Sunday, April 11, 2010
Randomly Puzzling
Just had a dream that I was one of a number of Richard Alpert-like people who didn't age only I had amnesia and was trying to figure out what was going on.
At our house, Angie was trying to convince Meredith (by phone) to delay Make Ahead Meal exchange day because Lori Lamb was there mad because she had forgotten to make a meal (but that Angie also knew of three other women who weren't ready to meet). In Lori's case because of some other huge thing that was going on in the dream that I now can't remember. (Angie had come over to watch our children because Lori and I both had things we had to run off and attend to.) In the dream, it was Lori's and my house, but it was really different. (The garage reminded me of the family's garage in Breaking Bad where Walt hid all the money in season 2.)
It also involved industrial espionage at the State Animal Licensing Bureau building at the State Capitol and whatever building had been on that site previously. (Some clues I gathered from a nearly park which had a big sign about the building.) And a separate site in Olympia where I was one of several people digging holes trying to find stuff before the other people did in the shadow of the big buildings. (Think of the desert land between the casinos and the 15 near Vegas for a similar look.) I thought the other people digging knew who I was, but I didn't know who they were.
I bluffed my way into the State Animal Licensing Bureau building (is there such a thing? Would they have their own building? With decent security?) And that Steve and Leslie and Della worked there. (Yeah, this dream was a massive collision of unrelated parts of my life.) And Steve or Leslie also might have been like me in the non-aging way but I wasn't sure yet.
And it was Pajama Day and I had unwittingly worn my Homer Simpsons sweats and Dunder Mifflin T-Shirt so I fit right in.
Just before I woke up, I was laying on the floor in a hallway and security was coming but I was having trouble getting up because I was laying on my arm too close to the wall, so I was flopping around trying to get enough space to be able to get up. Oh, and just before that, I had been at someone else's cube where I'd been hacking their computer and trying to figure out how to remove the profile for myself that I'd added to their Palm Pre.
I believe that this dream was seeded by: Recent episodes of CSI:Thursdays, LOST and The Mentalist, Lori's massive reorganization of a number of our storage areas yesterday, Carol's recent death, a building in Seattle that I saw on the news that was build in 2001 (and not even yet fully occupied that's going to be condemned before the end of the year), all the laundry I did yesterday all the discussions of cube/workspace/layout redesigns in our area we'd had at work lately, a recent viewing of all of the Bourne movies and an Engadget editorial yesterday suggesting the merger of HTC and Palm. And Facebook for all the collection of otherwise unrelated people all appearing in the same place.
But as for meaning, I can think of none. It was more of just the random firings of my brain as it sought to put order to all kinds of random things that have been fed into it recently.
At our house, Angie was trying to convince Meredith (by phone) to delay Make Ahead Meal exchange day because Lori Lamb was there mad because she had forgotten to make a meal (but that Angie also knew of three other women who weren't ready to meet). In Lori's case because of some other huge thing that was going on in the dream that I now can't remember. (Angie had come over to watch our children because Lori and I both had things we had to run off and attend to.) In the dream, it was Lori's and my house, but it was really different. (The garage reminded me of the family's garage in Breaking Bad where Walt hid all the money in season 2.)
It also involved industrial espionage at the State Animal Licensing Bureau building at the State Capitol and whatever building had been on that site previously. (Some clues I gathered from a nearly park which had a big sign about the building.) And a separate site in Olympia where I was one of several people digging holes trying to find stuff before the other people did in the shadow of the big buildings. (Think of the desert land between the casinos and the 15 near Vegas for a similar look.) I thought the other people digging knew who I was, but I didn't know who they were.
I bluffed my way into the State Animal Licensing Bureau building (is there such a thing? Would they have their own building? With decent security?) And that Steve and Leslie and Della worked there. (Yeah, this dream was a massive collision of unrelated parts of my life.) And Steve or Leslie also might have been like me in the non-aging way but I wasn't sure yet.
And it was Pajama Day and I had unwittingly worn my Homer Simpsons sweats and Dunder Mifflin T-Shirt so I fit right in.
Just before I woke up, I was laying on the floor in a hallway and security was coming but I was having trouble getting up because I was laying on my arm too close to the wall, so I was flopping around trying to get enough space to be able to get up. Oh, and just before that, I had been at someone else's cube where I'd been hacking their computer and trying to figure out how to remove the profile for myself that I'd added to their Palm Pre.
I believe that this dream was seeded by: Recent episodes of CSI:Thursdays, LOST and The Mentalist, Lori's massive reorganization of a number of our storage areas yesterday, Carol's recent death, a building in Seattle that I saw on the news that was build in 2001 (and not even yet fully occupied that's going to be condemned before the end of the year), all the laundry I did yesterday all the discussions of cube/workspace/layout redesigns in our area we'd had at work lately, a recent viewing of all of the Bourne movies and an Engadget editorial yesterday suggesting the merger of HTC and Palm. And Facebook for all the collection of otherwise unrelated people all appearing in the same place.
But as for meaning, I can think of none. It was more of just the random firings of my brain as it sought to put order to all kinds of random things that have been fed into it recently.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Pastichius
I almost forgot to do this. Let's see how quickly I can knock it out.
I just heard a really cool word. I thought I sort of knew what it meant, but I still had to look it up. Pastiche. Hodge-podge. Imitation. In this particular case, it was a Native American running a souvenir shop selling stuff that wasn't just his own culture, but it was others as well because he knew that's what would sell.
But it's a cool word. It's a big word with a fun meaning.
Today was a good day. We got to sleep in until 7 am. Had hoped for later, but Rachel was hungry and wasn't interested in just snacking on the food available to her, she wanted something more substantial. We were able to stave her off for a little while, but by 8 am we were all up. Except Ben. He slept later.
We started with breakfast and started building a new playlist in iTunes which we called "Saturday morning." We decided we needed a family-friendly list of stuff to get everyone up and moving. Fun. We got it up to just over 150, but there are plenty more in our collection we haven't added yet. After breakfast, we all got to work on stuff around the house. Laundry, cleaning, jumping jacks for Ben, Rachel and I. Fun.
After lunch, Rachel watched some TV while I mowed the front lawns and then the lower back lawn for the first time since last summer. Grass was really tall and it looks like coyotes have spent some time in our backyard. Ugh.
We still have a large pile of boards from when we ripped out the kitchen floor piled on the ground below the kitchen. I ripped half of them into smaller pieces and filled a greens can full of them. Over time I'll fill plastic bags and drop them in the trash until it's all gone. I have another session of ripping to do, but the pile is much smaller now. That feels productive. There's still a lot to be done, but it's nice to have made some progress.
After that, loaded Rachel's bike in the truck and drove to one of the neighborhood parks where she rode two complete laps around the path. We talked about how learning to ride well is not about not falling, it's about falling in a way that you can recover from without getting too hurt. We practiced mounts and dismounts, including falls. She got a lot of practice starting back up and working to keep things going uphill and how to manage speed downhill. It's nearly flat, but there's just enough to get some practice. We mostly worked on braking with the handbrake while continuing to pedal steadily. At the end, there's a slightly larger hill and at first she didn't want to do at all, but I suggested that if she did it, then she could tell Lori that she'd ridden the entire way. On that one, we worked on braking with the pedals. And it turned out she had a lot of fun with it, able to bring it to a complete stop and then start again, kept doing it over and over again.
Then we came back home. I had been thinking of going to Sharis or Dennys or something. I wanted breakfast. When we walked in the door, Lori suggested breakfast. Awesome. So I made up a massive batch of pancakes, including some pink ones for Lori and a chocolate chip pancake for the three of us (Ben just got regular ones) and a Health-bar one for Lori and I each. (Heath now sells a bag of the broken ones they sweep off the factory floor, in the chocolate chip aisle. Good stuff, though hopefully not really off the factory floor.) The Heath ones turned out to be very subtle and a little crunchy. In our opinion, much better than the chocolate chip ones. The chocolate chip ones were good, but it was giant Ghiradelli chips, so they didn't melt as well and they were much larger. Next time I think I'll try cocoa mix instead for a more uniform chocolate. Ben, of course, loved the pancakes, excitedly exclaiming "waffle!" whenever we'd hand him a piece and then shoving it entirely into his mouth.
Lori had me make a double-batch, she's freezed the ones we didn't eat, apparently she can pull them out whenever and pop them in the toaster and the kids, especially Ben love it. I'm married to an incredibly smart woman.
I just heard a really cool word. I thought I sort of knew what it meant, but I still had to look it up. Pastiche. Hodge-podge. Imitation. In this particular case, it was a Native American running a souvenir shop selling stuff that wasn't just his own culture, but it was others as well because he knew that's what would sell.
But it's a cool word. It's a big word with a fun meaning.
Today was a good day. We got to sleep in until 7 am. Had hoped for later, but Rachel was hungry and wasn't interested in just snacking on the food available to her, she wanted something more substantial. We were able to stave her off for a little while, but by 8 am we were all up. Except Ben. He slept later.
We started with breakfast and started building a new playlist in iTunes which we called "Saturday morning." We decided we needed a family-friendly list of stuff to get everyone up and moving. Fun. We got it up to just over 150, but there are plenty more in our collection we haven't added yet. After breakfast, we all got to work on stuff around the house. Laundry, cleaning, jumping jacks for Ben, Rachel and I. Fun.
After lunch, Rachel watched some TV while I mowed the front lawns and then the lower back lawn for the first time since last summer. Grass was really tall and it looks like coyotes have spent some time in our backyard. Ugh.
We still have a large pile of boards from when we ripped out the kitchen floor piled on the ground below the kitchen. I ripped half of them into smaller pieces and filled a greens can full of them. Over time I'll fill plastic bags and drop them in the trash until it's all gone. I have another session of ripping to do, but the pile is much smaller now. That feels productive. There's still a lot to be done, but it's nice to have made some progress.
After that, loaded Rachel's bike in the truck and drove to one of the neighborhood parks where she rode two complete laps around the path. We talked about how learning to ride well is not about not falling, it's about falling in a way that you can recover from without getting too hurt. We practiced mounts and dismounts, including falls. She got a lot of practice starting back up and working to keep things going uphill and how to manage speed downhill. It's nearly flat, but there's just enough to get some practice. We mostly worked on braking with the handbrake while continuing to pedal steadily. At the end, there's a slightly larger hill and at first she didn't want to do at all, but I suggested that if she did it, then she could tell Lori that she'd ridden the entire way. On that one, we worked on braking with the pedals. And it turned out she had a lot of fun with it, able to bring it to a complete stop and then start again, kept doing it over and over again.
Then we came back home. I had been thinking of going to Sharis or Dennys or something. I wanted breakfast. When we walked in the door, Lori suggested breakfast. Awesome. So I made up a massive batch of pancakes, including some pink ones for Lori and a chocolate chip pancake for the three of us (Ben just got regular ones) and a Health-bar one for Lori and I each. (Heath now sells a bag of the broken ones they sweep off the factory floor, in the chocolate chip aisle. Good stuff, though hopefully not really off the factory floor.) The Heath ones turned out to be very subtle and a little crunchy. In our opinion, much better than the chocolate chip ones. The chocolate chip ones were good, but it was giant Ghiradelli chips, so they didn't melt as well and they were much larger. Next time I think I'll try cocoa mix instead for a more uniform chocolate. Ben, of course, loved the pancakes, excitedly exclaiming "waffle!" whenever we'd hand him a piece and then shoving it entirely into his mouth.
Lori had me make a double-batch, she's freezed the ones we didn't eat, apparently she can pull them out whenever and pop them in the toaster and the kids, especially Ben love it. I'm married to an incredibly smart woman.
Friday, April 09, 2010
The Calm of Nothing
The blank page. The unforgiving blinking cursor. Staring you down. Daring you to take a stand, make a move, commit to something. Pick a topic, run with it. Only, that's not really happening. Like the page, my mind feels like a blank slate. I don't know where to start, I don't know where I'm going, so there's no way to figure out what comes in the middle.
The white screen offers for no reflection, offers no hints, offers no motive, no trends, no tracks, no help whatsoever.
My day? Even there, not so much to help. Awake, a movie, a drive, work. Typing, coffee, typing. Meeting with a whiteboard, impromptu inclusion of several others. Some surprises, some confusion. Some clarification, but still, some lack of resolution. Lunch. Manicotti, veggies, dip, a walk. Some Aaron Barnhart's podcasts and some music. And then back inside. Too warm. More email, more chatting. Off to Starbucks for a meeting. Casual, relaxed, a chance to chat with a new employee starting Monday. Back to the office. A prank, some work, some last minute details. Tidying the desk and then done. A drive, home, snacks and movie night. And then done too quickly and the kids were to bed. So now, more of the same. Wii walking and TV. FlashForward. Exciting like LOST used to be. Or was again on Tuesday. They're on a Ferris Wheel, they're on a Merry-Go-Round, mommy and daughter, seems like a nice day on the Santa Monica Pier. And that was the day to now.
And the week? Also not anything to write about. Quiet, calm, not as much done at work as I'd hoped. Quiet at home as well. A good thing. Even the power outage happened while I was at work.
So... how about the weekend? I don't see anything on the calendar. That is a good thing. The house is in good shape, but it can be better. If this weekend is truly unbusy, then I may get a lot done. Weather will be in the low-50s but no rain. Could be cold, but maybe I can get some more work done out front. I've got three bags of bark left, several bags of gravel in the backyard (though I think I need some benderboard), I have also have seven pier blocks my dad dropped off last Sunday. I have plans for them all, but I don't have the rest of the lumber I need, so that's probably not the project for tomorrow. Ultimately, though, I'm going to do some pretty cool stuff. Two blocks will be used to build a shed against the fence. When we built it, we put cement in every other hole, thinking that was sufficient. However, it turned out that wind can blow quite strongly down the hill, maybe why there was never a fence there. So now the fence leans. A shed at the fence will let me store stuff in the backyard and also stabilize the fence. Double-cool. I'll also use one block at the back of the yard (using the fence, at a corner for the other three points) and build a tiny little covered platform at the back of the yard. I want to also put a light in it. I don't want to call it a meditation shack because that sounds weird, but I do want it to be a small place where you can sit and read and be removed from everything and sheltered from the elements. It would be really small and eventually have some landscaping around it. Could be cool. And then the last four I'm thinking about using in the crawlspace. Right now, you go down some really poorly constructed stairs and then immediately have to step over the large sewer line, and then there's over 400 square feet of space that sport people like us can walk around in without stooping over. There's a lot of storage down there, but I think I can use the pier blocks to make a small platform so that you don't have to step over the sewer line. Not sure, though, might be too low there. But I could build a ramp or platform. That would be cool.
Right now we're watching some 30 Rock shorts. The Xfinity bits, though are stupid and painful. That whole name is awful. It sounds like a fake made-up name. Like Kabletown. What a different world this would be if Roberts hadn't won Comcast in a card game. Better? Who knows. Oh well.
The white screen offers for no reflection, offers no hints, offers no motive, no trends, no tracks, no help whatsoever.
My day? Even there, not so much to help. Awake, a movie, a drive, work. Typing, coffee, typing. Meeting with a whiteboard, impromptu inclusion of several others. Some surprises, some confusion. Some clarification, but still, some lack of resolution. Lunch. Manicotti, veggies, dip, a walk. Some Aaron Barnhart's podcasts and some music. And then back inside. Too warm. More email, more chatting. Off to Starbucks for a meeting. Casual, relaxed, a chance to chat with a new employee starting Monday. Back to the office. A prank, some work, some last minute details. Tidying the desk and then done. A drive, home, snacks and movie night. And then done too quickly and the kids were to bed. So now, more of the same. Wii walking and TV. FlashForward. Exciting like LOST used to be. Or was again on Tuesday. They're on a Ferris Wheel, they're on a Merry-Go-Round, mommy and daughter, seems like a nice day on the Santa Monica Pier. And that was the day to now.
And the week? Also not anything to write about. Quiet, calm, not as much done at work as I'd hoped. Quiet at home as well. A good thing. Even the power outage happened while I was at work.
So... how about the weekend? I don't see anything on the calendar. That is a good thing. The house is in good shape, but it can be better. If this weekend is truly unbusy, then I may get a lot done. Weather will be in the low-50s but no rain. Could be cold, but maybe I can get some more work done out front. I've got three bags of bark left, several bags of gravel in the backyard (though I think I need some benderboard), I have also have seven pier blocks my dad dropped off last Sunday. I have plans for them all, but I don't have the rest of the lumber I need, so that's probably not the project for tomorrow. Ultimately, though, I'm going to do some pretty cool stuff. Two blocks will be used to build a shed against the fence. When we built it, we put cement in every other hole, thinking that was sufficient. However, it turned out that wind can blow quite strongly down the hill, maybe why there was never a fence there. So now the fence leans. A shed at the fence will let me store stuff in the backyard and also stabilize the fence. Double-cool. I'll also use one block at the back of the yard (using the fence, at a corner for the other three points) and build a tiny little covered platform at the back of the yard. I want to also put a light in it. I don't want to call it a meditation shack because that sounds weird, but I do want it to be a small place where you can sit and read and be removed from everything and sheltered from the elements. It would be really small and eventually have some landscaping around it. Could be cool. And then the last four I'm thinking about using in the crawlspace. Right now, you go down some really poorly constructed stairs and then immediately have to step over the large sewer line, and then there's over 400 square feet of space that sport people like us can walk around in without stooping over. There's a lot of storage down there, but I think I can use the pier blocks to make a small platform so that you don't have to step over the sewer line. Not sure, though, might be too low there. But I could build a ramp or platform. That would be cool.
Right now we're watching some 30 Rock shorts. The Xfinity bits, though are stupid and painful. That whole name is awful. It sounds like a fake made-up name. Like Kabletown. What a different world this would be if Roberts hadn't won Comcast in a card game. Better? Who knows. Oh well.
Argh or Not
I've kind of fallen off the regular posting train. I was doing so well. And then I wasn't.
My family was sick. I was sick. I had to drive to the Oregon/Idaho border and back in a weekend. Work's been busy. I have some excuses, none of them great, but I want to get back to it. I won't go so far as to say I had a resolution or anything silly like that, but I wanted to write more this year. And then that kind of tailed off. I have gotten back to the 750 words the last two nights, but neither was worth actually sharing with anyone. So I figured I'd better pop on here before any more days had passed and at least write something, even if it was short.
I heard an interesting thing on the Saddleback podcast I listened to today. It said that as Christians, if we are living like Christians, we will stand out. And people will notice and if they resist or want to push us away, it's because God is placing something on their hearts that they're fighting and so as a natural extension of that as we seek after God, they're going to push us away as well. That, while not to the level of what you'd normally think of as persecution, nothing like what Christians in other countries face, it's still a form of persecution. And so it's something to be expected. And if we try to fit in, try to avoid the comments or the feeling of being judged or marginalized or passed over, then we're not really living as we're called to live. Interesting. Made me start thinking of magnets. The way we live can either draw people to us or push people away. We may or may not be able to control it, but there are obviously some things we can do to push or pull people, but we can't discount their own part of the equation.
My family was sick. I was sick. I had to drive to the Oregon/Idaho border and back in a weekend. Work's been busy. I have some excuses, none of them great, but I want to get back to it. I won't go so far as to say I had a resolution or anything silly like that, but I wanted to write more this year. And then that kind of tailed off. I have gotten back to the 750 words the last two nights, but neither was worth actually sharing with anyone. So I figured I'd better pop on here before any more days had passed and at least write something, even if it was short.
I heard an interesting thing on the Saddleback podcast I listened to today. It said that as Christians, if we are living like Christians, we will stand out. And people will notice and if they resist or want to push us away, it's because God is placing something on their hearts that they're fighting and so as a natural extension of that as we seek after God, they're going to push us away as well. That, while not to the level of what you'd normally think of as persecution, nothing like what Christians in other countries face, it's still a form of persecution. And so it's something to be expected. And if we try to fit in, try to avoid the comments or the feeling of being judged or marginalized or passed over, then we're not really living as we're called to live. Interesting. Made me start thinking of magnets. The way we live can either draw people to us or push people away. We may or may not be able to control it, but there are obviously some things we can do to push or pull people, but we can't discount their own part of the equation.
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. -- 2 Timothy 3
Saturday, April 03, 2010
Odds and Ends 19
-EXTRA-
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson
-1-
ZENHABITS.NET -- 13 Small Things to Simplify Your Workday
-2-
LIFEHACKER.COM -- Three Cups of Coffee a Day Good For Your Brain - cool. Offsets the idea that sleep is also good for your brain. Of course, the coffee I typically drink is of very low quality and another recent Lifehacker article said that's the cause of some of my minor digestive issues.
-3-
INDIEFIXX.COM -- A Fun Easter Egg Dyeing Technique - use electrical tape to make cool "void pattern" eggs. I did one. Cutting the electrical tape in half was a good move, but I also think more patience and time would have helped.
-4-
SETHGODIN.COM -- Failure, Success and Neither - will the real killer please stand up?
-5-
ENGADGET.COM -- Chevy Volt passes key production milestone. US Government buying first 100 off the line?
-6-
DJC.COM -- SeattleScape started off April with some great alternatives we might think about for the 520 replacement
-7-
BASICINSTRUCTIONS.COM -- The True Meaning of Easter? Not.
-8- VIDEO
Well done video for Google Translate for Animals (released April 1)
-9- VIDEO
Who knew Easter Eggs were cat toys?
-10- VIDEO
Turned a Hummer into a stagecoach. So cool.
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." - Thomas Jefferson
-1-
ZENHABITS.NET -- 13 Small Things to Simplify Your Workday
-2-
LIFEHACKER.COM -- Three Cups of Coffee a Day Good For Your Brain - cool. Offsets the idea that sleep is also good for your brain. Of course, the coffee I typically drink is of very low quality and another recent Lifehacker article said that's the cause of some of my minor digestive issues.
-3-
INDIEFIXX.COM -- A Fun Easter Egg Dyeing Technique - use electrical tape to make cool "void pattern" eggs. I did one. Cutting the electrical tape in half was a good move, but I also think more patience and time would have helped.
-4-
SETHGODIN.COM -- Failure, Success and Neither - will the real killer please stand up?
-5-
ENGADGET.COM -- Chevy Volt passes key production milestone. US Government buying first 100 off the line?
-6-
DJC.COM -- SeattleScape started off April with some great alternatives we might think about for the 520 replacement
-7-
BASICINSTRUCTIONS.COM -- The True Meaning of Easter? Not.
-8- VIDEO
Well done video for Google Translate for Animals (released April 1)
-9- VIDEO
Who knew Easter Eggs were cat toys?
-10- VIDEO
Turned a Hummer into a stagecoach. So cool.
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