10 O’Clock News
It felt like we are watching a movie, it was surreal.It took a page right from one of those Hollywood blockbusters where the world is ending (or something). You know the one. Anyway it wasn’t a movie but it was pretty cool to see.We took pictures of this huge spaceship for probably close to an hour. At which point we all were getting pretty tired and decided to go to bed… I mean back to the house and then go to sleep. We were there when they fixed the problem and still there when they encountered another one. It was kind of cool. There were moments when we heard everybody cheer and chant USA, USA… as the space shuttle rolled down the street.I think one of the cooler parts of the night was in fact when the space shuttle was rolling down the street. A barrage of photographers and regular people (like me) all pulled out their cameras, video cameras, cell phones, iPads, you name it. Whatever they had they took our and began shooting video of the space shuttle rolling down the street. Some just taking pictures along the way as best they could. Below is the best picture that I got in my attempt to capture the scene.
I know what you are thinking. Most of my photos have been of the front side (and only the passenger side). That is true. The way it was set up you could not go from one side to the other. There was however a little time where we were able to see the backside. Here’s that photo:
Last but not least, here’s a photo of when we were practically underneath the wing. It came so close to both sides of the streets that you could literally jump up and touch the wing. It was crazy and cool at the same time. Anyway here is the final photo in which you can tell the enormity of the wing.
In closing, I can say that I know it was a good night and probably would have never happened had we not seen the 10 o’clock news. After we were at the space shuttle everyone’s spirits were lifted and the night got rockin’.Personal rant: I find it amazing that we as humans can feel insignificant standing next to something man made. Rightfully so.. I mean that ship has traveled BILLIONS of miles- seen things I will never see and has scratched at the surface of the heavens. Yet with all that it still can’t scratch the surface of the awe and glory of God. Think of that for a minute.So, as for the 10 o’clock news? This one’s for you…Until next time…just Pray.Getting the Mail
Another post!
The other day I decided to go get the mail. Not a big deal, nothing too uncommon but just something that I wanted to do. I walked down to our mailbox in our complex and opened up our mailbox. Nothing weird or uncommon to speak of… the only funny thing was when a black SUV Porsche with tinted windows pulled up beside me and rolled down it’s passenger side window. There was a guy talking to me in a language I could not understand… & his girlfriend kept saying “just go, just go! leave him alone!”
Again being polite I tried to understand him incase he was asking for directions or something. He said whatever he said again in some foreign language and yet again his girlfriend or his female companion again told him to leave & to drive and just leave me alone. Odd.
They left down a dead end and started to turn around during which time I finished getting the mail and closed the mailbox turning around to go back to the condo. At this point the Porsche turned around and the guy rolled down the driver side window this time. He looked directly at me and said “if you look at this car again I am going to come over there and F*** you up. I just looked the other way and walked onward. Again, obviously looking for confrontation he shouted out “Yeah you better keep walking! You better not turnaround either or I will come over and F*ing mess you up you little Mother F***er.”
I wanted to grab his license plate but I would have needed to go back and jot it down and by the time I thought of it he squealed his tires out of the place. I don’t know why some people insist on being that way. It doesn’t matter if I am in California, Oregon or anywhere for that matter. You can happen in a small village or in a big city. I just don’t understand why some people insist on trying to cause trouble. Even if I were buff or knew martial arts how do I know what this guy has in his vehicle? A weapon? Who knows what!
It’s not worth the risk even if you can take care of yourself being big and muscular or knowing how to do martial arts or being with a group of people. It’s just the idea that you never know what anyone going to do. It bothers me. I wasn’t doing anything. I’ve had this happen before in other places I’ve lived when again, I wasn’t doing anything and yet there happen to be people who are looking to start something. Whether it’s walking down the streets of Portland and having to look the other way because you know there is a group of people looking to start something or whether it’s just walking around in some rural area knowing that all you need to do is look at someone the wrong way and they are packing heat.
It’s things on all sorts of different levels and yet it bothers me on all different levels. Not sure what else to say… I just felt the need to blog this as it has been bothering me and on my mind a bit.
As if I didn’t have enough bothering me with not being able to find an apartment, the stresses of the possibility of a new job in a new location… & the list endlessly goes on.
[(Philippians 4:13)]
Until next time,
just Pray.
Six Flags to Seattle & Back
Wow.
It is had to believe what has went on since I’ve last blogged.
I’m serious.. And all the things happened within less than a month.
We went to Six Flags on Saturday the 22nd and it was a blast. We started off with a ride that was lame and wasn’t that much fun to ride. The name of the ride was X2. The first 4D ride of its kind in the world. Kinda cool bragging rights though- wish it were more fun. We went on a few other rides and had more fun with each ride we took.
I finally convinced Sky to ride the Superman ride (escape from Krypton). She was super scared at first. I can’t really blame her… being shot at some 100+ MPH into the air backwards and then seeing the world from Superman’s view some 415 feet up in the air.. Only to come streaming back in just as fast as we went up. It was Fun! 🙂
She ended up liking that ride so much that we decided it would also be the last ride we went on as well. We went on some wet rides, the first coaster in the world that took people in a loop and even rode the first ride that was in the park the day it was new. We had a good variety and lots of fun. The day wound down pretty quickly & before we knew it we had to get back in line for Superman before the park closed. While in line we met this younger girl who was scared of having to ride it alone. She was cute, Sky talked to her and put her mind at ease and we let her know she could ride it with us if she wanted to. She took us up on that offer.
We ended the day on a high note (not just because of the Superman ride) but because of how the enjoyment level for the park had risen from earlier in the heat of the day (100+ degrees) Ick!
It was fun.
The next week I received a call from an employer in Oregon who wanted to do a phone screen. I talked to them and explained my situation. They understood and wanted to move forward. The same week I received calls for jobs with a temp agency who wanted me to come interview for a job which they said was a great fit/opportunity.
So, after talking it over with Sky we decided we would make the trip the next week.
I went to interview with VW Credit. Below is a picture of their waiting room lobby.
During the interview they told me repeatedly that I’d be a better fit for management or more – just not a phone job. But that they’d like to see if they could bring me on. Not what I wanted to hear after I made the trip and spent all that time.
On our drive up to the area we received another call from a place I applied to in Seattle. They wanted to interview me as well. So again, not wanting to miss an opportunity we decided it would be best if we went for the interview. (And we were pretty much in the area). Below is a picture I captured from their waiting room…
This one seemingly went better (as they said I seem like a good fit for a call center job). The interview for this company was with Internet Identity.
Well! With all of this going on I am contacted by that original company who has only spoken to me by phone – they let me know that they were extending a job offer to me. Call center or not- it’s a job. It pays. It could be worse.
We still wanted to see about the other jobs since we made the trip, so we waited a little. Nothing. I contacted the temp agency and they let me know that VW absolutely loved me. They were however going to do something unusual. Instead of offer me a job – they’d keep me on as a reserve (incase someone declined an offer). News flash: nobody declined.
But hey, at least everyone likes me just enough to not offer a job that is better than another, right? Oh well.
On our way back we were talking in the car and said something to the effect of ‘I wish God would come down and tell me what he wants me to do’ and almost instantly we both saw this big sign blaring in front of our faces.
And we were comforted by it. Yes – that is Stealthy posing for a shot in front of the sign.
So now we are tasked with finding a place to live. I accepted the job offer under the condition that we could find a living arrangement in the area. Something we are still working on. We were staying with a friend of Skys and she let us stay a few additional days which we spent (we stayed until we ran out of food money) looking for apartments the whole time.
It was rough, but we found a few possibilities and are still deciding amongst the few that it has been narrowed down to. I am remaining optimistic that we will be able to come to an agreement within the allotted time.
On our trip back we decided to have some fun.
We stopped at the Oregon Caves, The Redwoods and even stopped to watch the sunset over the Golden Gate Bridge. Very cool. Here are some pictures from the way down:
The Oregon Caves
Our stop at the Jelly Belly factory
A shot at a little house / thing off the side of the GGB.
And finally a side profile as we embarked upon our sunset stroll across the bridge.
I am somewhat anxious but yet excited to see what will come of things in the next few weeks.
Start date? Oct 22.
That leaves us little time to squabble about things.
Only God.
just Pray.