Content-type: text/html Ray Manning

Monday, November 24, 2003 8:05 AM

Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend


I fly to Phoenix on Monday afternoon with three coworkers. We're sharing one car in my name, so my coworkers insist that I upgrade to a bigger car from a Ford Taurus. But my coworkers are a bit shocked and surprised when we go to get in the rental car and it is a Lincoln Towncar Executive. And we have fun pushing all of the buttons that we don't know what they do, cruising the streets in Phoenix, and setting off the collision avoidance alarm by getting close to immovable objects.

The Tuesday meeting is productive even if it lasts all day. A final splinter session is held and I've absolutely heard enough. I stand up and say, "I'm a person of action. We need to quit doing these trade studies and do something!" Hopefully my advice is taken.

On Wednesday morning I'm riding the motorcycle to work and I see a CHP motorcycle officer coming up behind me. So I move over within my own lane (the carpool lane) in order to give him room to pass. But he just pulls alongside me and waits for me to look over at him. I avoid looking over for a while until I realize that he isn't going to leave until I look over. When I look over he says to me (as we're both riding along at 60-70 mph), "You need to lower your license plate." I respond by nodding my head in agreement. The CHP officer continues with, "I need to be able to read your license plate." And I again respond with an agreeing nod. But at 60-70 mph the officer continues with, "If I see you tomorrow with that license plate like it is, then I'll have to give you a ticket." And I give a final agreeing nod. The CHP officer rides off and leaves me alone. Forutnately he doesn't say anything about the illegal turn signals or the carbon fiber exhaust pipe.

The Wednesday night ice hockey game is won 4-2. It is not my best game, but I contribute where necessary.

The weekend is another blur of bicycle rides, cold weather, and helping Person N_V move. Ruby calls and says that the contract with Los Angeles County is a done deal except for some final negotiations on tasks and costs. Person J_VKPI also calls and is disappointed that we don't go out clubbing on Saturday night. And he explains that he is probably moving to a dorm on campus where there is a fairly strict curfew. This is not good!

During a break for Person N_V's move on Saturday I notice that a bee's nest has fallen down into the neighbor's yard (between the sidewalk and street). Seeing that the neighbor is away and I am watching her house, I call the police who transfer me to the fire department. Shortly afterwards a fre truck is pulling up and the firemen put up a yellow "do not cross" firetape in order to keep people away from the fallen bee's nest while they wait for the insect people to come and spray the area. We notice a huge bees' nest remaining in the neighbor's palm tree that also has to be sprayed. Hours later when I return for the night the yellow firetape is still strung across the sidewalk where the nest was sprayed. I call the neighbor's son and let him know what is going on and we have a good laugh.