Another Alarming Evening

View of the cluster from outside.

It was a busy weekend for the two of us as we both needed to just get out of the apartment and do something. We spent all day on Saturday driving around enjoying some new scenery, running errands, and trying to stay warm. It was a slower pace than usual but we still got a number of things done. Today was much of the same for the first part of the day until we got to the point that we just needed to close the door, make some dinner, and try to catch up on all the emails and projects that filled our computers.

While the plan was simple it was not one that we were able to stick with as not long after finishing dinner the fire alarm began screeching throughout the building. Unfortunately, this was not a surprise at it had been nearly a month since the last time we were forced to grab out coats and sit on the bench outside. After spending about 10 minutes trying to get our son to calm down a bit and once the fire department turned off the alarm, I wandered into the lobby to try and listen in for an update (even though I pretty much knew what had happened). Unable to hear anything but with the all clear from the fire chief, we headed back to our apartment to try and resume our routine.

Just as we had begun recovering from the evening detour and had resumed our plans for the night, that same familiar sound pierced the apartment walls. At this point I knew for certain that the same faulty sensor on the 4^th floor was not fixed and causing the interruption to the evening. However, even with the false alarm, we repeated the steps from an hour prior, grabbed our coats, and made our way out the door… again.

Moments later, my wife and I were sitting on the bench trying to calm down the baby as we watched the same fire crew pull in (with their lights off this time) and go through the same routine that they had just completed a half our ago. Granted, they were much grumpier this time as they too knew what the problem was. So, we waited another 30 minutes, watching the commotion as the President of the Board finally came down to the lobby (she was nowhere to be found when the alarm went off the first time) and began pointing her finger at the fire chief. I give the Union fire department credit as they remained calm despite the frustration of the situation. 

As the trucks once again began packing things up, I ventured into the lobby where I finally heard the confirmation as to the cause of the evening disturbances. With the lobby now clearing and the trucks pulling away, I decided to ask a few questions regarding the situation and what is going to be done moving forward to prevent another reoccurrence (especially since the fire department already stated that they will not respond to another false alarm without levying a heavy fine). Simply and polite questions where quickly responded to by the President with condescending venom.

I can’t say I was surprised by this reaction as I was not there to kiss her ring so she wanted nothing to do with me and because she didn’t think of those questions or options then they must be wrong. So, we exchanged a few words and I left the lobby simply confirming a common opinion about her which I will not elaborate upon at this juncture but you can figure it out. This is just another example of why things aren’t managed properly in the building, why the residential door keeps revolving, and the reason that small issues have become big expensive problems. I’m just glad it wasn’t another leak or we would still be dealing with it this morning.

Politics 101: The Doody Head Assertion

Sometimes it’s not work which tires you out is all the stuff that surrounds the working hours. Even a family dinner out can be a bit draining. However, many times it is the things at the end of the day that can turn things around. That same family dinner can have that impact on others.

However, the one thing that can provide the greatest mood swing in your day is the voice booming through the speakers of your car as you listen to the news, talk radio, or some random “music” station. Sometimes all it takes is one piece of news, one detour, one commentary, one horrendous song that can turn a really good day into one that can’t end soon enough.

Maybe I am putting too much thought into this or maybe I am too easily riled. Of course, I could be increasingly temperamental due to the idiots around me that can drive worth a darn, don’t know how to merge, and think a blinker is optional. I blame them.

Listening to talk radio for much of my ride home at night it is astounding the people that call into these programs that are just blind followers without a single neuron working toward the goal of original thought. And I say this as something that applies to both sides of the aisle because on too many occasions the basis of some of these arguments comes down to the fact that they think a certain politician (or a group of politicians) is a doody head.  

Idiocracy reigns and all the people live in blissful ignorance. It seems as though we are living in a H.G. Wells novella waiting to be summoned to the dark recesses of the earth and sacrificed “for the greater good”. While the goal is to do whatever they can to save a single life keep in mind that they didn’t mean you. We are responsible for ourselves not everyone around us. While we are, in many respects, our brother’s keeper we are not going to let our brother be responsible for our death.

See, the above may sound good and I may say something in the same manner on occasion but there really isn’t any substance to what was just said. The above boils down to the fact that I don’t like whomever I am speaking about and frankly I think they are a bunch of doody heads. Much of the public debate is not red or blue; it’s a deep shade of brown.