Too good to be true?

Last week, just on a whim, I decided to swing by the AT&T store and see how much it would cost me to switch over to the new iphone 4G. Now, you all will remember that it was not so long ago that I was super excited to buy my 3G iphone. And don't get me wrong, I love my phone. But I thought it couldn't hurt to ask and I wasn't really expecting much. Well, it turns out the worlds of Apple and AT&T are happy to encourage consumption, perhaps even over consumption. On 9/12, exactly 9 months after purchasing my last phone, I can get a discount on a newer fancier iphone - $200 bucks, an $18 upgrade fee, and renewing my two year contract will get me a new iphone 4G.

Hmmm.

Quickly I dismissed such grandiose notions. Who needs a new phone when you have a perfectly serviceable old phone that you love? That's just wasteful.

Then today, I started thinking ,what if someone wants to buy my old (new) phone and reuse it? Well, it turns out plenty of people would be happy to buy my old phone. First of all, let's talk details. When I bought my iphone I was very worried that I would drop and break it. I do that. So I bought a fancy case and a plastic screen cover jobby for the phone. So, even though I am not someone who takes care of possessions properly, my phone has been essentially shrink wrapped for 9 months. And is consequently in beautiful condition! In addition, I usually throw away packaging, BUT, the iphone box is so stinkin' cute, I kept it and all the paperwork. So, my phone is essentially new with all the wrapping.

And that means that not only do people want to buy my phone, they want to pay a bunch of money for it. First, I found a company called gazelle. They'll pay $147 for my phone and send me a box to ship it to them for free. Then I did some more looking, and it appears maybe, possibly, that Radio Shack will pay $196 for my phone!!!!! In case you're getting lost on the math that's $4 for the phone, $18 for the upgrade fee, and maybe some tax. Essentially a FREE PHONE!

And that my friends is what you call a win (for me), win (for radio shack), win (for the person who gets my cute little phone) situation! Yippee

The scariest place in Seattle

A couple times per week I drive to crossfit. I used to take I5, but since you really never know what you're going to get with I5 traffic, now a days I take highway 99. I'm sure most of you know, but 99 is a double decker highway, with the north bound lanes on top of the south bound lanes. The south bound lanes sketch me out. Back in the day (1989?), when San Fran had a big earthquake a very similar highway collapsed, wreaking all kinds of havoc (as you can well imagine). I think it would be okay to be on the top part of a collapsing freeway, but underneath. Well, I supposed a picture is worth 1000 words.

Yeah, my point exactly.

Being under one of those collapsed sections would SUCK! And for the most part, I avoid going South.

But north bound, has its own terror, and this I have to experience on a weekly basis. The Battery Street Tunnel!!! Imagine being in the tunnel if an earthquake hit. And the worst part is that I'm usually driving in rush hour traffic. AND SOMETIMES I HAVE TO STOP IN THE TUNNEL. The thought makes me super claustrophobic. When I'm stopped in the tunnel (as I was yesterday) I start working on my escape route - how I would get Otto and I out safely. But, I think my chances may not be too great.

Don't stop in the tunnel!

North Cascades Ride 2010 Photo Montage

Very hot tired riders!

Cute couples

Even cuter kids

Beer drinking, beer pong playing 20 year olds (They went through over two packs of 24 beers over the course of the two nights.)

And the 30 something who took them on at beer pong and WON (no word yet on whether he made it up the mountain the next day).

New socks!

The hot air balloon that provided an alarm clock for anyone thinking of sleeping past 7am.

And the very very well behaved hound that made his first trip ever!

Gardening

My hydrangea

My neighbor's hydrangea.

My dahlia.

My neighbor's Dahlias.

Hmmmm...........

Am I too Curmudgeonly?

Why?

Yesterday, I was at a farmer's market in Georgetown when suddenly a police escort passed by. There were 5-10 police motorcycles followed by a bunch of fancy cars. The market patrons swarmed to the side of the road and when the fancy cars went by there was much waving, cheering, and honking. I was surprised, as I hadn't heard about any celebrities or popular politicians in town. So I asked and the answer surprised me, blue angel pilots!

Now the blue angels, I'm sure most - all? - of you know come to Seattle every year at Seafair. They are a bunch of adrenaline addicted military men/airplanes who burn tons of fossil fuels, are really really REALLY loud (think bombers attacking), cause huge traffic jams because they require the floating bridges be shut down, and cost the city millions of dollars. Oh, I mean, they are 5 planes that fly really fast in formation and put on air fancy shows. I knew all that, but even after living in Seattle approximately 40 years, I had no idea the pilots warranted a police motorcade and celebrity status. And who know they would cause so much excitment in Georgetown! It is an industrial area, but it is pretty artsy and liberal. And I was at a farmer's market for christ's sakes, who would think those folks would get excited about people who fly fast planes?

So is my lack of interest and grouchiness way out of sync with the world? Or is something wrong with everyone else?