Well, I did it.
I hired a handyman to work on my house. It was an agonizing procedure, too.
I got a list of handymen from the AHFC (Alaska Housing & Finance Corporation) and chose the only three on there that listed an email address. I contacted all three of them, explaining what I had in mind and asking if they thought they might be interested. All three responded back within a few days, so I set up appointments for each of them.
The first to arrive was a guy who looked very much like somebody my brother would hang out with. That in its self is a pretty good recommendation, in my book. He sealed the deal by taking off his shoes to reveal bare feet! And, to top it off, he pulled himself up into the attic by one hand off the floor! Needless to say, I was impressed.
The second to arrive was so clean-cut you could almost hear him crackle as he walked past, like a shirt that has too much starch in it. However, he totally won me over by being just as excited as I was at the prospect of making my home more energy efficient. He knew all about what I was attempting to do, and ended up going over the entire house talking to me about everything for over two hours! He even liked my Thing (don't get excited: Thing is my cat) wich automatically put him up on the top of my list.
The third guy never showed up. I made two appointments with him, with no luck. But - that's ok. I'm sure he had reasons, and I had two others giving me their estimates, so I wasn't upset.
About 2 weeks later, I sent another email out asking when I might expect to hear back from the two handymen. Only one responded back - so, that pretty much made my choice for me.
As luck would have it, it was the second guy! His estimate was pretty much what I expected it to be - as in, way too much for me to go on vacation again in 2008, but low enough that I don't need to get a loan to pay it off.
So, as soon as he gives me a date to start construction, my second New Year's Resolution for 2007 will be completed.
Assuming I survive the chaos that will be my house.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
A Question on Beetles
I’m hoping that you can help me: I saw an unusual beetle while on vacation in Mongolia that I cannot identify.
Unfortunately, I did not get a picture (my camera did not enjoy the Gobi desert as much as I did), but it was red, round & flat, about the size of a quarter, and it buried itself in the sand. When I turned it over, it reminded me of a horseshoe crab. I’m assuming it had the standard 6 legs which is why I’m calling it a beetle and not a spider.
The area I was at was the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, in Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia. I’m sorry I don’t have the coordinates to the place.
Unfortunately, I did not get a picture (my camera did not enjoy the Gobi desert as much as I did), but it was red, round & flat, about the size of a quarter, and it buried itself in the sand. When I turned it over, it reminded me of a horseshoe crab. I’m assuming it had the standard 6 legs which is why I’m calling it a beetle and not a spider.
The area I was at was the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, in Dornogobi Aimag, Mongolia. I’m sorry I don’t have the coordinates to the place.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Creek Monitoring: Rabbit Creek
This summer, I signed up with the Anchorage Waterways Council to be a part of their CEMP, or Citizen's Environmental Monitoring Program. I thought it would be an interesting way to learn a little bit about science, as well as an excuse to get outside and enjoy the Alaskan scenery.
I had two 6-hour training classes: the first one had the instructor going over each test we were to conduct out at our creek, followed by the volunteers giving that particular test a try. The second training class had all of us volunteers going thru the entire testing procedure on our own, with the instructor standing by in case we had questions. The final phase of the training period was out in the field, using actual creek water (as opposed to simply using tap water) and making sure we understood everything that was expected of us.
Now that I have completed all three phases of testing, I am partnered up with a long-time creek monitor and have been testing for a couple of months out at Rabbit Creek. Winter time is typically the hardest time to test, as you can imagine. We have to deal with freezing cold temperatures: the water is running so it’s not actually frozen, but it certainly is freezing! Thankfully, we only have to test once a month. During the summer months we test twice a month; at least it’s easier as far as weather goes, but we have to deal with animal life.
The following is the list of CEMP Parameters of Concern:
Temperature: water temperature is one of the most important water quality parameters we test. It controls metabolic and reproductive activities in organisms, and determines species composition. Temperature also affects dissolved oxygen and can influence bacterial growth, and chemical reactions in water.
Conductivity: conductivity measure water’s ability to pass an electric current, and can be used to indicate the dissolved solids or ion content of the water. Conductivity in streams is affected primarily by the geology of the area, but may also be affected by human sources such as septic systems or runoff.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO): DO is one of the most important indicators of a water body’s ability to support aquatic life. It is essential for the basic metabolic processes of animals and plants inhabiting our streams.
pH: pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. pH affects many chemical and biological processes in the water.
Phosphorus: phosphorus is an essential nutrient in the aquatic food web, and is usually in short supply in waters of south-central Alaska, so even a modest increase can stimulate growth of algae in streams. The many sources of phosphorus include wastewater treatment plants, runoff from fertilized lawns, septic systems, animal manure, and runoff from disturbed land areas.
Nitrate: similar to phosphorus, nitrogen is required by all organisms for the basic processes of life to make proteins, to grow, and to reproduce. Nitrogen is found in many forms in water, and the sources are similar to those that contribute to phosphorus levels.
Turbidity: turbidity measures water clarity. Any material mixed and suspended in water will reduce its clarity and make the water turbid. High turbidity levels can be disruptive to aquatic systems in various ways including: 1) interfering with the passage of light through water, 2) clogging the gills of some fish species, 3) causing an increase in water temperature since suspended particles absorb more heat resulting in a reduction of dissolved oxygen since warmer water holds less oxygen, and 4) smothering fish eggs and benthic macroinvertebrates.
E. Coli Bacteria: while coliform bacteria are natural and most are harmless, the presence of high levels of coliform bacteria and, in particular, of fecal coliforms may indicate that sewage is being discharged into the water. Certain species of pathogenic bacteria can cause typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera.
I had two 6-hour training classes: the first one had the instructor going over each test we were to conduct out at our creek, followed by the volunteers giving that particular test a try. The second training class had all of us volunteers going thru the entire testing procedure on our own, with the instructor standing by in case we had questions. The final phase of the training period was out in the field, using actual creek water (as opposed to simply using tap water) and making sure we understood everything that was expected of us.
Now that I have completed all three phases of testing, I am partnered up with a long-time creek monitor and have been testing for a couple of months out at Rabbit Creek. Winter time is typically the hardest time to test, as you can imagine. We have to deal with freezing cold temperatures: the water is running so it’s not actually frozen, but it certainly is freezing! Thankfully, we only have to test once a month. During the summer months we test twice a month; at least it’s easier as far as weather goes, but we have to deal with animal life.
The following is the list of CEMP Parameters of Concern:
Temperature: water temperature is one of the most important water quality parameters we test. It controls metabolic and reproductive activities in organisms, and determines species composition. Temperature also affects dissolved oxygen and can influence bacterial growth, and chemical reactions in water.
Conductivity: conductivity measure water’s ability to pass an electric current, and can be used to indicate the dissolved solids or ion content of the water. Conductivity in streams is affected primarily by the geology of the area, but may also be affected by human sources such as septic systems or runoff.
Dissolved Oxygen (DO): DO is one of the most important indicators of a water body’s ability to support aquatic life. It is essential for the basic metabolic processes of animals and plants inhabiting our streams.
pH: pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. pH affects many chemical and biological processes in the water.
Phosphorus: phosphorus is an essential nutrient in the aquatic food web, and is usually in short supply in waters of south-central Alaska, so even a modest increase can stimulate growth of algae in streams. The many sources of phosphorus include wastewater treatment plants, runoff from fertilized lawns, septic systems, animal manure, and runoff from disturbed land areas.
Nitrate: similar to phosphorus, nitrogen is required by all organisms for the basic processes of life to make proteins, to grow, and to reproduce. Nitrogen is found in many forms in water, and the sources are similar to those that contribute to phosphorus levels.
Turbidity: turbidity measures water clarity. Any material mixed and suspended in water will reduce its clarity and make the water turbid. High turbidity levels can be disruptive to aquatic systems in various ways including: 1) interfering with the passage of light through water, 2) clogging the gills of some fish species, 3) causing an increase in water temperature since suspended particles absorb more heat resulting in a reduction of dissolved oxygen since warmer water holds less oxygen, and 4) smothering fish eggs and benthic macroinvertebrates.
E. Coli Bacteria: while coliform bacteria are natural and most are harmless, the presence of high levels of coliform bacteria and, in particular, of fecal coliforms may indicate that sewage is being discharged into the water. Certain species of pathogenic bacteria can cause typhoid fever, dysentery, and cholera.
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thanksgiving Dinner
What a great day we had yesterday!
Dinner was held over at my brother’s house, a buffet type affair. We all brought too much food, of course. A sign-up sheet had been circulated a head of time so we didn’t have very many duplicates and no holes (except for the mashed potatoes that accidentally got dropped on the way in).
Mother made what she calls “dead baby chickens” – otherwise known as Cornish Game Hens – instead of turkey this year. My brother Stewart brought a spiral-cut ham, too. Plenty of meat for the carnivores in the family. There were all kinds of salads, veggies, fruit, and pies to round it all off.
All told, there was about 30 people, ranging in age from about 1.5 to 86. My niece even called in from college over in Scotland, so we all gave her a very loud “Happy Thanksgiving!”
Lets see if I can name everybody: Mother, Stan, Dorothy, Stewart, Julie, Kelly, Danny, Tara, Laurel & her partner, Gareth & his girlfriend, Robin & his wife, Hank, Noel, Lauren, Katy (via phone), Henry, Martha, Myself, Heather, Reed, Chris & Sara, Tucker, Lisa, Mark, Madelyne, Mabel, Pam, Gleo, and Zieh & Dave – but they had to leave early.
My other niece, Lauren, has just returned from Seattle where she went to have surgery. She was still quite swollen and could only eat mashed potatoes, but at least she was there. She regaled everybody with stories of her horrible surgery and showed off the metal pins holding her jaw together.
I got to show pictures of my Mongolia trip. Believe it or not, there were still some people who hadn’t seen them!
The weather was the most surprising thing: it was about 50 degrees out there! Driving home, the rain was so heavy I could barely see the road in front of me. Hard to believe it was a record-breaking snow storm just a week ago.
Dinner was held over at my brother’s house, a buffet type affair. We all brought too much food, of course. A sign-up sheet had been circulated a head of time so we didn’t have very many duplicates and no holes (except for the mashed potatoes that accidentally got dropped on the way in).
Mother made what she calls “dead baby chickens” – otherwise known as Cornish Game Hens – instead of turkey this year. My brother Stewart brought a spiral-cut ham, too. Plenty of meat for the carnivores in the family. There were all kinds of salads, veggies, fruit, and pies to round it all off.
All told, there was about 30 people, ranging in age from about 1.5 to 86. My niece even called in from college over in Scotland, so we all gave her a very loud “Happy Thanksgiving!”
Lets see if I can name everybody: Mother, Stan, Dorothy, Stewart, Julie, Kelly, Danny, Tara, Laurel & her partner, Gareth & his girlfriend, Robin & his wife, Hank, Noel, Lauren, Katy (via phone), Henry, Martha, Myself, Heather, Reed, Chris & Sara, Tucker, Lisa, Mark, Madelyne, Mabel, Pam, Gleo, and Zieh & Dave – but they had to leave early.
My other niece, Lauren, has just returned from Seattle where she went to have surgery. She was still quite swollen and could only eat mashed potatoes, but at least she was there. She regaled everybody with stories of her horrible surgery and showed off the metal pins holding her jaw together.
I got to show pictures of my Mongolia trip. Believe it or not, there were still some people who hadn’t seen them!
The weather was the most surprising thing: it was about 50 degrees out there! Driving home, the rain was so heavy I could barely see the road in front of me. Hard to believe it was a record-breaking snow storm just a week ago.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Chickadees
I just got home from the most interesting science lecture! A scientist from Fairbanks came down to the Campbell Creek Science Center and gave a talk on the winter survival techniques of the Chickadee.
Think about it: just how does that tiny little bird survive 18 hours of 30 below weather? It's barely 12 ounces in size (that's smaller than the little bag of peanuts you get when you fly the airlines nowadays)yet it's been spotted as far north as Anaktuvak Pass.
Just a brief summary here (I am not a scientist, so I'm only repeating what I heard): the bird utilized 3 basic physiological strategies and 3 basic behavioral strategies.
Physiological Strategies:
1. it has more feathers per square inch than it's southern cousins.
2. the feathers are structured differently to maximize heat retention.
3. it has the ability to put on fat very quickly
That last one is the most amazing one: that little bird can put on an additional 10% of its body weight in fat in just 6 hours! That's the equivalent of a 150 pound person putting on 15 pounds.
Behavioral Strategies:
1. it stores caches of food all over the place for lean times
2. it roosts in small spaces to minimize heat loss
3. it's an early riser to maximize daylight hours for optimal food gathering
All of these behaviors together allow a bird that, if you took off all its feathers - is no bigger than your thumb to keep an inner core temperature of 104 degrees.
Truly an amazing bird!
Think about it: just how does that tiny little bird survive 18 hours of 30 below weather? It's barely 12 ounces in size (that's smaller than the little bag of peanuts you get when you fly the airlines nowadays)yet it's been spotted as far north as Anaktuvak Pass.
Just a brief summary here (I am not a scientist, so I'm only repeating what I heard): the bird utilized 3 basic physiological strategies and 3 basic behavioral strategies.
Physiological Strategies:
1. it has more feathers per square inch than it's southern cousins.
2. the feathers are structured differently to maximize heat retention.
3. it has the ability to put on fat very quickly
That last one is the most amazing one: that little bird can put on an additional 10% of its body weight in fat in just 6 hours! That's the equivalent of a 150 pound person putting on 15 pounds.
Behavioral Strategies:
1. it stores caches of food all over the place for lean times
2. it roosts in small spaces to minimize heat loss
3. it's an early riser to maximize daylight hours for optimal food gathering
All of these behaviors together allow a bird that, if you took off all its feathers - is no bigger than your thumb to keep an inner core temperature of 104 degrees.
Truly an amazing bird!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
It's Begining To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Man, is it ever snowing out there.
It all started Saturday night. By Sunday it was coming down in big huge fluffy flakes. In fact, I read in the papers yesterday that we broke a record for the amount of snowfall in one day: 5".
Today it started aroun 2:00, and by 4:30 (the time I leave work) it was thick & heavey. My windshield wipers could barely keep up with it, and the road ahead of me was lost in all that whiteness.
The really sad part about it all is that I have yet to put my winter tires on! Yes, I'm one of "THOSE PEOPLE" - but at least I am driving sensibly. I haven't gotten stuck, or ran into anybody, or swerved out of control yet. It's really not that difficult if you just drive properly and don't get to hasty.
I will definitely get them put on this weekend: I have a speaking engagement on Sunday out in Eagle River at their Nature Center, which is located about 7 miles up the mountain! My car would never make it with summer tires on.
I also have yet to find a snow-blowing service. With my back out of whack like it is, I really should not be shoveling my driveway (that beautiful thick heavy snow is just that: HEAVY) but as steep as it is I can't afford to leave it there to later turn in to one big sheet of ice.
If anybody can recommend a reliable snow-blower, I'd be most appreciative.
By the way: those of you who are interested can joine me on Sunday, November 18, at 2:00pm at the Eagle River Nature Center for a talk on my Earthwatch Expedition to Mongolia!
It all started Saturday night. By Sunday it was coming down in big huge fluffy flakes. In fact, I read in the papers yesterday that we broke a record for the amount of snowfall in one day: 5".
Today it started aroun 2:00, and by 4:30 (the time I leave work) it was thick & heavey. My windshield wipers could barely keep up with it, and the road ahead of me was lost in all that whiteness.
The really sad part about it all is that I have yet to put my winter tires on! Yes, I'm one of "THOSE PEOPLE" - but at least I am driving sensibly. I haven't gotten stuck, or ran into anybody, or swerved out of control yet. It's really not that difficult if you just drive properly and don't get to hasty.
I will definitely get them put on this weekend: I have a speaking engagement on Sunday out in Eagle River at their Nature Center, which is located about 7 miles up the mountain! My car would never make it with summer tires on.
I also have yet to find a snow-blowing service. With my back out of whack like it is, I really should not be shoveling my driveway (that beautiful thick heavy snow is just that: HEAVY) but as steep as it is I can't afford to leave it there to later turn in to one big sheet of ice.
If anybody can recommend a reliable snow-blower, I'd be most appreciative.
By the way: those of you who are interested can joine me on Sunday, November 18, at 2:00pm at the Eagle River Nature Center for a talk on my Earthwatch Expedition to Mongolia!
Monday, November 12, 2007
What a Weekend I had!
I spent the weekend out at the Alyeska Hotel in Girdwood - you skiers out there will know that place well. The AIA State Convention (American Institute of Architects) was going on and I had volunteered to work their registration table.
This is not the first time I've done that for them, so I had a good idea of what was in store for me. I have to say that this one was a lot better organized than the last one was. We still had a few issues, and I really don't like crowds of people, but for the most part it went off fairly well.
It did serve to remind me how amazed I am sometimes at some people's nerve. One lady signed up for the cheapest thing she could find on the registration website: the banquette meal on Saturday Night. She then proceeded to attend the entire conference, eating 6 meals in the process - all without paying!
Well, she THOUGHT she wasn't paying. I happen to know that she is going to get one heck of a bill in the mail. Of course, there's nothing to enforce her payment of said bill - but if she doesn't pay, she will be black-balled from all further AIA events, and her husband (who is the actual architect in this picture; she is just a wife) will be extremely embarrassed in front of his peers.
The overall theme of the conference was - as it is almost everywhere - the state of our climate and what the building sector has to do with it. Of the three sectors most blamed for the CO2 in our atmosphere (Transportation, Industry, and Buildings)the built environment is responsible for close to 50% of the CO2 emissions! So you see, it really is up to us to do something about that.
This is not the first time I've done that for them, so I had a good idea of what was in store for me. I have to say that this one was a lot better organized than the last one was. We still had a few issues, and I really don't like crowds of people, but for the most part it went off fairly well.
It did serve to remind me how amazed I am sometimes at some people's nerve. One lady signed up for the cheapest thing she could find on the registration website: the banquette meal on Saturday Night. She then proceeded to attend the entire conference, eating 6 meals in the process - all without paying!
Well, she THOUGHT she wasn't paying. I happen to know that she is going to get one heck of a bill in the mail. Of course, there's nothing to enforce her payment of said bill - but if she doesn't pay, she will be black-balled from all further AIA events, and her husband (who is the actual architect in this picture; she is just a wife) will be extremely embarrassed in front of his peers.
The overall theme of the conference was - as it is almost everywhere - the state of our climate and what the building sector has to do with it. Of the three sectors most blamed for the CO2 in our atmosphere (Transportation, Industry, and Buildings)the built environment is responsible for close to 50% of the CO2 emissions! So you see, it really is up to us to do something about that.
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Update on My Jaw
Apparently when I injured myself in Mongolia, I really injured myself.
My doctor now believes that I bled out - not that we're talking gallons of blood or anything quite so dramatic as that. Just enough to form a pocket of blood, which was popped during that last physical therapy session. She said the odds of something like that happening were about a million to one. Don't you know I'd be that one! She also said the force of that "explosion" was equal to about 900mph = no wonder my body went into a form of shock!
What she didn't really understand was why the response was so delayed? Normally, the reaction should have been immediately after the popping, and with mine it waited long enough for me to walk out of the office and drive back to work. If she had known what was going on she would never have let me leave.
The good news is that I'm that much farther along in the healing process and will be discharged next time I go in!
Yeah!!
My doctor now believes that I bled out - not that we're talking gallons of blood or anything quite so dramatic as that. Just enough to form a pocket of blood, which was popped during that last physical therapy session. She said the odds of something like that happening were about a million to one. Don't you know I'd be that one! She also said the force of that "explosion" was equal to about 900mph = no wonder my body went into a form of shock!
What she didn't really understand was why the response was so delayed? Normally, the reaction should have been immediately after the popping, and with mine it waited long enough for me to walk out of the office and drive back to work. If she had known what was going on she would never have let me leave.
The good news is that I'm that much farther along in the healing process and will be discharged next time I go in!
Yeah!!
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Writing on the Wall
I work in a professional office in down-town Anchorage, for an Architectural firm. Our restrooms, while being considered public restrooms, are mostly used by just the people in the firm. One of them had the great idea of getting several sets of those "Magnetic Poetry" thingies and plastering them all over the doors of each stall. It really makes for some interesting reading while you're in there!Here is just a sampling of things I've read:
Running deliriously on raw meat
Heave wax over the sun to produce a gorgeous shine
Tiny mean squirrels enjoy milk
Chew with your mouth closed
Go away and let me read
You’re never more than yourself
Your sister robbed the maid
The size of her apparatus is enormous
Running deliriously on raw meat
Heave wax over the sun to produce a gorgeous shine
Tiny mean squirrels enjoy milk
Chew with your mouth closed
Go away and let me read
You’re never more than yourself
Your sister robbed the maid
The size of her apparatus is enormous
Thursday, November 01, 2007
I dislocated it AGAIN
When I came home from Mongolia last month, I discovered that I somehow managed to dislocate my jaw while I was out there. I find it rather amazing that one can have a dislocated jaw and not know it. I may not have known I had a dislocated jaw, but I certainly knew I was in pain!
But - there you have it. I did, and that has had me in physical therapy twice a week for the past few weeks. It had been going fairly well, too. I thought I was on the road to recovery.
Until today, that is. Today we managed to dislocate it again! Funny how you can forget just exactly how painful something is in such a short time. I remember now, that's for sure.
This time we got it back in place right away, but back at the office I could barely think it hurt so bad. And since I had to drive myself home later on in the day, I couldn't take any painkillers. I had to just tough it out.
But - there you have it. I did, and that has had me in physical therapy twice a week for the past few weeks. It had been going fairly well, too. I thought I was on the road to recovery.
Until today, that is. Today we managed to dislocate it again! Funny how you can forget just exactly how painful something is in such a short time. I remember now, that's for sure.
This time we got it back in place right away, but back at the office I could barely think it hurt so bad. And since I had to drive myself home later on in the day, I couldn't take any painkillers. I had to just tough it out.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
This Is Not A Drill
I went to a meeting in City Hall today, about promoting sustainable building practices here in our fair city. The speaker was the founder of a company called DIRTT, or Doing It Right This Time.
He gave a very interesting speech, full of just the right balance of dry, boring facts and light, witty humor. He had quite a crowd, too: I think there must have been close to 50 people in that room.
He only got about half-way through his speech, however, because right in the middle of it the fire alarm went off. A voice came over the loudspeakers saying, "This is not a drill! Please evacuate the building immediately!"
Trust me, you do not want to be in a government building when you hear those words. All sorts of alarming possibilities went through my mind as I wound my way down the exit stairwell. I was thinking anything from a bomb scare to anthrax to some psycho with a machine gun!
When we finally made it out to the street, we found five firetrucks with their crews busily unloading all their gear and hooking up their hoses. They even got the ladder truck up and running.
I never did find out what was going on. I had to leave right then anyway, to make it to my next appointment. By the time I got back, two and a half hours later, they were all gone and it was business as usual at City Hall.
He gave a very interesting speech, full of just the right balance of dry, boring facts and light, witty humor. He had quite a crowd, too: I think there must have been close to 50 people in that room.
He only got about half-way through his speech, however, because right in the middle of it the fire alarm went off. A voice came over the loudspeakers saying, "This is not a drill! Please evacuate the building immediately!"
Trust me, you do not want to be in a government building when you hear those words. All sorts of alarming possibilities went through my mind as I wound my way down the exit stairwell. I was thinking anything from a bomb scare to anthrax to some psycho with a machine gun!
When we finally made it out to the street, we found five firetrucks with their crews busily unloading all their gear and hooking up their hoses. They even got the ladder truck up and running.
I never did find out what was going on. I had to leave right then anyway, to make it to my next appointment. By the time I got back, two and a half hours later, they were all gone and it was business as usual at City Hall.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Oops!
For over a year now, the local phone service company has been trying to convert my system over to their "new and improved version." At first, I went along with them: I set an appointment, took off work to meet them at the house, and four times IN A ROW nobody showed up.
Naturally, I was not pleased. So I decided to simply ignore them from then on. I didn't really need to switch over anyway: I was perfectly happy with my service as it was.
About 9 months pass and I get yet another message from them on my answering machine, this time offering 3 months free. So I figured: “What the heck - I'll try it again.”
I very politely called them back on the number they provided and explain my situation only to be told I should actually be calling a different number: a local one rather than an 800 number. So when I finally get thru to the person who is actually able to handle me, I tell them my story again about the four missed appointments, all the time off work, and the hassle and what not, and she is very sympathetic.
She gives me not only a new appointment (this time on a Saturday to ensure that I will not have to take time off work to be there) And the 3 months free as advertised in their phone call, but also credited my account $20.00 to try to make amends for all my pain & suffering.
Who can beat that?
So, you'll never guess what I did today. I totally forgot about the appointment and was gone when the repair man showed up!!!
Honestly, it was not on purpose! And of course now I'm either going to have to suck it up and live with the inferior phone service or call them back and explain that this time it was MY fault and may we please try a sixth time?
Naturally, I was not pleased. So I decided to simply ignore them from then on. I didn't really need to switch over anyway: I was perfectly happy with my service as it was.
About 9 months pass and I get yet another message from them on my answering machine, this time offering 3 months free. So I figured: “What the heck - I'll try it again.”
I very politely called them back on the number they provided and explain my situation only to be told I should actually be calling a different number: a local one rather than an 800 number. So when I finally get thru to the person who is actually able to handle me, I tell them my story again about the four missed appointments, all the time off work, and the hassle and what not, and she is very sympathetic.
She gives me not only a new appointment (this time on a Saturday to ensure that I will not have to take time off work to be there) And the 3 months free as advertised in their phone call, but also credited my account $20.00 to try to make amends for all my pain & suffering.
Who can beat that?
So, you'll never guess what I did today. I totally forgot about the appointment and was gone when the repair man showed up!!!
Honestly, it was not on purpose! And of course now I'm either going to have to suck it up and live with the inferior phone service or call them back and explain that this time it was MY fault and may we please try a sixth time?
Friday, October 26, 2007
Interesting People
I met the coolest lady at the Bioneers Conference. We both had taken Mr. Oh My God's workshop titled "Reducing Your Home's Carbon Footprint" and got to walk over to the dining hall together afterwards.
She is the girlfriend of the guy who owns one of my favorite places to eat lunch - talk about a small world! Embarasingly I have no clue as to what her name is. I am so bad with names!
Anyway, I ran in to her again today while having lunch at my favorite place (I had hoped to run in to her: it's one reason I went there), and again we got to talking.
The building where the eatery is located is an older building with several apartments above. She and her boyfriend are in the process of fixing up, hense the workshop at the Bioneers Conference.
It's the coolest building! It started out life as a Tile company; they used it as their show room, so they put tile down on every surface in every patern imaginable. Over the years, and thru the many different owners, layer after layer of all different types of flooring and/or wall coverings have been piled on top of each other, and they have had to dig down to the first layer in order to restore it to its original state of being. It's been a lot of hard work, but it is so worth it!
I'm very impressed with this lady (I swear: I'm going to not only find out what her name is, I'm going to make the hurculean effort to actually REMEMBER her name - some day). She is doing most of the work herself: everything from plumbing & electrical to tile repair and paint stripping.
I'm hoping to take Mother there one day, to show her.
She is the girlfriend of the guy who owns one of my favorite places to eat lunch - talk about a small world! Embarasingly I have no clue as to what her name is. I am so bad with names!
Anyway, I ran in to her again today while having lunch at my favorite place (I had hoped to run in to her: it's one reason I went there), and again we got to talking.
The building where the eatery is located is an older building with several apartments above. She and her boyfriend are in the process of fixing up, hense the workshop at the Bioneers Conference.
It's the coolest building! It started out life as a Tile company; they used it as their show room, so they put tile down on every surface in every patern imaginable. Over the years, and thru the many different owners, layer after layer of all different types of flooring and/or wall coverings have been piled on top of each other, and they have had to dig down to the first layer in order to restore it to its original state of being. It's been a lot of hard work, but it is so worth it!
I'm very impressed with this lady (I swear: I'm going to not only find out what her name is, I'm going to make the hurculean effort to actually REMEMBER her name - some day). She is doing most of the work herself: everything from plumbing & electrical to tile repair and paint stripping.
I'm hoping to take Mother there one day, to show her.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Weatherization
For those of you keeping track: dinner last night was really good. He made the best meal! If you want the recipe, let me know and I'll post it.
Today has been quite busy. Work is going well enough: I had an internal review done on the project I'm working on, and it actually turned out better than I thought it would. I guess I'm not as lost as I feel. Just a little bit left to do, and it will be ready to turn in as the 95% Submittal.
I had to leave work early in order to make it to the physical therapist's office on time. Turns out I injured myself in Mongolia: I have microfractures in my left knee which only hurts when I try to kneel on it. She has told me to stop going to the gym till it heals - which is a bummer, because I just signed on at the gym, and want to develop a habit of going as often as I can!
I also seem to have dislocated my jaw! Now, that one surprises me greatly. How the heck did I dislocate my jaw = and not know it! I only knew that it hurt and that I couldn't really open it that wide: barely wide enough to eat. She's been able to get it back in place - now we're just working on getting it to stay in place, since it spent at least 3 weeks OUT of place.
Directly after the PT session, I went over to the AHFC (Alaska Housing Finance Corporation) for the first lecture in their 8-part series, titled Weatherization, designed to help you make your home more energy efficient. Who wouldn't want that?
As an added bonus: Mr.Oh My God is the presenter!
This particular workshop was actually a longer version of the one I took at the Bioneers Convention, so most of it was just review of what I'd already learned. But - one can never reveiw something too often! I did learn a few new things, and will learn even more at the rest of the workshops.
Future workshops will be: Lighting, Heating Systems, Ice Dams, Indoor Air Quality, Peak Oil, New Construction, and Crawl Space & Attic Ventilation
Today has been quite busy. Work is going well enough: I had an internal review done on the project I'm working on, and it actually turned out better than I thought it would. I guess I'm not as lost as I feel. Just a little bit left to do, and it will be ready to turn in as the 95% Submittal.
I had to leave work early in order to make it to the physical therapist's office on time. Turns out I injured myself in Mongolia: I have microfractures in my left knee which only hurts when I try to kneel on it. She has told me to stop going to the gym till it heals - which is a bummer, because I just signed on at the gym, and want to develop a habit of going as often as I can!
I also seem to have dislocated my jaw! Now, that one surprises me greatly. How the heck did I dislocate my jaw = and not know it! I only knew that it hurt and that I couldn't really open it that wide: barely wide enough to eat. She's been able to get it back in place - now we're just working on getting it to stay in place, since it spent at least 3 weeks OUT of place.
Directly after the PT session, I went over to the AHFC (Alaska Housing Finance Corporation) for the first lecture in their 8-part series, titled Weatherization, designed to help you make your home more energy efficient. Who wouldn't want that?
As an added bonus: Mr.Oh My God is the presenter!
This particular workshop was actually a longer version of the one I took at the Bioneers Convention, so most of it was just review of what I'd already learned. But - one can never reveiw something too often! I did learn a few new things, and will learn even more at the rest of the workshops.
Future workshops will be: Lighting, Heating Systems, Ice Dams, Indoor Air Quality, Peak Oil, New Construction, and Crawl Space & Attic Ventilation
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
SNOW
The first snow of the year has definitely arrived!
It seems odd, though - like I didn't exptect it to be here already, even though it is the end of October. I guess my 3-week vacation really messed with my head.
And me without my winter tires on yet! I don't know when I'll have time to get them on, either. I have a dinner tonight with a friend (a male friend, but sadly just a friend). I have a work-related seminar tomorrow after work. I have a Project Wild workshop Friday & Saturday. I have my creek monitoring duties on Sunday - and of course I'll have to go to my favorite cafe and write letters ahead of that, and then go work out at the gym afterwards.
Maybe Monday - no, wait. I'm meeting up with a contractor on Monday to see about doing some odd repairs around my house. I've already accidentally missed one appointment with him - certainly don't want to miss another one.
Then on Tuesday is a meeting at the zoo for the volunteers. That leaves Wednesday... As far as I can recall, Wednesday just might actually be free.
It seems odd, though - like I didn't exptect it to be here already, even though it is the end of October. I guess my 3-week vacation really messed with my head.
And me without my winter tires on yet! I don't know when I'll have time to get them on, either. I have a dinner tonight with a friend (a male friend, but sadly just a friend). I have a work-related seminar tomorrow after work. I have a Project Wild workshop Friday & Saturday. I have my creek monitoring duties on Sunday - and of course I'll have to go to my favorite cafe and write letters ahead of that, and then go work out at the gym afterwards.
Maybe Monday - no, wait. I'm meeting up with a contractor on Monday to see about doing some odd repairs around my house. I've already accidentally missed one appointment with him - certainly don't want to miss another one.
Then on Tuesday is a meeting at the zoo for the volunteers. That leaves Wednesday... As far as I can recall, Wednesday just might actually be free.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Lecture at the Museum
I had a very pleasant evening tonight. Mother met me for dinner at our favorite resaurant afterwhich we walked over to the museum for a lecture. The lecture was presented by a trio from Sweden; an architect/product designer firm called Claesson Koivisto Rune.
The three men each took turns describing a product or design they had worked on, highlighting everything from floor plans to furniture to cookery!
My favorite residential project of theirs was located in Spain and set up on a hill. The house itself wasn't that big, perhaps 2000 to 2400 square feet, but it was stretched out long to take advantage of the topographical aspects of the site, and was situated to have the best view.
My favorite commercial building of theirs was set in Japan; a 5-story tall building with a skin of titanium panels, each of which had been punched with holes to form a patern of leaves which allowed the sun to make shadows on the interior during the day, or for the interior lighting to shine thru during the evenings. It was very unique looking.
I have to admit that I did not care much for their furniture designs, except for one of the chairs they made for the building in Japan. They continued the punched patern onto stainless steel and created what they named the "Origami Chair" each one costing about $2000.00 each!
As for their pots and pans, they were interesting and required a lot of planning, but were rather unremarkable, in my opinion. I'm sure they cost a pretty penny too, however.
All in all, Mother and I had a very nice
The three men each took turns describing a product or design they had worked on, highlighting everything from floor plans to furniture to cookery!
My favorite residential project of theirs was located in Spain and set up on a hill. The house itself wasn't that big, perhaps 2000 to 2400 square feet, but it was stretched out long to take advantage of the topographical aspects of the site, and was situated to have the best view.
My favorite commercial building of theirs was set in Japan; a 5-story tall building with a skin of titanium panels, each of which had been punched with holes to form a patern of leaves which allowed the sun to make shadows on the interior during the day, or for the interior lighting to shine thru during the evenings. It was very unique looking.
I have to admit that I did not care much for their furniture designs, except for one of the chairs they made for the building in Japan. They continued the punched patern onto stainless steel and created what they named the "Origami Chair" each one costing about $2000.00 each!
As for their pots and pans, they were interesting and required a lot of planning, but were rather unremarkable, in my opinion. I'm sure they cost a pretty penny too, however.
All in all, Mother and I had a very nice
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Last Day
The last day of the conference went well enough. I wasn't feeling too good, so didn't stay for the whole thing. But I did manage to attend the workshop I'd been looking forward to: Reducing Your Home’s Carbon Footprint, as taught by none other than Mr. Oh My God.
Honestly, I attended the workshop for the content, not the scenery. Really I did. Of course it didn't help matters that he wore a tight fitting t-shirt showing off each and every one of his chest muscles. Not that I noticed, of course.
The class itself was very interesting, and since I am in the process of attending to a few matters in my own home, it was also quite pertenent. Here's what the website had to say about the workshop:
The issue of your home’s impact on the planet can get pretty confusing: greenhouse gas emissions, efficiency, healthy / green materials, renewable energy, etc. How do you gain perspective? Where do you begin to make changes? In this session Mr.Smith (the name has been changed in order to protect the innocent) will share tools and information participants need for a focused, prioritized approach that can make a real difference in reducing their home’s carbon footprint. Recommendations for existing homes and techniques for new homes will be addressed.
After the workshop, as I left the building, I overheard several people say that it had been the best workshop of the whole conference. I agree that it was certainly the most applicable one.
Honestly, I attended the workshop for the content, not the scenery. Really I did. Of course it didn't help matters that he wore a tight fitting t-shirt showing off each and every one of his chest muscles. Not that I noticed, of course.
The class itself was very interesting, and since I am in the process of attending to a few matters in my own home, it was also quite pertenent. Here's what the website had to say about the workshop:
The issue of your home’s impact on the planet can get pretty confusing: greenhouse gas emissions, efficiency, healthy / green materials, renewable energy, etc. How do you gain perspective? Where do you begin to make changes? In this session Mr.Smith (the name has been changed in order to protect the innocent) will share tools and information participants need for a focused, prioritized approach that can make a real difference in reducing their home’s carbon footprint. Recommendations for existing homes and techniques for new homes will be addressed.
After the workshop, as I left the building, I overheard several people say that it had been the best workshop of the whole conference. I agree that it was certainly the most applicable one.
a link to my travelog
with thanks to my brother, who's website it is put on!
http://nopeople.com/Ruth/Mongolia/travelogue.html
http://nopeople.com/Ruth/Mongolia/travelogue.html
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Two Down - One to Go
My second day at the Bioneers Conference went well. It's so invigorating to attend these conferences. To know that there are other people in the world who are just as concerned as I am and yet who are actually doing something about it is a great relief. I must admit, there are times where I am actually ashamed to be human.
Here's a quote from their program book that I found very interesting:
“The annual Bioneers conference is a hub of practical solutions for restoring the Earth and people. It’s a thriving network of visionary innovators who are working with nature to heal nature. Bioneers draw from more than four billion years of evolutionary intelligence and apply nature’s operating instructions in practical ways to serve human ends harmlessly. We herald a dawning age of interdependence founded in natural principles of diversity, kinship, community, cooperation and reciprocity. The good news is that for the most part the solutions to our problems are already present. The models percolate up from the deep wisdom of the natural world. Extraordinary human creativity focused on problem solving is exploding the mythology of despair. Bioneers focus equally on the creative social strategies that can help us realize these solutions by restoring community, justice and democracy. Over and over, it’s the story of how one individual can make a difference.”
For today’s plenary speakers, I heard Paul Anastas talk about Green Chemistry, I heard Majora Carter talk about Greening the Ghetto, and I heard Evon Peter give an Indigenous Perspective on How to Survive the Next 100 Years. After a wonderful lunch of local organic food I attended two workshops: the first one titled “Managing and Describing Natural Resource Development and Possibilities by Means of Systems Approaches” by Henry Cole, and the second one titled “Electrical Efficiency: How and How Much Money” by Ian Sharrock.
And for those of you paying attention: no, I did not run in to Mr. Oh My God today. This is a good thing, since I really did want to concentrate on the message (and not the scenery). I did, however, meet up with a Biologist from Seattle who was on his way to Dutch Harbor to be a Crab Watcher. He was very interesting, and if anybody knows anything about the crab fisheries off the Aleutian Islands, you’ll know he’s in for the ride of his life.
Here's a quote from their program book that I found very interesting:
“The annual Bioneers conference is a hub of practical solutions for restoring the Earth and people. It’s a thriving network of visionary innovators who are working with nature to heal nature. Bioneers draw from more than four billion years of evolutionary intelligence and apply nature’s operating instructions in practical ways to serve human ends harmlessly. We herald a dawning age of interdependence founded in natural principles of diversity, kinship, community, cooperation and reciprocity. The good news is that for the most part the solutions to our problems are already present. The models percolate up from the deep wisdom of the natural world. Extraordinary human creativity focused on problem solving is exploding the mythology of despair. Bioneers focus equally on the creative social strategies that can help us realize these solutions by restoring community, justice and democracy. Over and over, it’s the story of how one individual can make a difference.”
For today’s plenary speakers, I heard Paul Anastas talk about Green Chemistry, I heard Majora Carter talk about Greening the Ghetto, and I heard Evon Peter give an Indigenous Perspective on How to Survive the Next 100 Years. After a wonderful lunch of local organic food I attended two workshops: the first one titled “Managing and Describing Natural Resource Development and Possibilities by Means of Systems Approaches” by Henry Cole, and the second one titled “Electrical Efficiency: How and How Much Money” by Ian Sharrock.
And for those of you paying attention: no, I did not run in to Mr. Oh My God today. This is a good thing, since I really did want to concentrate on the message (and not the scenery). I did, however, meet up with a Biologist from Seattle who was on his way to Dutch Harbor to be a Crab Watcher. He was very interesting, and if anybody knows anything about the crab fisheries off the Aleutian Islands, you’ll know he’s in for the ride of his life.
Friday, October 19, 2007
The Ultimate Distraction
I am in the middle of the first day of a 3-day conference: the 4th Annual Bioneers Conference in Anchorage Alaska. It is, actually, a sattelite presentation of the 18th Annual Bioneers Conference in San Rafael California.
The official website states: Bioneers are biological pioneers who are working with nature to heal nature and ourselves. They have peered deep into the heart of living systems to devise strategies for restoration based on nature's own operating instructions. They come from many cultures and perspectives, and all walks of life.
So far, in Anchorage, we have listened to some of the plenary speakers and had some interaction with the Bioneer community there at the conference. We have not yet broken out into the many available workshops: that's my favorite part.
The next few days will see us learning all about things like: Socially Responsible Investments, Building Sustainable Relationships, Reducing your Carbon Footprint, Adapting to Cascading Global Change, Raising & Harvesting your own Meat, Solar thermal systems in Alaska, Biodiesel and Beyond, and Teaching Values the Athabascan Way.
The "ultimate distraction" spoken of in the title of this posting comes from the fact that I could barely concentrate on the speakers this morning due to the fact that probably THE most gorgeous man I have seen in many years was sitting next to me. It's very hard to concentrate on the big screen TV in front of you when Mr. Oh My God is sitting not a quarter of an inch away from you. And it doesn't really help matters that I know him and have worked with him in the past on various workshops and task forces throughout the town, because now I know that he not only is really good looking but also a very nice man. And he’s married.
Sigh…
The official website states: Bioneers are biological pioneers who are working with nature to heal nature and ourselves. They have peered deep into the heart of living systems to devise strategies for restoration based on nature's own operating instructions. They come from many cultures and perspectives, and all walks of life.
So far, in Anchorage, we have listened to some of the plenary speakers and had some interaction with the Bioneer community there at the conference. We have not yet broken out into the many available workshops: that's my favorite part.
The next few days will see us learning all about things like: Socially Responsible Investments, Building Sustainable Relationships, Reducing your Carbon Footprint, Adapting to Cascading Global Change, Raising & Harvesting your own Meat, Solar thermal systems in Alaska, Biodiesel and Beyond, and Teaching Values the Athabascan Way.
The "ultimate distraction" spoken of in the title of this posting comes from the fact that I could barely concentrate on the speakers this morning due to the fact that probably THE most gorgeous man I have seen in many years was sitting next to me. It's very hard to concentrate on the big screen TV in front of you when Mr. Oh My God is sitting not a quarter of an inch away from you. And it doesn't really help matters that I know him and have worked with him in the past on various workshops and task forces throughout the town, because now I know that he not only is really good looking but also a very nice man. And he’s married.
Sigh…
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