AudreyPodrey.com

Ohio has one of the confirmed cases of the swine flu.  It’s not time to panic yet, but i can’t help but wrinkle my nose in distaste at the person coughing behind me.  I’m sitting on a plane in a contained space, sharing air with a person who might kill me.  (I know that’s an overreaction, but i can’t help thinking it.)

The airline is thoroughly annoying me.  The restriction on sizes of liquid containers caused some last minute panic as i realized that our deodorants and my facial cleanser exceeded the limitations.  We managed to find the travel sizes in a quick run to the grocery store before heading to the airport, as well as a cheap small plastic container for me to squeeze a bit of my cleanser into.

Security actually wasn’t bad this trip.  I REALLY hate the security at the airport.  They are incompetent and incapable of reason.  They don’t make me safer.  They make me wait in lines.  They speak to me in condescending tones.  They make me feel like a criminal when they take me aside and search through my bags.

The swine flu and the upcoming pandemic remind me of a book i read years ago called The Doomsday Book.  It’s set in the not-too-distant future, and the scientists have figured out time travel.  They are studying the time period that led up to the Black Death.  They send one of their scientists back in time at the same time a global and deadly pandemic is erupting in the modern world of 2048.  The contrasts were interesting.  If i remember correctly, one of the main points was that while technology might have changed since the 1300s, human nature hasn’t.  Maybe i’ll read that book again, just to get myself good and thoroughly freaked out about the swine flu.

Does anyone else ever wear their least favorite clothes the week before a trip, so you can be sure and take your favorite clothes with you, without having to do laundry?

That’s what i’ve been doing this week.  I don’t want to do laundry before we leave.  Hell, i don’t have time.  I only go home to sleep this week.  But i still have to find time to pack and clean the house in case my parents decide to sleep at our house this weekend (they are coming to see my brother) even though they told me they’re staying in a hotel.

I’m going to try real hard to pack only the clothes i need.  I have a tendency to pack extra to give myself options to choose from.  The goal is not to check any bags.

While we’re there, i’m going to miss some of my training.  I know i will; there’s no use hoping i’ll stick to it.  There just isn’t much time.  Plus, concentrating for 10 hours a day is hard work, and tends to wear you out even if there is free time.  But i am going to try, one time, to run.  If i can do that, i will be very proud of myself.  It doesn’t even have to be a long run.  3-4 miles would be satisfactory.  All i have to do is get up a little early one morning.

The tournament should be fun, but exhausting, which is normal for bridge tournaments.  And it will be a good chance to see Lance’s parents and brother.

One things’s for sure - there will be a huge pile of laundry to do when we get back.

The Book Thief was a beautiful story about a beautiful little girl with a beautiful heart.

Liesel is a young girl in Nazi Germany.  Her mother sends her and her brother to live with a foster family in the town of Molching.  On the way there, though, her brother dies.  At the funeral, Liesel steals her first book, The Gravedigger’s Handbook.  It is the first of several books that she steals in the course of her life.

Liesel’s new parents love her dearly, though they have different ways of expressing it.  Her Mama is always complaining about her, but her Papa sits up with her when she has nightmares and teaches her to read.  She develops the love of words that prompts her to steal more books.

When the Jewish son of one of Papa’s war buddies shows up on their doorstep, they take him in and hide him in their basement.  Liesel and Max form a strong bond, and at its core is a shared love of words.

One thing that makes this book interesting is that it is told from the point of view of Death, who reluctantly collects souls all around the globe as people die.  Death makes for an interesting narrator, and he’s always spoiling his own stories by telling you what’s going to happen before he gets around to that part of the story.

I bawled at least half a dozen times while reading The Book Thief.  It was very good, but in a way that makes your heart heavy.  I liked the portrayal of life for the common people in Nazi Germany.  The ones who don’t really hate anyone, but are forced to say certain things and act a certain way out of fear.  I’m glad i read it.

Other participants: Kerry

Some things that made me smile this week: Warm weather!

Something i struggled with this week: Running.  I skipped my midweek run, then the weekend runs were HARD.

Something tasty i ate this week: Fresh strawberries.  Straight from the farm.  Can’t beat ‘em.

Something i learned this week: Ex-husband bought a new car.  Why he told me this is unclear.

Something from the bridge table: We reached a grand slam that no one else bid on the following auction.  (2H)-2S-(P)-4N-(P)-6C!-(X)-7S-All Pass.  6C showed 1 or 3 keys with a club void.  The hands were AK876 A765 J854 - vs Q9532 K AK2 K875.  It’s cold.

Some things i am doing towards my goals: Nothing in particular.  Just the ongoing stuff.  This answer could get repetitive.

Something i am reading: I started and finished Practical Magic, by Alice Hoffman, which is May’s book club selection.  Currently reading The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss.

Something happening around the house: Playing Bridge Base Online with Lance.

Something i am thinking: About how Lance and i are opposites in some ways (risk taker vs risk aversion, optimist vs realist, spontaneous vs planning), and how it can be frustrating for both of us, but also how we complement each other because of it.

Something i am hoping: For safe travels.

Something i am looking forward to next week: The Flying Pig Regional in Cincinnati.  We are going to meet Lance’s parents and brother and play bridge for a long weekend.  There is something about Cincinnati and flying pigs, because they also have a Flying Pig Marathon that same weekend.  What is with the pig, ya’ll?

Something captured: $50 at Wednesday night poker, stakes being $1-3 (NL).

To the Customer Service Manager:

I have had a relationship with AutoPark Honda for eight years.  I purchased my current vehicle brand-new from your lot, and have used the Service Department for all of my service needs, however small.  I have raved about AutoPark Honda to all folks I have encountered who were looking to buy a car.  I had planned to purchase my next car from AutoPark within the next two years.

All of that changed with one simple experience.

All of my good feelings about AutoPark Honda have been erased.  On the morning of April 23, 2009, I brought my car in for a simple oil change, which should have taken less than an hour.  I sat in the designated lobby area with a book.  More than two hours later, I went to the one of the service advisers’ desks to inquire what was taking so long.

I was told that the car had been ready for some time, but they could not find me.  I had been paged on the intercom and my name had been called.  They had also called one of my contact numbers, but gotten no answer.  Since I had been sitting in the waiting room the entire time, I was upset.  I stated that I was displeased with my experience.  The adviser’s response was along the lines of “it’s a shame when this happens,” followed by a shrug.

A few things:

1. The intercom is unintelligible from the interior lobby area when both TVs are on and a child is reading a book to her dad nearby.  There is no intercom speaker in the waiting room.
2. I was listening for my name.  I heard other names, and I saw some service advisers directly approach other customers to get their attention.  My name was not called loud enough for me to hear.  No one approached me in order to get my attention.
3. One of my contact numbers was called, but not the other.  If the adviser had tried both numbers, he would have lucked into my cell phone number.   But he did not go that extra mile.
4. The adviser then told me he assumed I had gone for a walk.  My receipt and keys were waiting with the cashier, and I think they may have forgotten about me, except when the cashier occasionally paged me on the intercom (see #1 above).

The part that bothers me most is that no one knew who I was.  The service advisers did not remember my face well enough to scan the waiting room to see if I was sitting there and did not hear them.  To them, I was a faceless customer on a sheet of paper, not a real person.

AutoPark has spent a lot of energy developing the amenities that are available, such as big screen TVs and even chair massages.  As a customer, the only amenity I want is for myself and my time to be respected.  I did what I was told – I sat in the waiting area patiently.  I did not badger the advisers every thirty minutes or otherwise make a nuisance of myself.  I thought I was being a good and patient customer.  Customer service failed me, sought to make excuses, and shrugged.

I hope you will remind your employees that your customers are people, and being made to feel unimportant, just once, can affect the entire relationship.  I am re-evaluating my auto service needs.

Regretfully,

Audrey Podrey
2002 Honda Accord

Other participants: Kerry

Some things that made me smile this week: The square butts Burger King commercial (Sir-Mix-Alot is actually in the commercial).

I like square butts and I cannot lie
Squid and Sea Star can’t deny
When a sponge walks in, four corners and his pen
Like he got phone book implants, the crowd shouts

All the ladies stare
Dang those pants are square!
Swimming through the seaweed tangle
Is a butt with sharp right angles

Now Sponge Bob, I wanna get witch-ya
‘Cuz you’re making me rich-ah
Underwater, we keep it grungy
‘Cuz everybody knows that ‘He so spongey!’

Something i struggled with this week: Fought with the internet connection on my Mac for most of the week.  Finally got it to work yesterday, although i still do not understand what was wrong.  So of course if it reappears i’ll be stuck again.

Something tasty i ate this week: Cabbage Beef Casserole, homemade using fresh cabbage from The Produce Box.  So good.

Something i learned this week: How to cook turnips.  I’m not sure i’ve ever eaten a turnip before, actually, but now i know how to cook them.  And that i like them.

Something from the bridge table: Don’t balance when the opponents have stopped in 2NT and you have Qx of partner’s 5+ card suit and he’s on lead.

Some things i am doing towards my goals: Soon i will be able to cross off ‘learn JSL’.

Something i am reading: GodSlayer, by Jacqueline Carey

Something happening around the house: Baseball, laundry, and cooking.  What else is there?

Something i am thinking: Was anyone, particularly parents, offended by the Burger King square butts commercial?  I thought it was hilarious, but it is sending a pretty strange message.

Something i am hoping: I hope i can stop biting my nails.  I haven’t tried to stop for several years now, but i’m giving it another go.

Something i am looking forward to next week: Finishing up a project at work.

Something captured: I took a vacation day Friday, and Lance suggested we go get pedicures and manicures in the middle of the afternoon.  It was the best thing ever!

It’s been just over 5 weeks since i started training for the Biltmore/Kiwanis 15K in mid-May.  I made it halfway through the training program - i’m now keeping track of my progress using Google Spreadsheets, if anyone is interested.  I have taken a lot more days of “Rest” than are scheduled, but hey, that’s OK. (-:  I’m proud of what i am doing, and i can tell i’m getting stronger.

The race is now closed with a waiting list, so i’m glad i signed up early.  It makes me feel special somehow.

For the last month i have been eating pretty well, and of course exercising.  And i’ve felt great!.  It amazing me how much my body is affected by what i eat.  For example, the last 3-4 days, i haven’t eaten much in the way of greens.  And i had one guilty pleasure fast food meal.  And i can tell - my body is dragging a bit and i have less energy.

This is the dangerous part.  First, it gets hard to keep up with going to the grocery store and preparing healthy meals.  Then, i get lazy and start getting fast food.  Next, i feel like shit and skip a few workouts.  Finally, before i realize it, i’m not training anymore.  I’m in a rut that’s hard to get out of.  And it all starts with what i put into my body.

That’s where i am, i can feel it happening.  It happens to me every time, around 4-5 weeks into at attempted change of lifestyle.  This is where everything falls apart.  I’m trying like hell to get back on top of things, to avoid the collapse.  I have a few things in place to help keep me on track.  For example, we’re getting fresh produce each week directly from local farms via The Produce Box.  Having fresh vegetables on hand certainly helps some.  And i have to think that recognizing what is happening is a big deal, too.  Ultimately though, it’s about motivation.  That’s what i’m trying to hang on to.

Two bizarre things happened to me on my way home from work yesterday.

1. On my way out of the building, i heard singing.  Very loud singing.  A male voice, actually a very nice baritone that quite probably had had some training.  He was singing some opera-ish music, i think.  I was taking the steps down from the 4th floor, and the song wafted up to me all during my descent.  As i stepped down onto the first floor, his voice was muted as he got on the elevator and the doors closed, but i could still hear him singing all the way up.  Who does that?
2. At the gas station, i was inside paying for my gas.  I noticed the attendant had some things hanging from her mouth.  I looked a second time, and realized it was floss.  A big long string of floss, stuck between two of her teeth, and hanging out both sides of her mouth, saber-tooth tiger style.  After my transaction was complete, she went on about continuing her flossing.  Who does that?

Other participants: Kerry

Some things that made me smile this week: Lance singing along with Madonna at 7:30 am on a weekday.

Something i struggled with this week: My powerbook won’t connect to the internet.  It connects to the wireless network just fine, but won’t connect to the internet.  Diagnostic tools don’t think there is anything wrong.  And every time i’ve been in a technical mood (which is a small minority of the time), it’s been a bad time as lance has things going on and i can’t, say, restart the cable modem.

Something tasty i ate this week: Chicken & Dumplings for Easter dinner.  Wow, i will be adding that to my recipes collection.

Something i learned this week: How to cook steak in the oven - my sister-in-law is always teaching me neat tricks from the kitchen (and providing good recipes; see above).

Something from the bridge table: XYZ discussions have come up lately.  There are two main treatments.  1) 2C-2D-2N and a direct 2N are both invitational, and going through 2C shows a card in partner’s minor.  To get out in clubs, bid 3C directly.  2) All invitational bids go through 2C, and all 3-level bids are slammish.  To get out in clubs, bid 2N directly.  I prefer #2.

Some things i am doing towards my goals:No direct progress - lots of things i am working on.  Bridge, Toastmasters, JSL, research on Israel, looking for photography classes, looking for home improvement workshops, thinking about landscaping…

Something i am reading: Banewreaker, by Jacqueline Carey

Something happening around the house: Impromptu bridge night at our house yesterday, laundry.  Since starting these Somethings, i’ve learned that laundry on Sunday and random bridge parties on the weekends are pretty common for us!

Something i am thinking: Should we get another dog or not?   My brother and his wife have a new puppy that we met yesterday.  She is extremely cute.  It has made us think more about a second dog.  Dogs are a lot of work though…

Something i am hoping: That i can figure out what is wrong with my powerbook.  Or, if i can’t, that i can find a sweet deal on a new one and that i have no trouble transferring my data (photos, mostly!) from one laptop to the next.

Something i am looking forward to next week: We don’t have a lot of things scheduled this week, so it should be a good time for me to catch up on blogging and laundry.

Something captured: This is my brother’s puppy, Lola, who has inspired the urge for a second dog.  They had us over for Easter dinner, and we had so much fun playing with the dogs.  I’ll put up some additional pictures when my brother shares the Easter pictures on Facebook.

Lance & I are in the middle of watching a fascinating new series from National Geographic called Strange Days on Planet Earth.  Edward Norton (whom i absolutely love from Rounders, American History X & Fight Club) is the host/narrator.  He is excellent, and i love that he is doing this series.

This series is about strange events happening all around the globe and how they are connected.  A lot of the conclusions are related to how humans have interfered with the natural world, and how/if we can fix these things.  Below is one example of the issues they discuss.

Problem: Trees are dying in Yellowstone National Park.  In particular, Aspen trees.  No new trees have grown since the 1930s, and the old ones are slowly dying off.  Also in Yellowstone, there is increased soil erosion on riverbanks, and the beaver and songbird populations are way down and still decreasing.

Solution: Reintroduce wolves into the park.

I know, WTF?  Wolves?  What do wolves have to do with trees and birds and soil erosion?

The clue was that the only significant event in the 1930s in Yellowstone was the death of the last wolf.  And here’s how the progression goes.

1. Wolves kill and eat Elk.
2. Elk carcasses sustain life for scavengers & certain types of insects.
3. Songbirds eat those insects, and their population grows.
4. The Elk population is under control, so they don’t eat all the riverbank plants and Aspen trees.
5. As a result, the Aspens are recovering.
6. The river plants are also recovering, and soil erosion is decreasing because the plant roots hold it in place.
7. The beaver population is making a comeback because they needed the river plants in order to make their lodges.

This chain of events blew my mind!  How you get from Aspen trees to wolves is just amazing.  And that is how this entire series is presented.  Here’s a strange mystery happening in the natural world.  What could have caused it?  How is it related to other things that are happening?  It’s fascinating.

If you like science and nature shows, give this one a try.