doppler effect

they say winter in northern california is the longest spring, compared to the east coast that is. last week it was what passes for winter here, and it was very wintery, where the snow dropped at a very lowly 2000 ft and the rain in the valley didn't let up. what a difference. as i type the windows of the house are open to the clement weather and everyone it seemed were dancing in the streets with joy that spring has sprung. except that we usually transition from winter to summer blast furnace. nick had his first t-ball game of the season tonight. and the day was just right for baseball.

when the weather turns to summer thoughts i think about movies. summer movies. and being at the drive-ins. the sac 6 is still up and running despite the threat that every year will be its last. no doubt one year soon it will be its last. in the meantime i have the drive-ins to go and hang with my bud b. and a place to share with nick.

when the weather is warm and we have the windows open in the house and i have to go outside to take out the trash or something i get this doppler effect from the sound of the tv, especially if there are two tvs tuned to the same channel in different rooms. the effect reminds me of the old car speakers drive-in theaters used before they turned to fm radio tuning. it's no surprise that i lived at and for the drive-ins. i'd beg my parents, especially my old man, to take me and my brothers every chance i got. even in winter. but mostly we'd go in the summer. the car speakers stood on poles. when you're a kid at the drive-in movies in the 1970s you spent a lot of your time at the snack bar and the playground, complete with slide and sets of swings. every drive-in theater had a playground. the sac 6 still does, in fact they have two playgrounds. at the playground i would get that doppler effect from the sound of a movie played from many different speakers at many different locations. at home when i get that effect i am transported.

yesterday was open house at nick's school. he'll start first grade next year. his teacher says he's more than ready for the task. the budget sucks for california schools, schools all over the u.s. if you want to see your tax dollars at work don't go to a public school. even tho a big chunk of the state budget goes to education, i hear, you'll not see the evidence in the classroom. you'll weep in frustration and wonder how come we can allow schools to be understaffed, overcrowded, and little provided for. nevertheless, there are three first grade teachers to choose from. really two and a half. one teacher is responsible for a class of both first graders and second graders. one first grade teacher was bright and cheery. she told me that one of the activities she planned for her students was a day to bring in a few fathers to explain what they do for a career. she said for this school year one dad who came in to explain his job was a soldier and the kids ate him up. there was proof in a slideshow of the soldier all in battle fatigues before the class. i thought, i can't participate in that. the kids would ask me what i do for a living and i'd tell them i sit at a desk and stare at a computer screen all day. sometimes i click a mouse.