Uncle David came for a visit

dinner

aaron & jenny simultaneously evaded facing the camera.
the kids were more receptive.

Con

Cade

washing my car

I washed my car today.  It doesn't happen often enough.  The orange Lotus guy who chased me down on Lorane said he remembered seeing a car like mine in town that "needed a bath".  That was definitely mine.  

The wheels get especially dirty.

As I was washing, this lady walked by pushing a stroller with another child walking along side.  She stopped to admire my car, asked me how long I'd had it, where I got it, etc.  

Then she said she'd been in Europe a while back and chased an Elise down to get a better look. She liked the car so much she named her daughter after it!!  So there was an Elise standing next to my Elise.

seasons

It was cold when I went out this morning but I inhaled deeply for some reason and the air seemed really fresh.  Like spring maybe, except it's fall.  

I don't know what spring and fall are supposed to smell like.   We don't have those seasons in So Cal really.  Like the guy at the party last night said, you pretty much get spring and summer there.  If you're from California, then you call it summer and winter.  But if you're from Eugene, it's clearly never winter in So Cal.  

But the air smelled really clean and crisp and clear.  And even though cold is not my thing it seemed really inviting, like I could smell posibility.  Like each molecule in the air was connected to the next and they were little lines in a big web leading in all different directions.

night shift

Yeah, for working at night!!!  Way better than in the day.

Marcelo Garcia Seminar

The Marcelo Garcia seminar in Olympia, WA was awesome.  Best one I've been too yet.  For some reason his style made the techniques easy to remember.  There were a lot of people there but he was open to answering all questions and rolled with as many people as he could at the end.  I'd totally do another seminar with him.

I rolled with a couple people there, one of which was Cindy Hales.  I'm not sure I was rolling "with" her so much as being rolled all over by her.  But that's ok, it was a good experience anyway.  I got a good shin to the nose when she did this technique that we had just done in the seminar.  That was no-gi on day one.  

Day two was gi techniques.  I rolled with another girl at the end of everything.  She was very ridged and explosive.  The match started with me getting a pretty good knee to my eye socket. Once I could see again we started over and she later hit me in the mouth and split my lip.  It was the most violent match I've had in bjj, including all the guys I've rolled with.  Not really bjj style I don't think.  Oddly I didn't get a black eye.  There is definitely a bruise on the eyebrow bone - I can feel it - but you just can't see it.  Must have hit just right I guess?

I should have some pics that we took with Stormy's camera soon!

Lucinda Williams - Unsuffer Me

Unlock my love
And set me free.
Come fill me up
With ecstasy.

Surround my heartbeat
With your fingertips.
Unbound my feet.
Untie my wrists.

Come into my world
Of loneliness,
And wickedness,
And bitterness.

Unlock my love.

Unsuffer me.
Take away the pain.
Unbruise,unbloody.
Wash away the stain.

Anoint my head
With your sweet kiss.
My joy is dead.
I long for bliss.

I long for knowledge
Whispered in my ear.
Undo my logic.
Undo my fear.

Unsuffer me.

Unlock my love
And set me free.
Come fill me up
With ecstasy.

Unsuffer me.
Take away the pain.
Unbruise,unbloody.
Wash away the stain.

Surround my heartbeat
With your fingertips.
Unbound my feet.
Untie my wrists.

Come into my world
Of loneliness,
And wickedness,
And bitterness.

Anoint my head
With your sweet kiss.
My joy is dead.
I long for bliss.

I long for knowledge
Whispered in my ear.
Undo my logic.
Undo my fear.

Hear it on YouTube

where did I go?

So confused.  

vagabond peacocks

There was a peacock in the middle of the road today. I slowed down and stopped - in the middle of the road - and it just wondered up the middle of the lane for a while before meandering off into the brush. I followed it for a ways up the road. I think they're used to the sound of my car now.

If you click on the image you'll see the blue in the neck is pretty brilliant.

post birthday breakfast?

dreams

Last night I dreamt I was part of some giant evacuation, like from a natural disaster or something. I had to coordinate everything because there were a lot of people and everyone else was completely incompetent. 

Flamethrower cake!

Thanks Mel!

A stranger just bought me ice cream!!!!!!!!

Without even talking to me first. She was in there ahead of me with a friend and she turned around and smiled and I smiled back. And then she told the girl at the register that she wanted to pay for whatever I was having as well. So I told her it was my birthday. She asked how old and I told her 32. She said I would probably look 30 when I was about 50.

I saw something in her eye when she turned around and smiled. She was probably going to buy who ever came in behind her and ice cream. But it was fun to be the one that happened to come in behind her. And especially fun since it was my birthday.

So yeah for me. And thank you again whoever you are. You've made this birthday very memorable ;-)

the onion

I added a "gadget" to my google home page for The Onion and came across this link in the feed this morning (ok, really it's afternoon, but it's still morning to me):

Woman Always Really Excited To Be In Whatever Relationship Status She's Currently In

After reading that I clicked on this slideshow with headlines and photos.  I'm not sure if the initial article set me up for it or what but I was laughing pretty good at the headlines.  

I'm not sure about the actual stories but I thought the captions were great.

morning is the time

is the time you have to resist the urge to get up early. It seems easy. You're awake. You could get stuff done.  

Yes, it seems easy.  But don't do it.  Then you'll be tired at night. You'll want to go to sleep instead of work, to break your schedule.  

So in the beginning you have to resist the urge.  Pattern change.  It takes a little time to set in. So go ahead, sleep in.  Really.  Lay back down and close your eyes. That's better.

It's actually been hard to sleep in the last few nights cause I keep waking up at 8 instead of my intended 11.  It will get easier I'm sure. But right now I'm more used to waking at 8 so it just keeps happening and them I'm having to then make myself go back to sleep, several times.  

It helps to have really good curtains ;-)

sleep vs. work: part 2

Work wins!  

Getting a lot more done this way.  Just finished another project.  And, as anticipated, it's not that hard to stay up now that I'm on day 3 and in the flow.  The first two were a bit of a struggle.  But it gets easier.  

Everything's like that, or lots of things are.  Once you get into a pattern it's easier.  But if you break the pattern you're screwed.  Ok, not always.  But sometimes it seems like it.  Especially when you're trying to get back to where you were.

Once you've done it a few times you know you'll be able to recover.  Still, it's easier if you just stay on track.  

Sometimes that's not possible.

Looks more like a birdcage to me

SciAm: Listener Anticipates Speaker's Word Choice

Functional MRI shows the brain in action, anticipating the next word a speaker will say based on context and the first part of the word sound.  

60 Second Podcast here.

This magazine perpetually interesting!  It's crazy how fast our mind processes information.

more php

Just finished my 2nd php project!!  

The error messages in php suck. ColdFusion error messages pretty much tell you what went wrong where.  And, as Paul said, php error messages are more like: "you messed up, hahaha, guess where?".  

Which is especially fun at 2 in the morning ;-)

SciAm: Are a Popular Doping Drug's Effects All in the Mind?

Athletes who take human growth hormone may be getting duped by the placebo effect.

Try the generic alternative: beleive in yourself.  It's infinitely cheaper and has no negative side effects.  Although the posative side effects are known to bleed into the rest of your life.

Are you afraid of your computer?

This is what people who are afraid of their computer think will happen.

Dear non-techy people: 

This will not happen.  Just keep clicking on things and you'll realize it's not as scary as you think.

Thank You,

Tech Support

P.S. - You should apply this in the rest of your life as well.  Try things.  Many things.  Many, many things.  Trust me.  It's worth it.

sleep vs. work

Trying to get on a new schedule.  I work better between 10pm & 3am.  No clients to interrupt.  No sun to call me out.

I stayed up till 3 last night.  But then I woke up at 8.  Not part of the plan.  I tried to sleep more but it just wasn't in me, so I just got up.  

I know if I'm going to do this I just need to get consistent and stay up a few more days in a row. Then I'll be in the groove.  But I was getting tired because I didn't sleep as many hours last night.  So I choose a strategy to wake myself up.  Three sets of pull ups and push ups.  It worked.  I feel more awake now.  

And you really need to be awake when you're trying to do programming ;-)

paralyzed

I've never been so paralyzed
as I was by your kiss.

Energy
strong, fluid, weightless
passed between us
like water flowing
so much, so strong, yet so soft.

I drowned, paralyzed by your kiss.


My senses were overcome
my body disappeared
I felt the universe in your lips.

SciAm: Observers of Walking Figures See Men Advancing, Women in Retreat

"When viewing figures walking, a curious illusion appears. People perceive male strollers as moving toward them, whereas the female walkers appear to be moving away, regardless of the figure's actual direction." 60 Second Podcast Here

I especially like the last line: "...fascinating proven results are often left waiting for their counterpart explanations to catch up."

Sara and Annie: San Francisco

(Top) Sonia, Sara & Me

(Below) unknown 3rd party who ducked into the photo
at the lexington club in SF

Sara and Annie: The Early Years

the park

I didn't know you were going to be at the park yesterday, like know for sure. I just got in my car and drove over there. Then I called Mel, again, to make sure that this wasn't a really bad idea. Then I tried calling you. But you didn't pick up, or your phone did feel like ringing, or I was actually supposed to find you at the park and not talk to you on the phone.

I tried calling you from the park because you weren't there. Then I went to get gas cause the car was on empty and there was nothing else to do. I went all the way up Willamette and got it at the station near 28th. The Chevron, not the 76 station. Then I came right back to the park. I turned left and saw you sitting there with your guitar. I knew it was you from the back of your head even though you were not that close.

Interestingly enough (to me, thinking back on it) I was not at all surprised to see you there. I just parked and got out and walked over like we'd somehow set this up beforehand and I was supposed to meet you there. Which is kind of what it seemed like, even though we clearly did not discuss this at all.

You just happened to stop at the park on your way to Sweet Life and I just happened to find you there. Or something like that.

Chasing peacocks

Went for a drive today. Turned the corner on Fox Hollow near the bench and there were three peacocks in the middle of the road.

They graciously moved out of my lane, but I stopped. I waited. I wanted to see them fly.

I parked and got out and walked over to a couple. One of them obliged me and hopscotched up a couple trees till it was out of sight.

Peacocks are cool.

Thinking of towing with a compact car?

Google Maps - Walking Directions

Google Maps has added the "Walking" option to the driving directions page. Apparently I should be able to walk to San Francisco in: "698 mi – about 9 days 14 hours".

I'm thinking their not taking bathroom breaks and sleeping into account.


I think I'll fly.

NPR: Fresh Air

I heart NPR.

I just listened to this episode of Fresh Air (podcast subscription). There are interviews with 4 different press secretaries. Very interesting. Always fun to hear about these things after the fact, with perspective.

Also highly recommended: The Fog of War, which I saw a few years back. In fact, I think I might watch it again myself. And I'm I'm not much of a double viewer.

bureaucracy

Bureaucracy, you are lame.

You sent my homeowners insurance renewal policy to my mortgage company (good job). They paid last years premium (lame). You sent a bill for the extra $22 to my old address (lame). The letter got returned to you and you somehow also knew my correct address (so why did you didn't you send it there in the first place). In any event, you wrapped the letter in a piece of paper with the correct address and sent it here. Unfortunately the whole process took about two months. I opened it up and it said to pay the extra amount by the following date or the policy would be canceled. The "date" was two weeks before I got the letter. I logged on to my mortgage company's website and paid the $22. Several weeks later (didn't you get the payment?) you sent me a refund check for the 1st amount. Then you sent me a refund check for the $22.

Then I drove to the insurance company's office so the friendly staff could take care of this for me. The lady there was very nice. She made a call, you emailed a letter, I signed it and poof, I have insurance again.

But I have to say you are very lame for canceling the policy because it was $22 short, after you sent the bill to the wrong address. Then got it back and sent it to the correct address (so you knew there was a problem), after the due date. To a person this is obviously stupid. But you are clearly not a person. You are a bureaucracy.

And mortgage company, you are also lame for not paying the extra $22 when they sent you the bill. Because they tried you first before they sent it to my wrong address. You would think, holding the mortgage, it would be in your best interest to pay the insurance premium.

As a side note I looked up "bureaucracy" in google, just for fun and found this:

Bureaucracy is an interactive fiction computer game released by Infocom in 1987, scripted by popular comic science fiction author Douglas Adams. It is Infocom's twenty-fourth game.

The player is challenged to confront a long and complicated series of bureaucratic hurdles resulting from a recent change of address. Mail isn't being delivered, bank accounts are inaccessible, and nothing is as it should be. The game includes a measure of simulated blood pressure which rises when "frustrating" events happen and lowers after a period of no annoying events. Once a certain blood pressure level is reached, the player suffers an aneurysm and the game ends.

I would really like to check that game out. It sounds hysterical. On the other hand, why buy the game when you can play in real life for free. ...um, well often not for free, but anyway.

I forgot I was riding the motorcycle

I went for a ride today. Later in the afternoon. I wouldn't have dared go for a ride when I got up. It was freaking 39 degrees out! What??? Where is summer going? I'm not ready to move on.

So I was riding up Chambers looking across this scooter in the left turn lane going the other way. There was a motorcycle going straight next to it. I notice right as they're passing me that they are giving me the wave.

Which led me to realize I was not driving the Lotus. Yeah, that sounds funny right. But I forgot. I'm so used to driving the Lotus that I just think I'm in it all the time. Not that I think I'm "in" it. I just picture them looking at me and seeing a Lotus. Wrong picture.

The same thing has happened when I'm driving the Bronco. I see people looking at me at a stop light or something and it takes me a sec to realize I'm in the Bronco - so what the heck are they looking at?

I was actually riding my scooter down Willamette a couple years back and saw a yellow Lotus going the other way. I wanted to wave but realized I was on the scooter and would just seem like a dork. Um, not that you people that do wave at my in the Lotus are dorks ;-) I usually simle or wave back at them. I just would have felt like one because I would have been thinking "fellow Lotus owner" and he would have been thinking, "kid on a scooter". So yeah, not really what I was trying to get across to him.