Yesterday, as I was working at my computer, I noticed that a big red pickup truck bearing the logo of the Maynard fire department was pulling up to the house. I came downstairs in time to greet the (a?) Maynard fire captain, here to do an inspection. At first I thought he wanted to see the tail-end of our huge construction project to ensure that we complied with all requirements, which have changed since the house was originally built.
But no, this was about something having to do with propane. Ah. So I mentioned that we now had a propane tank and a gas fireplace. Could he see both? Certainly, and that's exactly what he meant. We trotted out to see the propane tank first. "Hmm," he said, as if to mean "golly gee, that's a propane tank, yup." He asked if it was full and I showed him the guage pointing nearly to the "F" mark. Inside again, we went upstairs to see the little gas fireplace. I turned it on and showed him the shutoff valve. "Hmm," he said again, this time with more meaning, and asked where we bought it.
Downstairs again, he asked to use my dining room table, where he proceeded to fill out a form in duplicate (by hand) granting permission to install the propane tank. At least I now have it in writing (and I do mean writing -- no automation here), a month after the tank was installed.
When he left, he told me to "be good" (he was, after all, a sweet fatherly type) and I replied that it had been a pleasure to meet him, and though I'd be happy to see him again, I hope it's not at the business end of a fire truck.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Sunday, July 25, 2004
Random thoughts on a hazy-minded day
I've been feeling a little low the last few days, almost not well enough to weed, which takes very little energy. In my haze this afternoon, I pondered on a few mysteries:
> Why does the vinca want to grow in the lawn when there's plenty of space for it in the vinca bed? But the grass, which doesn't always want to grow in the lawn, is happy to take over for the vinca?
> Why did half the lavender die off (I pulled up ugly wet black roots) when the same plants on either side flourished?
My family has also been much on my mind lately --
> So why do we communicate the things that we shouldn't (got something unpleasant to say about someone else? my family will make sure that person hears it, but not from your lips) but not communicate the things that we should? And why, throughout these difficult weeks, is my mother being so cheerfully and bountifully generous while at times also being so destructive?
On a more cheerful note, I thought about one of my personal heroes, Steve Schalchlin. He started a blog in 1986 before anyone thought of the word, and I started reading it within months of his initial entry. My friend Char discovered Steve independently; in her final years, he was the person she wrote to when she felt like no one else would understand her issues about living and dying. (Thank you, Steve, for easing Char's journey.) I now own a book that Steve gave to Char about mind-healing.
Steve has AIDS and started writing soon after he nearly died the first time. In these eight years, he's broken up with and re-united with his partner Jim; with Jim, developed a musical about his near-death and bright-life experiences; with Jim, developed a play about discovering redemption not in religion (as they originally thought would do the trick) but in theater, song, and in each other; and most recently, Jim has written a musical about the redemption of a young girl tossed about and neglected in foster care.
In addition to merely surviving and his great creations, Steve is a bridge builder. I know that he's accompanied dying friends on their last voyages. He's also built bridges to help gay people through the painful process of coming out, convincing gay youth to keep living, and convincing those on the religious right to at least interact with gay people as human beings.
So my heart beams at Steve, with hopes that he gets to live his life happily and healthily for many years to come.
> Why does the vinca want to grow in the lawn when there's plenty of space for it in the vinca bed? But the grass, which doesn't always want to grow in the lawn, is happy to take over for the vinca?
> Why did half the lavender die off (I pulled up ugly wet black roots) when the same plants on either side flourished?
My family has also been much on my mind lately --
> So why do we communicate the things that we shouldn't (got something unpleasant to say about someone else? my family will make sure that person hears it, but not from your lips) but not communicate the things that we should? And why, throughout these difficult weeks, is my mother being so cheerfully and bountifully generous while at times also being so destructive?
On a more cheerful note, I thought about one of my personal heroes, Steve Schalchlin. He started a blog in 1986 before anyone thought of the word, and I started reading it within months of his initial entry. My friend Char discovered Steve independently; in her final years, he was the person she wrote to when she felt like no one else would understand her issues about living and dying. (Thank you, Steve, for easing Char's journey.) I now own a book that Steve gave to Char about mind-healing.
Steve has AIDS and started writing soon after he nearly died the first time. In these eight years, he's broken up with and re-united with his partner Jim; with Jim, developed a musical about his near-death and bright-life experiences; with Jim, developed a play about discovering redemption not in religion (as they originally thought would do the trick) but in theater, song, and in each other; and most recently, Jim has written a musical about the redemption of a young girl tossed about and neglected in foster care.
In addition to merely surviving and his great creations, Steve is a bridge builder. I know that he's accompanied dying friends on their last voyages. He's also built bridges to help gay people through the painful process of coming out, convincing gay youth to keep living, and convincing those on the religious right to at least interact with gay people as human beings.
So my heart beams at Steve, with hopes that he gets to live his life happily and healthily for many years to come.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Follow-up on earlier stories
Remember the Cutco story? My sales-student called last night to ask me which sets of knives I was planning to buy. (Presumptuous, yes, but I assume it's all part of her script.) I told her that I'd done some research, intending only to determine whether the company's products were worth buying. I reported that I'd stumbled on a lot of information about the company that made me feel uncomfortable about participating at all, but that I wished her good luck. To her credit, she asked what type of information; I gave her a very brief summary, assuming she could do her own research. (It's really up to her to figure out whether she wants to think highly or lowly of the company and her experience there.) To beat her to the punch (or perhaps it wasn't in her script), I thanked her for her time and again wished her well.
And from my old job comes the news that two writers quit this week and a manager is going on a leave for several months. One of the writers reports that it's the first time he's ever quit a job without having a destination. I hear that the other writer is planning to stay home with her kid for a while, but I haven't heard that from her yet.
Gosh, I feel like I just barely beat the rush. Wouldn't want to get trampled at the narrow exitways.
And from my old job comes the news that two writers quit this week and a manager is going on a leave for several months. One of the writers reports that it's the first time he's ever quit a job without having a destination. I hear that the other writer is planning to stay home with her kid for a while, but I haven't heard that from her yet.
Gosh, I feel like I just barely beat the rush. Wouldn't want to get trampled at the narrow exitways.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
delightful snippet
Today's snippet comes from a letter to the editor of the Boston Globe, a musing about the two swans in the Boston Public Garden. There are some who now think the mute swans, originally named Romeo and Juliet, are both female. The letter writer asks "where's the outrage over Juliet and Juliet?"
The letter continues:
The letter continues:
As this is perhaps a same-sex union, where is Governor Romney's press conference condemning this union and pointing out how swan society is being destroyed by such behavior? When will the state Legislature go into special session to draft and pass a constitutional amendment banning future unions between same sex swans so that the people may vote on it? And why hasn't Archbishop O'Malley condemned same-sex swan unions as antithetical to Catholic teachings?Feeling terribly threatened by the near-loss of the sanctity of swan unions,Perhaps it's because they realize this is an example that such unions are natural.
yr. faithful correspondant.
Oh! Speaking of which (or not, since it'll be a Quaker ceremony), we just received a second invitation (or at least a pre-invitation "save-the-date" card) to a wedding -- two male friends later this fall. Yippee!!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Cutco and Vector Marketing
A few days ago, a friend asked if someone she knew could make a sales call at my house. It involved selling knives (Cutco, a brand I'd never heard of) and my friend said she's delighted with the knives she bought. Also, Cutco hires a lot of students, but that they get paid just for making the presentation, so the obligation was low.
Today, a very sweet woman showed up at my door, a recent high-school graduate bound for Earlham this fall. She perkily told me about all the great benefits of Cutco knives, often adding "and that's a great thing!!!!!!" (yes, you could hear the punctuation marks in her pitch).
Annoying moment: as she presented knives to me, she'd describe how they were used and then ask "and how do you think you'd use this knife?" as if I were a second-grader in serious need of a remedial quiz. At one point, I said that I wouldn't buy the knife under discussion -- it seemed too gadgety, and she looked crestfallen. I also declined to buy any knives today -- I said that I'd have to do some research. Which I did.
Well oy vey with a little schmear. Where to start? Apparently these are decent knives, but not great. They're also considered to be overpriced, and they're never used by professionals. (Chefs use knives such as Wusthof.)
And the company -- I found lots of complaints by former employees, along with descriptions about how the company exploits students. They're just this side of legal, and apparently, allegedly, just that side of moral. It's a multi-level marketing scheme whereby as you move up in the organization, you get more money for each recruit and each sale. But it all starts with a recruit having to attend training without pay, then pay for more mandatory training and pay for a "starter kit." Then the salespeople have to beg each client for references to other potential clients. There was some discussion about whether the company actually pays all it owes to its salespeople.
On one web site, the administrator piped in to say that most of the "pro" postings (which were nearly illiterate and laced with obscenities and bizarrely wild allegations) were from the same IP address. Kind of makes you go "huh," doesn't it?
Anyways, as bad as I feel for this very sweet saleswoman (who I hope picks another career, sweetness being her sole attractive selling attribute), there's no sale. But perhaps I will consider a pair of Wusthof shears.
Today, a very sweet woman showed up at my door, a recent high-school graduate bound for Earlham this fall. She perkily told me about all the great benefits of Cutco knives, often adding "and that's a great thing!!!!!!" (yes, you could hear the punctuation marks in her pitch).
Annoying moment: as she presented knives to me, she'd describe how they were used and then ask "and how do you think you'd use this knife?" as if I were a second-grader in serious need of a remedial quiz. At one point, I said that I wouldn't buy the knife under discussion -- it seemed too gadgety, and she looked crestfallen. I also declined to buy any knives today -- I said that I'd have to do some research. Which I did.
Well oy vey with a little schmear. Where to start? Apparently these are decent knives, but not great. They're also considered to be overpriced, and they're never used by professionals. (Chefs use knives such as Wusthof.)
And the company -- I found lots of complaints by former employees, along with descriptions about how the company exploits students. They're just this side of legal, and apparently, allegedly, just that side of moral. It's a multi-level marketing scheme whereby as you move up in the organization, you get more money for each recruit and each sale. But it all starts with a recruit having to attend training without pay, then pay for more mandatory training and pay for a "starter kit." Then the salespeople have to beg each client for references to other potential clients. There was some discussion about whether the company actually pays all it owes to its salespeople.
On one web site, the administrator piped in to say that most of the "pro" postings (which were nearly illiterate and laced with obscenities and bizarrely wild allegations) were from the same IP address. Kind of makes you go "huh," doesn't it?
Anyways, as bad as I feel for this very sweet saleswoman (who I hope picks another career, sweetness being her sole attractive selling attribute), there's no sale. But perhaps I will consider a pair of Wusthof shears.
New job old job
Well. I've started my little summer consulting gig. For now, I'm an editor of the Rational Edge, an e-zine for which I wrote a few articles during my tenure at Rational.
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/rationaledge/
I work with Mike and Marlene, two very enjoyable people, except that I'll be substituting for them while they're on vacation. So I'll work with first one, then the other, then on my own when they both go on vacation and leave me in charge. (yeeps!)
As my first act, I... rejected an article that I think needs more work. I wrote a page and a half explaining why, and I hope the author reworks and resubmits. I think he has something valuable to say, but he's so familiar with the material that he forgets to say it.
So how does it feel? Fine. I pretty much know the routine -- know the people, know the issues, know the e-zine, know the environment. So I'm not needing to come up to speed particularly. It's kind of fun to read and edit, and so far, Mike, the main editor, seems genuinely interested in my ideas and is encouraging me to run with them.
Not bad. Not bad.
http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/rationaledge/
I work with Mike and Marlene, two very enjoyable people, except that I'll be substituting for them while they're on vacation. So I'll work with first one, then the other, then on my own when they both go on vacation and leave me in charge. (yeeps!)
As my first act, I... rejected an article that I think needs more work. I wrote a page and a half explaining why, and I hope the author reworks and resubmits. I think he has something valuable to say, but he's so familiar with the material that he forgets to say it.
So how does it feel? Fine. I pretty much know the routine -- know the people, know the issues, know the e-zine, know the environment. So I'm not needing to come up to speed particularly. It's kind of fun to read and edit, and so far, Mike, the main editor, seems genuinely interested in my ideas and is encouraging me to run with them.
Not bad. Not bad.
Monday, July 19, 2004
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