probably offer her some cash before the day is done.
BJ got him the usual, a bottle of Ketel One, Jen and Matt came over with some new Harley duds, and he spent the day doing whatever he wanted. Today was dedicated to relaxing while watching the US Open on tv. I used to think watching golf was boring but after really watching, I've discovered that they cut away everything so all you have left is the shots of those golfers in the top 10. So it moves along pretty fast.
Today was especially entertaining as I watched one of the world's best golfers hit a ball less than a foot. Then later in the game, he hit another one 25 yards. I can do that! There were some really amazing putts made and some incredible shots from the tee. It made me want to go over to the range and hit a bucket of balls. So we're watching the top 10 of the day and it was incredible to see how quickly the leader board would change, the names swiftly moving up or down after each hole was complete. And at the end it got really exciting. I always thought that if you put together the words exciting and golf you would have an oxymoron. Not today. One golfer was on a steady path to success. Two others could have easily beat him. The first one just whittled away his chances with each stroke. The second guy did the same thing. It was like watching pinball as this top golfer hit the ball around. Crazy. And yes, exciting. Who would have thunk?
So the day ended as most Sundays do but this one was much more special, as special as the dad we honored today.
The breakfast is great. We all stuff ourselves and when we're done we watch Bailee continue to eat and eat. No one knows where she puts it all. But we sure wish we had her metabolism. I felt bad leaving her with the bill, and I will probably offer her some cash before the day is done.
BJ got him the usual, a bottle of Ketel One, Jen and Matt came over with some new Harley duds, and he spent the day doing whatever he wanted. Today was dedicated to relaxing while watching the US Open on tv. I used to think watching golf was boring but after really watching, I've discovered that they cut away everything so all you have left is the shots of those golfers in the top 10. So it moves along pretty fast.
Today was especially entertaining as I watched one of the world's best golfers hit a ball less than a foot. Then later in the game, he hit another one 25 yards. I can do that! There were some really amazing putts made and some incredible shots from the tee. It made me want to go over to the range and hit a bucket of balls. So we're watching the top 10 of the day and it was incredible to see how quickly the leader board would change, the names swiftly moving up or down after each hole was complete. And at the end it got really exciting. I always thought that if you put together the words exciting and golf you would have an oxymoron. Not today. One golfer was on a steady path to success. Two others could have easily beat him. The first one just whittled away his chances with each stroke. The second guy did the same thing. It was like watching pinball as this top golfer hit the ball around. Crazy. And yes, exciting. Who would have thunk?
So the day ended as most Sundays do but this one was much more special, as special as the dad we honored today.
Last night I dropped Jeff off at the Harley dealership so he could pick up his bike. They've had it pretty much since June 2. The conversation with the repair clerk went something like this:
Repair Guy: "We think we have it fixed this time. Let me get the bill."
Jeff: "Bill?"
Repair Guy: "Yes, you owe the $50 deductible for the warranty work."
Jeff: "But I paid you $47 the first time I had the bike in. "
Repair Guy: "Yes, but the first time we cleaned the sensor and the speedometer cables which was not covered under the warranty so that was different. This time we did warranty work."
Jeff: "But you didn't fix it. I paid $47 for nothing."
Repair Guy: "You paid $47 for the cleaning."
Jeff: "But you didn't fix the problem. So why do I have to pay twice?"
Repair guy: "Harley is very strict about what is and isn't covered. The cleaning wasn't covered. But the replacement of the speedometer, which we did the second time was covered so you owe the $50 deductible."
Jeff: "Fine. So can you guarantee that you fixed it this time so I don't have to pay you again?"
Repair Guy: "No. We could not re-create your problem. We did every diagnostic test possible. My guys have 6 hours logged in trying to figure out what the problem is. And since they didn't figure it out, we don't get paid."
Jeff: (Thinking how is that my problem whether you get paid or not?) "Did you take it for a ride?"
Repair Guy: "No, we don't have enough time or man hours to do that."
Jeff: "I rode the bike to work which is 28 miles and rode it the 28 miles back home. On the ride home the speedometer started acting up again. So it would have taken you less than an hour to find the problem if you took it for a ride."
Repair Guy: " We don't have the manpower to do that."
Jeff: (Thinking you just said you spent 6 hours doing diagnostic work.) "So what is my recourse if this happens again? You know it's not safe to ride when this happens."
Repair Guy: "You can ride without the speedometer and it is perfectly safe."
Jeff: "First of all you can't use the cruise control with the speedometer needle bouncing all over the place. It makes the bike jerk into different speeds to compensate for the reading. Plus the bike won't idle like this, plus the intercom system and the radio doesn't work. These things are all tied to that sensor you supposedly cleaned. Anyway, it is not safe!"
Repair Guy: "Hopefully this will work."
Jeff: "I certainly hope so."
Repair Guy: "We think we have it fixed this time. Let me get the bill."
Jeff: "Bill?"
Repair Guy: "Yes, you owe the $50 deductible for the warranty work."
Jeff: "But I paid you $47 the first time I had the bike in. "
Repair Guy: "Yes, but the first time we cleaned the sensor and the speedometer cables which was not covered under the warranty so that was different. This time we did warranty work."
Jeff: "But you didn't fix it. I paid $47 for nothing."
Repair Guy: "You paid $47 for the cleaning."
Jeff: "But you didn't fix the problem. So why do I have to pay twice?"
Repair guy: "Harley is very strict about what is and isn't covered. The cleaning wasn't covered. But the replacement of the speedometer, which we did the second time was covered so you owe the $50 deductible."
Jeff: "Fine. So can you guarantee that you fixed it this time so I don't have to pay you again?"
Repair Guy: "No. We could not re-create your problem. We did every diagnostic test possible. My guys have 6 hours logged in trying to figure out what the problem is. And since they didn't figure it out, we don't get paid."
Jeff: (Thinking how is that my problem whether you get paid or not?) "Did you take it for a ride?"
Repair Guy: "No, we don't have enough time or man hours to do that."
Jeff: "I rode the bike to work which is 28 miles and rode it the 28 miles back home. On the ride home the speedometer started acting up again. So it would have taken you less than an hour to find the problem if you took it for a ride."
Repair Guy: " We don't have the manpower to do that."
Jeff: (Thinking you just said you spent 6 hours doing diagnostic work.) "So what is my recourse if this happens again? You know it's not safe to ride when this happens."
Repair Guy: "You can ride without the speedometer and it is perfectly safe."
Jeff: "First of all you can't use the cruise control with the speedometer needle bouncing all over the place. It makes the bike jerk into different speeds to compensate for the reading. Plus the bike won't idle like this, plus the intercom system and the radio doesn't work. These things are all tied to that sensor you supposedly cleaned. Anyway, it is not safe!"
Repair Guy: "Hopefully this will work."
Jeff: "I certainly hope so."
1. Where were you 3 hours ago?
Getting out of the shower.
2. Who are you in love with?
Jeff, my kids, my kitty…there are so many I could go on and on.
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon?
No.
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
Yes, a highlighter.
5. When is the last time you went to the mall?
About a month and a half ago.
6. Are you wearing socks right now?
No.
7. Do you have anything over $2,000?
Yes, my bank account, my retirement account, my car, and my house.
8. When was the last time you drove out of town?
I was in DC a little over a week ago.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
No.
10. Are you hot?
Some would say yes.
11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Starbucks coffee.
12. What are you wearing right now?
Dress pants and a blouse.
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it?
Jeff does it.
14. Last food that you ate?
A pop tart.
15. Where were you last week at this time?
At work.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
No.
17. When is the last time you ran?
About 13 hours ago.
18. What's the last sporting event you watched?
NBA Basketball game last night.
19. What is your favorite animal?
My kitty. The giraffes at the zoo. Flamingoes cuz they're pink.
20. Your dream vacation?
Tahiti.
21. Last person's house you were in?
My sister’s.
23. Have you been in love?
Yes.
24. Do you miss anyone right now?
My dad.
25. Last play you saw?
Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway.
27.What are your plans for tonight?
Get a Father’s Day card.
28. Who is the last person you sent an instant message or comment?
Chad.
29. Next trip you are going to take?
Madison Farmers Market or Door County, not sure yet.
30. Ever go to camp?
Nope.
31. Were you an honor roll student in school?
Yes.
32. What do you want to know about the future?
Will I ever win the lottery?
33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne?
Ralph
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit?
Yes, overdue.
36. What happened to 35?
It fell asleep from the boredom of these stupid questions.
37. Do you have a tan?
Yes.
38. What are you listening to right now?
A coworker complain.
39. Do you collect anything?
Boyd’s Bears and coffee mugs.
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know?
Dawn.
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over?
August, 2005.
42. Have you ever drunk your soda from a straw?
Yes, but not often.
44. Do you like hot sauce?
Yes, the hotter the better.
45. Last time you took a shower?
This morning.
46. Do you need to do laundry?
No.
47. What is your heritage?
Norwegian, Polish.
48. Are you someone's best friend?
Yes.
49. Are you rich?
That depends on your interpretation of the word ‘rich’.
50. What do you think of the person who took this survey before you?
Nothing, just took it off her stupid blog.
Getting out of the shower.
2. Who are you in love with?
Jeff, my kids, my kitty…there are so many I could go on and on.
3. Have you ever eaten a crayon?
No.
4. Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?
Yes, a highlighter.
5. When is the last time you went to the mall?
About a month and a half ago.
6. Are you wearing socks right now?
No.
7. Do you have anything over $2,000?
Yes, my bank account, my retirement account, my car, and my house.
8. When was the last time you drove out of town?
I was in DC a little over a week ago.
9. Have you been to the movies in the last 5 days?
No.
10. Are you hot?
Some would say yes.
11. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Starbucks coffee.
12. What are you wearing right now?
Dress pants and a blouse.
13. Do you wash your car or let the car wash do it?
Jeff does it.
14. Last food that you ate?
A pop tart.
15. Where were you last week at this time?
At work.
16. Have you bought any clothing items in the last week?
No.
17. When is the last time you ran?
About 13 hours ago.
18. What's the last sporting event you watched?
NBA Basketball game last night.
19. What is your favorite animal?
My kitty. The giraffes at the zoo. Flamingoes cuz they're pink.
20. Your dream vacation?
Tahiti.
21. Last person's house you were in?
My sister’s.
23. Have you been in love?
Yes.
24. Do you miss anyone right now?
My dad.
25. Last play you saw?
Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway.
27.What are your plans for tonight?
Get a Father’s Day card.
28. Who is the last person you sent an instant message or comment?
Chad.
29. Next trip you are going to take?
Madison Farmers Market or Door County, not sure yet.
30. Ever go to camp?
Nope.
31. Were you an honor roll student in school?
Yes.
32. What do you want to know about the future?
Will I ever win the lottery?
33. Are you wearing any perfume or cologne?
Ralph
34. Are you due sometime this year for a doctor's visit?
Yes, overdue.
36. What happened to 35?
It fell asleep from the boredom of these stupid questions.
37. Do you have a tan?
Yes.
38. What are you listening to right now?
A coworker complain.
39. Do you collect anything?
Boyd’s Bears and coffee mugs.
40. Who is the biggest gossiper you know?
Dawn.
41. Last time you got stopped by a cop or pulled over?
August, 2005.
42. Have you ever drunk your soda from a straw?
Yes, but not often.
44. Do you like hot sauce?
Yes, the hotter the better.
45. Last time you took a shower?
This morning.
46. Do you need to do laundry?
No.
47. What is your heritage?
Norwegian, Polish.
48. Are you someone's best friend?
Yes.
49. Are you rich?
That depends on your interpretation of the word ‘rich’.
50. What do you think of the person who took this survey before you?
Nothing, just took it off her stupid blog.
I've wanted to spend a summer making Christmas yard decorations. I've always put it off. Kids, work, school, I let it all get in the way. But I vowed that once I finished school, I would get this done. So school is done and I am out of excuses. Usually Jeff wants to spend our spare time on a motorcycle ride, but his health and the health of the motorcycle are in question leaving me with plenty of free time. Take that off the list of excuses too.
I know exactly what I want. I want the final scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas where the gang is in a semi-circle around the little Christmas tree singing Hark the Herald. I'd like to make all the characters 4-feet high out of marine plywood. That stuff with look good for years in our nasty winter weather. All I need is a pattern. I know I have the book somewhere and if I could find it, that would be a good start. Even better, I'd like to purchase a pattern. With all the information on the internet you might think this would be easy. It's not.
I've found commercialized (how ironic) holographic versions of the characters. I've found the video, the book, blogs, and other Charlie Brown Christmas items but not the yard art patterns I'm looking for. I did come across an e-Bay listing where someone actually made the yard art and has it for sale. It's really cool but I want to make it myself. Does anyone have any ideas where I can get such a thing? Maybe I should contact the person selling the stuff on e-Bay. In the meantime, I will keep looking.
I know exactly what I want. I want the final scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas where the gang is in a semi-circle around the little Christmas tree singing Hark the Herald. I'd like to make all the characters 4-feet high out of marine plywood. That stuff with look good for years in our nasty winter weather. All I need is a pattern. I know I have the book somewhere and if I could find it, that would be a good start. Even better, I'd like to purchase a pattern. With all the information on the internet you might think this would be easy. It's not.
I've found commercialized (how ironic) holographic versions of the characters. I've found the video, the book, blogs, and other Charlie Brown Christmas items but not the yard art patterns I'm looking for. I did come across an e-Bay listing where someone actually made the yard art and has it for sale. It's really cool but I want to make it myself. Does anyone have any ideas where I can get such a thing? Maybe I should contact the person selling the stuff on e-Bay. In the meantime, I will keep looking.
This weekend is the official start of the festival season here in Milwaukee. The first event at the Summerfest grounds is PrideFest. This is a festival that celebrates and promotes the gay and lesbian lifestyles. From the PrideFest website: "Each year, PrideFest energizes the shores of Milwaukee’s lakefront with Wisconsin’s largest celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) culture and community."
A quote from two women partners who attended: "Pride means being proud of who we are, and PrideFest is a place for people to be proud of what's most important to them. We take our family to PrideFest because we want to teach our kids to be proud of themselves and to be proud of our family."
I guess I'm confused. Is this event to teach us (us meaning straights/heterosexuals) awareness and diversity? Can we attend to learn about the transgendered, gay, lesbian, and bisexuals so as we can become more culturally aware? Which should help us learn tolerance and acceptance, right? Or is this something that just promotes families and how to raise children properly? In that case where's the single parent fest? Or the people who never want to have children fest? Aren't they families too?
So why not just call it family fest? I do agree that families come in many shapes and sizes. What is the LGBT community trying to prove? Everyone should be proud of who they are so what makes these people think they are so special? Why do they need an event? I understand the ethnic fests where we learn the cultural differences of other heritages and other countries. ut what am I supposed to learn from this fest?
Don't get me wrong, I don't care about people's sexual orientation. To each his or her own. I have gay friends. Some of them don't like the attention this kind of thing brings. They are proud of who they are and outside of the issue of gay marriage, they find this kind of thing in some ways a little insulting. Not to mention calling too much attention to their sexual orientation and not enough attention to all the other attributes people have. It's like saying, look at me, I am just like you. I can have a successful family just like you. Yes, you can have that. But, no you're not just like me. We're all different. That's what makes us all more interesting.
You don't need a fest to prove you are a good person, a successful person, or part of a happy family. None of us do. We should all celebrate our individuality, even if we're not gay or bisexual.
A quote from two women partners who attended: "Pride means being proud of who we are, and PrideFest is a place for people to be proud of what's most important to them. We take our family to PrideFest because we want to teach our kids to be proud of themselves and to be proud of our family."
I guess I'm confused. Is this event to teach us (us meaning straights/heterosexuals) awareness and diversity? Can we attend to learn about the transgendered, gay, lesbian, and bisexuals so as we can become more culturally aware? Which should help us learn tolerance and acceptance, right? Or is this something that just promotes families and how to raise children properly? In that case where's the single parent fest? Or the people who never want to have children fest? Aren't they families too?
So why not just call it family fest? I do agree that families come in many shapes and sizes. What is the LGBT community trying to prove? Everyone should be proud of who they are so what makes these people think they are so special? Why do they need an event? I understand the ethnic fests where we learn the cultural differences of other heritages and other countries. ut what am I supposed to learn from this fest?
Don't get me wrong, I don't care about people's sexual orientation. To each his or her own. I have gay friends. Some of them don't like the attention this kind of thing brings. They are proud of who they are and outside of the issue of gay marriage, they find this kind of thing in some ways a little insulting. Not to mention calling too much attention to their sexual orientation and not enough attention to all the other attributes people have. It's like saying, look at me, I am just like you. I can have a successful family just like you. Yes, you can have that. But, no you're not just like me. We're all different. That's what makes us all more interesting.
You don't need a fest to prove you are a good person, a successful person, or part of a happy family. None of us do. We should all celebrate our individuality, even if we're not gay or bisexual.
Today Jeff had a cardiac cath. It all started with an abnormal stress test. The abnormal test results were traumatic enough. Especially since the news came the moment we got home from work at the very beginning of our vacation. As we should have been excited about packing and preparing to head out of town in the morning we were now concerned with can we even go on vacation? Since we were taking the motorcycle, the question in the back of our minds was can we safely travel without harm to Jeff's health?
After Jeff's cardiologist called back we were a little relieved, he could travel on the bike, just make sure we stay on main highways, know where all the hospital signs are and do not hesitate if there are any sort of sensations in his chest to head to one. He was also told to only do light exercise like walking until the cath. He mentioned that he just did a 50K bike ride with no complications so this seems a little weird. We had a serious talk and I told him that only he could make me safe and if he felt he could, I was fine with going. He said he wanted to forget all about having the cardiac cath until after vacation was over and go. No stress, no worries, just travels and new experiences. So we went.
The cardiac cath was scheduled for 8:3o but we had to be at the hospital at 6 am. The staff was friendly and on time. Wendy, the cardiologist's physician-assistant was wonderful. She filled us in with the results of the stress test and the findings. Jeff had a constricted artery in his heart. If all goes as suspected, he would have angioplasty and a stent installed. This meant an overnight stay and he would go home tomorrow. The other alternative would be scheduling bypass surgery if things looked worse than anticipated. The procedure should last about and hour and a half and if the stent is in, he would go up to a regular room, if he needed bypass he would come back to this room as soon as the procedure is over. I was obviously hoping I wouldn't see him come back because that would mean all is fixed and we can get this over with.
By 9:50 he was back. The surgeon was standing in front of me before Jeff's bed was even settled back in its original spot. "What went wrong?," I asked. He explained that his original bypasses were as perfect as the day they were originally installed. Since this is 5 years later, that's wonderful. He went on to explain that he is 70% blocked in one artery. Unfortunately, the blockage is right under the original bypass, and the grafted mammary vein makes too many twists and turns in order to get the stent into place. So he decided to take a different course of action, treat the blockage with medication.
I questioned the danger of walking around with this blockage and the fact that less blood was pumping through that section of artery. The cardiologist went on to explain that since the new blockage is located in the part of Jeff's heart that has previous damage from his heart attack, it required less blood in the first place so the stress should be minimal. Damaged heart muscle never repairs itself so I was still worried about the risks that something bad might happen making things worse. He assured me that with the help of the medication and close monitoring, Jeff would be ok. And if it doesn't work he can schedule the angioplasty and stent procedure again, but it would be complicated and take a long time.
Jeff had to lay still for 6 hours without moving. They fed him lunch and we spent the afternoon watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN. It was the best thing on TV. The young people who qualify are amazing, the words they have to spell are so tough. The femoral artery was coagulating all afternoon, the doctor ordered an echocardiogram late in the day and after the test was done, we were close to going home.
At 4:30 the nurse got Jeff up to a standing position and took him for a stroll around the ward. He was amazingly stable, which in unusual for him. He's not consistently steady on his feet just from his normal regimen of medication. Speaking of medication, we were handed four new prescriptions. After some post-operative instruction, paperwork, and a handful of bandages, we were headed out the door.
Now that we're home we're thinking about all the things we didn't get answered. What are the results of the echocardiogram? When can Jeff resume normal activities, like his workouts at the gym? How will he know of the drugs are working? How long will he have to go before they stent him if the drugs don't work? Tomorrow is another day. Thank God for that.
After Jeff's cardiologist called back we were a little relieved, he could travel on the bike, just make sure we stay on main highways, know where all the hospital signs are and do not hesitate if there are any sort of sensations in his chest to head to one. He was also told to only do light exercise like walking until the cath. He mentioned that he just did a 50K bike ride with no complications so this seems a little weird. We had a serious talk and I told him that only he could make me safe and if he felt he could, I was fine with going. He said he wanted to forget all about having the cardiac cath until after vacation was over and go. No stress, no worries, just travels and new experiences. So we went.
The cardiac cath was scheduled for 8:3o but we had to be at the hospital at 6 am. The staff was friendly and on time. Wendy, the cardiologist's physician-assistant was wonderful. She filled us in with the results of the stress test and the findings. Jeff had a constricted artery in his heart. If all goes as suspected, he would have angioplasty and a stent installed. This meant an overnight stay and he would go home tomorrow. The other alternative would be scheduling bypass surgery if things looked worse than anticipated. The procedure should last about and hour and a half and if the stent is in, he would go up to a regular room, if he needed bypass he would come back to this room as soon as the procedure is over. I was obviously hoping I wouldn't see him come back because that would mean all is fixed and we can get this over with.
By 9:50 he was back. The surgeon was standing in front of me before Jeff's bed was even settled back in its original spot. "What went wrong?," I asked. He explained that his original bypasses were as perfect as the day they were originally installed. Since this is 5 years later, that's wonderful. He went on to explain that he is 70% blocked in one artery. Unfortunately, the blockage is right under the original bypass, and the grafted mammary vein makes too many twists and turns in order to get the stent into place. So he decided to take a different course of action, treat the blockage with medication.
I questioned the danger of walking around with this blockage and the fact that less blood was pumping through that section of artery. The cardiologist went on to explain that since the new blockage is located in the part of Jeff's heart that has previous damage from his heart attack, it required less blood in the first place so the stress should be minimal. Damaged heart muscle never repairs itself so I was still worried about the risks that something bad might happen making things worse. He assured me that with the help of the medication and close monitoring, Jeff would be ok. And if it doesn't work he can schedule the angioplasty and stent procedure again, but it would be complicated and take a long time.
Jeff had to lay still for 6 hours without moving. They fed him lunch and we spent the afternoon watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN. It was the best thing on TV. The young people who qualify are amazing, the words they have to spell are so tough. The femoral artery was coagulating all afternoon, the doctor ordered an echocardiogram late in the day and after the test was done, we were close to going home.
At 4:30 the nurse got Jeff up to a standing position and took him for a stroll around the ward. He was amazingly stable, which in unusual for him. He's not consistently steady on his feet just from his normal regimen of medication. Speaking of medication, we were handed four new prescriptions. After some post-operative instruction, paperwork, and a handful of bandages, we were headed out the door.
Now that we're home we're thinking about all the things we didn't get answered. What are the results of the echocardiogram? When can Jeff resume normal activities, like his workouts at the gym? How will he know of the drugs are working? How long will he have to go before they stent him if the drugs don't work? Tomorrow is another day. Thank God for that.
Today I quit my job. I'm going to a different department. Even though the different department has a different company name I'm not sure what I should call it, quitting, transferring, whatever. Either way I am out of here.
It's bittersweet. I really like so many of my co-workers. I made Midge cry. I reminded her I will only be one floor down. I will miss the fun conversations of my lunchtime group and the camaraderie I've developed from working with the accounting staff. But then again, there are a few I won't miss at all.
It's the management that I have problems with. They are all nice people but they aren't leaders that deserve respect and admiration. They lack communication skills, micro-manage their professional staff unnecessarily, and have terrible decision making skills.
They say you don't quit a company you quit a manager. But for the most part, my manager was very good to me. She always made certain I was taken care of. Unfortunately the work lacks challenge so it's time to move on.
The amazing thing is I feel like I'm appreciated for the first time in a long time. I've never felt the need for attention but it sure is strange how all the well wishes from some managers and people I do respect have given me such feelings of mixed emotion. And I was so certain that I wanted this job more than anything since the moment I applied for it. Now these second thoughts are getting to me. But I know I just have to get through the next few weeks and get a fresh new start and I will feel good about my decision again.
New beginnings are so exciting. I can redefine myself, develop new relationships and learn new skills.
It's bittersweet. I really like so many of my co-workers. I made Midge cry. I reminded her I will only be one floor down. I will miss the fun conversations of my lunchtime group and the camaraderie I've developed from working with the accounting staff. But then again, there are a few I won't miss at all.
It's the management that I have problems with. They are all nice people but they aren't leaders that deserve respect and admiration. They lack communication skills, micro-manage their professional staff unnecessarily, and have terrible decision making skills.
They say you don't quit a company you quit a manager. But for the most part, my manager was very good to me. She always made certain I was taken care of. Unfortunately the work lacks challenge so it's time to move on.
The amazing thing is I feel like I'm appreciated for the first time in a long time. I've never felt the need for attention but it sure is strange how all the well wishes from some managers and people I do respect have given me such feelings of mixed emotion. And I was so certain that I wanted this job more than anything since the moment I applied for it. Now these second thoughts are getting to me. But I know I just have to get through the next few weeks and get a fresh new start and I will feel good about my decision again.
New beginnings are so exciting. I can redefine myself, develop new relationships and learn new skills.
Jeff loves to feed the birds. We have corn for the ducks, niger seed for the finches, and regular bird seed for the rest of the general bird population. He religiously keeps the feeders full for them. This year we even had a bird family living in one of the bird houses he built years ago. Watching them flutter about the backyard is soothing. We follow the seasonal duck ritual as the males and females pair off in late winter/early spring. Then there's just the males chowing down the corn, a sure sign the babies are soon to come since the mamas are most likely off sitting on their eggs. Before we know it, the females are back with the little ones in tow. Mother Nature provides better entertainment than anything on television.
While we were on vacation Toby caught a mouse in the house. BJ removed the mouse by taking it out to the field where it could live happily ever after, or at least until he got back into the house which would be taking a chance. Toby usually toys with the mice he finds for a little while then eventually kills them. This one got a reprieve. I'm guessing BJ caught up with Toby before he had a chance to kill it. So we proudly call him our little mouse killer for keeping the house free of the little rodents.
Toby loves to be outside. He spends his days staring out the windows with hopes of getting out into the grass. We try to oblige him as often as we can. Today was no exception and after being gone for a week, I missed him as much as he missed us so I wanted him near me so I took him outside. He's gotten used to the idea that he has to wear a harness outside so I can keep him somewhat tethered. After my last kitty got hit by a car, I am bound and determined not to let that happen to this one. He gets a long leash so he has a 12-foot diameter to work with and that seems to be just enough most of the time.
Today we tied the end of the leash to the deck which lets him stretch out to the outdoor fireplace. He likes to sit under it and watch the birds in the feeder. As the sun approached the backyard I chose to move him over so he could be shaded by the lilac bushes. After all, he is a bundle of fur and it's a warm and sunny day. So I tied the end of his leash to the bottom of the bird feeder and he rested under the lilac bush just as I had intended. As soon as I turned away I heard the strange thrashing sound. And I knew before I even turned back to look. He got a bird. There he was, joyfully holding it in his mouth with that look of success and pride. I could smell the testosterone in the air. Doing exactly what Mother Nature had trained him to do, he held his prey proudly in his mouth.
Jeff was not happy. I felt so stupid. How could I do something so dumb as tether the cat to the feeder. It's like going fishing in a fish tank. And now I worried that the birds would not come back after that carnage. Even though he didn't say anything, I'm certain Jeff was mad at me and he should be. I was thinking about keeping the cat out of the sun without any regard to the birds. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I will kick myself over this for a long time.
And poor Toby went from mouse killer to bird murderer.
While we were on vacation Toby caught a mouse in the house. BJ removed the mouse by taking it out to the field where it could live happily ever after, or at least until he got back into the house which would be taking a chance. Toby usually toys with the mice he finds for a little while then eventually kills them. This one got a reprieve. I'm guessing BJ caught up with Toby before he had a chance to kill it. So we proudly call him our little mouse killer for keeping the house free of the little rodents.
Toby loves to be outside. He spends his days staring out the windows with hopes of getting out into the grass. We try to oblige him as often as we can. Today was no exception and after being gone for a week, I missed him as much as he missed us so I wanted him near me so I took him outside. He's gotten used to the idea that he has to wear a harness outside so I can keep him somewhat tethered. After my last kitty got hit by a car, I am bound and determined not to let that happen to this one. He gets a long leash so he has a 12-foot diameter to work with and that seems to be just enough most of the time.
Today we tied the end of the leash to the deck which lets him stretch out to the outdoor fireplace. He likes to sit under it and watch the birds in the feeder. As the sun approached the backyard I chose to move him over so he could be shaded by the lilac bushes. After all, he is a bundle of fur and it's a warm and sunny day. So I tied the end of his leash to the bottom of the bird feeder and he rested under the lilac bush just as I had intended. As soon as I turned away I heard the strange thrashing sound. And I knew before I even turned back to look. He got a bird. There he was, joyfully holding it in his mouth with that look of success and pride. I could smell the testosterone in the air. Doing exactly what Mother Nature had trained him to do, he held his prey proudly in his mouth.
Jeff was not happy. I felt so stupid. How could I do something so dumb as tether the cat to the feeder. It's like going fishing in a fish tank. And now I worried that the birds would not come back after that carnage. Even though he didn't say anything, I'm certain Jeff was mad at me and he should be. I was thinking about keeping the cat out of the sun without any regard to the birds. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I will kick myself over this for a long time.
And poor Toby went from mouse killer to bird murderer.
Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. We spent the morning driving through Chicago rush-hour traffic to get home from Indiana, the last leg of our vacation. We spent the day unpacking, reminding the kitty that we didn't leave him for good, taking the Harley in to the repair shop, scheduling a cardiac cath, and making a trip to the grocery store to restock.
The evening was spent with dinner at home, it was great to have a home-cooked meal. And it feels so good to be home.
The evening was spent with dinner at home, it was great to have a home-cooked meal. And it feels so good to be home.
We spent Day 6 taking more tours. We decided that we would head out of town at the end of the day and we got our congressman to hold our things while we did the tours. It was a bit stressful finding our way through the city but we made it through fine. We were so used to taking the Metro, we were starting to feel like regulars instead of tourists, that is until we had to actually drive to the White House.
The White House tour came first. What an amazing place. After getting through security twice, we headed down the halls of this magnificent home. The secret service were so nice, I thought they would be intimidating but they weren't. They seemed interested in talking about Harleys, Milwaukee, and our travels. I was interested in moving on through the house, but I tried to contain my excitement and be as polite as one of the First Ladies of this fine home. The furniture is from many presidents and it has a history all of its own. I loved seeing every room and I still can't believe I was in the White House.
We walked across the street to the Washington Hotel for a sophisticated, healthy lunch. We basked in the sunlight on the patio while the servers brought us our food. It was exquisite. The view of the White House landscape across the street felt surreal. It was a perfect day.
As we headed out towards the Capitol building for our final tour, I took some shots of the views from the bike. The Capitol was straight ahead which made the view amazing. It was the final good-bye to the bustling city. So much energy is such an important place.
The Capitol tour was good. It wasn't my favorite, the Library of Congress was. The intern, Chris was a wonderfully polite young man. He was personable but he needed to work on his presentation skills. He knew the Capitol building very well, but he needed to get his spiel in better order. There were some good points about an informal tour, you could stop and ask anything at anytime.
Some of the really cool points of the Capitol that I didn't know was that the very center of the Capitol was built on the very center of Washington, DC. It is marked by a star in the center of the magnificent floor. George Washington was supposed to be buried there, but he chose his home of Mt. Vernon as his final resting place. There were many statues occupying the building, each form a character from history chosen to represent their state of residence. There were some statues representing specific groups through history and my favorite was the women's statue. It had three women from the suffragette movement along with a large uncarved chunk of stone towards the back. This unfinished part was reserved for the first woman president. I will have to go back and see it finished. Hopefully it will happen during my lifetime.
We ended our tour back at our congressman, Paul Ryan's office and thanked Chris for his time. We asked for directions and headed on our way. Getting out of town was a little stressful, the traffic moves at a very fast pace but we made it. Time to head home.
The White House tour came first. What an amazing place. After getting through security twice, we headed down the halls of this magnificent home. The secret service were so nice, I thought they would be intimidating but they weren't. They seemed interested in talking about Harleys, Milwaukee, and our travels. I was interested in moving on through the house, but I tried to contain my excitement and be as polite as one of the First Ladies of this fine home. The furniture is from many presidents and it has a history all of its own. I loved seeing every room and I still can't believe I was in the White House.
We walked across the street to the Washington Hotel for a sophisticated, healthy lunch. We basked in the sunlight on the patio while the servers brought us our food. It was exquisite. The view of the White House landscape across the street felt surreal. It was a perfect day.
As we headed out towards the Capitol building for our final tour, I took some shots of the views from the bike. The Capitol was straight ahead which made the view amazing. It was the final good-bye to the bustling city. So much energy is such an important place.
The Capitol tour was good. It wasn't my favorite, the Library of Congress was. The intern, Chris was a wonderfully polite young man. He was personable but he needed to work on his presentation skills. He knew the Capitol building very well, but he needed to get his spiel in better order. There were some good points about an informal tour, you could stop and ask anything at anytime.
Some of the really cool points of the Capitol that I didn't know was that the very center of the Capitol was built on the very center of Washington, DC. It is marked by a star in the center of the magnificent floor. George Washington was supposed to be buried there, but he chose his home of Mt. Vernon as his final resting place. There were many statues occupying the building, each form a character from history chosen to represent their state of residence. There were some statues representing specific groups through history and my favorite was the women's statue. It had three women from the suffragette movement along with a large uncarved chunk of stone towards the back. This unfinished part was reserved for the first woman president. I will have to go back and see it finished. Hopefully it will happen during my lifetime.
We ended our tour back at our congressman, Paul Ryan's office and thanked Chris for his time. We asked for directions and headed on our way. Getting out of town was a little stressful, the traffic moves at a very fast pace but we made it. Time to head home.
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