It's all good.

Not much on the go today.   Typical Friday.  Think I have dinner sorted out,  that kind of thing.

 I've only touched on this briefly over the last few days,  but for several weeks now, we've been having some really,  really fine weather,  which is exactly why I can't really bitch and complain about the rather gloomy crap we've been going through for the last day or so.
I have rain gear.
It's no big deal.
I'll probably even suck it up and stand outside over the grill to cook us up a couple steaks later on.
 For some bizarre reason,  and maybe it has something to do with having spent the first ten years of my life of a farm,  but after a few weeks of dry weather,  I start to think that we actually need some rain?
I guess some baggage you can never get rid of.

I do find though, that if it's crappy like this for weeks on end,  that the gloom tends to enter my subconscious to some extent.  I'm trying not to be too melodramatic here,  but let's just say living in Puerto Rico for a year,  where it was sunny every single day, did wonders for my disposition.   I think there were two whole days there when it actually rained all day long.   Other than that,  there was the predictable noon time shower,  which only changed in intensity and length according to the season.  Well,  and geography.   Our place looked out over Mayagüez,  and you could set your clock to the rain coming in over the mountains.
It didn't take me too long to figure out that if I was going into a store around that time,   even though it was a bright sunny day out,  carrying an umbrella along was a pretty darned good idea.  I mean,  it's not like the pounding rain was exactly cold or anything,  but you'd be soaked through to the bone by the time you got to the car.   There was also very little warning.  Sunny,  beautiful one minute and pounding rain two minutes later.
At first I felt a little self concious about carrying along an umbrella,  but then realised that my fellow shoppers had theirs as well.   You'd think that would have been a clue the first couple times I got soaked,  but somehow I didn't put the two things together.
I'm just so clever that way.
Now of course,  having recently lived that year in the Netherlands,  I'm pretty sure we now have at least a dozen umbrellas of various shapes and sizes,   strategically placed at home,  in the car,  or at the office.
Curious thing,  how that works.
I started off our collection with the one I bought in Puerto Rico.  I think it was at K-mart. Right around noon time as I recall.
It's the extent of what I consider to be a "souvenir".


You may have come to realise that at no time have I mentioned tsunamis,  earthquakes or radiation.  I'm sure there has been enough "reporting"  and speculation on those subjects elsewhere.  I'm not going to go there.  All I'll say is,  the media does tend to sensationalise to some extent,  depending where you are and what you have available.   Reporting is fine,  but there is a point there when the big splashy tabloid type of "what is Charlie Sheen going to do next"  kind of crap starts to get on ones nerves.
I'm just using that as an example of news that I really can't use,  that's all.
 And really,  if you're going to get us all paranoid about radiation,  then I guess we'd better cut out going to the dentist,  or the doctor,  and for heaven's sake,  put down that cell phone! 
 OK fine,  that last one was a different kind of radiation,  but for some folks,  fear mongering without facts is so insidious, that such a technicality would only be a footnote.

That's it,  I'm done.

 I just wanted to now throw in this one little story below for one of my nieces who has the distinct privilege of driving a transit bus in a large city not too far from our Canadian home.

First,  let me qualify the sarcasm.

 Here in Wienerland,  as is the case in most of Western Europe,  public transit is something that is used by people from all walks of life.   I mean,  sure we have a couple robberies now and again,  but that usually happens at some wee hour of the morning,  and it usually involves the perps not being the most clever bunch.   True to form,  it doesn't take too long for the cops to splash their mugs all over the media,  and and in fairly short order,   somebody either snitches on them or they get caught through some other means.
See,  Big Brother is watching in many public places,  so you'd better be wearing a hoody if you think you want to rip someone off.
 During the day of course,  everyone from well dressed business types to those of perhaps less fortunate means can be seen on the buses,   subways and street cars.
The other thing of note is,  the drivers of said vehicles never need come in contact with the riding public.   What a blessing.
I mean,  you see the bus driver there,  but he/she doesn't have anything to do with collecting fares.  If you want to risk being a "Schwarzfahrer"  and possibly get caught and fined on the spot,  it's not the bus driver who has anything to do with it,  it will be the "ticket police",  or whatever they're called,  who will want to see your stamped ticket.
I've never been asked,  but then again I don't ride that much since I think public transit on the whole tends to suck.

Having made note of the fact that transit users are from all walks of life,  it would also appear that some of them might not be the sharpest knives in the drawer?   See,  stepping out in front of a moving street car?  Not a good plan.
It's the "Schon wieder: Frau lief in Straßenbahn"  story.

I just included the whole page,  but the newsworthy bit of the thing is that this is the second time within a few days that someone has stepped out in front of a street car on the same line!
Keep a sharp lookout on route 38 people!
There was no mention as to whether it was the same driver (that would suck)  but that he did need a half hour or so before he wanted to get back on that particular horse.   A little shook up maybe?

So just a little message for my niece:

Even though you do in fact have to deal with the dregs of society every minute of every day,  (bless your heart)  at least none of these booze addled nare-do-wells has managed to hurl themselves under your bus just yet.   Do however, keep a sharp lookout.   I'm sure your stopping distance is way better than a street car.
Hope I haven't jinxed it.

Crap,  now I'm starting to worry.


Oh,  and just a little question for the crowd that wants all bike riders to wear a helmet.   It says she suffered from head injuries,  does this mean all transit riders should be wearing a bike helmet?
Just wondering.
Speaking personally,  I could probably do with either elbow pads or knee pads if I came off my bike,  and God help me if I fell on my bum hip.   But stepping out in front of a street car?   I'd think then I'd definitely go with the helmet plan.


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