Crumpled Notebook

There was an earthquake tonight up near San Jose. It was a 5.6. Biggest in the area apparently since 1989. I felt it pretty good here, about 70 miles away. Only felt one other, and that one was a bit shorter that what this was. Freaked me out last time. Freaked me out this time too. Anyway, just never know once it starts. Weird for me because it’s not something I know much about, what to do, never experienced much, or something serious. All I know is when I was a kid people used to tell me California was going to fall off into the ocean because of an earthquake. I think of all those movies I saw where buildings were falling and the ground was opening up and sucking people in. Yeah, something like that.

So, it’s just like, once it started, I’m like, “is this going to be the ‘Big One’.” Ya know, the one that sends me falling off into the ocean, the building falling on me, or me getting sucked into the ground. Realized quickly that it wasn’t, but that 1-2 seconds of wondering is kinda scary. I guess how like people out here get scared of tornadoes and they don’t bother me so much. Not that I don’t find them scary, but I at least know what I’m dealing with and when to actually be scared and when to not worry so much.

Anyway, just my soapbox tonight. I don’t like earthquakes.

I miss my cameras :( This weekend would have been a good camera weekend. No less than 4 time did I have the inclination to grab one or both of them.

(In case you don’t know, both my regular camera and video camera got stolen just over a week ago)

So, I meant to do this a bit ago, but I was gonna put something up about the pics in my new header, since some are from here and some are from back home. So, I’ll start with the top left.

• This is a pic I took of Cannery Row a couple years ago and turned it to black and white. I actually have a decent size pic of this on the wall in my apartment. One of my favorite pics I’ve taken out here.
• This was a quick shot from the dinning room window at my Nana’s that kinda shows a bit of our farm. Not a great quality shot, and I think it was raining, but it’s one of the most familiar things to me…sitting at Nana’s eating and looking out the window.
• Picture of the old Monticello High School building where I went to elementary and middle school.
• I found this pic on Flickr. It was a creative commons pic. It’s of the Golden Gate bridge in SF in fog and black and white. Oddly enough, I don’t have any pics of the Golden Gate. Go figure. But I love this pic.
• The Doughboy. It’s in the middle of my hometown back in KY.
• One of my most favorite places, AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.
• A pink flower :) I took this picture at Lover’s Point out here. Last picture of the day I took. The flower was actually drooped over and dying, but I took it on an up angle, and left. Didn’t realize it turned out so well until I got home.
• (Starting bottom row): This is Cherry Hally at Western Kentucky University, where I went to college. One of our older buildings there, if not oldest. Named after Henry Hardin Cherry, former University President. Thats also a statue of him in the front.
• Pfieffer Beach (or there abouts…I forget the exact name of this location). Anyway, in the Big Sur area, a little farther south on Hwy 1 about an hour-ish from where I live. The waterfall you see if the only place that fresh water flows directly into the Pacific Ocean (I think). The beach is actually unaccessible, although people manage to find their way down there regardless. Reminds me of Blue Lagooon.
• McLean Hall. This is where I lived for 3 years of college.
• Yeah, those are my sandals, on the beach at Asilomar State Beach out here.
• Beautiful Big Sur and the famous Hwy 1 coastline.
• Salvation Army flag. Blood of Christ, Fire of Holy Spirit. I put this up because the SA is such a big part of my life.
• My old church from home. Monticello United Methodist Church.

So, I went to the new Safeway tonight with Alisha. Safeway itself isn’t new, but it just moved to a new and bigger building, just up the street. I hadn’t been until tonight because I hear it’s been super busy and because I never really shop at Safeway. People tell me it’s cheaper, and maybe they are, but after spending a bit of time in there tonight, I’m fairly convinced I won’t be returning by my own choice.

The thing I really dislike about Safeway (and vocalized to Alisha loudly during our entire time in there in hopes someone would care) is that everywhere you walk in there, there is like a kiosk of something. Like the islands that have fruit and veggies on them, except all over the store, especially filling the front. You literally need a map to maneuver through the front of the store. People selling coffee, giving food samples, bridges of soda to walk under, flowers, candy, etc…you name it and they have a little island for it. And many of them have people who bug you when you walk by, asking if you want something. It’s like being at the carnival. Anyway, I just like clutter-free stores where I can go in, get what I need and not have to talk to anyone unless I need assistance. Safeway also doesn’t have self-checkout. I don’t mind going through a person’s line and having to smile and say hello, but like I said, if I can get in and out of the store without ever having to talk to anyone or look at anyone, I would be perfectly happy.

I know what you are thinking? We should like talking to people. We live in a country that has lost the art of talking and socializing because everything is automated and self-check out, and emails and IM and text messaging. Yeah, I know, it’s healthy to want to be around people and talk to them, but frankly, I kinda like the world I live in. I could go almost an entire weekend sans church without talking to a soul (other than my cat), and I’d be perfectly happy with that. Does that mean I’m lonley or that I don’t like people? Not at all (well, okay, the latter one is questionable). I know I should “want” to socialize and talk to random people, but really, I don’t. I’ve gotten pretty used to my own world and I like it.

So, everyone else can keep their island, kiosk building, soda bridge, sample lady, checkers stores and I’ll stick to my clutter-free, quiet, self-check-out, don’t look at or talk to anyone stores. Not talking to people makes my life a little simpler. Especially people I don’t know.

Got bored so I made a few theme changes