An Endangered Species

chevy at a light
Originally uploaded by daveterry.

Everyday another endangered animal is added to the endangered species list. Well, today, I'd like to add another one:

The Good Driver

I haven't been able to find a good driver in their natural habitat for some time. And I find that odd because unlike other endangered species, their habitat is growing larger everyday. It's not like they are running out of highways and roads to drive on.

Still, good drivers are really hard to find.

At 6:30 a.m. I passed a commuter doing 35 in a 55 mph zone. As I passed him I noticed that he had earbuds connected to his handheld device, was bent forward engrossed in adjusting his GPS, and his interior light was on. He was busy doing everything except driving. It's my conviction that he thought he had already arrived at the office and just forgot that his foot was still pressing the accelerator in his car.

Last month I saw a guy do a u-turn at a red light in front of our four lanes of traffic. Our light had just turned green. He was driving one of those low-slung modified Hondas with the the cigar muffler. He gunned it at the turn but the torque was so great it sheered off his lug nuts and spun the tire off the rim. The back driver's side frame hit the pavement and his car stopped in an instant. The loose tire spun out past him and joined our approaching traffic. He looked a little disappointed as he sat watching our cars navigate around him.

Yesterday I saw another guy eating a sandwich out of his lap while driving past me. He was pressing out the sandwich wrapper across his knees and up under the steering wheel while negotiating a turn through a yellow light next to me.

This morning, as I pulled up toward a Mc Donald's drive-thru, another driver pulled in front of me. They had come through the Exit Only access, did a three-point turn, and then pulled up to drive-thru. They actually had to back up to make the turn to avoid hitting the drive up squawkbox.

What is wrong with these people? Hungry, I guess. Hungry, scavenging animals do crazy things.

We need more good drivers, there are so few of us left. We are a dying breed. I feel so all alone. But I guess endangered species naturally feel lonely.

...dave
If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti

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floored, I'm sure

wood floor
Originally uploaded by daveterry.

A friend called earlier this week to ask if I'd help them "get started" installing their wood floor.

"Sure, no problem, glad to help."

So yesterday after work I went over to 'get them started.' But there were several challenges ahead.

First I had to tie the new floor into two other floors of adjoining rooms, one of which was the hallway laid 10 years earlier. Worse, some of the boards had no groves. In fact, the ends looked like they'd been hacked off with an axe.

While sanding them true with a Dremel tool their boxer came over to check things out. He was curious and so stuck his nose within inches of the sander.

"Hey, I can't see what I'm doing here, you mind?"

He didn't seem to.

I also noticed that this hallway was the only access that he knew of to get to the other rooms and it seems that he needed to go to them frequently.

As I worked nailing in each piece, the owner kept me supplied with a steady stream of "approved boards." Each and every one was compared with the ones already nailed before it could be approved.

If the board didn't meet with her approval, she'd lay it in a pile behind me or lean it against the wall beside me. Soon boards were stacked everywhere. Several times I turned, knocked a board, and like a starting domino, it crashed into the rest of the rejected timbers all of which then became a pile like kindling strewn across the floor. That got the boxer mad so he came at me barking.

When the approved piece was finally handed to me, I'd nail it in place and wait patiently for the next one. Sometimes the approved board was missing the grove because it was a cut piece from the prior row. Not noticing it until I nailed it in place, I'd then spend some quality time with the crowbar.

To get the boards to fit snugly, I used a small length of material as a whacking board. After several rows I couldn't locate it again. After an extended search I was meekly told that it was the perfect board for a previous row. I turned to look, there it was, nailed into the row behind me.

Five hours later we were out of boards and out of nails but plenty of floor lay ahead. There wasn't enough material to finish.

Rats. I hate that for them.

...dave
If God wanted us to bend over he'd put diamonds on the floor. - Joan Rivers

the barrel cup

starbucks barrel mug
Originally uploaded by daveterry.

It's getting a little cooler now. It's about 50 degrees outside and inside it stays about 70 or so. The AC doesn't kick in nor does the heater. It's really perfect indoors.

It's early now. Still dark outside.

By the time I shuffle into the kitchen and turn the coffee and hot water on I'm awake already. I use the hot water to pre-heat the mug. Once the mug is pre-heated the coffee stays hot for about 15 minutes.

I fire up my Google email and read last night's posts, deleting most of it before actually reading the details. I can tell by the subject line it's not for me.

But I mainly write this post to tell you about the latest Starbuck's mug I bought. (No, I don't work for them nor get any revenue for mentioning them here. In fact, truth be told, they get revenue from me regardless of what I write.)

Anyway, this Starbuck Coffee Barrel Mug is the best yet.

starbucks mug
Originally uploaded by daveterry.

I already own the tall (Venti sized) ceramic mug for drinking on the road. And another beautiful mug I've never ever seen in any Starbucks shop since Hawaii.

However, this new mug is the one I grab now.

Just think about it:

it IS heavy, weights 15.7 oz empty (31.6 oz filled)
has a creamy white porcelain finish
has a 3-finger handle
has an ever-so-slightly curving top and bottom (thus the "barrel" look)
it only cost me seven frog skins

But here's the best part:

It holds 16 oz (not 8 or 12 but 16 oz!) of pure hot liquid java. To die for.

(Now I know some of you people drink iced coffee, but that's just wrong, pure and simple. No coffee snob would put ice in their java just as no self-respecting sommelier would even dream of putting ice in a jammy cabernet sauvignon. It's just morally and ethically wrong.)

Wait a second, I hear the coffee maker slurping. That means it's ready. I'll make my undetected journey in the dark (it's 4:22 a.m.) and retrieve the oily liquid. Be right back.

Now it's true, I have plenty of mugs and I ought not buy yet another but this mug feels so wonderful cradled between my two palms. It's about the size of a grapefruit but smooth like glass.

barrel Starbucks cup
Originally uploaded by daveterry.

And when I peer down into the depths of the inky black liquid I feel like an oil tycoon that has just discovered a golden vein.

This is the perfect WFH (work-from-home) mug, no spillage, sits flat, holds a large amount of liquid which means few return trips to the coffee maker.

Odd thing is, I couldn't find any pictures of this mug on starbucks.com nor on flickr.com nor even on google images. That's really weird.

So I took my own picture and drew a quick sketch.

Wow, it's time for another cup.

...dave
A morning without coffee is like sleep. ~Author

TESOL Sketchnotes

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Some time ago I attended a TESOL class here in Atlanta. It's just now I'm getting around to posting my full sketchnotes.

Enjoy.

Note: TESOL = Teaching English As a Second Language

...dave
Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more. ~Bob Talbert

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UX Week

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Attended UX Week (user experience design) in SFO. Awesome stuff.

Here are my sketch notes from the sessions.

...dave
Create your own visual style... let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others. - Orson Welles