shake things up

I just ran across this pic while rooting around in a box of stuff from when we lived in Maine (ahhhh...Maine....). This was drawn during a Workplace Wellness employee conference for a job I had in Portland. Specifically, this was drawn during a sexual harassment skit. It was one of those cringing audience participation drills. It involved Joe, a middle aged blue-collar man who looked like Santa and kept our sewer lines functional, and Randi, a billing department secretary. Reading from cue cards, he told her her blouse looked nice. Then he asked her on a date.

I wanted to die, right there, on Joe's behalf. This kind soul who probably hadn't thought about blouses since he last put his wife's delicates in with his dungarees. I was doodling to create a distraction for myself, but I have no idea how it ended up in a box of seashells, bumper stickers and a flyer from a Kid Koala concert at the Space. I do remember that at first the doodle-people just had regular bodies but, my boss looked over and said they looked like salt shakers, so I went ahead and embellished them.

i totally called the beagle

Just ask Adam. That beagle walked onto the floor at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog-stravaganza and I said, "that's the one." Moxie, on the other hand, took her time, and under carefully consideration had her money on the Boston Terrier. But she obviously let her personal bias color her decision, as that dog didn't even win his group.



On another note:

Check out this post-it drawing blog. Crikey. Compared to those, mine look like something your kid dragged* home from pre-school. Good thing it's just a one month theme.

*Since I'm drawing this post out, might I also note that Moxie started puppy kindergarten this past weekend and I couldn't pay attention to the instructor b/c she kept saying "drug", as a past tense of drag. And I'm no stickler for proper English, but I do prefer real words, and I couldn't stop thinking about how one would 'properly' spell that word. And does she spell it out that way? Or is it like when I drive Patty crazy because I say cereal like "sir-e-ul"?

transportation

DefectiveYeti had a funny post once about how commuting by bike fills him with his three favorite substances: endorphins, adrenaline and self-righteousness. At the time I was a daily bike commuter and could totally understand what he was talking about, but I have been driving to school a lot lately, since it has been so terribly gross out; cold, slick, and windy. I feel pretty guilty about this fact, as I live just 3 miles from school.

Back when I didn't have a car I took the bus every day that I didn't ride, so at least I could still keep up my sense of superiority. But now that I have car access for a few months this winter, and I discovered a street with free parking near campus, my resolve has gone out the window. That and the $3.50 round trip seems a bit more steep when its not my only option.

Today I caught a ride to school from Adam and took the bus home, which seemed like a nice, earth-friendly compromise, and my smugness was returning until we passed a biker on the way. Argh! Mocking me, in my not-yet-warm-prob.-won't-be-by-the-time-I-get-to-where-I'm-going car! ... Except:

And here's where I get on my high horse:

Except for the fact that it was way-way super icy slick out today, this guy was riding on Grand Ave., the busiest street in the neighborhood, and (most importantly) was NOT wearing a helmet.

If you ever want to raise my biker-ire, ride by with a baseball cap on. I'll yell at you from the sidewalk.

I mean, really, even if this oh-so intrepid biker had no other option to get to work on this treacherous morning <cough-bus-cough>, and hates riding the side streets (me too, I understand, it's out of the way), at least put a helmet on so that when the crazy Missouri driver next to you hits that patch of black ice and freaks out all over the road and right into you, there is something between your skull and the curb. I'm just saying.

Wow. Ok, so now I, my opinions, and my plethora of hyphens are going to bed.