RobZerrvations
Musings from a Meandering, Mischievous Mind
The Winter Of My (Dis)content.
After 80 days of sunny, mild days, fall has finally arrived. It came without warning on Friday. I'm sure others would argue that it arrived much earlier, but the crisp wisp of air that defines the season for me was absent until I stepped out of my home Oct. 12. I was only in it for a few moments, having been fighting a nasty sinus infection for the better part of the week. It's prevented me from seeing my daughter's new son (notice I still can't grand-anything) and I even used my very first...
Fair Weather Friends.
With the advent of Facebook and other social media, I have taken some time thinking about my friendships. It's funny how on Facebook you end up connecting with people you may have never met in real life, yet feel as if you've known them all your life. I have a friend like that. She has this hilarious sense of humor, one that is so much like mine. And I admit that every day I get online, I hope to see another one of her pearls of a post on my Wall. Lisa and I have never met but we have had...
If I Only Nude Then What I Know Now.
Funny how the world has gone full circle. When I was a kid, I liked to be naked. I guess every kid goes through that period where they decide that clothes are simply not for them. After all, running around buck naked is pretty fun when you're a kid. It's so freeing and let's face it, when we're a kid we can get away with a lot of things we could never do as an adult. Case in point. When I would run around outside naked in my yard, the neighbors would just look over and say, "Oh, there goes...
A Stormy Decision.
The Weather Channel has decided to play weather god around the country. Taking a cue from the National Weather Service which names hurricanes and cyclones, the folks at the Weather Channel decided we should have names for major winter storms. I guess they never bothered to ask anyone here in the Northwest, who regularly get legendary winter storms that already have names. Instead of the Thanksgiving Day Storm of 1983, the Weather Channel wants to call them by Greek names, like Athena, Brutus,...
No Mind Games For Me.
I was watching the boob tube a couple nights ago. As usual, I got sucked into some show on a science channel. It was covering all sorts of topics about advances in science and technology and how the two twains would one day meet in marvelous ways. One of the subjects of the show was a researcher who had an implant put into his body. It allowed him to control a synthetic, robotic arm. Whichever way he moved his arm, the roboto arm would mimic it with almost eerie precision. Kind of creepy. I’m...
Deweying My Very Best.
In elementary school there are usually two plum roles a kid can have. One is being a member of the school patrol, the other is being a librarian's assistant. I found my way through the back door to be on patrol, but I came through the front door to be a library assistant. I have always loved the library, which is strange to me now because I rarely visit one. I think I've been in a public library twice in the past 15 years. I can thank Amazon.com and Zinio for that. It's not that I don't read...
Watts The Big Deal?
I have a way of finding myself on the wrong side of the tracks. Not only in a vehicle, but often in relationships. Some of my friends envy me for my many adventures. I don't really know why. More often than not, the most memorable adventures happen in my life because I checked a brain at the door and led with my second head instead. Yes, there's a difference. Just in case you haven't slogged down enough coffee this morning, I'm talking about the lust in my heart that often leads me down the...
A Really Good Sub Plot.
Many years ago my once wife worked as a chamber of commerce director. More precisely, she was the Silverdale Chamber of Commerce Director. Her task was to turn the failing organization around, which had suffered a little bit of scandal as well as some financial mismanagement. It was in debt, membership was down and the entire organization was on the ropes. Suffice it to say, she turned it around in just two years. The job came with some unexpected perks. The Navy is really big stuff on the...
Playing Russian Roulette.
Now don't go into a panic mode. I'm not playing Russian Roulette for real. You know the drill. Put one bullet into a chamber, spin the cylinder, pull the trigger and see what happens. If you're lucky, nothing. If you're not, like Terry Kath of the band Chicago, you will forever regret your last words (which were his), "Don't worry, it's not loaded." My idea of Russian Roulette was the relationship kind. A client of mine once played it to the end result. Frank was a lonely widower in Port...
Fire Bug.
After a brief respite, I am heading back to Wenatchee this weekend to a state conference that I am running. As many of you know, Wenatchee has had a bit of a fire problem in recent weeks. It's been extremely dry here in Washington State, so it's not surprising that the area is a tinderbox right now. The lack of rain, high temperatures and thunderous storms inevitably cause the forests to ignite. A forest fire never just suddenly happens as you know. A stray lightning bolt will hit or a...
Poller Opposites.
I hate polls. Oh, you know the ones. The ones that like to be brandished across the headlines of newspapers across the country telling everyone else how you and I feel. Funny, but I don't know how they do it. They have never asked me. Oh sure, I am asked about my opinion regarding how I enjoyed a particular experience with one of my service providers. At work, I've been asked about my perceptions about the Lean process. But I've never been one of those "of those 1,000 likely voters to vote in...
Run! It’s The Attack Of The Zombees!
As we know, I'm not a big fan of the whole zombies thing. I guess I just don't get the fascination. It's not that I don't believe in zombies, for the proof they exist lies right here in Washington State. And no, it's not the smartphone-staring people that ride my bus. I am talking about real zombies. Well, to be exact, zombees. It seems that there is an outbreak of zombie bees in the area. I still remember when the African bees, killer bees as they are called, were set to invade us. Remember...