Cord of Wood

The times they are a-changin’. It used to be give the chimney a thorough cleaning and order a cord of wood. Nowadays it’s check the website or e-mail alerts before thinking about sitting around a cozy fire.

Winter Spare the Air runs: November 1, 2009 – February 28, 2010

Get Notifications:
* Check the newspaper, radio, and TV
* Check the web for wood burning status.
* Sign up for e-mail or phone alerts.
* If that’s not enough there is a widget.

Report wood smoke concerns (snitch on the neighbors) call 1-877-4NO-BURN (1-877-466-2876).

One way to get that ‘warm cozy’ during “Spare the Air” is to put on a wearable fleece blanket with sleeves (odd looking monk robe), then put in a sold by Amazon Fireplace DVD, or try Comcast.

Comcast On Demand:
TV Entertainment go to Yule Log & More- click on Fireplace – or TV Entertainment scroll down to TV Screensavers.

I can not recommend the 20 minutes of “Island Sunset”. The squawking bird sounds turned thoughts of peaceful, soothing and warm to thoughts of an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle! – - but that’s another Christmas story.

Follow SpareTheAir on twitter.

This morning I stopped by my local Safeway to pick up a container of raspberries. Near the front of the store I noticed a display for a free DVD. All I would have to do was to buy $40 in home care products in a single transaction then Iron Man would be mine. They were specific products like Bounty paper towels, Duracell, Kleenex Reynolds foil and others. Pushing the cart down each aisle I saw that the products for the promotion had special price tags indicating that they were participating items. I carefully selected the products worth $40, and then some, the raspberries, other groceries, and the DVD.

The man at the checkout told me that my plastic bags of stuff did not qualify for a free movie. Why not? I had followed all of the rules and surely I had well over the specified $40. He could only direct me to the customer service desk.

Resolving the problem with Tiffany, at the desk, should have been easy. She asked me which of the items would get me the movie. Shouldn’t she have known this? I told her that it would be all that was non-eatable. Using an oh-so bothered tone of voice she asked me to follow her back to a checkout.

Picking off of master list, she would call out the products not found on it. This is where it got ugly. When I told her that she was wrong because I had noted the special price tag for each item purchased, she said that she would attempt to explain it to me. Attempt!!! I let Tiffany know that I did not appreciate her inferring that I was too stupid to shop at Safeway. I followed with, “I might be better off getting a refund”. She was all ready for that, but I wasn’t about to let her win the war! I stood my ground until she marched off to the manager’s office. She returned asking a co-worker to put the stuff back into the cart, for she was letting me have it all. I asked if that meant that the things I bought were actually correct. Not admitting to the mistake she said that she had customers waiting, mumbling something about getting me out of the store. I wasn’t a customer? She obviously found out that some of the products had not been entered into the store computer correctly. No apology for me, and I had to remind her that she still owed me the almost $20 for the so-called free DVD.

File under: Customer Service From Hell.

Today Google is hosting a family friendly event, but at the other end of our valley it’s a different scene altogether: Return to the 1947 Fourth of July weekend when thousands of motorcyclists descended on the sleepy little town of Hollister, California. Though the bikers didn’t really do much damage, one can just imagine how unnerving it must have for the townspeople.

This invasion was the spark that eventually led to the hottest quintessential outlaw biker movie of all time: The Wild One (1953) with Marlon Brando (Johnny) and Lee Marvin (Chino).

Tagline: Marlon Brando! Driven Too Far By His Own Hot Blood!

: I’ve seen hoodlums like this before. If you don’t get tough with them the minute they get out of line you’re sunk. You’re the cop, aren’t you? If you can’t boot these jerks out there’s plenty of us can, even if we have to bust a few heads.

: As he and his boys are guzzling beer and dancing with some of the ladies in the bar, one female dance partner questions Johnny: Hey, Johnny, What are you rebelling against?
While tapping out a jazzy beat on the top of the jukebox, he raises his eyebrow and drawls his amorphous reason for rebellion: What’ve you got?

Note: San Francisco Hell’s Angels chapter president Frank Sadilek bought the striped shirt that Lee Marvin wore in the movie, and wore it when meeting police officials.

Today the invasion continues with the HOLLISTER MOTORCYCLE RALLY.

Hollister, California
July 11 to 13, 2008

The Old Mission San Juan Bautista.  

I picked up a taxi fare, a young man who recently relocated to San Jose from the Midwest. He had landed a job with a major accounting firm. Life was good, but his income was still limited. Not yet knowing what the Bay Area had to offer, and needing a suggestion for a weekend date that would be unique yet wasn’t too costly, he asked for my help. For the price of a DVD, gas, and a few meals, I had an idea that might impress his new girlfriend – the Google employee.

The Vertigo Date: Rent, or buy the 1958 Hitchcock thriller, Vertigo (1958)

Saturday: Watch the movie while having breakfast at home.  Then with a good map, of the city to our north, visit each site.* This may take most of the day.

* Locations for Vertigo (1958)

Sunday: Take a drive (45.5 mi – about 50 mins) down to San Juan Bautista and see where the films shocking climax was filmed. San Juan Bautista is one of my favorite getaway spots. Great little restaurants, and shops without looking too much the tourist trap. The chickens at your feet help keep it real.

San Juan Bautista, California Community Profile and Map.

City of San Juan Bautista

San Juan Bautista wanted to get a jump on any San Francisco festivities with a special October event . Oct. 5 -7.

The Film – Vertigo

San Jose is of course in America. However, I’m referring to the Kannada (Indian regional language) movie titled America! America!!. The movie, released in 1995-96 made big waves, but it took me so long to check it out. What timing though, coincidentally!

Though basically a triangular love story, the setting is mostly in the USA. It covers aspects like the life of Indian immigrants and the job scene. What more, most of it is in San Jose and the surrounding areas.
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I recently rented The Emperor’s New Clothes from Netflix. It must not be stocked in the Bay Area Netflix warehouse as it was sent from Netflix’s Flushing, NY facility. I enjoyed the movie; it was entertaining with a great performance by Ian Holms. When it was time to return the DVD I made sure it went back into the envelope with the Flushing, NY address. I dropped the DVD off at the post office late afternoon. Next morning I checked my Netflix queue and surprise! They received it! I thought I had put it in the wrong envelope so I checked the others that I still had and they were addressed for San Jose and not Flushing. So, I did put the DVD in the correct envelope and they received it next day. Whoa! Now if I were to send my aunt Betty in Flushing a letter the poor dear would have to wait days to hear from her wonderful thoughtful nephew. Maybe if I were to attach the letter to the Netflix envelope…