Like an evil child who throws eggs just to watch them break, you have disrupted my zen. Instead of treading thoughtfully through your day, you stomp and crash and bang around. You are a moose among a garden of orchids. My teeth hurt just from the mind-numbing frustration of watching you force things that should naturally and beautifully happen. I tried to foster a cooperation between us so that we could both enjoy the same space and flow seamlessly through our work together, but you look upon me with confusion and contempt. I am through with you as I watch you drown in the murky depths of your ignorance.

Reflection

Ode to a Friend

You make me smile

You inspire me to laugh

I look to you

When my day is drab

You keep me grounded

You give good advice

I look to you

When I need someone wise

You look out for me

You lend a helping hand

Of course I need you

I'm your biggest fan!

Duality

Without the predator, there is no prey

Am I the hunter, or the hunted?

Both

But for the want of a slave, there is no master

Circle

The end and the beginning are the same

Hungry butterflies

Welding sparks that I create

Please fly away, fly

Stranded in Ohio

You know that you are an Oregonian stranded in Ohio if....

You pull up to the gas pump and sit there for an eternity because you have no clue how to operate the pumps and you don't think you should have to pump your own gas anyhow.

You drive around lost because there are no mountains and all the cornfields look the same.

You wonder where all the drive-through espresso stands are.

Why is farm-raised Atlantic Salmon the only salmon in restaurants?

Doesn't anyone recycle?!?

No fireworks stands....

Hmmmm, people hate the outdoors and try to climate-control everything as much as possible.

No Thai food?

What is with this humidity? I don't have gills!!!!

The Fire

The fire burned within me

I burned within the fire

I was the fire

The angry coals fed the rage of the flames

It challenged me

I felt the need to overcome the natural fear

There was a problem

The fire needed a part of me

Payment as it were

I had to leave something important

So I left you to burn

You, who had lurked in the back of my mind

You who had haunted my dreams and waking thoughts

You were the source of my torment

And I left you there

In the flames

You were completely consumed

You belong to the fire

The fire belongs to me

Making a Bench

I wanted to do something special for my hubby on our anniversary. We had been wanting a bench for our mudroom, but it needed to be an odd size and therefore custom made. I hadn't done any woodworking in over a decade, but I thought I could probably do this.

I went to Home Depot and got some poplar and had them cut it there with their radial arm saw. I ended up with four 2ft long boards, a dowel, and a bottle of Titebond III.

When I got home, I knew that I wanted to make some dado joints, but didn't quite know how that I was going to do it. Cue in my Father-in-Law who said that he had a dado bit for his router. Cool! He even had a special table and fence that he set up for me.

I measured and marked out the cuts and then cut the dados.

After the dados were cut, I drilled and countersunk some holes and assembled the bench with woodscrews and the TitebondIII.

I filled the holes with the dowels so that the woodscrews didn't show, then I finish sanded everything. After staining the bench with a light colored stain, I used a spray lacquer to add a durable finish. Volia!

2nd day of riding - stupid asshole!

I decided to go for a scooter ride after work today. I got spotted by the in-laws and had a little explaining to do before I started on my ride. I ventured out on to both residential streets and county highways. I fought the wind and the tight curves of Demming road. I both gave and received the "biker wave". I even got waved at by a guy on a lawnmower - how cool is that!

It wasn't until I was a few blocks away from home that I encountered the asshole. Now remember, the scooter that I was on is day-glow yellow. I ride with both headlights on also. I arrived at a four way stop where I was planning on turning left. My signal was on. The only other car was across the intersection who was also going to turn left. There was no one else. I let the car across from me complete its turn before I decided to go. I just had one last glance and saw out of the corner of my eye a red taurus with a driver that looked to still be in high school. He was coming from my left pretty fast as I was starting my left turn. It really didn't look like he was going to stop so I slowed. I stopped in the middle of the intersection right as he blew right through the stop sign. He didn't even slow down until he reached the point just before where I was paused. He maneuvered around me and only gave me a sideways glance as he went on his merry way. I raised my hand in a "What the Hell?!?" sort of gesture, but I don't think he understood.

Hubby says that assholes like him are similar to road construction - there is really no escaping either one....

I wanna ride!!!!

So, awhile back, I wrote about getting my motorcycle learner's permit. After waiting for the weather to warm up, I finally took up a co-worker on his offer to loan his scooter to me.

Yesterday, he picked me up and took me to his garage after work. I was expecting a little Vespa-like scooter. Instead, the door opened and revealed a day-glow yellow, 250cc, big ole Honda. It actually looks like a cross between a rice rocket and a scooter. So he showed me all the switches and everything and demonstrated the operation of this contraption for me and then it was up to me to actually get on and ride. So I strapped on the full-face helmet that he loaned me and got on. The only thing that was really foreign to me was the throttle and the fact that I didn't have to pedal. Due to my years of bicycling experience, I am pretty natural at leaning into corners, balancing, and using hand brakes. The co-worker was sweet enough to follow me for a few blocks to make sure that I was alright, but after that, I was on my own. I had really never ridden a motorized, two-wheeled device so this really was a first for me. I spent about twenty minutes riding around the subdivision getting used to everything, and then it was time to actually ride the seven miles home on country roads. I won't bore you with every minute detail, but needless to say, I made it home! It was really fantastic and mildly terrifying, but I was really quite proud of myself. Yay!!!!!