Who's Driving?

I don't know why people think it's a good idea to drive with a dog in their laps. I've seen it quite a bit recently, and it especially surprises me when there are other people in the car who would be perfectly capable of safely holding the dog. It isn't safe for the dog, as the dog could jump out of the window or be thrown through the windshield in case of an accident. It is also highly unsafe for the driver and everyone else on the road. I've seen quite a few people not paying full attention to what they are doing because they are distracted by the dog's actions.

I try to avoid driving near people with dogs in their laps, since they are so dangerous. It isn't always small dogs either! I've seen people driving with fairly large dogs trying to be their lap companion. I wonder at people who think that driving in such an unsafe fashion is acceptable.

Lights Out

Easter Sunday and the week leading up to it were bright, sunny, and ethereal. All the residents of Bozeman, Montana, were filled with notions of springtime, outdoor activities, and freedom from heavy parkas. On Easter Sunday, Sam and I were invited to a friend's parents' house in Big Timber for hiking, eating, and general romping.

However... Monday afternoon brought ominous clouds and weather stations forecasting winter storms, and early Tuesday morning as I built merchandising displays, the snow began to pummel this small town. The snow continued to fall throughout the night and most of today, and the 3-4 inches of snow that were predicted look more like 3-4 feet.

To add to the peril of the already slippery and slushy roads, I noticed while meandering through town that many drivers I passed seemed to feel that the driving snow, heavy traffic, and dangerous conditions did not warrant turning on their headlights. The minor act of flipping on one's headlights to make one's car visible in the gloomy streets doesn't seem to be of concern for many. In California, the law requires citizens to turn on their lights whenever their windshield wipers are going, but to me this seems like just common sense.

I was amazed that most people didn't feel this was a viable option for their own safety. Several times I passed cars which appeared to be parked on the side of the road, only to find that they were in actuality bearing a driver who was waiting to turn into traffic. The driving snow didn't make this guessing game any easier, and cars that decided they couldn't wait and had to pull out in front of me seemed to make the situation even more dangerous. Law or not, it seems to me that common sense should win out.

Cabin Fever!

This week the temperatures have been in the 50s! Heat wave! I am excited for summer to get here, but I still have to wait for spring. The high temperatures melted off most of the snow we got last week, and while the snow is beautiful, I can't wait to lounge in the sun. I have a number of plans for the summer, including bbq, returning to Yellowstone, and hiking the "M" (hiking up to the letter M that was placed on the side of one of the mountains that can be seen from town). The warm weather also means that hydrological activities will be picking up, and hopefully I can get in on some of the projects!

The Good, The Bad, and The Flop

The number of ridiculous movies being made is steadily increasing. Filmmakers are cranking out generic movies at high speed and most don't last a month before being rushed to DVD release. There must be some unspoken quota for raunchy, brainless comedies, a race to turn every book ever written into a movie, and a desire to remake every popular film in the past fifty years. Granted I have seen some movies I was impressed with, but much of the motion picture dribble that is advertised today will never even cross my Netflix list. Personally I'd prefer it if studios concentrated on making quality films rather than churning out flops as fast as they can. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy well-made movies full of stupid humor (Anchorman, Superbad) but I can't stand films that don't even make the effort to be palatable.

hearts

Happy Valentine's Day!

Food Fight

Today at work there was a couple from out of town who wanted to know if there were any buffet-style restaurants in town, naming a few of what I take to be their favorites that I am not familiar with. When I explained that I didn't know of any buffet-style restaurants, the man was incredibly rude and insulting, making snide comments, including inquiring if I was from Kazakhstan (I assume a derisive reference from "Borat") and that I ought not to be bothered with, since I was not from Montana. The rotund, balding "gentleman" promptly lost all of my attention, and instead I dealt with his far more civilized wife. I apologize in advance for my ignorance of fine eating establishments with trough-style serving practices and for not frequenting these establishments in my new town.

Gung Hay Fat Choi!

Congratulations and be prosperous! I wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year! And perhaps a little prosperity for myself as well ^.^