Timbers!

Smells. Soccer. Bulbs.

This is going to be another rambling thematically unlinked post.

This morning I got on the freeway behind a giant truck that I think was running on coal and camel fat. It was a curious smell coming from those bursts of murky exhaust.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the Timbers playoff game which was completely awesome. It was sunny, big crowd, cold beer. Exciting game. It ended in a 3-3 draw but the Timbers were eliminated because they lost the previous game 2-1. Bummer. But a great way to end the soccer season.

I've just started a major writing project that involves soccer so I've been thinking about soccer all weekend. World Cup starts June 11. Woo! Check out the official mascot Zakumi. He looks like the lovechild of a leopard and the Jolly Green Giant. I might have to replace my Shane in the lily pads desktop background for one of these Zakumi wallpapers because they are hilarious.

We found my camera battery charger yesterday. And when I say we, I mean Bob who miraculously found it downstairs in his man cave.

I noticed yesterday that the bulb company didn't send me a catalog this year. Normally I'd be ordering my spring bulbs now. This reminds me of an experience I had with a completely unrelated company and goes under the heading: WTF with the marketing?

A couple years ago Mom gave me her bulb catalog to order. Now I was in their system. I started getting blizzards of catalogs. They didn't just have X Bulb Catalog. They had about 20 bulb and flower catalogs. And maybe birdhouses. Or knitted things. I can't remember. I called them up and told them to knock it off. The following year I ordered from them via the Internet. Now they had my email. EVERY WEEK I would get an email pimping some evening birdsong kiwi crocuses or Danish sunset tiger lilies.

You know what I don't even think about much less purchase every week?

Flower bulbs.

So I told them to knock it off.

So now I get nothing? That's the choice: bombarded or nothing? That's what happened with the other company, too. They sold my name to every Tom, Dick and Harry in the world and when I told them to knock it off they stopped sending me their catalog. The one with stuff that I actually wanted to buy. So I called and asked what that was all about and they said I could open a new account with a different name.

They are doing it wrong.