How fast is "fast enough"

    Ever since I first learned to drive one truth has been self evident.   No matter how fast you drive, somebody will want to pass you.  This question is not about them.  They are welcome...nay encouraged to answer it, as is everybody, but this question is about the self.  How fast do you think is fast enough?  or as I am currently answering (well explaining, to be followed by answering) the question, how fast is fast enough for me.   The answer seems to be temporal in nature.  I have found that over the course of years, I have gone through several stages of relationship with the speed limit.  From thwarting it at every opportunity, just because I could, to strict and fierce adherence.   What can I say...people change, they are changing all the time, and I am no exception.   

    I am typing this in April of 2020, at my desk in my home in Donald, OR,  USA.    It is a unique time because much of the country is not commuting, which has freed up the highways and byways.  Those of us who are still commuting have found fewer restrictions from other people, and much more freedom to find a comfortable speed for us.  There are still police officers pulling people over, so the sky is NOT the limit, but within the buffers of the legal system, there is space for every person to drive at a personally comfortable speed.  My personal comfort speed is 70 miles per hour.  At least on the Freeway, I am happy to drive 70mph all day long.   In my state most posted freeway speeds are 55-65 mph, although a couple of years ago I found in the very rural areas, it does go up to 70 mph.   I find when there is space, if I set the speedometer to 70 mph, it's fast enough that I feel efficient, but I do not fear getting a ticket, or being a hazard to others.  obviously, I cannot drive that fast during a typical morning commute.  But with lessened traffic 70 mph works.  I don't like it for rural highways.  Where the speed limit is typically 55 mph, sometimes 45.  For that I don't like to go above 60 mph, and am happy to stay at 55.  The primary reason is that there are a lot more unknowns on the rural roads.  Deer, joggers, bicyclists and a whole lot more curves.   55 mph is plenty fine, and is also the speed limit mostly, which is convenient.  

    And that is about it.  This question has been rolling around in my brain for a while, and it needed an outlet.  I apologize to those of you who were expecting a metaphor.  All I can say is that, if you really want to see one, you can build a metaphor in there.  It might take some work, but it would totally be worth it.  I am curious about what other people think of as "fast enough" and how the conclusions were reached.  I know there are people out there who think "if there is empty space ahead, I can go faster."  and that is fine,  I do wonder why though.   It is good to get that out of my head.  

Another airport another slow

     Slow is not really fair.  But even an hour wait seems to drag when you are sweating like there's a fireman opening every one of your pores.  Or something silly like that.

     It is interesting to me (and probably no other person) that thus vacation log is primarily going to be reflective rather than first impressions.  For first impressions you really should be following my Twitter feed.  (This is where somebody who is trying to self pro,mote would add their feed address in a parenthetical statement, so you can begin to see what type of person I am(although somebody like that probably would have sent people here from Twitter...so I can't win either way (is it a competition?)))

     Anyway I have been having an enjoyable time but the days have been full, with little time to type.  And when I do have time to type I am tuckered out.  Typically a vacation is slower and camping and there is time to reflect and write.  On the other hand those also are typically written by hand so they are not uploaded much faster.  I haven't written anything by hand because for some reason it's not comfortable writing by hand indoors.  But that's probably me being strange.

Do you think Alice and wonderland would be different had Lewis carol visited Hawaii? Do you think it would be better?  Do you think I am intentionally ignoring that it says and instead of in?  Where does through the looking glass fit in to al this?

Fast forward just a little

WOW!   What a day.  Things have been a little bit wonderful with brief periods of confusion, frustration and terror thrown in.  Honestly I would say more like minor fear than terror, but what are you going to do?  It is Thursday evening and my wife and I are sitting alongside a closed pool relaxing in the cool even get air.  I am quite comfortable temperature wise by the frogs are getting at my ears.  I am assuming they are frogs due to nocturnal chirping, could be birds, but i don't know any bites that are this loud this late.  Then again, I am not from around here so I don't claim to be an expert.  There are also insects adding to the ambiance so whataryaginnado?  

      So unless you followed my tweet you missed a day of travel and today of volcano amazement and wonder.  I have been unable to really connect to the blog or the Internet for the past couple of days.  (Astute readers might call fibbery on that last statement based on my claims to have twittered).  I have typed at least three posts between my I-thingee and my phone.  I do plan to copy and paste at some point.   (I have dienloaded a blogger app to my phone which makes available time, tiny keyboard, a non scrolling screen and autocorrect the only enemies to getting things posted). 

But...I haven't talked about the loud bar, the volcano goodies or any other fun stuff yet.  Don't you worry none, I will share, but maybe I will hand write my thoughts to start organizing.  Heck I even forgot the cruise ship until just now.  

Still...what's-her-name is claiming cold, so I think the fresh night air with frog cacophony (I've been waiting to use that all post.  I'm sure somebody saw it coming.). I will leave you with my current favorite picture and spoilers for tomorrow. 

A lava formation that looks vaguely like a skull. 

     Tomorrow we are going to look at gardens and the tiny "island" next door to the hotel.  Then look at the macadamia factory, because we  often go to the Tillamook cheese factory and enjoy it, so. We should enjoy the macadamia nut factory as well.  I am excited to find/try the macadamia equivalent of curds.

Vacation Log 2: Prologue to adventure

Vacation Log Take 2 Wow! I haven't typed on this thing since 2010? That is so wacky. Of course I have had distractions and life and just stuff. But here we go an amazing life event, a celebratory journey and a couple learns to take joy in each other. Anyway today January 12th 2016 my beautiful life and I have been married for 25 years. So naturally we celebrate by me working until 9:30 at night and she driving around like a madwoman getting everything done and caring for people. Then we have dinner in a Shari's restaraunt and toasting a successful life together with a glass of whatever random pink wine the waitress found to put in a glass and a drop top Amber ale. All in all a nice commentary on our life and comfort together. Now. 11:30 at night she is desperately trying to get some sleep while listening to Jungle Jam and Friends the Radio show while I sit here typing a blog that few will read and fewer enjoy. Both of us simultaneously dreading and eagerly anticipating the 4:30am wake-up call that will begin us on the real journey. Well anniversary journey...well flight to Hawaii. I love keeping vavTion logs, but this one will be a mix of this blog and hand written in a spiral bound notebook. But it will eventually all wind up here. There may, However, be a bit of time skipping and disjointed pacing. But probably you will have the first thoughts from the plane ride which I am curious about for lots of reasons. Things to ponder Do you think a vacation two Hawaii is enhanced by beginning it with a cold dark walk I. The damp weather chilling your face and hands? Do you have a favorite memory of great anticipation? Would you be willing to shar it? Does anybody use the phrase " you're going down" for friendly rivalry trash talk anymore? See you probably tomorrow unless I forget. Oh. P.S. How do you feel about vacation pictures here (as in this specific vacation log on this specific blog)? No photos? Only the occasional photo related to something I am typing about? Visually document every thing I have been talking about? Gratuitous vacation photos of anything that strikes my fancy regardless of relation to content?

Lifelog supplemental-commute rant

I have decided that it is time to start paying my stupidity tax again. It has been quite some time since I have seriously considered paying my stupidity tax, but life has progressed to a point that my stupidity has been once again activated.

It is not that I have any illusion that I can actually win, I'm not that stupid. But by paying the stupidity tax I buy a ticket to dream of freedom. It's not that I hate my job. I actually take a certain amount of pride in my job. ( perhaps a little too much pride.) I am very good at it, and very knowledgable. While some aspects have changed over the years. I still get to help people have a better life. (why am I hearing echos of "code monkey"..."this job fulfilling in creative ways". Yeah) Beyond all that I like most aspects of my job.

I think what I actually hate about my job is the commute. I mean, honestly, well again I am hearing a song echoing 2NU "Frank's chair" has a line. "...when you live in a society whose philosophy is "Why make small problems when you can create a holocost?" then you have to make your way home in a society that maintains that philosophy in their driving".
(or something like that). It's the driving. ONE WHOLE HOUR of my life ripped from my soul in the company of people who's only goal in life seems to be either to get in front of me and slow down...or to position their vehicles in such a way that I cannot get into the lane I need to be in. EACH WAY. And it doesn't seem to matter what day, orwhat time I sm driving. They are always there waiting for me. Sure, sure there is some variation in the thickness and hostility of the traffic. I have even noticed a correlation between the volume of traffic I encounter and the pace of my day. (more on that later unless I get distracted). In the interest of complete honesty I have to admit here (Well, I don't HAVE to, but if I don't say something it will be stuck in my brain and bug me for many days(not necessarily in a row) so here it is) I have voluntarily extended my commute. After a couple months I could not take driving on the freeway for 45 minutes twice daily with the only hope of some distraction from the drivers crowding my car like a bunch of sardines with seperation anxiety. So, I took a stand, made a lifestyle choice and decided tocdrive the backroads through a small town and along a river. It lengthened my commute by 5-10 minutes (up to 15 depending) but it removed 20 minutes of freeway travel (per direction). Plus, I get to drive along a river which I can convince myself is peaceful if/when I'm not stuck behind a string of cars all deciding to go travel 7 mph below the speed limit until I try to pass. I swear they go out of their way to make my cruise control useless.

I mentioned earlier that I noticed a correlation between the volume of traffic and the pace if the day. I think there is anoylther correlation. I think mist people enjoy their work. Or get sone kind of satisfaction out of it. People tend to stop doing things that make them miserable (except perhaps driving which is interesting) and yet people constantly complain about their jobs. I blame traffic. I think that commuting is so horrible that it influences the perception of work. I mean honestly the bookends of the workday is the commute and however that turns out creates the frame in which we view our job. I hear a voice in the crowd saying that they work from home and are still miserable. The question I ask is...sure you work from home,but how many meetings do you have to travel to attend?How many in a day? Sure you do not have a big commute but several tiny commutes throughout the day is even worse.

So I gave decided it's worth occasionally pay some stupidity tax. Dream of opening a game store, or a snack bar, of anything. Just something I can walk to in about 7-15 minutes. I could still get the fulfillment of doing a job and doing it well. But it would not be tainted by the horrors of driving. Of course there is no chance of actually winning the lottery (hense the term stupidity tax). But the occasional (maybe once or twice a month) dollar to dream is acceptable. It won't solve my troubles but indulging in the dream will help distract from the horrible people my fellow men (andw women) turn into when you get more than 5 of them on the same road.


Questions inspired

1)is there a way to force people to listen to the songs I mentioned in this rant?
1b) should I force people to listen to the sons mentioned in thus rant?

2) why is it that if I doublespace after a questionmark the frustrating I-thingee I am using turns it into a period?

3)why don't I just look for a job doing the same thing closer to home?

Convention log

Here I am halfway through gamestorm. I am kinda tired. Stayed up playing until 2am. One of my friends mentioned it's like Vegas. The lights are always on and you never leave the hotel. True enough. Maybe I will get fresh air today. We shall see. I've played tons of games. And I haven't. Lost them all either. Which is kind of surprising. I saw Wes a really good friend from days Gond by. Isn't that a fantastic phrase? "Days gone by" kinda Old or traditional sounding. I think more people should say that. Of course it depends on the circumstances. For example if somebody were to ask " what's for breakfast?". Days gone by would not be an appropriate response. Unless, of course, you were a cronovore. But then we probably wouldn't. Be having this conversation because I would be fleeing in terror. Although... I don't really know what a chronovore looks like, so I guess that could be prejudism on my part. I am getting a little more relaxed here at the convention. I have decided that I don't care if they failed to reschedule my rum & pirates game. Wow, spellcheckers or...what's the word? Word completion software? When I type on my I thingy it gets bored with my ramblings and decides to guess my words as I type them. If it guesses right I press the spacebar. (except it's really not s bar because I am using a touchscreen so I guess it's the space space. But I digress (all the time).). Anyway if I indicate it's correct it locks the word in and scores a point. I don't see it as particularly fun but it's that behavior I am talking about when I say word completion software. The two funny things about this are 1) it's bad at the game, and 2) It cheats. It's bad at the game because it guesses stupidly. For example when I typed "cheats" it guessed chests. Or when I typed games earlier, I accidentally hit fs instead of ga. It guessed fsme I didn't let it use that. But I mean come on put some thought into your guess I-thingee (another example. I just typed "thingee" and it guessed "thonged" I mean honestly is thong even a verb?

But it makes up for it's lack by cheating. For example if I type the word "I" it guesses I am typing the word I and takes credit for the win. Admitedly that does save me the trouble of capitalizing the I but it's still pretty unethical to claim points for a 1 letter word. That is not the only way it cheats. If I am typing a word and it guesses a different word with the same number of letters. It will score it's word without souch as a "by your leave" which is another cool phrase that should be used more. Except that cylons have corrupted and ruined it. So anyway that's the mid-point gamestorm update. More later.

Empty nest blog recap

Okay it has been a long time past that empty nest started. So I am going to recap and hit the highlights here.

First off what you have to understand is that empty nest starts before the child actually goes off to college. This is a weird time for both the child and the parent. The child is exploring it's independece, and the parents are trying to figure out where the boundaries are. Relationships need changing but rarely do those involved know how to change them. We are after all human and more inclined to emotion than ration. So even in the most ideal relationships ideals pre-emp common sense. Basically nobody knows where they fit they just know that things will change and try to prepare.

The preparation is itself worrisome. How far to go? How far to let go? Admitedly I fared on the side of long windedness. But still how do I speak with authority. Where does my gerisdiction reach?