Nightime Photos

NOCTURNAL IMAGES... some of the most interesting pictures I have taken in my life were at night, like a picture of the Arch de Triumph in Paris. Well, these are of my drive home the other night. I started taking pictures with my cell phone on a whim and what pleasantly surprised at the results.



This is a picture of traffic and my rear view mirror. I got more of a picture in the mirror than I thought I ever could.

Below is a picture of lights... cars, street lights, etc. as the camera moved and I moved and everything else, well, moved. Next are the tail lights of the cars in front of me and the traffic lights... again, moving

























Here are signs above the 520 bridge, I think, with car lights below and a street light above. You can see the last bit of the sunset in the sky beyond. I think this may be what like things look like on an acid trip, something I have never experienced.

Below is my dash board...

Then the street and lights near home. The lights are green... but look blue here.

















Finally, and this is one of the things I love about this stuff, is a totally unanticipated picture of me reflected in the windshield, I think, as well as car lights int he rear view mirror.

Well, there is my light show. I hope you enjoy it!

My Commute

Tully's Coffee building; used to be the Rainier Brewery. Well, Seattle drinks it like beer, so is is appropriate for a coffee company, I guess. Note the big, green T on the top of the tower, replacing the old Rainer R.





Here are some pictures from my commute. I will put the rest in my photos at: My Photo Album

North going into Seattle... West Seattle is on the horizon. Below is a picture approaching Seattle on I-5. It was pretty good driving up until we got right into Seattle.















This is getting closer to downtown proper. I usually try to take the express lanes, and did that night. Nothing was moving fast, though. It was a nice day out.

So, those are some pictures of my commute. The condition of I-5 through much of this area has deteriorated markedly. "Thump, thump, thump..." is what you hear as your go over the seams in the road and the road is grooved from all of the cars.


Here is a self-portrait of me. These were all taken with my Blackjack II cell phone. Next I will post some pictures taken at night with the same phone.

Viral journalism...

I was out on a mission and saw this guy. The truck says "Action Pesticide"; he was sound asleep in a Safeway parking lot at about 10:00 AM today. I thought it was funny.

OK, it's not earthshaking, but I wonder if his boss thought he was on the job somewhere? Maybe he was on standby and catching a quick nap waiting for his phone to ring. I slept in my old pickup quite a few times. It is not comfortable.



So, what is new in Seattle? There is always something happening here. One of the big issues is how to fix two of the most important pieces of infrastructure in the are: the 520 floating bridge and the Alaska Way Viaduct. OK, I come from the place that wanted to build the Bridge to Nowhere, which many locals still want built. For the record, I appose any attempt to build any physical link to Gravina Island, given the cost and the harm it will do to local aviation and viewscape. No bridge! Well, enough of that. The Viaduct and 520 Bridge go somewhere. The problem is, not unlike the bridge, there is no money for the projects, or at least not enough. Between the Mayor of Seattle and State of Washington politicians they can spend money faster than even the Puget Sound area can generate it. Looming in the near future is a major reconstruction of I-5 through downtown Seattle. I do not want to even think about the traffic mess that will generate!

As for fun things going on I have always wanted to go to Dimitriou's Jazz Alley for a show and want to plan on it next time the wife is in town. It is a great place to see great music!

Go West young man... err, South

There comes a time in everyone's life, or at least in mine, when I have to move on. With that in mind I picked up and moved from Ketchikan, Alaska to Seattle, Washington. No, I did not have a job, but got one within a couple of weeks as the CFO of a company in Kent, Washington.

What can I say about the experience? Was I scared, daunted or any such thing? No, I was not, as I have stepped, more than once, across such a precipice and come out better than before. Newness is not a problem with me and I am enjoying the Seattle area a great deal. Over the next few days I will post some thoughts about what I have and am experiencing and hope to experience in the next few years.

One of the things people seemed all worked up about is the traffic. OK, there are traffic jams and places you do not want to visit at certain times of the day or week if you want to get anywhere, but overall the traffic I have seen is, if anything, better than it was when I left Seattle 14 years ago for Alaska. Granted, I have a limited commute that is also pretty much a reverse commute, but I see the other traffic and it is not that bad. OK, too many cars, including my own, have only one person in it, but that is nothing new. The buses I see on the freeway seem pretty full. If I had a commute that would be convenient to use a bus for I would and the new light rail system looks interesting. We will see how this all works out.

Pictures. Seattle is very photogenic and I hope to take some cool pictures over the next few months. I will post them here and on Picasa or both.

So, here I am in Seattle... and no, it is not a rainy city. Relatively speaking they get 25% as much rain as they do in Ketchikan, Alaska, so when I hear people complain about the weather here I laugh at them.

Till later...

New Dell One-piece computer

OK, it's not a MAC, but it is cool. Other cool stuff include the Kindle from Amazon. Yes, it is expensive, but I think they are on to something. Give them a few months or a year and they will make improvements and open the platform up. Technology is just getting so integrated into our lives that we literally do not know how to live without it.

Men Are Just Happier People

• Your last name stays put.
• The garage is all yours.
• Wedding plans take care of themselves.
• Chocolate is just another snack.
• You can be President.
• You can never be pregnant.
• You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
• You can wear NO shirt to a water park.
• Car mechanics tell you the truth.
• The world is your urinal.
• You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky.
• You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
• Same work, more pay.
• Wrinkles add character.
• Graying hair adds attraction.
• Wedding dress ~$5000, tux rental ~$100.
• People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
• The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
• New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
• One mood all the time.
• Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
• You know stuff about tanks.
• A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
• You can open all your own jars.
• You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
• If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
• Your underwear is $10.95 for a three-pack.
• Three pairs of shoes are m ore than enough.
• You almost never have strap problems in public.
• You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
• Everything on your face stays its original color.
• The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
• You only have to shave your face and neck.
• You can play with toys all your life.
• Your belly usually hides your big hips.
• One wallet and one pair of shoes in one color for all seasons.
• You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
• You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
• You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
• You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives in 25 minutes, on December 24.

Now you know the truth.

Some things are just plain true

Size does matter, just ask Texas: