Field Trip

The Older Boy’s 4th grade class came down to the state capital today. The Representative from our district talked to them for a while and after he finished, the Senator for our district spoke as well. The kids were all well behaved, were silly and attentive, excited and controlled. The Older Boy wanted to know why the flags were at half-staff—in memoriam of Senator Conner of Sequim, He was told, who represented that district from 1957 through 1992.

Managed to remember the camera when I came into work today, so was able to take lots of pictures, the Older Boys teacher was very happy.

Not all the hours are as light and uncomplicated around here as this one was. Some are a little harder—a little darker, and though I no longer leave and come home to a dark blue sky, I can hardly wait for the feel of a warm sun on my face. With Spring training around the corner, that can’t be all that far away, can it?

Trailer Park Negotiations

I found myself in the middle of a trailer park dispute the other day. Once Dewy heard I was working for the state down in Olympia, it didn’t take her but a few days to call and complain. As everybody in the park knows, Dewy and the owners have been having it out for the past six months, all due to the fact that once they paved the roads in the park, her carport has been flooding.

I guess this past year, the Attorney General’s office has been in charge of all trailer park landlord tenant disputes, so a few months back Dewy called them to see if she could get some help. From what I heard, it didn’t go all that well with the AG’s office, and after a few rounds of arguments, they had to switch the AG assigned to her case, cause the one she had wouldn’t talk to her anymore.

I talked to her for a while, you know, a lot of this job is just listening to people vent their frustrations, after weeks of dealing with bureaucracies the first chance they have to talk to someone who will listen, they let it all out.

I feel for Dewy though…if it was our carport that was flooding, I’d be pretty pissed about it too. Besides, deep down, she’s a pretty nice gal once you get to know her—a little rough on the exterior, but a downright decent core.

I gave the AG’s office a call and talked to the woman assigned to Dewy’s case. She seemed nice enough, and after we talked about it a little while, I came up with a compromise that I thought both sides could handle. The AG’s office would get the owners to agree that last months patch job of her potholes had to be redone, and that when they did that, they would put an asphalt ridge where the road meets her driveway, to help divert the water. We all agreed that if by the summer that didn’t prove to fix the standing water issue, that Dewy would look into the cost of a French Drain and if it didn’t cost too much, the AG’s office would make the owners put one in.

Dewy didn’t seem all that happy about my great compromise, mostly because I think she really believed that they owed her a repaved driveway with a drain put in. but I also think she thought it was better than nothing, and so agreed.

I guess that’s the sign of a successful negotiation—neither party all that happy with the end result, but satisfied just enough to quit bitchin about it. I only hope that I don’t have to keep getting earfuls after the April rains, when it’s bar-b-que season and the last light doesn’t leave the skies until well after bedtime.

First Week In

Back in a suit this week…well this week and the next dozen or so. Found some government work down in Olympia for the cold months of winter when the legislature is in session and a shirt and tie are part-and-parcel. Most of my work clothes were a bit tattered and torn, so I dusted off my credit card and bought a few new things. A couple jackets, some shirts, ties and socks. A few too many most likely, but I look sharp what with a new hair cut and all, even if I do say so myself.

Things have started off quiet enough here this week, but once the session gets up and running I hear I’ll have plenty to do. This week is all about finding the stairs and getting the computer and phone set up I guess.

This morning a light dusting of snow covered everything but the streets, and as I headed further south the heavier the cover became. But by the time I arrived at the capital the deep footprints in the snow were filling up with water, and wet globs of snow were falling off the highest branches, covering everyone below.