beancounters

Uncomfortably true

 

Last night I failed to attend the first meeting of Sacramento-area Twitter-users. (To read how attendees thought it went, go here.)

My announced reason was that I prefer most of my Twitter follows just the way they are: imaginary. But the real reason was that I expected it would be a whole pub full of human beings I didn't know but would be expected to talk to. And that my end of every conversation would be one long repeat of this: "Hi, my name is Pam. Yes, I use Twitter! Yes, ha-ha, old people do know how to get online. I know, right? Should you be drinking that? Don't they card here?"

Plus, I don't watch Battlestar Galactica, so what would we have talked about after I'd checked everybody's driver's licenses?

I'm kidding. I'm not really this curmudgeonly. Please do not mail me red hats.

SacRT's Wild Ride

SacRT's Wild Ride
Originally uploaded by beancounter

Oh, blogfolk, the things I do for you!

Such as peeling my hands off a brass rail long enough to snap a photo as I rode this trolley, not too long ago.

Sacramento Regional Transit is sometimes a little short on regular buses, (this is the only logical reason I can find) so they periodically wheel out these older vehicles, which were modded a while back to look like authentic trolleys.

(I used to see them running between Old Sac and the Capitol, but it's my wholly unsubstantiated theory SacRT discontinued this practice because riding the trolleys scared off the tourists. It looks more and more like the trolleys are assigned the parking garage circuit. Maybe because we public employees don't pay much for the bus service to begin with.)

Understand the seats are wooden and slick. On the right-hand side there's one long bench running from front to back.

Please also know the drivers all *hate* being assigned the trolleys. I know, because they tell us! While the drivers still operate their vehicles in an entirely safe manner, it does seem they vent a bit by rounding corners with a certain seething precision. When they apply the brakes, folks slide up the side seat and bump butts like curling stones.

All of which makes for one wild ride. If anybody wants to be a Sacto tourist, let me know and I'll put you on one of our trolleys. When you're done, we'll meet up for lunch. I'll be driving my own car, of course.

Wildfires

As you can see, it's been hazy and smoky in Sacramento the past few days, due to a whole slew of wildfires happening in Northern California. They're saying the cause is a freak thunderstorm we had last Saturday. Lots of thunder and lightning, but about thimbleful of actual rain. 

Here's a screenshot of today's incident report, for perspective.

River Cats dress

River Cats dress
Originally uploaded by beancounter

Had to snap a picture of this dress, which was in a shop window downtown.

Sacramento isn't one of the world's most sports-crazy cities by a long shot, but every once in a while, you'll see some display of pride.

Especially on prom night.

Arnold 2.0

The Governor
Originally uploaded by Governor Schwarzenegger

Kaleefornians! Arnold has his own Flickr page, as well an account on Twitter. Which is fantastic and things of that nature!

Iraq body count flags

Iraq body count flags
Originally uploaded by beancounter

By one count, at least 655,000 Iraqis have been killed since the start of the Iraqi invasion in 2003; 4,010 Americans have lost their lives in Iraq as well.

Whatever your view on the justification of the war effort, these numbers are a sobering reminder of the cost of human lives.

I took a couple of pictures of an exhibit placed here in Sacramento by the group Iraq Body Count Exhibit. Each white flag represents five Iraqis who died, each red flag represents one American. The exhibit, which was put up for a week, stretched three blocks down the center of Capitol Mall.

A slideshow of the IBCE in other cities may be viewed here.

Public art abounds at the Capitol

Spied a cool new mural in the downtown on Tuesday, so I risked being late to my lunch appointment to swing over and take a picture. I like murals that play fast and loose with perspective.

The weather has been absolutely wonderful in Sacramento. You know the weather I mean. Sunny but breezy, and just cool enough that when you're sitting on a patio having lunch, you idly wonder where your jacket is. Everyone is getting out to enjoy it for the short time it lasts.

Afterwards, I took a detour through an alley behind the State Food and Ag building, and I swear I smelled cloves. Cloves, cloves, very strong. Their cafeteria wasn't suddenly baking Thanksgiving pies or anything; I ducked in there and sniffed. Are the Food and Ag workers smoking clove cigarettes near the giant vent? It's a Sacramento mystery.

Another mystery: Who are these figures on the side of the Department of Transportation building, and why are they hugging things?

e asked if the figures were meant to be riff on the Art Deco period. I replied they are the Art Deco period - period.

Photog season

It's (nearly) spring, a time when a young girl's fancy turns lightly to thoughts of architecture.

Geez, that didn't work at all. Let me try again.

It's spring, and downtown Sacramento is once again a joy to behold. The glass buildings reflect the blue skies. The Victorians have been washed clean by all the rain, and are not yet dimmed by dust and smog.

I'm resolving once again to do some serious walking at lunchtime here. I'll take my camera, too. Who wants to join me?

Sliding on the seat like our forefathers did

With the weather turning reliably warmer and drier, it's so important for me to get out and walk during the day again.

Taking the bus to my office has been fine this winter, except that Regional Transit replaced our route's posh bus with an old fashioned-looking, touristy street car model. This is basically a standard-issue bus wearing a big disguise, with brass fittings inside and wooden seats. Let me tell you, wooden seats are damned uncomfortable - particularly the sideways-facing ones.  People slide up and down the seats, and bump into one another, at every stop. This is particularly true when it is being steered by a slightly embittered RT driver who hates being stuck driving one of the street car models. 

Another commute option

So, on Friday I drove downtown rather than take the commuter train. But in the evening I took the #142 bus from my office to the parking garage. There was a comforting number of fellow civil servants in the vicinity, but I took no chances - I held my keys in my grip, a la Wolverine, swung my purse in a vicious arc, and made loud gobble-gobble noises as I ran all the way to my car.

Life! So many choices for the privileged!

We don't use the word 'pelt' enough

There's been a major setback in the patent-pending Forced to Walk Ten Blocks To Your Office Weight Loss Plan.

It's effin' dark after 5!

By the time I get to my car, I've walked past a park next to a high school, pelted across W Street, which is an unlit three lane road with no traffic light, and stepped into a parking lot right under the freeway that's utterly dark, deserted, and too noisy for my voice to carry, if you know what I mean. Red flag time.

So I'm probably going to speak sternly to Dept. of General Services about their so-called secure parking structure, and then switch to taking the light-rail for the winter.

When I started working downtown again, I thought I'd need my car for emergencies. But light-rail gets me home in 40 minutes, which is the same time as the commute by car. And there's one added benefit which I don't need to explain ...

Incentives

Pretty soon, you'll be able to mail your Yoda-stamped letters ...

... in an R2-D2 mailbox ...

... but then you'll remember you never buy stamps except to send Christmas cards!

K Street Psychic

K Street Psychic
Originally uploaded by beancounter

In between two buildings on K Street in Sacramento is this tiny, tiny mod. It used to be a key hut. One guy (at a time) worked in there, fashioning keys all day. Don't know what happened to the key hut guy(s).

Don't even know if psychics really work here now. I'd like to meet them, but no matter when I walk up, the shop is closed. How about that? You'd think they would know in advance when I am going to stop by. (Unless! They're avoiding me! Heh.)

I am so confused!

Spotted in a local doorway this week. This is whatcha called "mixed messages".

All I can say is, that rent had better be REALLY, REALLY CHEAP.

It's a twister!

This part of California doesn't get tornadoes all that often. I think Nature is usually satisfied by punishing us with 110 degree temps every August for the State Fair; she basically leaves us alone the rest of the year. But in February 2005 we had some unusually foul weather, accompanied by several tornado sightings. Photographer Matt Adams went out to the fields in the Natomas area, near the downtown, and managed to capture these awesome shots. Check 'em out.

USPS R2D2 in Sacramento

USPS R2D2, originally uploaded by beancounter.

I know, it's a sign of the End Times. It's crass and commercial, and it probably heralds the end of the postal service as a financially solvent institution.

But look at it. It's so damn cute.

Culture of walkiness

I'm noticing a pervasive exercise message in downtown Sacramento, that hadn't really been going on last time I worked here.

Yesterday at a fitness faire going on at the Capitol, they passed out little pedometers. Somebody else had encouraging little booklets at the ready. And the CA State Parks agency handed out brochures about short  walking tours of area landmarks. I already know the landmarks very well - being able to visit them every day at lunch was one of the main perks of coming to work in the downtown again - but the information is useful.

Between all this and the ever-faithful Gmap pedometer, it's going to be easy to join the herd and walk for exercise.

Later: Now, hold on here. It's over 90 degrees today! And it's gotta be ten degrees warmer on the sidewalks than anyplace else.

I'd just like to say, nobody at the faire mentioned how to handle walking in the heat while wearing a polyester blouse and slacks ...

Circle Vision

Circle Vision Mickey Mouse
Originally uploaded by beancounter.

I don't know what to make of the Archives Museum here in Sacto. They have all this blank space in the foyer, it stands empty for months, and then what do they do with it? Put up random items like this, with no rhyme or reason, no explanation at all. Someone is clearly being influenced by the Goddess of Chaos. And not in a good way.

Gripe, gripe, gripe. Anyway, please gather your things and proceed to the Flickr page to see the rest of the mice. I don't know. They're starting to grow on me!

Weather wimps, testify

Our newspaper's television columnist had this to say in this morning's edition. I about choked on my toast in my hurry to yell "Amen, brother Rick!"

I realize this may be the depression talking. Eighty straight weeks, or whatever it's been, of rainy weekends take a toll. But I'd like to gripe.

All you local TV weather forecasters and all you anchor folk who chitchat with them in the gaps, please - and I'm trying to be nice here - please stop being cheery about the rainy weekends.

Just stop it. Cut the fake happy. Don't say "Wow, this looks like interesting weather" or, "Gee, isn't spring right around the corner" or, "We need the rain." We get it: Life requires water. Just turn off the merriness and be as ticked as we are.

Especially during those anchor-to-forecaster moments. Those are the worst. I know you're all supposed to say something genial. The consultants make you. But you don't have to pretend you like rain. No one likes rain on a weekend when they want to go outside.

... Californians are general weather wimps. I, in particular, am a weather wimp. I'm whining about showery Saturdays while the East Coast is freezing and tornadoes are tossing the Midwest halfway to Oz.

What can I say? It doesn't change anything. We want your sympathy. Or maybe we want you to make us feel better about being weather wimps. I, for one, am not apologizing. I have plans, and things would go better if it didn't rain. Toss me a bone by at least being as badly adjusted as I am.

The Great Icon Prank

It's Saturday, so you have plenty of time to read the saga of Cockeyed.com's great icon prank. It involves three large golden sculptures on a sign here at Sacto's own Downtown Plaza - whenever they went missing, Cockeyed struck, creating and hanging hilarious-looking replacements that went undetected ...