When I am at Starbucks, I was always read the quotations on the cups. On our recent trip to Canada, there was a quote which struck both Jim and I as the way we want to live our lives:
The way we get to live forever is through memories stored in the hearts and souls of those whose lives we touch. That’s our soul print. It’s our comfort, our emotional nourishment at the end of the day and the end of a life. How wonderful that they are called up at will and savored randomly. It seems to be we should spend our lives in a conscious state of creating these meaningful moments that live on. Memories matter.
- Leeza Gibbons
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Bikes: Risks and Rights
On the 21st, I had the privilege of making a presentation at a CLE (continuing legal education - attorneys in Washington have to get 45 credits in 3 years to keep our license). The topic that I was assigned to present, along with another "cycling" attorney, was "Bicycles: Risks and Rights."
I'd put a lot of time into preparing, and also into learning enough to make my very first Power Point presentation (thanks Sparky!).
The day before the CLE, I drove to Tacoma. I'd booked a hotel a block from the convention center where I was to speak, the Hotel Murano. It had stunning art glass, not only in the lobby but as you got off the elevator on each floor. As you got off at your floor there was a museum-like exhibit of a piece, plus an explanation of how it was made and comments from the artist. Its location is just a short distance from the Chihully Glass Museum, which, alas, I did not have the opportunity to take in. As a plus, it was $80 cheaper than the Marriott, which was across the street from the convention center.
Sparky drove down the evening before, and took me out for a superb dinner at the El Gaucho steak house. Fabulous conversation, and the food wasn't bad either.
The title of the CLE was "Planes, Trains, Automobiles and More!" I think that I was the "more" with my bike presentation. The speakers who did plane crashes and trains talked about spending up to $500,000 in costs to bring a case to trial. Obviously, some of the heavy hitters of the Washington plaintiff's bar.
However, my co-presenter John Duggan and I had knowledge that they didn't about bike law - such as, that a cyclist hit by a car can access the medical payments coverage (PIP) of the car.
The lead-in to my portion was talking about what happened when Ann was killed, which is always hard, but personalized what I went on to talk about with the safe passing law. I began my talk: "On Mother's Day, 2004, I became an evangelist for bicycling safety." I then showed a picture of Ann cycling, and went on from there to talk about what had happened that day, the changes brought about with the Safe Passing law and other parts of bike law and rights in Washington.
Comments were favorable; one of the other speakers said that I should have gotten a medal for what I'd done - I said that wasn't why I did it, that it was something I've been called to do in life. He said he knew, but admired me for choosing to put myself on the line.
After the seminar was finished, I drove down to Longview, and spent the night at Wendy & Josh's. Wendy was our first "extra" kid, and Josh might as well have lived at our house.... It was great to catch up with them a bit.
All in all, a stretching experience.
I'd put a lot of time into preparing, and also into learning enough to make my very first Power Point presentation (thanks Sparky!).
The day before the CLE, I drove to Tacoma. I'd booked a hotel a block from the convention center where I was to speak, the Hotel Murano. It had stunning art glass, not only in the lobby but as you got off the elevator on each floor. As you got off at your floor there was a museum-like exhibit of a piece, plus an explanation of how it was made and comments from the artist. Its location is just a short distance from the Chihully Glass Museum, which, alas, I did not have the opportunity to take in. As a plus, it was $80 cheaper than the Marriott, which was across the street from the convention center.
Sparky drove down the evening before, and took me out for a superb dinner at the El Gaucho steak house. Fabulous conversation, and the food wasn't bad either.
The title of the CLE was "Planes, Trains, Automobiles and More!" I think that I was the "more" with my bike presentation. The speakers who did plane crashes and trains talked about spending up to $500,000 in costs to bring a case to trial. Obviously, some of the heavy hitters of the Washington plaintiff's bar.
However, my co-presenter John Duggan and I had knowledge that they didn't about bike law - such as, that a cyclist hit by a car can access the medical payments coverage (PIP) of the car.
The lead-in to my portion was talking about what happened when Ann was killed, which is always hard, but personalized what I went on to talk about with the safe passing law. I began my talk: "On Mother's Day, 2004, I became an evangelist for bicycling safety." I then showed a picture of Ann cycling, and went on from there to talk about what had happened that day, the changes brought about with the Safe Passing law and other parts of bike law and rights in Washington.
Comments were favorable; one of the other speakers said that I should have gotten a medal for what I'd done - I said that wasn't why I did it, that it was something I've been called to do in life. He said he knew, but admired me for choosing to put myself on the line.
After the seminar was finished, I drove down to Longview, and spent the night at Wendy & Josh's. Wendy was our first "extra" kid, and Josh might as well have lived at our house.... It was great to catch up with them a bit.
All in all, a stretching experience.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Bathroom resurrection & Deck Fini`
I love this shot of the light switch hanging down and the shower pipes sticking up.
The master bath is undergoing remodeling. The remodeling is forced by the leak in the shower. The leak went into the floor and wall. However, we finally get to remodel the bathroom so that the master suite is now separated from the family room. Observe the chaos above.
The deck, on the other hand, is finally finished, and we ate on it several times this week. Well, the railings aren't up, but that doesn't matter to me! Hooray!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Gravel 101
*I've been intrigued by RJ's ability to ride gravel roads on her road bike, so when we went for a road ride yesterday, we did a little "Gravel 101" on a fairly level bit of road off of Hood road.
Her instructions consisted of:
1. "Just remember - you have to keep going to keep going - so keep pedaling no matter what."
2. "Keep it in a low gear so that you can keep pedaling."
So, we took off, RJ in the lead and me following a safe distance behind. I just kept telling myself to follow her path, and if she could do it, I could do it. I kept r-r-r-r-r-epeating this mantra as we hit some washboard. Still upright and going forward.
After a half a million miles or so, she stopped short of a hill. Well, perhaps a half mile? All was well and intact, so she suggested that we turn around to keep the experience positive. Got home entirely intact.
Today, we went for another ride, and when RJ needed to turn around to get to work, I kept going and turned right onto Foster Road, and went a mile on the gravel. This was beginning to have that bicycle adventure feel to it, something I've not had enough of of late, and brought a grin to my face. I started to get hungry, though, and as I hadn't brought any food along I thought the best part of valor was to turn around. As I started to go downhill, I began to bounce so hard on the washboard that I stopped, positive that I had a flat. Nope, just loose fillings!
I'm looking forward to more adventures and more lessons from "Coach" Jensen. :)
*Picture is actually not where we rode, but is there for mere thematic background.
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