"An ode to the Little Red Truck" written by Janelle on estrip.org

08/23/09 09:42 - 67ºF - ID#49604

An ode to the Little Red Truck

Oh, little red truck
You reignited my love for you.
Half a tank of gas from Buffalo to Pittsburgh?!
I couldn't ask for more from our little truck!!
You must have heard our resentful mutterings
of low gas mileage and frequent repairs
You must have sensed our unfaithfulness
As we coveted the Kia Soul and the Suzuki sx4
Cash for Clunkers, how could we turn it down?

How easily I forgot, little red truck
that you faithfully journeyed with me
from Illinois to Philadelphia.
You ventured the twists and turns
of the Pennsylvania turnkpike
twice a month for a year
so that I could see my fiancee.

I promise, I'll never speak of trading you in again.

Permalink: An_ode_to_the_Little_Red_Truck.html
Words: 119
Location: Buffalo , NY

08/11/09 10:40 - 71ºF - ID#49511

Piano

Today, I happily claimed possession of my childhood piano.

If you pass by our house you might catch a glimpse of me happily pounding away on the keyboard. And you might hear the sounds of Billy Joel tunes and cheesy Christian music.

My house is complete. It has a piano, a husband, two cats and a dog. It can't get any better than this.

Permalink: Piano.html
Words: 64
Location: Buffalo , NY

08/10/09 08:11 - 74ºF - ID#49495

Buffalo Drivers

Flashing yellow light at the intersection means proceed through the intersection with some caution.

Flashing red light at the intersection means stop and proceed after yielding to traffic.

Learn how traffic signals work, Buffalo drivers!

See, I am equally annoyed at drivers and bicyclists.

metalpeter writes at 08:00:34 08/11/09 - Comment #50753: You never really see it but there is also a flashing green light. What pisses me off is when people roll through the stop sign and think it is ok. No come to a complete stop. Not sure if that or people who stop at the stop sign then sit there and act like it is a red light piss me off more, ARG

jenks writes at 11:57:42 08/10/09 - Comment #50700: I thought you were supposed to treat any flashing light (red or yellow) like a 4-way stop? Maybe it's just red. Or, how about you use common sense... if there are a lot of people at the intersection- STOP! even if you have the yellow light... ack.

There was actually a TORNADO here the day after I got to town... but I didn't know- just noiced driving around that there were a lot of tree branches down, and a lot of places lost power... well I guess they lost power to the lights at a major intersection.... like a 4 way stop with 3 lanes of traffic in each direction... with just a blinking light... yeah, that was fun.

leetee writes at 10:44:00 08/10/09 - Comment #50699: Yesterday, the lights went out at Niagara Falls Blvd and Sheridan after a power surge at the beginning of a thunderstorm. I bet if we had folllowed the yellow/red flashing light rules, we might have had to sit and wait for the lights to go back on. Works for smaller intersections, but not for one with that much traffic.

jim writes at 10:13:11 08/10/09 - Comment #50698: I had to teach James what the flashing traffic lights meant :)

james writes at 09:39:40 08/10/09 - Comment #50697: I like it when they drive in the bike lane. Honking and telling me to get out of the road is just icing on that lovely cake.

zobar writes at 09:24:33 08/10/09 - Comment #50696: Infuriating Buffalo Driving Trick #1 [Passive]: Come to complete stop at red light. Wait for car to come to complete stop behind you. Activate left-hand turn signal.

Infuriating Buffalo Driving Trick #2 [Aggressive]: Drive in parking lane. When encountering a parked car [surprise!], gun it.

- Z

Permalink: Buffalo_Drivers.html
Words: 44
Location: Buffalo , NY

08/06/09 09:23 - 67ºF - ID#49478

Bicyclists

I have a love-hate relationship with bicycling in Buffalo. I love how bikeable the city is and in the summer, (e:Drew) and I definitely hit the town with our bikes. I'm a big fan of following the rules of the road since the rules of the road for cars, apply to bicycles on the street as well.

Section 1231. Traffic laws apply to persons riding bicycles or skating or gliding on in-line skates.

Every person riding a bicycle or skating or gliding on in-line skates upon a roadway shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this title, except as to special regulations in this article and except as to those provisions of this title which by their nature can have no application.

from:

I absolute hate the bicycling culture that flouts all the rules of the road, that puts bicyclists in harms way of cars, and then has the audacity to be upset at the vehicle driver.

Tonight, I turned onto Ashland, a one way street, from Summer and had to stop very quickly to avoid hitting two bicyclists riding down the road the wrong way. They had the audacity to make angry faces and shake their fists at me...despite the fact that I came nowhere near hitting them. Despite the fact that it is not reasonable for me to expect traffic coming down the street the wrong way. Despite the fact that they were the ones acting in complete disregard to the traffic laws. Now I wish I would have hit them. Well, no, not really. That would be bad. But I still don't think they get to be jerks to me when they're the ones being stupid.

metalpeter writes at 11:47:06 08/08/09 - Comment #50668: I think part of the problem is that people in Buffalo think of riding a bike as an extension of walking. If they rode the way they do here in Toronto or maybe NYC or some big city they would be dead or at least in a lot of pain. In Buffalo the traffic is much lighter so you can get away with that. Yes when you walk you are supposed to head towards traffic. This makes sense you are hard to see you are moving slow you can see the cars better then they can see you, you can get out of the way if need be. Making eye contact is good. You can walk across the middle of the street and wait in those areas used to cross for cars. But doing all of those on a bike is very dangerous because of its size and speed. I've seen a lot of dumb moves on bikes going through lanes of traffic. I also think that both car and bike drivers think that since they are thin that they can go next to a car, WRONG IDEA. None of this swirving between cars like they and Motorcycles like to do. Sit right in the middle of a lane like a car would and pedal to go at the proper speed like a car would. When you are a Bike you have to act like a car. One exception and this goes for Motorcycles also ride to a breast but make sure you can both go the same speed or it makes things more dangerous.

vincent writes at 10:49:45 08/08/09 - Comment #50667: I was thinking of this post yesterday when I was walking down Elmwood. I saw a guy on a bike just fly though a red light and then made a LEFT Turn.

janelle writes at 09:56:27 08/08/09 - Comment #50666: Lol, I hit a nerve with Jason. I hear ya. I want the roads to be safe for bikers and drivers alike!

jason writes at 09:21:35 08/08/09 - Comment #50665: I guess I'm not done, lol. This has been on my mind this summer so I'm glad someone wrote about it. Obviously the cyclists ignoring the rules of the road is a problem, but Buffalo having the worst drivers in the Western Hemisphere exacerbates the issue. I used to ride my bike from UB North to my apartment on which street, crap, Ellicott Creek road? I'd go on Sweet Home and I'm telling you that is terrifying. Drivers aren't paying attention, and neither the cyclists or the drivers are looking out for each other. I'm always trying to make eye contact with cyclists so they know I see them and know where I intend to be.

jason writes at 09:11:47 08/08/09 - Comment #50664: I support cycling in the neighborhood, and I'm more than happy to share the road with them. You're totally right, Janelle, a lot of cyclists just don't give a shit about the rules of the road. I go very carefully on the side streets because I know these assholes are out. They think of themselves as privileged citizens. Well, one day they're going to be flat on their back, choking on blood, struggling to stay alive because they ran that stop sign on Ashland while going the wrong way. How can I feel bad for them?

matthew writes at 09:51:34 08/07/09 - Comment #50662: Yes yes yes! i completely agree with you (e:janelle). A bike is a vehicle and should be treated as one. Buffalo can be scary to bike in. I've been honked at by cars and told to "drive on the fucking sidewalk asshole!" for years now. i'm glad to point out to them that its illegal for me to do so.

janelle writes at 08:47:05 08/07/09 - Comment #50661: Well, I will respectfully disagree with you (e:Oda). While I can understand easing through a red light or a stop sign, I just can't agree with riding your bike against traffic. I think it's a dangerous practice. If I hadn't been alert and paying attention last night, the outcome could have been very different.

metalpeter writes at 07:52:16 08/07/09 - Comment #50658: That driving at cars idea is wrong for 2 reasons. Lets say you are ridding at 20mph and so is the car that means you are heading towards each other at a very high rate of speed. It is two fast for many people to react, also what if the car decides to turn to miss you. Well you might count that as one but I call it two. It also isn't safer at night. What makes you safe at night is have lights strobe ones are good so that you can be seen at night and so people know you are there in the street.

oda writes at 07:36:58 08/07/09 - Comment #50656: I got pulled over by the bike police once for riding my bike through a red light. I was only issued a warning.

But, as a serial biker, and by that I mean someone who rides all winter because cars cost money, and so does the bus, sometimes it is just really not practical to follow the rules.

When you ride down the street in the wrong direction, you can see the cars. This is important! I often took Ashland home instead of Norwood last year because it's nice to see where the cars are. I didn't get out of work until it was dark, and it really is safer for the bicyclists to see the cars. We can maneuver our bikes quickly whenever we need to! (However, I don't agree that the bikers shaking their fists at you was a good thing.)

One other thing that I WISH motorists would understand is that sometimes bicyclists (riding with the direction of traffic) HAVE TO get in the middle of the road. A seasoned bicyclist will do this when he or she knows that it is not safe for a car to pass them, like when there are major potholes that would cause the bicyclist to fall over or when there is too much snow in the street to ride anywhere but the car's tracks. Not only is this safe, but it is the law! I WISH motorists would respect and understand this.

And, never should a bicyclist over the age of 10 ride on the sidewalk. Not only is it illegal, it is also slow, impractical, and very annoying to all involved.

jenks writes at 02:18:15 08/07/09 - Comment #50644: I think it is ticketable- I have a friend who got a speeding ticket on her bike- for doing 20 going downhill in a 15mph zone. But I agree- if you want to ride in the road like a car, you have to follow the rules like a car. (stop at lights, etc.) If you want to ride on the sidewalk like a pedestrian, then you need to obey those rules too.

joshua writes at 10:15:31 08/07/09 - Comment #50643: It's simple - I get very, very aggressive with people on bikes who behave that way. I don't put up with that bullshit and it isn't that I have a short fuse for this crap, but really it's that I have no fuse at all for it. We deal with this crap constantly on our block and it brings out a particularly vicious aspect of my personality.

I don't mind people riding their bikes, but when they are riding literally in the middle of the street in the wrong direction, etc., I get irate. The sad thing is that they are utterly spoiling it for the bikers out there who are respectful and cool, and just want to ride and be responsible people.

As far as I'm concerned, if the rules of the road should apply to them, then so should the penalties. What would happen if I drove my car the wrong way down a one-way street and a cop caught me? Who is responsible if that same idiot biker actually got hurt while riding like that? I think some of this stuff should be a ticketable moving violation like any other.

I don't move out of the way for bikes on the sidewalk - if they have the balls to aim their bike directly at me, then they better expect an ugly fight if they actually hit me.

james writes at 12:01:04 08/07/09 - Comment #50640: There are some rules I will ignore. I will go through a red light, no problem. But ride with traffic and always on the road.

jim writes at 11:39:21 08/06/09 - Comment #50639: I hate bicyclists zipping down sidewalks who expect people to jump out of the way.

tinypliny writes at 10:41:41 08/06/09 - Comment #50638: I have to agree with you. Cycling doesn't mean you can flout all the rule. I would like to ride on the road with the traffic but I am scared spineless that some car might hit me from behind. I can't even cycle the wrong way in my nightmares. LOL

Permalink: Bicyclists.html
Words: 307
Location: Buffalo , NY

07/30/09 09:41 - 73ºF - ID#49420

The most gut wrenching day of the year

is when the state comes to complete their annual certification of the program I oversee.

It starts with an ominous phone call. We're from the state. We'll be there shortly.

Then the rush begins. Staff warned. Supervisors called. Documents gathered.

Then the silence, while the state is flipping through paperwork, is punctuated with "hms" and scribblings of findings.

I miserably passed the day staring at the frantic scribbling from the corner of my eye while fiddling on my laptop. My stomach ached and burned through the day.

The lowest on the social hierarchy in this situation, I bite my tongue as the state provide feedback on the content of my paperwork that strikes me as incompatible with the forms that the same state demands I use. How can I argue the state when the state isn't clear on what it's doing?

The exit meeting is at the end of the day and I'm hopeful that it will bring relief. Instead, it brings more feedback. A summary of everything previously explained to me. How many times can I nod my head and say I understand before it seems insincere? But the negative is embedded in positive enthusiasm for the concept of the program, for the happiness of the participants, for the paperwork
generally being in order. I nod and smile weakly. They want me to stop being nervous. But why would I not be nervous? They spent the day scrutinizing my work. My hours and hours of work.

Tomorrow, we'll begin the work on addressing the 2 areas of deficiencies and I can rest easy until the phone call comes again in a year.

Permalink: The_most_gut_wrenching_day_of_the_year.html
Words: 272
Location: Buffalo , NY

07/24/09 09:36 - 67ºF - ID#49367

5K fun

I ran in a 5k last night. My goal has been to run a 5k once a month this summer. I don't really care. I just pick a 5k and go. And I usually try to drag someone along.

Last night (e:drew), (e:changeisgood), and myself ran a 5k at some random Catholic church/Catholic school in Orchard Park. It was a huge turnout and probably the best after party I've ever been to.

Here's the funny part. You get a ticket when you register for a race and it's exchanged for one beer at the party after the race and all the food you can eat. Nothing beats sucking down a cold beer into your already dehydrated body after a race. However, at this party, you could get ALL the beer you wanted. They were passing it out in these small bucket like containers that I had to grasp with both hands while drinking. Hot dogs, however, those were restricted. Only two hot dogs per ticket. My mom paid $5 to attend the after party (because she didn't run) and she could have drank all the beer she wanted for $5. But no hot dogs.

Permalink: 5K_fun.html
Words: 195
Location: Buffalo , NY

07/15/09 07:45 - 55ºF - ID#49295

Early mornings

I've convinced myself recently to make the most of my summer days by getting up earlier in the morning. I spend my extra time sipping coffee on the front porch and watching the neighborhood wake up. It's been a bit of a challenge to get up earlier than usual. But this morning I was rewarded with the sight of a beautiful cardinal fluttering around the front yard!

After soaking up the sun and summer, it's just a nice way to start the morning. Much better than rushing to get to work.

Permalink: Early_mornings.html
Words: 91
Location: Buffalo , NY

06/27/09 09:36 - 67ºF - ID#49096

Spicy scents

Two nights ago I ground up some cardamom in the coffee grinder. The scent lingered for a good two days in the kitchen, living room, and entry way making these areas of the house smell sweet and spicy and delicious.

This morning I experimented with trying to get a more concentrated or longer lasting scent.

I tried making a potpourri satchet. Failure.

Tried to use it like incense. Failure.

Then the internet told me to simmer the spices in some water. So right now I'm in heaven with the spicy cardamom, coriander, cloves smell.

If you want to replicate it....

A handful of cardamom seeds and a handful of coriander seeds lightly toasted in a skillet.
Grind in a coffee grinder. Add 10-12 cloves.

Put entire mixture with 1-2 cups of water on the stove. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.

And if you like the cardamom taste, try grinding some in with your coffee beans. I cardamom pod should be enough for 1 cup of coffee beans.

Permalink: Spicy_scents.html
Words: 170
Location: Buffalo , NY

06/22/09 11:09 - 71ºF - ID#49034

The DIY project

Two years ago, when we moved into the house, I had a lot of time on my hands to fix up the house.

Paint was peeling and chipping from the bathroom door so I decided it needed some work.

I didn't want to just scrape and paint because it would look all uneven. And I didn't want to pay $50 to take it to somewhere and dip it to strip the paint.

So I stripped the door myself. Until I gave up when I realized there were six layers of paint underneath the glossy white and special tools were needed to strip the paint from the crevices.

So I hung the door up half stripped and uneven. It sat for a year.

I primed it when husband suggested I finish what I start. It sat for another year.

And today I finally finished.

Two years later... And more than $50 later... And several hours of my time later.... I painted it glossy white over an uneven surface.

I sure came out ahead, didn't I?

Permalink: The_DIY_project.html
Words: 172
Location: Buffalo , NY

06/09/09 10:02 - 66ºF - ID#48876

Running from State Farm as fast as I can

You know those stories about people who run from their small town, USA, because they can't spend the rest of their life working in the "fill-in-the-blank" factory?

I couldn't run from my town fast enough to avoid the State Farm conveyor belt. I thought that there had to be more to life than being a cog in the machinery of State Farm.

Turns out I was right.

I am reminded of it every time I come home. And I'm so grateful that I did more with my life than sign up for a lifetime career with State Farm.

Permalink: Running_from_State_Farm_as_fast_as_I_can.html
Words: 98
Location: Buffalo , NY