Here's to a shiny new year ripe with promise. See you in 2012!
(via)
December 30, 2011
Happy New Year's
This New Year's Eve, may the beer flow like wine and the women/men flock like the salmon of Capistrano.
Here's to a shiny new year ripe with promise. See you in 2012!
Here's to a shiny new year ripe with promise. See you in 2012!
December 29, 2011
Favorites tumbl'd in 2011
One of my pet projects in 2011 was the nwisbest tumblr. I didn't really understand it's purpose at first but dove in this Spring and came to love it a wee bit more than blogging. I think it's better suited for my frequent mental flashes of inspiration and is easier to cultivate and manage. At times, I also believe it's a far more accurate representation of who I am and what I love than the written words you'll find here. Regardless, it's become my baby of sorts and I wanted to share a tiny sliver of my favorite images tumbl'd in 2011. To see the rest and their source, visit NWisBest on tumblr.
December 28, 2011
King County Metro Route 31: You Suck
As of October 13, 2011 I officially became a commuter when my employer gave me a shiny new ORCA card and a $3.25 daily incentive to use it. I consider that $3.25 Seattle Children's small way of saying, "Thank you KT for waking up at 5:15 every morning and waiting in the cold/dark/dampness at 6:40 to ride to worst route ever into work." Let me assure you that "worst route ever" is not some dredged up hyperbole for the blog's sake. Allow me to guide you through my commute so you'll better understand the hell that has become my mornings.
6:38 am - Give Davy Crockett a tasty antler to chew on, kiss her wrinkled brow and head out the door
6:39 am - Walk 25 steps to the corner of Thorndyke W. & Boston to wait for the bus
6:42 am - Spy the bus cresting over the south hill of Thorndyke. Rummage through the vortex that is my purse for an ID badge
6:42:30 am - See bus is not slowing down for my stop
6:42:31 am - Wave both hands frantically, scream STOP! repeatedly and literally chase down the bus
6:42:45 am - Bus either continues lumbering along or screeches over to pick me up
This happens at least twice a week, regardless of the bus driver (regular vs. substitute) and puts me in a dour mood the entire ride into work. Seriously, if a girl can't enjoy her Angry Birds on the bus, how can the day possibly go well? In an attempt to get noticed I've tried waving a cell phone, standing in the street and, like today, wearing this little eyesore (see below) but nothing works.
If the driver actually does stop for me (how can you not when there's a girl screaming in the street, chasing you down and banging her fist on the side of the bus), I really let him have it. Usually along the lines of, "I am there EVERY DAY at the SAME TIME and you do this EVERY WEEK. LEARN YOUR ROUTE." And the responses I get are all over the map.
"There needs to be a light there" (No shit, Sherlock)
"You need to wave a light or something" (Yeah...tried that)
"Go to another bus stop with a light" (Seeing as none on my side of the street are lit, that's not gonna fly)
"I'm so sorry! Didn't even see you there. I'll put in a request for a light" (Bless you)
"You're gonna get hit doing that" (Frealz dude and I can't wait until I do and you lose your job because of it and then they'll probably make a movie out of me like the surfer who got her arm bitten off by a shark)
Today, while wearing the above hoodie and frantically waving my white mime gloves (thanks mom!) the guy finally pulled over (almost flattening me in the process) and I really let him have it. For a brief moment I was afraid I was going to get kicked off the bus BUT I stood my ground against that ogre driver. He gave every excuse above but I just kept yelling that he needed to get a clue and pay a shit's worth of attention to the bus stops on his route. I reiterated, I'm here EVERY day of the work week and I get passed MULTIPLE times a week. He informed me he drives this route every day and I'm never there. Um DUH dude...because I ride at 6:42 every day, not your scheduled time.
Fueled by my righteous anger, I called the KC Metro hot line and spent 10 minutes waiting to offer my complaint. The lady informed me that she'd submit it and try to get a light put on my corner (THE LIGHT ISN'T THE POINT) and I firmly told her that wasn't going to cut it. I wanted someone to contact me about this since it's been a weekly occurrence for the past 2+ months. I forced her to take down my number and have someone give me a call back or else I will heckle and hassle them until something changes. And I seriously will. There's a reason Strek calls me The Unstoppable Force and a reason my dad got all his gray hair during my adolescence. I won't quit until something changes.
So mark my words people - I will win this. And if one of my lovely drivers is reading this - I will get you. And, fingers crossed, there will come a time when I never have to get my daily exercise by chasing down the bus.
6:38 am - Give Davy Crockett a tasty antler to chew on, kiss her wrinkled brow and head out the door
6:39 am - Walk 25 steps to the corner of Thorndyke W. & Boston to wait for the bus
6:42 am - Spy the bus cresting over the south hill of Thorndyke. Rummage through the vortex that is my purse for an ID badge
6:42:30 am - See bus is not slowing down for my stop
6:42:31 am - Wave both hands frantically, scream STOP! repeatedly and literally chase down the bus
6:42:45 am - Bus either continues lumbering along or screeches over to pick me up
This happens at least twice a week, regardless of the bus driver (regular vs. substitute) and puts me in a dour mood the entire ride into work. Seriously, if a girl can't enjoy her Angry Birds on the bus, how can the day possibly go well? In an attempt to get noticed I've tried waving a cell phone, standing in the street and, like today, wearing this little eyesore (see below) but nothing works.
If the driver actually does stop for me (how can you not when there's a girl screaming in the street, chasing you down and banging her fist on the side of the bus), I really let him have it. Usually along the lines of, "I am there EVERY DAY at the SAME TIME and you do this EVERY WEEK. LEARN YOUR ROUTE." And the responses I get are all over the map.
"There needs to be a light there" (No shit, Sherlock)
"You need to wave a light or something" (Yeah...tried that)
"Go to another bus stop with a light" (Seeing as none on my side of the street are lit, that's not gonna fly)
"I'm so sorry! Didn't even see you there. I'll put in a request for a light" (Bless you)
"You're gonna get hit doing that" (Frealz dude and I can't wait until I do and you lose your job because of it and then they'll probably make a movie out of me like the surfer who got her arm bitten off by a shark)
Today, while wearing the above hoodie and frantically waving my white mime gloves (thanks mom!) the guy finally pulled over (almost flattening me in the process) and I really let him have it. For a brief moment I was afraid I was going to get kicked off the bus BUT I stood my ground against that ogre driver. He gave every excuse above but I just kept yelling that he needed to get a clue and pay a shit's worth of attention to the bus stops on his route. I reiterated, I'm here EVERY day of the work week and I get passed MULTIPLE times a week. He informed me he drives this route every day and I'm never there. Um DUH dude...because I ride at 6:42 every day, not your scheduled time.
Fueled by my righteous anger, I called the KC Metro hot line and spent 10 minutes waiting to offer my complaint. The lady informed me that she'd submit it and try to get a light put on my corner (THE LIGHT ISN'T THE POINT) and I firmly told her that wasn't going to cut it. I wanted someone to contact me about this since it's been a weekly occurrence for the past 2+ months. I forced her to take down my number and have someone give me a call back or else I will heckle and hassle them until something changes. And I seriously will. There's a reason Strek calls me The Unstoppable Force and a reason my dad got all his gray hair during my adolescence. I won't quit until something changes.
So mark my words people - I will win this. And if one of my lovely drivers is reading this - I will get you. And, fingers crossed, there will come a time when I never have to get my daily exercise by chasing down the bus.
December 27, 2011
Calling all dreamers: the quarterly To-Do
Back in May I was in dire need of some inspiration and aspirations. With life about as fulfilling as an issue of Us Weekly, I seriously believed I was in danger of losing my potential. After some mental percolation and heavy encouragement from my nearest and dearest, I decided to set some goals and actually accomplish them. And so a shiny new tradition of making seasonal to-do lists was born. I'm not a resolutions kind of girl and also believe that many goals tend to become weaker in the sharing. So I kept them on my fridge and near to my heart and...summer was a success! I got that new job, read those books and potty trained that wicked furball. I loved checking things off the list and savored the knowledge that I was making moves. Since the summer list fared so well, I figured I'd keep the ball rolling and make one for fall. I love hate to toot my own horn but...that fall list...NAILED it. In a big way. "Read 5 books" turned out to be 13. "Apply to nursing school" turned into applying to five (with more to come). "Go to the AF vs. Army game" turned into a weekend with my two best friends and meeting Cuba Gooding Jr. And on it went.
Interestingly enough, the few items I didn't get to were ones I really wasn't feeling to begin with. I have no desire to go to the Seattle Art Museum yet but felt like it sounded more cultured than "Develop a Prosecco habit" (CHECK!). And at this point, that trip to the Olympic peninsula will have to wait until the sun deigns to show it's face again (around July 2012). On tonight's mental note: make my Winter List and dream BIG. And I mean get-into-multiple-RN-schools-fly-to-Georgia-see-Brad-Paisley-get-famous big. Well, maybe not the get famous part. That might take some time. I mean, Justin Beiber wasn't built in a day.
Suggestions are welcome as are fellow friends willing to do the same - dream a little dream, make it happen and watch it grow into something far greater than you ever imagined.
Interestingly enough, the few items I didn't get to were ones I really wasn't feeling to begin with. I have no desire to go to the Seattle Art Museum yet but felt like it sounded more cultured than "Develop a Prosecco habit" (CHECK!). And at this point, that trip to the Olympic peninsula will have to wait until the sun deigns to show it's face again (around July 2012). On tonight's mental note: make my Winter List and dream BIG. And I mean get-into-multiple-RN-schools-fly-to-Georgia-see-Brad-Paisley-get-famous big. Well, maybe not the get famous part. That might take some time. I mean, Justin Beiber wasn't built in a day.
Suggestions are welcome as are fellow friends willing to do the same - dream a little dream, make it happen and watch it grow into something far greater than you ever imagined.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)