Greetings and thanks for all the well wishes.
Yes, I am using dial up (UCK!) and it has taken this long to get it to work.
Lots of things have been happening since I left Eugene, some good and some bad.
will write more later. :-)
Robin
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Friday, September 07, 2007
Robin's Nest and personal life changes
Robin's Commentary--
As some of my regular readers have discovered, postings to Robin's Nest has been sporadic lately. The reason for this is a major life change.
Today, I'm doing something that I've never done in my lifetime... leaving a job.
After semi surviving my experiences at Lane community college and the ridiculous amount of constant battle with financial aid, I was fortunate enough to land a job with a local Fortune 500 company where I have been for the last year.
While I'm not going to say anything good or bad about the company here, [I could spend all day on that subject] I will say that it has been a very interesting and very stressful experience to the point, that it has severely started to affect my health.
In the 13 months that I have worked for this company, I have had to take off more days more for being sick than with any other company in my life. So, I am forced to start asking my self, "Is the money really worth your health?"
In this particular case,no! it is a high stress, low-paying ($13 an hour) with not much room for professional advancement job.
So today is my last day.
While I do have the prospect of another job lined up, [despite what people at City Hall think, Eugene's economy sucks big time (or is that sucking sound the sound of more taxes being drained out of my savings?)]
unfortunately, during this transition, I will not have the time to post for at least a couple of weeks.
To my loyal readers, please continue to check back as Robin's Nest is only going to take a little vacation.
Wish me luck!
Sincerely,
Robin
As some of my regular readers have discovered, postings to Robin's Nest has been sporadic lately. The reason for this is a major life change.
Today, I'm doing something that I've never done in my lifetime... leaving a job.
After semi surviving my experiences at Lane community college and the ridiculous amount of constant battle with financial aid, I was fortunate enough to land a job with a local Fortune 500 company where I have been for the last year.
While I'm not going to say anything good or bad about the company here, [I could spend all day on that subject] I will say that it has been a very interesting and very stressful experience to the point, that it has severely started to affect my health.
In the 13 months that I have worked for this company, I have had to take off more days more for being sick than with any other company in my life. So, I am forced to start asking my self, "Is the money really worth your health?"
In this particular case,no! it is a high stress, low-paying ($13 an hour) with not much room for professional advancement job.
So today is my last day.
While I do have the prospect of another job lined up, [despite what people at City Hall think, Eugene's economy sucks big time (or is that sucking sound the sound of more taxes being drained out of my savings?)]
unfortunately, during this transition, I will not have the time to post for at least a couple of weeks.
To my loyal readers, please continue to check back as Robin's Nest is only going to take a little vacation.
Wish me luck!
Sincerely,
Robin
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
What the heck are "Bike boxes", "Road diets", "Bike-ped","Contra-flows" , "bicycle boulevards" & "Complete streets"
Register guard--
It is the "Oregon bicycle and pedestrian plan" which is a state issued book on how roads and paths could be improved for cyclists and walkers who want to get around without their cars.
The "complete street" concept has been inspired by Eugene cycling advocates Paul Moore to include the concept of "muscle powered transportation" and to point out the cycling trouble spots which could be fixed or some ideas and standards in the states "bike-ped" plan
Eugene bicyclist correlation member Webb Sussman and Moore recently took a trip up High Street at 7th Ave to point out a worn out painted line of a "bike box" (pictured) at the intersection which is a designated area were cyclists may make their way from left to right side bike path. [I thought that's what crosswalks were for]
"Contra-flow" are streets such as 19th and Alder, or bike lanes that allow light traffic in both directions on a one-way street.
"Bicycle boulevards" are areas that include barriers to keep cars out.
A "Road diet" is a reconfiguration that would reconfigure a street from two-car lanes in each direction, to one lane each way, which would create space for bike lanes. The downside of a "Road diet" could mean eliminating the number of driveways and on street parking.
besides being another attempt to "get you out of your car", some of the suggestions like the "bike box" in my opinion is stupid and dangerous.
The "bike box" or other words known as "the advance stop line" consists of two lines at a traffic light. The first line is for motor vehicles. The second line, which is closer to the intersection, is for bicycles. On a red light, this allows bicyclists to overtake the waiting motor vehicles and cut in front of them.
" The "bike box" allows bicyclists to go to the head of the line and so, on casual observation, it appears to advance the status of bicyclists over that of motorists. Not only do bicyclists get to go to the head of the line but also, motorists must wait in line behind the bicyclists.{John Allen's bicycle facilities, laws and programs }-- "
Think about everyday driving downtown, and you can just picture just how dangerous this concept is.
{image courtesy of John Allen's bicycle facilities, laws and programs }
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