A few more hours

Perhaps I should have gone to that New Year's Party, but I doubt I will be awake long enough to consciously ring in the new year. The reason I cancelled at the party was because I really want to go to bed, and it doesn't make much of an impression if I am that tired person off in the corner. I don't want to be the guest who brings the level of party fun down because I am tired or something silly like that. Oh well, maybe next year...

To a close

With this, there is one more day, and hopefully at least one more entry, before the new year. Today involved going to the store. That is all today involved, aside from playing the Lord of the Rings Online free demo I downloaded yesterday. It is fun, though different from what I am used to, but that is neither better or worse. Aside from that, I haven't really been doing all that much. Today was sunny, but I think it was chillier than it has been the last several days.

Oh, it looks lie AOL is going to finally shut everyone's Netscape accounts down. I don't' know how much additional it costs to maintain that domain name and those servers, but I guess they have decided it is one more cost they need to cut. Netscape will officially be consigned to the dustbin, though in reality that happened shortly after the purchase by AOL. I don't think they new what to do with it, and the result is that it is just one more thing people will remember, but not longer be able to experience, at least not in an up to date form. Firefox may be derived from the old code, but Firefox doesn't capture the spirit of the early age, and it isn't likely anything will, as the internet has changed to something not easily recognizable to those who thought it up.

Looking back is traditional this time of year, and maybe tomorrow I will do some more.

Update on the painting

After deciding eyes would be a good thing, as would smaller hair, I took the plunge and gave my lady some changes that definitely changed the nature of the picture. I do believe a better picture was made by it, though it isn't done yet, so I still have time to mess it up, though that is not the direction I want to go. One thing I need to remember, at least for me, is that since I am working with a small canvass, is to keep it simple, and not try too much. I am sure there is always something else to add to a picture, but I haven't managed to get to the point of even thinking I am done, but thought an in work picture might be fun.

101

While it is less than 30% of the possible number of posts per year, if one posts once daily, I have managed to finally break the 100 mark. Who knows, maybe I have managed 100 individual page views by this point as well, though if I have, it has been my luck not to have any comments from those viewers, so I can pretend that no one is reading this at all.

There are all sorts of studies showing up on web privacy, and in those, it actually sounds as if the younger set is better about maintaining some semblance of privacy, while older people let everyone access everything. I don't know if I believe this completely, but it isn't really my concern right now. I have read some fascinating blogs that reflect on personal experience, and I am still at a loss as to how those who blog professionally for a living actually get paid if they don't work for a new organization which is paying their salary. I just can't imagine ad supported blogging that likely to generate enough revenue to keep someone going. Most likely, it is my lack of imagination which prevents me from seeing the truth about that though.

I haven't really done anything today. I was going to go to the art supply store, but the foul weather gave me pause and I stayed at home instead. My desktop is downloading the online Lord of the Rings game, and I may spend part of my long weekend playing that, since there is a 7 day free trial. In truth, the last thing I really need is another online game-Guild Wars keeps me busy enough when I play, and splitting that time between two games is not giving me enough time to enjoy either. If I don't like it, uninstalling it is always an option. If I do like it, then it will still probably be uninstalled, since I don't know when I will manage to play it, especially if I sign up for a few weekend art classes to dip my free time back into painting.

There is much to do, and the new year makes it seem urgent.

Friday is Friday

With the end of the two day work week, it is finally Friday, though this wasn't something I longed for all week or anything, but something that just dragged through all of the seven or so hours I was at work today. The end of the month when all numbers are made for the year is a dull time. Actually, the last day of the month is normally one of my easiest, since if we haven't managed to get it back by then, it won't ship, even if we do get it back.

Four days and plans for only one of the evenings. I guess that means I should get busy planning the other three, but since one is before work, that leaves only two, but then there is tonight, which bumps it back to three. (Isn't math wonderful?) Tonight is probably an evening at home, though I might change my mind as it is only 5 o'clock.

Paragraph breaks today. For some reason I decided they would be a good idea, though I think I have been ignoring them of late in my posts. One question though, does writing look more intelligent broken into small bits? (or is it just more likely to be read?) With that ponderous imponderable tossed out, I can think of no better thing to do than mention Britney, though I don't believe she has had nearly as much good fortune as Paris of late. Nothing like adding to the saturation of our media with totally useless commentary on two who have (had) the ability to contribute something positive to the world beyond their court ordered drug test.

I did work on my lady's face again, but haven't take a picture of the current state yet. I am also wondering what to work on next in regards to painting, as I should do more of it, or drawing, or writing, or all of it (throw going into the gym in there, too, but it is not considered an artistic discipline so I omitted it from the initial list, though it is on my personal list).

Thursday as a Monday

It definitely felt like a Monday at work, but that is over with, and now I can blissfully blather about Bowie, who happens to be playing in the background as I type. Actually, I don't know that he will be the subject of this post, but how to get back in the habit of typing a reasonable amount of text. Dave actually puts me to shame with his pre-written and edited blog entries, but if I were to try that, it is likely nothing would ever make it here, not because of self-editing, but because I would deem it too old to deal with by the time I got around to posting it.

The new year is rapidly approaching, though time is probably moving at its standard pace, so it is now appropriate to make those resolutions which I may or may not keep. I haven't made them in years because I normally don't manage to keep them, and I have never been keen on the concept of failure or giving up. The horrible thing about not making resolutions is that by not having them, the goals for the year are already met at the stroke of midnight. On a broader scale, by not setting resolutions, I also continue in the same patterns that I have always held, which is why it was such a big deal to get those brief posts posted while Dave was here. I don't need an excuse to do nothing, and once excuses start, then the big doing nothing begins, if you can actually begin doing nothing. It is actually something that has never crossed my mind in this fashion, as previously I had just dismissed resolutions, not really looking to see if they can relate to a larger palette. [I am sure I can mix a few more metaphors given the proper amount of rambling space.] I think all too long I have seen resolutions not taken seriously, so I have never really bothered to make them. It has also come to my attention that I am better at working towards something I am paying for. If I want to go to the gym regularly, get a trainer, and if I want to work at art, take a class. Where do I find the self-motivation. There are lots of pictures out there to motivate me, but pictures are abstract, and I can always just stay home, not worrying about the social thing. Unfortunately, this latter option makes things very dull. Bowie is still playing and my beer is getting warm on the counter, so I think this is wrapped up for today.

Work tomorrow :(

Dave has left. He is on his way to the bus stop to catch a bus to SeaTac then off on a plane to beautiful Indianapolis. I enjoyed having him out-it is great when you can have a guest that doesn't require 24 hr entertaining. I do believe that if I had to schedule his entire day, his trip would have been miserable. I should also give kudos to his Aunt Rhoda who provided several hours of fun on more than one occasion this trip. I should continue this, and try to create an interesting post for once, but I need to hit the sack, as bed is calling, and work is calling far too early in the morning.

Part-way through

Well, the morning is over, and the afternoon is halfway through. I feel bad because plans changed suddenly yesterday, and Wes was unable to come over due to my plans changing. So far the day has been fine, quite a few phone calls, and not everyone has been heard from, but messages were left. Hmmm.... sitting around the house chatting with Dave just does not make interesting posts, at least not in my hands. Dave will probably turn his nights on my sofa into scintillating prose, though such things are beyond me. That is about it, and I am off to find some sort of food and beverage.

The 24th, Finally!

Well, the holiday has arrived, The Reindeer Room is playing, Delirium Noel is in the glass, and all the lights are lit and other festive nuances accounted for. Today was quite a pleasant afternoon, and even included The Nutcracker. Actually, Dave is sitting next to me plugging away at the text messaging on his phone, and so as not to think I am ignoring him, I will get out of here. Too bad my image didn't upload.

Sunday, Rainy Sunday

With it raining all day and Dave, I believe, at the Frye (he may have decided to visit Sam as well), I decided to select a diverse six pack of brews from around the world, and one of Full Sail's Wassail for good measure, at Ballard Market, so there would not be a lack of interesting things to drink around the house. Also, I broke out the paints for the first time in ages. Wondering if the malaise that was gripping me was due to pent up creative energy that just hadn't seen an outlet, I found a Modigliani etching and decided to take a page from Vincent and tried to turn it into a painting. I don't think it is complete yet, but things need to dry a bit before I can do more. There are some things about it that I want to contemplate prior to continuing on. For the sort of day it is, rainy, grey, and uninspiring, I have managed to get stuff done, like laundry and the start of this painting. Maybe the fact Dave was off to a museum inspired me to get motivated and do something. I don't know, maybe it was just that I have been too much of nothing since I returned, except this blog, of which I am as surprised as anyone that I have managed as many regular entries as I have. None of them are necessarily exhilarating, but the constant typing keeps the synapses open, even if they only come up with crap. Just like to be a painter, one has to paint, to be a writer one has to write, and to be an artist, on has to create. It is the act of doing which is the operative act in being anything, bodybuilder or philatelist. Anyone can talk about doing things, but it is the act of doing that starts the process of becoming or maintaining the process of being. Lives of quiet desperation may be giving too much credit to how people live today, since I would think that some consciousness is required to lead a life of anything, quiet desperation or great joy and fulfillment. Too often the thinking requirement for living is replaced by auto-pilot. Oh well, I have gone over this territory before, if not on here, then surely in a journal or six, so I am going to wrap that line up.

Anyway, it is only 3 p.m., which leaves me more to do this afternoon, though my options have narrowed down to housework, surfing the web, or playing Guild Wars. I could pick up a book, but they are nearly as effective tools for procrastination as video games or internet enabled computers.

Salmon for Breakfast

Sorry, no pictures to post of the smoked salmon & havarti omelets I made this morning, as they were eaten prior to me even thinking about taking a picture of them. It looks like it is going to be a typical sort of Seattle winter day today, with gray skies and rain--at least it isn't cold enough for all the water to freeze. Today is still sort of a blank, though we may head off to the museum, since neither of us have been since the refurbishment that finally wrapped up this past spring. Maybe I will come up with more to write later, but at 9:30 in the morning, there isn't much to say other than I still need to hop in the shower and brush my teeth.

Holiday!!

Friday is here and no work until next Thursday. Now all I have to do is figure out how to entertain Dave for the next five days. That is about it for now, unless I want to continue ignoring my house-guest.

Oops! I missed a day.

Well, one day isn't a bad skip, but I had been trying for a month with no skipped days on the blog. Actually, yesterday's reason was because Dave has arrived, so we had a bit of catching up to do, as well as a bit of drinking. The drinking part may have involved more than a bit, but he did like the offerings at the Jolly Roger Taproom, his favorites being the Flagship Red and the namesake Christmas Ale, though if the weather would have been warmer, the dry hopped IPA would have been the winner. Tonight, he is off visiting his family, which is why I can sit here and type this without worrying about ignoring him.

Unfortunately, I don't have any more to say than I normally do, and so I get to go tangentially where I hope I haven't really gone before, but one can never really be sure. I have spoken about beer before, so that won't really be the focus, though there is much that can be said about it. I was actually surprised and pleased when Dave was cool with the experimentation while drinking, rather than retire to what I would have thought as his predictable glass of wine. Truth is, he is out in good beer country, so I am sure he will explore that as fully as I let him. Tonight is going to be a super early night because last night wasn't, and I stay up so far past my bedtime that I didn't hear the alarm this morning, at least not consciously, though Dave claims to have heard mutterings from my room when it went off. It was a challenge getting to work close to on time today, though I did manage a facsimile of it, and was told that it was no big deal--pleasing me much, but not so much as I think I will try it again tomorrow.

One more day

Down to my last evening in the house by myself for a week. While tonight won't be anything special, the next week should be fun. I really don't have a clue as to what we will do all week, though I do know Dave has some activities he needs to work on in preparation for next semester. Surprise of surprise is that his siblings, none of whom are going home for the holidays are slagging him for going to Seattle for those same holidays. Family is such fun. Mine is understanding that I have a life and may have other plans, and they won't guilt me for not flying home. Odd that I have it so lucky, but then I have not lived in their vicinity in a long time, and some of my early jobs required working on Christmas, so they really did become accustomed to me not being home for a good reason, making later absences no big deal.

Work this week is a nasty, horrible drag. No one in the department really wants to be there, and for the most part, I don't think any of my suppliers want to be working either. It makes for a rather lackluster sort of time at work, and I am eagerly anticipating Friday, though I know it won't provide me with the relief I need, just a temporary five day reprieve. How the human race got itself into this mess, I don't know. Somehow there must be a better way to live. Only a small percentage of people really have those jobs they love and don't consider work. (I have a job that I don't consider at all if I don't have to.) Where did we go wrong and end up in this position. There must be a considerable amount of creativity squandered because there is no outlet for it. If it doesn't jibe with what you do for a living, then you need to have enough energy to work on it at home after work. This after work sort of thing doesn't happen if you have a family or any self doubt whatsoever, as then you don't do it, thinking nothing will come of it anyway, besides, you are not a (fill in creative type profession of choice here). This is a sort of horrible place to be, because it is so deadening--killing any spark of creativity and drowning any that somehow make it past the scythe. I didn't really intend for this to be a depressing sort of post that fills one with dread and doom as such. The meanderings of the mind and the flow of words never cease to amaze.

Laundry & Elvis

Nothing like a Monday evening composed of laundry (Elvis was just playing when I typed the headline). Much like the temporal nature of the Elvis song, laundry will be done in an hour or so as well, making the headline doubly dubious. Today was one of those Mondays that didn't ever seem to get going. I really didn't want to get out of bed, and work seemed sort of pointless. I did have a meeting about what they wanted to ship by month end, and of course they had to cover all sorts of things that weren't really in my area, though the meeting was supposed to be specifically about my area. I do find much of what they do terribly silly, though that may not be the best word (trivial comes to mind, but that is probably even more of an opinion). Truthfully, I know why the meetings happen, and I know why they try to ship a certain number of dollars during a given month. Aside from guaranteeing some jobs, I am sure some bonuses are also affected. The only thing that bothers me is the goal to constantly exceed the target, because by constantly exceeding it, a higher bar is created for the following year, if not the following month. The other thing about constantly topping it is that frequently there is the pull in from the next month to make this months numbers (or beat them). At some point there is no more pulling you can do, and the pulling you have done, has impacted the ability to make numbers.

I should wrap this up now, as I have someone messaging me, and that means I will have a great deal of trouble keeping thoughts flowing semi-coherently.

Music today...

This is a much more what has been playing today column, rather than a state of music today column. I don't honestly listen to enough new music to say what the state of it is today. Oddly, when Christmas music hasn't been playing this month, it has been Tom Waits. Why I seem to be far more infatuated with his music now than when I first discovered it in university must have something to do with me actually maturing a bit. Back then I was fascinated with the noise/shock value; whereas, now, i enjoy the songs as a whole, considering lyrics and musical technique. That isn't to say that there isn't some fun in playing certain songs to people for the sheer shock value, but I like him for more than just an incredible interpretation of the Dwarf Marching Song (Heigh Ho). It is just the sort of paradox I enjoy, but the last year has also included a fair share of female European Pop singers from the sixties. There is nothing quite like ye-ye and the girls, mini-skirts, and go-go boots that always form the image for this French sub-genre. (Femmes de Paris is a good beginning for these ladies.) Fair warning, they are fluff and they are nothing like Tom Waits.

My desktop needs a new mouse. I think the old one is sticking, since it doesn't seem to register half the clicks, and doubles or triples the other half. I guess it gives me a good reason to stop by Office Depot or Fred Meyer after work tomorrow. I should try the latter first, since if they don't have what I want, I can always then stop by the other on my way home, with minimal back-tracking and delay. These sorts of things happen, and those things failing after a few years is to be expected. Computers aren't made to last forever, and if they did, you couldn't use them for much after a few years because all the programs are written planning on Moore's Law to work as it does. Plot the computers to do more and more, and hopefully they will be able to, without seeming to be much slower. I did see an early report comparing Tiger & Leopard, and it said that currently the latter isn't faster then the former, so don't upgrade just yet. It did say that while it was not faster, it wasn't slower either, meaning Apple managed all the new stuff without sacrificing speed, though they didn't gain it, which is a customer expectation these days.

Shipping Charges

Shame on me for waiting until 3 day service was the cheapest guaranteed way for things to get there, but some day I will learn, though by then my nephews & nieces will all be of age. It is kind of funny that UPS 3 Day is more expensive per pound than someone flying over the same distance. I don't really want to continue that out, because I am sure there are all sorts of things I am not factoring in that will make it less obscene. Anyway, this shipping to the youngsters is done, sent, and should be there in time for them to open them on the big day. Actually, they should be there in time for them to beg Mom & Dad to open them early, though I doubt they will allow it. Now the season is truly moving, with only one week left of work, then five days off. It looks like I might be cooking a Christmas Lasagna, since someone local may be joining Dave and I for Christmas dinner. Cooking is better than not, since otherwise I have no plans, and movies aren't a likelihood, unless I get some morbid taste for Sweeney Todd, if it opens at the Bay that is. It is weird for it to be noon and me to be done with all the important stuff that needed to get done today, so I guess it is time to start drinking. (Not really, but is sounds like a decent plan.)

You're a rotter...

Yeesh, just how many awful things are they going to say about the Grinch before wrapping up his song? The Christmas songs are continuing, and don't get me wrong, since I am not out shopping often, and they don't play them in the street, I am not really tired of them. Really, even if they did play them on the streets, how likely am I to hear Charo's disco version of "Donde esta Santa Claus?" It is actually just a Sunday morning, and I am not up to much except morning coffee. I was playing around on Guild Wars but there were some technical problems, so I gave that up and decided to write something instead, if this indeed counts as writing something. When do random musings become something more? Since I am not much for yammering about politics lately, or religion, or anything terribly controversial for that matter, this is a bit on the toothless side, but hopefully doesn't verge so far into navel gazing that you have to dodge the lint. (I think I am discovering why the better postings are made a bit later in the day, since this morning I don't seem to be able to put together two consecutive sentences that relate to each other.)

Not a total waste

Today has been a decent sort of day. I managed to get gifts wrapped, though they aren't sen yet. I did find out I have a few more hours tonight as well as all day tomorrow to get them in the mail. It looks as though UPS 3 day is my shipping method of choice this year, and to think I almost managed to get everything out in time to make UPS Ground viable.

Today actually consisted of wrapping things, cleaning up around the house while procrastinating against wrapping gifts, and then going out to an early dinner to procrastinate against hauling everything out the door to ship it. It is drizzling right now, which is a better excuse against taking things out of doors than any other I can think of pertaining to things around the apartment. House or apartment? Is there actually a correct word, or are they interchangeable unless specifically talking about something one owns? I use them rather interchangeably, trying to make sure I differentiate when it is important. Since I don't own a freestanding dwelling, I really don't have a house, but since I do live someplace, i can use house in that sense, or can I? The vagaries of the English language are such that one could ponder such things for ages, and, in this country, it would vary depending on region what I could and couldn't say, so I just won't worry about it, preferring to do what I want to say, rather than puttering and worrying too much about the greater implications of my comments--I am not a world leader, and no amount of hubris and ego will make me so.

I wish there was a bit more going on right now, but I really needed to post before I was sidetracked and the day escaped my clutches.

Friday Food

Dinner decisions are a nightmare sometimes. Those nights when you just feel the desire to get out of the house for a bit, and believe dinner is just the perfect excuse. It is the perfect excuse, but then comes the decision on where to eat. Perhaps I should have sample the menu at the Old Town while have a Dick's Silk Lady, but I have eaten there a bit since my return from Europe. There are so many other alternatives, that I haven't decided yet where to go. While I am sure this says nothing about my culinary tastes, lately, I have been choosing my restaurants by the tap selection as much as by their food. It is nice that there are several places close by with a variety on tap and not all of them serving burgers. The worst is waiting too long, for then, food is just food, and then McDonald's would work, though they don't serve beer in this country, so would be disqualified for that reason. (And if they did serve beer here, it would likely be Miller or Bud, so, again, they would be disqualified.) I do enjoy variety, which is sort of why Zayda Buddies keeps crossing my mind. While they do not have the best beer list, they have a decent pizza, and I haven't had anything but store-bought frozen pizza since my return from Europe. The few places that serve burgers are also appealing. Dining options and walking distance--this is what my Friday's are reduced too. Nothing bright, shiny, and festive this close to the holiday, but instead, where can I fill my stomach. Theoretically, I could expand the options a bit by walking over to Fremont, but I don't see much point in that, especially not with a house guest showing up next week who can be a guinea pig for places over there I haven't tried. Dave like Chinese buffets, though I think he is out of luck in this neighborhood for that, but if he like Thai, there are a few places we can go--one in Ballard & another one or two in Fremont.

What to add?

Actually, I can think of plenty to add, but the most distressing is I still have Christmas shopping to do, when I thought it was all done. All the little ones are taken care of, and one I even spoke with on the phone today? These last two weeks of the year are going to be difficult at work--difficult in the sense of really getting much done. Things will happen, and business will move forward, but I think in most places people are less than fully present at work (less now than normal). Tomorrow is our office party, and the whole company will shut down around 11:00 or so, move off-site for a buffet lunch, and if last year is an example, then a few hours of random drawings for company supplied swag (though none had the company logo on it last year), followed by an "early" release. It should be pleasant enough, at least a little more pleasant than working all day and dealing with that sort of silliness. This is actually the first place I have worked where they decided the company party should be during business hours so everyone could attend with no difficulty.

This is a difficultly random post, as I can't think of what needs to be here, though perhaps I will try to take a good picture of my tree and post it some time before the holiday, but don't hold your breath, or you may turn blue. What does need to be added here? Does anything need to be added here? (Actually, I should forgo adding additional questions and clean house, since I have a guest coming next week.) Cleaning is boring, so I will get to it later, like next Tuesday night, where it sets in with a panic. I did some deleting of contacts off my Yahoo messenger yesterday. Somehow I managed to get all these people, and I don't remember who they all are, so I decided to click on their profiles and see if I recognized the picture or the description. Surprisingly, a few I recalled, and, not so surprisingly, there were many more I did not know, and the delete button was pressed. I really hope that I didn't delete anyone I shouldn't have, but I would bet everyone goes through this pruning process periodically.

Christmas Guest

Hey, I just found out that I will have a guest at Christmas. Needless to say, I am excited and a bit concerned as I haven't had a house-guest since I moved out here. Man...Star Wars Christmas moving into Kay Martin, nothing like comparison.

Mid-week already

If ever there was a week moving fast, so far it has been this one, but I am sure that has to do with me not working Monday. I may also have to do with the inexorable speed the end of the year seems to bring with it. Nothing seems in its own time, though some things are taking their own time. I am hoping the last gift I need for a niece shows up tomorrow, especially since I spent that extra bit to get it here, so I could then ship it at a normal rate across country.

Wow...yahoo is taking forever to log me in. I wonder if I should cancel and try again. Ok, I am trying the cancel and login again thing, and it seemed to work. Now I am in, and even have a dopey holiday hat on. I guess all that is left is for people to make snide comments about it, but it is the holiday season, so I should be given a pass, as long as it is off my profile by sometime in early January, unlike my tree last year, which I think was out until sometime in February (though I may have taken it down by January 31st, but if I did, I didn't beat that date by many days).

The last few days I have been bothering people on chat, so I will see if anyone actually says anything to me. I find it sort of fun, though yesterday I cleaned out a bunch of contacts that I don't think I ever spoke with past the initial day or two that they were added. It isn't that I don't want to talk with them, but at this point, I don't even remember who most of them are. It is, in my opinion, much the same plague that hits friends in MySpace or Tribe, that sort of instance where you can't possibly know all 900,000 people listed in your friends list. I don't see any advantage to a long list of people you barely know calling themselves your friends, while the people you actually know are lost in the mess of names. This is probably just a sign of age or else poor organization, but I wouldn't really want a tab titled, "who are these people?" I am trying not to be too closed-minded, but too many people is just that, and if you don't know them, then they aren't really your network, but just a collection of web-sites you have visited.

Well, it is time to throw something in the oven for dinner and drink some more "Delirium Noel."

The most posts

for a given month award this year, goes to December. It wasn't that I was really having a contest, but it is just something I noticed today. The desperate urgency to continue finding words to fill these spaces, as not filling one, leads to another, and so forth (examples are a-plenty this year). Today was back to work, and a rather bizarre day it was, as I never quite felt like it was time to be there. Perhaps it is that holiday spirit that leaks into everything this time of year, making you wish that other things could be done than work, like sitting at home thinking you should be putting up the tree while watching some silly holiday rerun on the television, and this year, rerun is the operative word. Oh, if anyone happens to come across "Jul Igen (remix)" by Monrad og Rislund, I would recommend it. I don't currently have an online account for sharing music, nor do I know how to embed it here, so making do with the title and artist will have to do. Other than meaning "Christmas Again," I can't say what the song is about, and it could be about axe murderers, but I like to think not, as that would not be very characteristic of a Scandanavian Christmas Carol. Other than that, I don't have much to say today. Work was just that, I came home, napped, woke up, messed around on Itunes, had dinner, and am currently enjoying a Leffe Blond while typing. I should no doubt be doing a dozen other things, but they don't seem to have priority right now. Priority right now is typing this, something of utter profound importance. I also have to admit, and maybe I mentioned it yesterday, but Tom Waits version of "Silent Night" is really cool. It has come on the stereo again, and I am enjoying it again. My family would really dislike my holiday music selection--not the songs as much as the artists singing the songs. But most families tend to be traditional in this light, so I shouldn't expect mine to be any different (and they aren't).

Too many words--though Tolstoy has me beat, both in content and length. One year of my life still takes up less space in paper than the entirety of "War and Peace." That really is pathetic, though maybe it isn't. Would a War-and-Peace-length blog really be all that interesting. We do enough navel gazing in this century as it is, and I don't see a reason to add that much more. Truthfully, I wonder how focused on my navel this blog really is, and all I can conclude is that I hope it isn't that focused because I don't find navel gazing that fascinating a past-time, though like many, it happens, and when it does, it throws me into some sort of depression because of all the things I haven't done. If that isn't a good reason to avoid it, I don't know what is. Maybe this whole blog is a treading water exercise to keep me from navel gazing, though more likely it is time passing exercise that will prevent me from going to the gym, or maybe it is both. The variations are many, and since I am an excellent procrastinator, I don't think I need to find more excuses for it than already show up, nor do I need to commit any more into text.

I just realized...

that of all the pictures I posted from my vacation, most have locations that don't immediately scream out to you where the picture was taken. No pyramids, no towers, no churches. While I have lots of those pictures, I think the same aesthetic that caused the majority of my postcards to be of works in the museums I was visiting, has caused the pictures to be of the things I saw that others may or may not have seen, and that others may or may not have decided to take pictures of. The wonderful thing about a digital camera is that you know if something makes a good picture fairly quickly, and you never really run out of film. It is hard to pack real film these days as they airports use heavy duty x-rays on luggage which have a good chance of damaging or ruining outright unprocessed film which may be checked. You can always take another storage card, or do what I did on this trip, which was upload the photos onto my laptop daily. The advantage there is you have a larger view of them and really know if they turned out well or not, which is something the screen on the back of a camera is not likely to show convincingly, at least not on the camera I have.

The sun was out today, so my apartment is nice and warm, unlike yesterday, when it never quite got there.

Work-less Monday

It took several tries, but I was finally able to upload a picture, one not from my trip, but from the house, taken while messing with the camera last night. There will be a few more over the course of time since I took quite a few, generally of things I have taken pictures of before, but last night I was using more candlelight and no flash. There was some other light, but it was more of the oblique sort.

Today, I scheduled off. I actually did the final bit of shopping needed for my nieces & nephews: now, comes the shipping. There is also a little waiting involved this week, as I am hoping for something to arrive for one of my nieces that I ordered from online. Because all my Christmas cards were packed, I finally decided to get out my Christmas boxes, though I haven't yet figured out where to put the tree, since the sofa takes up much of the open space that was available last year, and upending it on its are is not in my plans. Also, while getting boxes out and writing this, laundry is happening. This is probably multi-tasking at its best, especially as it doesn't involve a phone or work. I guess I could add to the fun by opening a beer, but that might be too much, causing me to collapse in a fit of what to do next--type, unpack boxes, or drink more, luckily, I have an hour until the laundry requires folding. Danish pseudo-rap holiday tunes....sometimes, I wonder what I was thinking, but smile instead, sort of happy that odd things show up on my ipod, and it isn't all the traditional stuff everyone else has, though there is a fair share of that, too.

Casting Couch for Christmas?

With lyrics like "girls should be obscene and not heard," this is one of Kay Martin's holiday songs. There is something about the raunchiness of 50's/60's bachelor music, at least I am guessing that is who her main audience was, and though it doesn't have the camp coefficient of Mae West's Holiday Album from then, it is just as listenable, if you don't mind the entendres.

More candles burning today, but no tree as yet. I just haven't motivated myself to go to my storage locker and pull out the boxes, because then I could watch the Grinch as well. Amazing how many things just seem to get put off, since I know, without plans to be elsewhere, I will likely pull everything out of the closet and set things up.

***Added a bit later, but didn't want a new post.****

It is nice to check email and discover messages from people you sent postcards to while abroad. Aside from my family, several friends received them as well, and those messages are trickling in, and it is nice to know people enjoyed them and were surprised, though in some cases I missed people by a month or so in the timing (such as they are going to be in Paris at Christmas). Of course it would have been a great shock to actually run into someone I know there, though it would have been fun and a great surprise.

Sunday Morning, with no bright sun

And unlike last night, the living room is chilly. I guess I have figured out one reason to have a laptop, which is because it is portable, it allows me to write from the living room. It is an awfully expensive solution to being able to type in the living room, but then I can also generally surf the net, and even watch things, though this latter seems to be used the least. In addition to the laptop, I still have to figure out what I am doing with this blog as well. It is nice having something to do everyday, but I still have to come up with something that is compelling for content, since me sitting on the sofa typing with my legs covered in a blanket is not truly compelling content. For some many years, people had a life they considered private, and in this age, many people are choosing to take their private lives public, though even in that, you have to wonder just how much is on display. How much of what people are thinking is posted? Is the self-editing done by everyone, or just a certain sort? With the celebrity train wrecks that make the news, I feel certain, the closer someone's life is to a catastrophe, the less is actually mentioned online, and if it is mentioned, then gloss is the word. The problem I have is that I don't do all that much. I don't go out, because I really don't just want to spend all my time in bars, though they are a frequent destination, since it is good to get away from home. I don't have to work tomorrow, so I should find something fun tonight, but since I was up at 6 this morning, I am not likely to be awake long enough for that. I will find something to do today, but it may take a bit. Perhaps the renovated & expanded museum here, though my trip probably did even more damage to my perception, which wasn't terribly impressed after my visit to their old facility, but I can hope.

The candle is still burning...

This morning I lit a candle, one of those with some indeterminate scent, like "autumn leaves falling in the river." Anyway, it is still burning and doesn't look like much has really been melted, but I could be wrong. My apartment generally does an incredible job retaining heat. For example, the bedroom baseboard heater is set to 65 F or so, and there is no heat on at all in the rest of the apartment. Kip stopped by, and said it was t-shirt weather in my place. Actually, t-shirt and shorts is more like it. Once I doubt I am going out any more in a given day, it is time to put shorts on. If I actually turn the heat off, it is cold when I want to go to bed. I don't recall my electric bill being any greater for this use of electricity, though I doubt it is really excessive.

Some song called "Santa's on a Diet" is playing, and I am sort of curious where it came from. I don't recognize it, but since it is on the least played playlist, it either showed up after Christmas last year, or was some part of a compilation this year, though it seemed a little to gimmicky for any compilation I have uploaded this year. (I haven't put my Tijuana Brass knock-offs on my ipod yet, and that is the main gimmicky thing from this year, so far.)

Tomorrow, I have a little more shopping to do, then I am done. I have to wait for something to come in, then I can ship everything, though I think I can ship some stuff on Monday, though tomorrow will be the final check on that. Not having a car has been nice, as in removing my ability to get around on a whim and making me consider things, I have also spent less money. This year's gift giving seems to be for a reduced number of people--basically my nieces & nephews. It is after 9 p.m., and even though I don't work on Sundays, I do think I will be getting to bed soon, so I should wrap this up.

Pictures from Elsewhere

Surely, at some point I should stop using pictures from my holiday, but I don't really see why, at least not just yet. Imagine, I have over two hundred to choose from, so I really haven't even begun exhausting the possibilities. I don't think I have exhausted the possibilities, but I do think the picture needs to be interesting, and since everyone has seen countless pictures of Notre Dame, and while I have an exceptional night shot, I don't see much reason to post the daytime photos. I am getting better at not taking pictures of everything, but the taking pictures of everything is such an ingrained traditional necessity of being a tourist. Without a camera, a tourist you are not, but instead just someone roaming the streets. Do tourists use anything other than painful albums of photos to explain their holidays to others? More importantly, do others really care about your holiday, or are they just being polite? Keep your comments brief, with only a detail or two, humorous preferable over some inconvenience, unless you can make the two coincide.

The very upper part of my upper lip is chapped. One of those oddly annoying places to get chapped because chap stick never seems to go that far, at least not when I apply it.

And then there were seven

Seven days so far in December, and seven absolutely marvelous and illuminating blog posts. While I am sure it is hardly a record for most people, and probably not really one for me either, as there is a lot more of the month left, so there is plenty of time for me to stop here, gradually wondering why, indeed, I stopped. I get the feeling that blogs, much like social networking sites, are a sort of fad, and that unless one really has some pressing reason to continue with it, one day it will end, and at that time, it will be because it is seen as a chore, and no longer fun. There are only so many ways to challenge yourself to continue spewing out pixels in this medium. Since I haven't been doing much creatively in other mediums lately, I find this one to be useful. The truly marvelous thing about this is that sometimes it can be horribly revealing and at others, it is nothing more than a bit more pointless pollution, wasting the reader's time. Truthfully though, is this really that much worse than a bodice ripper or television? (I really like the Tom Waits/Peter Murphy collaboration.) The sorry thing about this medium is when people do little else but live their life to have something to write, rather than enjoying life as it happens. Another sad thing about this medium, is that as I was told earlier, people won't always notice an update without a picture, obviously the picture should change with each post, though it did just occur to me to post the same picture post after post after post, but then, based on what I say here, even fewer than my current readership will see what I have to say, since they won't have an immediate visual clue that change has occurred.

With Christmas rapidly approaching, I guess I should be more in the holiday mood. It isn't really a lack of mood here, but lack of desire to rig someplace for my pint size tree, which last year managed to stay on display until February. Artificial trees are a great boon to those of us who happen to be lazy. Lazy...perhaps the descriptive adjective I should apply to me, though I don't really like it.

Yesterday's Image, Today!

After my complaints yesterday, it seems things are working better today, though oddly I feel worse. How is it that when the computer works correctly, I get sick? It isn't a big deal, though I am not looking forward to tomorrow. With luck, I can get through with Ibuprofen--without, it will be ugly. Because of my incredible lack of feeling anything faintly resembling good, I also seem to have a lack of anything to write. I have wished I could just shut my brain off for much of the day, curl up into a very cozy fetal position, and sleep the day away. Not to mislead, I did take a nap after work, and I do plan on going to bed early. I will likely skip any alcohol tonight as well, since my understanding is that it does more harm than good when one doesn't feel as spry as one should.

I just moved the laptop to my lap as I sit on the sofa, with little light except that being shed by the screen. For some reason, this seems indulgent. After years of the computer being tied to a certain place, now it is free, though I haven't made it as free as it could be, since I don't always haul it around with me. By not doing work on it, taking it places is really much more conspicuous consumption than anything else, but I shouldn't let that bother me. I do enough conspicuous non-consumption, that letting someone see me running around with a laptop isn't a bad thing, and I can always pretend to be doing very important things, like checking out the situation if I were to move. Job hunting is very important.

To wrap today's rambling nonsense up, I guess I need saran wrap, because otherwise the picture is useless. I believe a museum in Vienna has a model for the figure used in this fountain, and I found it remarkable there when I saw it. I didn't realize that it was part of something larger, though similar to a multi-figure Rodin sculpture, all the figures are identical, which does not make for a dull composition.

Such a lovely collection of photos

I have a lovely collection of photos, but something is up and I seem to be having problems uploading one as an example. Actually, like all the recent photos, it is from my trip to Europe. Every day back is another day I wouldn't mind being on vacation, though that is not a realistic option. Currently, I am still amazing myself at my ability to use this computer for nothing except those silly things laptops were meant for. Instead of writing this post from the desktop in the bedroom, I am using the laptop on the sofa. Since I don't mind the small screen, I can also watch the occasional television show on DVD, though I don't know how long that fascination will last. If I buy a television, now is the season to do it, with all the holiday markdowns. I also just deposited all the unused traveler's checks (which would be all of them) into my checking account, so there is a bit of extra money there. All that is left is to visit an electronics store, and I think Kip would be up for that, though I do not know if I would be up for blowing the money for a big, flat, television, though I have no problems spending smaller quantities on nice beer. Currently, I am working on the St. Bernardus Christmas Ale, and enjoying it, though probably not enough to go drop $20 for a bottle with the appropriate keepsake glass at the Old Town. The thing is though, that because the Belgians allow themselves a few more ingredients than the Germans, their beers seem more complex, but they aren't the thing for a quick, feeling thirsty, quencher, because of this complexity--leave that to pilseners.

And then there's Maude

What a day... Busy like no one's business at work, which was nice as it made the afternoon just zoom. After work I went over to this cafe/pub called Brauer's and enjoyed a Belgian on tap as well as an oak-aged domestic, also on tap. The world of beers holds a variety to explore, and I am lucky to be able to explore in this part of the country, as it is one of the richest areas to explore beer, in many of its types and seasons. I can't say why I have become fascinated with beer, or if it is just a temporary passion, much like what I wonder about with Mom & her periodic interests. Regardless, I am going to enjoy the interest while it lasts, and before my waistline expands to such a point that I need to call it off, though if I am smart and careful, perhaps this won't actually raise its head as a concern.

Other than the beers & a tasty lamb burger, the day hasn't consisted of much outside of work. Last night Dave called to discuss the world of living by decisions you make even if your family doesn't really support them. I felt lousy because I couldn't really give much in the way of advice here. While it makes sense to anyone who needs to make such a decision, "do what you feel is right" is just not the sort of supportive advice most people need. Much to his dismay, his family isn't real keen on his graduate school endeavor, even 1.5 years into it, and are tactless enough to tell him so. Under such an assault, there is little you can do but remain faithful to the spirit of the initial decision and stick to it, if for no other reason than to prove them wrong, because dropping out will only prove them correct, even if their lack of faith and support was a contributing factor. I guess for me, I was lucky, as aside from the initial snide comments from Mom, most of my family kept quiet, and while I was in Romania, they all had the grace not to trash what I was doing on the international phone calls that occasionally happened--it makes me think I had it easy.

Absolutely amazing what different families do under similar circumstances. Mom eventually turned a leaf over and decided Peace Corps was a good thing, and aside from my sister, I still don't know what the rest of the family thought of the whole adventure, though none of them took the time to visit, which might say all that needs to be said.

When the audience is nil

In a Newsweek interview, Imre Kertesz mentioned that writing when you didn't believe the work would be published was a liberating experience, as opposed to writing for the masses or commercial success. The interview was shortly after he received the Nobel Prize and the question was sort of aimed at "Fatelessness." I enjoyed the book, and found it fascinating how horror and kindness coexisted in the camps. The reason I thought about it was my honest belief that this blog isn't really read, because there isn't really anything here. Somehow, through the wonder of modern technology, something can be posted for people to read, but because there is so much posted, there is no one left with the free minutes to devote to it. Whether I can work something out of this, I don't know, as I do believe too much navel gazing makes for a boring blog (or anything else for that matter). I guess I could label the posts, link to numerous other blogs, and generally work at ways to build readership, but, seriously, what do I have to offer people for such a few minutes of their life? The occasional post railing against the idiots in Washington, perhaps a silly picture, or not silly, an observation of what I have been reading? I wonder how all these make a life worth reading. A life worth living is an infinitely subtler beast than one worth reading, but it is the latter which is created here, and that sort of focus is what has generally been missing. Life has days when you are busy, days when you don't feel like writing, days when you really have various mundane activities to attend to (like laundry & rent & etc.), and it is these days which vanish from the blog, but it is these missing days that interest people. I tried the one a day posting method, but couldn't really think of anything for too many consecutive days that I wanted to write about, and for some reason, I have made the assumption that if I don't want to write about it, then no one will want to read about it, but with no readers, is that really an issue. Could I really spend a bit of time telling people how I wipe my arse after a good dump? And if I did, would they actually read it, and more importantly comment on it? The feedback is what is fun, even if I don't add anything as a response to the feedback. Discouragement sets in after so many postings without comments--obviously I am not connecting. Life is that way, and if anyone is actually reading this magnificent run on paragraph, which I see no end to, as I am rambling so contentedly, will they actually make a comment. (Anyone that is except Dave, who I know glances at the blog when there is a new picture.) Busy clippers, hairdresser on fire...something delightfully perverse in the lyrics. Feedback & Commentary....wow, a pair of capitalized words, this might be serious, but only if I change the name of the blog to that. With all that is going on, a blog that is a call to arms or a blog that reminds people of what sort of erosion is daily occurring to the rights that Jefferson & Hamilton disagreed about. The Hamiltonians are winning, which is kind of odd, since the Jeffersonians were for so long, but more government control because the masses demand care is what seems to be happening. Just yesterday I commented to my father about how much easier going to Europe was than coming home. Let's face it, while I had to obtain a visa for China, there was still less paperwork to get into the country than there is here, and Europe, it is a dream....probably because they assume certain things on flights from the United States.

Sunday... (the piano has been drinking)

The picture is from the tail end of my trip, during my layover at the Copenhagen Airport. It also is very visual as to what I have been doing since wrapping up what little Christmas shopping I did today, though it doesn't really reflect the import of another decision I have to make, about whether or not to fly to Evansville for the holiday. The family would be thrilled, though I think I will miss Greg and his family, though that isn't a surprise since I knew they visited at Thanksgiving. Even if I went home, my timing would be lousy if I really intended to go to my class reunion, since it is the following weekend.

Snow in Seattle

It is the first of December and the first snow in the city. It has been coming down for over an hour, though tomorrow is supposed to be rain, but we have white stuff, and I am sure those who ski are happy because if it is snowing here, than it is likely snowing more in the mountains.

All I can say is that I am glad Mother Nature gave me a few days back home prior to dumping snow. Last year after vacation, it started to snow before I managed to get home from the airport, and I had to drag my little roller luggage through the slush.

House for let in Antwerp

It wasn't this house, but on this street, filled with Art Nouveau wonders, there is a house for let, actually I think it is for sale, but either way, there would be something cool about living in one of these places, much like there would be something cool about living in a home designed by Wright.

It is Saturday, and I am at a loss of what sort of constructive things to do. The world here is still as stultifying as when I left, and work seemed beyond absurd this week. Somehow, I really need to find the mysterious whatever that allows one to be braindead all week, doing ridiculous and repetitive tasks. I can't say when I will find that whatever, but I do hope it happens soon, before the pleasure from my trip totally fades, causing depression at the rut to which I returned. In truth, I have been trying to avoid that rut, but I can't say I am doing all that great a job.

Oh, I found Brugse Zot at the grocery store, so I am enjoying that bit of my trip, and can do so repeatedly, even if it wasn't my favorite beer.

I am alive...vacation is fun

The only problem I have discovered thus far is a scarcity of wifi connections. I guess therre are some out there, since I found this one, but places that have them aren't clearly marked, except the Pompidou Center in Paris, which is very well marked, but it wasn't someplace I really wanted to take my computer so I could log into the net. I will try to update things, but no promises, at least until I get back home.

The transit strike in Paris meant I walked alot...and I do mean a lot.

From Emerald to Lights

I don't quite know if Paris is the city of light or city of lights, though this time of the year, I would think the latter would be most appropriate. For whatever reason, what would visiting Paris be like if there weren't a transit strike going on. It seems as if I am going to be on the inconvenienced side of that equation upon my arrival--nothing like a 50 Euro cab ride to endear you to a city. It is Paris, but, being the stupid traveller I am, I thought since there was a strike last month, i would not have to deal with one in November. At some point, I will learn that not all unions behave like those in the United States.

The markets here are out of locally grown flowers, and I don't expect to see much in that vein while I am gone, but with luck the change of scenery will do me the proverbially much good. Sometime after I get there, I will do what I can to update the blog, and hopefully the update will include pictures, though there is still no guarantee they will pertain to what I am writing, except in that vague way a picture of Paris with an article about the place have a connection.

Still Sunday, still not really up to much

Considering whether or not to take another picture using the colored pencil filter. Since it is brighter out now than it was earlier, more detail shows up. It is sort of odd, not having any major plans to work out, though I guess it would be prudent to begin looking through the guidebooks and plans things to do, though I doubt I will get around to that. I will look into them for some suggestions, other than self-catering, to keep food costs reasonable, but more of this advice will revolve around finding places which don't cater to tourists. I could probably resort to fast food as well, though that seems a bit of sacrilege in Paris, though it isn't likely I will visit someplace with a Michelin star, so this shouldn't be a major concern for me. I just hope I manage to hold out through all the museums.

A Little Early

I thought, hey, let's do a blog post, then I realized my coffee wasn't even ready and I was barely cognizant. The coffee has been taken care of, and now my blog pictures are beginning to be a bit narcissistic, and if not that, then at least, look what I can do. Built in cameras have some use, though I haven't really decided on the perfect use yet. I have been told they are there so the government can spy on you when you are using your laptop, but it seems awfully idiotic (perfect, then, for government work) since many people close their laptops when not using them, and when you are using it, the government is only going to see an image of someone typing.

Sunday morning with surf music in the background and good coffee in my mug. I have most of the clothing part of packing taken care of, provided I don't change my mind about anything. I may decided to add a long-sleeve shirt or two, since much of what I have packed is for weather similar to here, which in looking at weather.com, seems appropriate. That's it for now.

Worn Out

Saturday, just prior to vacation, and I am feeling as worn out as the sign pictured. I finally got around to getting myself packed, at least when it comes to clothes. There is a bit more work to do when it comes to my carry on, with the computer, camera, and a couple of days worth of clothes. Quite wacky the list I need to fit into my backpack, and the other decisions I need to make, such as DVD's, Ipod, or other digital distractions. I doubt I will take any with me, though I might, because I don't see much reason to saddle myself with it. I am really hoping the funk will lift before my plane lands at CDG. It is always hard to say, but I am sure once I find myself leaving work early on Tuesday, the funk will lift, though there will be the requisite amount of panic and concern for time prior to me getting to the airport, dealing with the TSA, and getting a seat. Oh well...Tuesday will be here soon enough.

This evening I went to Zayda Buddies again for dinner. The food isn't bad, but I couldn't quite not laugh at people paying $3.00 a can for Blatz, Hamm's, Schlitz, & something called Golden Grain or Grain Field--a midwestern beer that must originate further west in the midwestern landscape than my knowledge. They have bottles of Leinenkugel, which is a good beer, but the other stuff is just bad, and they might as well stick with the PBR, since it is cheaper and just as good. Oh well, I wasn't drinking it, so I shouldn't have too much fun at their expense. It is just one of those things, having grown up there, some things you just don't miss.

Growing Financial Paranoia

It is odd, after several years not having a credit card, though having a debit card, with my upcoming trip to Europe, I am becoming paranoid about my debit cards not working. I haven't received the credit card I applied for, so I could earn miles for all of my hotel charges, and I am worrying about the debit cards not being accepted. Don't get me wrong, I have never had a problem using them abroad previously, but there is a first time for everything, and I don't want this to be that time. As it is, I am doing those things, like considering buying Euros ahead of time, for at least a cushion, which would make a cut off less disastrous. What makes me really wonder though, and while I was in Romania and heading to other places on the continent during holiday, I never really worried about the whole thing, but I had a back up card just in case, so is this just because I don't have the safety net I am accustomed to, or is it because Bush's push to have Americans live in fear is rubbing off on me, and in a peculiar fashion because of my upcoming vacation. It is hard to say, but I have noticed that at least one person I know also seems to be acting in a more peculiarly paranoid fashion. The culture of fear has begun, and it will take some effort to get myself out of it, and some effort to make sure those around me don't succumb as well.

No pictures, I think

No entertaining pictures today, but that is as much because I didn't take any this week (even of the boy dressed as Captain Underpants), as that I don't feel like raiding the few that are on here, as they don't quite express my mood. Much like my friend Dave, I am still accustoming myself to using a laptop keyboard, though I hope my learning curve is faster than his, but I can't quite say, since my writing on the computer at this point is limited to this blog, and however often I decide to update.

For my trip, I am fairly sure that Cologne is now out of the picture, though not because it wouldn't be a worthy side trip, but because I am hoping to find enough in Antwerp to keep me busy, though if I don't, I can always leave early on my final day to see what trouble I can get into in Amsterdam, that short train ride away, and the final destination on my Paris-Amsterdam open jaw ticket trip. I really need to find a wittier name for the trip, but it hasn't come yet. It isn't like my Castle & Campanile tour of '04, where I went to as many castles and climbed as many campaniles as I could, perhaps when I start the trip, I will find a fun name for it.

On a slightly different note, it is interesting to read, while he personally finds water-boarding deplorable, the attorney general nominee isn't quite sure if it is illegal. Over the centuries, it hasn't necessarily been unusual, but I think today, most would consider it cruel and unusual as a form of interrogation; therefore, it should be illegal. The commentary creates the impression that he is trying to prevent lawsuits and potentially being required prosecute his own staff, though there may be laws on the books that protect them. From that perspective, his answers make sense, though they don't make him sound like he oozes integrity. As a country, I really believe we need to move forward and away from the aspects of this presidency that make the United States out to be a participant in atrocities, rather than the beacon of hope and light it has more traditionally, if not accurately, been perceived as. Too bad the executive branch doesn't see it that way.

Forlorn Monday?

Mondays seem a lot like the photo of the old vacuum repair shop. I don't know what is going to go in there, which is sort of like the beginning of the week, with not knowing where it will lead. Beyond what will happen at work or in the news, there is something sad about the weekend passing, and, for most people, the work week does not really hold hope for most people, but it is the grind necessary for another pay day. For me, at least, this is something which should change. I don't know the path yet for my change, but I keep feeling it is necessary.

My day today, after work, where one colleague had to leave and take a sick child to the doctor, hasn't consisted of much. Taking some sweaters I plan on taking to Europe to the cleaner, nothing like clean sweaters when traveling Northern Europe in November. Other than that, there is an itinerary change I am contemplating, but haven't put it into work yet, and don't know if I will go blind, or actually make reservations. For my comfort, reservations, but for a change, perhaps just seeing what shows up, sort of like in Split, where a local offered a room, cheaper than the hotels, and in a decent location. They could use the money more than the hotel was my thought. In so many former Communist countries, the pensioners have some of the most difficult times, fixed income and rising prices are a bad combination.

Later Sunday

I forgot all about this picture. The sign is no longer there, but, as you can see, Seattle does like its informers, though I don't believe a cut of the fine is included to reimburse you for your minutes. What bothers me is that something as innocuous as this can potentially lead to reporting of other actions. I hate to be an alarmist, and perhaps this message is just a bit late, but with each of our civil liberties daily being called into question, because terrorists use phones, use the internet, read newspapers, and watch television. Not to mention, they drive cars, ride bikes, use public transportation, etc. The theory being, I guess, if you monitor everything, you can stop something, though in truth, if you monitor everything, then there is no freedom, because people are scared of expressing opinions. This isn't a new soap box, but the photo seemed to call for it. After doing some cleaning around here, I went outside, enjoyed the afternoon, went to OKOK Gallery, though I didn't much like the art on display, and also went to the grocery store and purchased food that isn't very good for me.

Sunday (Etta & Laundry)

Nothing like a Sunday for hanging about all morning, putzing around the house, doing laundry, and finally unloading the dishwasher. I must say, I don't really know how much time is saves me, but I only run it when I am either going to bed or leaving because it is too loud. I think I need more detergent for it, since the box I bought a year ago is about empty--the same for the box of dryer sheets, also over a year old. I am sure that the age of household products isn't really what you thought about when you decided to read this, but such things happen. Sundays with Etta James playing on the stereo, and a countertop that still needs to be cleaned off, and brushes that need the paint cleaned from them, though there hasn't been much activity on that front.

People always want to know what is going on, but there isn't really ever that much. Last night I went to Zayda Buddies' Pizza & Bar and enjoyed some Moose Drool and pizza--the closest I have found yet to Turoni's, back in Evansville, IN. They call it Minnesota style here, but I hardly think that an appropriate name, since it is obviously a more wide-ranging style, and I don't think Indiana had a crush of immigrants from Minnesota teaching them how to make pizza.

Leaves of Dave

Today, for the first time, I have received a note from Dave on unique stationary, though not a new one, and one he may not have spent much money on, but if he raked all them, there was a bit of time involved. Anyway, one day not long ago, I received the lovely alien postcard, then today I had an envelope. Walking up the stairs (I live on the 3rd floor), I noticed the interesting play of shadows, and I became curious...did he send me a bunch of leaves? Has Dave gone from being a poet to being a performance writer? What do the leaves imply? Is Dave having a greener than thou moment?

I don't really know the answers to any of these questions, but the 3 leaf letter was fun to read, and I just have to hope the leaves don't get much darker, or parts will be very difficult to decipher in the future.

Other than that, it was a day at work, and a Thursday at that.


******just updated*****
Since I had no picture, I didn't really want a brand new post. Anyway, let us all cheer Maritime Pacific's Windfest seasonal off to a well deserved rest, and hope for its speedy return. I would swear it was only a couple of weeks back that I filled my growler with Windfest, but when I went back tonight, it was gone. Far too soon, after a stay of only 4 weeks or so. Anyway, as Kip says, you can drink well around here if your favorites are seasonals rather than the standbys. Actually, I think you can have a better beer experience by drining the seasonal offerings.

On one last beer note, a brewery in California makes a marvelous malty belgian style brown callled Brother Thelonius, which I highly recommend. What could have been a joke of a beer with a cute name/label is really quite good.

Expensive new toy

Why it gave me code instead of a picture in the text box, I don't know, but I tried for a picture since it has been a bit. (In preview the picture was back, so I am hoping that is the way it is, really.)

My new expensive toy is a MacBook, and I have spent most of the evening trying to get the internet working for it, and I did eventually manage it. The only problem now is if I ever need to print from it, since I don't have the two computers networked.

That is about it, I am just happy that things are moving along, however slowly.

The government wants my books!

I remember reading something about the lists that our federal government has decided to keep on all of us.  For some reason, books have made the cut, and I am sure web sites have made the cut as well, but that is still secret (and the existence of those records likely still being denied), and this fact was made clear to me at the independent bookseller I went to over the weekend.  Perhaps it is time for me to stop using my debit card, which will make life for her more difficult, but at least all my titles won't be expressed to a DoJ list.  Actually, I guess they could subpoena Library Thing, or even just view it, but that isn't up to date...

The books of interest, by the way, are "Rick Steves' Paris 2007" and "the Lonely Planet City Guide to Amsterdam. "  I don't know, harmless books in my opinion, but I am sure the government, with insistence similar to that used to invoke Saddam & 9/11 correlations, will find some way to damn the purchases.  Such is life, and at least I know the Ministry of Information will correct things for me...

from Camus

I was just sitting down to read a bit before heading to bed. I am still working on Camus' writing for Combat. It is taking me a while, but it isn't really a novel you sit and read, rather it is a series of editorials that you read in small quantities. With this war in Iraq going on, his comments on what is justifiable in war, taken in context, reveal much of what seems to be wrong right now. Today's interesting note, from the 2nd paragraph of the editorial dated 14 November, 1944: "Modern warfare is so lethal that no country, no matter how numerous its population, can allow itself to go to war half prepared." If this was so sixty years ago, has anything changed to make it untrue? If so, perhaps our Executive Branch would care to enlighten us.

too much time online?

I think I spent too much time over at LOLCats today, only to find this picture (text is mine) at Davo's blog (see sidebar link).  Hopefully, he considers that appropriate credit.  I haven't been down to the Puyallup fair here, but I have heard it is trans-fat free.  Leave it to Washington to ensure something like that makes front page news.  There is slow new and no news, and aside from some shootings down at the Market (Pike's Place, I think, since it is the only one capitalized around here), this has been a no news week around here.  That's about it.

August already

Today, browsing the web while munching on dinner, I found this article in the Guardian UK.  For some reason I don't recall seeing any articles recently in the American papers about 190,000 weapons which can't be accounted for in Iraq, but were distributed to the security force by the U.S. and its allies.  Is a joke about shooting ourselves in the foot appropriate here?

In business news, I feel sorry for all the employees at Chrysler.  I think Daimler gave them a raw deal, and I think their new owners will give it to them even worse.  I wonder what sort of parachute they gave the Home Depot guy.  Good thing for Chrysler he weaseled 200 million out of Home Depot, since he won't have negotiated for nearly as much if (or when) they ask him to leave.

Random thoughts on International Affairs

For whatever reasons, perhaps because of the book on Picasso I am reading, or perhaps because I just finished the last Harry Potter novel, some thoughts have come to mind about world affairs:

Will China's surge in demand for natural resources lead to a mending of fences with Russia, allowing Russia to play China against Europe for resources?  Russia has not proven itself unwilling to use this card.

How many more, Iraqis & Americans, will die before something is really done there?  (The same holds true for Afghanistan too, but from what I have read, it seems the Afghans are at least trying to help restore order, though if we keep bombing our friends, that may end as well.)

How long will Pakistan hold out against the "Islamists"?  Musharraf's friendly dictatorship just doesn't seem all that stable.

While not really a blip on anyone's radar, how long will the poorest classes in India refrain from revolution, causing turmoil there as well?  If something happens in Pakistan, will the new regime look to Kashmir to bolster their strength (not wanting to give up what they consider theirs).

Africa & South America are strangely off this list for now, but Chavez is causing a right fit in his part of the latter, especially amongst the neighbors, the poorest of which probably hear him and think how nice it will be to have natural resource revenues split amongst them all.  To some degree, part of the profits in such things do belong to all, and probably more than any country really taxes the companies involved.

There was something I saw somewhere, me and my lousy documentation, about young Israelis not being keen on staying in Israel, but without the article to refer to, that will remain to speculation, and to the speculation on what will happen there if a voluntary exodus occurs (which I don't think is mentioned in the Bible).

An entry because it is something to do.

Sundays are weird sorts of days sometimes.  Today was one for me.  I wasn't terribly up for anything, and spent the day accordingly, doing a bit of this and a bit of that.  While surfing the web, I came across a few blogs which featured the "farewell for now" message.  I guess I find it kind of interesting to post that sort of message, though I guess if I had any regular readers, it wouldn't seem so odd--letting people know there is no reason to continue checking on a regular basis is good manners.  (Manners on the Internet? Maybe that is why it seems an odd blog topic?) 

Weekend is over...again...so quickly

At the OK OK Gallery, there is a show by Gregory Euclide, and I stopped in today, as I try to monthly, just to see what was there.  Some big stuff, and then there were these.  It is as if someone decided to cut up packing bubbles and glue them over quarter-sized watercolors.  The result was then mounted to a nail which had been hammered into the gallery wall.  The upper double row on the postcard show what they looked like, but there is really nothing to indicate the look of abject horror on the staff's face when I suggested popping the bubbles.  This, apparently, is not interactive art, though in looking at it, I was reminded of a couple of things.  When I was a kid, back then, there we these decorative pieces which consisted of a couple of colors of sand sandwiched in between some plastic, as you turned it, the sand would change patterns.  His pictures, inexplicably, reminded me of those sand patters.  They also seemed too precious, but that is strictly an opinion.