What is Karma

On Monday, I left my safe haven of the solitude life and ventured toward the scary ass place of a city. I would pass through small towns, but I was heading to the big one-the capital. I was going to be a nervous wreck.

Karma

I was driving my usual speed limit self in the slow lane because in this state every other lane including the slow lane is 20 + the speed limit, when I noticed a woman in heels walking in the median. I also noticed her vehicle parked at an angle in the median as well. A clear case of "I've broken down and am walking where ever". I immediately pulled over. Why? Because I would want some nut to do the same for me. She crossed the autoban without getting killed and walked up to my vehicle. I asked if she needed a ride. She said how far you going? I said where you going? She said that town and I said get in.

Karma

She asked if she could use my phone to call her son. I said of course and was surprised that I had a signal because there wasn't a town for a while. She called her son and spoke in her native India language. She informed him someone had picked her up and she was going to that town. I was taking her to her other son's new two-story 4 bedroom two car garage home. Two minutes later my cell phone rings and since I had to dial the number I told her the call was for her. I could tell that she was telling him about me because after hanging up I think the son freaked out not knowing if his mother was in the car with a serial killer or a law enforcement officer. So I said tell him I am a law enforcement officer. And that seemed to appease him. (Then I cut off her head and ....) So I questioned her about India because I have decided to go there and asked her personal questions like "was your marriage arranged?" It was. I dropped her off 12 miles out of my way. Just before getting out of the vehicle she asked if I wanted to come over for dinner sometime. (OH SHIT NOW SHE WANTS TO CHOP OFF MY HEAD OR ARRANGE A MARRIAGE) So I said yes and she gave me her telephone number.

Karma

I drove back 6 miles to the interstate of craze and headed north. As I came into the big city, well the big city below the bigger city, I was traveling in the middle lane of 5 lanes. Is there a middle lane of 5? Anyway, all of the sudden there was a clunk and the vehicle lost power as it felt like it had shifted into neutral. I reached over and calmly hit my emergency flashers. And the most amazing thing happened-traffic slowed down and moved so I could get to the edge without getting myself killed or someone else. It was the most amazing thing.

Karma

Visualize...my flashers are going, I get out of the vehicle and open the hood like I knew what I was doing, and then walked to the other side of the vehicle as to not get killed and picked up my cell phone. People whizzed by me going no where in a hurry without glancing my way. In the 40 minutes of sitting on the side of a busy interstate (India woman's road was not a busy interstate)--NOT ONE FING PERSON STOPPED.

So I ask where does the karma catch up with me? I mean I help some lady out and is my karma reward a traditional Indian dinner hopefully not too damn spicy? My karma reward was definitely not having to pay my arm, leg, and torso to get my vehicle fixed. And I realize karma is not a reward and that it will catch up with me.

But I am still just baffled about how no one stopped to help me or to make sure I actually had a telephone. I could have used something to drink. And you know what their karma is going to bite them in the ass.

I called my sister because I was bored waiting for the tow truck driver and she said are you just pissed. I said no, not really because it isn't something to get pissed over. I mean shit happens. But I am pissed that I helped out someone today, I get bit in the ass, and that no one in hell stopped to say "you ok".

So tell me, if you are out there driving (no kids in the car), would you stop and help in some way possible?

The Retreat

After working four long days after my Hawaii vacation, I have another 6 off. Three of those days were a retreat for the condor crew and the other three are my days off. I am amazed that for the first time since starting work here in February last week was the first week where I didn't work over 40 hours. But nonetheless I am going to need my next three days off for recuperating.

We left Friday afternoon. Three in one car and four in the other. The hotel we were staying at was a 2 star hotel. Three of the seven people don't make too much money. The website showed a very nice hotel so we were very sketchy about the place. When we arrived and the place across the street was an Adult Entertainment Arcade and S. Spa Massages with little hearts under it, we were concerned. There was also a bar, but you wouldn't know it until 9pm when the line started. Nonetheless, the hotel was nice inside and actually matched the photos. I am not saying it was the Hilton or Ritz, but it served our needs of sleeping there.

Friday night was an easy night with Indian food. They walked us down this alley and into a back room. Of the two who had been to India before they said it felt like they were back there. We hit a couple of clubs that night, but me and another one called it an early night. We knew Saturday would be a hoppin booty shakin night.

Saturday morning we ventured around the city. Oops--this is San Francisco. On Friday night, we had decided to hit a Goodwill store and each pick out an outfit for someone else to wear out on Saturday night. Well, it didn't quite go like that, but we helped each other pick out wonderful outfits to wear out Saturday night. And this is what we came up with...

We would get some wonderful comments throughout the night. There were seven us in total, but one didn't participate, so we were spread out while walking so often some passerby would comment about someone at the front of the group. We started our night at the Condor Lounge. It was a must.

The funniest of the night was about VT who was the only male of us who dressed up. In the photo he is the first starting from the left. This group of "I must impress the world of SF" girls passed us and one of them said "OH MY GOD, Birkenstocks with leather". We were dying laughing. He also got a "STUPID" from some guy. But all in all, VT got a lot of high fives for his outfit and for the fact he was surrounded by five women. Most comments were positive and were able to laugh with us.

We made up a code while dancing in case you needed to be rescued from some over zealous grinder. We would rub our noses and VT would come dancing in and bring us back to our group. We danced primarily from 1030pm until 2am when the bars closed. And then we tracked down the cops and found a place where there was afterhours. And 3 of the 4 oldest and VT danced until 4am.

Today I am one hurting pup since the last time I danced like that was never. Like I said I will need the next 3 to recoup. Hopefully I will have a more adventurous story at the end of the week. Jack said I needed to pep things up.

Hawaii Photos

I really don't have too much of a story. I sat on the beach, snorkeled, sat on the beach, went to the park units, snorkeled, etc. I will say that on the first day of snorkeling I had a turtle nudge me. I was taking a photo of something else and my BF watched this turtle come up behind me and give me a little nudge in the side. I almost died because I knew it wasn't a human nudge. Too bad BF didn't have the camera at that point.

Check out further photos here: Hawaii



THIS HAS TO BE THE COOLEST SPIDER I HAVE EVER SEEN



HAWAII VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK


LUAU

The Wild Days

These past couple of days have been amazing for me. And the title has more to do with the things I have seen than something being absolutely wild. It is all about the wildlife. (I leave for Hawaii tomorrow)

On Tuesday night around 1700 hours, I saw a visitor near the visitor's center. The shop was closed up and I asked if I could answer any questions he might have. He said he just wanted to see what goodies we had inside. (I leave for Hawaii tomorrow)

"You want to see a rattlesnake" he said to me.

Um, not really but sure.
"It has its dinner sitting right next to it."
Interesting.

So we walk over to this area where we usually hold weekend talks and sure enough Mr. Rattler is waiting for his prey to die. (I leave for Hawaii tomorrow)



The visitors went on to go on a hike as I talked with some other visitors about snakes, flowers, trees, and other questions. I now had how I was going to waste your good tax dollars for the next hour. Watching the snake eat dinner. I talked with Mr. Russia and Ms. Ukraine for quite a while. Then Baker came over and she watched it with us. Heck, we thought the poor baby squirrel was dead and the rattler was just waiting for us stupid people to stop watching it. I mean could you eat if someone was staring at you the whole time. Gosh, if the condors only knew they were constantly watched. Like they don't. Anyway, we sat there watching it. (I leave for Hawaii tomorrow)

And then the squirrel moved back into that hole. We all kind of jumped. Then the snake mouthed it back out. And then a Stellar Jay and Scrub Jay landed near the snake. I pictured it in my mind. One of the birds grabbing the snake and swinging it around. Once it let go, it would clap on one of our faces. And then that person would go screaming around in circles all the while, we snapped photos. Luckily, it didn't happen, but darn. (I leave for Hawaii tomorrow)

A little bit went by and BEP joined us. Now, I was the only one on duty, but we were all in uniform. Then the home schooling family joined us. They took some photos because they can use that for a school project or something like that. This was a family who hadn't found the condom isle in the store because these kids could not have been more than a year apart. The kids all thanked us for answering their questions and showing them the rattler. All the visitors left and we all sat there waiting, waiting. We decided we would go eat dinner ourselves and come back up. (I leave for Hawaii tomorrow)

About 8, Pete called and said the snake had half the squirrel in its mouth. We jumped into the vehicle and headed up the hill, but now the snake was in the hole and probably a little stuck because we definitely could see the bulge. I wanted BEP to pull it out by the rattle---JOKING. (I leave for Hawaii tomorrow)

Just another day in the park. Life is hell sometimes.

And then today rolled around. It is Wednesday and tomorrow I leave on a vacation somewhere. You might have figured it out already. Anyway, I drove down SZ Highway to another Town. During the drive I saw the usual---cows, squirrels, hawks---but I also got to see a deer. No antelopes today. On the way back I saw a mom deer with twins and another female without kids. Still the bachelorette.

I got back to the park and was finishing up work when I came out of one trailer to go to VT's trailer. I looked up and thought when did VT get a cat. But then I realized the cat was a little bigger than a common one. He (or she, but I'll use he) looked at me and walked away. I told VT about it and he came out from playing his stupid video game, but we couldn't see it. Then VT went back inside, but I called him out again because I thought Kitty was going to pounce a rabbit. VT said the rabbit was too big because it was a youngin'. But the gopher that we watch Kitty pounce on was not and then we watched him eat it down. VT gave me the binos just as Kitty looked our way and it was the most amazing face. One you could love forever.

I got in the car and started down the road only to be met by mom and bambi near the road. I paused and bambi challenged me for just a second before racing after mom. As I was waiting, I looked over to my left to see another mom and baby. And I slowly drove away not to startle either into the road.

I put away my equipment and was heading down the hill slowly because Skinny Minny had just rode by on her bike and it was dark so I didn't want to fill out the paperwork of hitting her. I came around the corner to a bright red light in the road. I stopped and before me were two nice size raccoons doing I have no idea what. Again, the vehicle was challenged. I had to drive by real slow because one had just stepped off the road a short distance and I am sure was going to try to get into the 'raccoon club' by racing under the car.

And that folks was my wild days. Off to the island. While I am away check out photos here http://mtnbkaz.photosite.com/