2001-06-13 - 5:17 p.m.

Stealth Construction

As a kid I grew up in and around construction. My dad was in the home building industry, so I spent a lot of time walking through construction sites. Naturally I like the smell of raw earth and the feel of splintered light frame wood construction. And I pay attention to it.

When I moved to Davis two years ago there was a new subdivision that was being planned. Actually the sewer system was being placed in so I choose to live in a complex near the construction. My first 9 months, I spent many a day taking a nice quiet long walk through the then unpaved field. Then the streets came. So I started jogging.

At 10 PM at night I was the only creature in this part of Davis that wasn't watering the streets for dust adbatement. Davis is nasty that way and I stopped bothering to wash my cars because they just get dust covered again so quickly.

Anyway, last Wednesday I was walking with a friend and noticed that not only had many of the homes that didn't exist a year ago been finished, but a "virgin" field that still have native vegitation was plowed under and getting ready to become another block of the subdivision.

No big deal.

On Monday night I went for a walk with Bronco and Cloud. Now I like hanging out with people who are curious and high energy. Bronco and Cloud are certainly very curious, but they didn't want to walk nearly as far as I normally travel on my walks. In fact, they didn't even know about this new street going in. So I took them to it.

Hills of Dirt

In the course of a few days, somebody had excavated about another 5 feet of earth. There were tons of hills of dirt on Monday night that weren't there on Wednesday night! Holly Shit! How could that happen?

I've watched subdivisions be built most of my life. In Texas my bedroom window looked out over the field that had an Air Force Base on the other side and many a morning I would wake up at 6 AM (did I mention that I don't require that much sleep ... and I hate hanging around people who are always tired, cranky, and sleepy around me). Anyway, when I was in high school that field was converted into a subdivision. That process actually took about 4 years just to get the streets in, and another 4 to get the homes built. Sad. :( I lost my view of the Air Force Base, but that is a story for another day.

Anyway, sometime between Thursday morning and Monday night, some serious earth moving machines were brought in, dug below grade to make those dirt piles, and then the sanitary and storm sewers were dropped in place. On Monday I went ahead and messed around with the storm sewer pipes that were in the centerline trenches.

Construction Is Supposed to Be A Snail!

OK, CAL-trans has been building a new freeway overpass by my apartment and they started the construction project two years ago. Sometimes I'll see construction workers taking breaks, but progress has been at a snail's pace.

But this subdivision street wasn't! There were no signs of trench work to soon be done on site, so everything had to have been shipped in on Thursday or Friday. Weekends are out of the question, because people live around there and the city of Davis does have noise regulations. Anyway, I'm shocked how fast a field was converted into a pit in the Earth!

Actually it is kinda like walking on Mars (not that I've done that ... though I wish I could).

DJs who Lie

On Shrine's last night (sadly the club is over now) I was in the bar at one point talking to Sparky, when I heard what I thought was Siechtum. I ran from the bar area (a separate room) to the dance floor and sure enough Siechtum's : Krieg was being spun. I love the song and I've included it on a few of the mix CDs I give people.

I danced up a storm on what was an empty floor. Then I decided that any DJ spinning Siechtum would love to play Fiend Flug (also highly recommended). So I asked the DJ if he would. He said that the Siechtum mix he played was remixed by Fiend Flug. So I asked him where he found a remix of Krieg. He claimed he played the 12th track (some other name). Right, whatever. First thing I did when I got home on Sunday was to play the CD and it was Krieg that he played.

I was one of the first people in the Bay Area to hear Siechtum's new album and it rocks. I'm sure it was an honest mistake, but a year ago I would have doubted my memory. These days there are some songs I'm on top of and others I'm not.

Marriage

One of my co-workers is having problems with his wife. She lives in LA, him in Sacto. He said his career is more important than his marriage!

What?!?! I can't believe that. Yes a career is important, but more important than somebody you love? Maybe it is for other people, but I am serious about how when I love somebody that how I earn money is not more important than them.

I believe my own thoughts on relationships extend to the fact that if you have a problem in a relationship, you work it out. I don't like it when people just cut out and bail. There is a reason people fell in love. Hell, I actually wish I never did, because I wouldn't be hurt by people if I didn't.

The sad thing is this co-worker isn't super dazzling great anyways. Nice guy, but his career isn't going to skyrocket or anything. He is a fool In My Humble Opinion (IMHO) to break up a marriage for a career.

But I also think it is sad when people break up their relationships for so many other things. It is a case by case situation of course.

-=-

<< previous - next >>