Thunder of Wade

The drive into work each day has a spot where the road splits.  To the left, you will eventually end up at my office.  To the right, and you will end up someplace else.

It was raining pretty good this morning as I got into the proper lane.  There was a car ahead of me in the right lane with their right turn signal on.  Just slightly past the point where it was too late to make any kind of new decisions, the car suddenly slammed on their brakes AND pulled over into the left lane – directly in front of me.

Did I mention that it was raining?  I think I did.  I don’t believe that I mentioned that the roads were, consequently, somewhat slick.   I slammed on my own brakes, laid on the horn, and barely kept my car under control.  I didn’t hit the car in front of me, but it was a near thing.

As we went forward on the ramp the car in front of me – we shall now refer to them as “The Idiot”  – would alternately speed up and then hit the brakes again.   The conclusion of the ramp is a merge  into traffic and the “hitting the brakes randomly” is not conducive to that.   I finally got past the idiot and made my way safely to work.

Yesterday, I did the “driving Miss Daisy” thing for my FRM’s grandmother.  We went to Marc’s, Longhorn to pick up dinner, then to a tobacco shop for her scratch off lottery ticket.  They could have called ahead for Longhorn while they were shopping at Marc’s – and picked up the scratch off lottery tickets there as well – but I think I can let a little inefficiency slide while doing a good deed.  I know they appreciated it.

Then it was another trip to the increasingly depressing Border’s with their increasingly strident going out of business signs.  I picked up a few books and grabbed some Chipotle on my way home.

Latest woodworking project done – finally finished my headboard.

Back in the day, when I first bought my queen-sized bed, I didn’t buy a headboard.  I figured I could just make one and I did – but I didn’t have a router.  So the edges were rough and stayed rough for a long time.  I got a Dremel Trio as a present and then had to go out and buy a router bit.  I unfastened the headboard from the frame, took it out to the garage and routed the hell out of it.   A few coats of stain later and it was back up to my room and back on the frame.  I’m pleased with the way it turned out – the rest of the photos can be found here on my site.

I took myself for a walk today – bought a tripod for my camera at Walmart, then headed over to Lowe’s for a dowel rod.  While I was in line at Lowe’s I picked up a bottle of tea as well for the walk back.  That was all I had when I stepped up to the counter – a dowel rod (for making vampire stakes, naturally) and bottle of green tea.  The cashier rang up the two items, I gave her the money and she asked for my phone number for returns.

Really?

I told her “No thanks.  This is a wooden stick and I’m pretty sure it’s what I need”

Now, I understand she “has to say that” – as a benefit to the consumer if they need to make a return and have lost their receipt and to the company for their data mining and targeted advertising.

But, a little common sense would have been appropriate here.

I’m not a terribly social person, but yesterday was a banner day.  After work, I headed over to my FRM’s mom’s apartment to take her, her mom, and her niece (who’s visiting to help out) to run some errands.  None of them are driving at the moment and needed a driver.   So, we went to Marc’s, Giant Eagle, Sears, and the drug store.  Pretty much drove all over Cuyahoga Falls.

FRM’s mom is carting around an oxygen tank, much to her chagrin.  We talked for a bit while the other two were in stores and she’s frustrated by not being able to drive.

After I dropped them back off at their apartment, I made a quick stop at Staples for some folding paper and a sweet pen – then over to McDonald’s for nuggets and fries.  Then back to Akron and the office parking lot.   I left my car there and walked down to the Aeros stadium where I was going to be meeting some friends for a game.  They were running a bit late and while I was waiting at the front gate, some guy with a bible and a megaphone took up station on the other side of the street and started shouting at us that we were sinners and that the fires of hell were very real.

There was a captive audience there as people stood in line so I guess it made sense – though I think the worst sin in the area was the prices for food (Zing!  Thank you, I’m here all week!)

It started to get on my nerves after a bit.  I’m a big proponent of freedom of religion and he was fully in within his rights – but… well, it wasn’t welcome.  Just because a person can do a thing doesn’t mean that they always should.    A few people heckled him and I considered quietly and calmly walking over and politely asking him to stop – but then my friends arrived and we left him behind as we went through the gate.

The game itself was a little boring, but the company was great.  I met some new people and we shared some laughs.  I stayed for the whole game – though it really dragged the last couple of innings.   When the game was over and we started to head out, we were blocked by the after game event.

Yep – midget wrestling.

Sigh.

It’s 2011.  Are we really still seeing short people throw each other around as entertainment?  Disappointing.   We managed to find an exit and get out before things kicked off.   I walked back to my car and saw a shirtless guy taking a “shower” in the sprinklers near the parking lot.    I just mentally shrugged and went on my way.

So, a busy day for me.  I’m planning on a pretty quiet weekend – maybe finish up a couple of woodworking projects.  Just gotta get through the day…

On Friday, I got a call at work from my FRM’s mom – she’s still recovering at home from open heart surgery.  Since she can’t drive for a while, she asked if I could stop over and take her mom grocery shopping.  I went over on Saturday morning, checked out the stitches on the worst patient in the world, then took her mom on the errands.

I stopped at the mall for a couple things, got some lunch and headed home.  I hadn’t been home long when my co-worker called me.  He was just getting back in town and invited me to lunch.  Since I had already eaten, I skipped right ahead to dessert and had some flan at the Mexican restaurant.  His wife and baby girl were there and we had some fun with the little one – I even shared a bite of my flan.

When I got home, I tried to get started using my new dremel trio for some routing on a headboard I made years ago but never really finished.  Except that it didn’t come with a router bit.  So, back in the car again (wasn’t I going to avoid that this weekend?) and over to Lowe’s.  The bit – a tiny piece of specialized metal – was $14.00.  Insert head shaking here.  Took a little while to figure out how to set the depth, but once it was going – it went quickly.

I got the area cleaned up and planning on staining it today (though its pretty humid out there now).   I was working on fixing some dinner for myself when my sister called.  My brother-in-law was in a 4 wheeler accident.  He’s okay, but bruised up pretty bad.  She was on her way to pick up some medicine for him and wanted me to look up a symptom he had.  I couldn’t find any connection to the incident and the symptom on line but suggested she keep an eye on it.   We chatted for bit before she had to go.

So, I did a little wood routing this weekend and routed myself around Akron as well.

I’ve done a lot of traveling recently – far more than I usually do.   It started last Thursday when I got the news that my aunt had passed away.  I was pretty much worthless at work and decided to head to my parent’s house early.

3 hours – work to my parent’s house

The next day, Friday, we drove to central Illinois.

7 hours – parent’s house to illinois

We stayed at a hotel and did some driving around that evening visiting family.

On Saturday, we went to the wedding, then the reception that evening.

Rather than wait in Illinois for the visitation and funeral, we headed back to Ohio on

Sunday.

7 hours – Illinois to Parent’s house.

I decided to stay at their place and we did some yard work on Monday – they took the day off as well.

On Tuesday, we headed back to Illinois went right to the visitation – stopping only long enough to change clothes.

7 hours – parent’s house to Illinois

We stayed the night at my mom’s sister’s house, then went to the funeral on Wednesday morning.  From there, back in the car and back to ohio.

7 hours – Illinois to parent’s house.

It was 9:30 at night before we got in and I decided to travel back to Akron the next morning.

I got up at 4:00 am and drove back to Akron and straight to work, then worked a full day.

3 hours – parent’s house to Akron.

I’m pretty well beat and I can’t imagine that my parents are going back again on Saturday for another wedding reception and then to Pennsylvaina on Monday for a week of camping.

For those of you keeping score at home, that’s 34+ hours in a car in a weeks time for me.  And that doesn’t include the travel around Illinois to visit family.

I think I’ll stay home this weekend.

Last Thursday morning, I got a email at work from my dad.  My aunt had passed away the night before.  It was quiet and peaceful, but that doesn’t make it easier on us.  We were set to travel to Illinois last weekend for her son’s wedding and it looked like we would be visiting for both joyous and sorrowful occasions.

The visitation was rough on her family and they all got tired in the receiving line.  We said our good-byes and waited until it was done.

I had made some origami flowers and gave them to her family before the visitation.  It was a Catholic mass and the church was full of her friends and family.  I broke down a few times and so did my sister and my mom – though my dad was strangely stoic.  I doubt I could have held up so well – and maybe I wouldn’t have wanted to.

After the funeral we joined the procession of nearly 40 cars to go to the cemetery.  My cousins were overwhelmed and I think they just went on auto-pilot.  I saw some relatives I haven’t seen in a while and we all told stories and tried to remember happier times.

I told someone that it was like some of the light had left the world with her passing – but maybe there was some new light in my aunt’s grandchildren and the nieces and nephews running around.

Time keeps on passing and I’m hoping that it helps heal the wounds that my aunt’s family are suffering through.

I got home from work on Friday and found a message on my machine from one of my friends.  Turns out that my former room-mate’s mom was in the hospital with heart trouble.

I changed my shirt, looked up directions, and headed back up to Akron to the hospital.    She was up and walking around a bit and was very happy to see me  – though things were a bit grim.  She’s been having chest pains and had dismissed it as acid reflux – instead, she needs to have open heart surgery.   I sat and visited with her for a couple of hours and during that time she opened up a bit and something remarkable happened.

She just… accepted me.  For exactly who I am.  I’ve been going through a rough patch with my parents lately and this feisty and foul mouthed old lady from the Bronx opened up and said some of the nicest and most welcoming things I’ve ever heard.

Here I was, trying to provide some support for her when she’s facing dangerous surgery – and she’s the one looking after me.  I teared up when she said these things to me and I’ve tearing up now as I remember them.

Her dinner came and I stood to head out and get some food for myself.    I gave her a big hug and she told me she loved me – and I told her I loved her right back.

Funny how my former room-mate turned out to be such a crappy guy – but somehow managed to bring people together anyway.

I’m not a person who prays – but I’ll be thinking of her and wishing her the best.

I recently backed up my computer and wiped it clean – and upgraded from Vista to Windows 7.   I really like the new interface and it’s so strange to have such a clean computer.  It’s so empty I can almost hear an echo.

My room-mate is headed for a job interview in NC tomorrow – I’m taking him to the airport.  One of his former co-workers is heading to Florida and I’m providing shuttle service for him as well on Friday.

One of my next door neighbors asked for some help with a resume and a letter to their HR department.  It was kinda nice to have a professional opinion about something other than computers.

We had a fire alarm go off today at work.  Apparently, there are team leaders and rally points – but the leader for our group was off today.  Since this was the first time we’ve had an “incident” since the program was put into effect, our group just kind of wandered around outside until we got the all clear.

Been playing a game – inFamous 2 – and it has a distinctive moral structure.  Be a good guy and the citizens cheer when they see you and apologize if they bump into you.  Be a villain and they will throw rocks at you and run in fear.   I played through as a hero to start and I’m redoing it as a villain.  I felt bad at first as the villain – but there is a strange kind of efficiency about it.  Less precision – and more destruction.

There was a buzzard sitting in the neighbor’s yard the other day.  It was pretty cool looking and not worried about me – content to let me watch as I swore quietly trying to get my phone to work so I could take a picture.  It was clearly annoyed, however, when a car pulled up and stopped so the occupants could stare.  It took to the air and flew up to land on the neighbor’s roof.   The car left, I went back inside, and the buzzard went back to just being a buzzard.

I learned how to make an origami flamingo – in pink paper of course.  I’m also working on learning the elephant.  It’s less… precise than I normally like with my folding, but I finally got a working prototype.

I went to Border’s last weekend – I had a gift card to burn and wanted to get in while they still had a selection.  The lines at the checkout were long, but I got some good deals.  It’s too bad they are going out of business, I really liked the stores.

I guess that’s it for now.

I got a call from my dad last night – his sister is not doing well.  She’s been fighting a brain tumor for some time now and has taken a sudden decline.  The doctors have stopped talking about treatment options and are now talking about making her comfortable.  I guess we’ve all known she was on borrowed time since the diagnosis, but it’s even more unfortunate that this is happening now since one of her sons is getting married soon.  Dad told me that the videographer has promised to have the DVD of the wedding ready the day after – so that my aunt can see it since it’s unlikely that she would be strong enough to go.

I remember when my aunt got carded for beer on her 40th birthday.  I remember she and I gently mocking her sister-in-law over the amount of candles in her house.  I remember lots of laughs from my zany aunt.

So, I’ll remember the good things and all the fun –  and when it’s time, I’ll go and help her family say goodbye.