Driver Safety

This week I had to go to a training class for work to help teach me safe driving habits. I wish I was kidding, but because my company is continuously concerned about my safety, I have to learn how to properly drive a car in a safe manner. I guess those driver’s ed. classes or DMV tests I took just to get a license weren’t good enough. Since I work out in the fields, it might make some sense to have only the field workers, who commute every day and thus might probably need training, participate in a specialized oriented program; however, that’s not the case since only two of the participants actually worked in a field office. The rest of the group works in town where they’re probably not going to be doing much driving on company time. So then, is the company concerned with our safety outside of work as well as inside of work? Maybe they should start up a new training program of safe vs. unsafe activities to be conducted outside of the work environment.

“This is a list of activities we strongly recommend you avoid outside of work (so that you’ll be perfectly healthy while at work to slave away the day):
- Any kind of physical sport, which includes fishing, hunting, golf, motorbiking, etc. (which would kill just about everyone at my office)
- Any physical activity in general that might provide excess strain on the body, such as running, biking, going to the gym, and sometimes breathing.
- Food intake should also be limited, since you will not be able to burn off those extra calories, putting you at risk for other physical ailments.”

I know that I’m taking this to an extreme degree and I know that I should be glad that I work for a company that is concerned with my health and safety. Sometimes, though, I think they take it too far, like when they try to supplant a current organization we have in place to teach us how to properly drive. Maybe I just don’t want to waste my precious time driving around town talking about what safe driving techniques I’m implementing.

Yes, that’s how the class was conducted. First, we had an hour session in a classroom where we talked about the five key steps to safe driving, then we hit the streets to practice their brainwashing techniques, I mean “education program”. The whole driving section of the course consisted of driving through town and verbally discussing how you are implementing various safe driving techniques.

“I have braked a full car-length behind the car in front of me in case another car smashes into me from behind. As I was braking early, I thought of how much gas I was saving and giving myself plenty of cushion in case of emergencies. As the stoplight turns green, I pause exactly two seconds after the car in front of me starts driving, in case any cross-traffic forgets that their light is red and crushes my puny car. Now I make sure that I’m 4-seconds behind the car in front of me so that if a meteor hits it, I will have plenty of room to brake and change lanes….”

I could go on and on like that. Of course after your session is over, the instructor and your peers critique you. “It really scared me a little bit when you got within that 4-second cushion to the car in front of you,” was an actual comment I got from another participant. I’m sorry to make people feel uneasy by driving the speed limit. The most ironic part of it all was that we almost got into an accident! One of the other drivers was busy talking when another car started to turn into us while making a left turn from the other direction. Our driver managed to successfully swerve out of the way before being hit, and of course, the driver used that moment to champion home the point of, “this is why we practice safe driving techniques.”

Personally, I consider myself a pretty good driver. Aggressive, yes, but also safe. I have been able to avoid dangers and pitfalls while I drive and in the almost 10 years of driving, of which a good portion has been in L.A., I feel pretty comfortable both behind the wheel and driving around others. But then again, I already learned about safe driving techniques when I took drivers education. I don’t like people nit-picking every single driver faux-pas I have, because some of these asinine rules they make-up are just that, asinine. When it really boils down to it, space cushions and personal bubbles are nice, but they don’t prevent accidents, as we saw first hand. The only real safe driving technique we need is for people to just pay attention to the road. If we all do that, we’ll be fine. The good news is that I passed the class and won’t have to take it for a long while, if ever again!

Iowa 2007

If I were given enough time and space, I would fully chronicle my annual trip to Iowa down to the last detail. There was a lot of activity during a seemingly short timeframe and, as with any trip to the Midwest, I could spend hours pointing out the fine idiosyncrasies between our not-too-distant cultures. Since I haven’t got a very large soapbox on which to stand upon, I will condense my tale to an abridged, but still lengthy versions.

Jessica dropped me off at LAX early Friday morning, where I met up with my dad who had just flown in from Bakersfield. We took the same plane to Denver where we met up with my brother and all flew out to Des Moines. My father got free first-class upgrades on both flights, leaving my brother and me crammed in the back of the plane. He boasted about getting breakfast, a luxury neither of us had received on any flight (not even so much as a bag of nuts) so once we picked up our rental car, we got a quick bite to eat before our four hour trip to Decorah. Part way through the trip I offered to drive and soon I was speeding through the empty countryside. It wasn’t long before the others were asleep as I was rapidly approaching our exit. Which road do I take? The path to Decorah is not an easy one, but soon my father became conscious enough to give me directions (… oh, turn here now; your next turn will be after the…thing….).

We made it safely and had dinner at La Rana(‘s) which probably has the fanciest menu I’ve ever seen in all of Iowa. We enjoyed our meal and afterwards felt tired from a full day’s worth of travel. Patrick and Paige dropped off Paul and I at a house where a faculty member and his wife would shack us up for the weekend for free. They gave us the tour of their place, then after thanking them profusely for their kindness, we went to sleep in a shared bed.

The weekend essentially took its own course and we did our best to keep up with everything. First we purchased a gift for our home-stay family (a pretty potted plant), then went to a graduation barbeque, where we talked with the President of the college for awhile, and eventually moved on into their auditorium for an end-of-the-year musical showcase. Being a rather prestigious music school, the music was fantastic including performances from the band and orchestra. But we were there to hear the choir sing and their music took me back to the last time I heard them perform, back in Prague last year. The real treat of the show was that the choir had elected to sing the song that Patrick had them perform for his senior project for another class. The students were so enthralled, that they wanted to perform it for this concert and have Patrick conduct the song.

I don’t need to tell you how much of a treat this was for our family and how neat it was to see Patrick up there conducting in a snappy new suit. Throughout the course of the showcase, there were four standing ovations - one for each group after finishing their set, and one for Patrick after performing his piece. In my opinion, it was a great way for him to end his college experience at Luther. To top that, the choir will also make the song a part of their repertoire on next year’s tour.

After the performance, we went to a reception at the choral director’s house for the graduating seniors. There were a couple of snacks there, some wine and pop, and of course, on the back porch there was a keg. What college party is complete without a keg? We were eventually shooed out of the house (we Burzlaff’s are notorious for being the last to leave any function) and got ready for Baccalaureate that evening. At the ceremony, we all had to stand while the students processed, and during the procession, Paul and I were kidding about the song played by the organ. Is that the Beastmaster theme? It sounded like a song that would be played after a stunt show at Universal Studios as the announcer is saying, “We thank you for coming to see the Beastmaster live-action show. Remember that the Beastmaster lives in all of us, so please spay and neuter your pets.” I don’t think the guy in front of us appreciated our comments, as he kept turning around and glaring at us.

Once we made it through the ceremony, the three Burzlaff boys headed back to La Rana(‘s) to wish Patrick the best while knocking back a few beers. I was reminded once again how much cheaper beer is in the Midwest (about half of what you’d pay in L.A.). As we were finishing our last beer, my dad walked through the door and sat down next to us, so I bought him a beer. We finished our drinks, made our way back to the hotel room (where Paul and I picked up our home-stay gift) and drove over to meet our hosts, who were still awake preparing food for a post-graduation party.

The graduation was reminiscent of our high school graduation, although because of troubled weather reports, the ceremony was moved into the gym. The seats there were more compact and more uncomfortable than those outside, so we were all dying by the end of the ceremony. After the ceremony, we congratulated Patrick, Paige, & Brian (aka Cheese), took many a picture, then celebrated by getting greasy burgers and helping Patrick move out of his dorm room. We didn’t have to worry too much about moving stuff (unlike my graduation), since he will be spending the summer in Decorah. When it was all done, we said our good-byes and left for Fort Dodge.

We spent the night with my grandparents, who were waiting for us with beer and pizza along with my aunts and uncle. So we enjoyed an evening sitting around drinking and telling stories, which eventually led to my grandfather playing his ukulele and breaking out some really fine Irish whiskey. It’s no surprise that when I laid down for bed my stomach was aching. The rest of the story writes itself – we said our goodbyes then went to the airport in the morning, where we separated going our different directions. It was an enjoyable trip, even if it only seemed to last a moment. In the blink of an eye, the time flew by and I wish that I could have enjoyed it more. But soon Patrick, Paige and Cheese will be back in California, and we can start having fun West Coast style (whatever that means).

Still Blogging

I'm back from my trip to Iowa and I'm currently in the middle of writing a long, long post about my exploits during the trip. The only problem now is that I've run out of time for the day to complete it, so I will post up tomorrow about the details, but I would like to congratulate all grads on a job well done! Details coming soon.

Traditions of Desire

I leave this weekend to go to Patrick’s college graduation in Decorah, Iowa. This marks my third year in a row that I’ve gone to Luther College this particular weekend. Two years ago, just after my own college graduation, I was helping Patrick move out for the summer. Last year, we used his campus as a meeting point before embarking on our European tour. I can’t believe that for the past three years I’ve been to the outskirts of the middle of nowhere, but suddenly it’s become a comfort thing. It’s become tradition embedded in my already tradition-filled life. The only problem with accustoming yourself to trips and travel is that you look forward to and expect them.

Why is this a problem? The first reason is what I’ve already mentioned, in that next year will bring about disappointment when I don’t make a trip out as in years past. This is the much maligned feeling that I have today around President’s Day weekend, when I always used to visit Berkeley. The other problem is that you do expect them and end up eager to always travel. This is a problem that’s not bad worth having, and I have already compensated this year for past year’s European trip. Come the end of August, Jessica and I will be traveling from Paris to Rome.

Some traditions are formed around customs, others around special occasions; mine are born out of desire.

Fodder-less

I really need a more interesting job. Or at least one that provides me with plenty of fodder to post about. That's what's missing in my life: fodder.

That and a dose of effort.

Starting to Believe

Lately I’ve been feeling like a hermit, opting to spend a quiet evening with myself rather than call up a friend to hang out. As a result I’ve been feeling strangely old these past couple of weeks as I spend more time with myself. I guess I’m just starting to accept the fact that I’m indeed an adult out in the real world and no longer a student dependant upon others. What I’m starting to find out is that being an adult is becoming infectious and forcing me more into a hermit’s lifestyle. This past week after work instead of calling friends, I took my car in for maintenance, did laundry and washed dishes, went jogging, and even turned the TV off early one night so I could read and go to bed early. Quick, where are my bifocals and false teeth! It’s not like any of these things are bad, and they’re all important the a healthy lifestyle, but who am I turning into? Where’s the fun? Maybe watching all of those old movies is starting to affect me subliminally.

I guess my point is, I’ve changed a lot as a person since I left college and started working. I’m now managing a household (or currently an apartmenthold), paying bills on a regular basis, keeping a budget, having a mature relationship, etc. In just two years I’ve become a more adult-like, something I never thought possible. But it’s true and I can start to see it in my friends more and more. It seems somewhat odd that college graduations are right around the corner (USC’s is this weekend) and soon students will be back for the summer, and yet nothing is changing for me. There’s no summer break to look forward to, just business as usual. And the funny thing is, I don’t really miss it or expect it anymore. It’s just another sign that I’m starting to believe that I'm actually an adult now.

Oh I can keep it interesting every once and a while and try to relish in the past, but it’s just not the same sometimes. And in case you were wondering, I’m spending my Saturday doing chores and running errands. That is until a special someone arrives….

Happy Anniversary Jessica!

What’s Listening – Aqualung

Every month I showcase a different artist and album that I’m currently listening to. More than just browsing these artists, I purchase an album from each group in order to give them a fair representation and to increase their availability to others

I’m a little behind on doing this so here it goes. This month’s artist is Aqualung with the new release of Memory Man. I got burnt out on the previous Aqualung album, “Strange and Beautiful,” so I was a little wary upon first hearing songs from the latest one; however, my doubts were quickly put to rest. This album has a much more mature sound than the previous and in particular, the use of the piano here is hauntingly captivating. The diversity of songs has also changed - with soft songs, upbeat songs, songs that start soft but end loud and upbeat, etc. – all showing great patience and uniqueness. There’s something about these songs that’s very enticing. The way I like to describe it to myself is that this is what the future must sound like, because it always makes me think of the emptiness and isolation of space. Maybe it’s because of enjoyable songs like “Pressure Suit” and “Black Hole” that get my mind out in space, and quite possibly my favorite song of the album is “Rolls So Deep”.

More information can be found at http://aqualung.net/audio.php