Category Archives: Etc.

Everything that doesn’t fit elsewhere. :)

Jo Baby

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It’s a strange feeling when you’re looking at a picture of you and thinking about how it’s at least 40 years old.

I’m sure my dad must have taken this picture way back then. I’ve always liked it.

Oh, and this is actually a picture of the picture, using one of the “retro” digital cameras in my phone app.

Rearview Issues

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Kevin took my van to the cleaner’s yesterday (and got the oil changed…what a sweetheart!), and while the guys were cleaning it, my parking permit hang tag broke. He said it was brittle, probably from being in the sun so long.

So when I was thinking of posting this old picture I took last year of the permit and my “spirit beads” from GWHS Homecoming a year or two ago, I decided to finally look up what Kevin keeps telling me is law: that we’re not supposed to have anything hanging from the rearview mirror, anyway.

Here’s what the Virginia code says about it:

§ 46.2-1054. Suspension of objects or alteration of vehicle so as to obstruct driver’s view.

It shall be unlawful for any person to drive a motor vehicle on a highway in the Commonwealth with any object or objects, other than a rear view mirror, sun visor, or other equipment of the motor vehicle approved by the Superintendent, suspended from any part of the motor vehicle in such a manner as to obstruct the driver’s clear view of the highway through the windshield, the front side windows, or the rear window, or to alter a passenger-carrying vehicle in such a manner as to obstruct the driver’s view through the windshield. However, this section shall not apply (i) when the driver’s clear view of the highway through the rear window is obstructed if such motor vehicle is equipped with a mirror on each side, so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for at least 200 feet to the rear of such vehicle, (ii) to safety devices installed on the windshields of vehicles owned by private waste haulers or local governments and used to transport solid waste, or (iii) to bicycle racks installed on the front of any bus operated by any city, county, transit authority, or transit or transportation district.

(1960, c. 122, § 46.1-291.1; 1972, cc. 8, 844; 1987, c. 135; 1989, c. 727; 2003, c. 273.)

Sounds like a bunch of loopholes to me! The permit and beads certainly don’t “obstruct” my “clear view of the highway through the windshield” at all. But I suppose if someone wanted to make a case for it, they may be able to.

Oh, and this reminds me…I forgot to ask Mrs. B for another permit today!

Bypassing Scratch

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Confession: There have been times that I’ve spent so much time decorating my classroom for the new year that I ended up behind in planning my lessons.

It all got done, of course, but only by taking it home to finish. (The room, of course, I couldn’t take home with me, but probably would’ve if I could’ve.)

Well, I can’t live that way anymore, see.

So today, my first day back in my classroom, I spent time arranging furniture and organizing my desk, clearing out the junk.

But I didn’t draw a brand-new poster for outside my door as usual.

Instead, I took the wrinkled one that I made last year and cut out the words.

It still looks pretty cool, and no one will notice the difference.

A small step but it’s something. 😛

Jungle Lot

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I think this may have been a Toys R Us store previously, heading east on High Point Road in Greensboro, NC, but now it’s some sort of warehouse place.

These guys looked very much out-of-place and unappreciated, so we decided to roll through and say hello. 🙂

I’m thinking they’d look great in our backyard. Kevin????

Nanu Nanu, the Light’s on You

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We replaced the old incandescent light bulbs in our chandelier with some of the new-fangled energy- (and money-?) saving ones.

A few thoughts:

  1. They look like like eggs and remind us of the gleek Mork had to hit himself in the head with — or die.
  2. They contain mercury. What happens when they hit the landfills and burst?
  3. They take a long time to get bright. This means you have to keep them on longer to use them the same way, which defeats the cost-saving purpose, at least in part.
  4. Also, still on number 3, what happens when you need light right this instant? What if there’s something in your eye, and you need to see in the bathroom mirror? What if it’s night, and you’ve already gone to your car to leave, but then you realize you forgot something in the bedroom? I don’t know about you, but trying to see in dim light in any kind of situation like these can give me an instant headache.

So, the only true benefit of these new light bulbs that we can see is that they’re supposed to last longer, saving us money.

Well, we haven’t proven that yet and don’t believe every ad we see. And will we remember when we bought them to figure it out? Probably not.

I guess overall, this is a thumbs-down.

However, since companies are phasing out incandescents as we speak, we’ll just have to turn on the switches a little earlier and wait patiently.