Paradoxical Entity

G4TV’s Ninja Warrior show is quite a trip.  Even though I’ve practically memorized the shows with the constant rerun marathons over the past month, a devastating slip and fall will can elicite a surprised Whoa! outburst from me.  They just started showing new episodes this week and the new obstacles are clever.  I can’t help but appreciate how devious the course designer are as I do my couch-seat strategizing. 

Mom is quite a fan of the show too.  While I will stop to watch if I catch it while channel surfing, mom actually has it on her schedule of shows to watch. 

I took my mom out for a fall harvest adventure.  Well, ok, we just went across the street to my neighbor’s yard.  He had given my mom some persimmons that he picked from his tree.  When mom said that they were great, he said she could come over to get some more. 

While it was I who got my neighbor into growing fruit trees, I had to give it up the endeavor.  Almost all of the fruit trees I planted died due to wood borers (insects that drilled into the wood).  The few that are still holding on to life are weak and any fruit they produce are quickly stolen by the squirrels. 

 Mom was quite astonished with how loaded his persimmon tree was.  And his fruit were large and in very good condition.  He also had some lemon and lime trees in containers, again, full of fruit.  His wildly growing grapes are done for the season, but the kiwis vines still had fruit hanging.  My neighbor says the stray cats living around his yard keeps the squirrels in check.  The cats that I take care of at my yard hardly glance at the squirrels.  I guess mine are too well fed and domesticated. 

Most of the low hanging persimmons were picked off.  I had to use my neighbor’s step ladder to get at some of the fruit at medium height.  The best looking ones were way up and out of reach though.  My neighbor offered to get his tall ladder, but we’ve already picked over a dozen and mom said that was plenty.  She was quite giddy from her haul.  Mom said persimmons of this size and quality would probably have a street price of 2-for-$1. 

The new subway cars picked me up this morning for my commute to work.  I was so surprised that I essentially just gawked when I got in.  II’ve been on these new subway cars before on another line at least a year ago, but I never expected that my line would be worthy to be allocated some so soon.   even forgot to claim my usual standing spot.  Man, I felt like a bumpkin. 

They are really nice though.  Even though it took in on the same tracks (like how couldn’t it?), it felt so weird.  These new cars were definitely quieter, but I’m not sure if that was because of better sound dampening or better greased wheels.  The extra windows at the ends really made the cars appear wider.  And kudos to the ceiling grip bars which is evidence that a major urban transit rider provided input to the design. 

I picked up a “Rider Report Card” survey last week which I hadn’t submitted yet.  I’m at a quandry now as to how to fill it out now since these new cars have altered my initial opinions.

Today begins my summer vacation with a couple of pals. This trip’s theme was mine: to check out the California Wine Country to compliment my wine education.  The plan is to fly into San Francisco and take day trips out to the Napa and Sonoma Regions, probably one day each.  One of my friend’s sister lives in San Fran, so we’ll hang with her or she’ll hang with us for the other days. She was going to try to finagle some tickets for us to a ball game too. 

Right away, my plans went awry.  We scheduled an early morning flight so that we could arrive in San Francisco around noonish so we’d still have a day to do something.  I got to my seat on the plane, it was the last set all the way in the back by the lavatories and flight attendents.  While the flight looked packed, all through the boarding, no one came for the other 2 seats next to me.  I thought I lucked out and could stretch out and sleep all the way.  Then a flight attendent led two little girls over. 

Apparently they were flying out to San Francisco by themselves.  They told me that they were going to stay with their grandparents for the summer.  The two kids were asian and, I guess, pre-teens, but their English was very good.  They didn’t even use any of the usual TV-inspired urban slang at all.  In addition, they were very nonchalant about traveling on their own.  Obviously this wasn’t the first time.  I was impressed by their sophistication.

They were nice girls, very personable.  But too active.  I had decided not to sleep before the flight since I’d have to leave for the airport early.  I didn’t want to oversleep or worst, try too hard to sleep and the feel like crap when I’m forced to wake up just as I do fall asleep.  I ended up babysitting the two girls.  I showed them how to use the LCD entertainment screen on the backs of the seats, I helped them with their headphones, and then they started to sing along with the music from the entertainment system.  They didn’t sound bad, but geez, they were fairly loud.  Anyway, I got no sleep.

I got an email from Amazon to try out a community web site they’re launching: Askville.  At first glance it looks like a search engine, but you’re supposed to be able to ask any type of question for any topic and other people can answer you in real time.  I guess this is a variation of a forum.  I wonder if they’ll allocate a staff just to answer questions, inanely or not, until it develops a self-sufficient community.