Going Back To Cali
Sorry for the delay in posts. I'm actually on location in San Francisco this week for work. I generally travel here three times a year to work with the half of my team that is not in Milwaukee. The weather out here is average, mid 60's at best. I understand I've been missing some extremes back home with weather near 90 on Monday and downpours Tuesday.
Still, it's good to be out here for a change of pace. It can be boring a little though since I traveled out here by myself and most of my co-workers catch buses or trains home so they're not always up on hanging around the city after work. This time, I'm staying at The Palace hotel which is definitely nice, but a little snooty for my tastes. Plus the cheapskates don't even offer free internet access. What's up with that? You can charge me $200 a night and $8 for a banana but can't give me internet access? Come on folks.
One thing I always like when I'm here though is the walk to and from work. From The Palace (tight asses - sorry, I can't let it go) it's only about 2 city blocks from the office so it's a very quick walk but that doesn't prevent me from firing up the iPod. I love walked among the crowd of people with some Joseph Arthur or Peter Bjorn and John playing. It just feels like I have my own little personal movie soundtrack going on as I walk. Great, relaxing stuff.
(Except for all the aggressive bums around. They usually break me out of my relaxing trot.)
Have you ever had one of those encounters where you're walking one way and someone's coming the other and both of you try to move one way and you end up doing a little awkward two-step dance with the person to get by? I know you have, I have too. Well this morning I had that again this time with a pigeon. Yea that's right, a little flying rat. The thing was totally in my way and as I walked up I could tell the little bastard wasn't going to move so I made a move to my right and the thing walked right in my path! I went left guess what it did. I finally decided to bring to light my athletic prowess and leap over the rodent with wings. I even stuck the landing (!!)
I got a couple (sarcastic) laughs from other people walking nearby. That pigeon had nothing on me and my leaping ability. My joy was short lived though as I figured out I was probably being toyed with. There was yet another bum nearby that gave me a sly smile. I'm pretty sure the little gray rodent was his pet. Oh well. Next time I'll just kick the thing as I pass by.
The pigeon, not the bum.
Still, it's good to be out here for a change of pace. It can be boring a little though since I traveled out here by myself and most of my co-workers catch buses or trains home so they're not always up on hanging around the city after work. This time, I'm staying at The Palace hotel which is definitely nice, but a little snooty for my tastes. Plus the cheapskates don't even offer free internet access. What's up with that? You can charge me $200 a night and $8 for a banana but can't give me internet access? Come on folks.
One thing I always like when I'm here though is the walk to and from work. From The Palace (tight asses - sorry, I can't let it go) it's only about 2 city blocks from the office so it's a very quick walk but that doesn't prevent me from firing up the iPod. I love walked among the crowd of people with some Joseph Arthur or Peter Bjorn and John playing. It just feels like I have my own little personal movie soundtrack going on as I walk. Great, relaxing stuff.
(Except for all the aggressive bums around. They usually break me out of my relaxing trot.)
Have you ever had one of those encounters where you're walking one way and someone's coming the other and both of you try to move one way and you end up doing a little awkward two-step dance with the person to get by? I know you have, I have too. Well this morning I had that again this time with a pigeon. Yea that's right, a little flying rat. The thing was totally in my way and as I walked up I could tell the little bastard wasn't going to move so I made a move to my right and the thing walked right in my path! I went left guess what it did. I finally decided to bring to light my athletic prowess and leap over the rodent with wings. I even stuck the landing (!!)
I got a couple (sarcastic) laughs from other people walking nearby. That pigeon had nothing on me and my leaping ability. My joy was short lived though as I figured out I was probably being toyed with. There was yet another bum nearby that gave me a sly smile. I'm pretty sure the little gray rodent was his pet. Oh well. Next time I'll just kick the thing as I pass by.
The pigeon, not the bum.
Labels: pigeons, san francisco
posted by Derek at 12:01 PM
8 Comments:
I am so thrilled Derek, to hear that someone else thinks of their Ipod as a personal little movie soundtrack player to their life.
When I lived in Chicago, I was about a 1/2 mile walk to the L that would take me to class every day. This mile round trip was my most favorite as I would put my earphones in, and get lost in the sounds playing through them. I have to admit that each and every walk to and from class down Wellington Ave. I would envision that each song was being carefully selected for the movie I was in at that moment. And it would make me smile each and every time.
loved the pigeon-rat story. i agree with your philosophy of kicking it the next time. it reminds me of lovely lyrics to a presidents of the united states song 'kitty' when i am on walks in our neighborhood and the obnoxious "outdoor cats" (don't you need to live on a farm or something to have an outdoor cat?) run along the stroller i often change the lyrics a bit..'kitty on my foot and i want to kick it(original lyric=touch it)'. it provides me great pleasure. give it a try the next time you encounter one of those vicous flying rodent birds!
Too funny! Pigeons are gross.
Thanks for checking in from Cali!
Hey DD - it's been a while! You know I'm not one to hold my thoughts to myself and being an animal lover (and this includes all animals, not just "cute" ones) I have to speak up. I hope you are only joking about kicking the pigeon. Please don't, it is just a harmless animal and is really not doing anything to hurt you. You wouldn't kick an annoying co-worker, would you? Try not to treat animals different than people then, they aren't things we should just hurt or kill because we can. I hope you were just joking but now some of the other comments are making me wonder. I just had to speak up with my 2 cents.
Thanks for all the comments everyone! Nice to know people still stop by.
Nikki, I was only kidding about kicking the pigeon but yes, I have kicked an annoying co-worker :)
GEORGE: Well, it happened again.
JERRY: What happened?
GEORGE: Well, I just stomped some pigeons in the park. They - they didn't move.
GEORGE: I, I don't get these birds! They're breaking the deal. It's like the pigeons decided to ignore me!
JERRY: So they're like everyone else.
Tooo funny, I thought of this right away when I read your post! Please disregard if you have no idea what this is from, or if you hate Seinfeld.
Thank you, drive thru.
Welcome home! I laughed pretty hard on the story of the pigeon, way to show it who's boss :) I also have serious thoughts of kicking coworkers so if the pigeon is giving you hell, I say give it a little tap tap
HAHAHA!!! Eh..kick the bum, too.
;)
~L.
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