- We noticed all the advertisements that appeared in the newspapers after the January windstorm for tree removal. At home, it would be (a) not much of an issue, as we don't have 70-ft tall trees that (b) lack the roots to withstand 35 mph winds. And (c) if you don't have your own chain saw, your next door neighbour or brother-in-law certainly does. Other services of much greater prominence here than at home include income tax debt relief and women's pistol lessons (okay, I only saw it once, but couldn't resist mentioning it).
- One difference I love is that the outdoor toilets are operational year-round. In a park or on a trail, you don't have to go to the bushes, not even in January. Of course, the warmer climate brings a host of differences -- that's why we're here -- that are so obvious they don't count.
- Then there are the white trucks. We are driving a white truck, a Chevy pick-up with cap. It seems most of the trucks on the roads are white. There are fleets and fleets of them -- vans, pick-ups, SUVs, you name it. As we pull onto any street or highway, the last words out of my mouth are usually "After this white truck." Perhaps white is favoured because of the summer heat. Whatever the reason, it's truly remarkable. Thousands and thousands of them.
- Bail bonds. How common can the need be, you wonder, so that adverts on radio are as common as promos for fast food? This week we got the answer: 1 in 100 American adults are incarcerated. Not 1/100 has ever been in jail; that's how many are there at this moment. Note the figure includes both genders, so how high would it be for men only? For African-Americans, the incarcerated figure is a staggering 1 out of 15 adults.
- Drugs, the legal kind. We don't watch a lot of American TV at home, so it's been news, especially to Jim, who is convinced that everyone in this country must be taking a dozen prescriptions. The sense of a medicated society is made even more amazing when you consider that many of the newest drugs being promoted are for novel problems. The restless leg medication is getting heavy exposure right now.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Random differences (ongoing tally)
There's a non-stop game we play when travelling that could be called "Spot the Difference". Here are a few very diverse things that have struck me.
Virtually idle? Not quite.
Okay, this is a blog, not a diary, so I don't have to account for myself for the past few weeks. But I do wonder myself what I've been up to.
I took on a couple of small computer tasks, which were fun because they involved learning new things. Jim's little company website (the little applying to both the site and the business) needed an update, so that took a day or two. It now has an improved name: http://www.seaschoolnfld.com/ We debated the name briefly. The full Sea School of Newfoundland was too unwieldy. Someone already has http://www.seaschool.com/ . Jim wouldn't use nl, the official abbreviation of the province's name as he contends it would be too likely to be confused with the Netherlands in a marine context. So we did the old nfld, which could just as easy be Newfoundland and Labrador anyway.
My other computer project was to learn how to put together a DVD slideshow that Mother could watch on TV. Last summer I scanned ~500 family photos in preparation for our reunion. With Brittany's help, we got together a show of about 150 images that we used at Mother's official 80th birthday party. I noticed at Christmas that Mother was looking at them on the Scaplens' digital picture viewer and decided I'd try to get them into a format she could use at home.
I enjoyed the challenge of doing it -- finding the software on line, learning how to use it and generally making it work. I added music from the exceedingly slim collection I had on the computer. I haven't done any downloading, free or otherwise, so just went with what I had copied from a few CDs a couple of days before leaving home. (So it's heavy into Ron Hynes). The biggest problem was replaying it over and over while making revisions. Every time Sarah Maclaughlin sang "I Will Remember You", I'd burst into tears.
This week we have stirred ourselves to write more sailing articles to go into The Navigator and be posted at SeaRoom, http://www.searoom.com/
I took on a couple of small computer tasks, which were fun because they involved learning new things. Jim's little company website (the little applying to both the site and the business) needed an update, so that took a day or two. It now has an improved name: http://www.seaschoolnfld.com/ We debated the name briefly. The full Sea School of Newfoundland was too unwieldy. Someone already has http://www.seaschool.com/ . Jim wouldn't use nl, the official abbreviation of the province's name as he contends it would be too likely to be confused with the Netherlands in a marine context. So we did the old nfld, which could just as easy be Newfoundland and Labrador anyway.
My other computer project was to learn how to put together a DVD slideshow that Mother could watch on TV. Last summer I scanned ~500 family photos in preparation for our reunion. With Brittany's help, we got together a show of about 150 images that we used at Mother's official 80th birthday party. I noticed at Christmas that Mother was looking at them on the Scaplens' digital picture viewer and decided I'd try to get them into a format she could use at home.
I enjoyed the challenge of doing it -- finding the software on line, learning how to use it and generally making it work. I added music from the exceedingly slim collection I had on the computer. I haven't done any downloading, free or otherwise, so just went with what I had copied from a few CDs a couple of days before leaving home. (So it's heavy into Ron Hynes). The biggest problem was replaying it over and over while making revisions. Every time Sarah Maclaughlin sang "I Will Remember You", I'd burst into tears.
This week we have stirred ourselves to write more sailing articles to go into The Navigator and be posted at SeaRoom, http://www.searoom.com/
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Can we be of help?
We looked for volunteer opportunities as a way to feel useful and a chance to meet people. One morning a week we go to the library in Placerville. Our job is 'shelf reading'. We scan the shelves, book by book, and restore order. The Dewey Decimal System is a pain in the butt and it makes no more sense to me than it ever did. The job is undemanding, but not unpleasant and not without its small rewards.
It's intriguing to see which shelves are in disarray, presumably indicating heavy use. The gardening and bird-watching sections were the two messiest I have seen to date. I was dismayed to note that the shelves of books about social activism and working for societal change seemed untouched, while the many publications of Ann Coulter, darling of right-wing conservatives, had clearly been off the shelf and out the door.
Today I browsed a hefty section on what to do in your older years. One book, called Still Making Waves promised ideas about all the wonderful things you can still contribute, even on the wrong side of 60. It was a bit of a mixed message, though. A big sticker on the spine indicated that this was a Large Print Edition. Another book I shifted this morning was called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fasting. Yeah, like there would be some other kind of person who would want to fast.
One fringe benefit: the library sells used magazines for $1 or less, so each week I pick up a handful, and bring them back next time.
Our other voluntary spot is a thrift shop operated by the Snowline Hospice. We stopped in during our first week here to pick up a few household items. The store was bright, clean and well-stocked. Their publications and high profile community sponsors convinced us that they provided an excellent hospice service. We now go to their Cameron Park store on Friday mornings. I help with stocking and display while Jim goes to the back room and tests small appliances and electronics with the other old guys.
Most of the volunteers are older women who have been doing this work together for many years. They are funny and fiesty. The store is a social outlet and an important part of their lives. Jim notes that their are several Mecedes in the parking lot when we arrive. I'm not sure where the ladies get their cars, but I know where they get their clothes -- and they look great in them!
It's intriguing to see which shelves are in disarray, presumably indicating heavy use. The gardening and bird-watching sections were the two messiest I have seen to date. I was dismayed to note that the shelves of books about social activism and working for societal change seemed untouched, while the many publications of Ann Coulter, darling of right-wing conservatives, had clearly been off the shelf and out the door.
Today I browsed a hefty section on what to do in your older years. One book, called Still Making Waves promised ideas about all the wonderful things you can still contribute, even on the wrong side of 60. It was a bit of a mixed message, though. A big sticker on the spine indicated that this was a Large Print Edition. Another book I shifted this morning was called The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fasting. Yeah, like there would be some other kind of person who would want to fast.
One fringe benefit: the library sells used magazines for $1 or less, so each week I pick up a handful, and bring them back next time.
Our other voluntary spot is a thrift shop operated by the Snowline Hospice. We stopped in during our first week here to pick up a few household items. The store was bright, clean and well-stocked. Their publications and high profile community sponsors convinced us that they provided an excellent hospice service. We now go to their Cameron Park store on Friday mornings. I help with stocking and display while Jim goes to the back room and tests small appliances and electronics with the other old guys.
Most of the volunteers are older women who have been doing this work together for many years. They are funny and fiesty. The store is a social outlet and an important part of their lives. Jim notes that their are several Mecedes in the parking lot when we arrive. I'm not sure where the ladies get their cars, but I know where they get their clothes -- and they look great in them!
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