I have come to realize and accept, that I am an abstract thinker. My thoughts are nonlinear and this process is evident in my communication and problem solving. Good and bad I guess, if you're not used to it. Recently I figured out why me and a co-worker were having issues. He required all of the steps leading to a conclusion to be explained from what I wanted of him; the why, the who, the rationale, et al. And until all of this was broken down sufficiently, we had conflict and frustrations. Whereas, in my head I go from the problem to the answer. Much like algebra, and even then I used to get in trouble for "not showing work". However, in our planning and many discussions I had thought I HAD made my vision and intentions clear.
It is ongoing frustration of mine to have to delineate every single step, example and piece of something to someone. I fall prey to the trap of how things "seem obvious" or they "should be" percieved a certain way. When in actuality there could be other interpretations. Other points of view to consider.
It's still damned frustrating.
Rather than arguing how things are dissimilar, why can't people try to see how they ARE indeed actually similar??
One of the projects I have is moving the old audio equipment from the old car into the new car. It can't happen all at once because I don't have the space, time or patience to undertake doing all that. Back in Delaware I would pull my car into the shop bay after closing and we would work on my car. All the tools, parts, etc. were there. I firmly believe the most expensive thing people are billed for when it comes to car audio is labor. And when you have a master tech willing to help you out with you car for a $15 lunch or pizza, that makes the process go a whole lot easier. I miss the space and more importantly the help that went along with it.
Well now a buttload of stuff from my old car sits under the stairs unused, irking me to no end because it takes up space and they're not being used for the intended purpose. Today I start the process by prepping my trunk with 36 square feet of Dynamat. The Pontiac G8 GT with the sport package, doesn't come with a spare because the car sits on 19" wheels. There's no way a spare 19" wheel would fit back there. Pontiac includes a compressor and OnStar, which should help in the event of a flat. And the truck is ginormous, I can easily climb back and there and close the trunk with room to spare. Anyway, I start lining the trunk with Dynamat Extreme and it starts to rain. The weather gods are against me today.
The start of the work though, nicely tweaks my back. Good times!
But I like the rain. Later on that evening we get some wings from WingStop and it makes the night even better. Good times!
Today on the way home from work, I am pulled over by the cops. The reason for being pulled over is not clear, even after the dozen or so times I've played it over in my head and talking it over with Akilah.
It goes a little something like this:
We get of the freeway behind one of my coworker friends and I am trailing him about 2 cars back in the fast lane. It's rush hour commute, so no one can or is going faster than 65. Kiki and I are talking about the weekend and I see in my peripheral vision a car pulls up into my blind spot. I HATE when cars hang out back there, because if I have to make a sudden move - bam instant accident. So I speed up a little, still doing within the speed limit. I really cannot go anywhere, because there's a car in front of me, but by moving up it gets the car out of my blind spot. The car in my blind spot, sitting about in my 5 o'clock, speeds up again to sit in my blond spot AGAIN. As I look over to see wtf, I see the ram bars, hood...it's a cop. And just as I realize it's a cop, he shines is light inside the window of my car. Then he pulls behind me and lights me up. I look at the speedometer and I'm doing 66 and I'm confused. So I pull over, and the exchange goes a little something like this:
Officer: License, registration and proof insurance
Me: My license is in my backpack behind me, and I am going to reach for them.
::Hand over my license and registration::
Officer: What were you doing? Why were you speeding up? There was nowhere for you to go.
Me: Well officer, all I saw was a car in my blind spot and I was trying to get that car out of my blind spot. It wasn't until the last second did I identify you.
Officer: Well you were in the fast lane and I wasn't a problem. So you didn't have to worry.
Me: True, but as I said, all I saw in my peripheral vision was a car there and I wanted to get the car out of my blind spot.
::Kiki hands me my proof of insurance that was in the glove box under other papers. I hand the officer the proof of insurance. At this point another office comes along side the passenger door and shines his flashlight in the door.::
Officer: Yea, I figured you'd have to have insurance for one of these. You ever gotten a ticket for being stupid? (direct quote, Kiki confirmed)
Me: Well, I hope not today.
Officer: Excuse me?
::Hands back documents::
Officer: Well drive safe out there
This exchange has been playing in my head over and over again. I even asked Kiki, did he really ask me if I have ever gotten a ticket for being stupid? Yea, he sure did. On top of that, I was doing the speed limit, going with the flow of traffic and not driving erratically. So what gives?
Part of me is thankful he didn't give me a ticket. The other part of me is like, wtf? Was that really harassment. Was that really DWB (Driving While Black for the unitiated)? We were driving through one of openly known racist areas of San Diego, so it doesn't summarily explain it. It sure helps puts thing in context. But he didn't give me the ticket, so that must put the DWB argument to rest, right? Or does it? May be by my pulling ahead everytime he pulled up along side me, was considered suspicious behavior and thus probable cause for the stop.
The whole thing just seems odd.
I called my friend to see if he saw me get pulled over, and he was like, "that was you??" It seems in the officer's zeal to get behind me and light me up, he himself cut off another motorist who was forced to slam on his brakes to avoid the officer. As my friend put it, the front of the car dipped so where the headlights disappeared for an instant.
Afterwards, we ran errands and headed up. I started getting texts from friends asking where the hell I away. Met up with them at Newport Pizza in OB, which was GREAT. After a couple of hours of that, Akilah saw The Day the Earth Stood Still. Which was a pretty good flick all in all.
I think it is ironic when we're given the go ahead to leave work early, and I really don't want to leave work. This week I've had a problem at work that has been busting my ass and finally progress has been made.
Sigh. So me and Kiki bugged out early.
So after work we ran some errands and headed back to the house to chilled out. It was the quiet before the storm. Tomorrow we're hosting that thank you dinner and I am very very nervous about it.
I firmly believe my host fucked up my install of MovableType, but they will not admit it. They're response to my issue, reinstall the software and hope for the best. And the useless help desk alias doesn't help one bit either. After about 2 weeks and bit of inspiration from Ms. Icyshard, I was able to get back up and running, if not in a limited fashion. For some reason my login screen is in Kanji. Go figure.
I have a new cause and that cause is doing my part in seeing to it that the Pontiac G8 doesn't get killed in 2010 as most people expect that it will. No, I am not advocating that we bail out the auto industries. But the death of this incredible American (in spirit) car pisses me off.
#1 Reason to own a G8:
Passenger room. At 6'2 and over 300 lbs, my G8 GT is a great fit for someone my size and girth. When I shed my tonnage, I suspect the fit will be even better, as there will be less of me for the ultra-supportive, 3-stage heated, highly adjustable front sport seats to support. To wit, I've had a friend who was 6'4 get into the car and find a comfortable driving position. This interior room for the car manifests itself in several different useful ways.
1) Even with the front seats all the way back, there is a TON room in the back.
2) The G8 is a joy to drive on long road trips. The same is true for my commute. Lately I had someone insuate that my recent back problems could be attributed to my driving position, rather than the 7 year old secretary chair I am forced to sit in all day. Clearly, they've never had any seat time in the G8.
3) While I would never in a million years ever think that I would use heated seats, I was way way wrong in thinking so. Not only are the seats heated, but they are staged: first heating your bum, then the lower back and finally mid-back/shoulders (for me at least). For the stressful days or sunny and cool days, the seats are a gem.
4) Lastly, I've had people ride in the back and call the experience "limo-like". On one occasion I had a couple of friends actually fight over who would ride in the back.
Not having to contort myself as I get in and out of my car is great. Not having to perform a Cirque du Soleil-like act while driving is way worth it.